New Posts

Christsfreeservant · 2025-11-04T18:41:50-0600

1Tonne said:
This weekend at church I spoke to a believer who told me how he had shared his testimony with a work colleague in the hope he would come to Christ.
I then said to the believer that next time he speaks to his work colleague, he should somehow, gently show his workmate that he has sinned against a holy and righteous God. This way, the workmate would know that he needs a Savior.
At this, the believer got very offended and angry at me and left. I was a little shocked.

Looking back at the situation, I understand why he stormed off. He was trusting in his testimony to be the power of God unto salvation. In other words, he was preaching himself and what had happened to him in the hope that his workmate would be saved.
But the truth is, we are called not to preach ourselves, but Christ. Our testimony is useful only as a bridge to the gospel. The message of salvation must start with sin, judgment, and the reality of our need for a Savior, and then move to the grace, mercy, and forgiveness offered through Jesus Christ. Only then can the gospel truly transform a heart.
So, the church member was offended because he saw his testimony was not what changes people's hearts. It is the Gospel that does this. Our testimony is only a witness for the transformation within us. "I was once a sinner and now I am born again"

So, please, people reading this. Share your testimony, but more importantly, share the Gospel.

Thank you for sharing this.

prodromos · 2025-11-04T18:39:32-0600

Apple Sky said:
Well you would say this as it opposes all your views.

No, I say this because it is a simple fact.

The Liturgist · 2025-11-04T18:37:07-0600

Amo2 said:
I do not mean that I am in disagreement with anything in the Nicene Creed, just that I am not bound to or by it. My faith is not in the many different creeds or professions of faith of differing denominations, it is in the holy scriptures as the final authority upon all subjects which it addresses, not creeds. I see nothing wrong in the Creed.

Yes, I understand what is meant by Catholic. That it is not a reference to Roman Catholicism or any other specific denomination. I actually appreciate that the Nicene Creed refers to the resurrection of the dead as the churches hope, and not simply going to heaven at death, as a great many believe.

Thank you for clarifying that. The Nicene Creed (known in Orthodoxy) and other ancient creeds clarify the position of all denominations I am aware of* that as Scripture attests, we shall be raised incorruptible.

That said, I should also point out no ancient creed says anything about the idea of soul sleep, however, the consensus patrum and the belief of most denominations is that Heaven or Abraham’s Bosom is where the souls of the righteous repose until the Resurrection.

*All Christian denominations; denying the Resurrection would be Docetic or Valentinian and therefore non-Christian.

Daniel Martinovich · 2025-11-04T18:31:24-0600

Richard T said:
Thanks for your response. I don't know the historic context of the press very well but it seems like the Jefferson quote reflects it was not like social media. But I guess it matters little, because the point is that thoughts and writings should not be prohibited, except slander. It seems you are arguing against the freedom of the professional press but I am not sure why? That even if the more modern interpretation is used, what is the harm? You want to regulate it more?

I think too with God overall the form of government is not as perhaps as important as the justice it serves. I certainly do not think God likes government to be self serving, corrupt or co-opted in ways that show favoritism to certain groups, races or classes. Anyway, I am glad you provoked my thoughts on this topic. By all means, I hope you continue to share your views.

No I’m not trying to regulate it. But it has tried to regulate us, the population and has used its influence to get the government to regulate us.

I guess I’m just trying to get folks to view the first ammendment in its entirety for what it was rather than the modern view of it.

Konnie King · 2025-11-04T18:27:07-0600

The Perils of Penelope Pitstop

essentialsaltes · 2025-11-04T18:23:06-0600

Economy top of mind for voters across races, preliminary ABC News exit polls show

We'll see what the voters think of the economy.

ThatRobGuy · 2025-11-04T18:17:36-0600

essentialsaltes said:
They call themselves the Groypers. They are white supremacists. They hate women, Jews, Hindus, many types of Christians, brown people of a wide variety of backgrounds, Blacks, America’s foreign policy, and America’s constitution. They admire Hitler and Stalin. And that splinter faction is now being facilitated and normalized within the mainstream Republican Party.

Is this a direct quote by Shapiro?

Because I've heard him get accused of hating each of the groups that are bolded.

Does he actually have an issue with the bulk of what Tucker's said in various interviews pertaining to "culture problems" in certain communities, or is he only upset because the most recent one touched on his own "in-group"?

hldude · 2025-11-04T18:09:02-0600

YouTube Channel Video Devo
Login to view embedded media
“He Wants Unlimited Access”
Acts 1:8 NIV
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

In this day and age, we have so many different subscription plans offering us unlimited access. When we sign up for a membership, I think most often we are looking for the most perks we can get for our money. Most phone plans nowadays all include unlimited talk, text and data. I remember back when you had to pay extra for going over certain amount of calling minutes, texts and data caps. That’s becoming a thing of the past.

So much of what we pay for these days usually provides unlimited access. We like paying a price and getting unlimited access to the plan we’ve paid for. We don’t want any hindrances to what we can do. We don’t want to be restricted. And, if there’s ever an issue, we are sure to contact customer service to get things straightened because we are a paying customer.

At church Sunday, this passage was used and talked about how Jesus charged His men to take His message to everywhere in the world. He wasn’t just sending them through their town, but to other countries and all over the world. He didn’t want them limiting themselves. He wants full and complete access to their lives and to send them wherever he needed them to go.

God wants unlimited access to our lives. His desire is to send us wherever He leads. However, so often, we limit Him and give excuses because we don’t feel like doing what He wants us to do or going where He wants us to go. We always seem to have an excuse to not go certain places where He leads. We get selfish and don’t want to leave our comfort zones. But it doesn’t work that way if we are committed to the Great Commission. Jesus told His men and tells us to go and make disciples of ALL nations. There’s very inclusive!

Jesus asks us to give Him all access to our lives so that He can send us wherever He chooses. Are we giving Him all access and saying to Him first, “Yes! Lord the answer is Yes! Now, where do You want me to go”?

He wants all access of our lives. He wants to send us wherever He desires for us to go. Are we willing, ready and available?

essentialsaltes · 2025-11-04T18:07:08-0600

wing2000 said:
.....accredited by whom?

I should have written credentialed. She has (allegedly) signed the restrictive Pentagon rules for journalists to obtain access to the Pentagon, joining the likes of the Gateway Pundit and LindellTV, while most journalists have turned up their noses at the restrictions on press freedom.

I'm assuming she's an 'independent journalist' rather than part of any particular 'news' outfit.

Tom D · 2025-11-04T18:06:35-0600

Welcome.
Nobody's accusing you.
And its typical that nobody would respond to stories or satires. But if its video games, or easy games, then everyone flocks there.
Creative writing threads are like ghost towns. I won't share anymore story here.

essentialsaltes · 2025-11-04T18:02:16-0600

ralliann said:
The first amendment indeed applies to all people.

No it applies to the government. The government cannot punish speech it doesn't like. Such as firing an employee for non-work-related speech.

Maria Billingsley · 2025-11-04T18:00:12-0600

essentialsaltes said:
She helped get her violent husband deported. Then ICE deported her — straight into his arms.
Carmen’s [not her real name] abusive husband came home drunk one night last summer. He pounded and kicked the door. He threatened to kill her as her young son watched in horror. She called police, eventually obtaining a restraining order. Months later he returned and beat her again. Police came again and he was eventually deported.

Thinking she finally escaped his cruelty, Carmen applied for what is known as a U-Visa. The visa provides crime victims a way to stay in the United States legally, but the Trump administration has routinely ignored pending applications.

During a regular immigration check-in in June, Carmen was detained. Two months later, she was put on a plane with her 8-year-old son, who just completed second grade. She was headed to her home country, terrified her husband would find her.

She emerged from the plane to her nightmare.

“I saw a man standing across from us and my heart sank,” she said. “It was my husband.”

“My husband told me it was such a coincidence that he was there when we arrived,” she said. “I knew he was lying. He had found that we were being deported and he was there to take us.

“I had no choice, I had nowhere else to go and there was no one speaking up for me.”

Now she says she is even more trapped than before.

He took her passports, so she can’t travel.

Lawyers for Carmen along with several immigrant victims of human trafficking, domestic violence and other crimes last month sued the Trump administration in the Central District of California for detaining and deporting survivors with pending visa applications, some of whom have been granted status to stay and sometimes work.

The administration’s actions affect nearly half a million immigrants who are awaiting a decision on a pending application for survivor-based protections, the most common of which is the U-Visa. Because Congress capped the number of visas that can be issued annually at 10,000, it can take a person 20 years to have their application processed.

The lawsuit argues the administration violated procedural rules in referencing the executive order “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” as the main justification for the policy.

Gotta hit those quotas somehow.

Ya. It was never about protecting the innocent. Sadly.

bbbbbbb · 2025-11-04T17:58:32-0600

straight talk

Tom D · 2025-11-04T17:57:23-0600

We don't need AI when it comes to dumbing down, modern education & internet surfing have already done a very good job.

Most high school grads can't read & write properly, have no skills except playing video games.

Akita Suggagaki · 2025-11-04T17:56:47-0600

Always in His Presence said:
Motivation
Trump stated that “Department of War” had a stronger, more victorious connotation, referencing America’s military successes under that name—including the Civil War, World Wars, and others.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth supported the move as part of an effort to “instill the warrior ethos” across the armed forces.

As if Viet Nam and Iraq never happened

Michie · 2025-11-04T17:56:05-0600

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith will publish a new document on marriage in the context of ongoing discussions about polygamy in Africa.

The document, titled “We Two: In Praise of Monogamy. Doctrinal Note on the Value of Marriage, Exclusive Communion, and Mutual Belonging,” will be released at the end of November, the dicastery’s secretary, Father Armando Matteo, said Tuesday.

Matteo said the work is connected to a request made during the Synod on Synodality for African bishops to prepare a statement on polygamy. African bishops themselves, he noted, asked the Holy See for guidance on the issue.

The Synods on the Family in 2014 and 2015 — though largely dominated by questions of divorce and remarriage — also saw significant interventions from African bishops on the pastoral challenges of polygamous marriages.

A press conference will be held at the Holy See Press Office when the document is released later this month.

Vatican to release new document on polygamy at end of November

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith will publish a new document on marriage in the context of ongoing discussions about polygamy in Africa.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Michie · 2025-11-04T17:50:29-0600

The number of people who believe their faith does not depend on attending Mass has increased as more Catholics are cultivating a personal relationship with Jesus, according to a recent survey of U.S. Catholic beliefs.

ACS Technologies, a church management software and data analysis company, investigated the trends in “American Beliefs Study: Religious Preferences and Practices.” The study researched the religious preferences, practices, beliefs, and media habits of Americans.

Initially conducted in 2012-2013 and repeated in 2016-2017, 2020-2021, and 2024-2025, the study reflects the responses of roughly 60,000 participants over time. The most recent version of the study surveyed more than 15,000 Americans on Christian preferences, affiliations, values, and beliefs.

ACST Catholic, a business of ACS Technologies, specifically examined the feedback from 3,100 self-identified Catholic participants in the most recent survey. The updated findings were published in a recent guide: “The Evolving Landscape of Catholic Beliefs in 2025.”

The research revealed the percentage of Catholics who say they have a personal relationship with Jesus jumped from 61% in 2021 to 68% in 2025. There was also an increase in respondents who said belief in Jesus does not require participation in Mass, increasing from 68% to 71%.

Nearly half of Catholic respondents reported irregular Mass attendance. They gave reasons that have been consistent in each wave of the study. The most common reasons people reported were that religion is too focused on money, they have fallen out of the habit since COVID-19, religious people are too judgmental, and they do not trust religious leaders or organized religion.

“The encouraging news from our latest survey is that core Catholic beliefs — such as the Resurrection and the divinity and humanity of Jesus — have grown,” said Terry Poplava, general manager of ACST Catholic and author of the study.

The data found an increase in Catholics who expressed agreement that Jesus rose from the dead. In 2021, 44% of Catholics strongly agreed Jesus rose from the dead, (67% somewhat and strongly agreed). In 2025, 49% strongly agree (72% somewhat and strongly agree). Regarding the belief that Jesus was both divine and human, agreement increased from 74% to 78%.

Continued below.

Study explores ‘Jesus without Church’ paradox

The number of people who believe faith does not depend on attending Mass has grown, according to a survey.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Bro.T · 2025-11-04T17:49:49-0600

Abraham1st said:
sinning is by doubting...

John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

Romans 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

A man asked Jesus this very question, "...What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?", and Jesus replied, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. (Matthew 19:16-19).

This was a direct answer to a direct question, which all of us will do well to take heed to. Anybody can claim to have faith, but actions speak louder than words. Faith and works go together and you can't have one without the other. "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus" (Revelation 14:12).

The bible says, we must not only be a hearer of the word, but a doer of the word also (James 1:21-22). DON'T FOOL YOURSELF! If we really have faith in Jesus our actions will prove it. If Jesus is our Lord then we will obey him. Even a child will obey a parent, by getting good grades in school, for the reward of a new bicycle. The child cannot earn money for the bicycle, but instead must act upon their faith to receive the free gift. We must do the same to receive eternal life. "FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD” (James 2:20).

Nevertheless, in judgment each one of us will give account for our own salvation. Therefore, we must not let anyone lead us down the wrong path, but should verify all of our teaching with the holy bible. YOUR SALVATION IS AT STAKE! "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12).

Michie · 2025-11-04T17:46:18-0600

Claim: Primary care operations are closing because President Donald Trump defunded Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.

CNA finds: Abortion providers prioritize abortion over primary care, causing closures. Community health clinics across the country continue to offer care without providing abortions.

Breakdown: When President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, taxpayer dollars were no longer allowed to be used to subsidize abortion providers for one year. Because of this, abortion providers don’t currently qualify for federal Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.

Rather than giving up abortion offerings, abortion providers like Planned Parenthood and Maine Family Planning are closing their doors to primary care patients.

Maine Family Planning provides abortions up to 14 weeks as well as birth control and “gender-affirming” health care. Across 18 clinics, Maine Family Planning provided about 600 patients with primary care in 2024. Meanwhile, the group provided more than 600 abortions in the same year, according to its own numbers.

Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of its funding comes from Medicaid. In total, it receives nearly $2 million in Medicaid reimbursements each year, according to the Maine Morning Star.

Continued below.

Fact check: Does defunding abortion providers take primary care from patients?

CNA examines the claim that primary care operations are closing because President Donald Trump defunded Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

JosephZ · 2025-11-04T17:38:33-0600

rjs330 said:
And this whole SNAP snafu false propeganda. There is so much deception from the media and the Democratic party making people think SNAP can be fully funded with contingency when it can't be. It can't even be funded for a whole month

SNAP could be fully funded for as long as the shutdown lasts if the Republican leadership would allow a vote on a standalone bill to do so. There's only one party to blame for that not happening

ThatRobGuy · 2025-11-04T17:38:32-0600

So from what it sounds like...Tucker Carlson may have had a valid point when he was grilling Ted Cruz about the issues of unequivocal US support for Israel, yes?

Fervent · 2025-11-04T17:38:29-0600

Bradskii said:
My bad. It's just that you said that the justice of a rebellion tends to be decided by whether or not it is successful. Twice. And Jan 6 was not succesful. Maybe you just didn't think it through.

No, my statement was more sarcastic than anything. If your measure of justice is truly whether or not it succeeds, then you have no sense of justice. My position on the Jan 6 rebellion is it was misguided, but if they truly believed that the election was stolen the rioters were justified in seeking a rebellion.

childeye 2 · 2025-11-04T17:19:04-0600

Fervent said:
The ins and outs of the free will vs determinism question is not explicit in Scripture, and any inference in either direction is likely being read into the text rather than dealing with what is in the text

I try to be a pragmatist. Scripture says we were made in the image of God. To know Who that Image is, is to know thyself. It is the purpose for the Scriptures that we should know God.

Objectively God IS that He IS. Scripture conveys that there is a subjective corruptible image of god in the world which keeps people in darkness. According to the Gospel, it can be discerned as an ignorance of the True God who would suffer a cross of torture, betrayal, and shame, and yet forgive his crucifiers in all sincerity saying they know not what they do. Again, we were made in God's Image, and we need a pure Image of HE Who IS to believe in (trust in) and conform to in Character.

The Creator precedes the Creation. <-- As a theist, I would point out that this explicit determinism in one direction is not a problem. Admitting there is a source of the energy that formed all things, is the first precept of theism and the very sentiment of what the term Father means to every child of God.

Fervent said:
Did you hurt your back when you made that reach?

Loaded question. What do you think I'm reaching for?

Fervent said:
It is a demonstration of "ought implies can", there's no need to treat it as a special case.

It still doesn't imply voluntary.

Romans 8:3
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Fervent said:
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, it's main idea is that two conflicting ideas be held at the same time.

According to the description, it doesn't sound good to me. That doesn't sound like what I'm doing.

Richard T · 2025-11-04T17:17:24-0600

Thanks for the question. True Christianity to me is a person who has heard from God personally, and understands and acknowledges that Jesus loves them, and can offer them a free gift of salvation. Every true Christian responds to God by the faith that God gives them, faith that Jesus took their sins, that Jesus rose from the dead and faith that gives them a desire to lay down their lives for God and others in love. A true Christian too will continue on a path to know and understand God, the bible and find their place in what God wants them to do.

Of course there are more ways to state this but I think that covers the most basic things. Too often many approach God with their intellect. But every person has physical flesh, a mind and also a spirit within them. It is this spirit that allows them to live forever, and to live with God forever if they choose the path of Christianity. So one again has to hear from God to start the journey. He does desire and shows himself to every person in one way or another, but it sure does help to seek God to try and understand him and to learn from the bible. Hope that helps.

New Posts

New Posts

Economy top of mind for voters across races, preliminary ABC News exit polls show​

She helped get her violent husband deported. Then ICE deported her — straight into his arms.​

Filter

Forum statistics

Share this page

Economy top of mind for voters across races, preliminary ABC News exit polls show

She helped get her violent husband deported. Then ICE deported her — straight into his arms.