I wanted to update the thread to share I got AppBlock on Android, described at appblock.app. However, does anyone else struggle with addiction to time spent on texting or other apps? AppBlock is supposed to limit my time on texting to 30 minutes a day and also block after 8pm, with the goal of playing the guitar more after that time, or spending time in the Bible or prayer.

I found I was inconvenienced by it yesterday, because I got in bed and texted people. One of my favorite passtimes is I like to relax by getting in bed and sending friends text messages. I did this yesterday until I reached a block at 8pm in the evening. I also tried to watch a presidential candidate at his rally on YouTube, and I was blocked from seeing the YouTube video after 8pm, but I could still hear the audio of the video, but I closed it and couldn't get it back. So I was just left laying in bed with nothing to do and didn't want to get out of bed, so just waited until I fell asleep. Since I kind of think getting in bed to send text messages is an unproductive habit, I may try out a strategy of keeping my shoes and day clothes on when I am at home and not changing into my more realaxing pajamas until bedtime.

So it took a while for me to understand what is meant by spirit but if we just look at the common place meaning of spirit or ghost it is not hard to understand that they are these things outside of our perception, which make an impact on the material world, which most people are very afraid of.

So it is not hard to contend that the spirit Christ was talking about was YHWH. Is there a more powerful spirit in the world today? None that we are aware of at least. No other names even make a comparison, as they are long forgotten, and their legacy is short lived.

That being said, how can we approach God knowing that he is a spirit?

It was customary back in the day to offer sacrifices, and some still do, for small favors from small spirits. We of course have the biggest sacrifice and the biggest spirit. So where do we go from here?

Hi everyone. I am new to thesee forums. I am taking a look around. Briefly, I am in search of a KJV 1611 Study Bible. Not Scofield, but maybe something from Holman. I would like the study notes to be influenced/inspired by God rather than influenced by Rothschilds or Jesuits.

Additionally, I am also on the lookout for a KJV Study Bible without the Thees and Thous type old English you find in the 1611 KJV. I think that I saw something that came out around 1016, but for the New Testament only. I've been doing some digging around of some other versions translated from the Textus Receptus as well. I am kind of open on this if it is from the Textus Receptus.

I have received notifications from credit cards and credit karma about this.

Greetings fellow writers, recently I have published my first non-fiction book, Bunk 47. Now I have three books I would like to write, two are non-fiction Christian books, and one is Fiction, an epic tale... that I would love to tell. Part of me thinks my time is wasted on fictional tales, when I can produce books that may help people instead. So I sit on the edge of three projects, wondering which way I shall go....

The Summer of 2024 - I did catch about a half a dozen camp meetings. Since the Robert Sheffey days the Methodist Episcopal Church combined to create the UMC (United Methodist Church). In which the Sheffey Camp Meeting became. The UMC has embraced the LGBTQ stuff and I am supposing that there are gay bishops out there in which I don't want to investigate anymore into. The people at camp meeting all looked old and unenthusiastic.

So... For the speaker of this camp meeting they had an old veteran and he would speak like this... "All! We all know Methodism has had its issues and is a mess. But our response is to laugh about it!" And then he goes on to tell a story about a man who laughed all the time. And the last time he heard someone laugh was at a funeral somewhere in which his loud laughing could be heard everywhere.

My thoughts... My gosh! What terrible events to have beheld! Suggesting we find humor in carnal events! So all the issues related to the church we are supposed to give deep hearted belly laughter over.

*** Our church is a mess! Hahahahaha!
*** We are terribly sexually impure! ! Hahahahaha!
*** Our speakers are terrible! Hahahahaha!
*** Our doctrine is way out there in left field! Hahahahaha!

From Joe, who said “Biden is far beyond cogent. He is better than he has EVER been intellectually, analytically. He is the best Biden ever."

Since the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah bothered Lot so much, why didn't he move away before God destroyed the cities?

2 Peter 2:

5 if he [God] did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;

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Noah was a preacher of righteousness among ungodly people.

6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard).

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If it bothered Lot so much, why didn't he move away?

Lot might have seen himself as setting a good example for the men of Sodom and Gomorrah. He knew what they were doing was wrong, Genesis 19:

6 Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, 7 and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly".

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God placed Lot there to set a good example, so they had no excuse. Like Noah, Lot was a righteous witness for God's law among lawless and ungodly people.

Quote:

Church–Canada (LCC) and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) gathered for a joint pastoral conference, daily services, and an Annual Koinonia Coordination Meeting (AKCM) at the Mount Carmel Retreat and Conference Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The goal was to deepen personal relationships, theological understanding, and mutual commitment and planning for mission and ministry in Canada. Source

I didn't see the UAW fired up with Biden. They are getting fired up now with Harris in campaigning against Trump.

Minnesota grandma jailed for defying Walz COVID lockdown orders warns 'you do not want tyranny at this level'
Minnesota grandma jailed for defying Walz COVID lockdown orders warns 'you do not want tyranny at this level'

Crazy stuff coming from MN.

The debate between Protestants regarding predestination has persisted for nearly five centuries, with neither side conceding. Each believes they have scriptural backing. This dichotomy likely extends to Christian forums, where some argue for free will while others argue for the bondage of the will, each supported by numerous scriptural verses and interpretations. The question remains: Is it the final destination that is predestined, leaving the path open to free will choices, or is the path itself predestined, allowing no deviation by free will until the final destination is reached?

I doubt anyone on the left will care, though.

(for those who are offended by the MAGA phrase, keep in mind that both Reagan and Bill Clinton both used it before Trump)

It's 2025. What would you like to see the new administration, Congress do to "make/ keep America Great/ greater?

Devastated Donald Trump rants publicly about his magical thinking over Joe Biden's presidential campaign. As recently as last Friday, Trump continued to invoke "Crooked or Sleepy Joe"

Will Saletan breaks down his stages of grief.

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When Paul said he was the chief among sinners, he had never met me. My 40-year addiction to porn and lust led to the darkest places a human mind can travel. Without going into details to protect you the reader, I will only say I have seen every kind of perverse, violent, grotesque sexual deviancy man has constructed. The pit was so deep and so dark, the devil had me convinced I would never escape. It was a constant cycle of despair: Seek after my own desires, find and watch, be filled with fear and regret, abstain for a short time, repeat. I have not only watched, but found pleasure in things that would make most people vomit. But through ALL of that darkness, God never stopped pursuing me, and sometimes, God has to send his agents to rescue us.

Romans 13:1-4 says "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval. For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer."

God only pursues whom He has chosen, His children, and I am blessed beyond imagination to count myself among the Brethren. God has called me out of that dark pit and into the role of a Pastor to declare the truth of Jesus Christ to the world and help men and women escape the bondage of pornography. Hallelujah~

Let me start by saying I understand the wide gap and debate between free will and predestination. One of the many consequences of my dark sinful past of pornography and lust, is that my wife and I never had children. This was the greatest source of hurt for many years, I always wanted a son or daughter. But when my sin culminated in an FBI raid and facing 20 years in prison, my friend made an observation. What might have happened to my young children, if I had gone to prison? Would they have been taken by the state? Would my wife be forced to divorce me, to regain custody? As I sit here today, I know I am uniquely equipped to help many men, and women, who are lost in the dark vacuum of porn addiction, and even though I have made some of the worst choices a man could make, I would not go back and change anything, because each choice has brought me to this point. And right now, God is restoring all the years the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25), and I as for my house, we serve the Lord. Every single day.

When I see in the Bible, that God is in control of all things, I cannot find where it says, He is in control of some things, some of the time. It only says He is in control of ALL things, and I sit back in awe of his mighty glory. By the way, the Lord has revealed to us, through several people, that we are having 2 sons, Noah Joseph LeRoy, and Samuel David Matthew, all praise and glory to God!

Hello from Las Vegas!

My name is Pastor Keith Mosher, and I am thrilled to have found these forums. A little about me: I was an Atheist until the age of 35, when Jesus Christ appeared supernaturally to me in 2006. I began to study apologetics, but was also lost in pornography addiction, since the age of 9 years old. My addiction to porn and lust nearly destroyed my marriage, my health, and my life. It culminated in an FBI raid on my home and office in 2022, and I found myself facing 20 years in prison. It was in jail that I finally discovered the fear of God described in the Bible. Since that time God has called me as a Pastor, and has rebuilt my life and marriage in miraculous ways, I have testimonies piled up sky high. Most notably, God has told me I have to travel the world and share my story and how he rescued me from porn addiction. The devil kept me in silence and shame for decades but it is only the light of the truth that will make us free, and that truth is Jesus Christ, amen! My story is hard to share, but God had me write it out and won't let me hide any more. So here I stand, before God, and for the first time in 53 years, I have no secrets.... but more importantly, for the first time, I am walking in the will of God, hallelujah!

I am looking forward to meeting many new brethren here.

Pastor Keith

Believe it or not, God is the King, Psalm 47:

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm!

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The above is the ultimate reality. However, people don't want God to be King. To compromise, Deuteronomy 17:

15a you may indeed set a king over you whom the LORD your God will choose.

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God would choose a man to be king.

Gideon got the right idea. Judges 8:

23 But Gideon replied, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you."

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People rejected God to be their King. 1 Samuel 8:

7 And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.

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Soloman got the right idea in 1 Kings 3:

9 Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?"

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But things got worse. They chose their own kings without consulting God, Hosea 8:

4a They made kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but I knew it not.

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God had to depose the bad kings, Daniel 2:

21a He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others.

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Jesus didn't want to be an early king in John 6:

15 Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.

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People are responsible to their king and their God separately, Mark 12:

17a Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

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Romans 13:

7 Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

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Jesus emphasized on the Kingdom of Heaven, John 18:

36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

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Jesus rules in the believers' hearts.

Even when bad kings rule, God is in control. Romans 13:

1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.

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They can be deposed by God as well. We are to obey governments unless they contradict God. Acts 5:

29 Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

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Jesus spoke to Pilate, John 19:

11a Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.”

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God desires to be the King on earth, but people rebel. Jesus introduced the Kingdom of God on earth in the believer's hearts. This is a spiritual reality. Christians believe that Jesus is King. We are to obey him besides our earthly rulers. When they contradict Jesus, we follow Jesus' teaching.

(Divine Worship at Mount Calvary Catholic Church in Baltimore Photo by Mount Calvary Catholic Church)


Turn down “Shadyvilla,” an unassuming residential street in Houston, and you will be greeted by a surprising sight: an imposing white stone neo-Gothic church that wouldn’t be out of place in 14th-century England.



The Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham in Houston is the beating heart of the Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter.

Surrounded by rows of white stone columns, the front of the cathedral is marked by a castle-like tower with four figures representing the four Gospels jutting out of the top. Credit: Photo courtesy of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham

This is the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham, the beating heart of one of the most unique dioceses in the Catholic Church, the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter.

Though in full communion with the Catholic Church, the ordinariate’s liturgical practice is deeply steeped in age-old English-Anglican traditions. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the ordinariate, however, is that despite the rapidly secularizing culture in the U.S., many of the ordinariate’s parishes, known for their reverent liturgies and respect for tradition, are flourishing.

According to several priests in the ordinariate, the diocese’s growth is primarily sparked by young people, especially young families. So, what’s going on and why are so many young people and families being drawn to the ordinariate?

What is the Anglican Catholic Ordinariate?

Continued below.

The baths at the Marian shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France have fully reopened for the first time in four years for France’s national pilgrimage for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary this week.

More than 30,000 pilgrims are expected in Lourdes for the Aug. 15 feast day, according to the news station Europe 1. The weeklong celebration will culminate in a Mass and candlelight rosary procession with thousands of sick in wheelchairs leading the way.

The immersion pools at Lourdes have been closed since 2020 due first to the pandemic and later to renovation work. During the closure, pilgrims were invited to participate in a “water gesture” by washing their face, hands, and forearms with holy water from the miraculous spring.

Continued below.

Following last week’s exile of seven priests to Rome, the Nicaraguan dictatorship has arrested two more priests and two laywomen in Estelí and Matagalpa, both dioceses officially led by Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who has been living in exile in Rome since January.

According to the Nicaraguan media outlet Mosaico, on Sunday, Aug. 11, the police arrested Father Denis Martínez García when he was on his way to celebrate Mass in Matagalpa. His whereabouts are unknown.

Martínez was a formator at Our Lady of Fatima Interdiocesan Seminary in Managua and on weekends went to Matagalpa to celebrate Mass due to the steep reductionin the number of priests in the diocese as a result of ongoing persecution by the dictatorship.

Continued below.

Archbishop Noël Treanor, the Irish prelate who had served as apostolic nuncio to the European Union since 2023, died of a heart attack on Sunday at age 73.

Before being appointed nuncio in late 2022, Treanor served as bishop of the Diocese of Down and Connor. With his new role, Pope Francis also conferred upon him the personal title of archbishop.

Down and Connor Bishop Alan McGuckian said on Monday that Treanor “continuously dedicated and devoted his life to the proclamation of the Gospel, to the pastoral care of the vulnerable, and to the social mission of the Church.”

Continued below.

Amid cratering fertility rates and widespread anxiety over declining population numbers in the U.S. and the rest of the world, multiple polls indicate that many younger Americans are forgoing childbearing simply because they do not want to have children.

Policymakers and analysts have been struggling to explain why fertility rates have been plummeting throughout much of the developed world, including in the U.S., Europe, and many Asian countries.

In many nations fertility rates have been below “replacement levels” for years, raising the prospect of looming population declines and accompanying societal disruptions.

Continued below.