Here’s a roundup of the latest developments in the U.S. regarding abortion and pro-life issues:

Lawsuit against Massachusetts ‘campaign of intimidation’​

A group of pro-life pregnancy centers in Massachusetts is suing the governor and other state officials for a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign against them, which they argue constitutes “impermissible viewpoint discrimination” based on their religious and political speech.

The lawsuit was filed on Aug. 19 by Your Options Medical Centers (YOM), a Christian-based network of pregnancy resource centers.

Under Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, Massachusetts launched a first-in-the-nation $1 million advertising campaign against pregnancy centers in June.

One example of the language used by the ads targeting Massachusetts residents on social media, billboards, and public transit, reads: “Avoid anti-abortion centers. They try to limit your options if you’re pregnant.”

Continued below.

RileyG said:

Disgusting! I'm ashamed he is from my state!

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Could be worse Brother you could be from my state California pfft. I hate Grewsome Newsom. He is Gay.

This is one of the most pertinent articles I have read on this site.

Note that this basic subject, of being true to “our shared reality” (as I would phrase it), is a bedrock foundation of Christian and Jewish belief, and Christian apologetics, and critical Bible study skills. This topic about being true to reality, cuts across all sorts of other topics, although the currently “intellectually-blind” American culture often does not realize that.

Teaching about our shared reality, is foundational for teaching the Christian faith (hence, for catechism). It is NOT, as many Protestant Fundamentalists claim, some sort of “empty philosophy” or “wrangling over words”, that is a common response by some Fundamentalists when the topic of the nature of reality is bought up.

Note that there are many related connections, to discussions of what our shared reality is.
Some of these are…
1 The Bible presents aspects or characteristics of our shared reality (so Christians and Jews CANNOT ignore this topic!)
2 The Bible presents a MORAL-ETHICAL OUGHT to accurately present our shared reality. This is in the form of “You shall not lie!” Lie about what? About our shared reality. The biblical form of this command is “You shall not bear false witness”, and that opens up the topic to include all sorts of reality that is not commonly discussed by Christians. Such as how we perceive the behavior, and statements, and opinions of other people. Also, how we perceive the written record of mankind (including the testimony of the written Scriptures). Note that the Bible includes examples of the nobility of researching whether or not the opinions or assertions of someone, are true.
3 The Bible presents the truth that we each, can choose to ignore our shared reality, or mis-hear or mis-see what is happening. Note Jesus warning “Be careful how you hear!” Human choice, is in the middle of our perceiving. And the classic virtues include virtues that affect how we perceive. These are patience, endurance, gaining knowledge, and gaining the ability to carefully reason. If we do not pursue and practice these virtues, we should not expect that we will gain critical thinking skills, or be able to have the self-discipline to pay attention (to what people say, to the reality around us, to arguments, or to a process of testing whether an assertion/opinion is correct).
4 Note that while the Bible does not provide detailed models of HOW we perceive and think about our shared reality, the truths that the Bible affirms, REQUIRE specific constraints on our worldview, regarding what our shared reality is, and how we can know about it. This is a point that it mostly ignored in Christian apologetics, because many apologists have not carefully thought about them.

For example…

Everyone SAYS that the want JUSTICE.
But to get justice, you must first have access to:
A shared reality
Accurate (enough) individual perceptions of that reality (we could call this evidence)
Accurate methods of reasoning about what relevant connections exist, in our shared reality (the ability to recognize RELEVANT evidence, and IRRELEVANT evidence, with regard to a certain topic.
An accurate (enough) method of communicating with other human beings
A fair rule of law, that encodes what is evil, and what is righteous, and has
A clear method of applying the law to valid evidence, to produce JUST
decisions.

Try confronting those who do not believe that we live in a shared reality, with this logical outcome — that there can never be any such thing as JUSTICE! As the historic philosophers clearly recognize, those models of reality the deny that there is truth, or that we can know it, are dark and hopeless models (with regard to interesting topics, such as JUSTICE).

Unless Christian teaching starts with…
—- what our shared reality is
—- how we perceive our shared reality
—-how we can test out personal perceptions, to see if they are correct (this requires sound logic)
Then we can never get to asserting the core of Christian doctrines, such as the 10 Commandments (specifically, “You shall not bear false witness”).
Rather than being “empty philosophy”, these basic assertions about our shared reality are a necessary foundation for presenting the truths that the Bible asserts.
————— —————
Note that the massive chaos in our current politics, is often due to the younger American generations NOT having an exposure to basic philosophical examinations of what our shared reality is. Or, how we are to accurately perceive it. Or, how we are to use sound logic to examine our perceptions and opinions, to see if they are correct.

The electronic screen generations, for example, often do not have the attention span required to listen carefully to the (above) argument about what we must know, for there to be “justice”.

The electronic screen generations often do not have the basic vocabulary, to understand discussions of Epistemology, Formal Logic, Moral Theory, or Critical Bible Study skills. (Or, increasingly, what the text of the Bible is asserting.)
————— —————
Christians are FORBIDDEN from gossiping, and lying. They are COMMANDED to test all things, and hold on to what is true.
Conspiracy theories are unproven speculations. They are “explanations”, but like hypotheses, they do not have the evidence to affirm them as truths. Conspiracy theories, ARE NOT accurate descriptions of our shared reality, or about causes and effects in our shared reality that have been fully demonstrated. Christians should NEVER embrace conspiracy theories, or spread them.

Conspiracy theories about a “Deep State” plot, start out with the assumption that …

1 There is an omnipotent entity that can hide all true evidence
2 What I am asserting (the conspiracy theory) is TRUE, however this omnipotent entity covered up all evidence for what I am saying
3 STILL, you must believe the explanation I am giving you, even though no one will ever get the evidence to confirm this explanation, because the omnipotent Deep State has the power to cover up any and all evidence for what I am asserting.
This is an argument that there is a category of explanations, that can NEVER be proven to be true, because some omnipotent institution has covered up all the evidence that could have been used to prove the theory. This is essentially the same thing as saying…
“My theory is UNFALSIFIABLE, but still you MUST BELIEVE IT, because I believe it.”

In formal logic, definitions, and propositions, that are UNFALSIFIABLE, are not logically coherent, and are discarded as nonsense.
The basic format of a conspiracy theory, is that it is UNFALSIFIABLE.
————— —————
Christians need to go further, and assert that a righteous person must not only ASSERT TRUTHS, but LIVE IN ACCORD WITH THOSE TRUTHS.
Those who assert the commands that we should protect the weak and helpless, should not be out there insulting people and threatening them and their families, or have a history of abusing women, and lying about our shared reality. Jesus’ parables about the FRUIT that a tree produces (defines what sort of tree it is), is a stark reality check.

Someone who responds to criticism with abuse and threats, is showing what sort of tree they are.
These are deeply Christian topics, although they are also topics that are very relevant to the politics of 2024.

Joseph G said:

Can They See God For Who He Really Is?
Steven Curtis Chapman

Too many hypocrites," I heard her say,
"I even saw it in the headlines today;
How can I follow God when His own people turn away."
She said, "Nobody's perfect but I just want to see
Somebody living what they say they believe;
If they've got all this world needs like they say,
I wonder why won't they give some away."

[Chorus:]
Can she see God for who He really is
In what she sees in you and me.
Can she see God for who He really is,
For who He really is is all she really needs to see.

He slips into church and he puts up his guard;
They look so happy but his life's been so hard.
He keeps his distance so they won't see the scars;
It's just a religion that's all dressed up in white,
And God is love as long as you're living right.
But does he know that Jesus also has scars,
And His love can reach Him no matter how far.

[Chorus]
Can he see God for who He really is
In what he sees in you and me.
Can he see God for who He really is,
For who He really is is all he really needs to see.

The skeptics are watching to see who will fall,
While those disillusioned search for the Truth in it all;
Maybe today we'll cross their paths unaware,
And they'll stop and look at us. What will be there?

[Chorus]
Can he see God for who He really is
In what he sees in you and me.
Can he see God for who He really is,
For who He really is is all he really needs to see.

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Dang, this song has deep meaning in 2024. I love Steven Curtis Chapman, and I will add this one to my favorite Christian music. We must show our good actions both in front of others, and in private, so we can spread the Gospel around. Steven Curtis Chapman was the Chris Tomlin of the 1990s. Good music, with Biblical lyrics.

Reminds me of a verse:
1 John 4:20 (ESV): "If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen."

Before Jacob died, he blessed his sons in (ESV) Genesis 49:

26 The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.

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Jacob singled Joseph out among his brothers by the word
נְזִ֥יר (nə·zîr)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5139: Nazirite -- one consecrated, devoted

The word had some nuances, Brown-Driver-Briggs:

1. of prince, ruler, as consecrated:
2. devotee (GFM), Nazirite

New International Version:

Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.

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Centuries later, Moses blessed the Israelites before he died in (ESV) Deuteronomy 33:

16 with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of him who dwells in the bush. May these rest on the head of Joseph, on the pate of him who is prince among his brothers.

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This was the same Hebrew phrase used earlier by Jacob. Now ESV decided to translate it differently. That's a translation inconsistency that can be justified by the context here:

17A firstborn bull—he has majesty, and his horns are the horns of a wild ox; with them he shall gore the peoples, all of them, to the ends of the earth; they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.”

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Why was Nazir translated as “separated from his brothers” in Genesis but “Prince among his brothers” in Deuteronomy?

H5139 (nazir) could mean either. In the latter, ESV translators wanted to emphasize Joseph's majestic princely power.

Was the meaning of Nazir (to consecrate/set apart) etymologically related to Sar (Prince)?

Not really. It was related to H5144 (nazar), Strong's Concordance:

nazar: consecrate
Original Word: נָזַר
Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: to dedicate, consecrate

However, H5139 (nazir) itself does carry the nuance of "prince".

Children need to learn about consequences. When our kids (with Aspergers) needed to get a consequence, we would offer three swats on the back of the hand with a paint stirrer (low mass so not able to do damage) or five minutes time out sitting on a chair. They would always choose the swats presumably because it was over quicker.

Many things "diagnosed" as disorders might be more accurately seen as simple neurological variants. There is a free pdf booklet on Aspergers that might be of interest,

Red Gold said:

Hauptmann …. Oder Lindbergh selbst ….. oder jemand anders?

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sorry …. in German …..


whondid it?

Truth7t7 said:

Preterism in 70AD fulfillment of Matthew chapter 24 is a false teaching, Daniels AOD and the great tribulation are future events unfulfilled

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Look, I'm not here to argue. I asked you if you had credible eyewitness proof that refutes the testimony of Josephus. I heard crickets and then this:
Preterism in 70AD fulfillment of Matthew chapter 24 is a false teaching, Daniels AOD and the great tribulation are future events unfulfilled.
And then this:
Josephus was a traitor to his people the Jews, he was also an adulterer. Stick to Church Fathers and the Bible to get your point across

Where I come from you either rebut, refute, or wave the white flag. I don't need your advice. Which is it gonna be?

montanezrf said:

With brotherly love, ,"

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Glad to see you 'montanezrf' and welcome to the forums!

montanezrf said:

", , do you have scripture about JESUS kissing or hugging women?

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If the Spirit's voice cannot be extracted to support a thought or position, but self-defining with others, we must assume everything He said concerning "pure" (Matthew 5:8) is to be included, just as He himself walked in "fervent love" while on earth (1 Peter 1:22). Now you raised an interesting question specific to the thread. And since He always pleased the Father, as He walked in the Spirit, but also mingled with the disreputable of this world, could also with that "natural affection" (2 Timothy 3:3), have discerned whether to resist impurity, OR, as you said, accept (Luke 7:38) the affectionate touch of purity?

For an actual citation such as times to console bereavement for instance (James 1:27), you are right, but again, we would have to remain in question of ourselves before the Father that He never participated in these many pivotal instances such as seen in this sister's post.

Malleeboy said:

When I took my son to the Immigration Museum in Melbourne, we were told that all non-Aboriginal Australians were immigrants. However, I personally have never felt like an immigrant, I have no personal connection to any family members who migrated to the colonies, as they all were dead at least 50 years before I was born.

From my perspective:

Australia was founded on 1 Jan 1901.
All my ancestors had arrived before that, arriving to the various colonies by 1857. (167 years ago)
Therefore, none of ancestors immigrated to Australia.

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I think there is a difference between the technical term, which simply means that basically the whole planet was settled by migrating populations in the past and between your life experience. There is no reason why you should feel as an immigrant, if you were already born in the place you live in.

PS: He just got home. It was his last day. And he walked out of there playing "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" on his cell phone.

FaithT said:

I remember being so bummed out years ago when they first said that it was a fake and then how thrilled I was when it was discovered that the “fake” fabric was the part they repaired from the fire. Actually, I just learned there has been three fires, the last as recently as 1997, possibly arson.

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Yeah, I remember learning about that as well.

Now, these words are being addressed to those who were once slaves to sin, meaning that they are no longer living in slavery (addiction, bondage) to sin. Sin is no longer their practice, but now righteousness and obedience to the Lord and to his New Covenant commands are their practice. Now they are slaves of righteousness. And the standard of teaching to which they are committed is what Jesus taught and what his NT apostles taught, which is not what is predominantly being taught in America today.

Yet, we are still human beings living in flesh bodies in a fallen world with all sorts of evils and temptations everywhere you look, pretty much. And so many people today are teaching a diluted, altered, and corrupted gospel message, which also corrupts the grace of God. And so even those who have been walking faithfully to the Lord in obedience to him may be tempted to be drawn into false teachings which may make no (or little) demands for holy living and for walks of obedience to our Lord’s commands.

And so the truth of the gospel is being reinforced here. Just as once we presented our members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, leading to more lawlessness, we are now to present our members (bodies, minds, hearts, souls) as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For Jesus died on that cross so that we would be crucified with him in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness.

For when we were slaves of sin, we were free in regard to righteousness. Do you understand what that is saying? We cannot be slaves to sin and to righteousness at the same time. It is one or the other. Either sin is our practice, and what we obey, in practice, or righteousness and obedience to our Lord are what we practice. So we are not righteous in the sight of God if we are still slaves to sin. The two don’t mix. And this doesn’t mean we are perfect and that we never fail, but that sin is no longer our practice.

And then really pay close attention to verses 21-23, for many people are teaching Romans 6:23 out of context, and they are making it say what it does not say, if taught properly in context. For the free gift of God is not given to those who are still walking in sin. For God’s gift of grace to us is not freedom to keep walking in sin, only now without having to feel guilty. For what does this say? If we are still living as slaves (addicted) to sin, the end of those things is death, not life eternal with God.

But now that we have, IF we have, been set free from our slavery to sin, and we have, IF we have, become slaves of God, the fruit that we get leads to sanctification (holiness), and its end is eternal life with God. So when this says that the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, we have to read that verse in the context of the whole of Romans 6, and in particular in the context of verses 21-23 which makes it very clear what it all means. If sin is our practice, it will lead to death.

So, we don’t just pray a prayer or confess belief in Jesus Christ and now all our sins are forgiven (past, present, and future), and so now we have heaven guaranteed us when we die, and it can’t be taken away from us, but regardless of how we live. For the free gift of God’s grace instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions (lust), and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For God’s grace frees us from our slavery to sin so we now become slaves of righteousness.

So the free gift of God, although we do nothing to earn or to deserve it in our own flesh, is not without cost. It is not without rules and regulations which we must follow. For the gift is deliverance from our slavery (addiction) to sin, and it is empowerment of God’s Spirit to now live in moral purity, honesty, integrity, faithfulness, and in obedience to our Lord’s commands (New Covenant). The gift is not freedom to keep living in sin while claiming Jesus as Lord and heaven as our eternal destiny. So please see this!

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

Just a Closer Walk with Thee

Hymn lyrics by Anonymous/Unknown
Music by American Melody

“For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you” (2 Co. 13:4 NASB).

I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

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“Pointless! Pointless!” the argument says
From those from Jesus their lives they’ve fled.
They see no hope in their battle ‘gainst sin,
Because Christ Jesus they’ve not let in.

They’ve not surrendered their all to him,
But they’re still controlling everything.
They want their vict’ry, but they won’t let go,
The flesh is still so much in control.

The life they say they want, they desire,
Surrender to God’s will is required:
Death to sin, then living to our God,
Walking with our Lord in righteousness.

But they’re not willing, their flesh is in vain.
In their sinful practices they remain.
Stubbornly holding on to all their pride,
They keep hiding all their sins inside.

An Original Work / August 13, 2021

Because Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross in order to put our sins to death with him, so that we might now die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, we are not to let sin continue to reign in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions and desires. For Jesus Christ delivered us out of our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin so that we will now serve him with our lives in holy living. So sin should no longer be what we practice. Obedience to God in righteous living should be our practice.

In other words, sin is to no longer have mastery (control) over our lives to where we are compelled to obey it and to submit to it. We should no longer be those who deliberately and habitually sin against God and other humans. Our lives are no longer to be controlled by hate, lust, adultery, selfishness, pride, self-will, lying, cheating, stealing, unfaithfulness, and moral impurity, and the like. We are no longer to live lives which are out of control, but we are to be those who are exercising self-control, by the Spirit.

Now this says here, “Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace?” “The Law” being spoken of here is the Old Covenant liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, purification, and dietary laws and restrictions, including the requirement for circumcision. They were all the things which could be done in the flesh, and were external, but without anyone having to have a genuine heart change of the Spirit of God. But God’s moral laws never went away. They are taught all throughout the New Testament.

For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of sin, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow our Lord in walks of obedience, then we have eternal life. And he also said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven (Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

And the grace of God, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce (say ‘No!’ to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return. For Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

[Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 3:23-25; Romans 5:1-2; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 2 Corinthians 6:1-2; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Ephesians 6:24; Hebrews 10:26-31; Hebrews 12:12-17; 1 Peter 2:24]

For, if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience (to God) is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life with Christ, our Lord. For if we say that we are in fellowship with God, but while we walk (in conduct, in practice) in sin, we are liars. And if we claim that we know God, but while we do not obey his commands (New Covenant), in practice, we are liars, and we do not live by the truth. For it is those who practice righteousness who are righteous in the eyes of God.

[Romans 6:1-23; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6,15-17; 1 John 3:4-10]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

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Tsipora said:

Has anyone had a real, life miracle happen to them? Big or small.

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My biggest Miracle was on February 16th 2016 where I were flown by helicopter to Hospital to undergo an emergency triple A heart operation. I would have been dead if it hadn't have been for;

1. My husband finishing early from work that day.
2. The first response team who were at a local rugby match that day, who came up to the house & called the helicopter.
3. The surgeon who had just finished a 12 hour shift stayed on to operate on me.

The surgeon who performed my operation sadly died not long after.

On average the survival rate for people undergoing an emergecy tripple A heart operation is 1 in a 100, even the doctors & nurses were amazed at my survival.

I thank God every day for being alive to tell.

When I was a child, I accepted Jesus’ invitation to his great salvation. From that moment on, he not only became my Savior and my Lord, but he became my very best friend. He has remained so throughout my life. I know I can always count on him to be there for me day or night, in joy or in sorrow, and in sickness or in health. He will never leave me nor forsake me. I know I can depend on his word to me, and I can trust fully in his grace. He is completely faithful in all that he does, and he is fully trustworthy.

I want to know him above all else. I want to speak and to sing in agreement (accord) with him and with his word. I want to feel what he feels, to hear what he is saying, to heed his call upon my life, and to follow him all of my days.

Faithful Friend

An Original Work / April 13, 2011

My loving Father; precious Lord,
To You I lift my voice in accord –
I hear Your pleas; I heed Your call
To worship You only, who ransomed us all.

O Gracious Father; faithful friend,
I know You’ll be with me to the end.
You sent Your Son to die on a tree
So from sin and death I can truly be free.

Oh, Jesus, Savior, King of kings,
You are the Lord of everything.
You died in my place, so I could be free
To serve You only, so all may believe.

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I had an accidental discovery with my sweat while preparing lunch after workout.

My sweat was dripping in the floor in front of the stove. After I'm done preparing lunch, I took the mop to mop off my sweat that had pooled on the floor.

And then decided to mop the dusty floor of the living room as well with the mop wetted from my sweat. To my surprise, the dust stuck to the mop like on glue! It doesn't usually happen with a mop or even with a wet mop where it only moved some of the dust around. But this time, it capture ALL the dust, wow!

When it's time to rinse the move with running water, the dust came off very easily. This is definitely amazing for me. It will make cleaning of the floors much easier and faster!

I've notice before, my sweat, when it got to the screen of my phone, it's incredibly difficult to remove even when wiping it hard with dry cloth. It just sticks there while also lubricating the screen, making it very slippery. The liquid also doesn't evaporate easily. It's like oil, yet it's not.

God’s grace to us is not free license to continue living in sin free from guilt and punishment. His grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

[Tit 2:11-14; Eph 2:8-10; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 2:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 15:58; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 2 Co 9:8; Gal 5:6,16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Phil 2:12-13; Col 1:9-14; 2 Thess 1:11-12; 2 Tim 2:21; Tit 3:8; Jas 2:17; 1 Pet 1:17-21; 1 Peter 2:24; Rev 2:1-29; Rev 3:1-22]

For, if by God-persuaded and God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ we truly were crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of live in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness, then why in the world would we desire to keep on sinning? Why would we want a gospel message that tells us that all we have to do is make some type of profession of faith in Jesus Christ and now all our sins are forgiven, heaven is guaranteed us, and it can’t be taken away from us, regardless of how we live? How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Now when we believe in Jesus Christ with this faith that comes from God and is gifted to us by God, and is not of our own doing, we are baptized into his death. We are buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. And that death and that newness of life in him involve us denying self, dying daily to sin, by the Spirit, and us walking in obedience to our Lord in living holy lives, pleasing to God (Luke 9:23-26).

Now, with regard to this term “baptism,” although the new believers in Christ were usually baptized in physical water upon profession of faith in Jesus Christ, it is not the physical water which puts sin to death in our hearts and lives and which causes us to die with Christ to our old lives, to deny self, and to now desire to follow our Lord in obedience to his commands. This is a spiritual baptism whereby we are being baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire. Sin is being put to death in our lives so we can now obey our Lord.

And this baptism into death can take place apart from water baptism, as well as water baptism is no indication that this spiritual baptism has ever taken place at all. Not everyone baptized with water dies to sin. So I believe that our water baptism is more of an outward sign of an inward faith which has already taken place, and that this baptism into death is of the Spirit of God. And the only baptism that can literally bring about death to sin and living to God and to his righteousness is the one done by the Spirit and not in water.

[Matt 3:13-17; Matt 10:11-12; John 1:29-34; Mk 10:37-39; Ac 9:15-18; Acts 10:44-48; Acts 18:7-8; Acts 22:12-16; Rom 6:1-7]

For when we go through this baptism into death in order that we might now walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, our old self (sinful nature, lifestyle, and practices) is crucified (put to death) with Christ in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we will no longer be enslaved to sin. Amen! This is the purpose of our salvation from sin. And it is the purpose for why God forgives us of our sins, not that we can keep living in sin, but so we can live free from sin in obedience to God.

But please know this. If we continue in our sinful practices, and if obedience to our Lord and holy living are not what we practice, we will die in our sins. We will not have eternal life with God regardless of what faith in Jesus Christ we profess with our lips. For Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father in heaven. And many professers of faith in Jesus Christ will stand before God one day professing to know him, and he is going to say, “I never knew you. Depart from me you workers of lawlessness.”

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

My Sheep

An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Based off John 10:1-30 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

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4th qtr 1981 - I was born
1991 - dad got very ill with tuberculosis
2001 2nd semester - I failed calculus
2008 1st quarter - my first ever overseas travel (business travel) to Atlanta, Georgia
2020 2nd quarter - mom had stroke

It looks like I only need to pay attention to very strongly emotionally-charged events in my life to predict upcoming recessions!



Not included in the charts are suicide attempts happening shortly before Russia started Russia-Ukraine war and Hezbollah's sneak attack inside Israel territory.