RileyG said:

Also Acts 10 & 11 is also good.

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Yeah, I just checked that out on Reddit.

Sorry I work a lot so I don't get a chance to reply that oft, I am focusing on teen music and kids music right now. I guess you would classify my stuff on spotify as Christian rock, kind of bluesy and my other album is kind of similar to praise rock from the 90s, I do make praise and worship music but for right now it's just on Youtube and I haven't released on other platforms yet. Login to view embedded media

Roman57 said:

If you assume that it was figurative, then your explanation is one theory on what it could be. But my question is: how do you know it is figurative rather than literal? Maybe Paul was talking about something that literally looks like thorn in the flesh, such as cancer?

The fact that he also talks about persecution doesn't negate the possibility of thorn in the flesh being literal. Maybe he has two separate problems: one is the persecution and the other is physical thorn in the flesh (maybe cancer?)

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It was either 2 Cor 12:7 and 8 , OR it was in Gal 6:11 !!

Orb 1 Cor 4:9-13 !!

dan p

Chrystal-J said:

Middle eastern Catholics come to my church once a year and sell items they carved from pine wood. I always try to buy something.

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The items are very beautiful. I wish I had more space.

Michie said:

Lol! True. But people seem to thrive on all this political drama so why not?

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Political drama is one thing; Claiming what God does or does not do without a scriptural basis is quite another.

All things are in God's hands and nothing happens outside of His will. Those who don't want to acknowledge that God spared Trump because they dislike Trump seem to be assuming that this would indicate God is pleased with him. That's something very close to prosperity theology and what Job's friends believed. I don't know God's opinion of Trump. I do know it was His will to spare Trump because He did.

Was it then His will to allow Uvalde to happen? I think we have to say yes, God permitted it to happen. Some are going to find that offensive. That God allows evil at times is something I have a hard time dealing with, and many has been the time I've prayed with a heavy heart "You are God." We don't understand God's will unless He reveals it. There have been times I've prayed "Your will be done" and have been scared of what His will may be, because what faith I have is small.

dlamberth said:

I remember that challenge.

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I wish those guys were still around with us!

Just like 99.9% of the people whom are aware of this church burning down to the ground, I am very thankful that God spared the lives of anyone who was still inside that church. From other news sources, I seem to recall that there were very few, if any, serious injuries from the smoke and fire. If this fire would have started just a couple of hourse earlier, I remember that there were kids inside the building with Bible teachers for Vacation Bible Study. I am also pleased that Donald Trump reached out and communicated to Pastor Robert Jeffress of this historic church there in Dallas, Texas.

ARBITER01 said:

Paul is talking about offices and ministries in 12:29-30

Not everyone will have a ministry of corporate speaking in tongues, but all who are filled should be able to pray in tongues, etc.

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Absolutely

Yet prior to that incident. God did instruct Moses to strike the Rock.

essentialsaltes said:

Ignoring voters, Arizona approves nation’s largest school voucher scheme

In 2018, the voters of Arizona made clear how they felt about a plan to use public money to fund private education: They voted against it, or as Arizona Republic columnist Laurie Roberts described it: “Actually, they didn’t just reject it. They stoned the thing, then they tossed it into the street and ran over it. Then they backed up and ran over it again.”

Despite the nearly 2-to-1 rejection, the Republican-dominated Arizona legislature has just approved the nation’s largest school voucher scheme, one that makes every Arizona student eligible for taxpayer-supplied funds to attend private and religious schools as well for online education, home schooling, tutors, etc.

One thing missing from the legislation: any kind of accountability that would let the public know what the schools getting the voucher money are actually doing. Yes, students entering the voucher program would have to take a national standardized test annually — but the state won’t see the scores, and unless a particular school has at least 50 voucher students attending, parents can’t see even aggregate scores. That doesn’t worry House Majority Leader Ben Toma, the bill’s prime mover, who said accountability would come from parents who “know what’s best for their children.” [presumably using a form of parental ESP to determine how good a school is]

State Sen. Christine Marsh (D) tried to add accountability measures to the legislation last week but failed. According to 12 News, she wanted amendments that would have required private schools taking in students with vouchers to do things such as check the fingerprints of employees and implement academic standards and testing.

[They don't currently require background checks at private schools?!?]

There's also some read between the lines stuff about how Arizona has some of the lowest per pupil spending in the public schools. They've been throttling the public schools off, trying to choke them to death. But now they will raise the spending caps to help make these vouchers bigger.

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The AZ population has sued the legislature in the past. I won't be surprised if there is not a concerted effort to sue regarding this.

This is a prime example of the idiocy in the AZ legislature which is controlled by Republicans:

Gary King suspects he knows how the state will recoup the runaway costs from its botched subsidy program for alternative-fuel vehicles: his wallet.

"We're all going to have to pay for this one," said the planning consultant from suburban Chandler as he stood in an absentee voting line Monday.

Instead of cleaning Arizona's air, the program has backfired, sullying the state's Republican Party, blemishing the governor's record and leaving many residents fuming.

Approved this year by the Legislature, the expanded program offered people large incentives to use cars that run on so-called clean fuels, such as natural gas or propane.

It proved unexpectedly popular: So many residents rushed to take advantage of the tax breaks offered by the state that the program's costs have spiraled nearly out of control.

Thousands of Arizonans poured into dealerships to buy or convert an estimated 22,000 vehicles, pushing the cost of the program to an estimated $483 million. It was supposed to cost about $3 million when legislators passed it earlier this year.

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There was a similar issue with charter schools when they were set up. There were folks whose only post graduation education was a training program to run a McDonald's or no education at all buying buildings on state money, starting a charter school with untrained teachers and then folding as the school did badly - but they got to keep the building that the state bought!

Deblee said:

Alex- If you are searching for the truth with no preconceived agenda, God will honor your search by leading you to the answer. But it may take awhile. However, if you get the answer, please post it, because I'm wondering about that myself, lol!

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Thank you. It might take a while. All that I know is that the Catholic and Orthodox faith are thousands of years old.

concretecamper said:

Christianity, Catholic, same thing

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So you believe that Christianity and Catholic , is the same thing ?

Be glad to see a verse , please ??

danp

Sword of the Lord said:

Democrats are the real threat to democracy. Not only did they literally steal the 2020 election, but they've pulled this stunt. They've known all along that Joe was neither fit for office nor for reelection. The Dems hid this fact with the help of the media. People with eyes and ears knew the truth, though. They waited until after Joe embarrassed himself in the debate against Trump in front of the whole country before admitting it. This was intentional. They wanted the man the people nominated to be removed so they could nominate whoever they wanted to without a vote. Typical Dems.

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Well said and well written.

You cannot commit the unforgivable sin unless you completely reject Christ and die in that state.

Have no fear at all.

God is merciful.

essentialsaltes said:

Maybe it was good enough after all.

Hunter Biden drops lawsuit over Fox News ‘mock trial’ miniseries​

The president’s son did not explain why he had withdrawn the litigation, which accused Fox of violating “revenge porn” laws by using his intimate photos without permission.

In his suit filed July 1, Biden accused Fox of unlawfully enriching itself by using his image, inflicting emotional distress and illegally publishing his intimate photos in violation of New York’s “revenge porn” law.

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That is an interesting article, particularly in what isn't said. Fox, despite their statement that Hunter is a public figure and that the series was perfectly legal, has removed the show; if they really believed in what they said, the series would be available to stream on their site. My guess is that a deal was struck where they paid Hunter off but had a confidentiality clause, so that Fox could make that statement but the series remains gone and they paid Hunter to drop the case and remain silent.

Some would. Some would not. Your eternal destination does not depend on an act of suicide. You will inherit eternal life if you are born of the Spirit.

Exodus 20:

13 “You shall not murder.

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I'd interpret this as including "You shall not murder/kill yourself". Accordingly, suicide is a sin.

There are seven suicides in the Bible.

The most famous one is Judas Iscariot. Matt. 27:

5 [Judas] cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

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Jesus commented in Matthew 26:

24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.

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Judas would likely not inherit eternal life. Hitler also committed suicide.

King Saul apparently killed himself in 1 Sam. 31:

4 Saul took a sword and fell on it

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Saul wasn't a favorite of God, 1 Samuel 15:

11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.”

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King Saul probably would not inherit eternal life.

Judges 9:

54 [Abimelech] called hastily unto the young man his armor-bearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died

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Around the time of Saul's death, 1 Sam 31:

5 When [Saul's] armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword and died.

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To me, this armor-bearer died an honorable death. God might give him eternal life.

Samson sacrificed himself to kill his enemies, Judges 16:

30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed with all his might; and the house fell...upon all the people that were therein.

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This is the so-called Samson's option (同歸於盡), a kind of perish-together strategy. Samson was a mighty prophet. He would likely inherit eternal life.

Ahithophel couldn't handle rejection, 2 Sam. 17:

23 When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he...got him home to his house, to his city, and put his house in order, and hanged himself, and died

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To me, he was a wimp. John wasn't so nice about them, Revelation 21:

8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

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Commander Omri rebelled against King Zimri, 1 Kings 16:

18 It came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died 19 because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

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Omri is another wimp committing suicide. He is not likely to inherit eternal life.

The favorable suicides were Samson's sacrifice and the honorable death of King Saul's armor-bearer.

What happens to Christians who commit suicide?

If you have the Paraclete Spirit dwelling in you, you are not likely to kill yourself, except in extreme circumstances. When you live, you are not living for yourself but living for God. It is better to glorify God at the moment of our death.

1 Cor 3:

16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

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Live for God's sake.

See also

• Christians with suicidal thoughts
• How to deal with depression

May the Holy Spirit enlighten and strengthen Canadian Catholics and bring them back to the Sacraments! May the Lord provide many more vocations to the priesthood throughout Canada! Amen.

HARK! said:

Actually I had changed my view. I had started rooting for him.

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Well yeah, perhaps you aside, there was the cynical right who could see Biden was mostly useless for campaigning. They wanted him to stay in - as a punching bag for Trump.

Xeno.of.athens said:

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom my soul delights. I have placed my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, nor will his voice be heard in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness, he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching, the islands will put their hope.

This is what God the LORD says—He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison, and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being, I announce them to you."


Who do you think this passage is about and why do you think it?

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Isaiah 42:1-9 is one of several prophetic verses in the book. Clearly speaking of Christ.

(RNS) — With the abundance of legal codes, death and, well, genocide, the story of Moses’ journey through the desert isn’t exactly begging to be made into a comedy.

But “The Promised Land” does just that. Written and directed by Mitch Hudson — a crew member for “The Chosen,” the popular film series depicting Jesus’ life — “The Promised Land” leans into the irony baked into the biblical narrative, using the “mockumentary” style made famous by hits like “The Office,” “Parks and Rec” and “Abbott Elementary.”

The pilot episode, which has racked up over 140,000 Instagram followers and 450,000 views since it debuted on YouTube two weeks ago, features Moses dealing with every absurd complaint the Israelites bring to him. For starters:

• “This water is too bitter.”
• “My son is 14 and he won’t move out.”
• “What do I do about this pestilent growth on my foot?”

Meanwhile, Moses’ sister Miriam has decided she’s a musical prodigy, and there’s an escaped Egyptian soldier in the camp trying desperately — and hilariously — to go undetected.

Continued below.

VATICAN NEWS (CNS) — In order to be compassionate and respond best to the needs of others, it is necessary to take time to relax and not be anxious about getting things done, Pope Francis said.

It is also a “social injustice” when working parents hardly see their children because of long hours away from home, he said, before praying the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square on July 21. “In families, fathers and mothers should have time to share with their children, to let love grow within their family and in order not to fall into the dictatorship of doing.”

Rest and compassion​

The pope reflected on the day’s Gospel reading from St. Mark (6:30-34) about Jesus telling the apostles to rest after their return from their mission of preaching and healing. However, when Jesus saw the vast crowd that had gathered, “his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things,” the verse says.

The pope said, “On the one hand, there is an invitation to rest, and on the other, Jesus’ compassion for the crowd.” Resting and being compassionate “may seem like two incompatible things, while they actually go together.”

“Only if we learn how to rest can we have compassion. Indeed, it is only possible to have a compassionate gaze, which knows how to respond to the needs of others, if our heart is not consumed by the anxiety of doing, if we know how to stop and how to receive the grace of God, in the silence of adoration,” he said.

Dictatorship of doing​

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Beautiful!!

Here's something else to seriously consider:
Romans 11:22 kjv

"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."

They are born again children of God, that have left the faith. they probably went back to the system of Judaism.