St. Michael, protect us!

Holy Mary, wrap us in your protecting veil!

Amen!

chevyontheriver said:

Austria? Badly. Switzerland? I don't know.

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That’s very unfortunate. I thought at one point the Austrian faithful were very devout! Prayers for them also!

Not sure how I feel about this to be honest, hmmm…

Very nice!

FaithT said:

Is it easy to find sections you need like an index?

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Yes but I just read them in order. Each section is uplifting and reminds you that God loves you and will never forsake you

We'll see what the courts say.

PatrickTate said:

No, President Clinton was an exceptionally good public speaker and did not campaign from his basement.

The Joe Biden case in 2020 was unique in modern USA history.

There is always a certain amount of voter fraud but the formula in 2020 was unique and the officials in high places of power in the USA who disagreed with President Donald J. Trump were in a position to do something, [so it seems to me that they indeed probably did do something somewhat risky due their political passions]?

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The only thing that stands out about the election of Joe Biden in 2020 is that his win wasn't bigger after a catastrophically deadly and destructive presidency.

Maria Billingsley said:

Well, even rich people get abortions.

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Again you are correct and I admit that this will not prevent a hundred percent of abortions but I personally believe that this shift toward Optimism and away from Pessimism could well inspire more than thirty percent of expectant mothers who might have aborted their baby to decide to at minimum give birth to their child knowing that their baby will not be born into such a economically pessimistic world.

Amen!

ozso said:

Historically being for civil rights and against antisemitism seems go right out the window when it comes to the free Palestine bunch.

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Same with the “America first” crowd whenever Israel comes up.

Americans now face an overall average effective tariff rate of 18.6 percent, the highest since 1933, according to calculations from the Budget Lab.

“We had 2 to 3 percent average tariffs at the beginning of this year,” said Şebnem Kalemli-Özcan, an economics professor at Brown University. “It is foolish to think there isn’t going to be any economic impact, or that this is going to be all pink and rosy for the American people.”

September 2, 1945, is the date of the end of World War 2. Then, on May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. U.S. President Harry S. Truman recognized the new nation on the same day. And the two nations joined forces in a partnership relationship ever since then, as political and military allies. Over the years the U.S. has increased economic and military aid to the political nation of Israel, as well as they have joined them in military cooperation, intelligence sharing, and political support (source Google).

Then, in 1954, due to the efforts of LBJ, churches were added to the 501c3 tax code, by choice, although unnecessary, because churches had always been tax exempt. And they largely incorporated under the state. And to incorporate is to merge, join with, and partner with, which God forbids. We are not to partner with the world and with the ungodly in an unholy union. So churches then became creatures of the state with the state as sovereign over the corporations. And then so many of them turned their gatherings into businesses to be marketed to the world, which God also forbids.

[Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Acts 5:27-32; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 2-3; Revelation 13:5-8; Revelation 18:1-5]

And then, not only were we taught government worship in the gatherings of the church, but we were taught “Israel” worship, too. We were taught, with hand over heart, to pledge (vow) allegiance (loyalty, fidelity, worship) to the US government, and to sing patriotic songs of worship of the government and its military, and to praise the military as our heroes who protect us from our enemies. And we were taught that we were to give the same kind of loyalty and devotion to the political state of Israel or be told we are deserving of death for not worshiping (supporting) this political entity.

So, the church not only partnered with the government (the state) in an unholy union, but they did so also with the political state of Israel, treating that political entity as though it is next to God and is above all else and everyone else, and that we are to give that nation our undivided loyalties, devotion, and support, or somehow we are against God. But that physical nation called “Israel,” as a nation, does not worship Jesus Christ, but denies Christ as their Messiah, thus making them antichrist (1 John 2:22). As a nation, they are godless, although a minority of Jews worship Jesus Christ.

[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; John 8:18-19,38-47; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13;1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]

As a result of all this, the church (in general), in the USA, has become idolatrous and adulterous via her partnerships both with the US government and with the political entity called “Israel,” which is of the flesh of man, and not of God (see verses noted above). For the Israel of God is all who believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of their lives, who have died with Christ to sin, and who are now walking in obedience to our Lord’s commands, and who have no other gods above God. And this idolatrous and adulterous church is now under the judgment of God, for forsaking her first love.

So, this is a call of God to forsake all idols, which include human beings and physical nations, and sinful addictions, and to make God our only God to be worshipped. We are to deny self, die to sin daily, and follow our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands, and no longer live for the desires of the flesh, but in order to please God with our lives, or face his wrath. And the church, as the body of Christ, is commanded of God to come out from underneath these ungodly unions with the government and with the political nation of Israel, if we want to be in a right relationship with our Lord.

[See noted verses above] and..

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Recording Via Gerry Peters, music producer and arranger

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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The Apostasy
An Original Work / August 8, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

FaithT said:

My guess is his supporters will continue to support him even if he’d admit to being a client. They’d just find excuses or something.

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To be fair, no-one is going to turn on their favorite (non) politician/President, over stuff that they themselves won’t think about.

From the time that I was a youth, which was a very long time ago, I was taught Romans 6:23 by itself alone, absent of the context of the whole of Romans 6, but in a series of multiple Scriptures which were also taught mostly out of context, the grouping of which was intended to convey the message of the gospel of our salvation. And these verses were put in a “Gospel Tract” for us to share with others. But taught out of context, these verses ended up presenting a false half-truth gospel message which did not demand death to sin and obedience to God as essential elements of saving faith in the Lord Jesus, which then promises us eternal life with God.

The message we were taught from Romans 6:23 is that the wages (payment) of sin is death but the “free” gift of God (salvation) is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, which we then receive by a profession of faith. And let me add a note here, for it appears that the word “free” (in relation to gift of God) is not listed in the Greek interlinear and it is not included in the literal translations of the Bible. And this could be a critical factor in translating this passage, for “free” denotes no cost to us whatsoever. But Jesus taught if we are going to come after him we must deny self, die to sin daily, and follow him in obedience to his commands (see Luke 9:23-26).

So the Scriptures, although they teach that our salvation from sin is a gift from God, and that it is not of ourselves, not of anything that we can do in our flesh to earn or to deserve our salvation, it also teaches a faith and a salvation that requires repentance (death to sin) and walks of obedience to our Lord, and to his commands, as necessary components of faith which saves. For this is part of that gift of God, the power of God to now die to sin and to walk in obedience to him. For the grace of God is training us to renounce ungodliness and fleshly lusts, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return (see Titus 2:11-14).

But if we read Romans 6, from start to finish, and then translate Romans 6:23 in that whole context, I do not believe we will have this idea that we can just make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and now all our sins are forgiven, and heaven is our eternal destiny, but regardless of how we live, nothing more required of us. For in verse 16 alone we read that if sin is what we obey, it results in death, but if obedience is what we obey, it results in righteousness, which results in sanctification, the outcome of which is eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23). So, context is critical to correct biblical interpretation and application to our daily lives.

But now if you examine the words in verses 20-23 alone, you should see how what was just said is supported by these 4 verses. For if we are living as slaves to sin, we are free in regard to righteousness. Righteousness has no part in us if we are still living as slaves to sin. And the outcome of a life which is a slave to (addicted to) sin, and not of obedience to God, is death, not speaking of physical death, but of spiritual death, i.e. life without Christ. But if we are living as slaves to God, and as those who have been freed from enslavement to sin, the benefit is eternal life with God. For if sin is what we practice, it results in death. But obedience to God results in eternal life.

For the gift of God is deliverance from our slavery to sin and empowerment of the Spirit to now walk in obedience to our Lord, as servants of Christ.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

A Believer’s Prayer

An Original Work / July 31, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

With my whole heart, Lord, I pray
To be Yours, and Yours always.
Lead me in Your truth today.
May I love You, and obey.
Lead me in Your righteousness.
When I sin, may I confess;
Bow before You when I pray;
Live for You and You always.

Love You, Jesus, You’re my friend.
Life with You will never end.
You are with me through each day,
Giving love and peace always.
You will ne’er abandon me.
From my sin You set me free.
You died on that cruel tree,
So I’d live eternally.

Soon You’re coming back for me;
From this world to set me free;
Live with You eternally.
Oh, what joy that brings to me.
I will walk with You in white;
A pure bride, I’ve been made right
By the blood of Jesus Christ;
Pardoned by His sacrifice.

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Enslaved to God
An Original Work / August 7, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Tuur said:

Odd that in 2020, errors favored blue states.

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Not really relevant, but.... Thanks, Trump!

essentialsaltes said:

A former Lancaster County Bible study leader will spend five to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a girl in 2011 and a woman in 2016.

Michael T. Hess, 50, of East Drumore Township, on July 28 pleaded guilty to four felony offenses and four misdemeanors. His prison sentence will be followed by 10 years of probation.

The first victim, who was around 7 years old when the abuse began, said Hess sexually assaulted her dozens of times in a classroom of a Providence Township church in 2011.

In two separate cases, Hess was charged with two counts of aggravated indecent assault, three counts of indecent assault without consent and one count each of unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors and indecent assault of a person less than 13.

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Just one more reason to teach our kids at home, instead of shipping them off to others for...indoctrination.

There are many people who profess faith in Jesus Christ who have this mistaken idea that once they profess to believe in Jesus, however that is done, that now all their sins are forgiven and heaven is secured for them when they die, but that nothing is required of them beyond that. And they have this mistaken idea that God’s grace is just forgiveness of all sins and a guarantee of heaven when they die, and so if they continue in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord that it is no big deal, for God’s grace covers it.

But the Scriptures teach the opposite of that. They say it is a big deal! “May it never be!,” they say. If truly we have died to sin, how then can we continue to live in sin? And I am not saying that not one of us will ever sin again, but that sin should no longer be what we obey, in practice. It should not be our habit. And we who believe in Jesus are to die to sin daily and to follow our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands (see Luke 9:23-26).

For, by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ we are crucified with Christ in death to sin. We are baptized (absorbed, engaged, occupied, immersed) into Christ and into his death to sin. This is that baptism with fire that John the Baptist talked about when he said of himself that he baptized with water but that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire, which is a symbol of purification of the soul (Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16).

So this is not about water baptism, per se, but a baptism that cleanses us from sin. For water baptism, in and of itself, only washes the person on the outside, although it is certainly symbolic of what takes place when we believe in Jesus, in truth, and in righteousness. For it symbolizes us dying with him to sin and then being raised with him to walk now in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Water baptism, thus, should be a sign of our inward faith.

[Matthew 3:11-17; Matthew 10:11-12; John 1:29-34; Mark 10:37-39; Acts 9:15-18; Acts 10:44-48; Acts 18:7-8; Acts 22:12-16; Romans 6:1-7]

And if our faith in Jesus Christ is biblical faith, which is of God, and not of human flesh, and our purpose in believing in Jesus is that we might put to death our old lives of living in sin and for self, so that we can now follow our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands, then by faith in Christ Jesus our old self was crucified with him in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so we will no longer live as slaves to sin but as those who have been set free from our slavery (addiction) to sin. All glory to God!!

For the grace of God, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return. For Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (See Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10)

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

My Sheep

Based off John 10:1-30 NIV
An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

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Walking in Newness of Life
An Original Work / August 7, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

DragonFox91 said:

Most of what I learned I had to learn on my own. I did not have very good teachers. Despite my poor teachers, I had the desire to read the Bible for myself.
I learned a lot of people won't read the Bible b/c they think it's too complicated or b/c they don't like what it says.
One of the things I learned is "it says what it says". It's written so the simple can understand. It is not written to mislead or decieve.

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Thank you for sharing. I appreciate you reading and responding.

I have no words.

durangodawood said:

Shouty showy me-centered American Christianity. Im convinced its mainly a giant fraud.

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This is the crux of it, in my opinion.

Evangelical Christianity (or more specifically, American Evangelical Christianity) has a history of phoniness, hypocrisy, over-simplified arguments, and self righteous gate keeping. Also, the Evangelical Christian media and propaganda machine has caused this mentality to seep into other denominations (at least to some degree).

Personally, I think the mask has really come off in the last 6 years or so. That's not to say that other Christian denominations aren't at fault. (Look at the Catholic molestation scandals, for example). But, evangelicalism has had a major cultural influence on American Christianity at large... I don't think that can be denied. And Evangelical Christian media or Evangelical Christian "art" are how they have sought to influence the Christian culture and American culture at large. (Not to mention, politics, of course).

I think it all amounts to a really bad look for American Christianity. But hey, when you think that you are always right and holy and "the world" is always wrong and sinful (a.k.a. pride), this type of thing is bound to happen. I'm just surprised at the extreme state of denial which many American Christians seem to be in.

Please pray for my son Jakeb's health mind and body that God will heal him and let me hear his laughter tonight if it is God's will. Thank you so much. I ask in the name of Jesus. God bless you. Carmen

No more Kennedys.

Female athletes who want to compete on the international stage in women's events will be required to undergo a one-time genetic test, the World Athletics Council announced.

The new changes take effect Sept. 1, just in time for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo that begin Sept. 13.

The test for the SRY gene, which is located on the Y chromosome and determines male sex in humans and other mammals, can be used to determine biological sex.



I've heard some conservative pundits touting this as a "big win", but I don't know if it's as a big of a win as they're thinking.

While it prevents the thing they want to prevent -- by making all women do it (rather than selectively doing it using prudent common sense and observation), it's a partial concession to the contrived premise of "the differences between trans women and cis women are so minute and virtually undetectable, that we have to do a genetic test to confirm one way or the other"


I think this measure can be described as "feeding common sense some crumbs from the table of idealism"

SavedByGrace3 said:

I do not care that much about prosperity. I have learned to be content with what I have and praise God, so I am not looking for an argument. But there are points that have to be made, and let's not reject scripture just so we can pile on prosperity teachers. And yes, there are many believers who need to trust God for the well-being of their families. Some believers are in poverty and have serious needs. So, let's take care not to discourage them from believing God for their needs.
Scriptures give us reason to believe in God's all-sufficient supply. I will rest on these.

Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

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Just a few passages would've sufficed to make the point, but it's okay. I agree--believing in God to meet your needs, and sometimes your wants, is entirely biblical. We are not to be anxious, when we are living for the Lord, knowing He will care for us.

However, you are suggesting that attacking Prosperity Doctrine is an attack on Faith, and that is incorrect. I've experienced the bad effects of Prosperity Teaching many years ago, going back to Oral Roberts. I don't dislike the Prosperity, or Faith, Teachers--I just think they hurt people by going too far.

Far be it from me to say people shouldn't ask for and expect big things from God. It's up to God--not me. But to make it a *doctrine* that we should do X and expect Z is going too far--it's up to God.

Our expectations should coincide with the place God has called us to. If He's called us to a particular life, and we are living it, we should expect that God will provide for whatever His intentions were when He called us.

Welcome to CF!