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jasmine_childoftheking · Jun 1, 2024

Here's a couple by Jeremy Camp that I think it's fitting for those who are grieving their loss.

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Belk · Jun 1, 2024

chevyontheriver said:
So stigmatizing American conservatives through bad media spin is fair. Free press and all, right?

Good for the goose, good for the gander.

Belk · Jun 1, 2024

Hazelelponi said:
That's kinda life isn't it?

No one has an opinion on what you do in the privacy of your own home, it's when you bring it into the public sphere that problems arise.

No. Homosexuals used to be persecuted the second they were discovered. No "out in public" required.

awstar · Jun 1, 2024

The Day of Christ - doctrine.org

Introduction The phrase “the day of Christ” or “the day of the Lord Jesus” is unique to the Apostle Paul. Paul also called the day of Christ “that day” in his last letter. The phrases are found in 1 Corinthians 1.8,…

doctrine.org

Conclusion:

The Day of Christ is distinct from the Day of the Lord as daylight is to dark. The first is a time of great anticipation, joy, blessing, and reward. The second is a time of terror, wrath, dread, and woe. Paul taught the Thessalonians that the two days were different and not to be deceived by anyone who taught that the Church would go through the Tribulation or Day of the Lord. Paul taught Christ would remove the Church, the body of Christ, before that Day for we are not “appointed unto wrath” (1 Thessalonians 1.10, 5.9). Paul’s doctrine is as pertinent today as it was over 1,900 years ago. Christ’s second advent occurs in two phases: in the first phase the Lord returns for the Body of Christ; in the second phase the Lord returns to destroy his enemies. The Day of Christ is the Rapture, our blessed hope (Titus 2.13), the resurrection of the Church, in which we receive eternal bodies. This truth is for the Body of Christ alone and we should comfort one another and rejoice in it.

The above is a brief summary that I just found that might clarify a lot of confusion surrounding the “last days”

Logically one can easily discern the distinction between the “day of Christ” and the “day of the Lord”. The references in the Old Testament and even in the Gospel accounts refer to the coming of the Lord to judge the earth. But the “day of Christ" which was first taught by Paul -- the apostle sent specifically to the Gentiles after Jesus came unto His own and they received Him not -- preceeds the the "day of the Lord".

The "day of the Lord" found 1 Thessalonians 5 immediately follows six verses that teach the "day of Christ" — the rapture. The "day of Christ" is not when Jesus returns to the earth the second time. But rather, it’s the day when Jesus' meets His church in the air and we get to go home with Him to be with Jesus forever.

The Liturgist · Jun 1, 2024

1Tonne said:
So, I have given evidence in the OP of who the writer of the gospel of John may be. It is written in the text. You dismiss it. Not only did Jesus say that the one whom He loved was John, but also the Jews were so amazed that they exclaimed it loudly. People back then knew that Lazurus was the one whom Jesus loved. This should be evidence enough to put doubt in someone's mind about who the assigned author really is.
Please give evidence within the text that John is the writer of the book of John. I have given my burden of evidence. Now it is your turn since you claim that it is not Lazurus.

I know we cannot be 100% sure it is John or Lazurus. However, the evidence within the text points to Lazurus. We cannot ignore that.

Forgive me, bur I think @ViaCrucis and @prodromoe have provided strong evidence. The only possible alternative theologoumenon (considered theological opinion that does not contradict established doctrine) is that proposed by @HTacianas.

For my part, I think the text makes it obvious that St. John was the youngest of the disciples; if he were still adolescent, this could explain why he sought to be held by our Lord, and also how he was still alive longer than anyone else. Whereas St. Lazarus was already elderly.

keepitsimple144 · Jun 1, 2024

fhansen said:
Yes, because, by walking in the Spirit, I overcome the sin that leads to death. That's the only way sin is overcome, with God. Jesus came so that I might be with Him.

“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people." Jer 31:33

"Apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:5

But you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
I give them eternal life and they shall never perish.

Pommer · Jun 1, 2024

iluvatar5150 said:
Right. You can't deny somebody the right to vote because they're black. You can deny them the right to vote because they're fat or because you think they're ugly.

Because the “consent of the governed” rests clearly in the Constitution that is silent as to their participation in that “consent”. Yes, amazing we got nearly 245 years out of such a shoddy piece of workmanship, huh?

RileyG · Jun 1, 2024

Good! I hope all states follow

RileyG · Jun 1, 2024

May he rest in the peace of Christ.

Kokavkrystallos · Jun 1, 2024

Arthur Rosh said:
Wesley doctrine of entire Sanctification, second blessing, second work of grace, is the same as taught in the early church ie. Macarian homilies, Saint Anthony, Syriac fathers etc. there are many terms used: purity of heart, removal of the carnal mind, mind of Christ, apatheia, theoria, theosis, dispassion, impassibility, in Russian it is: Бесстрастие. There are many early Methodist testimonies as well as the writings of the church Fathers all speak on it.

I believe in this, I think for the most part. Some say holiness is not necessary to salvation, but the Scriptures disagree. Holiness and salvation go hand in hand.
Hebrews 12:12-15,
"Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled"

Hebrews 10:23-24,
"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:"

I just got done reading A.W. Pink's The Scriptures and Good Works, in which he states,
"We profit from the Word when we are thereby taught the absolute necessity of good works. If it be written that “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Heb 9:22) and “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Heb 11:6), the Scripture of Truth also declares, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man may see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). The life lived by the saints in heaven is but the completion and consummation of that life which, after regeneration, they live here on earth. The difference between the two is not one of kind, but of degree. “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Pro 4:18). If there has been no walking with God down here there will be no dwelling with God up there. If there has been no real communion with Him in time, there will be none with Him in eternity."

"We profit from the Word when we are taught thereby the design of good works. This is clearly made known in Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” It is worthy of our notice that this is the first occurrence of the expression, and, as is generally the case, the initial mention of a thing in Scripture intimates its consequent scope and usage. Here we learn that the disciples of Christ are to authenticate their Christian profession by the silent but vocal testimony of their lives (for “light” makes no noise in its “shining”), that men may see (not hear boasting about) their good works, and this that their Father in heaven may be glorified. Here, then, is their fundamental design: for the honour of God."

Andrew Murray wrote,

""Of God are ye in Christ Jesus, who has made unto us wisdom from God, both righteousness and SANCTIFICATION, and redemption." I COR.1:30(R.V. marg.).

"Paul unto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints" ;-thus the chapter opens in which we are taught that Christ is our sanctification. In the Old Testament, believers were called the righteous; in the New Testament they are called saints, the holy ones, sanctified in Christ Jesus. Holy is higher than righteous. I Holy in God has reference to His inmost being; righteous, to His dealings with His creatures. In man, righteousness is but a stepping stone to holiness. It is in this he can approach most near to the perfection of' God (comp. Matt.5:48; I Pet.1:16). In the Old Testament righteousness was found, while holiness was only typified; ill Jesus Christ, the Holy One, and in His people, His saints or holy ones, it is first realized."

I realize they were not Methodists, but Baptist and Dutch Reformed, but I see in their writings the principle of Holiness, as also the writings of George Fox and William Penn, Quakers.

But, set aside for a moment what man says, and look at what the Bible says. I see nowhere in the Bible any form of teaching like we have today where people teach erroneous doctrines about grace with no works, you can do what you want and be saved, you can live a wicked immoral life and call it "love" when it's a burning festering hellish lust...and people are even afraid to preach like that and call sin out for what it really is, afraid to offend someone.
Jesus said His Word would offend, and not all could receive it. It is not the wide and broad way that is salvation, but yet people are teaching it like anybody can get on board and stay as they are. Things like we are talking about here are considered outdated and old fashioned, but our God does not change, and Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever! Amen

Vanellus · Jun 1, 2024

mindlight said:
The ICC represents some kind of fictitious notion that a secular human authority can establish rules of conduct for the whole world. In practice, realpolitik is the dominant paradigm and ICC is merely a mask of convenient conventions by which lesser nations support their sense of self-importance. South African arguments about Gaza could well be conceived as posturing for the home electorate at the recent election. The ANC was trying to revive the spirit that overthrew apartheid by pretending parallels with the situation of the Palestinians. This strategy failed with their electorate, they have lost their majority for the first time since the end of white rule.

You are comparing individual misinterpretation with established doctrine as if they could be equated. God does not sanction mass murder or rape. The actions of an overzealous Mossad figure do not overthrow the right of Israel to exist.

So what was your answer to my questions?
"Are you arguing that because Israel claims to have God on its side it can do just what it likes, including threatening an international judge and her family?"
"Could Israel, China, Russia and the US etc. have ulterior reasons for not being members of the ICC e.g. so they can commit war crimes and not be judged by it?"

Akita Suggagaki · Jun 1, 2024

Carl Emerson said:
One of my mentors years back was Kosuke Koyama.

"Water Buffalo Theology" was on my reading list and somehow got bumped off.

Carl Emerson · Jun 1, 2024

ViaCrucis said:
Anything is idolatrous when it replaces the Lord.

I believe that good theology includes good theology about creation. And good theology about creation means recognizing the innate goodness of the creation. The earth is good, there is an innate goodness because God is the Author of creation and He declared all that He made "exceedingly good".

We also live in an age of death and disorder, creation suffers and is subjugated to the futility of death and decay, out of which God is going to rescue and redeem it. That is why we believe in the healing and redemption of creation: new heavens and new earth. But our future hope is never permitted to be an excuse for present evil. This is true of many things, such as justice. We believe, and hope, that in the end God's justice shall prevail and all shall be made right; because in this fallen world there is great injustice. But this present injustice, and our hope for future justice is never permitted as an excuse for us to be complacent--or worse, complicit--in present injustice. When God established His covenant with Israel He established His Law, He made Israel to be a nation of justice and order in an unjust and disordered world; a place where rather than more of the same injustice--the poor, the hungry, the needy being left out and suffering--Israel was to be a people who took care of the least of these, where there would be justice for widows, justice for victims, justice for the poor, the hungry, and the needy. Where those who committed injustice would be brought to justice, and there would be restitution.

Which is why Christians have always also upheld the necessity of a lawful, just, and peaceful (insofar as it is possible) society in which there can be human flourishing. We love our neighbor, not merely by abstaining from cruel acts toward them, but by actively seeking what is good for our neighbor, holding to the Rule of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This has always been the essence of Christian ethics, to do what is right, and to seek the good not just for ourselves but for our neighbors, especially for the marginalized and the least of these.

In application to creation, broadly speaking, again Scripture speaks quite clearly against evil against God's creation. Cruelty toward animals is forbidden, sinful, and evil. The laws which governed Israel included laws for letting beasts of burden feed upon part of the field crop as well as setting aside part of the yield as a tithe for the Levites, foreigners, and the poor. "You shall not muzzle the ox" means exactly this.

The bounty of the earth is to be celebrated as God's gift, rather than treated as something to be exploited--the exploitation of God's good creation has often been a source of not just acts of cruelty toward creation, but cruelty toward our neighbors. When we go to war over resources, people suffer; when we seek to steal the land of others we make it so those others cannot enjoy the bounty of that land. When we poison our lakes and rivers we harm everything that depends on those lakes and streams--including ourselves, the towns and villages where people need clean drinking water, and depend on the health of the land to provide food, and labor.

Environmental concerns should never become an idol. But Christian ethics, and good theology, means that we understand that while in this present fallen age there is evil and injustice, we are supposed to act and live in ways which are counterfactual to the present way of things; we are not to be collaborators with death, but stand in defiance of death as advocates of life. The day is coming when every sword and spear is beaten into instruments of life rather than death, and where men will no longer remember the ways of war; but even today should be the day that we say we trust not in chariots or their horses, but in the Lord; today is the day that we say justice for our neighbor. We don't merely say "the wicked will face Judgment" and never do anything; we place barriers in the way of temporal evil with temporal judgments, not denying the future Judgment nor thinking our judgments replace God's; but we recognize that for the sake of good for us and our neighbors there needs to be an ordered society of rules. There needs to be some semblance of justice right now, even in the midst of this unjust world of death and decay. Where we promote life and the flourishing of life, rather than collaborate and become complicit with the wickedness of death. That applies to everything, from the microscopic level of our day-to-day interpersonal relationships, to the macroscopic level of human governance, the organization of society, and our relationship with non-human creation.

-CryptoLutheran

This is beautifully put - thank you. We do our best to steward in love the creation around us which has been subject to corruption while at the same time look forward to a new heavens and a new earth. He Himself cursed the ground, but we do not have that mandate.

Fantine · Jun 1, 2024

Ah, the Rogues Gallery of the Senate are rattling their sabers.

I thought Mike Lee, LDS from Utah, had higher moral standards than that.

Michie · Jun 1, 2024

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Arthur Rosh · Jun 1, 2024

Kokavkrystallos said:
There are, but would take some searching. We are working with a Methodist church later this month on the 26th.

You can go to the side bar here in this wiki and see the different churches that claim to teach the old ways. I haven't checked out any individual church websites, which you need to do to see where they stand. I know there are many UMC churches that have gone woke and embraced the whole rainbow flag thing and its agenda, so that their preaching is not even the true Word of God.

Wesleyan Church - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Here's the Midwest Pilgrim Holiness Church

Our-History

very difficult and confusing, need to keep digging and may the Lord help us

AlexB23 · Jun 1, 2024

Mr. M said:
Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god:
for the Lord, whose name is Zealous, is a passionate God:

[H7067] qanna-literally reddened, passionate, jealous, zeal

Phineas, the son of Aaron, received a covenant of peace from the Lord
for being zealous for His Name.

Numbers 25:
11 Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath
from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them,
so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal.
12 Therefore say, Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace;
13 And it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood,
because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.

Time and again, the Lord restored Israel for His Name Sake

Ezekiel 39:25 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob,
and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name.

The Lord has expressed hatred of Edom for their response to the fall of Jerusalem.
Many other neighboring nations earned the same anger and retribution.

Zechariah 1:
14 So the angel who spoke with me said to me, Proclaim, and say,
Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am zealous for Jerusalem and for
Zion with great zeal.
15 I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease;
For I was a little angry, and they helped—with evil.

Joshua required the children of Israel to make a final decision to serve the Lord,
with a final warning they would fail.

Joshua 24:19 But Joshua said to the people, You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God.
He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

The Scriptures use Love to describe the Lord's passion in favor of the humble.
The word hate is used to describe His passion against the proud.
This should not prove difficult.

Deuteronomy 4:24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

We are instructed to be like Phineas and be zealous for good
and have a passion for His Name.

Galatians 4:18 But it is always good to be zealous for a good thing…

Reminds me of a Christian song I heard in 2021.

Minstree - In His Name [Acoustic, Christian] (2019)
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Kokavkrystallos · Jun 1, 2024

Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions -Job 7:14

I Will Speak of the Fear of the LORD

There comes a time when there is no fear of God in the heart of men, and sadly this is happening within God's own Church. "There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Psalm 30:1, Romans 3:18) Oh, they will say fear only means reverence and respect for God, but the truth of the matter is that is only part of the meaning.
Anyone who says they are not afraid of God in a way that is dread, awestruck, even horrified, is missing the fear of God.

I have said over and over the Hebrew words Yare and mora mean fear, dread, terror, to be frightened, afraid, in awe, and a fearful reverence. See, reverence is in there, but the bulk of the meaning is true fear.
Likewise the Greek words phobos, ekphobos, phobeo all mean flight, fear, dread, terror: as Vives Bible dictionary describes, "Not just a mere fear of His power and righteous retribution, but a wholesome dread of displeasing Him, a fear which banishes the terror that shrinks from His presence." (In other words, a bold type of fear in that your fear of God overcomes a fear of trying to hide from God, such as Adam & Eve did, or in Jonah's fleeing from the LORD.

Entromos is a trembling fear, intensive: to tremble and shake. Hebrews 12:21, "And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake"
Now read the rest of the chapter:
" But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
For our God is a consuming fire."

Shall we not fear the One who speaketh from heaven? The One who shall shake the heavens? If Christ appeared in all His glory and in His mighty power, most would run for their lives, or fall as dead at His feet, bowed to the ground, trembling at His pureness and His power, and the fact that He does according to His will, and holds your very souls destiny in His hand, yea, Fear Him!

Job 23:14-16 "For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.
Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him.
For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:"

God had a reason for testing Job, and it was a hard test. Who are we to say if such happened to us we would just reverence God. No! We'd be terrified, and if not, then I don't know where you are at with God. I've seen what God can do both as a test and as chastisement. It's dreadful and fearful.

I've stood under the lightning, and the tornado has passed by me or over me at least 3 times. I am still in awe of God's power in the whirlwind and in the storm. I can boldly stand and not fear death by these things, but at the same time that fear of self preservation is gone, it is the fear of God who controls these phenomenon that overcomes the worldly fear of the phenomenon themselves.

"And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him." (Luke 12:4-5)
Phobeo there: terrifying, struck with fear, exceeding fear in reverence - see, reverence coupled with fear. It DOES mean to be afraid of. As we should know "phobos" and "Phobeo" are where we get 'phobia" from, which is a fear of something.

Acrophobia does not mean a person has a reverence for heights; it means they are afraid of heights!

Hebrerws 12:28 speaks of BOTH reverence and fear:
"Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear"

If we truly feared God we would not do half the things we do. If we feared Him we would be blameless, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Cor. 7:1). We would not be flirting with sin, seeing how much we can get by with, how much we might satisfy the flesh, for the flesh screams at us for pleasures that its lusts may be fulfilled, and there is no fear of God in the one who dives right into sin and thinks "I'll ask forgiveness later."

Isaiah 6:1-6,
"In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

Revelation 1:13-17,
"And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:"

Johns initial response is fear, and rightfully so; it is Jesus who then says "Fear not." John is not standing there without fear saying "I got this." We are way too arrogant in our approach to the Almighty today. The scripture does say we can come boldly before the throne of Grace, but it also says to fear God. Just don't be afraid to approach Him, but best be afraid of Him, because one second in the presence of His pure light can consume you away, for our God is a consuming fire, and a devouring fire.

Grip Docility · Jun 1, 2024

tonychanyt said:
Horizontally speaking, I don't believe in werewolves, vampires, poltergeists, ghosts, and similar creatures because they are not scientifically measurable. Most of the time, they are just figments of imagination in people's heads.

Vertically speaking, I do think that demons sometimes appear in these forms. I once saw a ghost in its nebulous form in a corner of my apartment in Japan. As soon as I saw it and it saw me, it began to shrink and dissolve into the air.

Are ghosts real?

Most of the reported times, they are not. Sometimes, they are real manifestations of demons.

It takes far more than science to "Measure God". You can't MEASURE LOVE, with a CT Scan.

I will agree with you that the Ghost you saw was an apparition that had some Demonic connection in that, even if it was a PERSON's disembodied Soul... it would require that abuse of God's specific wishes via an Angel of Evil to physically manifest!

That said... YOU SAW IT! That's Scientific Evidence!

Ghost's "Phantasm's", as specifically referred to in Scripture by Jesus and His Apostles, WERE trapped in SHEOL. Upon the Cross, The Believing and Repentant are NOW dwelling with Jesus in Heaven, while the Unrepentant and Unbelieving have remained in or added to the dwelling of Sheol / Hades.

It takes the presence of a DEMON to bypass the locks of Sheol and "Conjure" a Ghost.

The Witch of Endor "CONJURED" the GHOST of Samuel. It wasn't a Demon PRETENDING to be Samuel. Please exegete the passage and proof that the GHOST of Samuel wasn't literally the Ghost of Samuel. It's not there. To say that The Ghost of Samuel wasn't Samuel is to literally add to and eisegete the passage. It is abrogating the teachings of Jesus through his HOLY GHOST in the Synoptic Gospels and the book of John.

The Good NEWS <- Theological Dad Joke / Pun ... is that of these 4 that you mentioned "werewolves, vampires, poltergeists, ghosts", only 1 is scriptural.

Poltergeists aren't in scripture and in reality are nothing more than a stupid metaphor for how people leave behind pain, through their children, physical destruction of environments etc.. etc... Correct, Tony... No need to call Sam and Dean on that one.

Werewolves aren't in scripture either... so... No need to call a priest.

Vampires... again... Scripture supports you on this assertion.... though between you and me... I think Politicians are pretty gosh diddly darn close to being "Vampires"...

But... Ghosts...... Literally in the STRONGS BIBLE study tool are THERE, verified by Jesus and the Apostles to be a real THING!

Am I saying people should summon them and all of that jazz? NO! Because as discussed... It takes Angles that Aren't Respecters of God's Desires to make "Phantasm's" appear! It's just plain dumb to mess with that stuff!

Leviticus 19:31 31 “‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.

It's scriptural, Tony! :doh:

It doesn't say DEMON Conjurors... or any of the like! It's a direct reference to "Necromancy"...

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.

I absolutely think Sci-Fi and Fantasy are fun movie Genera's .... BUT... Necromancy isn't bringing a person back from the dead into (Rotting Flesh). It's literally what Genuine Mediums do. They can CONJURE disembodied SOULS, through the communion with and power of Demons! For goodness sakes Tony.... it's in the Bible! Protestant doctrine has a way of severely impairing people's ways of understanding SPIRITUAL truths, but Catholics (The Mother Brick and Mortar Church), who go back WAY further than the Protestant denominations by 1500 years plus, know that there is an unseen Spiritual World that Exists in Heaven, for good,, and on Earth for Bad.

Tony! Living in Heaven, NOW, as a Repentant Believer... IS REAL. Existing Sentiently in Sheol, as a Dead Unrepentant Unbeliever, IS REAL.

The Book of acts reveals this:

Acts 16:16 Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit of prediction. She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation, are the slaves of the Most High God.” 18 And she did this for many days.

This girl is identical to the Witch of Endor. She has a Demon possessing her and has access to spirits locked within Sheol. The modern day word for this girl is Medium. Mediums CAN be FAKE. But, Mediums CAN be Real. God does not desire the realm of the Dead to mix with the realm of the living for a very GOOD Reason. This said... it is not ridiculous to Believe scripture as it reads and exegetes, naturally. God literally warns us to STAY away from Mediums, just as He warned Saul for good reason. To be more direct, it isn't positive to allow scientific reason to overwhelm the more accurate revelation of Jesus Christ through scripture.

Look at what the Girl is saying. She is telling the truth that the Men are Slaves to Jesus and the Gospel. The problem is that She's doing it in a disruptive way that makes the actual act of spreading the gospel, difficult. That's the Demon speaking. But, she could indeed summon "Ghosts" of the DEAD. Do Demons come along with that package? Yes, without a doubt, but Ghosts are indeed a Real Scriptural concept.

Allow me to put it this way... if a Believer were to summon a Ghost, through a genuine demon possesed MEDIUM, they would be messing up, because they are tampering with the very Fabric of Creation itself, as it is divided according to GOD's Design. (Leviticus 19:31 “‘Do not go to mediums or fortune-tellers for advice, or you will become unclean. I am the LORD your God." I'm very generous with New Covenant freedom in discussion, but this one is a matter I severely warn people against! Opening those doors for the sake of speaking to missed Loved ones is always DISASTEROUS! Let's say the Believer is seeking to speak to someone that is in Sheol... a Demon is Required to Mediate... which is always a really bad idea! The Believer wants to summon someone that is in Heaven... so, God would be immediately hearing the workings of the Medium, through the Demon, Heavenwards. Now, Samuel wasn't in Heaven, Yet... because Christ hadn't died on the Cross Yet, so he was at Abraham's Bosom, which was indeed protected by God. So, we see that God permitted the Disembodied Soul of Samuel to reply, but it was Disasterous for Saul, as Samuel delivered a message from God, to Samuel, though the Demon, in the Witch / Medium.. which is theologically humorous if you really ponder it, or maybe I just have a warped sense of humor.

Let's allow the biblical account to speak for it's self, without skepticism or extra biblical assumptions;

1 Samuel 28:9 But the woman said to him, “Look, you are aware of what Saul has done; he has removed the mediums and magicians from the land! Why are you trapping me so you can put me to death?” 10 But Saul swore an oath to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not incur guilt in this matter!” 11 The woman replied, “Who is it that I should bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up for me Samuel.”

The MEDIUM is SCARED! Saul has been a Witch Hunting! Yet, there he is and basically SWEARS that the GUILT won't be upon the witch. So, Saul askes to speak with Samuel.

12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out loudly. The woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!” 13 The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid! But what have you seen?” The woman replied to Saul, “I have seen a divine being coming up from the ground!” 14 He said to her, “What about his appearance?” She said, “An old man is coming up! He is wrapped in a robe!”

Now the Woman is terrified, because Saul, who had disguised himself is revealed to be Saul by the Demon within her who is accessing Samuel. Saul is asking... What are you seeing, because He doesn't have the site of Demons which can SEE the Disembodied Souls of those that are indeed sentient within SHEOL! The Witch calls the Being Divine, because it is a Righteous Eternal Soul. Like it or not, this soul is rising from the GROUND, not some Grave site. The Being is contained within SHEOL, which is an UNSEEABLE place of the Earth, to the LIVING of the Flesh Realm.

Then Saul realized it was Samuel, and he bowed his face toward the ground and kneeled down. 15 Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul replied, “I am terribly troubled! The Philistines are fighting against me and God has turned away from me. He does not answer me anymore—not by the prophets nor by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what I should do.”

Don't you see the humor in this? Samuel is in a Paradise within Sheol and is basically saying, what is this nonsense....

16 Samuel said, “Why are you asking me, now that the Lord has turned away from you and has become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done exactly as I prophesied! The Lord has torn the kingdom from your hand and has given it to your neighbor David! 18 Since you did not obey the Lord and did not carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this thing to you today. 19 The Lord will hand you and Israel over to the Philistines! Tomorrow both you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also hand the army of Israel over to the Philistines!”

Because God is allowing this to occur, Samuel simply doubles down on his actual Prophecy to Saul, who is now realizing that he is now in even more major trouble! He's has now been busted consorting with Demons by God, through the Medium, through the Demon and from Samuel!

20 Saul quickly fell full length on the ground and was very afraid because of Samuel’s words. He was completely drained of energy, having not eaten anything all that day and night. 21 When the woman came to Saul and saw how terrified he was, she said to him, “Your servant has done what you asked. I took my life into my own hands and did what you told me. 22 Now it’s your turn to listen to your servant! Let me set before you a bit of bread so that you can eat. When you regain your strength, you can go on your way.”

Saul had FASTED to speak with Samuel.

23 But he refused, saying, “I won’t eat!” Both his servants and the woman urged him to eat, so he gave in. He got up from the ground and sat down on the bed. 24 Now the woman had a well-fed calf at her home that she quickly slaughtered. Taking some flour, she kneaded it and baked bread without leaven. 25 She brought it to Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they arose and left that same night.

Now, Tony, of all the times you've read this, have you ever noticed the oddity that I have emphasized, in verse 24, in red?

Back to PAUL....

But Paul was greatly aggravated and turning to the spirit, said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away.

Paul gets sick of the Medium's distractions and Casts her Demon out, thus killing her ability to COMMUNE with Disembodied Souls.

19 When her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. 20 Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews 21 and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.”

Paul ticked off the Mediums Owners, because Paul had killed their Cash Cow!

22 Then the mob joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After they had inflicted many blows on them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to keep them securely guarded. 24 Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.

Finally, the whole event ends up leading up one of the most beautiful Jail breaks ever found in scripture, with the exception of 1 Peter 3.

Paul and Silas being Jail Broken is a pretty wonderful passage.

jasmine_childoftheking · Jun 1, 2024

I had no idea. I kind of knew that Christianity in Pakistan was in the minority.

I know God wants to reach out to every person in the world, but I can see it’s no easy task, especially in that part of the world.

I’ll continue to pray for the Christians in Pakistan and any other that they would come to Christ.

tonychanyt · Jun 1, 2024

Yes, if you believe their worldview. No, if you believe in Paul's worldview. The same can be said about tai chi, karate, etc.

Make sure you hold on to 1 Corinthians 8:

4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

If your spiritual conscience is weak or insecure, I advise against Yoga. Try some neutral fitness exercises instead. Personally, I have tried Yoga, tai chi, karate, etc., but I don't practice any of them. I practice Psalm 1:

2 But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.

Should Christians bow down before other gods?

No, Exodus 23:

24 Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces.

Still, there was an exception, according to Elisha in 2 Kings 5:

17 Then Naaman said, “If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD. 18In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter.” 19He said to him, “Go in peace.”

See also Is it okay to empty for mind when meditating?.

Adonay · Jun 1, 2024

polý kalá

AlexB23 · Jun 1, 2024

Hello folks. Today's devotional will be on protecting the unborn. The Bible is pretty clear-cut and self-explanatory on this topic.

Date	June 1, 2024 \| Protecting the Unborn
Verse	Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV): "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV): "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Exodus 20:13 (NIV): "You shall not murder."
Explanation	These three passages from the Bible highlight different aspects of the value and sanctity of human life, particularly in relation to the unborn. Psalm 139:13-16 emphasizes God's intricate and intentional creation of every human being, even before birth. The passage expresses the wonder and awe of being made in God's image and knit together in the womb. This understanding of human life as a creation of God underscores the belief that every life is precious and deserving of protection. Jeremiah 1:5 reveals God's intimate knowledge and plan for each person's life before they are born. God sets apart Jeremiah as a prophet, demonstrating God's sovereignty and intention for every individual. This passage further emphasizes the significance of unborn life and the importance of protecting it. Exodus 20:13, one of the Ten Commandments, forbids taking an innocent life. This includes the unborn, as they are also considered human beings deserving of protection.
Societal Relevance	These passages call Christians to recognize and protect the inherent value and dignity of human life, especially the unborn. In the modern world, politicians and media discuss abortion as being a good thing, such as when a woman may not have the resources to bear a child, or if the child has a chance of a degenerative disease. However, the Bible states that all lives are sacred to God, and there are more ethical alternatives to abortion, such as adoption or Christian counseling. While it is important to protect the unborn, it is also crucial to consider the well-being of the mother. In cases of life-threatening complications for both mother and fetus such as an ectopic pregnancy (where the fetus forms inside of a Fallopian tube instead of implanting on the uterus wall), it is essential to prioritize the health and safety of both individuals. This can be achieved through advance medical care, ethical treatment, and compassionate support. Artificial womb technologies, such as the development of external wombs (article link), could potentially save lives in the future by providing a viable alternative for babies with severe medical conditions, allowing the fetus to develop outside the womb while receiving necessary medical care and nutrients. However, it is essential to consider the ethical implications of these technologies and ensure that they align with the Christian values of protecting the sanctity of human life and preserving the dignity of both the mother and the unborn child.

eleos1954 · Jun 1, 2024

tonychanyt said:
You have to be born of the Spirit to inherit eternal life. Pets do not have the Paraclete in them. They do not bear the image of God. They are not resurrected on the last day, as per Jesus.

However, if you miss your pets and feel sad after the resurrection, God will do something to ensure you are not sad for eternity. God may even give you your pets back. Matthew 7:

There will be animals on the new earth (heaven), Isaiah 65:

There will be new pets.

See also No worries in the new heavens and earth.

It is true nowhere does it state animals go to heaven ... but .... as you stated there will be animals on the new earth ... God is big on restoration ... He could most certainly could restore our past pets on the new earth ... we really don't know .... but what we do know it's all going to be very good.

I would also like to add ... the bible talks about there will be children on the new earth as well. Most certainly there will be children in the first resurrection ... but is that the end of all creation for eternity? I don't believe so.

My belief is that God will restore the new earth back to it's original very good creation (before the fall) that was made by Him except there will not be any sin (so no death of any kind). I believe He will also restore reproductive capabilities to His newly created earth as well.

There is 1,000 years spent in heaven (after the 1st resurrection) and during that time and until after He executes final judgement on the wicked (2nd resurrection - 2nd death) re-creation/pro-creation is put on a pause (while in heaven) ... until He creates the new heavens and the new earth.

I base my conclusion on the fact that ... before the fall there was absolutely nothing wrong with God's creation .... it was perfect ... including the capability of pro-creation of everything ... so I find no reason why He would not restore that back to the new earth, including the ability to reproduce. It was His intention that was to happen in the first place.

The restoration of all things happens at the new creation of the heavens and the earth.

Acts 3:21
21Heaven must take Him in until the time comes for the restoration of all things, which God announced long ago through His holy prophets.

Basically .... it started in perfect Eden and it "ends "in that perfect Eden restored ... not really the end ... but the beginning of eternity that will be perfect for eternity. AMAZING!

Regardless ... it's all going to be very good and I really look forward to it. AMEN!!

Just some thoughts. ;o)

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