As for me, I have read through it several times and have memorized some Scriptures, although I would not consider myself a scholar by any means.

I think I will forever just be a student.

Have you guys ever heard of Billy Graham? One of the most famous preachers of this past century I would suspect. But he is dead now. Lived to be exactly 100. People used to call him "The Walking Bible" because he had at least half of the Bible memorized. That blew me away. I don't think I am intelligent enough to memorize half the Bible. Or to even go to some place like Harvard for that matter.

=/

Following online rumors about a possible UFO speech by President Donald Trump, his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, said he has mentioned a speech that may involve extraterrestrial life.

What Lara Trump Said​

Lara Trump acknowledged online chatter about a rumored speech by the president on unidentified flying objects, saying on her show, The Right View, that she had seen claims suggesting he had a UFO address “queued up.”

However, although no evidence has emerged that such a speech is planned, in a video shared on X, she said: “I think my father‑in‑law actually said it. There is some speech he has that I guess at the right time he’s gonna break out, and it has to do with maybe some sort of extraterrestrial life.”

Rumors of a coming announcement intensified earlier this month after British writer and ufologist Mark Christopher Lee circulated claims that a historic disclosure was imminent—assertions Newsweek could not verify.

Continued below.

Introduction:

This analysis demonstrates why the instrumental reading of Daniel 9:27—where cessation of abominations occurs even by sacrifice and offering upon wings—is syntactically, accentually, and contextually superior to standard translations. The argument draws on Masoretic accents, Hiphil causatives, Tanakh instrumental precedent, lexical references, and the prophetic "Day of the LORD = judicial slaughter" motif.



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Translation Summary:

"He shall cause to prevail the covenant with the many for week one and a half of the week; he shall then cause to cease (even by sacrifice and offering upon wings) the abominations of desolation, until the consummation of that which has been determined is poured out in desolation."



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Complete Hebrew Syntax Analysis:



וְהִגְבִּיר – shall cause to prevail

Final Rendering: He shall cause to prevail

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: Hiphil of גָּבַר – causative dominance; parallels Ps 68:9; 2 Chr 14:11; Gesenius §139c

Verb Balance: PREVAIL (Main #1)



בְּרִית – covenant

Final Rendering: the covenant

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: Context definite; cf. Daniel 9:25; Isa 42:6; HALOT 419b

Verb Balance: חתם→גבר balance



לָרַבִּים – to many

Final Rendering: with the many

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: ל + implied definiteness; idiomatic Tanakh usage; Gesenius §90k

Verb Balance: Object continues



שָׁבוּעַ אֶחָד וַחֲצִי הַשָּׁבוּעַ – one week and half

Final Rendering: for week one and a half of the week

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: Cumulative temporal coordination; Joüon-Muraoka §118; lexical parsing supports half-week as חצי השבע

Verb Balance: PREVAIL duration



יַשְׁבִּית – shall cause to cease

Final Rendering: he shall then cause to cease

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: Hiphil of שָׁבַת (H7673); governs result, not immediate noun (Gen 2:17; Num 8:25; Exod 12:15; 2 Kgs 23:5); Gesenius §117f

Verb Balance: CEASE (Main #2)



זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה וְעַל־כָּנָף – sacrifice and offering upon wings

Final Rendering: even by sacrifice and offering upon wings

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: Instrumental accusative; fixed pair precedent Lev 23:13; Num 15:8; zaqef accent separates verb from object; lexical references HALOT 1038–1039

Verb Balance: CEASE method



שִׁקּוּצִים מְשֹׁמֵם – abominations desolating

Final Rendering: abominations of desolation

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: Main clause object; Hiphil governs result; lexical reference שָׁמֵם H7931; cf. Gen 2:17; Num 8:25

Verb Balance: CEASE target



וְעַד כָּלָה וְנֶחֱרָצֶת – until complete end decreed

Final Rendering: until the consummation

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: Temporal hendiadys; Hebrew idiomatic construction; lexical references כָּלָה H3605; נֶחֱרָצֶת H5277

Verb Balance: CEASE extent



תִּתַּךְ עַל־שֹׁמֵם – poured out upon desolate

Final Rendering: of that which has been determined is poured out in desolation

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: Niphal passive; result clause; idiom of divine judgment; cf. Dan 8:19; lexical reference תָּךְ H8620

Verb Balance: Climactic result



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Twin Parenthetical Symmetry:



v.26: [MAIN: משיח יכרת] → (ASIDE: עם נגיד הבא) → [RESUME: והגביר ברית]

v.27: [MAIN: והגביר ברית] → (ASIDE: חצי השבע ישבית זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה וְעַל־כָּנָף שִׁקּוּצִים]) → [RESUME: ועד כלה]



Observation: Double symmetrical parentheticals frame the action. The instrumental phrase "even by sacrifice and offering upon wings" is embedded inside the parenthetical, highlighting method of cessation while preserving discourse symmetry. This explains the link between partial cessation and the final pouring out of judgment.



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Critical Masoretic Accent Evidence:



- Zaqef qaton after זֶבַח: creates prosodic separation between instrumental phrase and direct object (שִׁקּוּצִים מְשֹׁמֵם)

- Tiphcha on שִׁקּוּצִים: soft disjunctive; supports object status

- Accentuation enforces reading:

- זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה = instrumental (means, cf. Lev 23:13; Num 15:8)

- שִׁקּוּצִים = direct object (target of cessation)



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Prophetic Judgment Sacrifice Motif:



Day of the LORD = Judicial Slaughter:

- Isaiah 34:6: "LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah..."

- Zephaniah 1:7–8: "Day of LORD’S sacrifice...punish princes"

- Ezekiel 39:17–19: "Eat flesh of mighty...drink blood of princes"

- Revelation 19:17–18: "Supper of great God...flesh of kings"

- Jeremiah 46:10: "LORD GOD hath a sacrifice"



Observation: The phrase "even by sacrifice and offering upon wings" aligns with this pattern: the cessation of abominations is accomplished via the Day of the LORD’s judicial judgment and is tied to the final pouring out.



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Hiphil Causative & Object Assignment:



1. הִגְבִּיר = causative dominance: “cause to prevail”

2. יַשְׁבִּית + Hiphil pattern governs result, not just immediate noun (Gen 2:17; Num 8:25; Exod 12:15; 2 Kgs 23:5)

3. Instrumental Accusative for זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה attested: Lev 23:13; Num 15:8

4. Direct Object = שִׁקּוּצִים מְשֹׁמֵם (abominations of desolation)

5. Syntax + zaqef accent + parenthetical structure = instrumental reading syntactically superior



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My Translation:



"He shall cause to prevail the covenant with the many for week one and a half of the week; he shall then cause to cease (even by sacrifice and offering upon wings) the abominations of desolation, until the consummation of that which has been determined is poured out in desolation."



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Verdict:

Double symmetrical parentheticals + Hiphil causatives + Masoretic accent evidence + Tanakh instrumental precedent + Day of the LORD judicial sacrifice motif mandate this reading. Standard parsing fails multiple independent syntactic, accentual, and discourse tests. This reading alone preserves Daniel’s literary and theological design.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Music City has become the epicenter of global Christian communication this week, with the opening of the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB 2026) convention, the largest Christian media event worldwide.

With an attendance of more than 6,000 people, the event began Tuesday night by reaffirming the communicators' commitment to the Great Commission and the defense of religious freedoms.

The opening session was prayerfully led by John Ankerberg, who urged those present to seek an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon every convention activity. Ankerberg recalled that the central objective of NRB is to take the Gospel to all nations, mentioning that there are still 1,000 million people without access to the Bible in their own language.

Continued below.

I suffer with depression, anxiety, and psychosis. I wonder if OCD is a problem as well. What is OCD? Thanks.

2 Corinthians 5:13-15
New King James Version
13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you.

From a priest:

Reverend and Dear Father,

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Ash Wednesday is soon to be upon us, and I am faced with the situation I am often faced with:whether to impose ashes on cute, angel-faced infants.

It never fails that, as the faithful come up for ashes, they bring children.
I don’t see the purpose of imposing ashes on babies, who are unaware of not only sin, but what the ashes represent (as well as what the formula spoken means).

Click to expand...

I know, if I don’t impose ashes on them, I’ll get bad looks from both sides of the ecclesiological spectrum.

Is there a reason I can cling to why babies should receive ashes?

Click to expand...

Continued below.

This week, debates about Christian nationalism and the First Amendment received fresh attention after Idaho Pastor Douglas Wilson delivered a brief sermon at the Pentagon and progressive Christian and U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico appeared on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” for an interview that never made it to live television.

Douglas Wilson Preaches at the Pentagon​

On Tuesday (Feb. 17), Douglas Wilson delivered an address at the Department of Defense’s monthly worship service, sparking conversations about Christian nationalism, an ideology for which Wilson openly advocates.

Wilson is the pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, and cofounder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, a denomination of which Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth is a member. Wilson is a controversial figure for various aspects of his theology and leadership, which include allegations he has overlooked abuse and his arguments for the virtues of antebellum slavery.

Continued below.

A Catholic leader directing a movement against antisemitism called it “scandalous” for Carrie Prejean Boller to receive a “Catholic Champion” award following her removal from President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, which Boller claimed was due to her faith and rejection of Zionism.

Simone Rizkallah, the director of the Coalition of Catholics Against Antisemitism, urged fellow believers not to attend a prayer gala on March 19 organized by the advocacy group Catholics for Catholics.

Boller, former Miss California and a Catholic convert, is scheduled to receive an award for her “courageous defense” of the Catholic faith during a commission hearing, according to an announcement last week by Catholics for Catholics President John Yep. The event will be held in Washington, D.C., and feature several speakers, including Candace Owens and Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh.

In a statement to The Christian Post, Rizkallah said Boller’s behavior during a commission hearing on combating antisemitism was “not an act of Catholic courage,” and disputed the claim that Boller’s faith had anything to do with her removal.

Continued below.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem got off to an immediately rocky start with the U.S. Coast Guard, according to new in-depth reporting.

President Donald Trump's pick to lead DHS angered senior Coast Guard officials by prioritizing deportation flights over search-and-rescue operations, and the tensions began just days into her tenure, on Feb. 4, 2025, when a 23-year-old guardsman went overboard into the Pacific Ocean from the cutter Waesche, four current and former officials told NBC News.

"The Coast Guard had surged ships and aircraft to the Pacific to find the Coast Guardsman," NBC reported. "Hours into the search, Noem learned that a Coast Guard C-130 that was supposed to fly detained migrants from California to Texas was among the aircraft over the Pacific looking for the missing Coast Guardsman, and she intervened, according to the two U.S. officials and the Coast Guard official."

"Noem verbally instructed the Acting Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Kevin Lunday, to pull the plane off the search-and-rescue mission so it would not miss the migrant flight as part of the DHS’s so-called Alien Expulsion Operations, according to the two U.S. officials and the Coast Guard official," the report added.

I doubt if anyone is surprised. Apparently, she agrees with Donny that we're all "losers" and "suckers."

Suffering is part of our cross. Right? But what about mental illness? Its Suffering. And doesn't everyone need medical care? Is mental illness different than other illnesses? I will persevere anyway regardless of opposing views, because thats all i can do, but I would like opinions. Thanks.

for children ages 10 through 14 or 15. Books by Christian authors apecifically is what I'm asking. Thanks!

I drifted back into it after about ten years away. It's not even close to the same game that it was when I was younger.

The super bowl was one big gay parade. They ruined it.

I think if the U.S.F.L was still around, it would be gaining in popularity rapidly. Many people are sick of what the NFL is doing.

Can the NFL survive with it's current political agenda attached?

I think I'm done with the NFL, again. This time for good. If another league starts, I may be an instant fan. If there was ever a time to challenge the NFL with another outdoor league, it's now.

Would you be prone to support another league if one started up?

Dave

How do we understand these scriptures together? Thank you.


1 John 4:18
New King James Version
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

Philippians 2:12
New King James Version
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

A British pastor has been arrested for criticizing Islam and gender ideology, his latest encounter with law enforcement amid concerns about the state of free speech in the United Kingdom.

The conservative nonprofit legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom International announced in a statement Monday that Pastor Dia Moodley was arrested by Avon and Somerset Police for criticizing Islam and transgender ideology while preaching in Bristol city centre on Nov. 22.

Moodley was arrested on suspicion of violating a provision of the Public Order Act 1986, which bans “inciting religious hatred.”

ADF International clarified that the arrest stemmed from Moodley’s remarks, insisting that there is a “gender binary” and his discussion of Christianity and other religions, including Islam.

Continued below.

• Late Show" host Stephen Colbert called CBS' denial of his claim that it blocked the broadcast of his interview with Texas state Rep. James Talarico "crap."
• Colbert urged the network and its parent, Paramount Skydance, to stand up to the "bullies" in the Trump administration, including Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr.
• The host on Monday had said CBS' lawyers told him "in no uncertain terms ... that we could not have [Talarico] on the broadcast."

"Late Show" host Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night called CBS' denial of his claim that it blocked the broadcast of his interview with Texas state Rep. James Talarico "crap" — and urged the network and its parent, Paramount Skydance, to stand up to the "bullies" in the Trump administration.

Colbert's broadside came hours after CBS issued a statement on the controversy.

Continued below.

....and it said:

As of 2025–2026, there are approximately 2.6 billion Christians in the world, making it the world's largest religion, representing roughly 32% of the global population. While growth has slowed in Europe and North America, Christianity is growing, particularly in the Global South (Africa, Latin America, and Asia).

• Total Population: Estimated between 2.5 and 2.64 billion.
• Demographic Shift: Approximately 69% of all Christians live in the "Global South".
• Major Branches: The largest group is Catholics (approx. 1.3 billion), followed by Protestants and Orthodox Christians.
• • Growth Rate: The Christian population is growing at a rate of roughly 1.08% annually, with expectations to top 3 billion by 2050.
  • Top Countries: The United States has the highest number of Christians, followed by Brazil and Mexico.

While some reports indicate a slight decrease in the total percentage of Christians relative to the overall population growth in the last decade, the absolute number of Christians continues to rise.

We would consider ourselves blessed when things are going well and we are having a mountain top experience. But the beatitudes (Mt. 5) tell us that blessed are you when you are poor in spirit, mourn, meek, hunger and thirst after righteousness or persecuted for righteousness sake... None of these are things that feel good, that we would pray for or work toward. Verse 12 tells us to 'rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven.'
There is one, Jesus Christ, who doesn't give you the cold shoulder but nurtures you through trials and troubles that you might be great in the kingdom of heaven, having the character to handle that which He desires to bestow upon His children.
Character is not a gift but must be developed and is therefore one of the purposes of the journey, that we are on. In contrast, Lucifer was created great but lacked the character to rule and therefore due to his given greatness he fell, whereas Jesus Christ hanging on the cross could have called ten thousand angles to set Him free but He Chose the Father's will.
What do we chose???

Kind of a fun and interesting topic for the cooking forum.

How the Easy-Bake Oven, an Appliance That Allowed Kids to Heat Treats With a Light Bulb, Revolutionized the Toy Industry​

The product, launched in 1963, became a staple in American households​

Easy-Bake Oven, 1977 Courtesy of the Strong National Museum of Play

The story of the Easy-Bake Oven begins with pretzels. In the early 1960s, Norman Shapiro was walking through New York City when he spotted vendors keeping pretzels warm with small ovens. Shapiro was the executive sales manager at the toy company Kenner Products.

Inspired by the vendors, he later took the idea to his colleagues at Kenner. There, James Kuhn, vice president of research and development, worked alongside Ronald Howes, director of research and new product development. The team designed the Easy-Bake Oven, a light bulb-powered functional toy oven that allowed children to emulate their parents and make their own cakes and cookies. Kenner debuted the product in 1963.

“That’s what makes inventors so smart,” says Ed Sobey, author of The Way Toys Work. “They can make that connection; they see something with the left side of their brain and transport it to the right.”

The Easy-Bake Oven was an instant best-seller. “Around 500,000 were sold in its first year,” says Debbie Schaefer-Jacobs, curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in the division of home and community life. This was despite the fact that it cost $15.95, a huge price for a toy at the time, and the equivalent of more than $160 today. Demand for the Easy-Bake Oven was so high that Kenner tripled its production in 1964.

Continued below.

An incredible space event might be happening in the heavens, and it is likely that we are going to miss it. The Kepler-89 system is so far the only other place in the universe where we have seen a planetary alignment, where two exoplanets end up eclipsing each other as they pass in front of their star. This means that four celestial bodies – Earth, the star Kepler-89 A, and two of its four planets, Kepler-89Ad and Kepler-89Ae – will all be on a single line. The team that saw it the first time think it's about to happen again.


The alignment of three or more celestial bodies is known as a syzygy... at least in the Solar System, it is. This is exactly what happens when there is a solar eclipse like the one happening this week (sorry, unless you're a penguin, it’s unlikely you’ll see it). Observations in 2010 saw the outermost planet in Kepler-89A eclipsing the second outermost world in the first known planet-planet eclipse seen outside our Solar System.

Continued below.

Fr. Giulio Cesareo, director of the Communications Office of the Sacred Convent of Assisi, speaks to Vatican News about the significance of exposing the relics of St. Francis of Assisi and the message he still bears for today’s world.

From Sunday, February 22, until March 22, in the lower church of the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, pilgrims will be able—for the first time—to pray before the Saint's remains, as 2026 marks the 800th anniversary of his death.

In a time marked by uncertainty, social tensions, and a search for meaning, the display of St. Francis’ relics is an event that goes beyond simple devotion.

For the Catholic Church, it represents a powerful spiritual call and for the faithful it can be an opportunity for a tangible encounter with the living memory of one of the most beloved and universal saints.

Continued below.

President Trump said he wants to go to heaven. Trump cited his supernatural desire as his motivation for attempting to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, “I wanna end it . . . I wanna try and get to heaven if possible. I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole. But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons.”

His comment garnered the mockery of Shawn McCreesh at the New York Times: “Holy mother of God! What a thing to say at 8 o’clock in the morning.” Father James Martin, SJ, editor of America Magazine, praised Trump for his laudable sentiment and gently guided him toward service of the poor. He even sympathized with him, “I’m trying to do the same thing, imperfectly.” Russell Moore, editor in chief of Christianity Today, also wrote an open letter to the president in which he admitted, “I would kind of grumble if I saw you next to me in worship in glory,” although he also added, “That part of me is of the Devil.” At Crisis Magazine, Mark Haas lectured Trump on soteriology and the finer points of the faith-works debate.

Of all these approaches, the liberal Jesuit took the best tack. Instead of throwing Pauline epistles at the President, he considered the tone of the President’s rhetoric: honest, humble, hopeful. The idea of doing good works to get to heaven is very offensive to modern Christians despite Jesus’ explicit injunction to “store up for yourselves treasure in heaven” (Matthew 6:20). In attempting to do the right thing for the right reason (rare among politicians), the president is to be commended and encouraged.

Perhaps Trump envisions himself at the pearly gates guarded by Saint Peter asking why he should let him in. Trump’s approach reminds me of Abraham’s bargain with God in Genesis 18. God wants to destroy the city of Sodom, and Abraham is haggling Him down. After starting with “Wilt thou spare the city for fifty righteous men?”, Abraham finally gets God to consent to spare the city for the sake of ten righteous people. This is the mercy of God: He will spare an entire city of Sodomites for 10 godly people living among them. Donald Trump, like Abraham, is trying to avenge God’s wrath with ten good deeds.

Continued below.

Lay-run St. Nicholas Tavelić network quietly forms 300-strong underground community of ex-Muslims seeking sacraments, catechesis and a truly Catholic home.

A new support network for converts to the Catholic faith from Islam is flourishing as increasing numbers of Muslims turn to Christ, with many parishes struggling to offer the catechumens the help they need.

The “St. Nicholas Tavelić Network for Morisco Catholics” — TavNet for short — is a lay-run Catholic missionary network that since 2024 has served converts living in Muslim-majority communities or societies where ordinary parish structures cannot easily reach them.

Named for St. Nicholas Tavelić — a 14th‑century Croatian Franciscan friar, priest and missionary who openly proclaimed the Christian faith before Muslim authorities, refused to renounce it, and was martyredwith three companions in Jerusalem on Nov. 14, 1391 — its core purpose is to provide pastoral care, the sacraments and solid catechesis to often hidden or underground communities and to articulate the faith in ways that are intelligible within Islamic cultures while remaining fully orthodox and traditional.

The idea for such a network support grew out of “the sheer depth of that need” among ex-Muslims, said Hasan, one of TavNet’s founders.

Continued below.

In a recent New York Times article entitled “Freedom With a Side of Guilt: How Food Delivery Is Reshaping Mealtime,” we learn that almost three out of four restaurant orders nationwide are delivered, rather than actually enjoyed in the restaurant. The author, Priya Krishna, interviews a young woman who spends $300 a week, roughly a third of her salary, on delivery. Another woman works as a sommelier but, nonetheless, has most of her food delivered at home. As we learn, “She no longer feels the social pressure she once did to meet friends for dinner.” It seems that most of those interviewed by the Times feel vaguely guilty about delivery drivers and the environment, but not, of course, enough to inconvenience themselves.

We also meet a couple from Atlanta, Kevin Caldwell and his husband, who spend about $700 a week to order in. They are, we are told, too busy raising their two young boys and working long hours to cook dinner. “His 4-year-old son doesn’t read yet, ‘but he can put together an order’ on the Chick-fil-A app, said Mr. Caldwell, 39.”

Well. It’s hard to know where to begin.
On the one hand, I too enjoy the occasional take-out dinner. When our daughter was young, every two weeks or so, we ordered pizza from our beloved neighborhood institution, V&T’s, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The same husky voice always answered the phone, and she always called me “honey.” In those days, we paid the delivery man in cash, and the pizza arrived piping hot.

On take-out night, I set the coffee table in the living room, rather than our apartment’s dining room table, but we still used candles and linen napkins. We sat on the floor, sometimes in our pajamas, and watched an old movie. It was a cozy, relaxing evening for all of us—a comforting family ritual.


Continued below.

Pope Leo XIV will preside over the traditional Ash Wednesday procession and Mass on Feb. 18 on Rome’s Aventine Hill, an important place of Christian pilgrimage for more than 1,500 years.

Continued below.