Bradskii said:

I don't get this. You respond to Trump's obvious faults with what you consider to be other people's faults. How does that excuse what he has done? You are, in effect, accepting that he's done wrong and then go looking for something that someone else has done as if that makes him less culpable!

It doesn't. By any stretch of anyone's imagination. It's pointless me addressing anything at all you say about Biden, or anyone else, because we're not discussing Biden or anyone else. If my wife found out that I'd been unfaithful to her, I can't excuse my actions by telling her that Pete in work was unfaithful to his wife as well. How is that in any well relevant whatsoever?

It's an argument that belongs in the schoolyard: 'Sir, you can't blame me, 'cos he did it as well'. If you don't like coming to terms with what Trump does then I'd seriously suggest that you stay out of any thread that discusses US politics.

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I respond that way because the left is so hypocritical when it comes to requiring that the right be perfect while the horrible stuff their side of the aisle passes off as normal goes unmentioned. And they do that because they have some misguided sense of superiority even while clinging to the worst practices humanly possible. As long as their two-facedness is on obvious display, I will point it out. If you are requiring me to be perfect, then you bloody well must be perfect, too.

Does Trump act like a child sometimes? Yes, and I will call that out. And I’ll call out something I believe is a bad policy, too. But if someone is so biased and filled with hate that they cannot call out the nasty, nasty stuff their own side does, often to the detriment of the country, THEY are the ones who shouldn’t be in political discussions. THEY are the ones who would rather see the country go down the tubes rather than admit that their guys have problems, too, or, heaven forbid, the other guy has some good ideas.

AdB said:

Rev 14:13

And I heard a voice from heaven telling me to write, “Blessed are the dead—those who die in the Lord from this moment on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds will follow them.”

Why would those that die in Christ FROM THAT MOMENT ON be "blessed"?
What changed in THAT MOMENT?

The verse right after this speaks of the harvest of the earth...
Could it be that the rapture happened and that believers who die after that will receive their resurrected body right away?

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Matthew 25 lays out the big picture.

Parable of the Talents: Avoid the harvests (nuclear wars.) Death by radiation looks a lot like hell.
Parable of Wise and Foolish Virgins: Don't be fooled by the fake Jesus (false prophet) and take the mark.

First the harvests come and then the mark. Christians killed for refusing the mark are blessed.

The rapture comes after almost every Christian on the planet has been killed by either the harvests or the mark. So the whole rapture thing maybe applies to a million people for the entire planet. Some relatively small number for sure.

Expect democrats with Rhode Island.

LIBRL

The Liturgist said:

That’s an inaccurate assesment of Calvinism, which is worsened by the fact that you’re trying to provide it as evidence in support of your claim that “works righteousness” according to your own definition of works righteousness, produces increaed apostasy.

You should provide hard statistical evidence for a claim rather than a red herring qualitative statement about what you believe Calvinists believe, which is at odds with what every Calvinist I’ve ever known says about their faith.

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No it is not. Works righteousness does not produce increased apostasy. Works righteousness produces nothing, but having a person fooled into thinking they are a child of God.

A person either enters through the narrow gate to life. Only by belief in Jesus "for Eternal Life" or they do not enter at all.

Islam and Calvinism: An Uncomfortable Comparison – Grace Evangelical Society

Have We Misrepresented Calvinism? – Grace Evangelical Society

Why Some Calvinists Teach That Good Works Are a Condition of Salvation – Grace Evangelical Society

Calvinism Has a Box of Mystery Verses – Grace Evangelical Society

The question is, i know a Calvinist believes in Calvinism, but have they believed in Jesus for God's free gift of Eternal Life. The two are not the same.

Hans Blaster said:

For a novel virus? I think not.

Whatever that was all about, it is clear from even your own post that information about the spread of the virus was evolving unlike climate change where we have known the basic pattern for at least 3 decades.

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New virus or not, human behavior remains the same, and much of the spread of disease centers on that. Right at the start of the pandemic, someone sent me a link to a story about a a health official combating the Spanish Flu, simply because the official and myself might be related. We weren't, but the article proved interesting.

Now, to set the background here, in 1918 it wasn't known that influenza is cause by viruses. It was thought to be caused by a bacteria. Why? Because cultures from the ones who died turned up a particular bacteria that they named hamophilius influenza. They later figured out that this pneumonia was a secondary infection, but in 1918 they didn't know that. They did know about isolation of the infected. They did know large gatherings could spread it. It later unfolded that a good bit of what was done in 1918 would be done during the pandemic because human behaviors that help spread highly contagious disease is pretty much constant regardless of the infectious agent. Those measures showed up again during the last pandemic because they centered on human behavior that could spread highly contagious infections.

Now, if you know an infectious agent can be spread by droplets from the nose and mouth, you know a mask can help contain the droplets. The purpose is to contain the infection to the infected person. Same reason surgeons have masked for over a century now. If you know that infectious can be spread by contact, you wash your hands. That's been known for over a century, too. It was already known that the eyes, nose, and mouth were avenues for infection, so touching eyes, nose, and mouth with contaminated hands is good way to catch various ailments. Put the two together and you know you need to wash your hands before donning a mask, you need to make sure it's properly fitted, and once in place you leave it alone.

What the CDC knew was that the average person likely won't wash hands before masking; won't know how to wear it properly; will fiddle with it; set it down on objects, and other stuff humans do. You don't need to know a virus' genetic code to know that putting on a mask with unwashed hands is going to bring those dirty fingers up around the eyes, nose, and mouth. That was the CDC initial concern: People would mask, which could contain droplets from nose and mouth if used properly, but were more likely to use them improperly and thus increase their risk of infection from people being people. All that was necessary to know was that it could spread through the droplets from your nose and mouth. Knowing the particulars about a specific virus isn't necessary for that.

Remember the outcry when the CDC first recommended against the general public masking? Horrors! It was on the "news." It was in conversations. There were all sorts of negative comments. And lo and behold the CDC reversed itself. Before much more was known about the virus, too, I might add.

The rest is an unfortunate history of people wearing masks improperly, fiddling with them, laying them down on surfaces, and all the other bad behavior that the CDC initially feared when they first panned the general public masking. That first assessment was based on people being people, and that holds whether a highly contagious disease is new or not.

Postvieww said:

That is the liberal point of view but that is not what happened.

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??? what do you think happened ??

joechristianwarrior said:

Sadly, the average Christian gives so little to the poor it's laughable. And even the little they do give, they usually publicize and make a show of in direct contravention of what Christ actually taught. (Matthew 6:1-18) It's sick and it's sad, and yet it all seems to be a part of the way Christianity on the whole is going these days. I suggest people watch this video, and pray for understanding: Login to view embedded media

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many don't understand poverty, lacks empathy/compassion, but possessed by strong urge to get expensive mortgages/car loans, expensive hobbies, and international travels. To present an image they're living a "full life" to their friends and relatives.

That leaves nothing beyond tithes.

Indeed many Christians tithe faithfully, but Jesus also said we should not ignore the plight of the needy on top of tithing.

It would probably kill them to do something different other than satisfying the addiction to fine living and showing off to other people.

It's simply human nature. Christianity don't make you a better person I guess, just different but still part of the problem. I suppose, if you can't be a Christian, then don't be. Hypocrisy is worse than disbelief because hypocrisy can give the wrong impression and frankly, it's a form of deception and most likely rooted from false beliefs, false doctrines, etc.

RandyPNW said:

I agree. Not only will the unbelieving world not be ready for Christ's sudden appearance but believers also are not given to know the precise day and hour of his Return.

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Randy, the rapture and Jesus's return are two different events.

Once that the abomination of desolation is set up, Jesus's return will be 1335 days later. Daniel 12:12.

Daniel 12:
11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

Zceptre said:

Yes, the light of truth replaces seeds of darkness and keeps the garden de-weeded. The seed of doubt is the easiest one to plant of all seeds, and it does not take much effort to cast many of them into anything a person believes. They are nasty little weeds that linger and grow back if trust is not well established. No matter how much knowledge we obtain, there will be a cut off limit and we will reach a point of "not understanding" our situation or what is going on fully. This is the nature of things and it is by design, as God wants trust, so doubt is the antithesis to faith and if we are not willing to trust without fully understanding then doubt will always have a place to take root and potentially grow. Questions are a dime a dozen and I likely am more guilty of this than anyone I've ever personally known, so I speak from experience here.

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I bring everything in the light. Had some experiences with metaphorical weed growing, and afterwards, I fixed it - permanently. Nothing grows now from the enemy.

Zceptre said:

That is exactly it. Desires are the bait put on hooks that give the Devil something to reel us in with. It isn't that every desire is evil of course, but it is that any desire can be used against a man or woman if it can be wedged in between that person and God. The literal moment that God saying "no" to any gift whatsoever becomes an issue that a child cannot accept, the enemy is laughing his head off and the seed is growing of doubt in God's goodness and love toward them. God has told us to be content with what He gives us and to be thankful for what we have (1 Timothy 6:8). The very thought that God isn't giving us something we want is what happened in the desert with Israel in the Old Testament, where they grumbled and complained about their "harsh" situation and in their thinking that God wasn't doing good enough for them in answering their prayers and requests (1 Corinthians 10:10). Satan destroyed them using this very simple thing, and it is no small matter to God.

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I assumed this much. Every time that God doesn't do something, it gives the enemy leeway into his plans. But why is this? It's a test to see how you'll react, when the path you want is closed, but satan's paths are opened?

And this is my issue here. I talked to God in that dream, what is the holy life for? Because, I've received nothing that I want. Yet, I have gave God my full attention, and discipline. I gave Him all this at the expense of all societal methods of "living one's life". So, I took away all the lust,m gluttony, pleasures, corruption... for what? If it is for nothing, then by societal standard's I wasted time and resources mainlining the body safe and pure, for absolutely nothing? And God refuses to answer the question. What is it for?

These dreams, as you said, He's showing me what is happening behind the scenes. But it doesn't help me. Even if I know, why do I know? It has to have a reason.

That dream of God when He told me to keep my word, and He promised me, cannot be in relation to eternal life. It can't be. Eternal life comes after you lived your life, after the judgemet is passed (decided based on a life lived). It's too early for this. It has to be something else. And I think it is in relation to this holy life. And I have no idea what I promised Him, and what He promised me.
Eternal life is given by simply believing on God. You don't have to live exemplary to have it. It has to be something else. But how do I know what it is? He promised me, what? Because if Hew said that, it means He hasn't kept his end, yet. "I promised you" means something that will occur in the future.

196. Comforting





When we are comforted, we can think of comforting others. It’s a beautiful exchange that begins with God. He transforms us to be open to others and allows them to live the comfort of his Presence, thanks to the encounter we have with them.

Paul pushes even further:

“If we are afflicted, it is for your encouragement and salvation.” 2 Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 6



So even in distress, if we are in the Lord, we can be people inviting our contemporaries to salvation, supported by the comfort of God.

We can say:

“I will bless the Lord at all times; praise shall be always in my mouth. My soul will glory in the Lord that the poor may hear and be glad.” Psalm 34, verses 2 to 3



Blessing the Lord at all times and even through misery will be transformed for the glory of God and the salvation of the world.



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Here, where we are, Normand Thomas

Apple Sky said:

Only when you want, we know.

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No, that is your M.O. Scripture says the sun rises and sets, while you say it only appears that way.

Apple Sky said:

Can you prove that it is not ?

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You've offered zero evidence that it is, and as I've already explained, it would not matter if it was as the horizon passes almost through the middle where there is no distortion of straight lines.

Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Amen

david p said:

As a believer in The Holy Bible and what it says, do you think that The Qur'an is a true testament of God also?

Why do I ask? Because if as Holy Bible believers we are unable to discern enough to provide accurate information about any differences or similarities between 'Christianity and Islam', how are we supposed to consider ourselves being 'led' rightly by any Pastor, Priest, or even The Holy Spirit or even God or The LORD or even The Holy Lamb of God.... IF... we do not have understanding towards these two 'faiths'/'books'/'languages'/'place of origin'/'sacredness'.. ?

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No. The Quran is demonic. Here is why:

Given that Islam is an Abrahamic religion, there is a connection with the God of Christians and Jews. But what exactly is that connection?

When the Islamic Jesus comes as foretold in Islamic prophecy, this is what he will say:

1. That he never died on the cross.
2. He never claimed to be the son of god.
3. That Islam is the only true religion.
4. That all people should convert to Islam and submit to the Mahdi.

Christians know the (Islamic) Mahdi as the antichrist and the Islamic Jesus as the false prophet.

Back to that connection issue. IMO, the reason for the existence of Islam is for angels to have their religion. And by angels, I mean demons. God and man got their religions. Now it's the turn of angels. Who can create the better religion, God or demons? Prove it. Let's run Christianity and Islam in parallel and see what happens. Christianity won. So the God of Christians and Jews facilitated the creation of Islam in order for demons to make their case.

As punishment for abandoning and/or ignoring Christianity, the world will get Islam instead.

Postvieww said:

That is the liberal point of view but that is not what happened.

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Reality is the liberal point of view. Alternate facts are not actual facts.

Clare73 said:

I prefer law and order. . .and if that requres "authoritarianism," I'm all far it.
That's what lawful authority is for, to use when lawlessness gets out of hand.

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Law and order does not require authoritarianism, but apparently authoritarianism does require made up excuses to justify it. Deploying the military to intimidate the citizenry is expressly prohibited by the Constitution, yet our criminal president has done just that and has declared his intention to continue.

Clare73 said:

That should be a no-brainer.

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Hmm...naw...biting my tongue on that one...

Clare73 said:

We're having to re-invent the wheel. .

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No, we are looking at an excuse.

Clare73 said:

Check in again with me when your home is damaged or your car is stolen.

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Why? Do you really believe that martial law is the solution to minor crime?

Aaron112 said:

Should all forums be discontinued that promote untruth ? There might be no forum then ?

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This is getting to a purely political topic, but using a taxpayer's money to fund a group opposed to his interests is like the old European situation where state-sponsored churches used government money at the expense of other denominations. If public broadcasting's true believers are willing to fund it, so be. That's the usually way of things. Public broadcasting can air what it pleases, but not on my dime.

Doesn't have anything to to due with a "Meh" video about fruiting plants, though.

ozso said:

Neither Hegseth nor Wilson say anything about women voting in video footage. And there's no quote in the article from either of them about women voting. Rather someone else said that he and his wife should reach a mutual decision on who to vote for, and as head of the family he should cast the vote. Which is just one guy's way of wanting to do things in his family.

So it seems to me there's some definite straw grasping going on with this.

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No, there is no grasping at straws here. The CNN narrator says that Wilson holds those beliefs and then talks to two individuals from his church who share those beliefs.

Wilson himself has espoused them here (the relevant bit starts at 6:20):
Login to view embedded media
The relevant bit is also quoted on the second page of this piece:

ozso said:

And one man's opinion is somehow supposed to allude that the Trump administration is planning on repealing the 19th amendment.

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Nobody here claimed that. But it does suggest a certain amount of sexism and undermines his ability to present himself as a fair and impartial leader.

dms1972 said:

I started going to a fellowship a good many years ago. I liked the Pastor, but something was troubling me about some of the folks there and I wasn't sure if they were believers or not. I was beginning to feel like I was some odd ball sort of christian who believed stuff very few other christians believed, and that one could equally get away with not believing. They went about confidently enough and I kind of felt I daren't say or question anything as I was the 'noob' there. Now I understand that in any christian fellowship there will be seekers and non-christians and some perhaps indifferent. But this was a Baptist Church and I thought it was also evangelical. So I approached someone and asked him a few questions, and it turned out he seemed to believe God could just forgive us, and that Jesus didn't need to die for us to be forgiven. Now what happens in a evangelical church in this situation? Here was someone going about confidently around the church (I was fairly new to this fellowship and really didn't know very many people and didn't feel that confident myself) but he seemingly didn't know the Gospel, or had not responded to it yet.

To be honest it called a lot of things into question for me. If this could be the case, how many there were in a similiar position, was the Gospel being made clear in the preaching - that as Scripture says: "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin." (Hebrews 9:22) I don't have a problem with there being seekers at a church - of course there will be seekers!! The problem I have is with people there who think God just forgives, no Atonement needed.

I experienced other difficulties there and could not figure out if it was me or the people there.

Oswald Chambers writes "The only ground on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ - to put forgiveness on any other ground is unconscious blasphemy." (My Utmost for His Highest - Nov. 20)

Should I have questioned that chap about what he believed?

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DMS perhaps the person has yet not fully comprehended theologically the perfect justice system of a perfect God. And that it being only a permanent redeeming sacrifice which could make null and void the consequences of sin. That being the blood sacrifice and death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ . That is what the law demanded of which of none of us could ever keep all except Christ . It is finished

BelieveItOarKnot said:

When Jesus said there was and is no truth in the devil, I believe that is a fact

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Yes I agree with that, but we weren't discussing whether the devil speaks the truth, but whether someone who is a liar ever speaks the truth.

BelieveItOarKnot said:

Matt. 23:9 is the citing. In addition, "most" orthodox and traditional protestantism takes this as a fact.

and a little p.s: When Jesus addressed the pharisees as "devils" Jesus was actually speaking to DEVILS in them just as Jesus spoke to Satan in Peter and any number of other occasions where Jesus revealed, rebuked and cast out devils from people.

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But in the verse I quoted, He didn't call them devils. He said that they were of their father the devil.

BelieveItOarKnot said:

Pity to mix the 2

The adoption subject is a bit deeper. Technically we are "adopted" into Israel of the spirit, becoming a "Jew" within

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I don't think the Scriptures view adoption as a technicality. It is the way in which God causes a sinner to be transferred ito His family.

BelieveItOarKnot said:

Nevertheless God is The God of both Jew and Gentile, regardless. God is not the God of devils

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God is God. The devil and his followers don't obey God, but He is still God, and He will have His way with the devil in the end.

David Lamb said:

Not everything a liar says is a lie

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When Jesus said there was and is no truth in the devil, I believe that is a fact

David Lamb said:

You say that all people are God's children. That is not what Jesus said

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Matt. 23:9 is the citing. In addition, "most" orthodox and traditional protestantism takes this as a fact.

and a little p.s: When Jesus addressed the pharisees as "devils" Jesus was actually speaking to DEVILS in them just as Jesus spoke to Satan in Peter and any number of other occasions where Jesus revealed, rebuked and cast out devils from people.

Pity to mix the 2

The adoption subject is a bit deeper. Technically we are "adopted" into Israel of the spirit, becoming a "Jew" within

Nevertheless God is The God of both Jew and Gentile, regardless. God is not the God of devils

Serenity at 70, Gaiety at 80
- Garrison Keillor
---
Kindle ebook

Apple Sky said:

There are two verses in the Bible one that says a circle & the other says a ball, learn the difference.

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That doesn't answer my question.
The KJV talks about the depths of the earth. How can the earth have depth when it is, supposed to be, flat like a CD?

This is your belief/faith; you should have an answer for it.

Apple Sky said:

It doesn't I was expressing the difference between the word 'circle' & 'ball'.

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That doesn't fit with what you actually wrote, which was: "There are two verses in the Bible one that says a circle & the other says a ball, learn the difference." How can there be two verses in the bible, one saying the earth is a circle and the other saying it is a ball, if you are now saying there isn't a verse which says it's a ball? If there isn't a verse that says the earth is a ball, you need to edit you earlier post to say: "There is one verse in the Bible one that says a circle & no verse that says a ball."

BelieveItOarKnot said:

IF a liar says "I believe" are they really telling the truth?

Look, all people "love" in some ways, at some times. That's just the way it is. And "faith" is then present to do so.

And they do so because all people are God's children

The laws are also written in everyone's heart i.e. good and bad

It's only false religions that seek to tamp these matters into the dust

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Not everything a liar says is a lie, but if anybody merely says, "I believe in Jesus Christ," while in their heart, they are thinking, "But I don't really. I'm just saying I do to look good." then of course they weren't telling the truth when they said they believed.

You say that all people are God's children. That is not what Jesus said. To some of His hearers, He said:

““You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own [resources], for he is a liar and the father of it.” (Joh 8:44 NKJV)

We are also told in the New Testament that it is when we become Christians, we are adopted into God's family and can address Him as Father. Writing to Christians in Galatia, Paul says:

“4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Ga 4:4-7 NKJV)