...be called a loose canon?

The anointed cherub in Ezekiel 28:14 is the created angelic being once in heaven, near the throne of God, who played instruments in the heavenly praise of God. Until, one day, he sought that same sort of praise to himself, being full of pride and beauty. And became Satan, the adversary against God and man, who God created also. The name Satan means "adversary".

The serpent in the garden that tricked Eve and Adam into sin by eating from the forbidden tree, was of the beasts of the field, i.e. beasts that God created. The serpent got his name as the serpent from Adam.

Genesis 3:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

So the most human-like beast of the field - Adam named as the serpent. Satan, the adversary to God and man, spoke through the serpent to get Eve and Adam to sin.

Revelation 12:9 documents the connection between Satan and the serpent beast. Both of which are deceivers.

9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Satan:
The anointed cherub > sought to be worshiped himself and became Satan, the adversary > entered the serpent beast to deceive Eve and Adam to sin> became the power, the prince of the air > became the red dragon who sought to have baby Jesus killed > now goes about like a roaring lion seeking who he can destroy > will enter the man of sin to commit the transgression of desolation > will be cast down to earth from the second heaven > will then indwell the statue image of the beast-king > will be exposed on the temple mount that everyone will see him when Jesus returns > and will bound in chains and cast into the bottomless pit prison for a thousand years to be a terror no more.

the serpent:
The serpent beast, used by Satan in the garden of Eden, died and his spirit sent to the bottomless pit. Someday, as a disembodied spirit will be allowed to come out of the bottomless pit and possess the revealed man of sin, at the time the slain man of sin is brought back to life. The possessed returned to life man of sin is called the beast in Revelation 13.

the Antichrist:
The common name for the end times person of evil. He begins as the little horn person > then becomes the prince who shall come > then becomes the Antichrist > then becomes the revealed man of sin > then becomes the beast-king.

You:
a child of God, anyone who has been saved by believing upon Jesus, His death on the cross for atonement of your sins, and His resurrection, for eternal life, looking forward to the redemption of your body.

I would like to bring to your attention the following groups that are sort of borderline in terms of whiteness. Lets see what you think

Irish: Common sense tells us Irish are White, yet back in the past in the US they were considered non-white for some reason

Russians: Common sense says they are White, yet one might argue otherwise. They say Russia is part of Europe. But, geographically, majority of its territory is actually in Asia. Although its true that its population is more dense in its European part rather than Asian part. Politically, Russia isn't allied with Europe either. On the contrary, it is allied with various Asian, Middle Eastern and African countries, while it views the West as the enemy. But, interestingly enough, a lot of White Nationalists actually side with Russians in their conflict with Ukraine. Which makes it a bit of a twist since the very conflict that makes Russia look non-white (where it is opposed to the West and finds support in various African countries) is the exact thing that makes it look White (since it gets support from White Nationalists). Finally, genetically speaking, Russians are not fully white either, they have some Mongolian admixtures. However, let me be clear though: when I talk about "Russians" I am talking about people that are genetically Russian. So I am not discussing actual Mongols or other Asians that live in Russian territory, nor am I discussing people from Caucus or Siberia that happened to live in Russia either. I am talking strictly about ethnic Russians. And I suspect ethnic Russians might not be fully white genetically due to the interbreeding that resulted from Tatar-Mongol conquest. I read somewhere they might be something like 90% European and 10% Asian. However I also read that other European countries might have non-white admixtures too. So the key here is to compare and see if Russians have more non-white admixtures than others.

Non-Russian Slavs: In the political context discussed above, non-Russian slavs are all opposed Russia (in fact, even more vehemently so than US) so they would be "white" from this perspective. But it would be silly to say that they are different race from Russians since they are of the same (slavic) group. However, there is a nuance to this. Speaking of Asian admixtures mentioned above, I heard that Russians might have more of those admixtures than other Slavs. In particular, those admixtures came from Tatar-Mongol conquest and subsequent interbreeding, and this affected Russia-proper more so than other Slavic countries.

Ashkinazi Jews: Jews look White yet genetically they are Middle Eastern, and we don't normally regard Arabs as White. Which by the way makes it a bit interesting. Arabs have darker skin than Jews do, despite them both being Middle Eastern. I am not racist, so I apologize in advance for any misunderstanding. But I would have to refer to White Nationalists simply because they are the ones who give it the most thought, and a lot of them famously do NOT regard Jews as White (as exemplified by Stormfront) yet other White Nationalists do see Jews as White (as exemplified by American Renaissance). It is also interesting to compare Jews to Russians in terms of Whiteness. If you look at Stormfront, they regard Russians as White (they even have a section "Stormfront Russia") but they regard Jews as non-White (and view them as their main enemies). On the other hand, if you look at the politics, then Jews side with the West while Russia is against the West. The pro-Western opposition within Russia is largely Jewish, and this is one of the big contributting factors to Russian antisemitism. So if you look at it from this perspective, then Russian antisemitism can be seen as non-white hatred against whites (where Russians are being non-white while Jews are being white) especially if you notice how it is coupled to Russian alliances with various non-white countries. This is the exact opposite to what you would gather from "stormfront Russia" where Russians take up the role of Whites and Jews take up the role of non-whites. Finally, United Church of God believes that Jews are two southern tribes while Western Europeans are 10 Northern tribes, and they don't think Eastern Europeans or Russians are any of the tribes. So from this perspective, again, Jews would be "whiter" than Russian -- which again contradicts Stormfront that regards Russians as White but doesn't regard Jews as such.

Sephardic Jews: By some twist, some White nationalists hate Ashkinazi Jews but don't hate Sephardic Jews, despite the fact that Sephardic have darker skin than Ashkinazi. This is due to some genetic studies that claim that both non-Jewish Western Europeans and Sephardic Jews are Israelites, while Ashkinazi Jews are not.

Arabs: Normally one would assume Arabs are non-white, but in light of discussion about Jews this too might be more complicated than it seems. If one is of the opinion that Jews are White, and since Jews and Arabs share middle eastern ancestry, would Arabs we white too?

Iranians: I heard Iranians are not Arabs but instead they are of European stock that just happened to be in the area. In fact, the word Aryan comes from "Iranian" or something like that

Spaniards: On the one hand, Spain is part of Europe, but on the other hand they are considered Hispanic. However, I talked to Indian guy who told me that Spaniards have some African blood (just like other Hispanics do) so they are non-white in this respect.

Hispanics: Some people argue Hispanics are White (as exemplified by Spaniards) while others argue they are different race

Latino: Since Latino are distinct from Hispanic, perhaps its possible to argue that one of those two groups is white while the other isn't

Indians (as in, from India): I been talking to an Indian guy who told me he believes that Indians are genetically of the same stock as Europeans, while Chinese aren't. So Indians are "whiter" than Chinese, despite Chinese having lighter skin. He also told me that Spaniards have 10% African blood, while Indians don't have any African blood at all, which makes Indians "whiter" than Spaniards, again contrary to what skin color would tell you.

Chinese: Even though Chinese are clearly non-European, who is to say that White should be European and not Asian? Look at the word white: it refers to color. So if Chinese have white skin, why aren't they white?

Please delete it

Hello ! I am the director of the forthcoming film "White Gardenia- The King James Bible". This film looks at the Bible as if it were literal truth ...and also asserts a Universalist Calvinist doctrine (ie everyone will eventually be saved...and will be resurrected in Heaven and/or be physically resurrected here on earth (1st Corinthians 15:51-55) I am seeking people who have Podcasts and/or radio programs...who would be willing to discuss and/or debate the theology of this film (I am very well versed in Scripture, and can guarantee that it will make for an interesting conversation). Anyone who is interested can message me here on Chistian Forums...or message me through my email address whitegardenia1955@gmail.com Thanks, Daniel

here is a brief excerpt from the film - Login to view embedded media
and here is the IMDB page for the film - White Gardenia- The King James Bible (aka the Dual Track of Selfish Gene nDNA replication and Memetic Propagation of Christian Extropic Theory) | Biography

When we don’t understand,
Trust His plan.
When life doesn’t make sense,
Trust His ways.

When things often confuse,
Trust His care.
When the answers don’t come,
Trust His grace.

When the myst’ries are there,
Say a prayer.
When bewilderment nods,
Overcome.

When complexities scheme,
Know He’s there.
When we can’t trust in man,
Rest in God.

For, we may never know
What’s in store,
Or how God’s working right
To the core.

For, we can’t always see
What’s ahead,
Or how God’s working things
Out, instead.

So, when life’s complications
Get bad,
And we fear that we now
Have been had,

Trust in Jesus to work
For our best,
And give an-xi-e-ty
A good rest.

An Original Work / September 22, 2018

Hello ! I am the director of the forthcoming film "White Gardenia- The King James Bible". This film looks at the Bible as if it were literal truth ...and also asserts a Universalist Calvinist doctrine (ie everyone will eventually be saved...and will be resurrected in Heaven and/or be physically resurrected here on earth (1st Corinthians 15:51-55) I am seeking people who have Podcasts and/or radio programs...who would be willing to discuss and/or debate the theology of this film ( I can guarantee that it will make for an interesting conversation). Anyone who is interested can message me here on Chistian Forums...or message me through my email address whitegardenia1955@gmail.com Thanks, Daniel

here is an excerpt from the film - Login to view embedded media
and here is the IMDB page for the film White Gardenia- The King James Bible (aka the Dual Track of Selfish Gene nDNA replication and Memetic Propagation of Christian Extropic Theory) | Biography

Have you Christian; have you follower of Christ; have you man or woman of God ever felt as though God had forgotten you or that he was not really paying attention to your circumstances? Have you ever felt as though you were abandoned by God and he was so busy elsewhere that he wasn’t really even noticing you and what you were going through? And/or have you ever thought that God could do nothing about what you were experiencing, and that other humans had power over you over which God had no control?

There was a time in my life when I subconsciously believed that God had no power over my circumstances and over other people, and that other humans had power over me that God could do nothing about. Consciously I did not believe that, but my actions proved what I really believed. But I didn’t realize that is what I believed. Even one time when the Lord was encouraging me to get back into a difficult situation and to work it through, my immediate response to the Lord was, “But God, you don’t understand!”

It was what my heart felt and believed and accepted even though my conscious mind was telling me something different. And it all came down to the fact that I had been abused severely by my father, and I had faced other abusive situations in my life, too, and although I did cry out to God in those circumstances, the Lord did not rescue me from them when I was going through them. So my subconscious mind came to believe that God really was powerless to do anything and that man still had power over me.

And that is what this lesson is about and what God was addressing with his people, that they believed that their way was hidden from the Lord, and that their right (their cause) was disregarded by God. For they were those who were bringing the Good News to the people, but evidently they were not being received warmly and with welcome by all the people, for they were being instructed to not be afraid, but to say to the people, “Here is your God!” And they were to lift up their voices with a shout (Isaiah 40:9).

And so the Lord reminded them that he was all powerful, and that God sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and the earth’s inhabitants are like grasshoppers. And he told them of how he stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in. And he brings princes to nothing, and he makes rulers of the earth as emptiness. [We definitely have some empty rulers of the earth.] And he told them that when he blows on these rulers, they wither, and they are carried off (Isaiah 40:21-24).

And that surely is a picture of the sovereignty and the almighty power of God over the earth and over the people of the earth. So, whatever happens, God allows it. It doesn’t mean he approves of it, just like he allows sin and sinners to exist on the earth for a time, but he does not approve of sin. And if God allows something in our lives, he will carry us through it. We just have to trust him, believe him, turn to him, and follow him wherever he leads us in doing and saying and being what he wants.

So, our God is all powerful and all knowing and he is present everywhere at all times and there is nothing that escapes his notice, and there is nothing that is beyond his ability to act in any given situation. He will not grow faint nor weary, so we can always depend on him to be there for us if we are his followers (his disciples) and if we are following him in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living, and if sin is no longer our practice. And he will give us the strength to endure and to conquer all that comes into our lives.

For those who wait for the Lord are not those who just use God as their genie in the sky there to grant their every request. And if we are those who wait for the Lord, we are those whose trust is in him regardless of our circumstances, that he will see us through everything that comes our way, and that he will give us the strength to endure and the wisdom to know how to respond. We will acknowledge his power over our lives, and we will submit to his will and purposes. And we will trust him to bring good out of it all.

Here is Your God!

An Original Work / July 18, 2012
Based off Isaiah 40:9-31 NIV

You who bring good tidings to Zion,
Lift up your voice; raise with a shout,
And do not be afraid of the people.
Say, “Here is your God!”
See how the Lord God comes now with power.
His arm rules for Him; His reward with Him.
He tends His flock just like a shepherd,
His lambs in His arms.

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from beginning?
Our Lord sits enthroned above all things.
None to Him compare.
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens.
Who made all of these? Who calls them by name?
Because of His great power and strength,
All accounted for.

Why do you say, “My way is hidden
From the Lord, and my cause forgotten”?
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord, He is your God.
He will not weary. He gives us power.
Those who trust in Him will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings just like eagles;
Walk and do faint not.

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I should start by saying, although I'm not a Catholic, I am a Christian who practices confession, probably being in a category of her own in a way (my gateway into Christ was an obscure book called The Mune Shinri, which is relatively random in terms of spiritual commentary). There exists a lot about me, from trivial traits that should have no bearing (hypergraphia for example, people are borderline superstitious about my communication habits), misconceptions about who I am, and past actions I've committed that inspire what one might call judgment towards me, often by other Christians, with the last thing being what I am judged for on the widest scale, with the misdeeds I'm associated with being the kind that one might expect a human being to have a "psychologically ingrained" inversion to, enough for it to be common to bring up interpretations of Matthew 18:6, even though I don't stand by the version of me they think I am.

If there is anything that I or scripture has perceived that I have inarguably done wrong to someone, I have apologized, and I've had long conversations about these in detail with priests/ministers/etc. and they seem to be understanding, even if they themselves are under pressure by public perceptions of honor. I go to a number of churches from a number of different groups because that's how the local community is combined with the denominational ambiguity which is just a part of me, so this doesn't just pertain to one group either. It's the populace part that intrigues me enough to consult about though.

Anywho, without actually naming the real/perceived misdeeds (except by demand), coming from a very relatively openly judging society, I have gone to confessions and spoken at length about the things people say they don't like about me. Doctrine would say I only have to do this once, but I often bring the same things up on many occasions because larger society invalidates these (a common recurring theme in my life being that those in charge don't mind me while commoners despise me), and it's well-known they invalidate any major apology I've ever given as well, even if the people I've actually apologized to have actually forgiven me (as in people are judging me based on feeling cheated via a sense of disgust it seems, as the people active in judging me are not any who have truly been affected in any classic sense by me).

There is what would be argued as being a weird recurring phenomenon as well, where I might explain to total strangers situations of mine, and they claim to understand, then the more gossipy among those who judge me (who often even make up things about me if they think other people are waning in their judgment) barely say two exaggerated words about my guilt, and suddenly the person who says they understand become one of the judgers, which demonstrates how utterly powerful the situation is over peoples' very cores. It is as if the words of the latter are taken as superior or that I am of lesser personhood, and if my social environments were one big courtroom, they don't ask me questions or present anything for support, they simply imply the deal is sealed and I am permanently evil.

I'm fully considerate that the people here are not like the people I experience, but elsewhere, I'm often told, even by brothers and sisters in Christ, that my past is the kind of past that, if forgiven by someone, that person's ethical standing is dubious. A priest once even was threatened by a whole mass of having his church abandoned forever based on positive, even neutral things he was going to imply about my past, and I could see in his eyes that his hand was forced to vaguely condemn me, though I was able to pretend he didn't have me in mind as I knew that "wasn't him", though that was at a church I've only ever gone to once due to being detoured by the Vermont floods last year, with many seeming to have hoped I didn't make it out of that (I was on the brink), as well as to imply I shouldn't be considered welcome among the sheep of the lord, which is the mindset that made me reflect on all of this, as we're all thinking "one of us has to go" in different senses of the words.

Jesus says he does not expect we would be successful in being like him, but when the power of populace pressure takes precedent over the purity of his ideal message and causes people to be so absolute, at least among the parts of the populace who do not violate Proverbs 6:16-20 and are simply people going by their own unimposing instincts, is there an overlap with grounds for mortal sinfulness/anathema, a call to educate, or is this a matter of acceptance of them, in which case I do not feel like a Christian surrounded by other Christians and get lost in of myself trying to comprehend that I might be even though I consciously know I am? This train of thought also loomed in my head when I was watching the recent new TV show Shogun, which takes place during the Portuguese Jesuit missions in Japan, with the people there having a reputation for being very in-tune with majority thinking, which I've heard compared with the idea of "following two masters", especially due to things like the bit about the priesthood above, while other people say condemnation of such a core aspect of humans is to be partial among God's many cultures if not also implying it implies the very act of anything resembling judgment is to be seen as under the microscope. In short, where is the burden placed, and what happens in response, considering pious incentive is at stake?

As I was writing the words to this song, as the Lord Jesus was giving them to me, I was picturing in my mind the persecuted church throughout the world, either in prison or in hiding, singing songs of praise to their God for his great salvation.

I pictured that the night truly symbolized a time of great trouble and hardship to come upon the church, and so the church was lifting holy hands in prayer and in praise to their Lord despite their difficult circumstances. I also pictured that among them were new believers in Jesus Christ who were freshly praising their Lord for their newfound freedom in Christ. Oh, how glorious!

Songs in the Night

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!

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Jesus Christ summarized the Ten Commandments and possibly also all the liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, purification, and dietary laws and restrictions (and the law of circumcision) of the Old Covenant into two commands. For, when Jesus Christ died on that cross, he did away with the Old Covenant with its requirement for circumcision and with all its liturgical and ceremonial commands and restrictions. But what remained intact were God’s moral laws, i.e. the law of love for God and for other humans.

And all throughout the New Testament, under the New Covenant, we are still instructed that we must obey the commandments of God which are spelled out for us all throughout the writings in the New Testament. But the “rule of thumb” for all the New Covenant commands is the law of love that Jesus described here. But this is not human-based love, but this is agape love, which is to prefer what God prefers. For the believer it is to prefer to live through Christ, choosing his choices, and obeying them in his power.

And what God prefers is all that is holy, righteous, just, honorable, faithful, honest, trustworthy, morally pure, upright, godly, and obedient to his commands. So if we love God with this love, we are not going to be those who deliberately and habitually sin against God and against other humans. But we will be those who obey the Lord, in practice, who serve the Lord in ministry, and who demonstrate the love of Christ to the people of the world, in the manner in which Jesus showed that he loved the people.

And how did Jesus show love? He healed the sick and afflicted and he raised the dead and he delivered people from demons and he fed the hungry and he comforted the sorrowful, and he performed all sorts of miracles. But he also called the people to repent of their sins to the forsaking of their sins and to walks of obedience to his commands. And he warned them that if they did not obey the Lord and leave their sins behind them, that they would lose their lives for eternity and they would not enter into his heavenly kingdom.

[Isaiah 53:1-12; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 26:26-29; Lu 9:23-26; Lu 17:25; Jn 1:1-36; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 8:24,58; Jn 10:27-33; Jn 20:28-29; Rom 5:8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 9:5; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 11:23-32; 1 Co 15:1-8; 2 Co 5:15,21; Eph 4:17-24; Php 2:5-11; Col 2:9; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 1:8-9; Heb 2:14-15; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:24; 2 Pet 1:1; 1 John 3:4-10]

So “love” isn’t just all this feel good and mushy gushy stuff which makes people like us and think we are great. For the love Jesus had for the people got him hated and rejected and despised and falsely accused and hounded and beaten and hung on a cross to die for our sins. For they didn’t like the things that he did nor the things that he taught, especially if he called them to account for their sinful practices and to turn from their wicked ways to now follow him in obedience to his commands.

So, if you are truly loving God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, your life will be surrendered to the Lord to do his will, to do what pleases him, to do what he prefers as your life choices and practices. And so that means dying with him to sin and now walking in obedience to his commands in holy living, and us no longer making sin our practice, but righteousness and obedience now to be our practice. And so you will not actively nor habitually nor deliberately make sin your practice.

But this love for God is not just about us forsaking our sinful practices, but it is about us following after him wherever he leads us to go, and to do whatever he calls us to do. And he calls us to make disciples of Christ of people of all nations and to teach them to obey his commandments. And he calls us to be his witnesses, and to proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light, and to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth in taking his gospel message to the world.

And out of love for the Lord and for our fellow humans, he also calls us to minister to one another within the body of Christ, to encourage and to exhort one another in our walks of faith and obedience to the Lord, to comfort, but also to warn against false teachings and falling back into sin. For out of love for God and for our fellow Christians, we are to speak the truth of God’s word to one another for our strengthening and our maturity of faith in the Lord. And we are to stir up one another to love and good works.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Gal 6:1; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:11-27; Eph 6:10-20; Php 2:1-8; Col 1:9; Col 3:12-16; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; Jas 5:19-20; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]

In Harmony

An Original Work / September 2, 2012
Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-17

Love each other truly.
Cling to what is good.
Hate all that is evil.
Never lack in zeal.
Serve the Lord with fervor.
Joyful in hope be;
Patient in affliction;
Praying faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

Share with all God’s people
Who are found in need.
Do not be conceited.
Sympathetic be.
Love, and show compassion
In humility.
Keep your tongue from evil.
Peaceful you must be.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

God sees who are righteous;
Listens to their prayers.
But He’s against evil –
Is His to avenge.
Do not fear what they fear.
Suffer patiently.
In your hearts, make Christ Lord.
Serve Him faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

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If you are living outside the Will of God, ie committing adultery, no longer worshipping God, reading your bible, pursuing your own
will, hobbies, interests, having an interest in other religions, (ie Buddhism)
could God still bless you with winning awards and money and being recognised in the Art world?

Please be patient as I lay the situation out, because this, what is my life, is a bit of a scrambled mess and I need some advice from a priest.

I am not catholic myself, but rather a non denominational Christian. And I am not here to argue or discuss the whole Catholic vs. Protestant thing. My brother has been working on that for 2 decades.

This is about making and keeping peace between followers of Jesus Christ and my personal relationships.

I married, Justice of The Peace ceremony in my early 20s and while I believed in God and the Lord Jesus, it was... well god and jesus the son of god. (Notice the lower case?) I Came to confession of faith and baptism in my late 20s. At 34 on Easter Sunday my wife came to me and basically told me she wanted a divorce, I decided to get nosy and discovered she had been having multiple affairs going back a number of years. To before our marriage.

I was not going to give up and insisted on marriage counseling, our pastor referred us to a really good counselor, who was actually a Catholic marriage counselor and determined to do all she could to get our marriage in order.

After a dozen sessions, my wife sat in front of both the counselor and myself and swore she didn't believe in the God stuff, it was just for her a social thing, and she was not under any circumstances going to end things with the men she was having affairs with. So we can just stop trying and stop telling her about Gods design for marriage. The counselor asked to speak / have sessions one on one instead of couples to try to get to the bottom of it.

Not long afterwards at my one on one session a Catholic counselor told me that if she left, and she was going to, I was not bound to her morally. Quoting 1 Corinthians 7 15 specifically among other passages. "15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart. For a brother or sister cannot be made subject to servitude in this way. For God has called us to peace." (Catholid Public Domain Version (English)).

My wife at the time divorced me, and rapidly remarried another man, one of the men she was having an affair with. She has since married and divorced at least 2 other men that I am aware of.

I know what I read in scripture and what my pastor teaches about the matter, and I know I am not bound to her any more. But here is where the catholic church comes into play.

I met, courted and wanted to marry a beautiful Godly woman whos family was split down the middle Catholic / Protestant, and I wanted to do it right, and have her fathers blessing to our marriage. He knew I had been divorced and was dead set against it. So I asked him if he would please accompany me to the parish and talk to the priest.

He agreed, and we went, and sat down for a good long while and talked with the priest, after laying out the papers the counselor gave me, the marriage license showing the officiant was a judge and not a pastor or priest, and knowing the marriage was entered into as basically an agnostic, the priest told this womans father, and myself, that in the eyes of the Catholic church, I was never married as she never entered validly into the marriage covenant, among too many other reasons to list.

He gave me his blessing, and I married my beautiful bride in a beautiful ceremony performed by a Baptist Pastor.

We were married 15 years before she passed away during COVID. So now I am a widower.

I was involved with a grief support group for widows and widowers, and one of the widows and I had become friends as our values were both very much aligned and we found the other easy to talk to. She is Catholic. And that difference has not been a stumbling block.

I know we went over my past. I am very open and honest about it.

Well my friendship with this woman has blossomed into a full and proper relationship. And I could seriously see myself marrying her and growing old together.

And the subject of Divorce came up last time we were talking. And it seems she has forgotten that major detail to my life, or has simply accepted the priests prior response and moved on.

I want to talk to her about it, and make sure we are on the same page.

How can I put her mind at ease with my situation?

Does the Catholic Church teach that in situations like mine I should remain unmarried?

Hello and blessings, everyone;
My name is Cynthia, and I'm from Florida. I'm glad to be accepted on this forum. I'm a born-again Believer, seasoned, unmarried, with a mind to serve the Lord. I am learning to think outside the box, detaching from this world's matrix. I am looking forward to fellowshipping with many like-minded believers.

In March 2021, the Los Angeles Times published a story with a headline that asked, "What constitutes a border crisis?"
The story quoted then House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy as saying, "There is no other way to claim it than a Biden border crisis."
Then the LA Times asked, "But is it a crisis?"
Just a month later in April 2021, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio released a statement about his city being a sanctuary city. “New York City is proud to be a welcoming and inclusive city for immigrants,” de Blasio said at the time.

The debate in the U.S. on migrants took off in April 2022 when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott decided to take a stand against President Joe Biden and what Abbott called an open border policy.
Abbott stated that Biden's repeal of Title 42 – a pandemic-era policy that allowed the government to quickly expel arriving asylum seekers – had created an "unprecedented surge of illegal aliens" into the country with as many as 18,000 apprehensions a day. Abbott said that Texas border towns were being overrun by migrants and were overwhelmed. His solution was to bus many of the arriving migrants to sanctuary cities across the U.S.

In August 2022, when the first bus of migrants leaving Texas arrived in New York, Abbott was clear why he had his state paid for the trip. New York had a new mayor by then.
“New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city,” Abbott stated in a news release. “I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief."

And just over a year later, New York Gov. Kathleen Hochul was on CNN in September 2023 pleading with immigrants to “go somewhere else.”

How it has played out was not lost on liberal comedian Bill Maher.

I thought that perhaps it would be interesting to study different women in the Bible to see what God called them to do and to see how God works through women.

Let’s explore the roles of these remarkable women in biblical history:

1. Deborah:
   • Deborah served as a prophetess and judge in Israel during a time of crisis (Judges 4–5).
   • While not explicitly called a pastor, her leadership and guidance were crucial.
2. Huldah:
   • Huldah was a prophetess consulted by King Josiah (2 Kings 22:14–20).
   • Her role involved interpreting God’s word and providing guidance.
3. Miriam:
   • Miriam, Moses’ sister, played a significant role in the Exodus story (Exodus 15:20–21).
   • She led the Israelites in worship and praise.
4. Phoebe:
   • Mentioned in Romans 16:1–2, Phoebe is described as a deacon (servant) of the church.
   • While not explicitly a pastor, her ministry was vital.
5. Priscilla:
   • Priscilla and her husband Aquila were co-workers with Paul (Acts 18:2, 18, 26; Romans 16:3–5).
   • They taught Apollos and hosted church gatherings.
6. Mary(Mother of Jesus):
   • Mary’s role was unique as the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26–38; 2:1–7).
   • She didn’t write Scripture but played a central role in salvation history.
7. Euodia and Syntyche:
   • Mentioned in Philippians 4:2–3, these women were fellow workers with Paul.
   • Their exact roles aren’t specified, but they contributed to the early church.

While none of these women were explicitly called pastors or wrote entire biblical books, their influence, leadership, and faithful service shaped the course of God’s redemptive plan.

Of course Mary birthed Jesus into the world and that is what women are to do today in a spiritual sense.

Hi guys,
Before we start - can we please not get into the same old debates about eschatology in this thread?

I just would like one thread to update us on surveys into the actual dry statistics of which view is most popular - whether we like the results or not.

If interested in this project - could you please bookmark this thread and update it if you come across anything in the years to come. In that way I'll be notified.

For the record - I'm Amil - and do not rejoice in this survey I found. But hey? That's the point of this thread.

I found this - but I'm not sure it's up to date or the biggest sample taken. Anyone found other statistics?

I know I might pizz off a few by this post but I'm going through some sheet again and two people in my life who I normally talk to about this, are sort of out of commission.

It's basically a "I'm alone the whole day looking at the walls and you went out to CHURCH" (church is only one hour of that day) and is cursing at me calling me a B and miserable person for leaving him alone and yet at the same time (though not in the same convo) he barks that I'm all alone in this world and doesn't know what to do about it. I also got groceries for him but he doesn't appreciate it, he's more biching about the church stuff instead saying "G D F church."

I feel like I'm losing my mind, or if I'm going crazy, wondering if I'm supposed to be treated like this. In case this sounds like the dumbest question of all time, I think when you're being "abused" you have to ask yourself if you're doing something to cause it.

For those who are talking the walk, but who are not walking the walk

You say you believe,
But then you deceive.
You claim you’re a Christian,
But it’s just a religion.

You say He is Lord;
With Him, not accord.
You claim His forgiveness,
But turn church into business.

You say you are saved,
But, you’re still depraved.
You claim you are righteous,
While you still walk in darkness.

But, your talk is cheap.
His Words you not keep.
You worship Him in vain,
For, His righteousness disdain.

Easy way you want.
Sinfulness to flaunt.
The cross of Christ abase;
Make a mockery of faith.

Honor not your God.
You are such a fraud.
Your promises not keep,
Your adulteries, in deep.

Turn from sin today.
Humble now, and pray.
Forgiveness now is yours,
When, in truth, He is your Lord.

An Original Work / July 13, 2018

It's been sometime since I've put up any new music, but here are some of my latest. Hope that someone finds them to be a blessing, or an inspiration. There are more than this, but these are the ones I feel came out the best:
Rock of Ages: Login to view embedded media Of the Father's Love Begotten: Login to view embedded media Psalm 23: Login to view embedded media You're Alive: Login to view embedded media And Can It Be: Login to view embedded media
God be with you,
Bryan

It is bad enough when anyone of us sins against the Lord and against other humans, but it is far worse if we are guilty of leading others into sin. And this can happen in more than one way. And the most obvious way is by us directly encouraging and pushing and persuading others to deliberately sin against the Lord and against other humans. Yet this can come through manipulation and deceptive means of persuasion and by trickery and not always by a direct challenge to someone to go ahead and to sin.

But yet another way in which we can be guilty of persuading others to sin against the Lord is if we lie to them, and if we teach them a false gospel message which tells them that a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, regardless of how they live, secures for them forgiveness of all sins (past, present, and future), and heaven as their eternal destiny, and that nothing can take that away from them, not even if they continue in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord in direct defiance to his commands.

For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience to his commands, in practice, then we have the hope of eternal life. For not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the ones DOING (obeying) the will of God (Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).


Now, this may seem a little drastic to many people, but honestly, if doing what is taught here actually does stop someone from sinning deliberately and habitually, and thus saves his soul from hell, it would be better for him (or her) to go through life without a hand or a foot or an eye than to spend eternity in the raging fires of hell and in eternal punishment. But this alone is not going to persuade anyone to stop sinning against the Lord if their minds and hearts are still set on the world and the flesh and not on God.

So, I tend to take this passage of Scripture more figuratively and less literally when it comes to the subject of cutting off hands and feet and of gouging out eyes in a literal and a physical sense. For I see our hands as representing our deeds (actions, behaviors), and our feet as representing our walks (our conduct, our practices, our lifestyles), and our eyes as symbolizing our judgment and discernment, which I believe also parallels with most of the teachings in the New Testament on the subject of sin.

For we read in the Scriptures that the grace of God, which is bringing us salvation, is training (instructing) us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For Jesus 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, the works God prepared in advance that we should walk in them (Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10).

And we read that the way in which we should have learned Christ, which is the truth that is in Christ Jesus, is that we are to “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:20-24). And this parallels what Paul taught also in Romans 6:1-23 that we must die to sin if we want the hope of eternal life with God.

For there he told us that by faith in Jesus Christ we are crucified with Christ in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we will no longer be enslaved to sin. So, we are not to let sin continue to reign in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions and desires. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death, but if obedience to our Lord and to his commands (New Covenant) is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life with Christ Jesus (Romans 6:1-23).


Seek the Lord

An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Based off Isaiah 55

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

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

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

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Link to Table of Contents​

Continued from 1 & 2 Corinthians Sins Deception - Hebrews It! (Legal Study, Chapter 3) Pt. 13e​

Galatians 2:9,10,11,12,13,14
1 Timothy 5:20
2 Corinthians 5:16
Acts 15:1
Jude 1:3

Hebrews 3:13 But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.

Judah's daughter-in-law pretended to be a prostitute in Genesis 38:

15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.

Click to expand...

she was a prostitute
לְזוֹנָ֑ה (lə·zō·w·nāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2181: To commit adultery, to commit idolatry
Strong's Hebrew: 2181. זָנָה (zanah) — 93 Occurrences

H2181 was the common Hebrew word for a harlot. Judah hired a prostitute to satisfy his sexual urges.

Afterward, Judah sent his friend to look for her:

21 And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.”

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cult prostitute
הַקְּדֵשָׁ֛ה (haq·qə·ḏê·šāh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 6948: A female devotee
Strong's Hebrew: 6948. קְדֵשָׁה (qedeshah) — 5 Occurrences

Now the Hebrew word was different. H6948 was a technical term for a female cult devotee in charge of fertility rites, where sexual acts were performed as a means of promoting fertility and ensuring agricultural abundance.

Elsewhere in 1 Kings 14:

24 and there were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations that the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.

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male cult prostitutes
קָדֵ֖שׁ (qā·ḏêš)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6945: A, sacred person, a, devotee, to licentious idolatry
Strong's Hebrew: 6945. קָדֵשׁ (qadesh) — 6 Occurrences

There were female [H6948] and male [H6945] cult prostitutes/priests/priestesses.

Deuteronomy 23:

17 No Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute [H6945].

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The belief was that engaging in sexual activity with a temple prostitute would invoke the favor of the gods and bring about blessings in various areas of life.

Did the H6934-male cult prostitutes in the OT serve male or female clients?

The issue was more complicated. On one side, they were not exactly commercial prostitutes in the H2181 sense. On the other side, their 'clients' were not exactly clients in our modern commercial sense either. Perhaps, in some instances, some males paid some male cult prostitutes to satisfy their homosexual urges but that might not be the usual practice.

The Catechism states that man is created to freely seek his creator and attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him...

But what does the Scripture in Hebrews 12 mean that says that Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our Faith?

How could these two be in alignment?

Thank you.