Please pray for me. I am fasting two meals today because I have to face so many challenges tomorrow and my heart is heavy.
Thank you in advance

So I'm a christian who struggles alot with intrusive thoughts and overthinking which after a lot of research has led me to believe I might have scrupulosity but the main point of this post is I've been struggling with a combination of unwanted groinal responses when I'm thinking about people of the opposite gender and also with thoughts of Jesus which really scares me, am I committing a unforgivable sin, does God understand I don't view Him in a sexual way and don't want these groinal responses?

The obvious similarities between Trump and well-known 20th century fascists has been noted repeatedly. The question is, what do you do about that? Trying to convince people that Trump is like Hitler just plain hasn't worked, despite the extremely direct rhetorical parallels in their speech.
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This author suggests we ignore it.
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Instead, point out that Trump is a loser who has lost repeatedly and whose narrative depends on perpetual victimhood. Point out that he is swamped in legal cases where he is already found guilty (NY civil fraud case), plainly guilty by his own public admissions (documents case), and again guilty by his own admission (J6 conspiracy to commit fraud/ false electors).

I want to temper (balance) that Scripture with these other two:


So, when we read the passage in Matthew 7 we must realize that Jesus is not talking about us asking for anything that we want and that he will give us whatever it is we desire. And then if we are paying close attention to his wording we will also notice that he is speaking of “good things,” as God defines “good.” I believe he is speaking of things of the Spirit, and not of things of the flesh, but either way they are things that will be for our good and not things that will be against God and his word.

And the “asking, seeking, and knocking” signify that we should ask with earnestness, diligence, and perseverance. And all three of these passages of Scripture combined together let us know that we must seek with a proper spirit, with humility, sincerity, and perseverance, and also in faith (not doubting) and with the right motives (not from selfish motives and desires). So, it isn’t that God is our “genie in the sky” there to grant our every request, for we should be seeking his will for our lives in our asking.

And when he said here that “if you then, who are evil..”, he was not saying that he answers all the prayers of people who are evil. I believe he was inferring that if we who are flesh, who live in flesh bodies, who are born with sin natures, are capable of giving good gifts to our children, then how much more will God the Father give “good gifts” to those who ask of him. And he also could have been meaning the gift of salvation from sin and eternal life with God which is given to us only by God-given faith in Jesus Christ.

Anyway, if we read this section of Matthew 7 in the context of Jesus’ whole discourse in Matthew 5-7, I believe we should get the correct meaning of Jesus’ words, that he is certainly not saying that he is going to give everyone who asks whatever we ask, whenever we ask. For beginning in Matthew 5 he taught that blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. And then he gave us all sorts of instructions in holy living in what to do and to not do.

And then let’s add on to this 2 Corinthians 12:7-9:


Even to the righteous person God does not always give us everything we ask of him, even good things like healing or the salvation of loved ones. For I recall the words of Jesus when he knew he was going to the cross to die for our sins and he prayed to God the Father for that cup to pass from him, if it be possible. But then he said, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” So we have to accept that what we want, even good things, may not be within God’s divine will and purpose for our lives (see Matthew 26:39).

So, let’s go back and reexamine Jesus’ words in Matthew 7 in light of all of this. What is the one thing that Jesus will give to us if we seek him in truth and in sincerity of heart and mind? He will give us salvation from sin and eternal life with God. He will not refuse the repentant and the sorrowful sinner seeking forgiveness and deliverance from slavery to sin who sincerely desires for Jesus to now be his Lord (Owner-Master), and whose desire it is to obey the Lord and his commandments (New Covenant).

But this has to be more than an emotional desire to have our sins forgiven and to have the promise of heaven when we leave this earth. For faith in Jesus Christ is a marriage covenant with him as our husband and with us as his bride (male or female). It is a lifetime commitment to following him with our lives in obedience to his commands and in holy living and in following him wherever he leads us in doing whatever it is he has called us to do. But if sin is our practice, and not obedience, we will not inherit eternal life.

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

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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Prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance are the traditional cardinal virtues. Our first record of them is in Plato's Republic written in the fifth century before the Modern Era. I would be inclined to add generosity, kindness and and compassion.

Any suggestions for additions to Plato's list suitable for us all today? Or are they just out of date?

Senior Biden adviser Brett McGurk is expected to travel to Egypt and Qatar this week for talks aimed at making progress in the negotiations to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and to discuss the war in Gaza, three sources with knowledge of the issue told Axios.

Why it matters: The trip is part of a renewed push by the Biden administration to get a hostage deal. U.S. officials acknowledge that reaching such an agreement might be the only path that could lead to a ceasefire in Gaza.

• It's McGurk's second trip to the region this month to discuss the issue. He quietly visited Doha on Jan. 9.

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They are keeping this quiet, which I'm unsure as to why because of the level of importance this work is. Or, maybe that's exactly why it's being kept more low key..

I think it's something we should keep an eye on, if anyone has anything to say here feel free, and if you find any quality articles adding more information please share.

Freeing the hostages is too important not to stay on top of... Hopefully the government can manage doing one good thing...

Hamas still has 6 American hostages. 2 have recently died in Hamas custody so we are down to 6 left.

Let's support government efforts to free all the hostages.

A faithful Christian should fast for those who need help.

Now a lot of people read verse one, stop there, and decide that all judging is wrong. But not all judging is wrong. In fact, 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 says:


So all judging is not wrong. We are to judge unrepentant blatant sexual immorality within the church. We are to judge those inside the church according to the Scriptures, and with regard to sin and to lies and to false teachings and to false teachers and hypocrisy, etc. All throughout the New Testament we are taught to make judgements about all sorts of things and people and doctrines and forms of religion, etc. And we are given many instructions in what we are to do with regard to those situations, too.

And in the last devotion titled, “Restore in a Spirit of Gentleness,” we are encouraged to make a judgment about someone who is caught in a sin and in order to restore that person back to proper working condition, spiritually speaking (Galatians 6:1-5). And in another passage we are encouraged that, if anyone among us (the church) wanders from the faith and someone brings him back (into proper relationship with the Lord), whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death (James 5:19-20).

And then we read in John 7:24: “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” And we read this in Jude 1:22-23: “And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.” And in order to have mercy and to save people and to snatch them out of the fire it involves us making judgments with regard to their spiritual condition. Otherwise, what are we saving and snatching them from?

And then we read this in Romans 2:3: “Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?” And we read this in 2 Corinthians 10:12: “Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.” So, what issues are being dealt with here?

What I see here is that the Bible teaches us not to judge falsely, to not judge hypocritically, and to not judge others by ourselves, presuming that they are like us and therefore their motivations for doing what they do are the same as ours. And we are not to judge by appearances, for we may have the wrong impression by appearances alone, either in favor of a person or in disfavor of them. So we are to be fair in all our judgments. And we should not judge people without even hearing their side of the story.

Also we should not judge others by human standards and by cultural or religious or family traditions and practices, i.e. we should not judge them by what we do and by what we have been taught to do or not to do if it is something of the flesh and of culture and religion that is man-made religion. We should also not judge by hate and prejudice nor by upbringing. But all judging must be biblical, and it needs to be done in love, always with the goal to love other humans as Jesus loved us and died to set us free from sin.

Galatians 6:1-5; James 5:19-20; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; Matthew 7:1-5; John 7:24,51; John 8:15-16; Romans 2:3; 2 Corinthians 10:12; Jude 1:22-23

So, it isn’t that we are not to make judgments at all, but that we are to make just and kind and loving and honest judgments for the good of other people. And so we have this example in today’s passage which scolds the person who makes judgments against someone who has a minor fault, and perhaps only one offense ever, but while he (or she) has a humongous offense against God going on within his own heart, mind, and actions, which is deliberate and habitual and premeditated and harmful to others.

So this, in particular, is addressing the issue of hypocritical judging, which was also addressed in Romans 2:1-5. So, all judging is not wrong. What is wrong is hypocritical, false, unfair, unjust, prejudicial, hateful, spiteful, and lying judgments which are based on the flesh of humans and on their own thinking and reasoning and practices and culture and traditions, and on their own character and way of doing things, and not on the word of God, and not out of a heart of love and genuine heartfelt concern for them.

So, when you must judge, make certain that your judgment is fair, honest, loving, kind, merciful, compassionate, helpful, and biblically founded, even if you must exercise tough love and speak the truth in love to others who may not want to hear it or accept it. And judge rightly, not from the flesh. First take the log out of your own eye, then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s (or sister’s) eye, i.e. first make certain you are not engaged in sinful behaviors before you try to correct others’ mistakes.

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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I was hoping that once enough people realized the unprecedented numbers of rapes of women and child sex trafficking that enough Americans would stand up to the Biden administration border policies. When that didn't happen I, and many others, have tried to emphasize that the crime problem will spread throughout the country. The cartels have made big money from trafficking, the Biden administration facilitated by not DNA checking all kids to make sure they were with a relative and sending the children to a location of their choice. With very open borders, when MS-13 loses a member due to the U.S. government arresting and prosecuting and jailing that member, an expensive task, now ten more recruits can be sent to take his place. With big money comes bribery, that's what happened in Mexico, the cartels expanded into almost every walk of life. You can bet the money will flow to U.S. politicians and judges and our young people who want to make a fast buck.

Sadly, we live in a “Christian” culture here in America where this is not only not being put into practice, as a general rule, but where it is being frowned upon and called “judgmental” and “legalistic” and “intolerant,” etc. For the big push right now is to say only what is positive and what feels good and what makes other people feel good, even to those who are living in gross immorality against the Lord and against their spouses. And so we are told to “stay in your own lane,” which means to “mind your own business.”

But this word “restore” means to “bring into its proper condition,” to “adjust to be in good working order.” It is a medical term used for “setting dislocated limbs.” And how do they do that? They'll carefully push and pull on the dislocated joint to move it back into alignment. So this is not painless. But the most important treatment for a dislocation is putting your joint back in its correct place. And that is the entire object of restoring a Christian who has fallen back into sin back to being in good working order spiritually.

And, according to 1 Corinthians 5, this applies, as well, to those who call themselves Christians and who are those who are part of the gatherings of the church (or of what is falsely being called “church”). Church discipline must be exercised in such cases for the sole purpose to bring the person who is living in sin, particularly in sexual immorality, back to (or to for the first time), proper spiritual working order that should be for the one who professes the name of Jesus and who claims heaven as his eternal destiny.

Now the same discipline would not be required of a Christian who fell back into sin but then repented, in truth, and returned to walking in fellowship with the Lord, as would be applied to the professing Christian who is living in deliberate and habitual sin (including sexual immorality), and is part of the gatherings of the church, but who has not repented, in truth, but who is continuing in his sinful practices. But to put a bone out of joint back into place is not generally a quick and easy fix. And it is not without pain.

Now those who are to be like the doctor putting the joint back in place are those who are spiritual, i.e. those who are walking in obedience to the Lord, in practice, and who are living godly and holy and morally pure and upright lives in the power of God. They should not be the spiritually immature, and especially they should not be those who barely have escaped sin’s deceitfulness themselves and who may be tempted to return to that sin if they are trying to help a brother or a sister in Christ to be restored.

And those who are the ones to help restore a fallen Christian back to his proper working order as a child of God are to do so with gentleness (meekness, humility). But meekness is not weakness, and so it is not so gentle that it does not truly help the fallen one to come back into proper working order spiritually. For Jesus was meek but he was not weak in calling sin what it is and in telling us what we need to do about it, and in warning us of the consequences if we remain in that sin and do not turn and follow him.

So, another term for this gentleness (meekness) is “gentle-force.” And I picture a doctor trying to put a dislocated limb back into place using such “gentle-force,” too. So it is not painless, and there is force involved, but it is a force accompanied with humility and compassion, but not so much compassion that you are afraid to do what is necessary to get that bone out of joint back in its proper working order. Can you picture this with me? If we are too soft on sin, the fallen one may continue in his sin without change.

So, this involves what we call “tough love.” It is definitely love, for it has the best in mind for the person being helped, but it is not afraid to cause more pain in order to correct the problem and to restore the fallen one back to proper working order, spiritually speaking. So this is also what it means to speak the truth in love to one another which is what we are commanded to do in the Scriptures, and to exhort one another, so that none of us are led astray, and so none of us are hardened by sin, but so we follow Jesus.

And going right along with all of that is that we are to bear one another’s burdens, and this does not mean to placate sin or to give the addict a pass, but it means to feel deeply and to express deeply our love and our concern for those who are still living in deliberate and habitual sin, or who have fallen back into sin, and we are to care enough about them to pray for them and to speak the truth in love to them, and to do what is necessary to get them in proper working condition, spiritually, because we care deeply about them.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:17-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]

But we must all test ourselves and examine our own hearts and motives and processes to make certain that we are in line with the word of God and that we have a fair and honest assessment of our own lives and how we are living so that we are not being hypocritical, and so that we do not try to take the speck out of someone else’s eye while we have a log in our own that needs to be removed first. For we are not to think of ourselves as something if we are nothing. So we should first judge our own hearts.

And no matter the outcome, whether the person we speak to – who we are trying to help get back in (or in for the first time) proper spiritual working order – accepts our help or rejects it, we can rest assured that if we followed the counsel of the Lord and the truth of what the Scriptures teach that we have fulfilled our biblical responsibility to a brother or to a sister in Christ. And then we need to place that individual in the hands of the Lord and trust the Lord to work in his or her heart.

Now, several times lately the Lord has put in my mind this secular song which I believe I am to see more in a spiritual light than what the author intended. And I am to replace “Sun” with “Son” and trust the Lord that everything is going to be alright, even if it doesn’t look that way right now. And that doesn’t mean that all is going to be good and that evil is going to disappear. In fact, it is going to get much worse. But, regardless of what is happening all around me, I need to hear the Lord say, “It’s alright.”

Here Comes the Sun

By George Harrison

Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's alright

Little darlin', it's been a long, cold, lonely winter
Little darlin', it feels like years since it's been here
Little darlin', the smile's returning to their faces
Little darlin', it seems like years since it's been here
Little darlin', I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darlin', it seems like years since it's been clear

Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's alright

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I have been following Jesus for just over a year now. I am very very new to this. Obviously I am working constantly to get sins under control. I see the Lord helping me in so many areas, Swearing, Using his name in vain, self control, anger, etc. There is change, and I am very happy and thankful for that. But then theres lust. I cannot drop it. No matter how hard I try I fall. Every single time. I can go into it saying "Bring it satan, I got the Lord with me" and I will still fall. It doesnt matter how determined I am. I have been doing this all my life so naturally I probably have a bit of an addiction going on. But im tired of failing God. Im tired of willful sin. Somebody help. I am willing to fight like heck, I just need to know where to start.

Using doubles , actors , masks etc.
The first half of this vid is Riccardo bosi explaining how they intend to wake up the normies and the second half is an American guy mainly talking about the US.

Both are letting us know that what we are seeing is simply theatre being played out , and all in the hope of waking people up.
Bosi says there are people out there who will never wake up no matter what , except when they see their bank account at 0. Now that has got to be concerning...

Well we all know that 2024 is going to be one hell of a year , with the black hats going all out to try and stop Trump , so lets all hope this plays out well.
And if it doesn't , oh well maybe we will go into a full on Mad Max scenario. There are no guarantees in this war , which is why they are trying to wake people up , the more people who are awake the more chance we have of standing up to the bad guys.

Riccardo Bosi - Where are we at with the normies - GAME THEORY MILITARY OPERATIONS - PATIENCE NCSWIC

King Saul had a toxic personality who had erratic mood swings especially when it came to how he treated David.
To elaborate, at certain times he would be nice to King David, and other times, he would become cruel. For example, 1 Samuel 19:7-10 & 1 Samuel 24:8-22 are biblical passages that show how King Saul's treatment of David was erratic.
Therefore, King Saul's reconciliations with David ultimately failed because of King Saul own actions.

Finally, in 1 Samuel 26:20-25 bible passage, there is another chance for King Saul to reconcile with David. The 1 Samuel 26:21 verse quotes Saul request to David to return which is an attempt to reconcile. However, David knows from his past experience that King Saul will go back to treating David badly again. Therefore, in in 1 Samuel 26:20-25, David ultimately quietly and subtly just avoids having any sort of relationship with King Saul. Essentially, David decides to Avoid having a relationship with a toxic personality like King Saul.

David experiences with a toxic personality like King Saul, and David ultimate decision to end his relationship with King Saul should serve as a good example for us Christians. In other words, David does Not take revenge by vengefully attacking King Saul due to his poor treatment of David Instead, David wisely (Matthew 5:39) turns the other cheek by just deciding to end his relationship with King Saul by avoiding him.

Elections will soon be a quaint relic of the past, says globalist Klaus Schwab, who points to AI as the coming King of Democracy.

World Economic Forum founder and chairman Klaus Schwab showed his true Nazi colors today at Davos, saying that nations will soon no longer need to bother holding “elections” because voters could easily be replaced by artificial intelligence.
AI is more than capable of choosing a nation’s leaders, he said.
Schwab made the bone-chilling comments during a WEF interview with Google co-founder Sergey Brin, which was posted to X by Ezra Levant of Rebel News.

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Not too long ago a kid got accused of being a racist for wearing a native American headdress and painting his face half red and black during a sports event. After backlash from sane people and the threat of a lawsuit, the sport media updated its story in an attempt to somewhat (insincerely) apologise. Now another kid got the same treatment for wearing black face-paint in his school's sport event. He was suspended for 2 days and banned from all other sporting events by the school. Now the parents are threating legal lawsuit.

Why are adults in America so much more moronic than kids nowadays? The kid knew it. He was doing in the sprit of sports. The adults on the other hand were punishing him in the spirit of political correctness. One look at the picture and you would know it's a sporting thing. Athletes wear them all the time. It takes people but a few seconds to search this on the internet. Yet educators can't discern the difference? But IMHO it's not that they couldn't but rather they wouldn't.

All this is happening on a more frequent basis due to the social environment fostered by prolong indoctrination of (2 decades long) political ideology. A spectrum of political ideology that indoctrinated people to be hypersensitive to anything racial (rightly or wrongly). To a hammer everything looks like a nail.

Truth no longer matters as long as there is outrage to be had and someone's feeling trumps the liberty of others.

There is no return to the Old Covenant people when Christ returns. Christ mediates over the people of the New Covenant, which affirms Revelation pertains to the Church, not the Old Covenant people. The contradictions of futurism continue in their view of Christ’s parables when Ice writes,


Ice, like all futurists, sees the scattering of Israel as undetermined; God did not predestine Israel’s response at the first advent. God did not foresee the Church in theological libertarianism. As a result, all apocalyptic prophecy pertains to Israel, not the Church in futurism and preterism. Even so, all the judgments in Revelation are by Christ; he ministers the New Covenant upon the Church, not the Old. Christ is not a Levite. The judgment between the good seed sown in the world and the tares is under the New Covenant. Revelation’s seven churches in Asia Minor vindicate Christ as judge over the Church. How could the good seeds be saved except by Christ in this Age?

The OT prophecies about Christ’s wounding and his return to gather Israel predicted our age between two advents. Ice’s view is unsustainable considering the numerous Old and NT passages about Christ’s wounding and Israel’s scattering, demonstrating divine foreknowledge that most of Israel would reject Christ as Zechariah prophesied. God’s prophets prophesied, and “it came to pass” (Deuteronomy 18:22). Ice preaches the sowing represents “two advents—His first and second comings,” but also teaches about a secret return in which hundreds of thousands of people disappear according to futurism. That’s three advents, not two! How is Christ’s return a secret when hundreds of thousands disappear? Ice also sees a third type of person when there are but two in the parable: the tares and the good seeds form “the kingdom of God.” The good seeds are harvested into the barn in the end. The saints are obviously “the good seeds,” and the tares are the lost. There is no third distinction in the parable.

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[1] Thomas Ice, "Consistent Biblical Futurism (Part 4)," Pre-Trib Research Center, Consistent Biblical Futurism (Part 4) - by Thomas Ice - The Pre-Trib Research Center

What makes it easier to follow God’s word is that God wants what best for me since he loves more than my family or friends can ever do.

Is that’s a good mindset to have as a Christian?

Pray that Jesus Christ's & His Gospel prevails over inter-religious inter-ethnic inter-ethnoreligious tensions, conflicts & rivalries in India:

Satanic Witchcraft My friend is hooked on this stuff.What do I do? They are dabbling.

Ron DeSantis Ends Campaign: "A Majority Of Republican Primary Voters Want To Give Donald Trump Another Chance"

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed former President Trump in this video posted Sunday afternoon on Twitter, two days before the New Hampshire primary. "It's clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance," DeSantis said. "They watched his presidency get stymied by relentless resistance and they see Democrats using lawfare to this day to attack him." "While I have had disagreements with Donald Trump, such as on the coronavirus pandemic and his elevation of Anthony Fauci, Trump is superior to the current incumbent, Joe Biden," he said. "I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee, I will honor that pledge. He gets my endorsement because we can't go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear, a repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents."

Full text of his speech is available at the link.

Hello all,

Recently as I've learned more theological concepts and ways of thought, I've come to the realization that my church embraces a biblical theology that prioritizes the gospel above all else. Now that's obviously not a bad thing, but what I mean is that everything stems around Jesus saying after his resurrection that everything in the old testament was talking about Him. This results in every single sermon, and every single sermon series having the main point being making a Christ connection. The preacher will spend 40 minutes explaining how any given passage points to Christ. Nothing else will be gleaned from said passage. So take the fall in the garden for instance. Instead of touching on temptation and how to deal with it, or how a marriage structure aught to work, you're only going to see how this passage calls for Christ, and points forward to Him. In fact people in the church tend to dislike pastors or be wary of preaching that isn't like this.

I'm curious what people's reactions are to this. Do you think this is a good thing? Is this healthy?

The Bible has a lot to say about righteousness by faith, including amongst others, Romans 3:21-22.

I'll admit that for years I struggled with sin, less so nowadays, mainly in my thought life. I was always baffled by 1 John 3:9, which stated that a believer cannot sin if he has been born again:

Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
1 John 3:9

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Scripture is innerant, so I must be at fault here. I got fed up with a church I was attending, as I felt the pastor was legalistic and spoke about not sinning more than righteosness by faith. So, I got into the grace movement led by ministers such as Joseph Prince. It made me feel better about myself and less guilty. But I still felt spiritually dry and it did nothing to stop me from sinning. After several years, I realised I had backslidden. Whilst I had clung to the belief that I was righteous by faith, I realised I was not living the godly life I had been called to. It's as if there's a distinction between righteousness (right standing with God) and godliness (living a life that pleases God).

After years of backsliding, I was brought to repentence through chastisement. But I'm still left wondering how to reconcile the differences between righteouness and godliness; how can our faith manifest itself in a life that pleases God? It's not always as simple as just wanting to live a godly life and following a list of rules, which is the law. This is especially the case, I believe, with thoughts and spoken words. James 3:8 says, "But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."

We can be righteous by faith - can we also be godly by faith?

It is impossible to argue against Christ’s two advents at this late date. Christ is wounded, and Israel is scattered at the first advent and gathered into the barn upon his future return, confirming premillennialism and historicism. In an article titled Consistent Biblical Futurism Thomas Ice holds such contradictions when he writes,


Like all futurists, Ice fails to recognize that this age was prophesied and is the source of Christ’s parables. In analyzing preterism, we’ve given ample evidence Christ came to punish the shepherds and scatter the sheep, not to restore the kingdom of Israel. The seventy weeks in Daniel 9:24 are determined as an example of regarding events near but distant in cryptic language; even so, they have a determined end at the first advent and not beyond.

Futurists assert the seventy weeks are protracted because the “purpose” hasn’t been fulfilled. The purpose was to “finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy” (Daniel 9:24). The problem with the futurists’ imagination is that, as a whole, the Jewish people were never ordained to accept the Messiah, as we’ve already witnessed concerning the prophesied rejection of the cornerstone and the scattering of the sheep in the OT. In Romans 9:6, Paul stated, “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel”. Paul means that only the elect are predestined to accept Christ, also affirmed in Romans 11. As the scripture declares, “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 20:16, 22:14). The point is that at any specific time in history, not all people descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are saved. The tares grow alongside the good seeds. Only a chosen few, the elect, were preserved at the first advent. And with that chosen few, the purposes of the seventy weeks were fulfilled. When Christ remitted sin at the cross, all the transgressions of the elect were forgiven and ended in Christ. Christ made a complete reconciliation for the iniquity of the elect, which doesn’t have to be repeated when he returns. Christ established everlasting righteousness for the elect, which doesn’t have to be duplicated when he returns. Christ’s redemption sealed the prophecy and anointed the heavenly sanctuary when he ascended to the Father’s right hand, which doesn’t have to be accomplished again upon his return. Christ fully accomplished the purposes of the seventy weeks at the first advent.

The futurist dogmas expose free will or theological libertarianism. They take Paul’s declaration that “all Israel shall be saved” when the fullness of the Gentiles is accomplished in Romans 11:25-26 as if God compels or exerts His influence over the people descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at Christ’s return. But what prevented Him from making them accept Christ at the first advent? What they are asserting is theological libertarianism at the first advent and determinism at the second; it can’t be both. The prophecies that Christ would come to punish the shepherds and scatter the sheep vindicate theological determinism and destroy the futurist and preterist dogmas based on libertarianism. The seventy weeks have a determined end at the first advent and not beyond.

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[1] Thomas Ice, "Consistent Biblical Futurism (Part 4)," Pre-Trib Research Center, Consistent Biblical Futurism (Part 4) - by Thomas Ice - The Pre-Trib Research Center

Peace in Christ.

Joshua was a “type” for Jesus Christ.

With Jesus/Joshua (His manifest eternal life in this mortal body), we will also go unto the promise “land”….that is, to inherit this earth. We are to be rulers with Him in the age to come.

With Him, we will continue to live in this earth to see this (to inherit this earth) just as Caleb and Joshua did with the Promised Land while the unbelievers of Israel died off in the desert.

Deu 31:7
(7) And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land (earth) which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.

Caleb (meaning “faithful, whole-hearted”) was kept alive by the LORD….and so will we also by our faith in the name of Jesus Christ whose eternal life shall be made manifest in our mortal bodies in the here-and-now (in this present evil age) to keep us alive unto the coming age where we shall inherit this earth (the gospel/good news of the Kingdom).

This is not about “dying and going to Heaven”.

All of those who are perishing (mortally dying) have been deceived by false prophets and do not understand the true good news (gospel) of our Lord Jesus Christ for the here-and-now. They perish in the wilderness so to speak.

Jos 14:10-11 KJV
(10) And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.

Caleb and Joshua continued to live on this earth to inherit the promised land while the unbelievers died in the wilderness and did not reach that destination.

Caleb and Joshua had “eternal life” in a sense as they were kept alive by the LORD to inherit the promised land. We also shall be preserved in this earth with the manifest eternal life of Jesus keeping us alive until we inherit the earth.

Num 26:65 KJV
(65) For the LORD had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

Num 14:24 KJV
(24) But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

Those who are dying have not truly believed. They have "believed" in vain.

Heb 3:17-19 KJV
(17) But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
(18) And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
(19) So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

The ends of the “world”….that is, AGE…are come upon us…so let us heed the warnings of what the people did in the wilderness (and died there) and not follow them. They are examples to us of what not to do so that we may continue to live here.

1Co 10:11-12 KJV
(11) Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
(12) Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

For we are to be delivered (plucked out) from this present evil age (in this “desert”) that we are currently living in by God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. “world” = “age”.

The 2 ages overlap as we shall have the eternal life of the next age to come NOW in Jesus Christ so that we may live on this earth until all of the kingdoms of this world become His…of which we become rulers of this earth with Him.

Gal 1:3-4
(3) Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
(4) Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world (AGE), according to the will of God and our Father:

We are NOT to be taken out of this world but rather to be kept from the evil of this present evil age.

Joh 17:14-16 KJV
(14) I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
(15) I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
(16) They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Our Savior Jesus Christ has rendered death idle and has brought life and immortality to light through the good news.

2Ti 1:9-10 KJV
(9) Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
(10) But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

Whosoever believes INTO Him (as His immortal life shall be made manifest in our mortal flesh) should not perish (mortally die from this earth) but have “eternal life”….the eternal life of the age to come to be had NOW in this present evil age. “eternal” = age lasting.

Joh 3:15-17 KJV
(15) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
(16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
(17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Through faith in His name, He makes our “man” (our mortal body) strong in “perfect soundness” so that we may live.

Act 3:16 KJV
(16) And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Note the lame beggar that was miraculously healed was “above 40 years old”. This is not just a trivial detail.

Act 4:21-22 KJV
(21) So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
(22) For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.

This detail of his age points back to Caleb who was also 40 years old in the desert and was made strong even until age 85 so that he could live in the desert until he could dwell in that promised land. He was kept alive for 45 years while in the desert.

Jos 14:10-11
(10) And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five (45) years , even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five (85) years old.
(11) As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.

But be aware of the false prophets among us. They lead us astray and overthrow faith so that we do not believe INTO Jesus. We are then destroyed with them from this earth. We perish along with them.

They deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jud 1:4-5 KJV
(4) For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
(5) I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

They deny the Holy One and the Just….the true Lord Jesus…and many desire “another jesus” that the false prophets are preaching (their “jesus” Barabbas…the preaching of the “son” of their church fathers).

Act 3:14-15 KJV
(14) But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

The false prophets and their followers “kill the Prince of life” as the eternal life of Jesus is not being made manifest in the mortal flesh of those they are deceiving. His life is being aborted from this earth…. from being made manifest in the mortal flesh of those who are being deceived by them.

(15) And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

We and our “rulers” do it through ignorance. We do not have the true gospel of Jesus Christ being preached to us.

Act 3:16-17 KJV
(16) And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
(17) And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

The “princes of this age”….the church rulers…are in ignorance. If they knew what they were doing, they would not be currently crucifying the Lord of glory whom God has already raised from the dead. They do not know the true good news of Jesus Christ who brings our mortal bodies immortality in this earth in the here-and-now.

1Co 2:7-8 KJV
(7) But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
(8) Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

But if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things (such as death) are passed away. There shall be no more death. As He lives, we shall live in this earth.

2Co 5:17-18 KJV
(17) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
(18) And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

Rev 21:4-5 KJV
(4) And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
(5) And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Do Americans want an authoritarion government? Just last night, Trump reminded voters again that he admires the likes of Viktor Orban:

During a Saturday night rally, former president Donald Trump reiterated his praise for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has amassed functionally autocratic power by changing his country’s constitution and controlling the media. “It’s nice to have a strong man leading your country,”

The Democracy Project released a report last week summarizing Trump's plans to consolidate power in a 2nd term:


“As damaging as Trump’s first term was to American systems of constitutional government, culminating in his efforts to overturn an election and violently halt the counting of electoral votes by Congress, what he has promised in his own words to do if returned to office would be even more destructive to our Republic.”

Trump has already told us repeatedly what he plans to do, the authors write, but this time, he has the backing of “groups working to support those promises in preparation for a second Trump term.”

• Pardons to License Lawbreaking: During Trump’s first term, he discovered that he could leverage the pardon power to induce witnesses against him into silence. In a second term, he has indicated he would further abuse pardons to incite political violence, incentivize lawbreaking for his benefit, and render himself above the law.
• Directing Investigations Against Critics and Rivals: Retribution is the dominant theme of Trump’s 2024 campaign, and his allies are making plans to eliminate the Department of Justice’s traditional prosecutorial independence to give Trump greater personal control to direct law enforcement against his perceived opponents and insulate himself from accountability.
• Regulatory Retaliation: In addition to steering prosecutorial discretion via the Department of Justice, Trump has vowed to consolidate and wield federal regulatory power to reward political loyalty and punish his critics, particularly those associated with the media. There are numerous reports of this regulatory retaliation happening during Trump’s first term, and plans for a second include ways of removing those obstacles that limited opportunities for more.
• Federal Law Enforcement Overreach: Trump’s declaration that immigration is “poisoning the blood of our country” is a grim foreshadowing of how he will invoke the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime provision dating back to 1798. Once Trump has that power, he has also expressed his will to expand the footprint of federal law enforcement to police cities and shut down lawful protests.
• Domestic Deployment of the Military: A central hallmark of American democracy is that the U.S. military not be used against American citizens. But Trump plans to abuse the Insurrection Act to order military force to quash dissent and target vulnerable communities.

read the entire report here: