Hello, for most of this year I’ve been avoiding going to church because i was hurt by people at church.

I know it sounds silly and it’s been a while since each incident (two years with one particular group of people and almost one year for incidents with two guys). I thought the passing of time would help me out, but it all still hurts.

I may even say I fear for my life in some instances as one guy I had problems with was physically violent towards me. On the other incident i sincerely say I even have nightmares about it even though it’s been two years.

But of course what hurts me the most is the emotional damage I have since most were my friends for years, and then well they deliberately harmed me at no fault of my own. Each story is long and complicated so I’m omitting.

Since they were all “Christian’s” my faith really took a toll and my emotions are not good toward going to church. I’m afraid of more problemas arising with the new people I’d meet.

I don’t know how to approach this, as I’ve tried to pray but my heart hasn’t changed. I’m still hurt and sort of ptsd from it all. I thought of talking to a therapist but it costs money of course and I’m currently unemployed. I could still do it, but I’m not sure if that would truly help.

Does anyone have advice or experience on getting over anxiety and fear of people after bad experiences with people at church?

It's sad that there is a part of our culture that promotes transitioning.

One of the most incredible stock picking examples in the history of our country.

The deal was spearheaded by Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), working alongside several GOP colleagues. According to sources familiar with the talks who spoke to Politico, the agreement has “more than enough” Democratic support to advance through the Senate. Lawmakers are expected to vote Sunday night to advance the House-passed stopgap measure, which will serve as the vehicle for the broader funding package.

It seems reasonable to me to guarantee Democrats get a December vote on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, and which version to vote on. Discussion and a vote are proper Congressional procedure, hopefully there were be no more political stunts that hurt the American people. Eight Democrats did the right thing for the country.

I am simply wondering what the answer to the poll question is. No hard feelings to Sabbath worshippers intended, I am simply curious.

If you do keep the Sabbath, how do you observe it? How you do believe Christians should observe it?

A Mexican national living in the U.S. illegally for more than a decade after ignoring a federal deportation order was arrested in Orange County, California, on Friday after allegedly killing a 71-year-old man in a DUI hit-and-run crash, according to federal law enforcement sources.

How tragic.

The Church Under Fire

Chapter Four

Hear My Case

May 27, 2023

I am now reading in Acts 25. The Apostle Paul was being held in custody under the authority of the governor Felix. And during this time, Felix would visit him on occasion and would listen to Paul sharing about his faith. And this went on for two years, and then Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison (chapter 24).

Now Festus went to Jerusalem, and he listened to those who had a case against Paul. And those people urged Festus to summon Paul to Jerusalem, for they were still planning an ambush against Paul to kill him. But Festus said to the men, “Let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.” Then, after he had stayed among them for a little over a week, Festus went down to Caesarea where Paul was being held.

The next day Paul was brought before him, and the Jews from Jerusalem brought many and serious charges against Paul that they could not prove. And Paul was given the opportunity to argue in his own defense:


Now, I do not intend to go into all the history of this, for the Lord Jesus is having me make practical application of these passages of Scripture to our lives, to our world, and to our church today. And as of late he has been having me share some of my own experiences with church leadership accusing me falsely of what I did not do, and to share these experiences in order to illustrate the kinds of persecution we can expect to face today when we follow our Lord Jesus in obedience to his ways, and when we share the truth of the gospel with others, and when we do not dilute the truth in order to appeal to other humans.

Now, I don’t have an exact parallel to this story, but there are principles here that I have picked up on that do relate to situations I have experienced myself, such as a group of people being opposed to Paul, them appealing to someone in higher authority to take their side and to go against Paul, him having to defend himself against false and unkind accusations against his character, no one supporting him or taking his side, and then him having to appeal to a higher authority to hear his case.

Hear My Case

It was in the early 1990’s, and we were attending a church fellowship of a rather large church congregation. I loved the preaching. The preacher reminded me of my pastor of my youth. We loved our Sunday School class, too, and we enjoyed that teacher’s teaching. And I joined a small support group for women who had been hurt by others, and who needed healing. And I invited a friend to go with me, for she had many hurts from her past experiences. So this was to be a group that was supposed to help both of us to heal from past hurtful experiences.

Now my friend was very timid and shy, but she expressed to me that she did want to share something with the group, and she asked me for my help, and so I agreed to help her. And at the next meeting she began to share, and she started to chicken out, and so I encouraged her, as she had asked me to do. But at the next meeting a new rule had been added to the group that had my name written all over it, figuratively speaking here. For the new rule said something to the effect that if your friend is trying to say something that you should not try to help that friend. I felt so hurt!

No one had spoken to me about this. They just waited until the next meeting to announce the new rule that everyone in the group knew applied to me. So, I called the lady who headed up the group, and I expressed to her how that had hurt me, and I tried to explain to her that I was doing what my friend had asked me to do. But her response to me was hateful and harsh and accusatory, for she had concluded that I was being pushy or a bully or taking over or something like that, and she would not hear me out when I tried to give my own defense.

And remember here with me that this was a support group for people like me who were already hurting from other hurtful experiences, and these were people who were supposed to be helping me to heal. But she was treating me as though I was the enemy, and as though I had purposefully committed some horrible crime. And then she told me I needed to talk with one of the assistant pastors, and so I did, but he would not listen to me either. He then began accusing me sharply of attitudes I did not have and of deeds I did not commit. And even though I sat there in tears, appealing to him, he was hard as a rock and had no sympathy towards me whatsoever.

And I wish I could say this was the exception to the rule, but it is not. And I am not the only one being treated like this by church leadership, either. But this wasn’t just about me trying to help my friend. This was a deeper issue than that, I ascertained. For this assistant pastor, who I had never met before, was using terminology to accuse me that had much further implications than just that. So I believe the real issue was the kinds of things I was sharing in the group, as a whole, things which were from the Scriptures and not anything that should ever have been an issue.

Now, since this is not the only time I have faced such persecution as this, some people have suggested that I must, therefore, be the one at fault. Well, Paul faced a lot of persecution, and he was not the one at fault. And Job was accused by his friends of sinning as the reason for his suffering. But what my experiences symbolize, I believe, is the reality of where much of the church in America is today, where they are weeding out those who have strong convictions so that they can persuade the naïve with their lies without any hinderance from those who know better. And I hope you can see that.

For what I have experienced are the kinds of persecutions that others are experiencing who are serious about their walks with the Lord and who are walking in obedience to his commands. For today’s modern market-driven “churches” (businesses) leaders are being trained to weed out those with “strong convictions.” And this is because it appears that most of them are teaching lies. So, if you are facing such persecution as this, take courage. Just keep trusting the Lord, keep loving the people of God, and keep speaking the truth. For the days are evil, and our Lord will soon return.

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

Link to whole book:


Hear My Case
An Original Work / May 27, 2023
Reposted on November 10, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Video taken from writing from above

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The thread about amethyst crystals got me thinking about healing. New Agers believe crystals and other stones can have health benefits but when I googled it AI Overview said that there’s no evidence that healing stones work.
That made me think about something I posted long ago. Christianity and intercessory prayer studies, and the one considered the gold standard of studies called STEP. i did more googling about whether prayer has a positive impact on health and it doesn’t sound like it does. That goes against what the Church teaches. What are we to make of this?

Let’s compare that with Revelation, chapters 2-3. There the Lord sent letters to the seven churches, which were not just for them, but they are for the church gatherings in today’s world, too. In four out of the seven he had good and bad to say about them. In only one did he have nothing good to say, and that was the Church in Laodicea, which many believe represents the church of the last days. And only in two out of the seven did he have nothing against them. So the majority of the church then, and I believe yet today, needed correction. They needed to repent, or judgment would be coming.

So, what was the wrong that was being done in these churches (gatherings of the body of believers in Jesus Christ)? Some had forsaken the love they had at first for Christ, or they had deserted Christ who was their first love. It appears that they had fallen back into some of their sinful ways and so they were being called upon to repent and to do the deeds they did at first. And some were holding to and were tolerating the teachings of false prophets who were encouraging idolatry and immoral behaviors. And others were spiritually void and asleep. And they needed to repent or face judgment.

And I do believe that the church in the USA (the majority) is under the judgment of God already, for they have partnered with the ungodly, and they have turned their gatherings into places of business to be marketed to the world, and thus they have altered the character of Christ’s church (his body) to attract the world, and they have altered the message of the gospel to make it less offensive and more agreeable to the flesh and to the world. And all of this God forbids. And he teaches us that we are to come out from among such gatherings as these so we don’t share in their punishment.

[Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Acts 5:27-32; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22; Revelation 13:5-8; Revelation 18:1-5]

So, just know that the church is not a building. It is not a place you go to once or twice a week and then you leave until you go there again. And the building is not the house of God, for God does not dwell in buildings built by human hands. The church is the body of Christ, of all who believe in Jesus with genuine biblical faith. We, the people of God, are the church, and we can gather anywhere on any day of the week at any time of day or night where we can minister God’s love and grace to one another, and where we can help one another to grow in our walks of faith in obedience to God.

And 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).

For 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).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; 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 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Recording Via Gerry Peters, music producer and arranger

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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The Church At Large
An Original Work / November 9, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

We are reading this book in church right now but, to be honest, I never heard of him before and I have no idea who he is?

From what I understand, he was a prophet who prayed on behalf of Judea and the wrongs inflicted on it via other countries. God used Babylon to defeat these countries but also punished Babylon for being evil.

Does anyone else know anything else about him? Where did he come from? Why was he a prophet? What made him special in the eyes of God?

Thank you!

Attorney General Kris Kobach said Jose Ceballos, 54, is a Mexican citizen with legal permanent residency in the United States but is not a citizen. Ceballos was re-elected as mayor this week by residents of Coldwater, a community of 687 people in southwestern Kansas.

Skip Herd, Coldwater city attorney, told Wichita's KWCH-TV that Ceballos, who he said holds a green card, drew "red flags" by applying for permanent citizenship.

“He’s been a registered voter since 1990," Herd told the news station. "He applied for citizenship in February of this year, and through that, raised the issue of whether he was a legal citizen,” Herd said.

For a big part of my life I have been confident in the young earth creation model but one thing that has sort of been a sticking point for me is the ancient near east (ANE) interpretation of creation. It was first pointed out to me in talking about day 2 of creation, the idea that the writer is making reference to a solid firmament. It is further reasoned that the people in those days only knew of a flat earth cosmology, so they were just speaking in terms that everyone would understand. Just because they got something wrong does not mean God’s word is not true. It’s not a science textbook after all. And I have thought about this and wondered if there is any validity to it. The other thing that has really captured my attention is ideas surrounding behemoth and leviathan found in the book of Job. I have been persuaded that these are references to dinosaurs until I saw this video of Ben Stanhope’s critique of Answers in Genesis. He makes a compelling argument that these are descriptions of a mythological creature that symbolizes a false god, such as the followers of the Canaanite deity Baal. The comparison may have been a way of showing people that the true God is omnipotent and has no fear of them. And while I may want to entertain the idea that humans lived alongside dinosaurs, it is a weak argument to suggest Job makes mention of it.





It leads me to ask, if I am wrong on these things, what else am I wrong about? Most people who espouse this view about creation week, saying that it was a polemic to the pagan nations who say their gods took part in creation, tend to also be theistic evolutionists. In a wikipedia article “Firmament” it reads,

“In ancient Egyptian texts, and from texts across the near east generally, the firmament was described as having special doors or gateways on the eastern and western horizons to allow for the passage of heavenly bodies during their daily journeys.”

Click to expand...

But one thing I found interesting is that John Hancock believes the ancients did believe the earth was round.


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Maybe the way to reconcile this is to say that philosophers in those days were more split on the issue and many thought it was flat before the time of the Middle Ages.





But if I cede the argument and say it had an ANE context, wouldn’t I be inconsistent to still believe in young earth creationism (YEC)? I have argued before that the Bible is inerrant and infallible and that no contradictions exist, only apparent contradictions. And I do feel in some way it would be a compromise to say that the Bible was wrong about the firmament being a solid dome that separated the heavenly waters above. I understand that the Bible is not a science textbook, but I believe that it has to be right whenever it does talk about science.

For the First Time in 35 Years, No Rap Songs Appear in Billboard’s Hot 100 Top 40

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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I would like to ask for prayer regarding my relationship with my father. He has always taken very good care of me — cooking, doing chores, and showing concern for me every day. I truly love and appreciate him.

However, I am troubled by something that has been happening. My father believes in Jesus, but he also spends a lot of time watching secular content. I understand that some secular things can be enjoyable or even uplifting, but I sense that some of what he watches may carry darkness or hateful messages.

When we spend time together, especially on weekends, I sometimes feel that he tries to instill in me thoughts and attitudes that are not in line with love and grace. He often teaches me to speak rudely or sarcastically to others as a way to protect myself. I know he means well, but this goes against what I believe as a follower of Christ.

I’ve already told him gently that I don’t want to learn or use such words because I am a Christian. However, he still continues the next day, trying to teach me the same things again. It’s discouraging and difficult for me.

I try to fill my heart with hymns, sermons, and uplifting messages, but I can still feel some of the anger and bitterness that he’s spoken into me. This troubles my spirit deeply, and I want to be free and remain rooted in love.

Please pray for my father — that God will open his heart, guard his mind, and lead him to focus on what is pure and good. And please pray for me — that I may have wisdom, gentleness, and spiritual strength to stand firm in love without resentment.

Thank you for praying with me. May the Lord bless you all abundantly.

In Christ,
Jane Chai

Fulton Sheen’s Victory over Vice is a joy to read and a nightmare to review. Why? It is so quotable. The matter is made worse by the fact that it is a relatively short book. There is no padding, no excess, just thought provoking prose, judicious observation, and interesting anecdote.

Is there anyone reading this who has not heard of Fulton Sheen? The man was a priest and a bishop, but his legacy remains chiefly around his gift as a communicator. He gave sermons, wrote books, and proclaimed the Gospel in ways one would expect of a man of his calling, but there was something else besides. He was one of the first to see the potential of the media. For many, the chief form of media in the 1930s was radio, so he started the Catholic Radio Hour. It was a great success. By the 1950s, it was television that was in the ascendant, so he started a show there that ended up being broadcast on networks across America. Using both media, he was able to access people’s free time, enter their living rooms, present his ideas at the very center of the family home. One can only imagine how excited and active he would be with the possibilities offered by the Digital Age.

Continued below.

My son Jakeb isn't feeling well and his tonsils hurt. Please ask God to heal him if it is His will while we wait to get him to the dr. Please pray that he can have a good night where he feels well and happy. He suffers so much. I ask in the name of Jesus. Thank you and God bless you. Carmen.

We went to a science place today that had all sorts of neat things to see, do, and learn but when we got to their gift shop they had all kinds of stones including rough amethyst crystal stones that I was drawn to. As you know, many years ago I was dabbling in New Age stuff, especially the use of crystals, which I was interested in for meditation. I meditated with them some but mostly read about the subject. I’m just drawn to their beauty and I guess their mystery. I held a couple of the amethyst ones today but didn’t buy any. Is it against Catholicism to buy these and display them in your house under these circumstances if I don’t use them for meditation purposes?

I came to think of this verse as I was thinking about how inept people are at forming a government, or even, providing for their own security.

Biblically, the idea of forming your own government is actually blasphemous, since Christ already formed one.

Furthermore, Biblically, we are given clues to who Christ actually is and what government he formed - will it be a surprise for Christians to find out, that the house of David will remain forever?

Thus ultimately, I think the 144,000 have successfully identified the house of David, or Mt. Zion.

Of course, if you have further information about the 144,000, you can post it here.

It's good that at least some of these people are being held accountable.

In a sign that things are definitely going well for his second term, Donald Trump is promising to send cash to every American. Tucked away in a series of posts on Truth Social that railed against recent setbacks for his tariff scheme, Trump promised a tariff dividend for every American worth several thousand dollars.

“People that are against Tariffs are FOOLS! We are now the Richest, Most Respected Country In the World, With Almost No Inflation, and A Record Stock Market Price. 401k’s are Highest EVER. We are taking in Trillions of Dollars

For the first time in over 15 years, the Maronite Church in Syria celebrated a solemn Mass at the ancient shrine of St. Maron in the village of Brad, northwest of Aleppo.

A pilgrimage to the site, organized by the Maronite Scouts, drew more than 80 participants, young and old, reviving one of the most sacred Christian sites in the region known as the “Dead Cities.”

Father Ghandi Mahanna, who led the liturgy, reminded worshippers that “the true presence of God is found in every human heart,” urging them to live faith through love.

The group also visited the nearby ruins of St. Simeon the Stylite’s Church and the cave chapel once home to the hermit Toufic Ajib, which suffered partial damage during the war.

Continued below.

At the Basilica of St. John Lateran on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV urged Christians to build the Church on “solid foundations” rooted in Christ rather than on “worldly criteria” that demand immediate results and overlook the value of patience and humility.

Celebrating Mass for the solemnity of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica — the cathedral of the bishop of Rome and the oldest church in the city — the pope reflected in his homily on the meaning of this feast and on the Church as a living temple built of “living stones.”

“The millennial history of the Church teaches us that with God’s help, a true community of faith can only be built with humility and patience,” he said. “Such a community is capable of spreading charity, promoting mission, proclaiming, celebrating, and serving the apostolic magisterium of which this temple is the first seat.”

The pope drew on the image of the basilica’s physical foundations to speak about the spiritual foundations of the Church. “If the builders had not dug deep enough to find a solid base on which to construct the rest, the entire building would have collapsed long ago,” he said. “As laborers in the living Church, we too must first dig deep within ourselves and around ourselves before we can build impressive structures. We must remove any unstable material that would prevent us from reaching the solid rock of Christ.”


Continued below.

Noah was a builder of the Ark but

Jesus is the one and only Mediator that saves

Abraham was a friend of God but

Jesus is the Son of God

Moses was an ambassador of the Law but

Jesus is the fulfilment of the Law

Gideon was a valiant warrior but

Jesus is the commander of heavenly hosts

David was a man after God’s own heart but

Jesus is the anointed King of kings

Isaiah was a herald of the coming Messiah but

Jesus is the long awaited Christ

Ezekiel was a man beholding God’s glory but

Jesus is the glory of God

John was an apostle of love but

Jesus is love


Enoch was a man walking with God but

Jesus is the only begotten of the Father

Job was a blessed man but

Jesus is the fullness of all heavenly riches

Joseph was a representative of Pharaoh but

Jesus is the exact imprint of God

Samuel was a judge of Israel but

Jesus is the everlasting Judge of all

Solomon was a man of wisdom but

Jesus is the real wisdom incarnate

Elijah was a powerful prophet but

Jesus is the Prophet promised of old

Jeremiah was an announcer of woes but

Jesus is the suffering servant

John was a man baptising with water but

Jesus is the God-man full of the Holy Spirit


We love God by loving Jesus

We love Jesus by drawing people unto Him


It was rare to behold God directly or to be delegated by God in the past

Now, in Christ Jesus, Christians get to have both in heaven

Eternal Son of God

Alpha and Omega

Who is and who was who is to come

The Almighty

The first and the last

The living One

He was dead

And alive forevermore

He has the keys of death

And of Hades

Jesus, the Christ

The God of the seven stars

And seven golden lampstands

Blessed be the Lord

Blessed be the Lord indeed

John Banuelos, 40, who is from Utah but whose sister lives in the Chicago area, was arrested “near 29th Street and Cicero Avenue in Cicero” on Oct. 17, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. A warrant for his arrest was issued in Salt Lake County on Oct. 1 on charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office said.

Banuelos was previously identified in an NBC News story in February 2022, which revealed him as the man who shot off a weapon at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Online “sedition hunters” correctly identified Banuelos, 40, and gave his name to the FBI in February 2021. Months later, on July 4, 2021, Banuelos stabbed a man — Christopher Thomas Senn — to death in Salt Lake City, but was not charged after claiming self-defense.