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Jane Chai · 2025-11-09T16:10:38-0600

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I would like to ask for prayer regarding my relationship with my father. He has always taken very good care of me — cooking, doing chores, and showing concern for me every day. I truly love and appreciate him.

However, I am troubled by something that has been happening. My father believes in Jesus, but he also spends a lot of time watching secular content. I understand that some secular things can be enjoyable or even uplifting, but I sense that some of what he watches may carry darkness or hateful messages.

When we spend time together, especially on weekends, I sometimes feel that he tries to instill in me thoughts and attitudes that are not in line with love and grace. He often teaches me to speak rudely or sarcastically to others as a way to protect myself. I know he means well, but this goes against what I believe as a follower of Christ.

I’ve already told him gently that I don’t want to learn or use such words because I am a Christian. However, he still continues the next day, trying to teach me the same things again. It’s discouraging and difficult for me.

I try to fill my heart with hymns, sermons, and uplifting messages, but I can still feel some of the anger and bitterness that he’s spoken into me. This troubles my spirit deeply, and I want to be free and remain rooted in love.

Please pray for my father — that God will open his heart, guard his mind, and lead him to focus on what is pure and good. And please pray for me — that I may have wisdom, gentleness, and spiritual strength to stand firm in love without resentment.

Thank you for praying with me. May the Lord bless you all abundantly.

In Christ,
Jane Chai

Akita Suggagaki · 2025-11-09T16:09:39-0600

73. The experience of migration accompanies the history of the People of God. Abraham sets out without knowing where he is going; Moses leads the pilgrim people through the desert; Mary and Joseph flee with the child Jesus to Egypt. Christ himself, who “came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him” (Jn 1:11), lived among us as a stranger. For this reason, the Church has always recognized in migrants a living presence of the Lord who, on the day of judgment, will say to those on his right: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Mt 25:35).

Shane R · 2025-11-09T16:08:35-0600

Veteran's Day is this Tuesday in the US. Thankfully, church was not hoo-rah patriotic nationalist faux religion today. We didn't even sing the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" or "My Country Tis of Thee." Pastor Al did insert a couple of thematically appropriate petitions in the Prayers of the People, which is fine and about what I tend to do myself if left to my own devices. I thought his petition for "those who have been maimed in body or mind" was poignant.

Michie · 2025-11-09T15:56:21-0600

Fulton Sheen’s Victory over Vice is a joy to read and a nightmare to review. Why? It is so quotable. The matter is made worse by the fact that it is a relatively short book. There is no padding, no excess, just thought provoking prose, judicious observation, and interesting anecdote.

Is there anyone reading this who has not heard of Fulton Sheen? The man was a priest and a bishop, but his legacy remains chiefly around his gift as a communicator. He gave sermons, wrote books, and proclaimed the Gospel in ways one would expect of a man of his calling, but there was something else besides. He was one of the first to see the potential of the media. For many, the chief form of media in the 1930s was radio, so he started the Catholic Radio Hour. It was a great success. By the 1950s, it was television that was in the ascendant, so he started a show there that ended up being broadcast on networks across America. Using both media, he was able to access people’s free time, enter their living rooms, present his ideas at the very center of the family home. One can only imagine how excited and active he would be with the possibilities offered by the Digital Age.

Continued below.

Fulton J. Sheen’s Guide to Victory over Vice - Catholic Exchange

In an age of distraction and addiction, Fulton Sheen’s words on conquering vice still resound—simple, brilliant, and spiritually liberating.

catholicexchange.com

Akita Suggagaki · 2025-11-09T15:55:11-0600

Dale said:
Doesn’t this suggest that the Adam and Eve story is less important than many Christians think it is?

Quite often we refer to fictional characters as though they were nonfictional. Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, for example because they provide powerful analogies, figurative expressions of our human reality. I was talking with a friend who believes that even the parables describe literal historical events.

So where do we draw the line between literal historical and figurative? That is up to each of us and the churches we belong to.

The Barbarian · 2025-11-09T15:50:56-0600

Original Gerrymander:

Hentenza · 2025-11-09T15:50:25-0600

DaisyDay said:
Your analogy, hiring a pedophile to work in a daycare *_* , entirely your choice of words, illustrated my point, not yours as to which one was peculiarly unsuitable for office taking into consideration the crime and the office.

No, not a fact - just your uninformed opinion.

Again, you are either misunderstanding or misrepresenting yet another issue which was people languishing days, months or even years awaiting trial on minor charges simply because they could not afford bail. And here you go, you dashing off on yet another tangent to show your immense disdain for the left.

Is it possible to stick to the topic or do we need to list all our grievances with "your side"? Can't we stick to our actual argument instead of bringing up irrelevant issues?

Then stop doing that!

And yet, you keep doing it.

The circles are getting dizzying, so once again, good day.

Your strawman continues. Bye

Michie · 2025-11-09T15:47:45-0600

saved24 said:
My young niece tried to commit suicide yesterday, and has had depression her family found out. Pray for her sister too who has anxiety and sometimes turns to alcohol. Praying for a new home for her, my suicidal niece, and that she gets Christian counseling

Praying for you and your whole family. My heart goes out to you. My sister did the same and landed herself in ICU.

Michie · 2025-11-09T15:46:06-0600

Prayers God lays His healing hands upon your son and grants Jakeb and you comfort and peace.

Akita Suggagaki · 2025-11-09T15:45:56-0600

Senate Majority Leader John Thune quickly swatted down a Democratic offer to reopen the government and extend expiring health care subsidies for a year, calling it a “nonstarter” as the partisan impasse over the shutdown continued into its 38th day.

Republicans swat down Democratic offer to end shutdown as impasse continues into 38th day

Republicans are swatting down an offer from Democrats to end the government shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune says the new offer from Democrats is a “non-starter.” The proposal from Democrats would reopen the government and include a one-year extension of expiring health care...

federalnewsnetwork.com

BNR32FAN · 2025-11-09T15:39:58-0600

Dikaioumenoi said:
The connection to verse 20 doesn't exclude verses 25-26 or 35-36. It explains what triggered the entire discourse. The arrival of the Greeks in verse 20 is the narrative catalyst:

"Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip... and asked him, 'Sir, we wish to see Jesus.'" (John 12:20-21)

John deliberately isolates this event: "Now there were some Greeks..." (δὲ marks a narrative transition). He draws attention to them as a separate narrative unit before Jesus speaks again. The significance of it is that this is the first explicit mention of Gentiles seeking Jesus in John's Gospel. Up to this point, Jesus' ministry has been almost entirely within Israel. There had been occasional foreshadowings of Gentile inclusion (e.g., John 4:42), but this is the first time Gentiles are physically present and requesting audience with Jesus.

Jesus "answers them" (ἀποκρίνεται αὐτοῖς) in verse 23, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." The Greeks' arrival is what provokes this declaration. It is the event that marks the shift from "My hour has not yet come" (2:4; 7:30; 8:20) to "The hour has come" (12:23). So the arrival of these Gentiles signifies the transition from a Jewish-restricted mission to a universal one. Everything that follows Jesus' declaration in v. 23 unfolds as His theological exposition of this turning point.

Verses 25-26 develop the implications of His glorification (the necessity of death leading to life), while verse 32 gives its climactic significance: He being "lifted up" will effect a drawing of all kinds of people: Jew and Gentile alike, not Jew only. That's why John mentions the Greeks at all. They are the narrative signal that the redemptive focus is expanding beyond Israel.

The logic of the discourse is:

vv. 20-23 - The Greeks arrive --> "the hour has come."
vv. 24-26 - The principle of life through death (the grain of wheat).
vv. 27-33 - The meaning of Christ's death: the cross as the means of universal (not Jewish-only) gospel appeal.
vv. 35-36 - The closing exhortation: believe in the Light while it is among you.

The meaning of "draws" (ἑλκύω) and the scope of those drawn are not determined by the exhortation. In this context, the verb concerns the inclusion of all kinds of people; that is, kinds without distinction, not individuals without exception. Jesus is announcing the ingathering of both Jews and Gentiles into one redeemed people, not the universal salvation (or attempt at it) of every individual. Moreover, the semantic core of ἑλκύω is forceful or powerful, not merely inviting. The core idea it expresses is the decisive movement from one state or sphere to another. Thus, when Jesus declares, "I will draw all people to myself," He is not describing a mere attempt to persuade; He is proclaiming the certain efficacy of His redemptive work: the power of the cross to extend through the gospel to all nations and to bring people of every kind to genuine faith in Him. If that "drawing" is taken to refer to individuals without exception, the text would be teaching universalism.

And again no explanation of verse 36 although you did mention the first 5 words of the verse but cleverly omitted the part about believing in order to become sons of Light.

“While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.”
‭‭John‬ ‭12‬:‭36‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Chesterton · 2025-11-09T15:24:14-0600

Hans Blaster · 2025-11-09T15:21:24-0600

FAITH-IN-HIM said:
The 1.5 trillion paid to insurance companies does not automatically transfer to the universal health care system.

Of course not. No one ever inferred that. What I did infer is that there was a very large amount of money flowing into the healthcare system through insurance premium paid by employers and employees and that diverting it to the single payer system would have low disruption on employer costs and take home pay.

FAITH-IN-HIM said:
Employer premiums may not be available unless a Bismarck-style tax is implemented, requiring employers to contribute to universal healthcare.

Given that adding $1T+ expenditure to the annual budget is certainly *not* going to be funded by a giant hole in the federal budget we should expect new or expanded taxes. One principle mode would almost certainly be an expanded Medicare payroll tax. (Currently it is 1.45% for employers and employees each for the first $200,000 of wage and 0.90% for employers beyond that.)

BNR32FAN · 2025-11-09T15:15:53-0600

Clare73 said:
The born again are not slaves to sin, nor are they totaly free of sin.

So as far as sin goes they’re pretty much the same? Neither are completely absent from sin and neither are completely absent from doing good?

Chesterton · 2025-11-09T15:14:16-0600

Paramilitaries armed the Hampshires.

HAMP

Tom D · 2025-11-09T15:12:35-0600

Johann Weisman had everything: good income, status, and a life of extravagance. A celebrated doctor turned
businessman, he lived in a world where nothing came cheap. He scoffed at meals below $20, considering
them an insult to his refined palate.

One evening, to celebrate securing a new contract, Johann and his business partner Hans set out in search
of a fitting restaurant in Vienna. Their demanding tastes and fussiness turned the search into a prolonged
ordeal, as they scoured the city for an establishment that could match their impossibly high standards—even
though every venue they encountered was among the most expensive in town. They sneered at each upscale
spot, dismissing the polished menus and lavish decor as unworthy.

At one glittering venue with sky-high prices, Johann spat, "This dump has the unrefined charm of a grimy
cafeteria built for drifters," while Hans derided another, branding it "a pathetic food truck on wheels that dares to
charge extortionate rates." At yet another high-end restaurant, Johann smirked and added, "This looks like a place
for the homeless." Their disdain was palpable, their arrogance unrelenting.

After nearly 5 hours of scrutinizing menus and scoping out venues, they finally settled on an upscale location
that promised a first-rate experience. Bringing with them aged whiskey and expensive cigars, the pair were
preparing to indulge freely. But they were kicked out after only 20 minutes—abruptly told it was closing time.
They staggered out into the city streets, their judgment clouded by their revelry. They didn’t notice the black
van parked nearby until it was too late.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The van screeched forward, headlights blinding. Before Johann could react, rough hands yanked him back. A
hood was shoved over his head, muffling Hans’s protests as they struggled. Their kidnappers moved swiftly,
bundling Johann into the van while leaving Hans behind. Johann’s world blurred into darkness.
Johann’s new reality began in a dim room in the beautiful rural town of Bad Goisern on Lake Halstatt. His two
kidnappers' goal was to demand a ransom of 2 million.

The two kidnappers were Robert and Rune—known to their friends as Rob and Run. They sat slouched in the
dim room, their cigarettes dangling lazily from their fingers. A half-empty bag of fast food sat between them,
grease stains spreading across the table.

Rob: "After we get the money, we’ll be set for life. A life of eating and drinking without work...or learning,.... Just
happy days ahead."
Run: "Yeah....our dream lifestyle is not far away...Ha, ha..."
Then they started to laugh, which got louder and louder, their mouths stretching wide, exposing every inch of
their cigarette-stained front teeth.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Eventually, the kidnappers dragged themselves back to reality and walked into Johann’s room, the ransom
note clutched tightly in the first one's hand.

"Alright, doc," Rob said, leaning against the doorway with a smirk. "Time to make your family cough up the
cash. Two million bucks—that’s all we’re asking. Not too much."
Run chimed in, "Yeah, they’ll pay to get you back. I mean, who wouldn’t? You’re worth it, right?"
Johann, calm and composed, met their gaze. "My family’s wealth has declined a lot, We don’t even have two
thousand, let alone two million. They won’t pay you two million."
Rob and Run looked at each other for a while, then Rob’s smirk faltered, replaced by a confused frown. "What’re
you talking about? You’re rich!"
Johann: "You're wasting your time..."
The two kidnappers looked at each other, not knowing what to say.....

The two kidnappers grew increasingly frustrated. A few hours later, they inspected Johann's clothes and took
most of his money and valuables away, leaving only some coins.
Johann’s response remained unchanged, and boredom crept into the kidnappers’ routine, dulling their edge.
Cigarettes became their distraction, their escape from the monotony. They smoked constantly, the acrid fumes
filling the small room.

Noticing this, Johann attempted to turn the situation to his advantage. “This air,” he said one evening,
coughing dramatically. “It’s unhealthy. You’re smoking yourselves to death, and you’re taking me with you.”
The kidnappers laughed dismissively. “No, you’re bluffing, doc,” one of them sneered, exhaling a plume of
smoke. “We’ve been smoking our whole lives, and we’re fine. I don't think it's harmful.”
Johann frowned, retreating into silence. He bided his time, observing them as they grew more restless and
started chain-smoking even more.
Over the next few days, the smoke thickened, clinging to the air like a suffocating fog. Johann, who had been
coughing intermittently, noticed the kidnappers themselves beginning to cough more frequently. They rubbed
their throats, visibly annoyed.
Sensing his opportunity, Johann struck again. This time, his words carried more weight. “You see? Even you
can’t ignore it anymore. This air is toxic,” he rasped, clutching his chest. “It’s not just me—it’s affecting you
too.”
The kidnappers, though still skeptical, exchanged uneasy glances. Their growing discomfort validated
Johann’s claims, and he seized on their hesitation. “If I die,” he said weakly, “you lose everything. No ransom.
You’ll have nothing to show for your trouble. I need a specific medicine to counteract this.”
Their resolve finally faltered. Reluctant but desperate to keep him alive, they asked Johann what medicine he
needed. Johann provided them with a list of ingredients: vinegar, ground nutmeg, crushed chili peppers, and
adelwez. He explained that the ingredients must be cooked together and insisted the concoction be prepared
with all windows closed to retain potency.
Johann explained carefully, emphasizing that the ingredients must be cooked together in precise proportions
to ensure the mixture’s potency. He insisted the concoction be prepared with all windows tightly shut, claiming
that even the faintest draft could weaken its effectiveness.
Many people know it's dangerous to cook while closing all windows, but not them.
Knowing nothing of the risks, the kidnappers followed his instructions, bolting the windows and sealing every
crack.

The small, dimly lit room grew increasingly stifling, the air turning thick and oppressive. As the mixture simmered on their wood-burning stove, an ominous transformation began. A new toxic gas crept into the room, its presence subtle but a bit dangerous. Apart from that, the lack of ventilation caused carbon monoxide levels to rise imperceptibly, unnoticed by the kidnappers who remained focused on their ransom plans.

Johann, fully aware of the consequences, stayed low to the ground, breathing the marginally clearer air near
the bottom edge of the door. From his position, he watched intently as the effects of the gas began to take
hold. Gradually, their movements slowed, their once-brisk actions reduced to sluggish, clumsy gestures. Their
speech became slurred and incoherent, their heads drooping as if weighted down by invisible hands. Johann
remained still, his heart pounding, as the room sank into a suffocating silence.

Chesterton · 2025-11-09T15:10:12-0600

Are we going to be building integrated circuits on the table, too?

Chesterton · 2025-11-09T15:08:46-0600

Please lets not talk silliness.

SILLI

fhansen · 2025-11-09T15:07:45-0600

Clare73 said:
Prove it.

I have, many times i nthe past, with the same exchanges between us. But I did again, anyway, in the remainder of that same post.

Clare73 said:
Of what sin did they die when no sin was charged against them.

They were already dead, born that way due to their alienation from God. That's the state known as "original sin". Now, if this is what is meant by imputation, that a real change, towards injustice/unrighteousness, took place, not just a change in status, IOW, then we can understand why sin could already be in the world even if not charged against those who sinned but hadn't heard the law. We're born sinful, not just viewed as sinful. And this is why the antidote for this is reconciliation with Him, is "re-communion". engraftation into the Vine because there and only there can man be just...justified.

Clare73 said:
he righteousness that comes from God (Ro 1:17, 3:21, 4:5) through faith in Christ is the imputed righteousness of Christ (Php 3:9), just as righteousness was imputed to Abraham through faith in the promise (Ge 5:5-6, Seed, Jesus Christ, Gal 3:16).

The righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith is real, personal righteousness given, as demonstrated by an objective reading of the passages I included. This is simple: unrighteousness (sin) entered the world at the Fall. Jesus takes it away, both forgiving sin and replacing it with authentic righteousness as we now become new creations in Him.

Clare73 said:
We are united with God through faith in Christ, wherein the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us (Php 3:9),
just as righteousness was imputed to Abraham through faith in the promise (Ge 15:5-6, Seed, Jesus Christ, Gal 3:16).

No, God doesn't separate righteousness from righteousness, as if pretending that we're righteous while leaving us in our sins would be something good. He forgives our sins, our unrighteousness, while telling us, and empowering us by virtue of grace, His life in us, to "go, and sin no more". The many will be made righteous, Rom 5:19. Thats why there's no condemnation in Christ, Rom 8:1.

The Liturgist · 2025-11-09T15:07:19-0600

boughtwithaprice said:
I have prayed and thought of this thread and the reasons I wanted to discuss it here. We all want to worship our Lord Jesus Christ. He states, I am the Alpha AND the Omega, the first and the last.

Revelation 1:8

8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty

Baptism is a sign for His believers.
Matthew 28:19-20

Baptism is described as the circumcision of Christ.
Colossians 2:11-12

Water was present on the first day. Genesis1:2
Circumcision was to occur on the eighth day.
Leviticus 12:3

Water is important to God as He says it is life giving. See scriptures

Psalm 1
Isaiah 35
Isaiah 43
Isaiah 55
Isaiah 58
Jeremiah 17
Ezekiel 47

John 4
John 7
Apocolypse (Revelation) 22:1-2

John 7 describes the Holy Spirit as the river of living water, while revelation says the river flows from the throne of God AND the Lamb
Filioque?

Scripture tells us that there will be theological disagreements and variances of understanding, yet it says whatever we do, we do from the heart as for God and not men (paraphrase) Col 3:23

We are not here to lord ourselves over one another. The Sabbath came after creation, not at the beginning. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, not the end only. The Sabbath was a sign of the Old Covenant. Jesus chose water to represent the New Covenant and told us we must be born of water and the Spirit to enter the kingdom of Heaven. John 3

Water represents the first day of creation and baptism the circumcision if heart on the eighth day. The Sabbath is not to be profaned, but it has been fulfilled. We are no longer limited to worshipping God in the temple on the Sabbath, but can now worship Him in spirit and in truth any time and anywhere. Matthew 18:20

Life comes from Christ, not obeying the Old Covenant. Galatians 3:11

People may disagree with the Catholic Church due to their personal opinion, but the teaching of the Catholic Church is thoroughly based in Scripture.
Calling her the harlot of Babylon or Sunday worship the mark of the beast is presumptuous and misleading. The sacraments all point to Christ whom we worship. Our honor of Mary amplifies the Word of God as described in Gen 3:15. Mary says that her soul amplifies the Lord. She does not detract from Him

There is no scriptural cause to oppose the Catholic Church. Personal opinion may give one cause, but personal opinion does not a scriptural reason make. 2Peter 1:20

Pray for the salvation of all men for the greater glory of God the Father and Our Lord Jesus Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit

This is absolutely correct, there is no basis for calling the Roman Catholic Church the harlot of Babylon or any of the other obscene things that people have said about it, such as accusing it of having killed 120 million people as one member claimed, or accusing it of being responsible for censorship on the Internet (yes, someone actually said that).

This is not to say the Roman Catholic Churches has not committed grievous actions, for example, the martyrdom of St. Peter the Aleut*, a 15 year old Aleutian boy who was on a fishing expedition to California who was arrested along with his fellow Aleutians because the Franciscans felt threatened by his Russian Orthodoxy, and he received the crown of martyrdom for refusing to renounce it. St. Peter the Aleut, pray for us!

However, the important thing is that the Roman Catholic Church made amends for these actions, it apologized for these errors under Pope St. John Paul II, it has returned relics to the Orthodox church, even those which were given to it for safekeeping at the onset of Turkocratia such as the head of St. Andrew the Apostle, which itself is a noble act, since the Roman church preserved the relics of the Orthodox church and then returned them in the late 20th century, and the Roman Catholic Church from a doctrinal perspective is mostly correct, differing from the Orthodox Church on only a small number of issues such as the aforementioned question of the exact nature of the conception of the Theotokos or the actual powers of the Bishop of Rome. In terms of Roman Catholic Eucharistic doctrine, and the veneration of icons and relics and Our Glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary, the Roman church is correct, likewise her sacramental theology is substantially the same as the Orthodox church, and her more ancient liturgies, such as the Traditional Latin Mass according to the Tridentine, Dominican, Ambrosian, Mozarabic, Norbertine, Carmelite and related uses, are on a par with the liturgies of the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox church in terms of beauty.

*Coincidentally, the place of his martyrdom was San Pedro, most likely the San Pedro near Los Angeles, and not that near San Francisco.

BPPLEE · 2025-11-09T15:02:43-0600

Bradskii said:
Yeah, that is actually the point. It really does sound like something made up that you'd read in The Onion. But he really did say something that made him look ridiculous.

Did you only just realise this?

Like I have said, repeatedly, sandwich guy should have been charged with disorderly conduct or let go with a warning.
The testimony was ridiculous

bbbbbbb · 2025-11-09T14:48:23-0600

Health fads come and go.

bbbbbbb · 2025-11-09T14:47:54-0600

Classical music

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