• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

Hell's demographics

For this discussion, let's define "hell" as "the place of the dead," signifying a spiritual separation from God and His grace. The nature of hell, whether it's considered eternal punishment or a lake of fire leading to annihilation, is not the focus here. Instead, the intended topic is what actions or behaviors you believe will lead a person to hell and what types of individuals, if any, will be found there.

What I Long For

Holiness is what I long for
Righteousness, to walk God’s ways
Faithfulness in every footstep
Walking with Him day by day

Listening to the words He teaches
Making them my faithful friend
Doing all that His word shows me
Faithful to Christ to the end

Loving Jesus, Lord, my Master
Sitting daily at His feet
Loving all the times together
When my Lord and I do meet

Worship Him in truth forever
Sing His praises, bless His Name
Changing in the ways He leads me
Not remaining just the same

An Original Work / December 8, 2022

Do This More and More

“Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, or that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 ESV)

This brotherly love mentioned here has to do with the love that is among us who are followers of Jesus Christ. It is the love that we have for one another that is a proper affection and morally pure emotional feelings that we have for one another who are within the family of God. But when it says here that we who believe in Jesus have been taught by God to love one another, a different love is mentioned, which is agape love, which comes from God.

And this agape love means to prefer what God prefers, which is all that is holy, righteous, morally pure, upright, honest, godly, faithful, and obedient to our Lord and to his commands. For the Christian it means to prefer to live through Christ, choosing his choices, and obeying them in his power, strength, and wisdom. It means that we are actively doing what God prefers because we have the Holy Spirt living within us by faith in Jesus Christ.

So, in what ways is that love expressed to one another? Well, it is based in moral purity, so it will be morally pure. And it has to do with doing what God has designed and purposed for us to do, so it is going to involve obedience to his commands. And it is a love which comes from God, who is love, and so we will love one another in the same ways in which God loves us. So we will not deliberately and habitually do what is evil against one another.

Rather, we will show to one another kindness, compassion, concern, caring, and sympathy. And we will minister to one another’s legitimate needs in the power of and under the direction and leading of the Holy Spirit, utilizing the spiritual gifts we have been given by the Spirit. And we will encourage and exhort one another and speak the truth in love to one another in order to help one another to walk faithfully in obedience to our Lord in holy living.

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

But when this counsels us to live quietly, and to mind our own affairs, this is not to negate the teachings all throughout the New Testament which teach us the many ways in which we are to demonstrate the love of God for one another. For this engages us in exhorting one another and in speaking the truth in love to one another and in helping one another out of sin if any have been caught in sin. For we are to bear one another’s burdens.

Definitely we must be those who are walking properly before everyone. We all should be living righteous and godly lives in submission to Christ as Lord, and in surrender of our wills to his perfect will. We should all be modeling what it means to be a true follower (disciple) of Jesus Christ. And we should, thus, speak the same kinds of messages that Jesus taught, and to warn against taking God’s grace for granted and of falling back into sin.

We should also be warning our brothers and sisters in the Lord against false teachings and false gospels and false preachers and prophets and apostles and evangelists and politicians and newscasters who are proclaiming and teaching lies to the people in order to lead them astray. For so many professers of Christianity are being duped by master manipulators and they are being led away from the truth and to following after lies, instead.

But Jesus Christ is the ONLY Savior of the people, and the only one to rescue us from what ails us as a people, as a nation, and as the world. He is our ONLY hope for salvation and for deliverance, and his gospel message is the ONLY one that we should be following, which is the same one that his NT apostles taught. And that is basically that we must die to sin and to self and follow the Lord in obedience, by his grace, if we want eternal life with God.

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

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1


As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

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Was the book of Job the first book of the Bible before Genesis

Unlike Genesis however, we don’t know the author of Job and we are not sure exactly when this book was written, though some scholars place this book as written possibly up to 400 years before Genesis.

The reason Job is considered to potentially be the oldest book in the Bible is also because of some of the content within it such as;


Job 1:6 One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. “Where have you come from?” said the LORD to Satan. “From roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and forth in it.

From this passage we can see that Satan has not yet been exiled from heaven to earth.

Job 38:7 while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

This passage tells us who the sons of God are, they are the angels. Now go to Genesis 6:1 ;

Now when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose.

So we know now that it was angels who came down to earth to mate with women.

Also in Job we have the mention of Leviathan & Behemoth & Satan had God's permission to test Job

So was there a time before Genesis ?

Your Servant

This song is a prayer to my Lord, expressing how much I love his daily presence with me as I go throughout my day walking in his footsteps, listening to him speak, and having him teach me how to live and to work for him. My heart’s desire is to be his witness, to tell others of his love and grace, to serve him only as my Lord and master, living to please him, and then to be an example of one who has truly been set free from the power of sin and death, and set free to walk humbly in obedience to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I truly identify with the words to this song. I want to serve my Lord only and not my own flesh. It does not mean I deprive myself of what he has given to us to enjoy, or that I don’t take enjoyment and pleasure in food, nature, art, or a song, etc. Yet, I should not make my flesh my god nor should I make the things I enjoy my gods, but my Lord should be my only God, and he is the one I should obey and follow and desire above all else. My life should be complete in him, and I should be content with him alone.

Your Servant

An Original Work / September 21, 2011

Lord, I love to have You near me
As I go throughout my day,
Walking daily in Your footsteps,
As I humbly pray.
List’ning to You, hear You teaching
Me to live and work for You,
Lord, I pray You lead and guide me
Daily in Your truth.

Lord, I want to be Your witness,
Telling others of Your grace;
Telling how they can be set free
Of their sins today;
Share with them the love of Jesus,
He died on a cruel tree,
So that we’d be forgiven
For all eternity.

Lord, I want to serve You only,
As I bow on bended knee,
Making You my Lord and master,
And Your servant be.
Humbly walking in obedience,
Doing what You say to me,
Lord, may I be an example
Of one who’s set free.

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Walk to Please God

“Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.” (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 ESV)

We believe in Jesus Christ, not just so we can get our sins forgiven so that when we die we get to go to heaven. Our salvation from sin is not just all about what God did for us and what he will yet do for us. Jesus planned for us that, by faith in him, we will deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience to his commands. His design for our lives is that we now live in submission to his Lordship, in surrender of our wills to his will, in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living, and that we cease from sin.

And contrary to what so many people are telling you these days, we do have to live our lives to please God. We are not pleasing God by merely giving him lip service. We please him when we walk in obedience to his commands and we do the things that he has called us to do as his followers. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared in advance for us that we should walk in them. We are not saved by our own fleshly works, yet our salvation is not absent of works that God has for us.

And the New Testament writings are filled with instructions to us who profess faith in Jesus Christ with regard to what we should not be doing and regarding what we should be doing, and how we should be living as followers of Jesus Christ who have died with Christ to sin and who have been raised with him to walk now in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. And we are to conduct our lives in a manner which is pleasing to God according to the Scriptures.

But not only should we presently be living our lives to please God, in the power of God, but we should be doing this more and more. Our faith should be increasing, and we should be growing closer to our Lord in deeper commitments to him and to his service the longer that we know Jesus and the longer that we walk in his ways and in his truth and righteousness. For the will of God is our sanctification, that we be made holy, different from the world, because we are being made to be like Jesus in character.

Therefore, as followers of Jesus Christ we are no longer to walk in sin, making sin our practice. We must abstain from sexual immorality, and each one of us should learn how to control our own bodies in holiness and in honor, and not in the passions of lust like those who do not know Christ as their Lord and Savior. For Jesus died to free us from the passions of the flesh so that we will now be passionate about serving our Lord in holy living. And he will empower us to live righteously and to no longer walk in sin.

Sadly, so many people today professing faith in Jesus Christ, at least here in America, are addicted to sexual sin in one form or another. Many are addicted to pornography or to viewing anything that is sexually explicit or that is even sexually and immorally suggestive. Some are having extra-marital flirtations or affairs. Some are engaged in even worse forms of sexual perversion. And with so many having smartphones in their possession, it just makes it so much easier to engage in immorality.

But, as those who make professions of faith in Jesus Christ, we are to cease from making sin our habit, and we are now to serve Jesus Christ with our lives in holy living. And we are not to sin against God, and we are not to sin against our fellow humans, especially those who belong to the family of God. And this is not saying that we will never sin again (1 John 2:1-2), but that sin should no longer be our practice. Instead, holiness, righteousness, moral purity, honesty, faithfulness and obedience to God should be our practice.

And then notice with me that Paul, in saying these things, is letting those who profess the name of Jesus know that the Lord is the avenger in all these things. And so he was warning them against taking God’s grace for granted, thinking that they could now continue living in sin and not in obedience to the Lord. And we should not take God’s grace for granted, either, for if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness, and not walks of obedience to our Lord, then we will not inherit eternal life with God. Hell will be our destiny.

So, don’t buy into the lies which tell you that once you “believe” in Jesus that all your sins are forgiven and now heaven is guaranteed you when you die, but regardless of how you live or how often you choose to sin against the Lord. For all of God’s promises come with conditions that must be met by us. So if we claim to be in fellowship with the Lord but while we walk in sin, we are liars. And if we say that we know God, but while we do not walk in obedience to his commands, we are liars. So please take God seriously!

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 15:58; 2 Co 5:9; 2 Co 9:8; Gal 5:6; Gal 6:8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 5:10; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:9-14; 1 Thes 2:4; 1 Thes 4:1; 2 Thess 1:11-12; 2 Tim. 2:4,21; Tit 2:11-14; Tit 3:8; Heb 11:6; Heb 13:6; Jas 2:17; 1 Jn 3:22]

You are Loving and Forgiving

An Original Work / February 19, 2012
Based off Psalm 86


You are loving and forgiving,
Jesus, Savior, King of kings.
You provided our redemption.
By Your blood You set us free.
You are gracious; full of mercy.
No deeds can compare with Yours.
Great are You; there is none like You.
Glory be to Your name.

Teach me Your way, and I’ll walk in it.
O Lord, I will walk in Your truth.
May I not have a heart divided,
That Your name I give honor to.
I will praise You, O Lord, my Savior,
For great is Your love toward me.
You have delivered me from my sins.
Your grace has pardoned me.

You, O Lord, are full of compassion,
Slow to anger, bounteous in love;
Faithful to fulfill all You promise;
Glory be to Your name above.
Hear, O Lord, and answer Your servant.
You are my God. I trust in You.
Turn to me and grant Your strength to me.
You are my comforter.

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French-made cross I might get in August 2024

Hello folks. For a long time, my neck is sensitive to touch, so I have not worn necklaces that much. Today, I found a cross made in France. It is 5 cm (2 inches long), and is made of rosewood and metal. Stuff made in Europe is high quality, plus the Jesus on the cross looks realistic. Even though France botched the Olympics, the French at one point in time were very religious and made crosses (it is a crying shame that France fell away from Christianity). Worse case scenario, if I still do not like wearing necklaces, I could use it as an ornament on my Christmas tree in December.

France has nice food, nice cities, beautiful countryside, beautiful women, and advanced technology such as Mistral AI and aviation such as Airbus.

Apparently, France has cool crosses as well.

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If you belong to Christ, you have the Paraclete

Romans 8:

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.
i.e., the Paraclete

Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
If you do not have the Paraclete, you do not belong to Christ.

By contrapositive, we have:
If you belong to Christ, you have the Paraclete.

15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons,
i.e., the Paraclete

by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
The Paraclete is connected to my human spirit.

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
If you have the Paraclete, you are a son of God. I can sense him in my spirit at all times.

End Time

Matthew 24 shows us that our Lord Jesus Christ expects us to be keeping the Sabbath up to His second coming. Please follow along.
There are three questions asked by the Apostles in verse 3. First is when shall the Temple be destroyed. The second is when shall be the sign of Jesus' coming. And the third is when shall be the end of the world.

.
Matt 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Matt 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

All three questions are answered as one. Everything Jesus says is connected to what is previously stated by the use of particles, conjunctive particles and adverbs. These conjunctive particles are "and" which is copulative and sometimes culminative in nature. "For", which assigns a reason to what was previously stated. "But" which is adversative or continuative in nature.

Verse 9 starts with the adverb then. Everything previously stated leads up to this point by the use of the particles, for in verse 5 and in verse 6, and for in verse 7. And all this is said in direct context to verse 6 in respect to the end being not yet.



Matt 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Matt 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Matt 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Matt 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Matt 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Matt 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

But that is not the end of it. Jesus continues in verses 10-14 with the conjunctive particle and, and, and, but respectively. Which means he is continuing, adding on to what He had already said.

In this respect he continues to tie everything he is about to say to what was previously stated in verse 6, that the end not yet. There is not a break. It is the same context. And that context is in respect the end not yet being.



Matt 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Matt 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Matt 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Matt 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Matt 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Verses 15-20 are a little different in the words being used. Verse 15 starts off with two conjunctive particles. These words as you can see are when and therefore. And the word "see" is being said in the second person. So we get, "when you therefore see". The words "when ye therefore" tie into what Jesus already said to what he is about to say. So the proceeding text adds to what was said in respect to what will occur before the end that is not yet. It says when you shall see the abomination of desolations spoken by Daniel standing in the Holy Place.

The abomination of desolation is the culmination of the signs in which we will see in relation to the question as to when the end is. Verses 6 and 13 solidify this context in that they mention the end. When we see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place we are instructed, if in Judea to flee into the Mountains quickly. And to pray that our flight not be in the winter nor on the Sabbath Day. Since we see that this prophecy is about when the end is, we see that this is speaking of the time right before Jesus, coming and the end of this world. As was said, verses 6 and 13 have set the context to which Jesus is speaking. And the context is the answer as to when the end would be. Keep in mind Jesus is talking to His Apostles, the first Christians. Therefore He is speaking to us.


Matt 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand
Matt 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Matt 24:17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
Matt 24:18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
Matt 24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
Matt 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

As you can see in respect to when the end shall be, our Lord and Savior councils us in verse 20 to flee when we see the abomination of desolation standing in the Holy Place, and to pray that our flight not be in the winter nor on the Sabbath Day. Which means prior to the end Jesus expected His followers, us to be resting on the Sabbath and keeping the day Holy. The fact that Judea is mentioned means that the abomination of desolation standing in the Holy Place is tied to that region. Whether it is being said in respect to the destruction of the Temple or something else is subject to debate. Most believe it is. We would teach the abomination of desolation would be the building of it in the name of our God and Father rather than the destruction. Even the very site in which it was is nothing since we are now the Temple and God's Spirit dwells in us through Christ. A building of a third Temple would be a direct affront unto our God and all He did for us in Christ.

As He continues, He tells us why we should flee by using the word "for" in verse 21. He says, for then shall be great tribulation as never was. And as He proceeds, He uses the word "and" connecting what is about to be said to what was previously stated in relation to when the end would be. He says unless this tribulation be shorten there would be none of us left. And at this time when He explains the tribulation is shortened, He uses the word then. He says at the end of this tribulation, then at this moment, many false Christs shall arrive showing great signs and wonders. And if it were possible they would deceive the very elect, us. He says Believe it not. For behold as I have told you before. As lighten cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west so also shall be the coming of the Son of man be.


Matt 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Matt 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Matt 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
Matt 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Matt 24:25 Behold, I have told you before.
Matt 24:26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
Matt 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

So with that, what we see so far is the signs as to when the end will be close. And as we see these signs we are called to flee and hope that are flight not be in the winter neither the Sabbath day. In that we see that Jesus expects His follows to still be resting on the Sabbath Day and keeping it Holy. And at this that we are fleeing there shall be tribulation as there has never been before. And after this tribulation is shortened for our sake we shall also start seeing incredible, miraculous signs and wonders being done by those whom profess to be Christ. Saying He is here and there. Believe it not For as lightening cometh from the east and shineth even unto the west even so shall the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcass is due to the tribulation that is shortened, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Then immediately after these days of tribulation the sun shall be darkened, the moon shall not give her light, the stars shall fall from heaven and the very powers of heaven shall be shaken. And THEN shall appear the Son of man in Heaven immediately after the tribulation. And all the tribes of the earth shall morn as they see the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great Glory. And at this time He shall send His Angels with the sound of a great Trumpet. And they shall gather together the elect who were not deceived. From one end of heaven unto another. Amen




Matt 24:28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
Matt 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Matt 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Matt 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

AI, the value of money, and the mark of the beast...

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. - Revelation 13:16-17

Adventists - voting on moral issues -- a mandate?

Lev 18 lists what God calls "abominations" -- moral issues.
Rom 1 addresses moral issues
1 Cor 6 addresses moral issues.

Should Adventists vote when it comes to moral issues even if imperfect politicians are on both sides of the moral issue?

=========================

"'Shall we vote for prohibition?' she asked. 'Yes, to a man,
everywhere,' she replied, 'and perhaps I shall shock some of you if I say,
If necessary, vote on the Sabbath day for prohibition if you cannot at any
other time."'--Ibid. {3BIO 160.1}

WCTU and Sunday –

“The WCTU made Sunday Closing a special project and asked WCTU members to send petitions to Congress”

Moral Reconstruction; by Gains Foster p101

Moral Reconstruction

According to the Ellen White Estate “Mrs. S. M. I. Henry… was the national evangelist for the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. A serious health problem led her to the Battle Creek Sanitarium where she accepted the Adventist message and was also miraculously healed. In December, 1898, Mrs. White wrote as follows regarding the relation of Mrs. Henry to the W.C.T.U.:

“I thank the Lord with heart, and soul, and voice that you have been a prominent and influential member of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union… The Lord does not bid you separate from the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. They need all the light you can give them… Flash all the light possible into their pathway. You can agree with them on the ground of the pure, elevating principles that first brought into existence the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.” Letter 118, 1898.
According to the White Estate; “at the time when this letter was received by Mrs. Henry, she had tendered her resignation as an officer of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Regarding this she wrote to Mrs. White on February 3, 1899 as follows:

“I cannot begin to tell you how thankful I am that the Lord sent the word to me just in time to prevent me from taking the final step which would have severed my relation to the W. C. T. U. This was one of the most remarkable manifestations of the personal and constant care of God over His children which I have ever had. . . The message coming just at that opportune time, and so clearly from the Lord that I could have no question concerning it, I simply wrote withdrawing my resignation.”
Mrs. White wrote her back; “I was greatly pleased with your letter, in which you give me the history of your experience with the W. C. T. U. When I read it, I said, ‘Thank the Lord. That is seed sowing which is of value.’ I am pleased, so much pleased. The Lord has certainly opened your way. Keep it open if possible. A work can be accomplished by you. Preserve your strength for such efforts. Attend important gatherings when you can. . . .

Acrostics in the (Book of ) Psalms

The term acrostic, which means the beginning of a verse, comes from the Greek άκρος (akros), which means point, and from στίχος (stichos), which can be translated as line or verse .


An acrostic is an ancient writing game or poem in which the letters of a word are written vertically one below the other

T
H
A
N
K

S

Each of these letters then forms the beginning of a new word or sentence. The given word contains the theme of the poem, for which words or sentences must be written

That's all for today
Have a great week
And we'll see each other
Next week.
Keep writing poems,
Sing, draw, play and have fun!


Acrostics are widespread in Jewish literature, starting with the Hebrew Bible

With the exception of chapter 5, the Lamentations of Jeremiah have an acrostic structure. In some psalms, the first letters of 22 verses follow the series of 22 letters of the Hebrew Alefbet (Psalms 9 and 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119 and 145).
S.: wicki


Some doubt that the Book of Esther is inspired by G-d. Nowhere is the name of G-d mentioned. In doing so, they overlook one of the most fascinating mysteries, for the name of G-d can be found in it several times, forwards and backwards. It is there, but it is hidden. The writer has deliberately chosen this method to reveal that G-d is indeed present in the story of Esther. G-d Himself is present, for it is He who controls and guides the events that take place in it, and who inspires the G-d-pleasing dispositions of the main characters, Esther and Mordechai


And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small. Est 1:20
ונשמע פתגם המלך אשר־יעשה בכל־מלכותו כי רבה
היא וכל־הנשים יתנו יקר לבעליהן למגדול ועד־קטן





And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him. Est 5:4
ותאמר אסתר אם־על־המלך טוב
יבוא המלך והמן היום אל־המשתה אשר־ עשיתי לו





Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate. Est 5:13
וכל־ז
ה איננו שוה לי בכל־עת אשר אני ראה את־מרדכי היהודי יושב בשער המלך





And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. Est 7:7
והמלך קם בחמתו ממשתה היין אל־גנת הביתן והמן עמד לבקש על־נפשו מאסתר המלכה כי ראה כי־כלתה אליו הרעה מאת המלך





YHVH (יהיה) , who met Moses, says His name Himself:

hayah,




Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? Est 7:5
ויאמר המלך אחשורוש ויאמר לאסתר המלכה מי הו
א זה ואי־ז
ה הוא אשר־ מלאו לבו לעשות כן




Although G-d's name is only present in a mysterious and hidden way, He is the main actor in the drama of Esther.

God > Money

Hello folks. Today is a devotional about how we should put God first, over financial gains. The verses from Tobit are not from the Protestant canon, but are part of the Catholic and Orthodox canons, though the advice given in Tobit can apply to all denominations.

Date
August 3, 2024 | God > Money​
Verse
Matthew 6:24-26 (NIV): "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

Luke 12:15 (NIV): "Then he said to them [the crowd], ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’"

1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NIV): "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

Proverbs 3:9-10 (NIV): "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."

Tobit 4:5-9 (NRSV-CE): "Revere the Lord all your days, my son, and refuse to sin or to transgress his commandments. Live uprightly all the days of your life, and do not walk in the ways of wrongdoing; for those who act in accordance with truth will prosper in all their activities. To all those who practice righteousness give alms from your possessions, and do not let your eye begrudge the gift when you make it. Do not turn your face away from anyone who is poor, and the face of God will not be turned away from you. If you have many possessions, make your gift from them in proportion; if few, do not be afraid to give according to the little you have."​
Explanation
These five passages from the Bible emphasize the importance of placing God as the sole focus in one's life rather than accumulating wealth and being consumed by materialism.​
  1. Matthew 6:24-26 highlights that serving two masters, such as God and money, is impossible because you will either love or despise one. It then encourages the reader not to worry about their needs like food, drink, or clothing since they are of lesser importance compared to spiritual matters.
  2. Luke 12:15 warns against all kinds of greed as life does not consist in an abundance of possessions and emphasizes the danger of focusing on material wealth instead of God.
  3. 1 Timothy 6:6-10 stresses that godliness with contentment is great gain, stating that those who desire riches fall into temptation, greed, and even abandon their faith. It also mentions that love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.
  4. Proverbs 3:9-10 advises Christians to honor God by giving their firstfruits (best part) of their crops to Him in order to be blessed with abundance and prosperity.
  5. Tobit 4:5-9 encourages believers to live uprightly, give alms from their possessions, help the poor, avoid covetousness, and not let their own financial situation prevent them from being generous. In this verse, Tobit gave advice to his son, Tobias to serve others by giving away a part of what little money he had.
Societal Relevance
In terms of strategies for Christians to avoid materialism, they can practice contentment by focusing on gratitude for what they have rather than constantly desiring more. They should also prioritize giving to God and others before spending on themselves. Additionally, regularly reading the Bible, praying, meditating, and attending church services will help them maintain a spiritual focus in their lives.

Regarding using wealth to further God's kingdom, Christians can support missionaries, fund charitable organizations, or even provide financial assistance directly to those in need. This helps spread the message of Christ and demonstrates Christian love and compassion to others.

For donors with limited resources, they can still make a significant impact by giving proportionally according to their means. Donating regularly rather than only during special occasions can also have a lasting effect on the lives of those in need. Additionally, praying for guidance when deciding how to allocate resources is essential as it ensures that their gifts are used wisely and effectively for God's glory.

Donating money to a good cause has been a part of my life recently since late 2022, typically giving around $60 during the hottest three months in the summer, and another $60 in the coldest three months of the winter to an organization that helps Wisconsinites pay for cooling and heating bills. During the spring and fall, I have yet to create a donation schedule for each month, though I did give some money to a tree planting organization. All of this is to try and further God’s Kingdom on Earth.
  • Agree
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Art Historian Discovers Long-Lost Portrait of Henry VIII in Background of Social Media Post

credit-Warwickshire-County-Council-1024x585.jpg
credit – Warwickshire County Council

Social media allows for the darndest things: like this story from the UK where an art consultant and historian saw a post on X and noticed a lost work of art hanging in the background.

It was in the judge’s room of the Shire Court in Warwickshire, England, where the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire was hosting a soiree.

Art historian and consultant for Sotheby’s, Dr. Adam Busiakiewicz, came across the post on X by Warwickshire Lieutenancy by chance and noticed a portrait with a distinctive arched top depicting that most famous of English kings, Henry VIII.

Continued below.

Mercury Could Have A Layer of Diamonds 11-Miles Thick Beneath the Surface

Mercurys-True-Color-is-in-the-Eye-of-the-Beholder-credit-NASA-1024x585.jpg
Mercury’s True Color is in the Eye of the Beholder – credit NASA / Johns Hopkins University.

A bi-disciplinary scientific study has revealed the likely presence of a layer of diamonds 11 miles thick at the boundary layer of Mercury’s core and mantle.

It was a remarkable finding, and came from what is the least understood planet in the solar system, despite being one of the closest to Earth.

Diamonds are forever—a girl’s best friend—but more importantly for science, they are pure carbon. Carbon is an awfully common chemical to find in the solar system, and many sources can become diamonds under the correct pressures and temperatures.

Continued below.

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