anonymous10564 said:

Anyone who is willing to pray for me, please do. I’m struggling with overwhelming anxiety and depression and it’s really affecting my faith and my daily life. I don’t know how much more of this I can take… I’m fighting so hard but I really need prayer from those who have more strength than me right now.

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Our Father in heaven, we came together in prayer to ask for Your grace to be upon anonymous10564. The Lord our Good Shepherd lead anonymous10564 when anxiety and depression come that calmness and assuredness be restore. Bless too anonymous10564 with the spirit of fortitude and steadfastness to guard against all mental uncertainties. In You all things are possible. We ask in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

another Biblical example:
"Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." Matt 27

Vambram said:

Border smugglers use social media to brag about trafficking migrants to US: ‘This is criminal,’ expert says

Human smugglers are using social media apps to boast about helping migrants cross into the U.S. and gloat about the ease with which they evade authorities

www.foxnews.com

Social Media is proving to be an effective tool for human smugglers to move people across the border.

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This is advertising.

By making the trip look safe and easy, they're trying to drum up business without talking about how this administration isn't likely to take asylum seekers anymore.

tonychanyt said:

No single Koine word corresponded 1-to-1 to the English word "like".

2 Corinthians 9:


God likes a cheerful giver. God is fond of a cheerful giver. God finds pleasure in a cheerful giver.

In the NT, G25-agape love usually meant a noble kind of love but it had other nuances particularly outside of the Bible.

BDAG ἀγαπάω:


Contemporary English Version, Mark 10:


Ἀγαπῶ μῆλον means I love apple. There is nothing noble about that.

There was another word for "love": G5368, φιλέω, phileó. BDAG:


John 21:


Both agape-love and phileo-love carried a nuance of "like".

You don’t have to like her to love her. Really?

Right, you don't have to emotionally like her to nobly love her self-sacrificially. That's true. However, I would not completely divorce the liking aspect from agape or phileo. I would not emphasize that liking dimension either. It is not the primary or defining characteristic of agape love. If I agape-love her self-sacrificially, that itself would give me some pleasure, so I must have liked her in some way.

For the Father so agape-loved me that he gave his one and only Son, that if I believe in him, I shall not perish but have eternal life.

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The popular interpretation of G25-agape to mean noble/divine love indeed is incorrect - we only need one example from the NT itself to disprove that:

John 3:19

Whenever we're commanded to love by Bible verses, it's never about emotion, because emotions cannot be commanded - it's always about actions. Loving God means we have set certain priorities and DO things, loving Yeshua means doing what He says/teaches, loving your wife means doing so she gets what she is entitled to according to the marriage covenant !!

…for the USCCB

In 1969, the United States bishops created the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). Its mission is to fund programs that address “systems and structures” of injustice and poverty in America. Unfortunately, over the years many CCHD programs have not upheld basic principles of Catholic social teaching. The CCHD has also used its money to fund left-wing political groups and support community organizing programs.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops recently met for a general assembly, where they held a closed-door, confidential discussion about the future of the CCHD. This was prompted largely by the CCHD’s desperate financial situation: It ran a deficit of $5.7 million dollars in 2022. The 2023 numbers are not available. The bishops also wanted to assess whether CCHD is effective—that is, a good use of the generosity of the faithful, who fund the organization. Is CCHD money serving the poor while upholding Church teaching? And is it serving the poor effectively?

Care for the poor is a moral obligation for Catholics. This is not open to debate. As Archbishop Chaput once said, “If we ignore the poor, we will go to hell.” Yet how we most effectively care for the poor is open to debate, and it is fitting that the bishops of the United States periodically examine whether a particular use of limited resources is the best or even an adequate approach—especially since CCHD’s resources come from the faithful in the pews.

Continued below.

What’s weighing on my heart tonight?
So many things that just aren’t right.
A list of them, I have not made.
But into them, I will not cave.

I give them all to Christ alone
Who for my sins He did atone.
How beautiful the love of Him
Who cares for me – not on my own.

I worry not, oh, come what may.
I’ve no control of what they say.
It’s all, it’s all in God’s own hands.
On Him, I’ve taken up my stand.

My future’s all by God’s design.
My good, I know He has in mind.
Without Him, I would fall apart.
He is my Lord. He has my heart.

So, one step, two step, three step, four,
I’m daily trusting, trusting more.
Yes! Letting Jesus have his way.
I’m bowing to Him, as I pray.

An Original Work / April 7, 2021

Before any of us became believers in and followers of Jesus Christ we were dead in the trespasses and sins in which we once walked when we were still under the control of Satan and of the flesh. We were separate from God and unable in our own flesh to be acceptable to God and to share in his holiness and righteousness. We were doomed to destruction, without hope, and with no way out of our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin.

But, by God-provided, and God-gifted, and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing (not of the will nor of the flesh of man), we were crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So sin is to no longer have mastery over our lives. For if we obey sin, it leads to death, not to life everlasting.

Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Romans 6:1-23; Luke 9:23-26; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:24; Acts 26:18; Matthew 7:21-23; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10

For what does it say here? “You WERE dead in the trespasses and sins in which you ONCE WALKED” (past tense, not in the present). So as those who have been saved from our sins, delivered out of our bondage (slavery) to sin, and who have been given new lives in Christ Jesus to be lived for his glory and purposes in holy living, and in walks of obedience to his commands, we should no longer live as those who are addicted to sin.

We once followed the course of this world, but that is now history. We once lived in the passions of our flesh, but no more. We once walked in sin, but Jesus delivered us from our bondage to sin. We once carried out the desires of our flesh and minds, and so we were once children of wrath, like everyone else. But if we have died with Christ to sin, and we are now walking in obedience to his commands in holy living, all of that should be in our past.

Now this is not saying that we are now perfect in every way or that we will never fail again (see 1 John 2:1-2), but that we who believe in Jesus Christ, if our faith is genuine, should no longer be those who are living according to our flesh to obey its sinful desires. We should now be living for the Lord Jesus to please him in all that we are and say and do, and for his glory and purposes. For we should now be his possession to do his will, not ours.

For Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, became sin for us on that cross that we might die to sin and now live to righteousness, by his grace, in his power. He died that we might now live for him and no longer for self. And he shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we will now serve him with our lives, and honor him with our bodies, and walk in his righteousness and holiness.

2 Corinthians 5:15,21; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:1-23

For the grace of God, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. And the faith to believe in Jesus, which comes from God, is persuaded of God as to his holiness and righteousness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to turn from our sins and to now walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands.

Titus 2:11-14; Romans 1:18-32; Acts 26:18; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30

And, although not one of us can be saved by of our own fleshly works, we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. For Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works, which are the works that God ordained and requires of us that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Galatians 5:6; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; 2 Timothy 2:21; John 15:1-11; Titus 3:8; James 2:17

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

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May 19, 2011: I was thanking the Lord in prayer today for his goodness, for all that He has done for me, for loving me, saving me, and for forgiving me, et al, when I sensed he had a song for me to write on that subject, "Thank You, Lord." And I am truly thankful for him rescuing me out of my life of sin, for giving me purpose and direction, for valuing me enough to call me into his service, for never giving up on me, and for all the many ways in which he encourages, comforts and directs me in his love moment by moment and day by day.

Thank You, Lord

An Original Work / May 19, 2011

Thank You, Lord, for saving me;
From my sins set free.
Crucified and risen Lord,
They hung on a tree.
They thought they had finished You.
You came back to life;
Triumphed over hell and sin;
You gave eternal life.

Thank You, Lord, for victory
Over all my sin,
So that I might live with You;
You cleansed me within;
Filled me with your love and pow’r;
Give me strength each day,
So that I might live for You,
To love You and obey.

Thank You, Lord, for your return.
Soon You will arrive
To receive Your bride to You;
Meet You in the sky.
You’ll wipe away all our tears;
Free us from our fears;
Crown our heads in victory.
We’ll praise You with our cheers!

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This is how we, as the body of Christ, are to operate with one another. As Jesus Christ is to us, so we are to be with one another. In the same ways in which the Lord encourages (exhorts, warns, urges, comforts, helps) us, we are to do the same with one another. As he shares his heart with us and we share our hearts with him, we are to do with one another, perhaps not in all the same exact ways, in every respect, but this is what we are to be doing. We are to be caring for and ministering to and helping one another in Christ.

And we are to be loving one another, not just with human love, but with this agape love mentioned here which means to prefer what Christ prefers, and to prefer to live through Christ, and to choose his choices, and to obey them in his power. And what our Lord prefers is all that is holy, righteous, godly, upright, morally pure, honest, faithful, and obedient to him and to his word. So we will love each other with this kind of love in mind, and so we will not willfully do what we know is evil against one another. Love conquers all!

And if we are, indeed, participating in the Spirit, this means that we are cooperating with God and we are doing the things that his word commands us that we must do. We are no longer walking in deliberate and habitual sin against our Lord and against other humans, but now we are walking (in conduct, in practice) in holiness and in righteousness and in walks of obedience to our Lord. And when he speaks to our hearts, we listen, and we obey what he says for us to do when he says to do it.

And just as Jesus Christ is compassionate and sympathetic with us in our weaknesses, in our heartaches and persecutions, and in our trials and tribulations, we are to have the same kind of compassion and sympathy for one another as we face the difficulties of life. But we are not to go soft on sin. We are not to tolerate and approve of “believers in Christ” continuing in deliberate and habitual sin. But we are to exhort one another daily so that none of us will be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness (Hebrews 3:13).

When this says that we are to be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind, this is speaking of the mind and love of Jesus Christ. He is our model for how we are to treat one another. And thank the Lord, he cares enough about us to listen to us and to hear what is on our hearts and minds, and to hold us close to him, and to let us cry out our suffering to him. But I am not suggesting that we should entertain gossip nor grumbling and complaining, but we should care for one another, and not shut each other out, but make room for us to bear each other’s burdens.

For we are to do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit. We are not to be thinking just about us, and what is best for us, expecting everyone to cater to us and to meet our needs, especially if it is with disregard for them and for their needs. For we are to have equal concern for one another. And we are not to be thinking, “What’s in it for us?” when we should be thinking about how we can minister to and serve one another. For we are to be those who are humble in spirit and who are not prideful.

And we are to serve one another as Jesus Christ humbled himself and became a servant. And we are to humble ourselves as Jesus did. And we are to become obedient to the Lord to the point of death, too, first of all in us dying with him to sin daily, by the Spirit, and us dying daily to self so that we can minister to one another in the ways in which Jesus ministered to the people when he walked this earth. And ultimately to serve our Lord and one another as he did in risk of being put to death for our faith in Jesus Christ.

For Jesus Christ did not create us and place us on the earth for our own enjoyment and pleasure and self-satisfaction. He created us and he put us on this earth so that our lives will be surrendered fully to him, to his service, to doing his will, and to ministering to the people of the earth in the same ways in which he did when he lived on the earth. And a big part of what Jesus did is he told them the truth of the gospel, and that is what got him hated the most, and for that he was put to death on a cross.

But he who knew no sin became sin for us on that cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, and that we might follow his example, and that we might obey him and his commands and now walk in his ways, and for his purpose, and under his direction. And this also for the encouragement of other Christians, and for the salvation of human lives from eternity in hell, so that they can now love and obey the Lord and follow him where he leads them. For that is why we exist, to love God and to love our fellow humans.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Gal 6:1; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:11-27; Eph 6:10-20; Php 2:1-8; Col 1:9; Col 3:12-16; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; Jas 5:19-20; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]

Songs in the Night

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!

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hislegacy said:

Not in my home - I taught my children to be obedient.

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I didn't. I taught mine to think for himself. I was never one for the "Cuz I said so!" edict. It certainly never worked for me when I was a kid.

If I told my kid to do something, and he didn't want to do it, he would say so. It forced me to come up with a good reason why I wanted him to do the thing, rather than just telling him to obey me unilaterally, without question.

Yeah, it was frustrating sometimes...and I have regretted it more than once...but now that the kid is an adult who thinks for himself, rather than just accept authority without question, I see the value.

-- A2SG, may not be an approach that works for everyone, though....

Hello folks. Today's study shows that faith is greater importance compared to miracles or proof.

Hello folks. My Roku streaming stick has a 3rd party app called BPOD (Bing Picture of the Day), and it displays the time and rotates through 10 or so photos every 15 minutes or so on my 43 inch screen when the screen is idle as a screensaver. This is a volcano crater in Indonesia.

Quoted from Shane White: "You might have seen lakes with some unique colors before, but Indonesian island of Flores, with its volcano Kelimutu, may steal the show. Home to three lakes, each with its own hue and folklore, this natural wonder attracts travelers seeking an otherworldly experience. Volcanic vents deep within the Earth release steam and gas, which alter the lakes' mineral compositions, causing reactions that transform their appearance periodically."

Bing Picture of the Day (free Roku app): Roku

LG 43UN700T-B screen showing a volcano crater in Indonesia.

Tellyontellyon said:

They are not the typical church though... When most regular church members do something wrong they repent. WBC don't even see their sin. Harassing grieving families at funerals is pure cruelty, unless they are preaching to the departed?
No, they are cruel and are unrepentant...
... So as the Christians seem uncertain about it, on behalf of the Buddhists I declare they are currently headed for one of the Buddhist hells.

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Well, Catholics have never declared that Judas Iscariot or Adolph Hitler are in hell. Nor Pol Pot or anyone else. That's kind of above our pay grade as Catholics. YMMV.

wing2000 said:

Well yes, the cartels would not be so powerful without rich Gringos consuming their product. Our bad habbits have had a huge impact on societies across Latin America. But Americans don't want address why we are consuming so many drugs....

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Well....


You have to admit 13 billion a year off trafficking isn't chump change.

Thanks for posting

dzheremi said:

"The gays and Muslims, amirite?"

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The expression "allowing foxes in the henhouse" comes to mind.

rockytopva said:

Wow! Cool! I personally believe programming language is good for the mind.

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Hey thanks. I have modded that Black Body program even more so, but it is on a hard drive. Just a few kilobytes, cos BASIC is tiny. It is good for the mind, and helps us with logic. I need to get back to programming for fun again, but I have not done so since early 2022.

essentialsaltes said:

A judge found Travis Huse guilty of 12 felony counts, including four counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child.​

His father, Scott L. Huse, 66, of Wautoma, faces one count of child enticement, four counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child and seven counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child. Scott Huse is scheduled to go to trial on the charges against him in October.
According to the criminal complaint, eight women came forward to accuse the father and son of assaulting them when they were youths at the church.

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Former pastor sentenced to 25 years for multiple child sexual assaults​

Travis Huse, 44, was previously convicted of 12 counts, including first-degree sexual assault of a child and child enticement for incidents dating back to 1996.

Huse’s father, Scott Huse, 66, is scheduled to go to trial Oct. 21 on a dozen sexual assault and enticement counts.

OP Pt. 14 complete. Op Pt. 15, Chapter 4 of Hebrews to come soon!

chevyontheriver said:

Hey everybody! Check with your political party first before responding to be sure you respond correctly.

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Again, they are pinning it on Trump who was implementing changes.

I have found recently that Biden has bigger cages, more children.
ALSO - In 2021 - under Biden a rule for 8 years was put in effect. This was not via Biden, but everything is being blamed on Trump.

Going back to 2016-17 [because ex order 2018 Trump made law not to separate.]

These clowns constantly attacking Trump for their own actions.
AND then pouring out up a billion more on illegals.

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Start watching about 17 ish.

Hello folks. Apparently the Vatican has a fire department, so if the priest is on fire with his sermon and burning with enthusiasm for the Lord Jesus, the department can spray water on the priest, as well as baptize anyone around the church with the hoses.

Discover how the Vatican firefighters work (all ages, 2 min 31 sec)​

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Video Summary:
The video describes a day in the life of a firefighter serving in the Vatican City, the smallest sovereign state in the world. There are 37 firefighters making up this team, who are required to be available 24/7. These firefighters perform approximately 500 rescues per year, responding to emergencies such as blocked elevators, floods, and any other situations requiring assistance.

The Vatican Fire Department's duties extend beyond typical emergency response, as the firefighters participate in ceremonies involving the Holy Father (the pope) and in St. Peter's Square. One particularly challenging rescue scenario involves rescuing individuals from the top of St. Peter's Dome, which stands almost 450 feet tall and consists of 600 extremely narrow staircases. Rescuing people suffering from dizziness or illness caused by the height can prove difficult in these confined spaces.

Due to the unique nature of firefighter employment, certain requirements must be met for entrance into the Vatican Fire Department. Applicants must be Catholic, under 25 years old, and male; however, it is mentioned that the gender requirement may change in the future. Alessandro Fontanella, who has served for 26 years, explains that what initially drew him to the job was his faith and desire to help others. He finds working among the rich history, art, and culture present in Vatican City truly remarkable.

Throughout service, firefighters may encounter unusual incidents – for instance, a candle setting fire to decorations during a Christmas celebration or an arson incident being investigated. Their patron saints are Saint Barbara and Pope Leo IV, whom legend attributes with putting out significant fires around the Vatican. Although few fires occur today, these firefighters continue to dedicate themselves tirelessly to ensuring security and maintaining peace within the state where the Pope resides.

essentialsaltes said:

And again!

Newsmax Host Reads Disclaimer After Trump Rants About Voter Fraud: ‘Network Believes the Results Were Legal and Final’​

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And again! Please note! Please don't sue us!