Let's keep this super duper simple....

Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

Peter got it right after all! All is now specified to the Wicked as it is obvious that Peter was "Drawing" from Ezekiel 33:11

Ezekiel has God swearing by His Name by saying "As I Live", then echoing 2 Peter 3:9 to the Wicked... and imploring them to Use God Blessed Self Sovereign Autonomy to turn back to Him.

Just incase there is disagreement, please refer to post 2 for ironclad cross reference.

(Wars & Rumors of wars)

On Thursday, May 9th, the US Embassy in Guyana reported that two U.S. Navy aircraft, F/A-18F Super Hornets, embarked on USS George Washington, conducted a coordinated and approved flyover over Georgetown and its surrounding areas.

“The exercise builds upon our routine security cooperation and expanding bilateral defense partnership with Guyana.” the Embassy said in a release.

Furthermore, the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington and Carrier Strike Group Ten are in the region as part of a two-month transit to the Pacific.

In a statement, the Guyanese government confirmed the flyover, stating, “The Government of Guyana approved the flyover of two F/A-18F Super Hornets of the United States Navy in Georgetown (…) on May 9, 2024.” It was further explained that the exercise is part of the defense cooperation agreement between Guyana and the United States, aimed at enhancing security within the ongoing cooperation program between the two countries.

The flyover of the US aircraft comes amidst the ongoing territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela over the Essequibo region, which led both countries to present their arguments before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in April.

General Vladimir Padrino López, Defense Minister of the Nicolás Maduro regime, strongly denounced Thursday’s military exercise, stating, “The Bolivarian National Armed Forces vehemently reject these repeated provocations by the Southern Command, sponsored by the government of Guyana, which has assumed the role of a new American colony. Our Comprehensive Aerospace Defense System remains activated against any attempt to violate Venezuelan geographical space, including our Essequibo Territory. Alerts!” This sentiment was echoed by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil, who asserted that the flyover threatened the “peace zone” agreed upon between Maduro and President Irfaan Ali.

In February of this year, the US government announced an increase in its urgent military aid to Guyana, as Venezuela threatens to seize a large part of the country’s territory claimed as its own. In this context, Washington pledged to assist Guyana in acquiring new aircraft, helicopters, a fleet of military drones, and, for the first time, radar technology.

US fighter jets over Guyana send clear message to Venezuela

On Thursday, May 9th, the US Embassy in Guyana reported that two U.S. Navy aircraft, F/A-18F Super Hornets, embarked on USS George Washington, conducted a coordinated and approved flyover over Georgetown and its surrounding areas. "The exercise builds upon our routine security cooperation and...

defence-blog.com

With recent shootings in public and in churches, the question of self-defense has been coming up lately. But first, let's be clear: What we are seeing today is not a gun problem; it’s a moral problem called sin.

Vengeance Is Not Self-Defense​

One Scripture often used to support pacifism and banning weapons is found in Proverbs 20:22: “Do not say, ‘I will recompense evil’; wait for the Lord, and He will save you.” But this scripture deals with vigilantism, not self-defense. According to Romans 13:4, one purpose of the authorities is to “execute wrath on him who practices evil.” They are God’s avengers, but we can be defenders.

Seek Peace When Possible​

As Christians, I believe that we are to seek peace at every turn and not drape the cross with the flag. But what about self-defense as a last resort and biblical mandates to protect? The Old Testament offers many examples, but what about the New Testament? It does as well. In Matthew 26:52 Jesus says to Peter, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” Jesus didn’t denounce the sword but clarified its place. When we take premature emotionally charged action, it may cost us our life.

Buy a Sword​

Later, Jesus adds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me?” If He had been a thief and a robber, the clubs and swords would have been justified. In my opinion, these Scriptures imply that weapons do have a place in society, although we must be careful. Additionally, in Luke 22:36, Jesus said,

“But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.”

Click to expand...

What is the context of this Scripture? First, again I would err on the side of peace, but this isn’t always an option. One thing is certain: A sword was for defense. Earlier, Jesus had sent them on a peaceful mission trip where they did not need these items, but now Jesus may be implying that self-defense might become necessary. He wants them to use wisdom and be prepared.



Love Your Enemies Doesn’t Mean Hate Your Family


Continued below.

What Every Christian Should Know about Self-Defense

With recent shootings in public and in churches, the question of self-defense has been coming up lately. But first, let's be clear: What we are seeing today is not a gun problem; it’s a moral problem called sin.

www.crosswalk.com

James 4:
13 Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city,
spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit.
(Planning for profit serves mammon,
and interferes with serving God}
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life?
It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
16 But now you boast in your pride. All such boasting is evil.
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Worldly success leads to pride, that results in evil boasting.

Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other,
or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Why does James conclude with the notion that failure to do good is sin?
The long range planning for profit that he is concerned with often involves
a commitment of resources. To hold back charity because of investments for profits
is the very same pursuit of wealth which Paul warns:
1 Timothy 6:
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish
and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from
the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Do you find yourself talking about success in business?
"All such boasting is evil."

How true are these words about the Evangelical Churches?

Baptists are followers of the radical reformation.

Theological Liberalism Takes Over Mainstream Churches.

Conservative Christians Flock to Evangelical Churches (including Baptist).

Hello,

I am new to this forum. I hope I can find some sort of community! Maybe ask some questions and read interesting articles and points of view

Are you afraid to teach the Russian language in western schools?

Are you afraid of the Russian alphabet because It’s different?

In Ephesians 2:1-5 Paul describes the state of a believer pre regeneration (Dead in trespasses and sins) and after regeneration (Made alive by God). This is one of the strongest arguments for Total Depravity in the Bible so I wanted to discuss whether or not Total Depravity was true or not based on these 5 verses.

Please try to keep this thread on topic. Mainly addressing Total Depravity from Ephesians 2:1-5. I realize there are many other supporting verses and you may bring up verses that may seem to contradict Paul's point in Ephesians 2:1-5 but I want to keep this thread as on topic as possible. I mostly want people to address the OP. Mainly, of Total Depravity isn't true and people are free to choose Christ on their own why does Paul call the state in which a pre converted person exists, completely dead in trespasses and sins and that we need to be made alive?

I found this very interesting and learned a lot (though I already knew it was crooked).

It is absolutely amazing the extent to which extreme leftists will go to destroy their enemy.

Trump is not the enemy of We the People --and that's why the left don't like him. They know they likely will not win the pres election so, here you go. They will likely attempt to cheat (again)

It's more important to be MAGA than to be an incumbent officeholder.

Nebraska’s Republican Party isn’t backing any House or Senate incumbents

It’s the latest state Republican party in which far-right activists are taking control and attempting to root out traditional or centrist Republicans in order to nominate more like-minded candidates, regardless of their electoral chances in a general election.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), one of the 17 House Republicans who represents a district President Biden won in 2020, is one of those incumbents.
Bacon, running for his fifth term, has repeatedly faced primary challenges from the right and has easily won. But this year, he doesn’t have the support of his state party, which endorsed his challenger, Dan Frei, who pledged to join the House Freedom Caucus if elected.

Bacon’s seat is already a top target for Democrats, who would be thrilled if Frei won the primary.

Eric Underwood, head of the Nebraska GOP since 2022, has purged the state party and inserted Trump loyalists. One of the Nebraska GOP’s committee chairs, Fanchon Blythe, who is also a member of the RNC, is an election denier who posted a picture on her Facebook page with Jacob Angeli-Chansley, better known by his nickname “the █████ Shaman,” in December.

It’s not just Nebraska​

It’s not just Nebraska where the state party has rebuked national Republicans.

[Races in Minnesota, Colorado, Nevada...]

As many state parties have shifted toward the extreme right, another major fallout is that they’re cash strapped and far less effective.

Me and my wife are our own church. Jesus took me in when I was forsaken. I built my own little church at home. Matthew chapters 5-7 and Isaiah chapters 55 and 66. Praise the Lord my soul. Praise the Lord.

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Good evening,

I am a baby Christian and since my family is Atheist and I do not feel comfortable discussing this with my friends, I struggle to answer my most burning question.
In my heart I feel this religion is right, I know it. I got my first Bible a few years ago and I am in my early 20's. But there is this burning question I have. And because of it my faith is not that strong.
I hope I will not offense anybody with it, it is truly a topic that I want to have an answer for and I am too scared to ask in person in fear of bad reaction.

So the question is:
I had this thought. God is mercy, God is powerful and God is all-knowing, right? And we all agree on the fact that there is evil on this Earth. God is all-knowing, He must know that, we know that. God created Earth, He is powerful. So He can make the evil go away, He has all the power. But there is evil still, so He did not make it go away. That brings me to my third point that God is mercy.
I believe if any of us had the power to make all the hurting and suffering of children, women, animals, any being go away, we would. We would make the people that strayed from the path towards evil pure again, so that they do not hurt anybody.
So why didn't God? I know we sinned, but then is it not some sort of holding onto the past? Because we all agree He has the power to make evil go away.
But if He is mercy and would want that for us and yet still evil is here, it means He does not have all the power.
So one of the three has to be false, right?

I am so sorry if I made anybody uncomfortable, I truly seek answer to this. I want to be proved wrong. This is the thing that makes me question everything and I struggle with it a lot. I am too scared to ask anybody. I want this obstacle gone, it has followed me for far too long. I hope in understanding, I am again sorry for speaking such words.

I think the picture speaks volumes. This is NJ

I have been trying to spend more time with the Lord lately. I am making an effprt to pray and read my Bible. I am trying to catch up o my reading. I find i like reading better than watching TV. I want to serve the Lord with my art and writing too. I find I start the day right by watching Joyce Meyer and praying, reading my Bible. I am trying to do some more exercise too, and eat healthier too. I think a lot of the stories in the Bible are fun and exciting, although some are sad and tragic. I like reading the psalms. I am reading in 2Kings the history of Israel and Judah. It is so sad all the idol worship and how many bad kings they were. That makes the good kings stand out all the more. No one is perfect, King David and his son King Solomon slid downward and forgot about God during the later years of their lives. King Solomon had too many wives, probably foreign princesses, he had to marry them as part of peace treaty with their kingdom, for trade agreements with their fathers the foreign kings. These pampered princesses brought their foreign idol gods with them when they married King Solomon.


I like the new testament and everything t tells us to become closer to God. The letters written by Paul are very helpful for defeating the devil. Then there are the stories about Jesus Christ, his miracles and his parables. I like the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son. Jesus had a lot of love and compassion, but little patience with hypocrites. I worry that I might be a hypocrite, I pray for God to fill me with his love, and forgive me for my sins, give me a good attitude.

One of the biggest lies that is told by many Christians is that Genesis 2:17 is 'not literal'...

Genesis 2:17
"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

They will either change the word 'day', or they will change the phrase 'surely die' to mean something they do not (e.g., day = thousand years, spiritual death, began to die, etc.).

According to Scholars who understand how to properly translate and interpret the text, both 'day' and 'surely die' are to be understood as being literal.

Many resources may be found on the internet that go into great detail on this topic.

Example 1:

Finally, to interpret Genesis 2:17 as announcing natural consequences instead of a juridical penalty ignores the overwhelming biblical evidence of how authors used the phrase in question throughout the Old Testament. As such, the natural consequences interpretation seems to establish human arbiters as higher authorities than the text to determine its truthfulness and relevance. Scripture no longer interprets Scripture.

Dying You Shall Die: The meaning of Genesis 2:17

Example 2:

Here is another Bible Scholar that also agrees that 'day' and 'surely die' are literal...


Note that Dan McClellan in the above videos believes that God lied.

Although I agree with the above research that Genesis 2:17 is literal, I do not believe God lied.

So, why do so many Christians lie and claim that Genesis 2:17 is not literal? Is there an agenda here? Are they just ignorant?

1 Cor 14:1 says, "Pursue love, yet earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy."

So, we are to desire that we may prophesy above other gifts. I believe that in this verse, the word "prophesy" simply means to tell others about our God, that they will one day be judged, and that God gave us a way out. So, tell others the Gospel. Evangelise. When telling the Gospel, we are telling of future events that God has told us will happen.

The reason I believe that prophesying is to evangelise is because 1 John 4:1-4, it tells us what the opposite of a true prophet is. A false prophet draws us away from our God by telling us of a false god, such as Islam. These false prophets are evangelists for false religions. 1 John 4:1-4 says, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now it is already in the world."

So, if a false prophet is someone who evangelises and tells people of a false god, then a true prophet is someone who tells of the true God. God desires that none should perish, and He has told us to tell as many people as possible.
So, desire that you tell as many people as possible about our God and the sacrifice He made for us on the cross. Go and tell the Gospel to as many people as possible. Evangelise.

What are your thoughts on this?

To see all my reach and teach devotions in Chinese/English and hundreds of devotions in English, please click on this link.

我们有了一种分享灵修的新方式，要查看我所有的中文/英文灵修以及成百上千的英文灵修，请点击以下链接。

TBL China – The Bottom Line, Ministries






My Testimony 我的见证 - 基思·霍布科克



"But God"... a story of Amazing Grace “然而神”...... 一个奇异恩典的故事



Ephesians 2 以弗所书第2章



And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

“你们死在过犯罪恶之中，他叫你们活过来。那时，你们在其中行事为人，随从今世的风俗，顺服空中掌权者的首领，就是现今在悖逆之子心中运行的邪灵。我们从前也都在他们中间，放纵肉体的私欲，随着肉体和心中所喜好的去行，本为可怒之子，和别人一样。然而　神既有丰富的怜悯，因他爱我们的大爱，当我们死在过犯中的时候，便叫我们与基督一同活过来（你们得救是本乎恩）。他又叫我们与基督耶稣一同复活，一同坐在天上，要将他极丰富的恩典，就是他在基督耶稣里向我们所施的恩慈，显明给后来的世代看。你们得救是本乎恩，也因着信；这并不是出于自己，乃是　神所赐的；也不是出于行为，免得有人自夸。我们原是他的工作，在基督耶稣里造成的，为要叫我们行善，就是　神所预备叫我们行的。



I pray that my testimony touches your heart! My name is Keith, but everyone knows me as KK. The first thing to say is that I am just an ordinary person; I am not a pastor; I have no special gifts or abilities: I am what I am because God has showered His grace upon me.



祈求我的见证能触动你的心！我的名字是基思，但大家都叫我KK。首先要说的是，我只是一个普通人；我不是一位牧师；我没有特殊的恩赐或能力：我之所以成为现在的我，是因为神倾注了他的恩典在我身上。



Well, I had better start at the beginning. I was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, U.K., and then lived most of my life in Morecambe, a beautiful seaside town on the Lancashire coast. My childhood was difficult. My parents were great, but they were consumed with work and as I spent much time on my own, I gained a very rebellious and angry streak from an early age. I was a very troubled and restless child... I craved attention. My parents tried everything, I had serious issues relating to a childhood stammer, which led to bullying. I was in and out of speech therapy/relaxation classes.



嗯，我最好从头开始。我出生在英国约克郡的布拉德福德，然后大部分时间生活在兰开夏海岸的美丽海滨小镇莫卡姆。我的童年很艰难。我的父母很好，但他们忙于工作，我经常一个人待着，从小就养成了非常叛逆和愤怒的性格。我是一个非常困扰和不安的孩子……我渴望得到关注。我的父母尝试了一切，我有严重的童年口吃问题，导致遭受欺凌。我一直在接受言语治疗/放松课程。



(I was) Sent to Sunday school, I listened to the stories of Jesus and thought that they were just stories. My favourite hymn was "There was a Green Hill Far Away". This hymn said that He died to save us all. "Great," I thought, "Jesus died - I can live as I want."



（我）被送去上主日学。我听过耶稣的故事，但觉得那只是故事。我最喜欢的圣诗是《远处有座青翠的小山》。这首圣诗说他为了拯救我们而死。我心想：“太好了，耶稣死了 - 我可以随心所欲地生活。”



I was in the church; I even did the collection for upstairs at the church. Sad to say, I was a Judas-- not just from the church, but from my parents. By the age of 14, I was placed in the lowest class at school; I was a very nasty and angry person; a sinner who had all the appearance of a good person, but was a devil on the inside. . . in all my churchgoing, I have never heard the true Gospel that Jesus saves personally.



我常去教堂；我甚至在教堂楼上收集了奉献。可悲的是，我像犹大一样——不仅背叛了教会，也背叛了我的父母。到了14岁，我被分在学校的最低班级；我是一个非常恶毒和愤怒的人；一个看起来很善良的人，但内心却像个魔鬼……在我所有的教会活动中，我从未听到过真正的福音，即耶稣亲自拯救罪人。



At school, I was known as trouble; teachers thought I had no hope, but my parents didn't give up-- they fought for me to be placed in a higher class. They finally got their wish and I was placed in Class 4S, along with two very special people, both whom are close friends today, David and Andrew, the person whom God used to bring me to faith.



在学校，我被认为是个麻烦制造者；老师们认为我没有希望，但我的父母没有放弃——他们为我争取进入更高的班级。他们最终如愿以偿，我被安排在4S班，与两个非常特别的人一起，他们至今仍是我的密友，大卫和安德鲁，他们是神用来带领我信仰的人。



As I said, I was trouble at school: if there was trouble in class, it usually revolved around me; Keith had said or done something to upset them. Well, I created havoc in class, tormenting virtually everyone: I was a mixture of Dennis the Menace and Homer Simpson, loveable and dumb but just a pain in the bum: well. . . except for Andrew.



正如我所说，我在学校是个麻烦制造者：如果班上有麻烦，通常都是围绕着我；基思说了或做了什么让他们生气。嗯，我在班里制造了混乱，几乎折磨了每个人：我是丹尼斯·门纳斯（美国电影《小鬼当家》当中的主人公，以调皮捣蛋著称）和霍默·辛普森（美国动画片《辛普森家族》中的人物，以懒惰笨拙著称）的混合体，可爱但愚蠢，但只是个让人头痛的人：嗯……除了安德鲁。



Everything I tried to do to him, it didn't upset him at all! What is it with this guy? Why is he so calm? OK, he's a Christian; well, so am I! I go to church, so what's the big deal? Also, we had R.E. (Religious Education) in our school, led by Mr Curnow. I just sat the back of the class and mocked him. He said at the end of the class, "Jesus loves you and is the Answer!" "What?" I thought, "Why doesn't he tell it to us through all the class, if Jesus is so good?" Many years later I had the pleasure of meeting him and his wife, who was my French teacher; also, my history teacher, Mr Waterhouse, who were all Believers-- the ones I had mocked were Christians.



我尝试了一切办法，但对他毫无影响！这家伙怎么回事？为什么他这么冷静？好吧，他是个基督徒；那我也是！我去教堂，那又怎么了？此外，我们在学校有宗教教育课（R.E.），由卡诺先生主持。我就坐在教室后面，嘲笑他。他在课堂结束时说：“耶稣爱你，他就是答案！”我想：“什么？为什么他不在整堂课中告诉我们，如果耶稣是那么好的话？”多年后，我有幸遇见了他和他的妻子，她是我的法语老师；还有我的历史老师，沃特豪斯先生，他们都是信徒——那些我曾经嘲笑的人都是基督徒。



Andrew was getting under my skin; he invited me to these meetings, and on a Saturday night! "What, you go to these Bible meetings on a Saturday? You are a fanatic, man!" One day he invited me: and to be honest, just to stop him asking me, I said "OK, but look, I have to be home by 10, the football is on."



安德鲁开始影响我了；他邀请我参加这些聚会，还是在周六晚上！“什么，你在周六去参加这些圣经聚会？你是个狂热者，伙计！”有一天他邀请我：说实话，只是为了不让他再问我，我说：“好吧，但是听着，我必须在晚上10点前回家，足球比赛要开始了。”



So, on Saturday, the 15th of February, I set out to Moorlands Gospel Hall in Lancaster. Meeting me at the bus station, we made our way to the meeting. It was different to everything I had ever been to: this was lively, hymns were sung truly and powerfully, people stood up and told how Jesus had changed their lives, and finally Victor Jack (an evangelist) stood up and preached. He said "If Jesus came tonight, where would you spend eternity? You are a guilty sinner, condemned by your sin; but Jesus has provided salvation through the Cross." For the first time I had heard the true Gospel. Victor said he was going into a side room, anyone who would like to talk with him, please do so. I remember closing my eyes-- the curtain was raised; the light went on! I turned to Andrew, "I want to go into that room!" I got there first, just before someone else; this was something I just had to do. Victor took me through "Journey into Life" (tract by Norman Warren). I said the prayer, and trusted Christ. My prayer was sincere. Something happened that night-- something life changing! Thanks, Andrew and Victor!



所以，在2月15日的星期六，我前往兰卡斯特的Moorlands福音堂。安德鲁在车站见到我，我们一同前往聚会。这与我以往参加的所有聚会都不同：这里气氛活泼，唱诗班真诚而有力地唱着圣歌，人们站起来讲述耶稣如何改变了他们的生活，最后维克多·杰克（一个传教士）站起来讲道。他说：“如果耶稣今晚来了，你将在何处度过永恒？你是个有罪的罪人，被你的罪定罪；但耶稣通过十字架提供了拯救。”这是我第一次听到真正的福音。维克多说他要去一个小房间，任何想和他谈话的人，请去找他。我记得闭上了眼睛——窗帘拉开了；灯亮了！我转向安德鲁，“我想去那个房间！”我比其他人先到了那里；这是我必须做的事情。维克多给我讲解了“通向生命之旅”（诺曼·沃伦的福音小册子）。我做了祷告，信靠基督。我的祷告是真诚的。那天晚上发生了一些事情——一些改变生命的事情！感谢你，安德鲁和维克多！



I remember going home: I shouted out in glee, "I've become a Christian!" My parents weren't impressed. "It will wear off," they said. My form teacher had said to Andrew, "Keith will never get saved." Things did change. I went to church and got baptised, but still had many problems. . . but I knew something had happened-- I had new affections and new interests; I loved reading the Bible and praying.



我记得回家时：我高兴地大喊：“我成了基督徒！”我的父母并不感到印象深刻。“这会过去的，”他们说。我的班主任曾对安德鲁说：“基思永远不会得救。”事情确实改变了。我去了教堂并受了洗，但仍然有许多问题……但我知道发生了些什么——我有了新的情感和新的兴趣；我喜欢阅读圣经和祈祷。



For the first 10 years of my Faith walk I went up and down, but I still made progress. But I was now to enter the "wilderness years". For nearly 15 years from 1986-2001, I went off the rails completely. Not terrible sin, but just rebellion and disobedience: no prayer, no church, living in the world; yet through all that time God Who had saved me, held me.



在我信仰之路的头10年里，我经历了起起落落，但我仍在进步。但现在我要进入“旷野岁月”了。从1986年到2001年的将近15年时间里，我完全迷失了方向。并非可怕的罪恶，而是叛逆和不顺从：没有祷告，没有教堂，生活在世俗中；然而在那段时间里，拯救我的神始终扶持着我。



He was drawing me back to himself.

他一直在召唤我回到他面前。



During my wilderness years, I saw many things and met many people, I wish I hadn't. My life was apart from God, I was out of work, depressed and very alone. During that time, I thought about suicide and was on anti-depressants, Ciprail 15mg, eventually I was able to stop taking them, but it took time and prayer.



在我的旷野岁月里，我见过很多事情，遇到了很多人，但我希望我没有见到。我的生活与神无关，我失业了，沮丧而孤独。那段时间里，我想过自杀，并且一直服用抗抑郁药，15毫克的西普乐，最终我能够停药，但需要时间和祈祷。



I was and am a modern-day prodigal, one more thing I saw.



我是一个现代的浪子，我还见到了一件事。



On the 11th May 1985, I sat in the stand at my home town football ground (Bradford City), a fire broke out in the stand where I was sitting (right behind me). Five minutes earlier, something had stopped me going to the toilet at the back of the stand, it was God preventing me, if I had gone, then I would have been trapped by the fire, again it was the hand of God on my life.



1985年5月11日，我坐在我的家乡足球场（布拉德福德城）的看台上，看台上爆发了火灾（就在我后面）。五分钟前，有什么事情阻止了我去看台后面的洗手间，那是神阻止了我，如果我去了，我就会被火困住，这又是神在我生命中的作为。



I do not tell you these things to make you think, look at Keith, but to let you know that Christ is everything, he is faithful, despite me, despite my failings. He is and always will be ..MY LORD AND MY GOD.



我告诉你这些事情不是为了让你觉得基思很了不起，而是让你知道基督是一切，他是忠实的，尽管我，尽管我的失败。他是我永远的……我的主和我的神。

I've been dating a young Christian woman for a couple of months now. When/how should the topic of past sexual sin come up? Is it still too early? Have I waited too long already? The sexual sin in my past consists of (1) inappropriate contentography and (2) some sexual activity in one past relationship (though thankfully it never turned into full intercourse).

Some days I feel it is not necessary to tell her yet, but then other days my conscience convicts me that I should have told her already. I would appreciate any advice here.

What is the mind of Christ? In my opinion It dies and lives daily. It doesn't desire or have wealth or political ambition, care, worries, or fears. It suffers many afflictions. It's content in all situations and wants only basic needs. It's simplistic not luxurious.

It's humble, gentle, meekness in wisdom, lowly minded, forgiving, merciful, compassion, understanding, empathetic and loving.

It's somtimes confused or scared. It's what the apostles teach us. It's hated and rejected.

Jim Justice, the businessman-turned-politician governor of West Virginia, has been pursued in court for years by banks, governments, business partners and former employees for millions of dollars in unmet obligations.

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And for a long time, Mr. Justice and his family’s companies have managed to stave off one threat after another with wily legal tactics notably at odds with the aw-shucks persona that has endeared him to so many West Virginians. On Tuesday, he is heavily favored to win the Republican Senate primary and cruise to victory in the general election, especially after the departure of the Democratic incumbent, Joe Manchin III.

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But now, as he wraps up his second term as governor and campaigns for a seat in the U.S. Senate, things are looking dicier. Much like Donald J. Trump, with whom he is often compared — with whom he often compares himself — Mr. Justice has faced a barrage of costly judgments and legal setbacks.

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And this time, there may be too many, some suspect, for Mr. Justice, 73, and his family to fend them all off.

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In my opinion the world is the kingdom of the beast. False doctrine is e everywhere because no one can buy or sell the truth in the beast kingdom. This doesn't necesarily mean that anyone has taken the mark of the beast however because Satan defeated them and they're dead. Colossians chapter 3 says that we died.

But I'm no Bible scholar and i can be wrong. What's your opinion?

With recent shootings in public and in churches, the question of self-defense has been coming up lately. But first, let's be clear: What we are seeing today is not a gun problem; it’s a moral problem called sin.

Vengeance Is Not Self-Defense
One Scripture often used to support pacifism and banning weapons is found in Proverbs 20:22: “Do not say, ‘I will recompense evil’; wait for the Lord, and He will save you.” But this scripture deals with vigilantism, not self-defense. According to Romans 13:4, one purpose of the authorities is to “execute wrath on him who practices evil.” They are God’s avengers, but we can be defenders.

Seek Peace When Possible
As Christians, I believe that we are to seek peace at every turn and not drape the cross with the flag. But what about self-defense as a last resort and biblical mandates to protect? The Old Testament offers many examples, but what about the New Testament? It does as well. In Matthew 26:52 Jesus says to Peter, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” Jesus didn’t denounce the sword but clarified its place. When we take premature emotionally charged action, it may cost us our life.

Buy a Sword
Later, Jesus adds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me?” If He had been a thief and a robber, the clubs and swords would have been justified. In my opinion, these Scriptures imply that weapons do have a place in society, although we must be careful. Additionally, in Luke 22:36, Jesus said,

“But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.”

What is the context of this Scripture? First, again I would err on the side of peace, but this isn’t always an option. One thing is certain: A sword was for defense. Earlier, Jesus had sent them on a peaceful mission trip where they did not need these items, but now Jesus may be implying that self-defense might become necessary. He wants them to use wisdom and be prepared.

Love Your Enemies Doesn’t Mean Hate Your Family
Some may argue, “Didn’t Jesus say to love our enemies, and bless those who curse us, and do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use and persecute us?” (cf. Matthew 5:43-48.) Yes, but these references refer to personal assaults, offenses, and character assassinations, not to self-defense or the protection of others. It is taking a quantum leap to believe that Jesus is saying, “Do good to those who are trying to maim or destroy you or your family.”

Jesus Didn’t Turn the Other Cheek
Paul tells Timothy that if “anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim. 5:8). But if I protect my family, which is often a greater responsibility (if not equal), then I’m labeled a war-monger and accused of misapplying the Scriptures.

The Scriptures must be read in their appropriate context. For example, when Jesus was slapped, He didn’t turn the other cheek. He said, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?” (John 18:23). Although we are to err on the side of grace and peace, there is a time and a place for confrontation and protection.

Forgiveness Is Not Passivity
I want to make it clear that I’m not advocating violence or aggression; I’m advocating scriptural consistency and continuity. Context is the key factor here. Forgiving is not being passive, and granting grace is not being gullible. Are we called to guard our families spiritually, emotionally, and financially but not physically? This makes no sense. However, my concern with the current gun debate is that we are buying into the fear narrative. A minimizing of sovereignty is directly related to a magnifying of worry. “Most Christians salute the sovereignty of God but believe in the sovereignty of man” (R.C. Sproul).

A GLOCK for the Flock
Many are prepared militarily but not spiritually, instilling unhealthy fear in their families. They are motivated by the fear of man rather than the fear of God. I hear much about GLOCK, Smith and Wesson, and Remington, but little about brokenness, surrender, and humility. Every time God’s people trusted in their weapons and armies, He called them to repentance. Our protection is in daily submission to Him. Psalm 121:2 adds, “Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Our current trend beckons us to be very careful about who, or what, we “worship,” and who, or what, we place our trust in.