tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71696420168099852472024-03-17T11:23:35.267-05:00Free & FaithLearning, growing, and following - but never blindly.FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.comBlogger183125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-2731120347785594922024-03-17T11:23:00.003-05:002024-03-17T11:23:00.129-05:00Um, Guys? What About AI Bible Study?<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">AI tools</span></b></p><p>I can't decide how I feel about this but I found a YouTube channel that tells Bible Stories using AI. Of course, I had lots of questions but when I did a search for "AI Bible Sagas" (the name of that channel), the rabbit hole expanded. Here are some things that came up:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>An actual AI Bible <i>version</i> called, well, the <a href="https://aivbible.ai/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AIV Bible</a>.</li><li>A Bible study tool called <a href="https://bible.ai/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bible AI</a> described on the <a href="https://bible.ai/about" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">About </a>page as "An AI (artificially intelligent program) that can accurately answer factual questions about the Bible and provide pastoral advice based on biblical principles." It is made by <a href="https://everprise.org/?utm_source=Bible.Ai" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Everprise </a>which has other programs.</li><li><a href="https://bibly.chat/welcome" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bibly </a>is like ChatGPT for the Bible. This is what came up on the search info: "Tailor your Bible study sessions with AI that understands your learning style and spiritual goals, offering verses and insights that resonate with your personal journey." I was thrown a bit by a typo on the main page.</li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfghfnRDcWdg-c_hywnwMhDKBNlib8xVtW-fs7fpQ-5tdfPxcI8mdsVo0itR6_eCbW6UczGVOm02Jmk7jJoA1q118tC_Y6-EiHpkGcaQ0fHuOZVlEfKvEChO_xqI2s_BrrWuuVvMVTY4Dtrz2QZmt2ncev_6Ky_nggIFQwCmnXwjyprOvsmnP7vk0JuUU/s3618/AI%20Bible%20Programs%20are%20weird%20Bibly%20has%20a%20typo%20finished%20it.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2223" data-original-width="3618" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfghfnRDcWdg-c_hywnwMhDKBNlib8xVtW-fs7fpQ-5tdfPxcI8mdsVo0itR6_eCbW6UczGVOm02Jmk7jJoA1q118tC_Y6-EiHpkGcaQ0fHuOZVlEfKvEChO_xqI2s_BrrWuuVvMVTY4Dtrz2QZmt2ncev_6Ky_nggIFQwCmnXwjyprOvsmnP7vk0JuUU/w640-h394/AI%20Bible%20Programs%20are%20weird%20Bibly%20has%20a%20typo%20finished%20it.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did they use AI to proof the page?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What's so weird to me is that I'm just now noticing all this AI-for-the-Bible stuff. Remember I mentioned that Everprise has other apps shown on the page? Here is one for <a href="https://www.spiritnotes.com/?utm_source=everprise" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">notetaking</a> and I'm relieved to see it seems to be created by an actual human. There is one called Church Stats that is "to help 'grow' healthy churches". The words 'grow' and church, in my opinion, should not be highlighted. Church is about sharing the gospel, not 'growing' the congregations. <i>~shrug~</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>I do know that AI can be useful and I'm not bothered by combining the capabilities of AI with Bible study. What worries me is what AI thinks of the Bible. Sounds weird to be talking about AI as if it is a person but... There are too many "baby" Christians and Christians who are not as discerning as they should be. If AI starts to twist the teachings of the Bible, will some people know?</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Some things to like. A lot.</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>In scanning the AIV Bible, I found some things I liked. The layout is nice and navigation is easy. Also, the AI-generated art - what I saw of it - looks great.</div><div><br /></div><div>The layout of each book of the Bible is useful and the other page elements are nice.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RZM5I9_3BoMOULQUT2CZyg_WGxiDzcj8g_bx1Y5xhgbu1Zstad0OIpISrGFP_ssUNMGlOMF1uIlXZALrZ4fgOWjMRIvemgVaI1-4M18-7aXD7zrznkEvlb7Wc-gf1AXNoj_ZMVmh2fgXA2q2-dXZNaaaEYWFG-lOavCPZ1SwMWQNpN_NR5N2m5xwZNw-/s3686/AI%20Bible%20Programs%20AIV%20Genesis%20page%20example.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1749" data-original-width="3686" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RZM5I9_3BoMOULQUT2CZyg_WGxiDzcj8g_bx1Y5xhgbu1Zstad0OIpISrGFP_ssUNMGlOMF1uIlXZALrZ4fgOWjMRIvemgVaI1-4M18-7aXD7zrznkEvlb7Wc-gf1AXNoj_ZMVmh2fgXA2q2-dXZNaaaEYWFG-lOavCPZ1SwMWQNpN_NR5N2m5xwZNw-/w640-h304/AI%20Bible%20Programs%20AIV%20Genesis%20page%20example.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the left-side navigation choices</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><br /><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="1788" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8tjdhnrQKtf09d-kpTlDXGf2Azfty1WFgB2ZigjgdI_hgLF_Flk6Tutn1dX_ql32B7yqqZMdbHfaxIRY92OyXJRY8zmy8hQKG0BflgS9pfEiNxqaideWoz15nA56eq0oHrd3to1Qke8xllVdfZWv27hHae43eofHGlJ0YVUxUAEqJlk3wDvPyddTM4jlD/w640-h243/AI%20Bible%20Programs%20AIV%20Genesis%20showing%20when%20was%20it%20written.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was okay, IMO</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxJE1UpYjvfW5aIulpJx7QdU_DVhL2gOT_Bo_psN146mQLKOxdrZcSJvC3rA3819Bf6vN3H9ZWA2J-ktAMpGRD8TRZ-AQXr-FbwKyR2XKQ5A_nsu5FILCre0-gFJP2Ac57wm8y2EAYDFlXnrF84LtU_gZasfpkMVebHhncfhomwpwMXWjf4UzixZdARGb/s3763/AI%20Bible%20Programs%20AIV%20New%20Testament%20Grouping%20of%20the%20Books.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1936" data-original-width="3763" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxJE1UpYjvfW5aIulpJx7QdU_DVhL2gOT_Bo_psN146mQLKOxdrZcSJvC3rA3819Bf6vN3H9ZWA2J-ktAMpGRD8TRZ-AQXr-FbwKyR2XKQ5A_nsu5FILCre0-gFJP2Ac57wm8y2EAYDFlXnrF84LtU_gZasfpkMVebHhncfhomwpwMXWjf4UzixZdARGb/w640-h330/AI%20Bible%20Programs%20AIV%20New%20Testament%20Grouping%20of%20the%20Books.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice the way the books are grouped</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>And some things not to like. At all.</div><div><br /></div><div>First, let me say that I think this project was made for wide acceptance. That's already a huge problem because Christianity is not made for wide acceptance - at least not on the terms many people would like. To follow Christ is, after all, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%207%3A13-14&version=NASB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the "narrow way"</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>What I notice is that this Bible project (I don't know what else to call it) does try to offer a variety of viewpoints. That sounds like a positive thing, however, just by doing that, it's veering away from the truth of Christ. There are not many ways, opinions, realities, etc. when it comes to following Christ. There is the way the Bible teaches. Of course people do interpret the Bible in different (and oftentimes wrong) ways but that is why it's important to let Scripture guides us on interpreting Scripture.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The biggest fault I found</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Here is where I really got worried. When I was perusing the pages, I glanced down at the very bottom and saw links to </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Christian Answers, and</li><li>(steel yourselves) What Jesus Thinks</li></ul>Wait. What? </div><div><br /></div><div>The Christian Answers section poses some interesting questions to start a user off. Looking at the answer page for the first question I saw, I was still worried but again I could see the effort made. The answers come from various viewpoints - giving voice to reps from different denominations. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">What do I really think?</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>If someone is studying to see what other denoms think or to get a very wide overview of thoughts on or about Christianity, this is a decent resource. If someone is not familiar with Bible doctrines, they need to start their Christian journey under sound teaching - not an AI project.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think of myself as discerning enough to spot dangerous doctrine (most of the time). I will probably peruse this AIV project a bit more. As I said, it's a good resource/study tool. It's just not a tool for a new Christian to on which to base a foundation of study. Think of the Christian as a driver and the Bible as a car. Someone whose never driven a car wouldn't want to learn how on a busy road in, say, Seattle or Dallas. Put me in that analogy and I will say that I am really good in small towns but not on busy highways during rush hour. And I will never drive the Autobahn!</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Finally</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>I applaud the idea of tech delving into providing Bibles and Bible study tools. However, something like this (AI, I mean) isn't meant to be specific to the doctrines of Christianity. AI is meant to be helpful to all people or all persuasions. </div><div><br /></div><div>Since I've pushed my brain too far tonight and might be getting a little foggy, I will let another photo "speak" to what I mean. This is one of the questions and it's an excellent one:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1obRz-1vRAaI5e3fld8Er6t_uDd0qdCSRC9AgJy6x1h_Wsn8jzLRyPE06Ui9NlBxn4cV199xkJbTDewRyJOHIvGyBvzNP72gVz-_IOprq7_l8RhTJWczvt982Mhxiq2t-db1EHi8RZufYpTIqsQ2-SdvMQIrbPvsvv2IywNHBEvpRBabMy79nhCPi3_Lb/s2182/AI%20Bible%20Programs%20AIV%20This%20is%20not%20what%20Jesus%20teaches.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2008" data-original-width="2182" height="589" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1obRz-1vRAaI5e3fld8Er6t_uDd0qdCSRC9AgJy6x1h_Wsn8jzLRyPE06Ui9NlBxn4cV199xkJbTDewRyJOHIvGyBvzNP72gVz-_IOprq7_l8RhTJWczvt982Mhxiq2t-db1EHi8RZufYpTIqsQ2-SdvMQIrbPvsvv2IywNHBEvpRBabMy79nhCPi3_Lb/w640-h589/AI%20Bible%20Programs%20AIV%20This%20is%20not%20what%20Jesus%20teaches.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So you can see the answer better, here:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicUOQsNZMBkk475H5nRyW5eDVcYUSWrZDuKF0jlYGn5uBXtXEQ23zjjyKkXoAItgszUIm3C0JyNIpp8MuJL8zXZV4OZ-wOb4lDcHgSXDggJcJAZvUuRqkxMvoT5u_Oe95sw6XUcl1BAJ8HVLTOWDgz1kucAEG3hPQ-EnYZ0fRPlrEJRdpjx_b1k1QzrQPW/s1482/AI%20Bible%20Programs%20AIV%20This%20is%20not%20what%20Jesus%20teaches%20emphasized.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1482" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicUOQsNZMBkk475H5nRyW5eDVcYUSWrZDuKF0jlYGn5uBXtXEQ23zjjyKkXoAItgszUIm3C0JyNIpp8MuJL8zXZV4OZ-wOb4lDcHgSXDggJcJAZvUuRqkxMvoT5u_Oe95sw6XUcl1BAJ8HVLTOWDgz1kucAEG3hPQ-EnYZ0fRPlrEJRdpjx_b1k1QzrQPW/w640-h374/AI%20Bible%20Programs%20AIV%20This%20is%20not%20what%20Jesus%20teaches%20emphasized.png" width="640" /></a></div></div><br /><div>To the Bible-believing Christian, that answer sounds nice and friendly but it's not correct. Not according to the Bible itself. This is what the Bible teaches:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAru8S31Ql5VOtyOMQleM42FTwPDYcwtJk9_DrA5CVEQ8hSzo-mLBiLPtnCDcLVMlZw7jFZKJWLWG6TDDWf0IOyJqbWXIPZuExWHYtdw_6rHPZBXZ2_thDI7AQ0GNHe6293mF3HuVomJID82jyyo6zjpSAsgjIzE_6d6InbzjpnnsGG-8SrpZFgtIKheTv/s3262/AI%20Bible%20Programs%20AIV%20THIS%20is%20what%20Jesus%20teaches.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="3262" height="74" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAru8S31Ql5VOtyOMQleM42FTwPDYcwtJk9_DrA5CVEQ8hSzo-mLBiLPtnCDcLVMlZw7jFZKJWLWG6TDDWf0IOyJqbWXIPZuExWHYtdw_6rHPZBXZ2_thDI7AQ0GNHe6293mF3HuVomJID82jyyo6zjpSAsgjIzE_6d6InbzjpnnsGG-8SrpZFgtIKheTv/w640-h74/AI%20Bible%20Programs%20AIV%20THIS%20is%20what%20Jesus%20teaches.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>According to <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014%3A6&version=NASB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this verse</a> in the Bible, <i>no one</i> - not us, our friends, the nice neighbors, the kind strangers - no one unless they come to the Father through the Son. When I asked Bibly what John 14:6 had to say, it didn't just respond by quoting the passage, it gave me this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQKd7nH9RhyYV5xnPTxXayYPzujUuCyg9tFzHAhGsk7s5O_bCoJXLIEVUb7KKRhFmgQjrWN449W-KcLV8RoS7f94niszjQMVHxrEaXHnfBHuOlOs4TNVn6qJrw5uFoBGw9XouEGWrZaw6MjV9l6tivU4zlTgFBN_pfRBnIWE6CAskPdwSInlj_YOYy-fS/s2174/AI%20Bible%20Programs%20This%20app%20got%20the%20answer%20right.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1675" data-original-width="2174" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQKd7nH9RhyYV5xnPTxXayYPzujUuCyg9tFzHAhGsk7s5O_bCoJXLIEVUb7KKRhFmgQjrWN449W-KcLV8RoS7f94niszjQMVHxrEaXHnfBHuOlOs4TNVn6qJrw5uFoBGw9XouEGWrZaw6MjV9l6tivU4zlTgFBN_pfRBnIWE6CAskPdwSInlj_YOYy-fS/w640-h494/AI%20Bible%20Programs%20This%20app%20got%20the%20answer%20right.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Maybe the AIV app needs to talk with its cousin Bibly.</div><div><br /></div><div>While I appreciate that Bibly seems to base its answers from a biblical viewpoint, I still prefer using <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GotQuestions</a> as my starting point when researching topics.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bottom line, people, use AI if you like but don't let AI manipulate you. Study your Bible for yourself and find some good teachers. Have group study sessions with other believers. And, of course, search the Scriptures for answers. </div><div><br /></div><div>Peace</div><div>--Free</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>P.S.: Forgot to mention that, as I worked on this post, not all of the books of the Bible were available (linked) in the AIV.</div><div><br /></div><p></p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-30302132960332145862024-03-10T15:50:00.002-05:002024-03-10T15:50:35.120-05:00Hijacking Everything for Evil?<p> I just had to post about what I saw on Amazon the other day. I'm still trying to decide how to feel about it...</p><p>I've been exploring the remedies of my mother and my grandmothers. I'm making tea using herbs and spices and went on to Amazon looking for a sampler of such items. This is what came up when I searched for "herb sampler":</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt58-CR8GxoElE1jjxLFdPU_1FMg3eQ5HHJK6xW0aBIiysqGJD4K5L66c6vpiGG_En7dB8cnQByCaSYaJLYfUtGgcL9X3naER0DM2Ounu4zdiZGmlVJ3qep8RHhMVcVJ2ve1_bibzs-vQTYsUoz4zkdWB6-QisN0UH6DuhBCLwTRLcUh10dkj0YAd0Tdi0/s3840/Herbs%20are%20NOT%20all%20for%20witches%202%20mag.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="3840" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt58-CR8GxoElE1jjxLFdPU_1FMg3eQ5HHJK6xW0aBIiysqGJD4K5L66c6vpiGG_En7dB8cnQByCaSYaJLYfUtGgcL9X3naER0DM2Ounu4zdiZGmlVJ3qep8RHhMVcVJ2ve1_bibzs-vQTYsUoz4zkdWB6-QisN0UH6DuhBCLwTRLcUh10dkj0YAd0Tdi0/w640-h316/Herbs%20are%20NOT%20all%20for%20witches%202%20mag.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_PFklfvrURx-Bpq7Dv3TQlW_XXHUhc1G8iA7Ij4JUG7PyByBmP6G9LXi_kHHEZAqUsftRxm4RbctXyJPT4T-wx98zjshjwRFPVYlIa4TCDgt8XzLHqsZoLBB49bAOyYZKPMTQbCmvsPPr6w35FOp5QgYmfkPpkuZc2kqJhhzRP74JOPcxWhcSvtS_nIq/s3690/Herbs%20are%20NOT%20all%20for%20witches%20mag2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1953" data-original-width="3690" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_PFklfvrURx-Bpq7Dv3TQlW_XXHUhc1G8iA7Ij4JUG7PyByBmP6G9LXi_kHHEZAqUsftRxm4RbctXyJPT4T-wx98zjshjwRFPVYlIa4TCDgt8XzLHqsZoLBB49bAOyYZKPMTQbCmvsPPr6w35FOp5QgYmfkPpkuZc2kqJhhzRP74JOPcxWhcSvtS_nIq/w640-h338/Herbs%20are%20NOT%20all%20for%20witches%20mag2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>What? It's not like I did a search for anything specific or odd-sounding.</p><p>The incident kind of reminded me of something a neighbor said (in ignorance, I hope). She likes garlic so I gifted her a jar of some honey-fermented garlic that I recently made. She loved it and, a few days later, she hinted that she "couldn't wait to get some more of my 'voodoo' garlic."</p><p>Again - <i>what</i>?</p><p>This woman knows that I am a Christian so I'm sure she was only joking but, still, it shows how people view certain homemade goods. </p><p>I have to work on my anger issues, people. After seeing that Amazon search result and hearing what my neighbor said, I went on a (silent) rant that lasted for the longest. Mentally, I rehashed my irritation with the LGBT people commandeering the rainbow - for their <i>sinful behavior</i>, of all things. I (silently) raged that natural healing, herbs, and folk medicine doesn't belong to pagans! And that, after all, what did people use for healing before we had medicine that came with a doctor's prescription...</p><p>As if this whole thing didn't irritate me enough, I was reminded of something I saw last week when I was looking at reviews for <b style="font-style: italic;">women's panty liners</b>. This is one of the reviews that was posted - and posted not once, but twice for some reason:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvHNJxMMCOuJugyEHaafIxS4FwSN8jmjGvrOR50bEIy4oXBaAXaKiBlcfX2wNl5ng7XsgbbJ02nH0K3CoM4qy0TZS5zJNd00frAfYnUA8lk0tvMBPDtAN8BJ5NHsiSSDVNjvor-NUReO6vk5jg86WrsF9QM9KplTnmUMpE3FkFuGYK4HhW5eOrpz1lwoX/s3837/Mike%20Wears%20Panties%20Is%20He%20SERIOUS%20mag.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1641" data-original-width="3837" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvHNJxMMCOuJugyEHaafIxS4FwSN8jmjGvrOR50bEIy4oXBaAXaKiBlcfX2wNl5ng7XsgbbJ02nH0K3CoM4qy0TZS5zJNd00frAfYnUA8lk0tvMBPDtAN8BJ5NHsiSSDVNjvor-NUReO6vk5jg86WrsF9QM9KplTnmUMpE3FkFuGYK4HhW5eOrpz1lwoX/w630-h270/Mike%20Wears%20Panties%20Is%20He%20SERIOUS%20mag.png" width="630" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He didn't even need to say that he was a "man".<br />What does that tell you about the game?</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I ranted (internally) for maybe a good 20 minutes. I'm still a little upset but I shouldn't be surprised. After all, this is a world run by evil principalities.</p><p>One thing this made me realize is that we don't have to let the "principalities" hijack everything. "Mike" will never be a God-created female no matter how many panty liners he buys. And the rainbow? It doesn't belong to the sinners. It belongs to the redeemed. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1mNJNhk2PtuFWOp8ueFKYEfABN5H8kBUsC34PGg7yhlUE6ei8JjqYkaw5zJUt4v1KxjVtaoxBoKi70hNPJcbaojI-qynlCAxG2qE8FO_RJqSWcYzpp0is7RcxBefNME1y-PRL4a46I1HKKF9QB8wXhelyrA2In2EVXui3nd0JtbSnUMXWOJUSdt-UxlzY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1mNJNhk2PtuFWOp8ueFKYEfABN5H8kBUsC34PGg7yhlUE6ei8JjqYkaw5zJUt4v1KxjVtaoxBoKi70hNPJcbaojI-qynlCAxG2qE8FO_RJqSWcYzpp0is7RcxBefNME1y-PRL4a46I1HKKF9QB8wXhelyrA2In2EVXui3nd0JtbSnUMXWOJUSdt-UxlzY=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>I'm thinking about getting ordering a t-shirt with a rainbow across the front, featuring the verses from Genesis 9. Think of all the people who will take a second look! And, by the way, <a href="https://answersingenesis.org/the-flood/rainbow-meaning-on-colors-and-memes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here's something</a> to read.</p><p>Anyway, that's my rant. For now.</p><p>Peace</p><p>--Free</p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-77024072981264352732024-02-26T17:30:00.017-06:002024-02-26T17:30:00.139-06:00Rest In Peace. Really?<p> Recently, I was reading about the death of someone and almost all of the comments included wishes that the deceased "rest in peace". Some commenters even claimed that they knew the person was resting in peace?</p><p>Listen. Not everyone is going to end up resting in peace.</p><p>It's so common for us to automatically parrot the phrase, "Rest in peace". It just pops out of our mouths like "Have a nice day" or "Thoughts and prayers". We so often speak without thinking. Many sentiments and thoughts have become meaningless.</p><p>Do we think about what it really means to "rest in peace"? Does that even fit into every belief system? What does the saying even mean to an Atheist or an Agnostic? </p><p>In my belief system - as a Bible-believing Christian - rest in peace means resting in the peace promised by Christ. That promise, however, has to be <i>accepted</i>. An Atheist is not going to rest in that peace. Nor is a Buddhist or a Mormon or an Agnostic. The promise can't be prayerfully bestowed on someone after death (as some religions seem to think).</p><p>When I say, "Rest in peace", I am saying it to someone who believed in Christ while they were living. </p><p>For me, "resting in peace" means not spending eternity separated from God. It means not spending an eternity of regret and torment.</p><p>If you really want someone to not only rest in peace but to <i>live</i> in peace, share the gospel. Spread the word of Christ's offer of salvation. Don't leave unsaved people to judge Christianity by the charlatans they see on TV. There are so many faces and voices of deceptive teachings out there. There are a lot of Kenneth Copelands, Benny Hinns, Creflo Dollars, Joel Osteens, and T.D. Jakes who all have massive audiences. People know there names and see their faces. But do the same people know and read the Bible? Do they know the real Jesus? And the real gospel?</p><p>My best friend accepted Christ when she was almost 80 years old. She lived so much of her life in confusion and suffering. She had searched through all sorts of "gods" and belief systems, trying anything to find hope. For most of the years of our friendship, when I asked, she said that she believed in "a higher power". I would ask her to name that power but she struggled to. </p><p>When she did accept Christ, her search was over. She had finally found <i>the</i> Higher Power - God. When she died, she went on to where she is now resting in peace. I'm so thankful for that but I do think of all the years that she spent not knowing the peace she could have. </p><p>If you truly do want more people to end up "resting in peace", make sure they know the Provider of that peace. Let's not only share with people how they can eventually rest in peace; let's share how they can have that peace now. </p><p>Don't misunderstand me. I'm a Christian and I have a lot of trials in my life. I'm not physically healthy. I suffer from depression. I am not saying that the peace I have saves me from the consequences of the choices I've made, the bad habits I practiced, or the genetic issues I have. The peace that I have allows me to endure all the trials. The peace that I have reminds me that this life - as good or bad as it can be - is only temporary. Indeed this verse is a reminder to me:</p><blockquote><p>"Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." (<a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/nasb95/jas/4/1/s_1150001" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">James 4:14</a> NASB)</p></blockquote><p>Regardless of what you believe, you have to know that James 4:14 speaks truth.</p><p>Peace</p><p>Free</p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-18324863459027903142024-02-23T18:30:00.001-06:002024-02-23T18:30:00.131-06:00Guarding My Eyes, My Ears, and My Heart<p> I am embarrassed to admit that there are times when I can recall lines to a song that I heard when I was younger but I have to often look up some Bible verses. That happened today. I was thinking about how, in light of so much easy access to news and entertainment media, we need to be careful of what we take into our awareness.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZOZii9XKy7vkT6FjuHMyROSQ7EDEFEQ45d8UZ-fU3byyUXs-TX5t2Oc_AfE_Q773XvCxHujsv_SkP-T-Puh49vO5buEpkKBxJ--fekpYI5TCXYcNQ0Uwyqhk5HhkNBqGZ-F6VyWuAT_n1mXax5ChkTI8xAlJbt8Us0Tkl9fICYHSjoYepw7ysM5d_71Rc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="311" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZOZii9XKy7vkT6FjuHMyROSQ7EDEFEQ45d8UZ-fU3byyUXs-TX5t2Oc_AfE_Q773XvCxHujsv_SkP-T-Puh49vO5buEpkKBxJ--fekpYI5TCXYcNQ0Uwyqhk5HhkNBqGZ-F6VyWuAT_n1mXax5ChkTI8xAlJbt8Us0Tkl9fICYHSjoYepw7ysM5d_71Rc" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>As much as I worry about where AI is leading, I am a big user of AI search resources. This is what I got when trying to recall some verses today:</p><blockquote><p>Proverbs 4:23-25: "Above all else, <b>guard your heart</b>, for everything you do flows from it. Keep <b>your mouth</b> free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let<b> your eyes </b>look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you".</p><p>Proverbs 2:2-12: "Tune <b>your ears</b> to wisdom, and concentrate".</p><p>Proverbs 1:23: "My son, give attention to my words; incline <b>your ear to my sayings</b>. Do not let them depart from <b>your eyes</b>; keep them in the midst of <b>your heart</b>; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh".</p></blockquote><p>Now, because my brain is being wonky, I ask that you bear with me as I get through this post. My primary points are:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>That sin surrounds us so constantly (due to widespread and available media), that we have to be diligent and discerning.</li><li>The internet offers so many resources for us - preaching, teaching, sermons, debates, etc. We are blessed to have it all. However, this mass of resources provides hiding places for bad teachings and false doctrines. </li><li>We need to guard ourselves against the dangers of the mass of news, information, and random media.</li></ol><div>One of my favorite Bible study resources is YouTube. That is where I found the entire Learn the Bible in 24 Hours study presented by Koinonia House. That is where I watch channels such as Long4Truth, Fighting for the Faith, Justin Peters, and some others. These channels are presented by people who are transparent and honest and teach discernment tactics. They expose false teachers and dangerous "ministries - all while being free of malice. They encourage the Berean practice of "studying for oneself". </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicS6lbvqCG1tJtl_6Q8G5T8t6_09wmh1VbZ2MsliT6ga-Y3t_FsiBJhNXxFdOCPJdhfyjZ7Ere0u026cMTwvZR-S56KZx12o458Tdqiy1kg6glshAgzt2ZCds-nOuHfZPY-U7YgEuHd_haFSW9ulv7mM8gm5iTkopSr1yOab_1rCevrqdks5kQP2WXlPKX" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicS6lbvqCG1tJtl_6Q8G5T8t6_09wmh1VbZ2MsliT6ga-Y3t_FsiBJhNXxFdOCPJdhfyjZ7Ere0u026cMTwvZR-S56KZx12o458Tdqiy1kg6glshAgzt2ZCds-nOuHfZPY-U7YgEuHd_haFSW9ulv7mM8gm5iTkopSr1yOab_1rCevrqdks5kQP2WXlPKX" width="240" /></a></div><br />YouTube is where I can listen to sermons from John McArthur and Paul Washer. And, again, the Koinonia House channel has a lesson series on (I believe) every book of the Bible. How awesome is that?</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, I have wandered into a video channel of a teacher or ministry I'm not familiar with. Sometimes that turns out to be okay but there have been times when I got snagged into watching some really unbiblical teachings. I think most of the time, the channels have been those of a SDA ministry. They are notorious for concealing their denomination and faith statements. I don't know if I mind the potential false teaching more or if it's the subterfuge. It's just sneaky and deceitful - no matter how well-intentioned. Basically, now I stick with channels or teachers recommended by those I trust.</div><div><br /></div><div>The reason I try to stay immersed in Bible study and Christian media is because there's almost nothing else "clean" around. I don't think that I have watched more than 3 episodes of a TV show or gotten half an hour into a movie before something distasteful is celebrated. Mostly, this involves a lot of foul language (and casual blasphemy or disrespectful use of the Lord's name), casual sex, same-sex relations, teens gone wild or running the adults, and all manner of madness. The sin is all so very normalized.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0xnlatCIp46NqkoHbaesAZRC9qTQLtZwoFaJHWDiMfJ8efc7zAFikrJd_c1emkOW8BK-hdIcMnkHgBJOWV95IRv2I4ZOf_Z-TFUzVcu6o1OVYAdCM28O0f90nV4j4mcySiZSL38bpUnQ38DkxmMyZoyV7UVNqp1Rg1iSL1khP3esuV2BL_owS-mVEp8fK" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="688" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0xnlatCIp46NqkoHbaesAZRC9qTQLtZwoFaJHWDiMfJ8efc7zAFikrJd_c1emkOW8BK-hdIcMnkHgBJOWV95IRv2I4ZOf_Z-TFUzVcu6o1OVYAdCM28O0f90nV4j4mcySiZSL38bpUnQ38DkxmMyZoyV7UVNqp1Rg1iSL1khP3esuV2BL_owS-mVEp8fK" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>I used to love all kinds of music. I didn't know the lyrics half of the time and just went with the beat. That's a bit dangerous. Talk about guarding your ears... These days, I stick mostly to classical music or show tunes (and show tunes aren't always decent). Worse, a lot of "praise and worship" music is worse than blatantly secular music. Christian music, like secular music, seems now to be dominated by people who want to be famous more than they want to offer praise to the Lord. The artists seem to be trying to be the "Christian" version of secular artists. So weird and so unoriginal.</div><div><br /></div><div>When people try to tell me that I'm being overly sensitive about music and other media, I can remind them that there are studies done proving my point. There are studies about how music enters the subconscious; how beats and volume affect a person's mood, etc. I know from past experience that when I needed to get "pumped up" to clean or exercise, certain songs did the job. I am sure that <i>everyone</i> knows that certain songs can enhance a mood of romance. (There's a reason people labeled songs by Marvin Gaye and Barry White - to name two - "baby-making music". True story.)</div><div><br /></div><div>I have loved to read from the moment I learned how to. It's a struggle to find fiction books that aren't tainted with cursing, casual blasphemy, and overt sexual themes. I recently found a detective mystery series by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Baldacci" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">David Baldacci</a> with an unusual theme. The main character has <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">synesthesia </a>and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperthymesia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hyperthymesia</a>. Listen - I was hooked from the first book. For the most part, the book is non-offensive to my Christian heart and mind. However, there is a lot of casual use of the Lord's name. I'll see how things go as I read more in the series.</div><div><br /></div><div>But you see my point, right? (And, by the way, I listen to audiobooks instead of reading these days so the effect hits differently.)</div><div><br /></div><div>The reason all of this is so important to me is that, like everyone, I am sinful by my human nature. If I see sin, it starts to look good or acceptable or... <i>excusable</i>. When I hear a lot of cursing, I find myself having to watch my own language. When I see a lot of loose behavior, I forget how wrong it is. When I see people lavishing on a life of luxury and wastefulness, I begin to crave it and forget to be thankful for what <i>I</i> have.</div><div><br /></div><div>I once heard Chuck Missler remark something along the lines of "You become like what you worship." I find that to be true - on a moment-to-moment basis even! I don't want to worship gold and diamonds and expensive cars. I don't want to focus on things that don't matter to my eternal destination. I surely don't want to be less than thankful for what I have - just because I am looking at what someone else may have. As my own mother always said, "All money ain't good money." That can be said for so many other things: beauty, power, and even "worship". People worship all kinds of "gods" and they will be going to hell because of that.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not clear now on where I wanted to go with all of this. Basically, I guess I'm just ranting about the everyday mess of this world. Maybe I should be glad that I have a good radar for what is offensive. That makes it harder to browse a lot of social media and peruse any entertainment sites, but who says that's a bad thing? It leaves more time for paying attention to what strengthens me. </div><div><br /></div><div>I hope that all of you are staying in prayer and staying encouraged. I hope that you are fighting for the faith. It's a battle that won't end til we go "home".</div><div><br /></div><div>Peace</div><div>--Free</div><p></p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-20625602188047668142024-02-06T14:44:00.005-06:002024-02-06T14:44:57.035-06:00Witnessing As An Introvert<p> I am something of an introvert. Even though I tend to "keep myself to myself", I still like to witness to people. One way I do this is by handing out pamphlets and sometimes buying Gospel of John tracts to leave out in public places. Around the middle of last year (2023), I bought a small hanging chalkboard and some liquid chalk markers. This is how I use these for some "passive witnessing":</p><p>INSERT PHOTO</p><p>This hangs just outside my apartment door. A lot of the building residents decorate their entry space with plants, holiday items, or sports memorabilia. Some of them even have small tables outside their door to hold their decor.</p><p>Since I started using the chalkboard, I've had several of my neighbors indicate that they read the messages. This includes a neighbor who lost her husband a couple years ago. She is Catholic and once mentioned to me that she "prays for his soul". </p><p>Mostly, I post Bible verses on the board. Sometimes, I post one of the funny or thoughtful "church sign" messages I see online.</p><p>This is such a casual way to share the Gospel with folks. And, yes, I do post the basic gospel message regularly:</p><blockquote><p>For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. (I Corinthians 15:3-4 NKJV)</p></blockquote><p>Anyway, I just wanted to share this with you. It's such a simple way to display God's Word and share the gospel message.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDovwRAkgNBmz5gF3mLoGqCL1DlaS60giBxY02ks3UTSi5YjbJ9fu4Z2Hpmp2Mx_fMXJ8DykV496FnHe6MtXdX5YUqJEmbvAqP2LTRXhIEtaSS1DnMgFDq6nsdWwo7shRZwtVD-XmJrAM9A025nGqss2v2wHBRFnpvUUlXPbhtHaQOAZM84_Cz0jtcfEem/s4032/WITNESSING%20TOOLS%20Chalkboard%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDovwRAkgNBmz5gF3mLoGqCL1DlaS60giBxY02ks3UTSi5YjbJ9fu4Z2Hpmp2Mx_fMXJ8DykV496FnHe6MtXdX5YUqJEmbvAqP2LTRXhIEtaSS1DnMgFDq6nsdWwo7shRZwtVD-XmJrAM9A025nGqss2v2wHBRFnpvUUlXPbhtHaQOAZM84_Cz0jtcfEem/s320/WITNESSING%20TOOLS%20Chalkboard%201.png" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8sBSGAQPfX9qKRJDd1MNBP79FnwS5dNr41SeUaf2zjVdXqR1U3D-gw9b47UqRLpkuznt7etiOdtFOMpIkxLTjU8nqdoAMODcG0nwfQifyA-Nt-ji5Y8vKvLKWkKtjTfsWHrCsjj0H1TiSzRId0mejDYGhuxAx3wSmpAYF6FxKeQsCApC1hymHyPp0TeE/s4032/WITNESSING%20TOOLS%20Chalkboard%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8sBSGAQPfX9qKRJDd1MNBP79FnwS5dNr41SeUaf2zjVdXqR1U3D-gw9b47UqRLpkuznt7etiOdtFOMpIkxLTjU8nqdoAMODcG0nwfQifyA-Nt-ji5Y8vKvLKWkKtjTfsWHrCsjj0H1TiSzRId0mejDYGhuxAx3wSmpAYF6FxKeQsCApC1hymHyPp0TeE/s320/WITNESSING%20TOOLS%20Chalkboard%202.png" width="240" /></a></div><p>I am not affiliated or compensated in any way for this but, in case you are interested, here are the supplies I use.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q8JPHCH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The chalkboard set</a></li><li>My favorite <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BJD86ZD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">markers </a>so far (except I don't need to white marker)</li><li>The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CD335P4H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>other</i> </a>markers (LOL)</li></ul>As with anything these days, you can find several types of those supplies. I am looking for a slightly larger chalkboard (like <a href="https://www.amazon.com/AUSTOR-Erasable-Chalkboard-Message-Cleaning/dp/B01MQSMDII?ref_=ast_sto_dp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">these</a>). The ones I have now are not quite large enough for me to write longer messages. I don't want a huge one because of the wall space I'm working with. I really like the first markers I bought but the second set of colors is not quite as eye-catching.<p></p><p>I hope this was encouraging to you. </p><p>Peace</p><p>--Free</p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-13327699024642862642023-12-29T16:00:00.001-06:002023-12-29T16:00:00.250-06:00The World Is Laughing at Some of Us<p>I rarely visit YouTube since they cracked down on ad-blocking. When I did venture onto the site the other day, one of the suggested videos was this one:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7A0zXE9CM44" width="320" youtube-src-id="7A0zXE9CM44"></iframe></div>As I watched the first few minutes, I was laughing. Then I realized that while these folks are laughable, what they are doing is not funny. It's just sad.<div><br /></div><div>I have a friend who was never exposed to any type of religious worship until she was in her mid-30s. By then, she had a young son and was dealing with a lot of stress in her life. When a friend invited her to church, she was hopeful. She thought that maybe she would find something beautiful and meaningful there. Unfortunately, the church she visited was similar to most "holy roller" type places. What she found there was frightening and confusing. The "preacher" was shouting and wailing throughout his "sermon" and when the worship music started, the congregants started wildly dancing around and "getting the holy ghost". My friend said that she had to leave not long into all that mayhem because her child was actually scared.</div><div><br /></div><div>That is sad. That is depressing.</div><div><br /></div><div>I grew up in a "holy roller" church. It was sheer silly entertainment. I did enjoy the music. My cousins and I got a kick out of washing this 'sister' or that 'brother' jumping and shouting. Sometimes, a wig would go askew or a shoe would go flying. Pure mayhem. None of us was ever taught (in that church) <a href=" 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 " rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the actual gospel</a>. It was years before I became a Christian. Only one of those 3 cousins ever did turn to God. To this day, one of them wants nothing to do with church or "religion" because of those childhood experiences. </div><div><br /></div><div>That is sad. That is depressing.</div><div><br /></div><div>That video is just one of several. I watched probably 3 or 4 of them and they got worse and worse. In some of them, there were little kids "preaching". The little boys were doing <i>perfect </i>impressions of the shouting, wailing, pastors they obviously grew up watching. One of them kept wiping his forehead with a handkerchief as he flipped through a Bible during his "sermon". I felt like sobbing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Like the little pastor-imitating children, the adults in these videos seem to be better at playing church than being Christians. They know how to be "churchy" but not how to be holy. They know how to shout and dance but not how to worship. They know how to bring the club into the church but not how to accept Christ into their hearts.</div><div><br /></div><div>To the credit of whoever puts out these videos - or at least the ones I saw - they had a brief disclaimer that not all churches/churchgoers are like those shown. And that is true, of course. But which type of churchgoer probably comes first to the mind of the skeptic or general observer? </div><div><br /></div><div>Peace</div><div>--Free</div><div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-18890480980963854372023-12-16T13:08:00.000-06:002023-12-16T13:08:03.279-06:00If We Sought Salvation & Knowledge<p> I was watching YouTube and 2 videos in particular put me into a train of thought about what I think of as "intelligent ignorance".</p><p>The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4GotxzTLSQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">first video</a> is about how some Middle Easterners crave and seek out a party lifestyle. A lot of what we Americans and a lot of other non-Middle Easterners take for granted is forbidden by other cultures. But there seem to be no boundaries to the human greed for sin. So, if one wants it bad enough (or can afford it), sin can be found.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYb0IJYdIqA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">other video</a> is about people who will degrade themselves to make money. And I'm not talking about people who prostitute themselves because they know of no other way to survive.</p><p>I know one person - I will call her Davia - who when she was a struggling and might-as-well-be-single mother, decided that she didn't just want to be financially stable but rich. She put everything else in her life at risk to make this happen. She did work very hard for what she eventually got, but I sometimes wonder at what cost. And I wonder these some years later if it was really worth it. She has spent at least the last two and a half decades living extremely well. She's probably in the millionaire class by now. She has had all the travel, fine dining, and shopping experiences that most upper-middle-class and kinda-sorta well-off people can only fantasize about. She still works but her job is managing all the people she has working for her. </p><p>Davia achieved all that she wanted. When she was struggling, she decided that she never wanted to be in that position again. What I don't know is whether she has put as much consideration into the state or the future of her soul. I know that she is "religious", but I don't know if she has eternal salvation. Now that she is of a different financial class (and does not live in this country), I'm not as close to her as I once was. A long time ago - before she reached her goals, I did ask about her beliefs Her answer was just that she was "spiritual". Because I was not saved then, I never pushed her to be more specific. I never did witness to her.</p><p>Using myself as another example, before I was saved, I was a master at searching out and finding information about all kinds of things. Keep in mind, this was before home computers and use of the internet were common. However, if you'd given me a quiz about anything to do with Jesus or the Bible, I would not have been able to pass for all the money in the world.</p><p>I guess I'm just thinking about how we will work so hard at our jobs and on our romantic relationships and for other things but we don't consider the really important things. I often wonder if (or why not) people ask the important questions:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>What happens when we die? </li><li>Where will we spend eternity? </li><li>What does it mean to be 'spiritual' or 'religious'? </li><li>What about Jesus? </li><li>Why Jesus and not some other person? </li><li>Could those Christians be right? </li><li>Why <i>do</i> I believe <i>what</i> I believe?</li><li>What if I am wrong?</li></ul><div>I wonder most of all why people don't pursue those questions more.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know people who think a lot about UFOs, aliens, ghosts, hauntings, angels, the Mandela Effect, 'lizard people', and whether or not Michael Jackson, Elvis, or Tupac might still be alive. And they think hard and seriously about these things. But do they spend as much time thinking about their beliefs about God or good and evil and what that means to them personally?</div><div><br /></div><div>There is <a href="https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/us/us-tech-billionaire-bryan-johnson-eats-111-pills-to-stay-young/articleshow/103959797.cms#:~:text=Bryan%20Johnson%2C%20the%20tech%20millionaire,an%2018%2Dyear%2Dold." rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this one rich guy</a> who is spending more money than I can almost imagine on retaining physical youth. <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/bryan-johnson-anti-aging-blueprint-algorithm-1234821163/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Maybe he wants immortality?</a> When I was younger, I might have found him intriguing. With my more mature perspective, I find him weird, sad, and worrying. I find myself praying for him to become as wise as he is rich.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, that guy doesn't even care that a lot of people on social media laugh and make fun of him. Meanwhile, as a Christian, I sometimes am intimidated by people who laugh and make fun of my beliefs. What a strange time we live in!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwG7gyGCCuwgThujCcc3taUZgINULgOJcrsH6GaZBnR8t6baWwUTM-KkaWK13v_BO9Ow2UWC_p-SqPMIp2bSjxkq0k1crj-9aYOG5jNlBHy26OT9YN9XTba_RVEzYWB-n9a0Dh7VDFcjK_BaiQh6DAh2ICKWYhbQ4c5buxm4wUuNFl_rdthptmOUC86LiP/s628/Influencers%20Unashamed.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="591" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwG7gyGCCuwgThujCcc3taUZgINULgOJcrsH6GaZBnR8t6baWwUTM-KkaWK13v_BO9Ow2UWC_p-SqPMIp2bSjxkq0k1crj-9aYOG5jNlBHy26OT9YN9XTba_RVEzYWB-n9a0Dh7VDFcjK_BaiQh6DAh2ICKWYhbQ4c5buxm4wUuNFl_rdthptmOUC86LiP/s320/Influencers%20Unashamed.png" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They will do <i>this</i> for "likes"...</td></tr></tbody></table><div>My prayer for myself and my fellow Christians is to be unashamed and energetic in our pursuit of pleasing Christ. I pray that we can be as bold in witnessing to others as secular "influencers" are in sharing whatever they are peddling. </div><div><br /></div><div>Peace</div><div>--Free</div><div><br /></div><p></p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-16965024543559161242023-12-09T11:34:00.000-06:002023-12-09T11:34:07.813-06:00**Wordly World** Is It Really 'News"?<p> Reading the news makes me worry about society. Not because the news is so bad but because of what is considered 'news'. I might be making regular posts about this so here goes. This is what I saw in the 'news' this morning.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWT0ZHSoBvsD77wPmn2eJ9U0fI67PMFWzOa_pmcOYPktnY6iYMLaXIiaewOsUVifE12o4x1-1rxDQ6gRCmfFepOfyeQ589gKVYAfGdQw8KoCwuGw6U7WQllqaseIKvOkCa6UHilt-kuTLsuqfCmnRU6liZJScwGo4BTiHYw-1elgYEexK2XwfB8TMtDSAK/s3840/Dec%202023%20A%20slice%20of%20the%20news%20READY.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1956" data-original-width="3840" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWT0ZHSoBvsD77wPmn2eJ9U0fI67PMFWzOa_pmcOYPktnY6iYMLaXIiaewOsUVifE12o4x1-1rxDQ6gRCmfFepOfyeQ589gKVYAfGdQw8KoCwuGw6U7WQllqaseIKvOkCa6UHilt-kuTLsuqfCmnRU6liZJScwGo4BTiHYw-1elgYEexK2XwfB8TMtDSAK/w640-h326/Dec%202023%20A%20slice%20of%20the%20news%20READY.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>In addition to all the hate and madness going on, the thing that really caught my eye was the "mystery man" running for office in Ghana. What a world. Here in the US, we have schoolyard bullies, mean girls, and every kind of silliness going on in politics. Something in my Christian soul reacted to the idea of a "mystery" person seeking a political office.</b><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8OHRd_bby0lMSwHozBY-aJQyDouheNl6RLN5lURv4lx4YHLbr5g96Lvn7U3dAaokE1I9He8VHbIy08vpY6DViJ2HvbIqpaCLqXSPHSoNcCtlDMKp70U2VctbJ94aHIdvr9k_skg4-SoABHBvv03Ngvmp06aqbAhC6VW72ROQw896uj5LC2CvSJZUCm3z/s3825/Dec%202023%20Party%20with%20the%20president%20READY.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1590" data-original-width="3825" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8OHRd_bby0lMSwHozBY-aJQyDouheNl6RLN5lURv4lx4YHLbr5g96Lvn7U3dAaokE1I9He8VHbIy08vpY6DViJ2HvbIqpaCLqXSPHSoNcCtlDMKp70U2VctbJ94aHIdvr9k_skg4-SoABHBvv03Ngvmp06aqbAhC6VW72ROQw896uj5LC2CvSJZUCm3z/w640-h266/Dec%202023%20Party%20with%20the%20president%20READY.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Why is "partying" with a political leader even part of the current conversation? How about trying to find a candidate we'd like to have a serious conversation with?</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkdU-knOvURECfL1yTTLDjsFEGWE73aKCW8vP3g3p_ybcm03LNUWzDlAPQXGIAgyj9jbcE23TDlHkPi3ENHNfqcBct2SnR4NP8p0Is-mhfempw7SCkFhAsigOi3SuPkOvgaK1OnY4Cgzx_YoCfhtO5f6awa3P5gSVGFS2Hg1DPPLbiRuGHRoPMrhMXAQ5/s3813/Dec%202023%20Too%20much%20pop%20star%20READY.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="3813" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkdU-knOvURECfL1yTTLDjsFEGWE73aKCW8vP3g3p_ybcm03LNUWzDlAPQXGIAgyj9jbcE23TDlHkPi3ENHNfqcBct2SnR4NP8p0Is-mhfempw7SCkFhAsigOi3SuPkOvgaK1OnY4Cgzx_YoCfhtO5f6awa3P5gSVGFS2Hg1DPPLbiRuGHRoPMrhMXAQ5/w640-h226/Dec%202023%20Too%20much%20pop%20star%20READY.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Speaking of a lack of seriousness, this is the first of many articles mentioning the pop star Taylor Swift. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>I was having a conversation a few days ago with my brother about how I've been seeing this woman's name every time I scan the news. And I'm not talking just lightweight news sources. I've seen her popping up on what I used to consider serious news sources.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Maybe it's just me and my disdain for pop culture but I find it weird. Seeing such frequent mentions of pop stars on the same page as stories about wars, deaths, and deadly politics is a little disconcerting. </b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Zw5yik3n8jO4-3dftjd1TM7YdZO9pDCORIdEy5jbBimGbepk6IgBaG3xbzhEaXtgXqB4n1C0z80tZXWx5oNsEFzJKvb_39lZqYViW8DaSEnuCScBp6shMlkZ6Gw4dBR9WoCIyt-8S6i1lybrVx10jN45fbeN0j-B4w1pjK0oiMlLQUI2rE28gEidCAuH/s3738/Dec%202023%20Too%20much%20pop%20star%20same%20day%20AGAIN%20ready.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2220" data-original-width="3738" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Zw5yik3n8jO4-3dftjd1TM7YdZO9pDCORIdEy5jbBimGbepk6IgBaG3xbzhEaXtgXqB4n1C0z80tZXWx5oNsEFzJKvb_39lZqYViW8DaSEnuCScBp6shMlkZ6Gw4dBR9WoCIyt-8S6i1lybrVx10jN45fbeN0j-B4w1pjK0oiMlLQUI2rE28gEidCAuH/w640-h380/Dec%202023%20Too%20much%20pop%20star%20same%20day%20AGAIN%20ready.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Here's Swift again. (Did you know they call her fan-actics "Swifties"? Beyonce has her Beehive - or whatever - so why not? Kids today, am I right?</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYAKhrn3OGmOVmN8Nrav01fP5CTdyViu978q_pqFrKVM9FX0WGuImzF6AlPf4BFa1DXv3-ndGRXXe8RWKyd3CtgHqIqhyphenhyphenjJWRLjnBRoeoHDNKM-w5XuF3OhEcGMXYby1q4x5tCI8HZqG7Xy5Kpx2LVu4aFjcKL4c-eXMdD8wdDjItX-oIFZmUzQ-FfzU9/s2961/Dec%202023%20Too%20much%20pop%20star%20same%20day%20READY.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2022" data-original-width="2961" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYAKhrn3OGmOVmN8Nrav01fP5CTdyViu978q_pqFrKVM9FX0WGuImzF6AlPf4BFa1DXv3-ndGRXXe8RWKyd3CtgHqIqhyphenhyphenjJWRLjnBRoeoHDNKM-w5XuF3OhEcGMXYby1q4x5tCI8HZqG7Xy5Kpx2LVu4aFjcKL4c-eXMdD8wdDjItX-oIFZmUzQ-FfzU9/w640-h438/Dec%202023%20Too%20much%20pop%20star%20same%20day%20READY.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b>And again. Newsweek really is into her. At least this mention is on one of their "culture" pages. Because this is so much "culture"...</b></p><p><br /></p><p>That's it for today. There is more, I'm sure, but I'm a little tired of looking. I have to try to try to find some real and actual news to catch up on.</p><p><br /></p><p>Peace</p><p>--Free</p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-67714208942292392832023-11-05T07:09:00.003-06:002023-11-05T07:09:30.318-06:00Can One Be a “Gay Christian”? Yes and No.<p>This comes up a lot in online and in-person conversations. Can one be gay and a Christian? </p><p>Understand that I have no formal theological training. I am answering from the perspective of a layman. I read and study the Bible and I look to Christ for answers to questions I have. In response to anyone with the question about being a gay Christian, my answer is yes and no.</p><p>Yes, one can think of themselves as gay and still be a Christian. I know this because I myself am a sinner. I struggle against sin every moment of every day. </p><p>Also, no, one cannot be a gay Christian. No more than one can be a lying, cheating, thieving, murdering, <i>fill-in-the-sin</i> Christian. Not if one is willfully, unrepentantly practicing the sin.</p><p>I am a Christian but I am still a sinner. I am a <i>saved</i> sinner who struggles against my sinful thoughts. I am not saved because I am perfect or sinless; I am saved because I have asked for forgiveness. I am saved because I am repentant. </p><p>I am a Christian because I follow Christ and live for him. If I were sin-free, I would not need Christ and his forgiveness and mercy.</p><p>In looking for a way to better state how and why Christians are not - and can not be - sin-free, I found that (as is usual) <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Got Questions</a> <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/do-Christians-sin.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">explains it best for the layman</a>.</p><p>Before I was saved and born again, there were times I didn't even realize some of my sins. I may have felt bad for my actions hurting others and I knew right from wrong. I just didn't think of my wrongs as sins. </p><p>As a Christian, I am able to sin less - in some ways - but I can never be sin-free in this earth-bound body. Even when I don't put action to a sinful thought, the thought is there, no matter how fleeting. </p><p>I have never struggled with my sexual identity and I imagine it can be a strong hold on a person. I have - and sometimes still do - struggle with envy, pride, anger, and forgiveness. Forgiveness! Me! The person who has been forgiven for so much.</p><p>So, to those who struggle with their sexual sins, I would say the same thing I say to myself: <i>repent </i>and turn over to God your heart, mind, body, and soul. Trust in him, lean on him. Pray, pray, pray. </p><p>When we say the Lord's Prayer, we are asking that God not permit us to be tempted. (<a href="https://www.bible.com/bible/100/jas.1.13" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">God Himself <b>does not</b> tempt us to sin</a>.) I read somewhere (probably on Got Questions) this explained well. God doesn't allow us to sin and He has control over tempters. That makes a lot of sense to me.</p><p>Finally, I think that when we truly commit to following Christ, we know when we are doing something that displeases him. We may sometimes try to pretend we don't know. When I do wrong, I feel like hiding my face from God. Like Adam and Eve in the garden, when I fall into temptation, I want to cover myself. That's my sign, as one comedian jokes. </p><p>I hope that this helps anyone who has these struggles. Read your Bible, study your Bible, and pray for understanding.</p><p>Peace</p><p>--Free</p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-55040888617041139282023-11-01T13:25:00.003-05:002023-11-01T13:25:24.574-05:00Thinking About the Lord's Prayer <p>I am trying to pay more attention to things in life because I have tended, in the past, to rush through. I noticed this about myself when I thought about the Lord's Prayer. I have been saying this prayer (both before and after I accepted Christ) since I was a child.</p><p>What I am trying to do now, each time I say the Lord's Prayer, is to be aware of what I am saying. I really want to better apply the words to my life and keep them close to my heart. Here is how <span style="color: red;">I now think of the lines</span> in the prayer:</p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;">"Our Father who is in heaven, <span style="color: red;">(Because He is in heaven - not some imposter living here on earth)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;">Hallowed be Your name. <span style="color: red;">(Do I reverence His name? Do I keep it holy?)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;">Your kingdom come. <span style="color: red;">(Not "kingdom now" as some people want. I need to be sharing the gospel and spreading the Word so that more people will be ready.)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;">Your will be done, <span style="color: red;">(Sometimes, I resist this and want what I want instead of wanting what God wills. I need to know that His will <i>will</i> be done - whether I want it or not.)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;">On earth as it is in heaven. <span style="color: red;">(Again, His will is the final authority. I need to want this for my life.)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;">Give us this day our daily bread. <span style="color: red;">(Not bread for today and tomorrow - which may not come for me - and not riches and wealth and health abundant. Just my <i>daily</i> needs. He has always been faithful in this. )</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;">And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. <span style="color: red;">(This is the big one for me! I have to remind myself over and over to forgive as I have been forgiven. And I think of the </span><span style="color: red;">Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor in Matthew 18:21-35.) </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;">And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;">For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."</span></p></blockquote><p>I think the main thing for me is to realize that God really is in control - of my waking and breathing and the existence of all of us. We have free will but He is in control.</p><p>So, yes, I really do need to be more - what is the trendy word? <i>"mindful"</i>? I need to not take living for granted. </p><p>Peace</p><p>--Free</p><p><br /></p><p>** I am in no way a Bible scholar or expert. This post is just to show my experience as a Christian who is trying to be better today than I was yesterday. </p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-49813329037173558742023-10-31T08:53:00.001-05:002023-10-31T08:53:46.246-05:00Goals, Maturity, Life and Lessons<p> I used to think of age as a sign of maturity. Finally, at 62, I realize that maturity is a lifelong process. Most of us think of levels of maturity as a set of milestones that we reach at the ages of 13, 16, 18, 21, and so on.</p><p>What I have learned - finally - is that we become fully "mature" when we learn how to behave better. So, for all the young people out there, here are some milestones of behavior that we all should strive for (and it's a lifelong process):</p><p>When you </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Become more of a peacemaker than a troublemaker</li><li>Become better at loving and listening than being lewd and loud</li><li>Learn to be more gracious and less rude</li><li>Get better at being more thoughtful and giving than grasping and wanting</li><li>Try being understanding as much as you want to be understood</li><li>Try thinking deeply and critically rather than being quick at the mouth</li><li>Listen more than you talk</li><li>Can disagree with others without hating, belittling, or disrespecting them</li><li>Practice more humility than indulging in pride</li><li>Learn patience and endurance instead of going for the quick wins</li><li>Appreciate beauty in the world without photobombing it with selfies</li><li>Learn to slow down and savor moments and experiences without rushing to the next one</li><li>Accept that you have some of the same flaws that you see in others</li><li>Are happy in peace in stillness</li><li>Can be grateful for every breath you take</li><li>Can recognize when you are wrong and not gloat when you are right</li><li>Realize how much your actions - no matter how small - can have a negative or positive impact </li><li>Want to be a better person today than you were yesterday - even though you can never be "perfect".</li></ul><div>If I could go back in time and change one thing in my life, it would be to know what true maturity is. When I was young, if I had realized that I was building my past, I would have done so many things differently. </div><div><br /></div><div>Every breath is a blessing. Every mistake can be a lesson. We are here for such a short time, but we do matter. Live as if you know that.</div><div><br /></div><div>Peace</div><div>--Free</div><p></p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-16194707081949661802023-10-08T08:57:00.000-05:002023-10-08T08:57:00.288-05:00Zechariah 2:1-9<p> I just wanted to say today that, as always, I stand with Israel. I am not worried and I am not afraid. God is always in control.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKDHLOkj27g4JcAVhmvrr1LSJMcNfYKHrdx3L3r4KR2NZx5M4Adsf83nHp2KveebWoUe-3f6Ig1qAF0u05l3enASgSLdiJIDv2nmM8WaP0GPBOWBnh90pjpWfkoR5qh1IynSI9iWy60Ur6NTaP9QIzRK1AC33p1AtV0Hmc088x9c2TPaKg6NPAmeYQeyr/s2926/Israel%20God%20will%20protect%20her.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1588" data-original-width="2926" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKDHLOkj27g4JcAVhmvrr1LSJMcNfYKHrdx3L3r4KR2NZx5M4Adsf83nHp2KveebWoUe-3f6Ig1qAF0u05l3enASgSLdiJIDv2nmM8WaP0GPBOWBnh90pjpWfkoR5qh1IynSI9iWy60Ur6NTaP9QIzRK1AC33p1AtV0Hmc088x9c2TPaKg6NPAmeYQeyr/w640-h347/Israel%20God%20will%20protect%20her.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-28734555619911482612023-09-11T10:02:00.003-05:002023-09-11T10:02:56.856-05:00Conversing With SkepticsA few weeks ago, I watched a video featuring <a href="https://crossexamined.org/dr-frank-turek/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Frank Turek</a>. And, of course, YouTube decided to flood my suggestions with more Turek videos. Personally, I love it. Turek happens to be one of my favorite apologists (along with <a href="https://biblicalscienceinstitute.com/dr-lisle/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jason Lisle</a>, the late <a href="https://chuckmissler.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chuck Missler</a>, <a href="https://www.johnlennox.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Lennox</a>, <a href="https://www.watchagtv.com/fighting-for-the-faith-chris-rosebrough" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chris Rosebrough</a>, and others).<div><br /></div><div>One of the Turek videos was a<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P1obUYaN9g&t=34s" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> debate he had</a> with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Hitchens" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christopher Hitchens</a>. The debate was really interesting but the comments were also something to see. YouTube then presented me with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFstmb2Kjhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a debate</a> between John Lennox and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Richard Dawkins</a>. Again, the comments were almost as interesting as the debate.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, I fell down the YouTube rabbit hole and watched several more debates. I had to make an effort to stop. </div><div><br /></div><div>What I had to admire about the Christian apologists was their anger-free attitudes. They were kind but firm in their arguments. All of them are absolutely intellectually brilliant, as were the people they debated. </div><div>I tend to get frustrated when talking with some skeptics. A lot of the frustration is from my problems keeping my thoughts straight and clear as to what I'm trying to express. </div><div><br /></div><div>Any Christian can share their faith but not all of us should get into debates. Debating a skeptic requires the ability to keep a calm and loving attitude. Also, we must know our Bibles That's why Bible study is so important.</div><div><br /></div><div>I saw<a href="https://www.christianpost.com/voices/the-first-question-i-ask-skeptics-about-god.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> an article</a> this morning that reminded me of the most important question to ask a skeptic. I think I first heard this important question some years back and I've since heard Turek and others repeat it. The question, the answers to it, and just the general reaction to it will give you so much information about the skeptic. </div><blockquote><div><div>Do you <i>want </i>Christianity to be true?</div></div></blockquote><p>Or: If I could prove the existence of God, you you accept Him? </p><p>Please do read the article about this. What it reports about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Nagel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thomas Nagel</a>, Charles Darwin, and Hitchens is so interesting to ponder.</p><p>The important thing is that we are to share the gospel. Sometimes this is really hard. We fear being ridiculed or made to look dumb. Again, that is why we need to be diligent about our Bible study. We ourselves are not to believe blindly so we can't expect others to.</p><p>Here are some resources for anyone wanting to be a better-prepared apologist:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://carm.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CARM</a> - Christian Apologetics and Resource Ministry.</li><li>Got Questions - I find this good for when "friendly" skeptics are asking questions.</li><li><a href="https://arcapologetics.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ARC</a> - Apologetics Resource Center</li><li>Books by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Geisler" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Norman Geisler</a>, Turek, Lisle, and others. </li></ul><div>But the Bible is the first resource. Study, study, study the Word. You have to know for yourself before you can share with others. Pray for understanding and discernment. Most important, pray for the skeptics. When we talk or debate with skeptics, we are not trying to score points or make ourselves look good. We are trying to spread the gospel so that more people come to know and love Christ and accept salvation.</div><div><br /></div><div>Peace</div><div>--Free</div><p></p><p><br /></p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-22809684045946292282023-08-14T08:54:00.004-05:002023-08-14T08:54:40.131-05:00**CROSS POST** Knowledge & Literacy & a Personal Challenge<p style="text-align: center;"><b><i>**This is scheduled to post later on my other blog. I am posting it early here. </i></b><b><i>These days, there is so much strife among politicians and </i></b><b><i>ignorance on the part of some of us citizens. I believe that literacy is more important than ever.**</i></b></p><p>Reading, thinking <i>critically</i>, knowing, understanding - this is all so important for all of us. Learning shouldn't stop at the end of our school days. Maturing shouldn't stop at a certain age. Keep growing and keep striving to be a better person - even if just for yourself.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Knowledge & Literacy</b></p><p>When I got sick, the one thing that bothered me the most was not being able to read and comprehend as well as before. I have always loved books. Reading allowed me to see more of the world without ever leaving my room. Reading was how I learned to feel connections with other people in this wide world of ours.</p><p>Now that my brain is somewhat healed, I can better read and comprehend the written word. However, there is something about seeing a lot of letters on a page that frustrates me. Sometimes, the letters and words seem distorted. For that reason, I have learned to appreciate audiobooks.</p><p>And, thank God for audiobooks. For the past 7 years or so, I have gotten back into the habit of reading or listening to all the writers and poets I love. Zora Neale Hurston is a favorite and I have come back around to others such as those by Oscar Wilde, Alexandre Dumas, Shirley Jackson, Countee Cullen, Sylvia Plath, Nella Larsen, Claude McKay, Lorraine Hansberry, and Harper Lee. </p><p>Even though I started reading at an early age, I have only recently begun to think about all the books, authors, and poets I've avoided. I have never read most of Shakespeare or any of Virginia Woolf, and I just put Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" on my list because of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRj8AJuzeJRwyMFr5m-1TZ5U5VAA34hHd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a Bible Study</a> I've been doing.</p><p>Yesterday, I started putting together a list. During the coming winter months, I'd like to touch on or get through:</p><p></p><ul><li>The Art of War (Sun Tzu). A nephew of mine suggested this one years ago. The Bible study reminded me.</li><li>The Death of Common Sense (Philip K. Howard). Oddly, I saw the author mentioned in the obituary of a television voice actor.</li><li>The History of Knowledge (Charles Van Doren)</li><li><a href="https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/full-text" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Federalist Papers </a>(A. Hamilton, J. Madison, and J. Jay)</li><li>The Ninety-Five Theses (Martin Luther)</li><li></li><li><a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Antiquities_of_the_Jews" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Antiquities of the Jews</a> (Josephus - translated by William Whiston)</li></ul><div>It's a short list but some of the works are very intensive and will take me the rest of my life. (I also plan to re-read and study the <a href="https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">U.S. Constitution</a>, something I haven't done since my last year of school.)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>A Challenge</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div>One book that I have read before and recently read (rather listened to) again is Cultural Literacy (E.D. Hirsch, Jr.). The first time I read this, I made it a goal to start honing my cultural literacy skills. Then I got sick. Last year, I found a copy at my local library and made a note to read it again. When I did, I was encouraged to pursue a very specific challenge: to study for the <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learn-about-citizenship/the-naturalization-interview-and-test" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">U.S. Citizenship Test.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>I have always been amazed (and sometimes ashamed) by the hard work of many people who come to live in the U.S. and make it their permanent home. Like too many natural-born citizens, I take so much of my citizenship for granted.</div><div><br /></div><div>When people come here and, starting with less than I have, and go on to do more than I have, that's beautiful. It's also a reminder that I - and many of you - could be doing so much more here. We could be more appreciative of our freedoms and opportunities. We do, many of us, squander so much of that.</div><div><br /></div><div>The challenge I have given myself is not to prove anything. I just want to study for the test for my personal learning and growth. </div><div><br /></div><div>There are many resources online. I started with the <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services</a> Naturalization <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learn-about-citizenship/the-naturalization-interview-and-test" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Interview and Test</a> page. Looking at the <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/find-study-materials-and-resources" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">test and study resources listed</a>, I decided to just go with other (less official) sources. Right now, I'm looking at<a href="https://uscitizenshipsupport.com/us-citizenship-test-tips/us-citizenship-test-how-prepare/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> this site.</a> There are offerings of "free" training resources I want to check out.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you are interested in just taking a quiz (it might encourage you) there is one. If, like me, you want to practice for taking the entire test, <a href="https://uscitizenshipsupport.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this is one link</a>. I had initially just thought about practicing for the <a href="https://uscitizenshipsupport.com/us-citizenship-test-100-questions-answers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Civics portion</a> only.</div><div><br /></div><div>What strikes me is that people only get 2 attempts at passing the actual exam! Think about that. Think about the work that someone - who may not even speak English - has to put in to become a citizen. Maybe we all should have to take this test at some point in our early school years.</div><div><br /></div><div>I will post about my progress as often as I can. I have not set a start date yet.</div><div><br /></div><div>Peace</div><div>--Free</div>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-64689165289614038702023-07-14T12:01:00.002-05:002023-07-14T12:01:40.655-05:002 Bookshelf Favorites (and a bonus)<p> Since I finished the Learn the Bible in 24 Hours study, I've been lagging. I have started the KHouse <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdykALJ1hkY&list=PLRj8AJuzeJRwl4i9Wxk-ocUai1DqCWkb0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">video playlist on Genesis </a>but can't seem to settle down and focus. While I wait for my brain and body to calm down long enough to start another 24-video session, I've decided to hit my bookshelf.</p><p>The first book I am going back through is Core Christianity (What Is Christianity All About?) by Elmer Towns.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">❣</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Core-Christianity-Elmer-Towns-ebook/dp/B005WL6DJY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1HP575ZLM0TOT&keywords=core+christianity&qid=1689353698&rnid=618072011&s=books&sprefix=core+christianity%2Cstripbooks%2C125&sr=1-3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span>Core Christianity</a> is one of the books I would have loved to have back before I committed to Christ. Being raised by a Christian mother but surrounded by many law-driven church people, I had questions. My mother was a sola scriptura Christian. She went to a Holy Roller church because it was the one she'd been raised in but she didn't practice their questionable practices such as "shouting" or speaking in tongues. She didn't even buy the prosperity message they taught. I think she went to that church because she had been raised <i>to</i> attend church and in our little town, the only other choices were more of the same or the Catholic churches. </p><p>My mother's answer to any question was to study the Bible and trust the Word. I was young and didn't read the Bible much. When I got a bit more mature, I was kind of busy learning to enjoy the world. By the time, I got back to my serious questions on Christianity and faith, I struggled a bit.</p><p>Core Christianity is one of the books that I think anyone and everyone should read if they are critical of Christianity. I'd love for everyone to pick up a Bible and read it first but I know a lot of people won't. They haven't been witnessed to. This book is a sort of written witnessing tool.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">❣</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Core-Christianity-Elmer-Towns-ebook/dp/B005WL6DJY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1HP575ZLM0TOT&keywords=core+christianity&qid=1689353698&rnid=618072011&s=books&sprefix=core+christianity%2Cstripbooks%2C125&sr=1-3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></a>Another bookshelf favorite is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1414364555/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pagan Christianity</a>: Exploring the Roots of Church Practices (by Frank Viola and George Barna).</p><p>This one answered a lot of questions I'd always wondered about in the back of my mind. You know, the questions that if someone asked, you'd want to know too. I realize now, I had been wondering about a lot of this stuff back when I was sitting in my mother's church.</p><blockquote><p>How'd did Sunday School start?</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Why do the various pastors, priest, bishops, etc. dress the way they do? </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Why do we have a certain order of service? </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Why are most services so formalized? </p></blockquote><blockquote><p> Why do the pastors and church "leaders" sit at the front (and in special chairs)? </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Why do we worry so much about wearing our "Sunday best"? </p></blockquote><blockquote><p> Why is church and church-going so complicated?</p></blockquote><p> What I love is that the book touches on so many things that I can (and want to) study further. There is a lot of history and background that I need to look into - not to mention checking it all against the Bible.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">❣</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Core-Christianity-Elmer-Towns-ebook/dp/B005WL6DJY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1HP575ZLM0TOT&keywords=core+christianity&qid=1689353698&rnid=618072011&s=books&sprefix=core+christianity%2Cstripbooks%2C125&sr=1-3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></a>This last mention is for a fiction series. It belongs here because it's so well-written and keeps true to the Bible. The series is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-of-the-Host-5-book-series/dp/B074CF2R71" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chronicles of the Host</a> by <a href="https://familyfiction.com/authors/d-brian-shafer/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">D Brian Shafer</a>.</p><p>The series (volumes 1-5) is an entertaining account of biblical events from the fall of Lucifer to the coming of the Messiah and the start of the Church. After perusing a similar type of series (I won't name it), Chronicles is such a joy to read because I wasn't having to mentally note the biblical errors.</p><p>I once had the entire paperback set and gifted it to a friend. Now I have to try to get another set. I would love to gift a set to my young nephew. </p><p>Anyway, those are some of my favorite books. I will get back to my Bible study but I'm going to be re-reading the first two books on this list while I settle myself down.</p><p>Peace</p><p>--Free</p><p> </p><p>NOTE: I used Amazon links because you will be able to get "sneak peeks" or read samples of the books. I buy my books either at Amazon or Christianbook.com.</p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-38212790103758935922023-07-05T09:42:00.005-05:002023-07-05T09:42:55.437-05:00Bible Study NEVER Ends<p> I have finished my <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRj8AJuzeJRwHdeFua3pzmwPB_JCS0mIq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Learn the Bible in 24 Hours</a></i> video study course. It only took me about two and a half years. Or a bit more.</p><p>When I started the study, I thought I would be able to get through it quicker. My sarc-riddled brain decided otherwise and I had a lot of days when I couldn't get through more than 10 minutes of a video or a couple of pages of reading. But God is good. I did get finish the study and, you know the most important thing I learned? That a Christian is never finished with Bible study!</p><p>Now that I have finished <i>this</i> particular course of study, I have really only just begun. My next goal is to study each of the books of the Bible more thoroughly. I will be again using the Koinonia House resources. </p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@koinoniahouse/featured" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">K House's YouTube channel</a> has, I believe, a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@koinoniahouse/playlists" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">playlist of videos</a> for each Bible book. I am going to be starting with the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRj8AJuzeJRwl4i9Wxk-ocUai1DqCWkb0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Genesis playlist,</a> of course, and I have the playlist saved.</p><p>This time I won't have the helpful <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1418549185/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">book </a>or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578215889/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">handbook </a>that I did with <i>24 Hours, </i>although I will be referring to both. (By the way, I also have the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Learn-Bible-24-Hours-Comprehensive/dp/1578212758/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_1/147-8755025-6139831?pd_rd_w=4s5wG&content-id=amzn1.sym.26a5c67f-1a30-486b-bb90-b523ad38d5a0&pf_rd_p=26a5c67f-1a30-486b-bb90-b523ad38d5a0&pf_rd_r=4Q1SJHXMH82HAH3BZ51B&pd_rd_wg=HZp6o&pd_rd_r=2f5aa51a-37b1-4392-838a-636afda46996&pd_rd_i=1578212758&psc=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">workbook </a>but did not use it. Perhaps I will next time.) I will have to be more organized and do a lot more note-taking. My brain is already being a bully. I keep having to battle thoughts about being too stupid to do the studies. I have severe issues with confusion and when I have to focus on anything, I get a lot of distortion with words and concepts. But, once again, God is good. </p><p>I am reminding myself that it's okay if I only get through 10 minutes of study every session. I don't have to be in competition with anyone. That's what I love about being able to study on my own. No one is around to make me feel embarrassed by my mental limitations. </p><p>Anyway.</p><p>One of the things I have learned is how little I know about the Bible. Every time I turn the page, I see get a new insight that I missed before. During the <i>24 Hours</i> sessions, Missler would often quip that even 24 years is not enough to study the Bible. He and others who spent years and years studying the Bible probably feel as I do: they need more time!</p><p>I did thoroughly enjoy the <i>24 Hours</i> study sessions. I will probably do the set all over again in a few years, God willing that I am here. </p><p>If you struggle with where to get started in Bible study, I highly recommend using the K House resources. Much of the information (and certainly almost all of the video sessions) can be found free of charge on the ministry website and via YouTube. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><u style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">About Koinonia Institute<br /></span></b></u><u style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">for SERIOUS study:<br /></span></b></u><span style="font-family: helvetica;">For those who want to do a deep-dive and </span><i style="font-family: helvetica;">more structured </i><span style="font-family: helvetica;">study of the Bible, go to the </span><a href="https://ki.studycenter.com/login/?ref=dashboard" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">Koinonia Institute.</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Here is a list of the </span><a href="https://koinoniainstitute.org/courses/" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">available courses.</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> (There are some materials that you will need to purchase but they are all listed on the website.) I am a bit too intimidated to attempt this. Pray for me that I will eventually get the courage to at least try!</span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If you are curious and considering the Institute, here are some <a href="https://koinoniainstitute.org/faqs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FAQs</a>, and here is the <a href="https://ki.studycenter.com/resources/KI_Handbook.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Student Handbook.</a> What a glorious and invaluable resource to have.</span></p></blockquote><p>The <a href="https://www.e-sword.net/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">eSword app</a> on my PC was invaluable and, as always, I want to recommend everyone to check that out. Whatever resources you use, please study the Bible. It's the Christian handbook to everything. </p><p>Peace</p><p>--Free</p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-42323359104994320852023-07-04T04:26:00.001-05:002023-07-04T04:26:53.810-05:00Random Resources of Interest<p> I was looking through some of my online bookmarks recently and realized they badly need organizing! However, I also realized that there are many that might be of interest to other Bible students. I will share some of them here and might have to do future posts to share others.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://jewishencyclopedia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jewish Encyclopedia </a>- Just peruse the various links. I found the ones for "<a href="https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8616-jesus-of-nazareth" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jesus</a>" and "<a href="https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10729-messiah" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Messiah</a>" interesting.</li><li>I love the <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/b" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jewish Virtual Library.</a> I found it when looking for info on the Babylonian Talmud. Turns out the <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/babylonian-talmud-full-text" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">full text is provided</a>. I could spend a lot of time just perusing <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/glossary" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Glossary</a> and I did spend several hours on the <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/history" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">History </a>page. </li><li>The Bible Archaeology, Search & Exploration <a href="https://baseinstitute.org/pages/about" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">(BASE) Institute</a>. </li><li><a href="https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Another Bible Archaeology site</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.khouse.org/topical_bible_study/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Topical Bible Studies </a>(from Koinonia House). My current favorite is on the <a href="https://www.khouse.org/topical_bible_study/rapture/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rapture</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Got Questions</a> is like a "Wiki of Info for Christians". I use it all the time.</li><li>While I didn't agree with all of his views, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Hunt_(Christian_apologist)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dave Hunt</a> was a great Bible teacher and I love having <a href="https://subsplash.com/+926d/lb/ms/+2e9e7e7?branding=true&embed=true&recentRoute=app.web-app.library.list&recentRouteSlug=%2Bwvn8uk8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Berean Call videos</a> to view. <a href="https://www.thebereancall.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Berean Call website</a> is also a good site.</li><li>For Israel news: <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Haaretz</a> and <a href="https://www.jpost.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Jerusalem Post</a> are a couple of favorites. I like that both have archaeology sections - Haaretz <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here </a>and JPost <a href="https://www.jpost.com/archaeology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</li><li>Info about the <a href="https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/jewish-calendar-solar-and-lunar/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jewish Solar and Lunar calendars</a>.</li><li>I have not yet used the <a href="https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Biblical Training</a> site but I have perused it. I find it promising that one can get a free Bible education so easily.</li></ul><div>You will notice that I have several Jewish information resources. Never forget that our Messiah Jesus was Jewish born. I think some of us often lose sight of that.</div><div><br /></div><div>These are some of the YouTube channels I subscribe to:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@BiblicalArchaeology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Biblical Archaeology</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@GenesisApologetics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Genesis Apologetics</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MelissaDougherty" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Melissa Dougherty</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@LongforTruth1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LongforTruth1</a></li><li><a href="Answers in Genesis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Answers in Genesis</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@StevenKozarMessedUpChurch" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Messed Up Church</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@JustinPetersMin" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Justin Peters Ministries</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@goodfightministries" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Good Fight Ministries</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Doreen_Virtue" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doreen Virtue</a></li></ul>I will be doing updates to this post. I didn't realize when I started just how many pages I want to share. As of late, I am having problems with my hands and cannot type for long periods, but I will be adding more sites and pages! Stay tuned.</div><div><br /></div><div>Peace</div><div>--Free</div><p></p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-56394351834062844322023-06-30T10:05:00.000-05:002023-06-30T10:05:22.220-05:00Random Reflections on a Birthday<p> A lot of people make jokes about dreading another birthday. I've made those jokes but, in reality, I know how blessed I was to wake up this morning on the 62nd anniversary of my entry into this world.</p><p>It's kind of funny that sixty-two doesn't sound as old to me now as it did when I was in my 20s and 30s. </p><p>While my physical self is glad to be here and breathing, my soul longs for Heaven. I have often quipped that I don't fear <i>being </i>"dead" as much as I fear <i>getting</i> dead. Death means freedom from the chains of the world. Death means going into the promises God has made to us.</p><p>The other day, a long-time family friend of ours died. She was 95 and she died as a Jehovah's Witness. She died after rejecting the God of creation. She died in her unforgiven sins. She had 95 years to look to Jesus. It's been my hope that, maybe, in her last moments, she did look to him.</p><p>On this birthday, I think about the people who never made it to see their 62nd year. My beautiful goddaughter and niece died before she turned 37. I know of people who died that young or just a few years older during the COVID pandemic. I can read the news and see obituaries of people who died before they became teenagers or young adults.</p><p>I am blessed and I know it. My health is poor and my pocketbook is poor but I am blessed. I suffer from depression but I am blessed. I miss my mother and my father and my siblings who have died but I am blessed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bq5xomelO8JpVMEiBQdBYDVXD6QpF3LdR2uFwEAySF1w9bB1XIEW1tLk-wFXRUKAT__RGSSUlKmNwfeyvk0tztz7fCQj8DY-KlfXeNMLameABeMzP2Fs3zIM_yAogvKwNe5SEuYFsAeJgwwYpu-taxk-xXOTb5nYbFaqCDKdCHe0IZIGFdzEY7lRfN7C/s800/Treasures%20in%20heaven%20matthew%206%2021.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bq5xomelO8JpVMEiBQdBYDVXD6QpF3LdR2uFwEAySF1w9bB1XIEW1tLk-wFXRUKAT__RGSSUlKmNwfeyvk0tztz7fCQj8DY-KlfXeNMLameABeMzP2Fs3zIM_yAogvKwNe5SEuYFsAeJgwwYpu-taxk-xXOTb5nYbFaqCDKdCHe0IZIGFdzEY7lRfN7C/w640-h640/Treasures%20in%20heaven%20matthew%206%2021.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>The thing about salvation is that those who have accepted it are blessed in every circumstance. We are blessed not because of any material abundance or physical attributes. We are blessed because this world is not our home. </p><p>I thank Jesus for my salvation. I thank him for taking on the punishment for my sins of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I thank him for his suffering in my place. I thank God in heaven for letting me wake up this morning and see this day.</p><p>This birthday is just another day of blessing. I'm happy to have made it this far.</p><p>Peace</p><p>--Free</p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-20654833667559971132023-06-25T10:02:00.003-05:002023-06-26T10:39:41.048-05:00Right vs Wrong & Bizarro World<p> The first time I heard someone use the term <a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bizarro%20world" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bizarro World</a>, I had to ask what that meant. Looking around me over the past few years, I think we are living deeply in that very place.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpUCyja9c84d83A3DvvH0GiU9eRQYP-sSNJbBaRQwOivTxe7sJ_cDD52gAIeKps-oCPEnbnUmDocXFo4Hz3QEv0kO3rQLiQYDrmCGhDZfpE6gMbETLfh3pyNTDaJiIIw76iuChiCvaS7shYMD2Lp2pYjuXpXSHCj92seAJ692LGtoesjkmFuJfS5sNf9d/s807/Bizarro%20World%20via%20Urban%20Dictionary%20with%20source.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="807" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpUCyja9c84d83A3DvvH0GiU9eRQYP-sSNJbBaRQwOivTxe7sJ_cDD52gAIeKps-oCPEnbnUmDocXFo4Hz3QEv0kO3rQLiQYDrmCGhDZfpE6gMbETLfh3pyNTDaJiIIw76iuChiCvaS7shYMD2Lp2pYjuXpXSHCj92seAJ692LGtoesjkmFuJfS5sNf9d/w640-h440/Bizarro%20World%20via%20Urban%20Dictionary%20with%20source.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The Bible warned us.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlK19ttzujKuRncD5gGTnUdgApwASqBc1QbXKzlN_4q0kp2ok2zr91E9jFXlBg0ZMpm63u_FpkH89oLJmG8clhvjxLTE8e54_sT0ksMkE-Ep0M82niTAx1C1YK3SsGT5wT4E4rwPFDfR8rN4F7PRm93NN3UMFOiBfC6dwf3AmM-awHn3X7wM9-y-b9vqA/s961/ESV%20dot%20com%202%20Timothy%204%203%20and%204%20with%20source.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="961" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlK19ttzujKuRncD5gGTnUdgApwASqBc1QbXKzlN_4q0kp2ok2zr91E9jFXlBg0ZMpm63u_FpkH89oLJmG8clhvjxLTE8e54_sT0ksMkE-Ep0M82niTAx1C1YK3SsGT5wT4E4rwPFDfR8rN4F7PRm93NN3UMFOiBfC6dwf3AmM-awHn3X7wM9-y-b9vqA/w640-h178/ESV%20dot%20com%202%20Timothy%204%203%20and%204%20with%20source.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">When I read those verses from 2 Timothy, I think of all the churches with leaders who, if they teach the Bible at all, teach it wrongly. There are so many prosperity preachers ("name it and claim it blab it and grab it"), health-and-wellness preachers, and lifestyle coaching preachers that they almost drown out the preachers of the gospel. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I have seen entire "sermons" by some celebrity pastors without ever hearing anything about Jesus. Seriously. (At the end of this post, I will list some YouTube channels that expose these non-teachers of the true gospel.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Of course, I look at the faults in the church before I look at the faults in the world. However, the lines between the church and the world are becoming blurry. The church (the Church) should be a light to the world. And the world needs a lot of light...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I am no longer into politics the way I was around 10 or 12 years ago. Politics, politicians, and party supporters... it all stressed me out. I stopped being able to focus on any of it and was just hearing a lot of white noise. Recently, though, I read <a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/chris-christies-attack-on-trump-draws-boos-faith-and-freedom.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this article</a> on <a href="https://www.christianpost.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Christian Post</a> and delved a bit further, and found this video.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lpZ5LWzMMTs" width="320" youtube-src-id="lpZ5LWzMMTs"></iframe></div>Trump is not the only politician with a character problem but he's the only one I've ever heard say anything like this:<blockquote>"I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters." (Candidate Donald Trump during his presidential campaign in 2016 at a rally in Iowa) <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/23/464129029/donald-trump-i-could-shoot-somebody-and-i-wouldnt-lose-any-voters" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">source</a><br /><div></div></blockquote><p>He didn't shoot anyone but he went on to behave like a rude and insolent spoiled brat and... he was right about not losing any voters. (Don't forget that he once stood at a podium in front of cameras and mocked a disabled person.) Many people continue to idolize this man and support him in his prideful foolishness - including many Christians or other people of faith. Some people literally <i>idolize</i> him. Sadly, he continues to behave badly.</p><p>Trump is not the only one who was (is) hero-worshipped. I saw the same thing up close with Obama in 2008 and Hillary Clinton in 2016. I had friends of all races, faiths, and socioeconomic statuses acting as if Obama was the real Neo. During Clinton's run against Trump, I knew people who needed medication when she lost to him. (To my shame, I was a bit on board the first time Obama ran.) </p><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7ohufjSb0yFgdGRwn7ARZJroaAOszsXAhZ1xTxYGJiVBiP_12DetGJRhBPh57UXGt-GTo030k6v1xZCuYrNeLfof3nleE-YtW4c_phJAQZzYYWPoTTkL5cYq1WggyfDinTT48a8UriTsH1Btz7_1VlCt0KrCD6-6dY0qJGZODYAIB5sc-Q1fekm_sLUG/s823/ESV%20dot%20com%20Isaiah%205%2020%20with%20source.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="823" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7ohufjSb0yFgdGRwn7ARZJroaAOszsXAhZ1xTxYGJiVBiP_12DetGJRhBPh57UXGt-GTo030k6v1xZCuYrNeLfof3nleE-YtW4c_phJAQZzYYWPoTTkL5cYq1WggyfDinTT48a8UriTsH1Btz7_1VlCt0KrCD6-6dY0qJGZODYAIB5sc-Q1fekm_sLUG/w568-h236/ESV%20dot%20com%20Isaiah%205%2020%20with%20source.png" width="568" /></a></div></blockquote><p> When I was scanning the news at The Christian Post, I saw this headline:<a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/presbyterian-church-in-san-franciso-hosts-all-ages-drag-show.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> <i>Historic Presbyterian church in San Franciso hosts all-ages 'Drag Queen Bible Story Hour'</i></a></p><p>That hurt but after I read the attached mention of "(The) Church's Facebook page: <i>"For the gift of Drag Queens, O God, we give you thanks!”</i> I didn't have the emotional energy to read the article. </p><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3HDjZVpvP9-zSuYaAZyj1iSLQPc6AyOuF9757VIdUrj7YIFN7ktdwR3PWmE3n_iSe9xHQ80KrSpIZbeJuFrUz7WqDdiH0RhBhvZmWJyXetxJrdIGlOZ7TTmrO6hbhvho42sedrGs0_ILVTANyv7lng4I1CPo7s8uW3yw6IbPTjDhx5aLxgxQ9sTMyjUG/s896/ESV%20dot%20com%20Proverbs%2017%2015%20with%20source.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="896" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3HDjZVpvP9-zSuYaAZyj1iSLQPc6AyOuF9757VIdUrj7YIFN7ktdwR3PWmE3n_iSe9xHQ80KrSpIZbeJuFrUz7WqDdiH0RhBhvZmWJyXetxJrdIGlOZ7TTmrO6hbhvho42sedrGs0_ILVTANyv7lng4I1CPo7s8uW3yw6IbPTjDhx5aLxgxQ9sTMyjUG/w623-h127/ESV%20dot%20com%20Proverbs%2017%2015%20with%20source.png" width="623" /></a></div></blockquote><p> While it's painful to watch the world accept "alternate facts" and tout having "their own truth" it's worse to watch it happen among people who call themselves Christian. </p><p>I was watching a popular crime series a couple of weeks ago The show follows real police as they try to solve crimes. In one episode featuring a truly senseless murder of some young people, one of the detectives explained why "senseless" murder has become so common among young people. His theory (I paraphrase) is that people don't mind dying if they don't feel tomorrow is worth living for. </p><p>Bizarro world. </p><p>Whenever I bring up in conversation how horrible the world is becoming, I'm usually told that the world isn't worse, the news is just better spread. That may be true but it's also true that the bad news is more accepted. </p><p>When is the last time you were shocked at hearing a news story about a school shooting or a high-speed police chase or a child killing their parents? I'm no longer shocked when someone tells me that they have had multiple sex partners or have gotten an abortion or have had an STD. I'm not shocked and they are not embarrassed.</p><p>We need to stop letting jargon dictate our behavior. People who are saving their virginity for marriage are called "prudes" or "repressed". The same thing goes for singles who are no longer married and are abstaining. Young people who don't practice all the YOLO behavior of their peers are looked at as being weird or somehow stunted.</p><p>Trying to live a Christian life is seen as odd. I'm fine with that - as a mature woman. It's the young people I worry about. They face more pressure today than ever and have less stable role models to guide them. They need to remember what Jesus told his apostles about being hated for his name's sake.</p><p>We need ministers and teachers in the faith who are Bible-led. We need a world that is not Bizarro. </p><p>Of course, none of the bells can be unrung. Those of us who are redeemed have to stand strong. We have to share our testimonies. We have to encourage one another. We have to stay cloaked in prayer. Hopefully, it won't be long before the war is done.</p><p>Finally, I truly believe that one of the reasons we Christians get caught in the traps of Bizzaro World ministers and teachers is that we don't follow the command to be discerning. God's Word instructs us, again and again, to test and verify what men tell us:</p><blockquote><p><a href="https://www.esv.org/Acts+17/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 17:11</a>: "Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." This passage highlights the Berean Jews' practice of carefully studying the Scriptures to verify the teachings they received.</p><p><a href="https://www.esv.org/1+Thessalonians+5/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1 Thessalonians 5:21</a>: "Test everything; hold fast what is good." This verse encourages believers to examine and evaluate all things, including teachings and prophecies, and to hold onto what is true and beneficial.</p><p><a href="https://www.esv.org/1+John+4/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1 John 4:1</a>: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." Here, believers are urged to test and evaluate spiritual teachings and messages to discern whether they align with the truth of God.</p><p><a href="https://www.esv.org/Matthew+7/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew 7:15-16</a>: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits." This verse emphasizes the importance of examining the character and actions of those who claim to speak for God.</p></blockquote><p>By the way, throughout the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRj8AJuzeJRwHdeFua3pzmwPB_JCS0mIq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Learn the Buble in 24 Hours</a> series, Chuck Missler frequently reminds students of Acts 17:11, saying "Don't take my word for it!" Try to remember that as you sit in a pulpit or under the teaching of anyone.</p><p>Peace</p><p>--Free</p><p><br /></p><p>P.S. I took the screenshots from ESV.org where you can read the Bible online. And here are some of the YouTube channels that I have found helpful:</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@LongforTruth1/featured" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Long For Truth</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@koinoniahouse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Koinonia House</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MelissaDougherty" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Melissa Dougherty</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@StevenKozarMessedUpChurch" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Messed Up Church</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Fighting4theFaith" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fighting 4 the Faith</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@JustinPetersMin" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Justin Peters Ministry</a></p><p><br /></p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-76096437958007065252023-06-10T09:12:00.002-05:002023-06-10T09:18:02.209-05:00Isn’t a Horrible Thing Is Always a Horrible Thing?<p> I watched this video and was mad. </p><p>This woman had a child and let it die. She buried it somewhere.</p><p>At first, I felt compassion for this woman (and still feel some). Then I finished watching the video and learned that she'd done the same thing before. And I got real mad. But then... I really thought about all the comments of outrage (including my own) and wondered about something. What is the difference in what this woman did and the women who go to clinics and do the same thing every day?</p><p>A baby discarded is a baby discarded. Why does it make such a difference in where and how it's done? Here is the video.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/whc_BjR18OQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="whc_BjR18OQ"></iframe></div><br /><p>Go and read the comments. Hear the anger and disgust. Now go look up stories of people advocating for medical abortions.</p><p>This woman was not raped or taken advantage of in any way. She had a man in her life who obviously loved her and was willing to marry her. She was not a confused teenager. She had options. She just did not want to deal with the consequences of having sex.</p><p>What is different about her and most of the women who walk into clinics every day and do the same thing she did: get rid of an unwanted child?</p><p>I'm waiting for the hatred that will be coming my way because of voicing this opinion in the YouTube comments. Oh boy. </p><p>Peace</p><p>--Free</p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-53837311421014531432023-06-04T11:33:00.005-05:002023-06-04T11:33:57.369-05:00**QUICK POST** Love Challenge, Life Challenge<p> From my Bible study session this morning, here is a challenge. Look at 1 Corinthians 13:1-7. Now put Jesus's name in the place of "love". Perfect, right? Now, put <i>your</i> name in the place of "love". How'd you do? I failed. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKCqR_HwSVatrkew0L3dV-_SpuoeI-pUVmPxpVj4WA1yc0ZiCbrhhRfwTAa6gmj9mYBmiHxXjmF8R0jJlPVAXf6xMm8umXXMSNHVd_qcqvkpxNCJ2coa4holleOqTWsZzPJJv0-KLsfb32WHeoOrWCv08mAd9S285iEFs10kxhpol2Sezww_YNCc80g/s2527/Love%20is%20Challenge%20ScriptureMark-Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="2527" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKCqR_HwSVatrkew0L3dV-_SpuoeI-pUVmPxpVj4WA1yc0ZiCbrhhRfwTAa6gmj9mYBmiHxXjmF8R0jJlPVAXf6xMm8umXXMSNHVd_qcqvkpxNCJ2coa4holleOqTWsZzPJJv0-KLsfb32WHeoOrWCv08mAd9S285iEFs10kxhpol2Sezww_YNCc80g/w640-h250/Love%20is%20Challenge%20ScriptureMark-Untitled.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>It's never a bad thing to check ourselves. It's always a good thing to check ourselves against the Bible's teachings. Our attitude, behavior, goals, and focus.</p><p>I am so thankful to the late Chuck Missler and Koinonia House Ministries. The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRj8AJuzeJRwHdeFua3pzmwPB_JCS0mIq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Learn the Bible in 24 Hours video series</a> is such a wonderful tool for personal and small-group Bible study. This is the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@koinoniahouse/featured" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">KHousee YouTube channel</a> and this is the <a href="https://www.khouse.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>. For serious Bible study, check out the <a href="https://koinoniainstitute.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Koinonia House Institute</a>. All the teaching is <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/who-Bereans.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Berean</a>-based.</p><p>Peace</p><p>--Free</p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-21625319534046656212023-06-03T09:22:00.000-05:002023-06-03T09:22:15.570-05:00**RELEVANT NEWS** June 3, 2023<p> Because I sometimes think we Christians don't hold each other accountable, I am going to start sharing relevant news I run across. The "world" and the "skeptics" are watching for the worst in those who call themselves Christian. When someone sees news involving those who call themselves Christian, what must they think? Hopefully, they will see more positives than negatives.</p><p>I am hoping that I will be able to find more positive stories than negative ones. At any rate, this is the first post.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li></li><li><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pastor-son-charged-with-dealing-weed-mushrooms-out-of-north-carolina-church/ar-AA1c2ZmL" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Pastor, son charged with dealing weed, mushrooms out of North Carolina church</span></a></li><li></li><li><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/preachers-stand-hijacking-faith-christian-nationalists-1804261" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Preachers to Stand Up to 'Hijacking' of Faith by Christian Nationalists</span></a></li><li></li><li><a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/ex-dave-ramsey-followers-sue-him-for-more-than-150-million.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Ex-Dave Ramsey followers sue him for more than $150M over endorsement of failed timeshare exit company</span></a></li></ul><br />That's it for this post. Let's remember to pray for each other and pray for discernment.<p></p><div>Peace</div><div>--Free</div>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-24497075194170894202023-05-28T11:20:00.002-05:002023-05-28T11:20:25.259-05:00Something to Watch<p> I've been <a href="https://youtu.be/XLhL8gB65Go" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hearing about this</a> and never had the chance to see it. Found it here and am now watching it. Check it out:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XLhL8gB65Go" width="320" youtube-src-id="XLhL8gB65Go"></iframe></div><br /><p>Not sure if I should have the imbed so, if it deletes, just click the link.</p><p>Peace</p><p>--Free</p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-83851649070457368002023-05-26T10:56:00.001-05:002023-05-26T10:56:39.273-05:00The Reason for All the Crime & Hate<p> While scanning the news this morning, a few headlines caught my attention:</p><p>1. <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/tv/watch-remarkably-calm-woman-reassures-tv-reporter-as-barrage-of-bullets-disrupts-interview/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Woman Calmly Reassures TV Reporter Amidst Gunfire</a></p><p>2. <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/indiana-doctor-reprimanded-performing-10-year-olds-abortion-telling-reporter-egregious-violation" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doctor in Indiana Disciplined for Performing Abortion on 10-Year-Old</a></p><p>3.<a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/gabby-petito-case-brian-laundries-mother-promised-son-shovel-garbage-bag-jailhouse-cake-in-love-letter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Brian Laundrie's Mother Promised Him Shovel and Garbage Bag</a></p><p>4.<a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ap-us-mississippi-police-indictment_n_646fefb2e4b0047ed77aa57b" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Body-Cam Footage Shows Ex-Police Officers Laughing at Man's Custody Death</a></p><p>These headlines made me reflect on the diminishing value we seem to place on human life. It appears that we have forgotten the preciousness and sacredness of every life, regardless of race or any other factor.</p><p>In today's America, it often feels like we expect crime and violence to be a part of our lives. Some places that were once peaceful and safe are now plagued by crime. I remember growing up in a tranquil Anchorage, Alaska, but when I left eight years ago, fear of crime played a role in my decision. Crime seemed to have spread throughout the city, erasing any sense of safety. This situation is not unique to Anchorage; it's a problem in many parts of the United States.</p><p>When we consider the teachings of love and reverence in the Bible, it becomes clear that disregarding them has caused our hearts to grow cold and hardened. We have become prideful and adopted an attitude of self-importance.</p><p>Recently, during a Bible study, I came across <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/nasb95/pro/6/16-19/s_634016" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Proverbs 6:16-19</a>, which highlights seven things the Lord hates. Let's reflect on these in light of our current social issues:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>1. Haughty eyes</p><p>2. A lying tongue</p><p>3. Hands that shed innocent blood</p><p>4. A heart that devises wicked plans</p><p>5. Feet that run rapidly to evil</p><p>6. A false witness who utters lies</p><p>7. One who spreads strife among brothers</p></blockquote><p>Now, read the news and see if we are not in a state of rebellion. I remember a time when most people would be ashamed to engage in any of these seven detestable acts.</p><p>In the realm of politics, we have witnessed a decline in honor and integrity. Politicians can now openly support the killing of unborn children and endorse sinful lifestyles without significant consequences. It is disheartening to see individuals in public positions with such viewpoints.</p><p>Shame and sin exist in every political party. Former and current presidents have applauded individuals living openly sinful lives, praising their "courage." One former president even boasted that he could commit murder on a busy street without losing voters. And sadly, he was proven right. This same individual once mocked a disabled reporter before his supporters.</p><p>Our current president has appointed transgender individuals to positions in the White House, and it has become the norm for openly gay and lesbian citizens to run for political office.</p><p>What is happening to our society? Should we be surprised? Not if we believe the Bible. Reflecting on the list from Proverbs, I fear we are headed down a troubling path:</p><p></p><blockquote><div>"Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.</div><div><br /></div><div>For this reason, God gave them over to degrading passions; f<i>or<b> their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts</b></i> and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.</div><div><br /></div><div>And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper." (Romans 1:24-28, NASB) [<i><b>my bold italics</b>]</i></div></blockquote><p></p><p>While I'm not focusing on any specific sin in this post, as we are all sinners, I would like to ask any proud member of the LGBTQ community who claims salvation to consider the bolded and italicized portion of the Bible passage.</p><p>For the rest of us sinners, how will we face God when the time comes? Will we humbly stand before Him clothed in the blood of Jesus, or will we approach Him with unchecked pride and sin?</p><p>Peace</p><p>--Free</p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169642016809985247.post-45994024144640595562023-05-15T01:01:00.000-05:002023-05-15T01:01:27.506-05:00What Christianity Is and Is Not<p> So many people who are not Christian have a such bad view of Christianity. In most cases, this may be because of how they see our faith being represented by people who only call themselves "Christian". I myself sometimes find it hard to separate the Christian faith from some of the poor examples I see. But as with anything, people can adopt any label they like but the proof is in their living.</p><p>Why are there so many poor examples of the Christian faith? I think it most often comes down to ignorance. Someone may be just have been born into a tradition that they don't understand or they got caught up in a cult or a fad. And for a lot of people, it's that they are under teachers of false doctrines.</p><p>Many people (like myself) can end up in Christian churches that are not good for them so they don't even know what it is to truly be<a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/become-a-Christian.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> a Christian</a>. Maybe the person is not yet a Christian and doesn't know better. Maybe they are Christians who don't study their Bible - and so they don't know better. Maybe (and I think this is the most common reason) they put too much faith in the leader(s) of their church.</p><p>I'm no scholar but I am growing in my faith. I want to point out some signs of churches and "Christians" to avoid. Along the way, I hope you learn something about the faith - the true faith that is Christianity. By the way, when I use the term "true Christian", I mean one who is earnestly wanting to learn what Christianity is and is not. I will start with churches.</p><p>Avoid a church that...</p><ul><li> Is affiliated with the <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/New-Apostolic-Reformation.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New Apostolic Reformation </a>(<a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/New-Apostolic-Church.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NAR</a>). The lovely hosts of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@LongforTruth1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Long For Truth YouTube channel</a> have a series of videos about the NAR and point to this webpage of <a href="https://narconnections.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NAR-connected ministries</a> and this page of <a href="https://www.themessedupchurch.com/blog/a-glossary-of-new-apostolic-reformation-terminology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NAR terminology</a>.</li><li>Uses something in addition to or instead of the Bible as an authority,</li><li>or that teaches from "Bibles" that don't aren't actual or accurate translations - such as <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/The-Message-MSG.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Message</a> - which may or may not be fine for casual reading. (Because there are several translations, here is <a href="https://godsword.org/pages/bible-translation-guide" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">one guide that I've used</a>. By the way, I currently use the eSword to access several, including the KJV, NKJV, and NASB. I also <a href="https://freeandfaith.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-readable-bible-trb-version.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">recently got a copy of the TRB</a>, which I love for casual reading before bed.)</li><li>Has "prophets" with failed prophecies.</li><li>Has leaders who are always getting a "fresh revelation" or are hearing from God. </li><li>Teaches that "you are god" too.</li><li>Aligns with the teachings of any pastor who doesn't follow the teachings of the Bible.</li><li>Teaches that Jesus was just a good man or teacher but doesn't recognize <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/divinity-of-Christ.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">his divine nature</a>.</li><li>Focuses on your <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Joel-Osteen.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">feelings</a>, <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/prosperity-gospel.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wealth, and health</a> instead of your salvation.</li><li>Welcomes sin with open arms instead of welcoming sinners with reasons to change.</li><li>Loves the sin more than they love the sinner.</li><li>Strives to entertain rather than to instruct.</li><li>Cares more about what people think about the church rather than what Jesus thinks about the people.</li><li>Teaches <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/ecumenism-ecumenical.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ecumenism</a> and <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/tolerance-vs-convictions.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tolerance </a>rather than truth and instruction. This is a current trend today with the LGBTQ community <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/homosexuality-Bible.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">clashing with biblical teaching</a>.</li><li>Worries more about <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/dominion-theology.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ruling this world </a>and <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/kingdom-now.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">kingdoms here on earth</a> than the King and kingdom to come.</li><li>Teach from the minds of the pastors rather than from the Word of God.</li><li>Teaches <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/tithing-Christian.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tithing </a>as a requirement rather than as from personal willingness.</li><li>Allows <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/women-pastors.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">women pastors</a>.</li><li>Does not carefully monitor what is done with its resources.</li><li>Does not have a good <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/church-structure.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">church structure</a> and oversight of leaders.</li><li>Encourages/approves of practices such as <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-yoga.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">yoga </a>("<a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/holy-yoga.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">holy</a>" or otherwise), the <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Enneagram-of-Personality.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Enneagram</a>, mysticism, and other unbiblical teachings.</li><li>Is based more on the personality of the pastor than the teachings of the Bible.</li><li><a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Charismatic-movement.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Is a "charismatic" church</a>. (By the way, I spent my pre-teens in a charismatic church much like <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Charismatic-movement.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">those of today</a>.)</li></ul><div>Avoid a church that doesn't...</div><div><ul><li>Recognize the <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Trinity-Bible.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trinity </a>as <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-the-Trinity.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3 distinct personalities</a>.</li><li>Love you with the truth of <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/gospel-message.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Gospel</a>.</li><li>Encourage you to <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/why-read-Bible.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">study the Bible</a> for yourself the Word of God.</li><li>Teach strictly from the Bible.</li></ul><div>Any church that is okay with...</div><div><ul><li>Everyone <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/gift-of-tongues.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"speaking in tongues"</a> (or, as in many churches, speaking in unintelligible and uninterpreted gibberish).</li><li>Getting <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Spirit-slain.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"slain" in the spirit.</a></li><li>Being out of control with dancing and shouting as an expression of the "Holy Ghost". See 1 <a href="https://nasb.literalword.com/?q=1+Corinthians+14%3A26-33" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Corinthians 14:26-33</a>, <a href="https://nasb.literalword.com/?q=1+Corinthians+14%3A40" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">14:40</a> and <a href="https://nasb.literalword.com/?q=John+4%3A24" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John 4:24</a>)</li><li>Their leaders accumulating a mass of wealth for personal use.</li></ul><div>Look for a church...</div><div><ul><li>With a pastor and leaders who adhere to biblical guidelines for their positions.</li><li>That worship with order and reverence.</li><li>Where the Bible is the<a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/sola-scriptura.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> final authority</a> and focuses on teaching from the Bible about salvation and the gospel.</li><li>That isn't concerned with trying to "help" God rule in this earthly kingdom.</li><li>Who helps members grow in their <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/definition-of-faith.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">faith </a>and <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/purpose-of-prayer.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">prayer </a>life and <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-discernment.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">discernment</a>.</li><li>That equips members in building and keeping their "<a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/full-armor-of-God.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armour of God</a>" in the best shape.</li></ul></div><div>Even as a Christian who is still learning and growing in my relationship with the Lord, I am often shocked at what goes on in so many churches. When I see a service where people are running around, speaking gibberish, and being "slain" by someone breathing on them or tapping them on the forehead... A lot of services are unruly and chaotic. That is completely unbiblical.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Many so-called pastors, leaders, and teachers have made theirs a ministry of money. They have private jets and lavish homes. Seeing all the Joyce Meyers, Benny Hinns, Creflo Dollars, etc. reminds me of rock stars and celebrities - not the Apostles. Those and many other <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/false-teachers.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">false teachers</a> are truly living the "love of money" sin.</div><div><br /></div><div>And the problems are not limited to the big-name deceivers. There are many individuals with sizeable numbers of YouTube followers who are just as bad. Every time I see a channel creator with "Apostle", "Prophet/Prophetess", "The Divine", "Reverend Mother", or some such thing attached to their name, I cringe. This current generation is one that thrives on social media and other internet interactions for almost everything in their lives. Where better for charlatans and ego-greedy people to find an audience?</div><div><br /></div><div>For anyone who professes a belief in God and salvation through Jesus, please get to know the Bible. Read, study, and pray for discernment. <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/who-Bereans.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Be like the Bereans</a> and question the authenticity of what you are hearing in church. Is it biblical, is it edifying, is it leading you more toward the Lord than to worldly things. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Bible teaches what we need to know about the church, church leaders, and the Christian life. In the TRB version of the Bible, I find it easy to locate such teaching and it might be helpful for the new Christian. For example, in Ephesians, there are directions given to us.</div><div><br /></div><div>All you need to know to live your life for the Lord is taught in the Bible. As I have within most of this post, I will share articles from GotQuestions.org for some starting points that I myself find easy to read and understand and that will lead you to further study. </div><div><ul><li><a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-life.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Living the Christian life</a> in the community and in the home. (I also like studying <a href="https://nasb.literalword.com/?q=Ephesians+4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ephesians chapters 4</a>, <a href="https://nasb.literalword.com/?q=Ephesians+5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">5</a>, and <a href="https://nasb.literalword.com/?q=Ephesians+6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">6</a>, and <a href="https://nasb.literalword.com/?q=Philippians+1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Philippians 1</a>, <a href="https://nasb.literalword.com/?q=Philippians+2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2</a>, and <a href="https://nasb.literalword.com/?q=Philippians+3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3</a>)</li><li><a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/who-is-Jesus.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Who is Jesus</a>? <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/is-Jesus-God.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Is Jesus God</a>? <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-God-man.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How can Jesus be both God and man at the same time</a>?</li><li><a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/salvation-faith-alone.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Faith alone</a>? <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/faith-alone.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yes, faith alone</a>! - not tithing, tongues, or any other work.</li><li>The <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Republican-Democrat.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian and political affiliations</a> and <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-politics.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">politics in general</a>. Understanding <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-nationalism.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian nationalism</a>.</li><li>Take reassurance in <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-Romans.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Romans</a>.</li></ul><div>Understand that if you have accepted the gift of salvation, it doesn't guarantee you health, wealth, or a problem-free existence. It does mean that you are eternally secure. When you accepted Jesus's gift, you were <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/justification-by-faith.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">justified</a>, you are <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/sanctified.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sanctified</a>, and when you die, you will be <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/glorification.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">glorified</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you want salvation, <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/become-a-Christian.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">it's a free gift</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Peace</div><div>--Free</div></div></div><p></p>FreeBeinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492528146562184778noreply@blogger.com0