• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

Gen Z and Job Interviews


I ran across this interesting survey tonight as it was linked from a website which I often read for news and opinions. Do the survey results match up with anyone from Generation Z that y'all know?
What are y'alls thoughts concerning the different results of this survey?
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Yom Kippur

According to tradition, Feast of Trumpets is the anniversary of their creation. Is it possible that 10 days later was the day Adam and Eve sinned?

Yom Kippur is the atonement process for sin being removed from the records. It is the re-uniting man with God. God came and covered Adam in the Garden of Eden. Usually there is some link with history as to why the days of different feasts happen and are tied to them. Passover is tied to the event in Eqypt but also to the Cross. Both are said to happen at the time of year that Passover is currently kept in remembrance.

Media’s Latest Trump Hoax Gets Swiftly Debunked: ‘Fake News’

Multiple members of Congress, including members of Wisconsin’s own delegation, debunked Sherman’s false claim. According to several congressmen present, Trump’s use of the term “horrible” was specifically tied to these systemic problems, not the city or its residents.

I'm glad to see swift action. All Americans can help stop the media hoaxes from spreading so fast.

Humor

Hello folks. Today's devotional will cover humor. This is a short devotional.

Date
June 13, 2024 | Laughter & Jokes​
Verse
Proverbs 17:22 (NIV): "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."​
Explanation
Proverbs 17:22 is a wisdom literature passage from the Old Testament that emphasizes the importance of a cheerful and positive attitude on one's overall well-being. The verse suggests that a joyful heart can bring healing and vitality to a person, while a discouraged or crushed spirit can lead to withering and deterioration.

The passage does not explicitly mention humor, but there is a connection between the two concepts. Humor can be a powerful tool for lifting one's spirits and promoting a cheerful heart. Laughter has been shown to have numerous health benefits, such as reducing stress, improving mood, and boosting the immune system.

As Christians, we can use humor to bring joy, encouragement, and unity to those around us. We can make jokes that build up others, make light of our own foibles, and bring laughter to difficult situations. However, it is essential to remember that our humor should always be rooted in love, respect, and kindness.​
Societal Relevance
In the modern world, where humor can often be crude, offensive, or degrading, it can be a challenge to keep our sense of humor clean and uplifting. Here are some ways we can do so:​
  1. Focus on the positive: Look for opportunities to laugh at the absurdities and ironies of life rather than making jokes at the expense of others.
  2. Use humor to build up, not tear down: Make jokes that build others up rather than putting them down.
  3. Avoid humor that relies on stereotypes or prejudice: Be mindful of jokes that rely on stereotypes or prejudice, as they can be hurtful and divisive.
  4. Use humor to bridge divides: Use humor to bring people together, rather than to create divisions or reinforce existing biases.
  5. Consider the audience: Be aware of who your audience is and adjust your humor accordingly.
By keeping these principles in mind, we can use humor to bring joy, lighten the mood, and promote a cheerful heart.
Humor is an integral part of my life. Since a young age, people have enjoyed my puns and quick sense of humor, which is more spontaneous and related to a situation at hand. However, sometimes I have taken my humor into a gray-area, or have made crude jokes. In order to keep friends, and not offend anyone, sometimes my humor has to be dialed down. For instance, thinking before speaking can be the difference between making a crude joke which leads to trouble or holding a clean conversation. As a Christian who is trying his best to keep to the Bible and avoid offending others, I have made a concerted effort to reduce my crass humor.
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I Am Yours

When I think of You, Lord,
In the watches of the night,
I am filled with wonder
At the power of Your might.

All that lies before me,
All that You have planned for me,
Fills my life with purpose,
So my heart now sings with glee.

Each day in Your presence,
As my heart draws close to You,
I want to adore You,
And, to You, always be true.

Thank You for Your grace, Lord,
For forgiveness of my sins,
So I walk in freedom,
In Christ, purified within.

Love You, Lord, my Savior,
On a cross You gave Your life,
So I’d live in vict’ry,
Because of Your sacrifice.

With Your love, You bless me,
For, You called me to be Yours,
Lord, I am Your servant,
Living daily in Your pow’r.

An Original Work / March 18, 2018

Was lesbianism a sin?

I think so, Romans 1:

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
That's lesbianism, a woman having sexual acts with another woman. Meyer explained:

How very prevalent among the Gentiles was the so-called Lesbian vice, λεσβιάζειν (Lucian, D.Mer. 5. 2), women with women abusing their sex, see Salmasius, foen. Trapez. p. 143 f., 152 f.
Paul continued:

27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
Paul described both male and female same-sex sexual activity as going against the natural order established by God.
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How likely was the first day to be a duration of 24 hours as we know it?

International System of Units defines an hour = 3,600 seconds. A second is the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.

Genesis 1:

2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Darkness was first.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
The light was next.

4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.
Darkness was followed by light.

5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
The usage of "night" here was related to the darkness in verse 2. The usage of "day" here was related to the creation of the light and not the sun. Here, I define the first day as the time elapsed from Genesis 1:2 to 1:5.

Could the first day be defined as a 24-hour earthly solar day?

I doubt it. The flow of time is not absolute but a relativistic experience. It depends on the local gravity or acceleration exerted on the time observer. To my reading, the first day seems short. God was the observer, 2 Peter 3:

8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
This is not an equation but a simile. God is timeless and above time. No human observers were there to experience the first day. The first day marked the creation of light and delineated it from the creation of the following day. These days were markers of milestones and achievements placed by God. They are not related to the scientific SI definitions.

See also How old is the earth?.
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King Artaxerxes sent Ezra and Nehemiah to Jerusalem

Ezra was a descendant of Aaron. He lived at the time of the exile in Babylon during the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia. He was a scribe (Ezra 7:6) and a teacher of the Law. He found favor with the king. Artaxerxes wrote a letter addressing him and sent him to Jerusalem, along with the king's generous offerings of gold and silver. Ezra 7:

17 With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem.
It was a spiritual mission. Other Jewish leaders went with Ezra. Before they took off from Babylon, Ezra 8:

21 there by the Ahava Canal I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him.”
They prayed and trusted in God's protection along the way.

31 On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands of the enemies and bandits along the way.
It worked.

A dozen years later, Nehemiah was King Artaxerxes's cupbearer. He wished to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and the king granted his request.

Nehemiah 2:

9 So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
For protection, Nehemiah had soldiers traveling with him.

King Artaxerxes sent Ezra to Jerusalem on a spiritual mission carrying silver and gold without a military escort. When he sent Nehemiah, it was on a building project. Nehemiah had cavalry traveling with him.
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Number of Americans filling for jobless claims highest in 10 months


Jobless claims are at highest levels since August 2023.

Hebrews It! (Legal Study, Chapter 2:14) Pt. 10a

Link to Table of Contents

Continued from Hebrews It! (Legal Study, Chapter 2:10-13) Pt. 9

Closing statement from Pt. 9

Hebrews 2:13 Again, I will trust in Him. And again, Here I am with the children God gave Me.

Repentance unto God is the key. The Gospel and Christ's Blood has been given unto OMNIS (All of MANKIND, without Exception). Mankind must Turn to God! No Human Being, apart from Jesus Christ, can afford the ticket home. Jesus paid the price to eradicate the Condemnation of the Devil and offer His blood unto all of the lineage of Adam and Eve. God's work will surely not return void. All of those that turn to Him of a sincere heart will be called Sons and Daughters of God!​

14 Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the Devil—
This is one of the Heaviest verses in scripture. It prophetically reveals a matter that is so prophetically hidden throughout scripture that it is the first HARDENED evidence that we receive about Satan. It is no coincidence that this verse is written exactly like it is.​
Please "Tab Link, I.e. keep this study open, but open the following LINK in a new Browser Tab" ->​

There is only one Dragon/Serpent in scripture (Part 1) This OP will show you how very important this verse is.​

When you are done reading this OP, come on back and continue forward to this next OP, please, and do the same with Tabs.​

These 2 OP's are foundational reading for what I am about to write up. I'm going to scripturally exegete Hebrews 2:14 so deeply that we will follow through and understand a matter that is literally Eternal Life or Eternal Death.​
Satan deceived Eve in a way that placed all of creation under his "arbitration". Satan's arbitration style was Accusation after Accusation against Humanity. Paul makes a gospel statement about this.​
2 Corinthians 11:3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
Now, Adam, a mere human being, nowhere as powerful as an Angel, had zero ability to reconcile the matter. He had a choice. He could have either left Eve alone in her situation and abandon her, or he could partake of the matter and join Eve in her future suffering.​
Genesis 3:6 She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
How do we know that this is a fair summary of this matter?​
1 Corinthians 15:45 So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, then the spiritual.
47 The first man was from the earth and made of dust; the second man is from heaven.
48 Like the man made of dust, so are those who are made of dust; like the heavenly man, so are those who are heavenly.
49 And just as we have borne the image of the man made of dust, we will also bear the image of the heavenly man.
An interesting matter about all of this, not only does this verse explain that Adam was a living Soul and then go on to explain that the very PROVIDER of the Life that MADE ADAM a LIVING SOUL became the LAST ADAM, but it Also explains the very results of Jesus completed work. But, we haven't completed the working parts of Hebrews 2:14, just yet.​
1 Timothy 2:11 A woman should learn in silence with full submission.
The Invisible body of Jesus Christ must be subject to Biblical Cannon and 1 John 2:27, ONLY. The very pastor, themselves is a WOMAN and must be silent before the HOLY SPIRIT, teaching only as the Spirit Moves.​
12 I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead, she is to be silent.
Paul isn't speaking as Paul. Earlier, Paul said this in the same Chapter;​
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, Himself human,
6 who gave Himself—a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.
2 Corinthians 12:2 I know a man in Christ who was caught up into the third heaven ... — 4 was caught up into paradise. He heard inexpressible words, which a man is not allowed to speak. .... 7 especially because of the extraordinary revelations. ...
Paul is speaking as a direct conduit of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. Paul is emphasizing that The ENTIRE Body of Jesus Christ must not have teachings of Men, in place of the Teachings of Jesus Christ. All exegesis, such as even mine, must be tested against ALL scripture! Leather bound Commentaries are not excluded, but are also an example of potential idols that stand in place of scripture and the Holy Spirit of Christ. Extra biblical Prophets? NO! NO! NO! NO! Bad!​
13 For Adam was created first, then Eve.
The Presence of God has NEVER not been! This said, God drew all of creation from Himself. Adam was formed of dust! This said, God showed us something when He made Eve. Eve was drawn from the very "Rib" of Adam. God was teaching us a thing. Ponder on it. Ask the Holy Spirit within you what God was showing us.​
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed.
God cannot be "Deceived". God has a word for people that attempt to "Deceive Him". Hypocrites. We are all guilty of this at varying times of our lives. Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, ... NOTE that this verse goes out of it's way to draw a direct Contrast with how Creation CAN be Deceived, while an attempt to Deceive God is not "Deceiving" God, but instead a way of attempting to MOCK God, which of coarse doesn't occur either. God doesn't sustain mocking of Himself. God is NOT MOCKED (Deceived). However, God's future BRIDE (HUMANITY), was New Born and Naïve. God was mankind's Teacher and was excited to Teach mankind. However, this happened; John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
15 But she will be saved through childbearing, if she continues in faith, love, and holiness, with good judgment.
Just as John 10:10 Follows through, Jesus came to restore Himself as our Rightful Teacher and... TREE OF LIFE!​
14 Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the Devil—
This verse has a very specific flow. The Children are Adam and Eve in this verse and the "Flesh and Blood" is just like the Forbidden Fruit. Just as Adam partook of the fruit to bind himself to Eve, out of Compassion and Love, God "partook" of Flesh and Blood. How do I know this?
The word Shared evokes the picture of Adam Sharing in the Fruit with Eve, which subjected him to the same curse of being under the Deceitful authority of Satan, instead of Merciful God's authority.
Word study Time! the word "Shared" is actually the following Greek Word:
Transliteration: koinóneó
Original Word: κοινωνέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Phonetic Spelling: (koy-no-neh'-o)
Definition: to have a share of (or) Partake
Usage: (a) I share, communicate, contribute, impart, (b) I share in, have a share of, have fellowship with.
Cognate: 2841koinōnéō
See 2842 (koinōnia).
– to participate (share in), as an associate ("partaker")

Don't go and think I'm some scriptural savant or anything. I also knew this due to "Translation Sifting". I also know this because I "TURNED" to Jesus Christ at the most darkest place possible and in doing so, needed His light within scripture to shine so brightly that He has illuminated these matters. Does this make my exegesis special? NO The same Holy Spirit that dwells within me, dwells within you and again, I implore you to always adopt 1 John 2:27 in all of these matters.​

Not surprisingly, the 21st Century KJV actually hits the homerun, here. I don't lean on the KJV, because it's old English style can be confusing to people. However, an oddity, the KJV has always had a way of being fairly accurate to "Prophetic Passages" that have a deeper scriptural connection to other passages of scripture. It happens more frequently than it would happen if it was just an accident. I can't deny this matter. It just gets the Prophetic aspect of scripture in most places where it's necessary to do so.​

Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part (Partook) of the same, that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death — that is, the devil —​
This verse is drawing a parallel between Eve Being deceived then Adam compassionately and lovingly sharing in her consequences as surely as Jesus did the same for US.​

It's official. We will break Hebrews 2:14 into 2 OPs,​

which means Part 10b will be next. OP 10a concluded. See you at 10b​

When I Eat Jesus!

My heart with was filled with love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Out came sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers,
sisters, friends, and families whom I call The House of The Lord.

I adopted them all and found a lover from among them,
as a sign of my marriage to them all.

Let's dine Jesus together and find our inner man of Christ,
Build peoples for His Kingdom for they are His Risen Temples becoming.

Until He Be fruitful and multiplies and fills the earth and subdues it,

I shall be eating Jesus, only Jesus.

:flat4::cheer::happyblush::blink::flatt::sohappy::idea1::graduation::full:

Armed man arrested in NYC traffic stop found with weapons, armor, threatening notes

“You gonna learn today” was one of the written messages found during the traffic stop, sources told NBC New York. NYPD officials would not confirm the details of any written messages citing an ongoing investigation. [pulled over for obscured license plate]

During a news conference Wednesday afternoon, police officials said the suspect had on him:

  • A .9-mm Glock handgun
  • 9 loaded magazines
  • Heavy body armor
  • NYPD uniform items
  • Stun gun
  • Weighted whip
  • Handcuffs
  • 2 axes
  • NYC Transit vest
  • ['V for Vendetta' mask]
Investigators were looking into whether the individual, identified by police as 27-year-old Judd Sanson, has a history of emotional issues or may have been trying to self-radicalize in the name of terrorism.

[Social media suggests he had 'jihadist sympathies'.]

How can I meet a wife if I can't look or check a woman out without it become adultery in my heart?

I'm single and would like to meet a wife. I am seeking to put the Kingdom First and seek His righteousness, concern myself with bible study, meditation prayer, looking for ways to serve while also perhaps evangelism to people, including woman, hoping I can already meet a Christian woman this way. I can perhaps use my search for a wife to evangelize, which is also what I know I should be doing. Perhaps my intention might be impure here, I should seek to evangelize without seeking anything. May the Lord find this atleast acceptable. Either way I should run into people. I don't know if I believe I should just do nothing at all day but pray for a wife and hope one falls from the sky without taking any action so I will seek the Kingdom first, in the process of such, hopefully meet someone and evangelize, hoping to meet someone.

That said. I can't help but look on a woman and see she is beautiful but then turn away lest I sin in my heart with lust. Is it possible for a man to look on a beautiful woman and not lust? Is noticing a woman is beautiful the same as lusting after here? Is sinning in the heart, being perhaps a spiritual sin, is that different that an "actual" sin the moment one would perhaps m-bate with lust in the heart or sexual immorality with sleeping with a woman. Is it only sin if I were to take action m-bate or sleep with?

Jesus specifically says in the KJV if a man were to look on a woman TO LUST on her, it's adultery in the heart (paraphrazed). Does this imply that if a man were to have no intention but to seek lust and actively look upon beautiful woman, not for seeking a wife, but just to lust, only then would it be sin? If I randomly came across a beautiful woman in the grocery store, is it okay to "check her out" without it becoming sinful? Otherwise, how can I look for a wife?

At the same time, I notice if I'm just randomly checking out woman, I get pulled into temptation. Perhaps I should instead, only act towards approaching woman from evangelism after immediately coming from prayer and being filled with the HS for protection. Thoughts, guidance?

Cheers
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Earliest known ‘Infancy Gospel of Thomas’ fragment found in Germany

The fragment, which comes from late ancient Egypt, is about 11 by 5 centimeters and has 13 lines of Greek text, with about 10 letters per line.

In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers in Germany have found the earliest surviving copy of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. This apocryphal fragment, which dates back to the 4th or 5th century AD, offers a glimpse into the childhood of Jesus as depicted in this ancient text.

In the early days of Christianity, different communities wrote their own accounts of Christ's life, but many of these didn’t make it into the New Testament. Those early texts that weren't deemed canonical by the early Church are called apocryphal gospels.Parts of these texts sometimes matched up with the official, canonical gospels, but most of the time they did not.

Christian tradition​


Continued below.

Our Lady of Akita’s powerful message to the modern world

Our Lady of Akita



With ties to Fatima, Our Lady of Akita relayed a similar message of repentance and prayer to a Japanese religious sister. The apparitions began June 12, 1973.

On June 12, 1973, Sr. Agnes Sasagawa of the Handmaids of the Eucharist began receiving heavenly visions in a convent located in Akita, Japan. At first she saw angelic beings worshiping the Eucharist, but then on July 6, 1973, Sasagawa saw a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary speak to her, relaying a powerful message similar to what the three shepherd children received in Fatima, Portugal.

The statue soon after began to bleed and tears started to flow down her cheeks.

Around 2,000 people witnessed the tears coming from the statue and the liquid was gathered and sent to a laboratory for testing. A professor from the Akita University Department of Biochemistry studied the liquid, as well as a non-Christian forensic specialist, Dr. Kaoru Sagisaka. The blood was confirmed to be of human origin, as were the tears.

After a lengthy investigation, the local bishop, John Shoojiroo Ito of Niigata, approved the apparition to be of supernatural origin and "worthy of belief."
The Vatican has not made an official statement, leaving it up to the local bishop's discretion.

Continued below.

Jailed J6 defendant forming an armed militia to 'protect' polls: report - Update: Freed J6 hostage now running for US Senate

A January 6 Rioter Is Leading an Armed National Militia From Prison

Years after being accused of swinging a baseball bat at police officers during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, Edward “Jake” Lang is now using encrypted messaging channels to create a nationwide network of armed militias in all 50 states.

Though he has been in prison for over 1,200 days, Lang is working with a network of election deniers and conspiracists to promote the North American Patriot and Liberty Militia, or Napalm for short. The group officially launched last week with 50 state-specific militia groups on Telegram.

Lang claims that the Telegram groups already have 20,000 members, including pastors, farmers, former military personnel, and currently serving sheriffs. However, multiple experts who reviewed the channels tell WIRED that figure was wildly overestimated, and that the real figure was closer to 2,500 members. But a group this size, they warn, is still large enough to cause a serious threat.

As the 2024 US election approaches, Lang says that Napalm will be focusing on potential “civil unrest” around the vote.

In addition to the election, Lang says that Napalm will respond to everything from natural disasters to Federal overreach, political protests, and potential Chinese invasions.

I feel safer already.

ETA:

Man charged in US Capitol attack announces run for Senate in Florida

Jake Lang, charged with attacking police during riot and pardoned by Trump, seeks to fill seat Marco Rubio’s old seat
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Mark Wahlberg opens new restaurant with his faith in mind

Unusually for a Hollywood star, the actor made sure to get his new venture running with some heavenly help.

Mark Wahlberg is not one to shy away from the cameras, and likewise, he's also very open about his Catholic faith.

There also seems to be no stopping the Father Stu actor. If he's not filming a blockbuster hit, then he's working on his various businesses, staying impressively fit, enjoying his family, and championing his faith on apps like Hallow.

It's therefore not a surprise that in his latest venture, the actor has made sure that his faith took front and center stage right from the beginning.

In a recent post on social media, Wahlberg shares the grand opening of his restaurant, Flecha Cantina. Along with the crowd and all the ribbon cutting Bishop Vann from Orange County is on hand to bless the restaurant.

Continued below.
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Are all sins equal?

Are all sins equal?

There are three aspects in answering this question:

1. In terms of civic punishment, not all sins are equal, Exodus 21:

23 But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
2. In the eyes of God, not all sins are equal, John 19:

11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
James 3:

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly
3. In terms of eternal judgment and punishment, all sins are equal, James 2:

10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
Romans 6:

23a For the wages of sin is death.
Are all sins equal?

In a sense, they are. In other senses, they are not.

See also Unforgivable sins?

What is the best edition of the Bible for Catholics?

There are dozens of translations of the Bible into English, none of which is perfect.

So, you’ve decided to make an extra effort and finally read the Bible. Perhaps you have an old family Bible in the house, but you feel like you need a fresh copy, a better translation, something you can read and understand. You take a trip to the local Barnes and Noble or a Catholic bookstore, and the clerk directs you to the religion section.

“I didn’t know there were so many different versions,” you might think to yourself. “Does it matter which one I buy? Which one is best for a Catholic like me? This one looks good, but is it worth it to pay more for it?”

The choice can be daunting. At Barnes and Noble’s website, a search for “Bible,” narrowed down to hardcover versions, yields over 4,700 results.

If the Bible might be considered a guide to life, one might actually need a roadmap to find the version most suitable for the average pilgrim.

Continued below.
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Why did Rebekah cover herself when she first approached Isaac?

Abraham's servant took Rebekah from Paddan Aram and headed back to Canaan in Gen 24:

62 Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel 65 and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself.
What was the significance of covering herself?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown explained:

The veil is an essential part of female dress. In country places it is often thrown aside, but on the appearance of a stranger, it is drawn over the face, as to conceal all but the eyes. In a bride it was a token of her reverence and subjection to her husband.
Isaac was a stranger and a soon-to-be husband to Rebekah.

Similarly, Gill:

therefore she took a veil, and covered herself; both out of modesty, and as a token of subjection to him: for the veil was put on when the bride was introduced to the bridegroom, as among the Romans (x) in later times. The Arab women always have veils when they appear in public, so that their faces cannot be seen; and though in the summer months they walk abroad with less caution, yet then, upon the approach of a stranger, they put on their veils (y).
(x) Vid. Lucan. l. 2. & Martial. Epigr. l. 2. 74. (y) See Shaw's Travels, p. 228. Tertullian. de Virgin. Veland, c. 17.
Why did Rebekah cover herself when she first approached Isaac?

As Isaac was a stranger, she covered herself as a sign of modesty.

As Isaac was her future husband, she covered herself like a bride to demonstrate her acceptance of him as her husband and to show respect and submission to him.

66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
It was a romantic scene :)

1 Pastor arrested, 1 under house arrest. Converted Imam threatened. Gospel workers persevere.

  • Jun. 13, 2024 | Cuba​

    Pastor Under House Arrest on False Pretenses

    [10] prayers in [1] nation have been posted for Pastor Ramos.
    Pastor Dizzis Ramos with his wife, Nidia. Pastor Dizzis has been targeted by Cuban officials because of his Christian witness.
    Pastor Dizzis Ramos' public ministry has made him a target of government officials in his atheistic Communist country. He serves his local community through construction projects for elderly people in need. Earlier this month, he and another pastor were charged for allegedly falsifying receipts after they legally purchased cement for a construction project. Pastor Ramos was placed under house arrest and the other pastor taken into custody. They are also unable to reach the lawyer who has been handling their case. Read More.
  • Jun. 13, 2024 | West Africa​

    Former Imam Threatened for Following Christ

    [5] prayers in [1] nation have been posted for Ahmed.
    In West Africa, converts from Islam often face severe persecution.
    Ahmed was training to become an imam when he heard someone calling his name, seemingly from above. When he looked up, he saw a man on a cross staring down at him. "When I saw that, I was not able to go to the mosque," he said. "I returned home and didn't attend mosque that day because I was really afraid." Jesus appeared to Ahmed several more times over a period of years, even after he did become an imam. Ahmed described those appearances to the Muslims who attended his mosque, and they thought he was seeing demons. Read More.
  • Jun. 13, 2024 | Bhutan​

    Gospel Workers Persevere Despite Pressures

    [7] prayers in [1] nation have been posted for Christians in Bhutan.
    Bhutan is an isolated, majority Buddhist country.
    Because of geographical isolation and the hostility of the government toward Christianity, Christians in Bhutan face pressure from many directions. However, front-line workers in Bhutan continue to live out their faith in Christ and reach out with the gospel. One gospel worker asked for prayer that their youth and women's programs and training programs for Sunday school teachers will be adequately resourced. Read More.

Healed of Schizophrenia at Church

Hey something amazing just happened! I was at Christ Community Church this morning and I went up for prayer after the meeting for my illness (schizophrenia). I got ministered to very powerfully, I was sick as a dog, profoundly ill, I probably belonged in the mental hospital but didn't have to go thus far. I am now better socially, I am experiencing pleasure in daily life for the first time in my life, and I am more functional all the way around! I got down on my KNEES and thanked God for what He did for me! I now understand God better, previously I saw God as being very mean, I did not realize it but it was my illness! I also got healed of emotional trauma, I had alot of emotional trauma as a child and God showed me I had something wrong with my brain that stopped me from letting it out, I had no choice but to stuff-it. God told me that this was why I had schizophrenia, I had repressed emotions and that triggered my illness.

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