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Hi, I’m here again lol. Thanks for all of you who have helped me through my crisis a couple weeks ago. QUESTION: How do I deal with my family who discriminates against me because i am darker. Now, I am vulnerable with this topic. I don’t know how racially diverse worthy is, (doesn’t matter) but I don’t know if any of you would understand what I am saying or relate. I am grateful for any advice. Like some of you know, my family is not supportive of my mental health. I can not tell them my issues. So I come here. I am very grateful for all of you, truly! Anyway, I’m a black young women (17). For all of you who don’t know what colorism is. It is “prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group”. Colorism is a huge problem in the black community. In my experience, among some people I know and in society, dark skin is looked down upon. The thing is, colorism is a topic that makes people uncomfortable. I think because no one wants to admit that it exist. And because they may be colorist aswell. So here’s my problem, my immediate family is very colorist. This started with my mother who is of darker skin. Now, both my parents are black but my father is lighter skin. His complexion is more like George Lopez, while my moms is like Naomi Campbell. I have 5 sibling. My older brother and myself take after our moms complexion and my younger sister and younger 2 brothers take after my dads. Well you would think that my mother would not have a problem with having darker kids but she does. She projects her self hatred onto me. She has been verbally (& physically) abusive to me since I was 8. Whenever she wants to insult me, she targets my skintone, which is the same as hers, and also my hair and weight. She has uplifted my siblings as better and more beautiful than me because of their lighter skin. She makes comments indirectly about their hair and skin as being better than mine. It hurts. It hurts because she has brainwashed this to them, making them believe that they are better than darker people like myself. It hurts because i am singled out and this has been going since I was a young child . My mom is a narcissist so she really won’t accept blame. We have a looooonnngg history of just craziness. We have been doing better, but we never got along. I was always to blame. But that’s besides the point really. I have never struggled with accepting my skin; (blessing), but my low self esteem was because of my weight and I just think I am ugly. I recently realized that what is going on in my family is NOT okay! I have talked to my parents about this and how satan wants to divide our people. And colorism is a trick he uses. While they accept what I’m saying, they continue to make these comments. I am gaslighted all the time about being over sensitive when I get upset. For example, the reason I am writing this is because 10 minutes ago we were having family time and I told my dad that his comment about my brothers girlfriend was disrespectful and colorist. Of course he denied it. But then my sister jumped in and began to scold me. BTW, she is VERY vain and thinks that she is better because she is lighter. She doesn’t understand the struggles dark skin women face. My sister thinks she is prettier than me because of her skin. And for the comments people make about her being prettier than me because she is lighter. I’m sorry that this is so long. It is just that I’m very sad rn and feel less than. As much as I try to stay strong, their comments get to me and sometimes I question myself. I have always took pride in my skin but other areas I struggle (body). I hate when people are sad. Especially when other little darker girls hate their skin because of colorism and society. For example, my younger cousin who is 4 believes she would be prettier if she had light skin. It happens in the black community a lot. The media influence has a lot to do with it aswell as the whole slavery stuff. But I want to be an activist and a lawyer one day. And tackle problems like this. I know colorism is also a problem in India and south Asian counties. Anyway, if you made it this far God bless you lol ?! Any advice is needed. Please pray that I can strive forward, I just feel drained and forgotten . I’m trying to do better and listen to god... but I admit I am struggling. Thank you, love all of you !?

Hey everyone I have a question? As we know, homosexuality is a sin in the bible. The question I have is this. Why are Christians forced to accept it when we know the truth and how it is a sin? Feedback will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hello community, If you are a writer on this forum with a website, you might want to link to all or specific Bible books when you mention them in your posts. For example, you might right on your blog, "In Genesis, God is seen to have created the Heavens and the earth out of nothing ... " or "In Gen 1:1, God unleashed a great power in creating what we know out of ... " There could be a better way to do this for you, but you can also do it with us. There is a page on our website (PRINCIOLOGY.COM) that contain links to all Bible Books on different webpages of our website. See the page here - https://www.princiology.com/read-bible-online/ Note that we have only the King James Version on our website for now. You would also find this useful if you just want to read the Bible online. Also, if you want to link to specific books, you can put the name of the book after the address above, and then add '-kjv'. Like https://www.princiology.com/read-bible-online/matthew-kjv/ or https://www.princiology.com/read-bible-online/1-peter-kjv/ You can check the page with all the links if you are not sure of what the link to a book in the Bible is. Added to just the Bible text, we have other details like introduction, the purpose of the book, author, audience, and date the book was written, on the webpage of each book. Thank you for your favourable consideration.

I have decided ti create and index of topic for this section. It will be small at first, since I am very slow going on this project, but hopefully I can grow it with time. Here the topics will be listed, in alphabetical order with no suggestion of any topic being more important than another. As I grow this index, I will add topics into this first post of this thread. As entries are added, they will not only be added to this list, but a notification will me made at what is the end of this thread, at the time that post is added. The purpose of that, is to serve as notice that can be seen more readily by those following the thread, and perhaps in other places on the site, where such things get updated. Following begins the topics: Adoption Faith Grace Tithing Trinity

The Post-trib position in a nutshell compared with the Bible A short Bible study on a topic that some want to make way too complicated - Omegaman Post-Trib Belief What the Bible (NASB) Says The software here makes formatting difficult. There is an easier to read version if you prefer July 28th, 2014 - Omegaman 3.0 There will be a time of trouble Jesus called birth pangs You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.7“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8“But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. Followed by persecution, even to death, a time of tribulation 9“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. There will be a sign 15“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Then the tribulation will be great, but it will be limited 21“For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22“Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. After the tribulation, Jesus will come visibly in the sky 29“But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30“And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. He then will send angels to gather His elect 31“And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. In Jesus time, only the Father knew the exact time of Jesus visible return 36“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. But it will be like the days of Noah, when calamity overtook the surprised unbelievers 37“For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38“For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Believers should also be ready for His return, though they do not know the exact time. 42“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 44“For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. The Bible, to prevent deception. tells us the order of the events: 3As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you." Every verse listed so far, was from the 24th Chapter of the book of Matthew. You have just read them yourself, exactly as they are in the bible, and in the same order, so you can see for yourself, what Jesus said about these things.As you can see, He did not use figurative or symbolic language, he was very clear, and used lots of words which indicat time sequences, words like "then" and "at that time". There is no need to spin Jesus' words or make unwarranted assumptions, as many are tempted to do. Let's look at some more info from the apostles Paul and from John There will be a time when Jesus catches up (raptures) His church. From 1 Thess chapter 4 Notice again the sequence: The Lord descends from Heaven, a shout, and angel, a trumpet, and those who have died in Christ rise, Then the living Christian join them in the air. 13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Like Jesus before him, Paul also said there was a sign to look for, a sigh that would appear before our gathering to Him in the rapture. Beleivers are to look for this man, and by that will now that the 2nd coming of Jesus, is then imminent. 2 Thess 2 1Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Jesus will come like a thief on unbelievers, but watchful Christians will know that He is about to come. 1 Thess 5 1Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.4But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. Since we know that the dead in Christ rise first, followed by the rapture (vs 16 & 17 of 1 Thess 4) of the living believers, if we only knew if that resurrection was before or after the tribulation, we could understand if the rapture was before or after the tribulation. Believers who die in the tribulation, for their testimony of Jesus, come to life in the first resurrection, to be followed by the rapture (1 Thess 4:17) rapture. 4Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.) This is the first resurrection. This has been a summary of the Post Tribulation Rapture viewpoint, also known as Historic Premillenialism, along with some scripture passages which can be said to support this understanding. There were assertions, and there were supporting verses and passages, without inserting things like an invisible, secret coming (is there even one verse that says that? If so, I have never seen it), and idea that has become popular in modern times. I tried to keep this faithful to scripture, I tried to make it simple and clear. Jesus and Paul warned about deceptions to come, I take those warning seriously. Paul had this to say as well: 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Tim 4 I will end with this thought from the book of Acts: 19“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. Some versions render that as "He must remain in heaven until the time" Personally, I find all these verses harmonize perfectly well with each other, and I beleive the Post-Trib rapture position, is consistant with them as well. I hope you found this helpful and informative (Reply to a question - question asker asked for question to be deleted - but ok to leave answer if name not mentioned) Omegaman Jul 31 2014 10:23 PM Your reply touches on something that is always an issue, the idea of interpretation. I have no idea if I am right or I am wrong, I believe I am right of course, otherwise I would change my view, lol. However, where I think my understanding and belief is different from many, is that I try not to interpret at all, I just read, and try to understand. If you read my post, and I assume you did, you will have noticed that I did two things - I stated aspects of the doctrine which I accept, and then I stated the scripture that appears to support those points. You will have noticed that what I did not do was things like: "You see where it says 'elect', that is the Jews!" or: "See where it says the restrainer?" - that is the Holy Spirit: Those sorts of things, are interpretations, I just pointed out scripture and let it speak for itself. The things that are usually used to demonstrate a pre-tribulation rapture, are interpretations at best, usually they are arguments from silence, or assumed inferences not warranted by the text. For example, all of the ways people try to see a sudden, secret, any moment visit by Jesus, well, it is just odd, since the text never says any such thing. While I know people do not intend harm, it strikes me as dishonest to treat scripture so carelessly. Of course, I just stepped on millions of toes with that statement, but it frustrates me that people cannot see the difference between their assumptions and what the Bible actually says, and does not say. In my post I didn't even mention all the evidences that demonstrate the errors of pre-trib assumptions, I just tried to give positive evidence for a post trib position, and I did not have to assume or twist anything to do that - just posted scripture. I could still be in error for my understanding, but I do not think my understanding is unreasonable, and I expect that many others might notice that. My main point in my reply, that I would like you to take away, is that stating scripture, is not an interpretation, it is just stating scripture. I pointed out how, those scriptures might represent what I have come to believe. If the difference is not obvious, then I just wasted my time, but it will not be the first time I have done that. Thanks for taking the time to read my post and respond.

Hello everyone, I am writing a full report on Torah only using the NT, this is the start of part 1. I was shown to not search for the spiritual on the web. I only Use The Word and The Spirit. Part 1:The Meeting Of Acts. In acts chapter 13 vs. 14 & 15, we can see the Gentiles in Antioch are keeping the Sabbath and studying Torah, KJV: “But when they departed from Per'ga,they came to Antioch in Pisidia and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down. 15. And after the reading of The Law(Torah) and the prophets” (so Torah and rest of OT is what was being studied by the first Christian’s on The Biblical Sabbath day) In vs. 39 we see By our Belief/Faith in The Messiah we are Justified/made pure,. KJV: “And by him all that believe are Justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses”(simply following the customs of Torah is not what gives humans Justification) In vs. 45 we see the Jews become Jealous of the masses of Gentiles who have came to synagogue to Hear The Word of YHWH, and start speaking blasphemous. KJV: “BUT when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy" In chapter 14 vs 1 we see the Greeks and Jews both believed together as one Body in synagogue, no separation of Jew n Gentile. In chapter 15 vs.1 we have man who came down from Judea and taught the New converts, that They CAN NOT be saved UNLESS they are physically circumcised, KJV: “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses YE CANNOT BE SAVED.” which is what causes the whole debate can a person get salvation and be uncircumcised? KJV vs.2: “Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them, should go upto Jerusalem unto the Apostles and Elders ABOUT THIS QUESTION" (Not whether we should keep or destroy the Torah that would have been sacrilegious and never would have ever crossed Their minds!) In vs 5 there is a Pharisee that stood up during the debate, and said it is NEEDFUL they be circumcised and they should be COMMANDED to keep or "Guard" the Torah which could be a reference to rabbinical oral law about placing "fences" around Torah, on this verse I sought out a 4th translation from the Aramaic peshitta, that actually makes the most sense for the context, HRB: “But some of those rose up from the sect of the Pharisees who had believed, saying, It is necessary to circumcise them in order to keep the Law of Moses” In vs.9 we see again there is NO difference between Jew and Gentile, and that our Hearts become purified By Faith! Keeping the rules without Faith is worthless, keep the Torah perfect, without Faith and a circumcised heart it means Nothing! In vs. 10 we see Peter say, “now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” I believe this Yoke to be a mindset, the very mindset that caused this whole debate, that you CANNOT BE SAVED unless you follow these rules and customs, where as now the understanding has changed in this Meeting from ” we HAVE to Follow these customs to be Saved” to “now that we are Saved by grace, we SHOULD follow these customs” Although, the Torah is Holy, just and good (Ro 7:12), human beings are not, and according to the Torah (Deut 27:26) if one entered the first covenant, then they were obligated to observe every law of Torah and there was no way to have certain sins removed such as adultery, idolatry, blasphemy and murder. Yahshua magnified the Torah to show that in spirit every human being has committed such sins. Since Circumcision is the sign of the first covenant in which you could not have the penalty of such sins removed, Peter is clearly stating why would the elders want to put such a burden on new believers. Paul clearly expounds on this in the book of Galatians that if one is circumcised and joins the old covenant that Messiah will profit him nothing as there was no removal of sins but simply a hope of a better covenant to come with a more perfect priesthood in Melchizedek. In vs. 11 we again see through the Grace of The Messiah we are saved along with our Faith and belief as we seen in previous verses, this of course is not saying in any way that we should not Try to Follow YHWHs Rules, Just that The rules themselves DO NOT bring salvation, many men followed the customs who were unrighteous in heart, like the Pharisees who wouldn’t help men who needed healing on the Sabbath, they twisted His Torah into something it never was . In vs, 19 we see James stands up and says that they should not TROUBLE the New converts, as in don’t overwhelm these new people who have came to Elohim with a direct command from the Jerusalem council that they must follow every rule In order to gain salvation, in vs.20 he instead recommends that they(the elders) write them(new converts) a list they need to abstain from, to not overwhelm them, that they just stop fornication, blood, idols, things strangled “It would be ridiculous to think that these are the only 4 requirements that a new gentile believer needed to follow, as it does not mention murder, blasphemy or even belief in Yahshua. Since cultural issues such as not draining the blood correctly in animals was keeping Jewish believers from fellowshipping with gentile ones, the Apostles are simply making basic rules that will allow them to meet together with a clear conscience. These 4 points are not the only doctrine that a new gentile believer will have to learn, but they are a starting point, as the next verse clearly states that the gentiles will “hear the Torah each Sabbath that they meet” with the Jewish believers, clearly showing the still binding validity of the Sabbath and Torah, even after this decree.” In vs 21. James points out the fact that The Torah of Moses is preached every Sabbath, KJV:”For Moses of Old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day" there fore The elders don’t need to teach or tell these people about the rest of the commandments, bc they fully expect them to Hear Torah every Sabbath as they go to synagogue, in turn they can learn the rest of Torah at Their own pace and not be overwhelmed or worried. And in vs. 22 we can see only after this truth was stated “THEN" the elders, apostles, is pleased and in agreement with the decision.

What is your favorite verse? Why do you like that verse and are there verses you go to in time of need? Just curious

Before reading, just know that is a long text, and may seem like something ridiculous and not needing to bother with to most of y'all, but this means a lot to me, and I keep hoping to find answers, but can't find any, so that's why I'm here... Hey, Everyone! I am fairly new to this Forum and excited to be a part of it! I was born into the faith, and have been a Christian my entire life (I'm 17 years old, lol). It wasn't until around I was about 12 or 13, though, that I began to become more interested in Christianity and the Bible, and at the age of 15, I discovered Apologetics, which helped me retain my faith that I was struggling with at the time. Thanks to that, I now have learned much more about Christianity than I ever thought I would, and I am so happy to know that Christ is Lord and that I am a Follower of Him! So y'all are probably wondering "what does any of this have to do with Tupac Shakur, as named in the title?" Well, that's where the questions come in. For any who don't know, Tupac Amaru Shakur (1971-1996) was a rapper who went by the stage names MC New York, 2Pac, and Makaveli. He was born in New York, and then moved to Maryland where he attended the Baltimore Academy of Arts (I believe that's what it is called), but then moved to California at the age of 17, where he was introduced to the drug and ghetto culture, where dealing, gang violence, sex, and robberies were frequent and even promoted. He was brought up as a thug, due to this, and incorporated this message in many of his songs. Unlike many rappers today though, when Tupac rapped about drugs and crime, he didn't do it in an attempt to glorify them, he did it to show the consequences of dabbling with them and tried to show those that didn't live that lifestyle, what it's like to live it. Tupac even made songs that, to me, were very powerful. His songs such as: Changes, Dear Mama, Brenda's Got A Baby, Until the End of Time, etc. are enough to make one tear up (I did with Brenda's Got A Baby). Me, being born into the ghetto and being raised in a household of domestic violence, I began to feel extremely attached to his music and his message. I began to binge several of his interviews, videos, albums, films, etc. It got to the point to where he felt like a friend of mine, or even, family. Then, I saw an interview where he was asked his religious views, and this is where it gets downhill. His songs and poems show that he was an extremely strong believer in God, but when he is asked about what he follows, he responds, stating that he believes that if you are good in your heart and do good things, then you are closer to God. But if you're evil in your heart and do bad things, then you're closer to the Devil. But he then went on to say that the Bible, he believes, was made by a person who wanted to find a way to control people. He says that the Bible says that certain people (prophets, patriarchs, etc) are good because they suffered a lot. He then went on to say that he got shot 5 times, and that he was 'crucified' by the media, and he 'walked through with the thorns on', and he told the thief (probably someone in the jail he was in) that 'this ain't supposed to happen, I'll come back for you.' Then he clarified by saying that he ain't saying he's Jesus, but that people go through that type of 'stuff' everyday. He then went on to attack a lot of what he sees as selfishness by megachurches and gigantic cathedrals who won't help homeless people who need God (although I don't have an issue with that point). During this interview, he was quick to make sure that he wasn't trying to disrespect anyone's beliefs, and that these things he's saying are simply his opinions only. This broke my heart. I thought Tupac, someone who I see as an inspiration, was a full on believer! I began to overspeculate, and came to several conclusions, one of which was that Tupac wasn't being entirely truthful in the interview, as he does have different tones with different interviewers, and that he truly did believe in the Bible, but then I felt like I was lying to myself. There several factors that contribute to my continued belief that Tupac was a Christian. Such as: - He had a giant tattoo of a cross on his back - He had a tattoo of a cross, along with Jesus' face, with the words "Only God Can Judge Me" on his arm - His most frequently worn necklace was a necklace of a cross - He was extremely close to his mother, who was a very devout Christian, who even claimed that the group she was in (Black Panther Party) failed because they didn't involve God - In many of his songs, he implements Christian tones: "Hail Mary", "Only God Can Judge Me", "Black Jesuz", "Ghetto Gospel", "I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto" - Many of his lyrics point to a Christian belief: "Father please forgive me for my life of sin, my hard stare seems to scare my sister's kids.." (Until the End of Time) "Get on yo knees to pray, Oh Lord, Help me change my ways, and show a lil mercy on judgment day, it ain't me I was raised this way.." (Hell 4 a Hustla) "Is there a ghetto in heaven or do I go to hell?" (Gotta Survive) "Picture a world where black babies can survive past five, but we must keep hope, quotin the reverend from the pulpit.." (Everything You Own) "Question for the Lord, why don't He like me, please guard my soul" (High Speed) "Just another lost soul stuck callin Jehovah.. Father how the heck did I survive these five shots?" (All Out) "and I wonder if the Lord ever heard of me.." ([Song Title Contains Profanity]) "and I pray to black Jesus to please take the rest of me.." (As The World Turns) "Before I go to sleep I pray and thank the Lord for another fruitful day.." ([Song Title Contains Profanity]) "Dear God I been feeling like I'm close to Jesus.." (Catchin Feelings) "And God said He should send His one begotten son to lead the wild into the ways of the man Follow me; eat my flesh, flesh and my flesh" & "Catch me father please, cause I'm fallin," (Hail Mary) "Cry later but for now let's enjoy the laughter God bless the dead" (God Bless the Dead) "Dear Lord..How can I survive? Got me askin white Jesus will a brotha live or die, cause the Lord can't see us in the deep dark clouds of the projects, ain't no sunshine No sunny days and we only play sometimes" (Still I Rise) "Keep yo' head up and try to keep the faith And pray for better days" (Better Dayz) "Searchin for Black Jesus It's hard, it's hard We need help out here So we searchins for Black Jesus It's like a Saint, that we pray to in the ghetto, to get us through" (Black Jesuz) "Who do you believe in? I put my faith in God Blessed and still breathing And even though it's hard That's who I believe in Before I'm leaving I'm asking the grieving Who do you believe in?" (Who Do You Believe In) These things often comfort me. In regards to Christianity, the closest he ever came to "insulting" it, is saying that the Bible wasn't "written by God". He harshly criticized pastors, priests, and especially televangelists, but he never once, not once, ever spoke bad about Jesus Christ. And even though he didn't hold the Bible in the same regard as we do here, he never insulted any prophet or person in the Bible that is shown as good. What's strange though, is that, in an interview after this, Tupac, while acting in a movie called "Gang Related", states that his faith is in "Black Jesus" and that he has "been gifted by God, by Black Jesus". Here, Tupac refers to Jesus as God, (the reason he uses the term "Black Jesus", is because he wants to make it clear that he doesn't have the same thought pattern as WASP Christians) (also, note that this interview isn't part of the movie, lol). In an interview with MTV (I believe this was his last interview before he was eventually shot and killed), he compares Judas' Betrayal to his competition in the music industry. I don't remember what he said exactly, but it's easy to find online, and it's very short. After he was shot, he didn't die on the spot, but instead, fell into a coma and was rushed to the hospital, where he was alive for about 3-6 days until he eventually died from his wounds. During this time, he was visited by his mother, Afeni Shakur, and his aunt, Gloria Cox, both of whom were devout Christians, and they had with them, in Tupac's hospital room, an Evangelist, who was Tupac's aunt Gloria's cousin, who visited Tupac all the time and prayed over him, and also put oil over him and put a healing cloth on him, while he was still shot up and unconscious, but still alive. He eventually passed away, with the last ones seeing him pass on, being his mother and aunt. Now some of y'all may have a question of your own when reading this: "Why do you care so much?". Well, because I feel extremely close to Tupac, and he touched on so many things that meant a lot to me, and what he said are things that I very much relate to. He feels kind of like a best friend, or even a brother sometimes. I don't let this cloud my judgement, though, as there are aspects of him that I don't agree with. I don't want to follow the life he lived, and I believe that Biggie handled their feud in a much more mature manner and tried to calm people on both sides down, whereas Tupac, due to growing up in the ghetto and already being shot 5 times, became extremely paranoid and reacted somewhat militantly (though, only verbally, not physically). But as Tupac said, he didn't want to be seen as a role model, but instead, show the world what he alone was like. With all this being said, there are some questions I have regarding this. 1) Tupac promoted songs and messages of righteousness, with some gangsta-type themes, only so he could connect and reach out to the people who lived in ghetto hood areas. First and foremost, 2Pac believed in helping the poor, and fought for those who couldn't, but often times his anger did get the best of him, and he would act out on it, but then regret it later on. ~ Does this make him more of a no good thug rather than someone who can be seen as good? 2) Despite him not believing the divine context of the Bible (at least not at the time of the interview), do you think he could still be considered a Christian? He held a very strong and firm belief in God, and believed in the teachings of Christ as well. His Gang Related interview shows him calling Black Jesus, God. Maybe he could've been what is called an "Agnostic Christian"? What is the minimum requirement to being called a "Christian"? 3) Would you say that Tupac made it into Heaven? Or that it seems like He could've? He did exactly what Jesus taught people to do in His Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, but he didn't seem to believe in Biblical authority, but he did refer to Jesus as God. This means he took Him as his "Lord", but I'm not sure if he then also took him as his "Savior". His body art and songs seem to show a promotion of Christian belief, though. I remember reading about King Solomon who was once righteous in the Eyes of God, but then turned to idolatry and had several women as his wives and concubines. I don't think Solomon would've landed in Hell though, so I don't think that what Tupac did, would've landed him in Hell (but I'm not the one to make that judgement). Sorry for seeming somewhat dramatic, and over thinking the faith and actions of one man, but the reason I do this, is because I love Tupac and I genuinely care about his condition and his faith. If there's anyone here, especially a fan of 2Pac who may also know about his life, who can give an answer, then as Tupac said in Dear Mama, "you are appreciated". I kindly ask for as many answers that can be received as possible. Thank you, and God Bless!

If a person becomes a Christian because of a tragedy (like seeing someone drown e.g) did God sacrifice a person for that purpose, and is that a bad thing ?

SCIENCE IN THE BIBLE Spherical Earth. “It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth." Isaiah 40:22. "..when he set a compass upon the face of the depth." Proverbs 8:27. Circle 2329 = Compass 2329 in Hebrew is "Khoog" = to describe a circle, or circuit, meaning the horizon which is circular. In 712 BC, when Isaiah wrote this, people thought that the earth was flat, and that you could sail over the edge of it and fall off. Columbus and Magellan proved that the earth was circular by sailing around it in a circle from East to West and then returning to the point of departure. Question: How did the Bible know that the earth was spherical? Answer: God wrote it! The Earth Hangs in Space. "He hangs the earth upon nothing." Job 26:7 stated 1500BC. Until modern times "experts" believed ideas such as the earth sat on four elephants, who stood on a giant turtle, who swam in the ocean. Man could not imagine how the earth could hang in space on nothing. Yet this is what happens due to gravitational attraction between the earth and the sun, giving the appearance that the earth hangs on nothing.  The Bible includes some principles of fluid dynamics. Job 28:25 "To establish a weight for the wind,And apportion the waters by measure." The fact that air has weight was proven scientifically only about 300 years ago. The relative weights of air and water are needed for the efficient functioning of the world’s hydrologic cycle, which in turn sustains life on the earth. The bible includes reasonably complete descriptions of the hydrologic cycle. Psalm 135:7 "He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries." Jeremiah 10:13 "When He utters His voice,There is a multitude of waters in the heavens: And He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, He brings the wind out of His treasuries.” In these verses you can see several phases of the hydrologic cycle—the worldwide processes of evaporation, translation aloft by atmospheric circulation, condensation with electrical discharges, and precipitation. The Bible describes the recirculation of water. Ecclesiastes 1:7 "All the rivers run into the sea,Yet the sea is not full;To the place from which the rivers come, There they return again." Isaiah 55:10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there,But water the earth,And make it bring forth and bud,That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, " Hydrothermal vents are described in two books of the Bible written before 1400BC—more than 3,000 years before their discovery by science. Genesis 7:11 "In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened." Job 38:16 "Have you entered the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in search of the depths?" Cloud Balancing. "Dost thou know the balancing of the clouds?" Job 37:16. Clouds are floating in the air, balanced by two forces: gravity pulling them downwards, and warm air pushing them upwards. How did Job know about this in 1500 BC? God told him. All Mankind came from One Woman. "Adam called his wife's name Eve: because she was the mother of all living." Genesis 3:20. DNA is found in every cell, in both the nucleus and the mitochondrion (energy station). Mitochondrial DNA is always and only inherited from the mother. Analysis of this DNA in humans from all over the world shows unmistakably that all humans have inherited it from one woman. This research was done by Wilson, Cann, and Stoneking from the University of California, Berkeley. (Creation Ex Nihilo, Vol.12, No.2, March 1990). The Bloodstream Carries Life. "The life of the flesh is in the blood." Leviticus 17:11. From 400 BC to 1900 AD, a procedure called "blood letting" was popular. Sick people had blood drained from their bloodstream as a supposed therapeutic measure. It was responsible for killing millions of people, such as George Washington. People thought that blood carried disease instead of life. By draining the blood, the patient died of blood loss. Now we give blood to some sick patients. The Bible was right again. Winds blow in Circuits. "The wind goes toward the south, and turns about unto the north, it whirls about continually and the wind turns again according to his circuits." Ecclesiastes 1:6. At the equator, the sun heats the air causing it to rise. In the upper atmosphere this airflows away from the equator. When the air returns to the earth's surface, it flows across the surface. This moving surface air produces the six belts of prevailing winds around the earth. Winds have Weight and hence Air Pressure. "To make the weight for the winds." Job 28:25. Galileo in 1600 AD noted that a suction pump would not raise water more than 34 feet. Torricelli suggested that if air could support a column of water 34 feet high, then air should support a column of mercury about 2.5 feet high, because mercury is 13 times as heavy as water. Torricelli made a mercury barometer and proved that air has pressure Can a Whale swallow Jonah "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." Jonah 1:17. Many people use this as their reason for doubting the Bible's truthfulness. How can a fish swallow a man? Several cases in modern times have been reported of a whale swallowing a man who survived. One is reported by Francis Fox in "Sixty-three years of Engineering" p.298-300 and confirmed by two scientists, one being M. DeParville, the scientific editor of "Journal Des Debats" in Paris. In February 1891, the whaling ship, "Star of the East" was near the Falkland Islands, where they sighted a large sperm whale. Two boats were sent out after the whale. One boat harpooned the whale, but the whale upset the other boat, drowning one man and the other sailor James Bartley, disappearing without a trace. After the whale was killed and cut open two days later, James Bartley was found unconscious and doubled up inside the whale. He had lost his senses through fright and not through lack of air. His skin was bleached white from stomach acid. He fully recovered. If a man can survive two days in a whale in 1891, surely Jonah could have survived three days in a great fish in 862 BC. Sea Paths or Ocean Currents. "Whatsoever passes through the paths of the sea". Psalm 8:8. "Paths" in Hebrew means "customary roads." Matthew Maury is the father of Oceanography. A statue of him exists in Virginia with charts of the sea in one hand and a Bible in the other. Until Maury's work there were no charts of sailing lanes. One day during a temporary illness, his son read from Psalm 8:8. Maury stopped him, asking him to read it again. Maury then said: "It is enough. If the Word of God says that there are paths in the sea, they must be there, and I am going to find them." Within a few years he had charted the sea lanes and ocean currents. Question: How did the Bible know about sea paths or ocean currents? Answer: God wrote it. Light can be Parted or Dispersed into a Rainbow Spectrum. "By what way is the light parted (Heb.2505)?" Job 38:24. "Parted" in Hebrew is "chalaq” which means, "separated". White light can be separated into 7 colours of the spectrum which are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. This was not understood until experiments with light were performed in the 1600's. Note: Light is like Jesus Christ: "I am the light of the world." John 9:5. As light has seven colours, so Christ has the seven spirits of God. See Isaiah 11:1,2.

Shalom All, Here's an article that might help someone. Either athesists wondering why bother to even read the Bible, or believers wanting a handy page to refer when in need! Topics covered include: Most controversial book in history Miraclous design Survivability www.faithandtheword.com/bother/withbible May it encourage at least one precious soul decide to pick up a Bible, by His Grace. Love & Shalom

I just read this and I am not 100 percent sure if the writer is credible or not....has any one heard about this? https://thereisnews.com/pope-francis-cancels-bible/ Pope Francis has surprised the world today by announcing that The Bible is totally outdated and needs a radical change, so The Bible is officially canceled and it’s announced a meeting between the highest personalities of the church where it will be decided the book that will replace it, its name and its content. Some names are already being considered and the one that has more strength is “Biblia 2000”. “We can not keep trying to talk our public in a totally new world with a book that has thousands years. We are losing followers and we have to go a step further in the search for the modernization of the church. to rewrite the word of God, even if it is only the Old Testament, in which there are certain passages that it is better not to repeat. ” The news has fallen like a bomb among the most conservative, who consider this idea the definitive clue of madness of Pope Francis.

This will have a similar page on a website (it is buggy right now), because I can do more features there than on the limitations here, but for here, here is the topic - and supporting verse addresses: The Bible is God's revelation to mankind Mat 4:4, 7, 10, 5:19-20, 19:4-6, 26:31, 52-54, Luk 4:16-21, 16:17, 18:31-33, 22:37, 24:25-27, 45-47, Jn 10:35 Even Jesus must obey and fulfill Mat 5:17-18, 26:24, Jn 5:46 Inspired by God and for our instruction Psa 33:6, Gen 1:2, II Tim 3:15-17, Rom 15:4, I Cor 10:11, II Pet 1:21, I Pet 1:10-12, Heb 1:5-13, 3:7, 4:3, 10:5-7, 15-17, Acts 4:25, 28:25-27 Apostolic writing is also scripture, the word of God II Cor 2:12-13, II Pet 3:15-16, I Tim 5:18, Luke 10:7 Word of God is instruction from God on how to live Ex 32:15-16, 34:1, 27-28, Num 33:2, Deut 31:9. Everyone from rulers to common folk are to be obedient to the Bible. Josh 1:7-8, II Ki 17:13, 22:8-13, I Chr 22:12-13, Neh 8, Ps 119

The Universe is Revelation from God There is a post here which discusses the Bible as the revelation of God. The Bible has very specific information about God Himself, and about that nature of man, and the problems created by the differences between the will of mankind (as individuals) and the will of God. Much of the Bible though, is limited as a revelation, because mankind has a limited ability to understand the Bible. Some things are spiritually understood, and are understood only by those who have God’s Spirit. In this sense then, the Bible is a revelation intended for the people of God. The universe is different. Though it lacks a lot of the specificity that the Bible has, it has a kind of revelation that is understood (or can be) understood by those with the ability to think, and the powers of observation. This topic, explores some of that. Rom 1:19-21 God reveals Himself through His creation, there is no excuse to reject God Acts 17:28 Paul acknowledged Greek poets and philosophers, knew there was a Creator Acts 14:17 God testified about Himself, as a provider to mankind Rom 2:4 God's kindness toward us, should lead us to repentance Rom 2:14-15 Our conscience, tells us there is right and wrong, we understand that Rom 1:32 People know not to sin, yet even encourage others to sin also This revelation is available to all, so we call this general revelation Rom 1:18-3:19 God's wrath and judgement await unrepentant sinners What scripture reveals beyond this general revelation, and this is very important, is that man is a sinner, sin separated man from God, and this separation is permanent unless God intervenes and provides a way of salvation from our sin and the effects of it. This we call special or specific revelation.

Hi all! I am beginning a project that I hope will help people study this topic, with greater ease. On thing that would be very helpful to me, is to know which translations we prefer to use in study. I will then work on this project, around some of the most favored versions. I probably will not be doing much with the more obscure versions, but for now, could you choose from among those listed? Thanks in advance for your help. I know some of you will want to add comments. I am not promising that I will read them, if I read them, I may or may not respond to them. I do suggest however, that you try to refrain from debating Bible versions, or expressing why you believe your favorite is better than the other person's favorite. There are already threads on that at Worthy. My purpose here, is only to discover which of the above, people who study eschatology prefer, so I may prioritize the versions I support in my upcoming project. Again, thanks for the help.

Someone who read this list elsewhere, suggested that I post this in my blog, so here it is: Things some people say (which the Bible DOES NOT) about the End Times Notice, that this list, does not establish any end times theory, it tries to prove nothing. It does not even attack a theory, or attempt to refute one. What it does attempt to do, is to get people to ask themselves, why they believe certain things, that the Bible never says. So basically, in between the lines I am asking: If we believe certain things that are not stated in the scripture, and claim that we believe them because that is what scripture teaches, aren't we in principle adding to the words of scripture? Furthermore, if we teach these things as though they are true, does that make us false teachers? So, what things do I claim the Bible does not teach? Following is a short list: 1. It does not say there will be a Rapture of the Church, which occurs before the Great Tribulation. 2. It does not refer to a 7 year period as the Great Tribulation. (See Matt 24:21 & Rev 7:14) 3. It does not say that the Holy Spirit is missing from the Earth at any time during the Great Tribulation. 4. It does not refer to the Great Tribulation, as the wrath of God. 5. It does not say that Jesus will return secretly or invisibly to take His Church. 6. It does not say that no man will ever know the time (the day or hour) of His coming. 7. It does not say that Jesus can return at any moment. 8. It does not say that Jesus will return like a thief in the night for His church. 9. It does not say that believers will not be in the great tribulation, or skip suffering and persecution, or even death. 10. The Bible does not say the Rapture is the Blessed Hope. (Titus 2:13) 11. The Bible does not say that Jesus will return as a thief in the night, in any context that necessitates a pre-tribulation return. 12. It is often said: The Rapture is Jesus coming for His church, the Second Coming is Jesus coming with His church. Those definitions may be workable, however the Bible does not say there is a multi-year interval between those events. 13. The Bible does not say, that there are 144,000 evangelists or witnesses, during the tribulation.

I would not be surprized if this video is not already in here, but I figured it was faster to make a new post, that to find one here. I wanted to be able to make reference to this in another thread, so here it is:

LET HIM THAT HATH INDERSTANDING COUNT THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST .(140 + 131 + 139 + 256 = 666) ............................................The Apokalupsis: ..............................the uncovering, the unveiling, the revealing, It's abundantly clear that verses like Rev 13:18 and Rev15:2 present the argument that Gematria was used by THE BIBLE'S AUTHORSHIP - at the bible's inception - embedded during construction. Because for one: the translators translated Chi-Xi-Stigma (χξς) into a number, using Gematria. And Revelation 15:2 being THE SMOKING GUN: counting for us the number of the beast; 666. ...............................................................................................χξς = 600, 60, 6 ................It is easily seen and provable: that the translators - USING GEMATRIA - ................considered "χξς" as a number because they - TRANSLATED IT TO THAT NUMBER 1) Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding COUNT THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST: for it is the NUMBER of a man; and his - NUMBER - is "Six hundred, Threescore, and Six". (Rev 13:18) And Revelation 15:2 being "THE SMOKING GUN" - showing us how to count ..............making clear - THE BIBLE's AUTHORSHIP - used Gematria - ............................COUNTED THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST .................................140 + 131 + 139 + 256 = 666 ......................................"over the beast"(140), ......................................"over his image"(131), ......................................"over his mark"(139), ......................................"over the number of his name"(256), ......................................140 + 131 + 139 + 256 = 666 2) And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, over his image, over his mark, over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. (Rev 15:2) ____________ God bless Ed J

JW Belief is first, the Bibilcal position is in bold Christ is God's Son and is inferior to him. Christ is God. He took on the form of man to come to earth. John 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:16 Christ died on a stake, not a cross. Christ died on a cross. John 20:25, Matthew 27:37, 27 Christ's human life was paid as a ransom for obedient humans. Christ life was paid as a ransom for sinners Matthew 9:13, 1 Timothy 1:15 Earth will never be destroyed or depopulated. God will create new heavens and earth and new physical laws. God's people will be removed from earth. Matthew 24:31, Mark 13:27, 1 Thess. 4:16-17 The human soul ceases to exist at death The spirit of man goes to be with God *Ecclesiastes 3:21, Ecclesiastes 12:7 Hell is mankind's common grave. Before Christ, all went to Hades, after Christ only non-believers *Psalms 9:17, Matthew 23:33 The 144,000 are born again as spiritual sons of God. All people who confess Christ as Lord and Savior are born again *John 3:3, John 3:3-7 Christians must give public testimony to Scriptural truth. Christians must give public testimony to the gospel of Jesus Christ Romans 1:16, Romans 15:19, 1 Corinthians 1:17 The greatest name is Jehovah. The greatest name is Jesus Christ Ephesians 1:20-22, Philippians 2:9 Man does not have a spirit. Man has a spirit *Ecclesiastes 3:21 We are to worship Jehovah only. We are to worship Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Hebrews 1:6, Revelation 5:13 Jesus second coming occurred invisibly in 1914 and His kingdom was established in heaven. Jesus will return physically to earth and all alive will see Him as His kingdom is established on earth Matthew 24:30, Revelation 1:7 The greatest name is Jehovah. The greatest name is Jesus Christ Ephesians 1:20-22, Philippians 2:9 Christ is Michael the Archangel. Christ is not an angel, but God. Hebrews 1:13 Christ was first of God's creations. Christ is co-eternal with God, and as such was not created Isaiah 9:6, John 1:1, Hebrews 13:8

Almost every assertion we make only begets a new question. If we claim that heaven is a spiritual existence with God, then what is hell? We can't really call it a spiritual existence without God because God is omnipresent, existing in all places at all times. Even the unsaved will spend eternity with God then. Hell may be better described as an eternal existence against God, an eternity of living in unchanging, irrevocable opposition against that which you can never change, the overwhelming presence of God's omnipotent Spirit. Mankind's ongoing problem is that we are born as creatures of the flesh, and as such, we are in natural opposition to things of the spirit. We live in the flesh which goes against the grain of the spirit. And since God is the One True Spirit, we end up in a natural, lifelong opposition to Him. This is the battle between spirit and flesh, between good and evil that we are all destined to fight. It is an internal Armageddon going on inside all of us. This battle going on within the hearts of men could well be in perfect accordance with God's plan for us. This battle in and for the hearts of men may be how all flesh is eventually brought into willing subjugation to the greater Spirit, the Spirit of the one, true and eternal God. Please check out the rest of the article here

I think that as Christian's, we too can be "in the spirit" like John in the book of Revelation. It is when you have a lot of faith and in this time a lot of God's revelations (things that will happen) come to us. The book of Revelation has this title because of this - it was revealed to John how things will be. A good way to get a lot of faith is to read your bible for a long period of time maybe an hour on an occasion - you cannot do this all the time but you should daily read your bible for shorter periods. Get an enjoyable version that is fun to encourage you to do this (I like the Message and/or the ESV - English Standard Version): Faith is our link to God so having a link in faith enables Him to reveal things to us through what is like a telephone line that has been setup. Read your favourite bible version and pray to God like you are having a conversation with Him whilst you are having a coffee - who knows, you might end up having a chat, coming closer to someone who loves you more than you could ever know and therefore making Him very happy. Make sure you use wisdom with your faith though so you can discern away mis-leading spirits that may effect the conversation. This is noise and interference on the telephone line. Shalom

What was your walk with God like? Did you have any experience's? Did anything change? Miracles? Testing? Holy spirit?

I am new in reading the Bible, and last night I read this passage that made me close the book and start crying. In Matthew 5:32, Jesus denounces divorce, stating that any man who divorces his wife other than for adultery, has caused her to become and adulteress. I got divorced after 12 years for reasons other than adultery. I'm discouraged in reading this, because it basically means that I will never be honored with another relationship blessed by God, even if it is with a Godly man, because I have become an adulteress through my divorce. I am only 32 and this is extremely depressing. Any thoughts or words of encouragement on this?

Hey everyone, I wanted to ask what was your experience in the past being with a traditional church or visiting one? Were both traditional churches (Orthodox & Catholic) friendly upon your visit or if you grew up in the church was there drama or other stuff going on around you? Reason why I'm asking is because I'm from an Orthodox Church and have taken up the curiosity of visiting other churches to hear other believers opinions upon the traditional churches, etc. I have heard many positive and negative things about the two and I would like to hear yours as well. God Bless!