Just want to give a shout to to all the military family here. Anyone Active Duty, Reserve, Guard? I'm a 56M Chaplains Assistant Who is active duty and who is retired?

Just looking for ministries like mine to connect with . For the Military.

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.

Romans 8:

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

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i.e., the Paraclete

Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

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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,

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i.e., the Paraclete

by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

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The Paraclete is connected to my human spirit.

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

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If you have the Paraclete, you are a son of God. I can sense him in my spirit at all times.

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.
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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.

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

Does anyone here watch LizziesAnswers?

She’s a Catholic convert from Church of Christ and has bipolar disorder.

I don’t know if she has complete understanding of Catholic theology, but I enjoy her videos nonetheless.

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?

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"'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. . . .

​

​

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

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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־זה 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 הוא זה ואי־זה 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.

Trump met Biden on CNN

Will Harris have the same strength to debate Trump on FOX?

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ALMOST 2 hours long.
Carson said he had the same policies as Trump, but Trump wanted it and he did not. But he said Trump is genuinely a good guy in person.

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.

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’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.

Pope Francis this week said he is “united in prayer” with those participating in a conference for Catholics who identify as LGBT taking place this weekend in Washington, D.C.

Father James Martin, a controversial Jesuit priest who founded the pro-LGBT group Outreach in 2022, reportedly asked Pope Francis if he would like to send a greeting to the group’s 2024 gathering, taking place Aug. 2–4 at Georgetown University. Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington is scheduled to celebrate Mass on Saturday at the event.

According to Vatican News, Pope Francis sent a brief response saying he was pleased by the fact that Gregory will be celebrating Mass for the 350 expected attendees at the conference.

Continued below.

Here’s a roundup of pro-life-related developments in the U.S. this week.

Catholic pregnancy center sues California attorney general​

Culture of Life Family Services (CLFS), a Catholic pregnancy center network with three locations in the San Diego area, is suing California Attorney General Rob Bonta for what the network is calling a “politically motivated” campaign to limit the free exercise of religion.

CLFS is a nonprofit staffed by a team of medical professionals who offer a range of services including pregnancy care and abortion pill reversal.

The network is hoping its suit, which was filed on Tuesday, can stop Bonta’s efforts to ban pregnancy centers from promoting chemical abortion reversal treatments.

Chemical abortions currently account for over 60% of all U.S. abortions. The most common form of chemical abortion involves the ingesting of an abortion pill called mifepristone that works by cutting off the flow of nutrients to the unborn baby, essentially starving the baby to death. Abortion pill reversal works by administering progesterone, a chemical that can restore nutrient flow to the baby.

Continued below.

Genesis 12

10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live.

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Abram made a defensive move by deception.

13 Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” 14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.

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Pharaoh was not exactly righteous, either. Did he give Sarai a choice?

16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

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as predicted by Abram

17 But the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

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because of his taking of Sarai without asking first.

Neither Abram nor Pharaoh was innocent in this affair.

What did Abram learn from this?

Ironically, he did it again some twenty years later. This time, as Abraham and Sarah, Genesis 20:

1 Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

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Again, a local king took Abraham's wife. Again, God personally intervened:

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”
4 Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her.

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God was in control despite Abraham's actions.

Why did God punish Pharaoh if it was Abram's fault?

Pharaoh wasn't exactly innocent. In fact, God intervened to spare him and his people from further punishment.

i took the family to Japan in June. We were there ten days. Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka. While in Tokyo we went and took the metro train to see Holy Resurrection Cathedral, St. Nicholai of Japan’s church. What a blessing.

King James Bible, Jon 1:

17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

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a great
גָּד֔וֹל (gā·ḏō·wl)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

fish
דָּ֣ג (dāḡ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1709: A fish

But then, KJB, Mt 12:

40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

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Strong's Greek: 2785. κῆτος (kétos) — 1 Occurrence

BDAG:

sea-monster (such as tried to swallow Andromeda) of Jonah’s fish

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Tzetzes on Lycophron 34 has Heracles staying in the belly of the κῆτος for three days when he rescues Hesione).

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NASB 1995:

for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER.

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New King James Version:

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish.

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God made a special big fish to swallow Jonah.

Did a whale swallow Jonah?

It was not a usual whale. God may have made a special Cetacean (whale) for the occasion. In any case, it was a special huge fish (sea creature).

Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. How did we get to this point in our history? Why is it that such a warning and a hope is issued, after thousands of years of knowing that God exists and He can ensure our salvation? Even at that point, we have come too far to blame others for our sins. Would God have exonerated the Hebrews in Egypt for the sins they committed there if they said, ‘It’s not our fault that we sinned, the Egyptians made us do it’? Would he have exonerated the Hebrews in the wilderness for sinning, with a golden calf thrown in for good measure if they said, ‘It’s not our fault we have sinned, it was too much manna we ate that you provided for us while we are travelling to the Promised Land’?

And would God have listened to the Jews by punishing them by allowing them to be persecuted by other people if they said, ‘You can’t blame us for our sins, Lord, those godless people drove us to sinning. Who can blame us?’

So Jesus appears and gives mankind a new beginning, not so much like the Covenants of old that were made with the Jews, but more like in the form of a lesson...Romans 5:1-2 is a hallmark of sorts, saying “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

Ezekiel 16 is illustrative in a way, of the warning given in the first part of Romans 6:23. It is an allegory depicting Jerusalem as the form of a woman. In Ezekiel 16, God effectively says to Ezekiel to have Jerusalem see itself as a woman with all the embellishments and high regard He has given her so she can feel special, only to sin time and time again by allowing herself to be influenced by the godless people surrounding her as she in turn draws them to her. In the latter part of Ezekiel 16, God has Ezekiel say to Jerusalem in so many words that she will be punished for her sins.

And in fact, Jerusalem’s descendants, who continued sinning, have laid punishment upon themselves and others that follow, in the form of persecution through the ages. What does this have to do with Christians? Well, Christians are linked on several plains. First of all, do Christians need to fear being punished in the manner set forth in Ezekiel 16? That’s answered by the first part of Romans 6:23. Similar is the punishment laid out in Ezekiel 16:40. Secondly, Christians are the heirs to the Promise made by God to Abraham as it says in Galatians 3:29. Those who insist on sinning will see that Promise crumble in their hands like confetti as they meet death’s door, as God may will it. The future belongs to God, as only He can choreograph it.

But if our downfall on earth should be inevitable, there are things we can do to ensure that the escalator to God’s Kingdom we could be riding on when the time comes, will exist for us.

Hey everyone!

I wanted to ask this question today as it passed my mind and I can’t seem to find an answer to it.

So I’m sure most of you are aware the Bible commends and encourages us to give to the needy and poor,obviously I don’t turn a deaf ear to the needy and give graciously to the needy when I encounter them.

I’ve also been blessed to have grown up with a father who was a firefighter and has known numerous law enforcement friends in his career; so he’s seen and heard of some quite shocking and unusual things.

Among one of the things he’s educated me on is to be extremely cautious around panhandlers.Hes told me they can be unpredictable,such as potentially luring you in and then robbing or stabbing you,stabbing you with a needle or worse.I am someone who fears nothing but God alone,so I’m not scared of giving.

I hate the fact there has surely been fakers who have pretended or facaded to be poor or destitute to take money from people to waste it on useless things like alcohol,drugs,or maybe on ridiculous things.

I’ve found a way around this by giving bottles of water,etc,

But I’d like to know what you all think,surely God sees the liars and fakers,how does he wish for us to approach people who could potentially be faking it to rob you or worse?
Just a question!

Peace in Christ.

He that sows to the flesh shall reap “corruption” (decay/destruction) of the flesh....of the mortal flesh. The mortal body shall perish when we sow according to the flesh (even after being given His Spirit).

But he that sows to that Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life AGE-LASTING..... in the mortal body. The Spirit will then make alive your mortal body...giving it an age-lasting life. We shall not perish to the grave in our mortal bodies but shall have an age-lasting life now in this mortal body. We shall continue to abide here in this earth….kept standing by His resurrected life as Jesus was resurrected in the flesh...in His mortal body.

Gal 6:7-8
(7) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
(8) For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting (age-lasting).

Therefore, let not "THE" (definite article) sin reign in your MORTAL BODY….for we will mortally perish/die if we continue to serve the sin.

Rom 6:12
(12) Let not the sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Beware of the false prophets that spiritualize death away (the judgment of God) so that they can keep serving the sin. They are the ones who are "PERISHING". The truth of the gospel has been hid from the eyes of their understanding. They preach their covenant with death and their agreement with the grave which... for them and their followers... hides their erroneous ways.

But their works are being clearly being made manifest as erroneous (to those who know the truth of the gospel) as they are all perishing away mortally to the grave. The light...the knowledge...manifests their works as in error as the fruit of their works is death...being made manifest by their mortal deaths.
By spiritualizing death away, they don’t see the error of their own “religious” thoughts and ways.

But they are mortally perishing under the wrath of God and are not even aware of His judgment upon them by their spiritualizing away of death. The good news is being hid from their understanding.

Don’t believe the lie of the serpent who begins the lie by spiritualizing death away so that one can be “free” to serve the sin: By judging others (“killing them”), you shall not die.

Gen 3:4
(4) And the serpent said unto the woman, “You shall not surely die” (literal translation: “killing, you shall not die”)

Jesus died in the mortal body and was resurrected in the mortal body so that our flesh-and-bone mortal bodies can be given His life. Jesus showed Himself mortally alive to His disciples after His resurrection and was not a spirit.

Luke 24:39-40 KJV
(39) Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
(40) And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.

We are to eat of His flesh and drink of His blood. We must think of His manifest life in our mortal bodies. We must lift up the Son of man (His humanity). He came in the flesh and was resurrected in the flesh so that our mortal bodies shall be given that resurrected life now.

Do not believe in the false prophets as they are not confessing/acknowledging in their preaching that Jesus Christ IS COMING (now) in the flesh….our mortal flesh.
We are to experience His resurrected life NOW in our mortal flesh.

Christ is not speaking through them as they are preaching via the spirit/breath of the antichrist that deceives the many down the broad way to their destruction... to their mortal deaths. They perish mortally.

1Jn 4:1-3
(1) Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
(2) Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh is of God:
(3) And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

We shall not mortally die when we keep His “daily” sacrifice.

The “death” that we experience now in this mortal body is the dying to the sin. By dying to the sin (being planted together in His death), we shall participate in His resurrection now in this mortal body (the first-fruits of Christ….the “first resurrection” to be had now).

By the keeping of His “daily” sacrifice (always dying to sin…always bearing about the dying of the Lord Jesus), the life of Jesus is to be made manifest in our mortal bodies….our mortal flesh. It keeps our mortal bodies abiding here in this earth for the duration of this age that we are living in.

2Co 4:10-11 KJV
(10) Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

His life is to be made manfiest….to shine…in our mortal flesh. It shall appear/shine forth to this dark and dying world who will see and glorify God.

(11) For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

And again, if we through the Spirit mortify/slay/kill the deeds of the body, our MORTAL BODIES shall be given LIFE (age-lasting life….. “eternal life”) now. It is the Spirit that keeps our mortal bodies alive (which are already dead because of sin).

Rom 8:10-13
(10) And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
(11) But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (make alive) your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
(12) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

If we live after the flesh, we shall die….our mortal bodies/flesh shall die. If we sow to the flesh, we shall reap decay/destruction of the mortal flesh as the wages of the sin is the death of our mortal bodies. If through the Spirit we do slay the deeds of the body, we shall LIVE....our mortal bodies are given an age-lasting life.

(13) For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

He that is “dead” in Christ is freed from the sin. If we are dead with Christ from the sin, we believe that we shall also LIVE with Him…. now in this mortal body. Jesus was resurrected in His mortal body so that we might have His resurrected life now the same way.

Rom 6:7-12 KJV
(7) For he that is dead is freed from sin.
(8) Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

We live with Him now in this mortal body as His resurrected life is made manifest in our mortal flesh. We shall not mortally die/perish but shall have an age-lasting life.
(9) Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
(10) For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

This is how we should think of it now: we are to be “dead” unto the sin but ALIVE unto God through Jesus Christ who we believe in and the Spirit gives our mortal bodies life now.

(11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

If we continue to serve the sin in our mortal bodies after we have been given His Spirit, our mortal bodies shall die.

(12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Everyone who is believing in Him shall not perish (mortal death) but may have an age-lasting life.

John 3:
15 that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during,
16 for God did so love the world, that His Son — the only begotten — He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.

He was sent into THIS WORLD so that THIS WORLD might be saved through Him.

17 For God did not send His Son to the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him;

I often wonder if I could fit in a church? I have a church I like, it's very traditional. My background however is very not traditional. I tend to lean toward the teachings of the Assemblies of God, but I am looking at a Congregational Methodist Church. The Assemblies belive in the speaking of tongues, but the CMC does not as they don't share the same interpretations on that topic. And many others do not as well. As a matter of respect and deference as a guest at the CMC, I don't practice the glossolalia at the CMC, where otherwise in the A/G it would be perfectly fine. but that for me is not the major issue, it's not even a criticism for me because why should I criticise? A criticism isn't going to advance the kingdom any, fighting over whether a person speaks in tongues or not is a sticking point the devil uses to keep us from the unity in Christ. What good does arguing over this topic do? How does it advance the Kingdom? I have no doubt that there will be someone who will want to assert their doctrine one over the other. I'm not "picking" on these particular denominations, because it doesn't just have to be the CMC or the A/G or the SBC or the PCA or the GMC, or any of them. Many will tell you they don't support that viewpoint. Those who go to the A/G would ask you, "How could you not?" Now I'm not arguing over that topic , it's a controversial one for sure, but at the end of the days you got to ask , did your argument on this topic advance the Kingdom or did it really make an impact on the lives of others so that they could be saved? Speaking in tongues sometimes scares people because they don't know how to interpret it. Some people feel that they are doing it for "attention" as in a "Oh look at me" kind of thing and are not very sincere with it. I've seen it where it's a great sticking point between the A/G and the SBC to the point of where it's like night and day. How is this nitpick advancing the Kingdom? Is it attracting people or repelling people from the Kingdom? Would an unbeliever understand these divisions because one guy did this and another didn't?
When we are standing there before God, He's not going to be interested in if we were good at being a member of whichever denomination we went to. I tend to believe that He's going to be more concerned with the condition of our hearts and how we served Him. Does switching denominations make Him take off or add points? It's not going to matter because He's not favoring any one denomination over another. He knows each of their strengths and weaknesses. There are a lot of people who often get really wrapped up in the believe that "their" church is the only way to God, but Jesus didn't say that. So is it worth getting all worked up on the topic? Jesus is PEACE. Is PEACE there in the discussion? Are we really shining our lights or dumping our witness out all over the floor?
The A/G has a lot more in common than they think with the CMC and should work toward building up instead of sticking a wall there. Both have Jesus and He's the same Jesus, not like Allah or Buddah or anything, He's the same Lord. Just my thoughts...

Around 2,000 people were baptized at a mass baptism gathering held at a California beach days after Evangelist Greg Laurie's 2024 Harvest Crusade was attended by thousands more.

Last Saturday, Harvest Ministries hosted the second annual Jesus Revolution Baptism at Pirate's Cove Beach in Corona Del Mar, featuring approximately 2,000 baptisms overseen by nearly 70 pastors and other church leaders.

The ceremony was organized by the California-based megachurch Harvest Christian Fellowship, led by Evangelical pastor and author Laurie.

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