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Bob Crowley · Jun 7, 2024

I'm quoting my old Protestant pastor here and he died 32 years ago so arguing with him is out of the question. He'd have been 100 this year if he had still been alive, as would my natural father. I suppose the pastor became a sort of spiritual father.

He posited one point during one of our discussions viz. "Suppose an Arab stateman does a bit of fence building with his Arab mates. Then he says to the West 'Right, boys, you get Israel out of there or we turn off the taps (oil)... We'd all be broke in a week.'" At the time he nominated someone like Yassir Arafat who had been evading Mossad for years, but obvously it won't be him.

I'd be looking askance though if one of the Arab leaders does appear to realistically take on the role of regional Arab statesman. He won't be Iranian as they don't regard themselves as Arab and vice versa.

His other comment about Israel was "They've served their purpose".

If the Jewish leadership keep taking their current hardline on the Gaza war and continued Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory, I think we could see a lot of trouble to put it mildly.

WordSword · Jun 7, 2024

One can learn to be at peace with everything, knowing that God causes the believer to benefit in all things (Ro 8:28)! “Be anxious for nothing.” “Let not your heart be troubled” (Phl 4:6; Jn 14:1, 27). One can achieve these commands when in the right understanding of their impress; and this obedience (strengthened faith) admits to the greatest satisfaction, encouragement and exhortation! One will have occasional problems, and this is for the learning and strengthening of our faith, which mostly comes through the trials, but one does not have to allow anything to escalate to the point of “trouble”; and I’ve eventually learned (after 20 of my 45 years in the Lord Jesus) not to allow anything to trouble me, because I’m certain that God uses everything, one way or another—for my “good.” May our beloved Father teach you to be at peace in all things. Blessed be God!
NC

Beneficial Sorrow

It is ten years this month since the Lord called away our son, then 18 years of age, to Himself. It seemed almost unaccountable to me that He should have deprived me of him when he was so thoroughly devoted to Him, and therefore could have been such a help and comfort to me.

It is very easy for me to weep with you. I never realized the exit of a saint until I saw our dear boy pass away. It then made a very decided mark on me. Stephen looking up steadfastly into heaven came before me in quite a new way. Thank the Lord it grows upon me: the hardness seems shorter. The Spirit leads to the brightest spot, and the Father allows the wave of death to overtake us here so “that we may be partakers of His holiness” (Heb 12:10). It is His doing. Surely, from the bottom of my heart, I desire and pray that this immeasurable sorrow may be only the night before your brightest say. God comfort you in His own blessed way.

Your chief friend is the one who is found near you in sorrow. Anyone can share in your joy, but there is really only One who can enter into the nature of your sorrow, and He, blessed be His name, is very near you in your desolation. He proves to us that “it is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting” (Eccl 7:2 – “by the sadness of the countenance, the heart is made better” - Ecc 7:3). The silence of death is a terrible reality; though, through divine grace you can anticipate the great day when we shall all surround our Lord Jesus, and be with Him forever (if we are not certain of this, we still are not at the level of peace God’s desires us to be, and are in grave need of learning—NC).

There is no sorrow as great as the sorrow of death, and this the more so as the one removed is near and dear to you. There is a desolation about death that no one can understand who has not been in it. But your desolation is the Lord’s opportunity of making known to you the deep interest He takes in you, not merely in your bright hours, but in the moment when you are well-nigh crushed with sorrow.

It imparts the deepest sense of His interest that He should draw near to me when absorbed with my own sorrow, to console me with Himself that He becomes more to me than my sorrow. This His sympathy effects. It is an effect never to be forgotten, or rather the impression He will give you of Hs love which will never be forgotten, so that your deep affliction through His grace will be turned into the deepest blessing (blessings for sorrows forever to exchange—NC); “the dry ground into watersprings,” “The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Psa 107:35; Isa 61:3).

There are sorrows that the heart thinks that it only knows; and this is true, speaking naturally, and yet there is One who knows well the deepest, and far more than the deepest sorrow ever in our hearts (His own past sorrows which were the greatest of all—NC). Sorrow is to me not only the deepest feeling known to the heart, but it is, I might say, the sublimest, because entirely one’s own. No one else can have the exact same. How aptly it suits one in sorrow to sit alone. How truly the heart can say, “My sorrow lies too deep for human sympathy,” and yet, when the Lord Jesus joins you in this great solitude you will find in Him, as Mary did, that not only He knows your sorrow, but that His sorrow is deeper, beyond any comparison. A Man of Sorrows” (Isa 53:3).

The darkness of sorrow is deep indeed, but I pray that the deepest joy may be known to you with the Lord Jesus Himself. The deepest sorrow here, but the deepest joy with Him in company with Himself. Surely when we are in our spirit apart from this place, and with the Lord Jesus at the other side of death, we taste a joy and a solace which bears us above the deepest anguish here (because our eternal guarantee supersedes all sorrows—NC). There is a blessed comfort for the heart in sorrow when you are drawn to His side where He is. Nothing mellows anyone so much as sorrow does, when the heart has found sympathy in it from the Lord Jesus.

I do not think that physical suffering weans the heart from the present seen to the same extent that sorrow does. Bodily suffering too often engrosses one’s personal attention; one feels so helpless, and there is such a constant effort to remove it, and indulgence (maybe even to sin—NC) often is excused on the plea of consideration for one’s weakness. But in sorrow, we grow into the sense that we are in “the valley of the shadow of death” (sorrow can bring one to the point of having no feelings for anything, but we need not to dwell in sorrow, considering what we have in Christ—NC). When there is suffering of the body there is a longing to get well; and often resistance to the suffering, so that we are taught how helpless we are, and in sorrow on account of another everything around has lost its interest to us.

In physical suffering there is inability to enjoy or to do things which others do. But in sorrow everything has lost its enjoyment; there is a dark shadow on everything and everybody (best time for the “old man” to tempt—NC). I am cut off in sadness and affliction from the present scene (God eventually brings us out of the numbness of it all—NC)—but at the very moment when all is a blank here, when I have descended to the depths, I find the Lord Jesus beside me who makes known His heart to me where no one else could reach me (Christ makes it known that He is always with us—NC). “Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.”

It is then one is really softened, because the heart knows in its saddest moments, the love of the Lord Jesus; and hence, instead of being vexed and soured, you come out of it softened, because you have learned in your sorrow the greatest love; so that where the greatest darkness was, the greatest light has sprung up (because we eventually learn not to allow ourselves to be “troubled,” as in despair, regardless how deep the sorrow we might have (Jn 14:1, 27—NC).

In illness, there is more relief; or His power and goodness one learns and looks for; but in sorrow, where there is nothing to cheer here, He makes known to the heart the greatest cheer; so that the saddest moment connected with the earth becomes the happiest moment, because of His eventual comforting presence, where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.

You will easily trace the effect of each on souls. In one, there is the knowledge of His hand and His power; they are receptive, and often depended upon. In the other, in addition, the heart refuses to bind itself to anything again here (no matter how bad you feel, restoration defiantly comes, and it’s just a matter of “patiently” waiting it out; and the more patient we are the stronger our faith is - Rom 12:12—NC).

The Lord Jesus came to Bethany when Mary and Martha were in the depths of their sorrow (due to their brother Lazarus’ illness and death—NC). That was the time for Him. He waited until things were at their worst. If He had not waited until the worst came, His ability to relieve from the worst would not have been known.

He comes to you now, in this moment, to make you know that He can comfort you in this, the saddest and darkest hour; but you must receive the rays of His comfort; you must not dwell on your sorrow, loss and bereavement—you are simply to turn to Him to make up the blank. Look to Him, and you will receive a comfort from His heart that will more than compensate you for your great loss and sorrow. “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

— James Butler Stoney (1814-1897)

MJS daily devotional excerpt for June 6

Often the lapidary will polish the jewel with its own dust. Just so our Father makes use of the weak and beggarly element of our nature to produce the mirror-like luster in which His image is finally reflected for all to see. “They shall be Mine. . . in that day when I make up My jewels” (Malachi 3:17).

None But The Hungry Heart

www.abideabove.com

MJS daily devotional excerpt for June 7

“We find the greatest difficulty often in bringing our sorrow to God. How can I do so, some may be saying, as my sorrow is the fruit of my sin? How can I take it to God? If it was suffering for righteousness’ sake, then I would, but I am suffering for my sin; and can I, in the integrity of my heart towards God, take my sorrows to Him, knowing I deserve them?

“Yes: the Lord Jesus has been to God about them. This, then, is the ground on which I can go. There has been perfect atonement for all my sins; Christ has been judged for them. Will God judge us both? No; I go to Him on the ground of atonement, and God can justly meet me in all my sorrow, because Christ’s work has been so perfectly done.”

“The guilt which the throne detects, the altar removes. If in the light of the throne one object is seen, namely, ruined, guilty, undone self; then, in the light of the altar, one object is seen, namely, a full, precious, all-sufficient Christ. The remedy reaches to the full extent of the ruin, and the same light that reveals the one reveals the other likewise. This gives settled repose to the conscience. God Himself has provided a remedy for all ruin which the light of His throne has revealed.” - John Nelson Darby (1800-1882)

None But The Hungry Heart

tampasteve · Jun 7, 2024

ADMIN HAT ON

This thread is closed due to multiple violations of goading, flaming, Contempt of Christianity, and other issues.

ADMIN HAT OFF

fior74 · Jun 7, 2024

Jeanfort2021 said:
Hello everyone, I am a 28-year-old Haitian American male struggling badly with spiritual immaturity - among other things. Please pray for me

Hey there! First of all, it takes real courage to admit that you're struggling. Kudos to you for seeking help!
As Christians, we're all growing and learning. Even the most spiritually mature among us still have moments of doubt and uncertainty. Don't be too hard on yourself.
Remember, it's not about being perfect, it's about growing closer to God, one step at a time. Do you have a regular prayer and Bible study routine? Let's work on that together.

AlexB23 · Jun 7, 2024

Maria Billingsley said:
The adversary does work through the flesh but we who are sealed with His Holy Spirit walk with Him daily so that we are not tempted to sin. That being said, I have many concerns about this Pastor's messaging.
Be blessed.

Well, there are a lot of woke churches that teach trans ideologies to the youth. We have to protect the kids, my friend.

Diamond72 · Jun 7, 2024

JohnB445 said:
what am I potentially missing out on

I currently use freeze dried food. It has a very long shelf life, up to 25 years. They are popular with survivalists. They are very quick and easy to use, just put a few teaspoons in with the food. Like Raman noodles or beans and rice. Again soup mixes in a box that has a long shelf life.

Freeze tried food delivers 95 percent of the nutrition. If you use a freezer you may drop down to 85%. I talked to the nurse practitioner at my doctors office. She said at least I am eating vegetables. Something is always better than nothing and it is a half hour of work to cut up fresh veggies and they spoil very fast. A lot of the green leaf veggies like spinach and kale only last about a week.

Christsfreeservant · Jun 7, 2024

“By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1 John 4:13-21 ESV)

Now, I cannot write about the whole book of 1 John in one writing, so I am going to encourage you, my readers, to please read the whole book before you form any opinions on what this section of Scripture is teaching, for this has to agree with the book as a whole unit. So, to recap:

If we claim that we are in fellowship with God/Christ, but while we walk (in conduct, in practice) in darkness (sin), we are liars. For it is only if we walk (in conduct, in purpose) in the light (Jesus Christ, the gospel, righteousness, obedience to God) that we are in true fellowship with God and with the body of Christ, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. And if we say that we know God, but we are not keeping (obeying) his commandments (New Covenant), then we are liars. For whoever keeps (obeys) God’s word, in him/her the love of God truly is perfected (1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6).

For Jesus Christ died on that cross that we might die to sin and live to his righteousness, and that we might live for him and no longer for self. For he shed his blood for us to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin, so that we might now walk in obedience to his commands in holy living, and no longer in sin. But if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to our Lord, and not righteousness (holy living), then we don’t know God, we are not born of God, and we do not have eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips profess. For lip service does not save anyone.

[1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15,21; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 5:3-6; Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; 1 John 3:4-10]

Okay, so with that understanding we can read this present section of Scripture in 1 John 4:13-21. For, just because someone professes faith in Jesus Christ and/or acknowledges what Jesus did for us in dying on that cross for our sins and/or prays a prayer “to receive Jesus Christ into his heart,” it doesn’t mean that he has been given the Spirit of God, and therefore it automatically dictates that he is abiding in Christ, and Christ in him. For abiding in Christ is something we are instructed to do in the Scriptures, and it results in us dying to sin and obeying our Lord.

Also, this word “confesses” has a much deeper meaning than just verbalizing faith in Jesus Christ with our lips. It means to promise, to agree with God, and to speak to the same conclusion as God about our sin, i.e. to be in full agreement with the Lord regarding our sin and what Jesus did on that cross for our sins and what is required of us in order for us to have forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God. So this means we willingly surrender our lives to Jesus Christ to die to our sins and to now obey his commands, in practice. For Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

*See noted Scriptures above

So, if we are abiding in Christ we are living in him and him in us, and we are following him in obedience to his commands in holy living, and we are no longer living in deliberate and habitual sin against our Lord. And it means that we are continuing in those walks of faith until the very end so that we have the hope of salvation from sin and eternal life with God. It doesn’t mean we are perfect, but that we are making death to sin and living to God and to his righteousness our practice, and sin is no longer our practice. But all this can only take place because of God’s grace to us, and in his power.

*See noted Scriptures above

Now we get to the meat of the matter when it says, “whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” For this is agápē love which centers in moral preference, and which prefers what God prefers, which is all that is holy, just, righteous, upright, morally pure, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord and to his commands. And if we are abiding in this love, we are remaining and continuing and living in that agápē love, as a matter of life choice and life practice, by the grace of God, in the power of God. So we are following our Lord in obedience and we are no longer living in sin.

So, we have to be continuing in this agápē love, in practice, in how we love and serve and obey the Lord and in how we love our fellow humans and serve them, too. This has to be how we live, in practice. And this is perfected by Jesus Christ as we walk in faith in him on a day to day basis. And faith in Jesus Christ is shown to be genuine by our obedience to our Lord and by us dying with him to sin daily. And then we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as Jesus is so we also are to be in the world, in character, which is a process of being perfected in Christ via obeying him.

So, if we are walking in faithful obedience to our Lord, but not necessarily in absolute perfection, but as a matter of daily practice and living (abiding) in him, then we have no reason to fear hell or punishment for sin. But if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to our Lord, and if we hate our fellow humans while we claim that we love God, then we do not have God’s love abiding in us, and so we do not know God, and we do not have forgiveness and salvation from sin, and we do not have the promise of eternal life with God. So, please take these words to heart.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; 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 Peter 1:15; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Hebrews 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

Love Must Be Genuine

An Original Work / October 22, 2013
Based off Romans 12:9-21

Love must be genuine.
Hate what’s evil; cling to good.
Love each other with affection.
Show respect for ev’ryone.
Never lack in your zeal.
Serve the Lord with diligence.

Rejoice in steadfast hope.
In affliction, patient be.
Keep on praying; share with others.
Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute.
Feel with others sympathy.

Be not filled with conceit.
Daily sit at Jesus’ feet.
Live in harmony with others.
Live at peace with ev’ryone.
Repay not to someone
With the evil he begot.

Do not take your revenge;
Leave it to the wrath of God.
If your enemy is thirsty,
Give to him something to drink.
Do what’s right for mankind.
Evil: overcome with good.

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Christsfreeservant · Jun 7, 2024

September 6, 2012

Prior to the Lord giving me this song on prayer, he gave me three songs in a row on the subject of love, mainly on loving other people. Whenever I study the Scriptures on the subject of loving others, I am reminded of how much I still need to learn and to practice in this area of loving others as Christ loves me and showed his love by giving himself for me.

And the love that this is speaking of is agape love, which prefers what God prefers, which is all that is holy, godly, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord and to his New Covenant Commands. So when we love God with this love we prefer to live through Christ, to choose his choices, and to obey them in his power.

So when we love other humans with this love, we will love them as God loves us, and we will do for them and say to them what will benefit them spiritually and what is for their good, as God defines good. We will be concerned about meeting their legitimate needs, and we will pray for direction in how to do that, and we will not sin against them willfully.

And the second most convicting subject for me is this subject of prayer. My prayer life can always stand improvement, especially in the area of praying consistently for others’ needs and requests. So, as I share this with you, I also sing it to myself and pray God will continue to teach me to love as he loves and to be more diligent to pray for others’ needs and requests.

Pray, Pray, Pray

An Original Work / September 6, 2012
Based off Various Scriptures

Pray that eyes may enlightened be,
So they may know Christ.
Pray that they may Him better know,
Strengthened by His pow’r.
Pray that they may grasp
How wide and long
And high and deep
Is Christ’s love.
Pray that they may be filled
To the fullness of God’s love.
Pray with thanksgiving.

Pray for an open door for me,
So I may share Christ.
Pray when the gospel is proclaimed –
Shared with clarity.
Pray words are given me so
I declare the gospel fearlessly.
I pray for you to be active
Sharing your faith, too.
Pray continually.

We oft not know for what to pray,
So we ask for help.
The Spirit intercedes for us –
Words cannot express.
Just keep on praying for the saints
With all kinds of requests to God.
Pray they may have faith to
Please their God in ev’ry way.
Pray with joyfulness.

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Dave Darling · Jun 7, 2024

Glad to hear of your recovery, benzos can be the worst med to withdraw from, it is highly addictive and withdrawals can be life-threatening and even permanent. I became a little addicted to ativan years ago, the withdrawals finally subsided after about 2 months, I can never take it again.

Christsfreeservant · Jun 7, 2024

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place

in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth,

or ever you had formed the earth and the world,

from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalms 90:1-2 ESV)

“For all our days pass away under your wrath;

we bring our years to an end like a sigh.

The years of our life are seventy,

or even by reason of strength eighty;

yet their span is but toil and trouble;

they are soon gone, and we fly away.

Who considers the power of your anger,

and your wrath according to the fear of you?

“So teach us to number our days

that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Return, O Lord! How long?

Have pity on your servants!

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,

that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,

and for as many years as we have seen evil.

Let your work be shown to your servants,

and your glorious power to their children.

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,

and establish the work of our hands upon us;

yes, establish the work of our hands!” (Psalms 90:9-17 ESV)

None of us are guaranteed long lives. In fact, we are not guaranteed the next breath. The breath of life could be snatched from us in an instant without warning, and then our destiny will either be eternity in hell or in heaven. So it is critical that our lives are surrendered to Jesus Christ to do his will, and that we are following him in his will and purpose for our lives, and that we practice self-denial and dying to sin daily and following our Lord in obedience to his commands and in loving God and our fellow humans. For this is the will of God for the life of a true believer in Jesus Christ.

And if we are at all observant about what all is going on around us in this crazy world of ours, I believe we will see the signs of the times and that the end of all things is drawing close to an end and that prophecy of Scripture is being fulfilled before our very eyes, and soon things are going to get even worse than they are now. For all this craziness is building up to something, but I don’t believe it is something good, for we know what the Scriptures teach about these last days before the return of Christ. And things won’t get better until Jesus returns and he takes his bride to be with him forever.

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.” (2 Timothy 3:1-9 ESV)

And this is the present state of affairs in the world, and sadly in much of what is called “church,” too, at least here in the USA. So many who profess faith in Jesus Christ are so worldly that it is barely distinguishable between the church and the world these days, although there are exceptions to that statement. And so the Lord is calling out to the people of the world and to those who profess his name but who are not presently living for him in walks of surrender, obedience, denial of self, and dying to sin daily. And he is calling them to repent of their sins and to now follow him in obedience.

For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience, then we have the hope of eternal life with God. And he said that not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven. So please take these words to heart (See Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

So, let’s pray with the psalmist that the Lord would teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. For so many professers of faith in Jesus Christ today are lacking in the wisdom of God for they are following the wisdom of man and of the world, instead. And this should not be! So let us pray to God that he would show us where we are lacking in faith and in obedience to his will and to his commands and where we need to change course so that we are walking in obedience to him in holy living, and so that we are not living for sin and/or for self instead of for God and his will.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 2 Tim 1:8-9; 1 Pet 1:5; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 9:28; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-29; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

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FireDragon76 · Jun 7, 2024

Kokavkrystallos said:
Though I'm Messianic, I'm really "Body of Christ" non denominational. I fellowship with Christians of all denominations if they are truly in the Spirit and walking with the LORD.
I do remember a few years ago attending a Bible study by a Church of Christ lay person. Don't know if he was UCC or what. He was big on baptism, teaching that it's necessary for salvation, and I recall a couple of us had a big debate with him over the Sabbath. But I only went to like 3 of those studies.

The Church of Christ is very different from the United Church of Christ (my denomination). The United Church of Christ is a Reformed church, just like Presbyterians. We do not share the Church of Christ's views on baptism, or a number of other things. The UCC was formed after a merger of a number of Reformed denominations in the late 1950's, with Congregationalists being the largest group.

This is a brief statement of faith of our denomination. It's more or less the same as other contemporary Reformed churches:

What We Believe | Orlando | First United Church of Christ, Orlando

Learn more about our church and fellowship and we believe.

www.firstuccorlando.org

This is our Facebook page:

First United Church of Christ, Orlando | Orlando FL

First United Church of Christ, Orlando, Orlando, Florida. 543 likes · 2 talking about this · 1,356 were here. Where Strangers Become Friends

www.facebook.com

We chose to go to this church because it's close to where we live, everyone is welcome at our church as an inclusive community, and the church has a ministry to the poor.

AlexB23 · Jun 6, 2024

Blaise N said:
Hi everyone!

I wanted to reach out and report back on my beloved chicken Annie.In a miracle turn of events her condition has skyrocketed for the best!

I’ve fortunately been graced with a traveling vet I was able to reach out to for help on Saturday June 1st and I was able to take her assistant a fecal sample for analysis,fortunately her droppings showed no parasites.The vet came out on Monday June 3rd and gave me medicine to treat her.

I came home yesterday after work and I saw that her droppings had miraculously changed form to look normal,I took her out of the quarantining tent I put her in(which has water,food,a nest box,toys,and treats) and I had a can of her adult feed sitting nearby for later and i turn around after looking out my garage and see her eating the food! Something she hasn’t been able to do this previous week!

I immediately teared up thanking the Good Lord for hearing my cries.I cannot thank you all for your prayers,words cannot describe the sheer amount of gratitude I have for you all who prayed for her health.

Thank you all so much!

Amen brother.

God can work miracles. It is good that we prayed for Annie the hen.

67_Reasons · Jun 6, 2024

Posted from a study point on Word that I was working on and thought it belonged here...

Petros2015 · Jun 6, 2024

Nice - thank you for the story share; I have never met an armadillo before - didn't realize they were so pesty.
I thought they just rolled themselves into little boulders and tried to spy on bowling leagues.

Grip Docility · Jun 6, 2024

tonychanyt said:
Proverbs 16:

Pride in the sense of haughtiness is a sin, 1 John 2:

Proverbs 8:

There is a difference between "proud" and "prideful" in English. "Prideful" is negative; "proud" could be positive. A parent can be proud of his kids without being arrogant. A person may be proud of his achievement after a long struggle.

The Father praised the Son in Matthew 3:

A master praised his servant in Matthew 25:

Corinthians boasting about themselves was bad, 1 Corinthians 5:6

But then, Paul boasted about the Corinthian congregation in 2 Corinthians 7:

Paul likened confidence with good boasting.

Is being proud sinful?

No, when you are thankful and acknowledge God for it. Yes, otherwise.

I was pondering this today!

The Father Boasts of His Son, while the Son Boasts of His Father!

Paul was possibly representing Christ Boasting of His cherished Bride!

There’s no doubt that we indeed boast of Him!

Dan Perez · Jun 6, 2024

Dan Perez said:
And in Gal 2:7 we can all see the difference between Peter and Paul .

Peter received his message of THE CIRCUMCISION to preach to Israel in Act 2:38 .

Paul was given the GOSPEL of the UNCIRCUMCICION , by Revelation .

And Gal 2:14 all will see that Peter as practicing the LAW OF MOSES .

dan p

All that Christ is telling PETER is that a Change is coming and Acts 28:25-28 is the proof .

Has any seen that afer Acts 15 you do not head about Peter ??

Has anyone seen in Gal 2:11 Paul said Peter with HYPOCRISY !!

Then in verse 14 was being a Law keeper Peter was trying to COMPEL Gentiles to adopt Jewish Customs and RITES >

dan p

fhansen · Jun 6, 2024

Clare73 said:
There are no righteous works of unbelievers.
When an unbeliever comes to faith, which is salvation (Eph 2:8-9), he has no righteous works.

And who said otherwise? Either way a person cannot say that they are a person of faith-at least a faith that is worth anything- if they have no good fruit. Their profession of faith will be meaningless, will do them no good. Their faith will be unproductive and won't save them unless it produces good works, unless it leads to love, to put it another way-and we must participate in that work of God's. Faith is the gateway to Him and His life in us.

"To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life." Rom 2:7

"Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." Heb 12:14

"When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. " Rom 6:20-23

That righteousness is a gift (Rom 5:17), part of the new nature that comes freely with our justification. It doesn't come by way of the law, even though the law attests to it (Rom 3:21). It's directly from God-we just can't have it apart from Him. Faith places us squarely with Him, His people now (Jer 31:33).

LoricaLady · Jun 6, 2024

Jun. 06, 2024 | Laos
Christian Wife, Young Son Cast Off
[7] prayers in [1] nation have been posted for Kaew.

Kaew placed her trust in Christ through the prayers of her parents, who became Christians after her marriage. Her husband and his parents, as well as their village, opposed her decision to follow Christ and tried repeatedly to make her recant. On December 30, 2023, Kaew's husband and other villagers berated and beat her until she passed out. When she regained consciousness, she was given one more chance to recant, but she insisted on following Christ. In anger, her husband threw her out of the house. Read More.
Jun. 06, 2024 | India
Pastor Perseveres After 44 Days in Jail
[4] prayers in [1] nation have been posted for Akhilesh.

Akhilesh led his family to faith in Christ after being physically healed through prayer. As others joined in their family worship and placed their faith in Christ, a church grew. Eventually, 2,000 people were meeting for worship during the week. A radical Hindu leader warned Akhilesh that he would face serious consequences if he did not close down the church, but they continued to meet. Then, in September 2022, police arrested Pastor Akhilesh for his gospel work and confiscated the family's Bibles. Read More.
Jun. 06, 2024 | Cote d'Ivoire
Audio Bibles Help Disciple New Converts
[4] prayers in [1] nation have been posted for Bible distribution.

Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) has a population of nearly 30 million people. Muslims are its largest religious group, representing around 40% of the population. Around 37% of the population identifies as Christian. The remaining 33% of the country are mostly followers of local ethnic religions, found mainly in the north of the country. While the Christian population is significant, Bibles are hard to access or afford for many people, and roughly 30% of the population is illiterate. Front-line workers recently delivered 500 solar-powered audio Bibles to northern parts of the country. Read More.

Grip Docility · Jun 6, 2024

Mr. M said:
The Covenant at Sinai was a blood covenant.

Exodus 24:8 And Moses took the blood, sprinkled on the people, and said,
This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you
according to all these words.

The New Covenant is a blood covenant.

Mark 14:24 And he said unto them, This is my blood
of the new covenant, which is shed for many.

Mediating A New Covenant By The Blood of Sprinkling

Hebrews 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to
the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better than that of Abel.

Establishing the Elect by the Sanctification of the Spirit.

1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through
sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood
of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Confirming Our Covenant with the breaking of bread, and a common cup.

1 Corinthians 11:25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper,
saying, This cup is the new covenant in My blood.
Do this, as often as you drink, in remembrance of Me.

Benediction

Hebrews 13:
20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the
dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep,
through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will,
working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight,
through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Exodus 14:14

AlexB23 · Jun 6, 2024

tonychanyt said:
Matthew 19:

This is the context: a man marrying a woman. The disciples are thinking about the usual case: people interested in man-woman marriage by genetic personal inclination. But Jesus points out three exceptions:

These include homosexual, asexual, intersex, and hermaphrodite (ἑρμαφρόδιτος).

2. People who have lost their sex drive due to physical castration.

3. People who voluntarily decide not to get married. Revelation 14 mentions a particular group of virgins:

See also Humpback whales photographed having gay sex

Made a post about this: Celibacy for Christ

AlexB23 · Jun 6, 2024

Kokavkrystallos said:
Hmm, this is interesting. We have wild onion/garlic here and today walking in a field I noticed the seed heads of them. Now I'm wondering if my wife hadn't seen one of these and some spirits used this to attack her, because that head looks a lot like the think she described to me. It's a round thing with what look like tentacles - the thing in center left

View attachment 349649

That plant looks creepy.

jayem · Jun 6, 2024

Fantine said:
With a large increase, there needs to be a bipartisan approach. If raising by 5, for example, each party nominates 2 and the 5th would be picked for being the most moderate apolitical judge out there, approved by both parties.

I'll go for that. It's very reasonable. But given the current divisiveness in Congress, it's hard to imagine that any bipartisan measure would be adopted.

WolfGate · Jun 6, 2024

PloverWing said:
From the article:

This was one of the difficulties that came to my mind. Unless there's some extraordinary event that's just happened, each week's homily is going to be based on the assigned lectionary readings. If the priest wants to connect the week's readings to domestic violence, it's going to take some work to make that connection. But I agree that domestic violence is a problem, and that perhaps silence from the church communicates something. I'd be interested to see some examples of how preachers build bridges from the lectionary texts to the topic of violence without the transition being awkward and artificial.

I think it becomes easier if you broaden the scope just a bit, and look at verses about abuse. Col 3:8, Psalms 37:34-36, even Col 3:19 (which is domestic) can be springboards. You do have to move past the "facts" of the verses and look at the principles God is teaching through them.

We had to deal with abuse when I was lead elder at a church several years ago. It was impactful to the congregation because the abuser was one of our pastors. As we were dealing with the congregation during the fallout of that, it became clear how many people in our congregation had been touched by domestic abuse. I think pastors can get there, and they will find a polarized reception for certain, but I believe they'll also find more need it than they may think.

Michie · Jun 6, 2024

(OSV News) — In the wake of Mental Health Awareness Month, the U.S. is still “in the thick of things” and “will be for a long time” in addressing mental well-being, a leader of the U.S. bishops’ mental health initiative told OSV News.

Since 1949, the nation has highlighted mental health issues and resources each May — but much work needs to be done on multiple fronts in this regard, said Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.

Launch of the National Catholic Mental Health Campaign

As chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Archbishop Gudziak joined Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota — who leads the USCCB’s Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth — in unveiling the National Catholic Mental Health Campaign in October 2023.

Several organizations partnered with Archbishop Gudziak and Bishop Barron in developing the campaign — among them Catholic Charities USA, the Catholic Health Association, the National Catholic Partnership on Disability, the U.S. Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, the National Catholic Network de Pastoral Juvenil Hispana, the National Institute for Ministry with Young Adults, and the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers.

In their introductory message for the effort, the two prelates said their goals were threefold: to raise greater awareness of the issue, to remove the sense of stigma for those suffering from mental illness, and “to advocate a clear message to all: everyone who needs help should get help.”

Progress and challenges

Continued below.

Amid a US mental health crisis, the Church should offer an integrated approach

In the wake of Mental Health Awareness Month, the U.S. is still "in the thick of things" and "will be for a long time" in addressing mental well-being, a leader of the U.S. bishops' mental health initiative told OSV News.

www.oursundayvisitor.com

Oompa Loompa · Jun 6, 2024

iluvatar5150 said:
No, these claims were attested to by folks under oath.

So? What difference does that make today?

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Jun. 06, 2024 | Laos​

Christian Wife, Young Son Cast Off​

Jun. 06, 2024 | India​

Pastor Perseveres After 44 Days in Jail​

Jun. 06, 2024 | Cote d'Ivoire​

Audio Bibles Help Disciple New Converts​

Launch of the National Catholic Mental Health Campaign​

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Jun. 06, 2024 | Laos

Christian Wife, Young Son Cast Off

Jun. 06, 2024 | India

Pastor Perseveres After 44 Days in Jail

Jun. 06, 2024 | Cote d'Ivoire

Audio Bibles Help Disciple New Converts

Launch of the National Catholic Mental Health Campaign

Progress and challenges