Oh sure!  You #meteorologists who can't come up with a model that accurately predicts tomorrow's weather think you have accurate models of hurricanes? #climate


Jared Kushner, Trump’s son in law and the architect of the Abraham accords wrote on X:

“September 27th is the most important day in the Middle East since the Abraham Accords breakthrough.

I have spent countless hours studying #Hezbollah and there is not an expert on earth who thought that what #Israel has done to decapitate and degrade them was possible.

This is significant because #Iran is now fully exposed. The reason why their nuclear facilities have not been destroyed, despite weak air defense systems, is because Hezbollah has been a loaded gun pointed at Israel. Iran spent the last forty years building this capability as its deterrent.

President Trump would often say, “Iran has never won a war but never lost a negotiation.” The Islamic Republic’s regime is much tougher when risking #Hamas, Hezbollah, Syrian and Houthi lives than when risking their own. Their foolish efforts to assassinate President Trump and hack his campaign reek of desperation and are hardening a large coalition against them.

Iranian leadership is stuck in the old Middle East, while their neighbors in the GCC are sprinting toward the future by investing in their populations and infrastructure. They are becoming dynamic magnets for talent and investment while Iran falls further behind. As the Iranian proxies and threats dissipate, regional security and prosperity will rise for Christians, Muslims and Jews alike.

Israel now finds itself with the threat from Gaza mostly neutralized and the opportunity to neutralize Hezbollah in the north. It’s unfortunate how we got here but maybe there can be a silver lining in the end.

Anyone who has been calling for a ceasefire in the North is wrong. There is no going back for Israel. They cannot afford now to not finish the job and completely dismantle the arsenal that has been aimed at them. They will never get another chance.

After the brilliant, rapid-fire tactical successes of the pagers, radios, and targeting of leadership, Hezbollah’s massive weapon cache is unguarded and unmanned. Most of Hezbollah fighters are hiding in their tunnels. Anyone still around was not important enough to carry a pager or be invited to a leadership meeting. Iran is reeling, as well, insecure and unsure how deeply its own intelligence has been penetrated. Failing to take full advantage of this opportunity to neutralize the threat is irresponsible.

I have been hearing some amazing stories about how Israel has been collecting intelligence over the past 10 months with some brilliant technology and crowdsourcing initiatives.

But today, with the confirmed killing of #Nasrallah and at least 16 top commanders eliminated in just nine days, was the first day I started thinking about a Middle East without Iran’s fully loaded arsenal aimed at Israel. So many more positive outcomes are possible.

This is a moment to stand behind the peace-seeking nation of Israel and the large portion of the Lebanese who have been plagued by Hezbollah and who want to return to the times when their country was thriving, and Beirut a cosmopolitan city. The main issue between Lebanon and Israel is Iran; otherwise there is a lot of benefit for the people of both countries from working together.

The right move now for America would be to tell Israel to finish the job. It’s long overdue. And it’s not only Israel’s fight.

More than 40 years ago, Hezbollah killed 241 US military personnel, including 220 #Marines. That remains the single deadliest day for the U.S. Marine Corps since the Battle of Iwo Jima. Later that same day, Hezbollah killed 58 French paratroopers.

And now, over the past six weeks or so, Israel has eliminated as many terrorists on the US list of wanted terrorists as the US has done in the last 20 years. Including Ibrahim Aqil, the leader of Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad Organization who masterminded the 1983 killing of those Marines.”


Relay list to store private content from this author


Hmmm.  I'm using FUTO on #grapheneos. Will have to take a look at HeliBoard.


In theory that sounds correct, but what if one of the users boosted the family photo post and they had  additional relays configured?  Seems like the content could end up "in the wild" fairly easily.


AVALANCHE WARNING in the alps.
PLEASE stay at home right now!

https://www.msn.com/de-at/nachrichten/other/zwei-personen-bei-lawinenabgang-im-karwendelgebirge-versch%C3%BCttet-bergrettung-vor-ort/ar-AA1qz6nS?ocid=BingNewsVerp

#alps #alpen #wandern

https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/137/079/234/896/725/original/abf863e53bf5a7ed.jpg


I've been using Fossify Music Player on my Pixel Phone running #GrapheneOS.  My song library is in a folder on my phone that I keep synced with #syncthing.  To add new songs I purchase the MP3's from Amazon using my Desktop #Linux computer, cleanup the MP3 embedded file tags with #EasyTag and then move them to the phone via the shared syncthing folder on my desktop.  I never stream music over a network connection on my phone.


LOL!  A "Cybersecurity Giant" running a Sharepoint server? 🤣


#Israel has a 9/11 #memorial that includes all of the victims names.  Thank you #Israel!

https://image.nostr.build/faab88958f59f2d686158a21fd3e7d7713db83c634bb85685e8940c5d7e7f8db.jpg


Yes.  That's how I do it on Fedora Workstation.


This title came from a statement from R.C. Sproul in his sermon entitled “How Does Truth Command Me?” that was the inspiration of this post.

We have all been taught to blindly follow either the crowd or the so-called authority figures. We are not taught to seek the truth. We are not taught to seek what is right. We are taught to follow the crowd.

### All Like Sheep Have Gone Astray

Unfortunately, following the crowd almost always leads us astray.

> **All of us like sheep have gone astray**,\
> Each of us has turned to his own way;\
> But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all\
> To fall on Him. (Isaiah 53:6) {emphasis mine}

If you are a student, have you been trained to blindly follow the teacher or your peers rather than actively seeking the truth? If you are working in a career, have you been trained to fit in with your peers or do whatever management says even if those actions are foolish or immoral? Does your church follow the culture or the word of God as explicitly stated in the Bible?

Who or what are you following? Are you following the media? the culture? authority figures? your heart? or are you following the word of God? Do you even know the Bible to know if you are following the word of God or not?

> “**My people have become lost sheep;\
> Their shepherds have led them astray**.\
> They have made them turn aside on the mountains;\
> They have gone along from mountain to hill\
> And have forgotten their resting place.\
> All who came upon them have devoured them;\
> And their adversaries have said, ‘We are not guilty,\
> Inasmuch as they have sinned against the Lord\
> who is the habitation of righteousness,\
> Even the Lord, the hope of their fathers.’ (Jeremiah 50:6-7) {emphasis mine}

There is a reason that people are frequently referred to as sheep in the Bible. Sheep aren’t very smart. They don’t think things through. They tend to blindly follow the flock or the shepherd without thinking about where that may lead them.

### Follow the Good Shepherd

> For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, **leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps**, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For **you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls**. (1 Peter 2:21-25) {emphasis mine}

Following the herd or flock will lead us astray. Following the many self-proclaimed shepherds will lead us astray. Following the true “*Shepherd and Guardian of your souls*” will lead you in the path of righteousness and lead you to obedience to God.

One sign that we truly are Christians is that we can recognize what is from Jesus and what is from the Devil. Reading, studying, and memorizing the Bible will help us determine truth, but the Holy Spirit, who indwells all believers, also guides us.

> “I am the good shepherd, and **I know My own and My own know Me**, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.” (John 10:14-16) {emphasis mine}

Those who have truly trusted in Jesus as Savior should recognize the voice of the “*Good Shepherd*” and follow Him.

> But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. **My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me**; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. (John 10:26-29) {emphasis mine}

Are you following the Good Shepherd (Jesus) or are you following false shepherds or lost flocks?

### Standing Alone

When we surround ourselves with a group of godly believers (friends, family, or church), standing firm on the word of God tends to not feel too burdensome. We have others to lean on and to help us stay on the path.

When we feel like we are standing alone, it is really hard to stay faithful. It is easy to follow the herd instead of standing firm on the foundation set for us by the Creator, Jesus. There are many people in the Bible who felt the same way, and yet they stayed faithful till the end.

> God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and **I alone am left, and they are seeking my life**.” But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. (Romans 11:2-5) {emphasis mine}

In reality, you are never alone. God is with all believers, but there are also other believers around. Some believers are good at standing firm in the face of adversity. Sadly, most are not and will try to hide in the crowd to keep from standing out or being attacked. We are called to obey God even if nobody else will. We are called to obey God even if it costs us our life.

Being that faithful believer who stands up even when he feels all alone can make an amazing difference. One stands up against the godless culture. Another, with less courage, sees the faithful stand and grows in courage and decides to stand alongside the first. Others, seeing the faith of the two, gain courage and decide to join in for what is right. Pretty soon even unbelievers start to notice and become interested in what makes them different and courageous.

### Jesus died for you. What would you do for Him?

On the other hand, when none choose to stand for what is right, things can get pretty bad fast. This poem written during the reign of Adolf Hitler is a sad reminder of what happens when nobody speaks up against evil.

> First they came for the socialists,\
> and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
>
> Then they came for the trade unionists,\
> and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
>
> Then they came for the Jews,\
> and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
>
> Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
>
> —Martin Niemöller

There were many Christians and churches in Germany at this time, but they chose to keep silent in order to not inconvenience their lives. The result was great evil and the loss of many lives and souls. This quote, often wrongly attributed to Edmund Burke, succinctly states a great truth:

> The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

Although Burke did have a much longer similar quote, it is unknown who gave this exact quote. Still it is true. So often we worry so much about “Thou shalt not …” that we miss the “Thou Shalt …” Sometimes what we fail to do is as bad or worse than the bad thing we do. When evil (as defined in the Bible) prevails, we are called to stand up for the truth and for God’s standard. We are called to battle evil, even when it is inconvenient, and even when it is dangerous to our very lives.

These are not necessarily Christians standing up for their faith, but they are people standing up for what is right despite the fact that everyone else is cowering in fear and going along to get along.

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f7207ee-2ce2-46db-9f3c-a39b1bce7434_500x334.jpeg)This picture is a solitary college student standing up to tanks in Tiananmen Square in China to protest tyranny and silencing of speech. This young man lost his life, but he made a difference in China and beyond and has been a hero and an encouragement to many.

Look closely to this one man in the crowd at a rally for Hitler.

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d3fd42e-31ff-4d6b-9a92-b360ec324a14_800x533.jpeg)The whole crowd is enthusiastically giving the Nazi salute to Hitler. I’m sure some don’t like Hitler, the Nazis, or the salute, but they are going along to get along. One brave soul out of hundreds is taking a stand. He refuses to give the salute.

We all know what the Nazis represented. They murdered disfavored groups like the Jews. They silenced opponents. They did medical experimentation on undesirables. When the modern world thinks of evil, this is what they think of, but most of the people went along with the crowd. This was herd morality. Even most churches went along with the Nazi regime.

Only a few brave souls stood up and said, “No, this is wrong.” Only a few risked their lives to either speak up or to try to rescue those who were being destroyed. Is your faith strong enough that you would be the one man in the crowd refusing to give the salute? Would you be like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and risk your life to sneak Jewish children out of Germany to rescue their lives? He did the right thing, but ultimately lost his life.

Are you willing to stand up against the evil in our culture today and say, “That is wrong!”? What Biblical truths are dear enough that you would risk your livelihood or your life to defend? If your life was threatened, but you would be left alone if you denied Jesus, would you deny Him?

### Will You Follow the Herd or the Shepherd?

We learned that following herd morals is a bad idea and that we should follow the commands of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Whom will you follow? Will you stand firm? What will you endure for the one who died for you?

> **By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments**. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: **the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked**. (1 John 2:3-6) {emphasis mine}

The God and Creator of the universe came down to Earth as a man and lived the perfect life that we couldn’t, died on the cross to be a sacrifice for our sins, and was raised on the third day proving He had conquered sin and death. Jesus is our example, and “*the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked*.”

In addition to living sinless life as an example, God gave us His word so we would know His commandments.

> **All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable** for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) {emphasis mine}

God gave us everything we needed to live the life He has set before us. He gave us access to the truth. He gave us access to who He is. He gave us access to what He requires of us. We need to follow Him and not the herd.

> And **do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed** **by the renewing of your mind**, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2) {emphasis mine}

We are commanded to “*not be conformed to this world*.” We are not to have herd morals. We are called to be “*transformed by the renewing of your mind*.” How will our mind be renewed? Our minds are renewed by faith in Jesus, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the studying of the inspired word of God.

Do not be conformed, but trust Jesus.\
\
your sister in Christ,

Christy

Bible verses are NASB (New American Standard Bible) 1995 edition unless otherwise stated


Amen!


Putting things in perspective:

Turkey's President Erdogan has called for Islamic countries to ally against “the growing threat of expansionism” from Israel.

Let's go to the map shall we.

That tiny speck of red - that's Israel. The rest are Arab League states, but tell me more about Israeli “expansionism”

(Aviva Klompas on X)

https://image.nostr.build/ebf6fa381f1b6f5f07fdbf5732e46fa1884456497dc8bc49782b63ddee3e3bb6.jpg

#Erdogan #Israel #propaganda #antisemitism


Are you choosing your faith and means of worship by your feelings and what is comfortable or are you following the word of God and using it to define right and wrong, who God is, how you relate to God, and how you worship God?

So often we hear the Disney mantra “Follow your heart.”  We hear people say, “I believe this” or “this is my truth.”  God doesn’t give us this choice.  We don’t get to decide what is true or not.  Truth is truth even if not one person believes it.

Just believing that God exists is not enough.

> You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. (James 2:19)

The kind of faith in God that makes a difference in our eternity has to be done God’s way.  The God of the Bible is the creator who spoke into existence all that is, including time & space and matter & energy.  He fashioned man from the clay into His own imaged and breathed into him the breathe of life.  As creator, He gets to say what is true and what isn’t, since He made everything.  He gets to say what is right and what is wrong because He made us.  He knows better than we do what is best for us and His ability to see and act outside of time allows Him to know what will be for our eternal good.

Unfortunately, since time began we have wanted to define what we want right and wrong to be.  We have wanted to define who God is and how we should relate to Him.  We want to say to God, “No!  Do it my way!”

### The First Sin

We don’t like being limited by rules and laws (this is probably extra true of Americans who believe in personal liberty).  We want to be free to do whatever we want, however we want, whenever we want.

> Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”  The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it **or touch it**, or you will die.’ ”  The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!  For God knows that in the day you eat from it **your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God**, knowing good and evil.”  When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. (Genesis 3:1-7)  {emphasis mine}

The very first temptation was the temptation to do as we please and be like God.  This first temptation not only came from misleading statements from the serpent (Satan), but also came from the resentment Eve felt from the one and only “Thou shalt not …” given to them in the beginning.  The only limitation God gave Adam and Eve was that they couldn’t eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Eve resented this limitation and added “*or touch it*.”  The limitation to not touch it was not given by God (although maybe it could be considered a wise way to avoid temptation).  It was man changing God’s very good commands.  It was man changing the relationship between God and His creation.  It was man trying to be in charge.

### Obey Whose Commands?

All too often we don’t like God’s commands to “Do this!” or “Don’t do that!” so we change the rules to accommodate our desires and what is comfortable to us.  Sometimes we add to God’s commands and sometimes we remove/ignore His commands, but any change we make is essentially us trying to take the place of God.

> “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.  For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  **Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven**; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19)  {emphasis mine}

Read that again.  “*Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven*.”  God does not allow us to change His commands.

### How Do We Worship?

He also doesn’t allow us to decide how we will worship Him.  During the exodus from Egypt, God commanded the nation of Israel with very specific rules for how He should be worshipped and who should have what position.

> Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.  And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.  Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the Lord spoke, saying,
>
> ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy,\
> And before all the people I will be honored.’ ” (Leviticus 10:1-3)

God commanded how He should be worshipped.  Nadab and Abihu decided they would worship how they wanted to worship and they paid with their lives for their affront to His holiness and power.

There was another event where some Levites protested Aaron’s and Moses’s God given positions.  The Levites had been commanded by God to not approach the holy things of the tabernacle.  In this instance 250 of them burned incense contrary to the command of God.  God did not appreciate them trying to give themselves honor by disobeying His command.

> Moses said, “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing.  If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me.  But if the Lord brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the Lord.”
>
> As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions.  So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. (Numbers 16:28-31)

God never accepts us when we chose to do our own thing and even worship in our own way.  Sometimes, like in these two examples, He acts miraculously to punish the offenders instantly.  Sometimes He is patient and allows time for learning and repentance.  Sometimes we are not punished until eternity.  We serve a might and holy God and need to treat Him appropriately.

Although Christians today don’t have a strict formula of worship, our call to honor Him and treat Him as holy is just as strong.  We don’t get to pick how we will worship Him and we definitely don’t get to call any or all “gods” the true God.  Not all paths lead to the one true God.  The only way to be right with God is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and believing He is God; He lived a perfect life; He died on a cross to take away our sins; and He rose from the dead on the third day.  That is the only way.  All other paths, no matter how heart felt, lead straight to hell.

### Judgment is the Lord’s

We need to be very careful not only judging ourselves, but also judging others.  Are we judging by God’s law and His measure or we judging by our own fallible judgment?

> Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.  There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor? (James 4:11-12)

We are called to teach God’s written word and to lead people to follow it as written, but we are not to be judge and jury.  We are not the ones punishing sins.  That is God’s prerogative.

>  Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  **How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God**, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?  For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”  **It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God**. (Hebrews 10:28-31) {emphasis mine}

When we say there is another way to God, our way, we are “ *trampl(ing) under foot the Son of God*.” (tense change mine)  When we say we can be good enough or we can put something or someone else first, we will be judged.  “*It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God*.”

So many of our wrong decisions come because we do not have a high enough view of God.  We do not have a fear of the God who can snuff us out if He chooses to stop upholding our lives.  The God of the Bible is a loving and merciful God, but there is a limit to that mercy.  We must honor and trust Him before our time on earth is ended, otherwise we receive His righteous judgment.

### Continue in the Things You Have Learned

The Bible tells us to to “*continue in the things you have learned*.”  We can’t continue in the things we have learned if we haven’t learned God’s word.  Reading and deep study of God’s word, the Bible, is critical if we want to serve God and grow in wisdom and service towards Him.  We need to put in time.  We need to read the Bible daily.  We need to find time to study the Bible and to figure out what is true.

> You, however, **continue in the things you have learned** and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  **All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness**; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17)  {emphasis mine}

Scripture is essential for everything in the Christian life.  It helps us to grow in faith and unity with God.  It helps us minister to and train others.  It equips us “*for every good work*.”

> and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15)

The Bible should be the foundation of everything we learn and everything we accept as true.  Nothing should be believed as true that contradicts the Bible in any way.

It is useful, however, to find wise teachers to help us understand the Bible.  This may be a person who will disciple us face-to-face.  This may be a pastor at our church.  This may be a Christian writer.  When we use any of these other sources, we always need to double check what we learn and verify that it matches the Bible.

> Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, **examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so**.  (Acts 17:11)  {emphasis mine}

We need to examine “*the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so*.”  During the Reformation, this was called *Sola Scriptura*, Scripture alone.  Our reference of truth and righteousness comes from the Bible alone because it is the word of God.

### Deceivers:  Don’t Be Deceived And Don’t Be a Deceiver

There have been deceivers since the beginning of time, but the Bible says that we will see more and more deceivers as the end of time approaches.

> For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.  Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.  Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. (2 John 1:7-11)

If we don’t know the word of God well, we can be easily misled.  There are many who quote the Bible out of context to mislead.  If a tiny piece of scripture is taken out of context, it can be made to say almost anything.  Any time there is any question on what the Bible is saying, we need to take the Bible as a whole in order to understand the truth.  The Bible never contradicts itself.  It may come at a truth from different angles regarding different situations, but it never contradicts itself.

> But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.  For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.  For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles.  But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things. (2 Corinthians 11:3-5)

Only by knowing the whole Bible can we keep ourselves from being misled.  Be like Paul and know the Bible so you can not only avoid being misled, but have the knowledge of the Bible necessary to defend God’s word and prevent others from being misled.

> For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand **marked out for this condemnation**, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and **deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ**. (Jude 1:4)  {emphasis mine}

It isn’t just those openly hostile to God that are misleading people.  Sadly, there are many in the church, including pastors and others in positions of power who claim to be Christians and claim to be speaking the word of God, but who “*deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ*” and are “*marked out for this condemnation*.”

We are to daily study God’s word and to daily pray for wisdom and to daily be led by the Holy Spirit.  God doesn’t want us to spend our lives sitting in the pews taking in information.  He wants us to share His word and be a light unto the world.  He wants us to chose Him over anything or anyone else.

> I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:  **preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction**.  For 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**, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:1-4)  {emphasis mine}

We need to be the person who is “*ready in season and out of season*” and not the person “*wanting to have their ears tickled …  in accordance to their own desires*.”  Those that seek their own way will be spending eternity suffering in hell.

As the end times approach, we will see more and more of this falling away from God’s word.  We will see this in culture, but we will also see it in the church (and are seeing it today).

> Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “**Where is the promise of His coming?** For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”  For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.  But by His word the present heavens and earth are being **reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men**. (2 Peter 3:3:7)  {emphasis mine}

Don’t choose to do things your way.  Don’t choose teachers who tickle your ears with what you want to hear.  Don’t say in your heart, “*Where is the promise of His coming*?”  All those who reject Jesus and the only way to God as described in the Bible are being “*reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men*.”

Don’t regret your choices.  Choose Jesus today.

Trust Jesus.\
\
your sister in Christ,

Christy

Bible verses are NASB (New American Standard Bible) 1995 edition unless otherwise stated

For more posts check out my \[Trust Jesus Substack\](<https://trustjesus.substack.com/>)

I am also testing out a couple of different nostr editors, so this article might be posted more than once, so I can test how they come out.  This post was composed in [highlighter.com](http://habla.news) .


I'm looking for the same solution.


Definition of Recession:

noun
The act of receding or withdrawing, as from a place, a claim, or a demand

A period during which economic activity, as measured by gross domestic product, declines for at least two quarters in a row in a specific country. If the decline is severe and long, such as greater than ten percent, it may be termed a depression.

Job statistics aren't really how you determine if you are in a recession.

https://www.wordnik.com/words/recession


"So they went into the ark to Noah, by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life.  Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him;  and the Lord closed it behind him."

Genesis 7:15-16

So God closed and sealed the door to the "Ark of Salvation" so that His wrath which was going to destroy EVERYTHING that wasn't being saved would not harm those being saved!  Thank you God!

#Bible #Salvation


Same here. #FUTO works well.


Dieser Affe braucht auf jeden Fall eine Tasse Kaffee!


I've been using #GrapheneOS for a few days now on a Pixel 7a and I definitely share your sentiments!


Morgen kriege ich ein Pixel 7a und somit  beginne meine Abenteur mit #grapheneos...


I'm going with the Pixel 7a to start my journey with #grapheneos. The newer models are still too expensive for my budget.


#SaveBangladeshiHindus

https://image.nostr.build/5d0098fd196655139ebb3a1a5f9a4cb6a99fe8514e4ef6ec31afefbb261679b9.jpg


#Israel #Prayer #Bible https://image.nostr.build/cf0152a11c7d2e2881ba87bd8331e7dca7094037d6f64ddae87b07d2c1620ea9.jpg


I've been wondering the same thing.


I use Open Sudoku (https://gitlab.com/opensudoku/opensudoku) which I installed via #FDroid.  No ads. 😎


https://image.nostr.build/3d41f5a36f2ded45804a022f893e9d964159d202a1cffb3cbf65f56fd8511edf.jpg

#Noah #rainbow #Matthew #Bible #SonOfMan


Welcome indeed from my "other" NOSTR Id:  ed@ed.braaten.net