BOSTON (AP) — A Harvard visiting law professor from Brazil who told police he was shooting at rats when he fired a pellet gun near a synagogue during Yom Kippur has left the United States after his visa was revoked, federal officials and his lawyer confirmed on Thursday.

Continued below.

Please pray that Canadian politician vote to uphold Freedom of Religious expression :

Isaiah in the 700s BC says

ch 19: 19 In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at its border. 20 It will be a sign and witness to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt.
The elephantine papyri discovered in Egypt, and dated to 408 BC says the Judean temple in Egypt on the island of Elephantine was destroyed about 410 BC (the 14th year of Darius). So the temple was built sometime after that prophecy in Isaiah then eventually destroyed
B19
Letter from the Jews of Elephantine (Formatted Transcript)

To our lord
Bagavahya,
governor of Judah,
your servants Jedaniah
and his colleagues the priests
who are in Elephantine the fortress.

The welfare of our lord
may the God of Heaven seek after abundantly at all times,
and favor may He grant you before Darius the king
and the princes
more than now a thousand times,
and long life may He give you,
and happy and strong may you be at all times.

Report

Now, your servant Jedaniah and his colleagues thus say:

Plot

In the month of Tammuz, year 14 of Darius the king,
when Arsames had departed and gone to the king,
the priests of Khnum who are in Elephantine the fortress,
in agreement with Vidranga who was Chief here,
(said), saying:

“The Temple of YHW the God which is in Elephantine the fortress—
let them remove it from there.”

Afterwards, that Vidranga, the wicked,
a letter sent to Naphaina his son,
who was Troop Commander in Syene the fortress,
saying:

“The Temple which is in Elephantine the fortress—let them demolish.”

Afterwards, Naphaina led the Egyptians with the other troops.
They came to the fortress of Elephantine with their implements,
broke into that Temple, demolished it to the ground,
and the pillars of stone which were there—they smashed.

Moreover, it happened that the gateways of stone,
built of hewn stone,
which were in that Temple, they demolished.
And their standing doors, and the hinges of those doors, of bronze,
and the roof of wood of cedar—
all of these, with the rest of the fittings and other things which were there—
all of these with fire they burned.

But the basins of gold and silver
and the other things which were in that Temple—
all of these took and made their own.

Precedents

And from the days of the king(s) of Egypt
our fathers had built that Temple in Elephantine the fortress
and when Cambyses entered Egypt—
that Temple, built, he found it.
And the temples of the gods of Egypt, all of them, they overthrew,
but anything in that Temple one did not damage.

And when this had been done to us,
we with our wives and our children
sackcloth were wearing
and fasting and praying to YHW the Lord of Heaven
who let us gloat over that Vidranga, the cur.
They removed the fetter from his feet
and all goods which he had acquired were lost.
And all persons who sought evil for that Temple,
all of them were killed and we gazed upon them.

Moreover, before this, at the time that this evil was done to us,
a letter we sent to our lord,
and to Jehohanan the High Priest and his colleagues the priests
who are in Jerusalem,
and to Ostares brother of Anani
and the nobles of the Jews.
A letter they did not send us.

Moreover, from the month of Tammuz, year 14 of Darius the king
and until this day,
we, sackcloth are wearing and are fasting;
the wives of ours as widow(s) are made;
(with) oil we do not anoint ourselves,
and wine do not drink.

Moreover, from that time and until this day,
year 17 of Darius the king,
meal-offering and incense and burnt-offering
they did not make in that Temple.

Petition

Now, your servants Jedaniah and his colleagues
and the Jews, all of them citizens of Elephantine,
thus say:

If to our lord it is good,
take thought of that Temple to rebuild—
since they do not let us rebuild it.

Regard your obliges and your friends here in Egypt.
May a letter from you be sent to them
about the Temple of YHW the God
to rebuild it in Elephantine the fortress
just as it had been built formerly.

And the meal-offering and the incense and the burnt-offering
they will offer on the altar of YHW the God in your name
and we shall pray for you at all times—
we and our wives and our children
and the Jews, all of them who are here.

If thus they do until that Temple be rebuilt,
a merit you will have before YHW the God of Heaven
more than a person who will offer Him burnt-offering and sacrifices
whose worth is as the worth of silver, 1 thousand talents,
and about gold.

About this we have sent and informed you.

Moreover, all these things in a letter
we sent to Jehohanan and Shelemiah
sons of Sanballat governor of Samaria.

Moreover, about this which was done to us
Arsames did not know.


Josephus also mentions a Judean temple built in Egypt at a different time
Josephus
Judean wars book 7 chapter 10

2. Now Lupus did then govern Alexandria. Who presently sent Cæsar word of this commotion. Who having in suspicion the restless temper of the Jews for innovation, and being afraid lest they should get together again, and persuade some others to join with them, gave orders to Lupus to demolish that Jewish temple which was in the region called Onion, and was in Egypt. (18) Which was built, and had its denomination from the occasion following. Onias, the son of Simon, one of the Jewish High-priests, fled from Antiochus, the King of Syria, when he made war with the Jews, and came to Alexandria. And as Ptolemy received him very kindly, on account of his hatred to Antiochus, he assured him, that if he would comply with his proposal, he would bring all the Jews to his assistance. And when the King agreed to do it, so far as he was able; he desired him to give him leave to build a temple somewhere in Egypt, and to worship God according to the customs of his own country. For that the Jews would then be so much readier to fight against Antiochus, who had laid waste the temple at Jerusalem; and that they would then come to him with greater good will; and that by granting them liberty of conscience, very many of them would come over to him.

3. So Ptolemy complied with his proposals; and gave him a place one hundred and eighty furlongs distant from Memphis. (19) That Nomos was called the Nomos of Heliopolis. Where Onias built a fortress; and a temple, not like to that at Jerusalem, but such as resembled a tower. He built it of large stones, to the height of sixty cubits.27 He made the structure of the altar in imitation of that in our own country, and in like manner adorned with gifts: excepting the make of the candlestick. For he did not make a candlestick; but had a [single] lamp hammered out of a piece of gold; which illuminated the place with its rays, and which he hung by a chain of gold. But the intire temple was encompassed with a wall of burnt brick, though it had gates of stone. The King also gave him a large country for a revenue in money; that both the priests might have a plentiful provision made for them; and that God might have great abundance of what things were necessary for his worship. Yet did not Onias do this out of a sober disposition.28 But he had a mind to contend with the Jews at Jerusalem; and could not forget the indignation he had for being banished thence. Accordingly he thought, that by building this temple he should draw away a great number from them to himself. There had been also a certain ancient prediction made by [a prophet] whose name was Isaiah, about six hundred years before, that this temple should be built by a man that was a Jew in Egypt. And this is the history of the building of that temple. 4. And now Lupus, the governor of Alexandria, upon the receipt of Cæsar’s letter, came to the temple, and carried out of it some of the donations dedicated thereto, and shut up the temple itself. And as Lupus died a little afterward [about A.D. 75], Paulinus succeeded him. This man left none of those donations there: and threatened the priests severely, if they did not bring them all out. Nor did he permit any who were desirous of worshipping God there, so much as to come near the whole sacred place. But when he had shut up the gates, he made it intirely inaccessible: insomuch that there remained no longer the least footsteps of any divine worship that had been in that place. Now the duration of the time from the building of this temple till it was shut up again was three hundred and forty-three years.29

343 years is wrong. If it was built in the 160s BC, and stopped functioning 75 AD that is about 234 years. Josephus thought it fulfilled the Isaiah 19 prophecy. Maybe the Isaiah 19 prophecy was a double prophecy about both temples...

At the end of Zechariah (515 BC) 14 it says

17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. 18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord[b] will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.
20 On that day holy to the Lord will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite[c] in the house of the Lord Almighty.
About half of the events in Zech 14 can be shown to of happened past tense in 1/2 Maccabees in the 160s BC- looting lots of gold, silver, and other treasures, half being killed half not killed, fleeing to the mountains, lots of angels fighting with the Israelites, Antiochus flesh rots, and worms eat him, they burn their enemies alive so their flesh melts, rebuilding the walls. The MT of Olives part is not mentioned past tense but it must of happened in that time frame, and closed back up after. The bit at the end about the Egyptians is only about the Judean Egyptians not the non Judean Egyptians which makes sense in context of the Judean temple in Egypt Josephus talks about. Or it was about all Egyptians not sure. If it was all of them I don't think it was recorded anywhere.

Zech 14 says You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake[a] in the days of Uzziah king of Judah.

The you was the Israelites that all lived in Jerusalem near the Mt of Olives. They had ancestors that fled the earthquake hundreds of years prior. The Israelites religion was a Judah based religion centered around a temple, and that religion ceased to exist 30-70 AD, and will never come back again so the very latest the prophecy could of been fulfilled was 70 AD. It was not about Jesus, and will never happen again.

Josephus on the earthquake

Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews 9:10:4​

While Uzziah was in this state and making preparations (for futurity), he was corrupted in his mind by pride, and became insolent, and this on account of that abundance which he had of things that will soon perish, and despised that power which is of eternal duration (which consisted in piety towards god, and in the observation of his laws); so he fell by occasion of the good success of his affairs, and was carried headlong into those sins of his father, which the splendour of that prosperity he enjoyed, and the glorious actions he had done, led him into, while he was not able to govern himself well about them. Accordingly, when a remarkable day was come, and a general festival was to be celebrated, he put on the holy garment, and went into the temple to offer incense to God upon the golden altar, which he was prohibited to do by Azariah the high priest, who had fourscore priests with him, and who told him that it was not lawful for him to offer sacrifice, and that "none besides the posterity of Aaron were permitted so to do." And when they cried out, that he must go out of the temple, and not transgress against God, he was wroth at them, and threatened to kill them, unless they would hold their peace. In the meantime, a great earthquake shook the ground, and a rent was made in the temple, and the bright rays of the sun shone through it, and fell upon the king's face, insomuch that the leprosy seized upon him immediately; and before the city, at a place called Eroge, half the mountain broke off from the rest on the west, and rolled itself four furlongs, and stood still at the east mountain, till the roads, as well as the king's garden, were spoiled by the obstruction. Now as soon as the priest saw that the king's face was infected with the leprosy, they told him of the calamity he was under, and commanded that he should go out of the city as a polluted person. Hereupon he was so confounded at the sad distemper, and sensible that he was not at liberty to contradict, that he did as he was commanded, and underwent this miserable and terrible punishment for an intention beyond what befitted a man to have, and for that impiety against God which was implied therein. So he abode out of the city for some time, and lived a private life, while his son Jotham took the government; after which he died with grief and anxiety at what had happened to him, when he had lived sixty-eight years, and reigned of them fifty-two; and was buried by himself in his own gardens.

The new American national security review suggests Europe needs strengthening. Is Europe facing civilizational erasure? Is American policy good for Europe or not?

The report points to various weaknesses and issues to work with:

1) A declining share of global GNP - 25 --> 14% since 1990
2) Problematic cultural and civilization erosion - activities of the European Union and other transnational bodies that undermine political liberty and sovereignty, migration policies that are transforming the continent and creating strife, censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition, cratering birthrates, and loss of national identities and self-confidence.
3) Despite possessing a greater hard power than Russia in every category but nukes Europe lacks self- confidence.

The policy of the USA should therefore be:

Our broad policy for Europe should prioritize:
• Reestablishing conditions of stability within Europe and strategic stability with Russia;
• Enabling Europe to stand on its own feet and operate as a group of aligned sovereign nations, including by taking primary responsibility for its own defense, without being dominated by any adversarial power;
• Cultivating resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations;
• Opening European markets to U.S. goods and services and ensuring fair treatment of U.S. workers and businesses;
• Building up the healthy nations of Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe through commercial ties, weapons sales, political collaboration, and cultural and educational exchanges;
• Ending the perception, and preventing the reality, of NATO as a perpetually expanding alliance; and
• Encouraging Europe to take action to combat mercantilist overcapacity, technological theft, cyber espionage, and other hostile economic practices.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf

CBS News New York has learned 63-year-old Jed Parkington, who died by suicide during the standoff, was fascinated with Nazi Germany and was dressed in camouflage and wearing Nazi lapel pins when state marshals came to his door on Oaklawn Avenue in an attempt to evict him.

Standoff and shootout in Stamford, Connecticut
Police said Parkington opened fire on police who were backing up marshals serving eviction papers.

Parkington fired dozens of AK-47 rounds at officers, police said. Some of the gunfire was captured on video that shows the spray of bulletproof glass as shots hit the 3-inch-thick windshield of an armored vehicle.

Pipe bombs and the decomposed body of a handcuffed male were also found, the latter likely involving foul play, CBS News New York has learned.

Rosie O’Donnell’s hatred of President Donald Trump led her therapist to recently plead with her to go two days without posting anything about the president on social media; O’Donnell, according to a Washington Post profile on Saturday, only lasted “a few hours” before she was compelled to post about Trump again.

The comic’s “fixation” on the president, as WaPo put it, has also become a concern for her longtime friends. One of those friends, Jeanne Kopetic, insisted O’Donnell has “got to disconnect” from following the news, because she is so consumed by what Trump does.

Continued below.

Peace in Christ.

Isa 29:18 KJV
(18) And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

The earth became without form….without the form of Christ….and void….void of the knowledge of the glory of God.

His people (who are attending man-based churches) are not currently shining the glory light of the Lord to the outside people of this earth who are sitting in deep darkness. They are "deaf" as they do not hear the Word of Truth from their preachers. The glory of God does not currently appear over His people who are void of His glory…..and so the entire earth is covered with a deep spiritual darkness. The people of the outside world are "blind" in the deep darkness where there is no light to be seen.

We are to manifest the life of Christ (the light) to their eyes….but right now, His view (visage) is being marred so that they cannot “see” Him through us. Isaiah 52:14 . The “blind” cannot see Him.

Gen 1:1-3
(1) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
(2) And the earth was (Hebrew: hayah = to become) without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
(3) And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Darkness was upon the faces (plural) of the deep. Darkness covers the earth and thick darkness the people of this earth. The people of the outside world who are in darkness do not “see” Him as His people are not manifesting His light and glory to them. Darkness is upon their faces because of the lack of the light of Christ in His people.

We are to “arise” and depart from out of the dead man-based churches where they are not shining His light to the people of the outside world who are in deep darkness. The glory of the LORD does not rise upon them.

We can then “shine” and the glory of the LORD will rise upon us so that the people in the deep darkness can see and come to His light shining through us. The “blind” shall then “see” and be saved.

Isa 60:1-3 KJV
(1) Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
(2) For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
(3) And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

We are to “awake” out of our “sleep” and arise OUT OF the dead ones (the dead man-based churches who are all “asleep” and are not shining His light) and Christ shall give you light. We become His children of light to this dark world so that they may “see” Him through us. We are then made the light of this world …a city on a hill that cannot then be hid from them….in Him.

Eph 5:14
(14) Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from (out of) the dead (dead ones), and Christ shall give thee light.

The Spirit of God moves upon the FACES (plural) of the waters (people). We all, with OPEN FACE, behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. We shine forth His glory to the darkened faces of the people of this world. The “blind” shall then “see.” Let there be light.

2Co 3:17-18 KJV
(17) Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
(18) But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

We are to shine the light of the knowledge of the glory of God to the people of this darkened world in the face of Jesus Christ that our “open faces” (to the world) will reflect as in a mirror.

2Co 4:6
(6) For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Whenever He shall appear (in our mortal bodies), then we shall appear with Him in glory (to the believing people of the outside world).

He shall “appear” to the eyes of those who are chosen among the people of the world to “see” Him….WHENEVER He appears.

Col 3:4
(4) When (WHENEVER) Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

“in that NIGHT”…in the deep darkness….one person of the outside world shall “see” Him as He “appears” (shines) to him or her and will be “taken”….that is, RECEIVED unto Him. He “appears” …shines…through us to them. "Whenever Christ shall appear" to those who will "see" Him shine/appear through us, we shall appear with Him in glory. The chosen people of the outside world who are "in the night" shall see Him and will believe and praise God.

The “other” will be left as Christ did not “appear” to them.

Luk 17:34-37
(34) I tell you, in that night there shall be two in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
(35) Two shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
(36) Two shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Wherever the body…the living body of Christ (whom we manifest) is, there the eagles (who SEE the living body) shall be gathered together. They will come to His life that manifests through us to them. They will come to our light.

(37) And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body (soma = sound body) is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

continued in next post...

After my husband divorced me, I struggled with depression. For a couple of years I've been siting next to a widower in Church. We are both elderly and he has recently moved into a flat for older people with a communal lounge and garden. Since then he has not seemed to want the sort of friendship I had been hoping for: a cup of coffee occasionally and maybe an afternoon out, for companionship and conversation.

Our Pastor spoke to me about my friendship with this man, thinking I wanted something more romantic than I do. There seems to be a complete disconnect between myself, my Pastor, and the man. As a result the man is going to other churches until after Christmas. I said if need be, I would change churches, but I really don't want to. (He's been a member for 40 years, so I would hate for him to have to change.)

Meanwhile my next door neighbour is having chemotherapy and I feel I need to tell her about the Lord. She's self-isolating atm so I can't visit her now. Also my very elderly cousin has Alzheimers and is against God. People's salvation is so important and I find it difficult to deal with all this.

Please pray that things get sorted out with this man and no-one will have to change churches. Also that the Holy Spirit will move in the lives of my neighbour, and my cousin, and I will have the courage to talk to my neighbour about the Lord.

Many thanks and God bless you.

December 7, 2025

Our Morning Offering – 7 December – Veni Redemptor Gentium, Saviour of the Nations, Come! By St Ambrose


One Minute Reflection – 7 December – ‘My brethren, do not let us remain in carelessness … ‘

Second Sunday of Advent propers & commentary (EF)

Second Sunday of Advent propers & commentary (Gueranger)(EF)

Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine's Instruction The Second Sunday of Advent (EF)

Colligite Fragmenta – 2nd Sunday of Advent: “Slap in the Face Obvious” (EF)

The Heartfelt Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent (EF)

The disciples of John the Baptist: sermon on the second Sunday of Advent (EF)

Second Sunday of Advent (Year A) readings & commentary (OF)

Second Sunday of Advent readings & commentary (OF)

The Fierce Voice of Advent: Second Sunday of Advent readings & commentary (OF)

A Scriptural Reflection on the Readings for December 7, 2025, the Second Sunday of Advent (OF)

Sunday Reflections, 2nd Sunday of Advent, Year A, 7 December 2025 (OF)

A Prophet Who Prepares. A Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent (OF)

Daily Gospel

ADVENTCAzT 2025 – 08 – 2nd Sunday of Advent

Saint Ambrose Bishop of Milan and Doctor of the Church

Saints of the Day

Audio version of Gueranger
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Here is a chart I recently made of the two witnesses' activity.

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.


Continued below.

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.

Continued below.

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."

Continued below.

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?