To be clear, my only objection, and its less of a rejection and more of a regret, is that the Latin word Lucifer has become the default Western “proper name” for the devil rather than the original Hebrew word “Heyel” or, most appropriately, simply referring to him as “The Adversary” (which is what Satan means).

It is regrettable because early Christian martyrs who died for Christ were named Lucifer or the Greek equivalent (Luciphoros) and there is even a Paschal hymn called the Exultet which refers to Christ as the light bearer.

Additionally the idea that the word is the proper name for the devil is really very strong in the English language, less so outside of Western Europe. The popularity of Milton’s Paradise Lost and later countercultural media further contributed to the unpleasant diabolicization of “Lucifer” and the eradication of collective memory of the Christian contexts of the name - references to Christ as the bringer of light (the true bringer of light; in this respect the devil is an imposter) and early Christian martyrs and the fourth century bishop St. Lucifer of Cagliari, who was by no means a devil worshipper (indeed, he was an admirer of Origen, and Origen was one of the first Christian theologians to highlight how Isaiah 14 was referring not just to King Nebuchadnezzar but to the devil).

Conversely, while we have managed to, through countercultural media, load the word Lucifer with an absurd amount of diabolical implication, we have also managed to ignore through popularization the strong connection between dragons and the devil. This largely happened in the late 20th century. For example, in 1959 we see Sleeping Beauty which had a clearly diabolical dragon being controlled by Maleficient, a diabolical female character, defeated by Prince Philip whose sword featured a prominent cross. Walt Disney was actually Christian and consistently referred to the devil as “that old dragon”, for example when talking about his animation of “The Night on Bald Mountain” by the Russian composer Mussorgsky. But by the 1970s we started seeing massive numbers of friendly dragons in the media and the dragons were a major theme in “The Game of Thrones” for example.

Meanwhile among my Romanian Orthodox friends, with the exception of one strange youth who was less Orthodox Christian and more of a hardcore Romanian nationalist who admired the man (despite him being ethnically German-Hungarian), Prince Vlad the Impaler also known as Vlad Dracul, a real historical figure who inspired “Dracula” but who was not actually a vampire (but he was a monstrous war criminal whose atrocities were so horrifying as to cause the Turkish Sultan to turn back in horror, and given the Ottoman Empire’s later enthusiasm for atrocities (performed by mercenaries called the “Bashi Bazouks” which means “broken heads” in the context of “evil demented people’”, its possible that they may well have gotten the idea from Vlad Dracul - at any rate, my Romanian Orthodox friends thought the name referred to the devil and only on reflection recalled that Dracul could also mean “dragon” in a more generic sense, but by default, Dragon and Devil are essentially synonymous among the Romanians and were historically largely synonymous even in English, as we see from the speech of Walt Disney.

The use of “Lucifer” to translate the Hebrew word “Heyel” was a deliberate choice by Latin translators of the Vetus Latina and later of St. Jerome in translating the Vulgate, in that it preserved the masculine gender associated with Nebuchadnezzar.

However I would argue that another viable translation in the present day would be “Venus” provided one was clear one was referring to the planet, which is actually the planet being referred to by Heyel, and also to idolatry and false gods generally, and not specifically just to the deity Venus, but if we look at Psalms 96:5 “The gods of the gentiles are idols” and the more interesting Septuagint translation (which may well be, like so much of the Septuagint, an older alternative reading) “The gods of the nations are demons” which is rendered as “devils” in some translations such as the Challoner Douai Rheims. Both are correct, since the false gods worshipped by non-Christians are in all cases idols of the devil or of diabolical origin or confusion. Thus linking the word explicitly to a pagan deity via the planet named after that deity that Heyel was referring to would be an interesting and literally accurate way of translating Isaiah 14:12, to render the word Lucifer as “Venus.” But it would be necessary in doing so to clarify the rationale of the translation and also to avoid appearing to feminize Nebuchadnezzar (while sexual immorality including sexually ambiguous hieratic temple servants did exist in ancient Babylon, as far as I am aware Nebuchadnezzar was not himself effeminate or homosexual, although he might well have engaged in homosexual activity as this kind of decadent behavior was common in antiquity, but without definite proof we don’t want to imply that in the context of Nebuchadnezzar. In the case of the devil however, since being a fallen angel he is not a being capable of reproduction, it could serve as a poignant reminder that the gods of the gentiles are demons (which we Christians need to remember as an evangelical imperative - the fact is that some liberal Christians who have de-emphasized the propagation of the faith are greatly misguided - although conversely it would not be productive as a means of conversion to try to convince non-Christians that they are engaging in diabolatry, even accidentally, indeed that would cause so much offense as to shut them down and preclude conversion in many cases.

In the Orthodox Church we like to avoid negative proselytism altogether.

Evangelist and YouTuber Bryce Crawford recently documented his experience attending the West Hollywood Pride Parade in Southern California.

Crawford said that this is the third time he has attended the event. Throughout his video, Crawford emphasized that he wanted to have “respectful conversations” about faith.

Among those whom Crawford engaged in conversation were counter-protesters who stood near a group of Christians that held signs denouncing the event. One woman to whom Crawford spoke said that she believes “Jesus was a pretty righteous man” but that Jesus “weeps at what many—not all—but many Christians have done in his name.”


“The Christians that I know, the people that I hold dear to my heart, follow his Word,” she added. “And they’re some of the most amazing people I’ve ever known in my life and I am so blessed to have in my life. Because they really practice what he preached.”

Continued below.

Former Avalon member Melissa Greene, who is featured on the new version of “Testify to Love” with founding Avalon member Michael Passons and country singer Ty Herndon, says that Christian music and gospel music have been “built, honestly, on the back of so many queer people.” Greene, Passons, and Herndon appeared on Jen Hatmaker’s podcast this week, where they discussed their spiritual journeys and how they are “reclaiming” the hit song.

“I just want to note one thing,” said Greene after explaining how her spiritual beliefs changed in the time since her youth, when she attended a Baptist megachurch, until now.


“The one thing that bothers me is, Michael said, you know, a few minutes ago, Christian music, gospel music, southern gospel music, it has been built, honestly, on the back of so many queer people,” she said. “Literally, it still is. It still is.”

“So obvious,” Hatmaker agreed, as Passons noted, “Songwriters, producers.”

Continued below.

Several demonstrators gathered outside a small Iowa church Sunday to protest a sign declaring, “Ditch Pride. Embrace Humility!” But the church’s pastor says the message was not intended to target anyone or spread hatred.

The demonstration took place outside Fort Des Moines Church of Christ in Des Moines, where Pastor Michael Demastus said the sign was posted two days before the start of June to communicate what he believes is a central Christian teaching during a month when discussions of pride are highly visible in public life.

“The message was ... intentional that we're going to hear all of June all about pride,” Demastus told The Christian Post. “And the message of Christianity is the converse of that. I guess it's OK to say it inside of our walls, right? But as soon as you take a message like that outside of the walls, it is not received well.”

“The reality is Christ didn't just say it was a possibility, He promised. They hated me; they're going to hate you,” the church leader continued. “So any believer that lives out his faith in the public arena is going to be hated by the world. That's just a truism of being a person of faith who follows Jesus.”

According to Demastus, local activist Heather Ryan organized the protest, which he estimated drew about a dozen participants. He said demonstrators remained within the law but used bullhorns to shout at churchgoers arriving for worship services.

“They had bullhorns, and they were obscene, and they were loud, and they respected all the laws, but people in our church were driving into the parking lot, and they were yelling with their bullhorns at them, and just acting rather gross,” Demastus said.

Continued below.

USA vs Paraguay
Pre Game Show - 6pm

A Sudanese Muslim attempted to behead a man in a Belfast street. Now, citizens in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the UK and across Europe are beginning to fight back against enforced immigration and conquest, rioting in the streets. Welcome to the Bubba Effect.

A Sudanese Muslim immigrant named Hadi Alodid, 30, attempted to behead a neighbor of his named Stephen Ogilvie, 44, in the middle of a street in Belfast, Ireland, reportedly four days after Ogilvie tried to help Alodid move. The victim has lost one eye, and the other may go as well. He was stabbed in the head, face, and back before his attacker tried to cut off his head.

essentialsaltes said:

About that...

Leaked phone call shows Trump’s final humiliation of fired Cabinet member​

Axios reports that Bill Pulte, whom Trump wants as his new DNI, called Gabbard and told her that her time was up and that she would have to depart immediately.

“I need to hear it from the president or the White House,” she told Pulte, two officials briefed on the conversation told Axios.

Gabbard then called Trump directly and the president asked her: “What day works best for you?”

Gabbard named June 19 and Trump quickly announced the date on his Truth Social site.

Click to expand...

Her switch to R party went sooo well.

I'm a brony. Fluttershy is my favourite.

If I think of the Church of England, an institution cannot bind our society in any way, however positively it can, if virtually everyone has left the institution.

Although I can see from the OP and the article why certain people in UK politics are attacking institutions and undermining trust in them. They do not want anything that might steady immediate reactions, or nurture unity and community.

There are more than just John, Paul, George and Ringo?!?!

Who knew?!

Seriously though, it is always cool to hear about a new discovery!

President Donald Trump carried Ohio by more than 11 percentage points in 2024, but a new Fox News survey finds his standing in the Buckeye State has deteriorated — a development that is benefitting Democrat Sherrod Brown in the Senate race.

The poll of Ohio voters, released Wednesday, finds Trump’s ratings are about on par with views of Republican incumbent Senator Jon Husted (41% favorable, 50% unfavorable), while challenger and former Ohio Senator Brown is viewed significantly more positively (53% vs. 44%).

That helps Brown outperform Husted by a 53% to 45% margin in the race to fill the state’s Senate seat. His 8-point lead is outside the poll’s margin of sampling error.

Brown also receives backing from outside the democratic base: 31% of non-MAGA Republicans and 13% of all Republicans. Only 2% of Democrats pick Husted.

Inflation dominates, with 43% saying it is the most important issue in their Senate vote. All others trail far behind, including healthcare (12%), immigration and border security (11%,) political divisions (9%), jobs (8%), Iran (7%), abortion and crime (4% each). Notably, inflation is the top issue among independents (50%), Democrats (44%), Republicans (40%), MAGA (34%), and 2024 Trump voters (39%).

CDC and Florida at odds over hantavirus cruise ship passenger’s quarantine ​

One of the 18 passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius says she feels like she’s being “held hostage” and just wants to go home.

Florida health officials are pushing back at quarantine guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius exposed to the deadly Andes hantavirus.

“I’m being held hostage in this power struggle between a state and the federal government,” said Angela Perryman, 47, who has been at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s National Quarantine Unit since May 11.

Perryman said that health officials previously told passengers that they would be able to leave federal quarantine by the end of May and spend the rest of their 42-day quarantine under home supervision. The first five went home June 1.

States were required by the CDC to station law enforcement or public health employees outside the homes of quarantined passengers for surveillance.

Florida health officials, it appears, have a different approach.

“At this time, neither the state of Florida nor the Department is planning to implement round-the-clock surveillance measures,” Brian Wright, a spokesman for the Florida Health Department, said in an email.

ThatRobGuy said:

I'm getting that in another thread right now as we speak because
-I dared to suggest that diet & exercise are preferable to a bunch of people rushing to get on GLP-1s
-Suggested that direct-to-consumer marketed telehealth services
- and linked a WHO report that suggested antibiotics are overprescribed as a means of demonstrating that "no, not all doctors use due diligence when handing out prescriptions"

Things that shouldn't be controversial at all

Took all of the two posts before the "you're not a doctor" and "you're just a guy who found links on the internet" crap started up.

Click to expand...

eh... That's not really all you're communicating in that thread.

RocksInMyHead said:

Having read through that thread already, it's only the first one of those that prompted the "you're not a doctor" statements - and that's a reasonable criticism of anyone dispensing medical advice on the internet. Everything else was people simply disagreeing with you or disagreeing with your interpretation of the links you posted. You have a tendency to speak authoritatively, even when simply voicing your opinion, and of treating your own opinions as factual, and that colors people's responses. Again, there's an objective difference between stating "I think [X]" and "[X] is the truth." I (think I) understand the point you were trying to make, but making your argument as an absolute is always going to set people off.

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Also, the one person in that thread who's making the credentialism argument is obviously touchy from having already gone through some of this gatekeeping to get something for a legitimate need that others refused to acknowledge.

During his 2016 campaign, a YouTube video circulated showing Trump at a WWF event, taking on the owner of WWF, bringing him down and shaving his head in the center of the ring.
It was perhaps the 150th indication of his complete unsuitability to be president--at this point the indications have reached well into the thousands.
Might he try to take on an MMA fighter? Might his staged victory wind up giving him a heart attack or stroke?
Who am I, an ordinary citizen, to try and stop him, even if I were so inclined?
And that's a big if.

Your Name in Landsat​

With this online interactive, users can type in their name then view and export the graphic of that name spelled out in Earth features found in Landsat images.

What if I told you there was a real “Mrs. Robinson” — someone who once met two musicians, and before she knew it, they were singing about her by name. I know her story well, because the real Mrs. Robinson was my mom.

The Early Years​

“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so….” These are the first words I remember hearing from my mother. She was rocking me in the old Victorian rocking chair her mother had used for her. My first memory is centered around my mom and Jesus.

She was born Barbara Balday in 1932 at home in New York City, a sickly child who was not expected to live. Her mother had delivered four live daughters and ten stillborn sons before her. When the oldest daughter, my aunt, helped Mom enter the world, she balked at having to wash the new baby. “Oh Mother, do I have to?” she asked, “It’s only going to be dead.”

No one called her by her real name until she went to school. She was always “Tootsie” in those early years. Her role models were Jesus and Shirley Temple.

Mom’s father was 56 years old when she was born. His father was a brigadier general in the Civil War. He was a Union General who helped black soldiers put an end to the misery of slavery. My great-grandfather moved his family to New Orleans after the war, when federal troops worked to protect the voting rights of black Americans in the South.

Mom’s maternal great-grandfather also worked toward the cause of abolition. Reverend James Junius Marks was the Presbyterian pastor of a church in Quincy, Illinois. He knew Abe Lincoln and visited him in the White House. Marks volunteered as a chaplain for the Union Army, and he shared the imprisonment of the troops he served. He traveled to the Holy Land and gave lectures on what he saw where Jesus walked.

When the general’s son, my grandfather, moved back North, he met his wife in a coffee shop in Pittsburgh. She had left her family’s farm to explore city life. My grandfather said he “always admired the way Jewish people were devoted to the education of their children,” so he moved his family to New York City.

Their church had a Sunday school and a choir. The children sang In The Garden and other Christian colloquial hymns. Like some churches, it also met on Wednesday evenings. But unlike others, these meetings were known as “message services,” in which a medium would claim to “channel” the spirit of someone who had died. As it turns out, my mom was raised in a Spiritualist church.

Continued below.

David Lamb said:

Yet again you say, "The new Bibles" when you mean "Some new Bibles." Here is Luke 22:31 in several English translations that are newer than the KJV:

NKJV
(Luk 22:31) And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.

WEB
(Luk 22:31) The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have all of you, that he might sift you as wheat,

YLT
(Luk 22:31) And the Lord said, 'Simon, Simon, lo, the Adversary did ask you for himself to sift as the wheat,

CEV
(Luk 22:31) Jesus said, "Simon, listen to me! Satan has demanded the right to test each one of you, as a farmer does when he separates wheat from the husks.

Those translations which do not mention "the Lord" or "Jesus" in verse 31 do have that verse as a continuation of Jesus speaking to His disciples as He was in verses 24-25, which in the ESV say:


(Luk 22:24) A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.
(Luk 22:25) And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors.

It is just plain wrong to say that the new Bibles remove "Lord."

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He couldn’t promote his KJV-onlyism if he had to admit things like that.

This has been developing for years. It began with feminism and though a rightful issue that women were being descriminated against. Like most world ideologies it evolves into an all encompassing worldview in how humans and the world is ordered.

This has coincided with the gradual rejection of God and the natural laws order.

So it is understandable that once God is rejected that a new moral and worldview meaning will fill the void. A human made one but every bit a religious type belief.

In some ways the worlds idea of what is the key to a happy and a good life is self destructive. Because its not about what is best but who is best. So long as its not God and Christs truth.

Which is rejecting what is the true way to the best life as Christ said He was the way, truth and life that we all seek.

The Liturgist said:

By the way @Deegie I’ve met a number of Catholics and former Catholics and some former Anglicans who did not enjoy the experience of confirmation, specifically, they resented having to memorize the creeds and the Catechism and having to essentially experience a pop quiz on these subjects from the Bishop. From a Western liturgical standpoint, what are your thoughts on doing confirmation in such a way so that the youths enjoy it? Or do you think it should not be done in the traditional Western episcopal visitation format?

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There's an old joke in these parts that goes:

How do you get rid of the geese all over the church lawn [or the mice in the basement or bats in the belfry or some other animal problem]? Confirm them. You'll never see them again.

The way we do confirmation is problematic in a lot of ways, beyond just the theological. The sort of didactic approach you mentioned gives the impression that it's a reward for knowledge gained, sort of like a school diploma. It very often leaves out the other (and some would say more important) elements of Christianity, such as the affective, the communal, the spiritual, and the missional aspects. If we are talking about teenagers, then honestly the most important part in my mind is impressing upon them that they are now making this decision for themselves. They are taking on the promises made by their parents and godparents. In that way, it becomes a rite of passage from childish to adult membership in the community. They decide if they want to be part of the church rather than having their parents drag them to church. On the first day of confirmation class, I tell them that it's a process of learning, exploration, and relationship-building, and that if they decide at the end not to be confirmed, that's totally fine. They seem to appreciate that. Along the way, we definitely make it fun for them. I don't use lecture-based confirmation curricula with youth.

However, there is definitely value in memorizing (or at least becoming very familiar with) things like the creeds, Lord's Prayer, etc. There is also long historic precedent for it in the traditio and redditio. I've never experienced the bishop quizzing them, however. Throughout my ministry, the the bishop has always taken my word for the fact that the candidates have been properly prepared and that was it.

Ultimately, I would actually retain episcopal confirmation but would prefer more clear communication in the service about what that sacrament actually does. It doesn't impart the Holy Spirit (so bishops, please stop chrismating at confirmation) and it doesn't make you a member of the church (baptism did that). It is, however, a mature affirmation made in front of the bishop who represents the Church universal. For those baptized as adults, however, I think the Roman Catholics have it right. A longer catechumenate and then presbyteral confirmation at their baptism in their own community. Confirmation loses what little theological coherence it has left with those baptized as adults.

headphones777 said:

Yes but I do not believe in "once saved always saved". Sanctification is a process.

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Hello again Headphones, those who hold to OSAS believe that they are being sanctified (made to be more and more like Jesus, that is) throughout their lives here, and the very same thing is typically true for those who oppose OSAS. So, I don't believe that OSAS has any bearing on this topic, no matter which side of the OSAS fence you find yourself on.

You know, there are a number of things in God's economy like that (IOW, something that is already accomplished and yet, something that is still in process too), including things like adoption and salvation, along with sanctification. I believe the concept or doctrine is called something like "Already/Not Yet", and a "for instance" might go something like this, that "we (Christians) are saved (justification), we are being saved (sanctification) and we will be saved (glorification)", and all three are true Biblically.

God bless you!!

--David
p.s. - these two links should prove to be both interesting and useful to you (and both address the Biblical concept of already/not yet, to one degree of another (and both are quite short, about 5 minutes each or so) Enjoy

.

Father Dan Reehil, a Roman Catholic priest and exorcist with the Diocese of Nashville, floated the concept of formally cursed movies amid reports earlier this week that Steven Spielberg claimed his new alien film "Disclosure Day" may shake the faith of Christians.

"[Spielberg] said something very odd. He said that this film will shake the faith of many people or have people re-question their belief in God and their religion," Reehil, who pastors St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Columbia, Tennessee, said in a Wednesday video on his YouTube channel.

Continued below.

I had a very close friend who was a believer and suicidal.

There was quite some prayer for her to the extent that she heard Him speak saying "If you take your life I wont love you any less" Hearing this totally broke the desire and intent, knowing she was loved.

1 Corinthians 10:1-11 NKJV


For Our Instruction

A lot of people have this idea that they can make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and now all their sins are forgiven, and heaven is guaranteed them for when they die, or for when Jesus returns for his faithful bride – end of the story. But that is not what the Scriptures teach us, which we will learn if we study them in their correct biblical context. And God gave us this example of what happened to so many of his people in the wilderness as examples to us so that we won’t do as they did, with the same results.

With most of them God was not well pleased, and as a result their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Why? Because the majority of them lusted after (craved, desired) evil things. Some of them became idolaters, revelers, and drunkards. Others were those who made a practice of sexual immorality. Some put Christ to the test, to try his patience, to see how much he would endure of their wickedness. And others complained against the Lord and his messenger Moses. All of them died and did not enter God’s eternal rest.

And all of these things took place as examples to us, and they were written down for our instruction to keep us from craving evil things as they did, so that we will not suffer the same consequences of eternal separation from God (see also Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13). For, according to the Scriptures, faith in Jesus Christ must result in us dying to sin and obeying our Lord’s commands. And disobedience to God, in practice, is regarded by God as unbelief, regardless of what faith we profess with our lips.

So Many are Ignoring This

Why are so many professing Christians today ignoring this and feeling like this does not apply to them? Well, for one, we live in a day and age when lies and liars abound pretty much everywhere you look. They are preachers and teachers of the Scriptures. And they are heads of governments of nations. And they are the news media and social media and AI videos which are made to look real, but they are not real. So much is being faked, and so many people are following after the lies while they are ignoring the truth.

Why? Because the lies make them feel good. The lies tell them they are okay, and that God does not judge them, and that heaven is secured them regardless of the fact that so many of them are living just like the majority of the Israelites did who wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. The lies tell them that a profession of faith in Jesus means that they are now “in Christ” and so their “identity” is in Christ, and so his grace covers all their sins, and so their sins no longer matter to God. But that is a big fat lie!

Does God’s grace promise us forgiveness of all sins? Yes, if we deny self, die to sin, and follow our Lord in obedience to his commands, as a matter of life practice, although not necessarily in absolute perfection. But God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return (see Titus 2:11-14). So, if we disobey God, and if we continue in deliberate and habitual sin, in practice, we don’t know God.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NKJV


So Many Excuses

I have heard so many excuses from people living in sexual idolatry and adultery and immorality for why they cannot get victory over their deliberate and habitual sin. But there is no excuse! Pride is standing in the way of many of them gaining victory over sin, for they get over confident, thinking either that they can conquer this all on their own, and/or that they have already defeated it, and so it is no longer an issue. Or pride keeps them from admitting that they continue to fail, and so they try to cover it up.

And since they take a “my do it” approach to conquering their addiction to sin, and so they get over confident, then they go right back to the same old routines. They fall right back into the same old traps. And they keep returning to their vomit. And then sometimes they will make up excuses for why they cannot get victory over their sin. Or they will take the broad road approach that tells them that since they “prayed the prayer” that their sins no longer matter to God, and so heaven is still their eternal destiny.

But the Scriptures teach us that God has made the way through Jesus’ death on that cross, and through his resurrection from the dead, that we can be delivered out of our slavery (addiction) to sin if we will just surrender our lives to the Lord Jesus, die with him to sin, and now follow him in obedience to his commands – all in his power and strength, and not in our own strength. A “my do it” approach will not work. For that is the flesh trying to conquer flesh. We have to let go and let God, and do what he says to do.

[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]

A People Divided

An Original Work / July 4, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant / Sue J Love

Flick’ring torches; hatred; violence;
Crashing windows; guns of men;
We are a people divided
By our love of pow’r and fame.

Idols marching; they’re in chorus;
Their goal to destroy the church,
Tempting us to follow them in
Pure devotion; them we search.

Leave your idols. Follow your God.
Make Him your Lord God and King.
Be a living witness for Him,
And your off’rings to Him bring.

Repent of your sins and worship Him.
A living sacrifice,
Put your all upon His altar.
Leave your old life way behind.

Flick’ring torches; hatred; violence;
Crashing windows; guns of men;
We are a people divided
By our love of pow’r and fame.

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If You Think You’re Standing
An Original Work / June 12, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

GodAndChocolateVanilla said:

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This is the 1st time I've listened to a Taylor Swift song. It's a great song. It made me thankful because of the great love, I have for my wife. Our marriage (26 years) is a wonderful and interesting love story. Thank you for sharing this wonderful song!