This is one of those passages of Scripture which must be read and understood in the larger context, in this case, in the context of the whole of 1 John, and in the context of the whole of the teachings of the New Testament writings. Why? Because by itself it can easily be misinterpreted to say something it does not teach in the correct biblical context. For a verbal confession of Christ can be done without any sincerity at all, and it can be faked for the purpose to deceive, to trick, and to lead people astray.

For in the Scriptures we learn of false apostles, deceitful workmen, who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. So they claim to be of Christ, but they are not. And we are to beware false prophets who come to us in sheep’s clothing (disguising themselves as believers in Jesus), but inwardly are ravenous wolves out to deceive the sheep. And Jesus said that not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one doing the will of God the Father. So lip service alone is not evidence.

See: [Matthew 7:15-23; Matthew 24:11-14; Luke 6:26; John 10:1-15; Romans 16:17-19; 2 Corinthians 11:3,13-15; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 3:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 1 Timothy 6:3-10; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; 2 Peter 2:1-22; 1 John 4:1-6; Jude 1:1-25]

For we learn in 1 John 1:6-7: “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” And in 1 John 2:4-5: “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected.”

And in 1 John 3:7-8,10: “Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.” So we need to take this to heart.

So, what we learn from this is that a verbal confession of belief in Jesus Christ, by itself, is not evidence that someone is from God and not from the devil. Especially in the times in which we now live, we must not assume they all are of genuine faith in the Lord, for many false believers and teachers exist among us today. And so many are claiming faith in Jesus, but their faith never results in death to sin and living for the Lord in walks of obedience to his commands, in surrender to his purpose for our lives.

So, this is why it teaches us here that we are not to believe every spirit, but we are to test the spirits (of human beings) to see whether they are from God. And this is where we check the Scriptures as a whole which teach us what to be on the lookout for, which we learn about in the whole of 1 John. For it lets us know that a verbal confession alone is not evidence. But the evidence is in us dying to sin, and in us walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, and in us living righteously, all in the power of God.

Gospel:[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

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The World Listens To Them
An Original Work / September 15, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Trump says ‘we have to beat the hell’ out of ‘radical left lunatics’ after Kirk killing​

Trump, who also had some more measured comments about Kirk’s killing during the roughly 10-minute exchange with reporters, said: “We have to be brave in life, in all fairness, we have a life. I probably shouldn’t be out here talking to you in all fairness but we will be brave. And we have a great country. We have radical left lunatics out there and we just have to beat them.

Click to expand...

I have a problem with this. Because Trump is advocating violence, instead of help or piece. To Trump, a radical left, is someone that tells the truth about, how bad Trump is. If Kirt said something that Trump didn't want to hear. Kirt would have outcasted and labeled as a terrorists radical left.

Today is a wondrous feast day commemorating the elevation of the cross; the finding of Christ's true cross.

My question is a peculiar one I haven't really seen addressed: how should Orthodox feast?

Is it 'mandatory' to feast, or, if you don't feel like eating much, should you not? If you don't, are you failing to get into the spirit of the day and thus displeasing God?

It's a question I don't think I've ever seen addressed, instruction from spiritual fathers greatly appreciated as are quotes & other material from the Saints, Elders & monks in general.

Another question: On feast days, did Saints mostly feast or did they keep to their own strict fast regardless?

Pray that Jesus Christ sends forth The Holy Spirit to give the persecuted Rohingya ethnic people group a place of refuge & safety

Timeline of America's political violence dating back to 2011​

From here: MSN

If you think that ALL political violence is wrong, whichever side of the political fence you are, then just say so. Don't pick and choose. Don't comment on individual examples. Don't rate them or excuse them. Don't blame any one person or group. Just say that it's wrong. Please let's all get on the same page.

Jan. 8, 2011-- 6 killed, 13 others including then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords wounded in Tucson shooting​

Six people were killed and 13 others wounded, including then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, during a constituent meeting outside a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona. Giffords, a Democrat, was shot in the head at point-blank range, critically injuring her, before the shooter unleashed a spray of bullets. Giffords survived the shooting.

June 14, 2017 -- Rep. Steve Scalise shot during congressional baseball game practice​

Four people were shot -- including then-House majority whip and Louisiana Republican Rep. Steve Scalise -- when a gunman opened fire on Republicans practicing for a congressional baseball game at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, Virginia.

Oct. 8, 2020 -- 13 men arrested for plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer​

Thirteen members of a militia group were arrested and charged for planning to storm the Michigan statehouse, kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and start a civil war.

Jan. 6, 2021 -- January 6 attack on the US Capitol, pipe bombs at RNC and DNC​

A mob of pro-Trump protestors stormed the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers met to ratify the results of the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021.

Feb. 14, 2022 -- Kentucky mayoral candidate targeted in attempted shooting​

While running for office, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg was the target of an attempted shooting at his campaign headquarters. No one was injured in the incident.

Oct. 28, 2022 -- Paul Pelosi attacked with hammer in his home​

Former Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked with a hammer in their San Francisco home. David DePape was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in a state trial over the attack. He had broken into the Pelosi home seeking to hold the then-speaker hostage.

Dec. 4, 2023 to Jan. 3, 2024 -- New Mexico state legislature candidate orchestrates shootings, murder for hire​

A New Mexico man who ran for the state legislature as a Republican and lost his bid is serving an 80 year prison sentence for allegedly orchestrating attacks at the homes of four Democratic lawmakers. No one was injured in his attempts.

June 13, 2024 -- 1st attempted assassination of Donald Trump​

Then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was shot in the ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, after a gunman opened fire from the roof of a nearby building.

Sept. 15, 2024 -- 2nd attempted assassination of Donald Trump​

Trump faced a second assassination attempt at the Trump International Gold Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Prosecutors said suspect Ryan Wesley Routh allegedly put together a plan, including purchasing a military-grade weapon, researching Trump's movements and using a dozen burner phones in an alleged attempt to kill Trump based on political grievances.

Oct. 6, 2024 -- Kamala Harris campaign office in Arizona shot at 3 times in a month​

An office shared by then-Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign and the Democratic Party in Tempe, Arizona, was damaged by gunfire three times in less than a month, according to police.

Dec. 4, 2024 -- Murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson​

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson died after being shot multiple times at point-blank range by a gunman outside a Manhattan hotel, according to police. The shooter appeared to have been lying in wait at the hotel where he shot Thompson, authorities said.

April 13, 2025 -- Arson at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's residence​

A mechanic who has expressed disdain for Democrats on social media was arrested for starting a fire at Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's residence.

May 21, 2025 -- Killing of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C.​

Two Israeli embassy staffers were shot and killed while exiting an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.

June 1, 2025 -- 13 people injured in Colorado firebombing attack, 1 later dies​

A man threw Molotov cocktails during a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, injuring 13, authorities said. One person later died of their injuries.

June 14, 2025
-- Minnesota lawmaker shootings​

A masked gunman disguised as a police officer shot and killed Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark in their home, Gov. Tim Walz said.

Aug. 8, 2025 -- Shooting at CDC headquarters​

A police officer was killed when a gunman opened fire near the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters and the Emory University campus in Atlanta, authorities said. Suspect Patrick Joseph White had blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him sick and depressed, according to law enforcement. He had increasingly focused on the vaccine as a source of his grievances, they noted. He was found dead after the shooting, officials said.

Sept. 10, 2025 -- Shooting of Charlie Kirk​

Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth activist organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. President Donald Trump confirmed Kirk’s death on social media.

Some churches have disagreements over matters of consequence — doctrine, governance, or leadership. This article is not about such cases.

We’ve encountered some strange reasons for church conflict.

• There was the time a church fought over the appropriate length of the pastor’s beard.
• Or the case of a church fighting over whether to build a children’s playground or to use the land for a cemetery.
• We witnessed a conflict over people leading worship with their eyes closed during a portion of the song.
• One church held two business meetings to determine which weed-eater to purchase.
• Lastly, a church had a 70% affirmative vote to excommunicate a deacon who threatened to kill the pastor. The running joke was, “30% of this congregation wants the pastor dead.”

Some of these examples may seem petty. Well, they are. And all of them could have been avoided. Just about every church has multiple examples of fights over inconsequential matters. What leads to this point? The problem is too pervasive to ignore.

Continued below.

I like Jesus, personally. I think he was a very kind, loving man. If he existed. But, even though he lives in you, it`s normal to feel bad in the modern world, like a psysical, bad feeling. Is there anything you could do about it if the body rejects it`s surroundings?

What I did, everytime I felt bad I`d lift weights, or got better at singing. I`d also wash my face and hands if I felt bad, I kept doing this everytime; over time you build resilience to feeling bad.

I moved to a apartment around 6 years ago, it was around two years after a shift was made in society. I started feeling bad because of this shift in society, you notice it on YouTube also that every video newer than 6 years is nonsense. Maybe it`s the Gouverment who made the shift.

You don`t have to feel bad all the time, but you have to work on it. People are getting more insane for each passing day, so the body feels bad. You need to lift weights everyday and develop a skill like singing, or some other activities that builds the body up.

I actually feel good today, every day or every other day, someone will be mean to you just for fun again and you feel bad, but if you lift weights everyday you overcome it in seconds. When they push alot of strange thoughts, that isn`t as easy to overcome, I usually sit in half a day trying to recover from it. You get used to insanity also, but it seems they make up something new everyday.

LIke I said, you don`t have to feel bad, but you have to work at it. You can also do routines, not OCD, but similar. You Get the point, like folding towels in a certain way, or redo your closet. Jesus may be with you, but you can still feel bad. People in society, will just think that someday we`d be together again, so it`s all worth it, but I personally find that very disresepctful. We all know society won`t end anytime near, so you`ll waste your life feeling bad

We all say we are here to follow Jesus Christ to the reward of eternal life. Many have varying opinions on how to reach that goal, but I believe that is the goal of all of us.
Good news is that God loves us all, as He wants all men to be saved. Bad news is that we are still human and our flesh is at war with our spirit. We say we want to follow Jesus, but what do we do?
We all think we know the right way, but do we really? How do we find out? As fallen humans, we tend to believe what makes us feel good and helps us feel exalted.
If we follow that way, we become as sheep that go astray and each follows his own way. We go back to the original scriptures to try and avoid that, but the evidence is that way is incomplete. The original scriptures are subject to human interpretation, and their intended message becomes unclear.
Another way is to look at the Apostles and what they taught, but their records are incomplete from original manuscripts.
Some light can be shed by looking at the writings of those directly taught by the Apostles and see how the Gospel was being transmitted to future generations. Some say those generations apostacized and are not scripture so therefore unreliable. Did God really abandon His Church so quickly as to have it become publicly unstable in the second and third generations? I think that is a bit of a stretch in reason. I can perhaps see when secular authorities influenced the Church that argument can be made, although not necessarily true, but those taught directly by the Apostles and the generation that followed them?
What happened to the promise of the gates of hell shall not prevail?
Polycarp was taught directly by John the Apostle. He has one surviving writing in his letter to the Philippians, although not scripture, it gives us insight as to how the scripture was being taught.
Then we have Iraneus, who was taught by Polycarp. We have one of his writings intact called Demonstration of the Apostolic preaching.
Iraneus was also famous for a work called against heresies, which was written as a rebuke against the gnostics.
When we read the Demonstration of the Apostolic preaching, we get an idea of what was preached by those very close in time to Apostolic teaching. It is worth the read to see if what is taught today lines up with original Christian thought. Reading Agaisnt Heresies would give us an idea of what was taught by heretics contemporary to the Apostles.

I believe these works are worth reviewing and would be interested in others opinions on them, whether agree or disagree and why?

Peace be with you all. May Christ bless you and keep you and bring you to everlasting life

Texas A&M University (TAMU) has fired a senior lecturer and two administrators after a Republican lawmaker shared a video of a classroom discussion on gender identity in violation of state law.

The controversy erupted after state Rep. Brian Harrison shared a hidden-camera video online on Sept. 8 showing English lecturer Melissa McCoul dismissing a student who objected to the lesson, which was discussed as part of a children’s literature course.

In one of the undated videos, an unidentified female student is engaged in a discussion with McCoul over content related to gender identity. “This also very much goes against not only myself but a lot of people’s religious beliefs. And so, I am not going to participate in this because it’s not legal and I don’t want to promote something that is against our president’s laws as well as against my religious beliefs,” the student says in the video.

“If you are uncomfortable in this class, you do have the right to leave. What we are doing is not illegal,” McCoul responds.

Continued below.

“This is transcending not only the youth generation, but also the older generations. This is a hit on our country. It is a hit on our movement. It is a hit on, you know, Christianity. It is a hit on religion. It is a hit on freedom. It’s kind of you know, emphasizes the dichotomy between good and evil in this country,” Trump continued.

It's going to take plenty of outrage by the people to get their leaders to change course.

Alright is there anyone out there with some depth of knowledge b/c of this question: why does God let good people die? Meaning if you look back over the history of humankind, from the apostles to the saints, to religious preachers, to well-meaning leaders or icons, they're always gunned down. This makes it hard to poke the darkness with rays of light. It appears to me that Satan is winning. Just listened to this query on Utube given by an atheist & of course the comeback line is there is no God. We see the big loss not only that the voice is shut down & a family is left with burdens now but this was a source of hope against the evil in this world.

Let's just chat about anything here! Other places on the forum have it, we should too.

YouTube Channel Video Devo
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“Search My Heart…..BEFORE”
Psalm 139:23-24 NIV
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

From the time we wake up each day to the moment we go to bed, we are all preparing in some way throughout the day. Many of us wake up early and head in to work. Kids have to wake up and get ready for the school day. When we are applying for a job, we have to fill out an application and go through an interview, possibly multiple. When we graduate high school, we have to prepare for our college experience or what the next step is if we choose not to go to college.

We spend a lot of time preparing for things in our lives. Why is that? Why do we put so much effort into preparing for things each day? Because we want to be sure we are prepared for the day to the best of our ability. Most of my, if not all, do not like surprises that come up and throw our day off. All of us have experienced this in one way or another. We’ve all been caught off guard with unexpected schedule changes.

I like to prepare for things in my life. When I don’t feel prepared, it bothers me a lot. I don’t always like sudden changes. I do my best to deal with them and adjust, but I’m not always great at that.

With us preparing every single day for so many different things, why do we not put more attention into how we prepare to respond to other people? It’s easy when others are nice to us, but when they are not, it’s definitely challenging.

This passage popped up in my morning reading time and it hit me again. I need to ask God to search my heart fully and bring up anything that is not clean and anything offensive and ask Him to lead me. In all my interactions with people each day, I need to pray “Search my heart….BEFORE”. Before I react to something that may come off negative, I need God to search me. I need to pause and think for a moment if this will encourage others or discourage them.

Sometimes, we feel like we need to get the “last word” in to a conversation. We have all been there! However, we need to ask God to search our heart BEFORE responding. We always, always, always need to do a self-check and see what gremlins are hiding deep in our heart. We always need to point inward and check our attitude before assuming others are wrong. We need to approach everything in love to the best of our ability.

My encouragement to us all is to ask God to search our heart…BEFORE we react or respond to anything.

He apologizes now but those words were all over social media. But he did apologize.

Is today's politics of Marxism, just a deception to covet what others have? So many speaking against the wealthy, and evil of Capitalism simply envying what others have. Are we being stirred up to envy, and covet?
This ends in handing it all over to big Government. to share the booty, until there is no more booty left for the masses?

Apparently Denmark did not appreciate Trump's comments and actions regarding Greenland.




But the South Koreans were here legally, despite initial claims to the otherwise. Those Koreans flew home and are not looking to going back to the factory where they were teaching Americans about the tech. If the US is going to be so nasty, why invest here?

That we all get frustrated and even angry when we exchange with people who do not share our opinions and agree with our views.

It becomes a real test of our character.. But we can do this. It is a spiritual challenge where the true adversary is one’s self.

In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus paints a very scary very real picture for Christians. “Only those who do the will of my Father will enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Well what is the will of the Father? Luckily, Jesus didn’t leave us guessing what the will of the Father is. He explains what the will of the Father is in John 6:39-40. In John 6:39-40 Jesus says:

“And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

So we learn straight from the mouth of Jesus that the unsaved in Matthew 7:21-23 are “believers” who were not given to the Father and were not regenerated and therefore were not saved. They are “believers” who did not have true saving faith, trusted in their own works to save them, were lazy hypocrites who did not have the Holy Spirit living inside of them.

They were “believers” who were unrepentant, lived in sin, either only cared about themselves or believed in themselves to save them. Godless people. Such people will NEVER enter the kingdom of heaven and will be denied by Jesus on the last day.

And that is what Jesus meant in Matthew 7:21-23 and passages like it. It was not a passage that says you can lose your salvation or that salvation can be lost. No. When Christ died, He died for the elect once for all.

It means that if you do not have the Holy Spirit living inside of you, then you have no hope at salvation. None. Because it takes the Holy Spirit’s transformative power to save. But the hope that Christians have is that God died for them and they are eternally secure from before the foundation of the world.

“When will it end?”

That was the question a legacy media commentator asked after conservative talk show host and thought leader Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University. Another lamented, “Is this how we solve our political differences in America?” From the shattered stained glass of Annunciation Catholic School to the crowded fields of Butler County, Pennsylvania, the heartbreaking answer is too often yes.

And yet evil, whether it slinks across a rooftop or slams into twin skyscrapers, is not new. Two thousand years ago, the prophet Hosea watched his own nation, awash in idolatry, turn its back on God and declared a warning from the Lord, “For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind…”

The admonition was as timely then as it is now. Lawlessness, violence, and bloodshed have become so frequent in American life that very little shocks our collective conscience. Yet the assassination of 31-year-old Charlie Kirk, as he peacefully engaged in dialogue on a university campus, is a loss that has stunned millions of Americans across the political spectrum.

As with tragedies before, the responses are predictable — calls for gun control, demands for more government programs, and appeals for prayer. I, too, call for prayer. Not because prayer is a slogan to calm emotions, but because genuine prayer positions us to hear God — and when we listen, He reveals the way forward.

Continued below.

Harmony can often be a difficult prospect. This one might challenge your spiritual dynamic, and is really meant to punch some holes in the fleshly doctrinal boats:

Jesus, directing this statement to His disciples,

Luke 17:10
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

I can only imagine what we are called if we do less than those things we are commanded, if we do all and are still then directed by our Lord, by our Lord no less, to call ourselves "UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS."

Gotta love a good non positive confession, huh?

Now where the rub comes in is here, oh unprofitable servants:

Matthew 25:30
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Hmmmm? And all the disciples reading these Words of His start to wonder how they are going to talk their way out of this one.

Patrick Freivald wrote Kirk was 'interrupted by a bullet to the neck' and called him 'bad garbage'​

A New York high school teacher has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation after mocking the assassination of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, drawing swift backlash from parents and the community.

Patrick Freivald, a physics and robotics teacher at Naples Central School District, in Facebook posts reviewed by Fox News Digital wrote that Kirk was "interrupted by a bullet to the neck" and sneered, "Good riddance to bad garbage."

Freivald’s post mocked Kirk’s final moments in detail. "Charlie Kirk, who said that gun violence is a price worth paying for his version of the 2nd Amendment, spent his last coherent moments baselessly blaming transgender people for gun violence and arguing for stripping them of exactly those rights."

"The aspiring Goebbels was interrupted by a bullet to the neck which quickly cured him of HVLD*, and shortly thereafter he became a good Nazi**," he added. "Good riddance to bad garbage."

Continued below.

I suppose there isn't much more to add - that's the question. They never talk about Christ or share their walk with Him. They basically try to get as far away from the preacher and the front as possible. But maybe it's just 'cos they are anglo-saxon. But is the grace of God stronger than their stand-offishness? It doesn't help that preachers don't give the gospel of atonement, although our Wesley hymns teach otherwise. But even the small group that I know are Christians and have had an encounter with Him, only really get exercised when their denomination isn't promoted or the physical building isn't maintained. The people are overwhelmingly nice, and that's part of my problem. most of my life has been in manifestly evangelical churches and there have been numerous breakups, either theologically or over practice and priorities, because people actually believe things.
What do you think?