Pakistan's treatment of Christians has been appalling with many stuck in menial jobs, some actually enslaved and everyone of them subject to blasphemy laws that carry the death penalty for the slightest perceived offense of Islam.

More cracks appearing?

Valletta said:

Of course she knows how to speak as a politician. But see how she speaks to her own people:

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Like the example I gave in post #2?

In a stunning fall from grace this week, University of Michigan head football Coach Sherrone Moore was fired, arrested, and charged with three criminal counts, including one felony.

Moore, the storied program’s first Black head football coach, was fired with cause on Wednesday (Dec. 10) for what the university described as “engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”

Later that day, police arrested Moore after responding to a report of an assault by a knife-wielding individual who might have been suicidal. In police-dispatch audio, the victim can be reportedly be heard saying the suspect attacked her and had been “stalking her for months.” Moore’s wife, Kelli, can reportedly be heard saying her husband was “suicidal…for losing his job today.”

Continued below.

essentialsaltes said:

I Asked the Pentagon About Pete Hegseth’s Mentor. Then the Threats Started.​

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The coordination with Posobiec is far more troublesome than the reading list.

12/12/25

Concerns About the Foundations of the Gentile Christian Movement in Acts 15

Premise #1:

True Jews will hear and obey the words of Yeshua. See Mt 12:50: “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” How can you get any closer than that? The Apostle John is also an excellent example of a believing Jew. His epistles closely parallel the words of our Savior in every aspect. 1 John 1:3 is a great example: “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you…” The overall context and focus of John’s epistles are about hearing and obeying the Law of Love that Yeshua has given us.



Premise #2:

The foundation of the Gospel to the Gentiles in Acts 15 is NOT on solid ground. For proper understanding, see Mt. 7:24: “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.” Yeshua is not quoted at all in Acts 15. Neither by Peter, James, Paul, Barnabas, Judas (Barsabas) or Silas. The stated focus is on the Holy Ghost regarding the legitimacy and authority for the proposed decision from the Jerusalem Council that was to be sent to the Gentile church in Antioch. (See Acts 15:28).



True Mission of the Holy Ghost:

The problem here is this contradicts the direction, per Yeshua, regarding the mission of the Holy Ghost, as stated in John 14:26: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said unto you.” Yeshua would never have supported the proposed letter to the Church at Antioch, especially what was stated in Acts 15:24. The originators of this statement, i.e., “…certain (men) which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying ye must be circumcised and keep the law; to whom we gave no such commandment”, combined two different subjects which Yeshua clearly differentiated in John 7:22, saying that circumcision was “of the fathers”, and not directly from Moses. The subject of circumcision was minimized by Yeshua and John 7:22-23 was his only direct mention of it, and the intent of his comments were to resolve accusations towards him about not keeping the Sabbath. By his example, the Jerusalem council should have avoided the subject, instead it became a huge point of discussion then and later in Paul’s writings. Regarding keeping the Torah, Yeshua’s stand is extremely clear on the eternal validity of the Torah, per his words in Matthew 5:17-18.



Background—Outpouring of the Holy Ghost to the House of Cornelius:

It would also be appropriate to mention the events in Acts 10, and especially regarding the outpouring of the Holy Ghost. As we know, Peter was sent to the house of Cornelius with God working in two directions here to bring this important message to the Gentiles to preach to them the good news about Yeshua the Messiah. In verse 44, the outpouring of the Holy Ghost was indisputable, and clearly from the heart of Yeshua to this Gentile household. We need to keep in mind however, regarding the original prophecy about speaking in tongues, per Isaiah 28:11: “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people…” points to Yeshua as the sure foundation and precious cornerstone in verse 16. But these verses are accompanied by several adjacent verses, warning about a lack of correct hearing or a lack of hearing altogether. Verse 12 says: …”This is the rest, wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing; yet they would not hear.” The bottom line is that the outpouring of the Holy Ghost in the book of Acts is framed on every side per Isaiah 28 with warnings about correct hearing of the word of God, i.e., words of Yeshua. (See Hebrews 1:1-2 if any questions). Per Acts 10, Yeshua’s message clearly applies to everyone who would hear his words, Jew or Gentile, but fully understanding that not all persons would hear and receive his words. His heart of compassion was clearly extended to the Gentiles via Peter’s visit to the house of Cornelius.



Background—Questions About the Authority / Structure of the Jerusalem Council:

First, Yeshua was not supportive at all of church organizational structures or any structures that would replace his direct authority or that of his heavenly Father, and for good reasons. If you read Matthew 23:8-10, he says: “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and ye are all brethren.” James seems to end up with the leadership role by the conclusion of Acts 15, and he was probably trying his best under the circumstances, but this is a great example again of the very weak foundation that was created at the origins of the Gentile Church in several areas. Just for thinking purposes, what if the at the beginning of the Jerusalem council in Acts 15:2, when the questions arose from the men that came down from Judea that needed to be answered, the Apostles and Elders would have responded as follows: “These are important questions, and we need to understand exactly how Yeshua would have responded.” “Give us a few days, and we will go into fasting and prayer, plus ask the Holy Ghost to help us remember accurately the words He had spoken while he was yet with us.” Do we realize the wonderful blessings, and wise decisions that would have followed?



Yeshua’s statements on fulfilling the Law:

Yeshua’s answer to the Gentile believers would most likely have stated “how” to fulfill the Law as follows, (for example): When asked this question, i.e., which is the greatest commandment in the Law by a lawyer in Mt. 22:37-40, Yeshua’s response was: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind….this is the first and great commandment.” “The second is like unto it: Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself…on these two commandments hang (suspend) all the law and prophets.” The likely response from the Apostle John, especially after the “period of darkness” mentioned in 1 John 2:8-10, would also have been to state the Law of Love that Yeshua had given unto us. Yeshua clearly states in Matthew 5:17-18 that he did not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill the law. When studied at a deeper level, Yeshua later clearly makes the point that if we hear and obey his words, we can have that love in our hearts that he mentions in John 14, 15 & 16 and we can fulfill the Torah.



Paul’s Statements on fulfilling the Law:

In Paul’s gospel to the Gentiles, fulfillment of the Law was not prioritized or emphasized at all, as we know. Paul only quotes Yeshua once in all of his epistles. (See 1 Cor 11:24-25). Agreeably, Paul mentions that love is the fulfillment of the law in Galatians 5:14 and Romans 13:8-10. These statements are absolutely correct, and they coincide with Yeshua’s words even if Paul never quoted Yeshua as the source. To caution, however, Paul’s contempt and disregard for God’s moral law is well documented in his writings. For example, in Romans 7:3-4, he uses a figurative example of the Law of Adultery, equating Christ to “the deceased husband”, to conclude that: “…ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ.” This directly conflicts with the words of Yeshua in Matthew 5:27-28 where in no case does he indicate that the Law of Adultery or any of God’s moral law will ever become null and void.



The Apostle John Links True Love and True Holiness:

This becomes an important consideration when studying John’s epistles where he links true love and true holiness together. The two are intertwined per his statements, and you cannot have one without the other. Remember that John states in 1 John 3:4 that sin is a transgression of the Law, and this applies to everyone in exactly the same way. Remember also that Yeshua warns in Mt. 5:19 that: “Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven…” John’s epistles proclaim a high standard of holiness and sanctification and indicates in 1 John 3:6 that we can live a life above sin if we stay close to Yeshua and diligently heed his words.



Peter Missteps in Acts 15:

Peter also misses the mark and direction that Yeshua had previously provided when he states in Acts 15:10-11: “Why tempt ye God, and put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor us were able to bear?? He states further in verse 11 that: “We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved.” This conflicts with the words of Yeshua in at least four counts: 1) In Matthew 11:28-30 he said that his yoke was easy, and burden was light. 2) Yeshua repeats clearly in multiple passages that true believers in Him would hear and obey his words. 3) The Apostle John, in his epistles, discusses the wonderful joy and blessings that accompany true faith and obedience to the words of Yeshua. (Not a hardship). 4) Yeshua never distances himself from the Old Testament scriptures. His response to the lawyer regarding the greatest commandment of the Law in Matthew 22:36-40, was a quote from Leviticus 19:18, and Deuteronomy 6:5. See also Psalms 119 in its entirety.



Beginning of Paul’s Gospel:

Unfortunately, Paul takes Peter’s words here to support his current and proposed theology and runs full speed ahead with his gospel of grace (without works or any reference to obedience), and with almost complete contempt for the Law and lack of reference to the words of Yeshua. Following Acts 15, we see the rise of Paul and an almost complete minimization of Peter.



Paul’s Position of Idolatry:

There is also a serious concern to consider now and in the immediate future due to Paul’s weak stand on idolatry. In 1Cor 8:4-8 Paul clearly states that eating meat offered to idols was only a matter of conscience and would become a problem only if it offended a weaker brother’s conscience. This is in direct conflict to the first commandment in the Law, and Yeshua had to step in twice in Revelation 2:14 and 2:20 to address this issue. This is also in direct conflict with the 1st of the four precepts that were correctly stated by James in Acts 15:29: “That ye abstain from meats offered to idols.”



Immediate Consequences of the Acts 15 Decisions:

We can observe the results of the lack of a solid foundation and adherence to the words of Yeshua in Acts 15 at that important moment in history, by looking at verses 39 & 40 which describes the falling out between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark: “Paul thought it not good to take him with them, who departed from them at Pamphylia, and the contention was so sharp between them that they departed asunder one from the other, and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed for Cyprus.” “And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.” Would this have happened if close adherence and respect was kept towards the words of Yeshua?




Acts 15—Concluding Verses (39-40):

“Being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God”, regretfully, is an outrageous statement, implying back patting by the “brethren” and basically condoning a very serious sin, per Yeshua. If you read Mt. 5:23-25, Yeshua placed a high priority on getting things straightened up between brethren and resolved as quickly as possible. In this case the serious sin was not necessarily the falling out between Paul and Barnabas, but the fact that amends were not made quickly, and they went separate ways. We have no record that this quarrel and contention was immediately resolved.


The word Grace:

The word “grace” is unfortunately used here foundationally also to imply that this disagreement between Paul and Barnabas now and in the future falls into a dispensational category of “unmerited favor” that sort of overlooks sins and shortcomings as “all forgiven” now that we are under this “dispensation of grace.” Yeshua is clear on this also and indicates in Mt. 6:15 that our forgiveness before God is conditional on our forgiveness to others. The word “grace” was never spoken or quoted by Yeshua, other than indirectly by way of revelation to Paul in 2 Cor 12:9, even though it became a cornerstone of Paul’s teachings and subsequent Gospel to the Gentiles.



Finally, where do we go from here?

• Pay extremely close attention to the words of Yeshua, now and going forward. They are true and precious and worth more than all the riches in this world. Read Matthew 17:5 and Hebrews 1:1-2 as key scriptures in this regard.
• Minimize Bible commentators, other than we need to pay attention to accurate language translations from the original Greek and Hebrew, etc.
• Pay diligent attention to John’s epistles, as they have an obvious message of the hour for Jewish believers.
• Pay diligent attention also to Yeshua’s message to the church of Philadelphia, per Rev 3:7-13.
• Most important, remember that if we want to fulfill the Law it must start with a sincere love for our Savior, love for others, and love for the precious words and promises that he has given to us.

Thank you.

Erika Kirk, the widow of the late Charlie Kirk, cited the prophet Nehemiah on Wednesday to push back against conspiracy theories that have swirled about her late husband's assassination three months ago.

Asked by Fox News' "Outnumbered" host Harris Faulkner to respond to those who have questioned the story behind Kirk's murder or where he is buried, Erika cited the story of the Old Testament prophet, who fielded deception and slander from those attempting to discourage him from rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah repeatedly rebuffed his detractors as he continued the work to which the Lord called him, which Erika said inspired her to press forward with the work of continuing her husband's legacy while ignoring naysaying voices.

"It reminds me so much of Chapter 6 in the book of Nehemiah," she said. "He is building a wall, and the townspeople are at the base of that hill, saying 'Nehemiah' — calling him all these names, saying all these things — 'Come on down.'"

Continued below.

Factotum said:

Not surprised at all.
If experienced prosecutors are anti-Trumpists, then... it makes total sense that they fleece the law wherever they can, to obstruct Trump's agenda.

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Just because experienced prosecutors follow the law rather than indulge vindictive politician's revenge persecutions of their enemies, does not make them anti-Trumpists.

Factotum said:

They fleeced the laws since 2018, to manufacture reasons to go after Trump... so of course they'll fleece the laws TODAY to protect those who committed that lawfare against Trump.

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"Fleeced"? Usually "fleece" means to rob, but I don't know what you mean here. Could you reword this?

One of the best articles I have ever read. Thank you for sharing this.

I have had and continue to have to struggle to overcome the toxic things I was taught to believe regarding being a woman by my upbringing at home.

I wonder how many have the faith, indeed, the courage, to simply obey Jesus and pray what he told us to pray?

Matthew 6:10 KJV
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Belk said:

My current insurance plan is $2,000 a month. Per person.

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Wow. Im going to stop whining about my 740 per month. They deduct 370 per pay.

Over 1,000 American pastors and Christian influencers pledged to support the Jewish people during a recent tour in Israel, where the delegation laid flowers on the graves of soldiers who died during the Israel-Hamas war and witnessed the impact of the terror group’s Oct. 7 massacre.

The Friends of Zion Ambassadors Summit, initiated by the group’s founder Mike Evans and organized in partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was held Dec. 3-7. The multi-day conference trained participants to serve as ambassadors of Israel in their respective communities.

On the last day, participants received their Friends of Zion Ambassadors certificates. By receiving the certificates, attendees declared “their commitment to promote Israel, strengthen its global standing and combat antisemitism,” according to a press release provided to The Christian Post.

Continued below.

MyPillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell announced his candidacy for Minnesota's 2026 gubernatorial race Thursday, throwing his hat into the race against former Democratic vice presidential nominee, Gov. Tim Walz, who is running for his third consecutive four-year term.

"After prayerful consideration and hearing from so many of you across our great state, I've made the decision to enter the 2026 gubernatorial race," the 64-year-old Lindell posted on social media. "I'm still standing and I'll stand for you."

Lindell also announced his candidacy in a speech from his MyPillow factory in Shakopee, Minnesota, which was streamed live on his media network, LindellTV.

According to his campaign website, Lindell's policy goals include stopping fraud, deporting illegal immigrants, fixing failing public schools, ratcheting back "exploding property taxes" and securing elections.

"Minnesota deserves a governor who will stand against all fraud, and will go after anyone who steals our tax dollars. No one is above the law," his website says, which comes in the wake of a New York Times report that exposed a $1 billion alleged fraud scandal in Minnesota's social services, primarily among the state's Somali community.

Lindell told the Minnesota Star-Tribune that he considers himself to be the frontrunner in the crowded race, which includes Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, 2022 gubernatorial nominee Scott Jensen, Minnesota state Rep. Kristin Robbins, Minneapolis defense attorney Chris Madel and businessman Kendall Qualls vying for the GOP nomination.

Continued below.

7thKeeper said:

Now the link I provided previously showed the reasons for the fine X received. Could you explain to me why you think that Twitter pre-Elon would have fall afoul of regulations that weren't then in place, or more importantly why this is supposedly somehow the EU being against free speech? We know the exact reasons behind the fine.

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No, it seems like you were correct.

But it's against the rules to copy and paste an entire article, so I could only offer a couple snippets as a sample for this discussion. I regret choosing those two snippets.

Read the article. There's a lot more involved.

essentialsaltes said:

The rural health 'Hunger Games' are underway​

The Trump administration on Monday kicked off a scramble among the 50 states for a slice of a new $50 billion fund for rural health care, but experts on the ground fear the program’s rushed timeline, lack of guardrails and potential for politicization will leave some hospitals struggling to stay open.

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With billions on the line, Colorado prepares for the rural health care “Hunger Games”​

Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act contained $50 billion to support rural health care nationwide, but states must compete for the money

Half of the money will be distributed evenly among states that submitted a qualifying application. Every state applied, so, assuming they all meet the minimum application standards, that means each state will get at least $100 million per year.

Competing for cash​

It is the second half of the money where things get sporty.

essentialsaltes said:

Judge orders White House to restore sign language interpreters at briefings by Trump, Leavitt​

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White House raises concerns about Trump’s ‘image’ in [appeal in] lawsuit over sign language interpreters​

The White House is making an unusual argument as it resists advocates’ push for sign language interpretation at press briefings conducted by President Donald Trump and press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Providing American sign language interpretation in press conferences “would severely intrude on the President’s prerogative to control the image he presents to the public,” Justice Department attorneys argued in a lawsuit filed by the National Association for the Deaf.

We had a huge display at Church today. I’ll see if I can post some pics.

Happy Friday release of Epstein files (more from the Epstein estate, funnelled through Congress).

Warden_of_the_Storm said:

The Simpsons video was my own real contribution to this thread in a long time but I've been following this thread daily, and I have a few take aways:

Firstly: @sjastro and @Hans Blaster, you guys are either incredibly patient people or gluttons for punishment.

Secondly: can any of this even be considered an actual scientific conversation if there's so much non-scientific, unevidenced, 'just so' claims made by the OP that it gets to the point that we've gone from well evidenced works of stone masonry that are truly universal to such pointless and ridiculous claims as non-physical reality being the reason behind the Egyptians building the pyramids?

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Well I'm afraid I lost my patience when I called @stevevw a half wit.
Ironically this thread is more about the science of psychology of how cognitive dissonance manifests itself.

We have seen:
(1) Outrageous lies such as New Kingdom obelisks being of smaller and simpler design then their Old Kingdom counterparts when the archeological evidence shows the exact opposite.

(2) No counterarguments given in the rejection of the evidence the Egyptians relied on skill using rudimentary tools but a complete denial of the very existence of such evidence. This behaviour is typically seen with flat earthers and Apollo moon landing deniers.

(3) Projecting his own behavioural patterns on others such as the opinions of various posters in this thread is based on faith and not evidence.

(4) Flooding this thread with images and claiming this is absolute evidence of alternate technologies.
Firstly talking from work experience an image is only the first layer of evidence, if I evaluated the failure mode on an image alone I would have been fired on the spot even though I might have been right, safety related issues require all layers of evidence to be presented and evaluated.
Secondly the images presented by @stevevw shows an extreme case of pareidolia of seeing patterns that are not there. When assessed with other layers of evidence such as SEM findings of copper corrosion products and abrasives in striations, or no evidence of rock softening as the crystalline structure is preserved, paints the opposite picture.
Yet @stevevw is in denial mode due to his cognitive dissonance.

This is my take on the thread others may have a different perspective.

Revelation Lad said:

Using the Bible to date the earth results in an age of 5,786, meaning 5,786 years ago God created the heavens and the earth.

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How you arrived at an age of 5,786 is of interest to me, as well as the OP, and perhaps a few other.
Would you mind sharing the mathematical equation (figures, or numbers, and calculations) with us?

I'm not seeing any figures applied to Genesis 1:1, 2, and from Genesis 1:3-2:4, the days are longer that a regular day.
However, from day 7 until now, we calculate a period of about 5,820 years.

That would mean the heavens and the earth are far much older than 5,820 years, since they existed before Genesis 1:3, and the period of time it took for God to complete his work, according to Genesis 2:4, is never given.

NxNW said:

Uncited?

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Ah yes, I see it now, all fuzzy, in the blue line.

NxNW said:

As you can see, the chart is by decade.

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Yes, I saw that.

Your source started with the 1930s.

The 1930s was a decade.

1933, and 1934, are within the same decade; so your source is debunked right out of the gate.

I think I only recently answered these questions. Nevertheless, I'll give it a go again.

I'm a big fan of GE Ladd, and share his brand of Postrib Premill. There are some areas I've disagreed with his positions, but are insignificant compared with how I've valued his contributions.

Yes, Revelation is filled with symbolism. I think the genre relates to the fact that God wanted His People to somewhat hide their positions towards the ungodly world in order to not mislead them to conclude our atttitude is hateful. Also, keeping things in symbols and parables gives enemies less ammunition to go after us.

The 2 major Postrib authors in my era were Ladd and Rober Gundry. Gundry takes some views that assumes some Dispensationalistic ideas are true, such as the future of Israel. But both men were non-Dispensationalist Postribulationists.

Ladd did see how Jesus applied his Gospel of the Kingdom as something that is immediately effective in our time, even though it speaks of a future Kingdom. I would not call the present impact of the Kingdom any sense of being the actual *future Kingdom.* But God's Kingdom eternally exists, past, present, and future. As such, God's judgments are always active, even though in the future human civilization will reach a place of final judgment.