New Posts

eleos1954 · Aug 12, 2024

Smaller federal government ... more governing going on at the state level rather than at the federal level.

RandyPNW · Aug 12, 2024

Xeno.of.athens said:
Commandments four to ten focus on our relationships with one another. In Catholicism, three commandments are dedicated to God's relationship with humanity, and seven govern interpersonal relations.

Honour your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

You shall not murder.

Neither shall you commit adultery.

Neither shall you steal.

Neither shall you bear false witness against your neighbour.

Neither shall you covet your neighbour's wife.

Neither shall you desire your neighbour's house, or field, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

I'm not sure If the prohibition on idolatry and the prohibition on graven images is the same commandment or not? And I'm not sure if the prohibition on coveting my neighbor's wife and the prohibition on coveting my neighbor's house is the same commandment or not?

So how many commandments are between God and us, and how many are between me and my neighbor I'm not sure? But clearly, our relationship with God comes 1st, and is a more succinct point. With people things get more complicated.

Grip Docility · Aug 12, 2024

Xeno.of.athens said:
Iconography and Liturgy, Piero Marini, 20 January 2005

2. The iconoclast crisis

The Second Council of Nicaea marked the end of a long process of reflection on the meaning and place of images in the life of the Church.

Before the beginning of the third century, there were few images in the Church. This was due to the danger of idolatrous practices widespread in the pagan world, which had already been at the basis of the Old Testament legislation forbidding the fashioning of images.

The peace of the Church at the time of Constantine had decisive consequences. As the number of baptised Christians increased, exterior signs of Christian devotion multiplied, the cult of the martyrs grew, people began to make pilgrimages, and everywhere new churches and basilicas were built. Christian art ceased to be mainly funeral iconography, unintelligible to the uninitiated, and was used to further the evangelisation of the growing numbers of Christians.

In the fourth century, for the first time in the history of the Church, voices were raised in opposition to religious images on the basis of the prohibitions contained in the Old Testament (cfr Ex 20:4; Dt 4:15-18). Canon 36 of the Council of Elvira, (ca. 300 AD.), a Council of which we know relatively little, decreed that Â“images may not be exposed in Church;Â” while iconoclast statements are found in the letter from Eusebius of Caesarea to the Empress Constantia and the writings of Epiphanius of Salamis. According to scholars, this first form of aversion to icons was a limited and restricted phenomenon, perhaps somewhat coloured by Arianism; there would seem to be a connection between the Arian insistence on GodÂ’s transcendence and the banning of images. However iconoclast views persisted as the centuries passed, and so other voices were raised in defence of icons. Gregory the Great (540-604) wrote that Â“it is not without reason that in the older Churches the lives of the saints were depicted in paintings... what Scripture is for the literate, so the image is for the illiterate... images are the books of those who do not know the ScripturesÂ” (Letters, IX, 209).

The use of icons became more widespread in the sixth and seventh centuries, encouraged by popular faith, legends and miracles. Yet it did not spread evenly throughout Christendom; because of their cultural background, the Syrians and Armenians, for example, were much less inclined to use images. Significant, the emperors who encouraged iconoclasm were of Isaurian or Armenian origin. In 692 the Council in Trullo stated that: Â“in certain sacred images the Precursor is portrayed pointing to the lamb. This portrayal was used as a symbol of grace. It was a hidden figure of the true lamb, that is Christ our God, revealed to us according to the law. Having therefore accepted these figures and shadows as symbols of the truth handed down by the Church, today we prefer grace and truth themselves as the fullness of this law. Therefore to expose by means of painting that which is perfect we decree that henceforth Christ, our God, shall be represented in his human form and not in the old form of the lambÂ” (Can 82). Already for the Fathers of the Council in Trullo, the image of Christ implied a confession of profound faith in the incarnation.

One factor which contributed to a hardening of positions for or against the use of icons was the advance of Islam, which claimed to be the highest and purest revelation of God, and accused the Church of polytheism and idolatry in her veneration of images. The eighth century saw the rise of heated disputes. The opening act of the first stage of the iconoclast conflict was an order, issued in 726 by the Byzantine emperor Leo III Â‘the Isaurian,Â’ to destroy the image of Christ over the bronze gates of the imperial palace in Constantinople; the image was replaced with a cross beneath which the emperor placed the following inscription: Â“Since God cannot bear for Christ to be portrayed in an image without word or life and made of corruptible matter despised by Scripture, Leo and his son the new Constantine, engraved the sign of the cross, the glory of believers, on the palace gates.Â” That act was followed by the official promulgation of measures against images and their veneration, as well as by acts of violence directed against icons and those who venerated them. It should be recalled that these iconoclastic measures begun by Leo III came only a few years after the edict of Caliph Yedzid II to destroy images in every Christian province he conquered and attacks on Christian worship by Jews. The emperor sought a cultural compromise aimed at enabling Arabs, Christians and Jews to live in harmony by eliminating elements of conflict. Reasons of state were more important than the rights of the faith. Pope Gregory III reacted in 731 by excommunicating those opposed to icons and their cult. In the East it was mainly Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople, George of Cyprus and John Damascene who defended the veneration of icons. Germanus stated that to reject icons was to reject the Incarnation; for in the icon Â“we depict the image of [ChristÂ’s] human aspect in the flesh, not that of his incomprehensible and invisible divinity, because we feel the need to represent that in which we believe, in order to demonstrate that God did not embrace our nature only in appearance, as a shadow, but that he became truly manÂ” (Letter to John of Synnada). John Damascene fought the iconoclasts at various levels. He countered the accusation that in icons a piece of wood was adored, saying: Â“It is not matter which I venerate, but rather the Creator of matter who became matter for meÂ” (Discourses, I, 16), and added that icons are Â“the books of the illiterateÂ” (Discourses, II, 10). However the most important argument was theological; the dogmatic foundation for the cult of icons is the Incarnation. The Word became flesh: Jesus is the human face of God and therefore we may represent Him (Discourses, I, 22). The Old Testament forbade images; in the Old Covenant God had revealed himself only by word. In the New Testament, the Word becomes an image. Psalm 47:9 was often used to defend icons: Â“What we have heard, we have seen.Â” John Damascene makes a clear distinction between the icon and the prototype which it represents. The image is the object of veneration, not adoration; the latter is reserved for God alone.

In 754 a Synod convoked at Hieria on the Bosporus at the initiative of the emperor Constantine V gave normative status to the decisions of the iconoclasts. About 388 Bishops took part, but none from the Sees of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch or Jerusalem. The Synod declared the emperors equal to the Apostles, filled with wisdom through the working of the Holy Spirit, and charged them with leading the faithful back to the right path and instructing them; it also condemned the making and the cult of icons. It insisted on the distance between the icon, a material object, and that which it claimed to make visible. It considered the Eucharist the only true image. In this way, iconoclasm, hitherto supported by an imperial edict alone, became a dogma of the whole Church.

In the two decades that followed, the monks, the chief promoters of icons, were violently persecuted; numerous monasteries were confiscated, their monks were forced to join the imperial army, and some were tortured. In 769 Pope Stephen convoked a Synod at the Lateran which anathematised the Synod at Hieria; the Patriarchs of the East, Theodore of Jerusalem, Theodore of Antioch and Cosmas of Alexandria also rejected the decisions made at Hieria.

Grip Docility · Aug 12, 2024

Dear Blessed Mother, pray that I may hold fast to the word of life.
In the hour of my death,
may I be ushered into the celestial mansions for an unending eternity of bliss.
Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

The Glory Be
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning
is now, and ever shall be
world without end. Amen.

Fatima Prayer

(to be said after the Glory… after each decade)
O, my Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from the fires of hell.
Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy Mercy.

Dear Blessed Mother, by God’s grace I am now passing through this human life.
May it be a life of faith in your Son who loved us and gave himself for our salvation,
first in the manger of Bethlehem and afterward on the cross of Calvary.
Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

The Glory Be
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning
is now, and ever shall be
world without end. Amen.

Fatima Prayer

(to be said after the Glory… after each decade)
O, my Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from the fires of hell.
Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy Mercy.

Dear Blessed Mother, may I prize my faith too dearly to accept anything in exchange.
May I be presented to God with a purified soul,
holding fast to faith,
firmly grounded and steadfast in it.
Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

The Glory Be
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning
is now, and ever shall be
world without end. Amen.

Fatima Prayer

(to be said after the Glory… after each decade)
O, my Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from the fires of hell.
Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy Mercy.

Dear Blessed Mother,
help me to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus who inspires and perfects our faith.
May this faith sustain me in joy and in sorrow
until I finally find my Savior God in the heavenly temple.
Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

The Glory Be
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning
is now, and ever shall be
world without end. Amen.

Fatima Prayer

(to be said after the Glory… after each decade)
O, my Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from the fires of hell.
Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy Mercy.

RileyG · Aug 12, 2024

Tropical Wilds said:
It was condemned because there were numerous people living there full time where there shouldn’t be, there were insufficient facilities available for the people living there, and their living spaces in “disorder and disrepair.” It was discovered while this crime was being invested, but was unrelated to the crime.

They fixed the issues, removed the tenants, and the order was abated. Story over.

St. Louis Church Accused of Kidnapping Can Reopen, City Says

The city lifted its condemnation order after an inspection yesterday

www.riverfronttimes.com

Thanks for the concise info

RileyG · Aug 12, 2024

Wolseley said:
I pray for their conversion and salvation every night, and the same for all the politicians whom I can't stand; the extremist-view lefties; Islamic terrorists; North Korean and Chinese Communists; Russian xenophobes; people entangled in the occult; people entangled in pornography....in short, everyone who is an enemy of the Faith, an enemy of the truth, or who is lost and deluded by the god of this world.

I'm not saying that I'm any better than those people (by a long shot); but if I pray for the salvation of everyone whom I love and care about, then it's only right that I pray for the salvation of my enemies, as Jesus tells us to in Matthew 5:43-45.

Amen

LoricaLady · Aug 12, 2024

We all know there are a lot of dishonest people out there who will pull any tricks they can to make sure their side wins the election. Please pray for the Lord of the angels to send his heavenly hosts out to protect us from stolen elections.

FreeinChrist · Aug 12, 2024

mourningdove~ said:
Influencers offered huge payments for promoting Kamala Harris

American voters are being told by some of those online influencers that they are all for Kamala Harris for president. But those comments likely should be considered politically paid ads, as there are payments being made for those comments.

Essentially.

This is evident after one TikTok influencer went online to confirm he'd been offered $1,500 to post one comment supporting Harris, and her VP pick, the radically left and possible "Stolen Valor" offender Tim Walz, whose booking image following a drunken driving arrest now is flooding the Web.

Influencer Michael Doherty explained, "Basically what they were asking for … $1,500 for anti-Trump content on TikTok."

There was a list of requirements along with the instructions to "gloat about Harris and her allies."

He explained, "They're basically creating division and paying for division online," he said.

Joe Biden, with Harris as his VP, in fact, boasted of being a "uniter" when he campaigned four years ago. Since then, they have promoted division in America on issues of transgenderism, abortion, spending, taxes, the border, the economy and more.

Doherty said he tracked the offer for cash-for-Kamala praise to a SuperPac with hundreds of millions of dollars to spend.

Influencers offered huge payments for promoting Kamala Harris * WorldNetDaily * by Bob Unruh

American voters are being told that some of those online influencers who have offered stunningly positive praise for Democrat presidential hopeful Kamala Harris are nothing more than paid ads.

www.wnd.com

World Net Daily?

I don't believe a thing that they say. It skews hyper partisan right per:

Interactive Media Bias Chart | Ad Fontes Media

The Interactive Media Bias Chart offers the ability to search from among the thousands of rated web/print, TV and podcast sources.

adfontesmedia.com

KathrynAragon · Aug 12, 2024

mourningdove~ said:
How I wish that someone would approve that deduction ...
I have 4 cats and a dog!

You and me both. Well, I have two cats but still...I'll take a tax deduction!

RDKirk · Aug 12, 2024

seashale76 said:
Caster Semenya is a male with internal testes. He has fathered children with his wife. He was mistaken as a girl at birth.

As I said, that's a case that is such an outlier it doesn't change the debate. Public policy should not be determined by outliers.

probinson · Aug 12, 2024

Larniavc said:
This is the very definition of mental gymnastics.

Conjunction junction, what's your function...

disavow /dĭs″ə-vou′/

transitive verb

To disclaim knowledge of, responsibility for, or association with.

Apparently, words have meanings. Who knew...

DragonFox91 · Aug 12, 2024

I live in a wooded area. A bunch are my neighbors. Most people don’t know this but at night they fly up into the trees to sleep. I like them. They kind of look like vultures, they must be cousins (the same Creator, perhaps?). Sometimes they peck at the cars but they don’t do any damage. That one in OP looks really big!

DragonFox91 · Aug 12, 2024

I grew up on NIV & was my go-to translation until lately. Lately I’ve been learning the problems in it & have been moving towards word-for-word translations like NKJV & ESV. But they can be a bit clunkier. Sometimes the thought-for-thought translation makes more sense, & they can be easier to read. So even tho I’ve been learning the problems in NIV & have been moving away from it, I still think it’s a solid translation. I think you can’t go wrong w/ most translations & think the translation debate is largely a red herring. I’d stay away from paraphrase translations, as some of them aren’t translations but adding & subtracting whole sentences.

KCfromNC · Aug 12, 2024

Postvieww said:
I didn’t edit out from your post I just commented on the “hit a nerve” comment

And yet it was removed when you quoted it.

Postvieww said:
The rest of your vague opinion post is there for all to see,

Nothing vague about it. I clearly said that a claim that literally everything a candidate did is bad can't be taken seriously by anyone looking for reasonable discussion.

WarriorAngel · Aug 12, 2024

RileyG said:
The updates? What do you mean?

I'm getting notifications again. TY

tonychanyt · Aug 12, 2024

Benaiah468 said:
Why don't you develop your thought further? Perhaps we have overlooked a detail.

Imagine you are Ham's lawful wife; you love your husband and are happy to have given birth to a healthy baby boy. What would you think if the grandfather stood next to you and pronounced a terrible curse on your own child, when you knew that neither the child nor its parents had done anything wrong?

Good question.

If I were Ham's wife, I would be thinking
Proverbs 26:2
Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.

Xeno.of.athens · Aug 12, 2024

SabbathBlessings said:
This is two commandments, not one

you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

This is one commandment- not two

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

That is your opinion, I do not share it, nor does the Catholic Church.

And why not three commandments:

" you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments."

And why not two commandments:

Neither shall you covet your neighbour's wife.
Neither shall you desire your neighbour's house, or field, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

Whyayeman · Aug 12, 2024

Pommer said:
“America’s motto” since 1954.

But it is not quite true, is it? And it is divisive. There are quite a few Americans who would not subscribe to this as their motto.

Pommer said:
Many of us would like to return to E Pluribus Unum

It never went away. It is still on the Great Seal of the United States of America.

It is a declaration of unity.

Michie · Aug 12, 2024

Crusaders-alter-credit-Israel-Antiquities-Authority-permission-1024x539.jpg

Credit: Shai Halevi / Israel Antiquities Authority via Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW)

Inside one of the most extensively researched historic sites—the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where Jesus was crucified and buried—researchers have discovered the largest known medieval altar, which had been considered lost for decades.

After its unveiling in 1149, the magnificently carved ‘high altar’ made a great impression on visitors for many centuries, until it abruptly disappeared from public view following a major fire in the Romanesque part of the church in 1808.

“Since then, the ‘Crusader’s altar’ was lost—at least that’s what people thought for a long time,” says Ilya Berkovich, historian at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW).

Continued below.

Lost Altar Discovered on the Site Where Jesus was Crucified: It’s ‘Sensational’ and was Sitting in Plain Sight

Inside the famous Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where Jesus was crucified and buried, a long lost marble altar was uncovered.

www.goodnewsnetwork.org

Pelihat · Aug 12, 2024

This incident occurred in Indonesia in late June 2024.
Location of the incident: Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia

Source : Permadi Arya on Instagram: "cuma di Indonesia, umat islam boleh solat berdoa di rumah, tapi umat kristen tidak boleh berdoa di rumah kejadian di desa mergosari Tarik Sidoarjo, jemaat GPdI dilarang berdoa oleh kepala desa, padahal menurut SKB 2 menteri bab 1 pasal 3: berdoa di rumah tidak perlu izin sampai kapan diskriminasi SARA anti kristen ini dibiarkan di negeri pertiwi ini? mohon atensi gus menag @gusyaqut @ansor_satu pak plt. bupati sidoarjo @cakband1 @polsektariksidoarjo @polresta_sidoarjo teman2 bantu mention 5 akun di atas di kolom komentar yaa yuk banjiri notif bapak2 itu viralkan"

Local Muslim community leaders forbade Christians from worshiping together in their homes. On the grounds that religious activities require permission. However, if a Muslim community group holds a joint worship event at home, permission is not required.

The excuse that worship activities require permission is often used by community leaders in Indonesia to prohibit Christians or minority religions from worshiping in Indonesia. They require Christians or other minority religions such as Buddhists, Hindus and Catholics to apply for permits if they want to hold an event. However, if Christians ask for permission, permission is usually not given for various reasons.

tturt · Aug 12, 2024

Also, since you say "back to college," might want to check to see how many yrs you have to complete the coursework to fall under the classes the institution required for that degree. It will be stated in the cataIog for the specific year you enrolled. Or check with the department/college to get a clear, accurate evaluation - getting the results in writing with a signature. Though some can make exceptions regarding this matter depending on numerous factors.

Christsfreeservant · Aug 12, 2024

Window dressing, now impressing,
Artful, skillful, and misleading,
Superficial presentations,
On this many now are feeding.

Scheming, dreaming, eyes are beaming,
Cunning, crafty, they are teaming,
Skillful in their craft, deceiving,
Many now in them believing.

Fewer, fewer truth receiving,
Less and less in Christ believing,
Fewer, less, their sins are grieving,
More and more they are deceiving.

Fewer still the Lord obeying,
And the gospel they are sharing,
And for people’s souls, they’re caring,
Persecution they are bearing.

An Original Work / May 18, 2023

Christsfreeservant · Aug 12, 2024

“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:1-2 ESV)

Having This Ministry

This was part of a letter from Paul and Timothy to the church in Corinth. It was penned by the apostle Paul as he was carried along by the Holy Spirit. So these words are from God, and they are included in our Scriptures.

Paul was called of God to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. I know not whether Timothy was regarded as an apostle, but he was a fellow worker for the gospel of Christ, and he had some level of authority within the body of believers of Jesus Christ. To what extent, I do not know. But he was also called of God to this ministry, and he was gifted of the Holy Spirit, and Paul encouraged him to fan into flame the gift of God within him, and to not fear other people, and to not be ashamed of the gospel (2 Timothy 1:1-14).

Now, if we are going to be ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which all Christians are called to do, we must first of all be in fellowship with Jesus Christ in following him in obedience to his commands and in living holy lives, pleasing to him. We must have renounced all sinful practices, such as what is disgraceful, underhanded, deceptive, cunning, immoral, crooked, and evil, etc. And we must not be those who dilute and who alter the message of the gospel to make it more acceptable to human flesh and to the ungodly.

And this is critical that we understand this, for we have so many charlatans and “wolves in sheep’s clothing” among us in positions of pastor and elder over “church” congregations, who definitely are using disgraceful and underhanded ways in order to manipulate the gospel message to make it more attractive to human flesh, and so as not to offend the ungodly. And they are definitely practicing cunning, and they are tampering with God’s word by teaching Scriptures out of context in order to teach what is false.

But Paul and Timothy were not like that. They were above reproach, men of God who took seriously the word of God, and who taught it in its true form in the power of God and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Veiled to Those Perishing

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-6 ESV)

If something is “veiled,” it is concealed or hidden. Now Paul and Timothy were not servants of the Lord who concealed the message of the gospel in any way, as many are doing today. Especially Paul was very forthright in making certain that the whole truth was presented and that nothing was hidden that needed to be made known. So if the gospel was concealed, it was hidden from those who were perishing, for Satan had blinded their eyes so that they did not see the truth. But they had a part in that blindness, too.

For we read in Romans 1 that God made himself known to all humankind via his created works so that his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived in his creation. But people suppress the truth that can be known about God by their own ungodliness and unrighteousness, so they are without excuse. They can’t just blame the devil. For they exchange the glory of God for the idols of the flesh and they worship the created rather than the Creator. We make our own choices.

Especially if we have been raised in the gatherings of the church, and if we have heard the gospel taught in truth and in righteousness, and not in part, but in whole, we are definitely without excuse if we then turn to a false half-truth gospel message in order to appease our own consciences and so that we can continue living in sin free from the feelings of guilt. But this is what many are doing today, rejecting the truth that they know to follow after a lie so that they can keep sinning while consoling themselves that all is well.

But Paul and Timothy did not teach lies, especially not deliberate lies which so many are doing today in order to willfully deceive the people. And if we claim Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, we need to not be following after the lies and/or spreading the lies to others. So we need to be students of the Scriptures who study them in their context so that the Word we are spreading is the whole truth and not these tampered with gospel messages which so many are spreading today as though they are the truth.

For many people are being deceived, and others disheartened by all the lies which are being spread in the name of Christ and of his gospel. And those who are following the lies are definitely those who are prone to continue living in deliberate and habitual sin without conscience. But they will never be at true peace as long as they are at odds with Christ and with his gospel message. And if they continue in sin, they will not have eternal life with God, regardless of what their lips profess. So know and follow the truth, please!

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

Come, Ye Disconsolate

Lyrics by Thomas Moore, 1816
Arr. by Thomas Hastings, 1831
Music by Samuel Webbe, Sr, 1792

Come, ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish,
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish;
Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot heal.

Joy of the desolate, light of the straying,
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,
“Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot cure.”

Here see the bread of life, see waters flowing
Forth from the throne of God, pure from above.
Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing
Earth has no sorrow but heav’n can remove.

Login to view embedded media
Caution: This link may contain ads

Joseph G · Aug 12, 2024

We believe you and are praying very hard for you!

Christsfreeservant · Aug 11, 2024

“Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:12-18 ESV)

In this passage in 2 Corinthians, it speaks of Moses at Mt Sinai who put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from seeing the radiance of God’s glory fading from his face after he had been with God face-to-face. Yet, the reference appears to be about another kind of veil that covers people’s hearts – the veil of unbelief. And, that veil of unbelief has continued to this day for the Jewish nation. As a whole, the Jewish nation refuses to accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah, Lord, and Savior. So that is why their minds are still veiled. But there is a minority of Jews who do believe in Jesus Christ.

Some of the Jews, however, are still trying to reach God through the Old Covenant regulations, and they never will, because they don’t understand that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the law and the promise, and that the Old Covenant was temporary until Jesus Christ could be revealed. So, they are stuck in time with no way to “cross that river” until they decide to put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, who is the only one who can lift that veil of unbelief from their hearts. And he will do so whenever anyone turns to the Lord Jesus in repentance, faith, surrender, and obedience to God.

Many people are trapped on the side of life which only offers them doubts, fears, and lack of faith and trust in God/Jesus Christ. They are searching for something to fulfill them, but they are never finding what they are looking for because they are searching in all the wrong places – in pornography, entertainment, self-gratification, busyness, and temporary happiness and fulfillment. So many of them end up empty inside, ready to give up searching, confused and unsure about their future life. And finally their search ends in futility and emptiness and total lack of belief in anything.

The gospel is veiled to them. Their hearts are hardened through unbelief, so they cannot see the truth of the gospel. And it is Satan (the god of this age) who has blinded them so that they cannot see the truth. They are not free. The veil of unbelief still covers their hearts, as they are still trapped on the opposite side of life from the promise of eternity with God through genuine God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ. The only path for them to freedom is for them to step out in faith, to put their feet forward, to trust God/Jesus to part the waters of doubt, and to follow God/Jesus wherever he leads them.

Many people are on that opposite side of life from God. They are blinded to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and their only path to freedom is to step out in faith and to trust Jesus. For by faith we receive the Spirit of God within us, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom – freedom from the penalty of sin, and freedom from the control and bondage to sin in our daily lives, as well as freedom to serve God and to walk daily in obedience and in surrender to him and to his will for our lives. Oh, what freedom that is! I’ve been on that other side. I don’t want to ever go back!!

When we yield control of our lives over to Jesus and to the Holy Spirit within us through our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, and through our willingness to step out in faith and to follow our Lord Jesus to the other side of life, the veils of unbelief are not only removed from our hearts, but in their place is now the glory of God within each believer in Jesus Christ. And as we are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus, we are then able to reflect the Lord’s glory, which is ever-increasing as we continually yield control over to Jesus and we let go of the reigns of control over our own lives.

Our character and our lifestyles (our daily practices) will reflect whatever controls us and whatever fills our lives and minds, and whatever is our “god” or is most important in our lives. So, Christ’s glory can only be reflected in our characters and in our lifestyles as we are spending time with Jesus in his word, and as we are listening to his teachings, and as we are submitting to his Lordship, and as we are obeying his commands, in practice, and as we are being transformed to the likeness of Jesus with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit, and which is not from us.

The way in which this “ever-increasing glory” is then able to operate and to be reflected in our hearts and lives is through us renouncing secret and shameful ways (repentance), and by us refusing to use deception, and by us not distorting the word of God to suit our own purposes in order to excuse away sin and rebellion against God. To the contrary, we must set forth the truth plainly - through our words, our characters, our lifestyles, and through our witness for Jesus Christ. And we must humble ourselves and become the Lord’s servants.

Come, Ye Disconsolate

Lyrics by Thomas Moore, 1816
Arr. by Thomas Hastings, 1831
Music by Samuel Webbe, Sr, 1792

Come, ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish,
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish;
Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot heal.

Joy of the desolate, light of the straying,
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,
“Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot cure.”

Here see the bread of life, see waters flowing
Forth from the throne of God, pure from above.
Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing
Earth has no sorrow but heav’n can remove.

Login to view embedded media
Caution: This link may contain ads

New Posts

New Posts

Influencers offered huge payments for promoting Kamala Harris​

transitive verb​

Filter

Forum statistics

Share this page

Influencers offered huge payments for promoting Kamala Harris

transitive verb