He was baptized Episcopalian as an infant even though neither of his parents are Episcopal.

May God bless him in his love!

joechristianwarrior said:

Yeah, that seems like a reasonable explanation. The 'brain-washing' of capitalist values starts young, and doesn't stop when we grow old. We really do need to be "born again" to start to change our perspective.

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Yes, and it's not just capitalist values. Coveteousness is as old as the Fall of man. It comes down to this bottom line: do we love, first of all, as God both models and calls us to and as only union with Him can accomplish in us, or do we carry on the family tradition of self above all else which requires-which is intrinsic to-remaining apart from Him and wallowing in our greed, our sin, and the pride that drives it.

The Barbarian said:

The election. Biden beat Trump convincingly. Yes, Trump whined and threw tantrums, even incited an insurrection to stop the certification of the election. But Biden beat him.

And imagine the howls of MAGA if Joe Biden had kept falling asleep in meetings as Trump has. Dozy Don is clearly not as sharp as Biden was during his presidency.

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Executive summary
Video and photos from a Dec. 2, 2025 White House Cabinet meeting show President Donald Trump with his eyes closed several times and at least once fully closed while officials spoke; multiple outlets describe him as “fighting sleep” or “appearing to doze,” while the White House press secretary said he was “listening attentively and running the entire” meeting [1] [2]. News organizations counted repeated moments of drooping or closed eyes during the roughly three‑hour meeting; some outlets quantified the behavior (for example, reporting “nearly six minutes” of eyes shut in aggregate) while others simply described multiple episodes [3] [4].

https://factually.co/fact-checks/politics/did-trump-fall-asleep-in-cabinet-meeting-d5699b

Obviously, Donald Trump has declined significantly since Joe Biden beat him in a presidential election. But it was obvious even before the last election...

Trump was brutally mocked as “Dozy Don” by California Gov. Gavin Newsom in October after he appeared to drift off at an event discussing the threat his administration said is posed by Antifa activists, in revenge for the president’s regular jibes against “Sleepy Joe” throughout his presidency.

Trump previously appeared to drift off during his criminal trial in Manhattan in May 2024 when the strain of fighting four indictments while campaigning for the White House seemed to get the better of him.

Fox News doctor tries to spin sleepy Donald Trump by comparing him to Thomas Edison

President drowsed for an estimated six minutes during Tuesday’s cabinet meeting

www.independent.co.uk

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Too bad that you only see this in Trump and dismiss all the videos of Biden’s gaffes and wondering around lost

Studyman said:

This is true. The Law defines sin. Where there is no Law, there is no sin. There can't be sin, because as you said, the LAW points out sin.

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Since the begining there has always been law. That does not mean that the Sinai Covenant reached back to the beginning, ant that doesn't mean that mankind today is subject to all of the previous laws. Jesus gave mankind a New and better Covenant. Every human being is under the new covenant because Jesus fulfilled the old one. The question I have for you who claims to be under the Law, how do you go about picking some laws and culling others? in other words who has given you permission to avoid parts of the all the covenants God has ever placed on

Studyman said:

So Bob, as you have pointed out, there is no transgression of God's Law, without God's Law. We know Adam sinned, therefore there was law. Cain was warned about Sin, therefore there was LAW.

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Not that that is wrong I never pointed it out. There is no need to. Did Adam have a law prohibiting his son for taking his daughter. Did Abraham have a law pr0hibiting him having concubines? So, as you should plainly see, laws have changed throughout history.

You keep telling us we have been duped believing lies that have existed for centuries. The lies I have been told have been coming from those who will not recognize that we are not subject to the Sinai Covenant.

Studyman said:

Gen. 4: 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. Gen. 18: 20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

And we know Abraham obeyed God's Laws, Commandments and Statutes.

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Is that so?? Like I pointed out Abe had concubines, and had two wives Deut 5:15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

Why would Abe observe a day that he had no part? God didn't lead Abe out of Egypt.

Studyman said:

Gen. 26: 4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

So what Law is Paul speaking to here?

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Certainly not all the laws He imposed on Israel. We know that for a fact and I don't see how you could possibly twist scripture to prove differently.

Studyman said:

17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

What Law was "ADDED" 430 years after Abraham, that the Pharisees were still promoting? This "LAW" was ADDED "Because of Transgressions (SIN)"? Transgressions of what? That would be transgressions of the Commandments, Statutes and Laws of God, Yes? If not, then what?

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Ritual laws that pertained only to Israel. Laws pertaining to morality have always existed. Pigs were one of the first domesticated animals and I am sure they were not used to make footballs.. Then came the Sinai Covenant and the pigs in Israel were not used for food. Did the remainder oof the World stop eating them?

Studyman said:

You and I have been taught lies about this chapter, by this world's religious system since we were kids. And our parents, and their parents, taught the same lie, just as the Jews in Jesus Time had been told lies about God for centuries.

I would have you consider that the "LAW" given "Because of Sin", is not God's definition of sin. That makes no sense and in frankly absurd. All men have sinned, are are in need of atonement. In the Bible, this atonement was achieved through a "Priesthood". In Moses Time, God made a Priesthood Covenant with Levi, to provide for the remission of sins. It was called the "Levitical Priesthood" which was after "The Order of Aaron" of the Tribe of Levi. Obviously this LAW wasn't in effect or given in Abraham's Time because Levi was not even born until centuries after Abraham was dead. This Priesthood Law/Covenant was only Temporary, according to the Law and Prophets, because there was a Prophesied Priest, "After the Order of Melchizedek", that was to come "After those days". And just like the Priesthood "After the Order of Aaron", this NEW Priesthood was also ADDED "Because of Transgressions", which is the purpose of the Priesthood LAW in the first place. Paul said the LAW he is speaking to, was ADDED " till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; Gen. 26: 4 "and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;"

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And when a change in the priesthood happens there are changes in the law.
Hebrews 7:12
For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the l

Studyman said:

I believe this "SEED" is the Jesus "of the Bible.

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Is that something new? That is what I was taught and as far as I know most of Christianity believes that, so where is the lie you say we are living under?

Studyman said:

But the mainstream preachers of the world in that time, the Pharisees, didn't believe Jesus was that SEED. This is undeniable Biblical Fact. They were still promoting the Old Priesthood LAW for the remission of sins. A LAW Abraham wasn't under. Paul is explaining that the LAW they were promoting, was Prophesied to end at the arrival of the Prophesied Priest "After the Order of Melchizedek", "Till the SEED should come".

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The "old Priesthood Law" you are referring is was the Sinai Covenant.

Studyman said:

And this Priesthood was a school master that was to LEAD those men to Christ, as it did for Zacharias, David, Simeon, Anna, Shadrack, Daniel, even Abraham saw the Day of the Prophesied Messiah. But the Pharisees and their fathers, according to the Holy Scriptures, corrupted the Priesthood and therefore were not led to Christ, as it is written.

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No, it was the Law that was the schoolmaster not some priesthood as you have implied. Be careful what you are trying to teach.

Studyman said:

Mal. 2: 7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

8 But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts. 9 Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye "have not" kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.

In the past you have just blown off these Holy Words of the God inspired Holy Scriptures. I'm hoping maybe this time, you or others reading along, can see the truth of Gal. 3, and the LAW that was ADDED that the Pharisees were still promoting to the Galatians, even though the Promised Seed had come.

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What does all you have written have to do with where we stand today? Today we are under the New and Better Covenant Jesus ordained at Calvary, What the priesthood did or didn't do has nothing to do how we can come directly before Jesus and get remission for breaking His Law of Love, the command He gave all mankind to live by.

joechristianwarrior said:

​

I’ve been reflecting a lot on the tension many Christians feel around the phrase “social justice.” It’s a topic that seems to trigger strong reactions from different sides of the church — both progressive and conservative — even though Scripture speaks frequently about justice, mercy, the poor, and the oppressed.


In studying this subject, I’ve noticed that there seems to be one main reason many believers push back against the idea of “social justice” today. What’s interesting is that I’ve heard this same objection from both sides of the political spectrum, even though they frame it differently.


Rather than turning this into a political debate, I’m curious from a theological standpoint:

What do you think is the primary reason Christians object to talk of “social justice”?​

Is it:

• a misunderstanding of the biblical meaning of justice?
• a reaction to how the term is used culturally or politically?
• fear of drifting into works-based righteousness?
• concerns about ideology?
• something else entirely?

I recently explored this topic in the final part of a video series I’ve been working on, and it led to some interesting insights. For anyone who wants to see how I approached the question, I've linked the video below. But the main purpose of this post is to hear your theological perspective and learn from the broader Christian community here.


Video link: Login to view embedded media

Looking forward to a respectful, Christ-centered discussion.


Grace and peace.

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People talk a lot about “social justice,” but there’s still no agreed-upon set of metrics for what that even means. Every group defines it differently, which makes it difficult to measure or achieve in any consistent way.

When you look at the ministry of Jesus, His focus wasn’t on creating a political program to wipe out slavery, establish minority rights, or secure equality for women—issues that modern social justice conversations often center on. Instead, Jesus consistently emphasized something far deeper: the reconciliation of individual people with God. His primary mission was transforming hearts, not restructuring governments. From that inner transformation, the outward fruit of justice and mercy naturally flows.

~~When it is seen that one has died when Christ died, all is met with a ‘what is that to a dead man, I follow Christ……..~~


When the above truth has the possession of the heart, oh what freedom the heart, the life, the very soul of man experiences… All the trouble of this life morphs into a glorious hallelujah given to the One that has given such a salvation unto man…

For Christ came to fulfill the law concerning man, and He did this by taking every man to death with Him, blessed and so blessed is the heart that sees into this truth…. For when it does, all is met with a ‘what is that to a dead man,,,,, I follow Christ’ …..

May we all enter into and enjoy and live in the light of what our salvation in Him consists of….

Many blessings to all that would seek to enter in, because Jesus did die and we did die in Him…..


From a fellow follower who believes into his death in Christ, Not me…..

I've watched enough YouTube street interviews of passerbys, along with Ray Comfort's college campus interviews, to agree with the first comment. Whether Christian, Catholic, or other religion, the most common response to asking whether one thinks they will go to heaven is a "yes" or "I hope so", based upon their belief that they are a relatively good person. And it's generally not for the good things they claim to do, but rather the bad things that they haven't done compared to others. They grade themselves on a performance curve. I've found this to be the case too even for atheists.

The first step is to get back to church. You may not be impressed with the local churches but you have to make a start somewhere.

The next step is to get involved in a church activity of some sort. That way you'll have a common interest with at least some of the congregation and as you work with them, you'll get to know them and they will get to know you.

But if you don't even darken a church door, there's no way you're going to meet other Christians.

483×360 (prophetic days year) =173,880 days
173,880÷365.2425 (Gregorian solar day year) =476.067 years
0.067×365.2425≈24.5 days. 476 years + 24.5 days.

Decree = 445 BC (modern Gregorian date) - 476 Gregorian years - 1 when going from BC to AD = 32 AD crucifixion. At most there is an allowance for 2 years + or - on that decree date which allows the crucifixion to take place between 30-34 AD. Ask chat GPT for the sources for that date in Nehemiah 2, and how much variation is allowed for it. Early Christians place the crucifixion between 30-33 AD, and same with astronomers.

The decree in Nehemiah 2 was given in the month of Nisan using Babylonian calendar. Here is what chat GPT told me about that
⭐ HOW NISAN WAS DETERMINED IN SUSA: Rule: Nisan 1 = the first visible crescent moon after the spring equinox (~March 20).
This means the earliest Nisan 1 can occur is around March 21, and the latest Nisan 1 can occur is around April 20.
This creates a 30-day possible range.
⭐ NISAN DATE WINDOW IN SUSA: ✔ Earliest possible Nisan 1: March 21–23 ✔ Typical Nisan 1: March 25 – April 10 ✔ Latest possible Nisan 1: April 18–20
These dates shift every year because: Lunar months average 29.53 days; The equinox can fall on March 20/21; Cloud cover can delay the first visible crescent; The Persian astronomer-priests looked for the moon, not barley.
⭐ WHY SUSA COULD NOT USE BARLEY FOR NISAN: Susa’s climate is hotter and earlier than Babylon and Israel.; Barley often ripened weeks earlier than in Judea.; Persian administrators needed one calendar across the empire.; The Babylonian system (moon-based) already existed and was mathematically precise.; So they adopted the Babylonian lunar months and names, including: Nisannu (Nisan), Ayyaru (Iyyar), Simanu (Sivan), …etc.; The Torah barley rule (aviv) did not apply in Persia.

So the decree goes out between 21st March, and April 20th. Abib/passover in the torah was barley ripening season which was spring March/April in Judea. Jesus is crucified in passover in one of these months. The latest barely ripening can occur in Judea is 20th April. If the decree went out 21st March then over 483 years have to add another 25 days end up April 15th as the crucifixion date with 20th April being the latest. Then there is mention of preparation for sabbath (saturday) so can probably be more precise than that.

​

Landon Caeli said:

However, he cautioned that oftentimes these fears are “generated by people who are against immigration and trying to keep out people who may be from another country, another religion, another race.”

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This statement he made... He's lumping things together that shouldn't be categorized the same.

One of these things is not like the others.

Two are circumstances of birth, one is an ideological choice.

Countries should absolutely have a right to be discriminating when it comes voluntarily ideologies with regards to who they let in.


People can't control which country they were born in, or which race they are...but people can certainly choose which ideologies they subscribe to.

Trying to lump Islam in with "Of Arab descent" has always been a dishonest ploy.

It'd be like equating "This guy is sympathetic to the IRA, he's not a good fit here" to "Racism against Irish people"

Women like to tempt and gain alotta stuff.

Fervent said:

No, synergistic theologies don't hold a "lofty view of man", they simply don't denigrate man and deny that we are made in God's image. An image that was marred in the fall, but not destroyed.

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Fervent said:

The options are not Arminianism or Calvinism, that false dichotomy is bound to lead to error.

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I never said these are the only options. There are obviously a lot more false heresies than just Arminianism.

Fervent said:

There is no saving ourselves, as the "decision" is an act of surrender to God's pursuit, not a seeking of God. Monergists seem to have a place for everything in their theology except themselves, the sin belongs to Adam and the faith belongs to God. No place for the monergist, none at all.

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Fervent said:

No one said it was.

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Good! But the Synergists say otherwise. Sometimes you have to take the time and read the fine print.

Fervent said:

Hallelujah and amen. But again, that's not relevant to the question at hand.

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It is the crux of it!

Fervent said:

Salvation is certainly a gift, but gifts must be received. According to you, God not only gives the gift but also receives it, so what part do you have in your salvation?

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Gift means it's given freely to whom ever he wills because it is not earned nor can be because we are fallen. The only thing I contribute is sin, I have nothing else. Which it is why God also gives us renewed minds to understand him and new hearts to believe him.

Fervent said:

yeah, and the options are not Arminianism or Calvinism. There are more worlds than these, ladodgers6

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essentialsaltes said:

The question is what is appropriate for "the People's House"? A robber baron's palace that would make Hearst blush, or something less conspicuously ostentatious?

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It is the best of times. It is the worst of times.

A Reformation-era game would be fun, given the right, historical sources. I’m an FPS guy, so I refuse to be involved in anything else.

Edit: but that’s a large scale project, as it was, a world war. Sack of Constantinople would be another great theme on a smaller scale.

Hentenza said:

But that is literally what the verse says. I’m not sure where you are going with this.

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Here's a hint....

Isaiah 53:12
Therefore, will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Gregory Thompson said:

Yes, it's just total anarchy.

Bob asks for one thing with total faith and Suzy asks for the opposite with total faith.

All the prayers cancel each other out, what can you do?

half joking because it involves speak-it-into-existence folks.

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David Lamb said:

If I misunderstood the OP, I apologise. However, it does contain these words:

"It holds that there are seven aspects of society that believers seek to dominate: family, religion, education, media, arts and entertainment, business, and government."

That seemed to be saying that Christian believes are to dominate those 7 aspects of life. If my understanding of the OP is wrong, then sorry for wasting your time. I didn't do so diliberately.

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I would say that Christians are to influence (not dominate) these spheres. I reject Dominionism in the usual sense of the word, but I believe that Christians are to pray for the spheres. I believe that this should be done by small groups of Christians gathered together for the purpose of listening in silence for a word from God as to what to pray, who to pray for, and maybe some specific activity to take. However, before a word is accepted, all members of the group must be inwardly convinced that it is truly from God (Mat.18:19-20).
I appeal to all reading this to prayerfully consider forming such listening prayer groups specifically for the spheres of influence. You may also like to start a discussion on listeningprayer@groups.io

bling said:

Where are you finding in scripture: "John's water immersion was an immersion of repentance, meaning it was symbolic of the Spiritual immersion/born"? John's baptism was a covenant action to show a commitment to accepting God's forgiveness and turning your life around.

How do you show: Immersion in water is always symbolic of the Holy Spirit, since the Jew immersed ceremonially in many ways?

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These are basic NT understandings,.... why don't you understand them?

Venables said:

We haven't been to Mykonos but we were on Lefkada earlier this year, it's one of the mid-sized Greek islands off to the west, Ionian Sea I believe. It was an majestic experience, particularly for mission groups. A sizeable number of beautiful and inspirational churches and deep tradition. I'm having one of those days and can't quite recall the name, but there was one church in the particular that was extraordinary and stayed with us. From the Byzantine architects, a redoubtable design and beautiful frescoes within it. Reminded us of some of the churches on the French Mediterranean coast. Even without the icons, but the architecture on the coast seems it was similarly inspired.

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You may be thinking of the Lefkada Church of Panagia Hodegetria (Παναγία Οδηγήτρια)? It's a very old church in an old village, but yes incredible and moving frescoes, though most moved to an institution in Athens as I recall.

Wromg thread

Well, I thank the Lord, that I have not befallen the whims of women, and that I can focus on his Grace alone