• 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.

Prayer for Car problems

My car stopped working Saturday at 4 pm . I spent all day yesterday trying to fix and isolate the problem, but it still wont start. I need prayer for a solution . I depend on this car for work. no car no work. Thank you

1. Does anyone of a good mechanic and a good price? In Olympia Washington. My starter or ignition switch is out on my car so the car won't turn over.
2. Does anyone commute to Centralia from Olympia. I'm eating a ride to work early in the morning like 6:00 a.m.
3. Could you send up a prayer asking for a solution to the problem. Thank-you

1984

I'm curious about what books U.K. youngsters read in school, in primary education. I don't know what terminology you use, but in the U.S., primary education is what you get from ages approx. 5 through 18 years of age.

I was wondering if George Orwell's book 1984 is or was required reading. Some people consider it one of the most important book of the 20th century.

Over here, I recall having to read Animal Farm, To Kill A Mockingbird, Huckleberry Finn, Brave New World, King Lear, and those are all I remember for certain. I know there were more. The required reading will vary depending on what part of the U.S. one lives in.

Decades ago, I was struck by hearing the fact that London has more public surveillance cameras than any city on Earth. In the decades since, I've been struck even harder by how much the contemporary U.K. resembles the situation described in the novel 1984. There's even a slogan which says "1984 was not supposed to be an instruction manual".

Is 1984 taught in school, and what other books are taught in primary education?

He’s a citizen with a Real ID. ICE detained him anyway. Twice.


Garcia is Latino and works in construction. Twice since May, masked federal agents have gone onto private sites where he was working and detained him along with every other Latino worker — and only the Latino workers. Both times, officers ignored clear signs that they were intruding on private property without a warrant. Both times, Garcia told the officers that he was an American citizen and showed them his Real ID. Both times, the officers detained him anyway because, they said, they couldn’t be sure his Real ID was real.​
After video of the first arrest went viral, the Department of Homeland Security claimed that officers arrested Garcia for obstruction because he “physically got in between agents and the subject they were attempting to arrest and refused to comply with numerous verbal commands.” Garcia’s first-person video of the incident shows that is not true. He was about 25 feet away from where law enforcement was detaining someone when an officer tackled him without giving any verbal commands — let alone asking any questions. Garcia was kept in handcuffs for an hour after showing evidence of citizenship. Once officers confirmed he was a citizen, they released him. .......​
Garcia’s experience shows how these raids are unconstitutional. For starters, construction sites are closed to the public, often fenced off and posted with “No Trespassing” signs. When the government wants to investigate on private property, it needs to get permission or a warrant.​
And the right wonders why people complain about ICE. ICE has gone amok in the Trump administration. I believe Homan is making Stephen Miller's hateful dreams a reality.

Is Western society a mental-asylum?

I always wanted a normal job where I use my body, but there isn`t any, so I got hooked on exercised instead. I also got used to spend on simple things only, like a cup of tea. But when I feel happy, it`s not good enough because I could be a singer, but I don`t want to spend my whole life chasing something that maybe never happen, it`s like wasting it. I ignore my surroundings also so I don`t take in the nonsense people think because they don`t really use their body ether and are lazy, but then I`m an idiot it seems. If I don`t follow society, that`s wrong also, but all socities ends, I rather build my body instead, do something of value instead of chasing a society that will end someday anyways. Even with space-exploration now it`ll end one day anyways. They probably never find aliens ether, but that`s another story.

I feel unwanted, but I think rationally and people support me also on that that people like me, I`m not a cog in the wheel, but my body feels like it`s unwanted sort of. No matter what I do it`s wrong. I feel it`s a little unfair, I always dreamt of a normal job and earning a good salary and buy expensive things and have a big bank-account, but society pritorities jobs with education, I can`t do anything about it, I try to be happy with what I have.

Poeple been violent a couple of times also because I don`t travel, I think, I find that a little unfair also, even though I find the violence exciting. But I want to have a cat, I don`t really like traveling, but I know it`s modern. Maybe people got angry because they realise they don`t have values, and just wants to travel, but it`s not that ether I think.

Is society a mental-asulym?

Is gambling sinful?

I have only gambled very small amount of money $2, the excitement of the chance to win big was there, I wasn't really disappointed it was $2 not enough to buy a bag of chips these days. I figured i'm not lucky and moved on.

I can see how it can develop into a problem with people gambling excessive amounts of money, and they are devastated. But what about gambling such small amount of money it has no effect at all to the person who lost?

Could a Christian also ever be involved in the gambling business? Although some people move on, for others it destroys lives and they wished they never gambled. or is gambling seen as a legitimate business just like farmers?

The life of the Trinity in Saint Elizabeth Catez

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that the mystery of the Holy Trinity is “the central mystery of Christian faith and life” and “the most fundamental and essential teaching.”1 But how can fallen human beings hope to comprehend “a mystery that is inaccessible to reason alone”?2 For those who do not delight in reading theological textbooks, a recently canonized saint offers a practical guide to the truth of Trinitarian theology.

Is stubbornness a Christian moral virtue?

Given the amount of times that Israelites are rebuked for being “stiff-necked”, I tend to think that it’s a liability. My “stubbornness” was something my adult companions tended to rebuke me for as child.

Over and over, I’ve been told that being open to new ideas and giving careful consideration to them before rejecting them is a good idea. That way I have a logical or Scriptural basis for what I reject that I can defend in the court of public opinion. In addition, I have also been conditioned to just ignore any hard disagreements where the person will not change and just walk away rather than continuing to get frustrated and angry. I work around and accommodate the disagreement or just act in accordance with my viewpoint to heap negative consequences on them (this only works IRL).

But: is this type of morality Biblical/Scriptural? Or is it just secular programming from the American state that works for adults’ convenience to insert knowledge into kids’ heads and keep them under control?
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Pope Leo XIV Sends Message to Exorcists Gathered in Rome

Pope Leo XIV addressed a message to the approximately 300 exorcist priests who came together September 15–20 for the 15th International Gathering of the International Association of Exorcists (IAE) at the Fraterna Domus House of Spirituality in Sacrofano, near Rome.

The Holy Father expressed his appreciation for the priests who dedicate themselves to the “delicate and necessary ministry of the exorcist.” The pontiff urged them to carry it out “both as a ministry of liberation and as a ministry of consolation.”

In a message signed by Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the pope also exhorted pastors to provide spiritual support to the faithful who are suffering.

Pope Leo emphasized the need to “support the faithful truly possessed by the evil one with prayer and the invocation of Christ’s effective presence, so that through the sacramental of exorcism the Lord may grant victory over Satan.”

The pope’s words were read at the opening of the event—held every two years—by Father Francesco Bamonte, vice president of the IAE and moderator of the conference.

During the presentations, Monsignor Karel Orlita, president of the IAE and exorcist for the Diocese of Brno in the Czech Republic, highlighted the beauty of the ecclesial communion in which this ministry, firmly rooted in the Gospel, is embedded, and underlined the importance of the ongoing formation that the association promotes in Italy and abroad.

Continued below.

The ultimate end: living virtue in ordinary life

To know the end is near, to watch for the end, St. Augustine taught that the fruit of such knowledge and vigilance is patience. Instead of anxiety, instead of chaos and overactivity, rather calm should rest the soul of the believer.

The readings this Sunday are indeed about the end. “Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven,” the passage from Malachi begins (Mal 3:19). Like Jeremiah before him, Jesus talks about the destruction of the temple; after this, he’ll talk about the destruction of Jerusalem. Yet what he fully means by “the end” is bigger than that (Lk 21:5-24). Jesus here is talking apocalyptically.

That is, reading all this we can’t help but think of the ultimate end. Of that inevitable future these passages are meant to remind us. We are being spiritually prepared in these readings for the season of Advent, prepared even for that reality beyond all Advents, for the final advent of Christ the Lord.

The spiritual capacity to endure​


Continued below.

Bangladesh police arrest suspect in bomb attacks on Catholic sites

Dhaka police have arrested a 28-year-old man in connection with homemade bomb attacks that targeted a Catholic cathedral and a Church-run school in Bangladesh’s capital this month.

Police investigators identified the suspect as a member of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the banned student wing of the Awami League, the political party of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The suspect is being questioned about multiple incidents, including the Nov. 7-8 explosions at St. Mary’s Cathedral and St. Joseph School, one of the country’s prominent Catholic educational institutions.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police, working with the country’s elite Rapid Action Battalion, has launched a citywide search for additional suspects. Police have increased security at churches and other religious sites across the capital.

Bangladesh’s interim government, which took power after Hasina’s ouster in August, said it remains committed to protecting religious minorities and will prosecute those who threaten religious harmony.

Continued below.
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Syria carries out raids against Islamic State before al-Sharaa arrives in Washington for historic visit

Syrian security forces conducted nationwide raids against suspected Islamic State operatives, detaining dozens, before President Ahmed al-Sharaa's scheduled historic meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.

The visit follows recent diplomatic overtures between the two governments, including the removal of al-Sharaa, a former leader of an al-Qaeda affiliated terror group, from the United States and United Nations terror sanctions lists.

Syria's interior ministry said Saturday that 61 coordinated raids were carried out across the country, resulting in 71 arrests and the seizure of weapons and explosives.

Continued below.

Supreme Court rejects Kim Davis’ request to reconsider landmark gay marriage ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a petition filed by former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis to reconsider the 2015 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.

In an orders list released Monday morning, the high court denied without comment a petition for a writ of certiorari in the case of Kim Davis v. David Ermold, et al.

Additionally, the Supreme Court denied a motion from the Alabama-based conservative group Foundation for Moral Law to file a friend-of-the-court brief "out of time."

In June 2015, the nation's high court ruled 5-4 in Obergefell v. Hodges that states could not ban same-sex marriage, concluding that the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protected the unions.

Continued below.

Trump pardons Giuliani, Sidney Powell, John Eastman, Mark Meadows, all fake electors for their attempt to overturn 2020 election, pardon official says

President Trump has pardoned a long list of political allies accused of trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election, according to Justice Department Pardon Attorney Ed Martin.

A proclamation published on Martin's personal X accountlate Sunday listed 77 people who received "full, complete, and unconditional" pardons, including Rudy Giuliani, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and Sidney Powell, a former Trump attorney who spread conspiracy theories about ballot fraud after Trump lost the 2020 election.

The pardons are largely symbolic as none of the names listed were ever charged with federal crimes. Dozens of people listed were charged in multiple swing states that were the center of unfounded claims of election fraud, including Georgia, Nevada, Arizona and Wisconsin.


Nevertheless it continues to send the message -- break the law for me and you get a pardon.

NO MAGA LEFT BEHIND

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New book recounts anecdotes from Pope Leo XIV’s life, including the day he was reported dead

His voice reveals, above all, the gratitude he feels toward his friend, Pope Leo XIV. From this friendship, forged over more than three decades, comes the Spanish-language book “From Robert to Leo,” published by Mensajero, in which Armando Lovera, originally from Iquitos, Peru, recounts various little-known episodes from the pontiff’s life, like the day many parishioners in Trujillo, Peru, thought that Father Robert Prevost had died.

“In reality, it was a young man, an aspiring Augustinian, who died in a bus accident while traveling to Lima for the new year,” Lovera explained in an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

The young man’s parents, who were from a rural area north of Trujillo, didn’t have the means to retrieve their son’s body and asked “Father Roberto” to bring it back to their village.

Continued below.
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Does the Hebrew grammar of Daniel 9:24–27 support Christian Widener’s “double seventy-weeks” interpretation?

Summary
Christian Widener contends that Daniel 9:24-27 outlines two distinct seventy-week (490-year) timelines—one fulfilled in Israel’s ancient restoration (Ezra/Nehemiah → Messiah), and a second fulfilled via modern Israel’s restoration leading into the eschatological age. Below you’ll find my translation (Hebrew above each English line), with grammar notes and a timeline chart for both cycles.


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Daniel 9:24-27 — Hebrew + English (My Translation, Exact Wording)

v.24

עַל־ נֶחְתַּךְ שִׁבְעִים שָׁבֻעִים עַל־עַמְּךָ וְעַל־עִיר קָדְשְׁךָ
There are divided out seventy weeks for your holy city and your people's rebellion,
לְכַלֵּא חַטָּאת וּלְחָתֵם וּלְכַפֵּר עָוֹן
for the restraining of lawlessness, which is marked out for the coming punishment of purging,
חָזוֹן וּלְחָתֵם עֹלָמִים צֶדֶק וְלִמְשֹׁחַ קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים
for the sealing of the vision and the prophet unto the age of righteousness; and it is when the holy of holies will be anointed.

Grammar note (v.24):

נֶחְתַּךְ (Niphal Perfect of חתך) means “cut off/divided,” hence rendered “divided out” to reflect partitioned sequences.

The sequence of infinitives (restrain → seal → purge → bring in righteousness → anoint) indicates successive divine purposes—matching a two-phase fulfilment.



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v.25

תֵּדַע תַּשְׂכֵּל וְתֵדַע מִן-מֹצָא דָבָר לְהָשִׁיב וְלִבְנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם
This prophecy to some shall be made understood and known from the word that went forth for the restoration and building of Jerusalem,
נָגִיד וּמָשִׁיחַ לִירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם שָׁבוּעִים שִׁבְעָה תִּבָּנֶה
for a ruler and an anointed one for Jerusalem; it shall take the weeks, seven sevens, for it to be built,
וְתָשׁוּב בַּשְּׁנַיִם שִׁשִּׁים וְצוֹק וְחָרוּץ בְּרְחוֹב בָּעִתִּים
and it shall be returned at the second sixty; and anguish and diligence will be in their streets in those times.

Grammar note (v.25):

מִן-מֹצָא דָבָר (“from the coming forth of a word”) echoes v.23 — Gabriel’s commission — setting a divine “going out.”

בַּשְּׁנַיִם שִׁשִּׁים (“at the second sixty”) clearly signals a second marker, supporting a dual-cycle model.

The apposition נָגִיד / מָשִׁיחַ (“ruler and anointed one”) allows human (type) or Messianic reference.



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v.26

וּשְׁנַיִם וּשִׁשִּׁים שָׁבוּעִים אַחֲרֵי יִכָּרֵת מָשִׁיחַ וְאֵין לוֹ
Two and sixty weeks after—none but not being for the Messiah will be cut off,
וְעַם-נָגִיד יָבוֹא בַּשֶּׁטֶף וְהָעִיר וְהַקֹּדֶשׁ יִשָּׁחְתּוּ
and the people of the ruler shall come like a flood; the city and the sanctuary shall be destroyed.

Grammar note (v.26):

וְאֵין לוֹ (“none for him”) indicates exclusion of those not aligned with the Anointed One (Acts 3:23; Romans 11).

בַּשֶּׁטֶף (“with a flood”) conveys large-scale invasion/destruction — both historical and typological.



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v.27

וְהִגְבִּיר בְּרִית לָרַבִּים שָׁבוּעַ וְחֲצִי הַשָּׁבוּעַ
And the many of the covenant He shall cause to prevail for the week and a half of one,
וְעַל מִנְחָה וְזֶבַח יַשְׁבִּית שִׁקּוּצִים עַל-כְּנַף וְעַד הַכָּלָה תִּתַּךְ עַל-שֹׁמֵם
and upon offering and sacrifice He shall bring to an end abominations even upon wings, until the one who makes desolate pours out what is decreed for the consummation.

Grammar note (v.27):

וְהִגְבִּיר (Hiphil Perfect of גָּבַר) = “cause to prevail,” indicating active empowerment rather than treaty.

וְחֲצִי הַשָּׁבוּעַ (“and a half of one”) marks a defined midpoint in the week, enabling division into 10½ years + remaining half-week.

“Upon the offering, abominations shall cease” points to the prophetic Day of Atonement (Lev 16), when cleansing and judgment are completed. The Body of Christ, as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1), fulfills this through suffering and testimony (Rev 6:9–11) until its vindication and catching up (Rev 12:5). The “wings” signify divine preservation and the wilderness refuge (Rev 12:14).


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Interpretive Summary & Cross-References

Many of the covenant = Israel + faithful remnant prevailing against enemies.

The cutting off of v.26 = rejection/ exclusion of unbelieving Israel (Acts 3:23; Romans 11).

Week and a half of one = ~10½ years of prevailing before the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord begins.

Abominations = idolatrous temple desecration + persecution of the saints (Ezekiel 8-9; Revelation 12).

Major historical markers: 457 BC (decree), Messiah’s death ~33 AD, temple destroyed 70 AD, Jerusalem walls restored under Suleiman ~1542 CE, Jerusalem returned 1967 CE.



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Dual-Cycle Timeline (My Model)

First 70 Weeks – Ancient Fulfillment

7 weeks (49 yrs): 457 BC to 408 BC → Decree to build → completion under Ezra/Nehemiah

62 weeks (434 yrs): 408 BC → 26 AD → Prophetic preparation → arrival of Messiah

1 week (7 years): 26–33 AD → Messiah begins His ministry → the covenant people are cut off through unbelief → Christ completes His redemptive mission → first 70 fulfilled

Post-week: temple destroyed 70 AD


Second 70 Weeks – Modern Fulfillment (~490 yrs)

Beginning “word went forth”: ~1542 CE (Suleiman’s restoration of walls of Jerusalem)

“Second sixty” marker: 1967 CE (return of Jerusalem)

Week and a half (~10½ yrs): 2018 → ~2028/2029 CE — Israel and the covenant people prevail over enemies

Remaining half-week (~3½ yrs): ~2029 → ~2033 CE — Tribulation / Day of the Lord begins → abomination ends → consummation poured out.

Chart
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
✶✶ DANIEL’S TWO SEVENTY-WEEK PROPHECY CYCLES ✶✶
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

FIRST CYCLE — EZRA TO MESSIAH (COVENANT PEOPLE CUT OFF)
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
457 BCE → “Word went forth” for restoration and rebuilding
• Word from God concerning total restoration
• Ezra raised up as the anointed one; Nehemiah joins as ruler

408 BCE → Completion of wall and city renewal under Nehemiah
• 7 weeks (49 years) fulfilled

↓ 62 weeks (434 years)

26–33 CE → Appearance of the Anointed Ruler (Messiah)
• People of the covenant reject Him
• Those *not for Him are cut off* (corporate cutting-off of unbelieving Jews)

70 CE → Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
• Judgment follows the rejection — first 70 cycle completed


SECOND CYCLE — SULEIMAN TO THE END OF THE AGE
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1542 CE → Word goes forth again: Suleiman rebuilds Jerusalem’s walls
• Beginning of the second seventy-week sequence (490 years)

1967 CE → Jerusalem returned to Israel (key prophetic hinge)
• The second 60th week, marker of the second cycle

2023 CE → “Flood war” — people of the ruler that shall come
• Hasmas / Islamic Jihad war begins, foreshadowing final conflict

2025 CE → Beginning of the 70th week (final 7 years)
• Covenant people prevail at first; rise of end-time opposition

2028.5 CE → Mid-point of the final week (3½ years in)
• Their power is broken; persecution intensifies (cf. Dan 12:7)

2032 CE → End of the 70th week (1542 + 490 = 2032)
• Purging complete; holy place anointed; kingdom age / age of righteousness begins
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
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How This Supports Christian Widener’s Theory

Widener states: “Daniel’s seventy-week prophecy properly understood repeats in two fulfillments…” (The Temple Revealed in the Garden, p. 134)

He emphasizes archaeological inscription evidence of the 16th-century rebuilding of Jerusalem (The Temple Revealed in Creation, p. 57).

My grammatical analysis shows the text can support two cycles: נֶחְתַּךְ (“given out in two”), בַּשְּׁנַיִם שִׁשִּׁים (“at the second sixty”), and וְחֲצִי הַשָּׁבוּעַ (“half the week”) all indicate division of time.

While Widener uses dates and history, this reading uses grammatical syntax to validate dual-fulfilment.



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Morph Table 2 — Key Lexical Forms

Hebrew FormRootStemGloss / Function

נֶחְתַּךְחתךNiph. Perf.“given out / divided”
לְכַלֵּאכלאPiel Inf.“restrain / confine”
חַטָּאתחטאNoun“lawlessness / sin”
וּלְחָתֵםחתםQal Inf.“to seal / mark out”
עָוֹןעוןNoun“punishment / guilt”
צֶדֶקצדקNoun“righteousness”
וְלִמְשֹׁחַמשׁחQal Inf.“to anoint”
נָגִידנגדNoun“ruler / leader”
מָשִׁיחַמשׁחNoun“anointed one / Messiah”
וְהִגְבִּירגברHiph. Perf.“cause to prevail”
וַחֲצִיחציNoun“half / midpoint of the week”
שִׁקּוּצִיםשקץNoun pl.“abominations”
שֹׁמֵםשׁמםPart.“desolator”



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Final Question for Hebrew-Grammar Experts

Given these forms—especially נֶחְתַּךְ (“given out in two”), בַּשְּׁנַיִם שִׁשִּׁים (“at the second sixty”), and וַחֲצִי הַשָּׁבוּעַ (“half the week”)—does the Hebrew syntax of Daniel 9:24-27 provide a strong linguistic basis for reading two distinct seventy-week cycles (ancient + modern) as Widener proposes and as my timeline outlines?
If yes—please identify the most compelling grammatical features.
If no—please point out the constraints (word order, semantics, singular forms, scope of ׳וְאֵין לוֹ׳) that favour a single continuous 490-year timeline.

Thank you in advance for your grammar-based analysis. I look forward to your insights.

Scottish Parliament rejects safeguards to assisted suicide as concerns mount

The Catholic Parliamentary Office has reacted with concern to the rejection of a number of proposed safeguards to Scotland’s assisted suicide bill.

The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is currently at Stage 2 of the legislative process, meaning that the Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee are examining amendments to the proposal. The Scottish legislation is separate from that currently being debated in the House of Lords in Westminster.

Concerns have been raised at the speed of the process, which is currently set to examine all 287 proposed amendments in just three weeks, with just one session per week.

Continued below.

Christian house church leaders arrested, detained by authorities on ‘fraud’ charges

Three leaders of an unregistered Christian house church in Xi’an city in central China have been arrested by communist authorities and detained on fraud charges, reigniting concerns over religious freedom in China.

Pastor Lian Xuliang, Pastor Lian Changnian and church member Fu Juan were taken into custody last Sunday by the First Branch of the Xi’an Municipal Public Security Bureau, according to the watchdog organization ChinaAid.

The arrests were approved by the Baqiao District Court, and the three are currently held at the Weiyang District Detention Center, the group added.

The arrests mark a repeat of legal action against the same individuals, who were previously detained on similar fraud charges on Aug. 17, 2022. They were held for nearly three years before being released on bail in April 2025.

Continued below.

What true revival looks like

With Bible sales increasing and church pews filling up, many are asking whether a revival is happening in America. The short answer: yes and no. On one hand, the Gospel never stops — the power of the good news and the work of the Holy Spirit are active all over the world (Romans 1:16). On the other hand, when people talk about “revival” today, they often mean a big event where crowds respond all at once. That’s not really how Scripture describes revival.

In the Bible, revival usually starts inside individuals. The psalmist prayed, “Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?” (Psalm 85:6). Revival begins when the Spirit of God awakens the heart of a person who realizes their need for Him. Then it spreads — family to family, church to church, and community to community.

I spent most of my adult life as an undercover officer in Washington, D.C., and I often saw doctors and medics desperately try to revive someone after a shooting or a stabbing. I saw firsthand what it looks like to battle for life when it’s slipping away.

After retiring from law enforcement, I became a pastor and began witnessing restoration of a different kind, spiritual revival. That same heartbeat led my daughter and me to launch Boost Othersto help people in crisis through small, practical acts of care. Working alongside social workers, we fill gaps covering groceries, rent, or a child’s bed — and often, when people are open, we share the hope that brings lasting renewal.

In those moments, I see what true revival looks like: broken lives coming alive again, not just physically or emotionally, but spiritually. People begin to believe once more that God still notices them, still loves them, and still revives the brokenhearted.

Continued below.
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The biggest danger of all isn’t what you think

In the movie Addams Family Values, Wednesday is made fun of by other girls and is asked why she dresses in black like she’s going to a funeral. “Why are you dressed like somebody died?” a girl asks.

“Wait,” Wednesday responds.

She’s right. And the thing is, you don’t have to wait long.

Recent stats peg the number of deaths at 7.8 deaths per 1,000 people for 2025. In raw numbers: about 62 million people die each year worldwide, which breaks down to around 172,800 deaths per day globally in 2025, 120 deaths per minute, or about 2 deaths every second.

That’s a lot of souls going into eternity, some of which got up today having no idea it would be their last. Stop and think about that for just a minute, and keep in mind that it could be any one of us.

John MacArthur talks about that reality when he recounts being on the Larry King show the day after 9/11:

“Larry King said to me, ‘What is the lesson here.’ I said, ‘The lesson is everybody’s going to die, and you’re not necessarily in control of when.’ The danger of death is around us, and what contributes to that death is both around us, and even in us. Everyone dies. A hundred years from now none of us will be around; that’s inevitable. Life is the most comprehensive danger of all; no one escapes its inevitable end.”
I doubt you would select “life” as the biggest danger out of a list of other options, but I get what MacArthur is saying. In fact, it explains something Jesus said in one of His biographies that has always bugged me.

When towers fall

Continued below.

Violent mob attacks Christian families inside church, try to force pastor to teach about Hindu gods

NEW DELHI — When a Hindu extremist mob assaulted Christian men, women and children during a church service in India in late September, police jailed the pastor and charged him and four other Christians, sources said.

In Rajasthan state’s Hanumangarh District, several Hindu women intruded into the church building in Nohar city, followed by Hindu men, young and old, at about 10 a.m. on Sep. 28, as the congregation was singing in worship, said 45-year-old Pastor Wazir Singh.

“They let the Hindu women take the forefront. Hindu women attacked Christian women and Hindu men attacked Christian men,” Pastor Singh told Morning Star News following his release from jail on Oct. 4.

The mob forced Pastor Singh to sit and demanded he teach about Hindu deities such as Rama and Ganesha instead of Christ and read to the congregation passages from the Ramayana or Mahabharata Hindu scriptures instead of the Bible, he said. When he responded, “My faith is in Jesus Christ, and my country gives me the right to choose whom I want to believe in and freedom to practice my faith,” they called police and had him arrested.

Continued below.

In View of This

“Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city itself did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot. Nor can they prove to you the charges of which they now accuse me. But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.” (Acts 24:12-16 NASB1995)

Lately the Lord has been having me repost some writings from May of 2023, which are on the subject of Church abuse, and which collectively are combined together in a short book titled, “The Church Under Fire.”

These writings are based off Acts chapters 23-27, with regard to the kinds of persecutions which Paul faced from religious people. And the Lord has used some of my church experiences, as well, to illustrate how church abuse is being carried out in the church today against those who are serving Jesus Christ with their lives, who are walking in the ways of the Lord, and who are seeking to follow the Lord in obedience to his commands in holy living.

And Paul is not the only biblical example of being a recipient of such abuses, either. Jesus was continually harassed and plotted against, and he was the target of false accusations against his character. And his opponents looked for ways to accuse him on a consistent basis. And Job and the prophets of the Old Testament faced such abuse, too, as well as did the other New Testament apostles, plus the deacon Stephen, and many other Christians.

But abuse of this kind, where people are being falsely accused of what they did not say, or of what they did not do, or of what they did not experience, is not limited to just the area of the church, but it expands to all areas of life. And sometimes it is to keep an honest person from exposing the lies or from calling out sin for what it is, or from exposing corruption going on within the church, in the government, in the media, and in the corporate world, too.

And sometimes it is just pure arrogance on the part of the accusers who think because they are “so and so,” or because they carry a particular title in front of their name, that somehow they are always right and that anyone who disagrees with them, or who challenges them, is wrong. But even the experts are still human beings, and they make mistakes, and so we should never look to other humans to be our gods, no matter who they are.

And let me give you some personal examples from my life in a different area other than the church. Lately I have been faced with some medical issues, and God has chosen, this time, to have me be seen by multiple experts in many different fields of medicine, for he has a plan and a purpose for it all. My primary physician, who is the one ordering these tests for me, has been very kind and gracious, so far. He has listened to me as I have shared with him my sufferings, and he ordered the tests for me, to try to help me.

Some of the experts in the medicine field were not so kind and gracious, though some were. When I went to the hospital with sharp pains in my chest, with chest pressure, and with difficulty breathing, they ran some tests. The tests did show my lung nodule had grown since 2016, but they minimized the amount of growth. And the doctor told me my heart was fine, and then she mocked me and said my suffering was all from my emotions. Another doctor minimized the lung nodule, too, calling it a “tiny spot.”

Then I had the tests. The lung nodule had nearly doubled in size, so it is called a lung mass now. That is significant. And it showed up as suspect for cancer. My breathing is now at 44% out of 100% breathing capacity. That is also significant. My heart is not working properly and is borderline for heart failure, so that is a serious issue, as well. And there is concern for cancer in my brain and my left breast, too. So, the point here is that doctors are not gods, and they don’t get everything right, so we should not bow to them.

And the overall point here is that we are not to let other humans be our gods, and we are not to bow to them and to do everything they say we should do just because of the title before their names. And we should also not let them and their opinions of us dishearten or threaten us or make us feel as though we have to do what they say. Many people die at the hands of doctors who make errors in judgment. And many people are dying in their sins because they are listening to pastors who teach them lies, not truth.

Stand up for what is right, like Paul did, and like Jesus did. And take all the counsel that you get, from whoever you receive it, to the Lord, in prayer, seeking his guidance and counsel, before you make any decisions, especially ones which could cost you your life. And before you accept any drug prescriptions, or medical procedures, look them up online, and especially look at even the rare side effects or possible dangers to your body before you just do whatever the doctor or pastor or whoever tells you to do.

But all in all, trust the Lord with your life, follow his leading, and pray for wisdom to make certain that you are hearing from the Lord, and that this is the direction that he wants you to go, before making any serious decisions in your life. And don’t let others’ opinions of you dishearten you. But take what they say to the Lord in prayer and seek God’s counsel. He will show you the way that you should go, and then follow his lead. The others could be right, but they could be wrong. So get your counsel from the Lord and follow him.

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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In View of This
An Original Work / November 10, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

The great physician

Lord of the Sabbath

Compassionate and merciful God

Heals the sick

Comforts the poor

Shows no favour to the rich

He cures diseases

And He fixes the broken hearted

Fame and wealth are not His ends

Herbs and drugs are not His means

With a word, sicknesses gone

With a word, demons expelled

He Is the Creator who makes us all

He Is the Messiah promised to come

He Is the Prophet heeded by us

Jesus, the Christ

Lord of the universe

Blessed be the King

Blessed be the King indeed

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