BNR32FAN said:

That’s pretty strange since Muslims worship the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.

Click to expand...

Or so they claim, but really, the Islamic deity bears no resemblance to the our God, the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity, but is instead an idol, according to the Masoretic reading of Psalm 96 v. 5* (The gods of the gentiles are idols).

This is made evident by the fact that the Islamic God is not the God of Love and infinite Mercy we find in the Bible, but rather an abjectly evil tormentor.

It also seems clear that the supposed appearance of the Archangel Gabriel, “Jibreel” who inspired the initial visions of Muhammad was a demon.

This corresponds with the Septuagint version of the aforementioned Psalm, which is Psalm. 95. v. 5 in the Septuagint due to differences in Septuagint versification, which states “the gods of the gentiles are demons.”

In this case I regard the two readings as complementary rather than contradictory (much like how minor variations in the accounts of certain events in the Gospels are complementary rather than contradictory, which is why I really have no use for “Gospel harmonies” such as Tatian’s Diatessaron. Every attempt at merging the four books into one unified narrative is less than the sum of its parts.

An incident at the district hospital in Panna, Madhya Pradesh, has ignited public outrage after a Muslim man was refused the opportunity to donate blood for a critically ill Hindu woman.

The refusal, captured on video and circulated widely on social media, has drawn sharp criticism, with many condemning the communal overtones of the situation.

According to reports, the incident occurred when Pawan Sonkar, a resident of Ajaygarh, brought his mother to the district hospital for treatment. His mother was diagnosed with a severe blood deficiency, and the attending doctors urgently requested him to arrange a blood donor. In response, Sonkar brought his friend, Raja Khan, a Muslim, to donate blood.

Continued below.

Xeno.of.athens said:

As a Baptist, you may question whether Baptists are entirely orthodox in the eyes of Catholic doctrine. It is our belief that they are not. Therefore, how can one accurately evaluate Pope Francis's statements, made in Italian, when one's theological perspective is not Catholic? This suggests that one may not be suitably positioned to pass such judgment.

Click to expand...

Using that measure, it would then disqualify my Catholic Brothers and Sister from any comments on any Doctrine outside of the Roman Catholic Church. Because they may not be suitably positioned to pass such judgement.

In this case, we have the very words of Our Lord and Savior very plainly and that circumvents any authority on earth including the pope’s complete contradiction to Jesus.

Lord have mercy

From my experiences is we don’t own the gifts.

Those eager to serve filled with and a strong desire to love the Lord and others through His help…
Are like the servants who have talents and do not bury them but increase the Lords love poured out for others.


peace

mourningdove~ said:

View attachment 354690

Click to expand...

Trump has said that.

chevyontheriver said:

What is the situation of the Catholic Church in that location? If it's really something special then maybe it's a good idea. If it's moribund then fixing that would be the first step, maybe by bringing in like-minded Catholics. A good Catholic parish will be a healing balm for a neighborhood or a town. A not so good parish and the neighborhood will go downhill unless the evangelicals have a big presence there.

I saw a list once of best places to be Catholic. It can vary by state or by county or by diocese. And of course if we live in some of the not quite best locations it can still be OK if we are in a good parish with a good priest.

Click to expand...

Speaking as objectively as possible, my parish is tied for the most thriving parish I've been a part of since my conversion. Including parishes I attended/joined in Virginia, Maryland, and New York during my east coast stint.

They've kinda rewritten (or restored perhaps?) the book on RCIA and it's been tremendously successful, evident by classes of 30+ receiving their sacraments on Easter Vigil. The person responsible for reforming the program has kind of passed the torch and gone on to develop something new called RCIF (Rite of Christian Initiation for Families) that encourages parents who want their kids to be baptized and receive their sacraments to learn what their kids are learning for support, but it's also kind of a sneaky way of winning more souls, and it works. I'm co-teaching a class of adults whose kids have been at it for a bit and there's some enthusiastic parents who are excited to become Catholic themselves.

Beyond that the five Sunday Masses (counting Saturday vigil) are typically full, in some cases standing room only. I haven't been to daily Mass in years but I assume the attendance there is about average, or slightly above.

Parish events like the KOC crab feed and the parish picnic, etc are always sell out crowds.

I would characterize the Catholic community here as "brimming with vitality".

This kind of goes with my theory that some of the best places to be Catholic are actually embedded in more broadly "hostile" states. I hear the Archdioceses of San Francisco and Portland are amazing and those cities are notoriously liberal. I suspect the goodness of the Churches there stems from a sense that the Catholics need to bond more closely as a community to withstand the temptations and opposition to God's work.

My thinking was I hope we get to a place where the richness of the Catholic community here extends beyond my parish. There's another parish here but it's not as vibrant. What I hope to see is maybe 1-2 religious communities established here, we have Trappists and Carmelites close by but they're not like Franciscans or Dominicans who are "out there" in the community. One thing I really wish I could do is help the Sisters of Life open a west coast chapter here, their presence is overwhelmingly in NY with a smaller chapter in Colorado, but I see incredible potential for their ministry here in CA and where I'm located it would be easy to find a place within shouting distance that could be built up as a retreat in the mountains or something.

With that kind of growth then hopefully other kinds of growth are inspired, like the creation of more shrines and the establishing of new regular events that bring Catholics together like Catholic Underground in NYC.

Obviously this would all happen incrementally, not at once but these are some big picture ideas I've hoped and prayed for.

The Congress of Catholics and Public Life, which is scheduled to celebrate its XXVI edition in Madrid in November, calls on Catholics to act coherently to offer solid foundations to a society in crisis that lives “as if God did not exist.”

Organized by Spain’s Catholic Association of Propagandists (ACdP, by its Spanish acronym), a manifesto has been issued for the Congress titled “Quo Vadis? Thinking and Acting in Times of Uncertainty.”

The manifesto points out that “the greater the loss of permanent references, the more political and social disorder there is” and refers both to “the concealment of everything that expresses the transcendence of the human being” and to the construction of a society that lives “as if God did not exist.”

In contrast, Catholics are encouraged to make “a redoubled effort in defending their foundations” against moral relativism, in an attitude that “is not an exercise in fundamentalism but, on the contrary, means being at the vanguard of the main debate on the future of our societies.”

Demoralization in the face of imposed social disorder​

Continued below.

Former Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. visited the campus for the first time since he reached with a settlement with school officials regarding disputes over his 2020 resignation.

Falwell and his wife, Becki, attended a football game at the Lynchburg, Virginia-based Evangelical institution founded by his father on Saturday, having previously been banned from the campus during the litigation.

"It's so wonderful, after spending the better part of 40 years imagining and building what's here, to be able to come and enjoy it without all of the responsibility on my shoulders," Falwell told WSET News.

Continued below.

Authorities have refuted reports circulating online that explosives were found near the location of a planned rally for former President Donald Trump days after he survived an apparent assassination attempt.

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, was slated to hold a campaign event at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, on Wednesday. Unverified reports surfaced claiming that explosives were found in a car parked at the venue.

However, Nassau County Police Department Commissioner Patrick Ryder released a statement Wednesday denying the claims, labeling the earlier reports as "unfounded."

Continued below.

JulieB67 said:

False. Christ describes his coming as "immediately after the tribulation of those days"

Click to expand...

Five Happenings of the 2nd Coming of Jesus (6th Vial)

Mat 24:29 (1) Immediately after the tribulation of those days (6Vial) (2) shall the sun be darkened, (3) the moon shall not give her light, (4) and the stars shall fall from heaven, (5) and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:


The 2nd Coming of Jesus

Mat 24:30 (1) And *then shall appear the sign of the Son of man (Matt 24:24, 27, 37, 44) in heaven: (2) and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, (3) and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven (4) with power and great glory.

• *then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: Time Gap between tribulation and the 1000 year Kingdom.

Elect Gathered Between Tribulation and the 1000-year Kingdom

Mat 24:31 (1) And he (Jesus) shall send his (Jesus) angels with a great sound of a trumpet, (2) and they (angels of Jesus) shall gather together his (Jesus) elect from the four winds (angels), (4) from one end of heaven to the other.

Hans Blaster said:

Go ahead and watch ST V. Unlike II, III, IV, and VI it may be your only viewing. It's not dire, and it is definitely not dull (like TMP). Just remember as "Shatner" said in Futurema "Where No Fan Has Gone Before": "and I got such a great performance out of me in Star Trek V because of how much I respected myself." (There might also be gravitons...)

Click to expand...

Well then, I might just have to try out Star Trek V. Plus, I can not miss out on the gravitons.

walkswithFire said:

Oh I'm so sorry @dogs4thewin that your long time associate is no-longer a part of your life. Prayers fo his family and friends like yourself

Click to expand...

thanks on a completely unrelated note I like your user name and avatar.

Thanks for sharing

I said, "Don't do it!"
He said, "Nobody loves me."
I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?"
He said, "Yes."
I said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?"
He said, "A Christian."
I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?"
He said, "Protestant."
I said, "Me, too! What franchise?"
He said, "Baptist."
I said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?"
He said, "Northern Baptist."
I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"
He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist."
I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?"
He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region."
I said, "Me, too!" Northern Conservative†Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?"
He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912."
I said, "Die, heretic, and pushed him over.

Evolutionary forces are at work here. Kill off all the dummies. The people who are left either don't take the drugs or change behavior. It looks like more people are just changing behavior: Take the drugs but have a friend around with naloxone.

All those people who want to casually take drugs alone will have to stop or risk death.

RandyPNW said:

I don't know what the "Image of the Beast" will be. Antichrist will not be a clone--he will be a man, in my opinion. There isn't enough time in history to perfect the science of cloning simply to fulfill prophecy. Antichrists have existed all through NT history--all without cloning. It is, I think, a bit of a distraction. Let's focus on what the Scriptures say, instead of getting too speculative about modern science.

Click to expand...

The Image of the Beast could be made up of multiple components? The technologies we got today, like communication and surveillance, AI and so on. All the necessary components have to be put into place before the "mark" is required.

As for the Antichrist being a man, in the case of a single individual, I don't feel this is the case, but that is my opinion.

I would never associate either with the Lord or claim His influence for their establishment. Social Security and SSD are man's creations. That's why they're rife with abuses and funding woes.

@Gregory Thompson is correct. This is the worst time to be financially dependent because everything is changing and we're moving to a new system. Those who've heard from the Lord are making back up plans. They're not putting their eggs in one basket or relying on governmental sustenance. They've read the times accurately.

Of the tribe of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do. --1 Chronicles 12:32

Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle with your hands in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening planting will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both alike will be good. --Ecclesiastes 11:6-7

Give a portion to seven, or even [divide it] to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth. --Ecclesiastes 11:2

He who watches the wind [waiting for all conditions to be perfect] will not sow [seed], and he who looks at the clouds will not reap [a harvest]. --Ecclesiastes 11:4

The Proverbs 31 woman is an excellent example of this principle. Industry has many guises and the Internet provided more. Most people are using computers or smart devices. There's numerous ways to increase your income from home that people can explore.

The government is in the world's hands and his master is mammon. You can put yourself in his clutches if you want to. But don't complain when he betrays you.

~bella

Hammster said:

Obviously the left eat it up. It must be what they want.

Click to expand...

Well now that I stop and think about it, I can see how riding the shifting political winds might be exciting for a Liberal.

This one could take them on an exhilarating ride; but she might wear a wrist compass; so she can figure out where she is going.

Harris says ‘very few’ companies are price gouging, despite her pledge to eradicate it​

Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday acknowledged that corporate price gouging is not widespread, despite her campaign’s instance that it’s rampant and tackling it would bring down costs for Americans.


So she changed her position again?

That seems to be the one thing that we can count on with her.

Kokavkrystallos said:

NATO is likewise terrified of Russia. Look at the Baltic states paranoid about Russian invasions if they win in Ukraine. NATO knows just as Russia knows that if one launches nuclear weapons, and there is a counterstrike in kind, it could easily escalate out of control. Russia could certain damage NATO severely, and completely conquer the US. Granted, Russia would likely have many smoldering cities as well. Some see the scenario opposite, that US would have smoldering cities but retain a rural population, while Russia was conquered.

But then there is the God factor and His sovereign will.

Click to expand...

Russia has used up much of its Star Wars potential fending off drones and its air defences are full of holes. Ukraine has been using last-generation equipment in its war with Russia and the supply of this and new finance has meant that NATO countries have been upgrading their stocks and weaponry. Given that Russia, with all its resources, can only achieve a draw with Ukraine why do you think they would fare better in a war with NATO? This is just misinformed propaganda. The fact is that Ukraine carrying the war to Russia with these drone and missile attacks is weakening Russia's capability to fight a real war with NATO. The longer this war goes on the weaker Russia becomes. NATO has been watching Russia fight, they know all its tricks and secrets now.

Another day on this world called earth
Another day that has been started

What will you do?
Where will you go?
Will you be carded?

As freedoms slowly ebb away
Will you be different?
As mass confusion hits the scene
As we become the offering
Are you indifferent?

Do you know your master’s name?
Or are you playing unfair games?
He’s the answer!
Got a clue?
Will the truth be up to you?

Day to day we face the storms
Chaos! Chaos! Much alarm!
Here their idols on display
Making choices, much dismay!

The time is now! The day is here!
Will you to God your will adhere?

Something’s missing, but do you see it?
It’s in the air, but can you breathe it?

The will of man
Is on the stand
You think he’ll make it?

Not a chance! No happenstance!
In his flesh, he’s got no chance.

Watch him in his flesh
Speaking his address
Telling all his lies
Nothing he says flies
Wisdom he defies
Lust is in his eyes
God not magnifies

Will he continue in this madness?
Oh, his eyes, do they need glasses?

What will the answer be?
Do you know?
Or are you just following the show?
Are you aware of what’s in store?
Or else the truth, do you abhor?

Times are changing
Do you see it?
We’re not the same
No turning back
No time for wasting
No time for slack

No more time for being lazy
For this world is going crazy
Time for you to make decision
Will you follow Jesus’ vision?

The line is now drawn in the sand
There’s no more standing in the middle
Will you give your life to Christ?
Or now your thumbs will you still twiddle?

The global force is on a mission
They’re following their preplanned vision
Their plan to make us all their captives
To get us to bow to their objectives

You can read about in the book of Revelation
There’re no surprises, it has all been told us
The beast and his false prophet – elevation
And Christians on the chopping block, they’ll scold us

So, give your hearts to Jesus
Let him hold you
In his tender arms
Let him enfold you

Turn away from your sins
Trust him with your life
And obey him right now
Both day and the night

An Original Work / October 8, 2021

These instructions are to us who believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, in truth, and in righteousness, and in godly living. We are those who have been crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Sin is no longer to be what we practice, what we obey. Righteousness and obedience to our Lord and to his commands are now to be what we obey (see Romans 6:1-23; 1 Peter 2:24).

Collectively we are the body of Christ, his church. The church is NOT a place we go to. It is not a building. It is not a church denomination. It is not a social club nor a civic center. And it is not a corporation under the state and a business being marketed to the people of the world. And it is not a place we visit for an hour or two once or twice a week and then we leave until the next week. And it is not a place for us to be spectators while a few people do all the ministering. But that is what many have made “the church” to be.

The church is us who believe in Jesus Christ, in truth and in righteousness. We are the temple of God in whom God dwells by his Spirit. And we are to gather together for mutual encouragement and edification, as each body part (that’s us) does its work. All of us are to be exhorting and teaching and encouraging and urging one another to live holy lives pleasing to God and to no longer walk in sin, and to serve the Lord Jesus with our lives. And we are to be warning each other against the lies of deceitful false teachings, too.

So this unity of mind that we are to have with one another is not the mind of the flesh nor the mind of men in their marketing gimmicks and deceitful scheming. So if you hear “unity” stressed in the gatherings of what are called “churches,” test what that “unity” is all about. Is it unity with business plans and goals of human making? Or is it unity with Christ and with his gospel message and with his plan and purpose for our lives? For Peter is talking about unity with the mind of God/Christ and with his purposes.

And we can only be united in mind with one another if we are first of all united with God and with his mind and purpose for our lives. And when we are united with Christ in heart and mind and actions, all these other things will be the outgrowth of our relationship with Jesus Christ. We will be people who love one another as Christ loves us and gave himself up for us. We will not be proud, but we will be humble, not bragging on ourselves for our own accomplishments, but humbly giving God the glory for the good within us.

We will not be people who feel as though we have to get even with those who we believe have done evil to us. But we are to love even our enemies. And we are to do good to them, and pray for them, and say to them what will be beneficial to them in the eyes of God. And even if they do evil to us continually, we are to love them in return, and to keep doing good to them. And if those who oppose us are those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, but they are walking in sin, we should warn them of the consequences of sin.

[Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:12-16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20]

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ it is not of our own doing – not of the will of the flesh nor of human origin. So we don’t get to decide what that faith should look like. God does! His word does! But we have to read the Scriptures in their context. For many liars and deceivers are teaching Scriptures out of context to make them say what they do not say if studied in the appropriate context. For the faith that comes from God will result in us dying with Christ to sin and walking with him in obedience to his commands.

So, faith in Jesus Christ is not forgiveness of all sins and a promise of heaven when we die while we go on living like we did before. Faith in Jesus Christ results in us dying to self and to sin and now following our Lord in obedience to his commandments. So sin is no longer to be what we practice. Lying, cheating, stealing, committing adultery, slandering, gossiping, and living in sexual immorality, and the like, are not to be what we practice. For we are now to turn away from evil and do what God requires that we do.

And the peace that we are to pursue is not world peace. For us to have world peace, that will involve all of us compromising our faith and convictions in order to unify with the people of the whole world. So we will become like minions, all believing and doing the same things under the control of some type of tyrannical government. And this is what is coming (Revelation 13). But we are called by God out of the world to be different so that we, by God’s grace, are now being conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ.

For those who are righteous in the eyes of the Lord are all who are living righteously, by the grace of God, for whom righteousness is their practice. And to be righteous is to live under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit of God in following our Lord and his commands. For it means to be right in the eyes of God, i.e. what he deems as righteous, holy, morally pure, upright, faithful, and submissive to God and to his will for our lives. This is how we are to live as followers of Jesus Christ.

But if we should choose to continue living in (walking in) sin, in practice, and not in walks of holiness and righteousness and obedience to our Lord, the Bible teaches us that we will die in our sins. We will not inherit eternal life with God regardless of what our lips profess. For Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God the Father in heaven. So if sin is what you practice, heaven is not your eternal destiny.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

In Harmony

An Original Work / September 2, 2012
Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-17

Love each other truly.
Cling to what is good.
Hate all that is evil.
Never lack in zeal.
Serve the Lord with fervor.
Joyful in hope be;
Patient in affliction;
Praying faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

Share with all God’s people
Who are found in need.
Do not be conceited.
Sympathetic be.
Love, and show compassion
In humility.
Keep your tongue from evil.
Peaceful you must be.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

God sees who are righteous;
Listens to their prayers.
But He’s against evil –
Is His to avenge.
Do not fear what they fear.
Suffer patiently.
In your hearts, make Christ Lord.
Serve Him faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

Login to view embedded media