Marathoner

Indeed. The Egyptian ankh is a good example of a stylized cross used by pagans; it found new life in the modern neopagan movement. It was a hieroglyphic symbol which meant "life." Petroglyphs in European caves used by ancient cults feature variations of the so-called "sun cross," a cross inside of a circle. It should be pointed out that the Coptic Church uses a variation of that sun cross in their iconography. The Chinese pictographical number for 10 is a cross, to consider other examples apart from the ankh. Too much emphasis is placed upon symbols. The cross as a symbol is nothing new. There really is nothing new under the sun.

Three scriptural examples of sermons: Peter's sermon in Jerusalem (Acts 2:14-36) Stephen's words to those who executed him are a sermon (Acts 7:2-53) Paul's sermon in Athens (Acts 10:22-30) So, it's clear that a sermon are words inspired by the Holy Spirit, given to a speaker by God. Notice how scriptural sermons are not associated with worship but rather, the conviction of the listener according to the purpose of the Lord. Scriptural examples of worship are furnished to us in the Psalms; notice depictions of the assembly making music to the Lord using instruments and dancing. Religious sermons meet the dictionary definition rather well. Sweeping floors or digging holes are a more constructive use of our time to be sure.

We consider devotions to be a gift from the Lord, encouragement in Christ to keep our eyes and hearts focused upon Him. It sounds simple, yes? And yet, being snared by the cares of this world is perhaps the greatest peril we face, so grabbing hold of our Lord ought to be our focus. A devotional gift doesn't draw our gaze to the one who writes or speaks. It's all about God who is the giver of every good gift.

We know that the Lord doesn't always heal or relieve us. It's true that I have been the recipient of the Lord's power on more than one occasion, but it's important to emphasize that this was according to His purpose and will. More than one individual was affected by His work, so what He did is properly understood as the Lord choosing to display His power in me. I never asked Him to do such things. I petitioned the Lord to remove the depression I have lived with for most of my life, but that is not according to His will. What did He say? It would change who I am and who He intends for me to be on this earth, so it remains. His grace and provision are sufficient for me. His grace: the depression comes and it's my place to fixate my heart and mind upon Him; His provision: I can overcome all things in Christ. Be of good cheer for He has overcome the world! As He has overcome, so do we. Overcoming is the problem all of us face, yes? In the Son of God, that problem flees. How do I overcome depression in Christ? First, I endure. I keep pressing on regardless of how depression affects me. Secondly, I do not capitulate nor seek to isolate myself; the work which the Lord gives me is a wonderful blessing in this regard. I'm given no choice but to interact with others and while I focus upon meeting their needs, I'm not held captive by the darkness of despair.

That is correct. The resources required to investigate wealthy tax evaders doesn't justify the expenditure in resources, according to the Treasury Department's reasoning. The wealthy tax evader can mire the IRS in court for many years; they can afford expensive (as well as experienced) legal representation. Lower-income individuals, on the other hand, are easy. Less money involved... the prospect of legal representation is negligible... and the resources expended justify this approach, thus why audits are aimed at lower-income taxpayers. Unless the Department of Justice has someone in their sights, and the tax angle of prosecution is a sure-fire bet --- remember, that was the strategy the federal government used to prosecute the Italian American mafia before RICO --- the Treasury Department avoids the wealthy. It is right? No. However, it is what it is.

I think you're doing fine, @Thewhitedove. The lure of fleshly religion to condemn this or that is what you are to overcome, not being kind and compassionate toward your colleague. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Remember this: conviction is godly and a work of the Spirit, but condemnation is ungodly and a work of the flesh. The one who convicts this woman is the Lord; our place is to be gentle, meek, and patient. Our example is what speaks to others. Being pointed at, accused, and condemned is the example of defiled religion. It's powerless and hollow, lacking love.

It's been my understanding that the name of the Lord speaks of His power and His authority; this is a position we walk in and dwell within on earth. His bondservant never has to utter a single word to be found in His name. How are we in the name of the Lord, then? We walk in and dwell with the Spirit of the Lord on this earth. I believe that this commandment refers specifically to those who declare that they come in the name of the Lord when they do not; they take His name in vain. I'm thinking that words alone are not covered by this commandment. Why? Matthew 12:31-32: “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come." (NASB) It's for this reason that I don't think the 3rd commandment encompasses words.

A long time ago, the Spirit impressed the following upon me: How I conduct myself and treat others is all that matters. Never lord over others, claiming superiority in any way; He specifically addressed my abhorrence for anything I perceived as "religious" or pompous. Just as I would never treat someone dressed in rags with contempt, the same holds true for the well-to-do. Hypocrisy is what the Lord despises. Some struggle with treating the poor and the homeless kindly but I found myself inclined in the opposite fashion. I struggled with treating the well-to-do kindly! I would rather find myself among the destitute than surround myself with those who need nothing. "Love your neighbor as yourself" as the Lord commands, and He never mentioned an exception to the royal law. It was a hard lesson to learn, but the Lord is a patient (and consistent) Teacher. We should refrain from persecuting anyone for any reason, regardless of who they are. How we conduct ourselves and treat others is what matters.

I remember my experience visiting a church not long after I came to Christ. I looked on while some men shouted at someone who wasn't carrying a Bible in the approved manner. How was the Bible supposed to be carried? On top, of course. Never underneath anything else. Never in a bag or a briefcase. That Bible must be seen, and it has to be the most important thing on your person. They were red-faced and riled up about it.

I believe it has to do with the following: is the affliction caused by an unclean spirit? That's the real issue, not a.) unclean spirits are the cause of every human malady, or b.) that doesn't happen any longer. What I find is a propensity (eagerness among some) to blame Satan and unclean spirits for the evil of man when clearly, this is not the case. Neither Adam nor his wife were able to blame the serpent for their disobedience. The judgment of the dead answers that error in a definitive manner. An alternative is to blame human weakness and affliction on sin; specifically, someone sinned to be afflicted in the first place. That was dismissed by the Lord Himself in the 9th chapter of John. Ah, so now we find ourselves considering consequences which arise through no fault of our own because of a, b, c, and d together. In other words, according to the will and purpose of the Lord. What? The Lord will afflict someone who didn't otherwise deserve to be afflicted? Yes. Our Lord was afflicted for our sake and His blameless servant, Job, was afflicted greatly. Affliction, much like rain, falls upon the just and the wicked alike. That's hard for some to accept but nevertheless, it's true.

The bull snakes on her land knew us pretty well. I especially liked to see them hanging around her gardens and the greenhouse which told me that they were performing a valuable service. That snake might have had eggs nearby. I remember when the biggest bull snake laid eggs under her house in the crawlspace. One day I heard hissing... and I watched the youngest dog run away with his tail between his legs. The mother snake told him off for coming too close to her eggs.

In keeping with extolling the virtues of snakes --- the animal that God created --- allow me to share an example of how snakes control the population of other snakes. I'll never forget the non-venomous bull snake in the mountains of New Mexico. Yes, this particular snake can reach over 7 feet long when fully grown, but they were rather docile around me and my adopted mother. Her plot of land had the distinction of being entirely rattlesnake-free, which was noteworthy in that region where rattlesnakes were ubiquitous. I understood why: bull snakes drive out the rattlesnakes from their territory. They are sometimes known to prey upon them as well, though not to the extent that legends claim. King snakes (another non-venomous reptile) are the premier predators of other snakes, particularly venomous varieties like copperheads.

There is an excellent reason why I differentiated between the serpent and snakes, my friend. Many traditionally associate the serpent in the garden with the reptilian animal, as if snakes were "cursed" by God to slither along the ground and eat dust (they don't eat dust). I understand why you don't think that was needed, but then I felt that it was. Thank you for sharing!

When we consider how most snakes hunt their prey --- using stealth and concealment until the moment to strike presents itself --- we can appreciate the allegorical relationship with how the deceiver operates. As for the Lord cursing the serpent, I understand this as a curse which applies specifically to Satan, not innocent creatures of the wild. Animals are not like man; the beasts of the field are innocent in their way. The same does not hold true of us. Snakes have their place in the Lord's creation. They are beneficial predators who play a role in controlling the populations of their prey, which is representative of the interplay between predators and prey in the wild. The use of the snake as a scriptural allegory is similar to how the Lord used the goat in the same way. Was He referring to the animal itself? Not at all. He was instead referring to qualities which are evident to anyone with experience dealing with both goats and sheep. The two don't mix... goats will terrorize and injure sheep, so both animals must be separated by the shepherd. This does not mean that goats are inherently bad, for goats have their place in God's creation.

Case in point: whenever we experience a lunar eclipse on Earth, the Moon experiences a solar eclipse. What is a lunar eclipse? When the shadow of the earth falls upon the Moon. What is a solar eclipse? When the shadow of the moon falls upon the Earth. It's a mundane event.

There's no question that such things can be used for that purpose by the Lord; however, it should be noted that the "non-miraculous" was set in motion by the Lord and that, my friend, is always true. An eclipse is as natural as the wind. It's also commonplace. I have never been superstitious, so I'm confident that the Lord will speak regarding things of that nature.

Considering how I decided to speak up concerning Mr. Trump lately, I suppose I ought to do the same regarding Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. It would be good to clear the air of nonsense and explain why his famous family have collectively denounced Mr. Kennedy; it has nothing to do whatsoever with him running for President as an Independent. Here are some reasons why: 1.) Mr. Kennedy claimed that COVID-19 was created to target everyone except for ethnic Chinese people and individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. Utter nonsense and one of the kookiest conspiracy theories I've come across regarding COVID-19. It's also virulently antisemitic and racist, to say the least. One would expect vile crazy of this caliber to be fabricated by a Neo-Nazi group. 2.) The man's hilarious claim that the "pharmaceutical industry" is exclusively supporting the Democratic party. Ah, no. 23 pharmaceutical companies and two pharmaceutical trade organizations are on record as supporting Republican candidates and the GOP. That's a lie. 3.) Mr. Kennedy has accused Dr. Fauci and Bill Gates of exaggerating the threat posed by COVID-19 in order to promote vaccines. Hahahahaha! That's Q-Anon kookiness for you. If it isn't George Soros, then it's Bill Gates. If it isn't Bill Gates, then it's Dr. Fauci. We'll see who RFK Jr. comes up with next. (Never mind the fact of who actually promoted COVID vaccines and funneled billions of dollars into their rapid development and use: President Donald Trump. Interesting, no?) 4.) His baseless claim that the 2004 election was "stolen" by George W. Bush. That's another no. There was no evidence of electoral fraud in the 2004 presidential election. Mr. Kennedy reveals that he's equally as kooky as Donald Trump in this regard. 5.) Mr. Kennedy claims that vaccines cause autism. No, they don't. That's been debunked countless times ever since anti-vaxxers started spouting that one. Besides, my three sisters and I are living proof that vaccines don't cause autism. All four of us received more vaccinations than the average American received from infancy to the early teen years. That was life in a military family. We spent the majority of our childhood and teens living outside of the United States. Every change of station = a list of vaccines we had to receive before the move. That's a reasonable selection of the numerous reasons why Mr. Kennedy is a crackpot, to put it mildly. I would say that he is an off-brand iteration of Donald Trump, sans the history of grifting, serial adultery, and confidence schemes that Mr. Trump is infamous for. Mr. Kennedy is infamous for his kooky conspiracy theories.

Always.

Ah, so that was Copilot. I've been steering clear of Android AI applications in general on account of those being rather ubiquitous. I'm reminded of those ridiculous "magic 8 balls" from my days in grade school. 😑

Referencing an anthem of the 1980s? Pardon me for a moment... AaaaaaaaaaaAaaAaaAAAh, noooooooooooooooooooo! There, all better now.

Don't worry, brother. In September 2025 during the next total solar eclipse, it will be Australia's and New Zealand's turn to deal with this stuff. The total solar eclipse will also be witnessed in Antartica, the Pacific Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean. I wonder what the penguins and seals will do with it.

Two to five solar eclipses happen somewhere on earth every year. Also, many ancient cultures viewed eclipses as signs from their pagan gods. Those are simple facts, my friend. 🤷‍♂️" Analysis: Observation of Human Behavior: Marathoner observes that when they share factual information, some people respond with a hesitant “Yes, but…” This suggests that facts sometimes clash with existing beliefs. The need to defend or justify beliefs arises when facts challenge those beliefs. Marathoner emphasizes that faith in the Lord should not be conflated with factual discussions. Solar Eclipses: Marathoner presents two straightforward facts: Frequency: Two to five solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth each year. Ancient Beliefs: Many ancient cultures interpreted eclipses as messages from their pagan deities. These facts highlight the intersection of science (astronomy) and cultural beliefs. Tone and Emoji: The use of the 🤷‍♂️ emoji adds a touch of playfulness or resignation, perhaps acknowledging the complexity of human responses to facts. In summary, Marathoner reflects on the interplay between facts, beliefs, and faith, while sharing intriguing information about solar eclipses. 🌘✨ Fascinating, as well as accurate. I have not looked into android assistants as of this time. It would appear that an investigation is in order.

I find it interesting that sharing facts elicits a "Yes, but..." response, as if the truth runs afoul of one's resident beliefs and the need to defend or justify them is required, or that I lack the faith to share such beliefs in common. Faith in the Lord has nothing to do with your beliefs in this matter, Vine Abider. Two to five solar eclipses happen somewhere on earth every year. Also, many ancient cultures viewed eclipses as signs from their pagan gods. Those are simple facts, my friend.

Pagans regarded these occurrences as signs from their gods. Two to five solar eclipses occur every year so this isn't a unique or necessarily noteworthy event.

My father worked in a communications site at Tengan. Funny how you can't find any mention of the Tengan site online. I've hunted for it in vain. Tengan was staffed by Marines, Army, and Navy personnel (my father was the only Army soldier there at the time). That's the type of location he worked in after Vietnam with a few exceptions, like Ethiopia in 1974. Brings back many memories. Well, at least I was able to find my father's command insignia --- United States Strategic Communications Command. I saw this patch on his Class A jacket. He also painted it on some of his coffee cups.