What’s it like to be a Christian?
What’s your purpose? What’s your mission?
Does your faith make any difference
How you live your life with vigilance?

Are you Christian just in status?
Christian life is not your practice?
Worldly pleasures still your purpose?
Faith in Christ is only surface?

Christian only when it suits you?
Follow Jesus not what you do?
Only going through the motions
When you say you have devotions?

Act like Christian when folks watching?
While the Christian life you’re botching?
Live for selfish sinful pleasures?
Not the truth of God you treasure?

Many people, that’s their status,
Do not put their faith in practice.
Think that Christian gets forgiveness
While obedience not their business.

But the truth, the truth of matter,
Many just give empty chatter,
But their lives, they are no different,
For to Christ they are indifferent.

So we need the truth of story,
Jesus Christ in all His glory
Gave His life, from sin to free us,
So we’d live by faith in freedom.

Sin no longer does control us,
Walk by faith in Christ, with purpose.
Obey God and His commandments,
Live for Jesus, our advancement.

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

Sharing the love and need of Christ in Tokyo is no easy task. But is it really that different from back home in New Zealand? Even there, I know many believers who struggle to share Christ’s love with their neighbors.

It takes courage—and a deep, driving desire—to speak of the greatness and kindness of Yahweh.

In Japan, the challenge is often not that people haven’t heard of Christianity or Jesus. It’s that they don’t know Him. When I meet new students, I often ask, “Who is Jesus?” About half of them respond, “The Son of God.” But when I ask if they know Him as Savior, most say no.

There’s a disconnect. Many Japanese view Christianity as just another religious system—something external and ritualistic, much like the temples they already know. They’ve seen Christian movies, or visited churches in Japan, and some walk away confused: “Why do people sit in a box at the back? Why the costumes? Why all the ceremony?” To them, it feels just like what they’ve already experienced—wood, gold, and tradition—but with different words.

I gently explain that this is not what Yahweh desires. He doesn't ask us to sit in a dark box and confess to a person. He invites us to come to Him directly, from our homes, from our hearts. No show. Just faith. Just trust.

I encourage my students to read the Bible—not as a religious duty, but as a way to get to know the living God. I tell them: if you keep reading the Bible, eventually, the Bible starts reading you. It shows you who you really are, and who God really is.

And once that happens—once someone starts to truly see the distance between themselves and God—they begin to seek the One who can bridge that gap. Not with ceremonies or rituals, but with truth, grace, and love. God begins to change the mindset. He opens the heart. And that heart begins to hunger for its Creator.

I’d love to hear how others are approaching this in different parts of the world.

We who are followers of Jesus Christ today are all to be ministers of the gospel of our salvation who are taking the true message of the gospel to the people of the world. And some of us may identify with Paul in that we realize that God did not call us because of our greatness, or because we had always lived a perfect life, but because of his grace to us in putting our sins to death with him on that cross so that we can now, by faith in him, die with him to sin and now walk in obedience to his commands in surrender to his will.

He can use us as his ministers of the gospel because of what he did for us on that cross, and because we believed in him, and so we died with him to sin. And by his grace, and in his power and wisdom, we are now able to live holy lives, pleasing to him. So he gets all the glory, not us. For if it is coming from us, and not from God, then it is not of God, and therefore it may not be the truth which we are sharing. We have to be led of the Spirit in what to say, and we need to make sure we are speaking the truth, and not the lies.

And the truth is written down for us in the Scriptures, but we have to be students of the Scriptures who study them in their appropriate context and who are not teaching just what we have heard from other humans, some of whom may not be teaching the truth. For many people today are teaching the Scriptures out of context, and they are twisting them to teach what is not of God, and many people are listening to them and believing them without studying the Scriptures themselves to learn what is truth.

So, what is the truth of the Scriptures which we are to be sharing with the people of the world, as ministers of the gospel of our salvation?

By God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness in walks of obedience to God’s commands. We are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

The grace of God, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return. For Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (See Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10)

And we learn in 1 John 1:6-7: “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” And in 1 John 2:4-5: “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected.”

And in 1 John 3:7-8,10: “Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.” So we need to take this to heart.

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

For Our Nation

Professionally recorded in Nashville, TN
Via Gerry Peters, music producer and arranger
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

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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Ministers of The Gospel
An Original Work / July 9, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Hello brothers and sisters in Christ,


My name is Ernesto, and I’m writing from Mexicali, Mexico. I’ve been walking with the Lord for many years and recently felt the need to find a safe, sincere Christian community to share thoughts, grow spiritually, and fellowship online. I am also a Christian Musician and composer.


I’ve worked for over 35 years in the manufacturing industry and have a background in engineering. But more importantly, I’m a husband, a father, and a grandfather who believes in the transforming power of God’s love and grace.


Unfortunately, I’ve had some bad experiences on social media — too many fake accounts, and dishonest people. I’m thankful to have found this forum and hope to connect with others who truly seek Christ, truth, encouragement, and honest discussion.


I enjoy talking about faith, Scripture, family, Christian music and life’s everyday blessings and challenges. If you feel led to say hello, I’d love to hear from you.


God bless you all,
Ernesto

Candace Cameron Bure is opening up about a difficult period in her marriage to husband Valeri Bure, and how their son played a key role in helping them through it.

The 49-year-old actress discussed the rough patch on the July 8 episode of her podcast, "The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast," revealing she once feared her marriage might not survive.

“Val and I went through a really, really rough season in our marriage. And we were like, ‘I don’t know, don’t think ... we’re gonna make it through,’” she said.

Bure said their middle child, Lev, ended up playing a crucial part in helping them reconnect.

“At one point, Lev preached, like, a 45-minute sermon on marriage to us. Just had his Bible open on the couch and just talked about it,” she said.

The actress, author and producer recalled Lev’s words during that conversation.

Continued below.

Megachurch Pastor Michael Oakes is counting his blessings after he and his entire family escaped flash flooding along the Guadalupe River in Texas last Friday, which has claimed the lives of well over 100 people in the state's Hill Country region.

Oakes, the outreach minister for Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, where bestselling author Max Lucado serves as a teaching pastor, shared on social media how he and his family traveled to their Hunt river home to relax for the Independence Day weekend. But rain and flooding quickly turned their trip into a nightmare early Friday morning.

"We went to bed Thursday night to light rain. Heavy storms woke me about 1 a.m. and by 2 a.m. water was flooding our dining room. Our Hunt river house is across Hwy 39 from the Guadalupe, just up from the River Inn, probably 200 feet from the river and 15 feet above the normal riverbank," Oakes explained in a post on Instagram.

Continued below.

Ten individuals have been charged for attacking a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Texas, with another suspect still at large.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested the 10 people who were involved in an armed attack on the Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado last Friday, ICE announced Tuesday.

Prosecutors say the attackers donned tactical gear with weapons and wounded a local police officer during the assault. The wounded law enforcer is expected to recover.

Each suspect is facing multiple charges, including terrorism, aggravated assault on a public servant with a deadly weapon, or aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer.

Continued below.

The chair of the Randall County Republican Party was booked into jail Monday on a state felony election fraud charge.

Kelly Kenten Giles, 64, is accused of providing false information on his application and petition to run for the Randall County Republican Party Chair seat in December 2023 for a spot on the 2024 primary ballot, according to the grand jury indictment signed late last month. It is unclear what about his application or petition was considered fraudulent.

The offense is typically classified as a misdemeanor, but because Giles is accused of doing it while serving as an elected official, it becomes a felony.

Giles' arrest comes after years of Texas Republicans cracking down on election integrity in the years that follow the 2020 election, despite no such evidence of widespread fraud. This crackdown escalated days ago when a former Democratic state House candidate was indicted alongside nine others for alleged vote harvesting in South Texas.

[That latter event seems connected with this: see also]

The former Archbishop of Wales has expressed regret over a “drinking culture” within his diocese after reports surfaced that priests and choir members took part in a “seven last shots of Christ” game at a pub following a Good Friday concert. Andrew John, who retired suddenly late last month, said the revelations were “a shock” and described the behavior as saddening and inappropriate.

John announced his immediate retirement on June 27, days after the Representative Body of the Church in Wales met in Cardiff and called for a change in leadership, procedures and governance in the Diocese of Bangor, according to Church Times.

Former choristers described a pattern of excessive alcohol use tied to religious events at Bangor Cathedral, including drinking during Sunday services and after concerts.

Continued below.

New Testament scholar N.T. Wright recently pushed back on the assumption that Jesus and the apostle Paul expected the world to end within a generation, saying their primary focus was the coming destruction of Jerusalem, not the final return of Christ.

“I think that Paul was aware, like all early Christians, because Jesus had said so, that Jerusalem would be destroyed within a generation of Jesus’ own time,” Wright said during a recent episode of his “Ask N.T. Wright Anything” podcast.

“That’s a major theme in Matthew, Mark and Luke. It’s hinted at elsewhere. And I think it’s hinted at, for instance, in the Thessalonian correspondence in Paul and also in First Corinthians Seven, when he talks about the appointed time being constrained.”

Continued below.

When Jesus called the Syrophoeinician woman a dog he wasn't just making that up, he was talking plain and she was no more worse than any of us. But when she didn't argue but made her plea in that context, she was infact accepting the Word and thereby putting all her flaws (sins) on him.
If we hope to also accept the Word we've got no argument or fussing coming. We will accept the Word no matter how it cuts.

An English professor at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, who has drawn scrutiny for previous public comments regarding gender and sexuality, expressed support this week for the school’s recent $643,000 grant to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion in churches.

Professor Greg Garrett, who serves as the school’s Carole Ann McDaniel Hanks Chair of Literature & Culture and teaches theology classes, also claimed conservative media have been attacking him for obeying Jesus by affirming homosexuality and transgenderism.

“When the far right media comes for me, my colleagues, or [Baylor]? I can only say: I serve the Jesus who said ‘If you’ve loved the least of these, you’ve loved me.’ Grateful for this grant that will help us love better,” Garrett tweeted Monday, linking to an article from The Christian Post.

Continued below.

Saint Jerome is the patron saint of translators and languages.

He would support translating Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
into as many languages as possible.

Spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Can ChatGPT interpret speaking in tongues?

Shawn Bolz, who was recently accused of fabricating prophecies in his ministry, recently shared that it appears OpenAI’s chatbot, ChatGPT, can translate speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia.

In a recent discussion about God and technology shared on YouTube, Bolz highlighted what is being called the “ChatGPT Tongues Challenge,” which a number of Charismatic and Pentecostal Christians have been engaging in online.

“This week, one of my friends reached out to me who's also a journalist and a writer, and she said, ‘Have you done the ChatGPT tongues thing yet?’ And I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ She goes, ‘I spoke in my prayer language on ChatGPT and it actually interpreted some of my prayer language in different languages around the world,’” Bolz said.

Continued below.

Good morning, what do you think about the rather disturbing belief that's currently trending among young people on platforms like Tumblr, TikTok, and Reddit, in which members believe they are animals and record themselves walking on all fours on TikTok?

They call themselves Therians, and they truly believe they are animals, most often dogs, cats, or other popular mammals. Many of them believe they have "species dysphoria" and that their souls are not human souls but animal souls. I even heard of a case of a teenager who wanted to rip off her skin because she felt she was a dog, and dogs have fur.

Am I the only one who finds this a bit terrifying? Not to mention the large number of children and teenagers who follow this trend. Even ten-year-olds are posting about it on TikTok and even creating special masks to sell on platforms like Vinted or Etsy. I've even seen adults walking on all fours in the mall or barking at strangers or howling.

-Marlena Telep.

***First, do not call this prison anything but Alligator Alcatraz. Remember the flaming rule and this link.



They deny inhuman conditions, but the stories coming out of it say different.

One inmate complained that his Bible was taken from him. What danger is there in having a Bible to read?.

Giant bugs, heat and a hospital visit: Inside Alligator Alcatraz’s first days




Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article310130645.html#storylink=cpy

Apparently cruelty is the point.

My father didn't fight on Omaha Beach on D-Day and go through the Battle of the Bulge so America can forget her Judeo-Christian values and the Constitution which bars cruel and unusual punishment.
My uncle, my Dad's brother, did not fight and get shot down in the Battle of Berlin so his country could be cruel.
Another uncle fought in the Pacific around Burma and Guadalcanal, and he didn't do that so America could copy the worst of mankind.

Many of these prisoners are accused, and not found guilty yet.

Perhaps our 34 time convicted felon - criminal convictions - should check that place out. ..

Hi,
I am a criminal and I do not want to be a
Criminal anymore.

This is because I care

This feels like a very simple question.

Do you believe that budget cuts EVER affect the efficacy of an organizations work?

And more specifically, I'm thinking about things like the fda, faa, weather service, fema

Do you think that budget cuts will affect their ability to do their job?

I would think that a 150billion increase to ice is going to help them work better. I'm just wondering if budget cuts would have the opposite affect.

Please answer these questions like I'm as dumb as snot in a jar just so i can understand.

Peace in Christ.

The Lord comes so that we might have life….an age-lasting life….and that we might have it more abundantly (the earth shall then flow with "milk and honey" towards us.)

The people of the outside world will no longer produce “thorns and thistle” towards us if we follow after the true Christ…who is the Head of us. He is the authority. The earth will flow with “milk and honey” instead…if we come out from the man-based churches where they are keeping and serving their supposed authoritative handwritings of ordinances and be separate….no longer attaching ourselves with the unclean body of people who are serving "images"...their governing church documents that are patterned like the nation's documents (such as "constitutions"). The kingdom/government of God is within us where His commandments are written. The kingdom does not come via "observation"...the observing of church external handwritings.

If we are listening to and following after false prophets and their false Christs that they are preaching with their authoritative church handwritings of ordinances (such as “statements of faith” or church "constitutions" , etc, etc, etc ), then the people of the outside world blaspheme His holy name and mock and deride us….producing thorns and thistles towards us….instead of praising God and producing good things towards us.

Joh 10:9-10 KJV
(9) I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
(10) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

His holy name…His holy authority…is being profaned among the nations because of us when we commit adultery…going to a man-based church….and serve their images…their church handwritings. This is "fornication" when we keep company with them as we become one flesh with them...one body...in their abominations.

The Son of man (His manifest life in our mortal flesh) is being given up by the thieves...the false prophets... that come to only steal, kill and destroy. The people of the outside world mock and spitefully entreat us….His body... just as signified by how they originally treated the Lord.

Luk 18:31-34 KJV
(31) Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
(32) For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:
(33) And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.
(34) And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

They...the outside nation.... mock His authority….His name.

Mat 27:27-30 KJV
(27) Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
(28) And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

They…the gentiles…the people of the outside world…rule over us…instead of us ruling them in Christ.

This is signified by the “crown of thorns” that was placed upon the head of Jesus….His authority. They produce thorns towards us and rule over us when we go to a man-based church.

The “reed” in His right hand is a REED PEN…signifying the church handwritings of ordinances. They used reed pens back in the day to write with.

Reed = Greek: kalamos - Of uncertain affinity; a reed (the plant or its stem, or that of a similar plant); by implication a pen: - pen, reed.

They put it in His right hand….in the place of His authority.

(29) And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
(30) And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

When we keep and serve the handwritings of church ordinances, we are bowing down to its authority rather than His authority….and the outside world blasphemes His holy name….His authority because of it. They smite Him over the head with the “reed”….the writing pen that the church scribes use.

Christ is the Head of us….and not a church handwriting. He is set at God’s right hand…in supreme authority over all.

Eph 1:20-23 KJV
(20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

His name….His authority…is far above all things.

(21) Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
(22) And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
(23) Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

We are complete in Him who is the HEAD of all principality and power.

Don’t let a many spoil you through his wisdom (“philosophy”) contained in his church handwritings which are patterned after the transmissions of men of the outside world (their handwritings such as “constitutions.” The “rudiments” are their found principles contained int their governing documents. We…as His people…should not have any founding documents (like the outside world has) among us. Don't put a reed pen in His right hand....putting a church document in authority over His authority.

Col 2:8-15 KJV
(8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
(9) For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
(10) And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
(11) In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
(12) Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
(13) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

He forgives us for this as He nails it to His cross.

(14) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
(15) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

They…the outside world…will no longer mock His authority when we come out from among the man-based churches who have their “authoritative” handwritings of ordinances for you to keep and serve. They will no longer bend the knee in their mockery….but will truly bend the knee towards His true authority. They will no longer blaspheme His holy name...authority...because of us.

Php 2:9-11 KJV
(9) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
(10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
(11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

I am living la vida loca
Every single day here on earth
Also I am already used to that
I enjoy living every single day
La vida loca
Yes I am having a busy life
That is la vida loca
Every day first thing in the morning
When I wake up
I pray for my Father
I thank my father
For keeping me alive today
Also I never complained to my father
About my life
Because my Father gave me a beautiful life
To live
Also I don't have no more good health
And every day I am looking after my health
I will not let my health go down hill
I promise you that my Father

Pray that Jesus Christ some how miraculously strengthens Hong Kong disheartened democratic movement who are oppressed by China's communist party :

I read this website Creation.com and as the name implies, they’re very literalistic, as were the teachings of the LCMS church I used to attend. Something is bothering me. This website and the Lutheran pastors say and believe that you can’t pick and choose what’s literal in the Bible and what isn’t. If you believe evolution is true and the earth is billions of years old then that puts the rest of the Bible in jeopardy. Like you have to believe all of it. What is the Catholic position on this line of reasoning? Because I know that we believe or can believe that evolutiom occurred and the earth/universe is billions of years old so does that puts the rest of the Bible in jeopardy? Why or why not?

Pray that a foreign Indian nurse who was convicted of murder in the nation of Yemen is given a lighter sentence other than murder:

PSALM 23; A VERSE-BY-VERSE UNDERSTANDING (Part 4) (verse 4)

" EVEN THOUGH I PASS THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I SHALL FEAR NO EVIL, FOR THOU ART WITH ME. THY ROD AND THY STAFF, THEY COMFORT ME" (KJV)

"EVEN IF I PASS THROUGH DEATH DARK RAVINES, I WILL FEAR NO DISASTER; FOR YOU ARE WITH ME; YOUR ROD AND STAFF REASSURE ME" (Complete Jewish Study Bible)


Death is something every single person on planet Earth will experience, sooner or later (except Enoch and Elijah). Is there a reason to fear death? Is there a reason for a "believer" to fear death? I would say NO. It is but a doorway that leads to the World and Life to Come. It is the door that takes us into eternity. We are but a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow. Death was introduced by sin (thanks, Adam!), and physically, we will all die physically. Yet "we, ourselves" will continue to live on for eternity. There are only two places a soul will live after death: the Kingdom of Heaven or the Lake of Fire.

Perhaps the "fear" that some might have is the "mode" of death. How are we going to die? I remember back in my college days, during the week of Halloween, some students set up "Scaremare." It was an actualization (by students) of different ways of death and dying, culminating in the presentation of the gospel.

Some might fear the "pain" of death, perhaps, burning in a car wreck, drowning, falling from a cliff, being eaten by a shark, a plane crash, a gunshot wound, etc...Others might just "die' in their sleep, a slow illness. At least this way, one is given time to think; otherwise, it could be quite sudden (like some of those Mafia and drug smuggling movies), the police against the bad guys. The guns that never seem to run out of bullets. The bad guys dropping like flies. Unfortunately, many will die in their sins and never have a chance to repent, and thus be separated from God for all eternity. Now THAT is fearful! (Fear not those who can destroy the body, but fear God who can cast the soul into the Lake of Fire)

For a believer, pain might be quick or painless, yet we will be in the presence of the LORD. The Apostle Paul said that to be "absent from the body is to be in the presence of the LORD. No wonder David says, "Thou art with me." What is the "Rod"? What is the "Staff?" The shepherd usually carried with him a "rod" and a "staff". The "rod" was a short, heavy stick used for defense, to protect the sheep while the "staff" was used to "guide" the sheep. The WORD of God is both a "rod" and a "staff" used to guide us and correct us when we wander off the path.

The WORD of God reassures us of the promise of eternal life with God after our visit to this Earth ends. Jesus conquered sin and death on the Cross of Calvary. He took the "bite" out of "sin and death." He took the pain and horror of suffering. If you have received Jesus/Yeshua as your Savior and LORD, at the time of physical death, you will be ushered into eternity into the Kingdom of Heaven. Have no fears, Heaven will be your home forever.