Tax dollars should not pay for IVF, period. I'm in agreement with the RCC teaching on IVF.

I know Millennials born in the first few years of the 1980s consider themselves Gen X.

GaryMac said:

Jesus said ye must be born again with that same renewing of mind that he received from God.

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Hi GM and appreciate your reply! I like what you shared. Just wanted to share with you about "the renewing of our mind." Paul told us to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom 12:2). This of course was to those who were reborn. But Christ did not need to be reborn nor renewed mentally because His Life "is our life" (Col 3:4).

I decluttered my phone today. There were several things in there that I didn't need anymore. Plus it's good for the battery when apps, photos, etc. don't hog much internal storage.

Yul Brynner

The Best People®️ strikes again!

Jeopardy

I wish the articles didn't mention that some of the symptoms are hallucinations. I guess the next TikTok fad will be teenagers drinking pool cleaner to get high.

Unqualified said:

Ya gotta live

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If the locomotive stops, for the driver 's seen unleashed wagons, and wants them to catch up the locomotive, travellers may become impatient. Travellers idleness might also lead to vice or decaying.
It's a metaphor of inaction vs work
But,
If you meant they have to work in order to live, and not live in order to work, i agree with you, once again. With the locomotive that just slows down, it might do as well

He's the Steven Colbert of the Sacramento state house.

Hits close to home!

Saturday, Aug. 16, marks Pope Leo XIV’s 100th day as pope. Since his May 8 election as the first pope born and raised in the United States, the 69-year-old Chicago native has already left his mark on a jubilee year filled with papal liturgies and a surge in pilgrim enthusiasm.

Here are some of the highlights of the first 100 days of the new Holy Father:

Papal jubilee: Pope Leo offers 16 public Masses in 14 weeks​

Pope Leo XIV began his papacy in the heart of the Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, and he made the most of this opportunity to interact with Catholic pilgrims from across the globe by offering many Masses with the public.

Continued below.

Pope Leo XIV has made numerous memorable remarks during the first 100 days of his pontificate (May 8 to Aug. 16). Below are some of the most notable.

The peace that comes from Christ​

1. “It is the peace of the risen Christ. A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally” (First greeting after being elected).

2. “In a divided and troubled world, the Holy Spirit teaches us to walk together in unity” (Vigil of Pentecost).

3. “Today more than ever, humanity cries out and calls for peace. This is a cry that requires responsibility and reason, and it must not be drowned out by the din of weapons or the rhetoric that incites conflict” (Angelus on the solemnity of Corpus Christi).

The evangelizing mission​

Continued below.

Lovely stuff. Nice to see him and his family get this after all they've been through. God bless this man and his family and may they enjoy their money.

YouTube Channel Video Devo
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“I Have All That I Need”
Psalm 23:1 NLT
The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

Philippians 4:11-12 NIV
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

For the past month, these two passages have been on my mind constantly. Mostly because I have really struggled with being content in life. I have to admit that I so often find myself comparing our lives to other people and my life to others and wanting more. There are a couple of immediate problems this presents for me. First, always wanting more. Second, not being grateful for what God has already given to me.

What really stands out to me in the Philippians passage is the word “Learned”. The state of being content for Paul didn’t come naturally. It was something he had to learn. We all have things in life that we’ve had to learn and did not come easily or overnight for us. The experience of life is so much learning and none of us are exempt to this. As we continue to fail at different things, we learn how to move forward. We learn what to avoid and what to strive for that will help make us stronger.

I really believe what we need to realize more and more and is what Psalm 23 states. The Lord is our Shepherd, we have ALL that we need. That sums it all up! We could be so content if we just stopped comparing with others who have more and realize that Christ is all we need. He provides and always will. I’m often wondering why I get so discontent and I realize that I’m focused on the wrong things. Instead of focusing on what I don’t have(there will always be these things), I need to focus on what I already have(God has definitely blessed me).

I want to wake up each day and be grateful for what I do already have. I want to focus and remember that if I have Christ, then I have everything. He is ALL I need.

It’s not easy to be content in this world. It’s so easy to compare our lives and be discontent and always long for more. While seeking out new opportunities in life is often an encouraged endeavor, we must check our motives for doing so and keep an attitude of contentment.

That escalated quickly.

Erin strengthens into a very dangerous Category 5 hurricane

Thank you for the genuine prayers. I pray for the saints in Ulster regularly.

Let’s not forget what we are praying for friends - that the saints in Protestant Ulster remain faithful and strong and are not overrun by popery or republicanism. Either would ruin Ulster.

God bless Protestant Ulster!

New Mexico Republican candidate gets 80 years for shootings at Democrats’ homes​

Prosecutors says Solomon Peña showed no remorse for shootings on the homes of four Democratic officials in Albuquerque

A jury convicted former Republican candidate Solomon Peña in March of conspiracy, weapons and other charges in the shootings in December 2022 and January 2023 on the homes of four Democratic officials in Albuquerque, including the current state house speaker.

Prosecutors, who had sought a 90-year sentence, said Peña has shown no remorse and had hoped to cause political change by terrorizing people who held contrary views to him into being too afraid to take part in political life.

Prosecutors said Peña resorted to violence in the belief that a “rigged” election had robbed him of victory in his bid to serve in the state legislature.

Christsfreeservant said:

The Scriptures do not teach that you are going to heaven just because you believe you are. They teach we must die to sin and obey God, in practice, or we will not have eternal life with God. Read the noted Scriptures and see what they teach. Read Luke 9:23-26 and Matthew 7:21-23. These are Jesus's words.

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Even the most famous Bible verse teaches that it's whosoever believeth. It's just faith alone. That is why your verse says that not everyone who calls Jesus Lord will be saved. You cannot be saved by working your way to heaven no matter how much you called Jesus the Lord. You must be saved with the easy way or not at all.

Peace in Christ.

We are to awake from our “sleep” and arise OUT of the dead ones (the man-based churches) and the Christ shall give us light. We then become children of light that will shine His light to this dark world.

We must come out from among the “dead” man-based churches where His light is not currently shining nor does the glory of God appear.

The world only sees darkness when they look at the man-based churches. They do not see His glory light shining in them and so the outside world vilifies us. God does not give His glory nor His praise to those who are serving "images"...their church handwritings of ordinances/dogmas (such as "statements of faith".) Isaiah 42:8 .

We are as the "dust" to the people of the outside world when they look at us instead of kings and priests.

The man-based churches are the places where they are exchanging His glory of the uncorruptible God into an "image" make like corruptible man's. The glory of God does not appear in any of them where they are serving their church handwritings of ordinances/dogmas....governing documents that are patterned like the nations of the outside world who have their founding, governing principles codified in their self-governing documents. The people of the outside world ...corruptible man...are like instinctual animals: birds, four-footed beasts and creeping things.

The "abomination of the desolation" is the church handwriting of ordinances that desolates the man-based churches. The glory of God has left it.

Rom 1:23-24 KJV
(23) And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

The man-based churches are "unclean" bodies that we are not to be attached to. We sin against our own mortal bodies when we are attached to them...becoming one body and one flesh with them. We dishonor our mortal bodies with them.

(24) Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

We must come out from among them and be separate and not be attached to the unclean man-based churches.

We can then become a light of the world….bringing salvation to the people of the outside world who will then see His light shining in us and come to Him. We can then effectively save a "great multitude" of the people of the outside world.

Eph 5:14
(14) Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from (OUT) the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

In the man-based churches, we only bring forth wind as we do not work any “salvations” (plural) in the earth (of the people of the outside world.) Neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen before us in judgment.

The glory of God does not appear over us in the man-based churches...and so the people of the world are not saved as they do not see His light in us.

Isa 26:17-19
(17) Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.
(18) We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance (SALVATIONS) in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

We must come out from among the man-based churches…keeping His daily sacrifice. Together with His dead body (keeping His sacrifice) we shall arise. Our “dew” …our covering….is as the dew of “herbs”…that is, lights or illuminations. We shall then shine in this world as lights.

The word for “herbs” = ôrâh
Feminine of H216; luminousness, that is, (figuratively) prosperity; also a plant (as being bright): - herb light.

(19) Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs (orah =LIGHTS), and the earth shall cast out the dead.

When He delivers out of the man-based churches…out of the hand of those who enslaved us in their bondage of serving the sin via the keeping of their handwriting of church dogmas…we shall then no longer be prey to the nations around us.

We shall no longer bear their shame….the vilification, the taunting of us…any more.

The outside people of the world shall no longer hate us. We shall no longer be "dust" in their eyes. The earth then shall yield her increase towards us rather than yielding "thorns and thistles".

Eze 34:27-31 KJV
(27) And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.
(28) And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.
(29) And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.
(30) Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD.
(31) And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.

Instead of the outside nations hating us, they shall “run” unto us because of the LORD our God…and for the Holy One of Israel (the manifestation of the Lord Jesus in our mortal flesh, the revealing of the Son of man.) He glorifies us with His presence. When He appears, we appear with Him in glory towards those people of the outside world.

Isa 55:5 KJV
(5) Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

We shall “go out”…go out from among the dead man-based churches…with joy and be led forth with peace. The people of the outside world shall then rejoice in our presence… our FACES… as we manifest His light of life to them.

Leaders of this world…the “mountains and the hills”…shall break forth in singing “before”…that is, the FACES..of you. ALL of the people of this world…all the “trees of the field” shall clap their hands.

Isa 55:12-13
(12) For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before (in the FACES) you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

The people of the outside world will then no longer produce “thorns and thistles” towards us. They will no longer hate us for His name’s sake but instead will praise and glorify His name through us.

(13) Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

With our “open face” to the people of the outside world, we show forth His glory to them. We reflect His glory to them as in a mirror.

2Co 3:18 KJV
(18) But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

But we must depart from the man-based churches in order to shine His glory light to the people of the outside world. We must go out from there. We must no longer be attached to the unclean. We must go out from the midst of them and be clean .

Isa 52:10-12 KJV
(10) The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
(11) Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.

The LORD will then go “before you”…that is, to the FACES of us…our open-to-the-world faces.

(12) For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before (to FACES) you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward.

We shall then give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God to the outside people of the world as we shall then reflect the FACE of Jesus Christ to them.

The earth became without form and void. The people of the outside world (the “earth”) have been “void” of this because we are not shining His glory light when we are sitting together with the unclean in the man-based “churches.” They do not see His light shining in the man-based churches…only darkness.

2Co 4:6-7 KJV
(6) For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
(7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We must “arise” from out of the dead man-based churches and Christ shall give us light. Our light is come and the glory of the LORD arises upon us.

Isa 60:1-3 KJV
(1) Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

Then, the people of the outside world who are in deep darkness shall SEE His glory upon us….and they shall come to our light and kings to the “brightness of our rising.”
They are currently in deep darkness because the man-based churches are not shining His glory. They have no light...and so the earth (the people of the outside world) are in darkness. Darkness is upon the deep as they have no form of Christ to look at and they are void of the knowledge of the glory of God for His people are not void of His glory.

(2) For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
(3) And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Like the “wise men”…the Magi, they will see the “star” in us which they saw in the “east”…which means “RISING.” They will come to His light shining from us to them…to the “brightness of our rising”. They will see the "star" and will rejoice with exceeding great joy. The mountains and hills will break forth in joy before us...in our faces.

Mat 2:9-11 KJV
(9) When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
(10) When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
(11) And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

We shall shine as the “stars”….as we led them to righteousness.

Dan 12:2-3 KJV
(2) And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
(3) And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Like the Magi, they will come bearing gifts and will show for the praises of the LORD.

Isa 60:5-8 KJV
(5) Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.
(6) The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.
(7) All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.

They will “fly as a cloud”…..the Son of man comes upon the “clouds.”

(8) Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?

The Son of man….the revealing of Him through us to the outside world…comes upon the “clouds” of heaven….the people of the outside world who will SEE Him (through us) and believe and will “fly as a cloud” to us. They will come to us who have our citizenship in Heaven in this earth. The power is of God and not of us that will attract them to us. The Father will draw those who are saved of the nations to us…and they will bring their earthly glory with them.

Mat 24:30 KJV
(30) And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

For we are the “city on the hill” that will not be hid. We are the light of the world….and the glory and honor of the nations shall come into it.

Rev 21:23-26 KJV
(23) And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
(24) And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
(25) And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
(26) And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

Dear Lord,
we pray You will heal Hannah and provide for this family, in the Name of Jesus

Amen

16 August 2025 – China​

The All Ranges Church in China needs our prayers. While in Tibet, ten believers were arrested. Yao Xilin, Zhang Wei and Ren Xiaoyun remain in a detention centre.

15 August 2025 – China​

Pray for members of the All Ranges Church. Yang Zhijin, who is aged 75, Song Yude (72) and Ma Fuxiu (66) are all facing charges related to their church activities.

14 August 2025 – Sri Lanka​

Pray for a camp for Christian teachers organised by our partners. Ask God to refresh those who attend and inspire them to continue serving young Christians throughout Sri Lanka.

13 August 2025 – Sri Lanka​

Praise God for a one-day training event for volunteer Christian teachers. The training focused on the evolving landscape of legally related persecution, their freedom of religion or belief rights, and how they can actively defend those rights.

12 August 2025 – Sri Lanka​

Pray for Linda, a volunteer Christian teacher, who heads a small school of 50 Christian children. She is teaching them to be resilient in the face of opposition.

11 August 2025 – Sri Lanka​

Thank the Lord for a new initiative by our partners to support youth leaders. After attending a seminar, one leader said: ‘I began to see the current situation in a new way and understand what we, as believers, need to do to bring peace and change to our nation.’

10 August 2025 – Sri Lanka​

Pray for peace between the various religious groups in Sri Lanka and that there would be no resurgence in extremism.

In Ethiopia, Christian communities are facing serious religious freedom issues. Non-traditional Christians get the harshest treatment from local authorities and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC).
Converts from Islam, especially in the east and southeast, and those from Orthodox backgrounds face intense family and community pressure. In other regions, Christians are attacked by Islamist mobs and often denied community resources, leading to social isolation.
The political violence over the past three years, along with recent conflicts in the Tigray, Amhara and Oromia regions, have made things worse for Christians. Many churches have been attacked and destroyed, and even those seeking refuge in churches weren’t safe from violence.

Meet Desta​

“Because I came [to the Open Doors trauma care seminar], countless things have changed in me … Jesus was also hated, and He was also cast out. So what I’ve learned is to befriend these people. We need to know they won’t love us, but we need to live for them.”
Desta (name changed)

What does Open Doors do to help?​

Open Doors works through the local church to strengthen Christians in Ethiopia with leadership, persecution survival training and economic empowerment projects.

Please pray​

• Pray for believers who leave Islam or the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as they may experience pressure.
• Pray for protection for Ethiopian believers in unstable areas who may be targeted for following Jesus.
• Pray for unity among all Christians in Ethiopia, that they will all remain dedicated to Jesus.

You guys ever wonder if God started at what we consider the beginning, and the end of time, simultaneously, and then worked his way both, forward and backward respectively, towards the, climax, in the middle? You know, the way some people read books. If I were Him I think I might be with everyone all the time out of curiosity. Also, I think God is prolly just looking to make friends with all the free will enabled people He thinks aren't totally terrible. I bet He is willing to overlook our flaws and resurrect everyone that love Him and each other like family. I'm a bit of a weirdo though.

Below is a puzzle I wrote for you all. I expect, either no one or, everyone will solve it.

Look hither thy eyes, and behold Revelation; and look hither thy eyes, and gaze in reverse the verses: and be not faithless, but believing by sequence sublime. For the Lord closes one Ark and yet opens another at the End and counts down back towards the beginning. If seek thou unshakable faith, look to the beginnings of the last of these words, in the final sentence, and send a question of the body, in the body of a letter, and become one with the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now Came Into Humanity Divine, Eternal and true Grace, Making All Into Life during our time, Christ Our Messiah.