This is Jesus Christ speaking to his 11 disciples, for by this time Judas Iscariot had already departed to betray Jesus to the authorities. And Jesus was speaking during the time period when the Jews were still under the Old Covenant, for Jesus had not yet died and had not been resurrected and had not yet returned to the Father. And Jesus, who was also a Jew, but who was God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – spoke of himself as the true vine with God the Father being the vinedresser.

Okay, so I am going to introduce a thought here that I had not thought of before in reading this passage of Scripture, and this is something that I will have to look into more thoroughly, but this is what struck me this time in reading about Jesus being the vine and the Father being the vinedresser. The first Scripture that came to mind is 1 Corinthians 10:4 where it says that the Israelites, in the wilderness in the time of Moses, drank from the spiritual Rock that followed (or accompanied) them, and the Rock was Christ.

Now, if you consider that the Scriptures teach that Jesus always existed with God and that he is God (as noted above), and that he is our creator God (see John 1:1-36), then Jesus, the Christ, was with the Israelites always, and he was the spiritual rock that they drank from, even back then. And this is not meaning physical water that they drank, but that they drew their livelihood, their existence, and their spiritual life and sustenance from him who is our rock, our fortress, our tower of strength.

And then I thought of Romans 11 where it also speaks of branches which were broken off from the root, which were the Jews who rejected Jesus Christ (the root), and how we Gentiles by physical birth were grafted into the root by faith in Jesus Christ. For it is Jesus Christ that we come into by faith and we become part of him. He is our root. He is our vine. He alone is our spiritual rock from which we drink (partake). He alone is the one in whom we abide and no other so only he can be that root we were grafted into.

So, the point here is that Jesus Christ was always the root. He was always the rock of our salvation from whom the Israelites who trusted in God had their life and their salvation. He was always the vine. And all who believe in him with God-persuaded faith are his branches. But once he died and was resurrected from the dead, which is when God’s people entered into a new covenant with God/Christ, then for all those who did not believe in him, they were cut off from the vine, like this talks about in John, chapter 15.

If you ever worked a puzzle before, or if you ever tried to solve a mystery, you may have gone through a process of logic and reason and deduction such as, if A=B and if C=B then there must be a connection between A and C. And I may not be explaining this well, but it has to do with associations and with connecting the dots. Like if by faith in Jesus Christ we are now joined with Christ, and he is our root/vine, then the root we were grafted into, which some Jews got cut out of, is Christ. For we are in Christ.

And this fits with this passage in John 15 where it speaks of branches being cut off from the vine due to unbelief (disobedience), which was evident by the fact that they did not bear spiritual fruit for the kingdom of God. There was no spiritual outgrowth or results in their lives that gave evidence to them being true branches. But they were once the Lord’s branches. They were once part of that root/vine, but Jesus had to cut them out because they did not believe in him, which is evidenced by the lack of fruit of obedience.

So, if we want to be “in Christ,” and to be his true branches, we must walk in the faith that we profess. We must, as his branches, leave our lives of sin behind us and now walk in obedience to his commands (New Covenant) in holy living, living separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ. And we must continue in these walks of faith steadfast until the very end if we want to have salvation from sin and eternal life with God.

For, just like Jesus Christ/God cut out of him the natural branches who did not believe in Jesus Christ (once Jesus had given his life for us on that cross to save us from our sins) he will cut us out, too, if we don’t remain in him, and if we do not bear the kind of spiritual fruit that he requires of us, and if we do not continue in his grace. And his grace instructs us to renounce (say “NO!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives (see Romans 11:19-24; Titus 2:11-14).

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

My Sheep

Based off John 10:1-30 NIV
An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

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Unless We Abide in Christ
Originally written and posted on December 7, 2023
Reposted on December 9, 2024 and July 14, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Yes, musical patterns have been discovered within the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Specifically, researchers have found that the stars and flowers depicted on the Virgin's mantle, when analyzed using mathematical principles and overlaid with a musical staff, can be interpreted as musical notes, resulting in a harmonious melody. This discovery has been attributed to Fernando Ojeda, a Mexican accountant, who analyzed the image using mathematical techniques according to the Catholic News Agency.

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SO WHAT DOES ULTRA- DISPENSATION MEAN ?

And at one time we had two ULTRA in our Assembly , many years ago , and never pushed. their. theology position towards me. !

And what I do know is that they begin the Body of Christ at Acts 28

And do. make a separation between Israel and the Body of Christ !

And maybe reject Water Baptism !

And reject the Lords Supper !

And do not know how they stand on salvation !

What say you. ?

dan p

Was he a disciple ?

People talk about the "morally gray" characters in Star Wars Andor. However, I don't think a person who has to do an evil thing morally gray if he understands that what he did was evil without rationalizing it as good.

For instance, the character Luthen says, "I'm damned for what I do." That indicates a person of conventional morality, not different from the average soldier of the Allies during WWII. On a personal note, and why this is an issue of importance to me, all of my elder relatives were ground combat veterans. Toward the ends of their lives--good lives, well-lived lives--they were all still tortured by things they'd done in combat. None of them felt his actions had been justified even though their actions had been forced upon them by circumstances they did not create.

Luthen's acknowledgment--"I'm condemned to use the methods of my enemy to defeat him....I'm damned for what I do"--is not morally gray in the classical sense. It reflects a man with a strong moral compass who knowingly violates it for a cause he believes just. That’s very different from someone who redefines wrong as right, which is often what the term “morally gray” suggests.

Luthen does morally reprehensible things: manipulating people, sacrificing allies, orchestrating civilian deaths, but he never excuses them as good. He doesn’t relativize morality; he believes in it. He just accepts damnation as the cost of victory.

That places him closer to the moral framework of Allied soldiers in WWII: “I’m doing something I believe is necessary, but I still know it’s morally wrong.”

IMO, a "morally gray" character is one who doesn’t operate on a fixed moral code or shifts between ethical systems situationally. A morally gray character denies the evil they do is actually evil, or they deny that good and evil actually exist.

Luthen believes in absolute morality, but he chooses to sin against it consciously and accepts a tragic ending that he considers a just ending for what he has done.

ICE and CBP arrested violent and dangerous criminal illegal aliens during the operation who were working at the marijuana site, including:
Roman Izquierdo—an illegal alien from Mexico—who has been convicted of kidnapping, attempted rape and attempted child molestation. ICE previously deported him in 2006.
Juan Duarte-Velasquez—an illegal alien from Mexico—who has been convicted of rape and a DUI.

Now we can see who the progressive protestors defend. And we hope the children are on there way to being united with their families.

There are ads on this website with a woman talking about God and the Bible, I am trying to find more of the videos and found them to be very helpful does anyone know where it can be found.

Please pray that my son Jake can be happy tonight and talk and laugh with his friends and for good health and healing. I ask in the name of Jesus and if it is God's will. Thank you and God bless you. Carmen

In case any have not yet heard, it appears that we will soon be losing Pastor John MacArthur.

Prayers for Pastor John and his family.
I've personally been blessed by so many of his teachings, and for decades now.
I'll miss his presence in this world.

----------------------------------------------

Pastor John MacArthur Contracts Pneumonia, Nearing End of Earthly Life at 86

It was announced on Sunday, July 13, that John MacArthur, 86, pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church (GCC) in Sun Valley, California, has contracted pneumonia and is expected to be in the presence of Jesus soon.

Two women were killed at a Baptist church in Lexington, Kentucky, when a suspect fled to the house of worship after shooting a state trooper on Sunday, authorities said.

The shooting spree ended when the suspect was killed at Richmond Road Baptist Church in southwest Lexington, Kentucky State Police said on social media.

The two women who were shot and killed were aged 72 and 32. It's not yet known if they were related. Two others at the church were wounded and transported to a nearby hospital. Authorities said several members of the church are believed to be related.

Continued below.

BRICS is an acronym coined in 2001 to describe rapidly developing countries that could impact the global economy. Those originally included: Brazil, Russia, India China, and South Africa.

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But BRICS countries are also united by a simple view: that the global balance of power skews too much toward the US and its European allies to the exclusion of emerging economies – and that the system should be reformed. To that end, the body set up its own development bank in 2015, and backs Brazil and India’s aspirations to play a greater role in the UN Security Council.

Members of the group have denied this makes BRICS “anti-Western.” But as Russia and China in the past decade have faced more friction with the West amid China’s growing assertiveness on the global stage and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, observers say both have pushed to shape the group into a more pointed tool to counter US power. During their summit in Rio, the leaders released a joint declaration voicing “serious concerns” about the “rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures” – an apparent jibe at the Trump administration’s trade policy.

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They also expressed serious concerns about Israel's and the US' bombing of Iran.

It is 100% understandable why the BRICS countries, and the NATO countries being bullied by their most bombastic member, want to fight back. And quite frankly, the Democrats in the U.S. aren't, unfortunately, powerful enough to put him in his place and stop him in his tracks.

Two women were shot and killed at a Kentucky church by a suspect who fled there after allegedly shooting a state trooper elsewhere, according to officials.

A suspect allegedly shot a Kentucky State Police trooper near the Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, KY, and then fled to a church [16 miles away!], where the suspect shot four people before police shot and killed the suspect, officials said at a Lexington Police Department press conference late Sunday afternoon.

Officials said they believe that the suspect had a connection to individuals at the church. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear.

Coroner Gary Ginn said the majority of the people at the church were related biologically or "have been friends for many years."

"It's a tight-knit group of people," Ginn said during the press conference.

Perp has been identified, but name not released pending informing family.

It’s no news flash that younger Americans today generally tend to be less patriotic than previous generations. But the “patriotism gap” is growing rapidly, and perhaps most concerning is the fact that the gap is most drastic among younger Americans.

Writing for HotAir.com, Ed Morrissey notes: “Pride in America has sunk to its lowest standing ever, mainly led by a collapse among Democrats.”

Indeed, Gallup polls write: “A record-low 58% of U.S. adults say they are ‘extremely’ (41%) or ‘very’ (17%) proud to be an American, down nine percentage points from last year and five points below the prior low from 2020.” Gallup notes that most of the decline is in the “very proud” category.

Ben Shapiro asks if we’re seeing “the end of patriotism?” He opens his recent column with this observation: “America has a major problem: nearly half of Americans — 42% — don't believe in America.”

Continued below.

Today, my wife, suspicious of AI, asked "what if the Founders had AI?" Which immediately intrigued me. So I asked Chatgpt to design a government/society reflecting the writings of the enlightenment philosophers. Here's what it said:

Declaration of Reason and the Rights of Man​

Issued in the Age of Enlightenment, In the Name of Liberty, Virtue, and Reason​

When, in the course of human development, it becomes necessary for a people to liberate themselves from ignorance, superstition, and tyranny, and to assume the station of free and equal beings—guided not by blind tradition but by reason and justice—it is proper and essential to declare the principles which give legitimacy to their society and government.

---

I. Of the Rights of Man and Citizen​

We hold these truths to be not self-evident by tradition, but proven by reason:

• That all men are born free and remain equal in rights.
• That the natural rights of man are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. (Locke, Rousseau)
• That liberty consists in the power to do anything which does not harm another; hence the law may only prohibit that which injures society. (Voltaire, Rousseau)
• That the free exercise of reason, in speech, in religion, in the press, and in public discourse, is sacred and inviolable. (Voltaire, Kant)
• That no man shall be judged by his birth, class, or creed, but only by his conduct, his virtue, and his contribution to the common good. (Rousseau, Kant)

---

II. Of the Origin and Purpose of Government​

• Government is not ordained by providence or tradition, but by the consent of the governed, formed through a social contract among rational individuals. (Locke, Rousseau)
• The sole purpose of government is to secure the rights of its citizens and to express the general will—the rational and moral interest of all. (Rousseau)
• Any government that becomes the instrument of private interest or arbitrary power is illegitimate and may be reformed or abolished. (Locke)
• Sovereignty resides in the people; no monarch, priest, or faction may claim power above them. (Rousseau, Voltaire)

---

III. Of Law and Justice​

• Laws must be just, public, and rational, framed by representatives of the people. (Montesquieu, Beccaria)
• The law is an expression of the general will and must apply equally to all. No one is above the law. (Rousseau, Montesquieu)
• Punishment shall be proportionate to the crime, intended not to avenge but to deter. Torture and cruelty offend both reason and humanity. (Beccaria)
• Every accused shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Secret trials and arbitrary detentions are hereby condemned. (Beccaria, Montesquieu)

---

IV. Of Knowledge and Enlightenment​

• Man's dignity consists in his capacity for reason. Ignorance is the tool of tyranny. (Kant)
• Education shall be universal, secular, and devoted to the cultivation of virtue, autonomy, and critical thinking. (Rousseau, Kant)
• Let every citizen have the freedom to speak, write, teach, and publish their thoughts without fear, for the free use of reason in public is the engine of enlightenment. (Voltaire, Kant)
• Dogma shall not rule where reason can inquire. Conscience shall not be coerced where truth can be persuaded.

---

V. Of Society and Economy​

• Commerce and labor, freely pursued, shall contribute to the common prosperity. (Adam Smith)
• The state shall protect property, ensure fair competition, and provide for the needs of those unable to provide for themselves. (Smith, Rousseau)
• Excessive inequality corrupts liberty and undermines fraternity; laws shall restrain monopolies and privilege. (Rousseau, Smith)

---

VI. Final Resolution​

We, the representatives of a free and enlightened people, do proclaim this declaration as a beacon for all nations and future generations:

Let ignorance give way to knowledge,
Let superstition yield to inquiry,
Let despotism bow before liberty,
And let mankind walk upright, governed not by fear but by reason and conscience.

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So shall we build a society worthy of man’s nature—free, rational, and just.

Please pray for strength today, I am not feeling well and have some pain but have a big work day ahead that I have to do. Thank you.

"A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side." Luke 10

Trying to stay pure and obey the law, and yet missing the point of the law.

Let's not judge the priest and Levite so quickly. wouldn't we do the same?

The election of Pope Leo XIV earlier this month has — at least according to Google search data — has led to a renewed interest in people searching for information on how to ‘become Catholic.’
A young woman is baptized at the Easter vigil 2024 at St. Mary’s Catholic Center at Texas A&M. (photo: Courtesy of St. Mary’s Catholic Center, Texas A&M)

The election of Pope Leo XIV earlier this month has — at least according to Google search data — led to a renewed interest in people searching for information on how to “become Catholic.”

This follows several years of anecdotal reports of a surge of people joining the Catholic Church, especially among young people, across many dioceses in numerous countries.

The Catholic Church’s requirements to join may seem, at first, to be complicated. The process involves some important rites of initiation as well as spiritual preparation, fellowship with other Catholics and prospective Catholics, and instruction in the teachings of the faith.

Here’s a guide to becoming Catholic in 2025.

1) Are you baptized?

Continued below.

A large crowd of protesters gathered outside Disneyland’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa on Friday afternoon after local officials rumored a possible vacation visit from Vice President JD Vance.

Orange County officials received intel of the VP’s visit to the area on Thursday. In an interview with KTLA 5, Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento said the VP’s visit “comes at a time when trust in government feels fragile.”

The Santanero, a local Santa Ana newspaper, reported that Air Force 2 landed at John Wayne Airport on Friday shortly after 5 p.m. It was not immediately confirmed whether Vance was on the aircraft on official business following his latest visit to California when he attended a $2,500-per-seat conservative event at a high-end sushi restaurant in San Diego.

Neither a weekend schedule nor fundraising event were posted by the vice president’s office, which has led to speculation that Vance might be on a family vacation. Online footage began to circulate of a C-17 motorcade entering the Disneyland Park in Anaheim.

“I would tell [Vance] to go home,” one protestor told Fox 11. “We don’t want him here.”

[Vance is about as popular as Nikita Khrushchev in California.]

YouTuber Matt Desmond posted a short video to his channel, DisneyScoopGuy, Saturday morning of Vance and two of his children at Disneyland walking through the park and riding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

[How could he stand to be on such a WOKE ride, having erased all memory of the Song of the South?]

Obviously this particular source has a bias, but I think some of the data points are still worth discussing given that there are still proposals out there for rent control.


Rental listings in Buenos Aires increased by 180% after Milei repealed rent control laws.
Real (inflation-adjusted) rents fell by 40% year-over-year following deregulation.
Property sales transactions in Buenos Aires exceeded 2023 levels by 35% in early 2024.
Mortgage-backed home sales in Buenos Aires tripled in 2024 compared to 2023.

I've noted before that rent controls are one of the few areas where economists from across the spectrum seem to be in agreement (Paul Krugman, Thomas Sowell, and Milton Friedman have all criticized the practice)

Is it time we start thinking about doing the same here in some cities where rent control has been grandfathered in?

Given the fact that in many of the US cities where these policies are still in play:
- a disproportionate number are occupied by affluent tenants (who've lived their for a long time, and their financial situation has changed quite a bit since they initially moved in decades ago)
- about 1 in 4 landlords leave the controlled units vacant, as there's no real incentive to rent it out since repairs and appliance replacements can exceed what they'd make on rent
- a substantial number of them get passed from family down to other family members, so it's still boxing a lot of people out of being able to take advantage of them

As reported in America magazine (Link), Pope Leo XIV is not sitting idle while on his Castel Gandalfo vacation. According to Augustinian Father Alejandro Moral Antón, a longtime friend, Pope Leo plans to draft the framework of his first encyclical during his vacation break, possibly touching on peace, unity or artificial intelligence. “I know he will begin work on his first encyclical.” ​

​

Asked whether the title is known yet, the cleric replied: “I don’t think so, the other day he just told me that he will use these two weeks to develop the main structure of the text. Obviously, he is already working on it, but he is forced to do it in the evening or in spare moments and would need more time, which will happen during the vacation.”​

​

Regarding the encyclical’s topic, Father MoraI said: “I can imagine it will be something related to the concepts evoked since the first hours of his election. The theme of peace, social doctrine, unity, artificial intelligence. But these are just my deductions.”​

Continued below.

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2:39

It won't be in Rio de Janeiro or Bolivia or Colombia. The largest statue of Christ in the world will be in Madrid by 2030. A whopping 37-meter-tall sculpture is expected to be built in Spain, and the project is being led by Javier Viver

5-7-5 syllable format

Example:

Bow down to the king

My Lord and savior Jesus

Who reigns for all time

At present I am in a thread about the early church and happen to be researching on how the early church transitioned from the Jewish Temple and synagouges to the Christ church we know in some part today.

It dawned on me how vital Paul was in this transition to the Gentiles and how this related to the new covenant of Christ for the church and how this was a fullfillement of the old covenant.

In some ways Paul was the practical instrument that Christ used to teach this transition to the Jews and also to teach to the Gentiles how this Jewish religion was also theirs.. A sticky situation right in the middle of both sides.

Up until Pentecost and even until Paul this was a Jewish religion being fullfilled. There was no thought of Gentiles and it was strict Judaism. But after Paul we have a situation where the church is being open to the Gentiles but still influennced and directed by Jewish tradition.

Paul is in both camps and teaching that circumcision and other rituals are not necessary while at the same time adhering when necessary. So the Jewish factor was still there. In fact from what I have discovered the Jewish factor was there for a very long time and in many ways Christian worship is premised on Jewish worship but modified.

Such as the prophesies of the old testament that the Gentiles would become a pure sacrifice replacing the animal sacrifice. The breaking of bread becoming a participation in Christs sacrifice of bringing ourselves to the alter as a sacrifice to God imitating Christ in sacrificing our lives for Christ in return. Paul in this sense seen himself fullfilling the old testament priesthood.

Because of the grace given me by God, [I am] a minister (λειτουργός, [leitourgos]) of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service (ἱερουργοῦντα [hierourgounta], literally serving as a priest, i.e. sacerdos) of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:16).

So in some ways though Peter was the Rock on which Christ built His church I think Paul was the Rock on which the fullfillment of Gods covenent to Abraham in that all nations (Gentiles) would become part of Christ church.

I think this is captured in that Peter and Paul were both executed in Rome by the decree of Emperor Nero. Two great men parting the church leaving it to the world. But their influence was enough to establish Christs church as He instructed that would never be defeated by Hades.