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  • 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.

Hell doesn't exist and there is no eternal suffering, instead bad peolle just cease to exist

Beforehand? My post was in respond to 1 Peter 4:6. Abraham was still saved by his faith.
Being saved by grace through faith IS the message of the gospel . What your saying is that faith requires no gospel to believe in.
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Israel-Hamas Thread II

The report from Jerusalem marks one of the most effective blows against Hamas since the start of the war. Israeli troops have eliminated the commander of the so-called East Rafah Battalion, Muhammad Jawad Muhammad al Bawab, in Rafah. He was directly involved in planning and carrying out the massacre on Oct 7 and had been leading targeted attacks against Israeli soldiers since the start of the war. Together with his deputy and two other leading members, he was hit as the group emerged from a tunnel. The IDF released the confirmation.

The operation was part of an ongoing campaign in an area that is now completely under Israeli control. Around two hundred Hamas fighters had been holed up in underground facilities in this section for months. The fact that so many terrorists remained isolated in the same tunnels for such a long period of time highlights the strategic collapse of the organisation in Rafah. Israeli and American sources had known for weeks that this group had neither supplies nor operational freedom of movement. Some attempted to flee or surrendered, while many were killed in combat.

The most recent elimination occurred when terrorists attempted to emerge from a tunnel and advance toward an Israeli unit. The IDF responded immediately, identified the group and neutralised it. Over forty Hamas fighters were killed during the underground fighting. The operation shows that the terrorist organisation in Rafah is not only militarily weakened, but structurally hollowed out.

Al Bawab is considered one of the architects of the massacres and the subsequent coordinated attacks against Israeli forces. His role as battalion commander made him a key figure who controlled logistical supplies, tunnel movements and combat operations. His death strikes a blow to the remaining Hamas structures at a time when the organisation has neither leadership reserves nor tactical depth.

While international critics continue to attempt to delegitimise Israel's actions in Gaza, the facts on the ground paint a different picture. Hamas is not only losing territory, but also its command structure, its ability to coordinate and the tools it has used for decades to oppress the civilian population and plan armed attacks. The elimination of al Bawab is therefore more than a tactical success. It is a symbol of the disintegrating core of the terrorist organisation in one of its most important areas.
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Israel-Hamas Thread II

After months of diplomatic negotiations, a decisive moment is approaching. According to information from government and Western circles, US President Donald Trump intends to announce the second phase of the Gaza agreement before Christmas. At the heart of this phase is an international committee that will oversee the reconstruction and political reorganisation of the coastal strip. Around ten leading figures from Arab and Western states are to be represented on this committee, flanked by an executive council of prominent international players. Tony Blair, Jared Kushner and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are to play central roles. This structure follows a clear formula that is already considered an internal guideline. The IDF is leaving the Gaza Strip, but Hamas is losing its power structures for good.

This is precisely where the most difficult line in the current talks lies. The mediators are working to persuade the terrorist organisation to completely renounce its weapons. A gradual process is being considered: first the heavy systems, then the light ones. For Israel, the crucial question remains whether an organisation that has spent years building up warheads, rockets and complex command structures is actually prepared to give them up completely. The American side is relying on pressure, guarantees and a regionally supported control system. For the Arab states, on the other hand, the future stability of Gaza is closely linked to the question of whether the population would recognise a civilian alternative to Hamas.

In Washington, it is said that all the building blocks are well advanced. Before the holidays, the US government wants to present its vision of a Gaza Strip that is building new structures without Hamas and without Israeli troops. For Trump, the timing has not only foreign policy implications, but also domestic political ones. He can present himself as the architect of a post-war model that integrates regional actors while clearly defining which powers must not be allowed to return.

Whether Hamas will agree to such a construct remains uncertain. As internal documents have recently shown, its leadership fears targeted attacks, international isolation and the loss of control. A ‘Board of Peace’ that intervenes deeply in security architecture, administration and reconstruction would end the organisation's decades-long monopoly-like rule. But this is precisely the prerequisite for any sustainable solution. Without an end to the structures of violence, without guaranteed security for Israel and without an administration that is not based on blackmail and oppression, the Gaza Strip will not find peace.

The coming weeks will determine whether Phase II will be a diplomatic success or another entry in the long list of failed reconstruction plans. For Israel, one thing is clear: withdrawal without a reliable successor structure is out of the question. For the United States, a great deal of political capital is at stake. And for the people of Gaza, perhaps the most important question of our time is: Will their future really change this time?
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Trump dispenses with trials, orders military strike on alleged Venezuelan drug-trafficking boat (Now up to 2, 3, 4...)

Trump hasn't been implicated in this has he? Regarding Trumps relation to the truth, I've known that it is self-serving since February 2017 and he showed his morals in the Access Hollywood tapes.
No but I am saying that most of the attacks on Trumps admin are to get at Trump because they hate him so much.
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What is the true congregation?

There are not 45,000 denominations. This is a link.

  • These “denominations” are defined in terms of being separate organisations, not necessarily separate beliefs. This is a critical difference, not commonly noted by critics.
  • The largest component (something like two thirds to three quarters) of these totals are “independent” churches, mostly in Africa. These are not necessarily different in doctrine, but are simply independent organisations.
  • These estimates include national branches of the same denomination (e.g. the Lutheran Church of Germany and the Lutheran Church of Australia) as separate organisations in the count.
  • There are many churches among the independent churches which would have effectively the same teachings, just different locations, different leaders, etc.
If there were only two churches that is still one to many. How Jesus and the Apostles described the church is nothing like what it is in the world today. You tell me, which one of these churches is the true one, the Pentecost church ?
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B flat B♭

I took it that HantsUK meant (in context) that the correct position of the north pole as far as the flat earth believers are concerned is in the centre. I don't think Hants UK meant that he believes the North pole is in the centre.
Yes, I agree.
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Does Daniel 9:24–27 support a dual 70-week fulfillment with a chiastic structure?

The holy of holies was not anointed, and the kingdom was not established, so your view is missing alot of context, the anointing of the holy of holies and the age of righteousness are the climax of the second 70 weeks and the necessity for the prophecy to be fulfilled.
It was Jesus. 70 ad was the end of OT israel never to come back again

THE COMING PRINCE" - SIR ROBERT ANDERSON is a book online free about dan 9 explaining yes it was the nehemiah 2 decree​

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Date of authorship of Revelation

2 Cor 12:7

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, THEREFORE a thorn was given TO ME, that I should not be exalted above measure…”
yeh that is the strongest evidence paul is talking about himself...
so maybe it was not written until 44-48 ad then
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What to say in water baptism(at least)?

Do you have videos of water baptism in your language?

Here is one video in finnish language ( it has english subtitles). It is important to say "...in the name of Jesus Christ" as it is instructed in Acts 2:38.


“…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ…” (Acts 2:38).


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KJV

What I meant to bring up is how some people actually speak, or try to speak, in King James English. And the to the best of my knowledge King James style speaking is around 700 years old. What's the reason for using it?

The KJV translation was the standard in my church in the 70's and 80's. I grew up hearing it and reading it. I didn't think much about the language at the time as I was young. There was a long period where I wasn't a Christian between my teens and my later adult life. When I came back to Christianity, naturally I gravitated toward KJV, because it was what I knew.

As I began to read the KJV again in my late 40's, I found that it spoke to me in a way other translations didn't. The language lended authority and gravity to what I was reading.

If I compare KJV with NKJV, sometimes it doesn't feel like it carries the same weight, even though the modern English words have the same exact meaning.

I think the reason people use the older language is because it can be expressive, like being reverent and formal, adding emphasis, authoritativeness, etc. Yes, one can use modern English, but to me it doesn't have the same effect (in my personal opinion).

I much prefer reading KJV, because of the language specifically. I don't pray that way, but there are occasions were a thou or thee seems appropriate to me.

That's my personal view, from my own experiences, and how I feel about the language of KJV.
  • Agree
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I have a question and I’m confused

Modern Christianity is an all you can eat buffet, a smorgasbord , a gigantic confusing mess. People caught up in it can’t see it. People don’t ask questions or do any real research to discover that there is no church out there that is the outgrowth of the Pentecost church. They are all 501C3’s in competition for members and money. These churches are what GOD calls HIS people out of, they are the unclean thing.
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Will you let the bible ...

The symbol of the lake of fire in the book of Revelation full of symbolism does not mean people are placed where they will be burning up. God's justice is real and it will be fair, God does though provide the way for deliverance, which is desirable for any to come to, with Jesus Christ having come to beat the consequential judgment from the fair justice in place of those sinners who came the way for deliverance through him, including us. The rest are indeed lost yet it is not God's fault, having made the way of deliverance, that creation groans for with hope in that. Growth must certainly get happen even with those who are saved with the deliverance, growth is meant to happen that they are saved for. Sin against God must diminish, and there is always more of God's will to learn and grow to, with God's Spirit working with us. It includes loving more that will not exclude others. And God was not wrong about the design for us. We should learn more of it while God's will for us is not kept hidden from us.
As an alternative to an eternity of suffering in the lake of fire, what do you see in scripture?
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I’ve been warned about being arrogant.

The Lord has convicted me strongly about me being arrogant.

We know that he hates arrogance. We see over and over in the Bible that sin can be connected to illness. And I have been having some health concerns.

I have been praying not to be arrogant and to be healed. But I confess to a feeling of hardness in my heart that keeps me from getting free of arrogance.

Even though in my mind, I see clearly how stupid it is. We are but dust and every good and perfect thing comes from the Lord.

Please pray that the Lord will do for me what I cannot do for myself, so that I am free from arrogance for life, and that I’m healthy in every way so that I may better glorify him for life as he deserves. Thank you.

Will you let the bible ...

The symbol of the lake of fire in the book of Revelation full of symbolism does not mean people are placed where they will be burning up. God's justice is real and it will be fair, God does though provide the way for deliverance, which is desirable for any to come to, with Jesus Christ having come to beat the consequential judgment from the fair justice in place of those sinners who came the way for deliverance through him, including us. The rest are indeed lost yet it is not God's fault, having made the way of deliverance, that creation groans for with hope in that. Growth must certainly get happen even with those who are saved with the deliverance, growth is meant to happen that they are saved for. Sin against God must diminish, and there is always more of God's will to learn and grow to, with God's Spirit working with us. It includes loving more that will not exclude others. And God was not wrong about the design for us. We should learn more of it while God's will for us is not kept hidden from us.
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The Open Cafe - a thread for everyone to post in. (2) [OPEN]

I've had my one hot drink with caffeine, which I actually take before each day, while I am up and it is cold still at night before that is over. Again, not like others. In many ways I am not. Though I am choosing much healthier ways than the others, in general.

I think there are safe places for communication, other than this special forum place in CF. I remember there was once Jesus Radicals with their forum, they were not conservative. They changed it not thinking their forum would still have value, which it did when I found it. And they have a site by another name since. How to find each other where communication is possible without a link, as I think links are not allowed? I don't know, but is sharing email accounts allowed?

It is not like I would agree with others, here or anywhere. I think things out too independently and have many different conclusions from those of any others. I still have Bible verses I take into account for those things. Others saying they believe the Bible will say, those things can be disregarded because of these other verses they can use. But my disagreement is that their passages, whether in context but very often not taken in context, do not negate the other passages I make note of, with the different conclusions. This is general, in almost anything. So I can trip over others' obstacles in many things here.
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B flat B♭

Not sure maybe we should ask @HantsUK .
I don't think we need to because in his post he wrote: "The problem with a flat earth understanding is that it contradict reality. What we observe does not agree with what would be seen if the earth was flat." So he obviously doesn't believe in a flat earth.
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B flat B♭

I took it that HantsUK meant (in context) that the correct position of the north pole as far as the flat earth believers are concerned is in the centre. I don't think Hants UK meant that he believes the North pole is in the centre.

Not sure maybe we should ask @HantsUK .
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Barron Trump interested in supernatural dreams, 'very close' to becoming Christian: pastor

Knechtle claimed
Honestly, how could this pastor sensationaliz a private conversation with the son of the President that was supposedly planned in the early mornings, 12:30 am, then turn around and expose this private conversation with the world? :scratch:
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B flat B♭

Your absolutely right :thumbsup:
I took it that HantsUK meant (in context) that the correct position of the north pole as far as the flat earth believers are concerned is in the centre. I don't think Hants UK meant that he believes the North pole is in the centre.
  • Agree
Reactions: Strong in Him
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Letting God Look at You: Recovering the Gaze of the Father

There is a moment in every true conversion, not the dramatic kind, but the hidden, lifelong kind, when we stop trying to look at God and finally allow Him to look at us.

The ANE perspective on creation & am I fence sitting?

I think its not so much about the specific of how creation happened but that this knowledge is within humans that they should care and create such a story in the first place to explain the world.

Humans don't have to read a book of ancient stories about creation. Its in their DNA and they will create such stories to explain how existence came about.

Thats because its true. As created beings we know this is the case. We see Gods invisible creative powers in the things that have been made.

So naturally all cultures are going to make these stories of creation and the great flood that God sent.

Its more the case of which story is truth. Which one accounts for reality. God declares He is the one true God and creator. It is the Genesis creation story that God has used to reveal to all. Thats all that matters.
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What is the true congregation?

There are not 45,000 denominations. This is a link.

  • These “denominations” are defined in terms of being separate organisations, not necessarily separate beliefs. This is a critical difference, not commonly noted by critics.
  • The largest component (something like two thirds to three quarters) of these totals are “independent” churches, mostly in Africa. These are not necessarily different in doctrine, but are simply independent organisations.
  • These estimates include national branches of the same denomination (e.g. the Lutheran Church of Germany and the Lutheran Church of Australia) as separate organisations in the count.
  • There are many churches among the independent churches which would have effectively the same teachings, just different locations, different leaders, etc.

Indeed, many people incorrectly suppose the Romanian Orthodox, Bulgarian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Cypriot Orthodox, Antiochian Orthodox, et cetera, have different beliefs. They don’t.
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