• 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.

NATO forces shoot down Russian drones over Polish airspace; Trump: "Here we go."

'Here we go': Trump reacts after Russian drones shot down over Poland

"What's with Russia violating Poland's airspace with drones?" Trump said.

Polish airspace was violated by at least 19 Russian drones overnight, the country's prime minister said. The Russian action prompted NATO to scramble a response, as two Polish F-16s and two Dutch F-35s were deployed to shoot them down.

It marked the first time in the alliance's history that fighters had engaged potential targets in allied airspace, according to Col. Martin L. O'Donnell, a spokesperson for Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.

In response to the overnight incursion, the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, posted a short message on X: "We stand by our NATO Allies in the face of these airspace violations and will defend every inch of NATO territory."

Spying on husband

Hello, I hope I'm posting in the right place. I'm experiencing some problems with trusting my husband. I have heard him saying good morning beautiful at night when he thinks I'm sleeping, He stands in the kitchen and makes weird faces at his phone and mouths words so that he's silent but still conveying words, has said in his 'sleep' ... Don't tell my wife but I think I love you..
After experiencing those things, I decided to record him sometimes when I'm not around. I told him I heard more than he knew I did and I knew more than he thought I knew. He knew that if I heard a woman's voice that I would freak out. So, as I listen to the recordings most of the time you can't hear another voice but on occasion I hear a thank you when he tells her that she looks pretty!, or things like that. I have confronted him 3 times about this and he just gets mad. He always says that he didn't do it and I'm playing games. I feel like I'm crazy because he says I'm hearing things that aren't there. He won't listen to the recordings. My question is... If I spy on his phone, would that be wrong? I feel that somehow this will allow me to catch him in a lie and I feel that I need to prove to myself that I'm not crazy.

GOP, Democratic leaders react to Charlie Kirk shooting

*Please keep this thread respectful. A young husband and father was just murdered* Lord have mercy. :praying:


Updated at 4:45 p.m. EDT, Sept. 10, 2025: President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social account that Charlie Kirk has died and did not survive the fatal gunshot by an assassin at the "The American Comeback Tour” hosted by TPUSA at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

The president wrote: "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!"

The president has also called for all U.S. flags to be lowered to half-staff.

It is unknown at this hour whether or not the shooter has been apprehended.

Original report:


Republicans and Democrats reacted Wednesday to the shooting of conservative Christian activist Charlie Kirk, who was reportedly shot in the neck during a Turning Point USA event in Utah.

Continued below.

Death

What do you think about death? We've all heard things like "Death is part of life" or "Death is necessary to give life meaning" or even people talking about death being a beautiful experience. But from a scriptural standpoint, "The wages of sin is death". Is death really for our benefit? Or is it a punishment we all must face? Didn't death enter the world as a result of our sin? I'd like to hear some Christian perspectives.

I can see looking forward to the afterlife to be with our Creator. And certainly there is the relief and release from pain and suffering that death brings, and how it can be a blessing in that respect. But the process itself certainly doesn't seem pleasant. I've seen death in different aspects, sudden heart attacks, motorcycle accident, plus the slower lingering kind. It seems some suffer quite a bit while others don't.

The reason I brought this up was I recently saw a documentary on a man, Ethan Sisser, dying from a brain tumor, and he wanted his death documented on film, and that's what the documentary was about. And I saw a lot of people commenting on it being beautiful and all, and I just didn't see anything beautiful about it. I mean it was nice that he was brave and courageous about it, and humbly accepted his fate, and that he had loving people around him to comfort him. But I thought the process was nothing less than horrifying. Especially this one part near the end where it sounded like he was growling fiercely. Maybe he was unconscious by that point though, I don't know. I just kept thinking that you can't separate death from sin, and that's why it isn't beautiful.

At least two students shot in active shooter situation at Evergreen High School


Another day in America. 3 in critical condition. Unclear if shooter is one of the 3. All teenagers. Don't worry 2A'ers, this one won't register even a blip. The guns are safe.


[Staff Edit]

Can't wait to hear his thoughts on this one.

There Is No ‘Singular Historic Protestantism’

*You are in the Catholic forum*

An appeal against Catholic arguments to ‘historic Protestant positions’ is doomed to fall flat​


I can understand and appreciate why some Protestants might be annoyed at the way that conversions from various Protestant traditions to Catholicism are often covered in Catholic (and even secular) media. There is a certain triumphalistic brand of Catholic apologetics, which especially proliferates on social media, that seems to share the attitude of an SEC football team running up the score against Kent State. In your face, Southern Baptist Convention!

This is not good, as my friend Mike Sabo, a Protestant editor and writer, argues in a recent piece at American Reformer that has attracted even Catholic media attention. Sabo expresses his frustration with Catholics who unfairly caricature and simplify Protestantism, and I wholeheartedly agree and sympathize with that frustration. As someone who was persuaded to leave Presbyterianism for Catholicism fifteen years ago through the evangelistic witness of other former Protestants, I believe that ecumenical debate (and really, all intellectual debate) demands that we engage with the very best arguments our interlocutors can offer.

Yet I think Sabo overreaches in his complaint, largely because he engages in the same kind of rhetoric in his criticism of Catholics and Catholic apologetics. He writes, “Catholics are regularly outraged when Protestants try to convert them, or talk as if they aren’t part of the one true, catholic, holy, and apostolic church. But these pro-Catholic apologists have no problem with proselytizing evangelicals.” What Catholics are we talking about? Sabo offers no examples. And even if some Catholics present a double standard when it comes to Catholic and Protestant debates, so what? Do Catholic claims stand or fall because some Catholics are hypocrites?

Sabo continues: “However, when Protestants, especially in the political arena, question the leading doctrines and dogmas of the Catholic Church, that’s seen as a social faux pas that will likely get you locked out of the upper echelons of the institutional Right.” I presume Sabo has examples to substantiate this claim, one also found in a recent book by prominent Protestant scholars Brad Littlejohn and Chris Castaldo, but he doesn’t give any. It also seems overwrought, given that there are twice as many Protestants in Congress as Catholics, and our president, secretaries of Defense and the Treasury, and speaker of the House are all Protestant.

Continued below.

Returning to the Source of our Faith

I have another topic for our consideration.
Again I want to touch on a matter that is at the heart of our being effective as Christians.
Can we look this time at what should be the central resource for us yet we neglect drawing on this divine provision.
We often give heed to its centrality symbolically but rarely draw on its resources in practice.
Some will have guessed that I am referring to… the Cross.
The Cross is much more than a historical event to be remembered, it is a timeless event happening now. God in Jesus subdued every dark power, conquered every sickness, defeated death, disempowered sin, and secured our freedom, at the Cross then, for us now.
This event though spiritual in nature is no less real than the chair we sit on.
We can literally kneel in belief before the Cross and for example, give over our stress, He wants us to have a light burden and an easy yoke.

The key to understand is that Jesus on the Cross experienced our individual struggle and stress for us. If we can receive the truth of this and apply it, our lives will be much easier and the Chemist’s bill much lower. But there is a cost, we may need to pray for brokenness because the Lord detests a proud heart.

Paul spoke of dying daily, taking up the Cross daily. He clearly came back to the sacred hill often and I believe this was a key to his being able to endure extreme hardship.
So often today, hardship is seen as the fruit of a disobedient life, somehow indicating a separation from the blessings of God. We counsel those who struggle, not so much by kneeling together with them and appropriating the grace of God, but rather by encouraging self realisation, self esteem and self help. Many Pastors in fact have been taught to professionally manage their relationships with those in need, as if survival depends on it. In my life I have met few who will offer to kneel with me, and fewer that will weep.

I recall a vision I had about 25 years back. In the vision there was a throng of believers all walking in the same direction with indescribably beautiful music in the heavens overhead. On either side of this company of believers were well meaning officials indicating which way to walk. I was strongly aware that they in fact did not themselves know the way. As we walked there appeared on the horizon a single destination for all of us, you guessed it, it was the cross.

It is a travesty that Jesus went to so much trouble to provide release from all manner of impediments on the Cross, made available conquering power through the Cross, yet we generally seek release and power elsewhere.
Modern Christianity tends to be success orientated, ‘Knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection’ is often taught but the verse goes on… ‘and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death’. Jesus said ‘I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life’.

Paul speaks of a very different ministry than that to which we have become accustomed today, he summarises in this way… “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christs afflictions, for the sake of His body which is the church.”
No one looking for a career in Christianity would be attracted by this job description.
In modernising Christianity, we have departed from the very guts of what it means to walk as Jesus walked, we have substituted for the call of the cross sophisticated methods of Christian service assisted by every electronic aid imaginable.
As a result of this we have a disempowered church.
May the Lord have mercy and bring us back to the cross.

Christians - May I have your attention for a moment?

May I have your attention for a moment? I write as a lay person with a deep concern for Christianity in the modern world.
I am inviting comment and reflection, maybe some will share my passion, some may disagree. However, let us review how we practically live out our Christianity in this age.
Where do I begin? Back in the mid 70’s I made a very conscious decision to refer to the Christian scripture as the last word on matters of faith and reality. I had experienced a prodigal’s return and building on my Christian roots was crucial to the journey back to normality.
It became clear to me early on, that pride in its various forms was a very basic trap, so I resolved to keep matters simple. It was clear to me that our God does not judge on the basis of intelligence therefore the truth had to be simple and understandable.
If the bible was indeed God’s roadmap for life then its understanding was not confined to the scholars, but rather the keys for understanding were available to all.

From my learning about Church history I found that repeatedly, when God impacted a whole society and there was wholesale repentance, everywhere bibles were being dusted off, as everyone intuitively knew that when things got serious with God, the bible was the place to look for understanding.
And so it is today, we are in need of a fresh visitation; our society is progressively and rapidly rejecting Christian values and truths.

But it is us I would like to talk about. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, how does our mode of living compare to the simple teachings of the scripture?
There is general agreement that wherever Jesus reigns the Kingdom of God is present.
God in Jesus was quite specific about how we should recognise this. He sent word to John, in order that these would be no doubt, “the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.”

Now the reality is that these signs of the Kingdom are almost totally absent in New Zealand Christianity today yet these signs confirm the presence of Jesus.
What then has happened? This evidence of Jesus was clearly present in the early church but is noticeably absent in modern day Christianity for the most part.
I have to say that there are some simple reasons for this.
Those committed to our church work have become sophisticated and professional. They are generally well trained, talented individuals, able to lead, good managers, but are usually unfamiliar with the power of Jesus at work.

Why has this happened?
Looking back on the last thirty years, the times when Kingdom miracle signs have been evident in New Zealand certain conditions have been met.
Firstly there has been a God given unity among the believers involved.
Management and motivation were not predominant but simple Faith and Love was.
There was generally a lay ministry flowing, the believers would come together to share what God had done, there was a credible manifestation of Jesus in everyday life.
Being part of such an exciting experience meant that things of earth did grow strangely dim… we held onto our possessions more lightly, and there was supply for those who stepped out in God’s purpose without visible support.
The body of believers owned the vision which was planted in their hearts by Jesus rather than being sold by the leaders.
It seems that in the absence of God’s power we have built better programmes to compensate, become better organised so much so that it would be business as usual whether Jesus turns up or not.
Of course we have modified our theology to justify what isn’t happening, but this only masks the problem.
How then do we return to a vibrant biblical Christianity with conversion growth, and transformed lives? We need to return to the early church model clearly represented in the first Jerusalem Church (Acts 2:42-47), and the writings of Paul.
Start small with your close friends, read the scripture together and give God a blank page and room to move. Say less and pray more. Believe and act on the words of promise in the scripture. Confess your sin to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed…

Poland Just Destroyed Russian Drones, Escalating Ukraine War-Better Step up Our Mission Works: Tomorrow is Not Promised; Missionary Thoughts on This?

How is everyone doing out there?

With NATO getting more involved, we can possibly look at much more warfare in the world, even possibly end times, or at least much suffering.

There could be food chain supply problems and such in the US or in Europe or elsewhere, greatly increasing the sufferings of People in general.

What do you have to say about this as far as missionary work?

My thoughts are that we must simply encourage unsaved peoples to repent and be baptized!

Please help with your experiences and also any Bible verses.

Lord, teach me to pray

Shalom

Can you please pray for me that the Lord will teach me to pray?

Thank you for your prayers!

May the Lord bless you abundantly (Luke 6:38, Job 42:10) and may he bless Israel in Jesus' name. Amen!

Soli Deo Gloria

PS And I pray that the Lord will send out harvesters into his harvest (Matthew 9:38).

Israel strikes Qatar with missile strike


"Israel has launched a missile attack against Qatar's capital Doha, aimed it says at Hamas leaders. The Qatari government has responded with outrage and shock, accusing the Netanyahu government of “state terrorism”.

President Trump maintains that he was only made aware of the strike by the US military, and tried to warn the Qatari leadership. '

Just...what? Netanyahu has lost his mind.

Pray for me.

I am experiencing pain throughout my whole body, and even strong painkillers cannot completely take it away. Yet my true desire is not to give up, but to encounter God in my lifetime and to witness Him restore what concerns me, just as it is written in Psalm 138:8. While I wait for His Word, I pray that He will block the works of the enemy, open every good opportunity before me, heal my pain, and grant me wisdom to walk in fellowship with Him. Please pray for me sincerely, bless me, and ask that peace may be upon me. And if the time has not yet come for me to receive this peace, may that blessing return to you.

What is Calvinism and its beliefs?

Understanding how salvation relates to divine sovereignty and human responsibility has been a source of tension and struggles for many centuries. Calvinism is one of the most influential theological systems in church history, shaping how many Christians understand the gospel, grace, and God’s purposes. But what is Calvinism, what do Calvinists believe, and how does the Bible speak to these issues?

Historical roots

Calvinism is a branch of Protestant theology that emphasizes the sovereignty of God in salvation. It is named after the 16th-century Reformer John Calvin (1509–1564), whose writings helped shape the Protestant Reformation alongside Martin Luther and others. While Calvin himself didn’t invent all of its ideas, his teaching systematized doctrines of grace that became central to Reformed theology.

Calvinism teaches that salvation is entirely a work of God—planned by the Father, accomplished by Christ, and applied by the Holy Spirit. Calvinists believe that left to themselves, people would never choose God, but through His sovereign grace, God calls and saves His people.

Strictly speaking, Calvinism is synonymous with the broader Reformed tradition, with specific teachings on the sacraments and other doctrines, but on the popular level, Calvinism has been summarized into the Five Points of Calvinism, or TULIP.

The Five Points of Calvinism (TULIP)


Continued below.

Street preacher Ray Comfort says woman falsely accused him of 'chasing' her after sharing the Gospel

'Bizarre incident' caught on video

Bestselling author and evangelist Ray Comfort says he was falsely accused of chasing down a woman in Southern California in what he called a “bizarre incident.”

Comfort, 75, told The Christian Post on Tuesday that the strange encounter was all caught on video and began with the New Zealand-born author and evangelist asking about the woman’s beliefs about Heaven and eternity.

“If I remember correctly, the interview began with me asking if she believed in an afterlife and whether she thought she was good enough to go to Heaven when she died,” said Comfort. “I then walked her through some of the Ten Commandments to show that none of us are good enough to earn Heaven.”

Continued below.
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When is Jesus coming back?

What the Bible says about the Second Coming of Christ

Christians have always asked the question: When will Jesus return? Every generation seems to hope or expect it will happen in their lifetime. Some have even gone so far as to set dates, but every prediction has failed. What we do know for certain is this: the Bible promises that Jesus will return, but it also tells us that no one knows the exact time. That promised event is called the Second Coming.

What is the Second Coming?

The Second Coming refers to the future, visible, and glorious return of Jesus to earth. This is the moment when He will fulfill God’s promises, bring justice, and complete the salvation of His people. His first coming was marked by humility—He came as a servant and suffered for our sins. His second coming will be marked by majesty—He will come as King and Judge. Hebrews puts it this way: Christ came once to bear sin, and He will appear again “not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28).

Key passages about the Second Coming


Continued below.
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Sad news *prayer request*

I continue to ask for your deep and fervent prayers, please.

Unfortunately, my brother got back together with his ex-"boyfriend." Even though he habitually cheated on him, among other issues.

Please pray for a final break up, and they will permanently part ways.

Please pray for my brother to return to Christ and the sacraments, lest he lose his salvation.

Thank you

God bless

Restoring Reverence for God.

There is an issue that has contributed to a weak church today.

Our Father wants to express Himself to the world today through the family of God - in His fullness.

Social pressure has led to us presenting a palatable Gospel without the aspects of God’s nature that might offend.

We have failed to allow expression of many of His attributes and in doing so have made our God ‘PC’

To get a balanced picture of His character it is necessary to consider the whole of scripture and not just the New Testament.
Many believers have struggled to reconcile the Christ from the New with the God of Israel from the Old.

The aspects of God that have been conveniently ignored are in fact crucial to a strong Church. These could be called the ‘negative’ attributes of God, are not ‘nice’ and include the following…

Our God judges, is jealous, hates sin, is terrible, destroys, gets angry, consumes like a fire, takes vengeance and is intolerant.
Presenting a soft view of God has lead to having a generation of believers that have little comprehension or experience of the “fear” of God.

There is a corresponding lack of wisdom among us, compounded by the modern trend towards young leadership in some Churches. By fear, I mean to honour and respect for a God who is awesome and holy. This is not to be confused with an unholy fear associated with sects and cults to control adherents.

This failure to represent of the fear of God to the Church has also meant that the Church’s voice in the world is muted.

How do we correct this lack of knowledge of such an important part of God’s character?

Three things come to mind.

Firstly, these aspects of God’s character are more often than not expressed through God’s prophets. You may ask - where are they? In many cases the structure and dynamic of our churches fails to make room for such a ministry. The one who is brave enough to say that we need to repent is often seen immediately as imbalanced ‘flakey’ or plainly deceived. In the early church there was a fellowship of prophets serving the family of God to bring His word. This is virtually unheard of today and would likely be viewed as a dangerous clique. This grouping of prophets in a district should be welcomed and serve to bring God’s Word to the Shepard’s in the area.

Secondly there has been a trend away from preaching and towards teaching. It is not surprising that preaching the Gospel has less appeal in the modern church as we are exhorted to go out and preach whereas most preachers stay in and preach. In staying in, they are all too often addressing a convinced audience. As in the early church, preaching should be done in public where the unsaved are. This is where the word of judgment has a significant place. Preaching with signs following in the market place results in radical conversions, which in turn challenge the church and stimulate renewal.

Thirdly our current generation seems to lack the personal close encounters with the Almighty that many of us remember, permanently changing our lives. I still recall a prayer time with students at Otago University in the 70’s when ‘God passed by…’ I was speechless for several hours. An encounter of that nature leaves one with a permanent deep respect and healthy fear of our Lord for a lifetime.
We sing about His awe, but if there was revelation knowledge of His holiness our gatherings would be more likely to command His respect and fear.

In shocking move, Israel strikes Hamas leadership in Doha, capital of Qatar, for 1st time

At least 2 senior Hamas officials said to have been present

The Israeli Air Force struck a building in the Qatari capital of Doha on Tuesday, in an attempt to eliminate the senior leadership of the terror organization Hamas.

Footage from Doha showed smoke rising above the capital. The Qatari outlet Al-Arabi reported that the building served as the bureau of Hamas official, Khalil al-Hayya.

A senior Israeli official told Israeli news outlets: “We struck the Hamas leadership in Qatar, including Khalil al-Hayya and [Zaher] al-Jabarin. We are awaiting the results of the strike. There is a consensus among the political and security leadership.”

Continued below.

Prophesy and 1 Cor 14:3

Hi there,

What is your take on the matter of restricting prophesy to needing to have a positive message based on 1 Cor 14:3

How does this sit with the rest of scripture which records many times Prophesy brings a message of warning, and rebuke.

Encounter with a genuine prophet is more likely to result in one being uncomfortable it seems.

Discussion please.
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