'Build-A-Bear' is offering the 'RuPaul Bear,' a drag themed teddy bear in honor of TV reality show 'RuPaul's Drag Race'

Popular build-it-yourself children’s teddy bear store "Build-a-Bear Workshop" is turning heads with its new drag queen teddy bear.

The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh pointed out on Twitter, Thursday, that "Build-a-Bear Workshop," the toy store where kids – and adults apparently – can customize their own stuffed animals, had advertised a new drag queen teddy bear.

Sharing a screenshot of the website depicting the new drag product, Walsh tweeted, "Remember: there’s absolutely no agenda to groom your kids. Don’t be ridiculous. On an unrelated note, @buildabear is selling a drag queen stuffed bear for children."

Continued below.

Afour-year investigation of Baltimore’s Catholic archdiocese reveals the scope of 80 years of child sex abuse and torture and how church officials often covered it up and, in some cases, paved the way for further abuse.

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Among the accounts: A deacon who admitted abusing more than 100 children. A priest who chained and whipped boys for his gratification. Another priest who, after receiving psychiatric treatment, went on to abuse 20 students at a Baltimore boys’ school.

The Maryland Attorney General’s Office released Wednesday its “Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.” Its nearly 500 pages tell how 156 clergy and other Church officials tormented more than 600 children and young adults, dating back to the 1940s. The Baltimore archdiocese covers Baltimore City and nine counties in Central and Western Maryland.

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James 2:14-19,26 ESV


Now some people have this notion that this teaching of James was somehow different or even opposed to the teachings of Paul, but not so. In fact, one of the favorite passages of those who are opposed to any kind of works being involved in our salvation is Ephesians 2:8-9, but they leave off verse 10 which says,


And going along with that is Titus 2:13-14 which says,


But it doesn’t stop there. Paul wrote these passages of Scripture, too:


And this doesn’t even include all the passages of Scripture which teach us that we must die to sin daily, deny self, follow Jesus in obedience, forsake our sins, don’t lie, don’t steal, don’t commit adultery, put off sin, put on righteousness, don’t continue in sin, continue in righteousness and holiness, love others, don’t hate, don’t quarrel, do good, speak the truth in love, walk according to the Spirit, and don’t live according to the flesh, etc. And most of these (if not all) were penned by Paul as he was led by the Spirit.

And this also doesn’t include all the passages of Scripture which warn us of what will happen to us if we do not obey our Lord and if we continue in deliberate and habitual sin. And probably most of those were penned by Paul, too. And they teach us that if sin is what we practice, and if righteousness, godliness, and obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, that we will not inherit eternal life with God, and heaven will not be our eternal destiny, regardless of what faith our lips have professed.

So, let’s set the record straight. Yes, we are not saved by our own works of our own flesh of our own doing. We can never be good enough in our own flesh to be approved by God and to have salvation from sin and eternal life with God. And not one of us can even come to faith in Jesus Christ unless God the Father draws us to Christ (John 6:44). For, Jesus is the author and the perfecter of the faith which comes from God, and which is gifted to us by God, and which is not of our own doing (Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-9).

But since this faith is not of our own doing, then we cannot define it by our own flesh. And the meaning of this faith is “persuasion,” and in this case, since it is God who draws us to Christ, and since the faith is authored by Jesus Christ, and since the faith to believe is gifted to us by God, this faith is going to be defined by God and by his word. So God the Father is going to persuade us of his righteousness and holiness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to repent of our sins and to walk in obedience to our Lord.

And so he is going to teach us his ways and counsel us in his truth and righteousness, and he is going to show us the way of salvation and what it means to be saved by God’s grace. And that is what he has done in the Scriptures where he teaches us that we must walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh, and that we must no longer walk in sin but now in righteousness and in obedience to our Lord. For if sin is what we practice, and if obedience is not what we practice, then we do not have eternal life with God.

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

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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What I find odd is that there is no discussion of what is a current event--Holy Week. And on a Christian forum, no obvious place to comfortably post on the topic.

Paul says in 1Corinthians 1:31 that Christ is made unto us wisdom, justification, sanctification and redemption. The clear meaning of this is that we have no role to play in our sanctification any more than we do in our justification. It all comes from Christ.

So is this your understanding of our role in our sanctification?

Morris Venden's sermons on sanctification by faith alone make this very clear. Here is the link to the first sermon of Vendon's second series of sermons on the subject.

Unfortunately, the words "baptize" and "baptism" are used in English Bibles, especially in the Gospels. The life of Yeshua was lived as part of the Old Testament. Everything that happened in the Gospels needs to be viewed just as if one was reading Numbers, 1 Samuel, or Psalms. I have yet to see even one Bible version that points this out! But it is crucial to know! The New Testament era didn't start until Yeshua ascended! Anyone reading the gospel must understand that what they are reading is written within an Old Testament setting. At the same time, the Gospels also show that things were going to be changing. The way things were done in the O.T. were now going to be done in a new way. The theology stayed the same, but one of the most important changes was that things were now going to have a spiritual meaning rather than a physical one. Things would move from the physical into the spiritual. His life and words also showed that the Old Testament world was coming to an end. His death ended the Old Testament ways. The destruction of the Temple was Jehovah completely burying the Old Testament practices and covering the grave with an unpenetrable cover.

What people consider the "Gentile church" is not found in the Gospels. (Yeshua never used the word "Church," nor did he start the "Church.") The things people think are "Christian" are not found or taught in the Gospels. Everything in the Gospels must be viewed from the eyes of a 1st Century Jew, living in a Jewish culture with a Jewish mindset.
The Jewish people had no concept of a ceremony called "baptism," a ceremony that a "new believer" would engage in after "getting saved." What the Jewish people did practice was what they called Tevilah (Full immersion) which was when a Jew would be fully immersed underwater for the purpose of becoming ritually pure. That water "cleansed" the mind and spirit, and one would become "clean" in Jehovah's eyes, fit to serve Him. This doesn't fit the definition of "Christian Baptism." While God did command "cleansing by water" for different physical or spiritual reasons, He had never commanded "full body submersion" as a necessity. What God had commanded had been "added" to by the Pharisees at some point. ( Mat 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne and lay them on men's shoulders...)

Let me explain the differences between Tevilah and "Christian Baptism."
1. The Tevilah performed by the Jews at the Jordan River and Acts 2 or anywhere else in New Testament Scripture were completely voluntary! It was something each individual Jew chose to do.
2. Each Jew would put themselves underwater by their own action. They would enter the water by themselves, go under, and come out of the water without anyone else making any physical contact with them. This was an act they were doing. It wasn't something being done to them.
3. The Jewish teacher observing the act made sure that the Jew was completely underwater. He made no physical contact with the Jew. He didn't push the Jew under the water. Neither did he make some prayer or public announcement before the Jew immersed him/herself.
4. No Jewish parent ever immersed a baby or child or allowed a young child to practice this. In the Jewish culture, a child becomes an adult at age 13. After coming into adulthood, each young person was free to practice Tevilah of their own free will. He/she wasn't required to answer questions from some Jewish leader about "Do you understand what this means and why you are doing this" before the first Tevilah.
5. Tevilah had been a Jewish practice for thousands of years before John appeared at the Jordan.
6. Tevilah was never a one-time event. In the days of Yeshua, the Jewish people would do Tevilah before entering the Temple Mount, exchanging money, making a sacrifice, etc. It was almost a daily event. Some would immerse themselves three times in a row.
7. The synagogues never scheduled a Tevilah "event" where family and friends were invited to attend.
8. Doing Tevilah was not a public "profession of faith" or a step to becoming a member of a synagogue.
9. immersion was the only connection between "Christian Baptism" and Tevilah. "Christian Baptism" is something that was completely made up, a man-made tradition that came from paganism, the Mystery Religions, that has no roots in Judaism, and cannot be tied to any doctrine or teaching in all of Scripture.

I am not here trying to destroy something "legitimate" based on Scripture! I used to believe in "Christian Baptism" and what it is said to represent. But my in-depth study has shown me that so many things taught in the Evangelical/Christian world that are not true, including "Christian Baptism!" With my knowledge of Scripture and if I was willing to compromise and teach lies, I could have eased myself into some large "church group" years ago or started my own "church," and I would be on "easy street" right now. I would be on hundreds of T.V. and radio stations. If I had written some books, they would have sold well. I would be well known. But as a man of God (I don't say that as if there is a halo over my head), someone He called to study and teach His word, I cannot and will not compromise in what I teach. Most people believe that 2 Tim 2:15 is a verse that applies to all people, but this is untrue. This is Paul, as a teacher of God's word, writing to Timothy, a younger and less experienced teacher of God's word. Timothy was having many problems with the false teaching that he was encountering. So in vs. 15, Paul is stressing to Timothy that Timothy needs to study more and learn more so that Timothy, through using Scripture, could expose the lies. (Words don't lie, men do). As to what he teaches, as far as any "approval," someone who teaches God's word needs to do his study and teaching so that God approves!

John's role in the coming changes was huge and pivotal! He was the hinge. He was the beginning point, the point of the spear! His role was much larger than merely being the promised forerunner to the Messiah! In the next post, I will cover that in more detail when I lay out the timeline and events that led to Yeshua coming to John for Tevilah.

John, who lived in the wilderness dressed in rough clothing and lived off of the land, and was the last Old Testament prophet. God called him for a specific purpose, and John began to obey Jehovah. While we don't know exactly the geographical location where John began to preach the message God gave him, we do know he ended up moving around and staying near the Jordan River.
John had only two things to proclaim, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, Mat 3:2, and preached a "baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." Mk 1:4, Lk 3:3. So, as presented chronologically, we will read;

There came a word of God to John the Immerser, the son of Zacharias. And he traveled to every populated region around the Jordan River, preaching an immersion of repentance unto the forgiveness of sins and commanding people to "Repent! for the kingdom of heaven is at hand/near!.. Many Jews from Jerusalem, Judeah, and different areas around the Jordan River came to where John was, confessing their sins. And John oversaw everyone's Tevilah.

I am positive that this was how it was originally written down, as Jewish how men would write down events only involving Jewish people. They would not have used the words "baptize" or "baptism." (Did you know there is now solid, irrefutable proof that all 4 gospels were originally written in Hebrew? And they know that James, Jude, and Revelation were originally written in Hebrew. If the Translators had never used the words "baptize" or "baptism," The concept of "Christian Baptism" would have never begun!)

The concepts of "Repent" and "Repentance" come from the Jewish people, or rather through the Jewish people. The Torah teaches a moral code of life. In the huge majority of pagan religions, there was no concept of "sin" or any need to repent of sin. The closest pagans came to this was that if they thought they had angered a god or goddess, they would seek to appease their deities. There was no concept that if you did wrong to another person, you were also guilty of doing wrong to your deity.
In Jewish theology and culture, there were two aspects to repentance. One dealt with having sorrow and regret for breaking God's commands or sinning against another person. This included the idea of vowing not to repeat the sin. The other aspect was the idea of turning back to God and turning away from your false religion, idolatrous ways, serving self, and lusting after the things of the world.
The second aspect is what John proclaimed to the Jewish people that came out to him. They needed to do this because when he said, "for the kingdom of heaven is at hand/near, that meant to the Jews that it was now here, not coming later on. (The Jewish people spoke in a different way than us.) At this time, among the Jewish people, there was an expectation that the coming of the Messiah was soon! And when they heard John say, "The kingdom of heaven was here," they were jumping at the opportunity to become part of God's kingdom, the true kingdom. The average Jew in Jerusalem and Judah was so fed up with the Jewish spiritual leaders and the mess that Judaism had become. It was not just the tough rule of the Romans and the high taxes; the Jewish leaders, secular and religious, were also oppressing the average Jew. The Pharisees and scribes had made it so tough, almost impossible for the average Jew to think he was obeying and serving God properly!

Now, I must say that I have never once heard any teaching on the "baptism of repentance for the remission of sins!" This seems to be a contradiction, right? We are never taught that "baptism" forgives sins! Only God or Yeshua can forgive our sins, correct? Well, guess what? This immersion under John did not forgive sins; it did away with sins! People think that "forgiveness" and "remission" are one and the same, but they're not. Forgiveness is directed toward the person. God/Yeshua forgives the person after they repent, confess, and approach with a humble heart and have true sorrow for their thoughts and actions. But remission is where your sins are taken away as if you never committed them. Forgiveness is God's favor toward the sinner. Remission is where the sins are removed. (I am going to do a study on forgiveness and remission later on)
This is something "new", the removal of sins, a concept not found in the O.T. This was great news and a blessing to the Jews. Because while they knew that God would forgive them for their sins and the animal sacrifices and sin offerings would atone (cover up) their sins, they believed that their sins remained attached to them and it was a burden that each Jew would have to carry for their entire life. They were now able to experience true freedom from their sins and understand that they were completely free from the guilt, bondage, and penalty of past sins!
While John could have held these immersions at other rivers or streams, there was also the Mediterranean Sea, The Lake of Galilee, and the Dead Sea; he chose the Jordan River for two reasons. (That and I'm positive that God told John where to hold the immersions) 1. The Jordan River is 25 miles from Jerusalem, which can take up to 7 hours to walk normally. Being far from Jerusalem ensured he could do his work without constant interruptions or interference from the Religious Left in the city. There were members of the Religious Left that would have had him arrested. The Jews that traveled that far showed that they believed John's message and that they were serious about what he preached. 2. Beyond that was the symbolic meaning of immersing in the Jordan. Just as the Jewish people had to cross the Jordan to claim the Promised Land, so to were these Jews about to enter a new Promised Land, the real and true Kingdom of God, from the Jordan River.

Thus, while the immersion occurring at the Jordan River had no "Christian" meaning and no hint of a Gentile practice, this was a wonderful thing for the Jews. Because they would turn back to God, turn away from their old practices and beliefs, and confess their sins, which would lead to God forgiving them and be free from the past, free from their past sins as if they had no sin and enter the real Kingdom of God as if they were brand new citizens of the Kingdom! This makes me think of 1 Cor 5:17, Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things are passed away. All things have become new!

My wife and I moved back to the Midwest after seeing the state of our family's farm and my parent's health. When I lived here before, there wasn't a lot of opportunity for a good career. When we moved west, I was able to not only get into a good career, but I was thriving in it and felt it was totally a blessing from God. We were living out west for 5 years and when I moved back, I was making 6 fig's and we were incredibly happy.

Forewarning, this is a bit of a rant and I'm sorry, but I really just need to vent for a sec because I no longer understand what God is doing with me here or why he had us come back here. If there's a lesson or something, I don't feel I'm getting it.

When we moved back, my career was already taking a hit. I was getting paid now less than half what I was making before. People like to say it's due to CoL, but before when I could save almost $50k in mere months, here I was living paycheck to paycheck unable to save anything and we weren't even paying a mortgage or rent or anything. I looked around and it was just the going pay rate for my job. So, that forced me to have to work remotely as long as we stay here which isn't easy because I'm competing for jobs with everyone else in the nation now. 2.5 years later after moving back, I've been out of work for 4 months now. My wife is working, but her job also pays less than half of what she was making previously, and we can barely get by on it.

Mom passed 6 months after we moved back, leaving us to take care of my dad. Dad and I have never been the best of friends. I love him, but if we met on the sidewalk, I don't think we'd be friends. In the time we've been here, I've grown more and more frustrated and so has my wife who is now expecting our first child. We stay at the family with dad because he asked us to, made me promise two times that we wouldn't leave. My wife comments uncomfortably how much he likes being waiting on. He's made comments and requests of her that have made her uncomfortable and irritated me when I learned of what he said, but I felt in an awkward position being his son and knowing how defensive he gets when you try talking to him about his behavior. In his mind, he's never at fault and never does anything wrong, which of course drives us crazy. After seeing our faith, he decided to pursue Christ and reads the Bible every morning and studies the Word. It's another reason I just don't get his actions or decisions at times.

We went through our whole savings making sure we had good holidays to remember, paying our bills, and putting food on the table; literally down to our last dollar. The reason we're down to our last dollar is because after moving back here, I've been out of work most of the time with local employers telling me I'm way overqualified and remote opportunities all are contract jobs which don't last long. It upsets me because I worked so hard at building my career and I am very good at it and I know God will place me somewhere. The wait and constant job searching is exhausting though.

Our farm is one of the oldest in the state and the oldest in our county. 200 years. I'm 7th generation. It's important to me that it stays in the family for future generations. If we leave, I don't trust my dad not to give it to another family member who would just sell it, and they would. Honestly, the farm doesn't make much money and whoever takes it over would have to spend money to keep it going. The work it takes around here to keep it up to snuff is a lot. My wife and I understand the importance of the farm, but tbh, we don't really want to take it over, we just don't trust anyone else to not sell it. Once it's gone...it's gone forever and I don't want to rob future generations of that.

I feel like we haven't had a life since moving back here and I feel like we've given everything we have to be here and help dad without much gratitude. When I had my quad bypass he cared for about two days and then as he portrayed it, became wrecked with worry about me, making my wife work double-time on caring for him just as much as me as I was trying to recover from the surgery. (not fun at all btw.) When we thought we had lost our baby, he ignored the whole situation and went into to his room and cranked up a college basketball game. The list goes on and on. Now, we can't afford to buy groceries anymore. Week before last he said he would take over buying groceries, now he says he won't, just out of the blue. (dad's a multimillionaire) It left me frustrated and angry because here I feel like we sacrificed everything down until we now have nothing to make sure we had food, and he won't contribute at all now even after offering. I know everything will work out but living with him and taking of care of him...I'm sorry and I know this sounds bad....but we are really over it. Every time I think he can't get more selfish and self-preservationist, he continues to disappoint me. My wife and I know we are burned out. We know how we feel is wrong. We know we need to turn to love and understanding. I'm just sick to death of whatever lesson God is trying to teach us and we want our watch to be over! We want our lives back. That in itself is selfish but it's how we feel. I certainly don't want our baby coming into and living in this environment. There is a big part of us that wishes we had never moved back here to try and do the right thing. Honestly, I'm starting to lose my faith over living like this because I'm beginning to feel like this is some big joke the universe is playing on us. There are times I begin questioning that if there is a God, if there is a Father in heaven and loves us, I can understand a thing or two for testing us, but for the endless enduring and losses we go through since coming back here and on top of it, making us take care of a dad we can't stand to be around because he makes us feel like servants and doesn't seem to care a lick. If I could give up, I would, but I can't.

Sorry for the vent, I know probably more than half of this sounds selfish, but dealing with this day in day out for the past almost 3 years has made us very thin. Blessing to you all. We could use your prayers and so could my dad.

I have a $25,000 loan with a 11% interest rate, and that's per year. I'm paying this thing off $600 a month.

With a 770 credit score, and just 2 years of credit history. Is this possible?

My plan is to find a loan with a lower interest rate, and pay the high interest rate one off.

AP

A near-century old abortion ban that fueled one of the largest ballot drives in Michigan history was repealed Wednesday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, just months after voters enshrined abortion rights in the state’s constitution.

There are those who believe the traditional Friday - Sunday death burial and resurrection of the LORD Jesus is not in keeping with scripture:

Matthew 12:39–40 (KJV)
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Early Roman scholars concluded with the Friday - Sunday time frame based on their limited knowledge of the Jewish feasts beginning with a Sabbath. They mistook the reference to the Sabbath and preparation day in several verses to mean Friday (the 6th day of the week). And though the resurrection of the LORD had already taken place and was later discovered early on the first day of the week (Sunday), it was also their mistake in presuming the resurrection did not take place until early Sunday morning. They also did not take into account that early Sunday on the Hebrew calendar is Saturday night at sunset on the Roman calendar.

Some scholars since have adjusted their beliefs (in accord with a literal Sunday resurrection) that Jesus died on Thursday and rose on Sunday morning (three days and two nights).

What is more likely (I will say it like this, for the sake of argument) is the 10th of Nisan took place on a Saturday Sabbath that year (when the Pascal lamb was to be chosen) and when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey (traditional Palm Sunday... Palm Saturday Sabbath more than likely). Jesus kept what some refer to as Galilean (Passover) Seder on Tuesday night (early Wednesday in Hebrew). Galilean Seder helped with the over crowding in the Holy City, but it actually stemmed from a slight ambiguity in the instructions as to when to hold the Seder (for two feasts, the feast of unleavened bread 14 Nisan and the barely harvest 15 Nisan). Official Israel combined the two on 15 Nisan as they do to this day. Poor Jews and Jews from other lands who went up to Jerusalem often kept Galilean Seder.

This was a brilliant way on God's part to make it so the LORD Jesus and his disciples could keep Passover that year (Tuesday night), and for Yeshua Jesus to be crucified on the day the Pascal lamb was sacrificed (Wednesday), and for his burial to take place before the official Seder commenced (Wednesday night) ← early Thursday in Hebrew reckoning.

Wednesday night (1)

Thursday (1)

Thursday night (2)

Friday (2)

Friday night (3)

Saturday (3)

Three days three nights.

And Yeshua Jesus rose from the grave on 17 Nisan Saturday Sabbath (between the evenings) as Sunday began (sunset Saturday night) to be discovered by the women after that sunset.

Today is Wednesday.

Happy Galilean Passover.

"Canadian politician Kristyn Wong-Tam, who uses the pseudo-pronouns "they/them," proposes legislation to criminalize "offensive remarks" within 100 meters of a Drag Queen Story Hour."

Canada is officially Clown World

I was chatting with my GodPapa this morning. He's still UGCC even though I'm now Orthodox and he mentioned that he'd organised some caviar for Saturday. This left me puzzled.

I remember one year [ many many years ago ] being in the house attached to the UGCC Church in Lourdes and we had caviar one Saturday [ possibly Lazarus Saturday ? ] which astonished me as it was in a Fast Period. I cannot remember what I was told then when I asked - the priest was from Australia , but the resident nuns were genuinely from Ukraine.

Now according to our Calendar [ published by the Orthodox Fellowship of St John the Baptist ] Saturday is a ' wine and oil day' and Sunday , being Palm Sunday is a ' fish, wine and oil day'

Now I'm really scratching my head over this - can anyone elucidate ? Is the caviar a 'general' thing or is it a Ukrainian tradition ?

Elliott Broidy, who was pardoned by Trump, testified in court about his failed attempts to quash a federal investigation of a Malaysian financier​

Elliott Broidy, a former top Republican fundraiser who admitted to illegally lobbying the Trump administration on behalf of foreign nationals, described his actions publicly Tuesday for the first time, testifying in court about his failed attempts to quash a federal investigation of a Malaysian financier and to spur U.S. officials to extradite a wealthy Chinese dissident [Miles Guo, currently indicted for crimes in the US] living in New York, whom Beijing had branded a criminal.

Broidy, who pleaded guilty in 2020 to conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act and was later pardoned by President Donald Trump [on Trump's last day in office], is cooperating with the Justice Department in criminal cases involving Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho and his associates in the United States. Authorities say Low and others profited from the theft of $4.5 billion from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Broidy, then a Los Angeles-based investor, helped corral big donors to support the Trump campaign. After Trump took office in 2017, Broidy was named deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Testifying for the prosecution Tuesday in Michél’s trial, he told the jury about a labyrinthine scheme, hatched in 2017, in which he stood to collect up to $75 million from Low in return for illegally using his influence in the Trump administration to ease Low’s legal woes. But the efforts came to naught. [So he only pocketed $8 million.]

I have lived in a condo complex for some years, which seems quiet and peaceful on the outside, and harmless.

Some years ago someone did tell me that this area has a reputation for harboring people who are into the very dark side.

But I didn’t think too much about it.

But recently I am really wondering. I live in a second floor condo in a building that is across from a row of garages.

If people are going to trek back-and-forth in the early morning hours, not too many people are going to know about it, because the trekkers would be pretty much hidden from view.

Not long ago I began having occasional insomnia. When this happened, I did not put my lights on, but just worked with a nightlight with my iPad and digital art.

So no one was likely to notice I was up or that I would notice them.

But I didnotice them. My view from my windows was limited, but I noticed some seemed to have a pattern of leaving their condos at say one or 2 AM in the morning. And trekking down the pathway between the garages and the condo building.

I saw one elderly person without a hat on, and no dog to walk, in below freezing weather. So I had to wonder where he was going, apparently not far, since he had no hat on in such cold weather.
And he had walked right past his own garage.

One time I went outside on my deck to see some newly fallen snow.
There below was what seemed to me to be a strange sight…

The people who lived directly below me, and someone who lived two doors down, had made prints in the snow that were identical. It had to have been around 2 o’clock in the morning as the snow was so new.

On the sidewalk in front of each of their doors there were big garbage bag sized round indentations in the snow, as if heavy bundles had been left there. And there was a thick straight impression in the snow from the bundles to their doors, as if the bundles had been dropped off nearby and then dragged inside.

I knew the people downstairs fairly well, and we visited a lot. But they never gave any indication that they knew the person two doors down who had left snow tracks identical to theirs.

Also, the people who lived downstairs were teachers and it was in the middle of a school
week time. What were they doing out in the wee hours of the morning, and with supposedly a friend?

maybe I’m just being paranoid. But I’m explaining, and I hope you understand why one might be concerned. One thing I do know is that people are getting into the Darkside more and more.

Please pray that if there are any dark witchy things going on in this area, that holy angels will be sent out to thwart them and keep them from hurting any people or any animals.

Of course, I would appreciate prayers for my protection too, but actually, I have felt very led by the Lord that he is protecting me. And incidentally, though there’s no reason for you to believe me, the word he gave me in relation to those people was “coven.”

And I think we should all be praying against the dark forces that are gathering more and more in this world. Sometimes the most harmless looking people and the most harmless acting people can be way different on the inside. Let us pray for discernment. And, of course, protection.

I know, some will automatically pray for their salvation, and that is good.

I prayed for their salvation, too. But I’m not feeling encouraged. The Lord said that only a few would be saved. And though there are dramatic stories about people into awful things who get saved, and those are great, I think they’re pretty rare.

Thank you.

hi

i want to ask,
1) why are some Christians' lives so hard?
2) why are some christians so hypocritical?

1) I knew this old lady, she was very devout, but her life was wrecked. Her children died of cancer, and her husband divorced her (or died in an automobile accident, i can't recall right now). She went to church but no one wanted to befriend her, she was literally alone. No family left, quite poor, friendless. The church was my previous church, they are very judgemental. She obviously couldnt switch churches if she wanted to, that's why she didn't leave.

this woman didn't do , and didn't not do anything, for those things to happen to her family. No one can predict who will get cancer and when, it's not like she didn't do well on her job because she was slacking, or that she couldn't control her temper, that's why she's poor. Why would God allow something like this to happen to some Christians? When he said in Jeremiah that He wants to give us a hope and a future.

If you're going to answer "she will have a hope and a future in heaven", please don't bother to respond. Sure, heaven is good, but it's not fair if we suffer so much here, just for eternity in paradise, it just isn't. I'm far from saying heaven isn't worth it, what I'm saying is that sometimes in this life things are so bad that it feels like you want to die, i know it could get worse, and i know we should be grateful, and i am, but it still hurts. Why would a good lord allow this? The only reason i can think of is that the son and daughter could have done something that would have really hurt her, or others, or if they didnt die they would meet a worse end. Those are the only reasons i can think of. Do you agree?

2) Some Christians are super hypocritical. They go on a long rant everytime you meet them and claim they don't like money, but when they see a rich man or if they see money you can see their mouths water and their faces shine. I don't get what's so wrong about wanting money. I don't think it's a trait that greed gives birth to. Money is a neccessity in today's world. If I want to buy the most expensive luxurious soap because it genuinely makes me feel good, improves my skin, not because i want to brag, i don't see how that is a sin. I find it really repulsive when people try to claim they are somebody they obviously aren't. Accept your flaws for goodness sake. You're not God. I feel it's narcissistic to hide a desire for wealth or/and fame. and it's manipulative. if you don't want something or don't want people to know you want something, then just don't bring it up altogether. Why do you need to manipulate me with long rants everytime we talk? It's so irritating. Why do you think they do this, and how do i stop being so irritated? I'm not judgemental. i love human nature, but i have several petpeeves and i cant stand it anymore. i think this isn't human nature. the only people who do it are very selfish, manipulative, jealous, arrogant, narc people. i hate these type of people.

Romans 10:1-4 ESV


Now, in the context of Romans 10, this is speaking of Paul’s concern for his fellow Jews who did not trust in the Lord Jesus to be their Savior and Lord. They were religious people who had a misguided zeal for God but they were ignorant of the righteousness of God. Therefore, they sought to establish their own righteousness, and they did not submit to God’s righteousness. But this isn’t just about the Jews. This can be applied to anyone who seeks to establish their own righteousness, or their own gospel, or their own salvation based on their own way of thinking and reasoning, and not God’s.

So, what is the righteousness of God? If we go back to Romans 6 we can read about it. For if we are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ, we were crucified and buried with Christ in baptism into death to sin (and death to self), and we were raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer living as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. And God’s righteousness is whatever is deemed right in the eyes of the Lord, which is such things as holiness, godliness, moral purity, uprightness, honesty, faithfulness, and obedience to our Lord and to his commands.

Therefore, we who believe in Jesus with God-given faith, and who have died with him to sin and who have been raised with him to walk (in conduct, in practice) in newness of life in him, are to not let sin reign in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death, not to life everlasting. But if obedience to our Lord is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and sanctification, and its end is eternal life. For when we were slaves to sin, we were free in regard to righteousness, and the end of those things is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.

And then let’s look at Romans 8. It says that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who walk (in conduct, in practice) not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For if we live according to the flesh, which means our minds are set on the flesh, the result is death, not life eternal with God. But to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. So, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if we live according to the flesh, we will die. But if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, then we will live with Christ for eternity.

Now let’s go back to Romans 10 with that understanding. Speaking of the righteousness based on faith, we read in verses 9-10:


Now, we have to read these two verses in the context of the whole of Romans and not take these two verses out of context to establish our own righteousness which does not submit to Christ’s righteousness. For many people are pulling these two verses out of context and they are building their own doctrine of faith and salvation around them. And so they are leading many people to believe if they just make a verbal confession of Christ as Lord and if they profess faith in Jesus’ resurrection, that they are now saved for eternity, done deal. But that isn’t what this is teaching.

For one, what would this mean to a Jew of that day who was still living by the Old Covenant? For a Jew of that day to profess that Jesus Christ is Lord (God, Messiah), and to confess that they believe in his bodily resurrection, was the kiss of death for them. Surely they would now be hated and rejected and persecuted and even put to death for their profession of faith in Jesus Christ. So this was not a light matter. And this was not saying to them that this profession was all that was required. For if Christ is Lord of our lives, we are now walking in obedience to his commands, or he isn’t Lord.

But many people are being convinced that all they have to do is make a profession of Christ as Lord and say they believe in his bodily resurrection and that now they are saved for eternity and heaven is guaranteed them when they die, and that nothing else is required of them. But we have to read the whole of Romans, and the whole of the New Testament, to get an accurate picture of what it means to be saved from our sins. And what many people are saying, that isn’t it. For we must die with Christ to sin daily and walk in obedience to his commands or we don’t have eternal life with God.

But there are many people in the gatherings of the church claiming Romans 10:9-10 as their gospel of salvation. They are believing that they are now saved for eternity, and that all their sins are forgiven (past, present, and future), and that heaven is now secured them, regardless of how they live or of how many times they sin. And so they end up living self-indulgent and selfish lives, continuing in deliberate and habitual sin, while claiming Jesus as Lord and as Savior, and while claiming heaven as their eternal home. But that is a lie from hell that they are believing, and it will end in death.

For we read in the Scriptures that if sin is what we practice, and if righteousness (living righteously) and obedience to our Lord and to his commands (New Covenant) are not what we practice, that we will not inherit eternal life with God, and we will not enter the kingdom of heaven, regardless of what our lips profess. For Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the ones DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven (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]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

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Colorado district equity docs reveal methodical system to deceive parents on in-school social transitions





Colorado district equity docs reveal methodical system to deceive parents on in-school social transitions


And in case you are wondering about the sensational thread title, the district sets up “trusted adults” for the children to interact with, apart from the parent’s awareness. Groomers are trusted adults. What will stop the really evil ones (because helping kids with lies is already evil) from taking advantage of this?

14 superpowers of angels that humans don't have! Very interesting!
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While most American eyes were on Manhattan yesterday, an election of significant consequence was held in Wisconsin. While the race was non-partisan, Janet Protasiewicz was favored by Democrats and progressives over conservative Dan Kelly. Her election shifts the balance on the court from conservatives to liberals and will likely have ramifications in 2024 in case there are challenges to outcomes in the state. The court is likely to hand down decisions on abortion and gerrymandering.

Most importantly, in my opinion, Kelly was a Donald ally who participated in the fake electors scheme. The win by Protasiewicz is a repudiation of underhanded tactics like that.

Several years ago, a psychiatrist named Frederic Wertham interviewed a handful of kids that he considered to be "juvenile delinquents," and noticed they all seemed to have something in common: they read comic books. He wrote a book about this, called Seduction of the Innocent, and a bunch of people tried to ban comic books because of this, even sparking a congressional hearing on the matter.

A few years later on, a housewife named Terry Rakolta objected to a TV show called Married With Children and decided that her objections meant the show should not be on the air, and started a write-in campaign and boycott to have the show cancelled.

What we currently call "Cancel Culture" is nothing more than the current version of something that's happened before, and happened fairly often. You could very easily include the National Socialist Party in Germany in the 1940s, and even the Romans in Jerusalem as doing the same thing, simply using different tactics.

What it all boils down to, ultimately, is someone doesn't like something or someone, and they speak up about it. Nothing more, nothing less. Nothing new about any of it.

Social media adds speed to the mix today...but that's about it.

-- A2SG, nothing new under the sun.....

I have three requests-

1. There continues to be instability at my job and there is a possibility that my place of work might shut down and I would be out of work. Please pray that this does not happen and that I will be able to stay in the job for as long as I want it.

2. I had a recent health issue crop up so please pray that it goes away and does not emerge again or debilitate me.

3. In general I am very down and depressed so please pray that I would feel better. Thank you.

Unbelievable...

Please pray for Torben and his wife.

Press the 'subtitles closed' button at the bottom...

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Carbon Dioxide is essential for life and plant growth. It is used for everything from producing dry ice to meatless meats. The higher the CO2 levels the higher the plant growth on the planet.

3 investors starting in 2020 invested 32.1 $million into air protein (CO2 used to make faux meat)

They were recognized as Pioneer Technology award winners by the WEF in Sept 2020

Immediately Barclays and Google invested money.

Market on CO2 is now 70 cents a pound, up from 17 cents six months ago. It has become valuable.

This begs the question why are they talking of burying CO2 when it has become a valuable commodity. Are they?

Why claim cows are such CO2 producers and we must get rid of them? Is it a CO2 issue (which they need) or a competitive meat issue?

This also suggests that the carbon tax we pay is being used to fund money making projects for the elites, including the harvest of CO2 which they claim is the enemy but which they need for production of their goods. Global con or warming?

from KFYR radio, Bismark ND
www.iheart.com/podcast/960-kfyr-kafe-28966374/episode/kafe-33023-3pm-so-the-co2-111924797/