In a recent interview with the 700 Club, wrestling legend Hulk Hogan shared how his baptism last December marked a “major pivot” in his life. Hogan, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea, stressed he’s “all in” with God. Believing in Jesus Christ, he said, “Just seems like such an easy choice for everyone, if you’ll just surrender and accept him as your Savior.”

He shared what Christ brings to him in comparison to what he offers himself, Church Leaders reported.

“That's God's presence in us, you know, that still small voice. What Terry brings to the table is a meat suit…a meat suit filled with the Spirit of Christ, and it’s a testing ground for me.”

Despite becoming a Christian at 14 years old, Hogan admitted, “I derailed.”

Continued below.

While many over the weekend were focusedon Mystik Dan’s longshot photo finish victory at the Kentucky Derby, protesters clashed with police at the University of Virginia and disrupted graduation ceremonies across the country. More than 2,100 anti-Israel protesters have been arrested so far.

We now know that activist groups were training students for months before campus protests began. Many are not just anti-Israel but anti-America as well. At a New York City rally, for example, one protester said Osama bin Laden “did what he did because he had to do it.” Others burned the American flag.

Wall Street Journal columnist Walter Russell Mead summarized the activists’ beliefs:


Many of Hamas’ most passionate campus supporters believe that the organization wants to establish a secular Palestinian state. They also believe that Israeli Jews are European immigrants displacing an indigenous population—white settlers who should go home to Poland. . . . They see Hamas as part of a global coalition of “progressive” movements advancing causes such as climate change, democracy, and LGBTQ rights against global capitalism.

Not one of the beliefs you just read is true.

What is the best way to respond to a movement based on such delusions?

“MINDS ARE CHANGED BY REASON, NOT FORCE”​

There have been no protester disruptions at the University of Florida, despite its elite status and Wall Street Journal ranking it as the No. 1 public university in the country. President Ben Sasse explained his school’s three-part approach to the protest movement:

1. “Universities must distinguish between speech and action.” He calls the speech “central to education” but draws “a hard line at unlawful action. Speech isn’t violence. Silence isn’t violence. Violence is violence.”
2. “Universities must say what they mean and then do what they say.” At his university, this means they will always defend protesters’ rights to free speech and free assembly, but “if you cross the line on clearly prohibited activities, you will be thrown off campus and suspended.” In their case, this is a three-year prohibition from campus.
3. “Universities need to recommit themselves to real education.” He notes that “teachers ought to be ushering students into the world of argument and persuasion. Minds are changed by reason, not force. Progress depends on those who do the soulful, patient work of inspiring intellects.”

Those of us who follow Dr. Sasse’s career are not surprised by the clarity of his leadership. He is brilliant, having studied at Oxford and earned degrees from Harvard and Yale. But more importantly, he is a committed Christian whose worldview is consistently biblical.

How can those of us who share his beliefs make a transformational impact on our broken culture?

WHAT I AM TEMPTED TO BELIEVE​

Continued below.

I am only Linking to the Azazel part of this OP series... because the linking is getting to be extensive. From Part 8, the Azazel OP, you can link to all of the other parts, for reference. Link to part 8 of Op series

OK, in part 7, we covered Haman as a type for Satan using Chapters 1-3 of Esther. Today, we will jump right back into Esther, at Chapters 4 to where ever we end up for today.

When Mordecai learned all that had occurred, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, went into the middle of the city, and cried loudly and bitterly.

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Because Jesus, would not bow to Satan, Satan is now Hellbent on destroying God's people. This literally displays itself within the halls of history. Satan hates Jacob's people... Jews. Jesus wept.

2 He only went as far as the King’s Gate, since the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering the King’s Gate. 3 There was great mourning among the Jewish people in every province where the king’s command and edict came. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.

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All of the Jews wept, because they had been decreed to be annihilated by the hand of Satan, under the deception of Satan, while stamped by the signet ring of the KING. I call this a scriptural DECODER RING. God never wills death and destruction. God responds to the wickedness of Satan. Satan betrayed the authority that God entrusted him with.

4 Esther’s female servants and her eunuchs came and reported the news to her, and the queen was overcome with fear. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear so he could take off his sackcloth, but he did not accept them. 5 Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to her, and dispatched him to Mordecai to learn what he was doing and why.[a]

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Esther was concerned when she heard that Mordecai had exited the gate and was wearing saccloth. She sent Mordecai new cloths, He refused them and so she checked on him.

6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the King’s Gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened as well as the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay the royal treasury for the slaughter of the Jews.

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Mordecai passed the message to Esther about the money Haman had paid to destroy all of the Jews.

8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa ordering their destruction, so that Hathach might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and command her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead with him personally for her people. 9 Hathach came and repeated Mordecai’s response to Esther.

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With decree of Haman in hand, the messenger exposed Haman to Esther.

10 Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to tell Mordecai, 11 “All the royal officials and the people of the royal provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard and who has not been summoned—the death penalty. Only if the king extends the gold scepter will that person live. I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the last[b] 30 days.” 12 Esther’s response was reported to Mordecai.

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Esther begins to think of how to enlist the King, on this matter. Esther begins to think of how to enlist the help of the KING. Esther passes this to Mordecai.

13 Mordecai told the messenger to reply to Esther, “Don’t think that you will escape the fate of all the Jews because you are in the king’s palace. 14 If you keep silent at this time, liberation and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s house will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”

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Esther's adoptive Father tells her that the fate of the Jews will reach her. Though, God will send another deliverer, if she stays silent, she may have been placed in her place of Authority by God.

15 Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days, day or night. I and my female servants will also fast in the same way. After that, I will go to the king even if it is against the law. If I perish, I perish.” 17 So Mordecai went and did everything Esther had ordered him.

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Esther askes Mordechai to have all the Jews in the land fast for 3 days and 3 nights, even without water. She intends to risk everything, even her very life, to see the King.

Luke 20:

27 Then some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to question Him. 28“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him.d 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a wife, but died childless. 30 Then the second 31 and the third married the widow, and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children. 32 And last of all, the woman died. 33 So then, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her.”

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The Sadducees could have made this argument with only 2 brothers. What is the point of elongating the argument with 7 brothers?

For the Jews, the number 7 symbolized perfection and completion. The Sadducees used 7 instead of any other number as a cultural and literary device, not a mathematical or logical one.

People often ask if Christians should take the Bible literally. Some people complain that Christians take the Bible too literally, others complain that Christians don't take the Bible literally enough. What should we do?

What does literally mean?

First, we should look at what we mean by the word 'literally'? The word 'literally' is formed from the word 'literal' and the suffix '-ly', which turns the noun into an adverb. The word 'literal', comes from mediaeval English via Norman French, which in turn comes from Latin 'litteralis', which means related to letters or to writing, which in turn comes from the Latin 'litera' meaning a letter, from which we get the word 'literature'. The words 'literal', 'literally' and 'literature' are related. So, we could say that the word 'literally' literally means according to the literature, but is often used to mean according to the exact meaning of the word.

When 'literally' isn't meant literally

A problem here arises in that words have meaning in context, and not always according to the strict dictionary definition. Effectively, 'literally' can mean either the meaning according to the exact word used, or the meaning according to the literary style or genre. This is confused by the fact that some people also use the word 'literally' to mean 'figuratively', for example if someone says 'That was so beautiful I literally died', which of course they didn't. This is nothing new, Charlotte Brontë wrote in Villette, published in 1853, 'she took me to herself, and proceeded literally to suffocate me with her unrestrained spirits', which of course she didn't. Likewise we should be aware that when Christians claim to be taking the Bible literally, they may not always be doing so.

Styles of Literature

Continued below.

Churches are combating syncretism among millennials and Gen Z amid a rise of social media healers who call on ancestral spirits.

Millions of Black South Africans seek guidance from sangomas, traditional healers or so-called witch doctors who use their spiritual gifts to connect with ancestors, prescribe herbs to heal illnesses, and throw dry bones to predict the future.

It’s a centuries-old tradition that has continued in the majority-Christian country and has adapted for the internet age: A new breed of influencer sangomas are positioning themselves on social media as digital-entrepreneurial-spiritual seers.

Church leaders across several major denominations in South Africa have long decried the practice as involving “evil, devilish, and unclean spirits.” But as the online sagomas draw in a mass audience of millennial Christians—a generation eager to “decolonize” their lives and reconnect to indigenous African roots—church leaders have new concerns around syncretism as well as internet scams.

Condemnation of sangomas and African ancestral worship is the strongest cog uniting European-legacy churches like Anglicans, Baptists, and Catholics as well as African-initiated churches like the Zion Christian Church (ZCC), said Tendai Muchatuta, a cleric with the Apostolic of All Nations Church in Johannesburg.


Both kinds of churches say the practice, despite its popularity, is not compatible with Christianity.

Continued below.

Interesting insights.



Issues, Etc. episode on the topic.

Booklet.

Yours in the Lord,

jm

These are images not a videos:






When I was ordained in 1980, girls were not allowed to be altar boys, I mean, servers. But that did not stop many parishes in the USA from having them. Bishop Lessard of the Diocese of Savannah, knew that many of his parishes had them, including my first parish as “associate pastor” in Albany, Georgia.


Thus he came up with a diocesan policy that allowed girls to serve as candle and cross bearers, and vested in different liturgical garments than the boys were. Only altar boys could minister directly to the priest by holding the Roman Missal, then called the Sacramentary” and handing the water and wine to him and also washing his hands. Only boys could help with the incense.

Continued below.

The Church, having identified too intimately with the culture, has been wallowing in more “liberal” talk of forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and love, but without a corresponding and primary emphasis on truth.

Tim Sullivan’s recent piece for the Associated Press on the state of the Church in America has made the rounds in Catholic circles, and it feels like a generally accurate snapshot of where things are and where they’re heading. Sullivan looks at recent developments at St. Maria Goretti parish in Madison, Wisconsin, and Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, arguing that they’re emblematic of a broader shift across the U.S. toward a “new, old” Church: Latin and Gregorian chant in the liturgy, cassocks, and habits on priests and religious, and dogma and doctrine back in the conversation.

My home parish and current parish—both in the more liberal Northeast—have seen the same shift: Latin, ad orientem, and kneelers for Communion have become standard again, while guitars, Eucharistic ministers, and altar girls have become rare. In discussing the AP piece with colleagues, they reported similar trends in the South and Midwest. It’s all anecdotal, but also undeniable: love it or hate it, change is afoot all over the country—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, sometimes in fits and starts, but all in a similar direction.

And, as Sullivan notes, the change is especially palpable among young people. The young priests and young families who are still showing up in churches are not doing it because it’s expected of them—if anything’s expected of them now, it’s that they will drift away—but because they know they’re lost without it. The Church’s ancient traditions and doctrines are not a suffocating burden but a breath of fresh air—an exciting new discovery of hidden treasure in the muddy and barren fields of relativism.

And as these Gen-Xers and millennials more and more rise up to take the helm of the Church’s institutions, that excitement in our shifting moment will define the Catholicism of the future in this country. In fact, whereas many doomsday voices online have warned of an invasion of indifferentist modernism in the Church, the real internal threat facing the Church in the decades to come may well end up being a radical traditionalist counter-reaction to the Second Vatican Council and all the popes in its wake.

Continued below.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reopened an iconic Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it an Islamic house of worship.

Despite criticism from Christians around the world, Turkey formally converted The Church of St. Saviour in Chora — also known as Chora Church and Kariye in Turkish — into a mosque after it had turned Istanbul’s landmark Haghia Sophia into a Muslim prayer space.

“May it bring good fortune,” Erdogan said of the conversion during the televised event.

Chora Church has stood for 17 centuries and famous for its mosaics and frescoes depicting the life of Jesus and Mary.

Last week, Religion Unplugged’s Roberta Ahmanson interviewed Alexei Lidov, noted art historian and Byzantinist, on the past and future of Chora Church as a result of Erdogan’s actions.

Continued below.

With all the insanity in the world, it's easy to lose sight of what truly matters. Former "New Athiest" movement leader Ayaan Hirsi Ali provided a powerful reminder when she shared her conversion to Christianity with Richard Dawkins.


Dawkins is an infamous atheist who has mocked Christianity as "nonsense" for decades, along with other figures like the now-deceased Christopher Hitchens. Originally from Somalia, Hirsi Ali left her home country in her early 20s and dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of women subjugated by Islam. That led to her being put on an Al-Qaeda hit list, as well as being targeted legally by Muslim groups. At one point, she was sued for discrimination for pointing out that Islam's Muhammad married a six-year-old when he was 53. She ultimately won that battle despite the court chastising her use of language.

For years, Ali was a thought leader and lecturer in atheist circles, having rejected religion due to her experiences with Islam. That all changed in late 2023, though. In an essay, she shared her fear of what she described as the global rise of Islam and authoritarianism, concluding that Judeo-Christian values were the only possible defense. That led some to question whether her conversion was purely pragmatic and political.

Ali put those questions to bed in her exchange with Dawkins. Even as he continued to trash Christianity during their conversation, she spoke with humility, and shared a powerful testimony of salvation.

Continued below.

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The U.S. fertility ratehas slowed to a new record low, according to an analysis recently published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But experts said there does not appear to be any one policy that could reverse a complex trend.

Experts who spoke with OSV News suggested that some policies growing in popularity — like paid parental leave and increasing child care options — might have other merits but aren’t necessarily going to increase fertility rates if implemented.

U.S. fertility rate hits record low​

The report, which examined 2023 birth certificate data, found a 2% decline from 2022, with 3,591,328 births recorded in 2023. It coincides with broader declining fertility rates globally.

The U.S. fertility rate has generally fallen below what experts call replacement level, or the amount of live births necessary for a generation to reproduce itself, since 1971. A society that can’t meet its replacement rate might see adverse economic outcomes, as well as a reduced tax base, economists said.

“The trend line is pointing pretty much one direction and that’s down,” Patrick Brown, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s Life and Family Initiative, told OSV News.

Brown said other countries with a similar trend that have implemented policies aimed at reversing the trend — such as Singapore or Sweden — have not had much impact on fertility rates.

Complex factors at play​

Continued below.

Filed under: Glad he’s okay, but it’s still kinda funny.

Music Video of Who am I from The Reckoning

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This Love (from Steps of Faith) - I think this was a bonus track on Steps of Faith, not on any of her albums, as far as I know

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Not sure if this is the right forum, maybe there should be a miracle section?

In any case, behold

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This one is good too

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I like the nuances of the KJV, such a this one:

John 1:9

However this is despite the fact that Hades and Gehenna are translated with the same word hell, even though we know from the contexts that Hades is a preservation until punishment while Gehenna is the destruction of the soul.

Catholic Students in Tangerang, Indonesia Beaten and Stabbed with Knives While Praying Together by Muslims



A group of Catholic students at Pamulang University were beaten and stabbed with knives while praying by a mob of Muslims who did not like their prayer activities.

This incident was located on Jalan Ampera RT 007/002, Babakan Village, Setu District, South Tangerang City, Indonesia. This attack was led by a local community leader (RT Chair).

The victims admitted that they were shouted at with harsh words as well as threats of physical violence.

The SETARA Institute said this incident was a violation of Freedom of Religion and Belief (KBB) as well as a reflection of the weak ecosystem of tolerance amidst Indonesia's diversity system. The SETARA Institute also stated that law enforcement against perpetrators of various types of freedom of terror has been too weak so that incidents like this continue to occur.

In Indonesia, although the country has religious freedom for Christians, Catholics, Buddhists and Hindus. In fact, adherents of this religion are often the target of attacks from the Muslim community, usually on the grounds that they are prohibited from worshiping at home. Meanwhile, Muslims can worship anywhere freely without having to have permission. Every Friday Muslims close roads and public facilities for worship in many places, sound loudspeakers in residential areas at 2.00 AM during the fasting month, and sound loudspeakers freely 5 times a day.

Source:
instagram @permadiaktivis2 Permadi Arya on Instagram: "mahasiswa/siswi katolik univ. pamulang viktor dipukuli, dibacok cuma karena mereka BERDOA berawal dari RT bernama Diding yang memprovokasi warga izin gus menag @gusyaqut @ansor_satu kristenphobia semakin biadab akibat tidak ada tindakan tegas dari pemerintah sehingga tidak ada efek jera cc: pak @jokowi pelaku sudah dilaporkan ke polres tangsel.. teman2 bantu mention di kolom komentar tiga akun polisi dibawah ini yaa yuk kita banjiri notif bapak2 polisi agar pelaku segera ditangkap @kapolrestangsel @humasrestangsel @listyosigitprabowo share lagi ke insta story kalian, sebarkan ke grup WA. viralken #stopkristenphobia"

I apologize. My intention here is not to be negative. But when I read some of these passages of Scripture I see where some of these verses are consistently being taught out of context and how so many people today are believing lies over truth, because they are being taught these verses out of context, and then they are made to say what they don’t say if taught in the proper context. And this is one of those passages where it says, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.”

But this is missing the context of the previous verses and the remainder of verse 17, where it says, “provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” And biblically speaking, that suffering involves us being crucified and buried with Christ in death to sin and us being raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to lives as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. And it involves us denying self, dying daily to sin, and following Jesus in obedience. And it means that we will be hated and persecuted for our walks of faith, too.

[Romans 6:1-23; Luke 9:23-26; Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Eph 6:10-20; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

And then what it said before that is that we who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if we live according to the flesh, we will die in our sins. But if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the body (of the flesh), then we will live. And that is what it said in Romans 8:1-8, too, and what it says in Romans 6:1-23 and in many other New Testament passages of Scripture. For we are not “in Christ” based on a profession of faith alone, but provided that we are daily dying to sin, by the Spirit, and living for the Lord, in his power.

And this is not claiming sinless perfection. This is just saying what the Scriptures teach, that to be in Christ, and to be a genuine believer in Christ, we must no longer walk in sin, making sin our habit, but now we must walk (in conduct, in practice) according to the Spirit in walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commandments (New Covenant) in submission to his will and purpose for our lives. For if we live according to the flesh, and not according to the Spirit, we will die in our sins. We will not have eternal life with God, regardless of what professions of faith in Christ we make with our lips.

And then notice that it says that “all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” So, if you are not being led by the Spirit in how you conduct your life day in and day out, but if your flesh is still what is dictating for you how you should live and the things that you should do, then according to the Scriptures you are not genuine children of God. And this is not saying that a genuine believer in Christ can never fall back into sin and need to be brought to repentance once again, for I believe we have biblical examples of that, but we must come back to walks of faith or we will die in our sins.

So, just know that genuine faith in Jesus Christ results in us dying with Christ to sin, not just once, but in practice, and it results in us walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in practice, by the Spirit and in the power of God, as we yield control of our lives over to the Lord. Again, it does not mean we will be absolutely perfect in everything that we do, but that sin should no longer be our practice, and now righteousness and obedience to God should be what we practice. Our lives should now be ruled by God and no longer by our flesh.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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Jesus from the cross:
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Psalm 22 NIV
(written approx. 600 years before crucifixion was invented)

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises.
In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
"He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
“let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.”

Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
From birth I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.

Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
Roaring lions that tear their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted within me.
My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.

Dogs surround me,
a pack of villains encircles me;
they pierce my hands and my feet.
All my bones are on display;
people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.
But you, Lord, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
Deliver me from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you.
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.

From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!"

I like to watch the feed of new posts. I see so much politics. It's sad. It would be nice to see people weeping with those who weep and strengthening each other is our weaknesses instead of insulting each other with politics.

A house of prayer should be quiet without godless and worldly chatter. We should hear each other and not the world. We love, bless and help our enemies but we don't slander them or gossip about them, nor do we argue with them. That's not the peaceful gospel of love, faith, and hope


Ecclesiastes 7:1 A good name is better than precious ointment,
And the day of death than the day of one’s birth;
2 Better to go to the house of mourning
Than to go to the house of feasting,
For that is the end of all men;
And the living will take it to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 For like the crackling of thorns under a pot,
So is the laughter of the fool.
This also is vanity.
7 Surely oppression destroys a wise man’s reason,
And a bribe debases the heart.
8 The end of a thing is better than its beginning;
The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry,
For anger rests in the bosom of fools.
10 Do not say,
“Why were the former days better than these?”
For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

Luke 6:20 Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Love for Enemies​

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others​

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.

41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit​

43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

The Wise and Foolish Builders​

46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

Love must be sincere, honest, truthful, and genuine, as opposed to being pretentious, disingenuous, fake or phony. True love, thus, speaks the truth in love and does not use false flattery, nor does it willfully deceive. In fact, it hates what is evil, mainly because of how evil destroys lives, homes, families, communities, church congregations and nations. Love, instead, binds itself to what is good – wholesome, right, just, honest, pure and unadulterated.

It demonstrates respect for people, and it gives of oneself to meet the legitimate needs of others, self-sacrificially. It does good to its persecutors, and does not practice retaliation. It is not conceited. It seeks to do what is right by people. It works at trying to bring about reconciliation where an offense or discord has taken place, and it makes the effort to bring about peaceful solutions, where possible, to difficult situations.

True love is always hopeful. It prays for wisdom, understanding, guidance and direction. It seeks the good of others. It is continuous, persevering, and diligent in its zeal for the Lord and for his service. And, it is not overcome by evil, but it overcomes evil with good.

Love Must Be Genuine

An Original Work / October 22, 2013
Based off Romans 12:9-21

Love must be genuine.
Hate what’s evil; cling to good.
Love each other with affection.
Show respect for ev’ryone.
Never lack in your zeal.
Serve the Lord with diligence.

Rejoice in steadfast hope.
In affliction, patient be.
Keep on praying; share with others.
Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute.
Feel with others sympathy.

Be not filled with conceit.
Daily sit at Jesus’ feet.
Live in harmony with others.
Live at peace with ev’ryone.
Repay not to someone
With the evil he begot.

Do not take your revenge;
Leave it to the wrath of God.
If your enemy is thirsty,
Give to him something to drink.
Do what’s right for mankind.
Evil: overcome with good.

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Political conspiracies, slander, gossip, suspicions and fears are wrong thinking. People accuse and say that Trump did this and Biden did that. They preach fear over economics, jobs and social security as well. They're fghting for control. They teach lust for more and more. They teach greed, envy, covetousness, discontent and complaints. Jesus however said not to worry or fear such worldly things.

Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 8

1 John 4:18 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.

2 Timothy 2:4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

Isaiah 8:11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’
Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy,
Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.

13 The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow;
Let Him be your fear,
And let Him be your dread.
14 He will be as a sanctuary,
But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense
To both the houses of Israel,
As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

15 And many among them shall stumble;
They shall fall and be broken,
Be snared and taken.”
16 Bind up the testimony,
Seal the law among my disciples.
17 And I will wait on the Lord,
Who hides His face from the house of Jacob;
And I will hope in Him.

18 Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me!
We are for signs and wonders in Israel
From the Lord of hosts,
Who dwells in Mount Zion.

19 And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

21 They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward. 22 Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.

Introduction

序言



A PSALM FOR YOU AND ME

一首献给你我的赞美诗



This psalm is awesome, I come to it, with a deep sense that what I am going to share, will benefit some people.

这诗篇是庄严的，我来到它，有一个深刻的感觉，我要分享的东西，会使一些人受益。



This is one of the psalms, that speak deeply to our hearts, I know it speaks deeply to me.

这是一首诗篇，深深地对我们的心说话，我知道它深深地对我说话。



Let me explain why it speaks to me:

让我来解释一下为什么它能打动我：



I had good parents and two older brothers, about 11 years older than me, I was a late arrival in many ways. My father was desperate for a girl after having two sons, but I came along.

我有很好的父母和两个比我大11岁的哥哥，我在很多方面都是晚一步的。父亲在有了两个儿子后，迫切地想要一个女孩，但我出现了。



I got the feeling that although I was loved, there was always a little disappointment, indeed in later years, my mother told me, she didn't want another child.

我觉得，虽然我是被爱着的，但总会有一点失望，确实，在后来的几年里，我的母亲告诉我，她不想再要一个孩子。



Although my earthly parents might have had a little disappointment over me, my birth was no mistake, this psalm sets out the comfort and love that God has for us.

虽然我的世俗父母可能对我有点失望，但我的出生并没有错，这篇诗篇表达了上帝对我们的安慰和爱。



So many people feel rejected, maybe you do, rejected by family, there are many people, who have been cold shouldered or called the black sheep of the family by other family members

很多人感觉被拒绝了，也许你是这样的，被家人拒绝了，有很多人，被其他家庭成员冷落或称为家庭中的败家子



You may not know where you were born, you may not know who one or more of your parents were, but God saw all that and the amazing fact is that he loves you, it is for those people that this psalm is written

你可能不知道你是在哪里出生的，你可能不知道你的父母是谁，但上帝看到了这一切，而且令人惊奇的事实是他爱你，这诗篇就是为这些人而写的



Let me assure you, that you are not a mistake, God was there at your conception, he knew you before you were born, he knows everything about you and yes although he knows everything about us, and get this..

让我向你保证，你不是一个错误，上帝在你受孕的时候就在那里，他在你出生前就知道你，他知道关于你的一切，是的，尽管他知道关于我们的一切……



HE STILL LOVES US

他仍然爱我们



If you have no family, if you are rejected by your family, God says that if you are his:

如果你没有家人，如果你被家人拒绝，上帝说如果你属于他：



You are my son or daughter.. you are my child..

你是我的儿子或女儿……你是我的孩子……



Amen

阿门



God bless you

上帝祝福你

Keith





vs 1-5

诗篇 139 1-5



1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.

1〔大卫的诗、交与伶长。〕耶和华阿，你已经鉴察我，认识我。

2 我坐下，我起来，你都晓得，你从远处知道我的意念。

3 我行路，我躺卧，你都细察，你也深知我一切所行的。

4 耶和华阿，我舌头上的话，你没有一句不知道的。

5 你在我前后环绕我，按手在我身上。



HOW BIG IS GOD？

上帝有多大？



Do you wonder how big God is?

你想知道上帝有多大吗？



He knows everything, he sees everything, he knows every word we speak

他什么都知道，什么都看见，我们说的每个字他都知道



We are worried about data protection in our age, are all my details safe?

我们都在担心这个时代的数据保护，我所有的细节都安全吗？



Well, there is someone who knows all about you, it is God. To me this is a comfort, he knows all about me, he sees everything I do and hears everything I say. Every action of mine is seen by him.

好吧，有一个人了解你的一切，那就是上帝。对我来说这是一种安慰，他知道我的一切，他看到我做的一切，听到我说的一切。我的一举一动都被他看到了。



It is also a challenge to me, as we know God is watching us, would we do all the things we do?

Would we see the things we, see?

Would we say the things we say?

这对我也是一个挑战，因为我们知道上帝在看着我们，我们会做我们所做的所有事情吗？

我们会看到我们看到的东西吗？

我们会说我们说的东西吗？



The attributes of God are to be studied, because they show us what God is like, he is omnipresent, he is all seeing and he is all knowing.

上帝的属性是值得研究的，因为它们向我们展示了上帝是什么样的，他无所不在，他无所不见，他无所不知。

That works itself out into our daily lives, if God is always watching us, we would live in a different way.

这在我们的日常生活中也有体现，如果上帝一直注视着我们，我们就会以不同的方式生活。



We live in the way we do, because we have no understanding of who GOD really is and his attributes. We think that God is like us and we can get away with it, but he is on a different level entirely.

我们以自己的方式生活，因为我们不知道上帝到底是谁以及他的属性。我们认为上帝和我们一样，我们可以不受惩罚，但他完全是在一个不同的层面上。



Be sure that nothing is hid from Him:

十分确定的是没有什么能在他面前隐藏。



Jc Ryle says this

Jc Ryle 这样说



Do nothing that you would not like God to see.
Say nothing that you would not like God to hear.
Write nothing that you would not like God to read.
Go to no place where you would not like God to find you.

不要做你不想让上帝看见的事。

不要说你不想让上帝听到的话。

不要写你不想让上帝读到的东西。

不要去你不愿意上帝发现你的地方。


Read no book of which you would not like God to say, "Show it to Me."
Never spend your time in such a way that you would not like to have God say, "What are you doing?

不要读你不希望上帝说“拿给我看”的书。

永远不要把时间花在你不想让上帝说：“你在做什么？”是事上。



Adam and others thought they could hide their sin, remember that God sees, hears and knows everything.

亚当和其他人认为他们可以隐藏自己的罪，记住上帝能看见、听见、知道一切。



That is a true antidote to sin.

这才是真正的罪的解药。



Amen

阿门

KK