Hentenza said:

Then given that you hail from a country on the other side of the world from the US then our politics should not concern you much.

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That might have been the case in the 19th century. But every idiotic pronouncement by the guy currently behind the Resolute desk literally has an affect on my bank balance. It literally causes a realignment of my government's policies. Our PM is now in China being wined and dined by Li Qiang. We are strengthening our ties with S E Asia because we can no longer trust the US, politically, militarily or financially.

You are raising the drawbridges and isolating yourself. In a global community in which we now all exist, there is only one way to describe that: Absolute madness.

CoreyD said:

JohnClay said:

So those other things have overwhelming evidence but the most important part has no obvious evidence? BTW in all other instances kings have a power over the world. It seems your saying that in this instance there is nothing happening that non-believers could detect. I mean actions besides war, famine, and pestilence - unless Jesus the king is responsible for that.

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You did not understand correctly.
The evidence is there - overwhelmingly so. Like a fingerprint.
I'm saying to you that Jesus' followers are looking for it, as opposed to skeptics, and it is them Jesus gave it to.

Are you trying to find out who killed O.J. Simpson's wife? Neither I.
So I won't be looking for any evidence. Detectives will.
If I did take an interest though, I could examine that evidence, and determine what it says, but I need to get that information from the detectives, wouldn't I.
I could then go about the investigation, and accumulate more evidence if there is any.

I'm saying you aren't in such a position, but Jesus followers are.
I'm saying that there is no video tape for those looking for such, but any additional evidence will indeed be found by those detectives.
Jesus followers have that evidence.
They don't need a video tape, and neither does anyone else.

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So you're saying Jesus has been ruling as king since about 1914. How have the lives of Jesus' followers changed since 1914? I don't just mean changes due to war, famine, pestilence and lawlessness. I mean due to something else - Jesus ruling as king. Or maybe there has been no change and saying that Jesus has been ruling as king doesn't really involve any changes at all.

CoreyD said:

Are you sure these can be considered miracles?

Putting a cover on wrong is a mistake, isn't it?

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Perhaps covers of Bibles are put on upside-down in 1 in 1000 Bibles. But I got a sealed one about a day or two after I read a Bible upside down. And that was within weeks of that Connect 4 set event. Like I said skeptics would just explain that it was coincidence, etc, so that my belief in a non-obvious intelligent force is strengthened. Other parts of the Bible are significant - it was an NIV 2013 version which is the same one that my church had. It had red letters for Jesus words but John 7:53—8:11 was in black instead of red.
In the text itself, not just in the footnotes, it says:
[The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.]
If it wasn't for that Bible I might not have realised that the story of the stoning of the adulteress didn't seem to be part of Jesus' history.
That Bible also is against a key Trinity verse:
The footnote says:
1 John 5:8 Late manuscripts of the Vulgate testify in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. 8 And there are three that testify on earth: the (not found in any Greek manuscript before the fourteenth century)
People like Jack Chick say that that trinity verse was part of the original Bible/text.

CoreyD said:

CoreyD said:

Jesus said...

“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” John 4:48

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JohnClay said:

It says "see" i.e. be an eye witness - not hear about them third or fourth hand, etc. Well I guess that is ambiguous.

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I don't understand what you are trying to say here.

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Jesus apparently performed miracles. People "saw" them and believed. I haven't "seen" the miracles that Jesus performed.

Hentenza said:

The Guardian is a rabid far left tabloid...

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Rabid? I think that is more an indication of your personal political position than anything else.

Hentenza said:

so I thought to get another perspective from the one in the previous post.

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It wasn't an opinion piece. The facts were what I quoted. And they are undeniable. The fact that they weren't delivered was purely because USAid was being gutted. Post hoc excuses are just that. Want to issue the contraceptives to organisations that aren't involved in abortion? Then that could easily be done. It still could be done. But hey, the chainsaw is out and who cares if all those people overseas are left in need. You are now living in a Me First state. Inward looking, destroying work that has been built up over many decades. Losing all that soft power that you used to have. Rejecting life long alliances. Giving opportunities to those you'd consider your enemies.

And not only that, you'll suffer the consequences of this madness internally as well. You'll come to regret it. But never admit it.

Bradskii said:

It's a beautiful day here. We're just about to head out to a local game and meet up with our daughter and grandkids. Have a cold beer. Enjoy the afternoon. I doubt we'll talk politics. More likely sport. Last night's loss and a hope for a win this afternoon and certainly hope for a win tonight in The Big Game.

Trump, plus all politicians, local and overseas, plus all matters political will be tucked away somewhere in my head while I'm enjoying life. They don't bother my every waking moment. But they do actually affect my life, and the life of my family, and will eventually affect the lives of my grandkids in all sorts of complex and convoluted ways. So...if you don't mind, I'll reserve the right to complain about what some of them do, whether it's while I'm propping up a bar somewhere or sitting at the dining table, browsing a part of forum that specifically addresses the failures and wrong doings of some reality TV star who, for reasons that will be discussed and talked about for generations, has been put in a position to affect the lives of almost everyone living on this planet. And not in a good way.

If you open up this section of the forum, then you really shouldn't expect anything else.

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Then given that you hail from a country on the other side of the world from the US then our politics should not concern you much. Have fun at the game and enjoy the grandkids. They grow fast.

Perhaps, but are we sure that God has a specific intention for every trivial decision we make? It seems to me doing God's will is more about maintaining our integrety and preserving our witness rather than following a specified path. As for whether or not an event like your car breaking down falls under God's will for your life, that's a question that has done little good other than to foment division. If we lived as if everything that happened was God's will, we'd have no motivation to do anything because any action we take might put us at odds with God's will. So what does God will? Good for all who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

BCP1928 said:

The Dems have always been champions of it from Clinton onward. Remember NAFTA? But free market capitalism requires regulation, and unions, not that they amount to much nowadays--the Dems are still happy to take union money, as long as the unions remain degenerate.

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Don’t totally disagree but I still have a problem with the neoliberal label applied to the DNC. The left continues to push for a welfare state and a large government which are not part of neoliberalism political doctrine.

Absolutely God can give very specific guidance. For me a big area is geography. He tells me what city and country. Over the years, He has done this in many different ways. In some cases God also may give guidance to a specific employment opportunity. Life with God does not have to be random. There are many scriptures where God promises to lead and guide us. Here are a couple.

Isaiah 42:16 (NKJV) “I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them,And not forsake them.”

Jeremiah 10:23 (NKJV) “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.”

So in practical terms how do you get to the point of hearing God? You already heard Him regarding salvation, so guidance is just another step that He will take to order your life according to His will. Read books and scriptures about God's guidance to build you faith that He really does this. Then ask and expect Him to answer. I think where some get out of bounds on this is that they might hear things that they do not want like uprooting your life and moving somewhere. Sometimes too when we fail to act or even act like Jonah it grieves the Holy Spirit. The cure for those ignored items in the past is to ask forgiveness and move on. The important part though is your faith. Can you have faith for God to suggest a church? an event? a job? a new relationship? Can you shut the door on the old and embrace the new? Of course, God does not always tell you to move, many will have the same job and/or ministry for years.

For instance, I have been examining pastors that were called in the 1980s. I have found about seven that say that God called them to a specific town to start a church. Most lasted about 40 years, some are still going. In all cases the ones I found still have a church there that is effective if not the leading church of that city. The same town, the same church. Many of their stories are similar, just different places.

I admit too that circumstances can also dictate some things. Paul for some reason was forbidden by the Hoy Spirit to go to such and such places at some very specific times. Sometimes those that fail to act will get pushed out the door. If so, God does it because he loves that person and wants to give them a better opportunity.

Hentenza said:

Am thankful that I don’t live in your brain.

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It's a beautiful day here. We're just about to head out to a local game and meet up with our daughter and grandkids. Have a cold beer. Enjoy the afternoon. I doubt we'll talk politics. More likely sport. Last night's loss and a hope for a win this afternoon and certainly hope for a win tonight in The Big Game.

Trump, plus all politicians, local and overseas, plus all matters political will be tucked away somewhere in my head while I'm enjoying life. They don't bother my every waking moment. But they do actually affect my life, and the life of my family, and will eventually affect the lives of my grandkids in all sorts of complex and convoluted ways. So...if you don't mind, I'll reserve the right to complain about what some of them do, whether it's while I'm propping up a bar somewhere or sitting at the dining table, browsing a part of forum that specifically addresses the failures and wrong doings of some reality TV star who, for reasons that will be discussed and talked about for generations, has been put in a position to affect the lives of almost everyone living on this planet. And not in a good way.

If you open up this section of the forum, then you really shouldn't expect anything else.

RDKirk said:

But one of the things she did was to invent a personal force field projector that could be worn like a wristwatch. She sold it to another student for a couple of hundred dollars. But it could easily have made her a billionaire...entire nations would have been throwing suitcases of money at her.

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Great point! Depending on the tech, she may have just changed warfare forever - a bit like the Dune universe! Imagine how much money people would pay - even just to walk downtown without being shot or stabbed.

Hentenza said:

I can see your label of neoliberal for the GOP but I can’t see it for the DNC given their penchant for large government, regulations. and labor unions.

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The Dems have always been champions of it from Clinton onward. Remember NAFTA? But free market capitalism requires regulation, and unions, not that they amount to much nowadays--the Dems are still happy to take union money, as long as the unions remain degenerate.

Guojing said:

Well, if you are supporting the current Israel because you think God will bless you if you do and curse you if you don't, then that is wrong theology.

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Wow, we agree!

Fantine said:

Your facts, Hentenza, implied that Biden had lower deficits because he didn't have to deal with the pandemic.

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Not my facts but the ones on the chart I posted. I made no analysis or conclusions.

Fantine said:

My response, TBT, is that if Trump had not completely mishandled the pandemic (except for a mad rush to try to get a vaccine before Election Day, followed by a temper tantrum when they didn't succeed) we would have had per captia illness/death numbers similar to countries who dealt with the pandemic scientifically and successfully, and lower deficits.

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But you are not posting any evidence to back your opinion.

Clare73 said:

Willingly choosing what one prefers is not the meaning of coercion. . .plain and simple.

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I agree.
If someone decides what I prefer though, it isn't really my will.

rjs330 said:

Around here in order to consolidate housing they passed a law saying land for building could only be sold in 20 acre lots or bigger. That put building out of reach for average person. Only developers could afford that. So rhe developers did. And then they doubled the cost and you had to buy a home feom them. It drove up the cost considerably.

I look now at the difference in what's happened. Homes went from decent lots with a nice yard for your family to these tiny lots with no yard and where your kid has to go blocks away to some park to play outside. So you cant just let your child go play in yard anymore.

And now there are tons of building going on for apartment complexes. For rent.

I dont know what the answer is but I do know that we could if we wanted to provide ways for people to buy homes for families. I gave some ideas for rhat. No one really WANTS to raise a family in a small two bedroom apartment.

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One of the problems is that large RE companies, often foreign, are buying large tracts of single-family homes by bidding up prices and turning them into rentals. Remember when you were complaining that one of the tents of "globalism" is that nobody would have to own anything? That's neoliberalism.

Jamdoc said:

First off you're not to start in a believer's thread with doubting a person's salvation.

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I answered your question.
I didn't comment on anyone's salvation/conversion.

Jamdoc said:

second off, what I hate is physical aspects of me. Getting baptized, believing on Christ, well, your body is still the same dying body after your baptism isn't it?

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No.
It is not YOUR body anymore; it is Christ in your body.
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Gal 2:20)

Jamdoc said:

Well mine is too but likely worse. You can renew your "inner man" but you're still tethered to a sickly disgusting corpse that you hate.

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I can't hate the vessel of God's Spirit.
It may have bad parts, but God can overcome anything wrong with His temple.
Paul had problems, and God told him "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor 12:9)
Be well.

BCP1928 said:

That is where I think you are mistaken. Both the Democrats and Republicans are neoliberal, with one being socially liberal and the other socially conservative. The Berniecrats are the odd man out, lukewarm social liberals and closer to free market capitalism than either the Democrats or the Republicans.

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I can see your label of neoliberal for the GOP but I can’t see it for the DNC given their penchant for large government, regulations. and labor unions.

AV1611VET said:

Bingo!

I call them "Easter eggs."

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Oh ya, I remember now. Easter eggs.

The window that science opened makes way more sense to me.

rjs330 said:

Are those the only jobs foreigners are good for? Why is it whenever this discussion is had that everyone starts talking about picking crops and making beds?

I actually dont believe rhat Americans won't do those jobs. Pay them a decent wage and make those that are out of work do those jobs instead of collecting unemployment.

Create a worker program where businesses can sponsor foreign workers to come and work. But then you'd have to pay them fair wages.

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Careful--you're beginning to sound like Bernie

AV1611VET said:

Oh ... okay.

You know where I stand on coal in the earth don't you?

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It's one of those surprising hidden treats that God placed in the Earth, or something like that?

Hentenza said:

But you only talk about opposite sides. I think both parties have moved to such extremes that chaos is imminent if not already here. We, as voters, need to move the parties away from the extremes and toward the center. Even Slick Willy managed to balance the budget and work with the other side of the aisle. That’s why I was (and am) so disappointed at the last election and how the Democratic Party has not learned the lesson from the spanking they received. I still see the far left ruling the DNC as I see the far right ruling the GOP. We should stop defending the mediocrity from the present politicians and demand better.

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That is where I think you are mistaken. Both the Democrats and Republicans are neoliberal, with one being socially liberal and the other socially conservative. The Berniecrats are the odd man out, lukewarm social liberals and closer to free market capitalism than either the Democrats or the Republicans.

A quote from C.S. Lewis:

"When you come to knowing God, the initiative lies on His side. If He does not show Himself, nothing you can do will enable you to find Him. And, in fact, He shows much more of Himself to some people than to others - not because He has favourites, but because it is impossible for Him to show Himself to a man whose whole mind and character are in the wrong condition. Just as sunlight, though it has no favourites, cannot be reflected in a dusty mirror as clearly as in a clean one.
You can put this another way by saying that while in other sciences the instruments you use are things external to yourself (things like microscopes and telescopes), the instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred - like the Moon through a dirty telescope. That is why horrible nations have horrible religions: they have been looking at God through a dirty lens.
God can show Himself as He really is only to real men."

Guojing said:

Well, if you are supporting the current Israel because you think God will bless you if you do and curse you if you don't, then that is wrong theology.

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Glad you got that out of your system.