essentialsaltes said:

Not necessarily directly related, but...​

VANDAL DISABLES POWER TO LIFESAVING NEWS 9 WEATHER RADAR​

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Guess what? Directly related!

ANTI-GOVERNMENT MILITIA GROUP CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR VANDALISM TO NEWS 9 RADAR​

Anti-government group Veterans On Patrol claims responsibility for vandalizing News 9's NextGen Live radar in Oklahoma City.

News 9 security cameras captured Anthony Mitchell destroying the power supply to News 9’s NextGen Live radar in northeast Oklahoma City. Mitchell was arrested Tuesday for an unrelated crime. Following his arrest, Veterans On Patrol, an anti-government militia group, claimed responsibility for the vandalism. While it’s unknown if Mitchell has ties to the group, its founder, Michael Lewis Arthur Meyer, admitted to encouraging the destruction of weather radars and to targeting another weather radar in Oklahoma earlier this month. The group believes the military is using radars to alter the weather.

"When the military plays God with the weather, they're mocking our Heavenly Father,” said Veterans on Patrol founder, Michael Lewis Arthur Meyer.

“Our goal is to take out 15 energy weapons in this state, and we want to do it simultaneously,” said Meyer.

Perhaps the rightwing should tone down its rhetoric about secret government weather control machines and space lasers.

A New Dawn said:

I think it was more the attorneys who were double-checking the law since the abortion rights activists were activisting and causing trouble.

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It just sounds off. I think more is being made of what went on, than is needed. At least that is how it has been in the past. I have a family member who has a child which died in the womb. they decided the best approach was to wait and see if the child aborted naturally. This had happened before. The first time it did abort naturally. That was much easier on her body.

Bro.T said:

If we truly love God, then we will obey "Every word" that proceeds out of his mouth (Matthew 4:4). Baptism is one of those words. In order to be baptized, certain events must take place: You must repent, give up a lifestyle where sin has dominion, (ruler ship) over you. Sin according to 1 John 3:4, Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression (breaking) of the law. You must be taught "The Word", before you can adhere to God's commandments (judgments\statues). These laws are found in the Holy Bible; beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelation. You must believe what the bible says and finally, you must confess that Jesus is Lord. Once this has been accomplished, you are qualified to be baptized in the name of Jesus.

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, "repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38). “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Romans 6:3-4,

"And he said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:15-16).

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And many never seem to quote Mark 16:17. and these signs shall follow them. that believe : In my name shall they cast out

devils , they shall speak with new tongues ,

Verse 18 , they shall take up serpents , and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them , they shall LAY hands

on the sick , and they shall recover.

And you missed these 2 verses ?

And when do you say Mark 16: 16-20 is going to happen , TODAY or When ??

# 1. Maybe before the so-called Raptue. ? Just to remind all , there is NO Greek word. called Rapture in. the Greek. Text

# 2. Maybe a Post- Tri. ?

# 3. Maybe during the Great Triulation. ?


dan p

bling said:

That is a unique take on the "sin nature" and if that is what we are talking about I fully agree with you but would explain further. Does this make knowledge into nature (something natural in humans)?
Yes! we have the Law written on our hearts and our conscious do burden us, when we hurt others.
There is nothing "wrong" with knowledge in and of itself, so did Jesus have this "sin nature"? Everyone thinks Jesus had the knowledge, but few feel He had a "sin nature", so what do you think?

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Sure Jesus has knowledge of good and evil how can He not, but His knowledge did not come from Adam.

FAITH-IN-HIM said:

Are Israel euthanizing people with mental disabilities today? If the answer is no, then I have no interest in hypothetical.

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If your position is no conditions, then theres no need to imagine hypotheticals because nothing they could do would change your support.

Mark Quayle said:

Mark Quayle said:
And this is all that Salvific Faith is? Simple belief? Have you not been quoted before, that the demons also believe?

You will likely retort, as have all those before you, that it is also submission and trust, not just acknowledgement, and that is true, but still lacking what Scripture describes. One fellow told me it is like his trust in his wife, that she has convinced him that she is trustworthy. If that is all this is, I am wondering just who you think God is, and of what little import sin and the fallen nature is.

God is not like us.

d taylor said:
-
Since a demon is not a human, there is no reason to bring them into a discussion about people receiving God's free gift of Eternal Life only by belief in Jesus. Unless you believe Jesus also died for demons and if that is the case. You are too far out there in your beliefs for me to discuss that.

Mark Quayle said:
How do you get this so wrong??? What I was saying is that your example of believing someone has brown hair has NOTHING to do with salvific faith. It is ludicrous! God is not like us, and faith in him has nothing to do with becoming convinced, or learning what we can trust him to do, or about anything else, but becoming transformed from death to life. The faith is not generated by us, but by HIM. It is a gift of God, not of man, done inside the regenerated by God himself --the Spirit of God-- when he takes up permanent residence inside those to whom God has chosen to show mercy.

So belief in Jesus is just like any other belief? REALLY??? Just for starters, does the fact that your chair will hold your weight and the floor below it too, demand your obedience and submission?

Not to accept your notion of the belief and trust being like the other, but: How does one do that, when, corrupt to the core, he is at enmity with God, cannot submit to God's law, will not submit to God, and cannot do anything that pleases God? (Romans 8 again, btw)

Do you back out when you made a mistake? It would at least be more congenial if you would admit to the strawman by which you attacked me, concerning my mention of demons, when my only reference to demons was demonstrative of intellectual assent vs. salvific faith. It was not about demons. Give me that much, at least, instead of dismissal.

We have, indeed, had this discussion many times in the past, and, like you, I have grown tired of answering your objections and claims. But when faced with a miscommunication on my part, I have, at least, tried to amend my statements before leaving the conversation.

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Well i will honor you with one more reply to this discussion and about your demon verse in James. Which by the way does not say the demons believe in Jesus for Eternal Life, the verse only states the demons believe God is one. Which is never mention in The Bible as something a person has to believe to receive God's free gift of Eternal Life. Now i am finished discussing this verse.

https://faithalone.org/blog/a-different-twist-on-james-219/

https://faithalone.org/grace-in-focus-articles/do-demons-really-believe/

https://faithalone.org/journal-articles/the-faith-of-demons/

https://faithalone.org/blog/scrambled-word-tests/

https://faithalone.org/blog/how-to-respond-to-a-works-salvation-friend/

Studyman said:

It's hard not to get distracted by the word games and misdirection practiced by "many" who call Jesus Lord, Lord.

But I like the "1 thing at a time" practice.

In Ephesians 2, Paul is rebuking the Circumcision "made with hands", who called Faithful Gentiles "The uncircumcision" and mentioned Commandments and Ordinances that relegated Faithful Gentiles as "without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world", that Jesus exposed and destroyed on the Cross.

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Similar to this?

Mt 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Lu 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Eph 2: speaks of Jew and gentiles both in times past children of wrath...John's baptism preached to jew's the way of escape. Repentance...

Joh 8:39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

Mt 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.


Gentiles (ye, the uncircumcision)

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Jews (we)

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

God's love and mercy in his promises to Abraham...
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved {by … : or, by whose grace }
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Deut 7:6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

Covenant circumcision a covenant of love and mercy to them........

10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
11 Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.

Jesus fulfilled this for them........they died in Christ, and were raised up with him
12 ¶ Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:

Eph 2:4 ¶ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved {by … : or, by whose grace }
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Gentiles were not party to the promises of the covenant of Circumcision.....
11 ¶ Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

You however seem to be making this about the Sinai covenant??
I see it by the Abrahamic covenant...Both covenats are a covenant of circumcision

De 30:6 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

Ephesians goes on to speak of jew and gentiles with regard to priesthood. Which under Moses law non levites were "strangers" from.

Ex 30:33 Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger <02114>, shall even be cut off from his people.
Le 22:10 There shall no stranger <02114> eat of the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.
Le 22:12 If the priest’s daughter also be married unto a stranger <02114>, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things. {a stranger: Heb. a man a stranger }
Le 22:13 But if the priest’s daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father’s house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s meat: but there shall no stranger <02114> eat thereof.

Nu 3:10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger <02114> that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
Nu 3:38 But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger <02114> that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

Both Jew and Gentiles

Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: {thereby: or, in himself }
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Studyman said:

I posted God's/Christ's Commandments concerning Faithful Gentiles.

Lev. 19: 33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. 34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou "shalt love him as thyself"; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

And I also posted the Word spoken by the Spirit of Christ on Isaiah;

6 Also the sons of the stranger, (Non-Jew) that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; 7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer "for all people".

So clearly God isn't the "circumcision made with hands", and clearly GOD's commandments, as you can see if you read them, didn't relegate Faithful Non-Jews as "without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world".

But in this world's religious system, there are "many" who "come in Christ's Name", who call Jesus Lord, Lord, that teach it was God's Commandments and ordinances that relegated Faithful Gentiles as "without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world".

Truly this is one of the Deceptions Jesus warned about in Matt. 24:4-5 promoted by the "Many" who come in Christ's Name, claiming HE is truly the Christ.

It is important to expose these deceptions so others do not become snared by them.

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The next question: when David slew Goliath why did Saul ask who's son he was?
Surely he was acquainted by then

Yarddog said:

Loving someone is realizing that we all have sin that only Jesus can help us with. Understanding that we all fail can help us help others with compassion.

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Love requires we recognize boundaries and be unafraid of speaking the truth even when it is hurtful. The transgender issue isn't just an attack on a social construct, but on the very concept of truth itself. It is an overindulgence of "subjective truth" and the idea that we are the primary creators of our reality. It is not just a matter of a difference of opinion on sexual morality but a matter crucial to the integrity of an objective sense of reality. Indulging it isn't respectful, it's infantalization.

Marlena Telep said:

members believe they are animals

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During my college biology studies at a religious college, starting in 1966 if I remember correctly, we were told we humans are animals > Homo sapiens.

Marlena Telep said:

and record themselves walking on all fours

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We weren't told to walk on all fours. And, by the way, chimpanzees and gorillas and others walk on two and on all four. And I think they are lemurs that can walk and jump around in the trees, with their hind legs.

May be those people should identify as copy-cats.

Or, copy-dogs.

It seems there definitely are people who are turkeys.

Where I am, we have wild turkeys and they can hold up traffic. May be as they are crossing they spot their reflections in the shiny side of a car; and then is when they can stay a while to peck at themselves! So, a couple of times I have gotten out of my lady friend's car and I would gobble and flap my arms and corral them off of the road. That could get a laugh or a smile.

But being a full-time turkey . . . do not get too close to a dominant male. It seems they have spurs on their feet and they can pop them out at you faster than your eye can see. So, I would not think I can play with them.

RileyG said:

I agree. Some of it has been proven to be a hoax, like putting litter box in schools for students who identify as a cat. That’s not happening in reality.

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That's just good old fashioned scare-mongering. In the 80s when I was a kid, it was all the stories about poison in candy and razor blades in cans of Pepsi, and all the teenagers becoming involved in Satanic cults by playing D&D or watching the Smurfs. When I was in high school and the Harry Potter books started coming out, that was the new thing to freak out over. There's always something, people wearing black clothes, people listening to rock 'n roll, people reading comic books, playing video games, there's always something.

-CryptoLutheran

A New Dawn said:

Early in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is teaching the saints about resurrection, about new life. In verse 29, Paul is speaking to the new saints, most who came to Christianity from pagan religions, and they wanted to bring some of the pagan rituals with them, baptism for the dead being one of them. Paul was explaining that the pagans didn’t believe in a resurrection, so was pointing out the frivolousness of having a ritual like baptism for the dead if they don’t resurrect. Paul is asking, What’s the point?

So Paul was speaking about a ritual in some of the pagan religions, not about something that was practiced by Christianity.

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And Rom 6:3 says , Or are you Ignorant , that as many as were Baptized into Christ Jesus. were Baptized

into his Death !!

So how are we Baptized into Christ , and believe in Water Baptism ??

dan p

Mark Quayle said:

I'd have to say that we are so unlike God, that the word, "intend" (or most other words we use to imply human concepts), don't really work the same way as we think of them. For example, when in Scripture something is translated "want", or when what-to-us-human emoting is expressed, "...how I wish that you would have...", (it is usually an anthropomorphism, which is ok for God to do, but when we do it, very questionable; we see everything backwards (but I digress).), we would probably do well to say something along the lines of, "God did what he did on purpose.", since logically if he is first cause, nothing can happen by accident.

So, yes and no, as I see it. The word, "intend", can still be taken to mean something that does not necessarily come about. But when God "intended" all the evil that occurs, there is no question as to whether or not every detail specifically was planned and caused, and sure to come about. (Every detail, after all, is part of what goes into makeup, or 'flavor', of the members and the whole of the Bride of Christ.)

Also, most often misconstrued by those of a philosophically self-deterministic mindset, to say that something negative was "intended" by God, the lack of the positive in the human meaning of it is taken way extreme. For example, to say, "Not only were the Elect predestined to believe and be saved, but the reprobate were predestined to 'destruction'" is inferred as implicative of that end predetermined for them in and of itself for its own reason--that God created them for that mere purpose, which is, of course, ridiculous. He has a reason for every detail that results of his creating.

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Congratulations, you've rendered God entirely unknowable in your avoidance of applying ordinary language to Him. No matter what we say about Him, we can only speak about it using terms that we understand. So if God cannot be approximated with ordinary concepts like "intent" then He is entirely unknowable and we can speak no truth about Him.

Tropical Wilds said:

I think it’s a thing a relative few number of teens do to get the goats of a relatively large number of adults who want to get wound up about something and don’t know any better.

It’s not common. It’s not widespread. The number of people I have seen that claim it vs the number of people who are upset about it is 1-to-10. There’s nothing to see here.

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This. I've been hearing about this "widespread trend" since at least the mid-late 2000s. And the fear/angst/anger in response to it always seems incredibly disproportionate to the reality on the ground.

Are there people who engage in what I'd view as weird subcultures? Sure. I saw a couple, early 20s I'd guess, walk around Costco where the boyfriend had a leash and dog ears. I thought that was weird, I feel like that's probably a sexual kink they have, and I don't know that making one's sexual fetishes so public that one involves everyone else is exactly appropriate. But I also think it's pretty inappropriate when someone acts belligerent in public. Again, at Costco, I saw an elderly gentleman walk through the door, the people at the door asked him to come back so his card could get scanned, and he became belligerent all because he didn't want to do what everyone else has to do. That was pretty inappropriate of him. And I see more of that, then I do the other. But I don't think either are "trends" or a widespread problem. People are people and people are weird.

This becomes especially more true when we talk about adolescents who are in the deep and complicated process of discovering who they are.

Name a time when teenagers weren't weird. Just because the internet exists and so we can broadcast all our weirdness to the world doesn't mean it's new to be weird.

What's actually important, it would seem to me, is to recognize that teenagers will go through phases, they will do weird things, they will do stupid things; and the point isn't to box them in and tell them to be perfect carbon copies of their parents--but to set boundaries for their own protection, to give them the room to express themselves and discover who they are, because it is always doubly keeping children safe and also giving them the environment to grow and mature. I do admit that I'm not a parent, so I remain on the outside of that dynamic--but it seems to me that healthy environments with good boundaries but also plenty of space for children to grow and thrive are just good advice in general.

There are so many reasons to be worried about kids, about others, about the state of the world--we really got to prioritize.

-CryptoLutheran

Postvieww said:

Do you forget that many of the residents are rapist, murderous gang members, human traffickers, drug dealers and child abusers?

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I have already provided statistics from the CATO Institute demonstrating a small minority have been convicted of violent, criminal charges - aproximately 7%. Yet, you persist in characterizing them as "rapist, muderous gang members, human traffickers, drug dealers and child abusers."


This is nothing more than a continuation of Trump's demonization of Mexican immigrants in 2015:

"When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best," he said. "They're sending people that have lots of problems...they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."

Are there bad illegal immigrants? Certainly.

Are there bad US citizens living in your home town? Certainly. But I'm guessing you don't say that "many" of your town's residents are rapists, gang members, etc.

Postvieww said:

It was toured on tv, sorry you missed it. Brand new air-conditioned facility.

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The people who actually are there have a different take.

Vladimir Miranda, a migrant from Cuba who has been at the facility since Sunday, said that "right now the generators apparently can't cope and the electricity is going out," When the electricity goes out there's no water and the phones and air conditioners don't work, "and we're here sweating" profusely, Miranda said in his native Spanish.


His girlfriend, Eveling Ortiz told NBC 6 that Miranda crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and, like many Cuban migrants, was given the I-220A form that documents that a migrant has been released into the U.S. by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“He had the final hearing two weeks ago,” she said.

But days later, Miranda, 32, was detained by immigration officials at his job in Orlando and moved to the Everglades facility.

“The conditions they’re going through, they’re horrible,” Ortiz alleged. "They don’t have water, they can’t use the bathroom properly. They’re not taking a bath.”

Perhaps a TV tour does not convey the reality of dealing with real world conditions?

Postvieww said:

Call it what you wish, prison, containment facility or what ever. It is humane.

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Not if they can't get water or use a restroom, it isn't.

Postvieww said:

Your stand against the deportation of criminals is very disturbing. But you are free to argue a flawed position all you wish.

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What stand against the deportation of criminals? Nothing I have said was in any way against the deportation of criminals so one wonders how you got that so wrong?

Tuur said:

the US has indirectly helped them by creating conditions where they can rise to power.

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While Iraq was under Baath rule, the terrorists were nowhere to be found there, the Christian community flourished and even the foreign minister was a Christian.
While Bashar Assad ruled Syria, the Christian community flourished and - again - the terrorists were absent.

After 1991, the US invades and destabilishes Iraq. Terrorists appear, Christians are persecuted and forced to leave.
After Bashar's death, US allies - Turkey and S. Arabia - destabilise Syria. The US invades the northeast.
Daesh - aka ISIS - appears, drawing logistical support from Turkey and financial support very likely from S. Arabia.
Arabs accuse the US of being behind Daesh / ISIS and hardly any American or Israeli interests are hit by them.

I would say American involvement has been more than "indirect".

RileyG said:

It still doesn’t change their DNA.

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Their DNA can be a mix.

RileyG said:

They are their biological sex, regardless. It’s more of playing dress up, really. It’s all cosmetic.

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Not really. As the article explains, a girl can have the Y chromosome. How do we help these people with a mutation love normal lives? It's not their fault they were born this way.

RileyG said:

Loving someone means not condoning their sin. It’s one of the spiritual acts of mercy is to admonish sinners.

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Loving someone is realizing that we all have sin that only Jesus can help us with. Understanding that we all fail can help us help others with compassion.

bling said:

Everyone thinks Jesus had the knowledge, but few feel He had a "sin nature", so what do you think?

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Which is where the whole idea of "sin nature" becomes exposed. It leads to a docetic vision of Jesus, and runs counter to the wisdom put simply by Gregory Nazianzus "That which is not assumed is not healed(redeemed)" So if our "sin nature" condemned us prior to Jesus, it condemns us after Jesus.

RDKirk said:

It may not matter, practically speaking.

For instance, it's become known that when a person is mentally and/or physically stressed, the body produces hormones to prepare for "fight or flight." But if that person, instead of either fleeing or fighting, sits down and eats a donut, that releases a different set of hormones that should only be released when the person is relaxed. The resulting hormonal "collision" eventually results in a chronic metabolic imbalance.

No evil spirits in the Biblical sense are involved, but the effective response is the same. Medical science says that instead of eating in response to stress, the person should skip eating for a time and meditate. Jesus said when fighting our demons we need to pray and fast.

When we realize that a person should be relaxed while eating, then the 23rd Psalm gains another layer of meaning.

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Hmmm! So THAT'S why law enforcement like donuts! How many YEARS, I've been wondering about that...

Turn Turn Turn

To everything (Turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (Turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose under heaven

[Verse 1]
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

[Chorus]
To everything (Turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (Turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose under heaven

[Verse 2]
A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together

[Chorus]
To everything (Turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (Turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose under heaven
https://stubhub.prf.hn/click/camref...destination:https://www.stubhub.com/_C-259827


[Verse 3]
A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing


[Chorus]
To everything (Turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (Turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose under heaven

[Verse 4]
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it's not too late

public hermit said:

Does God intend all the evil that occurs in the world? By "intend" I mean our usual meaning of the word, i.e., the desire or want behind an action.

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I'd have to say that we are so unlike God, that the word, "intend" (or most other words we use to imply human concepts), don't really work the same way as we think of them. For example, when in Scripture something is translated "want", or when what-to-us-human emoting is expressed, "...how I wish that you would have...", (it is usually an anthropomorphism, which is ok for God to do, but when we do it, very questionable; we see everything backwards (but I digress).), we would probably do well to say something along the lines of, "God did what he did on purpose.", since logically if he is first cause, nothing can happen by accident.

So, yes and no, as I see it. The word, "intend", can still be taken to mean something that does not necessarily come about. But when God "intended" all the evil that occurs, there is no question as to whether or not every detail specifically was planned and caused, and sure to come about. (Every detail, after all, is part of what goes into makeup, or 'flavor', of the members and the whole of the Bride of Christ.)

Also, most often misconstrued by those of a philosophically self-deterministic mindset, to say that something negative was "intended" by God, the lack of the positive in the human meaning of it is taken way extreme. For example, to say, "Not only were the Elect predestined to believe and be saved, but the reprobate were predestined to 'destruction'" is inferred as implicative of that end predetermined for them in and of itself for its own reason--that God created them for that mere purpose, which is, of course, ridiculous. He has a reason for every detail that results of his creating.