FireDragon76 said:

Tribalism involves a shirking of greater moral and intellectual goods in favor of a lesser good.

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So you have defined it. But it could also simply mean what tribes do - their behavior. And that can be good or bad - or some of both.

Michie said:

250px-Santo_Inácio_-_RomaTwo great Jesuit churches stand near each other in Rome. One is the Church of St. Ignatius and the other the Church of Gesu (Jesus). Both are imposing and majestic and reflect the glory of the Jesuits in their heyday.

The one to the left is called the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola. In Italian it is Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola a Campo Marzio. It was built in the 17th century, back when the Jesuits knew who they were and what their commission and charism was (though there are still a few like that today, e.g., Fr. Joseph Fessio and Fr. Mitch Pacwa and the deceased Fr. John Hardon).
IMG_3601

In the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola there is a huge statue of St. Ignatius standing tall looking up to heaven. In his hand is a book with the words “To the greater glory of God. Constitution of the Society of Jesus” *
Beneath him is Martin Luther with a closed Bible. St. Ignatius has his foot on Luther’s neck and Luther is biting the back of his own hand.

Click IMG_3603 for a short video clip.
This would probably not go over very well today. In fact the sign under the statue only says “A Statue of St. Ignatius of Loyola” but fails to explain the original purpose and meaning of the statue and who is under St. Ignatius’ foot.

I bought their booklet explaining all the statues and art in the church and it fails to show this statue or to explain it.

It is fully recognized that we are in a new era today, and do not attack today’s Protestants for the schism caused by Luther and we refer to them as our “separated brethren.”

However, the things taught by Protestants that are contrary to the teaching of the Church are still heresies and their separation from the Catholic Church and the Roman Pontiff is still an unfortunate schism.

But we still need to realize that when the “Reformation” took place the rebels were heretics and caused a schism in the Church and the saints and theologians did not hesitate to say so. We need to quit being politically correct and overly ecumenically sensitive and start calling heresy heresy and schism schism when they raise their ugly heads up in our current time.

Continued below.

St. Ignatius Steps on Luther; Mary Throws Luther out of Heaven – Defenders of the Catholic Faith

Save Two great Jesuit churches stand near each other in Rome. One is the Church of St. Ignatius and the other the Church of Gesu (Jesus). Both are imposing and majestic and reflect the glory of the Jesuits in their heyday. The one to the left is called the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola. In […]

catholicconvert.com

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Very interesting!

Thanks for posting!

These discussions are interesting.

I am more concerned about the president's recent statement that Ukraine
started the Russia-Ukraine war. This is such a clear Russian propaganda point,
that I think that it cannot be denied. It is an open abuse of the facts.

When we who believe in Jesus Christ with God-persuaded faith in him accept his calling on our lives to go where he sends us, and to do as he commands, and to speak the words he wants us to speak to the people, at least here in America we are probably not going to have huge followings. And we may even have times when it at least appears as though everyone has turned against us, and that all we have is Jesus. And in those times we must rely on the Lord for our strength and wisdom and courage to continue.

Now, if we are truly working for Jesus, to do his will, and we are following the Lord in the ways in which he leads us, we are not to be looking for human acceptance. We are not to be patterning what we do or say after the desires of the flesh so that people will like us, and so that they will not turn against us. We are not to work for human approval and “likes” and positive and affirming comments. We should be those who serve and obey God even if everyone turns against us and all desert us. For we serve Jesus Christ.

And that can be a lonely existence, at times. But we must persevere in doing the will of God and in speaking his truth regardless of whether or not we are approved by other humans. We must consider the task before us in getting the truth of the gospel out to the people of greater importance than whether or not we are liked and accepted by other humans, and even if it means, at times, that we may be standing alone on some biblical issues with little to no support, and with only opposition, but in the strength and power of God.

But let me say this here. Even though we work for the Lord, and not for human approval, and even in the face of much opposition, and with little to no human encouragement and approval, it is still a blessing from the Lord when someone does encourage us, and when someone does acknowledge who we are and what we are doing, that it is from God, and so they refresh us with their kind and thoughtful words. We don’t have to have that, and we should not be working for that, but it does help to be refreshed by others.

I have some encouragers like that in my life, and they are a blessing to me. They are few in number, that I am aware of, but it does bless my heart to hear some affirming and kind and thoughtful words spoken to me, from time to time. But if that should go away, and if I no longer have that, for whatever reason that might be, but while I am still serving the Lord in walks of obedience to him in sharing the truths of his word, I must continue in service to my Lord even if sometimes it might feel that I am standing alone.

So, what is it about God’s calling on my life that might get me rejected, persecuted, mistreated, rejected, cast aside, lied about and treated as though I am not worth anyone’s time and consideration? The main thing now, I believe, is that I am teaching the gospel of our salvation as Jesus taught it, and as Paul and the other New Testament apostles taught it, in the correct context. So I am calling on the people of the world to repent of their sins, to surrender to God, and to walk in his ways in obedience to him.

But it is more than that. Jesus and his New Testament apostles didn’t just teach the truth of the gospel of our salvation (in context), but they also refuted the lies of the enemy that were coming against the truth to destroy it. And I must do that, too. And they spelled out for us what it means to believe in Jesus and what it looks like in daily practice, and what it looks like, too, to give lip service to God only, but to not be of genuine faith because they are continuing to walk in sin and not in obedience to our Lord.

And that is what I must do, too, and that I am doing. For the gospel is not that we just make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and now all our sins are forgiven and heaven is guaranteed us when we die, but regardless of how we live. The gospel message teaches that Jesus put our sins to death with him on that cross so that we will die with him to sin and walk in obedience to his commands. But if sin is what we practice, and not obedience, we do not have eternal life with God. Many refute that!

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; 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 5:16-21; 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 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

But I don’t get rejected just because I teach the gospel that Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught, in context, but that the Lord has me address several false ideas and beliefs which are anti-biblical but which are widely accepted as truth in America among many professing Christians. One of those is that biblical Israel is not the Jewish political nation called “Israel,” but it is both Jew and Gentile by faith in Jesus Christ walking in obedience to the Lord and no longer in sin, doing the will of God for their lives.

[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; John 8:18-19,38-47; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13;1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]

So, if we are teaching the truth of the Scriptures, in their appropriate context, and we are not teaching them deliberately out of context in order to deceive and in order to falsify the truth to make it more acceptable to human flesh, then we will be in the minority here in America, I believe. And so I give thanks to God for those encouragers who are not afraid to stand with me on the truth of the Scriptures, even if they don’t agree with me on everything. The encouragement does help, and it is most appreciated!

Encourage One Another: [Romans 1:11-13; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 4:16; Philippians 2:1-4; Colossians 2:1-3; Colossians 4:7-8,11; 1 Thessalonians 2:11; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:7-9; Hebrews 3:13]

In Harmony

An Original Work / September 2, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-17

Love each other truly.
Cling to what is good.
Hate all that is evil.
Never lack in zeal.
Serve the Lord with fervor.
Joyful in hope be;
Patient in affliction;
Praying faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

Share with all God’s people
Who are found in need.
Do not be conceited.
Sympathetic be.
Love, and show compassion
In humility.
Keep your tongue from evil.
Peaceful you must be.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

God sees who are righteous;
Listens to their prayers.
But He’s against evil –
Is His to avenge.
Do not fear what they fear.
Suffer patiently.
In your hearts, make Christ Lord.
Serve Him faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

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Encourage One Another
An Original Work / March 9, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

In our walk of faith, when we face adversity and doubts creep in, we should never be too hard on ourselves. Even some of God's most faithful servants had their doubts at first. For example, when GOD called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses replied, "But I'm not a good speaker, LORD." He essentially said, "I'm not the right person for this job."

Jeremiah, on the other hand, felt too young and inexperienced to be a prophet. He said, "LORD, I am too young!"

And Jonah actually ran away from GOD's call because he was afraid of what might happen if the people of Nineveh listened to him. The Assyrians were his enemies, and he didn't want to warn them, fearing they would repent and be forgiven by GOD. So he ran away because he desired to see them punished for their sins.

While the stories show GOD's grace extend to all including those we think don't deserve his mercy, what is also just as amazing is the fact that GOD didn't choose Moses, Jeremiah, and Jonah because of their skills or experience — HE chose them because He knew HE could use them as vessels to do HIS BIDDING. Their stories teach us that it's okay to acknowledge our limitationS but they should not hold us back. In fact, it's a reminder that we need GOD's help and power to do what HE has called us to do.

When we stumble, hesitate, or allow doubts cloud our paths, we must at times remember GOD is patient and merciful. He knows we're not perfect, and He's willing to work with us to build our faith.

What can we do in response:

- pray for strength, spending time to read scripture so the stories of men of GOD like Moses, Jeremiah, Jonah, and others can inspire us to keep going,. We should also honestly identify our weaknesses and pray that the LORD ALMIGHTY may HELP us overcome them.


If we focus on GOD's power and promises, HE WILL equip us with all we need to serve HIM effectively in whatever capacity we are called.

Tolworth John said:

Basically your damned if you do and damned if you don't!

People are people, awkward, prickerly and highly vunerable.

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I'm a mere member of the laity but I don't think I'd make a great pastor in the pastoral sense.

The comment above reminded me of a couple of excerpts from my old Presbyterian pastor's homilies. In one sermon he said he never preached directly at members of the parish. He said if it seemed that he was, then that was between them and God.He wasn't aiming at them deliberately.

But he said there was one exception. One particular chap had been causing a lot of strife in one of his churches. He said he really had been causing problems.

So he laid on this sermon right at this bloke hoping he'd get the message.

Afterwards as they filed out the door, this same chap came up to the pastor, shook him very firmly by the hand, and said "That was a great sermon, brother!! Right on the button!!"

"It was just what THEY needed!!"

His other comment was that he did not usually accept dinner invitations to parishioner's homes. He said he nearly always found the main course was "Roast Parson!"

All the best with your mind reading - may your supernatural discernment increase to a spooky level.

The children were born in the following order:

1. Leah gave birth to Reuben
2. Lean -> Simeon
3. Leah -> Levi
4. Leah -> Judah
5. Rachel's servant Bilhah gave birth to Dan
6. Bilhah -> Naphtali
7. Leah's servant Zilpah gave birth to Gad
8. Zilpah -> Asher
9. Leah -> Issachar
10. Leah -> Zebulun
11. Leah -> Dinah
12. Rachel gave birth to Joseph
13. Rachel died after giving birth to Benjamin

After Rachel started giving birth, Leah stopped. All seven of Leah's children were born before Rachel's children.

The Liturgist said:

Federal Parole was abolished for almost all newly convicted prisoners in 1987.

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Seems likely it was dwarfed into being called the U.S. Parole Commission. Seems basically the same thing but different name. U.S. Parole Commission

Michie said:

The Pew Research Center released a new survey on religion in the United States last week, the first such major study since 2014. While it revealed that the precipitous decline in the Catholic share of the US population experienced in the early 2000s through to the early 2010s has more or less levelled off, the overall picture still wasn’t good for the Catholic Church.

According to the Pew report, only 19 per cent of Americans self-identify as Catholic. That’s down from 24 percent in 2007. That 19 per cent includes anyone one who listed “Catholic” as their religion in the survey, meaning it counts not only people who go to Mass at least semi-regularly but also those who haven’t darkened the door of a church in years or even decades.

It has taken roughly three generations to reach this point – a good while in secular terms, but a rapid decline for an institution that thinks in centuries. So it is fair and even necessary to acknowledge how the Catholic Church has seen a massive decline in the United States since the Vatican Council II ended in 1965.

In 1965, there were an estimated 60,000 Catholic priests serving a Catholic population of 45.6 million Catholics. By 2022, the number of priests had dropped to around 35,000 serving a Catholic population of roughly 72 million.

So beyond that levelling off of the “precipitous decline”, there’s really no other way to spin the numbers from the latest Pew report in an encouraging light.

Continued below.

Pew’s new research on US Catholics shows ‘invasive’ action needed to fill church pews - Catholic Herald

The Pew Research Center released a new survey on religion in the United States last week, the first such major study since 2014. While it revealed that the precipitous decline in the Catholic share of the US population experienced in the early 2000s through to the early 2010s has more or less...

thecatholicherald.com

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"Encouragement " in this decline cannot be found in the numbers: God does not need the strengths and successes of men. The logic of men cannot save; He does not need many. Jesus chose only 12, and one was a traitor. God told Gideon he had "too many" soldiers, when he had thousands: he needed to send most of them home before he could attack and have victory over his enemy. He needed to reduce his army to only 300 men in order to have victory over the enemy who had many thousands. Gideon obeyed, and was victorious. (Judges chapter 7).

Judges 7:2 The LORD said to Gideon: You have too many soldiers with you for me to deliver Midian into their power, lest Israel vaunt itself against me and say, “My own power saved me.”
3 So announce in the hearing of the soldiers, “If anyone is afraid or fearful, let him leave!c Let him depart from Mount Gilead!”* Twenty-two thousand of the soldiers left, but ten thousand remained.
4 The LORD said to Gideon: There are still too many soldiers. Lead them down to the water and I will test them for you there. If I tell you that a certain man is to go with you, he must go with you. But no one is to go if I tell you he must not.
5 * When Gideon led the soldiers down to the water, the LORD said to him: Everyone who laps up the water as a dog does with its tongue you shall set aside by himself; and everyone who kneels down to drink raising his hand to his mouth you shall set aside by himself.
6 Those who lapped up the water with their tongues numbered three hundred, but all the rest of the soldiers knelt down to drink the water.
7 The LORD said to Gideon: By means of the three hundred who lapped up the water I will save you and deliver Midian into your power. So let all the other soldiers go home.

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Gideon obeyed; the enemy was defeated.

Mere numbers make men confident for the wrong reasons. God wants men victorious with the right and righteous Truth: obedience to God.

We have too many "Catholics", with too much money, holding too much property, with too many clergy - too many priests, deacons, bishops, monsigniors, archbishops and cardinals. We don't need more of what would appear to be success in the eyes of the world; the Church needs what pleases God who is True and whose Word is Truth, whose Life is eternal. We need men and women who are obedient to His Truth, living His perfect Love with one another, witnesses to the One Lord Jesus Christ whatever the cost. Such Catholics for now would be few, but the final harvest would be - will be - overwhelming.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

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1. Eat just meat, eggs and animal fat (and you can add salt) for as long as you can. No sugar, no fruit, no nuts, no teas, no cocoa, no spices, nothing.
- this elimination diet will help you identify what causes or worsens you problems; you can carefully reintroduce some plant food after you will be healed

2. Have a deep sleep every night, go to sleep every day at the same time and get up at the same time every day, including weekends.
- become a "professional sleeper" - figure out the right temperature, supplements, lifestyle habits for that

3. Get enough of light throughout the day and enough of dark (without blue light - any displays) at least an hour before going to sleep. You can for example read a book every evening.

4. Exercise properly.

5. Limit long term stressors in your life. And incorporate habits that calm you down (hiking in nature, a pet...).

Yes, you may notice I ignored your specific OP "issue" completely. That is because it will be some other similar issue every day if you will not solve the underlying problem - your brain and your hormones chemistry is not functioning properly. You need to eat a lot of saturated fat, a lot of cholesterol, a lot of tryptophan and produce a lot of serotonin and melatonin to repair the damage.

AMBASSADOR HAT​

This thread has been moved from The Junk Drawer to Daily Devotionals, where it more properly belongs.

Serious Alert , Not only all americans. All earthlings too.

Christsfreeservant said:

accept the lie, as though it is the truth. And since it seems that the majority of people professing faith in Jesus Christ here in America are believing the altered gospel,

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Religion can nought save

Trials, testings, and some blessings,
What’s in store has many guessing,
Not quite sure what be expecting,
If be real, or window dressing.

Men in chorus speak their message,
Chances are result in wreckage,
Some of them do have much leverage,
and of justice a miscarriage.

Time is ticking, some be sticking
To their stories, others kicking.
For some folks, the stories clicking,
Others feel the stories tricking.

This way, that way, much confusion,
How much really is illusion?
Two sides playing one another,
But they unite with the other.

News is now dramatizations,
Focus on what are sensations,
Talk about some folk’s relations,
Talk about the other nations.

Want us fearful of the future,
Many are them who are users,
But then, who is their producer?
Who are winners? Who are losers?

Take our questions to the Master,
Jesus, Savior, our newscaster,
One who’s trusted, and not busted,
One who’s honest, not corrupted.

Let Him speak some words of wisdom,
Speak what’s truth, and not division,
Help us rest and not be fearful,
Even if results are tearful.

An Original Work / March 8, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

My cousin's children are like nieces and nephews to me. Even his great-grandchild calls me "uncle".

AKAE777 said:

Do you think there is a hidden message in this scripture?

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The more I study scripture, the more I begin to realize its' infinite depth.

It's an oldy, but.....

Guatemalan national Wilber Alberto Rabanales and Salvadoran national Jose Christian Saravia Sanchez have lengthy criminal records in Los Angeles​

Two murder suspects who allegedly killed a good Samaritan in Los Angeles County while he was attempting to stop them from stealing his neighbor’s catalytic converter were in the country illegally and have lengthy criminal records, Fox News has learned.


Wilber Alberto Rabanales and Jose Christian Saravia Sanchez were arrested by police in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood Thursday for the Feb. 25 murder of Juan Miguel Sanchez.

The incident was caught on surveillance video.

Continued below.

I had a dream about a female AI humanoid robot passing secret messages to me. She didn't deliver the messages directly but asked me to fix printer she claims is malfunctioning. I opened up the printer and found a sticky note inside. There are two dates.

One is March 20. The other date I'm not going to tell until only few weeks left. The robot claims she has no idea what those dates are nor even aware of the sticky note. I suppose she simply meant to deliver the "malfunctioning" printer to me and totally unaware of the message hidden within it

The big event is very likely have something to do with or caused by an event originating from outer space. OR, the big event only concerns me and nobody else. There's absolutely no chance of me getting off into space unless I gain the gift of "auto-kinesis" and I'll simply build an airtight metal vessel the shape of a medicine capsule or a really pointy cone (like a cone with ice cream shape) with a small window that can withstand the vacuum of space to be able to fly into space via auto-kinesis as well as learning orbital mechanics and navigating by stars. Piece of cake (for somebody else, not me!).

There's one other message contained but I'm not going to tell about it. Not that we'll be able to do something about it if something really huge turns out but panic and find someone to blame!

It says one leader of this is "progressive". Does this include being pro-choice? In case ones are objecting to cuts in funds which could be used to save lives, this would not fit with them being ok with ending the lives of unborn people.

We have the issue of if the government should be responsible for helping needy people. Church people can help needy people, in an organized fashion and on an individual basis, including so there can be personal ministry and not only feeding faces.

Also, if money goes to help people who then can be captured for terrorist fighting purposes . . . we need organization by people who are competent to have "sustainable" welfare assistance.

If I am correct > may be, also, we need the welfare system fixed so baby making is not drawing funds to addicts while their kids grow up on potato chips.

Lord have mercy

Thanks be to God!

Columbia University appears to be ready and willing to work with President Donald Trump and his administration. The university’s interim president. Katrina Armstrong, issued a letter on Friday in response to the Trump administration cutting $400 million in federal grants to the school. Federal agencies that severed their ties with Columbia said it was because of the Ivy League institution’s "continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students."

Ivy League school changes tune after Trump slashes $400M in grants over antisemitism​

Vambram said:

I have to wonder what in the heck they did with those $2 billion. What did that group do with all of that money? Until I see some real facts suggesting otherwise, I believe that those $2 billion was NOT used wisely.




The $2 billion was used for the "decarbonization of homes" in low-income communities and paid for new household appliances, such as water heaters, induction stoves, solar panels, EV chargers, and weatherization, according to an April 2024 press release from Power Forward Communities. Zeldin told Fox News that in 2023, Power Forward Communities reported just $100 in revenue but was later granted $2 billion by the Biden-era EPA in 2024.




How many low-income homes and low-income communities received this money?

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Here are more details:

​

The following is from [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]:
Mentioning 146 times in Scripture, the number 40 generally symbolizes a period of testing, trial or probation. During Moses' life, he lived forty years in Egypt and forty years in the desert before God selected him to lead his people out of slavery.
Moses was also on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights, on two separate occasions (Exodus 24:18, 34:1 - 28), receiving God's laws. He also sent spies, for forty days, to investigate the land God promised the Israelites as an inheritance (Numbers 13:25, 14:34).
The prophet Jonah powerfully warned ancient Nineveh, for forty days, that its destruction would come because of its many sins. The prophet Ezekiel laid on His right side for 40 days to symbolize Judah's sins (Ezekiel 4:6).
Elijah went 40 days without food or water at Mount Horeb. Jesus was tempted by the devil many times during the 40 complete days he fasted just before his ministry began. He also appeared to his disciples and others for 40 days after his resurrection from the dead.
The number forty can also represent a generation of man. Because of their sins after leaving Egypt, God swore that the generation of Israelites who left Egyptian bondage would not enter their inheritance in Canaan (Deuteronomy 1). The children of Israel were punished by wandering the wilderness for 40 years before a new generation was allowed to possess the Promised Land.
God flooded the earth by having it rain for forty days and nights (Genesis 7:12). After the patriarch Jacob (Israel) died in Egypt, the Egyptians spent forty days embalming his body (Genesis 50:3).