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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.

Sept 23rd Rapture

Ugh. False teaching. Read what Jesus said about all this date setting. :rolleyes: Prayers for those deceived and those suffering the fall out. :praying:
It makes me wonder what happens to all of these churches when their pastors are so wrong? Do they fold? Do the pastors say they made a mistake and change the date, leading congregants to stay and prepare for the new date or what happens?
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The Baptism of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2

1 Cor 9:1
Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the [a]seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Do we have no [b]right to eat and drink? 5 Do we have no right to take along [c]a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

It doesn’t even allude to baptism.
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Hell doesn't exist and there is no eternal suffering, instead bad peolle just cease to exist

There is no such thing as free will,
Then none of us is guilty of anything.
So you either accept what Christ has said or you deny it and believe your teacher instead.
And neither decision can be said to have been made "of your own free will". I
So it's all about Gods sovereignty, and nothing to do with your non existent "free will". tined to do
Then we all do what we were designed/destined to do. Cool!
Sin does not exist, until you bring it into existence.
Which happens whenever God's will dictates
God does not tolerate, not having His will be done.
Kinda like saying that a software developer doesn't tolerate wehen his software does something he didn't tell it to do. But then his code can't do anything he doesn't tell it to do.
So His will always has been done and always will be done. Nothing can happen, apart from His will. He is sovereign over ever single thing in the whole universe, everything is subject to His Ruling Authority. Your free will does not exist.
Cool, then we needn't worry about anything. Pure determinism, and nothing at all for which we can be either praised or blamed.
Everything is equally pointless. I think I'll have another beer. Come On You Lions!
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How much of your income are you willing to have taken for taxpayer funded healthcare.

What percentage of your income are you willing to give for life, so the nation can have ‘free’ healthcare?

Oh look! FOR PROFIT business really DO deliver amazing outcomes... for investors and CEOs!

Might be why American healthcare costs double the global average and delivers worse results!

I mean - the costs are ballooning out to the right of the graph, while average American lifespan (let alone 'health span') declines!

To answer your question? I'm prepared to have Australia's healthcare system cost me half.
Half of what? Half of yours.


While doing something America's healthcare cannot!
Deliver effective universal healthcare.

Oops.
See wiki


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Three ICE detainees shot, 2 dead, at ICE facility in Dallas; suspected shooter committed suicide.

No, but the difference is that Conservatives want illegal cheap labor. Illegals can be paid substandard wages and denied the protection of US labor law. If they're here on a work visa they have to be treated fairly. That's one of the issues the Left has with ICE. Except for a few staged raids they have left large corporate employers of illegal labor alone. Showily rounding up a few day laborers from Lowe's parking lot doesn't cut it.
ICE, racing to fulfill President Donald Trump’s goal to increase deportations, has increasingly targeted work sites for immigration sweeps in recent weeks. The escalation is creating a chilling effect on the businesses that rely on immigrant labor and the workers themselves, with some staying home out of fear. America’s agriculture, construction, health care and hospitality industries are powered by immigrant workers, both legal and undocumented.
“Recent immigration enforcement raids on businesses nationwide are creating serious challenges for local economies, communities, and industries that depend on immigrant labor to operate and prosper,” said Rebecca Shi, the CEO of American Business Immigration Coalition, a group representing employers with immigrants.
(From CNN)
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BUSTED - 12 False theories refuted:

1 Timothy 6:12 - take hold of the eternal life which you received .......
Where is Timothy now? If he did actually become immortal then, why did he remain on earth as Pauls helper?
All of your "proofs', can be seen for what they are; the Promise of becoming immortal at the final Judgment.

Our lives are; to God, all about testing and the choices we make.
He has set up our world in a very clever way, so we all can choose our path in life. Basically; those who decide to ignore the plain facts of Creation and live the hedonistic lifestyle, will be discarded at the final Judgment, but those who do acknowledge God, keep His Commandments and believe in Jesus, will be given Eternal life at the GWT Judgment, Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 21:1-7
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Anyone attempt to start a Bible Study with the people you evangelize who are mostly homeless?

We have been bringing bibles and handouts with the gospel readings for each upcoming Sunday and having all manner of discussions from those readings alone.

All are invited.

Anyone else try this or want to try it?
May you be blessed with this initiative ... it's a challenging demographics !
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The law, the commandments, and Christians.

You have neglected to give any reason to think that that the commands of Christ are not in complete accordance with the Law of Moses, especially considering that he said that man shall live by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Christ set a sinless example for us to follow of how to walk in obedience to the Law of Moses, so do you think that he gave commands that were not in accordance with what he practiced and that he hypocritically took the position that we should only do as he said but not as he did?

The scripture texts say "His" commandments, as in Jesus, not moses.

The way to love the Father is by being a doer of His character traits in obedience to the Law of Moses, which is exactly the same as the way to love the Son, who is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact likeness of His character (Hebrews 1:3).

You're not obeying Jesus if you're obeying moses. In fact, a person obeying moses does not know Jesus, and He does not know them.
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Are infants guilty because of Adam's sin?

Ro 7:9 is absolutely not figurative, nor did I say it was.
Paul is speaking there of his own experience from the vantage point of his present understanding.
Before he realized that the law condemned him to death, he was alive.
"When the commandment came;" i.e., when Paul came to the realization that he stood guilty before the law and was condemned to death.
So, if you aren't using "alive" figuratively, then what exactly does it mean? I'm taking it to mean he was spiritually alive. It looks like you are saying it means psychologically "alive", that it's a point of view, that since he is ignorant of guilt, he doesn't feel condemned. Is this your meaning? If so, then you are certainly interpreting it figuratively. In my mind, "alive" is a literal term, meaning spiritually alive, since he is speaking of the spiritual condition in this passage. If you mean that when the law came to him "I died" means he came to the realization that he is guilty, then you are certainly using it figuratively.
Ro 5:17, 18-19, 14-16, is not mere premise, it is Biblical fact:
What do you mean "mere premise"? Who said the verse was a "mere premise"? You misunderstood what I wrote, and it appears to me you are confusing the text with your interpretation of it. This is the basis of the argument. It does NOT say the sin of Adam is imputed. That's your interpretation. Can you see a difference? You approach the text with the preconceived idea that it means Adam's sin is imputed. But the text doesn't say that. So how you are reading the text is faulty.
death is the wages of sin (Ro 6:23),
sin is trangression of the law (1 Jn 3:4),
where there is no law, there is no transgresion/sin (Ro 4:15)
and, therefore no death.
When applied to infants, what you quote here could easily mean they are spiritually alive and innocent.
There was no law between Adam and Moses and, therefore, no transgression/sin to cause their deaths.
Then what caused the deaths of those between Adam and Moses when they did not sin against the law?
Their deaths were caused by the imputed sin of Adam (Ro 5:17, 18-19) to all mankind when there was no law to transgress and cause death.
This is your interpretation, which I differ with. In the first place, you are interpreting Paul's statement as "there was no law between Adam and Moses, therefore no transgression." But Paul has to mean something different than that, because there was certainly law, albeit not the law of Moses. Examples: Cain most certainly knew he had violated an unwritten (or unspoken) law "you shall not commit murder." If he thought he was innocent, he would not have lied to God saying he didn't know where Abel was. But he did lie, because he wanted to escape the impending judgment in violation of that moral principle. This is how we know there was law prior to Moses. Another example is when God said to Noah if a man sheds another man's blood (murder), his blood shall be shed (capital punishment). This is most certainly law before Moses. A 3rd example is God rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah because their sins stunk to high heaven. In this we can see there was most certainly law and transgression prior to Moses. Therefore Paul had to mean something different than what you claim.

Sin is sin regardless of whether one knows it or not. Ignorance of the law does not make someone innocent, not guilty, or not a sinner. So everyone who sinned prior to Moses still suffered the consequences, which was death.
Physical death wasn't "natural" until Adam sinned. . .physical death is the consequence of Adam's sin.

Now I see where your problem is.
Mine is not a figurative but a literal understansing of Ro 5:12-19 (post #7), where in Ro 5:17, 18-19 Adam's sin is imputed to all those of Adam, and which imputation is the pattern (Ro 5:14) for Christ's righteousness being imputed to all those of Christ (Ro 5:18-19).
I disagree with you, you only see a problem because I am disagreeing. No, your understanding is figurative, mine is literal. But you can't see that, can you? In that whole passage Paul is talking about spiritual death, not physical. Therefore, my interpretation is literal, in line with Paul's conversation.

And I disagree with your premise "physical death wasn't "natural" until Adam sinned." Nowhere does the scripture say that. Rom. 5 is speaking of spiritual life and death, not physical life and death. Adam died because he was denied access to the tree of life. This is clearly taught in Genesis. Physical and material death is all around us as a natural process, so your theory doesn't hold water.

Can you see the truth in my response here?
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Are we born again by loving God and others? Please share scriptures and thoughts. Thank you.

The book say in 1 John 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. This is talking about the first resurrection and those who after the white throne judgement. Only then you can't sin no more.

Let's take a look at Jesus for an example of born of God, and of we know Jesus did no sin. But let's read that in 1 Peter 2: 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

Let's go to John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Take a look at the 12th verse. It states, "The ones that received him he gave them power to become the sons of God.” Remember that you will only become a Son of God if you follow His word. Look at the 14th verse. Notice it says he is the only begotten of the Father.

What does only mean? If He (Jesus) is the only one born of God how can anyone make the statement they are born again. Only means only. If you are born of God you will not be able to sin any longer. Read this carefully in I John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Can anyone say they commit no sin? No! If you are born (born again) into the God family you must be a spirit being. Here is another verse stating Jesus is the only begotten son.

So when Jesus died and born again he had a different Body and can do other things like pop up from nowhere, etc. Look at what 1 Peter says in Ch 1: 23 being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. Paul confirm what Peter says the same thing in 1 Corthinan 15: 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

Let's go into Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. 30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

Look at verse 31, once they realized that it was Jesus they spoke with, what happen? He vanished out of their sight. Remember in John chapter 3 and verse 8. The Lord gave an example of how a spirit would look. He likened a spirit to the wind.( John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.)

Paul says in Philippians 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

And when will this take place?

Again in I Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, ando the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

At the last trump, and not a moment before.
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Yehovah God will not send you to Hell!

I don't deny the applicability of every word of God to everyone, per God:

Matt. 4:4, Luke 4:4, Deut. 8:3

As to your position analysis it consistently fails to bring the perps into the sights and only lays the blame on people, completely ignoring the plight of blinded slaveship imposed on them by that enemy

We should know as believers we ALL have a mutual unseen adversary. Therefore any position failing to account for this is technically, void and without merit[/COLOR]
I see some insinuations but no specifics.
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War Secretary Hegseth orders rare, urgent meeting of hundreds of generals, admirals Sep 30 in Virginia

I've been wondering for days why Pete Hegseth's 'speech' sounded like a high school gym teacher 'dumbing it down' for junior high students? I think I've found it.

As a former soldier I only had 4 years in the Australian Army Survey Corp making maps, and was never posted overseas in active engagement with the enemy! (Yes - and then I went on to study welfare and ended up in Child Protection - just in case anyone wanted to challenge my having a military background as well. I'm a 'career-carnie' and have moved sideways, across the lower rungs of many ladders, instead of up one ladder.)

However, Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges provided feedback helped clarify it for me. And it's fairly basic:-

CIVILIZED OR NOT?
America needs to have allies and friends confident that they are one of us, one of those freedom loving nations that follow international law in the conventions of warfare. It's not "politically correct" or "woke" to follow the Geneva Convention! It's not some grand leftist conspiracy to make the American military less effective to try and limit the horror of war - especially as modern arms have become more precise and discriminating in targeting enemy combatants rather than just carpet bombing an enemy city - military and civilians alike. It's what separates us from the way the Russians are indiscriminately attacking civilian apartments and infrastructure in Ukraine.

MAXIMUM LETHALITY OR MAXIMUM MISSION BRIEF?
'Maximum lethality' only works in certain very specific missions.
Some combat situations DO require 'maximum lethality' - and the Obama administration used that when necessary! EG: Taking out Bin Laden. So what's this "woke" nonsense?

PEACE-KEEPING
But in a post-war peace-keeping capacity, in "Jus Post Bellum" AFTER the combat - you do NOT want trigger happy soldiers to randomly mow down any crowd of upset civilians! Because in the chaos of a post-war situation, there just is going to to be many instances where unhappy crowds are shouting and jostling around supply trucks, or protesting the many issues that arise when rebuilding both the infrastructure of buildings and government processes from scratch.

PROPAGANDA - AND THAT AWKWARD MIKE-DROP MOMENT
It's the same old MAGA playbook. Manufacture a perceived crisis - and then come in - flapping gums blazing - acting like the White Hat Sheriff promising to save the day. It's a showdown at High Noon with "woke leftists". Except - Hegseth's gym class is aimed at the world's most elite generals and admirals. His last line was delivered like a "mike drop" moment - yet was met with stony silence at the end.

Is ANYONE in this administration REMOTELY qualified to do their job!?

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I saw him described as a low-level officer who was assigned to insignificant posts who now cosplays as a specops wannabe. It struck me as fitting.
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Three Arkansas residents arrested and charged with voting illegally last year

You're saying we should prevent things we can't prove it happens.

Yea, that’s about right. Gop and MAGA wants to stop which doesn’t exist!
It's a ruse to do what then can to make it harder for people to vote.
I can't number the times a GOP official actually let out the truth and noted the whole aim being to vote suppress.
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Difficulties with finding a church

My feeling (some years ago this was when I was visiting churches) was that some churches simply haven't matured, no matter what they say to the contrary. I felt there was little freedom to move or even learn to move in the spiritual gifts in some, or find someone who could guide me. Doctrinal purity is emphasised. Some were against "Wholeness" teachings and the idea of Recovery (ie. from addictions). I realise that Recovery is a more secular idea and this is sometimes is done along different lines than Christian sanctification, and some aspects of it could be questioned. But the antipathy to Inner Healing and Personal Wholeness I felt was odd. I don't know what they thought "wholeness" meant that they were opposed to it!!
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When does blindness occur?

Romans is a book that is often the topic of fierce debate, when it comes to the theological topic of Predestination, and free will. Personally, I believe that God has given man free will, that all people will be given a chance of life, but their choices determine whether they will be saved.

One of the key topics of this debate is the fact that God brings blindness to the sinner. If a person believes in Predestination, they will say, “A portion of the world was always destined, or planned, to be blind from the beginning”. That, “God only rescues a selected portion of creation, not based on man’s deeds, but God’s choice”.

I would like to show from Romans 1 that it makes more sense to believe spiritual blindness comes as “a result of disobedience”, not as a default; it comes because of man’s choice. As we see in the 21st verse.

Rom 1:21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.​

Romans 1:21 shows us that God gives His knowledge to all, but some men choose to “supress” or push down that knowledge, God then gives those people over to blindness.

We see that also in:

2Th 2:10-12 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.​

God sends strong delusion to those who have “pleasure in unrighteousness”. So a debased mind is not the default, but rather what we are given over to if we delight in sin.

Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;​

The earliest Church Leaders also taught that man “as it were, blind themselves”

4. ... but for the despisers and mockers who avoid and turn themselves away from this light, and who do, as it were, blind themselves, He has prepared darkness suitable to persons who oppose the light, and He has inflicted an appropriate punishment upon those who try to avoid being subject to Him. Submission to God is eternal rest, so that they who shun the light have a place worthy of their flight; and those who fly from eternal rest, have a habitation in accordance with their fleeing. Now, since all good things are with God, they who by their own determination fly from God, do defraud themselves of all good things; and having been [thus] defrauded of all good things with respect to God, they shall consequently fall under the just judgment of God. (Irenaeus 120-202, Against Heresies - Book 4 Ch 39 -End)
Note: blindness in this post is not referring to Spiritual Ignorance, but rather a deep blindness that prevents salvation from occurring. We are all born with Spiritual Ignorance, blindness in this post refers to that which prevents salvation.

John 9:41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains.
Joh 15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

Trump sends troops to the 'warzone' of Portland...

I think it's amazing that you guys aren't fleeing the USA.
How will I know if they will arrest people for exercising their Free Speech rights if I don't exercise my Free Speech rights?

Looking forward to the next No Kings event October 18th. Will be wild.

You can't see Los Angeles for all the events. And even Catalina Island.

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The End Time Puzzle

The same cosmic upheavals will be part of The End Time Puzzle.
I have read Velikovsky, he has some very interesting facts to tell.
But the forthcoming end times event of the Sixth Seal, will not be a comet bypass. The 1st to the 4th trumpet will be. Revelation 8:2-12

Prophecy is quite specific about what the Lord will use to commence all the end times. It will be an explosion of the suns surface, a Coronal Mass Ejection of unprecedented magnitude; Isaiah 30:26a Which will literally fulfil all the vividly stated Prophesies about that terrible Day.
The thing about a CME, is that it quickly passes, leaving the world to recover and the rest of the Prophesies to take place, up to the glorious Return of Jesus. Revelation 16:14 & 19:11
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