AV1611VET said:

I have a feeling I'm not alone in "MY singular, insular and myopic interpretation of the Bible."

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In your one, definitely.

In response to the OP.

Fowler's stages seem to me to describe a more generalised view of faith, rather than a description of stages in christian growth, or maturity.

Michie said:

Don't be led astray by legalists of any stripe​

This post is long. My aim is to offer all I have, which is common sense, on a difficult topic. First we have a super long introduction of my own, followed by links to and excerpts from three related articles I hope you will find helpful to forming a general approach for peaceful resolution. At the end I will add a reflection on how to seek advice in a prudent manner (spoiler: not on social media).

I will restrict the comments to paid subscribers to guard against, well, you can imagine. (If you are a paid subscriber to The School for Housewives, my other Substack, let me know and I will comp you for this one.)

Subscribe


(There will be no indiscretions here, but this post is not for teens.)

The marriage of a man and a woman is an Edenic union that foreshadows God’s love for His holy Church. To quote the nuptial blessing from the ancient Roman rite:


Worth meditating on.

People ask: what is permitted in the marital embrace?

Continued below.

A sound, truly traditional approach to moral questions about marital relations

Don't be led astray by legalists of any stripe

leilamarielawler.substack.com

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This is a very delicate issue, and Leila Marie Lawler has done an exceptional job of presenting it after Fr. Nix and some other guy attacked her on the subject. Let me just say that moral theologian Germaine Grisez has also done an admirable job of it in his magnum opus. Cookbook theological lightweights will say this is all theological mush, as they did in accusing Leila. But on the other hand theological lightweights like West, or on the other hand, liberal theological lightweights that approve of all sexual deviency. What a husband and wife do is not anything goes but nor is it strictly limited. Leila tastefully explains. I’m not going to go into any more detail than she did, but Fr. Nix, guardian of orthodoxy that he says he is, is too restrictive. It’s not for nothing that the old theological manuals left some things in Latin. Some things are carefully and delicately permitted in Catholic tradition. Not everything.

There has been a spate of lawyers using AI to find pertinent citations to bolster their cases. The problem is that “generative AI” has been generating non-existent cases. Here’s a recent one from Huntsville, Alabama, where the judge found “five fabricated legal citations”.

I experienced this myself a few days later. The Tour de France had just ended and I was curious about the bikes themselves and the mechanics who worked on them. The curiosity was occasioned when the eventual winner of the Tour, Tadej Pogacar, was in a crash that threw his chain. Tadej was fumbling around trying to put it back in place when a mechanic from his team rushed over and fixed it in what seemed like less than a second. So I asked an AI platform to find for me “tour de france documentary that explains the bikes themselves and the mechanics that work on them”.

It quickly produced a result that looked to be exactly what I asked for:



It conveniently gave me the title, date, a helpful (I thought) description, and in two cases the source platform.

The only problem: None of the three documentaries exist. I searched the internet with the titles, parts of the titles, the sources, and parts of descriptions. Here’s an example of what the searches turned up:

Continued below.

Public reaction to a viral affair exposes how deeply we still believe in moral truths — even when society tells us not to.

The adulterous couple caught on the Jumbotron earlier this month has become the object of scorn, ridicule and endless internet memes. I plan not to pile on. Instead, I want to call attention to how this incident disproves the seductive promise of the sexual revolution: “You can do anything you want sexually, and nothing bad will happen.”

This tacit promise explains why the sexual revolution is so appealing: Everyone wants to believe this is true. But the strong public reactions to the “Coldplay Couple” show us that not only is this promise false, but we all know it is false.

Continued below.

I am a minister of the gospel of Christ who shares the message of the gospel daily in the writings that the Lord gives me to share each day. But the gospel message that I share is presently under attack, and it is being knocked down and misrepresented and falsely accused of it being “works salvation,” which it is not. And so I am also being attacked and falsely accused of teaching “works salvation.” And some of these personal attacks are to my face, and some of them are possibly behind my back where I cannot see them.

And it doesn’t matter how much I quote the words of Jesus Christ and of his New Testament apostles, taught in the correct biblical context, this is largely being ignored in favor of a very popular “gospel” message which teaches that we can make a verbal confession of faith in Jesus Christ and that is enough to secure for us salvation of all sin and eternal life with God in heaven, no works required at all. And they will usually quote the Scriptures out of their biblical context in order to try to prove their point.

And many people are buying into this “no works,” “no obedience,” “no repentance” gospel message because it makes no requirements of them that they must die to sin and obey God and do the works God prepared in advance that they should do, in obedience to him, as his workmanship, and in order to have genuine salvation from sin and the hope of eternal life with God. For all of God’s promises have conditions we must meet in order for us to be recipients of those promises. And his gospel is not unrestricted.

Nonetheless, it appears that the dominant “gospel” being taught and received and accepted in the USA today, and perhaps in other nations, is a diluted, altered, and twisted “gospel” message which takes Scriptures out of their original context, and then twists them to say what they do not say if taught in the appropriate context, and which makes no requirements of its adherents that they must die to sin, obey God, and do the works God prepared in advance that we should walk in them, as his followers.

But are we saved by our own fleshly works? No! We can do nothing in our own flesh to earn or to deserve our own salvation. It is only by the grace of God, and only by God-persuaded faith in the Lord Jesus, and not of our own doing, that any of us have salvation from sin and eternal life with God. But Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught that we must die to sin and obey God in practice or we do not have salvation from sin nor eternal life with God. If sin is what we practice, and not obedience to God, we will not inherit eternal life with God, but we will face the wrath of God, instead.

And this is because faith in Jesus Christ is not lip service only. Faith in Jesus Christ, which comes from God, and which is persuaded of God, will be persuaded of God as to his holiness and righteousness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to die with Christ to sin and to now walk in obedience to his commands, in daily practice, or it is not biblical faith which saves. Faith = obedience, and disobedience = unbelief (see Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23; etc.).

So, yes, we do not work to earn our own salvation. But our salvation from sin, which comes from God, requires that we obey God, in practice, and that we not continue in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord, for us to have salvation from sin and eternal life with God. Jesus taught it. Paul taught it. And the other New Testament apostles taught it. But this obedience is not of our own flesh, but it is empowered by God, as is our death to sin by the grace of God, in his power. Bottom line, we must surrender all to God!!!

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; 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 4:1-13; 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.

Login to view embedded media
Lies Spread Against You
An Original Work / July 31, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

public hermit said:

I guess. I'm not here to defend the DNC, and don't blame the DNC for what I say. My primary point is this is all a distraction. The hurt feelings for white folks is even a distraction. Who knows? Maybe Trump is up to something worse than being in the Epstein files. I mean, he caused this so who knows?

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Okie dokie.

BibleBeliever1611 said:

"So, who is this extraordinary creature—the daughter no less of her own son (“O figlia del tuo figlio”)!—that anyone who seeks God but does not first seek her will, warns Dante, “have his wish fly upward without wings”? Yet, whose charity will often enough arrive in advance even of our asking for it?"

That's interesting, what would that even mean in practice? How would you seek Mary?

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Pray to her for her intercession.

BibleBeliever1611 said:

I think ESV is commonly called the Extremely Stupid Version and NIV is called the Non-Inspired Version

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Perhaps in your circles, where The King James Version reigns supreme and no toleration is shown for any other translation, those terms are common but that would be in your circles, not in mine.

PatrickTate said:

This is a very interesting message.

You have covered some aspects of this story that I have never read previously.

Do you personally have a "Deliverance Ministry" to some degree?

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Right now, what I have said so far in this thread might just only be a possibility right now currently, and is just something that just "occurred" to me one day very recently, but that I thought I'd share with the rest of you on here right now currently, etc, but I do think it is an interesting possibility?

And I don't know if anybody has ever considered it before either, so I just thought I'd share it on here with the rest of you right now currently, etc. Some of the other things I say on here I do feel can be latched onto fully now already, but I still need some more time to consider this one, or this possibility, as it is still new to me, and might be new to everybody, etc. If it's true though, some of the implications of it could maybe be very, very profound/game changing possibly maybe?

I don't know if I'm fully ready yet to try and supernaturally deliver people from any real demons yet right now currently, as this still needs to digest with me still right now currently, etc.

God Bless.

Praise God

LAHORE, Pakistan — The Muslim employer of a Christian boy forcibly converted him to Islam and is holding him captive, the family’s attorney said.

In Sultan Town, Sargodha in Punjab Province, 14-year-old Shamraiz Masih went to a market on July 21 and didn't return, attorney Tahir Naveed Chaudhry said. Shamraiz had begun as an apprentice at a motorcycle repair workshop owned by Rana Munir after the death of his father, Imran Masih, four months ago, Chaudhry said.

After searching for him without success, Shamraiz’s brothers registered a First Information Report (FIR) of abduction.

Continued below.

Christian Tattoo artist Kat Von D, who was baptized and is known as the “LA Ink” TV star with a “goth” image, shares her faith in a Dec. 12, 2023, podcast episode detailing the criticisms she receives from other Christians who say she can’t be “goth” and Christian.

Tattoo artist, musician and entrepreneur Kat Von D has taken another public step in her evolving spiritual journey, announcing her formal entry into the Orthodox Church while choosing, for now, to stay largely silent about the details.

In a July 2 Instagram post, the 43-year-old mother of one shared that she had become Orthodox this past Pascha (Easter) and spent her recent European tour attending Orthodox liturgies, feast days, and visiting churches in several countries with her young son.

“It brings me joy to share some of the beauty of Orthodoxy within these sacred (and historic) places with you,” she wrote in the caption of a video montage. “Whether you are Orthodox Christian or not.”

Continued below.

In a move to re-establish the two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, the European Union, Arab League and 17 countries joined an agreement Tuesday at a United Nations conference, calling for an end to the Gaza War.

Notably, the declaration signed by Arab League nations — including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and others — featured the first public condemnation of Hamas for the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, along with a clear demand for the terror group to release Israeli hostages, disarm and leave Gaza.

The seven-page document is titled “New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine” and was obtained by several news outlets.

Continued below.

A Catholic hospital in New Jersey has received a $75 million donation, the largest of its kind.

Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey, announced Monday that it had received a $75 million donation from the Douglas M. Noble Family Foundation. The gift is the largest ever given to a Catholic hospital in the United States and the second-largest ever made to a hospital in New Jersey.

Michael Maron, the president and CEO of Holy Name, celebrated the donation, saying the hospital will use the donation “to tackle some of the most critical healthcare challenges facing our community in the decades to come.”

Continued below.

NEW DELHI — The father of one of 20 pastors ambushed in eastern India last month was soaked in blood from the attack when he told his son, “I don’t think I will make it. I just want you to know that I will be with my Maker, and you should not worry for me.”

He then collapsed, unconscious. The 52-year-old Sukra Madi was among the Christians hospitalized due to their injuries in the attack as the pastors were returning from an event to bless farm crops in Kotamateru village, in Odisha state’s Malkangiri District, on June 21.

Sukra Madi was beaten for his faith on June 21, 2025, in Kotamateru village, Malkangiri District, Odisha state, India. | Manglu Madi/Morning Star News

Madi is still struggling to recover from the attack by 30 to 40 villagers who practice a tribal religion, said his son, Pastor Manglu Madi, who had tried to rescue him from the assailants armed with spades, axes and wooden sticks.

Continued below.

A coalition of Christian groups and others filed a new lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's policy of allowing federal agents to conduct immigration enforcement operations on the properties of churches.

The latest legal challenge was filed Monday in federal court in Massachusetts and names the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem as defendants.

The lawsuit argues that, because of the Trump administration greenlighting federal agents to use church properties during enforcement operations in a bid to deport immigrants who entered the country illegally, many congregations "have seen both attendance and financial giving plummet."

Continued below.

A Pennsylvania pastor was evicted from his home by police after he allegedly strangled, threatened to rape and then kill his "high school sweetheart" wife during an argument over an alleged extramarital affair.

Bishop Anthony Earl Pinkney, 47, who leads Bethel Commandment Church in York, is accused of battering his wife, Kisha, so badly she lost some of her hearing during an argument inside their Springettsbury Township home on July 3, according to an affidavit of probable cause cited by Penn Live.

While the church's website still lists Pinkney as pastor, it is unclear as of Wednesday if he still holds the position. Requests for comment from the church by The Christian Post went unanswered.

Continued below.

Multifavs said:

My sleep hasn't been great for a long time, but it's been even worse over the past year. Every night for over a week now, I can't fall asleep until 4+ hours after my bedtime. This is getting very frustrating and affecting my daily life. Nothing has changed in my life to cause this, except for sometimes having symptoms at night, but I don't always sleep better when I don't have them. I'm working on overcoming an anxiety disorder and this is an obstacle to my recovery. Please pray for my sleep issues to improve. Thanks!

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I guess people have already recommended melatonin. It has been studied for years it is very safe. You can take it about a half an hour before sleeping.

If you build up a little slowly, you can take as many as 10 mg a night as sometimes we need more milligrams.

I guess you have also tried warm milk. Another thing to have before bed is an egg. It has natural melatonin in it. I pray you will get over your anxiety and sleep well.

And a pride garment. Why not go all the way down?

Please strong prayers for my son Jake right now. He is feeling very bad. Please ask God to make him happy and healthy and if it is His will let me hear him talk to friends tonight. Oh please ask God for healing of my son and safety from storms. I ask in the name of Jesus. God bless you. Carmen

BPPLEE said:

Good luck with your weight loss. Have you tried Weight Watchers? You can get the app and keep up with your points on your phone for about $20 a month.
I was 350 and got down to 280 using Weight Watchers and working out with the X3 Band System and Steel Mace.
But I had nerve pain in my leg caused by arthritis pressing on nerves in my back.
July 4th 2024 was the last day I worked out. I had to stop because of the pain.
On September 25th 2024 they sent me home from work. On December 23rd I had surgery and two weeks later I had a blood clot in my leg and one went to my lungs, I had a pulmonary embolism.
I am unable to walk without a walker or crutches. I use leg pumps because I have lymphedema. I have started walking short distances without the walker and I am going to start working out with the bands again. I am back on Weight Watchers it’s easy. I am back up to 360 but the weight is going to come off and I’m going to get to where I can walk again. I have applied for disability but my goal is to get down to 240 to 260 and go back to work.
I have always set goals and worked towards the goal, breaking it down to monthly goals for weight loss.
This time I’m not doing that, I just focus on what I have to do each day, one day at a time, like football, one play at a time.
Good luck with your weight loss.
Have they put you on any medication to dissolve the blood clot? They just gave me Eliquis to thin the blood. I had a coupon and it was only $20 a month but they quit taking the coupon and I had to pay $500 for a months supply. Fortunately when I finish this bottle I won’t have to take it anymore..

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Yes they did my blood clots were 2-3 years ago I had almost died from them. The way the story goes was I had a DVT in my right leg that traveled to my lungs and my heart. The one in my heart concerned doctors the most because it was the size of a baseball. They were about to operate on it because it nearly killed me but it straight out ended up disappearing into thin air and doctors to this day 3 years later dont know what happened to it it just straight up disappeared into thin air and they didnt need to operate on me after all and im 100% fine now.

So we as Christians know what happened. God healed me in a supernatural way but the doctors at dartmouth and Hitchcock couldnt believe it they were flabbergasted and God literally stumped some of the best open heart surgeons in the world. Dartmouth and Hitchcock is a world famous hospital. But.... yeah my story is definitely one for the text books when I tell it doctors have to call dartmouth to confirm it lol.

Anyway, I havent tried weight watchers but I am subscribed to a food logging app that comes with a recipe book that my wife has been trying recipes from. I think its called my fitness pal? It was $80 for a year subscription or something along those lines? I forget what it was. But I log my food on there and It gives me food recommendations and when I try to get some exercise because its been hot lately and I cant walk very far with my cane anyway. And winter will be in 3-4 months so theres that too. Just... lots of stuff going on.


Anyway, ill update with what my doctor says on Friday.