What I am comfortable with is when a human trafficker is in prison.

But I know how crazy us lefties can be about stuff like that.

Zceptre said:

Right, hence parables. Connecting to seeking hearts rather than ranting to deaf ears.

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Yes, has anyone made any modern versions of the Parables lol. Maybe instead of Talents we could use Crypto currency. Don't leave your Bit Coin wasting away doing nothing. Invest your Bit coin like investing in the Kingdom of God. It may be more relatable lol.

Zceptre said:

Can't remember the quote but it embodies this absolutely, and paraphrased it was said that "If Satan possessed one of the disciples how much more every non-believer on Earth." It obviously is true if one is aware and intellectually honest about their observations pertaining to encounters where the message of the Bible is being proclaimed, the demonic manifests, the evil is visible, the behavior is lunacy.

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I honestly don't think non believers can see Gods spirit or Gods aspects in the world. As the bible says they look but do not see. Its almost like a different paradigm.

But I also think they know but deny. Which is a different kind of self imposed blindness due to not being able to acknowledge the truth.

If Christ is the truth, the way and Life and if Satan is the anti Christ who wants to usurp Christ with a copycat philosophy to win people over. Then Christs truth and Christians standing on that truth will be seen as a threat in exposing the lies. Especially when push comes to shove.

Zceptre said:

It says in 2 Corinthians 2:16 we are the smell of death to those who are "perishing" because God to them is judgment and Hellfire, and so the threat is that very concept because they cannot hear the message of forgiveness when they aren't looking to repent or agree with God about their fallen nature. Add the evil spirits and demonic following them around and possessing them and the "threat level" is code red.. all defenses up.

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Thats interesting. The smell of death is an unusual term. Almost like a reminder of death having its way over people. The sight of Christs light and goodness brings up the opposite in their hearts and minds. Almost like someone on the run who sees every flashing light or uniform coming to arrest them.

Zceptre said:

Good point there. You mean that Christ would "defy the religious establishments" in today's society? Oh yes He would, and they would probably try to crucify Him again if He returned clothed in humility, but we all know it is a lion that is returning.

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Yes so I think its coming full circle. Before Christ there was the rule of the pagan gods. Then Christ came and this began Christianity. It grew to become the religion of the Roman Empire.

The church has made many mistakes and abused its power. But all along there was Christs church that was the balancing denominator that kept society in check. We at least respected God enough to welcome Him in the public square.

But now God is being rejected from the public square and out of secular society. In its place once again come the pagan beliefs of various sorts. So of course along with this will be the return of Christ and Christians being hated and persecuted. It is almost an inevitable progression.

From the time of Christ we were either going to flourish as Christ church or as we moved away from that time we forgot or rationalised away the importance.

But also it is evil replaying itself over and over again due to the fall of humans. But the difference now is that all the cards are on the table. God has shown His hand in Christ who will finally defeat satan. Satan knows this so he is even more desperate and decieving.

So really everyone knows what the stakes are the anti Christ and followers will be much more angry and desperate. Thats is why it seems everything is becoming a battle of life and the order of the world itself as a spiritual battle and not just politics or the enviroment or equality.

Zceptre said:

Well absolutely, it is a ploy by the devil to hijack the core of God's power which is "love" and paint it as pampering and gentleness to keep anyone from actually "fighting" against darkness or evil. Preaching acceptance of literally anything is the "new love," versus that really hard, trail blazing, narrow road, and carrying the weight of responsibility (defending weak, helping the poor, etc) stuff that most people simply don't want to hear.

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Yes and its interesting that part of what cultivated this 'over sensitivity' to everything and feelings equals love that can heal and accept everything was the replacement for God and the bible.

All these ideas come from academia and Critical theories which came from the counter culture that rejected God. This is the replacement for social morals and how to order society.

Whereas we use to believe we were made in Gods image and that true love meant actually suffering for another for the good of all. No world ideology can possible achieve this as it can only happen in Christ.

Zceptre said:

So the message that you have sins in the first place is a big "oh no" to most who hear out the gate, and they can hardly hear "forgiveness" or "gift" for the humming they are doing and the fingers plugged into their ears as an initial reaction.

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Yes I really think Grace and Forgiveness as sorely missing. I think because the world has been sold to many lies and there are so many claims to the truth to life that everyone is offering that people are lost and confused.

Because the world is tangible and can be felt its easy to be lured into the percieved comfort or idea thats being painted. Thats the problem. Its so superficial and artificial yet has been made so real that it fools people.

Whereas the whole idea of Gods Kingdom is to actually detach from this world. Not live by the flesh and desires and feelings but the spirit. I think people are open to all sort of psuedo spirits dressed as feelings or some mystical inner self belief that can transcend reality.

But its never really detaching from the world and into Gods spirit. I think you have to be willing to let go of the world and there is only one aspect thats going to fullfill that inner search for peace and love which is Christ.

Zceptre said:

It takes a special message curated by God the Holy Spirit to reach people who are so opposed to such an abject degree to the "Good News" that we are sinners (threat to identity of good person) and that God sent His Son as a gift (part they don't think they need) to save their lives from evil.

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I really think it is harder today. At least in past generations most people grew up in Godly households and communities. Today theres nothing. I forget that my kids did not grow up in the same world as me when I was their age.

But the Gospels Good News message has long gone. Its been replaced many times by all sorts of ideas over the last few decades and especially post 2000.

In some ways I think this current generation are like new God fearers like in the early church who have never heard the gospel in a way like in the past. Maybe its come full circle and they are more ready and open after seeing decades of chaos.

I have actually heard that some young people are going back to basics and getting back to church even showing their parents up. Maybe there is a wind of change.

Zceptre said:

I think that focus is love (1 John 4:8), but love in truth (Ephesians 4:15). I think showing love is even more powerful than speaking it though, such as the cross, but an extension of it through our behavior. That is when people's ears open to hear, because no one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.

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Yes I agree. Because there is so much fake news, false preaching, worldly ideas all speaking their truths and claims. Trying to preach the gospel will be hard among all those claims within a culture war.

But living the gospel and teachings and being Christ like without words speaks volumes. Even the world knows that its 'actions not words'. They respect someone who puts into practice what they preach.

I think this is why Christ and the disciples garnered so much respect. They lived the gospel and the few words they did speak people knew they were important and truthful.

That is one thing I think is missing out of all the culture wars. That no one goes quietly about doing what everyone is yelling and telling others they should do. Actually doing it rather than complaining about it.

If one group did actually live the example I reckon it would make the rest stop and take notice. Even as Peter said expose their evil and hypocracy and make then turn towards God.

essentialsaltes said:

The menacing wheel gets the grease!

Indiana lawmakers will meet over redistricting after Senate reverses course​

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Indiana GOP state senator says he's a no on redistricting after Trump delivers his Thanksgiving execration​

Trump's Nov. 27 Truth Social post ‒ one in a series of anti-immigrant comments posted Thursday ‒ referred to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the "r-word." Though the word was formerly used in medical contexts, it's now widely regarded as offensive, and disability advocates seek to end its use.

"Those of you that don't know me or my family might not know that my daughter has Down Syndrome," state Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores, wrote on Facebook. "This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references and his choices of words have consequences."

Acts 1:15 In those days Peter rising up in the midst of the brethren, said (now the number of persons together was about an hundred and twenty):
1:16 Men, brethren, the scripture must needs be fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was the leader of them that apprehended Jesus:
1:17 Who was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
1:18 And he indeed hath possessed a field of the reward of iniquity, and being hanged, burst asunder in the midst: and all his bowels gushed out.
1:19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: so that the same field was called in their tongue, Haceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.
1:20 For it is written in the book of Psalms: Let their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell therein. And his bishopric let another take.
1:21 Wherefore of these men who have companied with us, all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us,
1:22 Beginning from the baptism of John, until the day wherein he was taken up from us, one of these must be made a witness with us of his resurrection.
1:23 And they appointed two, Joseph, called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.


A few things to take away from this passage in Acts.

1. First, Peter displays his position as Chief of the Apostles.
2. Second, Bishopric is used as a description, showing that the Apostles were indeed the first Bishops of His Church.
3. Succession is demonstrated .

It is without a doubt, both scripturally and historically that the present day Bishops of His Church are modern day Apostles

DaisyDay said:

This rant is untethered to reality.


No, she was a seditious traitor.

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I am not the one “untethered to reality”.

cologne

Yum!

eclair?

eclair

thrill

Xi Luo Yun

thinking

candle

Pretty Polly

Jesus Christ had just begun his earthly ministry, and so he was calling disciples to himself to work alongside him in ministry. And when he calls us to put our faith and trust in him to be Lord and Savior of our lives, that is the call he is making on each and every one of our lives, too. For a call to believe in Jesus is not in words only, but it is a call to leave our former lives of sin behind us to now follow our Lord wherever he leads us in walks of obedience to his commands, living holy lives, pleasing to God, in his power.

I really like it that when Jesus called these men to be his disciples that they immediately left the lives they had been living behind them to follow Jesus Christ where he led them. Evidently they did not hesitate. But we do not know all the details of how this all took place because we were not there with them. But the point is that when Jesus called them to follow him, they followed him immediately. And to follow our Lord is to obey him, to do what he says that we are to do, and to be who he calls us to be for his service.

So, this sets the example for us as to what it should look like in our lives when Jesus calls us to himself to believe in him. For faith in Jesus Christ is not of our own doing, not of the will of human flesh. So we do not get to determine what that faith looks like. God does. And he is the one who gives us the faith to believe in Jesus. And he is the one who persuades us as to his righteousness and holiness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to die to sin and to walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands, all in His power!

[Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Acts 26:18]

But these were not perfect men. They were followers of Christ, yes! But they had a lot to learn, and Jesus taught them much about what it meant to be his followers. And sometimes he had to correct them and to help them to grow in their faith. And I really don’t know at what point Judas had a change of heart and mind, and when he decided to turn against Jesus, but he was one of Jesus’ disciples for three years alongside all the others who followed the Lord wherever he led them in doing what he called them to do.

So, our walks of faith in the Lord Jesus, in following him wherever he leads us, may not be “smooth sailing” (easy) all the time. For we are mere clay in the hands of the Potter (God/Jesus Christ) being molded into the likeness of Christ, which is a lifelong process, provided our faith is genuine, and we are cooperating with God’s work of grace in our lives. But we should be followers of Christ who are going where he leads us, and who are doing all that he commands us to do, as his followers. None of us should betray our Lord.

Now, Jesus said to the fishermen, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And when we accept Jesus’ call upon our lives to put our faith in him, this is the call he is placing upon our lives, too. For a call to believe in Jesus is a call to discipleship, and it is a call to follow our Lord in ministry in sharing the truth of the gospel of Christ with the people of the world. It is a call to become whoever he created us to be in doing what he created us to do, for his service. We are his workmanship, created by God for good works.

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Living Sacrifices

Based off Romans 12:1-2; Romans 6:11-14 NIV
An Original Work / September 14, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you,
In view of God’s mercy,
To give yourselves to God in love
As living offerings,
Pleasing to God, holy in love.
This is your true worship.
Do not conform to worldly lives.
Let God transform you today.
Then you’ll be able to
Test and approve of what
God’s will is – His pleasing
And perfect will. Oh, holy ones,
I counsel you – Offer yourselves unto God.

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –
Do not be conceited.
Humble yourselves before your God.
Do not be self-righteous.
The strength you have to live in love
Comes from your Lord God, so
Live your new lives in pow’r of God.
Be changed in heart, mind and will.
Do this because of what
Christ did for you when
He died on the cross to save
The world from sin. Oh, holy ones,
I counsel you – Humble yourselves before God.

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –
Count yourselves dead to sin,
But be alive to God in Christ.
Do not let sin reign in
Your earthly lives so you
Obey its evil desires.
Offer yourselves unto your God
As those who’ve been born again.
For sin shall no longer be
Your lord and master.
Give of yourselves to God
For righteousness. Oh, holy ones,
I counsel you – Be alive to God in Christ.

Login to view embedded media
A Call to Discipleship
An Original Work / November 29, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

CoreyD said:

I may be wrong here, but I think you are missing what @throughfierytrial is saying.
Also, the Bible is authored by a single Person - God,
God used different writers to create one unified message in one book. In the same way a company uses different programmers to create one movie, or game.

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I agree, but I would say that the one story, that one unified story, doesnt somehow force the old testament to therefore say what the new testament says. Hosea 11:1 and Mathew 2:15 both say "out of egypt I have called my son", and Mathew explicitly quotes hosea. But that doesnt mean that Hosea is therefore about Jesus. In fact it was just about the exodus. There is a context that differs between the two books, and so we cant simply force the old testament to say what the new testament says, any time the new testament authors speak about something similar to the OT.

This is context 101, you cant force the old testament to say exactly what the new testament says, just because the Bible is a unified story. We still have to acknowledge that these are different books and they say different things, even if they sometimes use the same words or similar words.

CoreyD said:

Regarding ex nihilo, we already established, by several posters in this thread, that is not relevant to the question of young earth vs old earth.
@throughfierytrial is using Hebrews in an effort to prove the earth is young.
Paul refers to the scriptures in the Psalms and Genesis, so we cannot ignore the fact that these books were used as references by both Jesus and his apostles.

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But it is of course relevant, because if its not ex nihilo creation being described in Genesis, then that would suggest that earth was present before God began to create it. Much like a pizza can be formless before I began to create it, so too can the earth be such. And that means that we wouldnt know how long the earth was formless before God began to make it.

And as noted above, just because the new testament authors reference the old testament, that doesnt necessarily mean that they are telling the same story or re-telling it. And I gave a couple examples above where the new testament authors reference the OT but are in fact telling completely different stories, thats actually what they typically do.

stevevw said:

I don't know what your talking about lol. I have recieved no help, and I am just trying to defend those whom I linked from what I think is unjustified attacks on their credibility.

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I specifically offered, in this thread, to give you guidance on using AI to improve the concision and readability of your posts. I sent you a pm (personal message) on this forum to intitiate the process. That is what I am referring to. Click on your forum name at the top right of the screen, then on the envelope symbol on the dropdown and you should see that communication. In the meantime I'll overlook your discourteous response.

landgraf

Uzziah