It sounds like you are looking for something more like the premodern forms of Chess, which was known as Shatranj or Chaturanga.

You might want to look up Shahtranj. You can get a Fairy Stockfish engine that can play this older form of Chess, as well as several GUI's that can run Fairy Stockfish as well. I also believe there are some online servers that run Fairy Stockfish and Shatranj.

An article on a 1,000 year old mansuba or Chess problem, which uses the ancient form of Chess rules:

Are you wounded, tattered and torn?
You’re forgotten, grieved and forlorn?
Needing answers? Troubles in mind?
Hope’s allusions hardly to find?

Truth escaping? Liars abound?
Men betraying? Honor not found?
Hope’s not empty. Honesty here.
There’s an answer, which is quite clear.

Jesus loves you. This I do know.
For the Bible surely tells so.
He’s our Savior, life without end,
Cleansing us from all of our sin.

When you trust Him now with your life,
Let your fears go. Give not to strife.
Let Him have control of your will.
Within your heart Jesus will fill.

Peace now filling, worries let go.
Reassurance surely do know.
Savior loyal. He will not lie.
For our sins He surely did die.

Comforts you with all of His love.
Joy He gives you from up above.
He gives purpose. He has a plan
For Your life to live to His end.

He will never leave, forsake you.
His commitment – always be true.
On His love, you now can depend;
Life eternal with Him. Amen!

An Original Work / June 20, 2018

What is an affliction? It can be a “persecution, distress, tribulation,” and/or something where we feel as though we are being “hemmed in.” It can be “internal pressure that causes someone to feel confined (restricted, ‘without options’),” where we might feel as though there is “no way of escape.” Or it can be a difficult circumstance contributing to such feelings (source Bible Hub Interlinear). Or it can be a disease, an illness, a suffering, a difficulty, problem, hardship, or trouble of various kinds (MS Word Thesaurus).

Are you presently experiencing any afflictions? How are you doing with handling them? Are you trusting in the Lord to help you, to see you through this? And are you following his leading and resting in him, believing that he works all things for good for those who love God and who are called according to his purpose? Are you calling on him to heal you and to give you strength and guidance? Or are you allowing worry to overtake you, and are you running away emotionally and spiritually rather than dealing with it?

There were times in my life when I ran away from such situations, for the pressure was unbearable, and my understanding of God’s sovereignty over my life was somewhat distorted. But then there were times when I stood strong and determined to not let the trials and tribulations of this life overtake me, and where I stood strong in the strength of the Lord. But I can honestly say that, for the past 22 years, I have not run away from difficult circumstances, but I have trusted in the Lord to guide me through them.

So, when we go through such difficulties, our automatic responses need to be in conformity with the will of God for our lives, and they should not be controlled by the flesh. And this doesn’t mean that we won’t feel like running away and hiding from it all, at times, but that we are determined, in the strength of the Lord, to endure, and to allow the Lord Jesus to mature us in our walks of faith and obedience to him because of what trials he allows to come into our lives for our good – all glory to God.

Now, the Lord does not promise to deliver us physically from all our trials and tribulations. But if our lives are surrendered to him, to do his will, and so we are following him in obedience to his commands, he will deliver us emotionally, mentally, and spiritually from the negative side effects of such trials on our minds and on our attitudes and on the reactions that we have, and on the choices that we make. And he will give us the strength we need to endure and to keep walking in obedience to his commands.

So, rather than allowing the ungodly of this world to influence us to give up and to run away and to back down from our testimonies for the Lord Jesus, and from our walks of faith and obedience to our Lord, via whatever means they use to try to discourage us or to instill fear within us, we need to call upon the Lord to be our strength and our help in times of weakness. And then we need to reaffirm our commitments to the Lord to remain true to his word and to love his commandments and to keep following His lead.

And then we should grieve over those who resist the Lord and his word, especially if they are those who profess faith in Jesus Christ but who are living contrary to his word, still walking in sin, still practicing what is evil, still making lying their practice, and not godliness and moral purity and faithfulness and obedience to the Lord. For salvation is far from those who make wickedness their practice, even if they give lip service to God, for they do not make obedience to God their practice, but sin is still their practice.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 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; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

So, don’t let people try to convince you to back down or to run away or to be less than who God made you to be, for his purposes and for his glory. But continue to walk in faithfulness and in obedience to the Lord and to his commands, and continue to deny self, to die daily to sin, and to follow the Lord Jesus wherever he leads you in doing all that he says, in the power of God.

When I Go Home

By G. M. Eldridge

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes…” Revelation 21:4

In the moment He appears
And the light from heaven shines,
I’ll forget ev’ry fear,
Ev’ry pain I’ll leave behind.
Then I’ll see Him as He is
And I’ll know Him as I’m known.
Ev’ry tear wiped away when I go home.

Ever present is the tho’t
That a moment waits for me
When unworthy as I am,
His glory I will see.
I will empty all my praise
Before my Father’s throne.
Ev’ry tear wiped away when I go home.

If the trial I endure,
And your presence I can’t find,
Be near me, Lord, I pray,
Bring back unto my mind
That your promises are firm
And I’m never on my own.
Ev’ry tear wiped away when I go home.

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Yttrium said:

Huh.

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They continue to work to support the suffering caused as Ukrainians are facing a fierce winter without electricity, over Biden's wars, instead of leaving their jobs; and they need therapy as Trump steps in to negotiate peace?

Zaha Torte said:

Assume guilty until proven innocent. The cornerstone of Leftists justice system.

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Actually, he was proven guilty. So, there's that. And that would not have happened without evidence. That's how trials work.

Zaha Torte said:

This is like a Christian making a claim and then posting a link to the Book of John as their evidence.

Do you not know where the supposed evidence is listed in your own link?

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Yes, I do. I read the decision. Feel free to do the same, if you are really interested in knowing. I wonder if you are, based on your attempts to get me to do your homework for you. I'm refraining from doing so because it's way off topic for this thread, and that kind of thing is frowned upon here.

By the way, if you're curious about what happens in a trial when there's a lack of evidence, check out any of the 60+ court cases where Trump tried to challenge the 2020 election results, practically all of which were thrown out for lack of evidence.

-- A2SG, though, to be fair, there were a couple thrown out for lack of standing, if I recall correctly....

Michie said:

Mary with the Christ Child has long been an iconic Christmas image for cultures and peoples around the world.

Starting more than 60 years ago, the U.S. Postal Service began annually issuing Christmas stamps featuring various classic artistic portrayals of the image.

This year, the USPS selected as the image for this stamp a painting that has been in the collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields in Indianapolis since 1938.

The “Madonna and Child” was created in the workshop of the Italian artist Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato in the 17th century.

Continued below.

This is the remarkable story behind this year's Christmas stamp

The USPS has selected Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato's "Madonna and Child" for this year's Christmas stamp.

www.oursundayvisitor.com

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I love it!

Matt Bruns said:

Do you believe the wormwood prophecy is real?

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According to Neil Degrass Tyson, it could be in 2036. Depending on what keyhole it passes through in 2029. They really do not have the exact math worked out yet. At least NASA is not releasing that information right now. They know the day in both of those years is April 13. This lines up with passover in 2029.

• April 13, 2029: It falls on a Friday.
• April 13, 2036: It falls on a Sunday.

Joseph G said:

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Enjoy bro!

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Although I've been a fan of Petra for almost 40 years, that is the very first time I've heard John Schlitt's amazing testimony. Thank you so very much for sharing.

Michie said:

The U.S. bishops’ conference will vote this week to approve a new liturgical Bible, paving the way for a new lectionary to be used at Mass, and for the eventual publication of a new translation of the Church’s Liturgy of the Hours.

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Seems they have sped through the process, as at the USCCB’s 2023 fall meeting in Baltimore, Fr. Dought stated the change to be made by June 2026 (source): “For the most part those were updates, but the bishops still need to review those, have an opportunity to modify those, and then the full body of bishops will vote on those [4,000 pages] in June of 2024,” Dought said. Hm!

Legion7777777 said:

Isaiah 28:10 KJV — For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

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Good thing or bad thing?

13 But the word of the Lord was to them,
“Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little,”
That they might go and fall backward, and be broken
And snared and caught.

Michie said:

In the decade I have been praying the Liturgy of the Hours, there is one reading that has always confused me. [...] You might recall that at some point in the 1940s the Confraternity Bible project switched from being a revision of the Challoner version of the Douay-Rheims to being a translation of the scriptural texts from their original languages.

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In regards to the Divine Office, and all studies in general, I never use any translation but the Douay-Rheims, as it was translated with scrupulous accuracy from the Vulgate of St. Jerome, and was used universally in the Catholic Church (Latin Rite) for over 1500 years. The Vulgate was proclaimed “authentic” by the Council of Trent in 1546, who proclaimed: “No one [may] dare or presume under any pretext whatsoever to reject it.” (4th Ses., April 8, 1546). Pope Pius XII declared that this [the Vulgate, and subsequently, the Douay-Rheims] means it is “free from any error whatsoever in matters of faith and morals.” (1943); moreover stating that it was free from all errors and SUPERIOR to all vernaculars and that all vernacular translations must use the Vulgate as their basis.

Though I do not pull the ECNS ('extra Ecclesiam nulla salus,' i.e., no salvation outside the Church) card very often, but if the Catholic [and Orthodox Church ab abusu ad usum non valet consequentia] Church is the One, True, Church; and because the Greek and Hebrew were written by individuals who did not pertain to Catholic principles, we cannot trust these translations to provide the fullness of the Magisterial Appeal, though they are not entirely out of the picture for use. The Vulgate is superior to Hebrew and Greek for these reasons.

I irk at the New American Bible, as it has a less academic and Vulgate-based philology and thus does not pertain to infallible scripture, as that only lies in the Vulgate and its English translation, the Douay-Rheims. Furthermore, in terms of philology and theological study, I use the Anno Domini 1609 Douay-Rheims, which I have in a three-volume copy and was incredibly hard to find. I use it because it is the scantron of the original parchment and thus proclaims the same infallible truth as Pius XII spoke of. It is hard to read, though, so if I am doing the Divine Office, I use the Douay-Rheims Challoner Version (CV) with the Vulgate side-by-side.

I will never use the NAB because of these reasons and stick to my [as it has been called] "onlyist-philology."

Violent Venezuelan gangs continue to spread chaos throughout the U.S.


As the chaos caused at the southern border by the Biden administration spills over into small town America, a growing threat is emerging from foreign-born prison gangs which some experts say will intentionally target Americans.

During an interview with Fox News, Former Department of Homeland Security adviser Charles Marino said American citizens should be worried about the Venezuelan prison-gang Tren de Aragua, which is beginning to take hold all over America.

"As Tren de Aragua becomes a greater portion of the population, so will the reports of violent interactions with this violent gang based out of Venezuela," Marino told Fox News Host Carley Shimkus, "Look, under the final months of the Biden administration, they will continue to grow in numbers and continue to expand around the country and Americans will unfortunately be targeted. So we will hear many more stories."

"It's simply astonishing to me… that here you have an administration under Biden that allowed, designed, and created all the conditions for this crisis to occur… and what will change is on day one, the Trump administration will change that narrative. They will have those in the country illegally, those that are committing crimes, on the run and looking over their shoulders."

Marino noted sanctuary states and cities will also experience a greater presence from federal agencies like ICE, which will be rooting out these gang members and other undocumented criminals for deportation.
"What I can tell you is ICE is also going to be focusing on where these violent gangs and criminals are going to protect them, and that will be in sanctuary cities. So what these sanctuary cities will find, since they're not going to cooperate with ICE and other federal agencies, is they will see a greater representation of federal law enforcement," Marino said.

tonychanyt said:

BSB, Mt 24:


Περὶ δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης καὶ ὥρας οὐδεὶς οἶδεν

Strong's Greek: 1492. εἴδω (eidó) — 319 Occurrences

BDAG οἶδα:
① to have information about, know
ⓗ foll. by περί τινος (Just., D. 5, 1) know about someth. Mt 24:36; Mk 13:32 (RBrown, Jesus, God and Man ’67, 59–79).
② be intimately acquainted with or stand in a close relation to, know
③ to know/understand
④ to grasp the meaning of someth., understand, recognize, come to know, experience
⑤ to remember, recollect, recall, be aware of
⑥ to recognize merit, respect, honor

G1492 was a common word with several nuances, none of which meant 'to make known'. BDAG specifically identified its usage as ①ⓗ to 'know about' something.


There is no lexical justification for that translation.


On Biblehub, no Bible version had translated it that way.

FaithWriter:


Right. However, let's check the context. Mt 24:


Did God tell Noah the exact starting date of the flood?

When God first told Noah to start building the ark, he did not say exactly when the flood would come. Noah knew the certainty of its coming and preached about it (2P 2:5) for something like 120 years (Ge 6:3). At the end of the long waiting period, God informed Noah in Ge 7:


Jesus' disciples wanted to know in Ac 1:


Some years later, John reinforced that unknown of the exact timing in Revelation 3:


Jesus wanted every generation to be ready for his second coming. No one can predict the date in advance except perhaps a few days ahead. When it finally comes, it will be just like another normal day. Mt 24:


When Jesus returns, the date will surprise many people.

Can anyone predict when Jesus will return?

No, at least not far in advance of his actual coming. The Father may inform his prophets/witnesses to give sinners a 7-day warning.

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This does not say no one knows the time. Everyone knows the time, there is no one that does not know the time. What we do not know is WHAT is going to happen. The key word here is about, not time. Eveyone has their own opinion about what is going to happen. If His return is literal or symbolic.

Greene, who was tapped to lead a subcommittee working with the Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), laid out how she hopes to cut government spending

The congresswoman said government-funded media programs like NPR, which she claimed "spread nothing but Democrat propaganda," will be under the subcommittee’s microscope.

As I understand this, there is a drug called Ozempic, and it is proving effective in reducing a person's appetite so the person can lose weight. But as ones use this product they are also choosing higher nutrition foods which are not their once cherished fast stuff. They want to make sure that the lesser amount of food they eat has more nutrition, among other things so they nourish their muscle development right.

But this means companies selling fast foods are losing more and more business. And people invest in stocks for such companies. And may be . . . they care more about making their money, than they care about the people who have suffered so much because of eating too much fast food.

WarriorAngel said:

That's a change.
It's a nice change.
Usually they skip the obligation because it's on a Sunday, in the US.

Seems the US maybe turning around.

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Good to know and hear!

Blessed Solemnity!!!

Glory to Jesus Christ, forever!

May God bless her abundantly!

I’m in retail and work most Sundays. I always make it to Mass, though.

Sex like God permits is holy and good and blessed, is our dirty minds etc that could ruin that.

The Liturgist said:

Indeed. I myself think the verse in Acts 15 has in mind certain perverse activities more than anything traditionally on the menu in the Christian nations of Europe.

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Yes, exactly that. Each of the forbidden activities in Acts 15 is directly related to specific pagan worship practice... acts committed during the pagan ceremonies. For instance, the animals were strangled specifically to retain the blood so that the blood would be eaten with the flesh.

Yeshua HaDerekh said:

Hebrew for spirit...Ruach...Ruach haKodesh...Holy Spirit

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Also in several Aramaic dialects.

The Cosquer Cave, located in Cap Morgiou, Marseille, France, is situated about 37 meters (121 feet) below sea level, and its entrance lies about 37 meters (121 feet) underwater. There are paintings there that are dated before 37,000 years ago. This underwater entrance suggests that the sea level was significantly lower during the time the cave was inhabited by prehistoric humans, allowing access to the cave without diving equipment. The caves were submerged around 10,000-12,000 years ago after the glacial ice melted, resulting in rising sea levels that covered the entrance. The caves have been inaccessible since they were submerged, and the paintings unseen since before they were submerged. They are completely inaccessible since they were submerged many thousands of years ago. They are only accessible today by those with modern diving equipment. Its submarine entrance was discovered in 1985 by Henri Cosquer, a professional diver. The underwater passage leading to the cave was progressively explored until 1990 by cave divers without the divers being aware of the archaeological character of the cave.
The cave contains around 600 paintings and engravings, which are predominantly of animals such as horses, bison, ibex, and seals, as well as numerous hand stencils. These artworks provide valuable insights into the lives and beliefs of the people who inhabited the region during the Upper Paleolithic period.
As a believer in theistic evolution, I see this as evidence of the existence of "earth man" before the creation of Adam and Eve (6000-10000 thousand years ago). These beings evolved from the beasts created on day 6 and were "updated" by the Gods in Gen 1:26. This all happened before Adam. Also, ancient ruins like Göbekli Tepe (Turkey 11000 - 13000 years ago), Jerf el-Ahmar (Syria 10000 - 12000 years ago) provide more evidence. Other sites have evidence of man-made tools and humans living over 2 million years ago.
All this is evidence of old Earth, a pre-Adamic race of humans, and Theistic Evolution.

Peace in Christ.


The first shall be last and the last first. MANY (the first) are called but the FEW (the “last”) are chosen.....chosen to inherit an age-lasting life (aka "eternal life").

The “first” believers in Christ have mortally died from this earth. They are still "perishing" in their mortal bodies. They are of the “Esau”-class of the believers of Christ. They are the “vessels fitted for wrath.” They are the “MULTITUDES” that have gone down the broad way to their mortal destruction.

Mat 7:13-14 KJV
(13) Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
(14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

The many (the first) did not hear the TRUTH of the gospel as they had listened to false prophets and were led astray from the Way that leads to life….an age-lasting life. Multitudes of church-going Christians have and are still going down the broad way to the destruction of their mortal bodies.

They are listening to false prophets who do not have the knowledge of the truth of the gospel. The false prophets are not preaching the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ to their listeners. The understanding of the gospel (good news) has been hid from those who are perishing away in their mortal bodies to the grave.

2Co 4:3-4
(3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are PERISHING:
(4) In whom the god of this AGE hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine in them.

There is hope for them though as the believers in Christ who have died (perished) shall be resurrected. The “first shall be last” though.

They will be resurrected AT the “last day”….at the last day of this current age. They believed in Christ but did not have the truth of the gospel preached to them as they surrounded themselves with false teachers.

John 11:25
Young's Literal Translation
Jesus said to her, 'I am the rising again, and the life; he who is believing in me, even if he may die, shall live;

They will be made alive AT His coming…at the last day. The first shall be last…in the resurrection.

1Co 15:23 KJV
(23) But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

Until then, they are “asleep” from this earth. They are experiencing an intermission from this earth. The “first” shall be “last”….as they will be made alive AT the last day. God will then give them a body as determined.

But those who are LAST (the few) shall be FIRST in the resurrection. We are of the “Jacob”-class of believers in Christ. We are the vessels of His mercy.

We shall not mortally die but shall be made “ALIVE AND REMAINING” in this earth through our faith in Him until the coming of the Lord.

He keeps us mortally standing here in this earth TO THE LAST DAY. We experience the “first resurrection”….being made alive first in this earth NOW as Christ is alive NOW.

We shall not mortally die (perish) but have an age-lasting life in this mortal body for the duration of this age until the “LAST DAY” of this age.

John 11:26
Young's Literal Translation
and every one who is living and believing in me shall not die -- to the age;

We who shall be “alive and remaining” in this earth are not to be concerned with the first group of Christians who have mortally died….who are “asleep”.

1Th 4:13 KJV
(13) But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

We….the “last” who will participate in the “first” resurrection….shall be made alive and will remain UNTO THE COMING OF THE LORD. We shall not mortally die but will remain here alive by the power of God…by the power of the cross of Christ.

God will bring the “first” group again ….who have fallen asleep (mortally died) in Jesus We should not be concerned about this.

1Th 4:14-15 KJV
(14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
(15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

We should not also be concerned about what body do they come in as God will give them a body as determined by Him.

1Co 15:35-38 KJV
(35) But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
(36) Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
(37) And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
(38) But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

We….the last…the few…shall have our undying mortal bodies changed from mortal to immortal. Those who mortally died shall be raised up at that last day to be unperishable...but we who remain here alive in our mortal bodies shall be changed at that time to immortal. No death shall ever be experienced by the "last" group of Christians who will hear and believe in the truth of the gospel which shall not be hidden from them.

1Co 15:51-53 KJV
(51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
(52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
(53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

ARBITER01 said:

Over 7,000 views on this subject,... that's pretty good! I guess there are some people out there who need to know.

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This is always a good topic to discuss. God bless.