CoreyD said:

There have been, I would say, added, or increased benefits.
One of those benefits is the urgency of the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom has intensified, leading to a more focused approach.
There is also increased excitement, and expectation at the nearness of the end. Luke 21:28
Both of these result in more joy, and stronger faith.

It can be described by the illustration given by Jesus, at Matthew 25:13-30.
Not the experience of the slave that buried his talent, although this would happen in a few cases.

With that, there will be more work being done, and more disciples joining in the harvest. Matthew 9:37, 38
Since Jesus is the one directing the work he started on earth, this is expected, since God prophesied such increase. Isaiah 60:22

I'm curious as to why you asked.

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How is that proof that Jesus is "ruling as king"? You basically said that there is nothing about this that could convince skeptics - that only some believers are aware of it. Maybe you could argue that it is involving Jesus somehow, but I don't see why it involves him "ruling as king".

CoreyD said:

If you saw one of Jesus' miracles performed, would you believe?

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I think it is somewhat compatible with the Bible for the "miracles" to be magic tricks so I'd have to be satisfied that they weren't. If he could walk through walls and allow me to put my hands in his wounds then it could imply he was capable of rising from the dead. If there were many other witnesses that would seem to rule out a hallucination. Since I believe I'm probably in a simulation it would technically be possible for any kind of miracle to happen but currently I don't believe that obvious miracles that can't be explained by skeptics are possible.

Oops I actually posted this by mistake. I didn't mean to. I pressed the wrong button. Not that I wasn't going to talk about it but it was a premature post.

There is also this terrible crime.

When Jesus told this parable, everyone listening would have put themselves in the place of the one robbed, beaten, and left to die. Jesus doesn't give any details about that person, which enables everyone to identify with him. They all knew that road would be dangerous to travel alone so, like any scary story told around the campfire, they identified with the one in the scary position.

This is important for the lawyer who asks, "Who is my neighbor?" What the parable does is function like a mirror. When the lawyer realizes that he is worthy of anyone's love, even the love of someone he resents, fears, or despises like a Samaritan, then he can also see that anyone is worthy of his love, even his worst enemy. The lawyer wanted to carve humanity into two groups: those he must love and those he need not love. Jesus told the parable to show that there is only one group: those you must love. Love your neighbor as yourself.

First NWS research efforts, now EPA...

EPA eliminates research and development office, begins layoffs​

The EPA also said it is beginning the process to eliminate thousands of jobs, following a Supreme Court ruling last week that cleared the way for President Donald Trump’splans to downsize the federal workforce, despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be out of their jobs.

Rest assured, Hegseth sits calmly atop the chaos, a model of Trump-like leadership as his staff are occasionally Scaramuccied into the void.

Senior Hegseth adviser out at Pentagon, sources say​

Justin Fulcher, a senior staffer at the Pentagon and adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been ousted, three sources familiar with the matter told CBS News Saturday.

Fulcher started at the Defense Department as a member of billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. He was then later promoted to a post as senior adviser to Hegseth.

Hegseth's office has seen a staffing shakeup in the wake of the Signal scandal. In March, Hegseth senior adviser Dan Caldwell and deputy chief of staff Dan Selnick were fired amid a leak probe, while his chief of staff Joe Kasper, was transitioned to a new role as a special government employee handling "special projects."

[Pentagon spox wishes Fulcher well in his future endeavors.]

Lord, protect your people from all harm and please provide for them! Holy and glorious is your name!

Lord, please heal and strengthen this friendship. Keep them close to you and to each other. Thank you Lord for hearing my prayer. Amen!

Michie said:

Trump admin. announced funding cuts for Trevor Project-linked hotline last month

A leaked recording of a counseling session with a controversial LGBT activist group appeared to endorse a fictional teen’s plan to leave home and move in with her coach, who promised to facilitate access to cross-sex hormones and a double mastectomy.

The recording, shared by “mom activist” Beth Bourne, captures a conversation where Bourne, posing as a 15-year-old girl identifying as a transgender boy, described feeling unsafe at home due to her mother’s alleged misgendering. After telling an unidentified Trevor Project crisis counselor that she felt unsafe at home after she was “misgendered,” Bourne asked if moving into her softball coach's house was a good idea since he “promised to help me get online [testosterone] and my breasts removed.”

The counselor responded, “Yeah, yeah, that makes sense,” adding, "It sounds like her feelings about this have gotten worse over time. And it sounds like you have two options, maybe, to leave the situation and find a better space for yourself." The counselor then asks, "What would it be like to go live with your coach?"

Continued below.

LGBT suicide hotline counselor appears to endorse teen's plan to leave home, live with coach

A leaked recording of a counseling session with a controversial LGBT activist group appeared to endorse a fictional teen s plan to leave home and move in with her coach, who promised to facilitate

www.christianpost.com

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I’m not sure what the whole story is. I just hope everyone is safe.

Liberalism, Feminism and modernity will literally kill South Korea. I guess the only solution is to invite countless Africans and Muslims to take over the country so the North can't.

One of tech billionaire Elon Musk’s latest xAI chatbots is a female anime-themed character named “Ani” that child welfare advocates are warning can flirt with and strip for users, raising concerns about AI’s promotion of sexual violence and exploitation.

"Ani" is one of two new characters offered through xAI's new $ 300-per-month subscription. One character that users can chat with is “Bad Rudi,” a red panda who can reportedly insult users in a graphic or vulgar way.

Following the launch of Grok 4 earlier this month, which allows paid subscribers to interact with AI companions, anti-sexual exploitation advocates have been raising concerns about Ani’s design. As seen in videos on X, the AI character wears a short, strapless purple dress, fishnet tights, a choker necklace and a black corset cinched around her waist.

Continued below.

Reptiles continue to grow as they get older.
People (perhaps animals as well) lived much longer before the flood.
Some reptiles might have gotten very large.
After te floos, people were given permission yo eat meat.
Some estimate 2/3 of the species on the ark have since gone extinct.

NewLifeInChristJesus said:

No. I am telling you(fh) that John is speaking of the new man, a spiritual creature, who is one spirit with Christ, and has been "created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph 4:24). This new creature who was created by God cannot sin.

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Continuationism versus Cessationism is a significant theological dispute within Christendom as whether or not all nine Spiritual Gifts are still active and available to His followers (elect) today or whether their operation ceased after the Apostolic Age (1st century or soon thereafter).

fhansen said:

Okk...but I guarantee it won't be resolved with the "pretend holy guy" scenario .

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Some would contend that is a typical attitude of what some refer to as "Cessationism." One who believes at least 2 of the 9 Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11) ceased after the "Apostolic Age." Cessationists prefer instead to refer to the nine Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and exclude speaking in an unknown heavenly tongue and the interpretation of an unknown tongue as a legitimate "Gift" of the Holy Spirit that's still available for today's born again. Spirit-filled Christian. Cesationism will define the other 7 (supernatural) "Gifts" of the Holy Spirit according to their doctrinal understanding without the inspired action (Gifting, intercessory prayer , laying on of hands) of a born again Spirit-filled new creation in Christ as being a necessary action of "good works."


Most cessationists believe that, while God can and still does perform miracles today, that the Holy Spirit no longer uses individuals to perform miraculous signs and wonders that glorify GOD (not man) ... Is cessationism biblical? What is a cessationist? | GotQuestions.org

Cessationist theology is seen by some as influenced by more by the the enemy than by scripture with "hyper-grace" now covering even on-going future sins of a born again new creation in Christ Jesus.


Is Jesus talking only to His disciples. Cessationists generally interpret verses like this as applying only to the Apostolic Age, and not applicable to today's Spirit-filled (born again) new creation in Christ. Instead it's not uncommon for a cessationist (anti-works) to dismiss the following Words of the Lord as no longer a possibility in today's Christian theology.


And so such logic is unable to grasp/rationalize the Words of Jesus when He says, "Go and sin no more" and "Stop your sinning or something worse may happen to you"

Aryeh Jay said:

They could call it RT. Republicans Today.

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I love the sound of that.

Christian Zionists will still support Israel over this kind of "collateral"

BobRyan said:

Pastors should stick to moral issues - leave out politics.

The Bible is not concerned with "guns or butter" issues in the state.

It is concerned with morality. The Cross, the Gospel

Freedom of religion
Freedom to evangelize rather than a state-religion that persecutes all other Christian groups... etc.
Marriage between one man and one woman - Gen 2.
Thou shalt not murder Ex 20 -- no abortion

Definition of man and woman in Gen 1 and 2.

Freedom to worship God according to the dictates of conscience.

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Where are we taught to defend the freedom of worship to false religions?

Requiem æternam dona ei, Domine
Et lux perpetua luceat ei
Requiescat in pace.
Amen.

stevevw said:

Yes and especially pride or envy I think.

Yes which makes it harder to tell the truth from the counterfeit. That is why Christ said that the wolves would come in sheeps clothing.



Yes and I think it is by being Christs church, achieving that disposition as a whole is what shines Christ through the church to the world. Like a lighthouse on a cliff in a stormy see at night.

Though of course we go out into the world to preach the gospel we as a church are suppose to represent the group of Christians that can live together showing a better way. That is ultimately as a church being like Christ. So that when people look to His church they see Christ and not the denomination.

That can only happen with unity under the same church and teachings which go into making the church look like Christ to the world. People already know God and so this Christlike example will being them seeking God when seen from the pagan world.

In fact as you say the pagan world is once again surrounding the church. So I think another sign of Christs church just like in the early church will be Christs church, His leaders and evn members being persecuted even untill death. Because while Christs church will be like a lighthouse to those who will believe when they see it. It will be a trigger to those who defy God.

The more Christs church looks like Christ the more it will stand out to those lost and those who hate God. At present in the west I don't think we see this. But we are beginning to as the west moves away from Christ. Then Christians will be more destinguished and called to stand in the face of persecution and great leaders will arise.

Nero was the emporer and a tyrant against Christians. He executed many Christians including Peter and Paul. He had mass killings at the Colosseum feeding the Christians to the beasts.

But generally there was hatred for the Christians who were percieved as trouble makers with some new religious sect. Especially from the other Jewish sects like the Pharisees who were the real ones behind getting leaders like Paul arrested by the Romans.

There are several archeological finds of hiudden churches. The true story of the fish sign which was a secret symbol denoting Christian to let other Christians know meeting places. Often in back lanes in a house. Otherwise in synagous where the Pharisees would hassle them.

I am not sure what you mean.

Thats the point. That people imagine the bad fruit to be like a criminal and obvious. That wasnot what Christ and the disciples meant by the wolves. They meant that they would come from the very leaders that were already in the church. They were creating different doctrines within the church.

So thats why Paul was always reminding them of the teachings and instructions he gave them and rebuking them when they stopped. It had to be constantly reminded because Christ and especially Paul knew it would be a constant possibility because of human fallen nature within such a large body or believers.

I think for Paul he had a vision in his mind of the church and he was everyday trying to achieve this. He knew that it was only by the teachings Christ had given the diciples that had to be installed over and over again so that it stuck and lasted. That was his mission.

I would think as Peter was the Rock and head of Christs church and that Rome was regarded as the capital of thChristian church mainly because it was the largest city that would have had the largest church with many gentiles coming in.

Also we know that Paul was executed in Rome by Nero. We know Peter was executed also by Nero. Nero also executed Ignatius and in each occassion Nero demanded that the leaders come to Rome and worship at the pagan Temple to renounce their belief.

Both Paul and Ignatius were escorted by guards to Rome and both wrote letters along the way to the churches. It was likely if Peter was in Jerusalem that he was not executed in Jerusalem as we don;t have any evidence for this. Peter would have travelled being the head of the church.

But the verse I linked is recognised as Peter speaking from Rome with Mark when he refers to Rome as Babylon. Not that it matters as e know Peter was still the Rock and would have had wide influence over the church. Along with Paul. Thats why I say Peter may have been the Rock of Christs church overall but Paul was the Rock on which the Gentiles came into the church.

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The "rock" the church was built on, was the fact that Jesus was the Son of God.
Just as it is written..."And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matt 16:16)

From What I Understand

The Jews who had rebelled against the Lord were in captivity in Babylon, and it was nearing the end of their 70 years of captivity. And God was raising up Cyrus to be their deliverer. And Cyrus is often seen as a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ as our deliverer, which will now be the context here.

The Situation Today

Many people professing to be God’s people are still living in captivity to sin. Although God has spoken to them about their sin, and about their need to repent of their sins, they have not listened to the Lord. For although they give lip service to the Lord, their hearts are far from him. They are the self-indulgent, and the addicted to sin, and especially sexual immorality is huge. They are liars, by practice, who chase after the idols of this world and who do not pursue God and his righteousness and godly and morally pure living.

Many of them are just going through the motions of religious practice, some of them for the purpose to appear righteous on the outside while they are still living in sin, kind of like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. They are those who chase after the gods of this world, who indulge in their sinful pleasures, and who like to play pretend to give off one image while they live another. They love mind games for the purpose to confuse others, and to lead others astray from the truth of what is really happening, some behind closed doors.

And we who are true followers of Christ are to be discerning people so that we do not get caught in any of their traps. For they will lay traps for us (not physical ones) hoping that we will fall into them, like what the Pharisees did to Jesus, hoping to have an opportunity to accuse us of something so that they can find a way to discredit us. We should be careful that we don’t end up getting caught up in their webs of deceit. So we need to pray to the Lord, asking him to identify these traps for us, so we do not fall into them.

Now who are the ones laying these traps for us to fall into? Many of them are preachers of the Scriptures, who are pastors and elders in today’s modern market-driven adulterous “churches” which are in an unholy union with the world and with the ungodly, because they are partnered with the ungodly, and are thus following their marketing schemes. And God forbids that this should take place within his body, the body of Christ, his church. Yet it appears that in the USA this describes the majority of “the church.”

And it appears that the majority of them are teaching a false gospel message intended to tickle itching ears, which lessens God’s requirements for faith which saves, and which gives their adherents free reign to keep living in sin, only now without feeling guilty, and now with false promises of forgiveness of all sin and heaven as their eternal destiny. But this is without teaching the importance of us dying to sin and walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, by God’s grace, in his power and strength.

But it isn’t just preachers and prophets and evangelists who are doing this. Newscasters and politicians and actors and sports heroes and people of wealth and importance and influence in the world are also among those who are teaching lies to the people (not all of them), and who are purposefully and willfully leading the people astray to what is false, to what is not of God, but what is of the flesh of man. And many of their followers are also teaching the same lies on the internet, and the masses are believing them.

For they are not teaching the true nature of Jesus Christ, and of what he did for us on that cross, and the truth of his gospel message. But Jesus, in his death on that cross, put our sins to death with him so that, by genuine God-persuaded faith in Jesus we will die to sin, deny self, and follow Jesus in obedience to his commands. For if sin is what we obey, in practice, and not obedience to God, we will not inherit eternal life with God.

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

So, be students of the Scriptures who study them in their appropriate context, who are being led of the Spirit of God to truth and to holy living, who make it your practice to not walk in sin but to walk in holiness according to God’s will and purpose, in the power of God in your life. And be those who are watchful and prayerful and who seek the counsel of God with regard to who we should believe, or not believe, so that we do not end up falling for the lies and end up rejecting the truth. For we live in an age of deception!

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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A Messenger of Good News
An Original Work / July 19, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

probinson said:

You know how you can avoid ALL overdraft fees, regardless of how much they are? Don't overdraft your account.

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Personal responsibility doesn’t seem to be a plank in one party’s foundation.

Take out education loans. Make all tax payers pay for it. After all you agreed to make the payments. It isn’t compassionate to have you keep your word.

Don’t spend money you don’t have and make the bank pay for it then not charge you. That’s compassions for your ignorance.

Fantine said:

Please walk a mile in their shoes before deciding it's fine for banks to exploit them.

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Just follow the teachings of Christ, be honest and don’t spend money that isn’t yours and you will NEVER have the chance to be exploited