• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

Pastor tells church 'sometimes violence is necessary,' appears to link Elon Musk's DOGE to 'the devil'

It's starting to take a toll on me, to be honest with you Riley.
God’s love be with you. I don’t blame you for feeling that way at all :(

Take it easy
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Orthodoxy and Ethnic Identity

Me too, having a several centuries, at least, linege as an orthodox christian am a mutt. If you, the best and most faitful of us, are a mutt - then grant me an honor of being one of you. A moment is a thousand years, and a millena is a moment, with our Lord. Grant me a moment with a best of yours, my God.
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Does it ever make you wonder if the scriptures are truly meant for humans?

That God and the angels are any one of those massive celestial bodies in space.....
Angels are here with us who are Jesus Christ's people > Hebrews 1:13-14 shows angels are ministering spirits ministering for us who are God's children.
If we are created in His image then we'd also be like stars but we are not. We are flesh and bones and limbs then who are we?
We are spiritual beings living in flesh and blood material bodies.
Did we simply receive a copy of the scriptures for celestial bodies and decided to adopt it as our own that we humans are the ones it is talking about?
The scriptures are for us, with God's meaning which He is producing.
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Chris Pratt reveals pivotal moment he surrendered his platform to God: 'I don't care if it costs me' (exclusive)

Chris Pratt has built a career on playing heroes — from the lovable goofball Andy Dwyer on "Parks and Recreation" to Marvel’s Star-Lord, he’s won over audiences with his humor and charm. But his greatest mission, the “Guardians of the Galaxy” star told The Christian Post, is far bigger than Hollywood.

“I care enough about Jesus to take a stand, even if it cost me. It could cost me everything, but I don't care. It's worth it to me because this is what I'm called to do, it’s where my heart is,” the 45-year-old actor said.

“I'm a father of four. I want to raise my children with an understanding that their dad was unashamed of his faith in Jesus, and with a profound understanding of the power of prayer, and the grace and the love and the joy that can come from a relationship with Jesus. … You don't hear that a lot from people in entertainment, but it's who I am. I'm not going to hide behind it. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Continued below.
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Lent 2025

Blessed Lent!

It was put on my heart to create a Lent Journal and Scripture Reading Plan for Christians, and I want to share it with everyone here.

This plan walks through each of the four Gospels during the Lent season.

Complete with 2025 dates to help you stay on track daily. Each day of the Lenten season includes a lead bible verse, prayer, scripture readings for the day and space to journal, write and reflect. Can easily be printed and used in your home or congregation, or you can use on your desktop or laptop computer. Altogether, it's an 85 page resource to help guide you as you pray, listen and reflect on the goodness of God and His promises through His life and resurrection.
Anyone interested, please let me know, and I'm happy to share :loveletter:

Faithful after murder attempts. Bible distributor beaten, needs surgery. Bold witness murdered.

  • Mar. 06, 2025 | India​

    Pastor in "Land of Gods" Delivered by the Living God

    [12] prayers in [2] nations have been posted for Hira.
    Himachal Pradesh is known as Dev Bhoomi, or Land of the Gods. Many Hindu devotees come here on pilgrimage.
    A pastor named Hira Singh has used notoriety from being persecuted to share the gospel with even more people. In 2000, Hira Singh, who was formerly from a high-caste Hindu background, came to faith in Christ in Himachal Pradesh. This region is a North Indian state known as Dev Bhoomi (Land of Gods) and a prominent Hindu pilgrimage destination. In the early years of his Christian faith, Hira faced opposition from his family and community. Read More.
  • Mar. 06, 2025 | Turkey​

    Beaten Bible Distributor Needs Surgery

    [7] prayers in [1] nation have been posted for Faraj.
    Handing out Bibles, or leaving them to be found, is dangerous in Iran.
    A believer named Faraj has needed multiple surgeries after severe persecution. Faraj would carefully place Bibles on empty bus seats in Iran, praying people would find them, read them and come to know Jesus like he did. Eventually, Iranian authorities discovered his clandestine Bible distribution program and arrested him. His jailers tortured him, knocking out numerous teeth and breaking his back. When they stopped their abuse, Faraj fled to Turkiye, where the body of Christ helped provide for replacement teeth and two back surgeries. Read More.
  • Mar. 06, 2025 | Ethiopia​

    Bold Witness Murdered by Militants

    [6] prayers in [1] nation have been posted for Melke and family.
    Melke (right) and Yeshi (left) both lost their husbands in an attack by militants.
    Kitessa was a dedicated church leader murdered by armed militants, leaving behind his wife, Melke, and five children. Because of his passionate evangelism, Kitessa was warned he would be killed if he did not stop preaching the gospel. Still, he remained committed to sharing the gospel and leading a church in his community. On Aug. 25, 2024, Kitessa was returning home after preaching a Sunday service when armed militants opened fire on him. Kitessa's wife, Melke, was within earshot of the gunfire and quickly tried to reach her husband by phone. Read More.

Stranded astronaut confirms Biden shot down Musk’s offer to bring pair home: ‘Absolutely factual’

One of the NASA astronauts trapped on the International Space Station said he believes Elon Musk’s claim that the Biden administration rejected the SpaceX CEO’s offer to help bring the team home.

Barry “Butch” Wilmore made the comment Tuesday during an in-orbit press conference with fellow castaway Sunita Williams nine months after their Boeing Starliner capsule malfunctioned and left the pair stuck on the ISS.

Continued below.

lol, if you listen to the actual response and not the retelling by rags like the NY Post or the clickbaity headline of the India Times, it's clear that the astronaut's response is so self-contradictory as to be nonsensical if taken literally. As noted by the body of the India Times article, in one breath, he says that it's "absolutely factual" and in the next says that they have no information about what was offered. He may believe Musk, but he doesn't know what went on. A charitable interpretation of his response is that he chose his words poorly. You can see the question and response at 18:36:
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NYPD makes multiple arrests at Barnard College after anti-Israel agitators take over library

The arrests came only because of the (fake) bomb threat and the need to make sure the people (and building) were safe. This is how you can now veto a non-violent protest you don't like. Just commit a crime.
SMH
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"Trump Gaza is finally here!" Golden Trump statue, nightclubs: What 'Donald Trump's Gaza' looks like in AI video

Avital said he was surprised by some of the reactions to the video. “If it was the skit for Saturday Night Live the whole perception of this in the media would be the opposite – look how wild this president is and his ideas, everyone would think it’s a joke.”
I'm not sure why he would surprised that the source of a message influences its reception. Everyone knows SNL is satirical. Trump, on the other hand, is not known for satirizing himself.
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New York City denied request FEMA return $80M in migrant funds

'We are evaluating next steps,' a New York City Law Department spokesperson tells Fox News​


A federal judge blocked New York City’s request for President Donald Trump's administration to return $80 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds allocated for migrant shelters and services.

Continued below.

Their god is Their Stomach

“Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.” (Philippians 3:17-19 NIV)

I am going to skip over Paul’s example of what a person of genuine faith in Jesus Christ should look like, for a few minutes, for first I believe the Lord wants me to talk about those who “live as enemies of the cross of Christ,” and what that looks like. For it has nothing to do with their profession of faith in Jesus, whether or not they profess faith in the Lord, but it has to do with how they live and whether or not they are living out the salvation that our Lord provided, or if they are still living to please their flesh, instead.

There are many people here in America today who are professing faith in Jesus Christ with their lips but who are living in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord. And it is their addiction to sin which stands in the way between their sinful desires and true freedom from their bondage to sin. For addiction to sin can be very inviting, intriguing, and deceptive. And the people who are drawn to it, and who habitually participate in it, are trapped in its web of deceit which convinces them that there is no way out.

The addiction to sin they are trapped in convinces them that they cannot be rescued, and that they cannot stop what they are doing, and so rather than fighting the addiction and conquering it, by faith in Jesus Christ, they give way to it, because it is the easy way out, i.e. the cowardly way out, too. And even though they know the truth of what God’s word teaches about sin, and about slavery (addiction) to sin, and that Jesus paid the price for our freedom from slavery to sin, they continue to yield to the lusts of the flesh.

They also yield to the lies of the enemy which are teaching those who profess faith in Jesus that salvation from sin and eternal life with God are not at all contingent upon their walks of faith in obedience to the Lord in denial of self and in putting sin to death daily, by the Spirit. They give them this idea that if they profess faith in Jesus that all their sins are now forgiven and heaven is guaranteed them when they die, but regardless of how they live. And they cloak it as we are “saved by grace through faith alone.”

Ephesians 2:
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Romans 3:
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

--------

If one is saved by grace through faith their lives will bear fruit, including good works. If one's life doesn't, it is not a matter of working to earn salvation, but examining their lives with the Lord to see if they truly are in the faith.
But the Bible teaches us that God’s grace is what sent Jesus Christ to that cross to put our sins to death with him so that, by faith in him, we will deny self, die daily to sin, and walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands. And this faith is not of our own doing, but it is of God, and it is persuaded of God, and he persuades us that we must deny self, die to sin daily, and walk in obedience to his commands, in practice. And if we continue in deliberate and habitual sin, we do not have salvation and eternal life with God.
Unfortunately, instead of counting on the Spirit, by grace through faith. to deny the flesh, we can try and do that in the flesh and that will continue to lead us back to sin and failure.

It is important to bring that up because if we don't understand that principle, we will continue to live a life of sin and death for trying to live in obedience by the knowledge of good and evil and commands instead of empowerment by the Spirit to love God with all and neighbor as self.

Many really don't want to continue in sin, but they are ensnared to the lusts of the flesh because they are trying to overcome by knowledge instead of faith / trust in God.

Romans 7
Romans 8:
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

Also God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return. So God’s grace is not a free pass into heaven based on a profession of faith in Jesus, but it leads us to turn away from our sins and to now follow the Lord in walks of obedience to his commands in godly, moral, honest, and faithful living. And faith in Jesus must result in death to sin and in obedience to God, too.
It is a free pass. The matter is whether one is truly in the faith for not all that say they are in the faith truly are.

As James said, a life of faith will produce fruit and good works. Even demons believe in God and tremble, but that doesn't mean one is in the faith.

Unfortunately, many also live in fear of God and tremble, but are not in the faith.

In the days of old many also believed in God and trembled, but were not in the faith.

[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]

So, those of you who are trapped in addiction to sin, particularly sexual sin, which seems to be predominant today, while you are claiming faith in Jesus Christ and heaven as your eternal destiny, you need to know the truth which will set you free. For if sin is your practice (habit), and not obedience to God, the Bible teaches that you will not have salvation from sin nor eternal life with God. And this is not about us being perfect in every way, but this all comes down to what we practice – obedience to God or sinful pleasures?
I would just repeat that many don't want a sin lifestyle, but are counting in their own works and legalism, and sin thrives on legalism that includes our own efforts.

It all comes down to faith, given by grace, which produces fruits of the Spirit and good works.

We don't want to put the cart before the horse.

And you need to know that Jesus died on that cross to put your sins to death with him so that, by faith in him, you will now die to sin and live to God and to his righteousness in walks of obedience to his commands.
Matthew 22:
35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[e] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[f] 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”


In the flesh, you cannot do this. But by submission to God, and the yielding of control of your lives to the Lord, and by denying self and dying to sin daily, and walking in obedience to our Lord daily (in practice) by faith, in God’s power, as you cooperate with God, you can be free from addiction to sin.
Amen.

But if you are not willing and obedient, and you will only go so far in trying to stop your addiction, but you don’t totally let go, and you are not honest, and so that addiction never really ever leaves you, but it is still hanging in there just waiting for you to fail again, then you will fail again. And if you remain addicted to sin, and obedience to God is not your habit, then the Bible is clear that you will perish in your sins, you will not have eternal life with God, and the gates of hell will be what await you when you die.
If you are in the faith you are his child and nothing will ever separate you from Him.

If you are living in sin, your life experience will not bear fruits unto life, but bear fruits unto death. He will discipline you to get you back on track, but if you count on yourself, you will be cut off from the vine until you return to faith in Christ and reliance on his finished work on the cross, which will empower you by his Spirit.

Romans 11

But the example that Paul and the other New Testament apostles set for us to follow is a life of one who is committed to obeying the Lord and to no longer walking in sin. That didn’t make them perfect people, but they were not walking in sin and in disobedience to our Lord. Paul, especially, led a very godly and moral life in obedience to the Lord and in sharing the truth of the gospel which got him hated and persecuted and mistreated. But all obedience and death to sin is empowered by God, as we yield to him.
Of course obedience is in the equation, but again, we need to be cautious of putting the cart before the horse. When we love the Lord with all and neighbor as self, we live in obedience to his commands. It is a fruit of remaining in Christ by grace through faith in Him.

By grace God gives us faith that his Word is true, and equipped with this faith, we are empowered to know that He has something better for us than what the flesh desires and deny it.

Broken Cord

An Original Work / August 29, 2018
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love


Your bond is broken with your Lord and Savior
And your testimony is separate from Him.
Your words not matching your actions today.
Repent of your sin and bow down and pray.
Live what you testify in truth always.

Purity’s lacking in your life and witness,
For you profess one thing, but other you do.
Not moral, spiritual. Still of the flesh.
Not living in truth to what you confess.
Lying about it puts you in a mess.

Living a lie is your practice, ‘tis true of you.
Masquerade righteousness – none of it true.
Your heart is not given to your Lord God.
Because of how you live, you are a fraud.
Turn from your sin and give your life to God.

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Their god is Their Stomach
An Original Work / March 6, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Thank you. I appreciate it.

I just believe at times we stress that we need to stop sinning, but in doing so we can put others under the knowledge of good and evil and the law, which just leads them back to more and more sin, and so we keep piling it on and they keep sinning and the guilt and shame continues to grow and now people just want to throw in the towel when all they need to do is understand these matters more clearly.

A lack of obedience is a lack of faith and love for God. There is no condemnation. We don't try harder to attain that. We confess our lack and weaknesses of our own efforts apart from faith, and in doing so we give his Spirit what it is looking for to manifest itself strong in us.
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Are our senses reliable?

Proof by contradiction:

Assume that human senses are not reliable. However, historically, the development of physics relied on human measurements and perception. Today we enjoy the results of the development of these physical laws. If human senses are not reliable, we wouldn't have. Therefore, human senses are reliable.

End of proof

If human senses are not reliable, with what can we make that judgement. Do you not see the absurdity or the self-contradiction?

If a person is deemed reliable, does that mean that he could be trusted all the time?

No. Oxford dictionary:

  1. that can be trusted to do something well; that you can rely on
  2. that is likely to be correct or true
Are our senses reliable all the time?

No, our senses are not infallible.

Philosophers like René Descartes argued that our senses could sometimes deceive us (e.g., optical illusions, hallucinations). However, these exceptions do not negate the overall reliability of our senses as tools for perceiving reality.

The meaning of "What have I to do with you?"

2Sa 16:

9 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” 10 But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ”
Perhaps God wanted Shimea to curse David. Abishai didn't dare to talk back to the king.

2K 3:

13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to your father’s prophets or to your mother’s.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No; it is the Lord who has summoned us, three kings, only to be handed over to Moab.”
Elisha didn't shut the king of Israel up. King Joram wondered about the will of God and insisted on an answer.

14 Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you.
2Ch 35:

21 But Neco sent envoys to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I am not coming against you today, but against the house with which I am at war; and God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, so that he will not destroy you.”
Neco dismissed Josaiah claiming God's will. Sure enough, he killed him in a battle later.

This idiomatic usage continued to the NT. Jesus asked Mary in John 2:

4 "Woman, what have I to do with you? My hour is not yet come."
Jesus didn't want to be bothered. That didn't shut her up:

5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Jesus consulted God's will, followed through, and turned the water into wine.

Mk 1:

24 [The demon] cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”
The demon said, "Please kill me."

25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”
Jesus shut him up.

Mk 5:

7 Crying out with a loud voice, [a demon] said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”
The demon used the idiom and the name of "God" to avoid confrontation with Jesus, but it didn't work out.

Mt 8:

29 Suddenly they shouted, “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”
Luke 8:

28 When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me”
What was the meaning of "What have I to do with you?"?

Throughout Scripture, the idiom "What have I to do with you?" was a rhetorical device. There was a tension between human intention and the will of God. It was used in the context of the will of God to express a desire to avoid interaction, interference, or confrontation. The result could be positive or negative, depending on the actual will of God.
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“The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

, The kingdom of God. What is that?

The leadership and the place of leadership of God. His will, not ours or our world we have made in our own image.
One thing Jesus makes clear is that it is good news

Yes, the Gospel of the Kingdom makes it clear, as stated in the Lord's Prayer also, that God's will will be done, no longer ours. Good news indeed.

Repent”? What does that mean for us now?
Change from following the will of man which is based on self interest to the will of God which serves others without expectation of personal gain.

“Return to me with your whole heart” says the Lord.
Yes, not combining the Kingdom with this world to be able to try and have it both ways.
.
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Trump Offers Federal Workers the Option to Resign

Maybe you aren’t following the news and seeing how many of Musk’s claims have turned out to be bogus. They’re not auditing. They’re lying.
The propagandists are assuring its base nonstop that his findings aren't true. Then they are walking back those claims. CNN did it just yesterday on the "transgender mice"

"CNN issued a correction after the network inaccurately asserted that President Donald Trump “falsely claimed” the Biden administration spent $8 million to make mice transgender.

During his joint address to Congress on Tuesday, Trump cited several examples of “appalling waste” he had cut, including $8.2 million in NIH-funded studies on “gender-affirming” hormone treatments mice. CNN’s Deidre McPhillips initially tried to dispute the claim, arguing only about $500,000 had been allocated for similar research in monkeys — she was later forced to issue a correction after the White House proved CNN’s “fact check” inaccurate in a statement."

“Trump falsely claimed that the Department of Government Efficiency identified government spending of ‘$8 million for making mice transgender,'” CNN’s original fact check read.

The White House then released a statement listing six NIH grants for studies on hormone treatments in mice, a combined total of $8,290,053. The Biden-era grants included $455,000 to study “gender-affirming hormone therapy on HIV-vaccine induced immune responses, $2.5 million to study the reproductive consequences of hormone therapy, $299,940 to study testosterone therapy on breast cancer risk and treatment outcomes, $735,113 to study the effects of hormone therapy on mouse microbiomes, $1.2 million to study “androgen effects on the reproductive neuroendocrine axis” and $3.1 million to study hormones as mediators of sex influences in asthma. All listed studies involved hormonal replacement in mice.


CNN’s initial fact check Wednesday morning focused narrowly on three NIH studies. One focused on a $299,940 grant from the National Cancer Institute seeking “to compare breast cancer rates among female mice and those receiving testosterone therapy.” Two others from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases totaling $455,120 focused on how “an HIV vaccine worked in mice that had received cross-sex hormone therapy.”


The outlet later updated its page, changing “Trump falsely claimed” to “This claim needs context.” The outlet also explicitly acknowledged its earlier error, writing “An earlier version of this item incorrectly characterized as false Trump’s claim about federal money being spent for ‘making mice transgender.'”

You have to wait for facts, not just jump on whatever confirms your bias.

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