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Offline4Better. · Oct 7, 2024

Hello folks. Today's devotional is part of a two part series on spreading our faith. The first part focuses on how we can preach the Gospel to others without offending people. Later on, the second part will focus on how God can use events in life, and even atheists as a tool to show His love, and present His rules to Christians.

Date	October 7, 2024 \| Spreading Faith Pt. 1: Preaching the Gospel
Verse	Mark 16:15 (NIV): "He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’" 1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV): "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (NIV): "Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…" 2 Timothy 4:1-2; 5 (NIV): "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."
Explanation	The four passages from the Bible you've provided all relate to preaching the Gospel, which is the good news about Jesus Christ and his salvation. Mark 16:15 instructs followers of Christ to go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone. This passage sets forth the great commission given by Jesus to spread the message of salvation far and wide. 1 Peter 3:15-16 encourages believers to be prepared to give a reason for their hope in Christ, always doing so with gentleness and respect. It emphasizes that our witness should be accompanied by good behavior, so as not to give an opportunity for others to speak maliciously against us or the message of salvation we represent. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 highlights the essential elements of the Gospel: Christ's death for our sins according to Scripture, His burial, and His resurrection on the third day according to Scripture. This passage underscores that salvation comes through faith in these events as recorded in the Bible. 2 Timothy 4:1-2; 5 encourages believers to preach the word of God, both seasonally and out of season, correcting, rebuking, and encouraging others with great patience and careful instruction. It also calls for endurance under hardship while discharging one's ministry as an evangelist. As a hypothetical aside, if humans were to encounter aliens and overcome any language or communications barriers, it would certainly be appropriate to share the Gospel message with extraterrestrials. However, we must remember that culture and worldview can differ greatly between species, so finding common ground or using analogies might be necessary to effectively communicate the essential aspects of our faith. There is an article on Scientific American by Clara Moskowitz who interviewed astrophysicist David Weintraub that touches on this hypothetical.
Societal Relevance	In today's modern world, Christians can preach the Gospel in various ways without offending anyone. They might engage in conversations about their faith, share personal testimonies of God's work in their lives, or participate in service projects that demonstrate Christ's love to others. It is important for believers to remember 1 Peter 3:15-16 and approach these opportunities with gentleness and respect while keeping a clear conscience. Finally, when preaching the word of God, believers should avoid contentious topics unrelated to the teachings of Christ such as politics, personal preferences (e.g., hobbies, diets), and sensationalism. Instead, they should focus on sharing Jesus' message of love, forgiveness, salvation, and discipleship with others in a manner that is relevant to their lives. As a Christian, it can be hard for me to determine the boundaries to preach the Gospel. At the end of every service, the priest says “The Mass has ended. Go forth and preach the good news”. I am not cut out to be an evangelist, so instead, living out a Christian life is what my mission here on Earth is. For myself, it can be easy to judge others, and to call people out for their actions. As an example, I am not a fan of where the world is going as a moderate and a pacifist, with all the wars going on, and the left and the right both going off the deep end. However, I should not use the state of the world to say we are in the “End Times”. We very might as well be in the last days, but scaremongering will only turn people away from the Christian message. As Christians, we must speak the truth, but try not to offend others, as that would mean our religion gets a bad reputation.

JesusFollowerForever · Oct 7, 2024

Mike, Nothing wrong to marry the woman you love, Peter was married yet Jesus chose him. Please do what your heart desires.

Matthew 19:4-6
And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

Offline4Better. · Oct 7, 2024

Kokavkrystallos said:
Wow, I was saying same thing back 10 years ago! And your map is pretty much what I envisioned, except Western Ukraine would just be Ukraine with economic ties to both Europe & Russia, and Eastern part be Russia.

There was a movie years ago where a US carrier got caught in a time vortex and it was day before Pearl Harbor. The Final Countdown, 1980,
And it was F14 Tomcats in the film, real ones, no CGI.

Wait what? We both had the same idea for the map of Ukraine, you back in the 2010s, and me just this morning? Can the US hire me as a diplomat?

Wow, this is cool. It seems that both of our concepts could be a good idea. About that movie, I might have watched the Final Countdown, or maybe it was the Philadelphia Experiment (1984), cos both movies have sci-fi elements, and one discussed a cloaking device. War movies are pretty cool in general.

Philadelphia Experiment (1984):

The Philadelphia Experiment (film) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Fantine · Oct 7, 2024

And this is why mail-in voting should be available, especially in situations like this.
We need to make voting accessible to all.

fide · Oct 7, 2024

boughtwithaprice said:
Yes we have supernatural gifts, but Satan can play us like a cat. His first temptation is curiosity, he can manipulate emotions to make sin seem good and God burdensome or unfair, and he can get you to question those around us and make us doubt.

Those that are in sanctifying grace can resist the attacks, so it is important to have a disciplined prayer life, and practice frequent reception of the sacraments. The baptized can be wooed into a state of spiritual sloth if they neglect these things.

Saints have spoken of the dark night of the soul where no spiritual consolations are to be had. Theirs prayers are empty and seem ineffective. Their friendships are boring and they have lost interest. They are made to feel isolated and alone. God is allowing them to be tested. Do they love Him or will they give up and turn back? Peter had the will to continue. He had denied our Lord and felt the shame and had nothing left in his flesh to offer God. Jessis asked him, Simon son of Jonah lovest thou me?
The Lord asked three times and Peter relied yes
We don’t know exactly what was going through his mind. The scripture gives a clue that he was troubled at the Lord asking three times. Did he have self doubt? Did he doubt that the Lord loved him any longer? He had nothing left, and he still said yes.
The other clue that Peter had nothing but his will was in John 6 after the bread of life discourse. Peter, intellect was like the other’s who could not comprehend the teaching. Jesus asked the twelve, will you leave me also? Peter did not go on a theological exegesis of the teaching and say, Lord we know what you mean, those that left are just idiots. No, he felt the same doubt and said, Lord, where else would we go? You alone have the words of eternal life?

The road to life is narrow and the gate is straight. It is not a road which we choose if our hearts are toward our flesh and its comfort. When we have mortified the deeds of our flesh, denied ourselves and taken up our cross, we chose it only with our free will, and we can say with Job and all the martyrs, though He slay me, still I will serve Him. As with Peter we say, what else can I do Lord, you alone are the giver of life?

I find this helpful in understanding the Night of the Senses:

St. John of the Cross describes three crucial signs in the person of the arrival of the dark night of the senses.[52] They are summarized below, following a similar description given by Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange.[53]

1) The Psychological Experience: One finds no consolation in the things of God, nor in created things.
-- The Theological Explanation: Activity of the gift of knowledge, showing the emptiness of created things and the gravity of sin.
2) The Psychological Experience: One keenly desires to serve God, with a thirst for justice and fear of sin. One finds strength in temptation.
-- The Theological Explanation: Activity of the gift of fortitude, with the gift of fear.
3) The Psychological Experience: There is great difficulty in discursive meditation, with instead a tendency to the simple affective gaze toward God.
-- The Theological Explanation: Activity of the gift of understanding; the beginning of infused contemplation.

The presence of all three signs, indicating the emergence of these holy gifts of the Spirit, all present together in a person, is confirmation of God’s work and this dark night having begun. These signs must be present, this night must come, before God’s gift of Himself in infused contemplation, and advanced stages of prayer.
With a keen desire to serve God, the soul fears that it does not, and is instead sharply aware of its sins and weaknesses. This fear is the fear of a son who loves his father, not the servile fear of a slave fearing punishment. The soul truly wants to serve God because of the worthiness of God, yet despairs because of its own unworthiness. God does not grant the soul the pleasant feelings of before, nor give the material blessings and protections. God is becoming more present to the soul than ever, but the soul, looking for God in the ways of the past, is not able to perceive Him. God is awaiting now more interiorly, so to speak, and the soul must find Him anew in this more interior place.
Hence the soul experiences darkness, aloneness, and suffering, even though God is more authentically and really active and present than ever before. There is great need then for perseverance, enduring in faith in Him beyond anything that can be felt, seen, or understood. Faithful endurance is the active response of the soul; the person must actively choose to passively receive the work that only God can accomplish.

the above from:

R. Thomas Richard, PhD. The Ordinary Path to Holiness (Third Edition) (pp. 144-145). Kindle Edition.
[51]The Dark Night, Book I, chapter 9 [St. John of the Cross, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross. trans. Kieran Kavanaugh O.C.D. and Otilio Rodriguez, O.C.D. (ICS Publications Washington, DC 1973), 313-16].
[53] R. Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P., Three Ages of the Interior Life, Tan Books 1989, vol. 2, p. 51.

Mark Dohle · Oct 7, 2024

The reason behind so many NDEs

There was a man here this week who is wheelchair bound. He has been coming every year for 25 years and is well known. We talked for a few minutes the other night and he related to me that 17 years ago he was in an automobile accident and was dead for 9 minutes. That got my attention. He also mentioned that he experienced heaven while ‘dead’ and perhaps one day we could talk about it.

Now that I am almost 76 years old, the thought of my death becomes more real, it does not seem as impossible as it was when I was younger. I have lost more than a few friends over the course of the last decade, so I suppose that it is only natural that the reality of my demise is getting easier to accept, though perhaps not as much as I would like.

People who have had a powerful NDE experience, no matter what they believed before the event, tend to come out differently when they return. It can often be a difficult transition for them; some significant relationships usually end. Atheists frequently become believers, believers find that what they believed before their experience does not fit, so they have to struggle with finding a place where they will feel welcomed and understood. It is not an easy road to travel.

I try to imagine what it would be like for me to ‘die’ and then come back. To have an experience when my heart stopped and my brain was no longer able to function, and yet, I would still have an understanding of a world that is more real than this one. Even though I am a man of faith, this does boggle my mind a tad. In some ways, it is easier to believe that there is nothing after death, for this is the only life we know, with our bodies and yes of course our brains and minds. The mind is the key I would think. The concept of the neuroplasticity of the brain points out for many that it is the mind that controls the brain, that the mind does not simply emerge from the brain but is what forms it by thought and action that is chosen and then processed by the brain.

Perhaps the reason so many NDEs are being experienced is to speak to the rest of us, who today, even if we have faith, may find it still difficult to believe on a deep heart-felt level that there is more for us. There is a term that is used for how many of us live if not all the time, then much of the time, it is called “practical atheism”. Living as if God did not exist, even though we may profess some kind of faith or spiritual path, but do not live it or perhaps really on a deeper level, do not believe it at all.-BrMD

Diamond72 · Oct 7, 2024

tonychanyt said:
What was the significance of planting a tamarisk tree in Beersheba?

My wife does that today. As long as the tree or plant is still alive our friendship thrives. I have a tree here that was a gift from a friend and that tree is doing fine. Actually my wife has a lot of plants in our years that are a gift from a friend and they are doing just fine.

RileyG · Oct 7, 2024

RileyG · Oct 7, 2024

How wonderful! Glory to God in all things!

RileyG · Oct 7, 2024

Hammster said:
Overrated, imo.

I probably won’t try it, then.

Dan Perez · Oct 7, 2024

And going forward in time , of today , we see many young people leave their early church teaching and live a life of the world , with hard drink

and drugs and other things and hit bottom and living in the streets .

Some get help from their parents or hear the word teaching from friends and accept Christ Jesus as Lord , Rom 10:9 and 10

And the all the family is Glad especially the Father and family had a gathering BUT !!

The older son had a FIT and was complaining .

The FATHER , represents CHRIST , #1 meaning DEITY

# 2 Young Son presents , SEPERATION

# 3 The older son represent RESURRECTION of those that are taken to be with Christ when he COMES // PAROUSIA in 2 Thess 2:1

dan p

Vambram · Oct 7, 2024

Michie said:
A 7-year-old boy called out to Jesus to save him before Hurricane Helene flood waters carried him away earlier this week.

Micah Drye’s lifeless body was later found about a quarter-mile away from his home in Asheville, North Carolina. But his mother thinks he was saved nonetheless.

“You know, I’m so proud of my son, because in his last moments, he wasn’t screaming for me. He was screaming, ‘Jesus.’ ‘Jesus, save me.’ ‘Jesus, I hear you.’ ‘Jesus, I’m calling upon you,’” said Meghan Drye, the boy’s mother, in an interview with Fox Weather on Thursday.

Micah always wanted to be a superhero, his mother said.

Continued below.

7-Year-Old’s Final Cry in Hurricane Helene Floodwaters: ‘Jesus, I Hear You’

‘He’s my hero,’ Meghan Drye says of 7-year-old Micah.

www.ncregister.com

I read the entire article. The faith displayed by the mother of Micah and her sister after they survived the flooding but their parents and the child did not .... well, that faith is a testimony to the love and healing that only comes from the Lord Jesus Christ.

das grosse schwein · Oct 7, 2024

Thanks to all who prayed for me. God Bless!

Michie · Oct 7, 2024

A scientist in Italy has provided new research suggesting the bloodstains found on the Shroud of Turin — a linen cloth that many believe was Jesus Christ's burial garment — are consistent with the types of torture faced by Jesus as described in biblical accounts.

A study by Professor Giulio Fanti from the University of Padua finds a pattern of bloodstains that align with historical descriptions of the crucifixion.

Fanti has studied the Shroud of Turin for over 25 years and published his findings through the Shroud Science Group. He claims that a macroscopic and microscopic analysis finds that the markings and stains on the cloth are "consistent with the description of Jesus Christ in the holy Bible and, in particular, within the four canonical Gospels."

Continued below.

Bloodstains found on Shroud of Turin consistent with torture Christ suffered, researcher says

A scientist in Italy has provided new research suggesting the bloodstains found on the Shroud of Turin a linen cloth that many believe was Jesus Christ s burial garment are consistent with the types

www.christianpost.com

tonychanyt · Oct 7, 2024

AV1611VET said:
Interesting sidenote:

Ester was a Jew that married a Gentile; while Ruth was a Gentile who married a Jew.

Here is a comparison table:

Aspect	Esther	Ruth
Ethnicity	Jewish	Moabite (Gentile)
Spouse	Ahasuerus (Xerxes I), Persian king (Gentile)	Boaz, Israelite (Jewish)
Setting	Persian Empire	Bethlehem, Israel
Time Period	Persian era (5th century BCE)	Period of the Judges (c. 1100 BCE)
Role in Scripture	Saved Jewish people from genocide	Ancestor of King David and Jesus
Key Themes	Providence, courage, identity	Loyalty, redemption, inclusion
Book Named After Her	Yes	Yes
Conversion	Maintained Jewish faith	Converted to Judaism
Cultural Movement	Diaspora Jew in Gentile culture	Gentile integrating into Jewish culture

Michie · Oct 7, 2024

The United States Supreme Court has rejected the Biden administration’s request to appeal a ruling that prohibits them from forcing emergency room doctors to perform abortions in Texas.

In an orders list released Monday morning, the Supreme Court declined without comment to grant certiorari in the case of Becerra et al. v. Texas et al., which is centered on whether the federal government can interpret federal law to require emergency room staff to performing abortions.

By declining to take up the case, the Supreme Court leaves in place an appeals court panel decision from earlier this year that stops the Biden administration from requiring emergency facilities in Texas to provide abortions.

Continued below.

Supreme Court rejects Biden admin. push to force Texas ER doctors to perform abortions

The U S Supreme Court has rejected the Biden administration s request to appeal a ruling that prohibits them from forcing emergency room doctors to perform abortions in Texas

www.christianpost.com

Michie · Oct 7, 2024

Pope Francis presided over a solemn rosary prayer in Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major on Sunday evening, invoking the intercession of the Virgin Mary for peace in the world amid an escalating conflict in the Middle East.

On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, the pope implored Our Lady, Queen of Peace, to “dispel the dark clouds of evil.”

“Mother, intercede for our world in danger, that it may protect life and reject war, care for the suffering, the poor, the defenseless, the sick, and the afflicted, and guard our common home,” he prayed during the Oct. 6 service.

Continued below.

Pope Francis prays rosary for peace

On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, the pope implored Our Lady, Queen of Peace, to “dispel the dark clouds of evil.”

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Rose_bud · Oct 7, 2024

tonychanyt said:
Genesis 19:

They were referred to as "angels," but this seems to be from the narrator's perspective, not necessarily Lot's. Lot's hospitable behavior, including bowing and insisting they stayed at his house, was consistent with the cultural norms of showing respect to travelers, not necessarily a recognition of their divine nature.

Lot addressed them as "my lords" (verse 2), which was a respectful form of address for honored guests, but didn't necessarily indicate he knew they were angels.

Then the men of Sodom demanded to have sex with these two visitors.

At this point, it was clear to Lot that the visitors were supernatural beings.

Was Lot aware that two visitors at Sodom were angels?

Lot might not have initially recognized these visitors as angels. He treated them with great respect and hospitality, but this was likely due to cultural norms rather than a recognition of their supernatural nature. He realized they were angels later in the narrative.

A similar scene plays out in Judges 19. A parallel between Lot and the old man in Judges 19.

Where the narrator informs us that everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Israel had no king.

The people of the city also demand to have sex with the Levite, who was a guest in the city.

Judges 19:22-24
While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him.”

Genesis 19:5
They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”

Judges 19:23-24
The owner of the house went outside and said to them, “No, my friends, don’t be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don’t do this outrageous thing. Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But as for this man, don’t do such an outrageous thing.

Genesis 19:6-8
Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men...

The indictment, during the time of Judges, the Israelites had spiritually and morally declined becoming worse than Sodom and Gomorrah...

The irony of the statement...
Judges 19:30
Everyone who saw it was saying to one another, “Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Just imagine! We must do something! So speak up.

Michie · Oct 7, 2024

To this day, every night, Bibosa prays the Rosary before bedtime.

Monica Biboso and her employer, Ester Rot, while celebrating Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) in the dining room of Kibbutz Be'eri in 2022.

“I don’t feel like a hero because I saved Ester” during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, Biboso told CNA. “I would do anything to save her. I just treated her like my mother. Every child would do the same.” (photo: Monica Biboso)

One year has passed since Monica Biboso, a 36-year-old Filipino woman who has worked as a caregiver in Israel for over 10 years, was suddenly awakened by the noise of bombs and gunfire in Kibbutz Be’eri, close to the Gaza border.

In a conversation with CNA, Biboso’s eyes moistened as she recalled that day. Hamas fighters surrounded the house, shattered the windows, and set the home ablaze. She still has nightmares and jumps whenever someone knocks on the door of her room at the David Dead Sea Resort by the Dead Sea, where she has been displaced for the past year.

Continued below.

‘Without God, I Wouldn’t Be Here’: Catholic Woman Recounts Survival of Oct. 7 Hamas Attack

To this day, every night, Bibosa prays the Rosary before bedtime.

www.ncregister.com

Michie · Oct 7, 2024

Dear marriage supporter, Pope Francis this week opened a month-long Vatican summit focusing on key issues facing the Roman Catholic Church, including same-sex blessings. I caught up with Dr Gavin Ashenden, a former Anglican bishop and chaplain to the late Queen, who offers valuable insight into these pressing matters. The full interview can be viewed online here. Dr Ashenden reflects on the Catholic Church’s historical stance that “nobody can change Catholic Doctrine”, and expresses concern over recent developments allowing blessings for same-sex unions. He notes that marriage between a man and a woman is not simply a tradition but a reflection of biblical and anthropological truths, integral for the proper upbringing of children and society’s well-being. He also speaks candidly about his past struggle with the “Gospel of nice”, explaining that he fell for the emotional blackmail of affirming same-sex relationships for about ten years. “I gave way to the blackmail that… if you don’t affirm these characteristics...you will damage us.” However, he eventually recognised that this compromise was inconsistent with his faith. Dr Ashenden underlines the dangers of conforming to societal pressures, calling for a return to a strong, clear defence of real marriage. C4M supporters come from all faiths and none. What unites us is our shared belief in the essential role of man-woman marriage in maintaining a stable and flourishing society. While other institutions may waver, C4M stands firm. We call on all Roman Catholics—Cardinals and Pope Francis included—to uphold the timeless value of true marriage, the bedrock of human community.

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Lukaris · Oct 7, 2024

I would think if a person has an individual based faith, that person should realize there are the same pros and cons on both individual and group levels.

Personally, I can see similar positive and negative tendencies within the confessing Church I belong to and among other Christian confessions. I stick to the Orthodox confession of faith and believe any Christian who confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior & believes keeping His commandments in faith will be saved ( John 14:15-18) and that I have no privilege over other Christians.

Michie · Oct 7, 2024

PopeWatch: When the Man is Right, he is Right - The American Catholic

Go here to read the rest. The idea that a law passed by a government elected by a majority of the people, no matter what it says, is beyond harsh criticism, is absurd. All politicians one day answer to a far higher authority than the transient majorities of their countries.

the-american-catholic.com

Leaf473 · Oct 7, 2024

A warning against immorality...

Bible Gateway passage: Proverbs 7:27 - New Living Translation

Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death.

www.biblegateway.com

"Her bedroom is the den of death"
I like that description

LovebirdsFlying · Oct 7, 2024

MOD HAT ON

This thread is now closed due to too many rule violations.
In future threads, please stick to the topic and refrain from goading.

MOD HAT OFF

tonychanyt · Oct 7, 2024

Watch the parallelism in Ps 6:

6 I am weary with my moaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.

David cried to sleep. His anguish was taxing on his eyes. The next verse reinforced the last one.

7 My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes.

His grief stressed his eyes. His enemies caused his weeping. It was taking a physical toll on his eyes.

His foes caused him to weep on his bed. This nightly routine was weakening his eyes physically. It's a vivid expression of how deep emotional pain could manifest physically, and it's part of the psalmist's appeal to God for deliverance and healing.

8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. 9 The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer. 10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

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