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ViaCrucis · Feb 9, 2025

trophy33 said:
Not sure if you expect some deep insight or something, but its simply talking to God.

This, basically.

Prayer takes on a lot of different forms, and looks a lot of different ways.

St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans even talks about how the Holy Spirit intercedes for us "in groanings too deep for words", so even wordless, silent prayer of a heart in anguish is still prayer.

My prayers are all over the place, and are a mix of traditional prayers, spontaneous prayer, frank confession, desperate pleas, and wordless groans. Sometimes the only words I get out are "Jesus, help!" I'll "complain" to God, "Lord, I don't know what I'm doing, I don't know what to do!"

One thing I think we can definitely say prayer is not, prayer is not magic words, and prayer is not just some kind of "asking God for stuff" as though the Almighty were cosmic Santa Claus.

Prayer is an open heart, empty before a loving Father, who in and through His Son loves us, gives us the Holy Spirit, and fills us with Himself.

-CryptoLutheran

Diamond72 · Feb 9, 2025

Always in His Presence said:
The president is commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses in the biggest single-day act of clemency.

Under the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, possession of just 5 grams of crack cocaine carried the same mandatory minimum sentence as 500 grams of powder cocaine. This 100:1 ratio led to much harsher penalties for crack cocaine offenses, which disproportionately affected marginalized communities

Michie · Feb 9, 2025

In his acceptance speech for the honorary doctorate awarded him by the Catholic University of Valencia, Cardinal Kurt Koch rejected the extreme positions of progressives and traditionalists regarding the Second Vatican Council.

The prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity reflected in his address on the tension between the two essential parts of the Second Vatican Council: fidelity to the sources and fidelity to the signs of the times.

For the cardinal, “the relationship between these two dimensions has always characterized the Church, but the tension has become more acute in a new way after Vatican II.”

Faced with this dichotomy, Koch argued that “beyond secularist conformism and separatist fundamentalism, it is necessary to seek a third path in the Catholic faith, which has already been shown to us by the council.”

Continued below.

Cardinal rejects extreme traditionalist, progressive positions on Vatican II

Cardinal Kurt Koch reflected in his address on the tension between the two essential parts of the Second Vatican Council: fidelity to the sources and fidelity to the signs of the times.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

essentialsaltes · Feb 9, 2025

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, accuses the white supremacist organization Blood Tribe, its leaders Christopher Pohlhaus and Drake Berentz, and seven unnamed men of conspiring to interfere with the civil rights of Springfield Mayor Rob Rue, Assistant Mayor David Estrop, two city commissioners and four residents.

The group is seeking a judicial order to prevent Blood Tribe and its members from making further threats, as well as punitive damages. Assisted by the Anti-Defamation League and attorneys with experience in litigating against white supremacists, the plaintiffs requested a jury trial.

[O]n Aug. 10, Blood Tribe appeared at Springfield’s Jazz & Blues festival. At least a dozen masked men in red-and-black uniforms waved swastika flags, yelled racial slurs and pointed guns at families, according to the lawsuit.

In the aftermath, residents gathered to speak in defense of Haitian immigrants at city commission meetings. That angered Blood Tribe, which labeled them “enemy combatants” and “traitors,” according to the lawsuit. The complaint accuses Blood Tribe of targeting some of these residents and city officials by issuing at least 33 bomb threats, sending hate mail, posting personal information, and creating fake dating profiles soliciting men to show up at victims’ homes seeking drugs and sex.

The lawsuit alleges [Blood Tribe leader] Pohlhaus “gleefully took credit” when xenophobic conspiracy theories about the town’s Haitian community reached a national level last year. Pohlhaus wrote on social media that Blood Tribe had “pushed Springfield into the public consciousness,” according to court documents.

“Other Blood Tribe members agreed,” the lawsuit said, “adding that ‘this is what real power looks like.’”

Christsfreeservant · Feb 9, 2025

“This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.” (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 ESV)

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy were commending the believers in Jesus Christ in Thessalonica because their faith in the Lord Jesus was growing abundantly, and the love they had for one another was increasing, and because of their steadfastness and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions that they were enduring (see verses 1-4).

In the words which follow (quoted above), I find the sentence structure a little difficult to comprehend. And in checking out the commentators of old, many of them also struggled with understanding what was intended here beginning with verse 5. And they didn’t all come to the same conclusion, either. So I am not going to try to resolve that issue, but I will move on.

What is the lesson for us here? I believe, because of the sincerity of their faith in the Lord Jesus – which was evidenced by the fact that their faith was growing, that their love for one another was increasing, and that they were steadfast in faith in all their persecutions and afflictions – that it was the righteous judgment of God that they should be considered worthy (fitting, suitable) of the kingdom of God. And this is not teaching works salvation.

So, what is the message for us here? It is the same message taught all throughout the New Testament. Genuine faith, which saves, is evidenced by us dying with Christ to sin, not just once, but daily, and us walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands in holy living, and no longer in sin. And it is evidenced by how we treat God and our fellow humans, and with regard to us growing and maturing in our walks of faith and obedience to the Lord and us not stagnating and becoming lukewarm in faith.

And the evidence that we are not of genuine faith in the Lord Jesus is if we have continued in walks of sin and not in walks of obedience to our Lord. For faith in Jesus Christ is not just something we profess with our lips, but it is about putting that faith into practice in our daily living via dying to sin and living for the Lord in submitting to his will and purpose for our lives and us obeying his New Covenant commands, in practice. So if we continue in sin and not in obedience to our Lord, we do not have eternal life with God.

For when Jesus Christ returns he is going to judge us all according to what we did with him and with his salvation. If we died with him to sin, and we walked with him in obedience to his commands, in practice, in his power, he will reward us with eternal life in heaven with him. But if all we did was give lip service to him, but we kept on in our sinful practices, and not in walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands, then we will die in our sins and we will not have eternal life with God. And we need to take this seriously.

For there are a whole lot of people on this earth who have given lip service to the Lord by professing faith in the Lord Jesus but who never truly bowed the knee to him in humble surrender to his will and purpose for our lives. They just continued living as normal, still doing what they want to do, but while assuming that heaven was now guaranteed them when they die. But Jesus said that not everyone who confesses him as Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the ones DOING (obeying) the will of God.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

Songs in the Night

An Original Work / December 18, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!

Login to view embedded media
The Righteous Judgment of God
An Original Work / February 9, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Michie · Feb 9, 2025

With most describing him as "tough," "energetic," "focused" and "effective" — and as doing what he'd promised during his campaign — President Trump has started his term with net positive marks from Americans overall.

Many say he's doing more than they expected — and of those who say this, most like what they see. Very few think he's doing less.

His partisans and his voters, in particular, say he's got the right amount of focus on matters like ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs and deporting those who are in the country illegally.

Continued below.

CBS News poll — Trump has positive approval amid "energetic" opening weeks; seen as doing what he promised

Trump's deportation plans are popular, but Americans say there's not enough focus on lowering prices.

www.cbsnews.com

Michie · Feb 9, 2025

'No need': Donald Trump revokes Joe Biden's security clearances

'There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information,' Trump wrote on Truth Social.

www.usatoday.com

seeking.IAM · Feb 9, 2025

News media have been editing interviews since time immemorial. It is admirable? No, but neither is there anything unique about this occurrence. When you go through media training, you are taught to say whatever the key point is you want said no matter what they ask you for this very purpose so they can't edit out your key point. Poor practice, yes? Worth 10 billion? Hardly.

Bob Crowley · Feb 9, 2025

I've been somewhat tardy in linking the final podast and associated script, but the whole series can be viewed at this link.

Podcast on Jerusalem - Archdiocese of Brisbane

Archbishop Mark Coleridge's podcast series titled “The Navel of the Earth: Jerusalem in Time, Theology, and Imagination.”

brisbanecatholic.org.au

public hermit · Feb 9, 2025

NewTestamentChristian said:
"Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out."

This step is when recovery no longer becomes just a means to stay sober but functions as a way of life. Everyone’s experience with Step Eleven is different, but at its core, it’s about cultivating a daily practice of spiritual connection. As a Christian in recovery, my obvious Higher Power is Christ. But I strongly believe that when Bill Wilson penned the Twelve Steps out in the Big Book he was convinced of the truth of the Biblical God (him and Bob Smith both got sober in the Oxford Group). There are a number of spiritual disciplines that help me. My morning routine, where I say a series of prayers pulled mainly from the Big Book along with the Lord's Prayer and Serenity Prayer, helps me start my day off right. At night, writing my inventory list and directing myself to God's presence in prayer is also crucial. The Jesus Prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner", is essential to my life; This simple prayer has brought me out of several ruts that I've been in. Non-Christian practices, I must admit, also contribute to my spiritual life. Stoicism is a major philosophy that I enjoy reading up on along with Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism (I have been interested in the Vipassana Movement for a while and likewise enjoy practicing vipassana (or insight) meditation; I think this is a completely ok thing for a Christian to do because there are no metaphysical or doctrinal issues).

A common struggle with this step is patience. We want answers, direction, and a sense of certainty, but often, spiritual growth comes more in the waiting than in the receiving. The practice of showing up—praying, meditating, reflecting—is the real work. Over time, this conscious contact transforms how we handle life: we react less, respond more thoughtfully, and navigate struggles with a strength that isn’t just our own.

The most progress I've experienced in the spiritual life is sitting in stillness and silence, wholly focused on God. I do it every morning for twenty minutes and it has changed everything for me. I have kept up this practice for about 5 or 6 years, but I wish I had known about this earlier in my faith. The contentment, peace, and awareness of God's presence are real. At times, it can even be overwhelming.

timf · Feb 9, 2025

There can be several causes for intense and negative dreams.

1.Stress. One can be facing a difficult situation that causes stress and anxiety,
2. Diet and nutrition. There can be a physiological reaction to chemicals from food (sometimes fermented food) that results in dream intensity.
3. Health. There are some tumors that can secret chemicals into the blood system that can produce vivid dreaming.

You might want to investigate and see if any of these conditions exist.

Christsfreeservant · Feb 9, 2025

An Original Work / February 9, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

soldier of light · Feb 9, 2025

Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I follow him and his teaching.

CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN · Feb 9, 2025

Are people still watching a lying source, Like The fox news channel. They have been warned and should be ashamed of them selves.

Michie · Feb 9, 2025

The U.S. Catholic bishops’ conference laid off 50 staff members in its migration and refugee services office Friday, citing a delay in reimbursements from the federal government.

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ spokesperson Chieko Noguchi, in a statement shared with CNA, said the job cuts were due to “continuing uncertainty regarding refugee resettlement and the overall future of those programs.”

“Please pray for these dedicated men and women who have given so much of themselves in service to their sisters and brothers in need,” Noguchi said.

The layoffs, first reported by The Pillar website Friday night, mark an escalation of a deepening political and financial crisis for the USCCB and its affiliated charitable agencies, whose decades-long role providing essential services for migrants and refugees largely paid with federal funds has come under scrutiny from President Donald Trump’s administration.

Continued below.

U.S. bishops’ conference lays off 50 amid migrant funding ‘uncertainty’

Workers in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services Office were informed of the job cuts on Friday.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Michie · Feb 8, 2025

The bishops of the United States and Venezuela are both opposed to the Trump administration’s looming elimination of temporary protected status (TPS) for recent Venezuelan immigrants.

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed this week that it will eliminate the extension that the Biden administration announced in January that allowed Venezuelan immigrants to access TPS until October 2026.

TPS is a temporary immigration benefit granted to foreign nationals of a qualifying country. Under it, immigrants can legally remain in the United States and get work permits. The measure was originally announced for Venezuela in 2021 and then extended in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Following the DHS decision, this immigration benefit will expire on April 7. The U.S. government estimates that approximately 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants were eligible for TPS under the Biden administration’s 2023 renewal of the program.

Continued below.

Bishops: Ending temporary protected status for migrants ‘counterproductive’

The bishops of the U.S. and Venezuela are opposed to the Trump administration’s looming elimination of temporary protected status for recent Venezuelan immigrants.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Christsfreeservant · Feb 8, 2025

If you should die tomorrow,
How would you change today?
Would you do it o’er again?
Or would you now delay?

Would you take some time to think
‘bout everything you do?
Would you want to change it all
And everything renew?

Would you give some thought today
To how you live your life?
What’s your purpose? Why exist?
Be you in peace or strife?

What changes would you want to make?
What practice now adjust?
The good in you, you want to keep?
The bad you want to bust?

But what’s your purpose? Why exist?
Are you here just for naught?
Or do you have a purpose that
You just have not been taught?

Jesus Christ, our Lord and God,
Created us in mind
That we might discover Him,
Our purpose in Him find.

Made us so we’d worship Him
In truth, and not in lies,
So we’d die with Him to sin,
And on His grace rely.

Paid the price so we’d be free
From slavery to sin,
Obey Him and His commands,
Empowered now by Him.

An Original Work / February 8, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Hoping2 · Feb 8, 2025

Michie said:
What Happened to Us When We Were Baptized?

Although baptized, we still fall ill. Although baptized, we feel the relentless attacks of concupiscence. Although baptized, we suffer the vicissitudes of a life subjected to sin. And, most importantly, although baptized, we are subject to death. If Adam and Eve, before the fall, were not touched by any of the evils of this life, how can we say that, through the Holy Sacrament of Baptism, “We are somewhat already in Paradise”? It is time to answer, as much as possible, this challenging question.

In order to do this, we need to reflect, using as vivid and expressive imagery as possible, on the human condition before the fall, so that we can contemplate our situation after the fall. Only when these aspects are clarified , can we revisit the topic of Holy Baptism and discuss the effects it has on those saved “by the laver of regeneration” (Titus3:5).

As well as the remission of past sins, water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), also provides the way for us to be "immersed" into Jesus, His death, His burial, and His resurrection. (Rom 6:3-6)
Romans 6 describes it perfectly.
With the destruction of our old man, (Rom 6:6), we can be resurrected with Christ to walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4)...reborn, as it were.
We are enabled to walk in and after the Spirit instead of in and after the flesh...by baptism.
Baptism also fulfills the OT's presage of circumcision.
Col 2:11 puts that together.
None of that will occur without a real, true, repentance from sin first.

linux.poet · Feb 8, 2025

MOD HAT ON

A small cleanup was done here to remove 2 posts that were goading Orthodox Christians.
---------------------------
This thread is permanently closed for flaming and goading Orthodox Christians.

MOD HAT OFF

Bob Crowley · Feb 8, 2025

I don't know what the figures are here, but from personal observation I'd say much the same about Australian attendances, whether Catholic or Protestant (on those occasions when I've attended my wife's Baptist church). Pews seem to be pretty well occupied, depending on the mass time (eg. Sunday morning masses have greater attendances than Saturday night masses).

People are still getting affected but nowhere near the peak rate. If I've interpreted these figures correctly, in Australia in the past week there have been -

585 new reported infections
Zero deaths
Zero new active cases (however you define that - admitted to hospital?)
Zero new vaccinations (?? - seems a bit strange)

Snapshot of Coronavirus Cases in Australia - COVID Live

Live tracking of coronavirus cases, active, tests, deaths, ICU, hospitalisations and vaccinations in Australia

covidlive.com.au

Overall we've carried out about 70 million vaccionations in a population of about 27 million so obviously many of us have had multiple vaccinations.

It will hang around but it seems to have lost its lethality.

Reluctant Theologian · Feb 8, 2025

tonychanyt said:
Genesis 26:

This singular offspring pointed to Christ.

Ga 3:

Paul identified this special offspring as Christ.

Why not skip the law?

Moses delivered the law and served as an intermediary between God and the Israelites. This was only a type. Jesus was the true type.

Like Moses, Jesus was sent by God as a human to mediate between men and God.

Unlike Moses, Jesus is also God. Jesus is our heavenly eternal mediator. With Jesus mediates for us, we can't lose because he is God.

The Law, mediated through Moses, was a temporary system that pointed to humanity’s need for a Savior. Jesus, the singular offspring of Abraham, is the fulfillment of God’s promises and the true mediator between God and humanity. Good news: because Jesus is God, his mediation is perfect, eternal, and entirely sufficient. This is the heart of the gospel: salvation by grace through faith in Christ, grounded in the oneness and faithfulness of God.

In all of Paul's letter to the Galatians the term 'God (theos)' seems to refer to God the Father only ... I would interpret Paul's reference to the Shema in Galatians 3:20, Romans 3:30 and 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 similarly. Jesus mediates between God (=the Father) and mankind (1 Timothy 2:5).

Jesus is God because he was begotten from God the Father - God out of God like the Nicene Creed confesses. The same applies to human beings - a child begotten from human parents therefore is also human.

soldier of light · Feb 8, 2025

Jamdoc said:
odd, out of the big 4 thrash bands they're the one that had the least issues with "Satanic Panic" in their reputation. Slayer was the one that got accused of it the most.
I only really found issues with heavy metal music where the lyrics were too intelligible without looking up and would prefer not to listen to songs where I knew the subject matter was something more specifically Anti-Christian or was directly against God. Probably the first "hard no" for me was Nine Inch Nails though that's not really heavy metal.
As odd as it may seem, Death Metal's vocal style made discerning lyrics almost impossible without looking up, and I just never bothered, so it was just fast, loud, intense, adrenaline pumping walls of sound that to me are exciting and make me want to air guitar or air drum along with it.

I almost feel like the only way to make it "bad" or particularly dangerous to me to ditch it, IS to investigate the lyrics, though that could be exposing myself to spiritual attack.
I mean it could be similar to when I could hear Metallica lyrics and discern "oh this song is just about having nightmares when sleeping as a kid, I can relate to that" or an Iron Maiden song "oh this is about fighter pilots during world war 2 fighting the Nazis, that's kinda patriotic and exciting", but it's also quite possible to find out a song does have overt Satanic themes and then it becomes much more dangerous.

In my psychosis I was the kid in the nightmare. I was out of my mind. The whole thing disturbed me. Metallic disturbs me. But it's my psychosis I guess.

timothyu · Feb 8, 2025

Have you not noticed in the last few months there is a surge of media and celebrity's suddenly claiming Christianity. Considering the state of the world one can hardly accept they have found God's Kingdom, but instead are on the bandwagon to build their own here, the ultimate platform for anti-Christ living and control.

godisagardener · Feb 8, 2025

soldier of light said:
The news feed on CF is sad. It's a lot of politics. You think it would be full of the Gospel of peace instead of worldly concerns. Am I wrong?

I feel the same way. I understand the need for news on the forum as it relates to Christianity and the Gospel, the end of the ages, how the world is approaching the end times. But the continual politics is tiresome. It's like turning on the TV or streaming, it's everywhere you look. I've gotten to the point that I've applied filters so I don't get hit with it every time I visit the site. But even with that the political posts still appear, as people seem to manage to insert it into even non-political areas.

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