I remember when my kidlings were young uns.
Cicadas all over the yard, house, car you name it. Also the noise was loud!!!

I cannot imagine have two groups going at it full volume.

newton3005 said:

Here's a summation of the whole story in the Book of Jonah..

Jonah was a prophet who found himself in the belly of a great fish. How did he get in there? The Lord asked him to warn the Ninevens that because of their evil behavior He was going to destroy their city. Jonah did not believe that God would destroy a whole city and every man, woman and child in it. Not sure if Jonah knew about Sodom and Gomorrah, but there you have it.

So, Jonah, not believing the Lord will follow through on His Warning, chose to run away instead of bringing the message to Nineveh. As part of his journey he was on board a ship. The Lord, in his anger at Jonah’s refusal, caused turbulence which threatened the ship and all on board. Jonah, knowing this was the Lord’s doing, and to spare the ship and all aboard, went overboard into the sea where a great fish swallowed him up.

After being in its belly for few days, Jonah told the Lord he will convey His Message. The Lord then made the fish spit out Jonah and Jonah ended up on dry land. He went to Nineveh to warn the Ninevens. The King and the people there showed their repentance for their evil for a few days, and the Lord relented and spared them.

In the end of the Book, Jonah, feeling mortified and used for issuing a warning that didn't come to pass, making him look like an idiot, sits wallowing in his misery under a fig tree to shade himself from the sun. The fig tree dries out, and Jonah calls up to God, having pity for it. God says to him, “You would have pity for a little fig tree...then why is it hard to understand that I would have pity for a people who repented of their evil?” At first glance, in the context of the Book, it seems an inconsequential statement since Jonah already strongly felt that God wouldn’t go through with His Warning. Perhaps this last part was added on as an afterthought for the benefit of those who would read this Book.

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The testimony of Jonah goes to show how we must keep to our faith as Christians by repenting of our sins. This passage goes to show how God has pity, and patience for us sinners.

Hello folks. Today will be a study that is important for both Catholics and Protestants alike, showing how we must glorify God with our arts, workmanship, and helping others. Now, we are not forced to do this, but it is essential for keeping our faith alive. As a Catholic myself, we as Christians in general must heed these verses.

James 2:26 (NRSV-CE): "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead." - Catholic Bible
James 2:26 (KJV): "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." - Protestant Bible

Abbot Tryphon criticizes polarization, but he himself is contributing to the polarization, by trying to inspire moral panic and not reasoned, respectful discourse.


Maybe Abbot Tryphon needs to get his own house in order. Ancient Faith radio dropped him for trying to inject incendiary politics into his preaching.

Lost4words said:

Woof!

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Lol
(I enjoy your sense of humor ... if I had a doggie biscuit, I would toss you one!)

p.s. I found this to be helpful, in understanding the purpose of this forum:

Conspiracy Theories Forum Statement of Purpose

Welcome to the Conspiracy Theories forum. This is a forum for discussing topics that are considered to be conspiracy theories. This means that your OP should present a conspiracy theory that you believe in and can post supporting evidence for (i.e. YouTube videos, articles, deductive reasoning). Other members may then ask questions and/or challenge the content of your posts with opposing data. Choosing to participate in this forum means that you are aware that your personal beliefs and theories may be challenged, however, ridiculing the theories and beliefs of another member is not allowed.

Members are never to be personally attacked. Please understand that in a debate the discussion may become heated at times. Keep your focus on challenging the idea, not attacking the poster. Flaming is defined as an attack on another member's character, as opposed to their arguments or beliefs. Blatant flames toward another member such as, "You stupid moron," are unacceptable and will lead to staff actions. If you stick to discussing another member's arguments or theories, rather than their person, you should be fine. If you are focused on contributing to the community in a positive way then you won't become a disruption.

The biggest mistake Biden made, was not running for president in 2016. If he did maybe Trump wouldn't been able to screw America.

Gen 1:

26 God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

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There is plurality within the divinity.

And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

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There is oneness/unity within the divinity.

Both are true. This passage is an example of the divine personal mystery.

See also My take on Trinity

Benjamin71 said:

Praise be to God for his goodness and love.

I have harbored in my mind for many decades and fed this lie that God, while he is a maker of great and wonderful promises, is not a God who delivers. He delivers for everyone else but for myself.

It is my desire to surrender so that Jesus, through his spirit may break this Gate of Bronze in my mind so that I may be a sheep who hears his voice and follows him through the gate to be led to still waters and layed down in green pastures.

Can some of you, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ offer scripture that I can use to counter this lie of God's character, and that he IS a rewarder of those that seek him in truth.

Thank you.

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Hi Benjamin.
Thank you for asking.
However, I am a bit confused as to what you are asking particularly.
You do recognize that God is to be praised for his goodness and love, so what do you mean when you say, "He delivers for everyone else but for myself"?
Is there a particular problem you would like God to deliver you from, but feel he has not done so, and does this make you feel that God is flawed in some way?

The Barbarian said:

The cool thing is, it is highly unlikey that any stars will collide with each other, because they are so widely separated in space. Gravitational effects, however, will be catastrophic, slinging stars everywhere.

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Agreed. I made the analogy of two flocks of birds flying past each other.


This scientist explains the probability of two stars colliding in a galactic collision (duration = 14 min):
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Summary:
The video discusses the phenomenon of galaxy collisions or mergers, explaining that they are not uncommon events in the universe. Most galaxies are expected to undergo a merger with another galaxy at some point in their lifetime. These mergers can vary in intensity, ranging from minor mergers involving smaller galaxies to major mergers where two similar-sized galaxies collide. In major mergers, the gravitational forces involved are significant, leading to galaxies being torn apart and transformed from beautiful spiral structures into blobby shapes.

As an example, the speaker mentions the Milky Way and its surrounding smaller galaxies such as the Sagittarius Stream, which consists of stars from a minor merged galaxy that is currently orbiting the Milky Way. Another notable example is the Andromeda Galaxy, which is heading towards the Milky Way due to its blue shift and is predicted to collide with our galaxy in approximately two billion years, creating what is known as the Milkomeda galaxy.

To better understand galaxy mergers, scientists use computational simulations to recreate and study the processes involved. Astronomers compare the results of these simulations to actual observations of galaxy mergers in the universe. One interesting aspect discussed in the transcript involves calculating the probability of two stars colliding during a galaxy merger. Although there are trillions of stars in galaxies, the large amount of space between them significantly reduces the likelihood of a collision occurring. Using calculations based on various simplifying assumptions, the speaker estimates the probability of a star in the Milky Way colliding with any single star in the Andromeda Galaxy to be around 1 in a sextillion (approximately 1 x 10^-21). This extremely small probability demonstrates why such stellar collisions are indeed rare events within galaxies.

Marriage is a sacred covenant created by God. He created men and women to be committed in their marriage until death do they part. This is not something to be taken lightly. We must be intentional daily to create a thriving marriage that glorifies God.

Being a committed spouse means that we don't allow our hearts, minds, or bodies to venture outside of the covenant that we have made.

The Bible says in Hebrews 13:4 that marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Unfortunately, these laws are disregarded at every turn in our current culture. The world wants us to believe we can create our truth about marriage. But God created marriage laws to protect us. He desires for us to have thriving, committed marriages that reflect Him, which means fidelity and solid commitment to each other.

Being in a committed marriage is becoming more and more difficult with the amount of pornography that is on display in multiple aspects. Billboards, movies, TV shows, magazines, and of course, the internet. The enemy is having a hay day with the number of inappropriate images infiltrating our minds.

This can make it especially difficult to avoid the draw of pornography addiction. It is presented as normal and innocent when in reality, it is destroying lives and destroying families.

Pornography addiction is an epidemic in our country. The damaging effects on marriages are devastating and harmful.

Here are 4 ways that pornography damages a marriage:

Continued below.

You Get Social Media The Summer Before College​

Jenna asks the couple about their stance regarding social media and their children. “Our house rule is you get social media the summer before you go to college,” Joanna says.

Chip comments about how the kids aren’t exactly in agreement with no social media until they are 18. “But you can tell these kids want it before that…they wanted it at 12, 13, 14,” he says. Joanna tells TODAY that the kids do understand the heart of the rule.

The famous couple discusses the fact that all the kids’ friends seem to have social media and that having a no social media rule in that environment can be hard. However, as Joanna comments, “We can say you have these other things that are really great. Our life is a little different.”

It’s Better to Wait​

Taking the focus off of social media, even if everyone else around you is on it, and focusing on what you do have is a great idea. There is so much more to life than having your face in a phone. Making memories and having experiences outside of your phone makes for an ideal childhood.

Chip and Joanna then discuss how social media isn’t good for kids at an earlier age and that it is better to wait. Chip asks, “What benefits have we personally experienced…?” referring to his and Joanna’s use of it.

While they can admit that social media has helped their careers, Jenna comments that they are, in fact, adults, not kids, which makes a big difference.

Parents Need to Decide What to Do​

Continued below.

It's alright because every republican will become a millionaire and the manager of his own business.

Robert Hugh Benson’s 'Lord of the World' is a classic, trailblazing work of dystopian fiction that eerily foresees our own anti-Catholic times.

Everyone has heard of The Lord of the Rings, the fantasy epic by Tolkien. Some might have read the book. Others might only have seen the film adaptation by Peter Jackson, which is returning to movie theaters this month. But far fewer people will have heard of Lord of the World, a dystopian fantasy by Robert Hugh Benson, which is a literary classic that every Catholic should know.

Before we look at Lord of the World itself, let’s get to know the author, Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson, whose conversion to Catholicism in 1903 was almost as controversial as the earlier conversion of John Henry Newman.
The reason for the controversy was that Benson was the youngest son of E.W. Benson, who had been the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1882 until his death in 1896. The fact that the son of the leader of the worldwide Anglican communion had become a Catholic signaled that the Catholic Revival was gaining credence and momentum in the highest levels of British culture.

Continued below.

Let’s start with a simple fact: Man’s oldest and most persistent sin is idolatry. And if the human story teaches us anything, it’s that idolatry has an infinite wardrobe of disguises—and an endless number of victims. In the modern era, the go-to idol is the state, usually in the liturgical vestments of science.

The Third Reich euthanized some 300,000 mentally and physically disabled persons. Then it killed another 6 million Jews, Gypsies, social outcasts, and political prisoners in the name of Aryan racial superiority. The political heirs of Karl Marx (Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, and others) murdered 25 million people in the Soviet bloc; 40 million in China; 2 million in a nation of just 7 million in Cambodia; and millions more elsewhere—all to create a new world and restart history from “Year Zero,” cleansed of any memory of the past, and based on a model of man as his own master; humanity as the real and only god.

The body count from the last hundred years is both well documented and painful to revisit. We’ve learned—or at least we think we’ve learned—an important lesson. And the lesson is this: Any political party or ideology that claims to create a new kind of man, a self-sustaining, self-redemptive humanity, is a fraud. It’s just the latest installment in a very old gnostic fairy tale. Gnosticism grew up alongside Christianity, sometimes intertwining with it; and the modern gnostic zealot, whether he calls himself a fascist, a Nazi, a Marxist, or even a certain brand of “progressive,” is never really irreligious. And he’s certainly not an “unbeliever,” even when he says he is. He’s a particular kind of believer; a man convinced he has the secret knowledge, the gnosis, that unlocks the power to fix a broken world. And he clings to that sacred knowledge just as religiously as any 14th century monk clung to his Bible.

The difference, of course, is that the God of the monk was—and is—true. The god of the gnostic isn’t. Each new version of the gnostic zealot dresses up his little godling in new language with new tools of coercion. But underneath, it’s always the same idolatrous lie. Man is not a god, and there’s no secret knowledge that can make him so.

Continued below.

Years ago, I received regular spiritual direction from a priest in residence at a nearby seminary. Being used to working with young men preparing for the priesthood, this veteran cleric pulled no punches when pushing people to lives of heroic virtue and holiness.

Every meeting I had with him, I walked away challenged, but I also walked away frequently confused.

“Just keep residing within the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” he often said.

For some reason, this completely perplexed me.

I was already familiar with the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the image of Divine Mercy popularized by St. Faustina. Still, whenever I tried to figure out how to reside within the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I couldn’t understand what Father meant.

Home Enthronement​

Continued below.

Example: Mr. Mueller, what did the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 United States election clearly show?


Neither confirmation of, nor vindication from. In this case, the only thing clearly seen is like all the rest of today’s watershed of doublespeak, that in the end, they were no better than the 2-year long phantom villain they sought.


Open to all insight, thanks!

Your Math doesn't add up. Where's the majority?

If you abide in Jesus, the Paraclete won't move out.

After the last supper, Jesus told his disciples in (Berean Standard Bible) John 14:

16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate [Paraclete] to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth.

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There was an intended forever-permanency about the Paraclete.

The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides [G3306] with you and will be in you.

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Strong's Greek: 3306. μένω (menó) — 118 Occurrences

BDAG:
① remain, stay, intr.
ⓐ a pers. or thing remains where he, she, or it is.
α. of a location stay, oft. in the special sense live, dwell, lodge ⓑ a pers. or thing continues in the same state
② to continue to exist, remain, last, persist, continue to live

The Spirit of truth refers to the Paraclete, the special function of the Holy Spirit that dwells in a believer's human spirit as a spiritual reality. G3306-abide-dwell carried a strong sense of continuation and permanency.

ESV John 14:

10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells [G3306] in me does his works.

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Paul used a different Greek verb in Romans 8:

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells [G3611] in you [plural]. Anyone [singular] who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

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Strong's Greek: 3611. οἰκέω (oikeó) — 9 Occurrences

BDAG οἰκέω:
① to reside in a place, live, dwell

Paul continued:

10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells [G3611] in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells [G1774] in you.

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Strong's Greek: 1774. ἐνοικέω (enoikeó) — 5 Occurrences

HELPS Word-studies:

1774 enoikéō (from 1722 /en "in," intensifying 3611 /oikéō, "dwell" at home, in one's personal residence) – properly, dwelling in a state (condition), i.e. at home; to inhabit ("in-habit") as one's personal residence (abiding indwelling).

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1 Corinthians 3:

16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells [G3611] in you?

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1 Corinthians 6:

17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

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The Paraclete/Holy Spirit connects with the human spirit tentacularly as a oneness spiritual reality. It is a branching out of the Spirit. It is an abiding/dwelling connection.

Ephesians 3:

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

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i.e., the Paraclete

17 so that Christ may dwell [G2730] in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love.

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Strong's Greek: 2730. κατοικέω (katoikeó) — 45 Occurrences

HELPS Word-studies:

2730 katoikéō (from 2596 /katá, "down, according to," intensifying 3611 /oikéō, "dwell, reside") – properly, settle down as a permanent resident, i.e. in a fixed (permanent) dwelling place as one's personal residence; (figuratively) "to be exactly at home."
[The force of the prefix (2596 /katá) suggests "down to the finest, exact details."]

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Besides G3306-abide-dwell used by Jesus, there were three Greek words for to dwell used by Paul:

1. G3611-οἰκέω, to dwell
2. G1774-ἐνοικέω, to dwell in, an intensification of οἰκέω
3. G2730-κατοικέω, to dwell down, to settle down, another intensification of οἰκέω

God's Spirit dwells/resides in every one of us, individually and collectively. When a person is born again, or born from above, or born of the Spirit, the Paraclete takes up residence in him.

Does the Paraclete dwell in you permanently?

Yes, after I was born of the Paraclete, naturally, my human spirit started to grow in the Holy Spirit. The bond of abiding is growing stronger and stronger. I have no intention of disconnecting this bond. For some believers, that may not be the case. Every branch in Christ that does not bear fruit the Father takes away.

See also Will the Paraclete vacate his dwelling in a believer?

Jehovah Rapha, we pray you will provide healing for StillGods and that the scan will come up clean, in the Name of Jesus. Amen and Amen.

While we are alive,

1. lovingly tell them about Jesus,
2. pray for their salvation,
3. trust in God that, in the end, he will do what is righteous concerning them.

When I have done the above, I feel peaceful.

You can't enjoy heaven if you don't trust God to do the right things. I trust God will do the right things for non-believers. I know that I will enjoy heaven, Isaiah 65:

17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

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Revelation 21:

4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

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See also

• Worries about the new heaven and earth?
• Does the Bible teach conscious torment over an infinite period of time?

God bless you bro

David Hunter said:

Oh the chapters in our lives that will be written. When one chapter ends another one starts. Today's devotional I talk about a scripture verse that really struck me as I'm about to close a chapter in my life and start a new one...
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Awesome

In James 2:14, we read of one who says/claims he has faith but has no works (to evidence his claim). That is not genuine faith, but a bare profession of faith. So, when James asks, "Can that faith save him?" he is saying nothing against genuine faith, but only against an empty profession of faith/dead faith. So, James does not teach that we are saved "by" works. His concern is to show the reality of the faith professed by the individual (James 2:18) and demonstrate that the faith claimed (James 2:14) by the individual is genuine.

In regard to "faith without works is dead," James does not mean that faith is dead until it produces works and then it becomes a living faith or that works are the source of life in faith. That would be like saying that a tree is dead until it produces fruit and then it becomes a living tree, and the fruit is the source of life in the tree. James is simply saying faith that is not accompanied by evidential works demonstrates that it's dead. Again, if someone merely says-claims they have faith, but lack resulting evidential works, then they demonstrate that they have an empty profession of faith/dead faith and not authentic faith. (James 2:14)

In regard to James 2:24, James is not using the word "justified" here to mean "accounted as righteous" but is shown to be righteous. James is discussing the evidence of faith (says-claims to have faith but has no works/I will show you my faith by my works - James 2:14-18) and not the initial act of being accounted as righteous with God. (Romans 4:2-3)

Matthew 7:21 - Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Notice in verse 22 that these many people trusted in their works for salvation and not in Christ alone. Jesus never knew them which means they were never saved. (vs. 23)

John 6:40 - For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. That is the will of the Father unto salvation. Sadly, many people "add" works to the gospel and end up trusting in their works/performance/external obedience etc.. for salvation instead of by faith trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. (Ephesians 2:8,9)

1 Corinthians 1:18 - For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.