• 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.

Netflix's promotion of LGBT themes, sexual preferences in kids' shows 'pervasive': report

At least 41% of G-rated series and 41% of TV-Y7-rated series on Netflix feature LGBT content, including trans-identifying characters and same-sex couples, according to a new study.

The new report, "LGBTQ Messaging Pervasive In Netflix Children's Programming," compiles references to LGBT-related messages and storylines across 326 Netflix shows aimed at children.

The study, released by the Washington-based Christian conservative advocacy group Concerned Women for America, analyzed licensed and original shows on the streaming platform, with ratings ranging from TV-G, TV-Y or TV-Y7.

The study, released by the Washington-based Christian conservative advocacy group Concerned Women for America, analyzed licensed and original shows on the streaming platform, with ratings ranging from TV-G, TV-Y or TV-Y7.

"Netflix's anti-child, anti-family agenda has finally been exposed — its children's programming has been infiltrated by adult preoccupations with sexual preferences and gender identity," CWA President and CEO Penny Nance said in a statement shared with The Christian Post.

Continued below.

DEI is 'primary vehicle' for antisemitism, watchdog group warns

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has become a “primary vehicle” for antisemitism in American academia, according to a watchdog group that released a report finding 58% of Jewish students reported experiencing antisemitism on campus, yet only 12% felt the incidents were properly investigated.

StopAntisemitism, a watchdog group dedicated to documenting violent incidents and hostile acts against Jews, evaluated 90 academic institutions as part of its “2025 Antisemitism on U.S. College & University Campuses” report.

”Even since the recent Gaza ceasefire agreement, antisemitism remains loud, bold, and unchecked, revealing that none of this is about Israel but instead it is about Jew-hatred, plain and simple," the report declared. "Coordinated protests, ideological harassment, and institutional apathy continue to endanger Jewish students."

According to a nationwide survey of Jewish students enrolled at these schools, 39% hid their Jewish identity, and 62% said they were directly blamed for Israel’s actions. Sixty-five percent of Jewish students reported that they felt unwelcome in certain spaces on campus, and 39% felt DEI initiatives included Jews.
“These findings confirm the harsh reality that Jewish students are being marginalized in institutions that claim to champion diversity and inclusion but instead amplify division and exclusion,” the report stated. “Their safety and dignity are treated as negotiable and often dismissed entirely.”

Continued below.

The Rise and Fall of Liberal Catholicism in the Netherlands

Before Pius IX had restored the episcopal hierarchy in 1853 with the papal bull Ex Qua Die (1853), Catholics in the Netherlands were forbidden by law to publicly manifest their Faith. The Church was reduced to scattered groups, which would secretly gather for Mass celebrated by fugitive priests inside sheds, attics and warehouses.

The Netherlands was left without bishops after the last Vicar Apostolic of the Netherlands signed a notarial act in 1709, resigning from the mission entrusted to him by the Holy See. Thus, many Catholics in the Missio Hollandica were deprived of the sacrament of confirmation.1

Only after the French Revolution, did the status of the Church in the Netherlands improve slightly, whereby Catholics in the nineteenth century started to mobilize against the persecution of the Church.

This fight was initially led by the convert Joachim le Sage ten Broek. In 1818, he founded the monthly magazine De Godsdienstvriend and in 1835 the weekly magazine Catholijke Nederlandse Stemmen. The Catholic leader frequently engaged in polemics with Protestants and also inspired the founding of other Catholic magazines and newspapers in the Netherlands.2

Continued below.

Leo and Bartholomew in Nicaea A reunification of Orthodoxy with Catholicism could remind each of what was lost in the schism.

Fr. Jason Charron

In the wake of the 1,700-year commemoration of the Council of Nicaea, where Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I stood together on the soil of ancient İznik, the question of Church unity has taken on renewed urgency. Their meeting, at once liturgical and symbolic, recalled not only a shared origin but the enduring divergence of temperament that has shaped East and West. If unity is to be more than diplomatic choreography, it must engage the deeper currents of the distinct theological “styles” that define Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

The modern pursuit of communion between Rome and Constantinople often imagines unity as the work of theologians, hierarchs, or ecumenical commissions. Yet beneath formal theology lies temperament, and beneath temperament lies worldview; and renewing that is the obligation of all the baptized (Romans 12:2). Permit me to borrow a helpful analogy from a world I love, that of chess. Some openings are universal: resilient systems built on enduring principles that can withstand any opponent. Others are particular: brilliant and precise but dependent on specific conditions and upon the subjectivity of your opponent. This tension between the universal and the particular, between adaptability and rootedness, sheds light on the contrasting ecclesial genius of Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

In chess, the universal player builds upon the enduring principles of control over the center, development, and security. These principles are fixed, and the player who follows that develops a confidence which lies not in predicting the opponent but in trusting the integrity of the system. So too, Catholicism, both by etymology and by theological instinct, embodies this universal mode.

Continued below.

Hating Jesus In Vienna For Christmas Blasphemy, Decadence, And 'Civilizational Erasure' In Filthy Art Exhibit

An extra post today, because a reader tipped me off to something horrendous.

I love Vienna during the Christmas season, which is when the city is at its loveliest. But the Kunstlerhaus museum has chosen this holy season to launch an exhibition of shocking blasphemy.

That photograph above is the lead one on its website promoting the blasphemous exhibit. The exhibition catalog explains:



Here are some other images from the exhibit, all taken from its website:

Continued below.

Reading ancient texts

⭐ 1. METHOD FOR EVALUATING ANY ANCIENT TEXT​

Use these 6 steps.
Historians and scholars do exactly this.


Step 1 — Identify What the Text Is

Ask:

  • Is it history?
  • Prophecy?
  • Myth?
  • Liturgy?
  • Polemic?
  • Legal text?
  • Apocalyptic?
  • Commentary?
Apocalyptic texts (like Enoch, Revelation, 4 Ezra) do not operate like history.
Polemic texts exaggerate.
Legal texts idealize.

Understanding genre prevents misreading.


Step 2 — Date the Text (Range, not exact)

We almost never know exact dates.
So we estimate:

  • earliest possible date (terminus a quo)
  • latest possible date (terminus ad quem)
Everything in antiquity has ranges, not precision.

Example:
1 Enoch Book of Watchers → 200–160 BC, maybe older.
We don’t need exactness — just the window.


Step 3 — Identify the Audience

Ancient texts were written for:

  • a sect
  • a king
  • a court
  • a temple
  • exiles
  • a religious movement
  • a theological agenda
Knowing the audience explains why certain things are emphasized.


Step 4 — Compare Parallel Sources

Ask:

  • How does it line up with Josephus?
  • With the Septuagint?
  • With DSS?
  • With archaeology?
  • With inscriptions?
  • With internal logic?
Agreement strengthens reliability.
Disagreement means we must be cautious.


Step 5 — Separate Claims From Interpretation

“Text says X” is different from
“Therefore X means Y.”

Write them separately:

  • Observation = what the text actually says
  • Interpretation = what you think it means
  • Speculation = what might be intended
This protects you from confusing ideas with evidence.


Step 6 — Give a Probability, Not Certainty

Historians think in levels of confidence:

  • High probability
  • Moderate probability
  • Low probability
  • Unknown
Not everything is a yes/no answer.


⭐ 2. CHECKLIST FOR DETECTING BIAS OR OVERCONFIDENCE​

Use this on yourself any time you form an idea.


Internal Bias Check

Ask:

  • Am I only reading sources that agree with my conclusion?
  • Am I ignoring information that challenges my idea?
  • Am I too emotionally attached to a theory?
If yes → pause.


Complexity Check

Ask:

  • Does my explanation seem too simple for a massive ancient world?
  • Am I assuming one cause, when ancient history is multi-causal?
  • Am I forgetting cultural diversity?
If your theory feels “perfect,” it’s probably too simple.


Expert Check

Ask:

  • Do actual scholars agree even partially?
  • If not, why?
  • Am I interpreting texts in ways professionals find unlikely?
If 0% of experts support an idea → proceed cautiously.


Evidence Check

Ask:

  • Do I have multiple independent sources?
  • Or just one obscure passage?
Single-text conclusions are dangerous.


⭐ 3. HOW HISTORIANS AVOID FALSE CERTAINTY​

Professional historians use these principles:


Rule 1 — Always distinguish evidence from hypothesis

Never say “This happened” unless there is direct evidence.
Say “This is a hypothesis based on X and Y.”


Rule 2 — Treat silence as silence

If a text doesn’t mention something, we cannot infer it exists.
Ancient writers omitted a lot.


Rule 3 — Remember we don’t have autographs

Every text is a copy of a copy.
So historians:

  • expect transmission errors
  • expect missing details
  • expect later interpolations
  • avoid dogmatic use of a single manuscript

Rule 4 — Use the principle of minimal assumption

Prefer explanations that require the fewest leaps.


⭐ 4. HOW TO THINK WHEN YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN THE ORIGINAL AUTOGRAPHS​

This is VERY important and humbling.

No one on earth has seen:

  • the autograph of Genesis
  • the autograph of Isaiah
  • the autograph of 1 Enoch
  • the autograph of Jubilees
  • the autograph of Matthew
  • the autograph of Paul
  • the autograph of Josephus
Not one.

So you are in the same position as every other human on earth — even the scholars.

Because of this, we must:

  • assume copying errors exist
  • assume scribes sometimes harmonized or expanded
  • assume theological motivations sometimes shaped transmission
  • compare manuscripts rather than rely on one
  • stay humble in interpretation
Every ancient text is an echo, not the source.

This protects you from overconfidence.


⭐ 5. HOW TO HANDLE UNKNOWN TRANSMISSION HISTORY​

Transmission history is rarely fully known.

But here’s how to approach it:


Principle of Textual Layers

Almost all ancient texts have:

  • older core
  • later expansions
  • editorial shaping
  • translation effects
  • commentary inserted in margins that eventually got copied into the text
Never assume a text is uniform.


Principle of Cultural Drift

Beliefs change over time:

  • Jewish religion changed between 1000 BC and 100 BC
  • Christianity changed between AD 30 and AD 200
  • Scribes add interpretations
  • Traditions adapt to new eras
So a text often reflects its final community, not the original event.


Principle of Lost Information

We have lost maybe 90% of ancient writings.
This means:

  • we often see only one side of debates
  • we lack counterarguments
  • we misunderstand context
  • we guess more than we know
The correct mindset is:

“Here is what we can know from surviving evidence —
but the full picture is certainly bigger.”

⭐ 6. A PRACTICAL MINDSET FOR STUDYING ANCIENT TEXTS RESPONSIBLY​

Here is a grounded, healthy internal posture to adopt:


Humility

“I don’t know everything — and that’s okay.”


Curiosity, not certainty

“I want to understand, not prove.”


Slow conclusions

“If something seems obvious, I need to slow down and double-check.”


Comfort with ambiguity

“Some questions simply cannot be answered.”


Differentiate faith from history

Faith asks “What does this mean for me?”
History asks “What does the evidence show?”

Both can coexist as long as you don’t mix the tools.


Expect your views to evolve

If you’re doing it right, you will rethink things many times.
This is not failure — it is growth.


⭐ Final reassurance​

You said:

“I have never seen the autographs and I don’t know the transmission history.”
Exactly — no one has.
Not scholars, not pastors, not rabbis, not historians.

You are not behind anyone.
You are simply honest — and honesty is the foundation of wisdom.

You’re already doing the thing that keeps people from going off into strange, isolated interpretations:

You are willing to be corrected, cautious, and humble.
  • Like
Reactions: Philip_B

Pope Leo continues singing Our Father in Latin during Wednesday Audiences -VIDEO

The papal Wednesday audiences have become a true point of reference for the pilgrims coming to Rome to celebrate the Jubilee.

Pope Leo gave a sermon following today's Gospel readings, which were shared in several languages. The audience joined the Pope in singing the Our Father in Latin to conclude the gathering, the now familiar words echoing throughout St. Peter’s Square.

Continued below.

More ‘erotic’ books by Cdl Fernández unearthed, after being hidden by Vatican

Three works written by Fernández, recently analyzed, document more instances of his questionable sexual-linked spirituality.​


VATICAN CITY (PerMariam) — Fresh controversy has broken around Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández after more “erotic” texts from his past have surfaced, some of which were hidden from the official CV provided by the Vatican in 2023.

Titled “¿Por qué no termino de sanarme?” or “Why can’t I finish healing myself?,” the 2002 book by then-Fr. Fernández in Argentina appears at least textually to be a sequel to his 1995 work “Heal me with your mouth: the Art of Kissing.” The 1995 book courted immense controversy due to its repeatedly sexually suggestive and explicit content, the inclusion of unmistakably erotic and often ambiguous sexual relationships in which the genders of the participants are unspecified.

Then in January 2024 another work resurfaced, this time from 1998 and entitled “Mystical Passion: Spirituality and Sensuality.” Building on “Heal Me with Your Mouth: the Art of Kissing,” Fernández gave highly sexually explicit detail about male and female [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse], likening them to a relationship with God. Following widespread furor over the work – which had been hidden from his record – Fernández said that it was “a youth book” that he “certainly would not write now.” The sixth chapter of the book was a particular cause for concern due to its apparent depiction of an alleged erotic fantasy by a 16-year-old girl, who related the details to Fernández.

Named as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) by Pope Francis in July 2023, Fernández’s actions have since been under scrutiny, due in no small part to the immense chaos and controversy he has caused since accepting the role.

Continued below.

Is Colorado’s first “public Christian school” eligible for state funding? State education officials say no. Local officials aren't so sure

Story from October, but there haven't been a lot of new developments.... yet.

A new K-5 school in Pueblo, referred to as Colorado’s “first public Christian school” by its founders and authorizer, is at the center of a debate over whether its students qualify for public funding.

School officials from the 2-month-old Riverstone Academy say their students are owed state funding under protections in the U.S. Constitution while state education officials argue that allocating dollars to a school with religious teachings would violate both the state and U.S. Constitution.

The school has raised eyebrows at the Colorado Department of Education, which questions whether it is permitted to receive taxpayer funds in light of its Christian affiliation. Similar questions have bubbled up in other states like Oklahoma, where earlier this year the U.S. Supreme Court barred a religious charter school in the works from receiving public dollars.

The school, which teaches Christian-based curriculum from Masterbooks and Berean Builders, expands options for families and offers them the kind of education parents are seeking for their children, Friberg said.

“I think the big philosophical element of Riverstone is parents should have the right to send their kids to a wider variety of options than we have right now,” he said. “And so we believe there are parents who have a desire for this type of a school, not only the religious element but also the hands-on element in an elementary setting. So we decided we would try to provide it to the community.”

[Sure, if they want that product, they can go and pay for it.]

Board Treasurer Mike Heil raised concerns at that meeting about “eroding that separation of church and state” reflected in the U.S. Constitution.

Board President Lori Thompson responded to Heil’s concerns by saying that “separation of church and state is not contained in the United States Constitution.”

“My understanding is rooted in eighth grade social studies that says that the establishment clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution was explained by Thomas Jefferson as creating a wall of separation of church and state,” Heil told The Sun. “That interpretation has since been affirmed by the Supreme Court in a number of cases. In fact, they have frequently used his exact phrase. So when board members said that that isn’t in the Constitution, they might be nitpicking and say that specific phrase isn’t in there, but that function is absolutely there.”

[He can thank his 8th grade teacher for doing a good job.]

“As to whether or not we should support schools that have Christian values or that want to be a specific orientation to a religion of some sort, just so everyone’s aware, pre-the 1960s in every public school they taught the Bible and they prayed every morning in the classrooms, which was very much a part of our national heritage that every school promoted the values of the Ten Commandments and the Bible,” D’Avola said. “And they were funded. So there you go.”

[And what did SCOTUS think of that?]

Former atheist who made horror movies releases Christian doc exploring evidence for God

As Christmas approaches, a former atheist-turned-Christian has released a new documentary for both believers and skeptics, emphasizing that science and reason do not undermine belief in God but instead point toward Him.

“Universe Designed,” releasing Dec. 13 across all major digital platforms including Apple, Amazon, Google and Fandango via Collide Media Group, explores the relationship between science, philosophy and Christian faith, arguing that the universe itself bears the marks of intentional design.

The film is directed by Michael Ray Lewis, a former atheist whose personal search for evidence became the foundation of the project, and features appearances from leading Christian thinkers, including Frank Turek, Sean McDowell, Alisa Childers, Stephen Meyer, Hugh Ross and Allen Parr.

“As an atheist, one of my biggest frustrations with Christians was that they often asserted their beliefs were true without ever explaining why they believed that,” Lewis, head of Turtle Moon Films, told The Christian Post. “It felt like being preached at rather than reasoned with.”

Continued below.

'None of the government's business' what pastors preach on Sundays, Robert Jeffress tells DOJ religious liberty panel

First Baptist Dallas pastor warns of IRS overreach in linking 'biblical beliefs with prohibited political speech'

It’s “none of the government’s business” to regulate the content of sermons that pastors preach from the pulpit, Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas told a White House religious liberty panel Wednesday.

In testimony before the U.S. Department of Justice’s Religious Liberty Commission, Jeffress and First Baptist Dallas Senior Executive Pastor Ben Lovvorn shared their experience with the IRS during a controversial church tax inquiry in 2021 under former President Joe Biden.

Jeffress’ statement to the Commission included comments he initially shared with his congregation on Sunday, in which he recounted how the atheist legal organization Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) filed a complaint with the IRS after former Vice President Mike Pence and then-HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson shared their faith testimonies of “how they came to know Jesus as Savior” at Jeffress’ church in June 2020.

“It's interesting that we did not hear anything from the IRS for 11 months and four months after Joe Biden became president, Jeffress told the panel Wednesday. “It was on May 6, 2021, that the IRS informed our church that they were initiating an inquiry into the tax-exempt status of our church because of our patriotic service.”

Continued below.

South Carolina measles outbreak ‘accelerating’ with hundreds of unvaccinated students now in second 21-day quarantine

South Carolina health officials said mobile vaccination clinics have been deployed, but admitted that only a “small number of doses” were administered at the sites

As of Wednesday, there have been 111 reported measles cases in the northwest region of South Carolina, NBC News reports. The region includes Greenville and Spartanburg.

“We are faced with ongoing transmission that we anticipate will go on for many more weeks,” South Carolina Department of Public Health state epidemiologist Dr Linda Bell said during a Wednesday news briefing.

According to data compiled by NBC News, the K-12 vaccination rate for measles, mumps, and rubella in Spartanburg County was 90 percent for the 2024-2025 school year. While that number is high, doctors say at least a 95 percent vaccination rate is needed to stop outbreaks from occurring. Neighboring Greenville County's MMR vaccination rate was 90.5 percent.

In 2025, there have been 1,912 reported measles cases across the U.S. [the most since 1992, back before measles was 'eliminated' in the US], largely amongst unvaccinated children and teenagers, with 47 outbreaks reported since the start of 2025. That's nearly three times the number of outbreaks reported in 2024. Other hot spots outside of South Carolina include 176 reported cases in Arizona and 115 in Utah, according to state health officials.
  • Informative
Reactions: iluvatar5150

Using AI for scripture study

I feel like this conversation needs to be had because I'm seeing a lot of people argue a theological statement and it's purely because some AI gave them the answer. So I want to say this plainly.

AI IS NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT.

God is supposed to guide us to truth and understanding.

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." - John 16:13

AI's logic isn't even that good because it bases its answers on whatever you want to hear. It will bypass logic rules if the answer will make you happy. It learns what you like and manipulates the answers based on that. It's called Reinforcement Learning From Human Feedback (RLHF) and ALL large models like ChatGPT and Gemini are trained using that. Here's an interview with the creator (Link) that talks about the dangers of AI and Sam Altman (the CEO of OpenAI) even recognizes it truth bends. Here is a link that talks about some of the problems AI has (Link). You can also check out Lily Jay's youtube channel to see how biased it really is.

Due to this, you are running the risk of being led down a wrong theological path when you have AI think for you in both interpretation AND scripture weaving. Can it be a helpful tool? Sure, if you ask it to translate something or use it like a glorified google search "find me all the scripture passages that uses the word ____" but when you expand its use and start basing your beliefs off its answers, you are running down a dangerous road that I seriously hope you stop and get off of. You are placing it's "wisdom" over God's and you're taking God out of the equation of learning and guidance at this point which leads you to making AI your own private idol.

Please, please, stop doing this... this doesn't lead to anywhere but problems.

revelation 1-12 happened 70 ad

I pasted what I wrote into chat gpt and it gave me this

Rev 12 commentary

1. THE WOMAN = ISRAEL Revelation 12:1 uses Genesis 37:9–10. Sun = Jacob. Moon = Rachel. Twelve stars = tribes of Israel. Thus the woman = covenant Israel, the Old Covenant people who produced the Messiah, the apostles, and the first Judean Christian remnant.

2. THE MALE CHILD = JESUS Revelation 12:5: Messiah destined to rule (Psalm 2). Family flees to Egypt to escape Herod. Maybe they were gone 3.5 years. Don't know what the Jesus caught up to heaven thing is.


3. THE HERODS = all the different HEADS & HORNS OF THE DRAGON/BEAST Herod the Great — tried to kill infant Jesus (Matthew 2:13–18) Herod Archelaus — avoided by Joseph due to violence (Matthew 2:22) Herod Antipas — killed John (Mark 6), mocked Jesus (Luke 23:7–11) Herod Philip — tetrarch Herod Agrippa I — killed James, imprisoned Peter (Acts 12) Herod Agrippa II — opposed Paul (Acts 25–26), backed Rome Herodian women — Bernice, Drusilla, Salome (Acts 24:24; Josephus) All persecuted Christ and His people. They were the dragon’s earthly instrument.

4. THE WAR IN HEAVEN WAS LITERAL Jesus Himself said: Luke 10:18 — “I saw Satan FALL like lightning from heaven.” John 12:31 — “NOW is the judgment of this world; NOW shall the prince of this world be CAST OUT.” Revelation 12:7–9: Michael defeats Satan; Satan expelled; Satan descends to attack Jerusalem and the Church. Daniel 12:1: “Michael shall stand up… there shall be a time of trouble.” This time = 66–70 AD

5. 1 ENOCH 70-GENERATION PROPHECY 1 Enoch 10: angels bound “for 70 generations, until the day of judgment.” Using Septuagint genealogies: Enoch → 70 generations → Jesus. Thus Jesus arrives precisely when the countdown ends. The war in heaven, Satan’s fall, and Jerusalem’s destruction complete Enoch’s prophecy

6. THE SECOND COMING WAS LITERAL AND VISIBLE IN 70 AD Revelation 1:7 — “Every eye shall SEE Him, even those who pierced Him.” “Those who pierced Him” = the Sanhedrin still alive. Jesus predicted this exact visible event: Matthew 24:30 — “They shall SEE the Son of Man coming in the clouds…” Matthew 16:27 — “The Son of Man will come… WITH HIS ANGELS.

Matthew 26:64 — “YOU will SEE the Son of Man at the right hand of Power, coming in the clouds.” Judeans literally saw Jesus above Jerusalem: — At the right hand of the Father — In the clouds — Surrounded by all the holy angels

7. JOSEPHUS CONFIRMS some SKY SIGNS Wars 6.5.3 (Whiston): “Before sunset, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running among the clouds and surrounding cities." Tacitus said the same, and the same kind of thing was seen when God was judging Jerusalem in 1/2 Maccabees in the 100s BC


8. THE MOURNING OF JUDEA Revelation 1:7 — “All tribes of the LAND will mourn.” Two types: • Terror — those dying in Jerusalem saw Jesus and mourned in horror. • Repentance — Christian Judeans fleeing to Pella saw Jesus and mourned for rejecting Him. Fulfills Zechariah 12:10 — “They shall look upon Me whom they pierced and mourn.”
9. THE WOMAN’S FLIGHT = PELLA Revelation 12:14–16: The Judean Christians are taken out of the promise land on Eagle’s wings), just like God took their ancient ancestors out of Egypt on eagles wings (Exodus 19:4. They had to cross the Jordan to get into the promise land now they are fleeing the old covenant promise land over the Jordan to Pella. The devil tries to flood the Jordan but God swallows the water. Flight to Pella - Wikipedia

10. THE WOES OF JESUS = THE WOES OF REVELATION Matthew 23 — Seven Woes upon Pharisees: “All these things shall come upon THIS generation.” Revelation 8–12 — Three Woes upon Jerusalem, “the city where their Lord was crucified” (Rev 11:8). Revelation’s woes = execution of Matthew 23.

11. REVELATION 9 — APOLLYON = TITUS OF LEGIO XV APOLLINARIS Revelation 9:11 — “Apollyon” = Apollo. Titus commanded Legion XV Apollinaris (Apollo’s legion). Locusts = armies (Joel 1–2). Roman siege machinery fits the imagery. Thus: locusts = Roman armies; king = Apollo → Titus.

12. REVELATION 11 — TRAMPLING OF THE TEMPLE Revelation 11:2 — Holy city trampled 42 months = 66–70 AD. Revelation 11:8 — “Where their Lord was crucified” = Jerusalem. Revelation 11:19 — Heavenly ark appears; earthly Temple replaced.

that is the main parts of Rev 1-12 I know. In the first few pages of Rev 1 Jesus said the time is near, soon, at hand, and he tells one church he is coming back in their generation. Rev 1-12 was just Gods judgement on Judea for killing Jesus, the apostles and for all the blood shed in history back to Abel.

Rev 13-22 is future still not until 4400-4500 AD based on 1 Enoch's 10,000 year prophecy
Jesus ben Ananias - Wikipedia sounds like one of the two witnesses but does not match. whoever they were they happened. gospel of nicodemus, history of joseph the carpenter, apocalypse of peter all internally written pre 70 ad, and i believe are inspired said it was going to be enoch and elijah

Do All Religions Lead To God?

It gets very confusing with all the different religions and claims that this or that belief or ideas from various movements that they have the path that leads to God, so is it. But when you hear a Christian religious leader or teacher claim that all religions lead on a path to God, that raises questions. Scripture is clear that is not the case. We find it in John 14...

John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus declares that the only way to God is through Him.

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=5fd0...cmVsaWdpb25zX2xlYWRfdG9fb25lX2dvZC5odG0&ntb=1

Jordan Peterson Health Update: Family Remains Hopeful About Recovery

Mikhaila Fuller, daughter of Dr. Jordan Peterson, provided an update this week about her father’s extended illness. “He’s still not doing well, but he’s not doing as badly as he was,” she said in a Dec. 9 social media post. In an accompanying video, Fuller noted that her dad is out of the hospital but “everything’s been slow.”

Despite the slow progress, “I’m hopeful he will recover with time,” Fuller said. “I wish things would just go back to normal, but they’re not there yet.”

Peterson, 63, is a Canadian psychologist, author, podcaster, and conservative media commentator. Although he doesn’t identify as a Christian, he has interviewed high-profile Christians such as Dallas Jenkins, Greg Laurie, and Tim Tebow. Peterson also has addressed issues such as gender identity and masculinity.

Peterson’s wife, Tammy, joined the Catholic Church in 2023. Two years before that, daughter Mikhaila Fuller said she had become a Christian. In 2024, Peterson and Fuller cofounded Peterson Academy, and Fuller serves as CEO.

Continued below.

Breaking Up With Toxic Femininity

Femininity is a gift given to us by God. It’s not toxic, and it’s not a problem. In fact, we need femininity. Women are the heart of society, and a weak heart will beget a dying culture. As Anthony Esolen wrote in his book No Apologies, “The masculine and feminine stand and fall together.”

The Not-So-Nice Voice Crying Out in the Wilderness

The Baptist, then, was not standing at the crossroads warmly greeting the pilgrims, saying, “All you need is faith alone, and you are saved! All are welcome! Have a nice time in Jerusalem!” No, he didn’t say that because merely being a member of a particular race of people, even the race chosen by God, was not good enough.

Old Time Thomistic Metaphysics

From our morning coffee routine to scientific research, we are a bundle of habits. Good habits are virtues; bad habits are vices. Whether good or bad, our habits govern the faculties of our souls and shape our emotions. At times, vices intermingle with virtues like poison ivy hidden among flourishing foliage. Healthy introspection, aided by God’s grace, helps us identify and distinguish our virtues from our vices. The classic teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas, rooted in the wisdom of the great pagan philosophers, provide a stable framework for self-understanding.

Good news from Nigeria

“We thank God for the safe return of 100 children and the government’s efforts in this,” said Jo Newhouse*, Open Doors spokesperson for work in sub-Saharan Africa. “We continue to pray and trust that all the children and staff will be safely returned home before Christmas.”

Update: 100 children released from captivity in Nigeria

Stephen Miller Says Trump White House Has Offered to Put Him on CNN at ‘Any Time’ to Respond to Their Numerous Lies But They Won’t Have Him On (VIDEO)

What’s happening here is so obvious. CNN doesn’t want to know the truth and they don’t want their viewers to hear it either. They would prefer to just keep pushing all of their anti-Trump lies without inconvenient interruptions.
Miller could easily destroy all of their talking points and they know it.

This article nailed it, it was the same with Charlie Kirk and so many others.

Those Who Betray

“Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, ‘Whom do you seek?’ They answered Him, ‘Jesus the Nazarene.’ He said to them, ‘I am He.’ And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.” (John 18:3-5 NASB1995)

I am not intending today, in this writing, to go into the full story of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, and of Jesus’ false arrest, his mock trial, his beatings, and his ultimate death on a cross to take away our sins and to give us the hope of eternal life with God. You can read all the details of that in the gospels, if you would like. For what I believe the Lord is leading me to do today is to look at the subject of betrayal in our world and in the church today, at the hands of those who are deliberately betraying both Christ and his followers.

So, I Googled a definition of what it means to betray someone, and I believe this covers the subject well. This is what Google’s AI rendered:

“To betray someone means to break their trust or loyalty through disloyal, harmful, or deceitful actions, such as revealing secrets, infidelity, or failing to offer support, which violates a presumed agreement or bond and causes emotional pain. It's essentially being treacherous to someone who relies on you, whether by actively harming them or by failing to uphold your promises and expectations.”

So, who are some of those who betray Jesus Christ and those of us who are followers of Christ today? Some (or many) of them are pastors of churches (or what are falsely called “churches”), while some (or many) others are politicians and government heads. Others are those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, who claim to know him as their Savior and Lord, but who betray both Christ and the body of Christ through lies, deceptions, disloyalty, infidelity, and false claims of living righteous and holy lives, pleasing to God.

When they want to make a good impression on someone of faith, they might put on a performance of godliness and holiness, as though they are living the life that God has designed for them to live, but while, in truth, they are living the opposite of that, in practice. They are like the Pharisees who put on a good show outwardly but while inwardly they are full of all kinds of evil and wicked deeds. For they want to be thought well of by those who don’t know the difference. But their performance does not match their actions.

But there is another way in which this betrayal is taking place in the world and in the church today, and it is deadly. And it is through people taking Scriptures out of context, and twisting them to say what they do not say if taught in the correct biblical context, and by them teaching a twisted and altered “gospel” message which makes no requirements of sinners to repent of (turn from) their sins to now follow Jesus in surrender to his will in walks of obedience to his commands, but while promising them life in heaven.

They are not only lying to the people, but they are betraying their trust by teaching them lies and while (willfully and deliberately, in many cases) they ignore the truth in the Scriptures which teach what they do not want to hear, and what they will not accept. Thus, many people are professing faith in Jesus Christ, believing that their sins are forgiven and heaven is their eternal destiny, but who never deny self, die to sin, or follow Jesus Christ in walks of obedience to his commands, living to please God with their lives.

And 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).

So, we need to be discerning people who are not gullible and easily persuaded by others who call themselves “Christians” or “Pastors.” For not everyone is who they say they are, doing what they say they are doing, or not doing. Liars, and those who willfully deceive others, abound. And we should be students of the Scriptures who study them for ourselves, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, who do not rely on others to tell us the truth. For many teach lies, and many betray, and not all can be trusted.

[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]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Recording Via Gerry Peters, music producer and arranger


Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

Login to view embedded media
Those Who Betray
An Original Work / December 11, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

President Trump sets deadline for Ukrainian Peace

President Trump has issued a new deadline for President Zelensky to sign the U.S.-backed peace deal with Russia, giving him days, some say until Christmas Day to sign the agreement.
"US President Donald Trump's envoys have given Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a fresh deadline to respond to Washington's proposed peace plan, unnamed officials told the Financial Times. The officials said Zelenskyy has only "days" to reply, even as the Ukrainian leader insists he will not accept any deal that redraws Ukraine's borders." MSN

Trump also criticized the European Union's efforts in influencing what was a US plan in which they seem to be urging Zelensky to take a hard stand against giving up any territorial concessions to secure a peace agreement. It seems that the EU wants to 'trump' the Presidents peace negotiations and impose a more comprehensive security protection for Ukraine and piece-meal annexation such as the Sudetenland by Germany which was a cause of WWII. But much as they dont want such a capitulation on Ukraine, it seems that is the only path to peace, at least in Trumps view..

"US President Donald Trump has criticized European leaders as "weak" and suggested the US could scale back support for Ukraine.

In a wide-ranging interview with Politico, he said "decaying" European countries had failed to control migration or take decisive action to end Ukraine's war with Russia, accusing them of letting Kyiv fight "until they drop".

He argued that Russia held the "upper hand" and urged Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky to "play ball" by ceding territory to Moscow.

In the UK, Downing Street rejected Trump's claim that Europe had failed to act, citing the UK's leadership on sanctions and reiterating support for the US-led peace process."... MSN

But Zelensky seems to be digging in against any concessions on Ukrainian land..
"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that Ukraine will not give up any territory to Russia and said components of a plan to end the war between the countries are ready to be presented to the U.S.

"Russia is insisting that we give up territories, but we don't want to cede anything," Zelenskyy said in an online press conference Monday, the AFP news agency reported.

"We have no legal right to do so, under Ukrainian law, our constitution and international law. And we don't have any moral right either," Zelenskyy said after leaving London, where he met with the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

Zelenskyy's remarks suggest he will not bend to pressure from Russian President Vladimir Putin or President Trump, whose negotiators had proposed Ukraine give up its eastern region of the Donbas – about 20% of the country's territory – as part of a plan to end Russia's war on Ukraine, according to a draft shared publicly by a Ukrainian opposition politician and confirmed by a White House official.... MSN

And even the Pope has weighed in on the situation...
"Pope Leo has hit out at President Donald Trump’s Russia-Ukraine peace proposal and has warned that the administration risks destroying the longstanding alliance between Europe and the United States. As Ukraine faces growing pressure from the U.S. to accept major territorial losses and other concessions as a trade-off for Russia to end its years-long incursion, the pope has weighed in with a stinging rebuke to America’s approach."... Pope Leo Takes Shocking Swipe at Trump Over Old Friends

Something has to give, and it looks like the EU allies and their backing of Ukraine's hardening stance..

He Did What?

YouTube Channel Video Devo
Login to view embedded media
“He Did What?
Philippians 2:8 NLT
When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

We have all had many times in our lives when we are surprised, whether in a good way or bad way, at something someone else does that we would never expect. We’ve often said, “She really did that?”, or maybe, “ He really said that?” When someone does something that is totally unexpected, it really leaves us in complete shock and we don’t know what to say or how to react. The situation can often leave us dumbfounded and with no words.

We all have often put so much energy and emotion into how we react and respond to these times in our lives. We have easily turned these times into gossip with others. We can’t believe what we’ve heard or seen and we want to tell others. It can become the talk of the group or the town. This could be very good or very bad.

This past Sunday, our pastor had a sermon talking about this chapter of Philippians and how Jesus came to do what He did and how unbelievable and amazing it actually was. What struck me was how our pastor said that we often do routine things at Christmas as we talk about how Jesus came into the world. And, in general, it’s often easy for us to become desensitized to all the emotion we should have at what Jesus did for us. It becomes commonplace and we totally miss the real emotion and meaning it should still hold for us.

I pulled up the NLT version and the phrase, “died a criminal’s death” completely captured my attention. Jesus did not belong on that Cross, we did. He went up there and died to save us all. He willingly gave it all to give us a future with Him. Nothing about what He did makes any sense. We deserved what He got. I don’t think I’ll ever read this passage the same again. He became nothing and died a criminal’s death for us. He wasn’t a criminal, but He definitely went through all the torture a criminal would experience.

I sure hope that we all experience the real emotion of what Jesus did for us. It should daily grip us in our hearts and we should take time to remember and be truly thankful. We should be in awe and be dumbfounded and say, “He did what?” Yes, He did that for you and for me? It should leave us speechless every single day. We should be filled with great emotion and awe for what He did for us. The world needs to see that raw emotion and gratefulness in our lives each day.

What Jesus did should leave us in complete awe every single day and we should be deeply thankful for the life He gives us.

Filter

Forum statistics

Threads
5,879,626
Messages
65,436,512
Members
276,448
Latest member
dmdaraptlcmi