Ok. So im going to get personal here, just a warning.

I started masturbating at the ripe age of 6-7, dunno why, I didnt even have a sex drive yet, it just felt good. So I did it. I was raised in a pretty non believing home, so I never was taught anything against it. As I aged, this addiction became more and more over bearing. I was a hard core atheist so I didnt care about it. When I got turned on, I would touch. Wouldnt even think about it. As I reached my late teens, I finally turned to Christ. Theres a long story there, that I wont get into. As such I started cleaning up my act. I stopped swearing, I stopped saying things like "god" as an exclamation, I got better control over my anger and my impulsivity. Ultimately Jesus was cleaning up a pretty dark and sinful person. I also noticed that things I used to do and move on from suddenly really effected me when I DID end up doing them. I felt this deep sorrow. Looking back, that was the spirit working in me. God definitely was working his magic in me and I was in a much better place. Fast forward to now, there is one thing I still cant let go. Lust. I have built such an addiction, such a habit, that no matter what I do, I am powerless to it. Helpless to my sin. My life looks like this.

Sin

Repent

Sin again 2 days later

over and over and over again. Its a cycle and its been going on for years. I just fell again a few minutes ago. And for some reason this one feels way darker then the last however many times. This feels like ive become what Hebrews 10:26 is talking about

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,"

I think I may have just sinned one too many times. Given in one too many times. The issue is I WANT to stop. Lord knows I want to stop. But I can't. I really think ive failed the race. I was too weak.

I'm sorry Father...

I've been asking God questions about my future, and everytime he says the same thing. Even when I'm not aware of asking the question, he says the same thing. Is it God or just my own overactive imagination? Is the little still voice i hear in my head really God? It's crazy that I can ask the still voice for advice and it actually gives me good advice? I can't believe it's God because that seems too lucky for me! Anyone has any opinion on this?

On the 4th of October, 2023, a high-ranking member of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, affiliated with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, participated in the "Interfaith Harmony Day" at a grand Hindu temple in Robbinsville, New Jersey. This meeting, part of the festivities leading to the consecration of the temple on October 8, brought together a plethora of erroneous theologies, including heretical forms of Christianity and the prelest religions that are Mormonism, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism. The venue, managed by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha organization, emphasizes the empty and soulless doctrine of universalism, echoing the dystopian and schizophrenic dialectic of liberalism (capitalist democracies), communism/socialism, and Origen's heretical teachings, which believed that the revealed truth calls all mankind to conversion and break down barriers real or imaginary.

Archbishop Elpidophoros, the head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOARCH) who also participated in a march held by the Marxistic and black supremacist hate group known as Black Lives Matter, was represented by His Grace Bishop Athenagoras Nazianzos, Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, who attended the event in person. Misquoting the holy Apostle Paul, Archbishop Elpidophoros conveyed, “In the boundless tapestry of creation, we are called to recognize and celebrate the diverse ways in which humanity seeks to connect with the divine. As Orthodox Christians, we are continually reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words, for from Him and through Him and for Him are all things.” This sentiment echoes the stance of Archbishop Evgenios of Crete, another hierarch of the Constantinople Patriarchate, who perpetuated the lie that sexual perversion of gender dysphoria is not a sin.


It seems that the Orthodox Church is going the same way as the Catholics who have clown masses and bless homosexual relationships. Perhaps the Old Believers and Old Calendarist are correct(see First-Second Council of Cannons)

*Affirm the soul has a journey after its departure from the body, and is related to the particular judgment. In its most general form, it refers to the idea that after death, the demons attempt to find a basis for taking the soul to Hades, while the angels defend the soul, taking the reason in the righteousness of the reposed person. Whether the soul is finally seized by the demons, or taken to heaven depends on the state of the soul at death and the intercession (prayers) of the living.
*Rejection off the adoption of the Gregorian calendar by some Orthodox Churches as it is a deviation from tradition, associating it with Freemasonry, heresy, and the "pan-heresy" of Ecumenism.
*The liturgical gestures of the Sign of the Cross, bows, and prostrations are meticulously performed in unison by the congregation according to established tradition, with the Sign of the Cross symbolizing Christology through a two-fingered gesture accompanied by the recitation of the Jesus Prayer.
*The Communion bread, known as prosphora, is meticulously crafted from seven pieces of leavened bread and paired with pure grape wine, both consecrated during the Holy Eucharist service.
*Affirm the seamless unity of Christ's divine and human natures, intricately intertwined without division or confusion.
*Both monasteries and parishes adhere rigorously to the St. Savas Typicon, ensuring the faithful observance of a full cycle of services, with liturgical homilies precisely delivered during Matins.
*In the appointed psalmody, the complete text of psalms is read, with the chanters responding with selected psalm verses.
*Utilize specific kinds of readers , especially the Canonarch and the Psalmist and always have readers receive a blessing before reading, and ask forgiveness of the priest and congregation when finishing their duties.
*Traditional liturgical singing consists of unison (monophonic) chant without
compositions – only ancient traditional chant melodies.
*Emphasis on silent prayer to touch the divine light within and illuminating the depths of God's unknowable presence.
*Separation from the world with plain dress, no electricity, and limited technology, promoting simplicity and community
*Affirm in the Creed that the Holy Ghost is the True Lord, the Giver of Life
*Immersed in communal prayer's "Mystery of Unity," find wholeness in Christ's Body, upholding decorum, reminding that order cradles grace, as children learn at their side

I have this same struggle, and for people who I have never met face to face, especially since the ministry that the Lord has given to me is one of writing, and of posting these writings on the internet, which are then going to people in many nations all over the world. For, although I do what I do because to this God called me, and because I love my Lord, and because I want to obey him, I do what I do because I love the people of this world and my fellow believers in Jesus, and I want for all of you to know Christ and to obey him.

For those of you who have made professions of faith in Jesus Christ, my hope for you is that you are hearing the truth of the gospel being taught, for so many people these days are teaching lies, i.e. they are altering the message of the gospel of Christ to make it more appealing and acceptable to the ungodly, which includes to many who call themselves Christians but who are still walking in sin and not in walks of obedience to the Lord. Thus, so many are not teaching on repentance and holiness and obedience to God.

I, as well, want to encourage your hearts with the truth of the Scriptures. But please understand that this word “encourage” is not all about saying only what makes people feel good. The word primarily means to exhort (insist, spur, prod), to beseech (implore, beg, plead), to entreat (request), to admonish (reprove, caution, rebuke, warn), and to urge with a holy urging. But if you are one who is encouraging with this kind of encouragement, here in America you might be chided for being “negative,” and thus to be ignored.

Now the encouragement here that Paul was offering was first of all that they (believers in Christ) would be knit together with one another in love (agape). And the word “love” means to prefer what God prefers, which is what is holy, just, honest, morally pure, upright, godly, faithful, and obedient to the Lord. And for the believer in Christ it means to prefer to live through Christ, and to choose his choices, and to be obeying them through his power. The believers were all to be doing this together, helping one another to grow in Christ.

Sadly, though, in America, what is largely being pushed is that we are to “stay in your own lane” and to “mind your own business” and to stop being “judgmental” and “negative,” etc. And so many Christians (or professing Christians only) have gotten this mistaken idea that it is rude or prideful for one Christian to exhort and urge and warn other Christians based on what the Scriptures teach. Well, they might be okay with it if you have certain credentials or a title of “pastor,” but not generally for us without titles.

But the Scriptures do not teach that only people with certain credentials or certain titles in front of their names have the biblical right and authority to encourage one another as is defined above. All of us who profess the name of Jesus, if our faith is genuine, and if we are walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, are to be restoring fallen brothers or sisters back to a right relationship with the Lord. And we are to be those who are bringing back sinners from their wandering to save their souls from death.

And we are to be utilizing the Spiritual gifts given to us by the Spirit in the body parts assigned to us by God to warn other believers in Christ against false teachers and false teaching so that they are not led astray. And so we are to be speaking the truth of God’s word to one another to help one another to grow to maturity in Christ, as each one of us does our part. And we are to be teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, addressing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

And then we are all to exhort one another EVERY DAY, so that none of us may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. And we should be stirring one another up to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together (any day, any place, any time of day, every day) for the express purpose that we are encouraging (exhorting, urging, warning, comforting, lifting up) one another, and all the more as we see the Day of judgment drawing near. For not all who call Jesus “Lord” will go to heaven. Only those obeying him.

[Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; 1 John 3:4-10]

Draw Me Close To You

Donnie McClurkin

Draw me close to You
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear You say that I'm Your friend

You are my desire
And no one else will do
'Cause nothing else can take Your place
To feel the warmth of Your embrace

Help me find a way
Bring me back to You
Bring me back, oh Jesus

You're all I want
You're all I've ever needed
You're all I want
Help me know You are near

Login to view embedded media
Caution: This link may contain ads

Deleted

Hi all!

My name is Nick, and I've been convicted by the Holy Spirit to become more involved with other Christians and to pray more for people. I'm the introverted type so this is pretty new to me. I'm more of a reader than a poster on forums and for reasons unknown, I'm drawn to post! Maybe it's a phase, maybe not. All I know is, I don't have many friends in the outside world and I'm still looking for a church to be a part of. God is calling me, at least I feel, to meet other Christians, so here I am! God bless.

Once saved always saved.Bible verses for and against. Can you list all the verses that come to mind?

Pray The Holy Spirit comforts , heals & provides for the family, loved ones &friends of the Ukrainian Prisoners of War who were killed due to a plane crash:

How do I live the simplest Christian life? What should be my daily focus?

At times you may find a chance to talk with someone who has left a church, and isn't yet having returned to church somewhere, and so I think it helps to hear from some why, and there are different reasons of course, but some reasons are more common. So, becasue I heard a bit of this program below the other day, I found the podcast source so I could hear more, and some may want to hear more on why many churches have had less attending.
(yes, there is more than one situation and more than one reason, including both bigger reasons but also specific to a church reasons, and we can be ready for all of those)

Some who have left churches do believe, they have faith, and so that's different from someone that left yet says they don't believe (which may or may not be the reality deeper down below ordinary consciousness down in their heart, further down under the level of ordinary intellectual consciousness...). It can help though to be aware some people (not all, but many) have left for some specific thing that happens, even for a very good reason sometimes, and then how we talk with them will be different from someone who simply needs to hear the gospel in a more real way....

So, this is addressing many different aspects, including big picture things, and study/polling also:

This is from the NPR program "On Point", which is just a public radio general interest program that looks at various contemporary topics in depth, based in Boston, and this particular program below is an interview of 2 authors who have been studying why people have left churches.

About 40 million Americans have left churches and other religious institutions in the last 25 years.

For some, the decision is rooted in deep pain. But for the majority, their reasons for leaving are a lot more mundane than you'd expect.

“Most people have left for really pedestrian reasons. Like, I moved; attendance was inconvenient; or, say, family change," Michael Graham, co-author of "The Great Dechurching" says.

So, what does that say about the importance of faith in America?

Today, On Point: 'The Great dechurching.'

The link has both the recording of the radio program, and a transcript for those that prefer to read.

In the Holy Scriptures, it's common for God to give legislation to protect the poor and to protect people who are called strangers living in the land. It is interesting to think how much of Scripture is devoted to this notion of just treatment for social issues. We are Christians, representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are called ambassadors of Christ in this world. Do we think of Justice in the same way that God does?

Another member of this forum has started a thread to explain why he is a continuationist. I have deep respect for those who do believe in the continuation of supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Scriptures give good reason to think that these gifts have continued. The Holy Scriptures also give good reasons to think that revelatory gifts have ceased. I am inclined to think that revelatory gifts have ceased because I have watched what becomes of churches that think that they continue. How quickly such churches can become a hotbed of insane ideas; doctrines that are harmful to people almost doctrines of demons.

When a friend came calling on Father Alfonso Benito López on Tuesday in the Old City of Valencia, the janitor of the building went looking for him, only to find the 80-year-old priest lying dead on his bed, in his pajamas.


With no signs of forced entry or of a struggle in the apartment, and no visible wounds on the body, it would have been easy to conclude that the priest had died of natural causes, at least a couple of days earlier, given the condition of his corpse.

So you can imagine how surprised the janitor must have been to receive a text message only a few minutes later, which was supposedly sent from the priest lying dead in front of him.

Police later ascertained that several other friends and acquaintances had received similar messages over the previous days, all seemingly sent after Fr. Lopez had died.

After the janitor received a text message from the dead priest, his death been treated by police as a homicide, to the shock of the good citizens of Valencia, an ancient and beautiful city that sits on Spain’s Mediterranean coast.

“People have been quite astonished”, said Lucia Ballester, a journalist with Aid to the Church in Need International, who is originally from Valencia.

“Everyone is finding it very strange, like something out of a movie. My grandmother even mentioned [the Umberto Ecco novel] ‘The name of the Rose’”.

Continued below.

At the Last Supper, Jesus said in Matthew 26:

29 "I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom".

Click to expand...

This particular wine was probably the celebratory wine (G3631 οἶνος John 2:3). G3631 appears 34 times.

At Golgotha, initially, Mark 15:

23 they offered him wine [G3631] mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.

Click to expand...

Jesus did not drink this G3631-wine as promised.

Later, John 19:

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Click to expand...

vinegar/sour wine
ὄξους (oxous)
Strong's 3690: Vinegar, sour wine mixed with water, a common drink of Roman soldiers. From oxus; vinegar, i.e. Sour wine.

H3690 occurs 6 times.

The Roman soldiers on site drank this sour wine to quench their thirst. Jesus drank this G3690-wine. This was not the celebratory type of wine.

Back then, people often drank low-grade wine instead of water for thirst because the alcoholic content kept bacteria from multiplying in plain water. It was safer to drink sour wine than water. At the Last Supper, Jesus promised not to drink the celebratory wine (G3613) until the kingdom of God materialized. He did not promise not to drink the usual wine of thirst. Jesus did not promise not to drink any liquid (G3690) for the rest of his life on earth.

My father abandoned me when I was a child and Ive only seen him twice in my life as an adult when he went to my cousin's graduation and my grandmothers funeral.

I do not like calling him "Dad" or "Father" as he never filled that role for me, it makes me cringe to call him that even in this thread. My father is in heaven. To this day I have abandonment issues, though I will credit him that he has made me the best father I know as I am the Dad I wish I had.

I pray for him nightly and thank God for him and his family using his first name. Ive been wondering if this is dishonoring him and have asked the holy spirit for guidance on this and while I do not feel convicted of it as I do other sins I feel uncertain. So just wanted to see what other people's thoughts are if it is not honoring your father by praying for them with their first name.

Funny story, when I was young I held alot of hate for him. I would say childish things like "If I ever see him again ill knock him out." When I was 19 I was visiting my grandmother and we were watching home movies and he was in some of them. That night I prayed and forgave him, felt like a huge weight off my shoulders. The next day I went to my other grandmother's home and they were like "come on in we have a surprise for you" and there he was for the first time in 10 years... Awesome how God works isnt it? "Oh you forgive him huh? Lets see!"

It is only in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ that we have truth fully brought out. I will learn truth through the Holy Spirit, and He is the only power of my knowing the truth, and is therefore called “Truth” in 1 John 5:6 (and is “the Spirit of Truth; Jhn 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 1Jo 4:6).

When you speak of the truth, you do not mean merely either the divine nature in its perfectness, or His person “from whom cometh down every good gift” (Jas 1:17). But why is it that the Lord Jesus should be emphatically the Truth (Jhn 14:6)? He is the One who objectively has presented to me that which shows me the bearing and relationship of everything to God as well as to man.

If I want to test any one thing, I never can arrive at its full character till I view it in connection with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the truth subjectively (Jhn 14:17—NC), because no man can behold the Lord Jesus or find the truth in Him without the Spirit’s ministry. He is the revealer of the Lord Jesus; our own mind cannot see Him. Even the new man cannot of itself understand Him, or enter into the things of God (The Holy Spirit is the Creator of our new birth - Jhn 3:5, 6, 8 and the Author and Teacher of the Word of God (2Pe 1:21; 1Co 2:13—NC).

You will observe how strikingly this was shown when the disciples themselves had to wait till the Lord Jesus opened their minds to “understand the Scriptures” (Luk 24:45), and after that, for power to act on them. After they were converted, they needed the ministry of the Spirit to utilize the Scriptures. Beside, again they must wait for power to testify the truth from the Scriptures to others. They required to have the ministry of the Spirit, distinct from the new nature for the purpose of entering into the things of God.

Mere human nature never understands the things of God, but the new nature does. In order to do it, the Spirit’s ministry is requisite. The new nature is characterized by dependence. The Holy Spirit acts in His own power. So that we do not merely need dependence upon God, but enablement from the Spirit to enter into truth. It is not a matter of being converted merely, but of the practical entering into the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the way of the Father as brought out in the ways of His Son (“practical entering” is in the doing of God’s guidance—NC).

To gather evidence of God’s being is one thing; to know Him is another. It may come down to the Law, but does this give me truth (all of God’s mind for us—NC)? Its design was more for making the discovery of man than of God (revealing sinful state of man—NC). Its operation was that man might thereby learn what he is in himself. It runs like a ploughshare, when directed by the Spirit into the heart, and lays bare many furrows, and discovers what man never knew was there before.

But the Law was never meant to show what the Father is to man in grace. At best is declares what a man ought to be as well as do; but this is not the truth (entire truth—NC). What I ought to be is not God’s truth but my duty. Law was the standard for a man in the flesh; and hence it never was given till man was a sinful man. “The Law was given by Moses,” not to or by Adam. The commandment laid upon Adam was never called the law, although it was, of course, a law (Gen 2:16, 17).

You will never find truth, even in the Bible, if you sever it from the Lord Jesus Christ! But the moment the same blessed One, who has shown me in His own life and death what man is, has also shown me in the very same what the Father is, then all the clouds break and the difficulties vanish. Now I know my Father, beholding Him in the Lord Jesus Christ.


—William Kelly (1821-1906)






MJS daily devotional for January 25

“The day we were saved, total war was declared between sinful self and the Holy Spirit. Lasting peace will come when we rest in Calvary’s conquest of sin and self, and allow that victory to be applied by the faithful Spirit of God.”—MJS

“The Holy Spirit does not reason from what man is for God, but from what God is to man. Souls reason from what they are in themselves as to whether God can accept them. He does not accept you thus; you are looking for righteousness in yourself as a ground of acceptance with Him. You cannot get peace in this way. ‘But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us’ (Rom 5:8).

“The Holy Spirit always reasons down from what God is, and this produces a total change in my soul. It is not that I abhor my sins; indeed I may have been walking very well; but it is ‘I abhor myself.’ The Holy Spirit shows us what we are, and that is one reason why He often seems to be very hard and does not give peace to the soul, as we are not relieved until we frankly, from our hearts, acknowledge what we are. Until the soul comes to that point He does not give it peace—He could not; it would be healing the wound slightly. The soul has to go on until it finds there is nothing to rest on but the Cross-proved goodness of God; and then if God be for us, who can be against us?”—John Nelson Darby (1800-1882 – father of dispensationalism)

In fantasy fiction, the dragon is one of the most common mythical beasts, but these giant flying lizards defy the reality that flying lizards have actually been found on Earth through many once upon a times—they were just really small.

Case and point is this small fry from 200 million years ago, a Kuehneosaur, a flying reptile that used a membrane of skin that stretched out along a set of fantastically elongated rib bones that allowed them to glide from tree to tree.

The discovery was made by University of Bristol masters student Mike Cawthorne, and the university press reports that he has been researching numerous reptile fossils from limestone quarries which formed Mendip Palaeo-island—the biggest sub-tropical island at a time when Great Britain was an archipelago.

Continued below.

Matthew 6:33 (NASB20)
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is a lot of talk these days about a certain segment of society having a privilege, which is true, scripture speaks of this segment as those that are striving after righteousness…. Which can be called the privileges of righteousness, which is for all people equal, matters not who one is or what one looks like, only whether that one is pursuing righteousness in their daily walk… For if they are, no power on earth can keep God’s blessing from that one, for God does make a distinction from those that are walking towards Him and those that aren’t…..

For the privileges of righteousness sets one apart, that one cares not what others think of them, they only care what God thinks of them, and are trying above all things to be pleasing to Him and put a smile on His face…. For that one knows that if they do righteousness to the degree they understand it, blessings, honor, success will be their daily portion… Not that they won’t have trials and tribulations but will sail over and through them to the chagrin of those that look upon that one’s striving after righteousness as a lost or bad cause….. Not knowing the One who is behind supporting and watching over that one to pour blessings upon blessings provided to that one….

Be blessed in His blessings as one who is to receive the privileges of righteousness by the doing of….


A fellow follower of His, Not me

Hey you might want to have a look at this- I found this little church in New York City on YouTube, this place is amazing! If I am ever in NYC I might want to pay them a visit! Link to their video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjux_dt9xVc

Eisenhower did this in Arkansas.


The real question is why Biden hasn't done so. Election year is one answer, but is there a fear Texas national guard units would refuse?

Having trouble explaining this parable to my non SDA friends

All I can come up with is 'it's a parable'

Need a little help


22And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

This is something I see so often repeated in some varying form of argument:

"Oh, there's evidence for micro-evolution, but there's no evidence for macro-evolution."

This is so often touted as evidence of evolution being false, but no one has ever explained why the former excludes the latter. Why micro-evolution does not lead to macro-evolution.

So why? Why can't micro-evolution lead to macro-evolution? Why can't large amounts of small changes lead to a singular big change?

I get the impression that in Joyce Meyer's "Battlefield of the Mind" it talks about Satan having a presence in many people's minds at once. I thought Satan was an angel that would only have one location/focus at a time.... and in the Old Testament in Job and in the Garden of Eden story it seems Satan only has one location/focus. Same with the temptation of Jesus. It talks about Satan ruling the world - I got the impression that maybe Satan is controlling things indirectly through his minions.
Joyce Meyer's book about Satan's semi-omnipresence only reminds me of God's abilities - I haven't heard of any other similar beings. Also in the Bible it seems angels only have a singular presence.

Also on the topic of Satan:

Four out of ten Christians (40%) strongly agreed that Satan “is not a living being but is a symbol of evil.” An additional two out of ten Christians (19%) said they “agree somewhat” with that perspective. A minority of Christians indicated that they believe Satan is real by disagreeing with the statement: one-quarter (26%) disagreed strongly and about one-tenth (9%) disagreed somewhat. The remaining 8% were not sure what they believe about the existence of Satan.

Click to expand...