RandyPNW said:

We don't need to look for suffering.

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No one is saying that we should.

But self-denial is another matter.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, too! God bless!

Brother Del said:

but His church had nothing at all to do with buildings are creeds, least of all cults or denominations.

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On the contrary, the Church established by Christ did compile the Symbol of Faith at the Council of Nicaea and refine it at Constantinople in 381.

That refined version is part of the Statement of Faith of CF.com and is unitive, not divisive, because the Nicene Creed is something all our members, from Eastern Orthodox to Evangelical, from Lutheran to Catholic, from Presbyterian to Anglican, and from Non-Denominational to Oriental Orthodox, can agree with, while at the same time ensuring cults such as the J/Ws, Mormons, Christian Science, Unitarians et al are excluded (since the defining characteristic of what we now call a cult, that is to say, heresy, is denial of the Incarnation of God in the person of Christ and rejection of the Trinity and other principles of the Nicene Creed.

Occasionally we have someone join who doesn’t bother reading the Statement of Faith, and no one would ever know except such members will immediately attack the faith of the Nicene churches, especially the more traditional ones like Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Eastern Orthodox, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Methodists, Oriental Orthodox, Moravians, et cetera, with intensity.

essentialsaltes said:

Charged with what? Being an American citizen and saying so?

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No for obstructionism. That was the claim as to why he was picked up.

They should charge him and then have to prove it in court.

David Lamb said:

I didn't claim to have done that. I don't claim even to have read the 442,000 posts that you have agreed are actually on that forum. Indeed, I specifically said that I was referring only to the posts on the page that your link took me to. I wrote: "Well, there were none at all that said that on the page you linked to."

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Sorry - My mistake I thought you were referring to the Icke thread.

johansen said:

i don't understand why it took 2 years to figure this deception out.

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I credit the Telegraph for even bringing this to light. Else the memo would have languished within the BBC like an open secret no one wants to talk about.

I heard somewhere when I was just listening to Youtube that one Youtuber said this happened when you let the narrative set the truth not the truth setting the narrative. Paraphrasing as I can't recall who said it and how exactly it was said. But his point was poignant and salient.

Lybrah said:

I haven’t been going to church in a while. I feel like it’s boring. I find myself daydreaming and the sermons are good, but I really don’t like to sing or stand up. I like just saying prayers and even though the sermons are good, I don’t feel like going. I’m not really getting anything out of the Bible study, either, which is online. When I do go to church, I do tithe.
Am I falling away or is this not the right church for me? The people are nice.

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I understand what you mean. However, worshipping God and hearing His word preached in the company of other Christians surely should not be seen in terms of our likes and dislikes, but in obeying God. You say that you don't like to sing or to stand up, but far more important, is the church that you go to, and maybe are a member of, a biblical one? In other words, does it order its worship and other activities according to God's word? If it does, then ask for God's help to overcome your dislikes. If it doesn't, I suggest you seek His help in finding a biblical church.

the prosperity gospel



I honestly didn't imagine this could or would happen.

I can emphathise with their predicament, having a moderate to severe hearing loss myself. But I don't have to listen to confessions.

The device he hangs around his neck is probably similar to something I used to have called a "Streamer". It was a blue tooth device which transmitted signals to the hearing aid, and picked up sound better than the hearing aid itself. It may also connect directly to mobile phones although a lot of hearing aids these days can connect via blue tooth to Apple i-phones.

The "hearing aid" in my right ear is a blue tooth device as well - it picks up sound and sends the signals to the hearing aid in my left hear as my right ear is effectively deaf.

I can symphathise. They can hardly ask penitents to shout, or their confessions would be all over the church!

I must admit, the ability to create images on the fly is really handy.

What is Ferrock?

eclipsenow said:

You're smothering the question with other theology. Good points - as far as I can tell.

But not answering the main question I ask futurists.

Are you a futurist still? Maybe I'm speaking at cross purposes.

How has the majority of this book been relevant to the church if it's mainly about the last generation that will ever live?

John's friends in Asia Minor were being fed to lions, and futurists would pretend he says "You think that's bad - wait till you see what's coming in 2000 years!"

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Ok eclipsenow,

So if John`s friends in Asia Minor were being fed to the lions (I agree) then most of what is written in Rev. 2 & 3 does not apply to them. And then also it does not all apply to us unless you see the remnants of those church`s conditions around today.

I see Rev. 4 as future and thus the judgments of the Lord future as to judging the world system - Politically, Economically and Religiously.

And I don`t know about `smothering` but revealing what the Lord is doing. That is the great encouragement for ALL centuries of believers - past, present and future.

The echoes of ancient Jewish wisdom can be heard in the depth of its Gospel fulfillment.

The Talmud purports to be the written version of the oral Torah that Pharisaic and later Orthodox Judaism believed was received by Moses on Mount Sinai when he received the Ten Commandments and the written law.

All agree that the present written form of the Talmud was compiled after the time of Jesus. But the “proto-Talmudic” tradition was “transmitted orally for centuries.” It seems that Jesus was familiar with many oral ideas, later written down. This oral tradition is analogous to apostolic oral tradition, referred to in the New Testament.

For example, Jesus preached in the Sermon on the Mount, “You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not kill; whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment...” (Matthew 5:22, RSV). In other words, his point was that sin starts in the heart and the intent, before we commit an act, and that the intent is as blameworthy as the act that flows from it. Murder starts in anger, which then can become malice, up to and including murder, if it’s unchecked.

Is this an entirely new ethical insight of Jesus? No. Many Jews would have been familiar with the oral tradition later written in the Talmud, in Bava Mezia 58b: “He who publicly shames his neighbor is as though he shed blood.”

Continued below.

Always in His Presence said:

From the link:

In one exchange, Epstein texted Plaskett: “Cohen brought up RONA - keeper of the secrets,” referring to — and misspelling the first name of — Rhona Graff, a longtime Trump assistant.​

​

Plaskett responded: “RONA??” She added at 2:25 p.m, “Quick I’m up next is that an acronym,” suggesting that she would be questioning Cohen soon.​

​

Epstein responded: “Thats his assistant.”​

​

At 2:28 p.m., Plaskett began questioning Cohen and asked about Graff, along with other Trump associates he had mentioned, according to the Post.​

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And...?

At worst, I could fault her for not checking the info that she got from a known criminal, but that's a pretty minor quibble, all things considered.

The Liturgist said:

Indeed, chiefly among liberal Western pastors, both Protestant and Catholic, who embrace Alexandrian exegesis based on the misconception that it provides freedom to innovate.

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Quite true.

ThatRobGuy said:

I still oppose the idea of hate crime laws being leveraged to insulate "circumstances of choice" from criticism and/or mockery.

That aside...

If this was a group of people doing this at some Christian gathering (no matter how hostile the rhetoric), would it be getting escalated to the level of "felony hate crime"?

I've seen videos of some Christian content creators going to areas near college campuses to do demonstration and getting literally physically assaulted, and all that ever comes of it is misdemeanor charges, or the police just break it up and send both parties their separate ways.


I would perhaps be more receptive to the concept of religious affiliation being included under the "hate crime provisions" umbrella if we didn't have a large subset of the country that evaluates everything through a "punching up vs. punching down" lens.

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This is the start of Islam getting privileged protected status, just like how the threats of violence led to cartoons censoring themselves and capitulating to the Muslim image ban. Next step, Islamic blasphemy laws masquerading as "hate crime" laws.

Anonymous9090 said:

Pray that Canadian & Indian trade negotiations r guided by The Holy Spirit so that there r talks that will allow for more Christian missionaries visas:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/carney-modi-negotiations-canada-india-trade-deal-9.6989535

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I would pray too that India quits persecuting Christians. Hindu Extremists Threaten Genocide Against Christians
I pray too that Canada is careful in normalizing their trade with India until religious freedom and other human rights is obtained.

The girl pleaded not to go.

She fought with her father on the drive over, screaming and crying in his truck until they arrived at the office building for Bruckelmyer Brothers, a home construction company on the outskirts of Duluth, Minnesota. She was just entering her first years of grade school.

In the office, two men were waiting. One of them was Clint Massie, who the girl had recently told her parents had touched her genitals and groped her under her shirt. The other was Daryl Bruckelmyer, a preacher and leader of the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church down the road, where the girl’s family worshipped. Massie was a respected member of the congregation. Bruckelmyer had asked them all to the meeting, according to the girl’s account to police years later.

In front of the girl, her father and Bruckelmyer, Massie asked her for forgiveness. Looming over her, the three men wept. Then the girl’s dad and preacher allowed the man who had been sexually abusing her since kindergarten to hug her.

“It was one of the worst things ever,” she told police some 15 years later.

Over the course of about 20 years in two states, Massie had, according to court documents and by his own admission, sexually abused children within the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church, or OALC, community. He touched girls under blankets when their parents were present, in the backseat of a car with other passengers — even in the pews at church. His abuse was such an open secret among the tight-knit congregation that mothers warned their daughters to stay away from him.

[Church leaders knew] But they never reported Massie’s crimes to police, as required by the law. Instead, Bruckelmyer and other leaders in the church encouraged the victims to take part in forgiveness sessions — which allowed Massie, now 50, to continue abusing children, according to an investigation by the Minnesota Star Tribune and ProPublica.

...

The investigator now had two victims. They gave him the names of others they suspected had also been abused by Massie. Kleffman tried to contact them, but some were reluctant to cooperate. One woman told Kleffman that Massie had asked for forgiveness. The sin, she said in the recorded call, was “washed away in the blood of reconciliation.”

“It is gone forever,” she told Kleffman.

“So you’re following what the church says to do,” Kleffman replied.

“I am following what God says to do,” the woman told him, before hanging up.

This is partly due to social media which allows anyone to gather influence over large groups and spread their message. This has been cultivated for years now. The idea that minorities can rise up and disrupt entire cities.

But also I think how there is a loss of respect for authority which has been cultivated into recent generations. It began with making young people adults before their time. Giving them rights over their own parents. Promoting defiance of authority in the name of individual rights.

The idea being promoted that you have to stand out and make a noise to be noticed. That disruption gets you attention. That this is a legitimate form of action.

That doing the wrong thing does not lead to any bad consequences. Even rewarded. Weak on crime, policies that send the message that there is no punishment for wrong doing in the name of some good intentioned protection of the volnurable.

The inevitable breakdown of the family and fatherless children. Especially young males. The promotion of radical ideology in place of long held truths based on biblical principles.

This makes for a perfect storm of societal breakdown.

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Posted just now
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY? or HAPPY TURKEY DAY?


As we approach one of our favorite times to celebrate with family, friends, and in-laws, we think about this special time called "Thanksgiving." Yet we hear of some calling it "Turkey Day". So which is it? "Thanksgiving" or "Turkey Day?" Which is correct? Well, let's think about it for a bit.

We celebrate Thanksgiving on the 4th Thursday of November, yet this was not the original date. It was set as the 4th Thursday of November by the US Congress in 1941. So, when was the first Thanksgiving celebrated in the Massachusetts Colony in 1621? No one knows for sure. We believe it was between the end of September and mid-November, when the crops were gathered in. It wasn't a one-day festival of celebration, but rather a three-day celebration.

It was similar to the Biblical Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot, which is celebrated between the end of September and mid-October. During this time Israel praised God for the crops and blessings bestowed upon them by God. The Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot is celebrated every year for 7 days, and one extra day.

So, let's talk about the food at the first Thanksgiving late in the year of 1621. We know that the native Americans of the Wampanoag tribe were a God sent, Squanto being the mediator. After a disastrous 1620, the Wampanoags helped them farm and grow vegetables, so, besides wild turkeys, they also had venison, or "deer meat" hunted by the Indians, so, why not call it "Deer Day?" or "Pumpkin Day?" after all, they probably had those too. The menu probably consisted of: "wild turkey, deer meat, corn, squash, bay oysters, clams, and fish. But everyone seems to be focused on the Turkeys. What's with that, you turkey?

It's great to feast on oven-roasted turkeys, stuffing, and all the trimmings, and have the friends and family over, and eat pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple pie, or whatever pie you like. (Here in El Salvador, those are nonexistent) You have to make them from scratch. Everyone sits down after dinner, watches football on the tube, and grandpa goes to sleep in the easy chair, and the football game watches grandpa instead.

It's great to have this good time, but let's give thanks to whom thanks is owed, not to the creation (the turkey) but to the creator (God).
Yes, he created the turkeys and the rest of the birds on day 5 of creation, yet HE is the creator and to HIM must we give thanks.

When Thanksgiving comes around this Thursday, a good idea might be a table discussion of why we are thankful; the football game can wait. I would probably be like grandpa, asleep in the chair while the football game is going on. Sports are boring to me, unless I can actually play in the game personally.

Well, let's see. What do we have to be thankful for? Well, we have food on the table and we have our health to eat the food. We have money to buy the food, and we must have jobs to make the money to buy the food. We thank God that we have families, which makes working and providing for them all worthwhile. We have clothing because I doubt we sit around the dinner table in our birthday suits. We have homes where we live, and even AC in some places (not here, only at the Malls, in the banks, and in the supermarkets). We have fresh air to breathe (I guess that depends on where you live), we have parks, and places for R & R (here, the ocean for swimming and surfing). We have our congregations where we go to receive God's WORD.

Yet we also have something precious we can not buy, and that is the gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach) and the promise of eternal life with HIM in Heaven, and a place set aside for us to live by his side for all eternity. We have the abilities through the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) to serve the LORD while we are Earth-bound, and we can look forward to eternal Shalom and fellowship with God forever.

So yes, Happy Thanksgiving to all.


(best result, bake the turkey in an oven bag, that way, it won't dry out) Here. The best we can hope for is slices of turkey ham from the deli, or a small smoked, boneless turkey (that usually costs more than we care to spend).

.

PloverWing said:

The Billy Graham crusades seem different from street preaching, to me, because they were held in a stadium or convention hall, and people chose to attend them. When I think of a street preacher, I think of a guy standing on a sidewalk or street corner holding a sign, or walking up to strangers to interrogate them. Those feel like different activities.

I thought Billy Graham was an excellent preacher, in the classic Southern Baptist tradition. I heard him preach in person several times, and on TV many times.

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I think at the time of Billy Graham this was a time of bold street preachers as well. Culturally that is why Graham became so popular. Because the climate was right for such preaching. Pastors use to give bold sermons. Or fire and brimestone sermons. But it was a time of preaching and we see all the TV evangelists rising around this time as well.

It was a time I remeber where street preachers use to be on street corners or even on soap boxes preaching. You would often see a preacher at the train station somewhere as people go by. Or in a busy street declaring repent and be saved and handing out flyers. While hippy dropouts joining Hare Kristna with their incense and drums lol.

Graham had a way of reaching people. He even used Johnny Cash at one point when he went from the 'man in black' to the 'man in white'.