Clare73 said:

It is in the gospel of John that we see the real conflict between Jesus and Satan, and Satan's desire to kill him (Jn 8:44-46).

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True and satan is still very active today and want to destroy the believers more than ever with his usual tactics used on Eve in the garden or Eden.

trents said:

Yes, but why would the Roman commander have been surprised that the Egyptian sect leader who led the uprising couldn't speak Greek? Wouldn't everyone in the Roman world be able to speak koine Greek sense it was the trade language of the Greco-Roman world?

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That is certainly true of the eastern half of the Roman Empire, and of the upper classes and merchant classes of Rome.

We do know lower class Plebeians and slaves in Rome generally knew only Latin, and Latin did serve as a lingua franca in the Western Empire and in Dacia, in those lands which wound up speaking languages descended from Latin.

jasmine_childoftheking said:

So let's just say that the Ten Kingdoms is talking about the whole world, which possibly could be. So let's say that these Ten Kingdoms are-

1. North America

2. South America

3. Pacific (which would consist of Australia, New Zealand and the pacific Islands)

4. Western Europe

5. Eastern Europe

6. Great Britain

7. East Asia

8. South Asia

9. Africa

10. Middle East

Anything is possible. But I'm sure we'll find out when it happens.

One of the bowl judgments say that the Euphrates River dries up, making a pathway for the kings of the east. So would the kings of the east be Asia, India, and Russia, perhaps?

For Armageddon, the armies of the kings of the earth would most likely be coming from different directions.

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But wouldn't this just be an arbitrary list? Why give Great Britain its own number, but swallow up Australia, New Zealand, and all the Pacific Islands into one?

If a list is arbitrary, then any arbitrary choices we make are as good as any other.

Also, why assume that it's referring to an as-of-yet future? It could be, but a Futurist assumptive framework of the Apocalypse is not a foregone conclusion.

This is why it can be problematic to assume too much about St. John's Apocalypse. The work is notoriously difficult, perhaps even impossible, to parse. And it can often end up being a Rorschach Ink Blot Test, where everyone sees something different. Which, obviously, isn't very helpful and not a very good way to engage in biblical exegesis.

-CryptoLutheran

mpebv said:

The Jews didn't accept Christ's views either. Interesting.

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Does everyone who has their views rejected get to compare themselves to Jesus Christ?

-CryptoLutheran

To Christians from Gentiles, yes. That was his mandate from Christ and from the original apostles.

When he began to teach authoritatively also the Christians from Jews (for example that keeping the Law was temporary and not needed anymore), he got into some kind of clash with other apostles, namely James and Peter. James then writing the famous contradictory epistle about the salvation from works.

Paul taught that even Christians from Jews are free from the Law, which was not liked by some more traditional apostles and Jerusalem groups. Paul was actually arrested (and later sent to death) when he wanted to appease to some Jewish Christians by being publicly seen in the Jerusalem temple and so showing that he still cares about the Law.

We stop worrying about conspiracies when we decide to obey God. We pray to detach our hearts from material things and the esteem of the world.

God loves you, he died for you while you were yet a sinner. That goes for all of us.

He has died for us, He asks us to deny ourselves and follow in His footsteps. We die to the world, it no longer matters, we live for Christ.
That is the way of the cross.

Conspiracy theories are our way of trying to hold onto the world which is passing away. Let go. God tells us to love our enemies. Find your worst enemy and figure a way to do something kind to them. The other day was the feast of St Francis of Assisi. Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

As for conspiracy theories, the world is going to self destruct, we know that. We just need to obey God

chevyontheriver said:

Let's see what bishops they get to be special guests? Any wagers?

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No bishops? Not a Cupich or a McElroy or even a Stowe? They can't be doing that well if no bishop is on board publicly.

Does Russell worship himself?

Jesus I love you. You are my God and my King.

You are where my heart dwells.

ozso said:

It became his own decision right after Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton sat him down on a metal folding chair in a small room with a floodlight and rubber hoses hanging on the wall.

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I missed the allegory.

Who is being addressed here? They are the elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for the sprinkling with his blood (1 Peter 1:1-2). And the elect are all those who are chosen out by God for the rendering of special service to him, i.e. the chosen of God to die with him to sin and to live to him and to his righteousness in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living, by the grace of God, as persuaded of God for faith in him.

But it isn’t as though we have no choice in the matter, as some would have you believe. Even though the faith to believe in Jesus Christ is not of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man – but is gifted to us by God, and it is persuaded of God, so as to align with God and with his will and purpose for our lives, we still have to submit and surrender ourselves to the will of God. We have to deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him (Luke 9:23-26), by our choice, but only in his power, and only by his grace. For if we do not, we do not have eternal life with God.

[1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Acts 26:18; Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 12:1-2; Hebrews 12:1-2; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Matthew 7:21-23; Romans 1:18-32, etc.]

So, this is not speaking of those who merely make professions of faith in Jesus Christ, who give lip service only, but whose lives are not surrendered to God to do his will, but who are still living according to the flesh, and not according to the Spirit. Many are those who profess faith in Jesus Christ with their lips but whose hearts are far from him, for they are following after a gospel created in the minds of human beings who are of the flesh who want salvation from sin but who do not want to yield control of their lives to God.

But for those of us who have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with him to now walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness, we are God’s chosen race, his holy people, his holy nation, a people for his own possession, whether Jew or Gentile by physical birth. Only those of genuine walks of faith and obedience to the Lord Jesus are his chosen people. All those who do not believe in Jesus, who are living in rebellion against him, who are not conformed to his will, are not his true people.

[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:22; John 8:18-19,38-47; Jude 1:5; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]

And this is certainly not teaching that as God’s true people that we will live in absolute sinless perfection (1 John 2:1-2). We might not. We might sin, at times. But if sin is what we practice, i.e. if we deliberately and habitually sin against God and against other humans, especially without conscience, and without true remorse, and with deliberate malice and hatred in our hearts and a desire to hurt other humans, then according to the Scriptures we are not those of true faith in Jesus Christ, and we will not have eternal life.

[John 10:27-30; Rom 2:6-8; 1 Co 6:9-10; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6,15-17; 1 John 3:4-10; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31]

So, now that we have a biblical picture of who those are (and are not) God’s chosen race, his royal priesthood, his holy nation, a people for his own possession (he is Lord – owner master of our lives), we need to also understand what our biblical responsibility is to God, as his chosen race. For not only are we to die to sin daily and to walk in obedience to his commands, in holy living, but we are to be those who are sharing the true message of the gospel with the people of the world, in daily practice.

And we get a hint here as to what that gospel message entails, i.e. “who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” For darkness is sin and light is truth and righteousness and Jesus Christ and his gospel message. For by genuine faith in Jesus Christ we die with him to sin and we are reborn of the Spirit of God to now live holy lives, pleasing to God, in walks of obedience and surrender to the will of God for our lives. Sin is no longer to be our practice, but we should all be following our Lord in obedience.

A Believer’s Prayer

An Original Work / July 31, 2012

With my whole heart, Lord, I pray
To be Yours, and Yours always.
Lead me in Your truth today.
May I love You, and obey.
Lead me in Your righteousness.
When I sin, may I confess;
Bow before You when I pray;
Live for You and You always.

Love You, Jesus, You’re my friend.
Life with You will never end.
You are with me through each day,
Giving love and peace always.
You will ne’er abandon me.
From my sin You set me free.
You died on that cruel tree,
So I’d live eternally.

Soon You’re coming back for me;
From this world to set me free;
Live with You eternally.
Oh, what joy that brings to me.
I will walk with You in white;
A pure bride, I’ve been made right
By the blood of Jesus Christ;
Pardoned by His sacrifice.

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Grave disaster going faster
Many make the devil master
Follow him where’er he leads them
Singing songs, salute his anthem

Flocking now to all their heroes
Who then do make strange bedfellows
Knock on doors, salute their master
Who is bringing evil faster

Wisdom speaking through the windows,
“Why you follow strange bedfellows?
Why you listen to their teachings?
Why you not have your misgivings?

“Why you not respond in wisdom?
Why you not have any vision?
Why you follow what is trouble?
Why you walk a walk that’s double?”

Keep in step with godly wisdom
And you will have perfect vision
Follow where the Savior leads you
And from your sins He will heal you

Trust in Jesus as your Savior
And He’ll give you of His favor
Release you from sin’s disaster
So you’ll live forever after

An Original Work / June 21, 2022

Some of you have probably seen these memes on social media where they list the weaknesses and sins of some of the people in the Bible. They will tell you that Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossip, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sara was impatient, Elijah was moody, and Moses stuttered, etc.


But that is out of context. The context was that Paul was receiving visions and revelations from God. So to keep him from becoming conceited, a thorn was given him in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass him. Three times he pleaded with the Lord that it should leave him, but God replied, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So, this had nothing to do with Paul sinning against the Lord nor with him being human.

This was fully about Paul, a man of God, who walked in holiness and in righteousness, and in walks of obedience to the Lord, and not in sin, being given visions and revelations from God. And so God (the only one who would or who could) gave him that thorn in the flesh (not defined for us, other than it was a messenger of Satan) to keep him from becoming conceited. And God is not going to give him sin nor would he refuse to deliver him from sin.

And God’s power is not perfected in sin. And his grace is not sufficient for us if we are walking in sin. And the “weakness” he was talking about was not sin. For, again, God is not going to refuse to deliver us from sin. Jesus Christ died on that cross that we might die to sin and live to his righteousness. He shed his blood to redeem us out of our lives of living in sin so that we will now live holy lives in walks of obedience to his commands.

So, God is not okay with any of us being adulterers, liars, cheats, murderers, thieves, drunkards, rebellious, gossips, deserters, and hot tempered, etc. His grace is not sufficient for us if we are walking in any of these sins and if we are not walking in obedience to our Lord in holy living. And yes, some of these, who were people of God, did sin against the Lord at some time in their lives. But many (or all) of them repented and did not continue in those sins.

But what is the message that the meme is giving to us by including the passage from 2 Corinthians 12:9? It is implying that Paul's weakness was sin, and not just one sin, but addictive sin, that God's power was being perfected in Paul's sinful addiction, and that God's grace was sufficient to cover his addictive sin, and while God refused to deliver him from this addictive sin, but that God's grace would sustain him.

So, it is saying to us that we can be Christians and still live (walk) in sin against the Lord, that God may refuse to deliver us from our sin, but that God’s grace is going to cover it all. Just not biblical! Does God’s grace cover our sins? Not if we continue in those sins habitually and deliberately. For God’s grace is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return (Titus 2:11-14).

Will we be absolutely perfect ever while we live in these flesh bodies on this earth? I don’t believe we will be. For the word “perfect” means, “to bring to an end, complete, finish, accomplish, consummation, finish the necessary process, reaching the end” (Bible Hub .com). We are to be in the process of being made perfect, but the perfection will not be completed until Jesus returns and he takes his faithful ones to be with him for eternity.


But lack of perfection is never to be used as an excuse for deliberate and habitual sin, and for not walking in obedience to our Lord’s commands. For if sin is what we practice (obey) and not obedience to our Lord, then the Scriptures teach us that we don’t know God, he doesn’t know us, we are not born of God, we are of the devil, and we will not inherit eternal life with God, but we will face the wrath of God, instead.

[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 2:3-6,15-17; 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]

So, don’t buy into these memes which try to convince you that you can continue in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord and that God’s grace is sufficient for you and that his grace will cover it all. Just not biblical! Don’t buy into the lies that try to tell you that you can serve God and the devil at the same time, and that even if sin is what you practice that heaven is still guaranteed you when you die. That’s a lie from hell.

But if our faith in the Lord is genuine, and even though sin is not what we practice, but obedience to our Lord is what we practice, that doesn’t guarantee that we will never fail or that we will never sin again. We might, but that is not permission to sin. For the Bible makes it clear that if we make sin our practice that we will die in our sins. And many are going to hear God say, “I never knew you. Depart from me you workers of lawlessness.”

The Battle for Truth

An Original Work / May 18, 2013
Based off Malachi 1-4

Truth is marching, truth is marching.

I love you. Honor me.
Tell the truth. You’ll be free.
Sing My praise all your days.
I will give all you need.

Truth is marching, truth is marching.

Turn from sin; cleansed within.
Stand in awe of My Name.
Teach what’s true. Walk in peace.
Follow Christ, in His ways.

Truth is marching, truth is marching.

Show to God faithfulness.
Do not be adult’rous.
Do not shed shallow tears.
Do not be insincere.

Truth is marching, truth is marching.

I have sent messengers,
Who have giv’n my address.
They call for repentance,
And they warn of judgment.

Truth is marching, truth is marching.

I, the Lord, do not change,
So return – blessings gain:
Healing comes; joyfulness;
Freedom from your distress.

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I'm sorry to hear that.

When will this hatred ever end?

Predators go where there is ACCESS. That's why there aren't many drag queen predators.

It's frightening and sickening, regardless.

CoreyD said:

This is the aspect of saved, that is most easily understood, especially by Jesus' words at Matthew 24:13.
However, there is another aspect of saved, which isn't so easily understood, and agreed upon.
Scriptures such as Romans 8:24; Ephesians 2:5-8; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5, refer to this condition.

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Sometimes scriptures are written to/for those presently faithful in Christ with no signs of their departure from the faith.
You'll notice that all your citings are Epistles to churches.
The writers don't want to make their audiences feel like they are not trusted, but everyone's salvation can not be assured until the end of time.
There are a few folks that Paul said had left the faith, so they were not saved because they lost their faith.
I hate to be a downer, but we too could be swayed by the devil, if we lapse on our prayer and study.

CoreyD said:

I understand that aspect, as being brought into a relationship with God, through our acceptance of him and his son, and a dedication/commitment to do his will, but I have yet to understand the perspective of others here, on this.

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People's commitments can change with time.

CoreyD said:

Mass baptism tend to leave out this aspect, as many are baptized, who have not even come to know God, and his Christ, nor have dedicated their life to serving God.

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Please define "mass" baptism.

essentialsaltes said:

It took a Miami-Dade jury just over six hours to reach a unanimous verdict in a case built around political operatives and a “ghost candidate” who likely tipped a tight election.

Artiles ... was found guilty of excessive campaign contributions, conspiracy to commit excessive contributions and falsely swearing an oath, all felonies that could carry five-year sentences. He was cleared of a fourth charge, aiding a false registration. His convictions could land him in prison for as many as 15 years, though that long a term is unlikely.

see also:

Florida State Senator Resigns for calling colleagues the n-word​

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Yep, and this guy is Cuban-American. You'd think that he would be not racist and a jerk cos he is a minority. Hopefully this guy gets prison.

p.s. lusy furr always comes to kill, to steal , and to destroy (souls). Never , not ever, for anything good or right. Always opposes Jesus and seeks to destroy followers of Jesus worldwide.

YouTube Channel Video Devo
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“I Am With You”
Isaiah 41:10 NLT
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

This passage, along with numerous other passages, came up when I did a search in the YouVersion Bible app for “I am with you”. It’s so comforting to know that God reminded so many people that He would be with them.

The past couple of weeks at my work have been very stressful and overwhelming. There have been some days when I felt so overwhelmed that it felt like the challenges were so much bigger than they really were. When we get handed challenges at work or in life, it’s often easy to think they are bigger and more powerful than they really are. It can be very overwhelming and feel like they are way bigger than they really are. We can feel defeated and like we aren’t gonna get through the situations.

This past week, I had to constantly remind myself that nothing is greater or bigger than God and He is always with me. I had to talk to some people regarding how I felt so that I could work through the feelings I had. I’m continuing to learn each day that God is always with me. It’s easy to say this, but when certain situations and demands arise, we can feel totally defeated and like we aren’t going to get anywhere.

As I worked through some tough challenges and talked to a coworker, I felt a little bit of relief. Sometimes it’s so easy to get things worked up in our minds and we tend to make those things bigger than they really are. It’s so easy to do. We gotta take a step back, get a different perspective, breathe, and regroup. I had to remind myself a lot these past couple of weeks to breathe. I was so overwhelmed and felt very stressed. I kept telling some people that I needed to just breathe and think through what I needed to do.

Friends, I want to remind us all that God is with us. He’s been with us and with others through the many years of time. He will never leave us. He is always with us and is guiding us. This doesn’t mean He will take the situations away and make all things better. Sometimes we wish He would, right???

I’m so glad to be reminded each day that He is always with me. He will never leave me. When I feel overwhelmed and the challenges look way bigger than life, I need to take a breather and regroup. When I do, somehow God sees me through and I get a different perspective.

Let us remember, through all of our current challenges in life, God is saying “I Am With You”.

In Burma

Danu in Myanmar (Burma)

https://operation.asiaharvest.org/MYANMAR-Danu.pdf