walla299

My "favorite" is a reusable stainless steel K-cup filled with the local Winco coffee, currently the Donut Shop version. Much cheaper than the plastic K-cups.

Been there, done that too. I've had the chance to share the gospel with drag queens, etc. It's easy to see that addictions cross all social lines because humans are fallen creatures. Several folks have told me the only reason they were willing to listen to what I had to say was because I was always there at the meetings whether I was participating or just listening. I was a bit surprised at first, but that small detail was what the Spirit used to catch other's attention and open a door. How our God works is amazing. What saddens me is something I saw at a church I left a few years ago now. They started getting more insular and withdrew from the surrounding community. There were quite a few young men who were quite happy to sit in a room and read theology all day - as long as they didn't have to go out in our nasty ugly fallen world. Someone once called it a "monastery mentality." They were great guys with lots of promise, but mention actually telling someone about Christ - you could see they were scared witless of the idea, much less to someone who was gay. (The church is in a "gay neighborhood" for want of a better description. I have to figure there's a reason for that.) The church has continued on their downward path in years since I left from what I understand and it now sounds more like a cult than anything else.

We have freedom in Christ to tithe - or not. It really is our choice and that seems to scare some people. That would include some who only want your money also! One thing I dislike about the subject when applied to NT times is the really horrific abuse the idea has suffered at the hands of things like the Prosperity "Gospel" and such like. I've seen this personally and its no wonder some will likely never enter the door of a church again. I see it like this: If there's one place it would be mentioned that tithing was required in the NT era it would most likely be during the Jerusalem Council in Acts. It was there the leadership came to agreement about what was required for gentile believers, and there is no mention of tithing there, if memory serves. Paul talks about giving quite a bit in his letters, but not about tithing. Just giving as a man has determined in his heart and its not to be a requirement (i.e. commanded/demanded). Tithing, while not required for the NT believer - is not a bad starting point! A person's giving probably should not end there either, but should be as directed by the Holy Spirit.

I get the "eros" (human love) type love junk, but I've seen several saints over the years use Valentine's Day as a way to share the love of Christ with someone who needed to hear it. Many of these "holidays" can be used this way when we're prompted by the Holy Spirit. I also get the, "_________________ (fill in holiday) is evil." thing too. I'm came out of a church where they turned law up to eleven, and everything was a broken commandment. They forgot that we really do have freedom in Christ to turn things like holidays to build the kingdom too.

One reason Fentanyl has become so dangerous is that it can show up in just about any street drug these days. It's one reason so many are dying because they don't realize its in whatever they are using. The lucky ones wake up in the Emergency Room or with someone who has some Narcan while the other ones do not. Another reminder of two things: We are not guaranteed tomorrow, and always listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

I used to listen to Unshackled "religiously" when I traveled a lot. I could almost always find a late night AM station with it on back in the 80s and 90s. They have a website now . . . well it seems more than one site now that I looked it up. Podcast site is here: https://unshackledpodcast.org/

Sounds kinda like all those zombie movies, doesn't it?

I'm all for seeing the USA change course. We need a national revival. That would be a good start. This isn't something I thought up. It's from a message I heard a very long time ago during a revival meeting. The message was from Acts 19 where Paul is in Ephesus. Toward the latter part of the chapter there's a riot. Why? Because so many were saved due to Paul's ministry - and the church founded there. The metal smiths were upset and stirred things up because they were loosing income - because people weren't buying their idols any more. In other words: so many were saved and set free from idols it was impacting the local economy. So, of course, Paul and his friends were seen as the real problem (by the world.) The crux of the message was: Only Jesus can change a heart. A person's behavior changes after Jesus changes their heart. The culture will begin to change as Christ is preached, more people believe, and more hearts are changed, thus beliefs and behavior change. "Saving" America or any other nation will only happen one person at a time, and even then its really just a side effect of Jesus doing what He does best: change hearts.

I think term limits should be quietly inserted into one of those huge boondoggle spending bills they like to pass . . . the kind that, "you'll have to pass it to see what's in it." Surprise!

Yeah, just had to do it: "SkyNet is the virus!" -- some guy in a Terminator movie . . .

I don't know about "alive" but I do wonder if one could be used by (or possessed?) by the enemy. There's a reason this stuff creeps people out.

I think there's a reason for computers/A.I. and all to have a bad rap at times in Star Trek, Terminator, The Matrix, just to name a few. Seems like a warning - the computers/a.i./robots always wind up trying to kill everyone, take over a ship, or a planet. Yah, definitely a warning. Don't forget Jurassic Park.

As I said, it's really not a concern for me. I've learned at age 61 that the younger folks are going to follow the heard and one of the current "things" is tattoos. It's similar with beards and skinny leg jeans. That's their choice, but its not mine. I've never had a tatt, and I doubt I ever will unless the Lord has a reason for me to. My only concern would be for believers - we are to glorify the Lord in all we do, so getting a worldly tatt is probably not a great idea. Our (now) retired pastor was once a biker before he got saved and has some "leftover" tatts from the earlier life that have opened doors for witnessing in the past. Jesus can take just about anything in our lives and use it for the kingdom - we just have to let Him.

Never saw any need for a tattoo and never really wanted one. Seems that among some younger folks its in fashion - yet so is getting them removed and both processes are painful and expensive. If someone wants to get one that's on them its not a concern for me.

I served in the Air Force 1980-1995, stationed in the US, (West) Germany, and UK.

I thought that was just "Easter is Evil." There's usually a few of those threads too. As a kid the egg thing never made any sense to me . . .

Good one, Patriot21.

I'll bet that was the same fruit cake that my grandmother could never get rid of . . . darn things are eternal.

I'm pretty sure that would be a good fit for the "Math is Evil" thread that's around here somewhere. On Christmas: Keep Christ at the center at all times. Then celebrate the holiday or not. It really is a choice each of us have the freedom to make.

I had a professor when I was in uni that said something related to this. Gotta love freshman science courses. "Everyone goes home for the holidays, picks up various bugs in their travels, shares them with family and friends, then returns and thus turns the campus into a huge post-holiday petri dish. Everyone gets to share in what everyone caught along the way." Experience shows he was right. The holiday travel season must be a real blast if you're a virus.

There are denominations out there that believe this but it is not a salvation issue. I usually point out that Paul makes it clear that it is the Holy Spirit who decide who gets what gift in 1 Corinthians 12-14.

You forgot the humidity, hurricanes, and mosquitoes . . . and the occasional iguana dropping on your head. Don't get me started on the great big snakes . . .

Early 70's in east Texas: Dad cussing and snarling when he couldn't find gas for less than 30 cents/gallon. ($0.35/gl was just robbery!) CDs came along in the early 80s . . . saw one of the first CD players was on sale for almost $1500 if memory serves. Read that in an electronics magazine. Our family avoided the oil embargo by being in another country! The USA still has some of the cheapest fuel on the planet. The 70s were no better or worse than today. It was what we did with the time we had back then when technology hadn't infiltrated so much of our lives. That can be turned off though and we can still spend time with others like back then.

That sounds . . . very Klingon. In a "Today is a good day to die." kind of way. "Death for the believer is really just a change of address." -- no idea who said that, but they are right.

I forget. Are we supposed to vote for the Giant Meteor / Killer Asteriod for 2022 or 2024?