Dan Perez said:

ACTS 16:15 reads , And when she and her household were BAPTIZED /. BAPTISO. , is in. the Aorist Tense , means it happened in. the past ,

is in the PASSIVE VOICE , MEANING Christ had a hand in verse 15

in the INDICATIVE MOOD , meaning you better believe it ,

and is in. the Singular , meaning it will. not happen again !

Your thoughts as to what , the BAPTISM is with Water or without Water

OR is it Baptism of the Holy Spirit ?

dan p

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This all happens in the context of: Acts 16: 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.

Looking at the Jailer and his household experience we find first: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household”. After that we have Paul preaching to both Jailer and all the others in his household. The Jailer responds with an act of Loving kindness after the sermon and then they are all baptized, but which baptism was that?

They were baptized at the time and not previously.

Lydia invited them the stay at her house after she and her household were baptized, but what baptism was that?

Both Lydia and the river and the jailer washing Paul and Silas had water available to them.

Lydia and the Jailer showed no signs of miraculous powers from the Spirit, so how could Paul know they were baptized by the Spirit if that is the baptism being talked about?

Giant gladiolus

Former medium-turned-Christian apologist Jenn Nizza recently sat down with Don Veinot, president of Midwest Christian Outreach, to discuss what happens when believers show up at Paganicon, an annual convention for pagans, Wiccans and spiritual seekers, in the name of Jesus.

In a recent episode of Nizza's podcast, "Ex Psychic Saved," titled “Outreach to Cults, Pagans, and Atheists: What Happens When Christians Show Up at Paganicon,” Veinot shared how he and his team regularly attend the annual pagan spirituality convention to share the Gospel with those mired in deception.

Raised by an atheist father and a spiritually curious mother who was into astrology and fortune telling, Veinot shared his journey from disbelief to Christianity.

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In the past year i have got fit and making importantand productive moves with my life, i am very grateful for the good life has given me. I have freed myself from my old life and can focus on my new one.

Thank you Lord

Skipper80 said:

Should Christians condemn people to Hell?

After answering, explain why

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I think this is different for Christians and non Christians. For Christians I think theres two aspects. There is the gospel but also following the teachings. They should go hand in hand. But there is an identifiable way of living (fruits of the spirit) we can tell.

The teachings tell us to gently rebuke and teach another Christian if they have sinned. But also to fogive them.

But then there is the church itself. The body of Christians. This is where the overseers are the guides and protectors over the church and the teachings from the wolves. Christ warned about the wolves not from sinners outside the church but within.

So in this sense and as Paul did in commanding members follow the teachings otherwise be cursed. Especially of promoting false teachings and ideologies or encouraging sin.

Then outside the church is different. This is where the gospel comes in. Being evangelists for Christ. I like the idea of messenger as it is the Good News to the world. THis is Good News not bad news about going to hell lol. Make people run for the hills.

Though I think the culture has changed where even saying repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. Or repentence is part of the gospel people get defensive. In fact just saying the gospel and Good News is becoming offensive in some places.

But this is the thing. In the early church which the gospel was far more offensive under Nero who persecuted the Christians and executed some of the disciples like Peter and Paul.

They did not care. They still spoke the gospel. I mean Paul got assaulted about 10 times and thrown in jail. But he spoke the same truth even when the enviornment was hostile to it. It was this that the world seen that consistent truth even in the face of death that brought the Gentiles to God.

Bit old hat now, but a few months ago we had an American Catholic pianist singer-songwriter give a tutorial on music for the mass. I went along to listen with a few others from our parish.

The bloke who introduced him to us is a musician and song writer in his own right. He said the American chap had commented "Whoever they elect for Pope, you can be sure he won't be an American!"

That got a laugh.

Tucked away in a rocky mountain in southeast France is a cave formed by natural erosion called La Sainte-Baume. It is one of the oldest Christian pilgrimage sites in the world as it is the place where Mary Magdalene is believed to have spent the last 30 years of her life.

Esteemed by St. Thomas Aquinas as the “Apostle to the Apostles,” St. Mary Magdalene is regarded by the Dominicans as a secondary patroness of their order, which was founded in Toulouse, France. Appropriately, the cave remains under the care of the friars in the Toulouse province.

The Dominicans are charged with the task of welcoming and evangelizing pilgrims who make their way to La Sainte-Baume. (The word “baume” comes from the Provençal word “baumo,” meaning “cave.”) The friars, alongside staff and volunteers, run the hostelry located next to the convent at the foot of the mountain directly below the cave.

“One striking thing about Mary Magdalene is how many different people are drawn to her,” Frére Vincent-Thomas Rist, a Dominican friar of the Toulouse province, told CNA in an email. “At La Sainte Baume, we get a bit of everything: mainstream orthodox Catholics, hikers on holiday, converts from Islam, sisters on pilgrimage, tall blonde women convinced of being reincarnations of Mary Magdalene, traditionists, liberals, and even Jesuits.”

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Friedrich Rubinstein said:

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Evangelical Zionism will pass away with the boomer generation.

ThatRobGuy said:

I was referring to "clean" rap as in not explicit in its unfiltered form (which is why I referencing the cheesy old Will Smith and Vanilla Ice stuff). If you're referring to "clean edits" where they simply blank out the explicit content or do 'word replacement' in post editing, there is industry data to show that it's not terribly popular.

Sales Impact​

• Albums with the warning label saw a 30% boost in sales.
• Hip-hop albums with the label often outperformed their "clean" versions by 3:1

Modern Numbers​

The digital age brought new ways to mark explicit content, but the impact remains strong:

• Streaming platforms flag 65% of hip-hop content as explicit
• Labeled tracks get 35% more plays than clean versions
• 80% of listeners prefer explicit versions when available

The warning label transformed from a cautionary sign into a powerful marketing tool. What started as an attempt to limit sales created a new revenue stream for artists and labels. Now, the label serves as a content guide and a proven sales booster across physical and digital platforms.

Cultural Reach​

• 8 out of 10 Billboard #1 Rap/Hip-Hop albums in 2022 carried explicit content warnings
• 65% of music consumers aged 18-24 view the label as a mark of authenticity

So, I would suggest that it's a tad dishonest for people to try to pretend "it's just like every other genre, it's just peoples' skewed perceptions".

​

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Even if they played "sanitized" rap, the people who are upset now that they can't bring their own speakers to play their own music loudly in the public spaces will still be unsatisfied.

FireDragon76 said:

Anybody that treats discipline casually should remember, "with what measure you judge, it will be judged against you". Only the most egregious sins warrant church discipline in the form of expulsion, ones that threaten the good order of a church. Using it to shame, humiliate, or control other people isn't right.

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Thank you for sharing your perspective it’s a thoughtful and necessary reminder that church discipline must always be handled with deep humility, reverence, and spiritual discernment.

You're right: "with what measure you judge, it will be judged against you" (Matthew 7:2) is a sobering warning to anyone in a position of spiritual authority. We should never approach church discipline as a tool for control or humiliation. That would be a grievous misuse of Christ’s teaching. However, I do believe there's a broader purpose for biblical church discipline than just dealing with the "most egregious sins."


In Matthew 18:15–17, Jesus lays out a clear, gracious, step-by-step model for church discipline not to shame, but to restore. The goal is always redemption, never rejection. Paul echoes this in Galatians 6:1, urging us to restore a fallen brother "in a spirit of gentleness," being mindful of our own weakness.


Yet sadly, as the survey shows, many churches today avoid discipline altogether not because no one is sinning, but often out of fear of conflict, cultural pressure, or misunderstanding what love truly means. And this avoidance, ironically, can weaken the body.

Church discipline, when rooted in love and truth, serves multiple purposes:

• It protects the church from false teaching and divisive behavior (Titus 3:10, Romans 16:17).
• It helps the sinner see the seriousness of sin and opens the door to repentance (1 Corinthians 5:5).
• It preserves the witness and integrity of Christ’s body before a watching world (1 Peter 2:12, Philippians 2:15).

I totally agree with you that it should never be used as a weapon to control or embarrass someone. That’s spiritual abuse, not biblical discipline. But I’d gently suggest that the church does the Body no favors by treating discipline as a last resort only for scandalous sin. Even smaller, hidden sins can spread like leaven if left unaddressed (1 Corinthians 5:6–7).


The early church understood this balance. They were committed to both grace and accountability two sides of the same coin. Today, recovering that balance might just be one of the ways we revive holiness, unity, and power in our churches again.

Thanks again for raising this. It’s a conversation the modern church truly needs.

Grace and peace to you.

iluvatar5150 said:

I'm glad the Trump administration is so concerned with human trafficking. No deplorables here.

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I hear you. I keep telling myself not to worry about what appears to be deadly snakes in the raging river of rubbish that comes out of Trump's mouth - as he uses these trolling moments to distract from the bigger agenda. But then every so often the sheer arrogant hypocrisy of it appears to let them through my guard. I'm so busy thinking of how to explain why this is wrong to MAGA types - that I might forget the real agenda - the swarm of crocodiles and hippos in his two word answer: "I dunno!".

The question? Should the President obey and support the Constitution!?
"I dunno" should fail a citizenship test - let alone disqualify from holding public office - let alone the highest office the land!

But yes - this particular distraction snake has a certain nasty bite - especially when so many in the church try to argue Trump is a sincere Christian!

Kathleen30 said:

Xeno why didn’t the Catholic Church continue to lay the foundation of St Augustine’s theology. It’s seems to have retreated in the archives of the ages for nearly a millennia. Until the Reformation

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The fact is that for the 400 years before Augustine all the Church Fathers spoke of man's responsibility in salvation, that man is free.

1. This expression [of our Lord], “How often would I have gathered thy children together, and thou wouldest not,” (Mat 23:37) set forth the ancient law of human liberty, because God made man a free [agent] from the beginning, possessing his own power, even as he does his own soul, to obey the behests (ad utendum sententia) of God voluntarily, and not by compulsion of God. For there is no coercion with God, but a good will [towards us] is present with Him continually. And therefore does He give good counsel to all. And in man, as well as in angels, He has placed the power of choice (for angels are rational beings), so that those who had yielded obedience might justly possess what is good, given indeed by God, but preserved by themselves. On the other hand, they who have not obeyed shall, with justice, be not found in possession of the good, and shall receive condign punishment: for God did kindly bestow on them what was good; but they themselves did not diligently keep it, nor deem it something precious, but poured contempt upon His super-eminent goodness. (Irenaeus [A.D. 120-202], Against Heresies - Book 4 Ch 37 The Way and Free Will)

Why would the church accept Augustine's doctrine?

''A terrifying new study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has found that extensive use of ChatGPT may be rotting our brains.

Researchers at MIT's Media Lab asked participants to write SAT-style essays while dividing them into three groups: one used ChatGPT, another used Google, and the third relied only on their own knowledge — the "brain-only" group.

Brain activity was tracked using EEG machines, which recorded how engaged different parts of the brain were during the writing process.

The results showed that the ChatGPT group had the lowest brain activity and performed the worst overall in terms of thinking, writing quality, and focus. ...

The study warned that relying too much on AI tools like ChatGPT can reduce critical thinking skills, especially in young people.

The lead researcher, Nataliya Kosmyna, said she rushed the findings out because she's worried about AI being introduced too early in schools.

"What really motivated me to put it out now before waiting for a full peer review is that I am afraid in 6-8 months, there will be some policymaker who decides, 'let's do GPT kindergarten,'" she told TIME magazine.

"I think that would be absolutely bad and detrimental," she continued. "Developing brains are at the highest risk."

SOURCE

ArmyMatt said:

I will add as well that Fr Stephen De Young often points out that one of the reasons we have not rejected the Masoretic text is that some words and phrases make more sense and are more clear in Hebrew than in Greek.

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I can confirm the truth of that just by having lived with both the KJV (which I grew up with) and the Church Slavonic and Synodal version. Sometimes the KJV was clearer, sometimes the OCS/Synodal v. was clearer. I understood more by dealing with both texts and seeing it stereoscopically.

Now I’m doing Serbian, which I find surprisingly easy to read, though their italics throw me for a loop, having letters that are upside-down from Russian italics.

thomasw60 said:

Getting to know each other at church and there view s an beliefs

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It is, but I am wondering why you posted it under "Creation and Theistic Evolution."

jacks said:

Next time I will put a Smiley Face in the post.

Obviously concave otherwise the water would just run out over all the dry land.

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Of course!

Michie said:

The Scriptures offer us a sobering reality: our perception of ourselves can be completely out of sync with how God sees us. Nowhere is this more evident than in Revelation 3:17, where Jesus rebukes the church of Laodicea and said, “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

This chilling contrast reveals that it is possible to be fully convinced of your spiritual health while being utterly bankrupt in the eyes of God. Sadly, many professing believers are self-deceived, thinking they are secure when they are actually standing on shaky ground. At the judgment seat of Christ — where believers are evaluated for eternal rewards, not eternal punishment — many may experience deep regret for how they lived.

The following are 10 common ways people deceive themselves spiritually and what Scripture reveals about God’s true standard.

1. Are you merely religious, or are you truly born again?

John 3:3–8

Jesus told Nicodemus, a devout religious leader, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

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10 ways people deceive themselves about their faith

The Scriptures offer us a sobering reality our perception of ourselves can be completely out of sync with how God sees us

www.christianpost.com

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in Matt 7- Jesus said that the "many" are "self-deceived" saying "Lord Lord did we not do this... and that... in Your Name?"

But Jesus says to them "depart from me"

So how is it that someone is undeceived?

John 16 says God sends the Holy Spirit (God the Holy Spirit - 3rd person of Godhead) - that "convicts THE WORLD of sin and righteousness and judgment".

Rom 8:14-16 says that for those that submit to God 'The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we ARE the children of God".

The personal - , private - one on one interview with God that we have in this life, in quiet moments of worship and listening - where God Himself speaks to us.

Isaiah 41:10
‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

FaithT said:

I never heard that one before.

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I don’t think that would offend me, either.

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“Trust The Process”
Proverbs 3:5 NIV
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

This past Saturday, I ran a 5K with a friend of mine from church. We were both really excited to run in the same race again. Before the race started, we were talking about setting pace and I mentioned how I wanted to get below a certain time. My friend offered to pace me and get my time lower. However, he told me to just listen to him, keep up and don’t look at my race watch. I agreed with the pace he told me and I ran along with him.

Throughout the race, we chatted a lot together and he commented on my breathing as well as asking me how I was feeling. He also encouraged me to keep up when he went faster and explained when he was going to go faster. The last mile, I was hurting and I had to mentally push myself to finish. I was exhausted, but at the end, I sprinted as well as I could. We crossed the line together and I took a few minutes to catch my breath.

When I looked at my final time, I almost fell down! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! He took me faster than I thought he would. He was sneaky and pushed me harder than the pace time he had originally said. Why?? Because he knew I was capable and could do it. Hearing that blew me away! I had an idea in mind and he took me beyond that! I trusted him to take me through the race and coach me to get a better time. And….he did!

I spent the rest of the day and weekend just blown away at what I had just done. But, I could NOT have done it if I ran on my own. He had a strategy in mind and knew what he was doing. I did not. I just trusted the process and gave it my all.

Friends, so often in our lives, we have our own ways and try to do so many things on our own. We want to improve, but we don’t know exactly how aside from what we think might work. My friend had actually recommended me to set a pace and keep that the entire race, so that was the first 5K race I had done that. It worked and it was amazing!

If we trust God in life and let go of what we think are good ideas and trust His process and timing, amazing things happen! All weekend, I just kept thanking God for this opportunity and for what my friend had pushed me and encouraged me to do. I just couldn’t believe I had done that well and didn’t think I was capable of it quite yet.

We have to trust His process. We have to trust and let Him guide, even when it hurts and we don’t think we can finish. If I had run the race on my own, this would not have happened. I am grateful for my friend’s encouragement and I am grateful that God gave me the endurance to finish this well.

When life gets tough, trust in Him and His process.

PARASHA: “Pinchas” NUMBERS 25:10-29:40

This Torah portion starts with a somewhat surprising promotion in rank for an execution committed, and rather suddenly. Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron was a Levite, and during the time of the “weakness and falling away of the men of Israel, He took matters into his own hands, and slew Zimri and Cozbi, who were committing fornication in the sight of all Israel, yet Adonai rewarded him for this and gave him an “everlasting covenant of peace and an everlasting priesthood” because he was “Zealous” for his God, because he made an “atonement” for the Children of Israel”.

to understand this, we must go back to the story of "Balak". King Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel, yet Adonai did not do this, as Adonai prohibited this. Adonai has already blessed Israel, and whoever Adonai has blessed, no one can curse. However, through the evil counsel of Bilaam, he let Balak know that the Israelites could bring a curse to themselves by going after the pagan gods of Moab and Midian, which would be through the enticing invitations of the women of Moab.

The Torah says that the Children of Israel went after the Moabite prostitutes and went to worship their god “Baal-Peor,” thus bringing down the wrath of YHVH. The result was a plague that killed 24,000 Israelites until Pinchas took action by taking a lance and thrusting it through the bellies of Zimri and Cozbi, thus “staying” the plague. As Adonai called it, “making an atonement for the children of Israel. "Blood for Blood." God gave Pinchas "A covenant of Peace." "Brit Shalom". What is interesting is that the "Vav" (or the letter "o") in the original Hebrew in the word "Shalom" is broken in half. What could this mean? One explanation is that Israel "Was" at peace before the Moabite women came to entice the men of Israel to go worship their gods, but the peace was "broken" through the worship of Baal and the fornication until Pinchas made "blood atonement."

Our Messiah Yeshua had never been separate from the love and fellowship of the Father, yet that "Shalom" was "broken" temporarily when he hung on that cross and bore our sins, as he cried "Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachtani" (My God, My God, why have you forsaken me)

Another thing we must remember is that we ALL have two natures, the “Yetzer Hara” (The evil inclination, or the sin nature) and the “Born again” spirit-filled nature that comes when we accept Yeshua as Messiah and LORD. Both live inside us, and something can “trigger” that old sinful nature and cause havoc and misery in our lives. In the case of the Israelite men, it was the arrival of the Midianite and Moabite prostitutes of Baal-Peor, and not only did they bring a curse upon the encampment of the Israelites, but they also brought death to 24,000 of the population.

Now, it seems like a large number, but if we realize that the Israelites probably numbered 2 or 3 million, then that number is quite small. We also need to realize that not ALL of Israel went after “Baal-Peor,” only the ones that went after the prostitutes. Yet the whole nation of Israel was affected. One can also ask a question: “Can one change his or her nature of being?” To answer this question, we need to look at a story.

A king once had two sons. To test them, he asked them that question. The first son said, “Yes, one can change his or her nature.” Yet the second son said, “No, one can never change his or her nature.

The king then said, “Go out and prove your statement; you have a week.” So, both sons went out, and after a week, they returned to the palace. The first son came near the king and queen with a large cloth bag. He put it on the floor, and out came a cat. The cat was dressed in fine linen and had a servant’s hat. The cat got up and walked on its two hind legs and lifted a small silver tray towards the king and queen. On the tray were two chocolates. The king and queen smiled and marveled at the cat and accepted the two chocolates. Everyone applauded! How wonderful!

The second son said, “Wait a minute.” He took a small cloth bag and emptied it on the floor, and out ran 5 mice. When the cat saw the mice, it dropped the tray and ran after the mice on all four paws. “You see,” said the son, “the cat went back to its old nature, it only needed a 'trigger”. You can dress a cat with fine clothes and teach it a few tricks, but it will always be a cat, and cats chase mice according to their feline nature.

We will always have our “old nature of sin” with us, and it will rear up its ugly head, as Rav Shaul (Apostle Paul) testifies in Romans 7:14-25. Only physical death will free us from the “old sin nature.” Every day, it is a constant battle. The spirit against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit.

Another Prophet who showed "Kana" (zeal) for God was Elijah, who slew the 450 prophets of Baal after God accepted the sacrifice on the altar, and all the people saw that. They were convinced, and many turned from Baal worship.

Later on, in this Parashah, we see that Moshe intercedes for Israel when Adonai tells him to go up Har Abiram and take a look around, because he will die there. Adonai appoints “Yehoshua” as Moshe’s successor to lead the people into the promised land. We see two leaders now, “Pinchas,” who is granted the title and inheritance of “High Priest” for his action, he symbolizes the “Kana” (Zeal) for Adonai, and Yehoshua, who is given the “Ruach Elohim” to lead the people. Yehoshua is the same as “Yeshua” for HE is the one who leads US in our lives today. Yeshua also showed “Kana” when he drove out the money changers in the temple, he used a bit of violence, yet not for “religious” reasons, but for the “love” of HIS father and for respect for HIS HOUSE. Today HIS HOUSE consists of all “Kehilot” (assemblies) of born-again believers all over the world, not buildings

There are other ways one can show “zeal” for YHVH today: loving His Torah, obeying his commandments, teaching His Word to those who would listen, loving our neighbors, supporting our local body of believers, and voting for government officials who also uphold biblical standards. Pointing out sinful ways to sinners (in a loving, not condemning way) and pointing them to a personal relationship with Yeshua, our Messiah.

Chapters 28 and 29 deals with the review of the sacrifices and offerings that the Israelites would offer to YHVH. Remember that they are about to cross over the Jordan to possess the promised land. There, they would be “permanent residents,” and the fight would continue to cast out the Canaanites (another reason for the census) to see how many “fighting men” the nation consisted of. Every element of the offerings and sacrifices illustrates who YESHUA is and what he stands for;

2 lambs per day, fine flour with oil; Yeshua, who is the Lamb of God, who is the BREAD of Life, who has the Ruach HaKodesh (The Holy Spirit) within him. The oil symbolizes the Spirit of Elohim, and the “anointing by the Spirit on ALL believers. Wine was also used to pour over the sacrifices; the “wine” symbolizes the blood of Yeshua that ran down the cross, out of his veins for an atonement for all who believe and accept his sacrifice for sin. Bullocks were also sacrificed; the bullock symbolizes “strength” as the ancient symbol of the letter “Alef” was in the form of a bull. Adonai is “strength,” yet he allowed himself to become “lower than the angels” to walk as a man and be a willing sacrifice for sin. The goats remind us of Yom Kippur, one was set free and the other sacrificed, reminding us that our sins were “cast away” from us as well as dealt with on the cross. The sacrificed rams remind us of the “ram” that was in the thicket when Abraham offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice. That ram was sacrificed instead of Isaac, just as Yeshua was offered as a blood sacrifice in our place.

The sacrifice of Yeshua was ALL SUFFICIENT, for ALL TIME. Nothing lacking. We need to accept HIS sacrifice and atonement for sin in THIS LIFE, because our decision in THIS LIFE will determine where we will spend our NEXT LIFE.

You know, I am reminded of ...

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Akita Suggagaki said:

I wish the Right could just acknowledge this corruption.

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And thus vote Democrat in 26.