1 Cor 11:

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24and when he had given thanks,

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Strong's Greek: 2168. εὐχαριστέω (eucharisteó) — 38 Occurrences

The English term *Eucharist" comes from G2168.

he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is forf you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

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Are Protestants allowed to receive the Catholic Eucharist?

Catholics believe in transubstantiation. If you don't, you are not a member of the Catholic Church. Officially, you are not allowed to participate in the Catholic Eucharist. Canon Law 844 §1:

Catholic ministers administer the sacraments licitly to Catholic members of the Christian faithful alone.

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New International Version, Matthew 25:

46 Then they will go away to eternal [G166] punishment, but the righteous to eternal [G166] life.

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Did these two uses of "eternal" carry the same meaning? If yes, what did it mean?

They were the same Greek word in the same sentence and carried the same meaning. See αἰώνιος.

G166-Eternal life is immortal life.

The question is this: What is G166-eternal punishment?

The term eternal punishment is the opposite of eternal life. The punishment is eternal death, i.e., annihilation or the absence of life, Revelation 20:

14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

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Conscious punishment or suffering over an infinite period of existence makes little physical sense. To be conscious, you need a life or a breadth from God (Genesis 2:7). In other words, conscious torment over an infinite time is a form of eternal 'life'.

My paraphrase:

Then they will go away to permanent punishment/death, but the righteous to permanent life.

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Paul expressed a similar concept in 2 Thessalonians 1:

9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

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Strong's Greek: 3639. ὄλεθρος (olethros) — 4 Occurrences

BDAG:
① a state of destruction, destruction, ruin, death in our lit. always w. some kind of transcendent coloring, … ὄλ. αἰώνιος eternal death (TestReub 6:3) 2 Th 1:9

There is some justification that eternal punishment is permanent death or annihilation of the soul.

See also

• Does the Bible teach conscious torment over an infinite period?.

Matthew 22:

1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son,

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i.e., Christ marrying the church, signifying the heavenly celebration ceremony of eternal life.

3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.

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Matthew Henry: "The guests first invited were the Jews." The first invitation did not work out.

8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’

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There was a second invitation, an on-the-spot spontaneous one. Some of them were not worthy either.

10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered [G4863] all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

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Many sorts of people were called and invited to the wedding.

Were they gathered forcibly?

I don't think they were forced. On the contrary, the context says that they were invited. Furthermore, the dictionary meaning of G4863 also bears this out.

4863 sunagó συνάγω

The first part σύν means identified with, joined close-together in tight identification; σύν gives a nice connotation of cooperating together. The second part ἄγω means to bring. So συνάγω means to bring together (nicely).

Thayer's:

1. to gather together
2. to bring together, assemble, collect
3. to lead with oneself namely, unto one's home, i. e. to receive hospitably, to entertain

Now about the wedding clothes:

11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment.

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Ellicott explains:

The framework of the parable probably pre-supposes the Oriental custom of providing garments for the guests who were invited to a royal feast. Wardrobes filled with many thousand garments formed part of the wealth of every Eastern prince.

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The king provided wedding clothes free of charge. This bad man was invited but he did not have the proper covering. He did not have the free gift of the imputed righteousness of Christ.

12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.

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He had no excuse for rejecting the free gift (Romans 6:23) of Christ.

13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

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chosen.
ἐκλεκτοί (eklektoi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1588: From eklegomai; select; by implication, favorite.

Note that the Greek word for chosen is not a verb. It describes the chosen state of a chosen person.

The invitation is an open call. Many are called, but not everyone invited is chosen. There is an additional condition. The chosen ones wear the righteousness of Christ on their bodies. The parable is a warning to those pretending to be Christians. They have answered the call, but they do not have chosen status, i.e., the imputed righteousness on their bodies.

Does being 'chosen' come down to good fortune?

No, not at all. You are called to join the wedding banquet. You can reject the call. If you accept, you are provided with a free wedding garment. It is up to you to put it on your body. If you do, you belong to the chosen.

Can anyone be chosen?

Yes, if you accept the call and put on the free wedding garment provided by Jesus.

Do some have a better chance of being chosen than others?

Again, if you accept the call and put on the free wedding garment, you have a better chance than those who refuse the call and refuse to put on the wedding garment.

Just the News previously reported that former CIA Director Michael Morell testified a phone call from then-Biden campaign official Antony Blinken triggered the effort to draft the letter, raising even more concerns about political motivations for the letter.
Now, the subcommittee has found through its investigation that Morell and one other official were on “active contract” with the CIA at the time the group statement was published, adding a new dimension of direct agency involvement in the letter’s release.
The head of the CIA at the time needs to be held accountable.

In you, O Lord, I take refuge.
Let me never be put to shame.
In your justice, set me free,
hear me and speedily rescue me.

Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mighty stronghold to save me,
for you are my rock, my stronghold.
For your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.

Release me from the snares they have hidden
for you are my refuge, Lord.
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
It is you who will redeem me, Lord.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Hi about 2 years ago I wanted to end my life but my mom stopped that and called the police.What I had were horrible experiences with life drugs,smoking and I felt no divine presence in my life.The question is why did this happen to me? What have I done to divinity?What's the point of divinity if it doesn't involve in your life?
If you insult the holy spirit like I did will you end up in hell? I mean if you cut your eyes with a knife in the sea will someone search for your body?

Former President Donald Trump told a crowd of supporters that he intended to reject a prominent evangelist’s request that he refrain from cursing during speeches, although he suggested he was making an effort to take his advice.

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States, addressed a crowd of supporters at a rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. A clip of the speech shared on X shows the former president praising Franklin Graham, CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the charitable organization Samaritan’s Purse, as “a man I like,” adding that he admired him “so much” before recalling how “he wrote me a letter.”

“He said, ‘President, I love your speaking. Your ability to speak is incredible. Your storytelling is great, but it could be so much better if you didn’t use foul language,’” Trump said as he reflected on the content of the letter. Trump responded to the plea by declaring, “he’s wrong.”

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The network of telehealth physicians is pro-life, pro-family and pro-eternal life.


My Catholic Doctor logo with patron saints St. Gianna Molla, Venerable Catherine McCauley, and Venerable Jérôme Lejeune. (photo: MCD)

Patty Knap FeaturesJune 25, 2024
Bringing up the “My Catholic Doctor” website, users see the mission statement from Luke 10:9 on the main page, along with photos of patrons Venerable Jérôme Lejeune, St. Gianna Molla and Venerable Catherine McCauley.

My Catholic Doctor (MCD) was intentionally created to be a distinct experience for both patient and physician.

Telehealth sessions in numerous medical fields are offered across the country, providing person-focused telemedicine that incorporates Catholic teaching.
Dr. Kathleen Berchelmann, founder and president of My Catholic Doctor, was a faculty pediatrician for a decade at Washington University in St. Louis. Over time, she felt a need to be more intentional about the healing ministry, wanting to treat the whole person and combine her Catholic faith with her practice of medicine.

“People think of Catholic health care as against abortion, contraception, euthanasia, but it’s so much more than that,” she told the Register. “First, we have far better alternatives to all of those: abortion-pill reversal (APR); end-of-life care; natural family planning (NFP).”

She added: “Don’t you want to be treated as a whole person? Don’t you want your provider to ask about your health background in general, rather than rushing through an allocated six minutes that covers the bare minimum?”

“Secular medicine says that everyone is included, but we’re not — practicing Catholics are not,” Berchelmann told EWTN Pro-Life Weekly. “Catholic health-care providers are expected to leave their Catholic values at the door. That’s impossible to do if you follow Jesus Christ.”
As she explained to the Register, “In Luke 10:9, Jesus said, ‘Cure the sick who are there. Say to them, the kingdom of God has come to you!’ That’s two commands in one sentence. We are to cure the sick and proclaim the Kingdom. We are called to do more than just cure the sick; as physicians, we are also called to help people grow in holiness through the universal human experience of suffering through illness.”

Doctors work independently with My Catholic Doctor, spending as much time as they want with each patient. A minimum of documentation stems from believing that the only third party in a doctor-patient relationship should be the Holy Spirit. Most insurance and health-share plans are accepted. The database of doctors now includes a wide range of primary care, urgent care, rheumatology, dermatology, endocrinology, physical therapy, speech therapy, gerontology and other medical areas.

The commitment to care from conception to natural death is emphasized, as is prayer.
Every afternoon at 3 o’clock in the office chapel in Stamford, Connecticut, the Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed for all patients. Anyone unable to join in person is invited to join with their prayer intentions from afar. (To join the prayer team, contact prayerteam@mycatholicdoctor.com.)

My Catholic Doctor clinicians unequivocally follow all of the “Ethical and Religious Directives” of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the ethical policy statements of the Catholic Medical Association.

“Our clinicians seek to bring the loving presence of Jesus Christ to their patients, to heal the whole person: body, mind, and spirit,” emphasized Berchelmann to the Register. “It involves the whole person and the unique dignity of each person made in the image and likeness of God.”

“We don’t specifically advertise APR,” said Berchelmann of their pro-life care, “but [women] still call us because they see ‘Catholic’ in our name. These are women who’ve taken all the steps to get the abortion pills — they’re pro-choice … they still call us, and that’s the natural law written on their heart. I have no other explanation. That’s the good news. God is still in the hearts of all these people, made in the image and likeness of God.”

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Assuming it is the Protestant Bible, 39+27 = 66 Books.
Do I need to read them all? To do in dept Bible study on every book?
The OT books, most of them are the history of the Jews, why do I need to read them? They are irrelevant to my daily life.

What is Christian worship?

About sin
If I am saint I sanctify myself even more
And let them not find the way

George Latimer, 70, entered the race at the urging of local Jewish leaders who were angry with Mr Bowman over his vocal criticism of Israel.
The former school principal has accused Israel of genocide, which it denies, and repeatedly questioned the Biden administration's support of Israel's government.
He did it to himself.

Hello folks. What are your thoughts on this timeline? It is supposed to satisfy both Preterists and Futurists, as the End Times may have began with the fall of the 2nd Temple in 70 AD, but we may be approaching the tribulation. In other words, we have been in the end times for nearly 2000 years, but the closer we get to the tribulation period, the more we know that the tribulation is near. The year 20XX represents some future year, which could happen today, or hundreds of years from now. Also, the blooming fig tree could represent Israel becoming a new nation in 1948, or getting new borders according to the UN in 1967, and a generation will not die after the fig tree blooms. So, if people born in 1967 live 80 years (or a max of 120 years), could we be close to the end times? Jesus says we will not know the hour. Do you guys think that the end is close, say sometime in this century?

I have worked retail for eleven years in September and just celebrated my three years with the current company I’m with. Been working the customer service desk itself for nearly the whole three years. Every six months we get raises (a measly $.10) and we have to take a competency test to ensure we know our jobs. They also have you fill out a form on what you think you need to work on, are best at and your goals for the company. Since my first raise as I have been in retail so long (without a degree), I would put my goal as going through Front End Advancement as customer service is all I have known in retail (cashier, service desk). I’d maybe like to be a Front End Manager (even an assistant manager if needed to start). I had been talking to my manager every time I had that form and he’d agree but nothing came of it. Finally, a corporate advisor came again last week and said we need more people training to be FEM’s that want it. Friday, my boss (new FEM as my one for the last 2.5 years moved departments) came to me saying he knew I wanted it so he’s going to have HR enroll me! Well, one of my assistant FEM’s gave me the paperwork today and I’ll take my first of four tests August 2nd!

While I’m extremely stressed out with personal life, this is a long time coming as a blessing and I know we are about to lose an assistant FEM so maybe because I already work the weekend that FEM does, maybe my GM will work it out!

The Episcopal Church House of Bishops has rejected resolutions that would have labeled Israel an apartheid state and endorsed divestment efforts against the Middle Eastern nation while approving measures calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

At the 81st General Convention held in Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday, the bishops voted down four resolutions tied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israel's war against the terror group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

These included a resolution labeling Israel's legal system apartheid, a resolution expressing solidarity with the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Movement, a resolution identifying the Palestinians as "Indigenous peoples of the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River," and a resolution condemning Christian Zionism, reported Episcopal News Service.

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What does this passage mean?...

Matt 24.Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

This happened in 70 AD, about 40 years after Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. This is not Last Days prophecy--this happened in the generation of those alive in Jesus' time.

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

These "Birth Pains" took place in Jesus' own generation. They anticipated the coming fall of Jerusalem to the Romans. There were rumors of wars, warning Jesus' Disciples that this judgment was surely coming. The signs included indications God was unhappy with Israel and was soon to bring final judgment to them.

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Jesus' own Disciples among the Jewish People would be rejected and persecuted by apostate Israel, ie by their unbelieving Jewish brothers. This was some of the sin for which God was bringing judgment to Israel in 70 AD.

15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

There is no question, particularly when the parallel account is read in Luke 21, that this is about a Great Tribulation spanning the entire NT age. That's what makes it the "Great Tribulation." It's the greatest punishment that Israel has ever experienced--the longest punishment in its history. And when Israel experienced punishment, they suffered the tribulation of exile and the curses that followed them in that exile. It is called the "Jewish Diaspora."

The "Abomination of Desolation" is spelled out in Daniel, and is not to be confused with another AoD mentioned in Daniel, which applied to Antiochus 4 of Syria. This particular AoD originates from Dan 9 where the "people of the prince to come," an Army, is to come to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple. That's the AoD Jesus is speaking of here.

And the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD was merely the start of Israel's exile and an entire age of Jewish Diaspora. It was to last until the preaching of the Gospel is preached to the whole world as a warning of ultimate judgment for human sin.

22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

As there was in that early generation so it continues throughout the age that Millennial groups attempt to state that they are the "move of Christ" to bring God's Kingdom to earth. But God is concerned about the ultimate destruction of the Jewish People before He can judge and remove the wicked from among them in order to restore the nation using the repentant. And so, Christ will in the end come from heaven to bring an end to Israel's oppression and to save the Church from their persecution.

26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

In accordance with Dan 7, the Son of Man comes from the clouds, ie from heaven, and not before. In other words, even as false Messianic movements proliferated the Roman army would gather around Jerusalem. And Jesus would not deliver Israel at that time, but would come later with the clouds.

So Jesus warns his Disciples that the Roman "vultures" will gather against Jerusalem to destroy the Temple. The Romans carried "eagle" standards, representing gods that they worshiped. They gathered "like eagles" around Jerusalem, the "corpse." Deliverance from heaven will not come before Israel is brought under judgment in that generation.

29 “Immediately after the distress of those days
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

It is after the Jewish Distress of the present age, while Christians are persecuted, that Christ, the Son of Man, will return from heaven, but not before.

30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory."

This is the completion of what Daniel saw in Dan 7, which is the coming of the Son of Man from heaven to destroy the persecutors of the Church and to establish God's Kingdom on their behalf. Daniel there portrays the coming of the Son of Man to destroy Antichrist, the Man of Sin, who opposes God's People and His Kingdom.

At the Medina pride event we had difficult conversations while sharing the law (this person wearing a cross ripped up a Gospel tract) and also regarding abortion with a girl who thinks a baby in the womb is a parasite.

Numbers 23:19a God is not human
Jesus is a human.
Jesus is God.

On the surface literal level, there are apparent contradictions in the Bible:

• How old was Jehoiachin when he became king?
• When Jesus sent out the Twelve two by two on a healing mission, did he allow them to carry a staff or not?
• Did Jesus heal Peter’s Mother-in-law before or after he called him to become a disciple?
• Jesus said, "Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire." But then he called the Pharisees "blind fools"
• NIV translated De 32:8 using "sons of Israel"; ESV "sons of God"; LXX "angels of God"
• Did the sea hold 2000 or 3000 baths?
• Thou shalt not kill or murder?
• How much did David pay to Araunah?
• Is there a contradiction in Proverbs 26:4–5?
• Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony IS VALID
• Should Christians love the world?
• Does the LORD regret?
• It REPENTED the LORD that he had made man on the earth
• Did Jairus talk to Jesus before or after his daughter died?
• Did the fig tree that Jesus cursed wither immediately or overnight?
• The Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one
• Where did they bury Jacob?

Did God promise there would be no contradictions?

No, not on the many copies of manuscripts written by human beings.

Why do I still believe the Bible since there are contradictions?

Human languages are inherently ambiguous, and ambiguity can be the source of contradictions. Perspectives can also cause contradictions. In any case, I believe all Scripture is GOD-BREATHED.

An atheist parolee in Colorado jailed for refusing to follow a court order requiring him to take part in a Christian mission's worship services has won a $100,000 settlement.

In a settlement agreement with the Colorado Department of Corrections filed in court last week, Mark Janny was awarded $100,000 in monetary damages. Janny was on parole in 2015 and was required to live at a Christian homeless mission and participate in Bible study, church services and religious counseling.

He was incarcerated for five months when he refused to do so.


Janny was represented by the secular legal groups the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, as well as DLA Piper LLP.

"This is a victory for Mark Janny and for religious freedom," said Americans United President Rachel Laser in a statement.

"Our country's fundamental principle of church-state separation guarantees that everyone has the right to believe as they choose, so long as they don't harm others. Jailing someone for refusing to attend worship services and to engage in Bible study is not religious freedom — it's religious coercion."

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This site came up as related to an MSN home-page when I logged in today -

20 Catholic Beliefs That Aren’t In The Bible | Wealthy Boomers


MSN 20 Catholic Beliefs that aren't in the Bible


It asks some questions - most of which I would consider to be "reasonable questions" that a non-Catholic might be asking.

No doubt many of you have met someone asking at least one of these questions.

Of course the phrase "beliefs that aren't in the Bible" explains a lot of it since many Catholics don't claim that their beliefs necessarily need to be in the Bible to be acceptable to them.

But for many non-Catholics (including the Catholic protestors that were protesting certain practices in the church) - relying on doctrine that is not in the Bible has been a barrier.

It seems like a bit of a circular argument to say something that is not in the Bible must be so merely because "we say it is so". Under those standards - what sort of belief could not be ruled out?

==================================

To those who may wish to derail the topic - please take a look at the MSN link and comment on what is actually in the topic.

Christian apologist Ken Ham says clickbait headlines surrounding a 1,600-year-old book purportedly about Jesus’ childhood should not cause alarm among believers. The headlines about the so-called Infancy Gospel of Thomas have generated significant buzz worldwide. The New York Post proclaimed in a headline: “Newly deciphered manuscript is the oldest written record of Jesus’ childhood: ‘Extraordinary,’” while the Times of Israel alleged in its headline that the “1600-year-old papyrus fragment contains the earliest account of Jesus’ childhood.”

In truth, debate about the Infancy Gospel of Thomas is not new, even if the newly discovered fragment may be the oldest surviving copy.

The Infancy Gospel of Thomas was rejected by early Christians as not inspired and was not included in the canon of Scripture. (It is not to be confused with the Gospel of Thomas, another rejected book.)
“How should Christians think about this find? This text is not biblical -- it was written several decades after the canon of Scripture was closed,” said Ham, the CEO and founder of Answers in Genesis, in a new blog on his website. “And don’t be alarmed when you read statements such as ‘[this is from] the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, a book detailing Jesus of Nazareth’s youth that was ultimately excluded from the Bible.’
“The Infancy Gospel of Thomas was never considered to be authentic by Christians, nor did it vie for inclusion in the Bible before being ‘ultimately excluded’ -- Christians knew it wasn’t inspired Scripture!”
Tim Chaffey, the content manager for the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum operated by Answers in Genesis, said the Infancy Gospel of Thomas contains fictional stories about Jesus that conflict with the character of Christ in Scripture.

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Why were there so few instances of demon possession in the OT?

Demon oppression is a demon influencing a human mind (soul) and body. King Saul was oppressed.

Demon possession is a demon occupying a human's spirit. I don't think there were any such cases in the OT because a demon couldn't get into a human's spirit at that time.

Why were there so many instances of demon possession in Judea around the time of Jesus?

Some Pharisees engaged in exorcism (Matt 12:27). Josephus described how a Jewish exorcist expelled a demon in the presence of Vespasian.

Spiritual warfare intensified at the coming of the Messiah. It was a pivotal moment in the history of the universe. Around that time, the human spirit was loosening up to receive the Holy Spirit or evil spirits. Demons took this opening-up opportunity to possess people. God used this opportunity to demonstrate the power of Jesus in delivering them from demon possessions. Jesus triumphed over demons and Satan. Today, we can read about it in the gospels.

What about today?

Today, we have a better understanding of mental illnesses. People do not so readily believe in demon possession. Doctors can prescribe medications. Still, there are cases of demonic oppression and possession. They are now more subtle and not as overt as the displays in the NT.

In the OT, demons could not possess people's spirit/volition. At the time of Jesus, demon possession was particularly rampant because of the spiritual warfare between the Messiah and Satan on earth. Now, overt demon possessions happen more frequently in less developed regions. In the future, it may become rampant again (Rev. 18:2).

There is so much to unpack here so I'll include the basics/essentials in the first paragraph and more details below it.

The basics: I feel like I am pulling more weight than my husband and that he does not do his fair share of the work around the house. He works from home 1 day a week, in office 4 days and my schedule is opposite so I have more time at home (however I single handedly run my business so I work more than he does). I am responsible for keeping the entire home clean - bathrooms, bedrooms, laundry, floors, etc plus I spend hours on Fridays getting the entire house cleaned and all chores done in preparation for sabbath. I also typically spend 3-5 hours meal prepping food for our dogs. He is responsible for taking out the trash, meal planning/ordering groceries, cooking our meals and doing the dishes. I almost never need his help with my tasks, however he will frequently ask me to help him with the dishes even when I've already spent hours during my work day cleaning. He will let dishes pile up for 2 days and just says it's because we're using a lot of them and he can't keep up. So I spent my lunch break emptying the dishwasher and reloading/starting it so that we could catch up. He got home from work and instead of unloading the dishwasher and reloading it, he chose to sit on the couch and relax, letting the dishes pile up yet again after dinner. I confronted him because this was becoming a pattern and was met with defensiveness - that he tries SO HARD and does SO MUCH and I'm wrong and should give him grace because he is "trying". I work way more than him and have more responsibilities yet I still get my tasks done because I assess what needs to be done and decide to use the free time I have to do them instead of sitting on the couch watching TV. I am getting sick and tired of him not taking initiative or responsibility, and acting like he does this incredible job when actually I have to end up taking over his responsibilities as if I'm his mother.

More info if you feel like reading:

Another example: One morning we were out of eggs so we couldn’t have a proper breakfast that morning (it's his chore to keep tabs on groceries and keep us stocked). That night he spent from 730-10pm doing his own thing on social media and his computer. Dishes were left in the dishwasher and sink, poop in the cat boxes (he scoops them). I had to run the dishwasher because he didn’t do it. And we didn’t get to have any time for intimacy. I went to bed alone. Then he got out of the shower and was being super loud and woke me up. I am able to juggle so much and keep up with it but he couldn't even think to go get more eggs when we ran out or to take care of the dishes before we went off and did his own thing for over 2 hours.

Another example: I worked a 50-60 hour work week, then we served almost all day for our church and then spent several hours with his parents for dinner. 7pm rolls around and the dogs have no food because I was so swamped with work during the week. So I had to spend that evening cooking despite complete exhaustion (I was also on my period and in a lot of pain and was so lethargic). At first he was like "do you mind if I go have some alone time while you do this" and I was like you're really going to leave me to do this alone and aren't even going to help me?! He realized his selfishness and ended up helping me but I have to ask or point out how he's being selfish. He has never once helped me with a chore UNPROMPTED, yet I frequently help with his without him asking. Sometimes he doesn't even acknowledge it or give me any thanks whatsoever.

When I brought up these things, it escalated into a huge argument about how he tries SO HARD and does SO MUCH for me and ALWAYS puts me first. He said that he wants to come home to a positive wife and that he feels more supported at work than by me. That I should just be nice to him and appreciate the work he puts in to cook for us. He said that the meal plan I made didn’t work out because he spent 1.5 hours prepping food that only lasted 2 days and that he was still going to end up having to cook for 8 hours total throughout the week. When I told him I spend that much time cleaning (probably more) he said "it doesn't look like it". It continues escalating to him saying that I'm fake, how I'm nice to everyone but then come home and am mean to him.

To be very honest, I feel like I'm dating a little boy, not a man. I always thought a man who leads would be a man who takes initiative, doesn't have to be told to do his chores, takes responsibility and owns up. Who does things even though he is tired because it's in the best interest of the family. That's clearly not who I married and I'm really worrying that I made a mistake because I doubt that I can ever change him. So I'm left feeling like I have to just take on all the responsibility and just do everything around the house to make sure it all gets done. This is breeding resentment and frustration. I am so depressed today I just keep crying. I don't know what to do because he isn't listen ing to my feelings, he is taking everything as an attack.

Hello, my name is Ana-Maria and I’m an 18-year-old (my 19th birthday is in a few days: 29 June) housewife from Tulcea county, Romania. I have a 2 month old son. I’m an Eastern Orthodox Christian. I spend my time serving God, my husband, in-laws and taking care of my son. Some fun facts about me: I fast every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (besides the big fasts of the year such as Great Lent and Nativity Fast). I wear a headscarf most of the day and at all times in public (known here as “batic”). I never worn pants. I go to church as often as possible (always on Sunday). I abstain from voting. I only went to school up to 8th grade; I was taught at home / church & self-taught after that. My hobbies include baking, knitting, sewing, reading, cooking, gardening, listening to music and painting (especially icons, I’m not sure that’s the exact translation in English but here they’re called “icoane” and are Christian paintings basically). I also volunteer with the church whenever I have time. This area where I live in (Dobruja) is very special for Christianity, for example the Saint Andrew’s Cave (a cave where Andrew the Apostle supposedly preached) is here, the first Christian church in Romania. Saint Andrew is also the patron saint of Romania and the Romanian Orthodox Church. Nice to meet you, all!