awstar said:

I'm not interested in debating. But I'll lead the horse to water, just in case its thirsty.

Click to expand...

Good, Thank YHVH!
What good is debating (especially on forums)?
God's Word and Message Revealed by God does not change.

...and, as far as I know, those souls who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness are not wanting a debate, nor ever helped by a debate, again especially on forums. They /I/ want living water, and the food from heaven, not from men or from carnal places/the world.

Abraham spoke to S1, the oldest servant in his household in Ge 24:

4 "Go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.

Click to expand...

Abraham had two brothers, Haran and Nahor.

7b He will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

Click to expand...

God's angel would guide S1. He set out for his mission:

10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamiaa to the city of Nahor.

Click to expand...

When he arrived at the city of one of Abraham's brothers, why didn't S1 just go directly to Rebekah's father's house instead of praying to God to test a woman at the well?

Nahor had 8 descendants (Ge 22:20-24). He did not want to systematically visit all these houses. He had a better plan.

11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water.

Click to expand...

That's the place and time to observe the women of the city. Abraham told him that God's angel would guide him.

12 And he said, “O LORD, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac.

Click to expand...

S1 was looking for a kind-hearted female relative to be Isaac's wife. Sure enough, she showed up.

15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder.

Click to expand...

She did as S1 predicted. She passed his character test. She was kind, helpful, hospitable, and ready to serve without being asked. The encounter was orchestrated by God.

No, and this is clear in Scripture.
===============
No, he trusted YHVH.

tonychanyt said:

Did Pharaoh have sexual intercourse with Sarai?

The language did not assert that one way or another.

Click to expand...

=========================

tonychanyt said:

Was Abram willing to risk Pharaoh having sexual intercourse with Sarai?

Click to expand...

Shabbat Shalom ! Shalom shalom to all and their household of those who love God and are called according to His purpose!

SabbathBlessings said:

No, I never said anything about Catholicism, I only quoted what they said.

I believe God has good Christians in all groups, but we are getting close to the end of time and God is calling His people out of our false teachings Rev 18:4 that have been handed down over the centuries as we are told we must worship Him in Truth and Spirit John 4:24. All of God’s commandments are Truth Psa 119:151, when we don’t keep the commandments there is no truth in us 1 John 2:4 when we keep our own rules/traditions over the commandments of God Jesus said one worships in vain Mat 15:3-14 so we can keep going on the same path we are headed, which Jesus said in His own Words this path leads one in a ditch or we can fully worship God based on His Authority who made the heavens and earth and everything in it which is what the Sabbath points to Exo 20:11 so we never forget who made us and where we come from and we are totally dependent on God for His sanctification Eze 20:12 because He is our God and we are His people, which is what the Sabbath keeping shows Eze 20:20, or we can obey the commandments of man. Whoever we obey, is who we serve, which leads us to the path we are on. Rom 6:16 Obeying God the way He asks is an act of faith and love which leads to reconciliation Rev 22:14

The choice is ours.


Anyway, going to sign out for now. I wish everyone well seeking Truth to God’s Word.

Happy Sabbath!

Click to expand...

Gnarwhal said:

I found this part interesting:



Only in my experience it seems like all the priests who've been ousted and/or arrested for sexual crimes were soft on rainbow issues during their priesthood. Almost makes me wonder if the child porn was planted on him to eliminate his voice from the pulpit.

Or it could be exactly as it appears. Saint Germaine pray for us, Lord have mercy on all the victims of child abuse, and may they be healed in every way.

Click to expand...

Yeah, no surprises here. I wonder how many people who are clergy and support the alphabet soup have skeletons in their closet, no pun intended.

Peace in Christ.

The MANY have went down the broad way to their mortal destruction (they “perished” from this earth) as they did bow down and served their church handwritings of ordinances that were passed down to them from their church fathers for them to worship.

Deu 5:9-10 KJV
(9) Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

But He shows mercy unto “thousands”…unto the FEW that love Him and KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS in contrast to the first group that did not keep His commandments but instead kept and served their church’s doctrines and commandments of men graven/written down in their church scribes’ handwritings of ordinances. The FEW find the Way that leads to life....an age-lasting life (aka "eternal life").

The word for “thousands” is “'eleph”….which is connected to the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet “aleph”.

“eleph” - Properly the same as H504; hence (an ox’s head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand: - thousand.

They are the “firstfruits” of Christ which are redeemed from men...from the churches of fleshly-minded men who are perishing.

(10) And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

He shows mercy unto “thousands”….as in the 144,000 who are the “firstfruits” . They will have the Father’s “name” of the Lamb…that is, His AUTHORITY…written in their foreheads.

Rev 14:1 KJV
(1) And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

What name/authority is that? He gives to those who can overcome and keep His works unto the end of this age the “power”…the authority…over the nations of this world. He gives this authority to us even as He received of His Father. They are to become part of His “army” of 144,000 so-to-speak.

Rev 2:26-29 KJV
(26) And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

The name or authority of the Father is given to the Lamb to rule over the nations with a rod of iron…breaking into pieces those that rebel against His government. And those who are standing with Him are given His authority over the nations of this world.

(27) And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
(28) And I will give him the morning star.
(29) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

The thousands that are shown His mercy do not defile themselves with “women”….that is, they no longer are joined together with harlot church bodies becoming "one flesh" with them in their mortal destruction. They no longer sit together in the churches of earthly-minded men where they are keeping and worshipping their images…their church handwritings of ordinances.

They are redeemed from among men….as they have left their “churches” of earthly-minded men behind. They are cleansed by no longer sitting together with them. They come out from among them and are separate from them. 2 Corinthians 6:17.

They are no longer attached to the “unclean” body of their former church. They are now “virgins” as they no longer sit together with those who are perishing away in their mortal flesh….defiling themselves with them no longer.

They are the “firstfruits” unto God and the Lamb….they participate in the “first resurrection” as they inherit an age-lasting life (aka “eternal life”).

Rev 14:4-5 KJV
(4) These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
(5) And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

The “firstfruits” believe in the Word of Truth when they hear it. They overcome their wrath and are swift to hear and slow to speak when they will hear the Word of Truth being preached to their hearing ears in the Spirit of Truth.

Jas 1:18-20 KJV
(18) Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
(19) Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
(20) For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

They will hear and believe in the Word of the truth of the gospel of which they did not hear before in the "preaching" of earthly-minded men in their "churches" which are void of the knowledge of God and are without form of His righteousness.

Col 1:4-6 KJV
(4) Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
(5) For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
(6) Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

They will hear and believe in the Word of Truth....the good news (gospel) of our salvation. We shall not perish in our mortal bodies but shall have an age-lasting life...

Eph 1:13-14 KJV
(13) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

...until our mortal bodies shall receive the redemption of it....the putting on of immortality. We shall not perish but shall have an age-lasting life until this moment that happens at the "last trump" of this age...hence the "age-lasting" life.

(14) Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.


The “firstfruits”…the 144,000…are made alive NOW in their mortal bodies for the duration of this age….having an age-lasting life….the “first resurrection.”

The “last”…the few who are shown His mercy…shall be “first” in the resurrection NOW in their mortal bodies which are kept standing/abiding here for the rest of this present evil age. Those who are "first"...the MANY believers of Christ that perished in their mortal bodies...shall be "last" in the resurrection which , for them, happens at the last trump moment. They will have completely missed the opportunity to rule with Christ as "kings and priests" in this present age....putting down all rule and all authority and power with Him.

The "firstfruits" will continue to live here in this earth in their mortal bodies which do not die and will participate with the Lord in putting down all rule and all authority and power unto the end of this age when He shall deliver up all the conquered nations of this world (being subjected to the kingdom/government of God) to God.

1Co 15:22-25 KJV
(22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
(23) But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
(24) Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
(25) For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

The “thousands” that are shown His mercy shall stand with the King upon His holy hill of Zion.

Psa 2:6-12 KJV
(6) Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
(7) I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

They will stand with the Lamb with their Father’s name/authority written in their foreheads. The Father will give to us the nations for our inheritance. The Lord gives us His power/authority over the nations and they will be broken with a rod of iron like pieces of a potter's vessel.

(8) Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
(9) Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
(10) Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
(11) Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
(12) Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

We are to be His soldiers armed for war with “holy instruments” and with trumpets to blow.

Num 31:4-6 KJV
(4) Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.
(5) So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
(6) And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.

We are to be His "12 legions of angels"...His messengers:

Mat 26:53 KJV
(53) Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

We hear His voice. He makes known unto us the "mystery of His will". In the dispensation of the fullness of times, He will gather in one ALL THINGS in Christ both of which are in heaven (every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God) and which are on earth. We ALSO OBTAIN AN INHERITANCE with Him in gathering together all of these things when He puts down all authority and all rule and all power. His authority is "dispensed" to us to bring together all things in Christ.

Eph 1:8-11 KJV
(8) Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
(9) Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
(10) That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
(11) In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

The “weapons of our warfare” and not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds…casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

2Co 10:3-6 KJV
(3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
(4) (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds)
(5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
(6) And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

As soldiers with Him, we are to put on the whole armor of God….

Eph 6:11-17 KJV
(11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

The Lord comes to put down all rule and all authority and power. Men rule their nations with their handwritings (constitutions, statutes, etc). Satan savors the things of men….their “authority”…their self-governance…self-judging. He does not savor the things of God…His government and His righteousness. We are to "stand"...remain in this earth (not perishing)...armed with whole armor of God.

(12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
(13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
(14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
(15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
(16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
(17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Xeno.of.athens said:

After walking across the red sea on dry ground and watching the armies of Pharaoh drown in the sea Moses sang a song of deliverance to the people of Israel. His song was this:

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:​

'I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. ​

'Pharaoh's chariots and his army he cast into the sea; his picked officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power--your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrew your adversaries; you sent out your fury, it consumed them like stubble. At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them." You blew with your wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. 'Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendour, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them. ​

'In your steadfast love you led the people whom you redeemed; you guided them by your strength to your holy abode. The peoples heard, they trembled; pangs seized the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed; trembling seized the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away. Terror and dread fell upon them; by the might of your arm, they became still as a stone until your people, O LORD, passed by, until the people whom you acquired passed by. You brought them in and planted them on the mountain of your own possession, the place, O LORD, that you made your abode, the sanctuary, O LORD, that your hands have established. The LORD will reign for ever and ever.' When the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his chariot drivers went into the sea, the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. ​

Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. And Miriam sang to them: 'Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.'​

(Exodus 15:1-21 NRSV)

Sing it often, sing it with understanding, it is not vain repetition.

Click to expand...

I found a version of this song for you, so you can sing it.

Aaron Keyes - Song of Moses (2011):​

Login to view embedded media

God Punishes who He chooses to Punish, and Spares who He Chooses to Spare.

Pioneer3mm said:

"The term 'Jesus Freak' was originally used to demean or insult Christians..
involved with the 'Jesus Movement' in the late 1960's and 1970's."
---
'Jesus Movement'
The Jesus Movement emerged (among young people) amidst of
counterculture of the late 1960's and 1970's.
- starting in the West Coast.
It had an impact on US & beyond..

Click to expand...

Whew, I am glad I was not living in the 1960s and 1970s, even though the 1970s is my favorite decade. As a brown Christian man, I would have had at least two things against me: My faith in Jesus, and my skin color, though, luckily, racism was on the decline back then, and folks were more churchgoing back in the 1970s. But hey, is perfectly okay to go crazy for Jesus, cos He saved us from our sins.

Source:

Christsfreeservant said:

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this subject, Alex. Appreciated.

Click to expand...

You are welcome. Most of my thoughts are in the devotional itself, but yes, we must bear good fruits, and those fruits are in Galatians 5:22-23.

tonychanyt said:

At the burning bush, Ex 3:


The promise above was to the Israelites in general and not particularly to Moses.

Ex 6:


The Bible does not record an explicit, personal promise to Moses that he individually would enter the land, but rather that he would lead the people to it. In fact, Num 20:


Did God ever say that he would bring Moses into the promised land?

No.

However, Numbers 32:


Before he died, Moses was on the east side of the Jordan River, which was technically part of the promised land. More than a millennium later, he showed up on the mount of Transfiguration

Click to expand...

According to Exodus 6, God did not promise Moses that he himself would enter the Promised Land. However, in verse 4, God does state that He is the Lord who led Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob out of Egypt, and will grant the land as a possession to them and their descendants (the Israelites). This is indicative of His covenant with them, but not necessarily a promise for Moses. In Exodus 7:16-25, it shows that God sent plagues upon Pharaoh because he refused to let the Israelites go free, but there's no indication in this passage that God intended to take Moses into the land himself. Later on, when Moses is not present during events such as Joshua leading the Israelites across the Jordan River (Joshua 3-4), it becomes clear that Moses was not meant to enter the Promised Land along with his people.

From: Mistral AI

Stephen3141 said:

israel-mounting-pressure-detaining-palestinians-torture-camps_n_66b55d1be4b044cc5e99358b

One can point to the history of Palestinian leaders, rejecting Irsraeli
land-for-peace offers.

One can point to a history of the Palestinians, choosing radical Islamic jihadist
terrorist groups, to politically represent them.

One can point to the plight of the Palestinians, because of the apathy of
surrounding Islamic countries to offer them land, for a Palestinian homeland.

One can point to multiple wars that the surrounding Islamic countries, have tried
to prosecute against Israel, in order to kill all Jews. And, that Israel won all these
wars. This has been a fight for survival, for Israel.


But, when Israelis continue to abuse Palestinians, they have lost the moral
high ground. This does not mean that Hamas and the Palestinians now have
been made, somehow, moral. But, the entire Israel-Palestinian situation,
has been reduced to a massive, immoral mess.

When there is no clear moral option for the U.S., to support one side or the
other in the Gaza War, the U.S. is pushed more toward dealing in a violent manner with
the sellers of these violent Islamic jihadist groups -- Iran and Saudi Arabia.

I'm not sure that Iran and Saudi Arabia have thought this through, carefully.

Click to expand...

It's been a massive, immoral mess for the West ever since it was taken over from the Ottomans.

An obvious conflict, for Christians in Arizona, is that we often want a moderate
president, who upholds the fair rule of law in America, and will not allow the
many fringe groups in Arizona to run wild.

Although Trump claims to be for "law and order", he is convicted felon, and
could not produce any credible defense at his felony trial. And, his MAGA
supporters in Arizona include the most radical cessessionists, and preppers, and
white supremicist groups.

Diehard Trump supporters in Arizona still hold to the legend that the 2020
election was stolen from Trump, although there is no evidence for this
conclusion. Trump and his supporters have filed over 80 lawsuits, claiming
fraud in the 2020 election. But none of them has been accepted by any
judge, due to lack of evidence in their claims.

The retirement community in Arizona often does not read enough news sources from the
internet, to realize that most of them (other than Fox "news") regularly point
out that Trump is quoting lies, in his speeches.

In Arizona, the Republican Party has become the party of big pickup trucks
with American flags flying in them, and Punisher logos from DC Comics,
and in-your-face intimidation, with implied violence. It is the party of
uneducated, lawless white men.

This is why I am pointing out, in this thread, why moderate Republicans
in Arizona (and other states) are turning to vote for Harris and the Democrats,
come November. Frankly, they are now the moderates, on many topics.

orbiter said:

What wisdom is in the church scribes’ ….the “wise”…handwritings? They reject His word in order to keep their handwritings of ordinances.

Click to expand...

None that I know of. We have to turn away from, leave away from, sin, to come to and to follow Jesus.

Pray that Jesus Christ's Gospel Message brings political stability and peace to the nation of Haiti:

Sorry if I sound repetitive and dull, but latest poll numbers lean towards socially liberal left-wing politician. Therefore, Pray Jesus Christ stirs up voters hearts to vote for politicians who uphold Christian concerns in the culture war(i.e. Prolife, ProParental rights, ProTraditional marriage):

Harris Leads Trump in Three Key States, Times/Siena Polls Find

Michie said:

What is the 23rd chromosome gender?


The 23rd pair of chromosomes are two special chromosomes, X and Y, that determine our sex. Females have a pair of X chromosomes (46, XX), whereas males have one X and one Y chromosomes (46, XY).

Click to expand...

Wouldn't this be "normally" females have a pair of X chromosomes? We do know that fully functional females exist with the X and Y chromosomes.

Michie said:

The Eucharist was, and still is, in a crystal case called a luna — used for insertion in a monstrance — that was badly scorched and blackened by the flames.

Incarnation Catholic Church offers Eucharist adoration using the same Host and luna that survived the fire in June 2023. (photo: Father William Holiday)

After Henry and Paula Kones’ Orlando, Florida, church burned down last year, they were devastated for their small parish, but were given a sense of hope in the aftermath.

Despite the fire being concentrated on the sanctuary, with both the altar and the tabernacle being incinerated, a sole Eucharistic Host, covered under the ash, survived the blaze.

The Eucharist was, and still is, in a crystal case called a luna — used for insertion in a monstrance — that was badly scorched and blackened by the flames.

The burnt altar at Incarnation Catholic Church and the luna, with the Eucharistic Host that survived (Photo: Father William Holiday)

Speaking to the Register, the married couple described the survival of the Host at Incarnation Catholic Church as “astounding.”

“Whenever you have some tragedy in life, you always get some degree of consolation from God,” Henry, 59, said. “And for the parish, many of us believe that the surviving Eucharist was the consolation grace that we got.”

Continued below.

Eucharist Survives Church Fire: ‘A Work of God’s Extraordinary Providence’

The Eucharist was, and still is, in a crystal case called a luna — used for insertion in a monstrance — that was badly scorched and blackened by the flames.

www.ncregister.com

Click to expand...

He is Mighty.
His Flesh on earth is real.
The same Who calms the sea, controls the fires.

Michie said:

Here’s a roundup of pro-life-related developments in the U.S. this week.

New York Planned Parenthood scales back abortion​

Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) announced on Wednesday that “amid compounding financial and political challenges” it will stop offering abortions after 20 weeks.

The abortion giant also announced a proposed closure of four locations in Goshen, Amsterdam, Cobleskill, and Staten Island.

Among the reasons cited by the abortion business was a state budget that “fell short of responding to the needs of sexual and reproductive health care providers.”

Other reasons listed were growing operating expenses, unreliable insurer reimbursements, ongoing pandemic recovery, and a “hostile political landscape.”

Continued below.

Planned Parenthood of New York scales back abortions

Here’s a roundup of pro-life-related developments in the U.S. this week.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Click to expand...

I am so happy to see them closing.

No budgets left anyway, so despite the harsh economy, this is one thing that is good.
Keep on praying.

Timely measures are His treasures
That He gives to make us better.
Much is needed to make holy
Those who follow Him so closely.

God is sovereign over all things,
Holy living to our lives brings,
So He takes us through our trials,
Some which come now through Belials.

No escaping hardships plenty,
Thinking we should not have any,
For they’re promised us in measure,
So, they’re not for our good pleasure.

Yet, suffering is for our good,
Throughout the Scriptures understood,
We die with Christ to all our sin
So we can now live sure for Him.

By faith we walk in righteousness,
For in Christ we are surely blessed.
But when we do, some will us hate,
For persecution is our fate.

An Original Work / October 12, 2022

We live in a fallen world and in flesh bodies, so, no matter who we are, we are going to go through some type of suffering in our lives. Some people will have great suffering while others will have much less, but we will all suffer in one way or another as long as we live on this earth and in these bodies. And then if we are followers of Jesus Christ who are doing his will and purpose for our lives, and so we are sharing the truth of the gospel with the people of this world, we will also face persecution and rejection, and not just from the ungodly world, but from worldly professers of faith in Jesus Christ, too.

Now the persecution we face may be physical for some people, including having our property confiscated, or being arrested, imprisoned, and/or beaten severely, and/or being put to death by our enemies. While others of us, at least for today, mainly are facing verbal and emotional and spiritual persecution in the way of words spoken to us or about us, and in the way of being forsaken, forgotten, cast aside, abandoned, rejected, falsely accused of wrongdoing, and treated as though we are dirt underneath other people’s feet for them to trample on. Or some people may be facing both.

Paul and Timothy, in this context, were being persecuted severely. I don’t know about Timothy, but I know that Paul suffered much persecution after he accepted the Lord’s call upon his life, and mostly it came from the same people who mistreated and put Jesus to death, so mainly the Jews who rejected Jesus as the Christ, their Messiah. He was hounded continually, and falsely accused of wrongdoing, and falsely imprisoned and beaten and left for dead, so he suffered much for his testimony for Jesus Christ and for the spreading of the true message of the gospel of our salvation.

And there are Christians throughout the world today who are suffering in many of the same ways as did Paul and the other apostles. And I am certain that many people today who are following Jesus throughout the world are being afflicted so severely that they are despairing of life, too, and they are feeling that they have received the sentence of death. And many Christians in the world are being put to death because of their testimonies for Jesus Christ and because of their witness for his gospel. In America we have not yet faced that severe of persecution, but it is most certainly coming.

But what did Paul say here? He said that all that they suffered for the sake of the name of Jesus, and for the sake of his gospel message, was to make them rely not on themselves, but on God who raises the dead. Amen! And that is one of the purposes of our suffering, so that we turn to the Lord and we do rely on him and not on ourselves, but also so we grow to maturity in Christ and we humble ourselves and we submit to Christ’s Lordship over our lives, and so we learn obedience, and we develop perseverance in our walks of faith and in obedience to our Lord and to his commandments.

And the deliverance from suffering that our Lord provides is not always physical deliverance from our circumstances, but it is deliverance from the impact of our suffering on our lives which might lead us to turn against the Lord and to reject him and his ways because of what we are suffering. So, it is him carrying us through our difficulties, and him providing us with the strength and endurance that we need to keep going even when we don’t feel up to keep going, and even when we feel like retreating, instead. He will be our strength and our help in the tough times if we will lean on his strength.

And this is one of the reasons why we need to be able to share our burdens with other Christians, and not just bottle them up inside of us, because we need encouragement, and we need people to be praying for us so that we do not fail, and so that we do not give up the fight, and so that we do not let our enemy defeat us in the battle. We need the body of Christ praying for us so that we have wisdom to respond to our circumstances and to our persecutors in the right way, and not the wrong way. And we need others to pray for us to have the right words to say when confronted by our enemies.

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 10:16-25,34-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel lonely in this world of ours. I can be surrounded by people all around me and still feel lonely. I often hunger for the kind of Christian fellowship I knew years gone by, but that seems a rarity these days, where we share deeply from our hearts and encourage one another with God's love and his word.

[This was written in May of 2011, 13 years ago, and much has changed since that time. More recently (now in 2024) I have found some Christian sisters with whom I can now have the kind of fellowship I was longing for here. And so I am very thankful to the Lord Jesus for that.]

During these times of loneliness, though, Jesus' love comforts our hearts with his presence, his grace, his comfort and compassion, his warm embrace, and his close and abiding friendship. He understands us like no one ever could. He knows what is truly in our hearts and he knows and feels all our hurts. By his stripes we are healed! Amen!

When You’re Lonely

An Original Work / May 14, 2011

When you are lonely, needing a friend,
His love will comfort you; give peace within;
Providing His grace; keep you from sin;
Jesus, our Savior, Master and friend.

If you will call Him to meet your need,
He will be there to bring understanding;
Offering His love and compassion,
As we seek Jesus, turning from sin.

He wants your whole heart and devotion
Committed to Him in full obedience.
Give Him your whole life, a sacrifice,
Forsaking the world; live to please God.

Login to view embedded media

This message is for the church, the body of Christ, comprised of all who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ. It was written specifically to the church in Corinth of the time of the apostle Paul, yet this was written down for our instruction and included in our Scriptures, so we are to learn from this, too.

We learn here that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is also the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. And this word translated as “mercies” also means compassion, favor, and grace. God feels it when we who are followers of Christ suffer for the sake of his name and when we go through trials and tribulations and when we suffer afflictions. And he cares, and so he offers words of encouragement to us. But he also offers words of counsel, correction, and exhortation, urging us to carry out his divine will.

So, we are to do likewise when we see a brother or a sister in Christ suffering affliction. But wisdom says that this should be male with male and female with female unless the other person is our spouse or another close family member or is someone you are dating. In other words, a married man or a married woman should not be having private words of encouragement with other people of the opposite sex (or same sex, if same sex attracted). But this encouragement may be given in an entire group or in public.

But this word “comfort” isn’t all just the feel-good stuff, though certainly some of it is, but it means to urge one another with a holy urging to carry out the divine will of God for our lives. It is the same things that God says to us when we are going through times of difficulty. And sometimes that involves biblical counsel and correction and exhortation and holy urgings to live holy lives and to obey our Lord’s commands, and to change course, when necessary, and to do something different from what we’ve been doing.

But it also includes encouraging words related to our own circumstances in sharing how God worked in our situations for his glory and honor and for our good. And those experiences won’t all be the same, and not the same all the time. So we share our testimonies with others to let them know the struggles, the battles, the persecutions, and the sufferings we endured, some of them self-inflicted, and others for the sake of the gospel. And then we share with them what the Lord taught us and how that changed us.

And that is what this passage is talking about. We are not to be those who suffer in silence all the time and who never share with anyone our struggles or our heartaches and our persecutions, for how else will others be able to comfort us in our afflictions, and how else will we be able to comfort them in their afflictions with the same comfort we received if we are not open and honest about the things we are going through, or have gone through, and how the Lord has helped us through them to a better place?

Now I am not encouraging gossip or venting or purposefully just trying to make someone else look bad in front of others. But if we never share our burdens with others, how will they know how to encourage us? And how will we then be able to comfort them with the same comfort we received from the Lord if we cannot mention what our circumstances were or are? There has to be a means for us to be able to do what this passage is teaching that we should do. So this requires prayer for wisdom and discernment.

I just know that, for me, I suffered many things for many years without much of any comfort from anyone with regard to what I was going through other than from the Lord. And when I finally heard others tell their stories, only six years ago now, not only did I cry great tears knowing that I was not all alone in this, but I felt validated (supported, authenticated, advocated). And that’s a very big deal to be believed. And I no longer felt as though I was completely alone in this, as far as human support and encouragement.

I know that we must exercise discretion and discernment in what we share and with whom, but bottling it all up inside and not sharing it with anyone is not healthy. And we should have other Christians with whom we can share our burdens who will pray for us and who will offer words of encouragement and comfort and healing. And we are keeping others from being comforted with the same comfort that we received from the Lord, too, if we do not share what we went through and how God brought us through it.

So, be wise. Be discerning. But pray to the Lord and ask him what he wants you to share with whom and when and where and to what detail, for we are to be those who encourage and comfort one another in all our afflictions with the comfort (encouragement, exhortation) we received from the Lord when we were going through our times of difficulty.

You are Loving and Forgiving

An Original Work / February 19, 2012
Based off Psalm 86

You are loving and forgiving,
Jesus, Savior, King of kings.
You provided our redemption.
By Your blood You set us free.
You are gracious; full of mercy.
No deeds can compare with Yours.
Great are You; there is none like You.
Glory be to Your name.

Teach me Your way, and I’ll walk in it.
O Lord, I will walk in Your truth.
May I not have a heart divided,
That Your name I give honor to.
I will praise You, O Lord, my Savior,
For great is Your love toward me.
You have delivered me from my sins.
Your grace has pardoned me.

You, O Lord, are full of compassion,
Slow to anger, bounteous in love;
Faithful to fulfill all You promise;
Glory be to Your name above.
Hear, O Lord, and answer Your servant.
You are my God. I trust in You.
Turn to me and grant Your strength to me.
You are my comforter.

Login to view embedded media

Living in an aging community is something that takes getting used to. Perhaps something I will never be able to feel comfortable with. I keep thinking I am younger, but there is truth to that. I believe that we are all young when we are by ourselves. I believe it was Carl Jung who stated, "When alone, we are all children”.

When I entered as a young man, most monks in the community were in their 40’s, and 50’s. Many were veterans from the 2nd world war. A few were in the Korean conflict. There was a time when I was the youngest, but now, I am the second from being most senior here. Time carries us forward like a bullet train in Japan at a dizzying speed, at least for me.

One thing I learned early on about different age groups. When living together, age does not matter. I remember talking to one of the monks who was in the middle 80’s and afterward being amazed that he was no different than me…...well he had depths of wisdom that I lacked. Still, trying to catch up.

Now that I am 75 when talking to the younger monks, I forget the age differences. True, each generation has distinctions, but not so deep that they need to interfere with true communication. Stereotyping can be a great evil blinding us to our commonality and leading to many cultural problems.

Ideology, when mixed with faith tends to become the dominant force in how one’s faith is lived out. Faith is not a closed system, but open to growth in understanding, and leads to having the humility to admit one’s faults and failures. The deeper our union with God, the more compassion and empathy we have. Since God is truth, as we draw close, all that keeps us from union is manifested so that we can accept our need for grace, mercy, and healing.

Prayer leads us to listen to what the Spirit is saying to us. We are brought face to face with our inhumanity and tendency towards self-destruction.

When we forget ourselves, we tend to bring out our problems and place it on others.

It is our interaction with others that ‘forces’ us to grow if we wish to be able to live with others. Having a strong faith, and an openness to the life-giving Spirit allows us to see others more deeply as fellow travelers and not enemies.

Only one-on-one relationships can lead to deep healing for society. Governments cannot do this. I believe we place way too much faith in our leaders and governments. Change, repenting, and embracing one’s need for community, as well as God’s grace can give us the ability to bring healing to our world. If not, then war is the second option. -BrMD

Praying now! Lord God I lift up this situation between Israel and Iran to You and I pray for Your intervention in this situation and that there would be peace and not war, I pray for a hedge of protection around Israel and that Israel would not be harmed in any way by Iran, I pray that none of the Iranian missiles would get through! I pray for wisdom the leadership of Israel and that You would show them what to do. I also pray for the salvation of all of the people of Israel and also for conviction on all of the leadership of Iran and that they would stop what they are doing! I also pray for the salvation of all of the Iranian people and the leadership of Iran! I pray for Iran's deliverance from islam! I claim the nation of Israel for the kingdom of God now in the name of Jesus and I also claim the nation of Iran for the kingdom of God in the name of Jesus!