walla299

I meant that I am not in agreement with the anti-vaxxers screaming about changing our DNA and all the rest of it. There are plans in Europe being bandied about for "vaccine passports" or other forms of verification to show proof you've been vaccinated. I'm not in favor of that sort of thing, but if someone gets sick or passes away I may need to get past someone's immigration to enter the country to either visit them or attend a funeral. I'm hoping for the visit part rather than the other, needless to say. I might as well mention that in my area many businesses still have their "Face coverings required to enter" signs up, and I'm okay with that. Its their business and they can set the rules for access. I've still got masks and its no big deal to put one on to go grocery shopping if that's what I need to do.

No, you'll still be able to do that. It just means folks will notice you are sticking your tongue out at them in public if you're not wearing a mask. That might take some of the fun out of it. I'll add that I cheated on the whole Covid thing. Someone from our company brought the bug back from China at the beginning of this mess and we all caught it. Fortunately no one was seriously ill. We all thought it was just another "travelers' flu" you pick up on flights at the time . . . turns out it was Covid. So I caught the thing, and got the vaccine just in case. Might as well cover the bases. I've been in the military and I've seen what infectious disease can do. I have older relatives living in Europe and elsewhere and would like to see them, preferably before I need to attend their funeral. I'm not going to have someone tell me I can't travel over something as silly as a vaccine despite what the "antivaxxers" have to say. That's my take on it, anyway.

God put that story in there for a reason. I have no idea what that might be other than to make us scratch our (balding) heads and ask, "Now why is that (story) there?"

Yes, and when God Himself gets involved the "conflict" is resolved very quickly!

Then there's this one: "I don't care. I'll still feel better with those termites locked in the metal box!" -- Noah's wife.

On the story of Noah . . . I've heard messages in the past that got down on him because he got drunk and passed out in his tent, leading to another incident. More than once I heard that used to preach the evils of booze and why we shouldn't drink. There were, of course, other stretching of the text over the years. There was one preacher who made a point that has stayed with me all these years later: "Some folks get down on Noah because he had too much wine and passed out in his tent. I don't blame him. He was human - and he saw a whole world die in the flood! Think about that for a moment. Everything he knew except his family and God were gone. Everything. People, many animals, the climate and weather, geography, their location was likely very different from the starting point when the ark grounded. He was literally on a different planet. Faced with the reality of all that he went through surviving the flood I don't blame him for having a few too many! I probably would too! That doesn't make it right, perhaps, but he was still as human as you or I and subject to the same weaknesses."

You know, I could deal with a Republican party that did the same. Imagine: pollies on both sides of the aisle that don't waste tax payer money, supporting the right things, and generally having common sense. Oh, wait . . .

Yeah, well. I'm just going to state the obvious for those who don't live here in Maricopa County. Of course the AZ Secretary of State would say that. She's a Democrat. I'm reasonably certain that had Biden lost the election under the same circumstances as Trump there would have been lots of shrieking for audits, investigations, revolution and the like. It would have been both annoying and entertaining for me because I'm not part of either party. Still, I may have to move elsewhere if the policies that made California unlivable continue to metastasize here.

Perhaps so. Perhaps not. The Dems need to get used to the idea that there are questions about the election in many parts of the country. Too many for it not to be looked into. The US has had contested elections in the past and our system is designed to deal with it. People should not "just get over it and move on with their lives" until those questions are answered. I live in Maricopa county and folks are exercising their right to audit the election. If the results say everything is fine - or if its not - that means the system is working as designed. Everything okay = the Dems can crow about how they won fair and square. Victory. So, why are they so opposed? Could it be they are afraid of something being dragged squirming into the light? I don't know, and I'm going to wait for the results and see what happens. There is no hope in politics, and I'm certainly not hopeless whoever won the election. The only hope we have as fallen human beings is in Christ. Elections and America will pass but Christ will remain the same.

That is a wonderful picture, but it won't happen until Jesus returns and sorts the mess out. The boiling process is partly in the persecution that has followed the church since it began and continues to the present day. I've been told by those from persecuted countries that "religion" doesn't hold up very well when people are dying or being imprisoned because they carry the name of Christ.

Given that the guy was drugged up out of his mind he probably wouldn't have remembered it. The reaction to the shotgun slide was instantaneous and no one got hurt, and that's a good thing. I did have to have the landlord fix the door and frame afterward too. Dude was not far from kicking the door in as it turned out.

Yep. I had someone pounding on my door a day or two after I moved in to my apartment here years ago. He was carrying on talking about how he was going to kill everyone in the apartment, etc. Didn't say a word. Just stood behind the door and jacked a round into the chamber. Suddenly it got really quiet outside because the drugged up dude left. Didn't have to shoot anyone, which is a plus in my book. Found out later he was some psycho druggie that had been in jail when his girlfriend got evicted.

I finished the 2 Pfizer shots earlier this month through the VA. I had about the same reaction to them as to a flu shot which for me is not much. I did notice a larger than normal knot on my arm at the injection site. What I'm saying is I'm still me so far and have not yet turned into anything animal, vegetable, or mineral. Still human so far. I should mention that I already had the bug around this time last year anyway. I did the shots mainly for travel reasons as I have relatives in several foreign countries. Some of them are advanced in years and I would like to see them before they step into eternity and I need to attend the funeral. I will not be surprised if there is some type of "passport" needed for travel, so now my "papers" are in order.

Yep. When seconds count the police may be minutes (to an hour) away.

You may want to use the search box with the term "self defense" including the quotes to bring up previous posts on this much debated subject. There have been folks who posted inquiries like this with an agenda in the past, then called everyone a heretic that didn't share their particular view on the subject. That lead to things getting personal and the thread(s) being locked. Pleased debate the subject, not the person. Thank you.

I'm going to make the observation that your response seems to be either rude or defensive, but I can forgive that. Jesus forgave me for a whole lot more. So, I'm going to walk away. My view of fellowship is not immature and is supported in scripture throughout the NT in that it shows believers working together. Paul names many friends and coworkers in most of his letters. I'll add that Patriot and Starise made some good points as well.

The uncomfortable thing about fellowship is what's going on right now. Gathering with other believers doesn't necessarily mean going to church, but church is part of the picture for a believer. As in Proverbs: "as iron sharpens iron" I've worked in equipment shops for years and one thing you learn fast is that 2 pieces of iron or steel rubbing or striking each other will make 2 things: sparks and shavings! We don't need to read the heart the way Jesus does because He said, "by their fruits shall you know them." A big part of real, honest, face to face fellowship is having someone love me enough to call my sin what it is: sin. This is not someone being a bully or self righteous. It's seeing a brother you know going down a bad path and warning them of the danger ahead. To ignore it and not warn them would be unloving in the extreme.

Found this article and thought it needed to be shared. Sometimes life can seem random or I wonder as I'm reading scripture, "why is that there at this point in the story?" There are lots of those in scripture. So it is with the story of Simon of Cyrene. The source (and better formatting) can be found here: https://www.challies.com/articles/simon-would-you-still-have-passed-that-way/

The main problem with the so called "prosperity gospel" message is that it puts man at the center instead of God. It turns God into a cosmic slot or vending machine that will spew money, stuff, whatever you want, so long as the right "coins" are put in the slot. It also has nothing to give when trials come into a person's life and come they will. When the trials come the "prosperity gospel" has no answer except that the person should have had more faith, essentially saying its the person's fault going through the trial. That just seems flat out evil to me. Many times we are tried for reasons we will not know until we get to glory. Jesus does not promise us all the "stuff" we want or health. He does promise there will be trouble (tribulation) if we put Him first. Many don't like that promise, but it is there. Jesus also promises to never leave or forsake us and walks with us through the trials which the prosperity gospel has no answer for.

The term "sanctification" is used to describe the process of becoming more Christ-like as the Holy Spirit works to renew our minds and hearts and conform us to the image of Christ. Its a lifelong process that will only be completed in glory. I'm not a theologian, but a big part of that is actively applying the Scriptures in our lives. In other words practicing God's Word can help make us more Christ-like. Fellowship with other believers helps with that because: As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. (Proverbs 27:17 NKJV) Also I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2 NKJV)

It's not as far as I can tell. I don't know that they "worshiped" Sanger, but the certainly venerated her. Guess they are afraid of being "cancelled" too, eh?

There you go! Lots of other good scriptures in the thread too.

You may want to have a look at the earlier posts before this one. Lots of good wisdom there. Have I tried it? I'll be 60 in November and my brother just reminded me recently that our High School graduation was over 40 years ago. So, yes, I have tried it - off and on for most of my adult life, in the military and out, and all over the planet in quite a few different places and/or languages that I didn't speak. The Lord usually made a way for some face to face fellowship with other believers, but not always. Sometimes I had to sit in a Central American forest with a bunch of unbelievers for reasons I likely won't understand in this life. Other times more often than not I was the only believer around, and I didn't like it much because it really wears you down like a burning coal pulled from the fire: separated from the others the coal will burn out and go cold. There are certainly times when we need to get alone with the Lord, and He never leaves or forsakes us, we still need face to face human contact. Even Jesus drew away from the crowds with the disciples for rest and refreshment before resuming ministry. A good example is working from home: I don't miss the commute but I miss "see people in 3 dimensions" as someone said and learning from each other while working on projects together. Same thing for the church: believers work better together. Online fellowship is a good addition, but not a replacement for, face to face fellowship as a general rule. I'm sure there are situations where that's all a person can get . . . like during a Covid lockdown, for example but it is not the norm. I can only suggest having a look a Paul's letters and see how many people he names as friends and fellow workers. He was not always alone either and God used him greatly. Acts is another one. How many times are people together as you go through Acts?

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (KJV) We need fellowship to grow, and to practice all the "one anothers" in the New Testament. You cannot comfort, meet needs for, etc. for someone else if you are not present to help or provide those things in the verses I quoted. Comforting someone means face to face interaction in most cases, though there are some exceptions. There are no "lone ranger" Christians in the body of Christ.

Ugh . . . that video. I'd be willing to testify in court that I could smell the durian. That's the tricky part of eating one of those: getting past the smell! That's the reason signs are posted in many western hotels in Asia: "Do not eat durian fruit inside room." or words to that effect.