I think the Moderators deleted my post about the gift of prophesying, so let me repost that again for reference,....



7. THE GIFT OF PROPHESYING

A. DEFINITION - The gift of prophesying is inspirational utterance in a known language which the one giving the utterance and the audience understands. The Hebrew word for prophecy means: "To flow forth or to spring forth." It also carries the same thought of bubbling forth like a fountain, or “To tumble forth." The Greek word for prophecy means to "speak for another." The term “prophecy” here can be easily misunderstood since it is used both generically in our bible as well as specifically. The definition provided here is for the “specific” gift of prophesying.

B. APPLICATION - The utterance of this gift can be discerned from three possible spiritual sources through a believer:

1) The Holy Spirit - The corporate ministry gift of prophesying is uttered by The Holy Spirit unto the assembly, and will always come in the limited framework of “Edification, Encouragement, and Comfort” as defined in 1Cor 14:3. These three attributes of this ministry will always be contained together in a message from The Holy Spirit, the crowning achievement being the Holy Spirit’s peace and comfort with the message. It is always given in the spirit of love to edify the assembly rather than condemn or tear it down. The message can be poetic, and elevated beyond the natural gift of speech, having a tangible Spiritual edification on the inside of the believer’s spirit during the message.

2) The human spirit - Prophesying that is uttered from the human spirit in the assembly is unable to edify and minister unto our spirit on the inside since it does not originate from The Holy Spirit. It can possibly be negative and critical, but mostly just dry of spiritual edification. It can also be presented in the form of a lie like a false sense of security or peace, as was depicted in the 28th Chapter of Jeremiah, where Hananiah the Prophet of GOD spoke peace and was condemned by Jeremiah the Prophet for falsely attributing his words as GOD’s words. The LORD judged his false words as teaching rebellion unto the people against The LORD, and condemned and killed His own Prophet.

3) evil spirit(s) - Prophesying that is uttered by an evil spirit(s) is subtle, deceptive, manipulative, and the opposite to the character and nature of GOD. It tries to manipulate individuals/churches to make hasty decisions, thereby causing wrong choices that take people or the church out of the will of GOD. It will be tangibly felt as a wrong check by The Holy Spirit inside of our spirit when it is being spoken. A biblical example of this can be seen in the 2nd chapter of Jeremiah where GOD says His prophets “prophesied by Baal” instead of by His Spirit.

C. METHODS - This gift can be manifested in 2 ways through a believer:

1) Corporately - The gift is yielded to The Holy Spirit’s promptings, and operated by His utterance in human languages unto the assembly in a designated ministry. The message will be limited to “Edification, Exhortation, and Comfort” just as Paul defined in 1st Corinthians.

The gift can also be used corporately to an individual. The Encouragement portion of the gift can be used by The Holy Spirit to confirm to a believer what was already revealed to them by The Holy Spirit beforehand, and establish and strengthen their walk with Jesus. This is done before the assembly and judged by the assembly.

2) Personally - This gift can be stepped out in personal faith and operated by the believer’s human spirit for personal edification similar to the gift of tongues. This personal use of the gift by our human spirit can sometimes be wrongly operated in the assembly by a young or misguided believer, and cause much grief and division in the body of Christ, since normally the message is expected to be inspired from The Holy Spirit when uttered in the assembly. It can be one of the most abused gifts of the nine by Spirit-filled believers if it is allowed to be used wrongfully in this sort of manner.

They are all His. Division is between this world and the Kingdom, not between nations

Michie said:

Cardinal William Goh celebrated a memorial Mass for Pope Francis in Singapore on Tuesday, saying the late Holy Father had a “heart for everyone” and was dedicated to leading the Church toward a “new evangelization” through mercy and love.

After expressing the “real shock” the Church felt following the news of the pope’s death on Easter Monday, Goh said the Archdiocese of Singapore swiftly organized the Tuesday afternoon memorial Mass held in the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.

Speaking to approximately 900 Catholic faithful, state representatives, and diplomatic corps present at the April 22 Mass, Goh said Pope Francis was entrusted with “the work of the new evangelization” and was a “significant example” for Christians throughout his 12-year pontificate.

“He wanted to proclaim Christ to the world but he wanted to do it in a way that the Gospel he proclaims will truly be ‘good news,’” Goh said, reflecting on the late pontiff’s first apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”), written in 2013.

Continued below.

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The New Evangelisation has been a complete non-event, so I have no idea what planet Goh is on.

PF's death was anything but a "shock". 88 is a very respectable age, and it would have been astonishing if he had lasted much longer. Old men die, whether they are Popes or not. The only question was whether he would be as long-lived as a his predecessor.

It could lead to despair, if we are not aware of the hope we have with God's power with God caring and working for us. Still hope would be misplaced if we do not care for seeking and doing God's will, where it is possible for us, in Christ.

The context of the book of Hebrews was mainly, I believe, to help the Hebrew Christians to transition from the Old Covenant God had with his people Israel (Jews only) to the New Covenant God has with his people Israel (Jew and Gentile by faith in Jesus Christ), his church, his body. Under the Old Covenant they went to a physical temple where there were priests who interceded for them, where only the high priest, once a year, I believe, could enter into God’s holy presence in the Holy of Holies, behind a curtain.

But in Jesus’ death on that cross, that curtain that stood between God and humans was torn in two, representing that, by way of the cross, and by faith in Jesus Christ, we who believe in Jesus with God-honoring and God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in him can now enter into the presence of God without having to go through a human priest. Jesus Christ is now our great high priest over the house of God, which is no longer a physical building, but a spiritual building with us as the living stones and Jesus as the cornerstone.

Therefore, we are to be those who, by faith in Christ, approach God with sincere hearts in full assurance of faith. And this faith comes from God, it is authored by Jesus Christ (God), it is gifted to us by God, it is not of our own doing, but it is persuaded of God as to his righteousness and holiness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to die with Christ to sin and to walk with him in submission to his will, in obedience to his commands. So, by faith, we die to sin and we now walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands.

And if we hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, this is not about just making a verbal confession of faith in Jesus Christ and then assuring ourselves that we are now children of God, born of the Spirit, forgiven of our sins, with heaven guaranteed us when we die. For we are saved out of our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin so that we will now follow our Lord in obedience. But if sin is our practice, and not obedience to God, we do not have salvation from sin and we will not inherit eternal life.

Yes, God is faithful to all his promises. But all of his promises have conditions which we must adhere to in order to be able to claim those promises for ourselves. And among those conditions are many “IF” clauses, like if we do this or that, then this is true. So if we die with Christ to sin, not just once, but in daily practice, and if we follow him in obedience to his commands, in practice, then we have the promise of salvation and eternal life with God. But if sin is our practice and not obedience, it’s a no go.

[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

Songs in the Night

An Original Work / December 18, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

“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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He Who Promised is Faithful
An Original Work / April 26, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

essentialsaltes said:

Likewise, most of the Americans fighting in the conflict are on the Ukrainian side. A sad story recently came to light of an American man struggling with mental illness who died a few months ago fighting in the Russian army. You don't have to be crazy to join the Russians, but it helps.

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Was this the son of the CIA deputy director?

The Liturgist said:

Welcome Father! We are so blessed to have you. My main area of knowledge is with regards to Orthodox liturgics.

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I am also very happy to find new fathers, brothers and sisters in Christ. That is why it is commanded to spread the Gospel to the whole world: joy becomes more extensive. The most important thing for me from the Liturgy is that I can connect with God and then I want as many people as possible to do this, and therefore I am engaged in missionary work on social networks. Thank you for your kind hearts and responsiveness.

Welcome to CF! Nice to have you join us.

Unlike angels, the Sons of God bear His image and especially His inner likeness. Son as distinct from servant and messenger. As from Hebrews: and to which of the angels did He ever call son?

One of the critics who wrote a comment on this thread, said that he had not seen any
examples of the current president making promises that were unbelievable. I would
assert that if Christians would read from a broad number of news sources, THEN it is
impossible to miss the dozens of examples in which the current president has made
promises/claims, that cannot be believed.

Try reading from the Google News home site.

Two Christian organizations have asked a federal court to rule against former Equal Employment Opportunity Commission member Jocelyn Samuels, a Democrat who is suing after being fired by President Donald Trump, arguing that her support for employment gender identity and abortion mandates violated their religious freedom.

On Thursday, the Christian Employers Alliance and Choices Pregnancy Centers of Greater Phoenix, Inc. filed a motion to intervene in Samuel's reinstatement suit. They are being represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom.

"The Court should not assess Samuels' removal's validity without hearing from the very employers that the removal seeks to protect," the brief says.

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Good grief.....I thought that we had mercifully heard the last from Cardinal Baloney way back when he finally retired. Now he rises again from irrelevancy like a vampire rising from its grave. (sigh)

chevyontheriver said:

Anything but Francis II.

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Well, if the name chosen is a reflection of what the pontificate will be like, I'm hoping for a John Paul III.

We know that
You know us
From inside out
You are the men that
Created us
With your holy hands
And placed us here on earth
Yes Father
The earth has been our home
For a long time now
Also when you created us you gave us
Feelings
We know that we are not a vegetable
Also we wonder where have
All the years gone by
We are not young anymore
We have aged so fast
Also we have grown old
So fast
Yes we already lived our young lives
Many years ago
We have no control about that
Yes our Father have control
Of that
Also our Father gave us
The gift of health
That we feel so grateful about that
AIso we can't live without health
Also Father we promise you
That we are going to take good care
Of our lives
We are not going to smoke
Because that is going to ruin
Our lungs
And we will die of lung cancer
Also we are staying sober
For a long time now

​

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hold a one-on-one meeting at the Vatican prior to Pope Francis’ funeral, Saturday, April 26, 2025. | Credit: Office of the President of Ukraine via Getty Images

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday held a brief discussion in the soaring halls of St. Peter’s Basilica amid the funeral of Pope Francis, speaking “one-on-one” about possible peace overtures in the Russia-Ukraine war.

“[It was a] good meeting. We discussed a lot one-on-one,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X. “Hoping for results on everything we covered.”

The Ukrainian leader hailed the informal mini-summit as “very symbolic.” The talk took place while the leaders were at the Vatican for the funeral of Pope Francis, who for the last few years of his pontificate was a tireless advocate for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Continued below.

LoricaLady said:

26 April 2025 – Burkina Faso​

Pray for the large numbers of Christians and others who are living in camps on the edge of cities and for those trying to provide for their needs – both material and spiritual. Pray for the churches that are starting in these camps and for those hearing the gospel for the first time.
YES - I will Pray

25 April 2025 – Burkina Faso​

Pray for ‘Annette’, whose story featured in Voice (October-December 2024), ‘Juliette’ and other widows whose husbands were martyred for their faith, often in their own churches and in front of their congregations. Pray for God’s comfort on those who mourn, and for our projects helping to restore their livelihoods.
YES - I will Pray

24 April 2025 – Burkina Faso​

Pray for protection, wisdom and guidance for our partner and his team, particularly for safety in travel as they move around the country, supervising the projects and encouraging and praying with persecuted and displaced Christians.
YES - I will Pray

23 April 2025 – Burkina Faso​

Pray for the many pastors who have been internally displaced; that God would guide them about whether they should return to their homes or stay where they are and minister to others who have also been displaced.
YES - I will Pray

22 April 2025 – Burkina Faso​

Pray for the displaced Christian children who are receiving schooling thanks to the financial help of Release International supporters and the work of our European sister ministries. Ask God to bless their studies and help them to grow in confidence and hope for a brighter future.
YES - I will Pray

21 April 2025 – Tanzania​

Pray for the Tanzanian Government which is trying to stop the formation of radical Islamist cells in the northeast of the country. Pray that these cells do not get a stronghold that would facilitate al-Shabaab, the terrorist group, potentially entering the country via the coast of Kenya.
YES - I will Pray

Easter Sunday – Tanzania​

As we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and the new life we have in Him, pray that our partners across the globe would be strengthened in the work He has called them to. Pray particularly that our partners would be able to support church leaders in Tanzania who are burdened by the pressures of ministry and are […]
YES - I will Pray

Sign up for email prayer alerts​

To lift up persecuted Christians in your prayers and see God at work in their lives
Subscribe

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Prayed in agreement with all requests as stated. God bless us all.

Clare73 said:

What is ECT?

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Electro-convulsive therapy ?

Electro-cardiogram therapy ?

Extra-cranial triage ?

Eggs, chips and toast ?

17Iraq​

Iraqi Christians face increasing pressure from various groups, especially since the rise of Iran-backed Shia militias following the Islamic State group’s territorial losses. While Islamic State still poses a threat, attacks from Türkiye and Iran (airstrikes and ground operations) have devastated predominantly Christian villages, forcing many to flee and leaving communities empty.
Different Christian denominations, such as the Assyrian and Chaldean churches, are all seriously affected by discrimination and violence from militant groups and government authorities. In central and southern Iraq, many Christians avoid displaying religious symbols due to fear of harassment.
Pressure on converts from Islam is intense, often forcing them to hide their faith. In 2023, two converts faced severe backlash after sharing their beliefs online. And recently, after a decision of the Iraqi government, the Kurdish Regional Government cut parliamentary seats for religious minorities, diminishing their representation.

Meet Cardinal Louis Sako​

“Attacks on Christians are still continuing: on their skills, their jobs, the seizure of their properties,[…] and an attempt to deliberately erase their heritage, history [and] religious legacy.”
Cardinal Louis Sako

What does Open Doors do to help?​

Open Doors’ local partners strengthen the Church in Iraq with training, trauma care, the delivery of Bibles and Christian books, livelihood projects and microloans, help to rebuild homes and churches, and crisis relief.

Please pray​

• Pray for Christians who are rebuilding and recovering ten years after the Islamic State took over parts of northern Iraq.
• Pray that God will bless the trauma care programmes that Open Doors supports for Christians.
• Pray for believers who are converts from Islam as they can experience significant pressure.

Maria Billingsley said:

Define Christian.

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Maria Billingsley said:

Define Christian.

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Hi Maria! A Christian is one who is reborn of the Holy Spirit (Jn 5, 6, 8). The primary attribute of rebirth is that it's eternal, and there cannot be much spiritual growth without understanding this.

In the beginning, God showed His people that He is faithful and that He provides. He said through Moses, "And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day." (Deuteronomy 8:18, NKJV). He reminded them that everything they needed came from Him, not from their own strength.

The psalmist also trusted fully in God, saying, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." (Psalm 23:1, NKJV). He trusted that God would always give him what he needed, just like a good shepherd takes care of his sheep.

When Jesus came, He taught us with great love to trust God completely. He said, "Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:31-33, NKJV). Jesus made it very clear: if we put God first, He will take care of everything we need.

Jesus also said, "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." (Luke 12:6-7, NKJV). He showed us that God sees everything about us and cares for even the smallest details of our lives.

The disciple Peter, one of the twelve, also told the believers to trust in God. He said, "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7, NKJV). He knew from walking with Jesus that God does not leave us alone in our troubles. He wants us to give Him all our worries.

The greatest example of trust was given by Jesus Himself, just before He went to the cross. In the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing the pain and death that were coming, Jesus prayed to His Father with a heart full of sorrow. He said, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." (Matthew 26:39, NKJV). Even though He wished to avoid the suffering, Jesus surrendered completely to His Father's will, showing us that real trust is not only believing in God's power to help us, but also believing that God's plan is always the best, even when it is hard. Jesus prayed again, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done." (Matthew 26:42, NKJV). In this moment, Jesus gave the highest example of faith, trusting fully in His Father's goodness and purpose.

And to give us even greater courage, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, saying, "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10, NKJV).

And to seal this promise forever, Jesus Himself said to His followers, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20, NKJV). No matter what we face, we are never alone, for He, the one who trusted perfectly, stays with us forever.

Der Alte said:

Incorrect. The city in Rev 22 is the "new Jerusalem" dropped down from heaven.

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I never stated it wasn't. I said of course the city is without those because the former things are passed away. We have a new heaven and a new earth. The LOF is a former thing at that point and is no longer being described at the end with the new heaven and earth. It's mentioned as the Second Death in chapter 21 which we know happens at Judgement Day. It doesn't have to mean they are literally outside of the gates at that moment.

The Greek word can be used figuratively as well. Figuratively it can mean -away. And again, we know from the Word that the former things are passed away and that all things are made new.

And the verse has to be used in conjunction with the prior -

Revelation 22:14 "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

Revelation 22:15 "For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."

essentialsaltes said:

Mike Lindell lawyers threatened by judge over briefs loaded with AI-generated fake cases​

In her ruling, Wang wrote, "...the Court identified nearly thirty defective citations in the Opposition. These defects include but are not limited to misquotes of cited cases; misrepresentations of principles of law associated with cited cases, including discussions of legal principles that simply do not appear within such decisions; misstatements regarding whether case law originated from a binding authority such as the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit; misattributions of case law to this District; and most egregiously, citation of cases that do not exist."

Sounds like he had his election fraud research team working the case!

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AI is ...okay for routine customer service, but do not use it for your lawyer or doctor.