What was true 100 years ago is true today.


Historical sign in Dayton, Tenn., marking the Scopes Trial. (photo: Jerome L. Lawson / Shutterstock)

“When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, / the moon and stars that you set in place — / What is man that you are mindful of him, / and a son of man that you care for him?/ Yet you have made him little less than a god, / crowned him with glory and honor.” — Psalm 8:4-5

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Perhaps one of the most famous trials in the history of the United States began on July 10, 1925, in Dayton, Tennessee.

Officially, the case was Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes, a high-school biology teacher. Most people refer to it as the “Scopes Trial” or the “Scopes Monkey Trial” because Scopes was accused of violating the Butler Act, which made it illegal, in Tennessee, to “teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.”

Aided by the American Civil Liberties Union, Scopes was represented by the famous attorney Clarence Darrow, and the state was assisted by the former three-time Democratic nominee for president William Jennings Bryan. The trial was depicted then (and now) as a classic case of science and reason versus faith and superstition. This depiction is usually followed by an assertion that “science won” the trial and the argument.

Continued below.

Bolsonaro was a right wing authoritarian. Bolsonaro tried to steal the election. He used his office to enrich himself replete with luxury gifts from the middle east.
So when Trump sees him, he sees a lot of himself.

And then there is this:

So there you go. The United States saw a $7.4 billion trade surplus with Brazil and the USA government is going to introduce a tax on its own citizens who buy Brazilian products? You just can't make this up.

The new head of LifeSite News is its co-founder Steve Jalsevac who sent out the message below. Is this the whole story? I doubt it and I suspect there are other issues. I was once involved with a contentious fight over who would run a pro-life organization. We ended up in arbitration. The primary issue had nothing to do with the focus of the organization. It was management style and personality conflicts. I'm wondering how much of that played into Westen's firing.

The fact that one of the reporters, Stephen Kokx, was also fired impacts the credibility of Jalsevac's message. As one of the reporters, Kokc clearly had nothing to do with the "business challenges" at LifeSite: the loss of readership, the decline in donations, etc; so why was he fired?

Continued below.

Serena Dyksen had never even heard the word "abortion" until a family doctor recommended that her parents take her for one at the age of 13 after she was raped and impregnated by her uncle.

"One day, I was on the school bus, and I just blurted out to someone what had happened to me," Dyksen told The Christian Post in an interview. "I think I was just at a point in my life where I needed help."

Becoming pregnant from her uncle in the late 1980s was something Dyksen tried to hide at first out of shame. But a guidance counselor later pulled Dyksen out of choir class to ask if a family member had assaulted her. At first, the child didn't want to admit she was assaulted, but she eventually did. The girl's parents came and took her to the family doctor, who referred them to an abortion facility.

Continued below.

As the tragic events in Texas demonstrate, rurul counties often do not recieve the funds needed to implement preventative measures to protect human life. Kerr County Texas had previously applied for FEMA funds were denied, with Texas deciding to direct those funds to larger urban areas such as Houston. President Biden passed a program to address the needs of smaller communities: BRIC.

DOGE killed it.

In April, the Trump administration canceled the Building Resilient Communities Program, or BRIC, which funnels billions of dollars to states, municipalities, and tribal nations so they can prepare for future disasters. Ironically, Trump signed this program into law during his first term. But now, in the name of eliminating “waste, fraud, and abuse,” the Trump administration has cut $750 million in new resilience funding and clawed back nearly $900 million in grant funding already promised but not yet disbursed to states for improvements like upgrading stormwater systems, performing prescribed burns, and building flood control systems. FEMA also canceled $600 million in Flood Mitigation Assistance funding to communities this year, money that helps states protect buildings from flooding. Government analyses have determined that every dollar spent preparing for a disaster reaps $6 or more in costs saved down the road.
Will Trump re-instate BRIC?

"Liberia is a longtime friend of the United States, and we believe in your policy of making America great again," Boakai told the president, according to Reuters.

"Well, thank you, and such good English," Trump replied. "That's beautiful. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully? Where were you educated? Where? In Liberia?"

I do not know what sub-forum this should be in ... but read carefully and there is a theological matter here, it is what is the pastoral approach that matches your doctrinal perspective best.

substitute something important that comes to mind where the paragraph below says "in these situations", do not tell us what you had in mind, commenting on the paragraph below is the matter in discussion - do you agree or ...

Pastoral care in these situations is not about offering easy answers. It’s about being Christ’s presence—gentle, patient, and faithful. The Church’s role is not to coerce but to console, not to condemn but to carry burdens alongside the wounded.

Once more I want to thank you
Father
For everything you did for me
Through all the years
You gave me the gift of life
After you had created
Me in you image
You had given me
Grey hair and brown eyes
You tell me that I am
Beautiful you in your eyes
Father I don't agree with you
At all
Father you are untitled to your opinion
I am untitled to mine
I feel that I am an an ugly men
I must say that I am happy
To be alive
Every single day
Father I don't mess up with
My health
I am taking good care of my health
Father I never smoked for 60 years
And I don't plan to smoke now
Because I would ruin my health
Also I would damage my lungs
Yes Father thanks god I have
healthy lungs
Also I been sober for 60 years
So I have a healthy liver
Yes every single morning
I go for a big walk around the block
And also walk is good for me
Today the day ended very fast
The sun went down very fast
And I saw the beautiful sunset
That left me speechless
Now the night arrived
And it is my bed time
I must pray to my father
It only takes a couple minutes
Then I can go to sleep
I hope that I don't wake up
In the middle of the night
I want to sleep all through
The night
Yes tomorrow will be another day
That will arrive early for me
I will be up by then
I will not sleep in during the morning
Because I will be wasting a beautiful day
I need to go out and get a life
And live it to the fullest
I also need people in my life
That will be my friends

"Now the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. And Saul's servants said to him, “See now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord now command the servants who attend you to look for someone who is skillful in playing the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will feel better." 1 Sam. 16:14-16

Enter David, who plays the lyre and makes Saul feel better.

What is this evil spirit from the Lord that departs (or relents from tormenting Saul) when good music is played?

Read Genesis 22:2 -12. Isaac was a young man. Some estimate Isaac's age to be in his late teens. Let's read about Abraham being declared to be righteous.

Read Genesis 15:2 -6. Abraham had no children when he was declared righteous. Abraham was declared righteous then at least 13 years later Issac was born. At that time Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac were circumcised. That was at least 10 years prior to him and Isaac going to Mt Moriah. That would mean Abraham had been declared righteous at least 23 years prior to when he took Issac to Mt Moriah for sacrifice. Hebrews 12:5-8 The question is had Abraham proved that he was a son of God, let God discipline him, before he took Issac to Mt Moriah. If he had then, he was righteous prior to offering to sacrifice Issac.

James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. NKJV

James states that “scripture was fulfilled” which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. God declared Abraham righteous as stated above at least 23 years prior to the sacrifice.

Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. NKJV

The righteous requirement of the law of sin and death are fulfilled by those declared righteous by God who walk in the Spirit. God fulfills the law of sin and death so those who believe in Jesus can be sanctified by obeying Jesus' commands. God does this so the people who come for salvation can attain the level of perfection they are willing to work for.

When a person first comes in, they could enter heaven at that time as they are sinless and have been born from above. This does happen occasionally when the person who comes in doesn't have the faith to face withdrawal from sin, and they let Jesus put them to death physically rather than keep sinning. Jesus' love is unconditional. His love does not depend on how you conduct yourself.

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. NKJV

God fulfills the law for Christians for those who walk in the Spirit. He does this during the sanctification process for His sons. Abraham had proved he was a child of God sometime earlier during the 23 years. Yet, he continued to walk in the Spirit. If Abraham had decided to not walk in the Spirit at some point, as verse 13 states, be would have died physically and went to heaven. In heaven his faith had accomplished its goal and would be dead. Hence, the saying faith without works is dead.

James 2:22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? NKJV

By continuing in the Spirit Abraham reached the level of perfection he was willing to work for.

To answer the question can faith without works save a person? Yes. As stated above there are people who do not have enough faith to withdraw from sin. Read 1Corinthians 11: 27-32 verse 32 those who were disciplined to death were not condemned with the world. Had they repented and quit drinking they would have continued in the sanctification process.

2 Timothy 2:11 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. 12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him,


He also will deny us. 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. NKJV

Those who do not have faith enough to face withdrawing from sin but still let Jesus put them to death had no works. Their faith was without works yet it still got them to heaven.

The point James is making is that the only way we can see if a person has faith is to see some works from them. It's not a good indication, but it's all we have.

Here I am going to share my testimony which parallels Paul’s testimony. It is a testimony I have shared before, only this is not a copy-paste. I am writing this fresh today as I am being led of the Lord this morning in what to say.

I believed in Jesus Christ at the age of 7. I am now 75 years old. I began teaching the Scriptures at the age of 16. I taught children, youth, and then mostly women in small group Bible studies. And then my husband and I had a ministry to college students and to college-age adults out of our home for 7.5 years. And I did some of the teaching there. Six years into this ministry the Lord called me to an additional ministry, to write down what he was teaching me from his word and to post these writings on the internet.

But here’s the background behind this. Throughout my life I have faced a lot of mistreatment from pastors and elders of churches, and from other Christians, but not for doing what was wrong, but for obeying God in doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord, according to his word. In the first case I was judged falsely and unjustly because of my walk of faith in obedience to my Lord by those whose walk of faith was rather self-serving, at times, or it was more casual and not taken as seriously as what I took my walk of faith.

And then I had a pastor who asked of me to ask of our ministry team about replacing our worship team with another team. So I did what he said. So we met with him, as a group, but he did the non-denial denial thing by saying, “I would never do that.” So I asked him why he then asked me to ask this of our leadership team, but he responded the same. Then I was called to meet with the elders, but they required that I admit that I lied, as a prerequisite to the meeting. But I did not lie. And so they put me on church discipline.

In another case, I was in a small group ladies Bible study. But there were some immoral and ungodly situations going on within the church, and so I offered the women some biblical and godly counsel in that matter. But then I was reported to the pastor who then sent me a threatening letter telling me that I was banned from the church property and that I would be arrested if I stepped foot on the property. But he was one of those pastors who was following the wrong people, and not the Scriptures taught in their context.

In yet another church situation I was with a friend in a small women’s group for the hurting. And I was one of the hurting, as was she. She was very timid and so she asked for my help to be able to share in the group what she wanted to share, and so I did as she requested. But then I got accused falsely of being a bully of some sort, and the leaders would not even listen to my case, and one of the pastors accused me falsely of intentions that were not mine, and he would not listen, even though my tears were streaming.

Also, a fellow Christian and his wife came to my house and he blasted me because I was testing the spirits, as I ought, and because I was sharing on Facebook the deceptions I was finding in the writings of certain people, exposing them for what they were, as I ought to do. For he was a fan of those authors. So he yelled at me in front of my husband, and he told me that I needed to be in the majority, and not in the minority, for he said that the majority is right, and the minority is wrong. He got that one wrong.

In another situation my husband and I were training to be church planters. I was asked by our church denomination’s local heads to speak about our ministry to a large gathering of pastors and official workers in this church denomination. So I shared what the Lord put on my heart to share, which was fully biblical, and which supported what the other speakers were saying, only to be accused falsely of not hearing from God, but with absolutely no basis for their accusation other than just their personal opinions.

But because of their rejections of me, and their mistreatments of me, God then called me to the internet, to be a voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord.” That was 21 years ago, and by the grace of God I have been faithful in his service ever since then, now writing down what he teaches me from his word each day, and posting these writings on the internet, “so that a herald may run with it” (Habakkuk 2:2). And this has, indeed, turned out for the greater progress of the gospel.

Should I Not Preach Jesus

Based off 1 Corinthians 9:16-10:13
An Original Work / July 4, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Woe to me should I not preach Jesus.
I’m compelled to preach the full gospel.
I make myself a slave to ev’ryone
To win their hearts to Christ.
All this I do for my Lord Jesus,
And for the sake of His Name;
Do it for the sake of His gospel,
So that I, its blessings gain.

Scripture notates the sins of others;
Written down for us as examples
To keep us from setting our hearts
On evil as did those of old.
Do not worship other gods of man;
Do not give your hearts to them;
Not partake in immorality.
Do not test your Lord and King.

So, be careful if you think you are
Standing firm in your faith in Jesus.
God has given his word to warn us,
So through faith we will not fall.
No temptation has o’ertaken you
Except what is commonplace.
God is faithful to not let you be
Tempted past what you can bear.
He gives the way of escape.

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For The Greater Progress of The Gospel
An Original Work / July 10, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

The enforcement targeted drug trafficking rings, Dan Bongino, the FBI’s deputy director, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. “We’re finding them and crushing their operations,” he wrote and thanked Drug Enforcement Administration “partners for their coordination.”


The cartels and gangs gained a solid foothold during the Biden administration and are not going to go down easy.

Who are the saints in Christ Jesus? A saint is one who is holy (morally pure, consecrated to God, different from the world because becoming like Jesus). And how does one become a saint? By faith in Jesus Christ 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 now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Sin is no longer what we practice, but obedience to God and to his commands is what we practice, by his grace, and in his power.

And what is the gospel? It is that Jesus Christ, God the Son, came to earth, was born as a human baby, but without sin, grew to manhood, and was hated by many who put him to death on a cross. But in his death on that cross he put our sins to death with him so that, by God-persuaded faith in Jesus, we might now die with him to sin and walk with him in obedience to his commands, in holy living, free from our slavery to sin, and free to serve the Lord Jesus with our lives, according to his will and purpose for our lives.

And that is what it means to participate in the gospel, too. And the Greek word for this is koinónia, which means fellowship, communion, sharing, participation and partnership, which involves our cooperation with God and with his work of grace in our lives. He provides the way for us to be saved from our sins and to have the hope of heaven when we die, but then we must participate with him in this work of grace by dying to sin and living to God in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living, in his power.

And Paul’s confidence that Christ, who began a good work in the lives of the believers in Christ, would perfect that work until the day of Christ Jesus (of his return), was based on all of the above. They were those who had died with Christ to sin and who were now walking with Jesus in obedience to his commands in holy living. They were those who were no longer living for the sinful pleasures of the flesh. But in obedience to the Lord, they were growing and maturing in their walks of faith and in their surrender to the will of God.

So, what is this grace of which they were all partakers? It is not the kind of grace which is so popularized today which becomes a free license to continue living in sin without feelings of guilt and without punishment. For 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.” (See Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10)

And then, what was Paul’s prayer for them?


This is what the life of a Christian should look like. And this is not saying that we will be absolutely perfect always in everything that we do. And “the love” this is talking about is not human love, but agape love which comes from God and which prefers all that God prefers – holiness, righteousness, truth, obedience to God, faithfulness, moral purity and uprightness. For to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ involves us daily walking in obedience to our Lord, no longer as slaves to sin, but as servants of Christ.

[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]

My Sheep

Based off John 10:1-30 NIV
An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

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To The Saints in Christ Jesus
An Original Work / July 10, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Hi...I hope its okay to post this here. I recently made a film based on various books of the Bible....viewed through the lens of Calvinism. Here is a Podcast (posted yesterday) where me and my collaborator Celeste are interviewed about the theology of the film. If anyone is interested the full conversation can be viewed on Youtube (here- Login to view embedded media

And following up on that....Im looking for Christian Podcasts and Film Review Sites that would be willing to review and/or discuss this film (entitled "John Calvin and Other Excerpts From the King James Bible"). The film is available to purchase here - White Gardenia's John Calvin - LE Blu-ray | Bizarre Theater Releasing .......but anyone who wants to review it can reply to this thread or message me (or email me at whitegardenia1955@gmail.com ) and I will send you an online screener which will allow you to view the film. Note: the film does contain some violence and elements of horror, but nothing that would be too different from the content in the "Passion of the Christ" or in the BIble for that matter. Some additional info on the film is available here- White Gardenia- John Calvin and Other Excerpts From The King James Bible (2025)

Hi everyone! I’m excited (and a little nervous) to be here. I’ve been learning to quiet distractions and focus more on God lately, and I’m grateful for a place like this to grow and connect with others who love Jesus.

A little about me: I love quiet mornings with coffee and the Word, walks outside to clear my mind, and finding small ways to serve others. God’s been teaching me a lot about trust this year, especially Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” It’s been keeping me grounded.

Looking forward to learning with you all and encouraging each other here. How do you all like to start your mornings with God?

Howdy! Whelp, the guy from the last video I posted telling me not to preach hate to my kids came back. I asked him what was wrong with Jesus and he hand a mouthful to say... Thoughts on how you would have handled it?

YouTube Channel Video Devo
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“They Had No Idea What Was Coming”
Matthew 26:31-35 NIV
Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

Recently my wife and I have been watching the beginning of Season 5 of “The Chosen”. The scene of the Last Supper really sticks out in my mind. Jesus is trying to verbally prepare them for what is to come. Peter speaks out and so do the others that they would never deny Christ. They all have a look of shock on their faces when Jesus says this. Peter especially does and says that even if he would have to die because of Jesus, he would not deny.

All these men literally have no idea what is about to happen. Jesus is trying so hard to prepare them and give them the tools they need to move forward, but they just look at Him and are confused. They just don’t get it. No matter how much He tries to explain and prepare them, they are just left in confusion. It’s been really neat watching this unfold on the screen as I am a very visual learner.

They were all for sure nothing would stand in the way of following Jesus, no matter what. But again, they had no idea what was coming. So often in life, we also have no idea what is coming to us. We are for sure that we will be faithful and stand strong for Jesus no matter the situation. We “hope” we would be strong enough, but would we really? Just something for us to consider in situations we find ourselves going through where the tension is high and our reputation is on the line. Will we be brave enough to stand up and be strong in what we believe?

This devotional is an opportunity for us all to take this in and meditate. Consider your life and opportunities that have come up and may come up. Whatever situations may arise, will you and I be brave enough to stand up for what we believe in? Chances are, most of us will never have the experience of our lives being ended because of our faith, but if it does come to that, what will we do? Will we be faithful in our devotion no matter what?

“The way that Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader throughout the World during his Term, including by the United States, is an international disgrace,” Trump wrote Wednesday in a letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. “This Trial should not be taking place. It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!”

"Last year, the U.S. trade surplus with Brazil reached $6.8 billion."

The Brazilian government is holding a former presdient accoutnable for his actions. Apparently, that's too much for Donald Trump to swallow.

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
The Wickedness of Judah
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;
for the LORD has spoken:
“Children have I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me.
The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s crib,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.”
Ah, sinful nation,
a people laden with iniquity,
offspring of evildoers,
children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the LORD,
they have despised the Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly estranged.
Why will you still be struck down?
Why will you continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint.
From the sole of the foot even to the head,
there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
and raw wounds;
they are not pressed out or bound up
or softened with oil.
Your country lies desolate;
your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
foreigners devour your land;
it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
And the daughter of Zion is left
like a booth in a vineyard,
like a lodge in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.
If the LORD of hosts
had not left us a few survivors,
we should have been like Sodom,
and become like Gomorrah.
Hear the word of the LORD,
you rulers of Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the LORD;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
“When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.
“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be eaten by the sword;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
The Unfaithful City
How the faithful city
has become a harlot,
she who was full of justice!
Righteousness lodged in her,
but now murderers.
Your silver has become dross,
your best wine mixed with water.
Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
Everyone loves a bribe
and runs after gifts.
They do not bring justice to the fatherless,
and the widow’s cause does not come to them.
Therefore the Lord declares,
the LORD of hosts,
the Mighty One of Israel:
“Ah, I will get relief from my enemies
and avenge myself on my foes.
I will turn my hand against you
and will smelt away your dross as with lye
and remove all your alloy.
And I will restore your judges as at the first,
and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness,
the faithful city.”
Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
But rebels and sinners shall be broken together,
and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
For they shall be ashamed of the oaks
that you desired;
and you shall blush for the gardens
that you have chosen.
For you shall be like an oak
whose leaf withers,
and like a garden without water.
And the strong shall become tinder,
and his work a spark,
and both of them shall burn together,
with none to quench them.

Isaiah 1

We must repent, we must fight our own wickedness and resist the devil. We must not let Christianity fall into a state of functional unbelief. How many of say that we believe in this and that but don’t? Perhaps it’s male headship? Perhaps it’s the inerrancy of scripture? The sermon on the mount and Jesus’ teaching on retaliation and adultery in the heart? Are these things real to us? How real? It’s not that we will be perfect, but we need to seek this perfection, we must seek to be more like Christ. This will not save us, doing what’s expected will not save you. Only Christ can save people, nut works are expected.

Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
James 2:17-20

Lets us be the best Christians we can be. We all have our faults, let’s work on them and do what’s expected will God would have us do.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Philippians 2:12-13

"During the arrest, one individual assaulted a Border Patrol agent and was subsequently arrested for assaulting federal law enforcement," DHS added. "Our officers are facing a surge in assaults and attacks against them as they put their lives on the line to enforce our nation's laws. Secretary Noem has been clear: If you obstruct or assault our law enforcement, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

This is small stuff compared to what is to come. The radical- Muslim/radical- left coalition will continue to participate in acts of violence against our government.

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.