Spiritual growth is a good thing. But it requires change in us. Not only change in behavior but also attitudes and often beliefs. Sincere Christians see both. We want to remain firm in the faith yet grow, be transformed, sanctified. But what about when our beliefs hold us back?

One painful example in our history was church sanctioned slavery. Beliefs had to change. Or should I say interpretations and applications of beliefs.

We all must cope with life and we use our faith to help us. But have you ever had the experience of your faith not helping? As if reality does not fit with beliefs? Or beliefs clash with reality?

Americans are split on the accuracy of the Bible, as the public remains divided about institutional trust in religion and the family, a new study finds.

The American Bible Society released the seventh chapter of its "State of the Bible USA 2025" report on Tuesday. The research, which focuses on Americans' levels of trust in several institutions, including religion and the Bible, is based on responses from 2,656 American adults collected in online interviews between Jan. 2 and Jan. 21.

When asked if they agreed that "the Bible is totally accurate in all the principles it presents," 36% of respondents answered in the affirmative, while 39% disagreed.

"A half-century ago, Americans generally trusted the Bible. Attitudes are more complex these days," said John Farquhar Plake, chief innovation officer at the American Bible Society and editor-in-chief of the State of the Bible series, in a statement reacting to the findings of the research.

Continued below.

Good Day,

I hope all here are doing well. I has been a long time since really being present here in the forums - and a lot of things (traumatic, to be honest) that have happened which caused me to need a substantial break. If I am honest, after seeing a tendency in some spaces I left literally embrace open American civil religion / Eurocentrism and xenophobia, it was a lot to process. Awhile ago, I was saddened at how other Evangelicals (Converts, more so in the tradition of Fundamentalists) who came into one parish was investing in started to then try and explain that slavery itself was not really a "bad thing" for African Americans in the U.S.

Although I had just had a good/encouraging discussion with others on what God was doing in communities through genealogy/helping kin to find one another again because of forced separations, a group of others came in/ interjected into the conversation once the Civil War was brought up. They dismissed the experiences of churches who addressed the matter, including Black Catholics who've shared and others I brought up such as the Brotherhood of St.Moses the Black. Moreover, they tried to use appeal to Monarchy in Byzantium to conclude that others were wrong to ever speak out against abuses in the government with slave trafficking/Black Codes and things that Christians did to certain groups.

The conclusions led to me being told at one point that what happened to those in my family (as my grandmother was the daughter of a slave and we had documents) was silly - and that there was no documentation to show that chattel slavery itself was bad. What stood out to me in the process of conversation with others was that many said openly (as folks with Rural Georgia roots) that they felt the church gave them pride as a white person cause they were told that being country/rural meant they were less...and at the same time, they also noted it was a major struggle for them because they weren't really comfortable with Black folks sharing their experiences AND they ended up merging their ideology (the belief that things shouldn't change) with what they saw in the church.

While I am glad others did speak out, it intrigued me the priest (British) could relate because of what happened with the Irish in the early church and having to reshape themselves uniquely in the era of St. Patrick and St.Columba when they had a lot of major problems occurring (Including trafficking) and the Celtic. The dynamics are very similar to what happened for the Kongolese Catholic Christians when kidnapping was forced upon them and they had to fight back, separating themselves from the Portuguese Catholics who wanted to practice kidnapping in their space.

The work of Dr. Justo Gonzales came to my mind immediately for many reasons. He noted what happened when Catholics came to the Americas and those who were impacted (Indigenous) ended up creating new experiences in their expression of their faith - and that led to competition with other expressions that didn't want their voices.

With that being said, I have been discussing with others lately on how so many things seem to develop over trauma/traumatic events and branches in the church can be shaped by this. I would love to hear from others on the following points: What are significant world events that have caused the the church or groups within it to change substantially? Do you feel that there are dynamics today that are leading into more groups within Traditional Church circles to develop in ways that differ from others in the same camp?

“I bring greetings today from our commander in chief, Donald J. Trump, and he wanted me to tell each and every single one of you that he’s proud of you, that he loves you,” Vance said. “And despite the Schumer shutdown, he is going to do everything he can to make sure you get paid exactly what you deserve.”

It's the right thing to do.

The employee was charged with tampering with evidence after the incident involving two customers who allegedly threatened violence​

A Florida sheriff called an altercation involving a worker and two customers at a McDonald’s in Polk County last weekend a "McMess" after it left one of the men with a minor gunshot wound to the neck.


Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd explained in a video posted to social media that a McDonald’s in the area had become inundated with online orders after several events in the area let out early Sunday morning.

Judd said the worker, Yoan Soto, 21, "politely" told Nicholas Jones, 18, and Peter Story, 20, who had pulled into the drive-thru, "‘Hey, sorry guys, we’re way behind. Our online orders are overwhelming us.’"

He said after Soto told the two men that the store couldn’t take their order, they allegedly started threatening him.

Continued below.

Mental exercise.

“If” Jesus came back to dwell among us humans again in the form of a man. Would He be able to have communion in your church?

Comedian and actor Russell Brand closed out his appearance at a Turning Point USA event in Oklahoma on Thursday by praying in the name of Jesus, noting he found God through pain and that he believes revival is happening.

"Lord, I would ask for divine inspiration, I would ask for new conversations that pursue the lines that Charlie Kirk was pursuing in earnest, open discourse; love," Brand prayed in a packed auditorium of thousands at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.

The late Charlie Kirk was scheduled to speak there on his college tour before he was assassinated at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10.

Continued below.

A car passenger got the fright of his life when a tiger snake slithered across his foot somewhere on New South Wales far south coast.


He'll check under the driver's seat next time.

We've lived in our suburb for 33 years. We had a small snake in our compost heap a few years ago, but this year I've seen two when I've been walking along a local "bush track" (concrete path through some scrub). I nearly stood on one in January and I was close to the other one a couple of weeks ago. In both cases I saw the tail slither off into long grass on the side of the track. I didn't get enough time to make a guess as to the species, and I wasn't going to go looking for them.

Prior to that I hadn't seen any on the track the whole time we've been here and I've probably covered it a few hundred times in those years.

They're not easy to see. I'm a bit more wary now, even though the odds are still very low.

“The two surviving ‘terrorists’ are being returned to their countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia, for detention and prosecution,” Trump wrote in the social media posting.
The New York Times reports the two individuals have been transferred from the custody of the Pentagon to the U.S. State Department for their repatriation. They note that the U.S. has handed individuals in the past over to friendly countries when they were intercepted outside the country. The Coast Guard, in the past in the Caribbean, however, after stopping drug trafficking boats, has also arrested the individuals and brought them to the U.S. for prosecution.

Over 80,000 Americans died in 2024 as a result of a drug overdose.

The story below was inspired by Angela Ducksworth's speech.

In a beautiful Austrian town, Master Hans was the most respected carpenter in the region. His work was known not for extravagance, but for its quiet perfection—doors that never creaked, joints that never loosened, and homes that stood for generations. Two young men began their apprenticeship under him.

The first apprentice, Wilhelm, was undeniably brilliant. He could think quickly and had a mind like a blueprint—able to visualize complex designs instantly, calculate angles without measuring, and identify wood types by scent alone. Master Hans praised him often, calling him “a rare talent.” Wilhelm basked in the compliments. He loved being admired and gravitated toward glamorous projects—ornate furniture, decorative carvings, anything that drew attention and applause. He avoided the small, quiet tasks like sanding beams, fixing warped doors, or troubleshooting creaky joints. “Leave those to Johann,” he’d say. “I was born for bigger things.”

Johann, the second apprentice, was slower. He asked many questions, made mistakes, and often stayed late to redo his work.

Master Hans thought Johann was hopeless. He wasn’t as sharp as Wilhelm, nor as quick with his hands. While Wilhelm could carve a perfect dovetail joint in minutes, Johann would still be measuring—brow furrowed, lips pressed tight in concentration.

“He’s not cut out for this,” Hans muttered one morning, watching Johann fumble with a chisel. “Too slow. Too soft. He’ll never make a craftsman.”

But Johann heard none of it. Or perhaps he did—and chose not to let it settle. He stayed late, sweeping sawdust, studying the grain of discarded wood, tracing the curves of Wilhelm’s finished pieces with quiet patience. What he lacked in brilliance, he made up for in humility, diligence and perseverance.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One day, a client came to Master Hans with a troubling problem: the sliding doors in his cafe had begun to stick and groan, disturbing the peaceful atmosphere. “I’ve oiled the tracks, replaced the rollers, even shaved the edges,” the client said, “but nothing works.”

Master Hans turned to his apprentices. “Go together. Find the cause. Fix it.”

Wilhelm and Johann visited the cafe. Wilhelm examined the doors, slid them once, frowned, and declared, “It’s a warped frame. Nothing we can do without rebuilding the whole wall.” He left, muttering about wasted time and better uses of his talent.

Johann stayed. He sat on the floor, opened and closed the doors dozens of times, listening. He noticed the sound changed with the weather. He examined the floorboards, the humidity in the wood, the angle of the track. After hours of quiet observation and trial, he discovered the problem: a subtle shift in the foundation had tilted the track just enough to cause friction. He adjusted the base, reinforced the frame, and added a hidden wedge to restore balance.

The next day, the client returned to Master Hans, beaming. “The doors are silent again. It’s like they float.”

Master Hans nodded. “Who solved it?”

“Johann,” the client said. “He’s remarkable—he stayed until it was perfect.”

Wilhelm overheard. He said nothing, but his face tightened.

Later, Master Hans fixed his gaze on Wilhelm and said angrily, “You think your smartness sets you apart, but smartness loses its edge without discipline. The world doesn’t need more brilliance. It needs more discipline !!”

Wilhelm was furious. That evening, he packed his tools and left the workshop. “I’ll build my own legacy !!!” he shouted.

He opened his own carpentry shop in the town square. His reputation as a prodigy drew crowds. Clients lined up for his dazzling designs—spiral staircases, carved mantels, intricate latticework. Business boomed.

But Wilhelm had no one to check his work. Without Master Hans’s quiet oversight, flaws crept in. Joints loosened. Beams warped. Doors stuck. Clients returned with complaints after complaints. Wilhelm blamed the wood, the weather, the mosquitoes—but never himself.

Within a year, the crowds thinned. His shop grew quiet. The town whispered: “Beautiful, but broken.”

Meanwhile, Johann never stopped learning, remaining diligent in his quiet work. He built homes that stood firm, gates that never groaned, and furniture that aged with grace. He never sought praise—but earned deep respect.

I was recently playing an online game called Bible.io, since no one was online I was only left there versing AI bots, and I almost got beaten, it was so close! Hopefully AI doesn't know the Bbile better than me.

One more off of the streets.

I see a giant ball of interconnected thoughts. Picking a starting place is always hard. I'm just going to start somewhere and hopefully fill in the links between things. I am posting this here because I feel like I have to admit I have a need, but I have read the advice others have given and it...is not what I need to hear.

I have always been the person who helps others. Why? Because I was literally beaten if I didn't. If I didn't bring a tool to my father *before* he asked for it, I was punished. If I didn't know what 'bring me that' when pointing at a wall of 50 tools meant, I was punished. So as far back as 3rd grade I remember being the person people could talk to about their problems. Nobody could ever help me with mine though. Nobody had ever experienced mine.

Family was far away. 600 miles or more. I saw anyone outside my parents once every 2 years, if that. The neighborhood friends were not great people. They stole, they cheated, they did many bad things. I am an only child. When the internet became a thing I tried to stay in touch with my extended family. I only ever mattered to them on holidays. They mattered to me every day.

My relationship with my parents was destroyed during high school. They lied to me, over and over. I could not ask for their advice, I could not trust their wisdom. I was, truly, alone. Utterly alone. And it stayed that way ever since (>20 years). There were brief periods where I would have a friend or a few friends. But if you summed all that time up it would be less than 2 years out of those 20. And while those friends could help me remember how to be a normal person, they couldn't help me heal my inner world. They had never been through anything like that. They had their own problems and had nothing left for me. And, in all cases, I was in their lives to help them with their problems, not to get help with mine. Something therapy exposed for me was that I do not understand how to have any value at all unless someone else sees my value. I have no value or worth to myself. I don't matter to me. It was beaten out of me as a child. Before my nervous system even knew what it was like to have self worth. I don't know that I can be re-taught this as an adult.

Over those 20 years I have tried to explain to my parents what they did and why it was wrong. It has been a non-appology every time. "We're sorry if you think/feel/believe that..." "We're sorry you believe that..." etc. Gaslighting. Manipulation. Making me the problem, never the. It's been that way since I was a child. My journals exposed that to me when I finally re-read them as an adult. There's no way to rebuild a relationship with someone who won't admit they did something wrong.

Since I was 15 I wanted to have a family. I'm basically 40 now, and I think that ship has sailed. Impossible? No. Improbable? highly. I cognitively understand that my family will be in heaven. The people I've saved over the decades of my life. The people who decided not to kill themselves because I talked them through their problems. The people who I helped find better jobs so they could afford the treatment I couldn't give them. The people whose faith I strengthened when they found themselves stuck in old loops of doubt. I have helped many, but I have found no human that could help me for more than a few months at a time.

Psychedelic therapy made it possible for me to start healing. And I share this so that those who can understand, might comprehend who utterly broken I was beforehand. I make no exaggeration when I say that I was so far gone that no other treatment could have gotten through to me. If you understand the totality of those three sentences, you understand how bad off I really am/was. I have made more progress in the last 8 months than I've made in the past 15 years. But I'm grinding against a wall and I need...I don't know what I truly need, other than to no longer be alone.

But people have betrayed me so consistently and so deeply that I cannot trust them. I cannot face going to church because the last time I tried I was placed on suicide watch. There are traumatic memories in the church for me I cannot face alone. People talk about the languages of love. Words have a negative meaning to me. I am more Romulan than human in this respect. I suspect everything is a lie, every action has another motive. The only girlfriend I ever had cried when she realized I wasn't lying about this. That I couldn't comprehend her parents being genuine, without subterfuge. Such is the depth of how deeply people have hurt me. And if you still don't understand, let me explain it this way: I can't just 'stop'. My entire nervous system is wired to distrust. The distrust is physical. It happens BEFORE conscious thought. Can it be changed? Yes. But only with great effort, and consistency measured in years, if not decades.

You'd never know it talking to me though. I seem totally normal. I have good social skills. I seem friendly, kind, and genuine. I mask very well. I had to. It is how I survived. It is how I felt safe. To this day I continue to try and find other people to help as my way to 'earn' my right to exist in a space. I sit at home, alone, because it's the only place I feel allowed to exist without paying. I do go sit in nature sometimes, when it isn't terribly hot outside. That helps a bit, but I can't be out there 16 hours a day.

In some ways, I need to have value to someone without me having earned it. And I need that to be a flesh and blood human, because I don't think I can rewire my nervous system any other way. I wish I could, but months of effort have shown no results. I think...I think this problem is one I can't fix in isolation.

So, maybe what I'm asking you to pray for is people to enter my life who can help heal me. People who can show me I have value inherently. People who can show me how to trust again. People who can...make it actually possible for me to heal.

I think I could claim that there's been a lot of frustration in my life, particularly in the "vocation" or "career" sense.

Lately it's been annoying me a lot, so I sat down to reread CS Lewis "The Problem of Pain".

In chapter one he starts with "Not many years ago when I was an atheist, if anyone had asked me, 'Why do you not believe in God?' .... and he went on to point to the universe we live in ... the greatest part consists of empty space ... Earth herself existed without life for millions of years and may exist for millions more when life has left her ... it is so arranged that all the forms of it can live only by preying on one another ... the creatures cause pain by being born, and live by inflicting pain, and in pain they mostly die ... in...Man... reason (appears) .. (which) ... enables men by a hundred ingenious contrivances to inflict a great deal more pain than they otherwise could have done on one another and on the irrational creatures... their history is largely a record of crime, war, disease and terror... etc.

But then he did a volte face. "There was one question which I never dreamed of raising. I never noticed that the very strength and facility of the pessimists' case at once poses us a problem. If the unverse is so bad, or even half so bad, how on earth did human beings ever come to attribute it to the activity of a wise and good Creator? Men are fools perhaps; but hardly so foolish as that. The direct inference from white to black, from evil flower to virtuous root, from senseless work to a workman infinitely wise, staggers belief. The spectacle of the universe as revealed by experience can never have been the ground of religion: it must always have been something in spite of which religion, acquired from a different source, was held."

Any thoughts on how this volte farce took place - the belief in a wise and good Creator when the universe and human society itself shouts the complete opposite?

When the Black Death was killing off half of (Christian) Europe for example, did God's wisdom and love shine forth?

There is a fix.

CONSERVATIVES
Seach google (or your favorite engine) regarding very Democratic/socialist ideas or extreme positions.

LIBERALS
Seach google (or your favorite engine) regarding very MAGA ideas or extreme positions.
==========
Google will now treat you differently if you occasionally search on both extremes.
==================
YOU DON"T HAVE TO GO TOO CRAZY (but this isn't as likely to confuse the computer
You could simply ask who are the strongest supporters of the right to bear arms? Or
Who prevents us from passing effective gun control laws?

Post anything that is creepy, crawly, scary, spooky!

Happy Halloween!

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So I came across an interesting news article the other day, about this woman who had a near-death experience, whereby she saw her deceased ancestors and she also saw the future of her kids, and she also saw the future of this world. She said that during her near-death experience she had entered this alternative universe whereby the majority of the world had been wiped out by wars, and people ended up living a more simple life, and the people over there had lived more locally unlike how our current world had been living more globally, so the life in that universe is just like the olden days, whereby people would make a living through farming, and there will no longer be stuffs like migration anymore and everybody will coexist together peacefully in one place, but there will still be technology around and the world will still be linked by global thread, just that people will use these in a more peaceful way than now.

Is this really how the world will look like in future with a one-world government?

The article I have included shows thousands in Boise for the "no kings' rally.

So I have to ask: What should the Christian response be? To me it certainly is not as House Speaker Johnson declared as un-American. To me all Christians response instead should be one of humility. That the waves of rudeness and pride that promote MAGA or various forms of liberalism should be softened. That compromise and conciliatory actions should flow from both sides. That lawfare should stop and that common sense should prevail.

I will be frank. The overall maga plan is likley to fail. Tariffs are inflationary, job creation is dwindling and maybe going negative, and the preference of the rich over those seeking help with health care or other aids they have had in the past are going to sting. The GOP thought the shutdown would be blamed on dems. Guess what, Trump and the GOP are getting plenty of blame too. Who's winning the blame game over the shutdown? Here's what a new AP-NORC poll shows

The ICE raids and military deployments are over the top and unpopular with a majority. https://www.npr.org/2025/09/27/nx-s1-5553536/npr-ipsos-law-enforcement-poll-national-guard
Ameicans too are increasingly in support of a policy of immigration that does not align itself with Trump. American Support for Legal Immigration Reaches New Heights

The no kings rally is in part because many do believe that Trump is becoming too authoritiarian. Recently a group of former intelligence and security officers used the analytics that they previously used to monitor foriegn governments. Their conclusion when they looked inward at Ameria was that the USA is working towards authoritarian rule. US ‘on a trajectory’ toward authoritarian rule, ex-officials warn

Of course I cite PBS, and former emplyoyees might hold a grudge or are just liberals and can be ignored. The rally though says plenty. Trump needs to become a statesman and work more with the opposition. A democratic America will never become a Christian nationalist nation without the heart and minds of the people. It is not just that politics are failing in the maga era, the church too has failed to win hearts and minds to Jesus. So I do hope we can go back to the gospel and not be boxed into some political scheme that is likely to fall flat at best, and be a total disaster at worst.

Again some will not draw my conclusions. It is great to be optimistic but to what end? I would say that I wish I had your faith, but that is not true. The status quo or even the direction we are heading even if a successful MAGA outcome, is not what America needs. Why? because it is not requiring the humility that can turn a nation to God.

Pray that The Heavenly Father does whatever it takes for The Holy Spirit & His Angels to Stamp Out All cocaine-trafficking routes all over the world:

https://www.economist.com/briefing/2025/10/16/the-traffickers-are-winning-the-war-on-drugs

Peace in Christ.

God makes us alive with Christ. He raises us up together and makes us sit together in the “heavenly places” (literally ABOVE the heavens…Greek: epouranios) in Christ Jesus.

Epouranios- From G1909 and G3772; above the sky

Epi -The Greek prefix epi- (ἐπί) generally means "upon," "on," or "over,"

Eph 2:4-6 KJV
(4) But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
(5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)
(6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places (ABOVE the heavens) in Christ Jesus:

We are to sit with Him ABOVE the heavens….FAR ABOVE all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is names not only in THIS AGE we are living in now but also in the age to come.

This is what is meant by the term “kingdom of heaven” or kingdom of the heavens.

We are to rule with Christ (sitting with Him in His throne) over all rule and power and dominion (the “heavens”…the things that are highly exalted now in this earth) that is earth-based.

He gives us power over the nations. This is a NOW thing…this is a present age thing…as well as in the coming age.

Eph 1:19-23
(19) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
(20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places (ABOVE heavens),
(21) Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world (AGE), but also in that which is to come:
(22) And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
(23) Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

We are raised up together and made to sit together ABOVE the heavenlies…above all things that are in authority now (exalted now) in this earth. This is why earthly KINGS will come to the brightness of our rising.

Isa 60:3 KJV
(3) And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Earthly kings shall minister unto us as God shall glorify us. His authority/name is written upon our foreheads…amid our faces. They shall see Him through us. They shall see His glory upon us and come to us.

Isa 60:9-12 KJV
(9) Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.
(10) And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.
(11) Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.
(12) For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.

With our “open face” we shall reflect the glory of the Lord to them. They will then SEE Him through us. He makes us “kings and priests” now in this world. He gives us power over the nations....the kingdom/reign of the heavenlies (everything that is exalted now in this world).

2Co 3:18 KJV
(18) But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

KINGS shall shut their mouths at Him…for what they had not been told shall they SEE. They will see Him by looking at our open face. We shall shine the light to them who are sitting in deep darkness. They shall see that light and come to it.

Isa 52:13-15 KJV
(13) Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
(14) As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
(15) So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

We shall SHINE forth as the sun in the kingdom of the Father. We shall rule with Him over all the nations of this world.

Mat 13:43 KJV
(43) Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

“Cyrus” = sun. The nations shall be subdued “before” …that is, to the FACES of….Him. Hebrew: paniym = faces (plural). We shall all with “open face” manifest Him to the people of the outside world who will then see Him by looking at us and will then praise God. This comes with power.

Nations shall be subdued to the FACES of Him (as we reflect His glory with our open faces to them.) He will loosen the strength (loins) of Kings by the FACES of Him of which we will reflect to them. They will loose power at the faces of Him as we all with open faces shall manifest Him to them. They will SEE His "visage"...His view...by looking at us.

They will then praise God in this world. The two gates…the lips of the saved earthly kings…will open up to praise Him. The “gates” shall not be shut. They will believe and praise God openly and will not cease doing so.

Isa 45:1-3
(1) Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before (to FACES of) him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before (to FACES of) him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

The LORD will go…will walk…to our FACES of us. This manifestation of Him to the outside people of the world who are currently in power will level them. The “mountains”…the exalted people of this world…will be leveled by looking at our faces which will manifest the Lord to them.

(2) I will go before (to FACES of) thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
(3) And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

But right now, our sins are hiding His face from them. Our sins have hid His face from us. We are not manifesting Him with our open faces to the people of the outside world so that they may see Him and believe.

Isa 59:1-4 KJV
(1) Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
(2) But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
(3) For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.
(4) None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

His visage…His view…is being currently “marred” so that they cannot see Him and believe.

Isa 52:14 KJV
(14) As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

We cannot go to a man-based church where they are keeping and serving their images…their church handwritings of ordinances/dogmas by which they are judging others with.

We must come out from among them and be separate from them…no longer being attached to the dead church body…. so that we can then SHINE in the kingdom of the Father to the people of the outside world who will then see Him through us.

2Co 6:17-18 KJV
(17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
(18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Without this separateness….without this “holiness” (to be separate)…no one will SEE the Lord through us. His face is being hid from them because we are not separate from the man-based churches where they continue to serve the sin. We serve the nations of this world instead of us having power over them.

Heb 12:14 KJV
(14) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Will a man "rob"...that is, COVER...God? The Hebrew word for "rob" or cover is "qaba" which means to COVER. We are concealing HIs face from being made manifest to this world because we are not seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

We are "covering" Him when we are not seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness. The true "tithe and offering."

Mal 3:8-11 KJV
(8) Will a man rob (COVER) God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

We are cursed with a curse for we are COVERING Him when we are not serving Him first in His kingdom in all things. His face is not being seen through us. The people of the outside world do not see Him through us because we are not seeking His kingdom first and His righteousness.

(9) Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed (COVERED) me, even this whole nation.

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness so that all the earthly things will be added to us. Seek the things above and not things of the earth.

He will then open unto us the "windows of heaven"...that is, the EYES of those who are exalted now in this earth (the heavens so-to-speak). We will then no longer "cover" God to the eyes of the people of this world who will then see Him through us and come to us bearing "gifts"....like the Magi did.

(10) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

The people of this world will then bring forth good things towards us. God will not destroy the fruits of your "ground"...that is, ADAMAH. The "adamah" is the people of the outside world who will then see His face through us and will be good towards us...being productive towards us.

(11) And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground (ADAMAH); neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

They will come to us bringing "gold and incense" ....as they show forth the praise of the LORD openly to the rest of the world.

Isa 60:4-8 KJV
(4) Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
(5) Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.
(6) The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.
(7) All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.
(8) Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?

From Scripture, philosophy and experiences like those of near death survivors, do you think we existed before our conceptions in our mother's, or is it possible?

What were we, where did we come from?

Did God create his intelligent children with free will?
Though many whether religious or non religious claim not, and argue against this, the answer is clearly yes.

What is the proof?
There are a number of scriptures, but let's start with John 8:44

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

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Starting with God's heavenly children - the spirit creation, called angels, the Bible says of the one called Devil and Satan... When he lies, he speaks out of his own character. That is... pertaining to self, or of his own.
The disciple James uses this term in this way...

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire

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James 1:14

Jesus thus makes clear that the angel that became Satan the Devil, acts according to his own will, or desire.
Jesus further states in the same verse, John 8:44... "your will is to do your father’s desires".
Humans too, have their own will, which is in opposition to the father.

Can sin be blamed for the will of intelligent creatures?
Jesus said, the one called Devil and Satan, "was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him".
So, no, this was a deliberate opposing of the truth. Hence, the name Satan.

It's also important to note that this angel .... in fact all of the angels... none are born in sin and shaped in iniquity.
So, sin cannot be claimed as a hinderance to free will. Nor can it be claimed that they have to give in to wrong desires.
The angels make their own decisions to do what the want. Genesis 6:2
Proof that the angels - God's heavenly children, do have free will.

Regarding humans, the same apply.
In saying that their will is to do Satan's desire, what was Jesus pointing out? They were acting on their own will. Not anyone else's.
That humans have free will is made clear in other scriptures.

1 Timothy 2:14

Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.

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The Bible says Adam was not deceived.
Thus Adam acted on his own free will.
The verse says, Eve became a sinner, only after acting on her desire.
Adam and Eve were free willed agents... not driven by sin, but making free willed decisions.
Proof that humans... God's earthly children were created with free will.

Did sin somehow cancel out free will.
In the imagination of many, that is the case.
However, the Bible does not say that after sin came into the world through one man, that free will became obsolete.
Rather, the scriptures refer to man's free will, repeatedly.
Leviticus 1:3; 1 Corinthians 9:16-18 Deuteronomy 30:19; 2 Corinthians 9:7; Philemon 1:14

The Greek word hekousios - meaning free will, is the neuter of a derivative from hekon; voluntariness -- willingly, which is (an adjective, a primitive term) – properly, willing; "unforced, of one's own will, voluntary" (J. Thayer), i.e. acting on one's own accord. The root (hek-) emphasizes intentional, deliberate action (choice), i.e. "of free-will" (J. Thayer).

Hello!
I have been anointed by God to send the one True Word!
I know what you're thinking... not another one of these guys...
Schizo, mentally ill , etc etc...
Nope!
Completely sober, clear minded and one with the Holy Spirit
As some background, I have worked in IT for the last 10 years and have a lot of experience thinking logically!
I recently came to know God and he would like me to share this message with you all.
I've provided the Word through this blog I've created, and would love some opinions or feedback - There are no ads here, this is not for any type of profit.