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Wildfires in northern California.

It seems the fire is also spreading to Canada. Please pray for the fires to be extinguished quickly through rain or by any means.
And for the safety and peace of the firefighters, for peoples lives and health, homes, property in general, and safety in general.

And please pray for the animals, domestic and wild to escape the fire.

Also for arsonists to be stopped just in general around the world.

Rom 11:20-22 "cut off"?

I believe what the Lord says in John 15:1-10 is what Paul is referring to. It is about all of us.
I see where Peter in 2 Peter 3:16 that what Paul wrote is hard to understand , which the unlearned and unstable WREST .

Just asking for a verse where is referring to us , the BODY of Christ , will help all to understand ??

dan p
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Trump Claiming that He will Solve All Problems, So Christians Won't Have to Vote

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Yes we would be glad to have you, Mississippi has started to have quite a few Plein air events. Just google Mississippi Plen air events or keep up with that facebook page, most of the events in Mississippi are posted there.


Anytime you are in America want to just come and paint in Mississippi the invitation is open. The landscape is anything from flat delta land where you can see for a good distance. To hills and country side with barns and hay bales, cows. etc.. There is also around my area quite a good bit of water scenes.

I'll definitely make a point of coming out - I'm quite a regular in the US. You always seem to have more fun over there, this British "doomed" mentality is really getting old. The one thing I notice regardless of the State, is that Americans are always so optimistic. Brits give up too easily; we're too "real" - and usually in a pessimistic way.

By the way, as a side, I swear that Trump was once a democrat. Did I dream that?

Oh, well. Whatever.
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Republican 2024 Platform Draft Made Public.

1. Protect Social Security Social Security is a lifeline for millions of Retirees, yet corrupt politicians have robbed Social Security to fund their pet projects. Republicans will restore Economic Stability to ensure the long-term sustainability of Social Security.
His rhetoric is aggressive but it's truthful. The government has borrowed from SS but the real shenanigans happened in the 80s when lawmakers changed the way the cost of living was calculated. Grandma with a $500 SS check.
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Secret Service boss blames ‘sloped roof’ for not putting sniper team on building used by would-be Trump assassin

I think it was unwise of her to give a press interview until all the facts are established.
Totally true.
She also stated law enforcement officers were inside the same building as the shooter.
Local police are contradicting that statement, noting their officers were inside an adjacent building.

I've heard local police attesting to that statement. The most solid information I've gotten is that the local police were "in control" of that building and were using it for their own operations. There may or may not have been officers in that building at that particular moment, but from the Secret Service point of view, that was a building that was "secured" by the local police.

If the Secret Service noted activity on that roof, they'd first have to check with the local police to make sure it wasn't police activity.
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Why did God strike an infant with disease for 7 days until it died?

So here God directly says that sometimes undeserving people will get caught in the crossfire.
God is a God of absolute Justice. But it is through us He is redeeming creation because we were given dominion and control.
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Why did Matthew write the Parable of the Talents and Luke write the Parable of the Ten Minas?

Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27 were different parables on different occasions.

1 talent = 60 minas

What is the significance of this difference?

Matthew used a more substantial unit of money. Both taught stewardship, responsibility, accountability, and judgment. I don't see much significant difference between the two parables.
The synoptic gospels should be studied together ... written by different people ... but covered the same things .... they should be considered as a whole (together)
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Those who did NOT DESERVE to drink the cup [of suffering] must drink it

Jeremiah pronounced judgment on the Ammonites in 49:

5 Behold, I will bring terror upon you, declares the Lord GOD of hosts, from all who are around you, and you shall be driven out, every man straight before him, with none to gather the fugitives.
That's the bad news.

6 “But afterward I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites, declares the LORD.”
That's the good news.

Next, concerning Edom:

10 But I have stripped Esau bare; I have uncovered his hiding places, and he is not able to conceal himself. His children are destroyed, and his brothers, and his neighbors; and he is no more.
That's the bad news.

11 Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive; and let your widows trust in me.”
There was a bit of new news concerning some women and children.

12 For thus says the LORD: “If those who did not deserve to drink the cup
those innocent women and children

must drink it,
they suffered like the wicked

will you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you must drink.
New American Standard Bible:

For this is what the LORD says: “Behold, those who were not sentenced to drink the cup will certainly drink it, so are you the one who will be held completely blameless? You will not be held blameless, but you will certainly drink it.
Everyone suffers but God will keep the innocents alive in eternal life. Jesus drank the cup of suffering (Lu 22:42).

A Volatile Election Is Intensifying Conspiracy Theories Online

That wasn't mentioned here and neither did riccardo mention it. My response to you was because you said this :
"Oh yeah. Like Biden. Lol!".
And so I put forth that vid , having to do with Biden and other matters.

Did you hear Riccardo say there may not be an election in the US ?.....I found that kind of interesting.
Whether it's true or not , we are going to have to wait and see.
Exciting times are ahead of us Michie , keep focused ....:oldthumbsup:
All the videos you present are ridiculous. I’d rather not waste my time on theories of fakes candidates or whatever it is you present to fit your narrative, but thanks anyway! :thumbsup:
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2 resurrections...

Peace in Christ.

There are 2 resurrections….one for the “dead” who have mortally perished and one for the “living” who will never mortally die …having an age-lasting life (aka “eternal life”).
The first resurrection is from spiritual death to spiritual life in those of the new birth (Jn 3:3-5).

The second resurrection is from physical death for all mankind at the second coming of Jesus at the end of time (1 Th 4:16-17, 1Co 15:52).
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(4b- The inner working of the Holy Spirit) By beholding we become changed (What is called Antinomianism is not Lawlessness)

All blessings to you, friend in Jesus.

I have enjoyed our discussion and am sorry that my way of speaking offends you.
I am not offended. This, once again, is a politician's apology and NOT an admission of your own wrongdoing, an expression of regret or willingness to change. Whether ANYONE is offended or not, it is wrong to assume the role of God judging the eternal disposition of others. It is sheer, unmitigated arrogance. Since that judgment occurred among repeated claims of humbleness the judgment proves hypocritical. Whether anyone is offended or not it is wrong to claim humbleness and then judge others. What you should have been doing is,

Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

And, as I posted previously, applied Ephesians 4 to your posts,

Ephesians 4:25-32
Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another........... Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

As I have endeavored to do with you.

Romans 2:1
Therefore, you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

Romans 14:4
Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

I cite what is posted. You cite me. That happens despite my repeated requests to keep the posts about the posts, not the posters. Every single post I've received has lawlessly ignored the teaching of Christ while claiming to follow Christ! Every single post reeks of hypocrisy.
I will now silence myself to myself to avoid further misunderstanding.

- Grip
You said that before and proved yourself untrue. I told you further your participation was not required and invited you to reconsider so the inconsistencies in these ops could be discussed. You came back but still refuse to discuss the op, preferring instead non sequitur and falsehood.



The problems with these five ops boil down to four very real and undeniable facts of scripture.

  1. Nearly everything Jesus taught can be found in the Old Testament, including the Law of Moses. To deny the relevance of the Law is to deny much of Jesus' teachings.
  2. Every single writer of the New Testament applied the Law to their readers and did so with both Jewish and Gentile converts. The Law cannot be said to be done away with in its entirety without also denying much of the New Testament epistolary and making their authors hypocrites.
  3. There are two explicitly specified conditions where the Law is said not to apply: obtaining righteousness and justification. Outside of those to specific domains Jesus and every New Testament writer used and applied the Law to teacher New Testament era Christians how to follow Christ.
  4. The principles ensconced in the Law precede the letter of the Law. The letter kills, but the precepts of God are eternal.

So, if you're going to be silent then be silent. If you're going to engage what I have posted then do so without resorting to avoidance. Star with the fact Jesus taught from Tanakh and every New Testament writer followed his example.
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Is it wrong for a Christian to buy luxury goods?

Preconditions:

  1. Take care of your dependents financially.
  2. Fulfill your financial responsibility of your home church.
  3. Don't go against your conscience in your purchase.
  4. Ask God about the purchase.
  5. Bless others with your purchase. Share it occasionally.
If you can satisfy the above conditions, then go ahead with it and thank God for it.
Jesus wore a seamless garment. In his day that was a "luxury item." Furthermore, when Jesus was born he was given three extraordinarily expensive gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. If those were invested with the bankers when he was young, then by the time he began his earthly ministry he was an exceedingly wealthy man.

I will also suggest there is one item missing from the list: give cheerfully and generously. This is particularly applicable to the bullet list's second point because the tithe was done away with. The word "tithe" is nowhere found in the epistolary. The tithe was a tenth of one's gross. The New Testament epistolary standard is much, much higher. In the epistolary you yourself have been bought and you are not your own. You and everything you have is God's. You don't owe 10%; you owe 100%. God, in His grace, let's you be the steward with what He has blessed you. Give, and give cheerfully and generously according to real need and God's leading. That is the New Testament standard.
By the way, I didn't just make these conditions up. I followed them. In 1991, when I first got my well-paying job as a professor, and before I had a wife, I bought a red-hot RX-7. It ran on a Wankel engine instead of the usual piston engine. I let some of my Christian friends use it on occasion.
You were not married. Were your parents and sibling cared for?

John 19:25-27
Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.

Philippians 2:19-24
But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father. Therefore, I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me; and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly.

Ever consider sending your son or daughter to a neighbor to help in time of need, teaching them to set an example for others you have set for them? To the poor man a bicycle may be a luxury item. To the farmer a tractor. What use has a man with a Mazda RX-7 for a bicycle or tractor, professor?

Mark 12:41-44
And He sat down opposite the treasury and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on."

Jesus taught stewardship. In the end, material luxury items all end up in the same place. We cannot take them with us. Wherever blessed and obedient, enjoy them without guilt or shame while possible :cool:.
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Do you think a man can be a pastor after committing adultery?

I would decide this on a case-by-case basis by considering the following factors:

  1. Has he repented?
  2. How long ago was the adultery relationship?
  3. What was the duration?
  4. What is the impact on the congregation and the pastor's family?
  5. 1Tm 3:2 An overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.
David committed adultery. He repented (2S 12:13). God did not remove him as king.

Should a man be a pastor after committing adultery?

Probably not.

Can a man be a pastor after committing adultery?

I think so, as long as he repents and his congregation knows about it. He will be unlikely to commit adultery again.

Will there be mourning or death on the new earth?

Isaiah 65:


No more crying but people still die?


This was apocalyptic language. People will no longer physically die; there will be no more weeping.

Centuries later, John updated Isaiah's picture with more details in Re 21:


Believers will dwell on the new earth with God.


If someone cries, God will comfort them. No one will die on the new earth.


Isaiah suggested no more mourning but people may still die on the new earth, while John suggested people may mourn but no one will die. Both used symbolic language. I think both indicate no more mourning or death.
Another perspective is the already but not yet, where we experience God's presence and his reign, blessings in our lives but yet still experience physical death. In contrast to Revelation 21 that alludes to the fullness of that experience, no death.
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Moses as a forerunner for Jesus and his glorification?

Hebrews 11:39,40. YLT

39 and these all, having been testified to through the faith, did not receive the promise,

40 God for us something better having provided, that apart from us they might not be made perfect.

Moses is perfectly holy and well with God but it may be that only after judgement, that we are all glorified together, until then only fully sanctified. Then we become like angels in glory and we come to head the house, no longer under supervision.

So you say Moses was humble and this prepares us for Jesus, humble not lofty?
Indeed! I Love the question you conclude with! I also Love your acknowledgment of mystery.

Humble, Contrite, Valuing the needs of others above ours. Not self deprecation, but meekness that is born of the Holy Spirit of Christ’s work, coupled with our utter dependence on Jesus Christ.

Amen.
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McCabe gets the last laugh

Former FBI agent Peter Strzok reaches $1.2 million settlement with DOJ: Lawyers

According to Strzok's lawyers, the U.S. government has agreed to pay Strzok $1.2 million.

Two ex-FBI officials settle lawsuits with Justice Department over leaked text messages

Court records reviewed by the Associated Press show [Page] is to be paid $800,000.

[Strzok's suit over being fired for his free speech is still pending.]
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