New Posts

stevevw · Thursday at 11:21 PM

The whole of human history has been one group of people inflicting force of some sort of over another. The idea of westerners as opposed to natives or the east as opposed to the west or one groups rights to some land over another is all based on tribalism and force.

The natives were brutalising and enslaving each other well before westerners came along. The westerners and other take overs ae just one example which gets forcused on more than others. But all humans are sinners and guilty of mistreating others.

But it is the Christian ethos that eventually put a stop to much of this. Why. Because this was the only people who at least had a basis for not doing bad towards others beyond their own ideas and motivations.

All the rest have no basis. At least with Christianity we can point to a standard beyond ourselves as the right way to treat others. Skeptics can hold Christians to this standard.

But what is the standard for the world ? That they feel its wrong or they base that wrong on subjective ideas that humans come up with. There is no basis.

Aryeh Jay · Thursday at 11:16 PM

Akita Suggagaki said:
What mission is that?

The destruction of the "old" United States and the ushering in of the new and improved version.

tall73 · Thursday at 10:36 PM

prodromos said:
Ellen White claims of the Father, that which Scripture states for Christ.

Oh yes, that became quite the conversation piece in the thread.

You might want to see what else the article had to say on the subject.

essentialsaltes · Thursday at 10:07 PM

Christsfreeservant · Thursday at 9:20 PM

Psalm 63:1 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“1 O God, You are my God.

Earnestly I seek You;

my soul thirsts for You.

My body yearns for You

in a dry and weary land without water.”

What should this look like, in all practicality, for the life of someone who believes in Jesus Christ? If God is truly our God whom we earnestly seek, then that means He is Lord of our lives, but not just in words only, but truly our lives are surrendered to Him, to doing His will, and He is the one guiding and directing and leading us each day in the ways of the Lord and in doing the things we ought to do in obedience to His commands and according to His leading daily in our lives. We live, not for the flesh, but to please God.

And if we thirst for God, and we yearn for Him, like we would yearn for water in a dry land, He will have top priority in our lives above all else. He will not be someone we go to just when we are in trouble, or when we need something, or when we have a prayer request, or who we worship only on a Sunday morning during a “worship service.” Our desire for Him will be continuous, daily, and not just for a few minutes during a daily “quiet time” with God. But He should be in our hearts and minds throughout every day.

Psalm 63:2-4 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“2So I have seen You in the sanctuary

and beheld Your power and glory.

3Because Your loving devotion is better than life,

my lips will glorify You.

4So I will bless You as long as I live;

in Your name I will lift my hands.”

What is the sanctuary of God today? Another word for sanctuary is tabernacle and/or a sacred or holy place. And I remember when I was growing up and we attended church services in a building called “church,” that the room where we had the worship services was called “the sanctuary.” And another word for tabernacle is temple. Well, the temple of God today is the church, but not the building, but the body of Christ, the people of God. We who believe in Jesus are that temple in whom God dwells by his Spirit.

So if we see God today in the sanctuary, we see Him working in our lives and in the lives of others who are indwelt by the Spirit of God via God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ. We see God’s power and glory being displayed by the faith of those whose trust is in the Lord, who have repented of their sins, and who are now walking in obedience to God’s commands. And we hear of God’s love and devotion for his people as evidenced in the lives of His followers and in the words that we speak – we who bless God by our words and our deeds.

Psalm 63:5-8 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“5My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods;

with joyful lips my mouth will praise You.

6When I remember You on my bed,

I think of You through the watches of the night.

7For You are my help;

I will sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings.

8My soul clings to You;

Your right hand upholds me.”

These are the words of someone who is in a personal relationship with the Lord via true biblical faith in Jesus Christ, if what they speak is a reality in their daily lives. For this is not speaking of what is external, but of what is internal, of what is in the heart and mind and soul of the one who professes to know and to love God. This is someone who, by faith in Jesus Christ, gives glory and honor and praise to the Lord, but not in words only, but by how they live their lives in daily surrender to the will of God in obedience to Him.

If we are like this in our relationships with the Lord, then He should be on our minds and in our hearts throughout the day and night every day. And we should be willing to listen to Him and to do what He says even if it is in the middle of the night and it interrupts our sleep. And not only should we view Him as our help, but we are to serve Him with our lives in being and in doing what He has called us to be and to do. And if our souls cling to the Lord, our dependency is in Him and our will is to do His will, all in the power of God.

Faith: [Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Acts 26:18; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Hebrews 12:1-2; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:24]

My Soul Thirsts for You O God
An Original Work / July 30, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

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

Soyeong · Thursday at 9:17 PM

God could not have created the Sabbath until He had created everything else, so it was first in mind and last in deed it is the purpose of everything God created.

Akita Suggagaki · Thursday at 9:13 PM

Judicii signum, tellus sudore madescit.

The sign of judgment: the earth will begin to sweat.

Carmenls · Thursday at 6:58 PM

Please pray to God and ask Him to please keep my husband Robb healthy and happy and please ask for a miracle for my son Jakeb to be healed mind and body with happiness. Please pray and ask God to give me peace. I ask in the name of Jesus. Thank you and God bless you. Carmen

Sif · Thursday at 6:19 PM

Campaigns of Napoleon by David G. Chandler. Specifically, the section on the Ulm Campaign against Austria (culminating at the Battle of Austerlitz).

sjastro · Thursday at 6:06 PM

Here is another of my AI tests relevant to this thread and applicable to OpenAI's latest version ChatGPT-5.6 SOL which is reputably 'smarter' than version 5.5 which I have been using on this site.

Firstly I posed the question whether it was familiar with the following works which I had used in formulating my responses and is used in undergraduate applied mathematics.

Are you familiar with the following works?
(1) Vector analysis and an introduction to Tensor analysis (Schaum's Outline Series). Murray R Speigel.
(2) Introduction to General Relativity. H.A. Atwater.

Yes, I am familiar with both.

Murray R. Spiegel, Schaum’s Outline of Theory and Problems of Vector Analysis and an Introduction to Tensor Analysis. The surname is spelled Spiegel, not “Speigel.” It is a calculation-oriented text covering vector algebra, differential vector operators, integral theorems, curvilinear coordinates and an introductory treatment of tensor notation and tensor operations. Its large collection of worked problems makes it especially useful for developing the mathematical techniques required before studying general relativity. (Google Books)

H. A. Atwater, Introduction to General Relativity. This is a relatively compact introductory text of nine chapters covering special relativity, tensor methods, curved spacetime, Einstein’s field equations and standard applications of general relativity. It was intended as an accessible physics introduction rather than a comprehensive modern differential-geometric treatment. (Elsevier Shop)

They complement each other reasonably well. Spiegel supplies much of the computational background in vectors and elementary tensors, while Atwater applies tensor methods to spacetime and gravitation.

For the Gravity Probe B discussion, the most relevant material would be:

from Spiegel: curvilinear coordinates, tensors, covariant differentiation and transformations;

from Atwater: the metric, geodesics, Christoffel symbols, parallel transport, curvature and the weak-field gravitational equations.

One limitation is that Spiegel’s introductory tensor section may not develop manifolds, tangent spaces, differential forms and connections in the modern geometric language used in current general-relativity texts. Atwater likewise uses an older, comparatively coordinate-based presentation. Nevertheless, together they are adequate for working toward a mathematical description of the Gravity Probe B orbit, spin-vector transport and relativistic precession.

I requested ChatGPT-5.6 SOL to only concentrate on these two sources in coming up with a representation of spacetime curvature around the Earth using the Gravity Probe B results.

Only use these two references to develop a representation of spacetime curvature using a modelled cumulative deviation curve and an infinite number of tangent space slices.
You must show the spin deviations are defined by the Christoffel coefficients as the Gravity Probe B's orbit undergoes parallel transport.
Finally produce a spacetime diagram showing the spacetime curvature around earth on a spacetime diagram with the t-axis being vertical.

An explanation of Christoffel symbols and parallel transport was discussed in the following thread.

In curved space the projection vector does change direction.
This can be illustrated by the change of a projection vector as it moves along the arcs (parallel transported) on the surface of a sphere.

The concept of the derivative in curved space needs to be redefined which factors in the changes in the projection vectors.
In this case we need to calculate the partial derivatives of the metric tensor components which define the geometry of the spacetime in which the projection vectors change.

Without going in specific details which would require a detailed knowledge of tensor analysis the derivative of a tensor known as the covariant derivative is defined as:

The left hand side of the equation is the covariant operator applied to a vector v.
The first term on the right hand side is the normal partial derivative of the vector, the next term contains information how the metric tensor components guv change by calculating their partial derivatives which impacts on changes to the projection vector.

The operator in the second term is known as a Christoffel symbol and is defined.

With this information which comes from both books, ChatGPT-5.6 SOL came up with the following depiction of spacetime around the Earth using an infinite number of slices unlike the 4 slices used by ChatGPT-5.5 in a previous post.

Warden_of_the_Storm · Thursday at 5:08 PM

Gunny said:
During the shot years it appeared that individuals of certain political affiliations were more prone to receive the shot. Having worked for the government several years ago, It really solidified my mistrust of the government and career politicians.

Be Blessed, In Jesus's Name.

And that relates to the OP... how?

Christsfreeservant · Thursday at 4:17 PM

Psalm 52:1-5 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“1Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?

The loving devotion of God endures all day long.

2Your tongue devises destruction

like a sharpened razor,

O worker of deceit.

3You love evil more than good,

falsehood more than speaking truth.

Selah

“4You love every word that devours,

O deceitful tongue.

5Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin;

He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent;

He will uproot you from the land of the living.

Selah”

Those Who Boast of Evil

What does it look like if someone boasts of evil? It can mean to brag, to take pride in, or it can mean to put on display or to flaunt, to make it known to others. And that can be for various reasons, depending on the true intent of the hearts and minds of those who are putting their sins on display. For some, they may just want to brag about what they are getting away with because they take pride in the evil that they do. For others, they may be just wanting attention or the sympathies of others who may take pity on them.

But no matter the intent of the heart, which may be neither of the ones mentioned above, their sins are being put on display. And deceit is one of the aspects of the evil which they perform. And it is clear by their display that they love evil more than (or in place of) good, and they love speaking lies more than (or in place of) speaking the truth. And they could be lying about their sins and what they are actually doing, or about the degree of the sins, or about what leads them to sin or why they are still living in sin, etc.

Passing On The Blame

Some people, for whom sin is their practice, may speak lies about the cause of their sinful behaviors, perhaps to blame God or other humans for why they are on a sinful course, and/or for why they have not been delivered from their sinful course. For it is easier to cast the blame on God or on other humans rather than to take full responsibility for their sins themselves. For if they can put the blame on others for their failures then that relieves them of full responsibility for the evil that they do, which excuses them from fault.

But is it possible to be led into sin by other humans? Yes! The Scriptures cover the subject of those who deliberately, with full intention, lead other believers into sin, that they are committing a severe evil. But that does not relieve the one who sins of responsibility for their own sins. We all still have a choice to say “No!” or “Yes!” to sin. We all have a choice to say “No!” or “Yes!” to God. So both the one who leads the other to sin and the one who follows that lead into sin are guilty of sinning against God without excuse.

A “My Do It” Approach to Victory

There are some people who are captivated to sin who make many failed attempts at having victory over their sin because they take matters into their own hands, and they go at it the way that they choose rather than to follow the ways of the Lord and what the Scriptures teach is the road to victory over sin. And so victory over sin gets delayed because they keep trying in their own strength and according to their own decisions on how to go about this. For they let pride get in the way to having true victory.

And those who continue on this path, doing it their way, and not God’s way, they continue on a path of destruction, and so the same sins keep getting repeated over again. And if they do not change course, and if they do not yield to God’s control, and let go and let God, the ultimate end for them will be that they will be brought down to everlasting ruin, and their lives will be taken from them, and hell (not heaven) will be their eternal destiny because they loved their sins more than they loved God, and so they did not change.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

So, we all need to take this seriously. We cannot play with sin and think that God will be okay with that. He is not! Might we sin sometimes? It is possible (1 John 2:1-2). But if sin is what we practice, by habit, and not obedience to God, we will not have salvation from sin nor eternal life with God. By faith in Jesus Christ we all must deny self, die to sin, and obey God in life practice.

Tongues Which Devise Destruction
An Original Work / July 30, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

The Battle for Truth

Based off Malachi 1-4
An Original Work / May 18, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

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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essentialsaltes · Thursday at 4:15 PM

Pommer said:
My economics foo is (admittedly) lacking but combined with the 3.5% inflation rate for June ‘26, wouldn’t this suggest that the economy is shrinking but inflation is keeping the numbers ticking upwards?

AIUI, GDP figures are reported in 'real dollars' so inflation has already been taken into account.

LoricaLady · Thursday at 3:57 PM

July 30, 2026 India
Christians, Former Extremist Face Persecution
Four Christians, including a former extremist, are in hiding after being harassed. As a young man, Mukesh joined a Hindu extremist group but became interested in dating a Christian woman who shared the gospel with him. After he placed his trust in Christ, they married and began a church that grew to more than 60 Christians. In 2025, Mukesh, his wife and two associates were returning home from a ministry trip when three vehicles followed them. The men in the vehicles were armed with bamboo sticks and forced the four to stop, accusing Mukesh of changing the religion of other men and harassing Mukesh's wife. Read More.
Jul. 30, 2026 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Ebola Outbreak Impacts Local Churches
[9] prayers in [2] nations have been posted for Churches in DRC.

A front-line worker reported that the Ebola outbreak has increased pressure on churches in the DRC as they carry out their ministry. "Pray for those ministering within the local church while they serve as critical front-line responders," he asked. "Many people don't seek medical attention soon enough or refuse to change their burial rituals, allowing the disease to spread rapidly." Read More.
Jul. 30, 2026 | Iran
Historic Church Destroyed by Regime
[10] prayers in [2] nations have been posted for Christians in Iran.

On June 4, 2026, workmen under orders from the Iranian regime bulldozed the Evangelical Church of Mashhad, Iran, without explanation. The church was around 80 years old but had been closed by Iranian officials for more than two decades. Still, some Iranian Christians hoped that it would one day reopen, despite a 2012 government ban on Iranian churches holding any services in Farsi. Read More.

Gunny · Thursday at 3:39 PM

Hamlowe said:
Gonna quote and concur on the sentiment herein expressed. I feel a bit bad for turning this into a thread disputing the rapture as a doctrine when I think the sentiment OP is expressing goes beyond that. God created us to know, love, and serve Him here, and then be happy with Him in Heaven. The hard work of our sanctification is here, on Earth--Heaven is the goal.

Amen and Amen!

essentialsaltes · Thursday at 3:10 PM

Federal judge denies DOJ motion for Portland police protest footage

A judge on Friday denied a U.S. Department of Justice motion that sought to compel Portland to share police body camera footage and documents related to its handling of protests outside the federal immigration enforcement building, finding it was filed in “bad faith and with unclean hands.”

The Justice Department sought the material first on Oct. 3 and again on Oct. 29 in an effort to enforce one provision of a longstanding settlement agreement it reached with the city in 2014, saying it was investigating “potential viewpoint discrimination.”

The city’s settlement, approved in 2014, was aimed specifically at reducing unnecessary or excessive force by Portland police against people suffering from a mental health crisis, city attorneys argued.

[Presumably Nick Sortor.]

Sortor’s lawyer later filed a notice to sue the Portland Police Bureau, alleging bias by the bureau’s leaders against conservatives after his arrest on a disorderly conduct allegation which was dropped by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office days later.

Simon highlighted that [Assistant Attorney General] Dhillon also shared a social media post from Sortor on Oct. 3, using “strong language of a threatening nature.” Dhillon reported a Sortor comment about a federal investigation into Portland police with her own, writing: “Portland: It’s FO time. Buckle up.” FO is shorthand for “find out.”

“That is neither language nor tone of a good-faith investigation by the United States Department of Justice,” Simon wrote. “Instead, it exhibits all the hallmarks of a threat and attempted intimidation.”

Yarddog · Thursday at 2:52 PM

Laodicean60 said:
#20 But what does this have to do with you calling out your brothers?

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

It we wouldn't want our children forced to study other religions or Christian theology not taught in our Church, we should not force other people's children to study ours.

durangodawood · Thursday at 2:40 PM

ThatRobGuy said:
It would seem as if there's still some enforcement and regulatory oversight.

Its a big swamp for one little DOGE to drain.

ThatRobGuy said:
....If it were me, I'd be focusing more of the finite time and resources on inspecting foods sourced from countries that have weaker (or more potentially corrupt) domestic inspection regimes. In the case of Canada, their food (and food safety) standards are higher than ours, so I'd be okay with redirecting half of the inspection staff currently at the Northern Border, down to the Southern Border, and pre-approving most packaged/sealed goods coming in from Canada.

Seems reasonable. But I think its politically harder to announce a specific enforcement stand down than to just slowly starve the whole system of resources across the board.

essentialsaltes · Thursday at 1:59 PM

Father sentenced to 15 years in prison in Georgia high school shooting carried out by teenage son

[Judge] Primm said the father was convicted because "the warning lights were flashing brighter and brighter" and he didn't get his son help or remove his access to guns.

"No parent thinks that their child is going to be the next school shooter, but it became more and more obvious that something bad was going to happen," Primm said.

The judge told Colin Gray that if he had used gun locks or removed the ammunition from his house, "you wouldn't be here today."

Primm sentenced the father to 15 years confinement for each second-degree murder count. Those and lesser sentences on his other counts will run concurrent with one another, for a total 15-year prison sentence, the judge said.

concretecamper · Thursday at 1:45 PM

As with any Sacrament, to be valid requires proper matter, form, and intention. With Marriage these are:

1. Proper matter (one baptized man and one baptized woman consenting to the Sacrament
2. Proper form (The wedding vows, a free mutual consent from each)
3. Proper intention (permanence, fidelity, free, and fruitfulness)

Lukaris · Thursday at 1:09 PM

A Christian needs to be aware of the Lord’s commandments towards their fellow human beings ( Matthew 22:36-40, Matthew 7:12, per Matthew 7:1-12, Matthew 19:16-19 etc.). Solomon’s reminds us with his sensible conclusion to fear the Lord & keep His commandments ( Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Solomon also instructed us on the ever changing human condition ( Ecclesiastes 3:1-9) whereas the Lord tells us to be wise as serpents, harmless as doves ( Matthew 10:16) in dealing with this. Alongside the added complications of natural disasters, life in the fallen world is complicated.

From what I have said above, I believe this is what is something that was lacking in wisdom, clarity etc. in Christianity in the western world ( not western Christianity per se). European mindsets run the extremes of delusion as either an imperialist monster or an almost self loathing that tries to love. Its Christianity reflected much of this in conformity to an imperialist past. Today it veers towards being milquetoast or secularist liberation ( anti traditional Christian) theology etc. in which God will love sinners into heaven over believers.

My Arabic Christian ancestors came to America as a refuge and belief of something better than anti Christian pogroms in Syria. My Puritan indentured servant ancestor ended up in early 17th century Connecticut trying to put Europe behind but Americans were unable to put the European insanity behind also ( I believe they tried hard in some ways though but the baggage was too much).

Speaking in extremely broad terms.

Servus · Thursday at 11:51 AM

essentialsaltes said:
If we're allowed to have elections, there should be no need for supernatural interventions.

Don't count chickens before they've hatched.

DaisyDay · Thursday at 11:03 AM

rambot said:
IF you're conscious stops you from doing your job, you should not do that job.

I know you meant "your conscience" but thinking about the literal sense of what you wrote is amusing...

New Posts

New Posts

July 30, 2026 India​

Christians, Former Extremist Face Persecution​

Jul. 30, 2026 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the​

Ebola Outbreak Impacts Local Churches​

Jul. 30, 2026 | Iran​

Historic Church Destroyed by Regime​

Federal judge denies DOJ motion for Portland police protest footage​

Father sentenced to 15 years in prison in Georgia high school shooting carried out by teenage son​

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July 30, 2026 India

Christians, Former Extremist Face Persecution

Jul. 30, 2026 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the

Ebola Outbreak Impacts Local Churches

Jul. 30, 2026 | Iran

Historic Church Destroyed by Regime

Federal judge denies DOJ motion for Portland police protest footage

Father sentenced to 15 years in prison in Georgia high school shooting carried out by teenage son