A new Transformers show, which is rated for children ages 7 or older, has faced some backlash and concerns for pushing gender ideology on children through the introduction of nonbinary characters who identify as neither male nor female.

“Transformers: EarthSpark,” which is an animated series that debuted on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon last November, introduced a new nonbinary Transformer named Nightshade, who uses they/them pronouns, and a human character named Sam, who uses she/they pronouns, according to clips from the show.

“I know I’m safe when I’m with my friends or other nonbinary people,” Sam says in one of the clips, after which Nightshade questions the meaning of the term nonbinary. “People who aren’t female or male,” Sam responds.

Nightshade further promotes the concept of a nonbinary identity: “I always knew my pronouns felt right, but what a wonderful word for a wonderful experience.”

Continued below.

Hypothetical : if you hacked Hunter's emails why WOULDN'T you do deceitful things to a laptop to share the emails.

Suppose you hacked Hunter's emails and you want to share them to the public and you don't want to get into trouble for hacking Hunter's why wouldn't you get a laptop, download the emails onto the laptop and claim the laptop was a laptop that Hunter abandoned.

Hebrews 6:9-12 ESV


Let’s Look at the Context

Okay, context is important here. For in the previous verses the writer of Hebrews (possibly Paul) was encouraging the believers in Jesus Christ to move on to maturity in Christ and into the deeper things of God and of our faith. And then he spoke of how those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and then have fallen away, how it is impossible for them to be restored again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God.

Now, that can be somewhat open to interpretation, and I believe other Scriptures may say something which may appear to be in opposition to what this appears to be saying, so we may have to look further into this to get its true meaning. For example, in James 5:19-20 we read that if anyone among us who are believers in Christ wanders from the truth and one of us brings him or her back from their wandering, we will save their souls from death and cover a multitude of sins. So they would have to repent of their sins and turn back to the Lord in renewed faith in Christ, would they not?

And then we read the letters to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3 where 5 out of the 7 had wandered from the faith in some form or another and so they were being called to repent and to turn back to the Lord or God would judge them. And so there must be a difference between wandering from the faith and falling away from the faith. And if you read several commentaries on this, you will find a variety of opinions on what this is actually saying.

But let’s simplify it by stating what Jesus and the NT apostles taught, and that is that if sin is what we practice and if righteousness and obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God. So, if you are professing faith in Jesus Christ, but you are still living in sin, and you are deliberately and habitually sinning against God and other humans, if you do not repent and turn to God or back to God, but you go on living in sin and not in walks of obedience to the Lord, then heaven is not your eternal destiny. For you are not saved from your sins.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

God is Not Unjust

So, when he said, “though we speak in this way,” he was referring to what he had just said about those who have fallen away and cannot be restored back to true faith in Jesus Christ. Definitely, if they are in that fallen condition when our Lord returns, according to many Scriptures, they will not inherit eternal life with God. And this is why we are encouraged in the Scriptures that we must continue in our Lord steadfast in faith and in walks of obedience, and not in sin, and in walks of holiness, until the end, if we want to have salvation from sin and eternal life with God.

So, what do verses 9-12 tell us? He was sure of better things of those to whom he was addressing these words – things that belong to salvation. So, what things belong to salvation? Well, that is another debatable subject, but if we search the Scriptures, and if we read them in context, we will soon learn that what belongs to salvation is obedience to our Lord, no walking in deliberate and habitual sin, but walking in holiness and righteousness. And it is doing the works of God which he prepared in advance that we should walk in them, and it is to love God and our fellow humans and other believers.

And then pay close attention to the wording in verses 11-12, for they state what I was talking about two paragraphs prior to this one. We must continue in earnest and in steadfastness of faith in walks of obedience and in doing the works of God and in our service to our fellow Christians (the saints) until the end in order to have that full assurance of hope to the end. And it is through these walks of faith, by the grace of God, and in His power and strength, that we will inherit the promises of God. For Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those DOING the will of God the Father (Matthew 7:21-23).

[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]

Hear my Voice

An Original Work / July 9, 2012
Based off Psalm 27

The Lord is my great salvation.
He’s the stronghold of my life.
When my enemies attack me,
My heart will not fear at all.
Though a war break out against me,
Confident in Christ I’ll be.
Of the Lord, I ask that I may
Live with Him eternally.

Hear my voice, Lord, when I call you.
Merciful to me You’ll be.
Though my relatives forsake me,
My Lord God will receive me.
Teach me Your way, O my Jesus.
Lead me in Your righteousness.
I will sacrifice to my Lord.
I will sing with joyfulness.

I am confident that I will
See the goodness of the Lord.
All the richness of His blessings,
My Lord has for me in store.
He asks me to be of courage;
To be strong and to take heart,
Patiently as I wait for Him,
And from Him to ne’er depart.

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The three student protesters were labeled as 'homophobic' after they faced insults and vulgarity from 60 counter-protesters.

Continued below.

JEREMIAH 32:6-27; 16:19-17:14



The prophet, before his people went into exile in Babylon, buys a piece of property, Why? Because Adonai has promised him that he will buy and sell again, build houses, and plant vineyards, AFTER a period of 10 periods of 7 years each. Israel did not honor the sabbatical years, and now, the land will rest for 70 years. HOWEVER, the prophet was promised that Israel would return and repossess the land.

We see in reading this parashah that Adonai is a God of judgment, but at the same time, a God of forgiveness. Many times, we break HIS commandments, and many times, suffer the consequences for our actions, but there is forgiveness, after the time of suffering and tears, YHVH will never forget HIS PEOPLE. We might go under, but we will never be annihilated. ISRAEL is 4-ever. In chapters 16 to 17, the same thing is being said, YHVH sees all, “For my eyes are on all their ways, they are not hidden from my presence”

Who can hide from a Holy God? Yet the prophet says; “O YHVH, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in a day of trouble” He continues to trust in Adonai, even though the rest of Israel goes into captivity. We might live in the midst of idolaters, lovers of the world, yet still we must trust HIM.

There is hope if we come to the LORD. In chap 17 verse 14, the prophet speaks: “Heal me O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved, for thou art my praise.”

Luke 7

We can read about one of the miracles of Yeshua, that of the healing of a Roman Army officer's servant. Yet it required the faith of officer whose servant was sick unto death, and the servant was healed. What is required of receiving a miracle? Faith! Not blind faith, but faith in the healing powers of Adonai, The Roman believed being far away, yet his servant was healed. He did not see Yeshua, yet he believed. Yeshua said, “Blessed are those who do not see, yet believe.

Yochanan the Baptizer was recognized by Yeshua, as one of the best “talmidim” since he endured imprisonment, and even death, for the sake of the truth. Could we do that? Do we even dare to answer? Time will tell.

Yeshua said; “If you love me, ye will obey my commandments” not only the commandments that he spoke about during his life on earth, but also, the ones which he gave to Moshe when HE was with the FATHER as part of ELOHIM.

Blessings and curses are a part of life. The world calls them as “good luck and bad luck” there is no such animal! All things that happen in our lives are a result of blessings, curses, and testings. Do we want the best of our Mashiach? Then, follow HIS Word, follow HIS mitzvoth, not to bring us salvation, that we already have, but as a RESULT OF our salvation (Yeshuah) And if you haven’t accepted Yeshua (Jesus) as your LORD and Savior, and Messiah, NOW is a perfect time, remember, we are NOT promised tomorrow, we are only one HEART BEAT away from eternity.


Ben Avraham

Do we fret when a fried call and say they have a gift for us? No, we wait patiently in anticipation of that gift. If we know our friend is trustworthy, loving, and generous, we rest knowing we will receive our gift soon!

Why can’t we wait on God like that? He is our Father, Friend, Protector, He is trustworthy, He loves us, and He has many gifts for us!

But we fret! The gifts God promises: peace, joy, resolution to problems, a change in our behaviors, and many more, instead of waiting, we run around trying to attain those things for ourselves. But Jesus said to rest in Him.

Why do we not wait on our gifts? I’m so guilty of this! There are many times It can be difficult for me to fully accept I do not have the power to change me, nor situations to my liking. So I find myself trying to do what God can only do by His Spirit - give me His Power to do! That’s His gift to us.

Sitting in the eye of the storm, is the place of peace where God is holding our hand: there we hide under the shadow of His wings. The storm is raging, and we can see it, but there in the eye of the storm, is our God, He is in control, calming the wind, and so we rest in our beautiful Creator who will make everything alright!

God bless you!

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana became the first state in the U.S. to enact a complete ban on TikTok on Wednesday when Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a measure that’s more sweeping than any other state’s attempts to curtail the social media app, which is owned by a Chinese tech company.

The measure, scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, is expected to be challenged legally and will serve as a testing ground for the TikTok-free America that many national lawmakers have envisioned. Cybersecurity experts say it could be difficult to enforce the ban.

Click to expand...

Pro: Tik Tok is way too close to the authoritarian Chinese Communist Party govt - who I rather abhor - and they can use it to vacuum up all kinds of data to who knows what ends.

Pro: Tik Tok sucks up the lives of our young people in algorithmically driven addiction.

Con: Free speech and liberty to operate a business as anyone, person or corporation (hey arent those the same thing, legally?), sees fit.

Con-fused: as to how a state even goes solo with a law that regards commerce which is inherently interstate.

AP article:
Montana says 1st-in-nation TikTok ban protects people. TikTok says it violates their rights

My brother chose to be childless. He said he didn't know how to be a father given the example that we had. Our father's father died in a VA hospital when our father was very young. Dad's mother tried multiple times but apparently couldn't find a satisfactory husband. Grandma and her many siblings were in a home for unfortunate(?) children. Their father died due to alcoholism. Their mother divorced and remarried. Eventually she and her second husband took the children in, a few at a time. My grandmother had only 2 children that I know of. My father was the only one by her first husband.

Who knows how to be a good father? Did Adam know?

A 1,100-year-old Hebrew Bible that is one of the world’s oldest surviving biblical manuscripts sold for $38 million in New York on Wednesday, becoming among the most expensive books ever bought.

The Codex Sassoon, a leather-bound, handwritten parchment volume containing a nearly complete Hebrew Bible, was purchased by former US Ambassador to Romania Alfred H. Moses on behalf of the American Friends of ANU and donated to ANU Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, where it will join the collection, the Sotheby’s auction house said in statement.

One reason for this thread is the following.


It is not only Amils who take Revelation 19:21 to mean there are no mortal lost survivors post the 2nd coming, there are also some Premils who take it to mean that as well. For example, Seventh Day Adventists. But not only those Premils, other Premils as well, who are not SDAs.

Therefore, though I am Premil not Amil, this is irrelevant and somewhat misleading since there are some Premils who interpret Revelation 19:21 in the same manner as most Amils do, thus not fair to those Premils by giving the impression all Premils interpret Revelation 19:21 in the same manner, that Zechariah 14:16 proves some are not interpreting Revelation 19:21 correctly.

Though, this thread involves Premil vs Amil, it doesn't involve that only. It involves anyone, whether Amil or Premil, who insists that Revelation 19:21 proves that there are no mortal lost survivors post the 2nd coming, therefore, Zechariah 14:16 is not a valid way to disprove that.

Which then leads to, is it really true that Zechariah 14:16 can't be used to disprove that Revelation 19:21 allegedly proves that there are no mortal lost survivors post the 2nd coming? Thus what I'm attempting to uncover throughout the thread. Is or is not Zechariah 14:16 a valid way to debunk how some are interpreting Revelation 19:21, that it allegedly proves that there are no mortal lost survivors post the 2nd coming?

Revelation 19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.


Zechariah 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

And the remnant were slain--and all the fowls were filled with their flesh---vs---every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year

Unless one is maybe a Preterist, pretty much everyone else at least agrees that Revelation 19:21 is involving the bodily return of Christ in the end of this age and that what is recorded in verse 21 is one thing that happens once He returns.

But how should we be interpreting Revelation 19:21 in light of Zechariah 14:16? The first place to start is by establishing what era of time Zechariah 14:16 is involving. Is it involving the same era of time Revelation 19:21 is involving? Is it involving an era of time prior to when Revelation 19:21 is meaning? Is it involving an era of time post when Revelation 19:21 is meaning? Let's reason through some of Zechariah 14 to try and determine that.

Zechariah 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.


As to the day of the Lord meant here, what era of time does the NT indicate this fits during?

Acts 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

1 Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

These are the main passages in the NT which mention the day of the Lord. Of course though, there are other passages in the NT which do not mention the day of the Lord, but that it is plainly obvious to a lot of us that it is involving this same day of the Lord that comes as a thief in the night. One such passage is Matthew 24:34-39.

Obviously, regardless what era of time one applies Zechariah 14:1 to, Zechariah 14:16 is clearly meaning post that. That means when Zechariah 14:16 begins to come to pass, everything recorded in Zechariah 14:1-5 and Zechariah 14:12-15, these events are all in the past at this point. Which should basically mean Zechariah 14:16 is involving the same era of time Zechariah 14:6-11 is involving.

The question is, the era of time Zechariah 14:6-11 is involving, is that meaning before or after when Revelation 19:21 is meaning? If it is meaning before, that would indicate Zechariah 14:16 is involving an era of time prior to when Revelation 19:21 is meaning.

While OTOH, if the era of time Zechariah 14:6-11 is involving, that it is meaning after when Revelation 19:21 is meaning, this means that Zechariah 14:16 fits with an era of time post that of Revelation 19:21. Which then means we can't take Revelation 19:21 to mean every single lost mortal that was still alive when Christ returns since this would contradict Zechariah 14:16 and this part---every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year.

Is one going to argue that only the NT is holy writ and that the OT isn't? The idea is to square these passages, not have then contradicting each other instead, right?


I'm not done reasoning through Zechariah 14 yet, in order to establish when Zechariah 14:16 is meaning in relation to when Revelation 19:21 is meaning. This should be enough to get us started. And since Zechariah 14 involves prophecy, chronology of events are therefore relevant. For example, who would argue, and expect to be taken serious, regardless where one places Zechariah 14:2 in time, that verse 11 is chronologically meaning before verse 2 rather than chronologically after? No one, right? Thus chronology is relevant in Zechariah 14, otherwise it wouldn't matter where verse 11 fits in relation to verse 2.

“If you want to do things like gender ideology, go to (the University of California) Berkeley,” DeSantis added. “There’s nothing wrong with that, per se, but for us with our tax dollars, we want to focus on the classical mission of what a university is supposed to be.”

“What this does is reorient our universities back to their traditional mission and part of that traditional mission is to treat people as individuals, not to try to divvy them up based on any type of superficial characteristics,” DeSantis said.

The law also demands that general education courses “may not distort significant historical events or include a curriculum that teaches identity politics”


Some media outlets are framing this in a negative way, but I actually don't have a problem with this one. I say let the various states set their policies on taxpayer funding at universities, and we can all see the results in 4-8 years and judge for ourselves which ones are producing the most productive members of society.

Rather than the red states and the blue states all trying to "export their values" and foist them upon the other states, I think it'd be a good social experiment to leave them all to their own devices in terms of education policies, and see which one produces the best results and best members of society.

My hunch on this is that the "winning combination" on this would be a combination of some right leaning values and some left leaning ones (like I do on most things as something of a "radical centrist" defined by the JFK quote of "idealism without illusions"), but I'd be happy to see it play out in a real-world application.

I grew up in The Vinyard church with my family. It was... good, honestly wonderful people. As a child I felt like god was everywhere and I had this burning desire to serve wherever I could. Division came into my life when I started to become angry, trauma, social isolation.

I was around 14 when I genuinely started to hate my life. I thought about ending it several times but instead I just chose a very reckless path where I didn't care if I lived or died.

I left home at 16 and went on what might be described as an epic journey that took me through addictions, drugs alcohol crime sex and poverty... and I met people who were not Christian and also very broken and suddenly I felt like I could relate for the first time in years. It rekindled a small flame of faith in me and even though I was still actively living a reckless life I found room for acts of kindness. I could relate to the broken world I lived in, in a strange way and I think those years profoundly changed the way I see my faith and others and my relationship with God as he used me even in that terrible state, i just had to be willing.

I'm sober now and have been since I finally crashed and burned and ended up with a psychotic episode and called on christ in a state of absolute terror... and then called my dad... who drove 12 hours to pick me up and take me home. There I clung to god and couldnt sleep for weeks until my old youth pastor came and prayed for me. I wrote a lot of very personal poems to God during that time and my beliefs sort of shifted again.

I know this is long and tedious but it is important to understand why I feel like I do now.

Its been just over 11 years sober, I love my God and I believe I feel his spirit often... I still attract very broken people and I love them dearly and do all I can to try and help them. I serve them because I serve God and because to an extent I understand. I lived in their world, know what it will take from someone.

But i dont feel anything in a church. When I sing it's because everyone is singing, it seems impractical to me, I want to serve and I want to love and I want observe and study creation and marvel at my Father's work. That to me is worship that is where I feel God.

I dont see a world of Christians and non Christians I just see God's children. Some need help, some need love, some are bitter and full of hate and some do terrible things but I dont feel like I am different. Not really. I dont feel Christian.

I have a lot of issue with a lot of the hierarchy and doctrine in churches. I love the people but... i don't really relate to the them anymore. Many don't understand... and it's not their fault but it is hard at times.. sometimes I feel like the Good Shephard's black sheep.

I dont feel like I'm a Christian... I'm just me. And all of me doesn't really seem to fit in that Christian category, that label.

Many of us who grew up in the 80's and 90's would have read at least one of Frank Peretti's novels. A few of them have been made into movies but have never seen the success the books deserve. I'm interested to know what one of Franks novels would you like to see made into a movie? ('This Present Darkness' excluded, because we all want that!)

The report, which announced the findings of a monthslong probe sparked by the federal prosecutor’s appearance at a Democratic political fundraiser involving first lady Jill Biden, comes one day after Rollins’ attorney said that she plans to submit her letter of resignation to President Joe Biden by the end of the week.

After media reports raised questions about the appearance, Rollins suggested on Twitter that she had “approval” to be there, according to the report, which said she in fact did not receive the necessary approval to attend the event.

Rachael Rollins, the US attorney for Massachusetts, leaked sensitive Justice Department information to a journalist in an effort to influence a local election, according to a report released Wednesday by the department’s inspector general.

Rollins also lied under oath to during an interview with the inspector general about the information she gave to the reporter, the report says.

--

Government official trying to influence an election? Bad apple sniffed out and gone.

Hi all. I’m back again, I was a member here about 10 years ago, and have returned looking for some good discussion and making new friends.
Side note. I’m not really Foghorn, nope sorry. Just using the name.

An article from conservative media, The Bulwark.

What's bad that we knew was bad but maybe worse than we thought...

Senator Dianne Feinstein -

Senator Tommy Tuberville -

Elon Musk -

Heritage Foundation -

Nikki Haley -

U.S. Secret Service -

Can you guess why each one of these has been shown to be worse than the bad we already knew?

Some of the biggest focus on there being a climate change catastrophe in progress has been Lake Mead in Nevada, USA drying up.
But now the tables have turned and it's filling up. The Great Salt Lake in Utah is experiencing the same results.

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I have to ask, why is the President denouncing only "alt right" ideologies and not Leftist ideologies? Who are the "alt right" besides the boogie man of the Left, used as a slur? "The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, its president, vice-presidents and all 35 district presidents, along with its ministerium and congregations..."

Was this passed in some kind of vote or is the Pres taking liberties? Where can I find a list of those who signed this document? This is not a good look for the LCMS if they are only striking to the right and not the left.

Yours,

jm

Things just not getting better at Disney:

Owner Gabriel Sims-Fewer cites lack of seed capital as one of the primary reasons for the failure.

I was gonna say that the combination of letting people take stuff for free while having signage and messaging that many find off-putting (thereby all but ensuring that your establishment is only frequented by freeloaders and drifters) would've been the likely culprit...but what do I know, I've never owned a coffee shop.

Although, the lack of seed capital part seems a tad ironic. I guess that would be a tough sales pitch when trying to raise capital...telling all of the people who have the kind of money that they could afford to invest in your startup that they're "colonialist scum".


The Anarchist opened in March of last year with a goal of making third-wave, specialty coffee drinks accessible to working-class and poor people. The cafe offered pay-what-you-can drip coffee alongside a range of lattes, teas and pastries. It also carried radical books, prints, and merchandise. People were not required to make a purchase at the café to use its restroom facilities or rest in the space.

But he did leave his Instagram followers with a message of unity and hope: (the word isn't "to heck with" obviously, I can't use the real language here)
“<to heck with> the rich,” he wrote. “<to heck with> the police. <to heck with> the state. <to heck with> the colonial death camp we call ‘Canada.’”

The entrepreneur had also made social media posts where he apologized for the fact that he is a “white, cisgender”, and another where he said “the queen was <not a nice word> and should have died sooner,”


Seems like this business owner needs to get a little perspective here... How far left on the spectrum do you have to be in order to hold the view that Canada, of all places, is some sort of "right-wing Colonial death camp"? And in Toronto none the less (which many ranking lists rank in the top 10 or top 20 in terms of most progressive cities in the world). It'd be like a person living in Midland, TX looking around and saying "this place is just too darn liberal"

I am new here. I grew up in going to several denominations, Baptist, Charismatic and Evangelical, however because of unresolved childhood abuse I walked away from all of it. I have slowly began to meander back by way of history. I have been studying the Patristic age with the goal of understanding where the church stated up till now. I am currently reading A History of Penance by Oscar D Watkins. I have a lot of questions about the orthodox view and how that has morphed and changed in the reformation. I look forward to conversing with many of you.

So I stopped at a local Lutheran church for the first time and talked to the pastor. Good, conservative guy - I liked him and we got along really well.

I like Lutheran teaching and answers on a lot of things, but the service has me put off to be honest. This one they do is like a Latin mass. Pastor has his back to the people at communion time, and he said the pastor is acting "in persona Christie" - a term I didn't like in Catholicism either.

At the Last Supper I don't think Jesus had his back to everyone while he broke bread - or ever when they broke bread for that matter. I have heard all the logic behind it, but it does not seem Scriptural, nor does it confer that sharing a meal togetherness.

And the "in persona Christie" thing - I am sure there are explanations. But if you support it, would you support that a Catholic priest is also "in persona Christie"?

Priests in France will be required to carry QR codes that the public can scan in order to check if they have been struck off as part of a sexual abuse clampdown.

The new wallet-sized ID cards will, after being scanned by a mobile phone, bring up a green, orange or red light depending on the priest’s status and career history.

The new system announced at the French Bishops’ Conference is designed to make the church more transparent but has been criticised as frivolous by some sex abuse survivor groups.

The ID card’s main function is to show whether a priest is qualified to lead Mass or hear confession, but the code also discloses whether the priest has been stripped of clerical status.

The card does not explicitly state why a priest has been stripped of that status, but the red colour code would serve as an early warning signal that they may have faced sexual abuse charges.

This means the cards can apparently be used by Catholics to find out whether bishops, deacons and priests in their area are possible sex offenders, broadcaster France 24 reported.

Continued below.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV


Sin has always existed since Adam and Eve sinned against the Lord. For, ever since then we have all been born into the world with sin natures, in the image of Adam. So none of what is listed above is new. But I do believe it is increasing in severity in these last days, and that it is increasing greatly among those professing faith in Jesus Christ. For much of what is presently being taught as the gospel actually sanctions a lot of what is listed above.

So, sinful addiction is not unusual among those who call themselves Christians here in America. Very few seem to truly grieve over that reality, either. It seems to be generally accepted as just the way things are. So, many have become desensitized. And the church, in general, is doing little to stop it, and many are giving believers in Jesus carte blanche to continue in deliberate and habitual sin under the guise of God’s grace and forgiveness.

So, you can have a man professing faith in Jesus Christ openly admit that he is an adulterer and a spousal abuser and that he refuses to let God change his heart, and it seems that no one blinks an eye. And no one calls him on the carpet and confronts him with his sin. It is kind of like the man talked about in 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 who had his father’s wife and the church was proud and did not mourn over this man’s sin. The people didn’t care.

Only now it is not just one man, but it is hundreds and thousands of men and women and children who are living in sexual sin while the church, in general, embraces them and will not confront them, for they do not want to offend them. And so marriages are being destroyed, and families are being torn apart, and children are becoming sex addicts, and it is destroying their hearts and minds, but few will lift a finger to try to help. They are heartless.

And the godly are becoming the enemy while the ungodly are becoming the accepted. So, it isn’t that any of these sins are new, but that they are increasing and they are being accepted as the norm even among those professing faith in Christ. Yet, many who are living this way will give off the image that they are true believers in Jesus while they deny the Lord and his gospel by their sinful practices. And we, the church, are to avoid them.

2 Timothy 3:10-14 ESV


So, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ who grieves over these sins which are running rampant in today’s modern market-driven “churches,” i.e. businesses, you may not have many others grieving with you. And you may even come under rebuke, and you may be accused of being unloving, or judgmental, or self-righteous, because you are sharing the truths of the Scriptures which call for us to forsake our sins and to obey our Lord.

So, you may end up being persecuted by others who profess faith in Jesus Christ because you are concerned that these sins are going on within the gatherings of the church, and you are concerned that not much is being done to stop it, and that so many are teaching a diluted gospel which is not demanding death to sin nor living to righteousness. For all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

But while the godly are being persecuted, those who are making evil their practice – which includes many professers of faith in Christ who are impostors – they are going from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived, and not much at all is being done to stop them. And many people are following them and are approving and accepting of them, sometimes even knowing some of the evil that they are doing.

And if we are among the persecuted because we stand for truth and righteousness, in a generation which is diluting the gospel to make it more acceptable to human flesh, we must not lose heart. We need to bless the Lord and be thankful regardless of our circumstances. And we must give it all over to the Lord and release our hurt over to the Lord for his healing mercies. And we must forgive others who are hurting us, too.

And then we must continue in following after the Lord in obeying his commands (New Covenant), and in living holy and godly lives for his glory and honor and praise, in his power and strength. And we must not fear what other humans may do to us or say to us or about us, but we must commit our lives into the hands of the Lord and trust that his will is being accomplished through it all, and that our suffering will serve a purpose.

[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]

Blessed Be Your Name

by Matt Redman

In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness

When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering

Blessed be the name of the Lord

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

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