What’s secretive, pretends to be a stick, and is sometimes confused with a mythical creature?

The figure in focus of this question is a beloved bird that’s returning in numbers to Tasmania for the first time in 40 years.

The Australasian bittern disappeared from Tasmania’s northern reaches for decades following a hydropower project in 1964 that disrupted a unique local wetland ecosystem called the Lagoon of Islands.

Raising the water level, flooding the islands, and eliminating the prime habitat of the bird, its return is a watershed moment in the area’s recovery following the elimination of the dams in 2012.

Wielding an “eerie deep hoot” that’s supposed to be similar to a mythical creature called a Bunyip, a man-eating swamp creature, the few Aborigines who will try and describe it say it looks like a seal or swimming dog, while others describe it as having a long neck and small head. Both forms are accused of preying on humans.

Continued below.

This is the link to the hearing live.

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My guess is many people on this forum assume that a judge that makes a donation to the democratic party could not give a Trump supporter a fair trial , but I would like some confirmation

God created man in His own image and with His own likeness and set the first man, Adam, in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. But Adam sinned by disobeying God, and because we are all his children, we have all inherited his sinful nature. Sin is the violation of God’s Law, and the “wages” of sin is death, and so death entered the world and spread to all mankind because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Thus, we are all justly deserving of everlasting punishment—the destruction of body and soul in hell. But even so, in His love, God already had a plan to save and redeem us.

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us, paying the debt for our sins, so that through Him we may be saved. Unlike us, Jesus was conceived in the womb of a virgin by the Holy Spirit of God and therefore did not share Adam’s sinful nature. A “spotless lamb” in which there was no sin, the perfect and only sacrifice worthy of taking our place. For by the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, was crucified and died for our sins, taking upon Himself the punishment we deserve. He was then buried and raised back to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures. He then appeared to more than five hundred individuals in the forty days post-resurrection before being taken up into heaven out of their sight and returning to His Father. Fulfilling every one of the many Old Testament prophecies pertaining to Him. He now sits at His Father’s right hand and is awaiting His Father’s instruction to return. This was all recorded in the scriptures contained in the Holy Bible, which is the word of God and is able to save our souls.

Jesus Christ promised that all who believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace and not by any merit of our own. Upon His return, all the dead will hear His voice and come to life—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and later, those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. Therefore, fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. Making sure to be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.

Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart in rebellion. Whoever conceals his sins will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy and forgiveness. If you repent and believe in the gospel, putting your faith in Jesus Christ, you will inherit salvation, which leads to everlasting life. With this salvation comes a necessary spiritual rebirth; God will give you a new heart and His Holy Spirit, which will give you wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, put His Laws on your heart and mind, guide you into all the truth, help you, and comfort you. By the blood of Jesus, sanctifying you and cleansing you of all unrighteousness—conforming you to His image.

In an act of faith, all believers are called to be baptised in water in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. To be buried with Christ by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, you also might walk in newness of life. Having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power towards those who believe. To be called children of God and to dwell with Him for all eternity.

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the present darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. The devil, who is called Satan, and all his angels, which are also referred to as demons, have been cast out of heaven for their choice to sin and rebel against God. They are our greatest threat in this world, even though at times it may seem like it’s each other. Satan is the spirit that is now at work in all those who are living in disobedience to God. We must be very careful about what we believe, verifying everything against God’s word, for many false prophets and teachers have gone out into the world and are among us like wolves in sheep's clothing, even within churches. But fear not, for God is greater and with us always.

We now await our blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He is coming soon with eyes like a flame of fire and all His angels with Him, and every eye will see Him. But concerning that day and hour, no one knows—not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Therefore, those of us who are eagerly awaiting His appearance must be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish and at peace. Counting the patience of the Lord as salvation. There are some things in the scriptures that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction. Take care that you are not carried away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Excavations of a Roman villa dating to the start of the Imperial era show it may belong to the greatest of all the Roman emperors, Caesar Augustus.

Called the Somma Vesuviana, the villa was partially destroyed and buried by the same eruption that buried the city of Pompeii in 79 CE, but is located on the northern slopes of the mountain, the site where Augustus is said to have died at the end of a long rule.

Roman sources say he died in a villa north of Vesuvius, but scant further details remain. What might illuminate the matter would be evidence of extensive wealth worthy of a man who, in his own words, found Rome a city of stone and left it a city of marble.

At the moment, the Somma Vesuviana is being excavated by a team of Japanese researchers from the University of Tokyo who have been working in the area since 2022, and who recently released a statement on their progress.

“This archaeological discovery will be a key to unlocking an important phase in human history: the beginning of the ancient Roman Empire and emperor worship,” the translated statement read.

Continued below.

I'm in a very tight spot.

I need to work, and the best option is remote at home.

Thank you for prayers.
I return them to you.

I don't think so. After the Last Supper, Luke 22:

35 he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.”

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Jesus reminded the disciples of when he sent them out on a mission. But now, things changed.

36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.

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Dangerous times were coming, so dangerous that they would need swords to protect themselves. It was a figure of speech: the sword was more important than the cloak.

37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

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Jesus didn't mean to command his disciples to sell their cloaks to purchase swords literally.

47 While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, 48but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”

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John 18:10 tells us that Peter drew his sword. The impulsive Peter misunderstood Jesus' intent.

50 one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him.

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This confirmed that selling a cloak to buy a sword was a figure of speech. Jesus pointed out that dangerous times were coming for the disciples after his death. The situation was curious. Jesus began by warning the disciples about the coming days of violence (sword). The disciples interpreted him literally and pointed out they had two swords. Jesus rebuked them, but Peter didn't learn and used his sword later during the arrest. Jesus made it clear to Peter then: no violence. This is a curious case of the disciples misunderstanding Jesus.

I go to church on a regular basis and I stay after the service to socialize but I find it hard to connect with many of my church members. They are my friends but I don’t have a real close bond with none of them because we don’t have too much in common. Is this issue common?

Aww, who is up for some wholesome news about a killer whale being saved by some villagers? It takes a village to raise a child, as some communal societies say. Here is the article: Orca calf successfully returned to open water after bold rescue in Canada


Short summary of the open-access article by The Guardian (<20% in length, for fair usage reasons):

In an article published on April 26, 2024 in The Guardian by Leyland Cecco, it was reported that a trapped orca calf in a remote lagoon in western Canada had successfully freed herself and was making her way towards open waters. The two-year-old orca, named kʷiisaḥiʔis (Brave Little Hunter), had been trapped in the shallow waters of the Little Espinosa inlet since late March after her mother, Spong, died. Despite efforts from rescue teams and federal fisheries officers to free the calf, she remained stranded until one clear night in late April when she managed to swim under a bridge that had blocked her path to freedom.

The Ehattesaht First Nation and members of the community of Zeballos had been supporting the rescue efforts, including feeding the calf with seal meat to encourage her towards a bottleneck in the lagoon. The successful escape marked a bittersweet ending for the communal effort to save the calf, who had outwitted a 50-strong rescue team and forced experts to rethink their approach. The orca's departure was described as "incredible news" by the Ehattesaht First Nation, who had been moved by her heartfelt cries for help captured on underwater mics.

I have read that storing electronics with Lithium-Ion batteries in a hot or freezing whether negatively effects the batteries. The instructions on a Garmin GPS are to not store the device in temperatures below 32 degrees or above 78 degrees F, but I am breaking that rule and just storing the GPS in the glove box.



If I decide to start storing a Bluetooth keyboard to use with my phone in the car, will that negatively impact the battery? Should I consider storing the keyboard in my locker while I am at work when it gets hotter out? I have been in the habit of leaving the keyboard at home, but recently I have started to want to take the keyboard in my car so I can take it to the park after work and type on my phone. Also it is a Logitech “Keys to Go” keyboard, so I think it is the intended use to take the keyboard with me places.

The Russian Turtle Tank Is The Weirdest Armored Vehicle Of The Ukraine War. The Craziest Thing Is, It Might Actually Work.​

Early this month, Ukrainian drone operators were flabbergasted to spot, on the battlefield outside Krasnohorivka—just west of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine—a Russian T-72 tank with what appeared to be a metal roof atop its hull and turret.

Incredibly, the bizarre up-armored tank wasn’t a one-off. In fact, it launched a vehicular trend in the Russian army in Ukraine as more and more Russian crews came around to the idea that the strange improvised armor might actually work.

The problem is, it only works against one particular Ukrainian munition. And the Ukrainians are about to expand their arsenal with munitions the DIY tanks probably can’t defeat.

It was obvious what that three-person Russian crew outside Krasnohorivka was trying to do: put up a shield between its 51-ton tank and the thousands of explosive first-person-view drones Ukrainian forces launch every day.

It was equally obvious that the shell-like armor—which inspired the derisive “turtle tank” moniker—would probably come with serious drawbacks. Its vertical posts would prevent the tank’s turret from rotating. The bulk would impede visibility and mobility. And the installation seemingly left a gap in the front for a skilled FPV operator to fly their drone through.

Observers laughed at the awkward turtle tank. And they laughed harder when the first turtle tank survived its combat debut—an assault on Ukrainian positions in Krasnohorivka—only to apparently get blown up in an artillery barrage targeting its base in Donetsk.

But the turtle tanks kept coming. Three weeks later, they’re a common sight all along the eastern front of Russia’s 26-month wider war on Ukraine.

Often sporting anti-drone radio jammers on their shells and mine-clearing rollers on their hulls, the tanks have led several assaults on Krasnohorivka. At least one was damaged and immobilized; Russian troops towed it off the battlefield.

Most of the turtle tanks belong to the 5th Motor Rifle Brigade, a former Ukrainian separatist unit that joined the Russian army last year. The 5th Motor Rifle Brigade has always made do with whatever weapons it can beg, borrow or steal.

But now turtle tanks are also showing up in the workshops of better-equipped Russian units—including the 90th Tank Division, which is lurking around the ruins of the eastern city of Avdiivka, possibly waiting to exploit the gap Russian troops recently opened in Ukrainian lines around the village of Ocheretyne.

The Russian army isn’t always particularly careful with its equipment and the lives of its troops, but it isn’t—as an institution—stupid. If turtle tanks are proliferating, it’s probably because they’re solving some problem.

“I know people are laughing at this, but I don't think it is a crazy adaptation,” wrote Rob Lee, an analyst with the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia. “The Russians are adapting to the particular conditions of the battlefield.”

The Russian Turtle Tank Might Actually Work

The turtle tank is designed to stop drones—and apparently does just that. But what happens when Ukrainian troops start firing more artillery and missiles?

www.forbes.com

I am wanting to install software that takes screenshots of an Android phone and sends them to accountability partners. At my company we use our phones to take pictures of equipment and video tape sometimes. I signed a confidentiality policy that says the employee shall not photocopy, duplicate, transfer, or make available confidential information unless it has already been made public by means other than the employee. I am wondering if I should be concerned about the confidentiality policy when I install screenshot accountability software. For accountability purposes I want the screenshots to be crystal clear except I may use a setting that removes text from screenshots. I could just tell my accountability partners to avoid looking at work related screenshots and I could tell them what hours I work. In this case my accountability partners are looking for inappropriate content in the screenshots so they would probably ignore work related screenshots. The software that I want to install is described at www.truple.io, and it takes screenshots without you knowing when and shares them with accountability partners.

If I decide to ask my company about this, I am wondering if it will result in me having to use a second phone as a work designated device. However I think it is too inconvenient to have to use two phones so it might be easier to decide not to ask them about it.

Job 27:3-8, & 11
"All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.
For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?
I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal."

Here Job is maintaining his integrity, despite the fact his 3 friends have accused him of having sinned, or of having done some evil. Chapter 27 is well into that exchange between them which started way back at the end of chapter 2.
Just like he kept his integrity when his wife told him to curse God and die (2:9-10), Job maintains it here by saying, "My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit....till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live."

And, even though Job is seen to complain to God, and God admonishes him in chapters 38-41, we see this in Job 42:7, "The LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath."

We see also in the midst of the lengthy admonition, Job says, "Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further." (40:4-5)

Oh, that we could be as this, in good times and bad. I've known many who do curse God, and others who abandon God. I will include myself in the past; that I became dissatisfied that God didn't answer my prayers in MY time, so I turned from Him. What a pathetic little child! yet the first time I was but a babe in Christ, having been saved only a couple of years prior. But I did so at other times as well, so there was no excuse.

Habakkuk 3:18 says "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."

Let us know to rejoice in all things, and to bless God, for He is faithful even when we are not.

"Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Another day, another Bible study, this time from Mark 1:14-15. Yes, we are not perfect, but we must strive to live holy. So, today's Bible analysis will be a short one, but is relevant for us all.

I got the job, starting date was delayed.
I discovered I have ulcers... [I mean I was down 5 jobs so yeah]

I went 2 days, my car overheated and I couldn't drive it til it was fixed. I had put a thermostat in, but they didn't bleed it. The air in the line etc...
Got a 'lead' despite not being at work, because I did cold calling in my neighborhood.
So that's a sale for me.

Got to work today [Friday] and after lunch I was fired.



I'm tired.

Believing in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives is to make a difference in our lives. We are not supposed to be like we were before we believed in Jesus. That doesn’t mean that we will be instantaneously perfect in every way, but that we should have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So we are not to let sin reign any longer in our mortal bodies to make us obey its passions, for if we do, we will not inherit eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).

And as we read the Scriptures, book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse, in context, we realize that the New Testament is filled with instructions to us on what we are to put out of our lives – like sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, lying, and slandering, and the like – and on what we are to put on in our lives – like compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, truth telling, and moral purity, and the like. For Jesus Christ died on that cross to free us from our slavery to sin so that we will now serve him with our lives and honor him with our bodies.

But we need to understand here that compassion and kindness are to be according to the Word of God and the will of God, and as demonstrated to us by the life of Jesus and by the lives of his NT apostles. And they are not to be determined by human thinking, reasoning, philosophy, and psychology. For we humans don’t think like God thinks, for many humans think that lying to people is both kind and compassionate. Now this doesn’t mean that you are hateful or nasty to anyone in order to tell them the truth, but that telling people lies is not kind. Speaking the truth in love to them is kind.

Now when it says here to bear with one another, this is not about tolerating deliberate and habitual sin in the lives of those professing faith in Jesus Christ within the gatherings of the church. This has more to do with differences of opinion and personality, I believe. Instead we are to speak the truth in love to one another, and exhort one another so that none of us are hardened by sin’s deceitfulness, and so that none of us are led astray by those who in their cunning, craftiness, and deceitful scheming, are leading many people to follow after a false and distorted “gospel of Christ.”

[Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20]

And we need to be those who do not hold grudges, and who do not feel the necessity to “get even” with others who we believe have wronged us in some way. But we need to be those who make it our practice to forgive, but with the same message that Jesus gave, which was “go and sin no more.” For forgiveness is not to be with the intention of tolerating and accepting deliberate and habitual sin within the gatherings of the church (see 1 Corinthians 5:1-13). For it does not excuse away willful sin, but it confronts it, just like the Scriptures do. We just don’t retaliate. We love our enemies!

And the love that we are to put on is not human love, which is subject to fail, and which is based in our emotions and in the one being loved as being lovable. But we are to love one another with agape love which prefers to live through Christ, obeying his will, and choosing his choices. And it prefers what Christ prefers which is what is holy, righteous, godly, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord and to his commands. And so when we love with this love we will treat others as God treats us and we will do for them what is for their good and not do evil against them.

Jesus, Lead Me

An Original Work / July 22, 2011

Jesus, lead me all the way.
Be my hope and be my stay.
Gently lead me where I should go,
So Your Spirit, I want to know.
Open up my heart to You.
Fill me with Your love and truth.
Make my heart want to obey.
Be my Lord today. Gently lead always.

Jesus, lover of my soul,
Cleanse my heart, and make me whole;
Be transformed in my heart today,
As I turn from my sin and pray.
Make Your will known to my heart.
May I not from You depart.
How I long to hear You now,
As I humbly bow. Jesus, hear me now.

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(A WESTERN News source!!)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukraine has sidelined U.S.-provided Abrams M1A1 battle tanks for now in its fight against Russia, in part because Russian drone warfare has made it too difficult for them to operate without detection or coming under attack, two U.S. military officials told The Associated Press.

The U.S. agreed to send 31 Abrams to Ukraine in January 2023 after an aggressive monthslong campaign by Kyiv arguing that the tanks, which cost about $10 million apiece, were vital to its ability to breach Russian lines.

But the battlefield has changed substantially since then, notably by the ubiquitous use of Russian surveillance drones and hunter-killer drones. Those weapons have made it more difficult for Ukraine to protect the tanks when they are quickly detected and hunted by Russian drones or rounds.

Five of the 31 tanks have already been lost to Russian attacks.

The proliferation of drones on the Ukrainian battlefield means “there isn’t open ground that you can just drive across without fear of detection,” a senior defense official told reporters Thursday.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide an update on U.S. weapons support for Ukraine before Friday’s Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting.

Ukraine pulls US-provided Abrams tanks from the front lines over Russian drone threats

Two U.S. officials say Ukraine has sidelined U.S.-provided Abrams M1A1 battle tanks for now in its fight against Russia.

apnews.com

Also, no Patriots from Greece and few from Spain,

Ukraine war: Kyiv's plea for Patriots falls short in Greece and Spain​

Greece has rejected pressure from European allies to help Ukraine boost its air defences, arguing that Athens needs the systems for itself.

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky has appealed for at least seven more Patriots or similar defence batteries to protect its cities and power plants from Russian attack.

But Greece has said it cannot spare any of its Patriot or S-300 systems.

Reports say Spain will supply some Patriot missiles but not a full system.

Spain and Greece have come under pressure to help Ukraine from both Nato and European Union allies, in response to attacks on vulnerable cities including Chernihiv and power facilities in Kharkiv and close to Kyiv.

Ukraine only has a handful of Patriots to complement other Western missile defence systems and existing stocks of Soviet-era surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), such as the S-300.

Patriots are the most capable and expensive air defence systems that Ukraine has.

President Zelensky said on Friday that Russian jets had targeted Ukraine with more than 9,000 "guided aerial bombs" so far this year and Kyiv needed to be able to shoot their planes down.

"We urgently need better systems. And missiles for them to save lives right now," he told a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, an alliance of Nato members and partner countries.

Germany has already promised an extra Patriot, and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a $6bn weapons programme on Friday, to include missile intercepts for Patriot and Nasam (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System) air defence systems.

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg has suggested that Ukraine's allies have not provided support they promised. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell said this week: "The Patriots are in the capitals. And it's up to them to take the decisions."

Greece in particular has stocks of Patriots and S-300s. But Prime Minister Kyrios Mitsotakis has ruled out handing any to Kyiv. "We explained why we cannot do it," he told Skai TV.

His said his country's air defences were "critical systems for the protection of Greek air space".

Ukraine war: Kyiv's plea for Patriots falls short in Greece and Spain

Greece says it cannot spare its defence systems and Spain reportedly says it can only provide missiles.

www.bbc.com

Please pray that GOD will soften the hearts of Jake, Brandon and Daniel. Remove the spiritual blindness from their eyes, and help them to understand the truth about you. Bring them to repentance and salvation. Help me to let my light shine before men that they may see my good deeds and glorify my Father in heaven.

Republican Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner is being investigated for sexual assault after his other child stabbed him in the chest twice

Sheriff Youngblood recounted the incident where Scrivner, apparently experiencing a psychotic episode, was armed with a gun at his Tehachapi home, following a call from Scrivner’s aunt, District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer.

Deputies dispatched to the scene discovered Scrivner had already been disarmed and had sustained two stab wounds in a physical altercation with his children, sparked by the assault allegations.

Thirty guns, electronic devices, and psychedelic mushrooms were seized from Scrivner's residence, leading to forensic examinations to determine potential influence.

Scrivner's attorney, H.A. Sala, refutes the sex assault allegation, attributing the altercation to Scrivner's mental health crisis and pending divorce.

Does God enjoy watching people suffer? The bible says he doesn’t give more than a person can handle.. so if you are blessed to be born with mental health and depression issues and your daily life is a struggle what is that supposed to mean in the long run? Does God only give half effort to help you while watching over others who prosper? The world is getting more difficult and it’s getting harder to keep up. Your perspective would be appreciated

I think this miracle in Orthodox history is pretty obscure but it's awesome.

2 Samuel 24:

25 And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then the LORD answered the prayers on behalf of the land, and the plague upon Israel was halted.

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Did God stop the plague before or after David's offerings?

Let's trace the context:

15 So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.

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God knew exactly the start time and the end time.

16 But when the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

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God ordered the angel to stop at the designated time. That's the vertical reality. Now, the horizontal reality continued:

18 And that day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19So David went up at the word of Gad, just as the LORD had commanded.

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David had to perform an act to complement God's order to the angel.

So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then the LORD answered the prayers on behalf of the land, and the plague upon Israel was halted.

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At this point, the vertical and horizontal realities converged.

From the vertical point of view, God ordered the angel to stop. From the horizontal point of view, God ordered David to offer sacrifices. Both were necessary to halt the plague.

Did God stop the plague before or after David's offerings?

In terms of space-time, God stopped the plague before David's offerings.

This is my explanation in terms of Co-Reality.