Hi. I have been directed here and it does seem to be an appropriate place.
My question is "What makes you certain that what you believe is true?

Now, I am not antagonistic, it's a genuine question from someone who has experienced something that has made him question his beliefs.
I am not at all into the "happy clappy" hero worship God thing, Almost everything about the church experience turns me off... BUT!
I experienced something in a church, on my own, while very drunk and in a dire state that I cannot either explain nor fully accept happened.

So, why are you certain? What, outside of growing up indoctrinated, made you say "Yes, I believe this is true?"

That the Bible is the word of God, that Jesus is God in the flesh.

Now when it comes to salvation, or any other topic what can all Christians agree on?

Priests in the last remaining Christian town in the West Bank have called for an "immediate and transparent investigation" following a series of alleged attacks by Jewish settlers in Taybeh, including a fire set near an ancient Christian cemetery and the ruins of the Church of St. George.

In a statement shared this week by Independent Catholic News, the heads of the Greek Orthodox Church, Latin Church and Melkite Greek Catholic Church stated that the assaults "threaten the security and stability of our town" and "aim at undermining the dignity of its residents and the sanctity of its sacred land."

The three priests — Father Dawood Khoury, Father Jacques-Noble Abed and Father Bishara Fawaz — condemned the fires set near Taybeh's cemetery and the church, an event that occurred on July 7.

Continued below.

We are in the process of getting ready to spend some time in Bangladesh.
My wife brought it up last week.
I told her we needed to agree and that I needed a confirmation.
Last Sabbath I asked for prayer and within minutes I got a confirmation.
The Holy Spirit prompted me to remember a vision I had when I was about 4;
I was flying at night above mountains,
In the distance I saw a glow and when we were above it I could see that the glow was coming from inside a mountain,
Inside the mountain there was a chamber filled with gems.

When I turned 50 I was about to interpret for a foreign pastor during a missionary service.
Before it was time to participate, the Holy Spirit told me that he would tell me the meaning of the vision.
He gave me a verse; where your treasure is, there your heart shall be.
I then told the congregation that as long as they supported overseas missions, they would be blessed.

Last year we had a retreat at a state park. Inside the cabin we shared we saw a video testimony of a young man that was called to the mission field.
I felt impacted by the testimony and I identified with the message.
I was in tears as I told them that we wanted to serve.

Now, we have just sent in our passport renewal paperwork, we should get them in a few months.
The most important step is that of securing a visa to Bangladesh as these are very hard to get.
We have a family member that obtained a five-year visa, a friend of his tried but only got one for a few months.
We are set up financially to pay our way and be there as volunteers.
We hope to be there for six months and return, we know that God can open doors according to his purpose, we pray that will follow through.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to follow his example in being his witnesses. So we are to be the salt of the earth, and the light of the world, and the people of God who proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness (sin) into his marvelous light (the gospel, righteousness, truth, obedience to God). And under the authority of God we are to go and make disciples of Christ of people of all nations, baptizing (where possible), and teaching them to obey our Lord’s New Covenant commandments.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Eph 5:11-14; 1 Pet 2:21,29; 1 John 2:6]


For Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross to deliver us out of our slavery (addiction) to sin, so that we will now serve him with our lives in walks of obedience to his commands, in surrender to his will and purpose for our lives. And having been saved by his grace, and delivered from our bondage to sin, and having been given forgiveness and the hope of heaven when we die (provided we continue in these walks of faith in obedience to our Lord), we will want to share the truth of the gospel with other people.

For we care about other humans, we love them with the love of Christ, and so we share with them the truth. And we refute the lies of Satan so that many will come to genuine biblical God-provided faith in the Lord Jesus, and will leave their lives of sin behind them, and will follow our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands. Thus, they can now walk in victory over sin, and can live holy lives, pleasing to God, and so God can use them in other people’s lives to share with them the gospel, for their salvation from sin.

And this is why I am here on the internet sharing with the people of the world what the Lord is teaching me from his word each day. I am here out of obedience to my Lord and to his calling on my life in saying what he gives me to say, not only as testimony to what he is doing in my life, but for the salvation of human lives from their bondage to sin so that, by the grace of God, they can now walk in freedom from sin in surrender to God’s will and purpose for their lives.. and to encourage all in their walks of faith in Christ.

And as far as healing goes, God does gift certain people with gifts of healings, and not all these gifts are related to physical healing of physical diseases or to physical impairments. People need spiritual healing the most, and then there is emotional healing, and healing of the minds and the hearts of people which get damaged from birth to death by various means and circumstances. But we should use the Scriptures and not human philosophy in order to bring healing to people, for God is truly the one who heals.

Seek the Lord

Based off Isaiah 55
Musical Instrumentation by Mark Bradley
An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”

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Proclaiming the Gospel of The Kingdom
An Original Work / July 12, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

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Whither the “Harmful Spirit?”

There are stories in the Bible whose main plot is given the most attention but missing are the details behind the plots. For example, a lot of people are familiar with the Biblical story of “David and Goliath,” but are they familiar with the events leading up to that famous encounter between the two, which has fostering ideas including the size of a person may not necessarily make him a victor in a fight with a much smaller person? And where does the “Harmful Spirit” fit in? Well, here’s the story behind the story.

It starts in 1 Samuel 15:1 in the OT. In those days, the Philistines were a massive headache to the people of Israel. Do things like this ever change with the people Israel? Anyway, as told in 1 Samuel 15, the Lord says to Samuel to go to Saul and tell him God has anointed Saul King over Israel. Samuel further says to Saul that God wants him to annihilate the Amalekites, who had tormented the Hebrews on their way to Israel in their 40-year journey from Egypt. Samuel says that God wants nothing left, not “man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey,” as it says in 1 Samuel 15:3.

So, Saul defeats the Amalekites, but contrary to God’s command, Saul spares its King and takes alive “the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good,” not destroying them, according to 1 Samuel 15:9.

In Verse 10, God tells Samuel He regrets having made Saul King since Saul, by sparing the animals mentioned above, has disobeyed him. In subsequent Verses Samuel conveys this message to Saul, and he also essentially tells Saul that God has fired him as King of Israel.

What follows in Chapter 16 is a tie-in that eventually leads to David’s fight with Goliath. In 1 Samuel 16:14–17, God sends a “harmful spirit” to torment Saul. Saul’s servants, seeing this, tells Saul that a man who is “skillful in playing the lyre” will make Saul well when he plays it. Saul tells his servants to provide such a man. The man happens to be David. Not only that, but before David appears to Saul, David in 1 Samuel 16:12 is anointed the new King of Israel by God, and Saul doesn’t know this; neither do most of Israel’s people.

So, when David appears before Saul and plays his lyre, Saul is made well and he keeps David by his side, not knowing that he’s keeping by his side his own replacement.

Shortly thereafter, in Chapter 17, Goliath issues his challenge to Saul to send one man alone against Goliath to fight him. David, knowing he has Saul’s ear, convinces Saul to let him fight Goliath. Saul, convinced, says ‘OK, go,’ and the rest is history.

Would David have known of the challenge if he wasn’t in Saul’s company? Who knows? But in Chapter 18, Saul becomes jealous of David who is glorified by the Israelis, to the point where he tries to kill David with a spear. But the Harmful Spirit appears again in 1 Samuel 18:10, causing Saul to rave within his house. With the presence of the Harmful Spirit, though, Saul misses and he realizes at that point that God is with David and He had departed from Saul.

Too make a long story short, after a number of interceding events including battles involving David, in 2 Samuel 5:1–3 David is anointed King by the people of Israel. All things considered, it seems the “Harmful Spirit” was harmful only to Saul.

Trump floats stripping Rosie O’Donnell of US citizenship: ‘She is a Threat to Humanity’

“Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Surely, President Trump is just kidding around?

Public media is more at risk now than ever before. Despite overwhelming public opposition, the House passed a rescissions package that would eliminate $1.1 billion in already-approved funding for public media. If enacted, it would strip essential services from communities nationwide — and could force rural stations off the air entirely.

The Senate will vote on the rescissions package next week, and changes are still possible. Now is the time to urge them to remove the proposal targeting public media from the package.

Dr. K’s Weekly Roundup, July 11, 2025​

More revelations from Montagna; Grillmeister enters; AI idiocy; irrepressible Tradition; obedience to what?; new poetry; good news; and more​

Put not thy trust in AI​

​

Please pardon me for the expression of strong emotions in this section.

AI delivers the most breathtaking bull at times.

You know how often people attribute ridiculous things to Trent or to Pius V? Well, I wanted to test Perplexity (an AI module like ChatGPT) with a simple question: “Did the Council of Trent request a revision of the missal?”

The answer it spit out was already only partly correct, I’d say more incorrect than correct:

Continued below.

Go here to read the story. I assume their intentions are good, but honors by a church that Saint Thomas More died rather than bow to, is such a misunderstanding of what Saint Thomas More was about as to boggle the mind.

Anglican Misplaced Desire to Honor a Catholic Saint?

In the heart of California, the Bishop of San Bernardino, Msgr. Alberto Rojas, issued on July 8, 2025, a decreedispensing all the faithful of the diocese from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass and holy days of obligation. The reason? The fear, expressed by some immigrants, of being subjected to checks by civil authorities — particularly ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) — near churches or during liturgical celebrations.

On paper, the measure invokes can. 87 §1 of the Code of Canon Law, which allows a diocesan bishop to dispense the faithful from disciplinary laws when this benefits their spiritual good. But it is precisely this supposed “spiritual good” that raises more than one question.

A pastoral decree or a cultural surrender?​

Continued below.

USA. The Church that blesses illegality - Silere Non Possum

In San Bernardino, the bishop dispenses the faithful from attending Mass — but who protects the Catholics?

www.silerenonpossum.com

What is the new Pope's position on church reforms? The German Cardinal Reinhard Marx is of the opinion that Leo XIV is quite open in many respects, including celibacy.








Munich Cardinal Reinhard Marx believes that the new Pope may be able to relax celibacy requirements. "First of all, it's about positively evaluating and protecting celibacy as a way of life," Marx said in an interview with the "Münchner Merkur" and "tz" (Saturday). He added: "But should the priesthood be limited to celibate men? Do we really see all the vocations God gives us? Or are we blocking ourselves here?" The door to this discussion is not closed, Marx said; and: "I don't think Pope Leo is completely set in his ways on this. He has basic experience, especially in Latin America."

When asked whether the Pope could allow different speeds in the implementation of reforms, Marx said: "I think he's open to it for now." There are many expectations. "Some in Germany think we would introduce a kind of church assembly like a parliament or a democracy," Marx said. Others would prefer to return to the past and forget everything about the Synodal Path. Marx: "I don't see either. We have a structure of the Church in which the Bishops bear a special responsibility. That won't be abolished."

The cardinal added: "But we need more synodality; that is, the inclusion of everyone in the service of the Church. How we can organize that is open." For many in the universal Church, this is new territory. He sees Munich-Freising on the right track. "If, as Archbishop, I do not identify any serious problems in theological and pastoral questions, then I am prepared to follow a recommendation from our Synodal body passed by a two-thirds majority," Marx said. But: "What Rome would rather not have – and I am skeptical about this too – is a national body that dictates to me as Bishop and to us in the Archdiocese what we should do."

Continued below.

• President Donald Trump unveiled the new rates in letters to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum.
• Trump said that if the EU or Mexico retaliates with higher tariffs, “then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added on to the 30% that we charge.”
• “Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT, what Mexico has done, is not enough,” Trump wrote to Sheinbaum.

One of the most typical things for tourists to buy are souvenirs from Rome, and of course, souvenirs of the Pope. But at this time, even after two months of his papacy, shops still don’t have official souvenirs of Pope Leo XIV.

STEFANO COMANDINI
Souvenirs Comandini – Religious Articles
Yes, indeed, everyone is asking for images of the new Pope, but we are still not authorized to sell anything because the Vatican has not yet issued the necessary approval. Therefore, absolutely nothing with the new Pope's image can be sold until the Vatican grants it.
Many tourists have already cometo the Borgo Pio area looking for them—and to their surprise, there's still nothing available.

Of course, with Pope Leo being from the United States, we wanted to see if we could find something from the Jubilee. Unfortunately, they don't have anything yet.

Continued below.

12 July 2025 – India​

Pray for protection for the rural village pastors in Odisha, Chhattisgarh and other eastern Indian states who have been attacked and threatened by Hindu mobs intent on destroying their ministries.

11 July 2025 – India​

Remember in prayer the leaders of our partner organisation who face increasing surveillance and pressure. Pray that they will know God’s protection when they travel and His wisdom in their decision-making and leadership.

10 July 2025 – India​

Please pray for pastors such ‘Mohan’, who have been arrested and charged under anti-conversion laws and now face long-running legal cases. Pray for God’s protection on them as they continue to serve and that they will be acquitted.

09 July 2025 – India​

Pray for our Bibles for Pastors project which is putting local-language Bibles into the hands of believers and seekers. Pray for a continued reliable supply of copies.

08 July 2025 – India​

Pray for Jose and Sheeja Pappachan, who have been sentenced to five years in prison under the anti-conversion laws in Uttar Pradesh state (the first conviction of its kind). Pray that they will be acquitted on appeal and that there will be no more convictions under these unconstitutional laws.

07 July 2025 – Burkina Faso​

As the situation in the country constantly changes, Christian women have started to cover their heads and wear Islamic clothes in order to protect themselves from harassment or worse. Pray they will have wisdom to know how best to live out their faith.

06 July 2025 – Burkina Faso​

Pray for the displaced pastors who are now running new churches in IDP (internally displaced person) camps around the cities. They minister to thousands of displaced individuals with acute spiritual and physical needs. Pray for God’s wisdom, strength and provision on their ministry.

​

“You’ve got to stop worrying.” Oh, the countless times this phrase has been spoken to me. The devil knows how to get to each one of us, striking where we are weakest in order to cripple and pull us from the path toward holiness.

One of my greatest weaknesses is how easily I capitulate when fear strikes. I allow it to take root in my heart and, from there, grow like a terrible weed throughout my entire being until it negatively alters my disposition, robs me of hope and joy, and nearly causes me to forget that my Father is king. I allow fear, worry and anxiety to obscure my identity and knock me from the path I should be treading.

Continued below.

The situation for Christians worsened after the July 2023 coup. There were fears this would open the country to further attacks from Islamist extremists. The impact of this continued throughout 2024.
The jihadist group al-Sunnah wa Jama’ah (ASWJ) has made life increasingly difficult for Christians in Niger. In areas under militant control, church services and other events are carried out under the shadow of potential violence or physical attack. The presence of radical Islamist groups has led to frequent attacks and kidnappings, significantly limiting the freedom and safety of Christians. It’s also led to a rise in attacks on Christian property, such as churches, schools and health-care centres.
Those who leave Islam to follow Jesus face pressure from their families to renounce their new faith. Pressure also comes from the authorities. The legal process for registering a church is arduous and protracted, and legal roadblocks have been used to prevent Christians from gathering. Believers can also face discrimination in the public sector; they seldom secure jobs within local government services, and promotions are frequently denied.

Meet Elisabeth​

“We are facing persecution day and night. Oh God, deliver us from this bad situation.”
Elisabeth (name changed), who has been persecuted by her mother because of her faith.

What does Open Doors do to help?​

Open Doors works through partners in Niger to strengthen persecuted Christians through economic empowerment programmes, leadership and discipleship training, persecution survival training and pastoral care for new believers.

Please pray​

• Pray that God will bring order and prevent extremists from taking power or territory.
• Pray that God will protect Christians from Islamist attacks.
• Pray for converts from Islam – especially young people – who face rejection and oppression.

​

Friar Clodovis Boff belongs to the Order of the Servants of Mary. | Credit: Lennoazevedo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Friar Clodovis Boff has written an open letter to the bishops of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops’ Council (CELAM, by its Spanish acronym), who recently met in assembly, asking: “What good news did I read there? Forgive my frankness: None. You, bishops of CELAM, always repeat the same old story: social issues, social issues, and social issues. And this has been going on for more than fifty years.”

“Dear older brothers, don’t you see that this music is getting old?” asked the priest who belongs to the Order of the Servants of Mary (Servites), in reaction to the final document of the 40th Ordinary General Assembly of CELAM, held at the end of May in the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

"When will you give us good news about God, Christ, and his Spirit? About grace and salvation? About conversion of heart and meditating on the Word? About prayer and adoration, devotion to the Mother of the Lord, and other such themes? In short, when will you send us a truly religious, spiritual message?"

Clodovis Boff, along with his brother Leonardo Boff, was one of the most important philosophers of liberation theology. However, in 2007, he published the article "Liberation Theology and Return to the Fundamentals" in the 68th issue of the Brazilian Ecclesiastical Review.

Continued below.

DOJ issues 20 subpoenas to doctors, clinics over 'transgender medical procedures'

Warning: This article contains graphic details of chemical and surgical procedures performed on individuals who were once identified as transgender. Descriptions also include bodily functions of adult subject matter.

WASHINGTON — Panelists were reduced to tears during the Federal Trade Commission's day-long workshop this week, featuring multiple panels of experts and detransitioners who shared their stories as the agency assesses whether consumers have been subjected to misleading or unsubstantiated claims about "gender-affirming care."

During the workshop on Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department's Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle announced that the agency has issued more than 20 subpoenas against clinics that are engaged in transgender medical procedures on children.

Continued below.

In you eyes
I see the tears
Running down you face
I am not upset with you
When you are crying
I understand that
You have you sad and happy moments
Also Are you sad because
Winter is not over
Yes I know that you don't like the winter
I also must confess to you that
I just hate the winter
But I go out during the winter
I put my winter clothes
I wear also my long johns
To keep my legs warm
I also boots and my winter coat
And I go for walk around the block
At the sane time I am letting the fresh
Air go into my lungs
You don't go out in the winter
The winter is very long
We can't no longer wait for the spring
To come
Yes it is taking a long time for the
Winter to end

---

Jesus encouraged his disciples to struggle against sins. We are also his disciples. We also struggle against sins.

Saints like Maximilian Kolbe taught that repeated falls can be occasions for deeper humility and dependence on grace—not despair.

The Church sees the struggle with sin as a path to holiness, not a sign of failure. As Augustine said, “God would not allow evil if He were not powerful enough to bring a greater good from it.”

The Church offers Confession and the Eucharist as means of grace to strengthen the soul against sin.

Prayer, fasting, and cultivating virtues like chastity, humility, and temperance are essential tools in this struggle.

I encourage every reader of this post, Catholic and non-Catholic to take courage from the holy scriptures and from the example of the saints and the teaching of the Church in their struggle against sins.