Aaron112 said:

Remember Jesus was not Himself accepted by His own people , but rejected, even scorned. So it is for those who stand for truth today.

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Well the church my two sisters have been going to for several years only has about 15 people attending... lots of people I know are against their pastor (who sometimes calls himself a prophet) [I'm also against the grandmother video]. Those in his church think of Matthew 7:13-14 when people are critical of the low number of members.

It is critical to correct biblical interpretation always that we read Scriptures in their context. It is a good practice to read the whole context of a Bible book or a biblical passage in order to not take Scriptures out of context and to get a false impression of what they are teaching. So many lies are being taught as truth these days because they are teaching Scriptures out of context and they are twisting them to say what they do not say if taught in the correct context. So, let’s look together at what this is saying.

Who is this written to? It is written to the church, to those professing faith in Jesus Christ. And the author is God, via the apostle John. And the subject matter is that we may not sin. He wrote these things to those professing faith in the Lord Jesus that they may not sin. For that is the goal of our faith, that we should die with Christ to sin and be raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as servants of righteousness in walks of obedience to his commands.

But even though it should be our goal that we no longer sin, we are still human beings who live in flesh bodies, who still have the propensity to sin, and who will be tempted to sin, and who may, at times, sin against the Lord, sometimes without forethought. But if our faith in Jesus Christ is God-gifted and God-persuaded faith, and we have died with Christ to sin, and we are walking in obedience to him, in practice, he is our advocate to God the Father. His sacrifice for our sins covers us so they are not held against us.

For Jesus Christ (God the Son, the Son of God) gave himself up for us on that cross so that when he died, our sins died with him, and when he was raised from the dead, he rose in victory over sin, death, Satan, and hell, on our behalf, so that we would now die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, by his grace, and in his power and strength. So, by faith in him, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him now as slaves to God and to righteousness.

But what if all we do is make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but we don’t ever die with him to sin, and we don’t walk in obedience to his commands, in practice? Is Jesus Christ still our advocate? Not according to what comes next, and not according to what was taught in 1 John 1 and 1 John 3 and in the books penned by Paul and by the other apostles. And not according to what Jesus taught, either. For if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness and obedience to God, we don’t have salvation from sin.

For we read in 1 John 1:5-10 that if we say that we are in fellowship with God/Christ, but while we walk (in conduct, in practice) in darkness (sin), we lie and we do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light (truth, righteousness, godliness, Jesus Christ, the gospel), then the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. And we read in 1 John 2:3-6 that if we claim to know God/Christ, but if obeying his commandments is not our practice, the truth is not in us, and we don’t really know God/Christ.

So, we cannot read 1 John 2:1-2 and stop there and assume that no matter how often we sin, even if sin is our practice, and if we do so deliberately and premeditatedly, without conscience, that Jesus is still our advocate. And this is why context is so critical, for many professers of faith in Jesus Christ are still living in deliberate and habitual sin while claiming Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and forgiveness of all sins and heaven as their eternal destiny. But if sin is our practice, we are not in fellowship with God.

And if we claim that we know God, but we do not obey his commandments (New Covenant), in practice, we are liars. We don’t know God, and heaven is not our eternal destiny. For whoever practices righteousness is righteous in the eyes of the Lord, and whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil (1 John 3:4-10). So, we have to be people for whom sin is not our practice, but for whom obedience to our Lord is our practice, all by the grace of God and in his power, as we surrender our lives to do his will and purpose.

[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]

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.

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This video gives a great look at a news documentary concerning many of the problems that are aiding the massive illegal immigration into the USA.

the Vital One said:

Two astronauts went up on the Dragon for their mission. That mission will not end until February and that is when all four will return to Earth.

It must be quite embarrassing that a business competitor literally has to come to the rescue after the disappointment of the Starliner.

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You know something? Boeing deserves this failure. Boeing already made crappy planes since the 737 Max incident in 2019-2020. So, if Boeing lost a customer for going to space, the company deserves it. Sorry for the little rant, but I am not a big fan of modern Boeing since the Alaskan airlines incident with the bolts failing in early 2024. When profits > safety, one must think twice before purchasing or using a Boeing.

It is good that the mission is safe, and will go well. Also, it would be cool if the mission report was published, to see what type of research the astronauts would do between now and February 2025.

Joseph G said:

Question 1) Where is the Church?

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Not doing their job is where they are.

Joseph G said:

Question 2) Although I deeply respect the heart and work Tim is doing on behalf of the abused, why can I find no reference to the sharing of the Gospel on his site or in his vids, in order to not just lead to rescue in this life, but also for eternity - the greater danger by far? This question I intend to send to Tim's foundation, if I ever find a way to contact them.

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Consider that not every Christian has the gift of evangelism. Tim's work to make a dent in human trafficking is admirable. Perhaps he is not an evnagelist, but God is still using him, IMO. The whole John 3:16 thing is a strong pointer to that.

Sometimes what someone most needs in their journey to holiness is someone else who can be Christ for them. Faith doesn't guarantee perfection in our human frailty. As a priest friend of mine likes to say, the struggle is the victory. What does she mean when she says she doesn't consider herself fully repented?

Philippians 4:4-9 suggests to replace anxiety reflex with faith responses like prayer.

Cultivating faith in your life will definitely contribute to healing.

The Liturgist said:

I love Georgian three-part harmony.

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seconded

LizaMarie said:

I like Trey Gowdy too and he would make an excellent candidate. He is good friends with Tim Scott, who I originally supported in the 2024 primaries and was disappointed when he dropped out. I was hoping Trump would at least choose him for VP.

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Tim Scott still appears to attend alot of Trump events, and appears to travel in Trump's inner circle at times.

Michie said:

It’s really not a good idea though!

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People need to learn others alone. Bothering others is just disrespectful.

bling said:

I unfortunately quench the Spirit way to much.

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Me too. And not by accident.

Good for him! I greatly admire him and Justice Amy Coney Barrett

According to the Bible, the best way for Israel to have freedom from their enemies, is to repent. And that applies to this country too.

I pray for their repentance, protection and provision.

Wolseley said:

My local diocesan magazine arrived in my mailbox yesterday; it's full of gushings about "the Synod" and all the great things they're supposedly going to accomplish.

All it really amounts to is a bigger version of those national conferences that bishops convene, where a bunch of people all get together at a Radisson hotel somewhere, and in between catered meals, engage in a lot of navel-gazing about incredibly bland and generic topics, all of which produces nothing but a lot of theo-babble and hot air.

For myself, I don't want a "Synodal" Church. I want an *Apostolic* Church.

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Well said and well written, sir.

I’m in complete agreement.

Lord have mercy!

Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate,
the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.

Amen. That's from The Message Bible

How very sad May the rest in the peace of Christ

Glory to God!

Hank77 said:

How would one protect their prepped goods from hurricanes and flood waters?

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I was thinking more of the aftermath. Upstate SC still has no power (over 550,000 homes and businesses), and many people are stranded and need to be helicoptered out. Bridges are out, and roads are either out or deep in mud. My son and daughter-in-law just got the power back on today. My older son brought them a solar power generator for lights and a fan.
But you are right about losing prepped goods. Don't trust in preps. Ultimately, the Lord is our provider. Most of our preps are encased in vacuum packages protected from water. More problematic are those who are deciding today not to prep, and when their families are starving, they will turn into criminals and steal from those who did prep. Perhaps even become violent. That is their undeclared plan.

Long before Absalom's rebellion, David made a special deal with Abner, commander of King Ish-bosheth's army in 2 Samuel 3:

21 Abner said to David, “Let me go at once, and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.”
So David dismissed Abner, and he went in peace.

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Contrary to David's plan, Joab killed Asahel in cold-blooded murder in 2 Samuel 3:

27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside into the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died on account of the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel.

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In this case, the Bible told us the reason: personal vendettas. Asahel killed Joab's brother, so Joab killed him. There was a bonus in this killing: Joab eliminated a potential competitor. Like Joab, Asahel would have been a high-ranking commanding officer working for David. So he had two personal reasons to disobey David.

Joab was instrumental in helping Absalom regain the trust of his father King in 2 Samuel 14. Yet Joab and Absalom had a personal conflict:

29 Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So he sent a second time, but he refused to come. 30 Then he said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

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It is consistent with Joab's character that he bore a personal grudge against Absalom for damaging his property. Once again disobeying David, Joab killed Absalom in 2 Samuel 18:14. Then David demoted Joab a chapter later in 2 Samuel 19:

13 And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my own flesh and blood? May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you are not the commander of my army for life in place of Joab.’

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However, Amasa was a bit slow and not completely competent in this new post when David ordered him to pursue another rebel named Sheba son of Bikri in 2 Samuel 20. So David sent out a second order to Abishai who outranked Joab at the time, 2 Samuel 20:

6 David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master’s men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us.” a 7So Joab’s men and the Kerethites and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.

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Joab's crafty personality showed up for the 3rd time in 2 Samuel 14:

8 While they were at the great rock in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath.
9Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bikri.

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Once again, Joab had eliminated a rival to his position.

How did David react this time?

He promoted him:

23 Joab was over Israel’s entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites;

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There was a complex relationship between David and Joab. Joab got David's jobs done efficiently, including David's dirty jobs, like killing Absalom, which was satisfying for Joab and good for David's hold on the throne.

My first article on J.R.R. Tolkien and Middle-earth has been published. This article focuses on Tolkien's ideal form of kingship practiced by the Free People and draws heavily from material in my book, "The Road Goes Ever On and On."

Glory to God!