New Posts

Pommer · 2025-07-10T18:47:26-0500

Canuckster said:
You still stuck on 1/3 of my first point too? It's India/Pakistan's word vs Trump's. Big surprise: Trump haters believe India/Pakistan.

India and Pakistan haven’t lied to me that I know of.

Tuur · 2025-07-10T18:44:14-0500

ozso said:
Other than asking someone to not attend church there, what form of discipline is being talked about? Grounding them? Sending them to bed without supper? Taking away their video game console? Public shaming them?

When I was a young, the original records of our church surfaces. I remember being at the house of some friends of my parents as they read them. I don't recall how far back they went. The congregation dated to the early 1800. What I recall was the term "run off" used for some members. Later, realized that that was likely a reference to the church discipline commanded by Jesus in Matthew 18:15-20, and recommended by Paul in ! Corinthians 18:5-13. Paul also described in 2 Corinthians 2:5-8 restoring a disciplined member. Apparently, when the church noted a member was "run off," that was turning them out of the church.

I'm also aware of some who weren't buried in the cemetery proper. That goes back at least to Medieval Europe.

Paul, in warning that a little yeast will spread through the whole dough, illustrates the problem of lack of church discipline. The closest I saw to it and realized what I was seeing was when a store came up for a liquor license. Under state law, if a store was within such-and-such miles of a religious establishment, the religious establishment could veto the license. The deacons decided they could not oppose it. That's because there was a church member within that same distance who sold liquor and no one said boo about it. Partaking of alcoholic beverages is no big deal in many denominations, but is frowned on in others. By not taking a stand with a church member on something the church disagreed with, the church could no longer decry the same thing done by others.

Quasiblogo · 2025-07-10T18:42:49-0500

I am reading Proverbs 6:22 in the NKJV:
22 When you roam, they will lead you;
When you sleep, they will keep you;
And when you awake, they will speak with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light

I am pondering whether "they will speak with you"
involves more than being spoken to. That is, is
there a dialogue going on between the soul and
the Lord, as the soul receives light from Torah by the Spirit?

In the Interlinear of Proverbs 6:22 at biblehub.com,
the "with you" is reinforced instead of "to you", which makes me wonder
if the picture is one of interaction. On the side, the Interlinear says "she will speak with you".
What is the "she"?

jmldn2 · 2025-07-10T18:39:14-0500

CoreyD said:
You are right David.
I think while it is a fact people meet disappointment, it is an extreme to just decide to lump everything in one basket, and throw it into a dump.

It evidently amounts to an excuse really - a case of taking the easy way.
In other words, it allows us to "do our own thing" without feeling the need to make the effort to look for what Jesus points us to - his Church - not a building, but an organized people who meet in buildings, and not literal tents.

I know it calls for work, and a great deal of effort, but that's exactly what Jesus said is involved. and to throw our hands up, in frustration, is to do what Jesus expects of most people.
At Luke 13:24, Jesus said, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able."

1. May I express that I once was a "church going christian" for years and years and years.
2. I need no excuse to say I no longer attend a brick and mortar building called a "church." That does not mean I am "taking the easy way." Nothing about the Christian life is "easy."
3. As for work, I was a nursery worker in church, Sunday School Teacher, member of many Bible Studies, took my children every Sunday, Wednesday and brought them up in knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Jesus is concerned with our Hearts/Souls and not how regularly we "work."
4. The "narrow door" is not the church building but believing in the the Lord Jesus Christ, giving Him our total trust and living as best we can by following His Way. The Pharisees and other "workers, strict followers of the Law" thought they had it down pat too.
5. I did not stop going to that building because of "frustration, etc" but I stopped going to that building whenever my step daughter (my husband's only daughter) committed suicide and NOT ONE PASTOR, LAY PERSON, came to our door to give my husband one bit of help.

The "church" is not that building, whether or not it is a big building, little building but the "church" is the Body of Christ believers.

essentialsaltes · 2025-07-10T18:21:11-0500

iluvatar5150 said:
The impression I get is that other Republicans like him less than Ted Cruz.

OTOH, Paxton has gone full MAGA and is up in the polls.

On the plus side, if he is ever impeached again, his (ex)-wife will now be able to vote.

Bro.T · 2025-07-10T18:05:37-0500

Dan Perez said:
And many never seem to quote Mark 16:17. and these signs shall follow them. that believe : In my name shall they cast out

devils , they shall speak with new tongues ,

Verse 18 , they shall take up serpents , and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them , they shall LAY hands

on the sick , and they shall recover.

And you missed these 2 verses ?

And when do you say Mark 16: 16-20 is going to happen , TODAY or When ??

# 1. Maybe before the so-called Raptue. ? Just to remind all , there is NO Greek word. called Rapture in. the Greek. Text

# 2. Maybe a Post- Tri. ?

# 3. Maybe during the Great Triulation. ?

dan p

I believe those things been going on since the Lord spoken it in Mark 16: 16-20. Let's go into 1 Corinthians 12: 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

So so the Lord bless different gifts upon people that serve in spirit and in truth, keeping his Commandments and having faith in Jesus Christ. And so Paul/ was given a lot of these gifts, and a lot of other people are still getting these gifts.

Muhan · 2025-07-10T17:38:49-0500

Victory in Jesus

Victory in Jesus

Just the thought of my God

makes me invincible.

boughtwithaprice · 2025-07-10T17:19:22-0500

JSRG said:
If you are going to try to quote Augustine, it is critically important you say where he said these things. There are many false quotes that go around, which is why it's important to show where they said it. As Abraham Lincoln wisely said: "Just because a quote is posted on the Internet does not mean it is true."

So you offer as quotes two images that give alleged quotes from Augustine, namely:

"Men are not Saved by Good Works, nor by the Free Determination of their Own Will, but by the Grace of God through Faith"
and
"God chooses us, not because we believe, but that we may believe."

No source is cited for these. Before we even get to whether Augustine said these things, it's not clear how these are relevant. You are holding them up, apparently, to try to support your statement of "But the issue at hand is your dislike of Calvinism and denying the security of the believer being secure forever in Christ. I don’t know which St Augustine you do read. But the St Augustine’s I read says exactly that". In other words, these are apparently supposed to support the claim he supported the doctrine of eternal security (often known colloquially as "once saved always saved"). Except I don't see how they're even relevant to that question.

But, regardless of their relevance, are these quotes accurate? I searched for these quotes online to see if someone else offered them. The first one you offer, "Men are not Saved by Good Works, nor by the Free Determination of their Own Will, but by the Grace of God through Faith"? Well, a search shows it's the title of a chapter in his work The Enchiridion (from the "Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers" translation), which can be seen here (also here if one wishes to see the whole work at once, though it lacks the footnotes).

Sometimes these chapter titles aren't from the original author, and instead are added by a later editor or translator for reader convenience. To check into it, I tried to search up the Latin text in Patrologia Latina, which is found in volume 40 (volume 6 of its volumes of Augustine), we can find it is there... sort of. It says:

"Non meritis, nec libero arbitrio reparari homines, sed gratia"

So we do see this here, meaning it wasn't added in the translation, though I suppose it's possible in these things it got added in collections; I'd have to look at manuscripts to be sure. But regardless, I have to question the translation of the above as "men are not saved by good works, nor by the free determination of their own will, but by the grace of God through faith". I hesitate to do this because I'm sure the person who translated this ("J.F. Shaw", whoever he was) presumably knew Latin a whole lot better than I do, but some of the translation choices seem off.

A fairly literal translation of the above Latin would be something like:

"Not [by] merits, nor [by] free will are restored men, but [by] grace."
Or in more natural English:
"Men are not restored by merits, nor by free will, but by grace."

Let's discuss the points where the translation seems to diverge from the above. "Meritis" (ablative plural form of meritum) is translated as "good works". This seems to me an odd choice. Meritum, deriving from the Latin verb mero ("to deserve") means merit (noun). Based on this dictionary entry, it seems it can refer to both merit in the sense of a kind act or merit in the sense of something that is deserved. If we go by the "kind act" definition, "good works" could work as a translation, but if Augustine was specifically referring to that he could have said "bona opera" (literally, "good works"). In fact, Augustine does use a similar phrase in the actual chapter itself, "Quid enim boni operatur perditus, nisi quantum fuerit a perditione liberatus", which the English translation renders as "For what good work can a lost man perform, except so far as he has been delivered from perdition". Technically speaking the "boni operatur" is not "good works" but rather talking about the good a man can work, but this adjustment for sounding natural in English makes sense. At any rate, "good works" appears a stretch of a translation.

The translation of reparari as "saved" also seems rather odd. One could render it as "redeemed" (that's what Google Translate does, for the record, if you put this phrase there), but "saved" seems a step too far. The Latin word for saved is normally salvari/salvus. This is what is used in verses in the Latin version of the New Testament to refer to being saved, such as Matthew 10:22 ("his salvus erit") or Matthew 19:25 ("salvus esse"). Even more oddly, the exact same word is translated as "restored" in the text of the chapter itself, making it being "saved" in the title even more odd.

And lastly, "through faith" is not found at all in the chapter title. The translator just added that in. Now, "through faith" is mentioned in the chapter itself (namely, when Paul is quoted), but it is not in the chapter title.

Perhaps the translator was working from a different manuscript or something, but compared to the one in Patrologia Latina, it looks like they made some questionable translation choices and in fact added words not even there. I admit I am far from an expert on Latin. Maybe there are very valid reasons for these apparent errors that I don't know about because I don't know enough, and I'm suffering from the Dunning Kruger effect. But it certainly looks to me like the translation has been twisted somewhat.

As for the text of the chapter itself, the point Augustine is trying to make seems that one cannot restore themselves with God by works or their own free will, and that God has to free them from sin in order to do any of that. So this has nothing to do with eternal security, and if the point is to try to say this goes against Catholic doctrine, it doesn't seem to at all. These canons of the Council of Trent (Session 6) seem clear endorsements:

"If any one shall say, that man may be justified before God by his own works, whether done through the strength of human nature, or through the teaching of the law, without the divine grace through Jesus Christ; let him be anathema." (Canon 1)

"If any one shall say, that without the preventing inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and his help, man can believe, hope, love, or be penitent, as he ought, so that the grace of justification may be conferred upon him; let him be anathema." (Canon 3)

Or in Chapter 5 of the same session, it declares:

"...yet is he not able, without the Grace of God, by his own free will to move himself unto justice in His sight."

Thus, I don't see how Chapter 30 of the Enchiridion, when taken in its entirety rather than a possibly mistranslated title, goes against Catholic doctrine? The Council seems to be saying what Augustine said here.

As for the other quote of Augustine ("God chooses us, not because we believe, but that we may believe.") a search for that did not turn up anyone offering a source, but ChatGPT was able to point me to the source. (ChatGPT and other AI must be used cautiously and always be verified, but are nevertheless a useful tool for finding things) This is Chapter 38 (or 29 in an alternate division) of On the Predestination of the Saints. Book 1 of that can be found here in full or just the chapter here if one wants the footnotes.

I did not look up the Latin on this one so I cannot vouch for translation quality, but again, how does this go against any Catholic doctrine? It seems in accord with what the Council of Trent said.

So it's unclear to me what these quotes are supposed to prove. As noted, they don't relate to eternal security to begin with (they really relate more to the question of predestination, which while related, is not the same thing), and even if the goal was to try to point to some other contradiction with Catholicism, they don't seem to?

tl;dr: The first Augustine quote is found in the English translation, but makes what appear to me questionable translation choices and a more accurate rendering appears to be "Men are not restored by merits, nor by free will, but by grace". The second one seems legitimate. However, neither really relate to eternal security, and neither (especially after the apparent translation errors are fixed) appear to go against Catholic doctrine.

Very nice analysis. The problem with modern Protestantism that I can see is the overemphasis on faith, which we get from Martin Luther saying we are saved by faith alone.
Augustine does not teach that and neither does scripture. Scripture says we are saved BY grace THROUGH faith.
The effect of our salvation is by grace or the action of God. If we receive grace then we can demonstrate that in the gift of Faith. We demonstrate the gift of Faith by humility the expression of which is obedience, which is demonstrated by good works.
If there is no humility and no obedience and no good works, how do we demonstrate this gift of faith we are supposedly given? If we don’t answer that while we are here on Earth claiming to be born again, we most certainly will answer it when we appear before the judgement seat of Christ.
The question then becomes to whom do we owe obedience and how do we demonstrate it?
If we claim God alone, then we are claiming full knowledge of the faith at the moment of our rebirth.
Since we know this is not true, and in personal experience, it has taken many years to build up strength in the faith. Strength of faith is not to be confused with stubbornness or refusal to accept correction. If we claim all knowledge of the faith for ourselves, then how can we accept correction?
God has given us His Church, and His word tells us that He has given some Apostles, some prophets, some evangelists and some pastors and doctors. The gift of the faith is spread throughout the whole body of Christ, but how can we learn the faith if we claim all knowledge for ourselves and refuse to obey those anointed?

I don’t like everything about the Catholic Church, but who else has a 2000 year history of working through the winds of doctrine? We know the Solomon said in Ecclesiastes that there is nothing new under the sun, and scripture says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. How can I discard apostolic teaching in favor of an over scrupulous monk from the sixteenth century?

If we limit our beliefs to quotes used by some one else, then we risk being mislead, as JSRG’s excellent analysis of Augustine clearly shows.

It’s like the game of telephone when we were kids. Say one thing then pass it along until the message goes through multiple people then hear what the last one says and compare it to the original message. It is invariably lost in the transmission.
Tape that with the scriptures and subject God’s word to endless human transmission. If we listen to a human interpretation instead of an anointed of God, then we risk missing the true message.

God has promised us a Church trough His apostles and He promised His Holy Spirt to keep it safe from error in teaching. Some one else in history gets an idea that sounds good, we have a record of the original apostles to which we can compare it. If we don’t do that, then we are relying on feelings and not reason.

Landon Caeli · 2025-07-10T17:16:08-0500

essentialsaltes said:
If anyone needs more ammunition against Mamdani, the Mamdani Times has you covered with oodles of probably fake NYT headlines.

View attachment 367303

Hmmm.. Where have I seen that before.

Things are learned. And repeated. Thanks for making the world a "better" place.

wing2000 · 2025-07-10T17:00:39-0500

A New Dawn said:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/19/us/politics/trump-proposal-daca-wall.html

Like I wrote, he reneged on his support for a "clean DACA" bill.

Michie · 2025-07-10T16:57:31-0500

The totalitarian mind is like “a system of gears where teeth have been filed off at random. Such a snaggle-toothed thought machine … whirls with the jerky, noisy, gaudy pointlessness of a cuckoo clock in Hell.”

Kurt Vonnegut used this image in his novel “Mother Night” to describe totalitarian madmen, but we all have the kind of mind he described. It’s a good image for the mind of fallen humanity and one that suggests an explanation for a particular problem: why we can hold with conviction beliefs that make little and often no sense, sometimes to the point of insanity, while thinking sanely about everything else.

It’s the problem that makes us say to others, or others say to us, “What’s wrong with you? You know better than that.” But they (or we) don’t.

The logic can’t be faulted

Continued below.

How our minds are like a cuckoo clock in hell

Kurt Vonnegut’s image of broken minds show how missing mental "teeth" make inhumanity seem reasonable — even to the faithful.

www.oursundayvisitor.com

angelsaroundme · 2025-07-10T16:54:59-0500

I posted in the other thread about liking the Superman For All Seasons comic. I had some hope the new movie would give me similar warm vibes. Because the trailers with the dog, Lois, etc. made it seem that way.

For starters, they decided to make Krypto a rough dog so the scenes generally don't come across as sweet. When asked why he brought the dog to a fight, Superman says, "So he wouldn't kill my parents' cows." He's also now Supergirl's dog, not Superman's. Superman's biological parents are turned into villains. Most of the movie is Superman getting beat up, made to look stupid, or people questioning his intentions. While Lois isn't always nice to Superman, they do have a few kissing scenes and seem to be in love at the end. The Lois stuff is at least decent but everything else... they say he's the strongest metahuman at the beginning and then you just see him pulverized repeatedly. They made Superman barely the hero of his own movie.

The Liturgist · 2025-07-10T16:53:26-0500

boughtwithaprice said:
I agree with you in that we should not pay for spiritual things. A blessed sacramental loses its blessing and spiritual benefit the moment money is paid for it.

I did the calculations and at 30 dollars per year it comes of a fraction over 8cents US per day for the app. I reason that the money goes to the people that built and designed the structure of the app, ie the software, and not the spiritual benefit it contains. They have done a wonderful job in design and I do not think that they are overcharging, but I still understand your objection

I don’t mind paying, but I’m looking for a cheaper option if possible. One would expect having to pay for the EF Tridentine / Monastic / Dominican offices online but not the Liturgy of the Hours, when the reverse is the case.

Michie · 2025-07-10T16:49:23-0500

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.

Studies debunk pro-abortion maternal health, 'OB-GYNs exodus' claims

Recently released peer-reviewed research is disputing what pro-life researchers call “fear-mongering narratives” about maternal health and OB-GYNs.

A peer reviewed study published last week found that the maternal morbidity — health problems following pregnancy or giving birth — remained unchanged in states with pro-life protections for unborn children.

Continued below.

Studies dispute pro-abortion claims about maternal health and 'OB-GYN exodus'

A peer reviewed study published last week found that the maternal morbidity — health problems following pregnancy or giving birth — remained unchanged in states with pro-life protections for unborn children.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Michie · 2025-07-10T16:39:28-0500

Report described as 'an openly anti-Christian piece of work' funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, George Soros

A Hungarian official has taken aim at progressive activists within the European Union, accusing them of authoring a report that attacks Christianity and seeks to diminish its influence.

The European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF) has published a report claiming that Europe is suffering from a rise in religious “anti-feminist” groups. The report was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and George Soros.

Hungarian Ministerial Commissioner, Bernadett Petri, said the report was yet more evidence of the EU’s slide into godlessness. Speaking to Hungary Today,she described it as “an openly anti-Christian piece of work.”

Continued below.

EU's anti-Christian report is sign of slide into 'godlessness,' politician warns

A Hungarian official has taken aim at progressive activists within the European Union, accusing them of authoring a report that attacks Christianity and seeks to diminish its influence

www.christianpost.com

Michie · 2025-07-10T16:36:26-0500

The Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA failed to include multiple buildings on its flood risk map for Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, according to an analysis by NPR, PBS's FRONTLINE and data scientists.

At least 27 camp attendees died and five others remain unaccounted for after massive flash flooding swept the private Christian summer camp for girls along the Guadalupe River on July 4.

These findings come from a new analysis by NPR, PBS's FRONTLINE and data scientists, which show that at least eight buildings, including four cabins housing younger campers at Camp Mystic, are located within FEMA’s designated floodway, which is a dangerous area expected to see high-velocity water.

Continued below.

FEMA missed major flood risk at Christian Camp Mystic, analysis claims to show

The Federal Emergency Management Agency failed to include multiple buildings on its flood risk map for Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, according to an analysis by NPR, PBS s FRONTLINE and data scientists

www.christianpost.com

Michie · 2025-07-10T16:33:03-0500

Grok, an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI, made a series of comments this week praising Hitler and criticizing Jews, which were soon deleted.

One of the comments came in response to a post claiming to show someone named “Cindy Steinberg” celebrating the deaths of girls killed by recent flash floods at a Christian camp in Texas (the post turned out to be a hoax).

Responding to the post, Grok wrote the following:

Continued below.

Elon Musk’s company xAI deletes Grok chatbot’s 'inappropriate posts' praising Hitler

Grok, an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk s company xAI, made a series of comments this week praising Hitler and criticizing Jews, which were soon deleted

www.christianpost.com

Michie · 2025-07-10T16:27:16-0500

A political action committee formerly known as “Evangelicals for Harris” apologized for using footage of the late Rev. Billy Graham to attack President Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential election.

Evangelicals for Harris, which has since been redubbed Evangelicals for America following former Vice President Kamala Harris’ electoral defeat last fall, issued a statement earlier this week acknowledging they had wrongly politicized the late evangelist’s Gospel message.

“In the lead up to the 2024 presidential election, Evangelicals for America PAC's ‘Evangelicals for Harris’ campaign produced several ads using clips of Rev. Billy Graham,” the group said. “We did this believing that our use of the clips of Rev. Graham, although not done with the prior permission of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), would meet the criteria for Fair Use under the US Copyright Act.”

Continued below.

Evangelicals for Harris apologizes for using Billy Graham sermons to attack Trump

A political action committee formerly known as Evangelicals for Harris apologized for using footage of the late Rev Billy Graham to attack President Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential election

www.christianpost.com

ViaCrucis · 2025-07-10T16:24:22-0500

RileyG said:
Smurfs? Really?

Incredibly serious. The Smurfs were a major target of Satanic Panic profiteers, and I was banned from watching it by my parents (I usually ended up watching Saturday morning cartoons at my grandparents, and they were far less strict about it). Later on as an adult I had a conversation about my dad about it, and it boiled down to someone at church told him that Gargamel was actually another name for Satan, and since Gargamel uses black magic that the cartoon was indoctrinating children into Satanic dark magic practice. Again, not even slightly exaggerating here.

As you might guess "Gargamel" isn't a name for the devil*. And he is depicted as quite bad, so I don't know how one reads "bad guy uses bad magic to hurt cute blue small people who live in mushrooms" as "hey kids, worship Satan!" but that was the gist of it.

Gargamel's pet cat, Azrael, however is named for a supposed angel of death in the Islamic tradition (and, to a lesser extent, shows up in some Christian contexts in the middle ages). I have a theory that a game of telephone of some kind happened, and Azrael as an angel of death in medieval folklore blended into modernistic Satanic Panic circles as a name for a demon or the devil, and this is conflated with Gargamel; and somehow that is what got filtered into what my dad heard. I don't know exactly how widespread this was, but I remember reading a Texe Marrs book written in the 80s when I was a teenager in the 90s, he pretty much said that the devil is using everything to indoctrinate kids into Satanism and that there is a secret cabal of Luciferian New Agers running everything behind the scenes. Marrs was a total wackadoodle; but he like so many others convinced an entire generation of parents (at least) that everything in the world was coming to get their kids and bring them into some secret Satanic cult.

This was big business in many corners of the Evangelical and Fundamentalist world of the 70's and 80s. There were professional conmen who became incredibly famous not only in church circles, but even in secular circles as supposed "experts" on the occult. Mike Warnke is perhaps the most famous of these, he was everywhere, not just at churches and Christian conferences, but on mainstream broadcasts being interviewed by serious journalists.

This was a whole thing. And if you didn't grow up in that period of time, or if you happened to not grow up in a household where this was taken seriously, then bless you that's awesome. It was a weird time to be a kid.

-CryptoLutheran

Guojing · 2025-07-10T16:22:18-0500

JulieB67 said:
Exactly. It was known languages. I never understood how it became what it is today.

Easy to understand, its because people wanted to fake them, because somebody taught them that tongues meant that the Holy Spirit has fallen on them, and they are now empowered in a way that they were not before.

GaryMac · 2025-07-10T16:20:48-0500

Christsfreeservant said:
“O Lord, the hope of Israel,
All who forsake You will be put to shame.
Those who turn away on earth will be written down,
Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the Lord.
Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed;
Save me and I will be saved,
For You are my praise.” (Jeremiah 17:13-14 NASB1995)

Who is biblical Israel today? All who believe in Jesus Christ, who have died with Christ to sin, and who were raised with Christ 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. We are all (Jew and Gentile) who have surrendered our lives to Christ, who are walking in obedience to his commands, in holy living, and for whom sin is no longer what we practice. We are all who are being led by the Spirit, and no longer by the flesh, who honor God with our lives.

God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – is our hope. For by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ – a faith which comes from God and which is not of our own doing – we give our lives to Christ as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him, to now do his will that he has for our lives. And he promises us forgiveness of all sins, deliverance from slavery to sin, and renewed hearts and minds, in the Spirit, for all who put our trust in him, who follow in his ways, and who continue in his ways to the very end.

And what this says here about all who forsake the Lord being put to shame, and about those who turn away on earth being written down, because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the Lord, it parallels over to what is taught us in the New Testament. If we profess faith in Jesus Christ with our lips, but by our actions we deny him, and if sin is what we practice, and not walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands, and if we do not turn from our sins to obey God, we will not inherit eternal life with God.

For to be healed of God spiritually, and to be saved from our sins, requires death to sin and walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands – all in the power of God, by the grace of God, and not of our own flesh. For Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross to put our sins to death with him so we will now die with Christ to sin and live to him and to his righteousness in walks of surrender to his will and in obedience to his commands. For to this we are called of God that we might now serve him with our lives.

Who is Israel?

[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; John 8:18-19,38-47; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13;1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]

Judged by Our Works

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

Pray, Pray, Pray

Based off Various Scriptures
An Original Work / September 6, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Pray that eyes may enlightened be,
So they may know Christ.
Pray that they may Him better know,
Strengthened by His pow’r.
Pray that they may grasp
How wide and long
And high and deep
Is Christ’s love.
Pray that they may be filled
To the fullness of God’s love.
Pray with thanksgiving.

Pray for an open door for me,
So I may share Christ.
Pray when the gospel is proclaimed –
Shared with clarity.
Pray words are given me so
I declare the gospel fearlessly.
I pray for you to be active
Sharing your faith, too.
Pray continually.

We oft not know for what to pray,
So we ask for help.
The Spirit intercedes for us –
Words cannot express.
Just keep on praying for the saints
With all kinds of requests to God.
Pray they may have faith to
Please their God in ev’ry way.
Pray with joyfulness.

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The Hope of Israel
An Original Work / July 2, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Isreal does not follow the ways of Jesus, they have their own laws to govern their god. Jesus was rabbi of these laws and taught them from a young age until he was about 30 years old when God Himself came to that man and opened up who He is and all of His heaven in that man in Matt 3:16, and in that everything changed for Jesus.

Ironic is, the very ones who once reverend Jesus as rabbi even from a young age of 12, after Matt 3:16, are the very ones who had him crucified for blaspheme, lying, a sinner. Made to be sin by the things he suffers by these.

GaryMac · 2025-07-10T16:14:15-0500

Christsfreeservant said:
“Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you would hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
When your fathers tested Me,
They tried Me, though they had seen My work.
For forty years I loathed that generation,
And said they are a people who err in their heart,
And they do not know My ways.
Therefore I swore in My anger,
Truly they shall not enter into My rest.” (Psalm 95:6-11 NASB1995)

True worship of God is not just in the singing of “worship” songs, many of which today are so diluted and do not express what true worship of God is all about. True biblical worship of God is not just in the waving of our arms and hands and in the swaying of our bodies to the music in large gatherings which are publicly described as “worship” of God. Just because a crowd of people gather together and sing “worship” songs, it does not mean at all that what they are doing is true worship of God, in spirit and in truth.

True worship of God is in the surrendering of our lives to the Lord to do his will. It is in the forsaking of our sins and a lifelong commitment to obey our Lord and his New Covenant commandments, to walk in his ways and in his truth and righteousness, and to be his servants and witnesses in getting the truth of the gospel out to the people of the world. True worship of our Lord requires that we die with Christ to sin and that we now obey our Lord in doing what he has called all of his followers to do, in service to him.

And if we are truly the sheep of his pasture, we are listening for his voice speaking truth to our hearts, we are heeding his words, and we are following him in obedience to his commands, and we are not living our lives for the pleasures of this sinful world. And he gives us salvation (deliverance) from our addictions to sin, and he promises eternal life to us who are following him in obedience, and for whom sin is no longer what we practice (John 10:27-30). But we must continue in him until the very end (Matthew 24:13).

For, faith in Jesus Christ, which comes from God, and which is persuaded of God as to his righteousness and holiness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to die with him to sin and to now walk with him in obedience to his commands, is not of our own doing. We don’t get to choose what that faith looks like. God does. And his word teaches us that faith in Jesus, which is of God, will result in us denying self, dying daily to sin, by the Spirit, and us walking (in conduct, in practice) in obedience to our Lord’s commands.

But many people today are not being taught that as the faith which saves. Many are teaching that lip service only to God grants them forgiveness of all sins and heaven guaranteed them when they die, but regardless of how they live. And even if some are still teaching death to sin and walks of obedience to our Lord’s commands, many of them are teaching that as optional, and not as required by God for us to have salvation from sin and eternal life with God. But the Scriptures contradict such a belief as that.

The Scriptures make it clear that faith, which saves, which is of God, and which is not of our own doing, will result in us giving our lives to the Lord in death to sin and in walks of obedience to his commands. We now belong to him and we no longer are the boss of our own lives. For if we continue living in sin, and not in walks of surrender to God in obedience to our Lord and his commands, we are not in relationship with God, we are not saved from our sins, and we do not have eternal life with God guaranteed us when we die.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

My Sheep

Based off John 10:1-30 NIV
An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

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Kneel Before the Lord our Maker
An Original Work / June 21, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Amen worshiping God is the same act of repentance from self beliefs and receiving from God His same knowledge of mind, Spirit, and becoming like Him to know that difference, just as Jesus did in Matt 3:16. Giving up the right to yourself and receiving from God Himself who makes the sinner His saint. And that started in Adam he was the first to become like God to know this difference, same difference Jesus learned 4000 years later. And the same difference all learn today who has given up the right to their own ideas for a god and receive from God Himself who He is and all of His heaven opened in us, by God Himself.

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