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The Mirror of the Word

The Bible is like a "mirror," and if we want to see how we're supposed to be and look like, we look at Scripture (scriptural mirror)! Paul's statement that "I know in part" means he only has partial knowledge of God 's Word at that time, because the other writers have yet at that time to write their part; and "that which is perfect" has to do with whatever is partial, which is the Word of God incomplete. But when the Bible was completed ("perfect") we could know the entire will and desires of God; coming face to face clearly in the mirror of the Word!


Again, when the Bible was completed, there was no more need to confirm the Word with "signs and wonders": and Christians could now see what they're supposed to look like by the Word--like the Lord Jesus (1Jo 4:17), and more so all the time as we "grow up into Him in all things" (Eph 4:15).

"Which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him . . . God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit" (Heb 2:3, 4).


James also made a comparison between a "mirror" and the Word of God:

Jas 1:22-25 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."



What’s so important about God discontinuing the signs and wonders? So faith can be at its strongest! Paul said “Jews require a sign.”

God Worshiper or Law Worshiper?

How else do you think that the Israelites knew how to worship God if not through His law?


God's way is the way to know, love, worship, glorify, belief in, and testify about God by embodying His likeness through being a doer of His character traits and the purpose of God's law is to teach us how to walk in His way (1 Kings 2:1-3). Sin is what is contrary to God's character traits, which is why sin is the transgression of God's law, so God's law also reveals what sin is by contrast. The purpose of revealing our sin is to lead us to repent and back to waking in God's way. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus said that faith is on of the weightier matters of the law, so faith did not change the believer's relationship with the law.
No, it does not. Nor does it change the unbelievers relationship to the law. For the believer, the law does not hold salvation, and for the unbeliever, it does not give them salvation.

For the unbeliever who has a form of Godliness but denies the power of it. The law is what they seek for salvation instead of receiving it as a gift from God.

For the believer salvation is found in Christ only and his righteousness produced the fruit of obedience. But it is not necessarily immediate, it is a growth process, and during that growth we are still seeing is perfect before God because of Christ fulfilling the law for us.
In Romans 8:4-7, Paul contrasted those who walk in the Spirit with those who have minds set on the flesh who are enemies of God who refuse to submit to the Law of God. In Galatians 5:16-23, Paul contrasted the desires of the flesh with the desires of the Spirit and everything that he listed as works of the flesh that are against the Spirit are also against the Law of God while all of the fruits of the Spirit are aspects of God's character that the Law of God was graciously given in order to teach us how to embody, so "the flesh" does not refer to human effort apart from the Spirit.

If God gave His law as instructions for how to become self-righteous and God does not want us to become self-righteous, then it would follow that God therefore wants to be disobeyed, which is absurd, so God's law was not given as instructions for how to establish our own righteousness but as instructions for how to embody His righteousness.
Every such effort to embody the righteousness of God will fail. The only way to embody the righteousness of God is to embody God, and that is done by submitting to Him. At the point, a temptation comes into our lives we face a choice to submit to God or to go our own way. We can choose to be righteous, even though we do not have the power to do so. Once we choose, God supplies the power. Again, this is a process, not an instantaneous halo appearing above our heads.
In Exodus 33:13, Moses wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him to walk in His way that He and Israel might know Him, and in Matthew 7:23, Jesus said that he would tell those who are workers of lawlessness to depart from him because he never knew them, so the goal of the law is to teach us how to know God and Jesus, which is His gift of eternal life (John 17:3). So this does not leave room to interpret Philippians 3 as saying God's law is rubbish and we just need to focus on knowing Christ instead, but rather Paul had been obeying God's law without being focused on knowing Christ, so he had been missing the whole goal of the law, and that is what he counted as rubbish.

In Romans 9:30-10:4, they had a zeal for God but it was not based on knowing him, so they failed to attain righteousness because they misunderstood the goal of the law by pursuing it as through righteousness were earned as the result of their works in order to establish their own instead of pursuing the law as through righteousness were by faith in Christ, for knowing Christ is the goal of the law for righteousness for everyone who has faith.


God is trustworthy, therefore His law is also trustworthy (Psalms 19:7), so the way to trust in God for salvation is by obediently trusting in His instructions, so God's law has always been intended to be obeyed through faith and our of love.


"Faith" is synonymous with "loyalty' and obedience to the law is not about proving our loyalty, but rather it is simply the way to be loyal to God.
In the end, God will make us much more righteous than “the law“ ever can if we choose to submit to him.
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"Under Title X of the US Code, the President has plenary authority..."

I don't acquiesce to rude demands. Treat me with anything other than respect and "we" gets nothing.
Nothing rude about it, blunt perhaps. But perhaps a good starting point would be to respectfully show what you're arguing specifically instead of avoiding doing so.
Well if you hadn't done the snarky "playing games" bit I might have.
Uh huh. Sure you would have.
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There’s a Giant Flaw in Human History

Your response speaks different.

OK first here is the circularity. This reading alone puts the vase in the precision and modern machining level. Impossible to obtain by hand.
The Red Granite Amphora Jar or "OG Vase" was found to exhibit exterior circularity tolerances as low as 0.0004 inches or 0.0094 mm. In fact the median circularity across the entire vertical (z-axis) of the vessel is approximately 0.0006 inches or 0.0162 mm.

The exterior median concentricity was 0.0018 of an inch. The interior was 0.0019 inches.

View attachment 371509

This is from the original testing of the original red granite vase.
Based on the plate layout inspection performed, we recognize that the manufacturing precision of the six ancient granite vessels is comparable in accuracy to modern processes such as CNC lathe turning, exhibited in the modern control vessel. In terms of concentricity, roundness, and continuity, we believe such results are typically achieved using high-precision modern machinery.

Now it may be your reading a partuclar measure that is less precise in places. That is the case in some places due to wear or damage or just slightly less precise work. But its the median score that is used which puts it in the precision class. But even the less precise readings we are only talking 2 or 3 thicknesses of paper up to the best precision of a hair or two.


What context. Archeologist categorising has nothing to do with engineering or forensics on tool marks to determine what caused them. They just attribute artifacts based on form or where they are found or whose name was scratched on them. They have no idea about forensic tooling methods.

Whereas precision tool experts who come from a background in engineering. Reverse engineer the signatures and understand the types to tools that make the different marks on items. Know the tolerances, what can create tight tolerances ect into different kinds of material.

Yes this method of determining artifact origin and methods is faulty as it assums certain styles belong to certain periods or people. Two vases may look superficially the same but one is actually a copy of the other or has completely different methods of creation.

Like the precision vases were also found with soft imprecise vases which are more like later vases. So the precision vases are out of place for that peoples level of tech and knowledge.

No open source non peer reviewed published science is not some social media complains. It needs to be at the same level as the testers. Done formerly with proper equipement and a detailed analysis from the tests with diagrams and explainations.

Like for like. If you do a test in a lab with proper testing and data then this requires retesting in labs with proper equipment and analysis that goes with it.


Their tests and open source nature is designed to allow skeptics to download the files run the tests and analysis themselves and then upload the findings that disagree.

Perhaps the open source nature is part of determining any errors in the testing before it is presented in a paper. Thats good science in being open to challenging their results.

Well thats where you have to look at the video as he explains his imput and expertise on the findings. He certainly was at the testing and measuring the vases. Considering he is a percision parts expert he would know a thing or two about metrology and precision.

What is your role that you are in a position to be determining the validity of these researchers. You seem to be vague on even knowing their bac kground let alone be making judgements about which researcher counts or not lol.

I am speaking of publishing azs far as allowing others to download the results to verify or refute them. They are not at the stage of peer review publishing yet. The tests and feedback or refuting is part of determining the strength of the evidence.

So in the meantime you can submit a formal article refuting the tests or testers if you want and they can then respond. Show that your complain is invalid or reveals something.

Fait enough. But in that post I think I was responding to the same ad hominiem. So for me it was like a ad hominiem on a ad hominiem lol. Because thats all that was happening. Just post after post of ad hominiems.

The thing is I am pretty sure you have made claims ie archeologists are the best experts, ancient could have had a lathe, lathes or devices can be made easy, you just have to do this and this ect. None with any expert support lol..

But I am still engaging in reasoning the contents and not saying your not qualified to say this or that. Whereas it seems discrediting the sources or the providence of the vases has now become the attack point rather than just dealing with the plain hard data that the tests found.

No its not and thats another misrepresentation. Did the reddit guys have formal tests, did they lay out a paper that explains the steps and analysis. No. They are just giving a social media comment.

There is no obligation to show every step and explain thing. Whereis there are in these articles. Can I go to the reddit and find an article they made showing they properly calibrated or went through all the steps. Afterall your making claims. I am to just take your 1 and 2 sentense objections as a formal analysis or something off the top of your head. I can't see any steps where you came to your conclusions.

Lol like I said you need to read the reply in its context. My reply was not me trying to establish their credentials. It was skeptics attacking the researchers and I feel for their ad hominem and was defending the researchers. You just compounded the ad hominem.

I have in that at least they have bothers to get the right equipement, the experts to at least know the equipement and do the metrology and then make a formal analysis and put it in a formal article for the public with the steps they took toi show how. What you doing is no where near that. I would expect the same level of formal effort and steps to refute the researchers. Its only fair.

See this is exactly what I mean. You just literally speak the words without any expert qualification or context or explaination or steps in how you determined this and I'm suppose to take this like its peer reviewed. Your expecting unreal or unfair levels of these researchers while lowering the bar for yourself.

What is the inconsistency. They all reach the same findings lol. Theres even a couple of short videos where they use guage wrenches or callipers with digital readouts live and you see the circularity right before your eyes. How many ways do they have to measure circularity of the vase to show the numbers don't lie. Its not as if the numbers change themselves on the digital readouts.

I give up this whole post is one big ad hominem. What about your credentials in even determining all this. Are we to just take your words at face value as the true representation and that your not adding in your own bias. How do we tell.

How does any of this change the hard data of the numbers that are produced by the measuring devices. What about the gusage metrology. You can literally sit there and watch the readouts as the sensors are going round thevase or the callipers are pinching the uniformity of the wall thickness.
To sum up, you take "comparable in accuracy to modern processes such as CNC lathe turning," and glibly turn "comparable in accuracy" into "must have used" and then compare that to the entirely fictitious "orthodox" or "mainstream view" which you have conjured up. I'm still not seeing how that gets you any closer to Atlantis.
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Speaker Johnson describes planned No Kings rally as ‘hate America,’ ‘pro-Hamas’ gathering

Yes they COULD. I think it should be a legitimate concern for the organizers and should prepare for that possibility. The fact that the last rally went pretty well, bodes well for them this time. But they shouldn't poo poo away the fact that there are those who would latch on and be a problem. We've seen it before. I hope they are able to rally and be peaceful while doing it.

I want that from every group that does that.
"I want that from every group that does that."

You do, but apparently come the US government, certain groups not so much.
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What to do with a troubled kid

Last week I had written out a long post 3-4 times but deleted it, saying I was feeling angry and frustrated with my stepson because I basically felt like he was being lazy and not committing to the job hunt like I expected of him. I think I felt unjustified to feel angry because I know the job market's tough in my town, but he recently go hired at a McDonald's and at least for now is working full time while he trains. Still, it really irked me that if he wasn't at work he'd be sleeping in the middle of the day or playing video games at 3 in the morning.

I don't know if you guys remember the backstory here but in 2023 my step son decided not to move to CA with us and he stayed behind in NY and lived with his grandparents. He got into drugs including pot and psychedelics like mushrooms and possibly LSD. Then at the end of May this year he announced to his mom he was going to move down to TX and live with his dad (something he's never done before, his dad is the definition of deadbeat and has never taken the kids for more than 1-2 nights). My step son's stay in TX lasted about 10 days and culminated in a drug fueled mental breakdown that landed him in the hospital. After he got discharged we had him come to us in CA and he's been living with us ever since in our overcrowded 3bd house with his twin sister, us, and our two baby boys (2.5y and 8m).

Fast-forward to yesterday and I get a call from my wife wanting to explain some things that I was apparently in the dark about. The first being that a few days ago she caught my step son smoking pot in the garage. He didn't seem to care, and clearly thinks it's morally acceptable even as someone who supposedly had a bit of a Catholic awakening in recent months. She made him throw the pot away, which she's only assuming he did cause she didn't witness him doing it, and he very casually said he's smoked once before since he moved in with us.

Not only are we not okay with pot use, regardless of it's legality, but we have two kids under three now and we don't want them within a mile of any kind of drug use.

I told my wife we need to take away his access to his bank account and his iPhone cause obviously those two things are what's allowing him to order weed. She texted me a couple hours later and said she talked to him and he understood. She did those two things, plus imposed a 10pm curfew where he can't even go out in the garage to workout.

The problem is, he's a very manipulative person and he especially knows how to control my wife. He does it indirectly with his own emotions, she's very tied into him because she's always felt guilty that his dad was such a loser and never man enough to be a father. So my step son uses that against her and therefore doesn't seem to care about what she says, especially when it comes to discipline, because he knows when he has her by the scruff of her neck. For the record, he's a 20 year old man now and he's living with us rent-free. I've tried to broach the subject of charging rent but that's anathema to my wife, apparently kids in Hispanic culture can live with their parents for free as long as they want.

I think my wife is finally in a place where she's not afraid to boot him out though, because now she has to protect our little ones and she's finally starting to see that my step son isn't a baby like them.

I told her I think we need to impose a three strikes rule, and consider that he now has two already (his admitting he smoked here once before is retroactively strike one), this latest offense is strike two, and strike three is he gets booted from the house. I know my wife feels upset, frustrated, betrayed, manipulated and fed up. She's finally seeing that most of what he says is just platitudes and placating words but that he doesn't really believe anything he says.

What would you do in this situation?

The Antichrist is making a comeback

Explanatory note: Zane Hodges is a well respected teacher in evangelical circles. We hold no animosity toward this man and count him as a brother in Christ. For years he taught at Dallas Theological Seminary, and he is held in high esteem by many of his former students. He is also very influential in forming The Grace Evangelical Society (GES) which publishes a theological journal and newsletter. He has also authored numerous books. While recognizing the good that brother Hodges has accomplished for the cause of Christ, we are concerned about some of the teachings which he is promulgating. Here are some examples of his teachings which we find to be disturbing:

Continued below.
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How the ‘Miracle of the Sun’ in Fátima helped to end an atheist regime

Oct. 13, 1917, marked the last Marian apparition in Fátima and the day on which thousands of people bore witness to the miracle of the dancing sun — a miracle that shattered the prevalent belief at the time that God was no longer relevant.

Marco Daniel Duarte, a theologian and director of the Fátima Shrine museums, shared with CNA the impact that the miracle of the sun made during those days in Portugal.

If one were to open philosophy books during that period, he or she would likely read something akin to the concept conceived by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who boldly asserted in the late 1800s that “God is dead.”

Also, in 1917 Portugal, the majority of the world was embroiled in war. As World War I raged throughout Europe, Portugal found itself unable to maintain its initial neutrality and joined forces with the Allies. More than 220,000 Portuguese civilians died during the war, thousands due to food shortages and thousands more from the Spanish flu.

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What is Calvinism and its beliefs?

Catholicism agrees with Calvinism on some issues and Arminianism on others. ...
For example, I happen to think that there's nothing much for both sides to discuss with respect to TULIP.

The real points of difference is in the solas.

That view may be a bit controversial.
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Will Trump help with the building of the 3rd temple in Israel ?

I have notice Christians and non Christian stubbing over the pebble/Trump. That I read in the Bible. I'm not saying Trump is the Antichrist. But he's opening the door for the Antichrist. I'm fine with that. because its meant to happen.
Christians should read the Bible before quoting scripture. Some who opposed President Bush's war in Iraq called him the antichrist, while certain prominent televangelists on the right accused President Obama of the same. Now some call President Trump the antichrist.

Scripture states that the Antichrist will originate from Iraq.
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Do the Ten Commandments still apply under the new covenant today?

God also knows beforehand that among the billions of Christians in history, the mass amount of them don't observe Sabbath to its full.
Why He used the word "Remember" on the 4th commandment, because He knew most would forget and start doing something different on a day that is not a commandment of God, not a day God sanctified, but its for works Exo 20:9 and not the Holy Day of the Lord thus saith the Lord Isa 58:13 and not the day that continues on in God's perfect plan Isa 66:23 just like at Creation Exo 20:11, before man listened to another voice instead of God's. Sadly not a lot has changed.

Lets not forget the majority in the Scriptures has never been faithful to God. God never changed His moral values Exo 20:1-17 Psa 119:172 Psa 119:151 Isa 56:1-2 to suit man, and He is not going to again. Mat 7:21-23 Mat 7:13-14. Jesus said His Second Coming will be like the days of Noah. Sadly the majority were not faithful, but a small remnant was. Why He is calling us out of rebellion, which is sin (breaking God's law) and unbelief if we hear His voice Heb 3:7-9 Rev 18:4 before its too late Rev 22:11
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Why you can't debate unbelievers into the Kingdom of God

A great piece on how we go about conducting ourselves as Christians.
***************
In an age addicted to argument, Christians have become remarkably good at talking — and remarkably poor at listening. Scroll through social media or walk past a campus debate table, and you’ll see believers armed with microphones, cameras, and carefully memorized rebuttals. The object is not conversion but conquest. The applause line has replaced the altar call.

Somewhere along the way, we began to confuse winning debates with winning souls. Yet Scripture presents a very different picture of how truth changes hearts. The Gospel was never designed to be wielded like a sword in a duel of intellects; it was meant to be offered like bread to the hungry.

The problem with the debate mindset

Apologetics has its place. Reasoned defense of the faith can clarify misunderstandings and expose falsehoods. But when the believer’s primary instinct is to defeat rather than to disciple, something sacred is lost. Too many of today’s “discussions” look more like verbal brawls—complete with highlight reels and hashtags — than like Gospel witness.

Paul warned Timothy, “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness” (2 Tim. 2:23–25). Those words are as necessary in the digital age as they were in the first century. Debate can inform minds, but only the Spirit can transform hearts.

Why argument alone fails

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I've never tried to argue a non-believer "into the Kingdom" with apologetics. But I will defend my beliefs to a certain degree as we're encouraged by Scripture to do (ala 1 Peter 3:15) in line with my main intention of encouraging other people, no matter who they are, to find Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Moreover, existentially speaking, and as a critical Philosophy, I'm not going to put up with ridiculous misrepresentations of the Christian faith or with ill-reasoned evaluations of my own Christian understanding, no matter what quadrant of humanity they may come from.
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AI understands the Sabbath and Col 2:16

The First Commandment connects most personally to who God is — the call to love, worship, and serve Him alone.
But the Fourth Commandment (the Sabbath) connects most experientially — it’s the sign and reminder of our relationship with Him as Creator and Redeemer.

Together, the First and Fourth Commandments are the two that most directly connect us to God Himself — His identity, authority, and presence.

The 4th commandment reveals who the God is in the very first commandment. As there are many gods of this world but one God who has the power to create the heavens and the earth and the power to sanctify a day and us- both connected to God's Sabbath. Gen 2:1-3 Eze 20:12
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How Should Catholics Understand the Rogue Exorcist in Mark 9?

In Mark 9, we hear about a man unaffiliated with the disciples who casts out demons in Jesus’s name:



John said to him, “Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward.” (Mark 9:38-40)


This same episode is also recorded in Luke 9:49-50, while St. Matthew’s Gospel includes a variation on the warning Jesus delivers to His disciples: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters” (Matt 12:30).

For Catholic readers of the Gospels, the exorcist passage raises some interesting questions. Is Jesus saying that obedience to the apostles and their successors is unimportant? Is He implying that all branches of Christianity are equally valid? And if not, then what exactly is He trying to teach us in this passage?



The Necessity of Following Jesus

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Trump sends troops to the 'warzone' of Portland...

Well, I've watched plenty of protest videos where they just yell and scream at the officers and agents telling them to go home, and calling them Nazis and such. So I guess they think they are Nazis?

Makes no sense to me since they aren't Nazis.
There you go :oldthumbsup:
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Who then can be saved?

Ai even understand Col 2:16

Great question — Colossians 2:16 is often cited in discussions about whether Christians are still required to keep the Sabbath commandment (the Fourth Commandment). Let's look at the verse carefully, in its full context, and then assess whether it refers to the weekly Sabbath from the Ten Commandments or ceremonial sabbaths in the Law of Moses.


Colossians 2:16–17 (NKJV)

16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,
17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

Key Questions:​

1. What kind of “sabbaths” is Paul talking about?

Let’s break the phrase down:

“festival, new moon, or sabbaths”
This phrase appears in many places in the Old Testament, often in this same order, and always refers to ceremonial observances:

  • 1 Chronicles 23:31
  • 2 Chronicles 2:4
  • 2 Chronicles 31:3
  • Nehemiah 10:33
  • Ezekiel 45:17
  • Hosea 2:11
These texts link festivals, new moons, and sabbaths as ceremonial observances — part of the Mosaic (Levitical) system, not the weekly seventh-day Sabbath of the Ten Commandments.

That’s why Paul says in Col. 2:17:

"which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."
In other words, these ceremonial laws pointed forward to Christ and found their fulfillment in Him.


2. Is the weekly Sabbath also a shadow?

There’s a strong distinction between:

Type of LawDescriptionShadow of Christ?Abolished in Christ?
Moral Law (10 Commandments)Eternal moral principles (Ex. 20)❌ No❌ No
Ceremonial LawFeasts, sacrifices, rituals, sabbaths tied to festivals (Lev. 23)✅ Yes✅ Yes
  • The weekly Sabbath was:
    • Given at Creation (Genesis 2:2–3)
    • Reinforced in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8–11)
    • Not instituted as a shadow, but as a memorial of creation
  • The ceremonial sabbaths (e.g., Day of Atonement, Feast of Trumpets) are:
    • Called sabbaths too (see Leviticus 23)
    • Fall on various days, not necessarily the seventh day
    • Shadows pointing to Jesus' work
Therefore, when Paul talks about “sabbaths which are a shadow”, he refers to these ceremonial sabbaths, not the weekly Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment.


3. Did Jesus or the Apostles abolish the weekly Sabbath?

  • Jesus kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16)
  • The disciples kept the Sabbath after Jesus' death (Acts 13:42, 16:13, 17:2, 18:4)
  • Hebrews 4:9 says:
    "There remains therefore a Sabbath rest [Greek: sabbatismos] for the people of God."

✅ Conclusion:​

Colossians 2:16 does not cancel the weekly Sabbath commandment.
It refers to ceremonial sabbaths, along with food and drink offerings, and religious festivals that were shadows pointing to Christ.

The Fourth Commandment Sabbath is not a shadow, but a memorial of creation and a sign of God’s sanctifying work (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12).
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Pope Hails Glimmers of Hope for Peace in Holy Land and Prays for Ukraine

Following the Mass for the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality, Pope Leo XIV turns his thoughts and prayers to the suffering people of the Holy Land, of Ukraine, and of Peru, where political turmoil has brought instability to the nation.

At the conclusion of the Mass for the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality in St Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV turned his thoughts to those suffering the consequences of conflict, political instability, and other forms of injustice around the world.

Peace in the Holy Land​

His thoughts and prayers, first, turned to the Holy Land, and especially to the human cost of the violence.

“Two years of conflict have left death and destruction everywhere,” the Pope said. “Especially in the hearts of those who have brutally lost their children, their parents, their friends - everything.”

Continued below.

Please explain CCC 536 regarding Jesus and the Spirit: 'possessed in fullness' yet 'comes to rest on him'.

The Holy Spirit was sent down as a dove to rest on Jesus to confirm to John the Baptist, who witnessed this, that He was the Chosen One. Jesus was never apart from the Holy Spirit but many occurrences had to do with His incarnation and mission.
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American Catholics, Heed the Pope’s Call to Champion Religious Freedom in Nigeria and Elsewhere

A dire humanitarian crisis demands an American response grounded in both principle and prudence.

Last Friday, Pope Leo XIV reminded the world of what is at stake.

Speaking to representatives of Aid to the Church in Need, the Holy Father declared that religious freedom “is not merely a legal right or a privilege granted to us by governments; it is a foundational condition that makes authentic reconciliation possible.” He continued, “It is therefore a cornerstone of any just society, for it safeguards the moral space in which conscience may be formed and exercised.”

When religious freedom is denied, the Holy Father warned, “trust gives way to fear, suspicion replaces dialogue, and oppression breeds violence.”

Catholics in the United States should take the Holy Father's counsel to heart — as well as know that defending the persecuted is entirely consistent with President Donald Trump's “America First” approach to foreign policy. It means wielding diplomacy, moral clarity and targeted policy tools to protect the innocent and defend the right to religious expression and worship. It means recognizing that nations respecting religious freedom are more stable, more prosperous, and less prone to the violence that threatens American interests.

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How the devil blinds humans' mind in details

Now grammatical improved by ChatGPT:

Humans are apparently blinded in many ways.

First, humans are creatures designed to prepare for the future. You find a job to sustain your life tomorrow, and you join a pension plan to cover your expenses after retirement (some governments even require this by law). The future can be divided into two parts: the part before death, which humans can anticipate and prepare for, and the part beyond death, which lies entirely outside human reach. Even science is powerless to explore it — this is your first layer of blindness.

Science depends on experimentation, yet humans lack the ability to step beyond their own realm to conduct experiments or make discoveries there. Therefore, science is incapable of revealing anything that does not exist within our own physical domain.

On the other hand, spirituality — since ancient times — has never been concerned with what lies within our physical world. It has always focused on what lies beyond it. In this regard, science is utterly futile and irrelevant. You must awaken and remove the blindfold placed on your mind by “the god of this world,” who is a powerful but deceptive being.

This is not even comparable to the “red unicorn” case — another layer of blindness. Humans have the means to search every corner of the Earth and conclude with certainty that no red unicorn exists. But humans have absolutely no ability to explore or search any realm beyond their own.
The only way for humans to prepare for a future they cannot access is through a God who already knows it. That is the purpose of religion. Religion is built upon the limitations of human science — it fills the gap where human knowledge ends. Finding God, in this sense, is not so different from finding a job; it is a personal responsibility of every human being.

The next question is: among all the gods of all religions, who is the true God? The answer is actually simple, but another layer of blindness prevents you from recognizing it. It has to do with what can legitimately be considered a reliable means of conveying truth.

A clear analogy can help illustrate this. Consider the 2020 U.S. election — who actually won, Biden or Trump? Only one answer can be true, yet humanity was unable to agree on the truth. People even stormed the Capitol with weapons, showing how human understanding can be clouded by unseen forces. What drives such confusion? If you can discern that, you are close to removing your blindness and seeing the truth.

To explain fully would take time, but one aspect alone can burst the illusion. Think of how a legitimate message should be communicated. If the U.S. government has an urgent message for all its citizens, what would it do? The only effective way is to broadcast the message nationwide — not just to a single village or state — ensuring that every citizen can hear it. This is the most efficient way for a message to reach humanity.

By the same logic, if God has a crucial message for all humankind, how should He deliver it? Ideally, He would appear publicly and speak openly. But there exists a divine Covenant between God and mankind that requires faith for salvation. If God were to appear publicly, no faith would be necessary, and thus no one could be saved. Therefore, God abides by this Covenant and reveals Himself only to chosen witnesses — so that others must believe by faith.

The next most effective way, then, is the “national broadcast” model — delivering the message in a way that reaches all people. Christianity is the only religion that fulfills this model. The gospel — God’s crucial message — is commanded to be preached to all nations, in a truly global and human-facing manner. From the very beginning, Christianity has been devoted to spreading this message to every corner of the Earth. In contrast, other religions limit their teachings to specific regions or peoples.
This is just one of many aspects that reveal what can be considered a legitimate way of conveying truth — yet you remain blinded to recognize it.

To summarize, there are two main layers of blindness implanted in your mind.
First, you fail to see the true nature of religion — that it is humanity’s way of preparing for the unknown future, much like finding a job.

Second, you are blinded to what constitutes a legitimate way of conveying truth — as illustrated by the U.S. government analogy.

This blindness has been prophesied: “The god of this world has blinded the minds of men.”

Disgusting! Bigoted, Anti-Catholic Costumes

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Warning!
... deeply disturbing


When we did this years ago, their accompanying 'description' mockingly said

“it could be the second immaculate conception!”

Please read and then help me keep - the - pressure - ON.


I deeply regret to inform you that right nowthere are, once again, pages on Amazonselling immoral, anti-Catholic Halloween costumes.

READ WITH CAUTION: Horrible, immoral description coming up – as ‘sanitized’ as possible.

Our past pressure on Amazon seems to have had some success. The Amazon vendors removed the mind-in-the-gutter, anti-Catholic, and anti-purity/celibacy 'descriptive' text that had accompanied the photos of the two costumes.

Continued below.

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