It was 1983, in the last years of the Cold War, when 21-year-old Marla Lucas’ eyes filled with tears at the sight of a political cartoon prepared to be printed in the Washington Post criticizing then-Pope John Paul II during his activism against communism in Poland.

Lucas, who is now known as Mother Marla, was fresh out of college at the time and had recently experienced a reversion to her Catholic faith and was “on fire” for Christ, she told CNA on April 22.

What hurt Mother Marla the most about the drawing was her own perceived involvement in its creation. She was a research assistant for the cartoonist who drew it, three-time Pulitzer Prize winner and “unrepentant liberal,” the late Herbert Block, commonly known as “Herblock.”

“I felt like an accomplice,” she said.

Continued below.

The Christian community continues to rebuild and restore as it heals from the horrors of the Islamic State group. Plus, Turkish and Iranian airstrikes continue in some parts of Iraq, impacting Christian communities.
The historic Christian communities in Iraq also face issues with persecution and discrimination, particularly from Islamic militant groups and non-Christian leaders. In places where they are the significant minority, Christians often don’t publicly display Christian symbols, as it can lead to harassment or mistreatment at checkpoints, universities, workplaces or governmental offices.
Anyone who converts from Islam will likely face intense pressure from their families and communities. They can be threatened, abused, lose family members, pressured or even killed. Conversion can have practical consequences as well, including loss of inheritance and lack of opportunity.

Meet Bishop Daniel​

“I dream that [Iraq’s Christian youth] accomplish their dreams [and] that they will be more resilient so that they can work on [preserving] their existence… My big dream is that the youth will stay. We really need them in the future to lead our community into a better place.”
Bishop Daniel, a church leader in northern Iraq.

What does Open Doors do to help?​

Open Doors’ local partners strengthen the Church in Iraq with training, trauma care, the delivery of Bibles and Christian books, livelihood projects and microloans, help to rebuild homes and churches, and crisis relief.

Please pray​

• Ask God to help Christians and churches who are victims of discrimination in Iraq to persevere.
• Ask God to help churches and Christians continue to deepen their roots in Iraq.
• Pray for Open Doors’ work supporting trauma care in Iraq.

In the context of the recent news of the death of Ana Estrada, the first person to request and receive euthanasia in Peru, there is a contrasting story to tell on care for the dying in that country: that of a new Catholic hospital on the outskirts of Lima that provides palliative care, which extends the love of Christ to those in extreme poverty who are in the final stages of their lives.

The beginning of the ‘Misky María’ Hospital​

In 2021, Father Omar Sánchez Portillo, a priest known for his extensive charitable work in the district of Lurín (south of Lima) and founder of the Association of the Beatitudes, had the dream of building a center to serve, with the “sweetness of Mary,” people in situations of abandonment and extreme poverty who have terminal illnesses. After much prayer, he shared the idea with a German Catholic friend and philanthropist.

“We thought about it, we meditated on it, and we always present our great projects as they begin, as a dream of the heart that we offer to God. They are our guides. So, we dreamed of this and presented the initial project, a small project, to serve 10 people,” Sánchez said in an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

Continued below.

Arguments arise about the relevance of the 10 Commandments and the Law of Moses. I would like to explain here the differences between the two based on scripture (KJV).
The Ten Commandments

First, the 10 Commandments that were given by GOD, were written by the finger of GOD himself on tables of stone;
Deu 10:1 At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood.
Deu 10:2 And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark.
Deu 10:3 And I made an ark of [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]tim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand.
Deu 10:4 And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me.
Deu 10:5 And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me.
Note that the tablets were placed INSIDE the Ark of the Covenant under the Mercy seat. The 10 commandments are on a permanent medium, STONE, they are a permanent record. the 10 Commandments are referred to in the biblical texts as My Commandments or His Commandments. The 10 Commandments are the Moral law left to humanity, Jews and Gentiles alike.
The Law of Moses
Moses wrote a separate set of Laws that contained ordinances precepts, and statutes. They contained many things that were important for the Israelites of that time such as food laws, purity laws, social laws, sacrifice and offerings, instructions for the tabernacle, the priesthood, the sacrifices the feasts and more. Moses also copied to text what was on the tables of stone, the commandments but it does not mean the 10 commandments given by GOD are from Moses, The 10 Commandments have a HOLY status and are forever and are Distinct and separate from the Law of Moses. The law of Moses written on parchment or other similar medium was TEMPORARY by nature and was put OUTSIDE the ark of the covenant as it is written;
Deu 31:24 And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,
Deu 31:25 That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying,
Deu 31:26 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
Deu 31:27 For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?
The Mercy Seat
The mercy seat covering the Ark of the Covenant puts the emphasis on the Holiness of the Ark of the Covenant and it's contents, the Ten Commandments written on tables of stone;
Exo 25:17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
Exo 25:18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
Exo 25:19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
Exo 25:20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
Exo 25:21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
Exo 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.




The mercy seat was the cover of the ark of the covenant where the Lord would meet with Moses over the 2 cherubim. The ark is HOLY and the contents, the 10 commandments are HOLY being written by GOD himself on a permanent medium ( stone )
Once per year on the day of Atonement, the High priest had to sprinkle blood on the mercy seat covering the ark containing the 10 commandments from a sacrifice for forgiveness of sin. Sin being defined as breaking the 10 commandments, the moral law written on the tablets of stone INSIDE THE ARK.


Yeshua, the messiah, the son of GOD, was the ultimate sacrifice, He paid the price for our sins with his blood unto death. Since the Final sacrifice for sin was fulfilled By Christ, The Law of Moses was therefore no longer applicable, it was a temporary Law contrary to the 10 Commandments that will not pass away. The two set of laws were, kept separately, given differently and written differently.


Jesus said we must keep the Ten Commandments to be saved, (Mat. 19:16-19). We are not saved by our obedience to God's law, but by grace thru faith. We must repent of our sins having transgressed the commandments. Repentance changes us from disobedience to willing obedience. Those who are willing to obey the Ten Commandments shall enter thru the gates into the HOLY City;
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

His Commandments are sure and are Love and stand for ever and ever. Christians are still obligated to keep the moral law, as these reflect God’s unchanging character and His eternal moral will. Jesus affirmed and deepened these commandments (Matthew 5:17-20, Matthew 22:37-40). The moral law forms the foundation of Christian ethics and guides how we are to live in holiness before God and others.

Deu 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
Peace

See Was baptism always by immersion?

To see all my reach and teach devotions in Chinese/English and hundreds of devotions in English, please click on this link.
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TBL China – The Bottom Line, Ministries


Coffee Break
咖啡时间
"Thanks Among The Heathen"
“万邦都要称谢”
"Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name". Psalm 18:49
诗18：49“耶和华阿，因此我要在外邦中称谢你，歌颂你的名。”
The enemy wants to stop our praise, our thanksgiving and our testimony. We doesn't want us to talk about the Lord, much less praise and worship Him. He knows that praise is powerful. It brings the very presence of God into our situation. It builds us up and gives us strength to walk in victory. It increases our faith.
敌人想要我们停下赞美，感恩称谢和见证。仇敌知道赞美是有力量的，能带来神的同在，让我们得建立并且给我们得胜的力量，增加我们的信心。所以他不想让我们谈论神，少赞美和敬拜神。
In order to get us to stop he will try to use intimidation and fear. The word this morning is: don't be intimidated! Give Him thanks anyway. The verse above says to give the Lord thanks among the heathen. That means we should not withhold our praise and thanksgiving to God because of anyone. I know the scriptures tell us not to "cast our pearls before swine". But there is a difference in that and being intimidated to keep our mouths closed and not say anything about the Lord.
魔鬼试图控告和恐吓你达到阻止你敬拜神的目的。一句话：不要惧怕尽管感谢赞美神。圣经说，万邦都要称谢耶和华，意思就是说任何人都不能阻挡我们赞美神，感谢神。我明白这节圣经告诉我们“不要将珍珠丢在猪前”，但因着魔鬼的恐吓闭嘴和不谈论神的事情，这两者是有区别的。
We should continue to give Him thanks even in the presence of the heathen, the ungodly, the rebellious, the unbeliever, the atheist, the agnostic, the prodigal, the blasphemer, etc. Don't be intimidated by them. The Lord is worthy to be praised. He is great and greatly to be praised. Don't let them steal your praise. Keep on praising the Lord. Keep talking about His goodness and His wonderful works that He has done in your life. Keep on praising Him not only in the congregation of the righteous, not only when you are with your Christian friends, but even when you are among the heathen. They need the power to touch their lives that comes through praise and thanksgiving.
即时在外邦人，恶者，不信的人，无神论者，不可知论者，浪子，亵渎者面前我们也应该继续称谢他，不要被他们恐吓。上帝值得被我们敬拜。神是伟大的，值得我们称颂。不要让他们偷走我们的赞美。不停地赞美主。不要停止讲论神在你生活中的美好和他伟大的工作。不停地赞美他不仅在教会里，在基督徒里，在外邦人面前也要赞美他。他们需要来自赞美和感谢中的力量，来感知生活。
Have a great day. Don't be intimidated to withhold your praise to the Lord, no matter who is around.
祝你有愉快的一天。不管你身边有谁，都不要拦阻你来赞美神。


Submitting to Godly Authority 
顺从神的权柄

Heb. 13:17 ¶ Obey your leaders and submit to them for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account—so that they will do this with joy and not with groaning, for this would be unprofitable for you.
希伯来书 13:17 你们要依从那些引导你们的，且要顺服；因他们为你们的灵魂时刻儆醒，好象那将来交账的人。你们要使他们交的时候有快乐，不至忧愁；若忧愁就与你们无益了

Throughout life we encounter various forms of authority. We have parents, teachers, bosses, and spiritual leaders who guide and direct us. It is essential to understand that God has placed these authorities in our lives for a purpose. Hebrews 13:17 reminds us of our responsibility to obey and submit to these leaders.
在生活中我们会遇到各种形式的权威。我们有父母、老师、上司和灵性领袖指导和引导我们。理解到神为我们的生活安排了这些权威是至关重要的。希伯来书13:17提醒我们要遵从和顺从这些领导者。

At times, submitting to authority may be challenging. We may question their decisions or find it difficult to align our own desires with their instructions. Yet, the writer of Hebrews encourages us to willingly yield to godly authority. When we do so, we are not only honoring the leaders whom God has placed over us, but we are also acknowledging God's sovereignty and wisdom in establishing such structures of authority.
有时顺从权威可能是具有挑战性的。我们可能会质疑他们的决定或发现自己很难将自己的欲望与他们的指示保持一致。然而，希伯来书的作者鼓励我们甘心顺从神圣的权威。当我们这样做时，我们不仅尊重神安排在我们身边的领导者，还承认神在建立这样的权威结构时的至高无上和智慧。

The passage emphasizes that our leaders are tasked with keeping watch over our souls. They bear the weight of responsibility in guiding and protecting us spiritually. By submitting to their leadership, we allow them to fulfill their God-given role effectively. Our obedience brings harmony and order to our lives, fostering an environment where spiritual growth can flourish.
这段经文强调我们的领导者负有守望我们的灵魂的重任。他们肩负着在属灵上引导和保护我们的责任。通过顺从他们的领导，我们让他们能够有效地履行神所赋予的角色。我们的顺从为我们的生活带来和谐和秩序，营造了一个属灵成长蓬勃发展的环境。

However, the writer also warns against causing our leaders unnecessary burden and discouragement. Instead, we should strive to support them with a joyful and cooperative spirit. Our attitudes and actions should contribute to their joy in serving and leading us, rather than adding to their burdens. In doing so, we create an atmosphere conducive to fruitful ministry and nurturing relationships.
然而，作者也警告我们不要给我们的领导者带来不必要的负担和沮丧。相反，我们应该努力以欢乐和合作的精神支持他们。我们的态度和行动应该为他们在事奉和引导我们方面的喜乐作出贡献，而不是增加他们的负担。通过这样做，我们创造了一个有利于丰富事奉和培养关系的氛围。

Submitting to authority is not always easy, especially when we have differing opinions or personal desires. Yet, when we embrace a humble and obedient heart, we position ourselves to receive the benefits that come from following godly leadership. Our submission enables us to mature spiritually, gain wisdom, and experience the blessings that God intends for us. 
顺从权威并不总是容易的，尤其当我们持有不同的观点或个人欲望时。然而，当我们拥抱谦卑和顺服的心态时，我们使自己处于追随神圣领导所带来的益处中。我们的顺从使我们在属灵上成熟，获得智慧，并经历神为我们所意欲的祝福。

Let us approach the subject of authority with a prayerful attitude. May we seek God's guidance and discernment when faced with decisions involving our leaders. Let us trust that God has placed them in our lives for our spiritual well-being and growth. As we submit, let our actions and words reflect our gratitude and respect for those who tirelessly shepherd our souls.
让我们以祈祷的态度来对待权威这个议题。当面临涉及我们的领导者的决策时，愿我们寻求神的指引和辨识。让我们相信，神将他们安排在我们的生活中是为了我们的属灵福祉和成长。在顺从中，让我们的行为和言语反映对那些不辞辛劳地牧养我们灵魂的人的感激和尊重。

Today, let's reflect on the relationships we have with our spiritual leaders, parents, teachers, or other authorities in our lives. Are we actively submitting to their guidance? Are we supporting them with joy and encouragement? Let us pray for the strength to surrender our wills to Godly authority, recognizing that in doing so, we align ourselves with God's divine plan for our lives.
今天让我们反思一下与我们的灵性领袖、父母、老师或其他权威人物之间的关系。我们是否积极地顺从他们的引导？我们是否以喜乐和鼓励来支持他们？让我们为能够将我们的意愿屈服于神圣的权威而祈求力量，认识到这样做，我们与神的神圣计划保持一致。


SOAK IN SCRIPTURE

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天主的话为我们作什么﹖God's Word Does What?

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The Pastor's Wife

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The Need to Practice What We Preach

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See What is the purpose of believer baptism?

Jesus spoke to Nicodemus in John 3:

5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

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What is born of water?

There are at least 3 interpretations:

1. Water is a symbol of cleansing, Ezekiel 36:

25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28“You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.

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2. Water refers to water baptism. John 1:

33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

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Nicodemus knew about John's water baptism for repentance. Jesus informed him that there was another requirement. Ellicott, Cambridge Bible, and Bengel agreed to this interpretation #2.

3. Water refers to natural watery birth or amniotic sac breaking (Smith's Bible Commentary, Dr. Constable's Expository Notes). John 3:

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

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water || human flesh
Spirit || human spirit

Because of the immediate context and parallelisms, I put more weight on #3.

See also What does it mean to be born again?.

Something about Conspiracy Theories. The phrase "Conspiracy Theorists" first arose after the JFK assassination. People thought there might be more to his death than just a lone gunman. But the Warren Commission insisted that Oswald acted alone, and those who believe otherwise were branded with a brand new insult: "Conspiracy Theorists." Once a media narrative is set, they seek to marginalize and minimalize all who disagree, and that tactic is worse now than ever.

Today, MOST Americans do not believe Oswald acted alone, and a great movie was even made about that called "JFK". Therefore, according to those who coined that phrase, and by their standards , MOST Americans are Conspiracy Theorists.

Now today: Lets take the Stolen 2020 Election as a comparison. Personally, I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was stolen, and that has been proven sufficiently for me. In fact, there is far far more evidence supporting the fact that the 2020 election was stolen then there is about Oswald not working alone.

Just as before, the media narrative was set, and all who had a different opinion were mocked. But today, unlike in the early 60's, the technology exists to cancel and literally wipe out those who disagreed. And that happened writ large. Hopefully, we will be vindicated and justice will be done. I think that those who believe that Oswald did not act alone have been vindicated. We are still waiting for justice to be done in that case too.

So, think twice before mocking someone and labeling them a "Conspiracy Theorist." There is a high probability that you are one yourself.



Link of interest: The Stolen 2020 Election: The Evidence

I don't understand how 'Christians' seem to miss this. Are these the modern day Pharasees, who can't see that YHWH means "behold the hand behold the nail"?

I think there is redundant information that one is not 'saved' or 'born again' until one has stopped sinning. If you are living in sin, you are not born again, you are still in your sinful nature. Most 'Christians' are in the category of the dirt where the seed was planted among the tares. Jesus said, only when the seed grows above the tares, will it bear fruit.

So how are we born again? Jesus said, by water and Spirit.

I will let you fill me in what you think that means until I make further bold statements.

Walking in the light of what God has revealed about oneself cannot be according to the flesh. When He reveals our secret sins the reaction is to deal with it through the self. But we can't. Only God can do what is impossible for us to do.

Thanks be to God that in reckoning self dead to sin that which is alive to God does work in us.

And what is that which is alive to God? It is none other than Christ that lives within.

In reckoning self dead, the transaction of the cross having taken place, Christ within becomes our victory. He Himself literally becomes our victory within!

To let go then is to no longer fight against the sins, world and satan but rather accept the peace that Christ already has the victory. In other words when satan knocks on the door we allow Christ Jesus to answer it.

Letting God's peace reign follows the letting go of our own devices that can never gain the victory. Christ Himself in us is not just Victory Peace our All in All but our Way...

Truth that!

South Carolina has joined 24 other states in banning affirmative therapy and/or puberty blockers.for.minors. This bill.also prevents schools from hiding a kids desire to be trans in the school. This is all great news.

We are slowly winning this battle to protect kids from harm.

From rhe article.

The bill bars health professionals from performing gender-transition surgeries, prescribing puberty blockers and overseeing hormone treatments for patients under 18.

School principals or vice principals would have to notify parents or guardians if a child wanted to use a name other than their legal one, or a nickname or pronouns that did not match their sex assigned at birth.

It's pretty obvious the author is a leftist with a left wing bias but that's to be expected these days from journalists. Sex isn't assigned. Sex is. No doctor assigns sex, it's a biological reality. I also wonder how much the author left out regarding how this bill came to be. What research was used. What information was used in order to pass this bill. Did anyone testify in support or opposition to the bill and what did they say?

This is great news indeed.

Man, this study will be a heavy one, but will hopefully help us overcome our addictions. My addiction is thankfully, by the grace of God, not anything contentographic. But, my addiction is jerking off, though I am working to not do that as much.

Psalm 139:1-18 NIV

"You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you."

A leader from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has accused the Biden administration of advancing an "ideological view of sex," condemning a forthcoming rule that could require faith-based healthcare providers to perform or provide surgical or hormonal transgender interventions.

In a statement Tuesday, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend reacted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' announced changes to the interpretation of the nondiscrimination protections in Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.

The changes amend the definition of sex discrimination law also to encompass "sexual orientation" and "gender identity."

Continued below.

"The Office" actress Angela Kinsey has recalled a time she refused to say a scripted line on the popular NBC sitcom in reference to a gay character that she didn't believe accurately portrayed Christians or the love of Christ.

During an April 23 episode of "The Office" co-star with Rainn Wilson's podcast "Soul Boom," Kinsey discussed the years she played Angela Martin on the series that aired from 2005 to 2013.

Wilson, who played Dwight Schrute, asked Kinsey about her real-life relationship with God and her views on the Church, saying that her character was known as an "uptight Christian cat lady."

Continued below.

‘God, the first principle and the end of all things, can be known with certainty from the created world by the natural light of human reason.’ (Vatican Council I)

St. Thomas Aquinas thought that “natural revelation” was accessible to all people everywhere and that it could be attained through reasoning and observation of the physical universe. On the other hand, he considered “special revelation” as knowledge that comes from God’s direct disclosure through means other than reason, such as the Scriptures. In this sense the knowledge of a unique God and Creator was a “prolegomenon for the faith” and it was within reach of any human being as part of the natural revelation. Hence to acquire that piece of knowledge it is not really necessary to have what we refer to as “faith” (which for example is needed to understand or believe in the Trinity of God).

The idea that “you can reach the knowledge of the existence of God” just by reasoning and observation is rooted in the Bible:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the works of his hands. Day unto day pours forth speech, night unto night whispers knowledge. There is no speech, no words; the voice is not heard; a report goes forth through all earth, their messages, to the ends of the world (Psalm 19).

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Or if you prefer it in a slightly less positive tone:

The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them. Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. While claiming to be wise, they became fools (Romans 1:18-31).

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I admit, I like the ending of this passage.

Still, some writers in the brilliant Middle Ages considered it a good idea to provide philosophical demonstrations of the existence of God based on logic. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote the famous “Five Ways.” Francisco Suarez reformulated them and St. Anselm left us his famous “ontological argument.” Just one of the Aquinas “ways” will convince any unbeliever of the existence of that what we call “God,” and surely the ontological argument of St. Anselm will make an impression on anyone who approaches it in good faith.

Continued below.

Urgent prayers are needed for Leah Darrow’s son, who was born prematurely late last night. Born weighing just over a pound, dad Ricky took to social media to ask the faithful to pray for his baby and his wife:

“We need your prayers. Our son, Sylvester Simeon Soldinie, was born premature last night weighing 1 lb. 2 oz. Leah had not yet announced her pregnancy, so it feels surreal to be announcing his birth.”

The Catholic convert and speaker left her modeling career years ago, making calls for chastity amid an industry rampant with scandal and “sleazy images,” as Darrow said in 2011.

She was only 22 weeks pregnant when she began feeling sick and contractions started. “We went to the hospital where they discovered some complications with both Leah and the baby leading to an emergency C-section which was performed at 11:56 PM,” Ricky wrote on the Instagram account of the now mother of seven, adding: “Little Sly now has a very long journey ahead of him in the NICU.”

Continued below.

The record-low fertility rates in the United States and the decline in fertility globally are driven by both social and economic factors, according to Catholic panelists speaking at an event hosted by the Institute for Human Ecology (IHE).

According to provisional data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week, the 2023 American fertility rate fell to 54.4 births per 1,000 women, which is the lowest in recorded history. The total fertility rate, which estimates how many children the average woman will have over her lifetime, fell to just over 1.6 — well below the replacement rate of 2.1.

The panel, titled “The Population Bust,” took place at the Catholic University of America. The institute is affiliated with the university’s Department of Politics. The panel was moderated by Catholic New York Times columnist Ross Douthat.

How fertility began to trend downward​

Continued below.

World Press Freedom Day is celebrated every May 3, drawing attention to the importance of free and independent news media.

Among modern-day saints, there is a journalist-priest who suffered martyrdom by the Nazis for his work in Catholic media: St. Titus Brandsma.

St. Titus (1881–1942), canonized by Pope Francis in 2022, was a Carmelite priest and native of the Netherlands. During the Nazi occupation of that country, the Nazi public relations bureau informed Dutch newspapers that they had to accept advertisements and press releases emanating from official sources.

The cardinal-archbishop of Ultrecht, Johannes de Jong, commissionedBrandsma, in his capacity as a journalist and spiritual director of the country’s Catholic journalists, to convey the hierarchy’s response to the Nazis’ mandate to all the Catholic editors in the country.

Continued below.

This data is from the 2022-2023 Global Church Member Survey Concerning the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

The meta-analysis discussion regarding views of the Trinity in the Seventh-day Adventist Church:

https://www.adventistresearch.info/...FINAL-February-2024-Cover-Page-Adjustment.pdf


The total study looked at a data set containing 149,556 cases.

Some quotes about the data:

And

The White House on Friday announced that Jesuit Father Greg Boyle, the founder of a prominent ministry dedicated to rehabilitating gang-affiliated youth, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom alongside 18 other recipients this afternoon.

Boyle, ordained a priest in 1984, founded Homeboy Industries in 1992 while pastor of Dolores Mission, a Catholic church and school in an area that at one time had one of the highest concentrations of gang activity in Los Angeles.

Today, Homeboy Industries claims to be the largest gang-intervention program in the United States.

The successful ministry, which now operates nationwide, offers training and job skills to those formerly involved in gangs or in jail, as well as case management, tattoo removal, mental health and legal services, and GED completion.

Continued below.

Father Roger Landry, a Catholic chaplain at Columbia University, said on Thursday that the protests making national headlines at the New York City school are being organized in part by “explicitly communist” outside forces.
“There is an instrumentalization of what’s going on in Gaza to advance an agenda,” he said. “And that is to deconstruct our present world order at which the United States is considered the top of that order.”
Speaking on EWTN’s “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo,” Landry said that he had been walking through the encampment nearly daily, conversing with student protesters and other “outside agitators.”
While he said he believes that many of the protesters were genuinely concerned for Gazan civilians, there was a sizable percentage of whom were “explicitly in favor of Hamas” and “definitely antisemitic by their language and their actions.”

What is going on at Columbia?​

Continued below.

If we love God, and if we love our fellow humans, we are not going to sin against them deliberately and habitually, and especially not premeditatedly. We will not willfully do what we know is wrong and that we know is going to hurt other humans and that will hinder our walks of fellowship with God. For to love with this kind of love is to prefer what God prefers, which is what is holy, righteous, godly, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord, which we obey in his power, strength, and wisdom, by his grace.

We are also not going to be self-absorbed, only thinking about ourselves and what we want, without regard or concern for what God wants for our lives, and without regard for what needs the Lord wants us to meet in other people’s lives, and in what ways. And this includes we will not display total lack of concern with regard to the signs of the times in which we live and of the critical need and requirement of God that we should live holy lives, pleasing to him, and that we should be sharing the truth of the gospel.

For when this says here that our salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed, it is letting us know that our salvation is not just something that takes place in the past, and that’s it. For we are saved (past), we are being saved (present active), and we will be saved (future) when Christ returns for his faithful ones, but provided that we are those who are walking according to the Spirit, and not according to the flesh, and in obedience to our Lord, and not in sin. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death.

Therefore, we need to be those who are making it our practice to cast off the works of darkness (sin, wickedness) and to put on the armor of light (truth, righteousness, the gospel, Jesus Christ). For like Jesus said, if we are going to come after him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our lives of sin, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we give up our lives of sin to follow him in obedience, then we have eternal life with God (Luke 9:23-26).

And then we must walk (in conduct, in practice) according to the Spirit of God and no longer according to the flesh, and in walks of holiness and in obedience to our Lord, and no longer in deliberate and habitual sin. And this is why we must die with Christ to sin, not just once, but daily, and it is why things such as sexual immorality, sensuality, adultery, murder, stealing, cheating, lying, orgies, drunkenness, and the like, should not have any part in our lives. But we are to put on Christ and make no provision for the flesh.

For, if we make sin our practice, i.e. if sin is what we obey, and not obedience to God, and not righteousness and not holy living, then, according to the Scriptures, we will not inherit eternal life with God. In fact, we do not know God, we are not born of God, we are not in fellowship with Christ, we don’t have salvation from sin, and we will not enter into the kingdom of heaven, for we are of the devil if sin is what we practice and not obedience to our Lord. So we must continue in Christ steadfast to the very end.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 2 Tim 1:8-9; 1 Pet 1:5; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 9:28; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

Walk With Me

By Al Langdon and P.J. Zondervan

Walk with me, walk with me,
Lest mine eyes no longer see
All the glory, all the story of Your love;
Talk to me, talk to me,
Like You spoke so tenderly,
When You talked there,
When You walked there by the sea.

Talk to me, talk to me,
Lest mine ears no longer hear
All the wonder, all the beauty of Your grace;
Walk with me, walk with me,
As You walked so lovingly,
When You walked there,
When You talked there by the sea.

Let me follow in the footsteps
That trod the shore of Galilee,
Let me learn to pray like He did
In the Garden of Gethsemane;
Take my hand, take my hand,
Teach me Lord to understand,
All the duty, all the beauty of Your love.

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I was scrolling economic videos and came across this dude and now I know why our country is doomed. My boy Jared Bernstein shows what happens when questions aren't prepared for these dummies. A simple question of why we borrow money, mind blowing.

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