• 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.

Hamas Clearly Understands Israel’s Commitment to Human Life and Worked Out Its Strategy Accordingly


War is not just a strategic and political struggle between nations. It ultimately comes down to numbers, and it takes determined men (and sometimes women) to understand that equation and prosecute accordingly. That can be especially difficult when one side places a great value on human life and the other side does not.

It is not impossible, though, for democracies that value life to be, at crucial moments, just as indifferent in order to succeed. America proved this in World War II. Today, Israel faces the same difficult decisions with Hamas.

The Israeli government now appears to be hamstrung between pursuing its original objective of soundly destroying the Jihadist terror organization and Iranian proxy or succumbing to the pressure for a possible return of the remaining hostages. Hamas clearly understands Israel’s strong commitment to human life and orchestrated this by abducting over 300 men, women, and babies on October 7.
In 2011, the Israelis gave up over 1,000 Palestinian terrorists for one kidnapped Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit. A majority of Israelis approved this one-sided deal and celebrated Shalit’s return. Among the released Palestinian terrorists were many who would commit horrible crimes on October 7. They included the architect of the entire invasion, Yehya Sinwar.

Democracies must answer to their citizens, totalitarian governments couldn’t care less what their citizens think. In Israel, the hostage families have gone beyond Jerusalem and met with world leaders to put pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu. Hamas uses Palestinian lives for propaganda.
Most people don’t remember, but there was a time when America evaluated an existential threat and made the difficult decision to lose vast numbers of its own citizens in order to save many more. In 1942, just months after Pearl Harbor, the American Army Air Forces began to establish bomber bases in England for the purpose of giving back to Germany, what England had been receiving since 1940.

Three months after becoming president in 1945, Harry Truman had to make a different calculation. Truman decided it was worth the severe cost of killing more than 100,000 Japanese civilians in two atomic flashes, as opposed to a costly invasion and prolonged ground war in Japan.

Casualty rates were projected to be as many as 1 million Americans and 2 million Japanese civilians in a ground war, and those estimates may have been low. Making a decision to kill 100,000 human beings to save millions seems obvious, especially when you are not the one making it.

One factor no country had to contend with in World War II is the 24-hour news cycle and instant photographs that the press jumps on before fact-checking. Recall the “bombing” of the Gaza hospital this past October that was immediately blamed, incorrectly, on Israel. Or claiming Israel intentionally killed the seven aid workers when it was clearly a mistake, which happens constantly in war.

This is a revolutionary change in 21st century warfare, putting democracies at a distinct disadvantage with a religious supremacist death cult and, in Israel’s case, a mainstream press quick to criticize the Jewish State. Hamas and its supporters use this constantly to their advantage.

There is one common link between Israel today and America back then. Our leaders in World War II led a population that understood whom they were fighting and what was at stake, and Americans were willing to back up those costly decisions with their sons. There were more than 400,000 Gold Star families in World War II. That is, ultimately, the number that won the war.
  • Agree
Reactions: Hazelelponi

Been Hearing - Droves of People Becoming Christians, and many to Orthodoxy

Hi, friends,

Christ is risen!

Have you been hearing what I've been hearing? That many people around the world, and here in the US, are becoming Christians, including Orthodox Christians? I've heard from a friend of mine from my former church in Spokane, WA, that four new Orthodox Churches came about after I moved away (that would've been 2007) and that many young men are coming to the faith. I heard this on videos from Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick, Fr. Josiah Trenham, and Abbot Tryphon.

I do know in my small church that it's grown in the past year or two. Every Sunday, the pews are full. It's amazing to see all these new people coming. :)

Have you heard this from anybody you know or any other priests in our Church?

I just saw that Russell Brand has been baptized into the Christian faith, but I don't know which Christian sect he's joined. Candice Owens, I just saw a headline, has joined the Catholic Church.

Anybody heard these things or anything from your end of the world? :)

The Asteroid Apophis

Interesting. I just came across this at the end of a video exposing false prophets...

Really makes me wonder after finding this I wrote in 2003:
"The days are coming soon upon your world Earth, and are already in linear time manifest, when many will gather together to hear and believe many of the untruths spoken by imposters. Accompanying these things will be great distress upon the world, and great signs in the stars. Since your linear year 1945 these things have begun to escalate. 90 years is determined. From 1945 to 1975 events escalated at a predictable pace. The last 10 years of a 30 year period show a marked escalation which births into the next period of 30 years. 1975 to 2005 is the next period, with the 10 years from 1995 being the escalation period. You are soon to enter the third period which will be marked by extremes beyond those of the prior two periods."

Things HAVE escalated during the 20 years since that was written and now we're less than a year away from the last 10 years period, which according to this is gonna be pretty bad. And the video plants Apophis right in the middle of it.


Login to view embedded media

AND THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY

So in Revelation we not only have the requirement for blood to overcome the devil, but also "the word of their testimony".

And in the gospels we have water and Spirit, or water and fire, as well as in Moses.

But how does "word of their testimony" become water, or vice versa?

A person will not testify, unless he is convinced, or convicted. Peter denied Christ three times, until he couldn't bear it.

The waters overcame him.

People claim to want Jesus for president, but would they really?

Jesus would get rid of gay marriage.

So there's that.

No abortions EVER. Jesus knows it is bogus to claim that a pregnant woman will die unless she murders her child. Well, there was that Gianna Molla story but that is rare. Even so, murder is murder.

Jesus would tell the illegals to immigrate LEGALLY because he recognized that we need LAWS. I mean that's kind of a no brainer thing: society needs to have law and order

And I could go on and on. But in any case, we can't have Jesus so Trump is the next best or virtually the next best thing. .. just saying

:)

UMC General Conference 2024 Results

Well, this wasn't unexpected, but the 2024 UMC General Conference was everything traditionalists feared and more. Here is a summary of the results of the conference:


A summary of the summary: the Book of Discipline was modified to remove not only the prohibition on pastors living homosexual lifestyles, but on celibacy outside of marriage as well. Pastors can officiate same-sex unions ("weddings") and can do so in the church building. Church funds can be used to promote the acceptance of homosexuality, and can not be used against the promotion of it. The pathway for individual churches to disaffiliate from the denomination was removed.

Needless to say, this is an extremely disappointing result, but again, not unexpected. My heart goes out to those in the UMC who chose to remain, in good faith, hoping for the status quo to be upheld, or at least hoped that any changes would not affect their local church. I know that this sentiment was prevalent in my childhood church, which is why they chose to remain rather than (in their view) preemptively leaving the denomination while the old Discipline was still in force.

What about James 2? yeah James 2:10...

James 2:10 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." James 2 works salvationist love parroting James 2:14-26 but they never talk about James 2:10. If they are correct an James 2 is about works salvation then they better keep the entire law perfectly! otherwise they break all of it. the reality is James 2 is about having a profitable faith before men, not before God. works justify us before men, not God. Man can only see your works, so if you have no works, your faith is not profitable to others, it is dead. but it still exists and will save you if you trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation, Jesus paid it all to be saved.

Titus 3:5-8 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

See how there is a distinction between being saved (faith alone, vs. doing works that are profitable unto man)

Romans 4:2-8 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

see that Romans 4 clearly tells us that Abraham was justified by works before man, when he offered Isaac on the alter, and he hath whereof to glory before man, but not before God. Don't let James 2ers take 14-26 out of context to teach a false gospel. there are dozens of verses saying salvation is faith alone without any works. Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

This why you read cover to cover and do not let people fool you or hit you with these verses that are ripped out of context. trust the clear promises that God has made, like John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. John 6:47 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

1 Chronicles 16:11 & Luke 21:28 - Be Confident in the LORD

Hello folks. Today's Bible analysis is on 1 Chronicles 16:11 and Luke 21:28. Some folks nowadays seem to have lost faith, or the message in the Bible about trusting in God, so here are two verses that help us become confident in the Lord.

Date
May 7, 2024​
Verse
1 Chronicles 16:11 (NIV): "Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always."

Luke 21:28 (NIV): "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."​
Explanation
1 Chronicles 16:11 and Luke 21:28 both offer hope and encouragement to Christians as they navigate through life.
In 1 Chronicles 16:11, the verse emphasizes the importance of looking to the Lord for strength and seeking His face always. This means trusting in God's power and presence in our lives, and seeking a deep and personal relationship with Him. By focusing on God and His strength, we are reminded that He is our source of hope and comfort in all circumstances. This verse imparts hope by reminding us that we are not alone in our struggles and that God is always with us, ready to provide the strength we need to face life's challenges.

Luke 21:28, on the other hand, speaks of the redemption of God's people drawing near. This verse offers hope by reminding us that God is actively working in the world, and that the ultimate goal of history is the salvation and redemption of His people. When we feel overwhelmed or discouraged, it can be easy to lose sight of this larger perspective. However, Luke 21:28 reminds us that our struggles and suffering are part of a larger story of redemption and renewal.

Whether we should hold our heads up high, it's important to note that this verse does not necessarily mean that we should be overconfident or arrogant in our posture and feeling. Instead, it calls us to have a hopeful and expectant attitude, looking forward to the redemption that God is bringing about. When we keep our eyes on the Lord and His redemptive work, we can lift our heads with confidence and joy, knowing that He is in control and that He is working all things together for our good, no matter if we hold our heads upwards, or not. The outward expression of our attitude need not be shown, the most important part is that we feel joy in the LORD.
Societal Relevance
In the modern world, where many people are feeling sullen and down on themselves, these verses offer a powerful reminder of the hope and strength that can be found in God. Some Christian strategies to feel positive and hopeful include:

  1. Practicing gratitude: Focusing on the things we are thankful for, rather than dwelling on our struggles and challenges.
  2. Cultivating a deep and personal relationship with God: Regularly seeking His presence through prayer, Bible study, and worship.
  3. Surrounding ourselves with supportive and encouraging relationships: Building a community of believers who can offer encouragement and support in times of need.
  4. Serving others: Focusing on the needs of others, rather than our own problems, can help us feel more positive and hopeful.
  5. Trusting in God's sovereignty: Remembering that God is in control and that He has a plan for our lives, even when we can't see it.
Ultimately, the hope and strength that come from looking to the Lord and seeking His face always are the most powerful antidotes to feelings of sullenness and despair. By focusing on God and His redemptive work in the world, we can find the courage and joy to face even the most challenging circumstances with confidence and hope.
For myself, I neither hold my head up high (to avoid tripping), or look down low, as I express my confidence in Jesus with a smile. Sometimes, it can be difficult to be confident when the world seems to be regressing, however, we must know as Christians that God will make things better. If not in this life, then in the next one, our everlasting life with Jesus Christ in Heaven. God has already made my life better, as I am now fellowshipping with Catholics my own age, and am getting better at understanding social situations, especially at gatherings.
  • Friendly
Reactions: Grip Docility

Prayerlessness in the Pulpit

From Edward M. Bounds The Weapon of Prayer, chapter 8, 1931. (I'd started reading in this book some time ago then left off for other readings, but am glad I was drawn back to it! This Word is so relevant for today as well as when it was written. This quote really touched me: "How can a preacher preach effectively, make impressions on hearts and minds, and have fruits to his ministry, who does not get his message first-hand from God? How can he deliver a rightful message without having his faith quickened, his vision cleared, and his heart warmed by his closeting with God?")

PRAYERLESSNESS IN THE PULPIT


“Henry Martyn laments that ‘want of private devotional reading and shortness of prayer through incessant sermon-making had produced much strangeness between God and his soul.’ He judges that he had dedicated too much time to public ministrations and too little to private communion with God. He was much impressed with the need of setting apart times for fasting and to devote times to for solemn prayer. Resulting from this he records ‘Was assisted this morning to pray for two hours.’”—E. M. B.

All God’s saints came to their sainthood by the way of prayer. The saints could do nothing without prayer. We can go further and say that the angels in heaven can do nothing without prayer, but can do all things by praying. These messengers of the Highest are largely dependent on the prayers of the saints for the sphere and power of their usefulness, which open avenues for angelic usefulness and create missions for them on the earth. And as it is with all the Apostles, saints and angels in heaven, so is it of preachers. “The angels of the churches” can do nothing without prayer which opens doors of usefulness and gives power and point to their words.

How can a preacher preach effectively, make impressions on hearts and minds, and have fruits to his ministry, who does not get his message first-hand from God? How can he deliver a rightful message without having his faith quickened, his vision cleared, and his heart warmed by his closeting with God?

It would be well for all of us, in this connection, to read again Isaiah’s vision recorded in the seventh chapter of his prophecy when, as he waited, and confessed and prayed before the throne, the angel touched his lips with a live coal from God’s altar:

“Then flew one of the seraphim unto me,” he says, “having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar; and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and thy iniquity is taken away and thy sin is purged.”
Oh, the need there is for present-day preachers to have their lips touched with a live coal from the altar of God! This fire is brought to the mouths of those prophets who are of a prayerful spirit, and who wait in the secret place for the appointed angel to bring the living flame. Preachers of the same temper as Isaiah received visits from the angel who brings live coals to touch their lips. Prayer always brings the living flame to unloose tongues, to open doors of utterance, and to open great and effectual doors of doing good. This, above all else, is the great need of the prophets of God.

As far as the abiding interests of religion are concerned, a pulpit without a closet will always be a barren thing. Blessed is the preacher whose pulpit and closet are hard by each other, and who goes from the one into the other. To consecrate no place to prayer, is to make a beggarly showing, not only in praying, but in holy living, for secret prayer and holy living are so closely joined that they can never be dissevered. A preacher or a Christian may live a decent, religious life, without secret prayer, but decency and holiness are two widely different things. And the former is attained only by secret prayer.

A preacher may preach in an official, entertaining and learned way, without prayer, but between this kind of preaching and the sowing of God’s precious seed there is distance not easily covered.

We cannot declare too often or too strongly that prayer, involving all of its elements, is the one prime condition of the success of Christ’s kingdom, and that all else is secondary and incidental. Prayerful preachers, prayerful men and prayerful women only can press this Gospel with aggressive power. They only can put in it conquering forces. Preachers may be sent out by the thousand, their equipments be ever so complete, but unless they be men skilled in the trade of prayer, trained to its martial and exhaustive exercise, their going will be lacking in power and effectiveness. Moreover, except the men and women who are behind these preachers, who furnish their equipment, are men and women in whose characters prayer has become to be serious labour, their outlay will be a vain and bootless effort.

Prayer should be the inseparable accompaniment of all missionary effort, and must be the one equipment of the missionaries as they go out to their fields of labour, and enter upon their delicate and responsible tasks. Prayer and missions go hand in hand. A prayerless missionary is a failure before he goes out, while he is out, and when he returns to his native land. A prayerless board of missions, too, needs to learn the lesson of the necessity of prayer.

Prayer enthrones God as sovereign and elevates Jesus Christ to sit with Him, and had Christian preachers used to its full the power of prayer, long ere this the “kingdoms of this world would have become the kingdom of God and of his Christ.” Added to all the missionary addresses, the money raised for missions, to the scores being sent out to needy fields, is prayer. Missions have their root in prayer, must have prayer in all of its plans, and prayer must precede, go with and follow all of its missionaries and labourers.

In the face of all difficulties which face the Church in its great work on earth, and the almost superhuman and complex obstacles in the way of evangelizing the world, God encourages us by His strongest promises: “Call unto me and I will answer thee, and show great and mighty things which thou knowest not.” The revelations of God to him who is of a prayerful spirit go far beyond the limits of the praying. God commits Himself to answer the specific prayer, but He does not stop there. He says, “Ask of me things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands, command ye me.” Think over that remarkable engagement of God to those who pray, “Command ye me,” He actually places Himself at the command of praying preachers and a praying Church. And this is a sufficient answer to all doubts, fears and unbelief, and a wonderful inspiration to do God’s work in His own way, which means by the way of prayer.

And as if to still fortify the faith of His ministry and of His Church, to hedge about and fortify against any temptation to doubt or discouragement, He declares by the mouth of the great Apostle to the Gentiles, “He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that ye can ask or think.”

It is unquestionably taught that preachers in going forward with their God-appointed tasks, in their prayers, can command God, which is to command His ability, His presence and His power. “Certainly I will be with thee,” is the reply to every sincere inquiring minister of God. All of God’s called men in the ministry are privileged to stretch their prayers into regions where neither words nor thought can go, and are permitted to expect from Him beyond their praying, and for their praying, God Himself, and then in addition, “great and mighty things which thou knowest not.”

Real heart-praying, live-praying, praying by the power of the Spirit, direct, specific, ardent, simple praying—this is the kind of praying which legitimately belongs to the pulpit. This is the kind demanded just now by the men who stand in the pulpit. There is no school in which to learn to pray in public but in the closet. Preachers who have learned to pray in the closet, have mastered the secret of pulpit praying. It is but a short step from secret praying to effectual, live, pulpit praying. Good pulpit praying follows from good secret praying. A closed closet with the preacher makes for cold, spiritless, formal praying in the pulpit. Study how to pray, O preacher, but not by studying the forms of prayer, but by attending the school of prayer on your knees before God. Here is where we learn not only to pray before God, but learn also how to pray in the presence of men. He who has learned the way to the closet has discovered the way to pray when he enters the pulpit.

How easily we become professional and mechanical in the most sacred undertakings! Henry Martyn learned the lesson so hard to learn, that the cultivation and perfection of personal righteousness was the great and prime factor in the preacher’s true success. So likewise he that learns the lesson so hard to learn, that live, spiritual, effective pulpit praying is the outgrowth of regular secret praying, has learned his lesson well. More-over: his work, as a preacher, will depend upon his praying.

The great need of the hour is for good pray-ers in the pulpit as well as good preachers. Just as live, spiritual preaching is the kind which impresses and moves men, so the same kind of pulpit praying moves and impresses God. Not only is the preacher called to preach well, but also he must be called to pray well. Not that he is called to pray after the fashion of the Pharisees, who love to stand in public and pray that they may be seen and heard of men. The right sort of pulpit praying is far removed from Pharisaical praying, as far distant as light is from darkness, as great as heat is from cold, as life is from death.

Where are we? What are we doing? Preaching is the very loftiest work possible for a man to do. And praying goes hand-in-hand with preaching. It is a mighty, a lofty work. Preaching is a life-giving work sowing the seeds of eternal life. Oh, may we do it well, do it after God’s order, do it successfully! May we do it divinely well, so that when the end comes, the solemn close of earthly probation, we may hear from the Great Judge of all the earth, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

When we consider this great question of preaching, we are led to exclaim, “With what reverence, simplicity and sincerity ought it to be done!” What truth in the inward parts is demanded in order that it be done acceptably to God and with profit to men! How real, true and loyal those who practise it ought to be! How great the need to pray as Christ prayed, with strong cryings, and tears, with godly fear! Oh, may we as preachers do the real thing of preaching, with no sham, with no mere form of words, with no dull, cold, professional utterances, but give ourselves to prayerful preaching and prayerful praying! Preaching which gives life is born of praying which gives life. Preaching and praying always go together, like Siamese twins, and can never be separated without death to one or the other, or death to both.

This is not the time for kid-glove methods nor sugar-coated preaching. This is no time for playing the gentleman as a preacher nor for putting on the garb of the scholar in the pulpit, if we propose to disciple all nations, destroy idolatry, crush the rugged and defiant forces of Mohammedanism, and overcome and destroy the tremendous forces of evil now opposing the kingdom of God in this world. Brave men, true men, praying men—afraid of nothing but God, are the kind needed just now. There will be no smiting the forces of evil which now hold the world in thralldom, no lifting of the degraded hordes of paganism, to light and eternal life, by any but praying men. All others are merely playing at religion, make-believe soldiers, with no armour and no ammunition, who are absolutely helpless in the face of a wicked and gainsaying world. None but soldiers and bond servants of Jesus Christ can possibly do this tremendous work. “Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ,” cries the great Apostle. This is no time to think of self, to consult with dignity, to confer with flesh and blood, to think of ease, or to shrink from hardship, grief and loss. This is the time for toil, suffering, and self-denial. We must lose all for Christ in order to gain all for Christ. Men are needed in the pulpit, as well as in the pew, who are “bold to take up, firm to sustain, the consecrated cross.” Here is the sort of preachers God wants. And this sort are born of much praying. For no man is sufficient for these things who is a prayerless preacher. Praying preachers alone can meet the demand and will be equal to the emergency.

Sudan war: Russia hedges bets by aiding both sides in conflict

Interesting, considering this is one of the African nations involved in Ezekiel 38 Gog & Magog alliance,
Cush (or Ethiopia): This land, often translated as Ethiopia, is not the same as modern Ethiopia. It represented the land south of Egypt. Today, this nation is Sudan.

Moscow is striking a series of deals with the Sudanese Armed Forces while the Wagner Group continues to support the Rapid Support Forces

Russia is moving to develop and secure its strategic interests in Sudan, offering the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) weapons while continuing to help supply the SAF’s enemy, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary, through the Wagner Group.

Analysts told Middle East Eye that Russia is acting to fill a power vacuum left by the US and to counter Ukraine’s military presence in Sudan - there are between 100 and 300 Ukrainian troops on the ground, operating mostly at night alongside the SAF.

At the same time, sources in the Central African Republic’s armed opposition told MEE that Wagner, the Russian military group, was still operating there, facilitating the supply of arms from the United Arab Emirates to the RSF. The sources said that they had captured Wagner fighters in CAR as recently as last week.

Russia has maintained relations with both the RSF and army since before Sudan’s war started on 15 April last year. Now over a year old, the war has left tens of thousands of people dead and displaced eight million more, becoming the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe.

In the weeks before it began, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Khartoum, where he held separate meetings with army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the former Janjaweed commander known as Hemeti.

Multiple sources have confirmed that Wagner operatives have been involved in the supply of weapons from the UAE to the RSF throughout the war, though Sudan’s army-aligned government has said publicly that this is no longer the case.

The Wagner Group has claimed that it is no longer operating inside Sudan, but a diplomatic source and eyewitnesses in Khartoum and Darfur have said that there are still Russian mercenaries there.

Russian focus shifts

There are signs, though, that Russia is now focusing more on its relationship with Burhan and the army-aligned government.

Speaking in Arabic in Port Sudan on 28 April, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov was clear that it is the army-controlled Sovereignty Council of Sudan that truly represents the Sudanese people.

The Russian minister, who led a delegation that included military officers, met with Burhan in the Red Sea city, from where the army-controlled government is operating.

Hailing the “rich experience” Russia and Sudan had together in mining projects, Bogdanov said his visit could lead to increased cooperation and expressed support for “the existing legitimacy in the country represented by the Sovereignty Council”.

Malik Agar, vice president of the Sovereignty Council, hailed the “deep-rooted history and joint cooperation in various fields” between the two countries and “stressed the need to strengthen cooperation and joint coordination between Sudan and Russia in international platforms, especially the United Nations”.

Weapons, fuel and gold

Bogdanov’s visit did not come out of the blue. According to two army-aligned officials who spoke to Middle East Eye on the condition of anonymity, Sudanese intelligence chief Ahmed Mufaddal was in Russia meeting with his counterparts a week before Bogdanov, who is also Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special representative for the Middle East and Africa, arrived in Sudan.

Earlier in April, the sources said, Russia’s ambassador to Sudan, Andrey Chernovol, had approached Burhan offering to supply the SAF with weapons.

The Sudan Tribune reported that during the discussions between Bogdanov’s delegation and army-aligned officials, the Russians offered the SAF “unrestricted qualitative military aid”. This offer could “involve specialised expertise and, potentially, a Russian presence in Sudan”.

On 4 May, a Russian-registered transport plane landed in Port Sudan from Dubai.

The Abakan Air Ilyushin Il-76MD had made multiple trips from Dubai to Aktau in Kazakhstan in the days leading up to the Port Sudan flight, according to data from Flightradar 24.

At the beginning of April, Russia began exporting diesel to Sudan, with two fuel tankers, Pavo Rock and Conga, delivering a total of about 70,000 metric tonnes of diesel to Port Sudan on 2 April and 5 April, according to LSEG data.

Another oil tanker, the Marabella Sun, is currently at anchor in Port Sudan, according to the Marine Traffic website. Russia has been scrambling to find new markets for its refined products since a full EU embargo was imposed on it in February 2023.

Russian companies have longstanding interests in Sudan, particularly in gold mining, with western diplomats in Khartoum previously saying that the Wagner Group was working with the Dagalo family to ship gold out of Darfur.

Hemeti and his family own a gold mining company that operates on lands he seized in Darfur, in western Sudan, in 2017. He has talked openly about not being the “first man to own goldmines”, but they provide him and the RSF with a key source of power and wealth.

Speaking to Middle East Eye in April last year, a US official based in North Africa said that an estimated 32.7 tonnes of gold were smuggled out of Sudan on 16 charter flights with an estimated value of $1.9bn between February 2022 to February 2023.

The cargo was sometimes flown to a Russian controlled airbase in Syria and was always labelled as cookies, the official said. It was used by Moscow to help keep its economy afloat in the wake of its war in Ukraine.

Red Sea base

In Port Sudan, according to the two-army aligned sources, the Russian delegation also discussed Ukraine’s military presence in Sudan and the prospect of a Russian naval base on the Red Sea coast, which was first agreed upon during the days of autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

Russia hopes to establish a naval base on Sudan’s Red Sea coastline close to Port Sudan - in February 2023, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a press conference in Khartoum that an agreement for this to happen had been “signed earlier between the two countries and is only waiting to be legalised”.


More: Russia moves to play both sides in Sudan war
  • Informative
Reactions: Vambram

Centurions in the NT

Nine centurions are mentioned in the NT positively.

1, Matthew 8:

5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6“Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
The centurion had faith in Jesus' mere word of command from a distance to heal his servant. Jesus was impressed:

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
2, Luke 23:

47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!”
3, Acts 10:

22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.”
4, Acts 22:

25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”
26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”
5, Acts 23:

17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.”
18 So the centurion took him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner sent and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.”
6 & 7, Acts 23:

23 Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen b to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. 24 Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”
8, Act 24:

23 Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.
9, Acts 27:

42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so none of them could swim to freedom. 43But the centurion, wanting to spare Paul’s life, thwarted their plan. He commanded those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.
Why were centurions featured so frequently in the New Testament?

The following answer is from ChatGPT:

Centurions are featured prominently in the New Testament, particularly in the Gospels and the Book of Acts. There are several reasons why centurions are mentioned frequently in these biblical accounts:

  1. Roman occupation: Palestine was under Roman rule during Jesus's time and the early Christian movement. Centurions were officers in the Roman army responsible for maintaining order and enforcing Roman law. They played a significant role in the governance and administration of the region.
  2. Historical accuracy: The New Testament writers aimed to present an accurate account of the events surrounding Jesus' life and the early Christian community. Including centurions in the narrative was a way to reflect the reality of the Roman presence and influence in the region.
  3. Neutral observers: Centurions were often portrayed as impartial figures who witnessed key events. They provided a perspective from the Roman authority that demonstrated the authenticity and impact of Jesus' ministry and the subsequent growth of the early Church.
  4. Positive portrayals: While the Jewish population generally resented the Roman occupation, centurions were occasionally depicted positively. They were shown as individuals who demonstrated faith, compassion, and even respect for Jewish religious customs. These positive portrayals may have highlighted the inclusivity of the Christian message, appealing to both Jewish and Gentile audiences.
  5. Symbolic significance: Centurions' appearances in the New Testament can also carry symbolic meaning. They often serve as examples of faith and humility, contrasting the religious leaders of the time who opposed Jesus. Centurions such as the one present at Jesus' crucifixion and the centurion who witnessed his death are depicted as recognizing Jesus' divine nature and proclaiming their faith in him.
Overall, including centurions in the New Testament serves various purposes, ranging from historical accuracy to illustrating key aspects of the message and themes found within the biblical accounts.

New Scientific Study Affirms Bible: Jerusalem Was a Major City Under David and Solomon

For decades, archaeologists and historians have debated whether the Bible’s description of Jerusalem as a large city during the time of kings David and Solomon was accurate or — as skeptics suggested — the biblical account was inaccurate, and Jerusalem instead was an insignificant town or village. Now, though, a new major scientific study in Israel has affirmed what Scripture describes as a large urban area.

The study was conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority, Tel Aviv University, and the Weizmann Institute of Science and uses science “in order to link events mentioned in the Bible to archaeological findings unearthed in the city of David.”

“The new research sheds light on one of the longstanding and controversial research questions regarding the nature and scope of Jerusalem during the reigns of David and Solomon and thereafter: the findings from the new research indicate that there was a widespread settlement in Jerusalem during this period,” the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said in a news release.
Israel Antiquities Authority (1)


Continued below.

James Comer invited the president to testify, but he refused


I like Attorney Jonathan Turley.

I like listening to lawyers because you can learn about the law. I mean, you hear all these accusations flying about Trump and other Republicans and you don't know what to believe, so good lawyers can clear things up for us. I speak of good attorneys who are not political hacks like most of the ones who go on msnbc and other such stations.

Anyhow, the president didn't want to go to Congress's hearing

That's interesting. What can we assume about that?

:scratch:
  • Like
Reactions: Vambram

This one really has me stumped guys

And I am stumped. Question surfaces how could Jesus take His whole Humanity from his Mother and not have an xx chromosome and it makes Him male. Christian sites —non Catholic— can worm their way around, but only by splitting His Divinity in two, making it a heresy. Wolseley NEED your help!
  • Like
Reactions: RileyG

The Necessity For Praying Men

By Edward M. Bounds, from The Weapon of Prayer, 1931, chapter 3

THE NECESSITY FOR PRAYING MEN

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”Ephes. 6:18.

“Withal praying for us also that God would open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in bonds: that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak.”Col. 4:3.

One of the crying things of our day is for men whose faith, prayers and study of the Word of God have been vitalized, and a transcript of that Word is written on their hearts, and who will give it forth as the incorruptible seed that liveth and abideth forever. Nothing more is needed to clear up the haze by which a critical unfaith has eclipsed the Word of God than the fidelity of the pulpit in its unwavering allegiance to the Bible and the fearless proclamation of its truth. Without this the standard-bearer fails, and wavering and confusion all along the ranks follow. The pulpit has wrought its mightiest work in the days of its unswerving loyalty to the Word of God.

In close connection with this, must we have men of prayer, men in high and low places who hold to and practice Scriptural praying. While the pulpit must hold to its unswerving loyalty to the Word of God, it must, at the same time, be loyal to the doctrine of prayer which that same Word illustrates and enforces upon mankind.

Schools, colleges and education considered simply as such cannot be regarded as being leaders in carrying forward the work of God’s kingdom in the world. They have neither the right, the will nor the power to do the work. This is to be accomplished by the preached Word, delivered in the power of the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, sown with prayerful hands, and watered with the tears of praying hearts. This is the divine law, and so “nominated in the bond.” We are shut up and sealed to it—we would follow the Lord.

Men are demanded for the great work of soul saving, and men must go. It is no angelic or impersonal force which is needed. Human hearts baptized with the spirit of prayer, must bear the burden of this message, and human tongues on fire as the result of earnest, persistent prayer, must declare the Word of God to dying men.

The Church, today, needs praying men to execute her solemn and pressing responsibility to meet the fearful crisis which is facing her. The crying need of the times is for men, in increased numbers—God-fearing men, praying men, Holy Ghost men, men who can endure hardness, who will count not their lives dear unto themselves, but count all things but dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Saviour. The men who are so greatly needed in this age of the Church are those who have learned the business of praying,—learned it upon their knees, learned it in the need and agony of their own hearts.

Praying men are the one commanding need of this day, as of all other days, in which God is to have or make a showing. Men who pray are, in reality, the only religious men, and it takes a full-measured man to pray. Men of prayer are the only men who do or can represent God in this world. No cold, irreligious, prayerless man can claim the right. They misrepresent God in all His work, and all His plans. Praying men are the only men who have influence with God, the only kind of men to whom God commits Himself and His Gospel. Praying men are the only men in which the Holy Spirit dwells, for the Holy Spirit and prayer go hand-in-hand. The Holy Spirit never descends upon prayerless men. He never fills them, He never empowers them. There is nothing whatever in common between the Spirit of God and men who do not pray. The Spirit dwells only in a prayer atmosphere.

In doing God’s work there is no substitute for praying. The men of prayer cannot be displaced with other kinds of men. Men of financial skill, men of education; men of worldly influence—none of these can possibly be put in substitution for the men of prayer. The life, the vigour, the motive-power of God’s work is formed by praying men. A vitally diseased heart is not a more fearful symptom of approaching death than non-praying men are of spiritual atrophy.

The men to whom Jesus Christ committed the fortunes and destiny of His Church were men of prayer. To no other kind of men has God ever committed Himself in this world. The Apostles were preeminently men of prayer. They gave themselves to prayer. They made praying their chief business. It was first in point of importance and first in results. God never has, and He never will, commit the weighty interests of His kingdom to prayerless men, who do not make prayer a conspicuous and controlling factor in their lives. Men never rise to any eminence of piety who do not pray. Men of piety are always men of prayer. Men are never noted for the simplicity and strength of their faith who are not preeminently men of prayer. Piety flourishes nowhere so rapidly and so rankly as in the closet. The closet is the garden of faith.

The Apostles allowed no duty, however sacred, to so engage them as to infringe upon their time and prevent them from making prayer the main thing. The Word of God was ministered by apostolic fidelity and zeal. It was spoken by men with apostolic commissions and whose heads the fiery tongues of Pentecost had baptized. The Word was pointless and powerless without they were freshly endued with power by continuous and mighty prayer. The seed of God’s Word must be saturated in prayer to make it germinate. It grows readier and roots deeper when it is prayer-soaked.

The Apostles were praying men, themselves. They were teachers of prayer, and trained their disciples in the school of prayer. They urged prayer upon their disciples not only that they might attain to the loftiest eminence of faith, but that they might be the most powerful factors in advancing God’s kingdom.

Jesus Christ was the divinely appointed leader of God’s people, and no one thing in His life proves His eminent fitness for that office so fully as His habit of prayer. Nothing is more suggestive of thought than Christ’s continual praying, and nothing is more conspicuous about Him than prayer. His campaigns were arranged, His victories gained, in the struggles and communion of His all-night praying. His praying rent the heavens. Moses and Elijah and the Transfiguration glory waited on His praying. His miracles and His teaching had their force from the same source. Gethsemane’s praying crimsoned Calvary with serenity and glory. His prayer makes the history and hastens the triumphs of His Church. What an inspiration and command to prayer is Christ’s life! What a comment on its worth! How He shames our lives by His praying!

Like all His followers who have drawn God nearer to the world and lifted the world nearer to God, Jesus was the man of prayer, made of God a leader and commander to His people. His leadership was one of prayer. A great leader He was, because He was great in prayer. All great leaders for God have fashioned their leadership in the wrestlings of their closets. Many great men have led and moulded the Church who have not been great in prayer, but they were great only in their plans, great for their opinions, great for their organization, great by natural gifts, by the force of genius or of character. However, they were not great for God. But Jesus Christ was a great leader for God. His was the great leadership of great praying. God was in His leadership greatly because prayer was in it greatly. We might just well express the wish that we be taught by Him to pray, and to pray more and more.

Herein has been the secret of the men of prayer in the past history of the Church. Their hearts were after God, their desires were on Him, their prayers were addressed to Him. They communed with Him, sought nothing of the world, sought great things of God, wrestled with Him, conquered all opposing forces, and opened up the channel of faith deep and broad between them and heaven. And all this was done by the use of prayer. Holy meditations, spiritual desires, heavenly drawings, swayed their intellects, enriched their emotions, and filled and enlarged their hearts. And all this was so because they were first of all men of prayer.

The men who have thus communed with God and who have sought after Him with their whole hearts, have always risen to consecrated eminence, and no man has ever risen to this eminence whose flames of holy desire have not all been dead to the world and all aglow for God and heaven. Nor have they ever risen to the heights of the higher spiritual experiences unless prayer and the spirit of prayer have been conspicuous and controlling factors in their lives.

The entire consecration of many of God’s children stands out distinctly like towering mountain-peaks. Why is this? How did they ascend to these heights? What brought them so near to God? What made them so Christ-like? The answer is easy-prayer. They prayed much, prayed long, and drank deeper and deeper still. They asked, they sought, and they knocked, till heaven opened its richest inner treasures of grace to them. Prayer was the Jacob’s Ladder by which they scaled those holy and blessed heights, and the way by which the angels of God came down to and ministered to them.

The men of spiritual mould and might always value prayer. They took time to be alone with God. Their praying was no hurried performance. They had many serious wants to be relieved, and many weighty pleas they had to offer. Many large supplies they must secure. They had to do much silent waiting before God, and much patient iteration and reiteration to utter to Him. Prayer was the only channel through which supplies came, and was the only way to utter pleas. The only acceptable waiting before God of which they knew anything was prayer. They valued praying. It was more precious to them than all jewels, more excellent than any good, more to be valued than the greatest good of earth. They esteemed it, valued it, prized it, and did it. They pressed it to its farthest limits, tested its greatest results, and secured its most glorious patrimony. To them prayer was the one great thing to be appreciated and used.

The Apostles above everything else were praying men, and left the impress of their prayer example and teaching upon the early Church. But the Apostles are dead, and times and men have changed. They have no successors by official entail or heirship. And the times have no commission to make other apostles. Prayer is the entail to spiritual and apostolical leadership. Unfortunately the times are not prayerful times. God’s cause just now needs very greatly praying leaders. Other things may be needed, but above all else this is the crying demand of these times and the urgent first need of the Church.

This is the day of great wealth in the Church and of wonderful material resources. But unfortunately the affluence of material resources is a great enemy and a severe hindrance to strong spiritual forces. It is an invariable law that the presence of attractive and potent material forces creates a trust in them, and by the same inevitable law, creates distrust in the spiritual forces of the Gospel. They are two masters which cannot be served at one and the same time. For just in proportion as the mind is fixed on one, will it be drawn away from the other. The days of great financial prosperity in the Church have not been days of great religious prosperity. Moneyed men and praying men are not synonymous terms.

Paul in 1 Tim. 2, emphasizes the need of men to pray. Church leaders in his estimation are to be conspicuous for their praying. Prayer ought and must of necessity shape their characters, and must be one of their distinguishing characteristics. Prayer ought to be one of their most powerful elements, so much so that it cannot be hid. Prayer ought to make Church leaders notable. Character, official duty, reputation and life, all should be shaped by prayer. The mighty forces of prayer lie in its praying leaders in a marked way. The standing obligation to pray rests in a peculiar sense on Church leaders. Wise will the Church be to discover this prime truth and give prominence to it.

It may be laid down as an axiom, that God needs, first of all, leaders in the Church who will be first in prayer, men with whom prayer is habitual and characteristic, men who know the primacy of prayer. But even more than a habit of prayer, and more than prayer being characteristic of them, Church leaders are to be impregnated with prayer—men whose lives are made and moulded by prayer, whose heart and life are made up of prayer. These are the men—the only men—God can use in the furtherance of His kingdom and the implanting of His message in the hearts of men.

Attorney says judge in Trump case "under water" & other issues with case


So here is another attorney (I've listened to several) who has big problems with the "Daniels" thing and particularly this judge and his gag rule.

Michael Cohen has no gag rule but Trump, who is running for president of the US/leader of the free world

does. Yeh, that looks good, doesn't it? The judge is keeping America un-informed about someone who could be our leader. The whole reason for the First Amendment is so that Americans will have access to all kinds of opinions and viewpoints so they can make IMPORTANT decisions.

But we don't get that here. Oh well, too bad, say the liberals.

Also, it looks like Trump had personal reasons for wanting this pay out, such as he didn't want his wife to be disturbed by it (my words) so him having a political motive cannot be taken for granted.

My biggest problem is that the judge should recuse himself and does not-- yet he donated to Biden's campaign. Looks like grounds for REVERSAL in a higher court.

Can't make it up............!
  • Agree
Reactions: Vambram

How Vatican II adversely affected life for Catholics in the 21st century

I can only speak for myself, really. For some reason, the Catholics I've known are reticent to discuss any dissatisfaction with the Church. Not tht I get out much anyway. Maybe I just haven't met "the right ones."

In any case, when I was growing up, V2 had not yet taken hold. In some ways, it probably still hasn't?

In any case, priests back in those days were priest-like. They showed concern for the flock. One time my family (or maybe more than once) had the priest over for dinner. Today, I don't like any priests... just being honest. That's not to say I didn't like them when I first encountered them and some of their homilies were good but it seems inevitably, the priest would say something rude or exhibit impatience or what have you. I remember one time I was in some kind of crisis, the details of which escape me at this time. I called the parish priest and he was short and unconcerned, and did NOT help me, which tended to make me more upset, not surprisingly.

So yeh... V2 sent the signal to all that things were not going to be the same as they were--in any way at all.

I used to be crtitical of people who left the Church... not anymore. But I think of how Christ, after telling people about the Eucharist (John, chapter 6), that it is His actual Body and Blood, and after most of his followers left Him, He asked Peter and the 12

"Will you also leave?"

And Peter said to Jesus

Where would we go? You have the words of eternal life

So yeh... I can't really get enthused about going to some other "church," not after experiencing the Real Presence. And also, the Protestant churches I've been to dislike Catholics.. some heartily.
  • Like
Reactions: The Liturgist

Beaten For the Light part 2, or, Truly the Light is Sweet

Ecclesiastes 11:7,
"Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun"

The light indeed is sweet, and while it is pleasant to behold the sun, rather than gloom, it is much better to behold the SON: S - O - N. of God, Jesus Christ, who is the Light.

Isaiah 60:1-2,
"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee."

Judges 7:16, 19 & 20, (Here we see the light hidden, but brought out of darkness, which involved the breaking of the pitchers, and we are the clay in the potters hands, and we must be 'broken' in order for the light of Christ to shine through us)
"And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers...
So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.
And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon."

Psalm 119:105,
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

Proverbs 6:23,
"For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:"

Genesis 1:3-5,
"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."

Now let's stop here for a sec - for those who think there's a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 that are millions or billions of years, and that's when they believe the dinosaurs lived, etc; They must have lived in total darkness and ate nothing; but we know from fossils there were plants, which were made on day 3 (Gen. 1:11-13), and the plants needed light made on day one, and the light giving orbs, the stars, were made on day 4 (Gen. 1:14-19), which gave motion to the light that was already set in the paths where light dwelleth (Job 38:19-20), for God commanded the light to shine out of darkness (2 Cor. 4:6). Amen!

And a time comes when the sun will not be needed, nor candles, for the Lord GOD, Adonai Yahweh giveth them light (Rev. 22:5, and go back to Revelation 21:23, "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." (I'm just going where the Spirit's leading and in the second part of the message He's taken us all the way back to the first verses of Genesis 1, all the way forward to Revelation 22.)

I love the way God works in Exodus 14:20 - there is a cloud and darkness to the Egyptians, but it gave light by night to the Israelites. This was that awesome pillar of fire that went with Israel through the wilderness, and it is written Yahweh, the LORD looked through the pillar of fire (Exodus 14:24) Are not His eyes as a flame of fire? (Revelation 1:14)

I was looking at the meat offerings made by fire in Leviticus chapters 1, 2 & 3, specifically the meat offerings of corn with oil and frankincense, and how the meat was offered with salt, but that's a whole 'nother message: a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Remember, it was pure oil olive beaten for the light, and Numbers 18:32 says, "neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die." Up till now this has been a very uplifting message, good for edification, but I've got to say there is a down side: while the light of God, His Spirit cannot go out, you can quench the Spirit , and you can grieve the Spirit (1 Thess 5:19, Eph. 4:30) David's men said in 2 Samuel 21:17, "Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel."

When you do this, your light becomes darkness, as Matthew 6:23 explains, "But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" Job 18:5 says, "Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine."

How about 1 John 2:11? "But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes." That's a sure way to quench the Spirit, and if this is happening, best confess thy sins and repent, then you can say, " For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness." (Psalm 18:28)

But woe to anyone who falls under the curse, when "The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart: And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee." (Deuteronomy 28:28-29) Ouch! I know, that stings, but the LORD still chastises today, and if you quench the light He's given you, "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:29)

I can say this because I have experimental knowledge of it, and I know exactly how this goes, and how this ends. I have been in such a place, under the curse, quenching the light and quenching the Spirit. I was as those with a lamp without oil, as the foolish virgins in Matthew 25. If you're trying to have the light of God while you live in darkness as a child of God, God will not oblige you! "what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14) The answer of course is, None! there is no communion. Darkness will either flee at the Light, or, if you quench the light, darkness will immediately fill that place vacated by the light, and Jesus is clear, we can quench His light, and it's not a good place to be.

You will grope and stumble, and fall, so that you can see your desperate need for His light, and it will come flooding in in all His glory when you repent and resolve to step out of the darkness. Until then you'll be miserable in soul, and have no joy, and it's a sad and very oppressive place to be.

"Where no wood is, the fire goes out" (Proverbs 26:20) You gotta feed that fire: The Word of God, who is Jesus Christ, Yeshua: Yahweh is Salvation; the Vine, (John 15:1), The Branch, (Jer. 23:5, Zech. 3:8), and the Root (Isaiah 11:10, Rom. 11:17-18, & 15:12) That's all WOOD, and our God is a consuming fire! (Heb. 12:29) And note, in Romans 11 where it refers to Jesus as the Root, it is the Root of an olive tree, in fact, the Root and fatness of the olive tree. Right back to the first message on pure oil olive, beaten for the light.

Leviticus 24:2 repeats what is written in Exodus 27:20, "Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually."

Let this light then be our portion, for, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." (Romans 13:12)

Daniel 12:3, "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Keep in mind, the LORD still guides His people, and maybe not by a physical and visible pillar of fire, but by faith I see this, and by faith I know He is there and His light is as blazing as it was there in the desert wilderness!
Nehemiah 9:12 & 19,
"Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go. Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go."

Let this be our prayer:
Psalm 43:3,
"O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles."

"Truly the Light is sweet..." yes, it is. Praise God for His Son Jesus who is the Light, Truly His light is sweet. Amen.

Biden gets key GOP endorsement from Geoff Duncan, former lieutenant governor of Georgia

Geoff Duncan: Why I’m voting for Biden and other Republicans should, too

Donald Trump has disqualified himself through his conduct and his character.

--

Duncan has previously been critical of Trump's election lies and election meddling, particularly concerning Georgia.

Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, one of the witnesses who testified before the grand jury Monday, called the investigation a “pivot point” in American politics.

“As Republicans, we either are going to have to take our medicine and realize the election wasn’t rigged, Donald Trump was the worst candidate ever, in the history of the party … and now we are going to have to pivot from there,” Duncan told reporters as he left the courthouse. [I understand he compared Trump unfavorably to Herschel Walker as the worst candidate ever.]
  • Like
Reactions: AlexB23

Why the subconscious is very important and should not be neglected

The short answer as to why the subconscious is important is that it is part of you. I am not a psychologist by profession, although I've studied Psychology some.

But I have done this also: I have asked myself many times RE this or that event (or person) in my life: WHY exactly did I do this or say that? And if you have the Holy Spiriit in your life, you will get answers to this (presumably).

An example: I used to, when very young, get romantically involved w/ people who were very bad for me (and apparently, bad for anyone). It was really messing up my life. So I psychoanalyzed myself, for lack of a better way to put it. And of course, my childhood and my parents came to mind in ths process.

I heard somewhere that you tend to get involved romantically with someone who is like the parent you hadthe most problems or issues with.

When I 1st heard that years ago, I thought it was bunk but then I took a look @ the people I was "attracted" to and.. yeh..

It's true.

So I was basically addicted to.... BAD. It took me awhile to break that habit. It took the rosary and other kinds of prayers, plus talks with myself..

This is important because bad relationship are bad for your soul and what is bad for your soul can lead you to Hell.

Praise & Thank Jesus Christ for ensuring that India's Hindu Nationalist party has lost some political support in the province/state of Haryana

Praise & Thank Jesus Christ for ensuring that India's Hindu Nationalist party has lost some political support in the province/state of Haryana:

AI Catholic 'priest' defrocked after recommending Gatorade baptism

A very ill-advised rush into using AI, IMO. Personally I'm surprised that Catholic Answers is still around.


An attempt by a Catholic advocacy group to spread the word of God using an AI model has backfired, and chat bot – Father Justin – has been pulled down and reworked.

The group's Catholic Answers website contains answers to commonly asked questions from those confused by the good book. Father Justin was supposed to aid this, by answering any other queries worshipers may have, but as commonly happens the interactive Q&A bot really didn't work that well.​

Yes, Paul Really Taught Mutual Submission

Why Wayne Grudem’s interpretation of Ephesians 5:21 is untenable.

In Ephesians 5:21, Paul instructs Christians to “submit to one another.” These words have traditionally been understood to require mutual submission, even among family members. The reformer John Calvin, for example, acknowledged that the notion of a father submitting to his child or a husband submitting to his wife might seem “strange at first glance,” but he never questioned that such submission is indeed what Paul prescribes.

In more recent years, however, this reading of Ephesians 5:21 has been called into question—ironically, in the name of theological conservatism. Many evangelical scholars now assert that the submission in this verse is not mutual submission (everyone submits to everyone) but one-directional submission to those in authority (some submit to others). The most outspoken proponent of this view is Wayne Grudem, a prominent theologian who helped establish the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.

Grudem, who recently announced his retirement from teaching, has argued for more than three decades that Ephesians 5:21 could be paraphrased as follows: “Those who are under authority should be subject to others among you who have authority over them.” On Grudem’s reading, this verse requires a wife to submit to her husband, but it does not in any sense require a husband to submit to his wife.

Continued below.

Historian Tom Holland views Christianity through a secular lens

Historian and author Tom Holland penned an engaging book in 2019, titled, Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World. While recognizing the massive global influence of Christianity, Holland himself does not personally profess faith in Christ. He points to his childhood when explaining how he came to embrace the particular ideals and beliefs he holds dear today.

During a conversation on Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson that included Stephen Meyer and Douglas Murray, Holland stated: “When I was a child, I was raised Christian. I loved the Bible stories. But the truth was that I actually preferred the figures of the great empire, so I was on the side of Pharaoh rather the children of Israel; I was on the side of Nebuchadnezzar rather than the Judeans; I was on the side of Pontius Pilate, I am ashamed to say, rather than Jesus.”

Holland, who was born in Oxford, England, 56 years ago, also shared a few of his current beliefs: “I want to believe in the things I believe in as a secular humanist. I want to believe in human rights.” At the same time, Holland senses the enormous impact Christianity has had upon his philosophical DNA. He said, “I realized that essentially I, my friends, the country, the civilization I live in is actually not really the heir of Greece or Rome at all. It has been profoundly and utterly shaped by Christianity.”

Continued below.

New York woman goes TikTok viral after printing 500 business cards to help friend find a date

Business cards include QR code with links to short bio, plus social media​

For many people, finding a suitable romantic match can be quite a challenge.


Merely from looking at social media and dating appsalone, many often feel overwhelmed by the variety of places to find "the perfect match."

Natalie Abatemarco, a 25-year-old content creator from New York, decided to change things up for a single friend of hers.

Abatemarco recently went viral on TikTok, with some 550,000 views at the time of this report, for showing how she tried helping her friend to get a date: by using business cards.

The content creator made 500 business cards with her friend’s face on them — then included a QR code with links to her friend's social media accounts, plus a short bio, she told SWNS.

Continued below.

Filter

Forum statistics

Threads
5,872,168
Messages
65,312,975
Members
276,005
Latest member
ChristianBerk