Greetings,

I have been trying to slowly develop a habit of praying every day (my hope is one day to live up to the ideal of the Didache 3x a day). I struggle to be consistent and it is often a source of guilt and frustration. Anyone have any suggestions on ways to cultivate discipline around prayer.

I have what seems to me to be a reasonable set of plans for what to do in my life in the future. But Proverbs 3:5-6 say, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart...lean not unto your own understanding..." I have been mystified by the gray area between God's will and my will. Because of my wavering faith, I may at some points wholeheartedly commit to something like what it says in the passage referred to, but at other times waver away from that and be concentrating on my agenda, all the while fully aware that God can do what he wants with us and our plans. I am living on a shrinking amount of savings and I have some specific plans as to career and as to reversing the outflow of money from me. We all naturally want God to rubber stamp/bless our own plans and projects, but Christians typically warn against such an approach. I am not sure if I will know if God is saying "Go ahead with your plans" or else "Do something else." As to career paths, it seems some Christians just go ahead with their own best thinking/planning while others claim to be clearly called by God to certain paths. Of course, many of those in ministry say they were called by God into the ministry. But, for example, I know of one woman who was a high-powered lawyer who said God clearly directed her to become a counselor in a rehab center in another state for half her income as a lawyer. So, I am cautiously going ahead with my plans while being aware that God could direct me to change them. My question is, how might I know it if God directs my paths?

As some of you know, she is back on the mental facility. She has stopped taking calls and tried to escape around 4am this morning. She refused to take her medication and is becoming extremely argumentative with the care team. She was in with a roommate and was so argumentative towards here that they had to remove my sister into a room by herself. My sister is not a big woman but it took 3 EMT’s to removed her from her couch to the ambulance. My concern is she will become increasingly combative and violent. She told her husband that Jesus accepted her into Heaven so there is fear of another suicide attempt. Please pray for this situation if you think about it. We are all exhausted and worried.

Thank you!

Is it wrong to be a homemaker as a Christian Dad and stay home and watch the kids and have the wife work.

This is in Philadelphia. If you ‘ve ever watched It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia this is in the opening. This is watercolor 12x16 on Arches

Hey there is a healing evangelist out there named Freddy Clark, he travels the country doing tent healing revivals, he stays down south in the winter and then comes up north during the summer, if he is ever within driving distance you should take a road trip and get a hotel room and come. Everyone who he prays for gets instantly healed, 100%! You don't have to tell him what is wrong with you, he already knows. He was up here in Pennsylvania last summer and I went, he told me my IQ was going up and now I am smarter, my mind is sharper! My vision was also blurry and he told me God was healing me and now my vision is back in focus! Someone also got healed of cancer! Some amazing things always happen!

IF you want to see a video of one of his meetings link is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHzUP3qwwpk&t=1775s

Nazarites had long hair. Numbers 6:

5 ‘All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. 6 All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he shall not go near a dead body.

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John the Baptizer and Jesus probably had long hair.

But then in the NT, 1 Corinthians 11:

13 Judge for yourselves:

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Paul appealed to the gentile judgment of the Corinthians for social norms.

Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?

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Paul was comparing men's and women's hair in this passage. Women looked good with long hair.

For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God

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i.e., the practice of the gentile churches of God in Paul's time.

I see 1 Corinthians 11:13 as a gentile social issue at the time. It does not need to be applied universally today.

Is long hair on men sinful/wrong?

No, but I prefer short hair myself.

You don't want to be legalistic and judgmental like the Pharisees who strained out a gnat and swallowed a camel. Jesus' focus is on your inside, not so much on your outside.

Joe is having a difficult time pandering to both sides.

Intro and reason written​

Conviction drove this post. This is in Soteriology because the doctrine of Election is composed within four books specifically titled "Institutes of Christian Religion". This is no small title. This is in Soteriology Debate, because it is a "Biased" opinion of evaluation of another human beings Extra Canonical writings about their "Biased Opinions" that now motivates and is embraced by some 80 million believers worldwide. "The World Communion of Reformed Churches, which includes some United Churches, has 80 million believers. WCRC is the third largest Christian communion in the world, after the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches."

People that adopt this belief system are not wicked people. They are to be Loved as All Creation that Jesus Bled for. These people that adhere to these ideas are merely under the conviction, that they are true. They need Love and Gentleness by the Body, in response to their very specific belief that they are Proselytizing the Gospel, as they insist that all of Christendom embrace the tenants of Jehan's writings. I dare not even suggest that Jehan, himself was a bad person, but simply that God is his judge, and no other... as it is so, with all of us.

I, in no way, desire to question the authenticity of the Believer's Belief in Jesus, that adhere to these precepts. This is not an indictment of them. This is a specific evaluation of the Author's exact words that establish these precepts.

Citation of source referenced and it's meaning​

Institutes: a commentary, treatise, or summary of principles, especially concerning law.
of Christian: Towards ALL of Christendom, that was first named in Acts 11:26
Religion: a particular system of faith and worship.

The very Title of Jehan's writings implies that these four volumes of Jehan's are;
The Principles of Law towards all of Christendom that define it's TRUE system of Faith and Worship.

After reading the first 2 books of Jehan's theological opinions, a reader will eventually arrive at book 3 of Jehan's Institutes. It is at Chapter II, section 11 and 12 that peculiar writing can be found. This is where Jehan attempts to explain how even the Reprobate is reaching out to Jesus, and spoken to, by the Holy Spirit, yet still Reprobated by God's Pre-Creation very design. This passage is a direct result of all scripture that refutes Jehan's writings, thus it is one of his most important writings, in efforts to defend his prolific writings about his presentation of the Gospel, using all books of scripture, that takes over 455,500 words across 1,822 pages.

I have taken the time to exegete this writing per scripture and knowledge of how human extra biblical PROPHETS (Those that proport to clarify scripture for others) reinforce their projected systems of scriptural understanding.

The Exegesis of intention​

“FAITH” EVEN AMONG THE REPROBATE? I know that to attribute faith to the reprobate seems hard to some, when Paul declares it the result of election

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This is Calvin about to address why some Reprobates appear to have a semblance of “Faith”.

* I am editing this in: Jehan is grappling with this exact passage of scripture, in his heart, knowing that it destroys his entire theology. Romans 11:28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.

It hadn't dawned on me that this single passage of scripture was a very bane to Jehan that made him fear that it would be exploited to the demise of his life's proud work. Everything that Jehan has written is based on taking 4 verses out of Romans 9, abrogated of context, and void of proper supporting scriptural exegesis, because just as Steven's Swan Song, Paul is flying over volumes of scripture, in as few words as possible in the exact passage that Jehan builds his entire view of Scripture and God, from. Jehan knew that the contextual flow of Romans 9 would eventually bring one of his opponents or believers to this very passage of scripture. It forces Jehan to declare this a "Dark Mystery"... and he himself can be quoted as "suggesting" that it is PROUD to look beyond the scope of his theology. Here is a link of Calvin's precepts on matters that go outside of Calvin's writings being shared by a fellow Calvinist, in reference to this very discussed concept. Calvinism is a "closed system of theology", meaning... it defines all scripture and nothing else can be revealed.

There is a word for this exact technique when used in reference to scripture by extra biblical prophets who know that their theological theorem is fragile when compared with all scripture. "Obfuscation" "The action of making something obscure, unclear, or unintelligible."

What this means, is that the following writings are a result of Jehan knowing that his writing was vulnerable by just 2 chapters from the heartbeat of his doctrine. He could suggest that it is to be as a "wild horse" in theology to look past mysteries that "challenge" his doctrine... but not with this very matter that are merely 2 chapters after his thesis built upon 4 verses, in Romans 9.

He had finally resolved to give some semblance of an acceptable doctrinal defense for Romans 11:28-29... by placing scripture against scripture in a very specifically oppositional way.

Yet this difficulty is easily solved. For though only those predestined to salvation receive the light of faith and truly feel the power of the gospel, yet experience shows that the reprobate are sometimes affected by almost the same feeling as the elect, so that even in their own judgment they do not in any way differ from the elect

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This is Calvin saying that Reprobates are “almost” in touch with God, but God doesn't desire them. He goes on to say that they “feel” almost as “The Elect” feel.

Therefore it is not at all absurd that the apostle should attribute to them a taste of the heavenly gifts and Christ, faith for a time; not because they firmly grasp the force of spiritual grace and the sure light of faith, but because the Lord, to render them more convicted and inexcusable, steals into their minds to the extent that his goodness may be tasted without the Spirit of adoption.

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This is Calvin saying that God Himself allows the “Rejected Creation” to sometimes have Faith, but because this creation is destined by design for damnation, He makes them feel saved, and “understand” His “Goodness”, but God, refuses to give this person reaching for Him, his Holy Spirit. God is essentially “Tricking” the reprobate, into thinking that they are saved.

Suppose someone objects that then nothing more remains to believers to assure themselves of their adoption. I reply: although there is a great likeness and affinity between God’s elect and those who are given a transitory faith, yet only in the elect does that confidence flourish which Paul extols, that they loudly proclaim Abba, Father

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This is Calvin interweaving his belief system into the very place that the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ stands within a human heart. He is setting up to suggest that a believer that doesn't adopt his exact precepts of written statement, that the person is not saved. He demands that any “Believer” that does not follow his theological theorem, is only a “likeness” of the elect, but not a genuine believer.

Therefore, as God regenerates only the elect with incorruptible seed forever so that the seed of life sown in their hearts may never perish, thus he firmly seals the gift of his adoption in them that it may be steady and sure. But this does not at all hinder that lower working of the Spirit from taking its course even in the reprobate.

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Here, Calvin is now saying that Repentance has no place in the believers life, because the Holy Spirit will be incorruptibly sown within his “PRE SELECTED” people, due to their ELECTION, ALONE. This also means, that God sows INTENTIONALLY “Corruptible” seed, in place of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, into the Reprobate, to trick them into believing that they are saved. Calvin then calls this “Corruptible seed"... “The lower working of the Holy Spirit, within the Reprobate”

Now, what we have here is Calvin saying that GOD HIMSELF IS INTENTIONALLY BLINDING THE LOST FROM THE SAVING GLORY OF JESUS CHRIST. This is now calling God, “Satan”, per scripture. It is even more so directly confining these acts of The Holy Spirit to a concept of "Lower Workings".

In the meantime, believers are taught to examine themselves carefully and humbly, lest the confidence of the flesh creep in and replace assurance of faith. Besides this, the reprobate never receive anything but a confused awareness of grace, so that they grasp a shadow rather than the firm body of it.

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This is saying that God authors CONFUSION within the Reprobate, specifically for the purpose of grasping at a shadow of Grace, rather than it's actual constitute, again demanding that it is God that Blinds men to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Calvin has actually, now Blasphemed the Holy Spirit of God, in these words and associated chicanery with the Abba of all Creation.

For the Spirit, strictly speaking, seals forgiveness of sins in the elect alone, so that they apply it by special faith to their own use. Yet the reprobate are justly said to believe that God is merciful toward them, for they receive the gift of reconciliation, although confusedly and not distinctly enough.

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Calvin, here, is associating “KNOWLEDGE” with SALVATION, and in this, he is implying that the words he is writing within these volumes, is that Knowledge. Calvin is not only exalting Gnosticism in this passage, but it is the very Gnosis, that “HE” is imparting, in place of the Holy Spirit, with Calvin now sub-textually insinuating that his very understanding IS THE HOLY SPIRIT. He is passively implying that Christians that don't believe in his system of salvation are missing the Sealing of the Holy Spirit and the necessary Gnosis to have genuine RECONCILIATION with God.

Not that they are partakers of the same faith or regeneration with the children of God, but because they seem, under a cloak of hypocrisy, to have a beginning of faith in common with the latter. And I do not deny that God illumines their minds enough for them to recognize his grace; but he so distinguishes that awareness from the exclusive testimony he gives to his elect that they do not attain the full effect and fruition thereof.

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God, by Calvin, working within men, via the Holy Spirit, is now saying that God within the Reprobate, Partially ILLUMINATES the Reprobate with his Grace, but because the Reprobate is pre-selected to be Damned, the Rep is only given Partial testimony of salvation, on purpose by God, so that the Reprobate is not saved.

This is where that other half of the “ILLUMINATION” becomes important. This means that Darkness is cast into the mind of a Reprobate, by God, through the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, for the purpose of Damning a soul. Calvin is now saying that God, through His Holy Spirit is intentionally blinding a Reprobate Believer from the Gospel, and thus has the Holy Spirit actively deceiving a believer. This is actually worse than saying that Jesus is casting out Demons by the power of Demons. This is literally saying that to uphold God's predestined Decree of lottery based selection unto Damnation of a Reprobate, that The Holy Spirit is not only hiding Salvic Grace and Faith from a person reaching out to Jesus, but that The Holy Spirit is actively BLINDING A SOUL to the Gospel of God. This tramples the very blood of Jesus Christ and mutilates the Person of the Godhead we know as The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Olive Oil that Revelation speaks of. The Wine is the Blood of Jesus Christ that Revelation speaks of. These are demanded to not be harmed, within apocalyptic warning!

He does not show himself merciful to them, to the extent of truly snatching them from death and receiving them into his keeping, but only manifests to them his mercy for the time being.

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This is Calvin doubling, tripling and quadrupling down that God refuses to save the Reprobate, even if they reach out to Him. This is Calvin saying that God only shows his MERCY to the reprobate for the purpose of deceiving the Reprobate into “Believing” they are saved, but unknowingly being withheld Salvic KNOWLEDGE (Gnosis) by God Himself, to whom they are reaching towards.

Only his elect does he account worthy of receiving the living root of faith so that they may endure to the end. Thus is that objection answered: if God truly shows his grace, this fact is forever established. For nothing prevents God from illumining some with a momentary awareness of his grace, which afterward vanishes.

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Here, Calvin binds his writings and perception of the Gospel through the two preceding volumes to this THIRD volume that we find this writing and then saying in a very sub-textual manner, that God only reveals CALVIN'S understanding of God to the ELECT (Saved).

The questions that this very section of Calvin's institutes would make a person who adopts them think, would be along the lines of; “Am I reprobate?”, “How do I know for sure that I'm not one of those that God would only, purposely, partially reveal Himself to?”, “How do I plug in to God's Salvation and KNOW that I am Elect?”.

I removed Calvin's use of scripture from these writings, because they were abysmally written in a distinctly eisegetic way! These writings are online, and anyone is welcome to reassemble the scriptural quotations that Calvin believed bolstered his writings. In my opinion, They were consistently employing abrogation of contextual meaning. The only answer to those above questions that a person who has waded through 2 proceeding, monstrous in size writings of Calvin, by this point, would be to reconcile that ONLY CALVIN'S Gospel interpretation is correct and ANYONE who denies it, is a reprobate. The answer to the questions that Calvin subliminally imparts to the readers of this passage can only be stringent adoption of Calvin's writings, with a conviction to hold on to them as their very seal of salvation.

Section XII of these writings is so very simple that it answers the most asked question of all Non-Reformed Christians. Why does Calvin trample the Omnibenevolence of God?

Calvin starts this out by citing God's Benevolence... and then associating it with the "Lower revelation of the Holy Spirit" in a round about way. He touches on it for a mere sentence, then continues forward to essentially build a case against a person that dares to believe that God is All Loving. His following rhetoric in the remainder of Section XII is specifically a very delicately written...

God's Benevolence? Yeah, sure.... BUT.......

What do you think the word "perfect" refers to?

consider these things and hopefully you will agree with the truth here,

"But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (1 Cor 13:10-12)

To "know" here means -ἐπιγινώσκω epiginṓskō, ep-ig-in-oce'-ko; from G1909 and G1097; to know upon some mark, i.e. recognize; by implication, to become fully acquainted with, to acknowledge:—(ac-, have, take)know(-ledge, well), perceive.

and compare with this similar section

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." ( Philippians 3:10-12).

to "apprehend" here means - καταλαμβάνω katalambánō, kat-al-am-ban'-o; from G2596 and G2983; to take eagerly, i.e. seize, possess, etc. (literally or figuratively):—apprehend, attain, come upon, comprehend, find, obtain, perceive, (over-)take.

Paul is clearly in both cases referring to being perfect and the resurrection of the dead, when he gets a glorified body and when he shall see Christ face to face. And be "known, and "apprehended" same general meaning, as he is also known and apprehended. The similarity is very strong in these two sections. So the gifts have not ceased and that which is perfect does not refer to the holy scriptures. They already had the holy scriptures OT that were able to make them wise unto salvation through faith and to make them perfect unto every good work 2 Timothy 3.

Joshua prayed in 10:

12 At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
“Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” 13 And the sun stood still [H1826],

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Strong's Hebrew: 1826. דָּמַם (damam) — 30 Occurrences

Brown-Driver-Briggs:
3. be struck dumb, astounded, in amazement and fear

and the moon stopped [H5975], until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.

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How was this possible physically?

It was not possible physically. It was a supernatural event.

How to explain this miracle from a scientific perspective?

The Bible did not explain, and Joshua used poetic language, not a scientific one. It was a sustained miracle similar to the parting of the Red Sea but at an astronomical scale. God created the heavens and earth in the first place. Nothing was too difficult for him.

Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped [H5975] in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.

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Gill commented:

In the Chinese history (g) it is reported, that in the time of their seventh, emperor, Yao [堯帝], the sun did not set for ten days, and that men were afraid the world would be burnt, and there were great fires at that time; and though the time of the sun's standing still is enlarged beyond the bounds of truth, yet it seems to refer to this fact, and was manifestly about the same time; for this miracle was wrought in the year of the world 2554, which fell in the seventy fifth, or, as some say, the sixty seventh year of that emperor's reign, who reigned ninety years.

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(g) Martin. Sinie. Histor. l. 1. p. 25.

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Hi all. My name is Phil. I live in Huntsville, Alabama and have been a Christian for many years now. Thanks for the opportunity to be part of the community here! Hope you all have a great day!

Nice to see John MacArthur remaining true to his calling. In addressing the sloppiness of today's Christian MacArthur dives in the parable...

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. - Matthew 13

The Wayside
The Stony Places
The Thorns
The Good Ground

This upload is only a few days old and will be in my meditations this week...

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Tragic and very hard to read into...

Southern Baptists are the largest Baptist convention. The Southern Baptist Baptist Faith and Message 2000 states:


The American Baptist Churches USA policy statement On Women and Men as Partners in Church and Society takes a different view. The document is rather long. Here is a key phrase related to the topic:


The purpose of this thread is to discuss what Scripture says on the topic. Should wives submit to husbands? Should wives and husbands be equal partners?

The topic is NOT about whether women should be preachers, priests, elders, overseers, bishops, pastors, deacons, should teach, etc. That may be a topic for another thread for Baptists at some point. But this is looking at the relation between wives and husbands.

The English word "save" or "salvation" is polysemantic. It has at least the following meanings:

1. It could mean being physically rescued at a point in time (Exodus 14:13, H3444, יְשׁוּעָה yeshuah). It is being saved from a situation. In this case, you may need to be rescued again. You can be rescued or saved multiple times. The only places in the OT where yeshuah is used unambiguously as saving people from sins are in Eze 36:29 and 37:23.
2. It could mean being officially accepted by a certain church or denomination. When you lose your membership, you lose this salvation.
3. It could describe a shallow Christian who is a Christian in name only (1 John 2:19). He looks like a Christian and talks like a Christian. Instead of serving God, he wants God to serve him, but after a while, he goes away because he no longer finds God useful.
4. It could describe a believer who has been born again but remains infantile and refuses to grow in the Spirit.
5. It could describe a serious Christian who thinks he has been regenerated. He is in the faith (2 Cor 13:5, Col 1:23) and has performed Christian works sincerely for years but eventually departs from it (1 Tim 4:1).
6. It could mean that your name is written in the Book of Life. Later, God may erase or at least threaten to erase that name, and you may lose this type of salvation, Ex 32:32, Rev 3:5.
7. It could mean that you have the nascent Paraclete dwelling in you, but later on, you abandon him.
8. Finally, it could mean being saved from the physical now onto eternity. The Paraclete dwells in you presently. You keep growing in the Spirit and abiding in Christ for the rest of your life.

Can you lose your salvation?

Yes, in every step of the process of salvation and in many ways: John 15:2, Romans 11:22, Hebrews 6:4, 1 Corinthians 15:2, etc.

Can you lose your Indwelling Paraclete?

It is possible, but I don't think I can. The Paraclete does what he does. He chooses to dwell in a person by directly connecting with the person's human spirit. I only need to walk with him daily, guided by his peace in me. My spirit in the Holy Spirit grows every day. It gets stronger, not weaker. The Paraclete dwells in me permanently.

Does this mean that we are free to sin?

No, I am not asserting unconditional eternal security. If the Paraclete dwells in you, you naturally abide in Jesus. As long as you abide in Jesus, you are free to serve God and are saved. When you grow your faith daily, your faith strengthens. There is no worry that you might lose it. This is a natural way of life for me.

See also What does "fall away" mean?

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

After so many years of disobedience, of faithlessness and degradation, I have finally found my home. For more than a decade now I was barely a Christian in even name, paying lip service but failing to live as commanded. I excused every manner of sin within myself and my failure to war against my passions poisoned not only myself but those I loved. For over a decade I wallowed in filth - having squandered my inheritance.
Only Christ was able to free me from this bondage, to break the chains I have forged for myself. He alone changed me, comforted me, released me from the hatred and the shame, the lust and the greed. For the first time in as long as I could remember I have found peace. While this peace, this amazing grace, is free to me - I must now cooperate with it. I must from this moment on obey and follow the path laid out in accordance with His Will. No longer will I trust on my own understanding, for I can do nothing without Christ.

I was baptised a Catholic but cannot reconcile myself with Rome. For most of my life I was a poorly behaved Protestant - but there is only shallowness and the cult of self. Both left my spirit hungry, thirsty and longing for communion with both God and fellow Christians. Finally, I feel at home. Today I attended the Divine Liturgy and I cannot begin to describe how overwhelmed I was. I stood and watched as not a group of people, but one family in Christ raised their voices in love and reverence and together worshiped. How many years I've longed for this. I am an outsider, a stranger, but I felt like after a long journey, I had come home. One of the elder women of the Church introduced herself and we spoke for a time, introducing me to the Abbot. The Abbot, Deacon and elder men of the church were gracious and nurturing of my desire to learn and my need to obey. I didn't know these people, they didn't know me, but they were so kind and open and loving. I spoke openly about my past, my desire to return to God after being faithless for so long; but it honestly didn't feel like a return, so much as it felt I was starting anew. I was encouraged to continue to attend and become part of their community, to be active in the Church and through practical action learn and grow.

I write these things down not to boast or take pride in what I feel, but because I feel so overwalked and joyful that I cannot keep this to myself.

Pray for me, Brothers and Sisters, as I continue down my path to learn obedience to Christ through the Holy Orthodox Church. Pray for me that I learn humility and faith, so as to set aside my pride and arrogance. Pray that I have the courage to walk in faith, not shying away from sharing Christ with others be it in deed or word.


Alone I can do nothing, but I am able to do all things in He who strengthens me.

Judging outsiders is not sound doctrine according to Paul. We are supposed to judge the church instead, as Paul said.

We need to judge the Church for its political division, factions, contention, bitterness, discontent, complaints, covetousness, greed, envy, clamor, gossip, suspicions, conspiracies theories, judging without mercy, judging in hypocrisy, and lording over people's lives instead of serving them in the love of Jesus.

We need to rebuke the church also for its political and economic fears, worries and concerns. This isn't the faith that Jesus and the apostles teach us.

When Jesus spoke of his sheep, he was speaking of his true followers. They hear the voice of the Lord, they listen attentively to his words, they obey what he says, and they follow him wherever he leads them. They find forgiveness and salvation. This is the mark of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

A stranger, whom he called a thief and a robber, is a false christ or a false teacher whose mission is to lead the sheep astray into another gospel – a gospel of men. Jesus’ true sheep will not know intimately the voice of a false teacher, in fact, they will discern the error, and thus will not follow the stranger, and, in fact, will run away from him.

My Sheep

An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Based off John 10:1-30 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

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Predictions that the U.S. and the world would run out of fossil fuels go back decades, and these predictions have so far turned out to be wrong. A new report shows the U.S. has 227 of oil, 130 years of gas, and 485 years of coal.
or years, activists argued for an energy transition away from fossil fuels because, they said, we were hitting “peak oil,” the point at which we can no longer produce oil because there’s little left in the ground or it’s too expensive to recover.

In 2023, the U.S. produced nearly 13 million barrels per day, more than any other nation in history. Predictions that the U.S. and the world would run out of oil go back decades, and these predictions have so far turned out to be wrong.

Tom Pyle, president of the Institute for Energy Research (IER), a free market think tank focusing on energy, told Just the News that anti-fossil fuel activists latched onto “peak oil” to push for alternatives, and with the U.S. leading the world’s production, their rhetoric has evolved.

“First, they said, ‘We don't have the resources. We're big consumers, but we don't have the energy. So we have to get off of the resource.' Then it became evident and clear that that was not the case,” Pyle said.
In 2011, IER produced its first North American Energy Inventory.

“It was really for the purpose of shattering this myth of energy scarcity. To my knowledge, prior to that, nobody had taken the effort to compile, using government data …. the amount of energy that we have in North America,” Pyle said.

In that 2011 report, Pyle stated: “Thanks to new and continuing innovations in exploration and production technology, there’s every reason to believe that today’s estimates of reserves are only a fraction of what will be produced and delivered tomorrow.”

The statement turned out to be accurate. The Shale Revolution, which combined technologies in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, made available large deposits of previously unrecoverable oil throughout the U.S.

The IER’s 2024 North American Energy Inventory update shows that North America has 1.66 trillion barrels of technically recoverable resources, and at current rates of consumption, the report calculates that it would take 227 years to deplete it all.

Maybe this isn't exactly new but it seems like it. I hear preachers talking about financial blessing, physical healing, hell, or prophecy.

Instead of all that, teach and give out literature about the commands of love, forgiveness and mercy. This is the pure gospel. Right? The rest is mostly nonsense the way its taught.

And leave the politics in the rubbish pile of contentious and worldly things that we count as a loss, like Paul did.

What law did Adam and Eve obey? What law did Noah obey? We might conclude that they obeyed what Jesus and his apostles command us because God never changes

What is Jesus law in my opinion?

Its this:

Avoid sexual immorality and foolishness like drunkenness. I'm not saying alcoholism is sin necesarily but acting like a fool is. Being drunk should be avoided obviously but I don't judge alcoholism. I leave it up to God.

We also don't want wealth or luxury but simplicity. We don't look to politics for help but to God. We endure all manner of hardship. We are honest in everything.

We don't judge or condemn. We forgive. We avoid all division, bitterness, clamor, debate, factions, slander, gossip, government rebellion, suspicions, conspiracy theories, hate, hypocrisy, pride, and vanity.

We treat others how Jesus treated us and how we want treated. That's love. We pray for each other and keep our eyes guarded from sin that we stumble by. We guard our words as well. We help widows and orphans.

That's pretty much it. There are other things I suppose but that's it in a nutshell. That's my church in my heart. Im not perfect but I hope to be.

I first just want to say that this is not Angel worship or Angel magic. This is asking God to send his Angels to help you. I have invented a practice I called Angel Yoga. I used to be a Vajrayana Buddhist and Practiced a practice called Deity Yoga. When I became Christian I decided to use Angels instead of Buddhist Deities. This is a simple meditation. I have been using it and I have gotten every thing I have ever wanted. Relief from symptoms of my Schizophrenia, Relief from side effects from medications, Creative inspiration, Help with Lucid Dreaming. This is a powerful practice! I used to do the Medicine Buddha Practice for 2 years and I never got any results. I did this Angel Yoga and I got results in 2 weeks.. And it takes a Year of regular meditation for the effects to be permanent. This meditation is in 2 parts. First you offer God a mental offering of Treasure and say a prayer asking fo rGod to send the Angel you would like to meditate on. Then visualize the Angel in front of you and they send energy to you and fills you up absorbing that energy for 10 minutes. Then You Visualize the Angel inside of you absorbing the energy. When done you dissolve the Angel Visualizationand Thank God and the Angel for their Service. Thats it. It works like a charm.