This is disgusting.

..• Saint Susanna Parish in Massachusetts is displaying a Nativity scene with
an empty manger and a sign that reads,
"ICE was here," along with contact
info for a group that monitors local immigration enforcement.

Stop using our religion for your activism.


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A majority of pastors are now using artificial intelligence to prepare their sermons, with ChatGPT and Grammarly reported as the top two AI tools, new survey data shows.

"ChatGPT is the most visible generative AI tool that can engage in human-like conversations and assist with a wide range of tasks, from answering questions to generating content," researchers wrote in "The 2025 State of AI in the Church Survey Report" prepared by AiForChurchLeaders.comand Exponential AI NEXT.

“As the most popular AI tool among church leaders (26%), ChatGPT is being used for applications such as sermon preparation, research, and crafting church communications. Its versatility and ease of use make it a powerful asset for streamlining ministry work and sparking creative ideas."

The data, based on responses from 594 pastors and church staff members, shows that church leaders are now more concerned about "the weighty ethical and practical considerations involved" in the use of AI as they continue their rapid embrace of the technology.

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My mother isn't saved and has a "heart of of stone" for a past hurt to where she lashes out at those closest to her. She currently isn't open to hearing anything to do with the Gospel of Christ and is currently in the latter stages of heart failure. I received a word that she will leave this earth as soon as her decision is secure and I have been holding on to that in spite of what I am witnessing from her.

I'm believing God for a miracle with regards to her salvation and ask that the saints on here stand in agreement with me to this end.

Blessing to you all and thank you xx

An obvious Sabbath reference, I was reminded of this as I, yet again, got the feeling that I can now die in peace, having experienced what I had to experience, and learned what I came here to learn, and what follows hereafter is just a bonus.

You ever get this feeling?

When Jesus spoke these words, his sheep (his followers) were primarily the Jews who had believed in him to be their Lord and Savior. So, the “other sheep” he was speaking of were the Gentiles who were soon to be included in the family of God, by faith in Jesus Christ, because of Jesus’ sacrifice on that cross for the sins of the world. And Jew and Gentile, by faith in Jesus Christ, were to become one people of God, no longer divided by Jew and Gentile, but now all one family, with Jesus Christ as their only shepherd.

For Jesus Christ made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall that stood between them, and he made the two (Jew and Gentile) into “one new man,” that he might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross. For through Christ we both (Jew and Gentile) have access in one Spirit to the Father so that non-Jews who believe in Jesus Christ are now fellow citizens with the Jewish saints of God who have trusted in Jesus Christ to be their Lord, both of whom are now of God’s household.

For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all who are physical descendants of Abraham are the children of Abraham. For it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but it is the children of the promise who are counted as offspring. So, if you belong to God, by biblical faith in Jesus Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise, because Jesus Christ is the seed of Abraham, and God’s promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed (Galatians 3:16).

So, there is no more division between Jew and Gentile. We are all one people, one holy nation, by genuine faith in Jesus Christ. And all who deny that Jesus is the Christ are not of God, but they are antichrist, denying both the Father and the Son (Jesus Christ). So physical Jerusalem is no longer God’s holy city because she is of Hagar, the slave woman, and not of Sarah, the free woman. But spiritual Jerusalem, which is not a physical place, is the family of God by faith in Jesus Christ. We are God’s holy city, his people.

[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; Matthew 5:13-16; John 8:18-19,38-47; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:1-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13; 1 Peter 2:9-10,24; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]

But we are not included in God’s family merely by verbal professions of faith in Jesus Christ. So here is what it means to be of faith in Jesus Christ:

Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

For by God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness in walks of obedience to God’s commands. We are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Seek the Lord

Based off Isaiah 55
An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Musical Instrumentation by Mark Bradley

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”

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One Flock with One Shepherd
An Original Work / December 7, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

I have a lot of unresolved anger in me. A lot of thoughts of revenge on people who have hurt me. I have also struggled with addiction to pornography for many years. I have used it as a stress relief. I want these sins gone from my life forever. Please pray for me. Thank you.

Pastor Kamran Michael was brutally killed yesterday in Pakistan in front of his daughter. The attacker shot him multiple times to make sure he died, simply to stop him from proclaiming the Good News of Jesus. I just spoke with his mother-in-law on the phone to offer condolences, and it was heartbreaking to hear more details.

Pastor Kamran was the father of two daughters and one son. These young children all love the Lord. A few months ago, he was shot in the leg in Islamabad, where he served his church and congregation. Extremists had been pursuing him and threatening him everywhere he went. He moved from Islamabad to Gujranwala, but they were still not satisfied. They wanted to stop his passion for preaching the Gospel.

This is heartbreaking. The man of God, Pastor Kamran Michael, has given his life for his faith in Jesus. This martyr for Christ has finished his race. Please keep his children, his wife, and all the grieving family in your prayers.

Pastor Waris

~~When it is seen that one has died when Christ died, all is met with a ‘what is that to a dead man, I follow Christ……..~~


When the above truth has the possession of the heart, oh what freedom the heart, the life, the very soul of man experiences… All the trouble of this life morphs into a glorious hallelujah given to the One that has given such a salvation unto man…

For Christ came to fulfill the law concerning man, and He did this by taking every man to death with Him, blessed and so blessed is the heart that sees into this truth…. For when it does, all is met with a ‘what is that to a dead man,,,,, I follow Christ’ …..

May we all enter into and enjoy and live in the light of what our salvation in Him consists of….

Many blessings to all that would seek to enter in, because Jesus did die and we did die in Him…..


From a fellow follower who believes into his death in Christ, Not me…..

I thought someone might be blessed by this.

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06 December 2025 – Iran​

Pray for God’s blessing on two Christian converts who fled Iran after each being sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges related to the possession of multiple copies of the Bible. Mehdi Rahimi, aged 49, and Kia Nourinia, 55, were sentenced in April after raids by intelligence officers on their homes in Tabriz.

05 December 2025 – Iran​

Children in Iran are indoctrinated by state propaganda and hatred in school from a young age. Pray for those growing up in Christian homes who hear such contrasting views from their parents and teachers, and for whom saying the wrong word in class could lead to their parents’ arrest.

04 December 2025 – Iran​

Our partner asks for prayer for its team in Turkey and for those Iranian Christians there who face threats of deportation, regular harassment from local authorities and discrimination in their schools and workplaces. May God soften the hearts of those who are mistreating them.

03 December 2025 – Iran​

Pray for the training events run by our partners in neighbouring countries to equip and encourage the leaders of Iran’s house church movement. Without the infrastructure of established churches, these networks and their leaders need regular training and opportunities to meet safely.

02 December 2025 – Iran​

Give thanks for the impact of multiple media ministries that transmit the gospel into people’s homes, bypassing government attempts to repress Christianity. Pray for those working to translate the Jesus film, The Chosen and other evangelistic material into Iran’s many indigenous languages.

01 December 2025 – Iran​

Pray for Christian Mehran Shamloui, aged 37, who was arrested on his arrival in Iran after being deported from Turkey in July. Mehran had been sentenced to a total of ten years in prison following his arrest in Tehran in November 2024. In connected raids on homes, two other Christians, Abbas Soori (48) and expectant […]

30 November 2025 – Philippines​

Praise God for the church denominations that are supporting workers in dangerous locations and are prepared to adopt new methods of evangelism and church planting that are sensitive to the local culture.


For email prayer alerts: info@releaseinternational.org

We as the United States of America can do better. We need to do better.

Kirkolliskokous 2025: Viidennessä täysistunnossa yksi pöydällepano, viiden asian käsittely päätökseen - Suomen ortodoksinen kirkko (Item 24)

Ok, wow... what are the thoughts of EO folks on here? Is this nothing of any real consequence and the Church is just trying not to get into trouble with the government, or is this coming closer to formal approval?

I can see how these statements could be taken either way; as stating compassion without affirmation or stating a possible approval, depending on how one wanted to view them.

~ ~ ~

Item 24 (General Synod initiative on recognizing and safeguarding the rights of sexual and gender minorities and other minorities in the Church)​

The General Synod decided to approve the initiative.

Rationale:

The General Synod's initiative on recognising and safeguarding the rights of sexual and gender minorities and other minorities in the Church states: "The Church is the body of Christ. The exclusion of certain parts of the body – the denial of their identity – not only hurts these individuals, but cripples the community itself, wounds the church and makes it less of a church, weaker. In the church, everyone – absolutely everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ethnic background, skin colour, health challenges, social status, etc. you have to feel safe and genuinely be heard and encountered."

The General Synod considers that the objectives of the initiative – to strengthen the security, dignity and equal encounter of church membership – are in harmony with the pastoral tradition and educational mission of the Orthodox Church.

The General Synod considers it necessary for the Church to develop training, guidance and communication that support the comprehensive encounter and inclusion of all members belonging to minorities.

The General Synod does not take a stand on doctrinal issues, but emphasizes that the Church's policies must be in harmony with Finnish legislation and that the Church's educational and pastoral work requires clear practices that support equality. The Church must walk alongside every person and support them in all situations of life until the end.

Please pray for her peace and strength of mind. She is getting where she is not sleeping and is in the midst of trying to adjust to some new meds. She keeps thinking in loops and is obsessively worried about everything. Usually when she gets like this she ends up in the hospital. Please pray for her peace and strength of mind where she can get through this without the hospital stay.

Thank you!

Australian influencer Sam Weidenhofer tracked down Ed Bambas at Michigan supermarket​

More than $1.7 million has been raised to help an Army veteran retire after his story went viral online and a GoFundMe drew thousands of donations from strangers.

Australian social media influencer Sam Weidenhofer first learned about Edmund Bambas, 88, from a comment on one of his videos. Weidenhofer then worked with influencer Mike McKinstry to track the veteran down at the Meijer supermarket in Brighton, Michigan, where he works, WXYZ Detroit reported.

"May I ask how old you are?" Weidenhofer asks in the video.

"I'm 88 years old," Bambas responded.

“Why do you have to keep working?" Weidenhofer asks.

Bambas, who served in the U.S. Army in 1966, explained that he retired from General Motors in 1999, but everything changed when the automaker filed for bankruptcy years later.

“ I retired from General Motors in [1999]," Bambas says. "In 2012, they went bankrupt, and they took my pension away from me."

The veteran said his financial situation worsened when his wife became seriously ill.

"The thing that hurt me the most was my wife was real sick, and when they took the pension, they also took the health care coverage and all but $10,000 of my life insurance," Bambas said, "So, I sold the house, sold the property I had and we made it through."

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I had put making games on the backburner, although I had not given up on it.
One reason is, I wasn't finding the right tools that met my desires, and also, I wanted to make life easier for myself, by making a program that builds a model in a matter of second, or just a few minutes, because to me, making assets is the most time consuming part of game making.

Recently though, someone helped me make up my mind on a game engine that could work for me, and I made up my mind to get back to game making.

I still have the assets I made for a couple games I had planned, so I will retrieve those, but now, with AI, I found a tool online that does what I want... generate a model withing a few seconds, to a minute, and optionally can rig it as well. It can retopologize the model, also.
The models I have generated so far, looks great, and all I had to do was tell the AI what I wanted.

Is there anyone here, who might have held back from making games, because of not having the skills to make artwork, or models?
Would you be interested in game making, if you could get all your models made for you, for free?

I was wondering if any other Christians are having trouble with making friends. Friendships you're actually happy with and are good for you. It can be with other Christians or non-believers.

I feel like I have trouble. I don't really know where to find other Christians that are like me.

At work I'm around people I do not trust. They lie, they gossip, they're out to get others, etc. So I have to watch what I say and do, and protect myself.

I also haven't been to church in 6 years. I know that's bad. But I'm not impressed with the churches in my area.

​

Grand prize-winning piece by Janielle Perez is on display at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., until Jan. 11, 2026. Perez is a student at Resurrection Catholic School in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. | Credit: Tessa Gervasini/CNA

Children across the U.S. received awards for their artwork portraying the Nativity of Jesus in Washington, D.C.

“Through their creativity, they have beautifully expressed the story of Christ’s humble beginning and what it means to be young missionary disciples,” said Alixandra Holden, director of the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA), one of four Pontifical Mission Societies in the U.S., at a Dec. 5 awards ceremony.

MCA’s mission is “to help children grow in faith by teaching them to pray and sacrifice for other children around the world.” Since 1933, the organization has encouraged children to evangelize by depicting the Nativity of Jesus.

Grand prize-winning piece by Diana Uytingco is on display at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., until Jan. 11, 2026. Uytingco is a student at St. Andrew Catholic School in the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas. Credit: Tessa Gervasini/CNA

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​

Archbishop Bernard Bober of Košice, president of the Slovak Bishops’ Conference, blesses the new mosaic of Our Lady of Sorrows in the Vatican Gardens at a ceremony attended by Slovak President Peter Pellegrini and Vatican officials on Dec. 5, 2025 | Credit: Bohumil Petrík

Just before the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a mosaic of Our Lady of Sorrows, Protectress of Slovakia, was inaugurated in the Vatican Gardens. Archbishop Bernard Bober of Košice, president of the Slovak Bishops' Conference, blessed the artwork during a ceremony attended by Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, whom Pope Leo XIV received in audience the day before.

Among other bishops and diplomats, two cardinals took part: the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Re, and Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.

The Slovak president said he was happy to see the Slovak Virgin Mary image inside the Vatican as she "is a source of hope, faith and unity." Peter Pellegrini stressed that his Central European country and the Holy See "share common values, such as the dignity of human person, true liberty and open dialog."

Continued below.

American actor Chris Pratt, best known for his roles in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Jurassic World,” is currently filming a documentary on the Vatican Necropolis, which lies underneath Vatican City containing tombs dating from the first to fourth century A.D., at depths varying between 16 and 39 feet below St. Peter’s Basilica.

The film, which is being produced by Vatican Media, the Fabric of St. Peter, and AF Films, will be released in 2026 for the 400th anniversary of the inauguration and dedication of the basilica.

Pratt will guide viewers on a journey to discover the tomb of St. Peter through stories of faith, history, and archaeology.

“It is an extraordinary honor to partner with Pope Leo and the Vatican on this project. St. Peter’s story is foundational to the Christian faith, and I’m deeply grateful for the trust and access granted to help bring his legacy to the screen,” Pratt told Vatican News in an interview.

While Pratt is not Catholic, he and his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, a practicing Catholic, attend Mass regularly and are raising their children Catholic. Pratt speaks openly about his faith and the importance he places on praying daily. He has also partnered with Hallow, a Catholic prayer and meditation app, on multiple occasions and been featured in its Lent, Advent, and daily prayer challenges.

Continued below.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a civil injunction lawsuit against Dr. Joseph Johnson, a serial entrepreneur whose latest venture is the Christian company Life Surge. The DOJ’s lawsuit pertains to a former company of Johnson’s, The Welfont Group, and accuses him of for more than a decade orchestrating a multi-state tax scheme involving inflated property appraisals and improper charitable deductions.

Federal attorneys say Johnson was the “architect” of “as many as 190 abusive bargain sale transactions” and claim the conduct might have caused “as much as $46 million” in “total tax harm.”

The DOJ lawsuit, filed Aug. 5, describes the same alleged patterns of misconduct that were related in at least five previous lawsuits filed against Welfont by property owners in different states that were litigated in federal court from 2020 to 2024.

In an extensive statement to ChurchLeaders, Johnson denied all wrongdoing and said the IRS has targeted him for years because of his conservative Christian views.

What the DOJ Is Alleging Against Dr. Joseph Johnson​

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I'm considering using Amazon Renewed to find a good quality cheap refurbished iPad. I am wondering how reliable a refurbished device would be, because one time a friend bought a refurbished Samsung Galaxy phone from Walmart and it had severe charging problems. So I have a distrust of buying refurbished, and wonder if I want to go with a brand new device. I have a brother who has autism and lives at a care center, and I can FaceTime him if I have an Apple device, and the care center is overly restrictive on not allowing any cross platform apps (not allowing Zoom or WhatsApp for Windows or Android).

One-hour conversation to focus on 'faith, grief, perseverance and the memory of her husband'

Erika Kirk, the widow of slain Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, will take part in a televised town hall with Bari Weiss, editor-in-chief of CBS News, the network announced Thursday.

Set to focus on Kirk’s “life, loss, the state of political discourse and more,” the one-hour event will be filmed before a studio audience in New York City and “feature Kirk fielding questions from young Evangelicals, prominent religious leaders, and figures across the political spectrum.”

Prospective attendees who used a now-static sign-up formreportedly were asked about their faith and other questions, including whether they identify as Evangelicals, if they consider themselves to be a conservative, or if they were “grieving the loss of a loved one.”

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Democrats are having existential meltdowns over RFK's department issuing revised recommendations for Hepatitis B vaccines in children. Instead of the current recommendations that have Hospitals as a matter of course inject all infants with Hepatitis B vaccines on the day of their birth, the new recommendations are that infants whose mothers have Hepatitis B be given the vaccine for protection at birth, but the others who have no risk getting the disease, instead delay until 2-3 months after birth before getting the vaccine. Apparently this will cause all sorts of death and destruction according to dems. The reality is there's nothing wrong with the recommendations at all, and there's no reason we should be injecting newborn infants who are not at risk, with something that they don't need, on the day they're born.



https://ground.news/article/us-vaccine-advisers-say-not-all-babies-need-a-hepatitis-b-shot-at-birth_014461

When Emperor Constantine brought Christianity out of hiding and prison in the fourth century, the Church faced an empire-wide debate between the Egyptian theologians Arius and Athanasius over the divinity of Jesus. Followers of these two literally rioted in the streets against each other. The issue, brewing for some time, was supposedly settled in 325 at the Council of Nicea, source of the Nicene Creed prayed at Mass today. But the struggle over this doctrine of Jesus’ divinity continued for decades.

There is an apocryphal story that Archbishop Nicholas, at the Nicene Council, was so infuriated at the Arian bishops who denied Jesus’ full divinity that he slapped one in the face! He was censured, the story goes, until the same bishops had a dream in which God told them to reinstate Nicholas. They reinstated him. This story, true or not, put Nicholas squarely on the side of those who proclaimed Jesus as “one in being with the Father” in the struggle to capture the minds and hearts of Christians of the day.

We can thank Saint Nicholas, and others like him, that the acceptance of Jesus’ full divinity carried the day as the Church grew.

The Real St. Nicholas | Franciscan Media

Hoping everyone is blessed on the real St Nicholas Day.

"Questioned about a growing trepidation among western Christians about the growth of Islam outside of the Middle East, especially in predominantly Christian nations in the West, the pope said this was something touched on in his discussions with interfaith leaders in Turkey and Lebanon.

However, he cautioned that oftentimes these fears are “generated by people who are against immigration and trying to keep out people who may be from another country, another religion, another race.”

Pope inflight says fears over Islam often a political maneuver against migrants | Crux https://share.google/S89I3mLpZGSSx9eTv