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...the countless commandments from Christ to love one another. Which is most displeasing to Christ, one that honestly expresses an interpretation of scripture that is incorrect or an unkind response to the one expressing the interpretation? If, after lovingly sharing the word, one finds that they are unable to persuade another, then it's probably best to say "I appreciate your perspective but disagree. Fortunately, we will all one day know the 100% truth about everything! Until then, God bless you my brother/sister!"

Yes, here it is: Genesis 8:22 "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." We know that God keeps His word when He enters into a covenant. Therefore, as long as the earth remains, it won't be destroyed by the sun or in a nuclear war. Why? Because God said that it would not. Selah

True or false?

Troll? Seriously? Plus he has testified numerous times that he WAS catholic..... I don't think there is any thing controversial in his questions- the people who reply are accountable for the way they answer So,I must agree with Michael-" Lighten up" ,stick to the Topic & debate that if you like but not the person,remember our ToS With love in Christ, Kwik

Honestly, I had no idea that I was being "controversial". I thought I was asking legitimate questions. I'm grateful to be here as I have learned much in such a short time and I have grown even stronger in my faith and I have been taking what I learn here and have shared it elsewhere. Additionally, I have shared this community with others and have encouraged them to participate.

Here's the inconvenient truth about global warming. Unless China and India start to manage their greenhouse gas emissions, there's nothing the western countries can do to control the resultant weather conditions.

Church by definition is referring to an assembly. In reference to the bible, it is referring to an assembly of God's people. Even the Israelites were called a church in the OT. I would say when two or more are gathered in his name its a church. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and [with] our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: - Act 7:38 KJV And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and the assembly [The Church] was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. - Lev 8:4 KJV Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation [Church] of the children of Israel. - Num 14:5 KJV

@Dave-regenerated Easy up there. @Not of the World I hope you will forgive the above poster for his harsh assessment. I believe I have an understanding of your ex-Roman Catholic status and curiosity, and I don't mind your conversational style of posting which I perceive is not malevolent but rather indicative of your desire to engage at a particular level. I hope we can all edify one another as per Scripture, and I do regard Worthy Christian Forums as an online ekklesia with both advantages and disadvantages,(like most, have you read Corinthians?), ekklesias as such being where 2 or 3 are gathered in the Lord's Name with Him in the midst. Blessings from Michael37

You persuaded me to see the truth. Thank you!

These days especially, it seems not a lot of time passes before some Christian leader is exposed for being... well, human. And much is made about it in the press and various mediums. And jumping in with both heels most often are Believers responding to the herd mentality. I remember being in that herd a long time ago when a very prominent Pastor and Christian radio teacher had an adulterous affair. You could hear the disgust in the announcer's voice as he signed off for the last time the hour long daily radio broadcast this fallen pastor taught. I literally tore my clothes over it when I heard it. A few years later I saw this pastor as he was taken under the wing of another prominent pastor in Southern California (who allowed him to be a junior part of his ministry). At first I was incensed. This man who brought disgrace to the name of Jesus and given rise to those who mock his holy name. But then it occurred to me, though I have never committed adultery... I am not without sin and could not cast the first stone. John 8 opened my eyes about the Christ who while even under the Law of Moses exercised Grace to the woman caught in the act of adultery. Question: Are we unrealistic about our expectations of ourselves and others? And do we place an extra burden on those few men and women who step up into ministry (not taking into account that they are greater targets of the enemy)? Yes yes there are biblical criteria for being a leader in the faith... but are we to count their failures as the unpardonable sins?

Blessings Brother Yes,I do believe most people have very unrealistic expectations,more so towards people in Ministry.Be it the ladies who volunteer to work in the church cafeteria ,to the ushers and everyone along the way to lead Pastor. These are our Brothers & Sisters,we all have our flaws,we make mistakes,we will inevitably be unable to fill everyone's expectations and therefore we should not be surprised when someone stumbles or falls- no,we should be there to help them to their feet and be forgiving I don't like to talk about men (& women of God)- I don't like hearing slander or accusations,I'm not their judge .... As a child I was taught that if you have nothing nice to say,say nothing. I've tried to live by that.Pastors & leaders are held to a higher standard by the Lord God Almighty,they have assumed a position that bears great responsibilities so if they fall and then repent we should certainly be supportive,don't you agree? I'm Forgiven,and everytime I err I'm Forgiven- I can at least pay it forward... With love in Christ,Kwik

I witness to this, brother. About 15 or so years ago during a particularly difficult time, the Lord spoke two words (rhema) to me. “Do not build a case against your brethern and beware the root of bitterness”. That has been very helpful.

I think I will hold my peace concerning any judgement on this one. Yes, those in authority are held to a higher standard. As you said, John, those on the front line of the battles with the enemy are the ones getting wounded the most, as in any war. The body of Christ (the army of God) is the only army that does not take their fallen brothers in arms and tend to their wounds, but spit on them. We fight not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Some day, if we are on the front lines and not just a pew sitter, we may also fall to the enemy. "For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged" Matthew 7:2 Sounds pretty ominous. My second bible verse I purposed to memorize yrs back is; "He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace" "Whoever shows contempt for his neighbor lacks judgment, but a man of understanding remains silent" "It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor; a sensible person keeps quiet' Proverbs 11:12, 3ea versions. 7 x 70 = a lot......

Matthew 18:20- my dear friend lives in California,y'all know her @RustyAngeL When we get to Praising and Worshiping we say" we are having " church" right now- HALLELUYAH! Yep,just need 2...... With love in Christ, Kwik

This might be an appropriate time to post the history of the word "church" now in common usage to refer to both local, geographical congregations, and the general theographical assembly of believers everywhere past, present, future. From my notes: The word church is not an accurate translation of the original Greek word "ekklesia". Act 7:37-38 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. (38) This is he, that was in the ekklesia in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: 1Cor 1:2 Unto the ekklesia of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Kuriakon actually means “pertaining to the lord.” It is used twice in scripture: 1 Cor 11:20 The “ Lord’s [ kuriakon]supper;” and Rev 1:10, the “ Lord’s [ kuriakon] day.” In those passages it is the supper belonging to the Lord and the day belonging to the Lord respectively. Kuriakon, kirche, and church, all meant simply a religious building originally used by pagans and later used by Christians following pagan customs. Christians originally didn’t use buildings, which distinguished them from the pagans whose focus was on building, statues, ritual and physical objects. [Copied from The Origin Of The Word Church at scribd.com] Throughout the Greek world and right down to NT times (cf. Acts 19:39), ekklesia was the designation of the regular assembly of the whole body of citizens in a free city-state, “called out” (Gr, ek, “out,” and kalein, “to call”) by the herald for the discussion and decision of public business (Lambert 1929, 651).

To answer the OP... Everywhere people who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God go is Church. 1 Corinthians 3:16 (KJV) 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? An argument can be made that we are not physically "here"on this board. But this is most definitely a gathering place. Matthew 18:20 (KJV) 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. We can knit pick all day long about words and their meaning "Church" "here" etc. but what truly matters only... is if we are truly saved, and if we are then the above applies.

The "climate change" movement is of the world and discerning Christians should know better than to follow or believe things being advocated by the world.

I fully agree. Jesus will righteously judge the hearts and minds of each of us.

False. There is no online message board for Christians that can be called the church. I've been on about 5 and currently am just here. But even Worthy is not a church. Why? Because the church, according to the Bible, has a list of jobs to do that can only be done in person, corporately, and as a body. Partake of the Lord's Supper - Luke 22 - Jesus told the men he was physically with, to eat this as often as they wanted, but to always do this in remembrance of him. Take physical care of the communities widows and orphans - 1 Timothy 5 - Paul teaches Timothy, the young man, and new pastor, that the church is to pick up the slack in tending to the widows and orphans if their families won't do it. Physically assemble together and don't neglect that - Hebrews 10. Now some people cannot physically go to church because of their health. And for the rare few, they cannot find a Godly body that teaches and preaches the Bible. That's not all as the Bible has more to say, but I'll have too long of a post if I list the rest. To, me one of the primary reasons that online message boards are not the church is the plethora of different messages they teach/preach. For example: There are people here and on every other message board I've seen that have different opinions than me on minor issues and that's OK!! Peter and Paul didn't always see eye to eye. That's not what I am talking about. What I am talking about is that there will always be various and sundry people on every Bible message board who preach and teach heresy and anti-Biblical things. They are here at Worthy - a small handful. We are an online fellowship board.

In that case, using your definition, yes, it can be seen that way, but the true church is much more.

A Messianic Jew on Quora Digest posted: Why do most Jews believe Christ was a Jew but Messianic Jews are not (Jewish)? (the title question he was answering) I don’t think it is fair or accurate to say “most Jews” in the context of your question. You should rather more simply ask “In general why are there Jews who can accept Jesus as Jewish but not Messianic Jews”? If you want the most ancient reason there are angry Jews who can’t handle Messianic Judaism, the reason is that shortly after Jesus ascended there was a false Messiah called Bar Kochba who caused mass destruction for Jews when Rome destroyed his failed rebellion. JohnD reply: I would add that the Bar Kochba rebellion was a failed attempt to keep the Messianic prophecies in conjunction with the second temple. So, to date (1500 years later) no other messianic fulfillment has happened with relation to the second temple (which only Yeshua Jesus actually kept since it was to be before the destruction of the second temple not after ← which is when the Bar Kochba rebellion occurred). A Messianic Jew on Quora Digest posted As such, the followers of Bar Kochba who survived the failure, claimed it was the fault of the Messianic Jews who had such great numbers that their abstaining from the fight is the reason Bar Kochba lost. Of course this is nonsense but it did give a reason for some sects of Judaism at the time to see us as traitors. Now the reason why we did not join that fight is because Jesus directly warned Messianic Jews not to follow any other claim of Messiah. Simple hey? My fellow Messianic Jews of the time simply took their Rabbi’s advice and even fled when and how He warned them to just ahead of the disaster. JohnD reply: I would also add that the label of traitor / turn coat on Jewish believers in Jesus began long before the Bar Kochba rebellion. In fact shortly after the crucifixion of the LORD. A Messianic Jew on Quora Digest posted: If you want a more contemporary answer, the reason is because of the entire history Christianity being anti-Jewish. In fact badly so. I would even say that Christianity has done more harm to Jews and Judaism over it’s history, than Rome ever could have done to Jews. JohnD reply: The animosity between Jews and Christians began (as I said) shortly after the LORD was crucified, resurrected, and ascended to Heaven. Rome had yet to take up the persecution of Christians at the time. Jewish leaders pronounced Christianity a heretic sect to be put down even with capital punishment. The Apostle Paul before his conversion to Christ was among at least the witnesses of lynching and stoning of Jewish Christians. Then came the Bar Kochba rebellion when once for all the Jews became a stench in the nostrils of Rome and were exiled throughout the Empire while what remained of Jerusalem was plowed under leaving only the Temple Mount platform / wailing wall. Then Rome took up persecution of Christianity. Foxes Book of Martyrs goes into the gory details of how insidiously cruel it was. Then Constantine developed the strategy of making Rome a Christian empire in an attempt to prop up his crumbling realm with the cohesiveness he found in even the most persecuted of believers in Jesus. Then that adulterated Romanized version of Christianity turned its sites on Jews. The Crusades, the Inquisition, then the Pogroms, and even influence on the Holocaust came from the adulterated Romanized version of Christianity. Not from true Christianity! A Messianic Jew on Quora Digest posted: Add to this that Christians have, in the name of Jesus, falsely killed Jews, during the Crusades, even under the banner of a cross. So claiming that they were cleansing Jerusalem for Jesus was their motto. JohnD reply: Again, the Romanized version did this. And the Crusades were primarily aimed at pushing back Islam which had infiltrated not only Jerusalem but pressed as far as Gaul (Spain) in the Mediterranean region. I am a bit rusty on this point, but I recall that what Jews there were in the area at the time simply got caught in the middle between Roman Catholicism and Islam war. A Messianic Jew on Quora Digest posted: Of course again this is a false claim. However, uninformed Jews who become uninformed rabbi’s teach uninformed congregations to have uninformed hatred for people like me. So as a Messianic Jew I hear the same tired, old, worn out lies and misconceptions. When Jews tell me I am a Christian, they mean for it to be insulting. They are hurt, confused, upset and uninformed for all the reasons I have mentioned above. Also, do note that when Christianity is done properly, it actually must undermine Jews. Christianity is by definition, when done properly, racist. It has to consider Gentiles as replacing Jews. So logically that reason alone will make Jews distrust Christians and if they end up believing the lies about Messianic Jews being “Christian” with the history of Christianity I summarized, you can see the reason for the distrust, although those Jews who distrust a Jew like me are confused as I have noted. JohnD reply: Christianity is not the undermining of Jews. Galatians 3:24-25 clearly states that Judaism is a means to the Christian end. That in Christ there is no Jew or Gentile or male or female or free or slave (Galatians 3:28) That the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles is done away with in Christ (Ephesians 2:14-22) That Gentiles are grafted into the Jewish vine (Romans 11:1-32) It is therefore NOT replacement theology but INCLUSIVE theology Christianity is anti-racist. Christianity is what God intended first for the Jew then for the Gentile (Romans 1:16). My apologies to all for not answering these claims by this Messianic Jew sooner. I intended to save it as a draft to come back to later with these answers but it somehow got published. His frustration with the animosity from his own Jewish people has clearly tainted his view... along with some leaven of the Pharisees he had been taught about Christianity...

In other words, respect their dietary choices.

Troll... ahahahahahahaha sorry, dear Sister, it just struck me as very funny... Your giggling Brother in Christ

I think these words are very clear. I also think that perhaps the best or most important lesson is to have the heart to not cause offense. We need the Lord's wisdom and guidance for each life situation.

In your description" true"- for many,like Orange Cat " true" ... What Worthy is- is a Ministry .....and a Blessing! With love in Christ,Kwik

What?! No. I left the RCC about 6 years ago and I have shared (here) some of my reasons for doing so. If one is expected to exercise discernment in order to leave the RCC then it should be expected that one will exercise discernment with everything else, which includes asking many questions. I have mostly (but not always) expressed agreement with answers that I have been given because they have been BIBLICALLY based. How could I not agree?

Okay maybe it is not "pitiful", but it does not measure up to the one it mimicked. Thanks!

What does the word "Torah" mean? Let’s just talk about the word “Torah” for a moment. It has been mistranslated in Bibles as the word “law” which comes from the Latin “Legis” Something legalistic. Yet the word in the original Hebrew “Torah” means “instruction”, so, every place in the Bible where the word “law” is found should really be translated as “instruction” (from our LORD and God YHVH). Once we get this word from the right perspective, then, a lot of misunderstandings can be corrected. If the word for "Torah" had been correctly translated into Latin, it would have translated as "instructio" or "educatio" not "legis." So, how many “Torahs” are there? One? Two? Three? If we investigate way back going about six-thousand years. We come to the creation of this world. Up to the time of Moshe (Moses), YHVH spoke verbally to the patriarchs, starting from Adam and Chavah (Eve). They passed on the words of Elohim to their children and their children to their children and so forth. One could say that this was the first “Oral Torah”. Finally, we come to Moshe and YHVH speaks to him in person. Moshe writes down everything the Adonai tells him and thus, we have the first five books of the Bible. The prophets followed, writing down the words of God, continued by a few kings, namely David and Solomon. Then we come to the New Covenant letters, and books comprised of Yeshua’s talmidim (disciples) and followers. They were all inspired by the Ruach HaKodesh (The Holy Spirit) as to what to write. They wrote down Adonai’s words in Hebrew and in Greek, since the world was dominated by the Greeks. The best way to reach the nations was to write in Greek. From Greek, the Bible was translated into Latin and then into all the languages of the world. The Hebraic way of understanding God's Word is through the following ways; "Peshat" (the basic and natural, literal meaning of a verse or verses) "Derash" (a "drash" is a moral or spiritual understanding of the verse or verses) "Remez and Sod" are symbolic meanings, using of course, symbolisms, and also "gematria" which is a number system which assigns each Hebrew letter with a number. When two words have the same number value, there is usually a relationship between the two. Mind you this is NOT numerology. Gematria has been used by rabbis for hundreds of years. An example of Hebraic symbolism in the letters that spell "T-O-R-A-H" is that there are only 4 letters, the vowels are not written. But going from right to left, in the ancient symbolism of the letters, we get "The First Covenant of the Nail revealed" which is what the Torah points to, to Yeshua who bore the nails in his hands. There have been many "covenants" but only ONE was a "covenant of the nails" which illustrates our God in human form dying for humanity, receiving the nails in his hands on a rugged cross. The WORD of God is correct in every detail, there are NO contradictions in it. If there were, that would mean that YHVH is a God of error, and this is not so. Those who say that there are contradictions, do not understand the original words and their meanings, therefore, it is a good thing to have a basic knowledge of Hebrew and Greek. Why did YHVH give us HIS complete and Holy WORD? The WORD of God is read in a continuous cycle. It is all related, one part with another. There are a few ways in which we can look at it. For example. When we finish reading Deuteronomy, we begin again with Genesis. The last word in Deuteronomy is “Israel” and the first word in Genesis is “B’reisheet” (In the beginning). So how do we inter-relate this? One could say that “In the beginning” even before the foundations of the world, God had “Israel” in his heart and mind. We could take a step further. The last letter of the word “Israel” is the “l” (lamed) and the first letter in Genesis is “B” (Beit). Lamed and Beit (L + V) spell “Lev” which means “heart” We could say that God had Israel always in his “heart” even at the beginning of everything. The gematria for “Lev” is 30 + 2 = 32. 3 + 2 = 5, “5” is the number of “grace”. God had grace in his heart for Israel, even when Israel walked away and went after idols. “Lev” is also “instruction for the house”. The Torah is instruction for the “House of God”. We could go a step further. The Torah doesn’t stop at the end of Deuteronomy but continues to Malachi. The last word in Malachi is “curse” (in English) but in Hebrew, the word is “Cherem” The prophet is admonishing his people to repent or Adonai will strike the earth with a curse. Genesis starts with a “Blessing” the perfect creation of the earth for mankind, yet at the end, we see a “curse” that man brought upon himself when he sinned, so in that way, “blessings and curses” are related. We can have one or the other, obedience or disobedience, our choice. We can also see that the last letter in Malachi is a “mem” (m) which symbolizes “water” and in Genesis, the earth was formed out of “water”. When we read the Book of Revelation, we see that the very last word is; "Amen" the letter "n" in Hebrew is "Nun" So when we take the first letter of the Bible/Torah "B" and add the last letter of the Bible/Torah "N" we get the word "Ben" (son) so the whole Bible/Torah directs a person to the "Son" (of God) who is Yeshua. The Torah is about a perfect and Holy God, whose most holy name is Yod Hey Vav Hey (YHVH). Written with ancient paleo-Hebrew letters, the letters symbolize “Behold the hand, behold the nail”. A perfect revelation of Messiah Yeshua on Calvary’s cross, receiving in his hands, the nails that held him fast to the crucifixion stake. There he paid for all of our sins, past, present, and future. Second, the Bible was written to humanity because, in the fallen state caused by sin, man had to be re-directed back to YHVH, through Yeshua. In this way, mankind could have a renewed covenant relationship with his creator. Yeshua described it as the “New Birth” in John 3:3. Once man has a renewed relationship with YHVH, he is directed towards a holy, sanctified living through following the commandments which were written down by Moshe. Yeshua also fulfilled the commandments by giving a correct interpretation of them and how they applied to our lives. Even though there are 613 commandments (mitzvoth) in all. Not all apply to us today, since we are not under the Levitical priesthood, nor are we under the animal sacrificial system. Still, many DO apply to us, and that is the reason for Bible/Torah study. Today, we have “commentaries” on God’s word, or, “Midrashim”. About 400 years after Yeshua, the rabbis and sages compiled the “Talmud” which are commentaries on the Torah, written by the rabbis of old. These are books, articles, and writings, that rabbis have written, giving THEIR interpretation of what the Torah means, but, it is only “commentary”. Is it good to read and study the Talmud? I would say it is good to read ALL things related to God’s Word, BUT, we should always compare commentary to the written WORD of God. If it lines up with what the Bible teaches, it is a good thing, if not, as I said, it is just, “commentary” the opinion of someone who is not God. As one rabbi said, “Reading commentary is like eating a bony fish. Throw away the bones and digest the meat!” “Torah Parashot” or “Portions from the Torah” are read and studied every week for one year. A “Torah portion” consists of readings from the five books that Moshe wrote. Many refer to the first 5 books of Moses as the "Law of Moses." This also is a misnomer. Moses was not the author of the Torah (which many call "law") The author was God, and He gave the instructions to Moses to write down and pass along to others. Then we have the readings from the Prophets, and readings from the Brit HaDashah, “The New Covenant”. The readings start on the Day of Simchat Torah. On this day, we start from the “beginning” which is a perfect place to start any reading. Today, is the day we start reading Genesis 1:1. I'll send the Genesis study a little while later. Ben Avraham

He speaks for me, in this case. As a moderator Michael37 has authority and responsibility to moderate. He has apologized to a new member for a rude accusation. I also am an ex catholic and understand Notofthisworld's questions. If he is a still catholic, at least he is being exposed to the truth here. And has been polite, showing Christian courtesy.

you should be able to do that with "My Files".

“But this is what the Scriptures say about being made right through faith: “Don’t say to yourself, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’” (This means “Who will go up to heaven to get Christ and bring him down to earth?”) “And don’t say, ‘Who will go down into the world below?’” (This means “Who will go down to get Christ and bring him up from death?”) This is what the Scripture says: “God’s teaching is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart.” It is the teaching of faith that we tell people. Yes, the Scriptures say, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.”” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭6‬-‭8‬, ‭11‬

God does not show favoritism. Romans 2:11 "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them. This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares" Romans 2:13-16 Quote; "Paul was a Christian-hating (Acts 9:1), Christ-persecuting (Acts 9:5), zealot (Philippians 3:6; Galatians 1:14) before he was converted. Forever after he would call himself “the chief of sinners” because of these wicked days (1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Corinthians 15:9). Why? This shows that God saves hardened haters of Christ, who have even murdered Christians. To show that God can make the chief of sinners the chief of missionaries" I am forevermore grateful for God's mercy, to a sinner like me.....

Technology is a wonderful asset when used righteously.

Being largely housebound I say yes. God certainly isn't limited by distance and technology and can inspire people to say the right thing someone else needs. In the distant past here I was going through a rough patch and thought I might need someone to take care of my cats for a while. Someone on Worthy stepped up for that though it ended up not being needed in the end. The forum certainly can help meet with material needs now and then, which is a key element of a functional church. We hold each other up in prayer, and some people do speak about what they're doing or want to do in their local area, which opens the door for us to pray and offer material support as able, so long as the trust, care, and means to do so are present. All that said I'd encourage seeking what's available locally as their primary option for a variety of reasons for those who are able. This is especially true of people in tough situations.

Yeah, right, because if He forced anyone to get saved and born again, He would not have children who freely had chosen to love Him and live for Him, but He would have ended up with a bunch of robots. ☺️

This is one of the oldest arguments, isn't it. What do you do with the millions of people who died before Christ ever came to be our sacrifice, or never heard of Jesus after He was sacrificed for our sins? Are they all automatically destined for the lake of fire and brimstone, or will Jesus judge them righteously at His judgment?

No, definitely not a church.

A gathering place for Christians to share, teach, and learn about Christ together and to give praise to the Lord.

How is it possible for rivers to flow in the same geographic location following a global flood that destroyed the world. Take a look at America, at Australia and New Zealand. To your great surprise you will find places named after the countries and towns left behind when those places were colonised. Following the global flood Noah's descendants named a least two great rivers after rivers in their history. We will never find where Eden was. If it where possible do you think the cherubim would let you in?

Here and there. Our dear sister @kwikphilly is acquainted with much of the testimony, so she knows more than most. Some things are hard to relate, my friend. Very hard. What can I say? I write about mercy and that is one thing, but then I was clueless for the longest time. We read in the scriptures how it pleases the Lord for men and women to not understand His words at various times, and we might assume this is because those who hear are terrible in some way. Not always. There are times when this is the mercy of Almighty God for the listener, as it surely was for me. I will offer a brief summary in the hope that it edifies the reader. My testimony relates to the topic you started very well, @Not of the World. I was clueless in the beginning. I wasn't the least bit religious (no church) and while I believed that God exists, the notion of knowing God was out of the question. Why would the incomprehensible God reveal Himself to an idiot like myself? One day, the impossible happened. I was 26 years old and fresh out of the U.S. military when out of the blue, the Spirit of the Lord came to me and said, You are the work of My hand, set aside for My purpose before you were born. The time has come for you to seek Me; if you will heed My voice and trust My words, you will stand before God. I knew He is God right away. I heeded His voice and trusted what He said, which is how I abandoned everything to follow Jesus Christ that very day. I'm not going to delve into detail beyond a summary, but that's sufficient to emphasize how I was clueless from the beginning. I did what the Lord said and everything fell into place precisely as He promised it would. I was pretty thick-headed back in those days, but the Lord is merciful to me. Over the next four years while I remained with a fellowship the Lord had sent me to (I was baptized in water there), He sent brothers and a sister to speak of things that would come to pass. I would wander aimlessly without a home for many years; I would forget the words of the Lord, but He would never forsake me; One brother came and anointed me with oil because the Spirit told him to do this thing. The Lord would pour His Spirit upon me at the proper time, he said. The hardest words were delivered by a sister whom I knew well. I had to die, she said, before that purpose which the Lord preserved me for would be revealed. She wept because this was a hard thing, but I didn't understand. Ah, but this pleased the Lord. After these words were delivered to me, the Lord sent a dream. In this dream, I saw a vision of the mountains which the Lord would send me to over two decades later. Those mountains are where I fell ill and found myself in the shadow of death. Everything delivered in those words came to pass, my friend. I wandered homeless and destitute for over 20 years with no place to rest my head. I was a transient and saw much of the U.S. during those years. I forgot the words of the Lord and His promise. I was close to death in those mountains I saw in the vision. The ridge line of the mountains I witnessed in the vision are identical to the ridge line of the Manzano Mountains which run through the center of New Mexico. I had to die before that purpose which the Lord preserved me for was revealed: The Lord chose to display His power in me so that His name will be glorified upon this earth. Those who had witnessed my lengthy illness (I suffered for two years), and how I was a dead man in the end, would know that when I stood before them healed and restored that the Lord Himself raised me up. Not man. I shared what the Lord did after He returned me to the land of the living in my previous post, so need to go into that again. Once I was restored to His satisfaction, the Lord called me to stand in the same spot where I had collapsed two years prior. I thought that was going to be my grave. When I arrived, the Lord declared that He is well-pleased with the work of His hand. I had suffered for many years and had walked in ignorance, but that time was finished. Now, the Lord said, nothing will be the same. I will never wander in ignorance for the rest of my days. I was lifted up in the Spirit so that I was no longer on this earth, and the Lord breathed on me. As He did this, a great wind of fire washed over me and also into me. This was the fulfillment of being anointed with oil. I didn't understand until that moment. The Lord has been so merciful and kind to me, my friend. He spared me from the knowledge of what I would endure from the beginning.

As I have said numerous times, things and events unfold faster than anyone can report. We should all know what is coming shortly and the actual intent; the global elites do not even try to hide it anymore. The Great Reset, Agenda 2021 and 2030, Build Back Better, carbon emission taxes, and on and on. It is scary and very exciting at the same time. Looking at the linear acceleration of these things yearly is mind-boggling with the speed of biblical fulfillment. If our Lord tarries, and if we are still alive in five years. Considering everything that is rapidly changing, Russia, China, O’Biden, on the verge of hyperinflation, fuel and fertilizer, food shortages, our government’s conduct, political correctness, our churches, now the push for gender neutrality, starting to enforce gender pronouns, men competing in women’s athletics, and a plethora of other things I could mention. What will America, or for that matter the world, look like five years from now? “Good grief” does not even put a dent in it. Did I just show my age?

HaShem in his nature and his being is unchanging. But he can change his mind: 7 And the Lord said to Moses: "Go, descend, for your people that you have brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly. זוַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֑ה לֶךְ־רֵ֕ד כִּ֚י שִׁחֵ֣ת עַמְּךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶֽעֱלֵ֖יתָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם: 8 They have quickly turned away from the path that I have commanded them; they have made themselves a molten calf! And they have prostrated themselves before it, slaughtered sacrifices to it, and said: 'These are your gods, O Israel, who have brought you up from the land of Egypt.' " חסָ֣רוּ מַהֵ֗ר מִן־הַדֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּיתִ֔ם עָשׂ֣וּ לָהֶ֔ם עֵ֖גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־לוֹ֙ וַיִּזְבְּחוּ־ל֔וֹ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ אֵ֤לֶּה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶֽעֱל֖וּךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם: 9 And the Lord said to Moses: "I have seen this people and behold! they are a stiff necked people. טוַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֑ה רָאִ֨יתִי֙ אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֖רֶף הֽוּא: 10 Now leave Me alone, and My anger will be kindled against them so that I will annihilate them, and I will make you into a great nation." יוְעַתָּה֙ הַנִּ֣יחָה לִּ֔י וְיִֽחַר־אַפִּ֥י בָהֶ֖ם וַֽאֲכַלֵּ֑ם וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂ֥ה אֽוֹתְךָ֖ לְג֥וֹי גָּדֽוֹל: 11 Moses pleaded before the Lord, his God, and said: "Why, O Lord, should Your anger be kindled against Your people whom You have brought up from the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand? יאוַיְחַ֣ל משֶׁ֔ה אֶת־פְּנֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לָמָ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ יֶֽחֱרֶ֤ה אַפְּךָ֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הוֹצֵ֨אתָ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּכֹ֥חַ גָּד֖וֹל וּבְיָ֥ד חֲזָקָֽה: 12 Why should the Egyptians say: 'He brought them out with evil [intent] to kill them in the mountains and to annihilate them from upon the face of the earth'? Retreat from the heat of Your anger and reconsider the evil [intended] for Your people. יבלָ֩מָּה֩ יֹֽאמְר֨וּ מִצְרַ֜יִם לֵאמֹ֗ר בְּרָעָ֤ה הֽוֹצִיאָם֙ לַֽהֲרֹ֤ג אֹתָם֙ בֶּֽהָרִ֔ים וּלְכַ֨לֹּתָ֔ם מֵעַ֖ל פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה שׁ֚וּב מֵֽחֲר֣וֹן אַפֶּ֔ךָ וְהִנָּחֵ֥ם עַל־הָֽרָעָ֖ה לְעַמֶּֽךָ: 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your very Self, and to whom You said: 'I will multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens, and all this land which I said that I would give to your seed, they shall keep it as their possession forever.' " יגזְכֹ֡ר לְאַבְרָהָם֩ לְיִצְחָ֨ק וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֣עְתָּ לָהֶם֘ בָּךְ֒ וַתְּדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אַרְבֶּה֙ אֶת־זַרְעֲכֶ֔ם כְּכֽוֹכְבֵ֖י הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְכָל־הָאָ֨רֶץ הַזֹּ֜את אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֗רְתִּי אֶתֵּן֙ לְזַרְעֲכֶ֔ם וְנָֽחֲל֖וּ לְעֹלָֽם: 14 The Lord [then] reconsidered the evil He had said He would do to His people. ידוַיִּנָּ֖חֶם יְהֹוָ֑ה עַל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֖ר לַֽעֲשׂ֥וֹת לְעַמּֽוֹ:

Again, HaShem said Yirimyahu 31: 31 Not like the covenant that I formed with their forefathers on the day I took them by the hand to take them out of the land of Egypt, that they broke My covenant, although I was a lord over them, says the Lord. לאלֹ֣א כַבְּרִ֗ית אֲשֶׁ֚ר כָּרַ֙תִּי֙ אֶת־אֲבוֹתָ֔ם בְּיוֹם֙ הֶֽחֱזִיקִ֣י בְיָדָ֔ם לְהֽוֹצִיאָ֖ם מֵאֶ֖רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁר־הֵ֜מָּה הֵפֵ֣רוּ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֗י וְאָֽנֹכִ֛י בָּעַ֥לְתִּי בָ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה

Scriptures specially says those standing around the throne that no man could number, where those who came out of the Great Tribulation and were from all nations, kindreds and tongues (Gentiles). You can not come out of something that you were never in. It does not say that they came out before the Great Tribulation but says they came out of the Great Tribulation, meaning they were in the Great Tribulation. After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; ... And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. - Rev 7:9, 13-14 KJV

Produce Fruits For God’s Kingdom And Don’t Set Yourself Up to Be Cursed = Matthew 21;19-21, Luke 13;6-9 Matthew 21;19-21 And when He saw a fig tree in the way, He came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. Matthew 7:16-21 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Mark 11:12-14, 20-22 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, He was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He came, if haply He might find any thing thereon: and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto Him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. Luke 13:6-9 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. Revelation 3:13-22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the Faithful and True witness, the beginning of the Creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. AMEN

This is God’s assertion of Paul, NCAP: Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." So the Lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. "And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight." Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. "And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. "For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake." And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." - Acts 9:10-17

that is a very common thought among a good number of people. If one studies the general history of what life was like during that time it is easy to understand that someone of Paul's status was very unlikely to be walking. It's not written in scripture but would be common among customs at the time. Whatever the case it really disrupts the conversation between people...

The Germans and Japan can give us a run for our money. Esp Germany has apprentices that work for low wages. Of course, they have a tradition where you have to prove your value in life or be taken off to a "work camp" that you most likely will not come out of alive. My dad was stationed in Germany at the end of the war and that had quite an impact on him.

I hear sometimes, they have docks that are under the surface, so no one can ever get a photo of them from a satellite.