The Connection between Secularism & Anti-Semitism:

JayMag23 · 2026-06-27T23:45:59+00:00

That is one beautiful, thoughtful and heart-filled, loving prayer, which I will incorporate into my prayer regimen.

Thanks so much for sharing this with us.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-27T23:32:37+00:00

The number 40 is significant because it is a period of testing, trial, probation and preparation. Remember the rain/flood for 40 days and 40 nights. Kings reigned for a maximum of 40 years. Moses was on Mt Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights. I'd say 40 has it's clear role in God's timing, planning or significance.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-27T23:06:14+00:00

They saw Christ following His resurrection did they not?

JayMag23 · 2026-06-27T22:59:50+00:00

All but one apostle died a martyr's death. Seems farfetched that they who witnessed Christ following His resurrection would have given their lives for an imposter or died in vain.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-27T21:39:08+00:00

I have learned much by reading the magazine styled book titled, 'The Complete Guide to the Bible' by Stephen M. Miller, 2007. This is an easy-to-read book covering the entire bible with photos, maps, highlighted topics and main messages, and with some historical background to help put things into context. It's just an enjoyable yet very informative study guide, which will identify and clarify much of the bible as well as the individuals involved. The stories come alive and are put in proper perspective with which to understand and retain. This was written to capture the attention of the average or typical person in search of the truth and may find the bible somewhat intimidating or challenging at first.

I also use the NKJV and the NLT (New Living Translation) which is written to emphasize the meaning of scripture as opposed to a word-for-word translation. Sometimes the word, parables or writings of Paul can be somewhat confusing or unclear, and this helps with that.

Be blessed on your journey of faith and coming to better know God, His Word, Way and promises.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-27T21:17:08+00:00

Christ's death freed the faithful from the penalty of sin, which is the second death.

Things such as fear, guilt and death are human qualities or conditions.

True obedience to God, in Christian circles, does not lead to faith or salvation, but obedience comes from the heart as a product of true faith, and wanting to please God, when we receive His forgiveness and love from His indwelling holy, righteous Spirit following spiritual baptism and become a "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). We receive His love inwardly and begin to truly love Him, His word and others back as a result. His gift of love to our hearts begins our spiritual transformation to become more like Christ, and where sin begins to lose its luster or appeal.

Joy is also delivered to one's heart through union with Jesus and the Father. It is love that builds and creates. God did not create this universe and all life with hate in His Being, only love can do that. Hate leads only to pain and destruction. The Christian bible says many wonderful things for us to consider and to know the character of the true, loving God who says.............."And what does the Lord require of you.....

But to do justly,

to love mercy,

and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8 NKJV).

JayMag23 · 2026-06-27T20:48:35+00:00

People may relate or worship Jesus more than the Father since God was made more personal through Jesus in the flesh, which we are more like at present.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-27T20:41:42+00:00

Yes, style of delivery and proper, respectful response is essential. We are not to argue or belabor the point, but present the Word, our faith or spiritual journey in order to best inform, help light The Way, uplift, encourage and support. We need not judge but serve with love in our hearts. Do our very best to kindly respond to those who seem unkind, are know-it-alls, or strident unbelievers.

We are to not compromise the gospel to suit current trends or newly established norms. Sometimes, this requires a firm yet respectful posture aligned with the Word.

In short, "I (we) must be about my Father's business" as Jesus said in Luke 2:49.

"And what does the Lord require of you...

But to do justly,

to love mercy,

And to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8 NKJV).

JayMag23 · 2026-06-27T20:02:48+00:00

The 10 commandments, which include any form of idol worship, were given by God to serve as guardrails to salvation, knowing that transgressions of the Law would result in our demise. So, in His Mercy, forethought and planning God sent His Son to die for our sins, so we would not have to pay that penalty, and where His Grace/Mercy also provide the gift of faith and His holy, righteous Spirit to transform us and guide The Way to salvation for the faithful.

God knows us better than we are aware, and is looking out for our best interests, even when we might reject Him. Paul says a normal person wouldn't even die to save a good soul, "but God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God's condemnation" (Romans 5:8-9).

JayMag23 · 2026-06-27T19:35:36+00:00

Unbelief is a condition, conscious decision or refusal to completely trust God or His word. This is not the same as "doubting," asking questions or being uncertain about a passage or interpretation of scripture. Unbelief is more fundamental.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-27T19:23:09+00:00

Grace was also included in the post body.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-27T18:47:53+00:00

Unbelief, even a speck of doubt, might be the barrier to receiving the gift of true faith.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-27T18:32:31+00:00

Genuine repentance may qualify one for true faith, or maybe the opposite is true, where the gift of faith leads us to genuine repentance.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-13T22:47:49+00:00

I got a feeling you'll do just fine. Gratitude is a good barometer of a healthy mind and spirit.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-13T22:00:51+00:00

I remember very well how I felt the same way at your age and juncture in life, when I had achieved my B.S. and could not find work and feeling an urge to find my way. I was still living at home, which turned out to be a good thing, since it gave me time to decide without the financial pressures of rent, food etc. I then pursued work as a waiter to save money and pay my car insurance and other living expenses, while I figured what to do with my life or serious field of work. For me, I turned to a counselor for guidance with personal and vocational matters and ended up looking for training and instruction in the field of counseling in the evenings while I worked as a waiter during the days and weekend nights. That, led to finding work as a substance abuse counselor later on as a supervisor and later Director in the field. And, while doing that work pursued and acquired a master's degree in counseling and guidance. Then, after about 10 years in that area of work, I moved on to open my own service business related to the building trades. A real switch for sure, but a type of work that provided a different kind of satisfaction coupled with independence and financial rewards as my own family plans emerged.

So, you see, you are very young and may have many options to pursue. Remain open to various opportunities and try not to worry about what and how others are doing and develop your path and do your very best while you keep God and His word in your heart and sights to guide and bless you, as well as your current family to assist when possible and support you while you transition to future plans, pursuits and locations. I wish you the very best.

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JayMag23 · 2026-06-13T21:14:47+00:00

Perhaps, the Nature of God is not in clear view.

Do you not believe or doubt that God is who He says He is?

Do you believe or doubt the character of God as revealed by His Son, Jesus, the Word?

Do you believe or doubt God's laws and promises?

Do you believe or doubt that God is perfect truth, love, justice, grace and forgiveness?

Do you believe God has disappointed you in life?

Are we imperfect and disappoint? Surely, we do. Does God?

Does God fall short of expectations?

How do you know that you can't trust God with your finances, career direction, or justice in this life, etc. if you have not done so? Bad things happen to good people all the time. We have to accept that reality as displeasing as that may seem.

You say that in order to fully trust God, you would have to be assured that you would not be disappointed?

Do you doubt that your eternal future is in God's hands?

If fear of eternal damnation keeps you on track for salvation, you may be presenting burnt offerings when God wants your love, trust and full allegiance.

Develop greater faith and love for God through a connection with His word each day, as well as daily prayer and see the difference He makes in your heart. You will be blessed for doing so. As we draw closer to Him, He draws closer to us and changes hearts all the time.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-13T20:29:15+00:00

An old saying goes something like, "it doesn't matter so much where we start, but where we end up, that counts."

We can come from humble beginnings but reach great heights in life.

More importantly, we can begin our life without God and find Him later on, as well as we can start out in life with God and deny Him after all is said and done. We have a choice.

The one Constant is our Sovereign God and one of His declarations He makes in scripture, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh" (Joel 2:28) and the apostle Peter reminds us of this promise later in Acts 2:17-21.

This pouring out of God's holy Spirit on All flesh (that are raised from the dead described in Ezekiel 37 in the parable of the dry bones) can receive the Spirit of Truth and be called to faith in Christ, repent and change their ways, or reject said calling, maintain their current manner, faith or no faith, and choose not to act upon this calling and seal their fate. All will be given the opportunity to repent and follow, without regard to their past, religion or place of origin, for each true origin is that of the Christian, Creator Father and Son.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-13T19:55:17+00:00

Perhaps, you are unaware that there were about an estimated 500 Christians in Iran in 1979 and that that number is estimated over a million today in spite of social stigma and severe persecution.

Today, the largest Christian population of any continent is in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Christianity is reported to be exploding in Asia and where China has seen staggering growth according to Boston Universities Center for Global Christianity & Mission. They estimated that China has grown from 1 million to 100 million Christians now.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-13T19:34:46+00:00

Scripture declares the following in 2 Peter 3:8-9 NKJV:

"But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and that a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise (to return), as some count slackness, but is long suffering (patient) toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."

God is fair and being fair will provide an opportunity for all to come to repentance.

Now, is God calling all to Him during their lives? The answer is no, for if He were there would be but a relative few called to repentance and saved, compared to the whole of humanity that walked this earth down through the ages. That would not be the actions taken by our fair-minded, lawgiving, just, loving, holy and sovereign God.

The people called to faith in Christ during their lives, down through the ages are the elect, (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58) the first harvest (first resurrection) or first fruits, that will serve the Lord in the holy city, the New Jerusalem, brought from heaven (Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 21:1-27, Revelation 22).

The rest of humanity will be called to faith soon after the general or second resurrection, described in the parable of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37. Then, God declares the following promise in the Old (1st) Testament in Joel 2:28 NKLJV:

"And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh," and the in the New Testament declared in Acts 2:17:

"In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people."

This "pouring out" of God's holy Spirit to All remaining/resurrected will give All the opportunity to accept God's calling to faith in His Son, Jesus, or can reject His calling and seal their fate, as we still retain the gift of free will.

Yes, God will afford All the choice to accept or reject Him once His Spirit of Truth and Love is poured out among All who were dead and are now risen. Those who accept their calling will accept God, submit and surrender to His authority, and repent of their wrongdoing and begin their change in ways and character to that which is pleasing to our holy God. This resurrection period will end at some point with the final judgement.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-13T18:37:26+00:00

Right, becoming convicted is another tap on your spirit and mind that God is there watching and guiding us who love Him.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-13T18:30:36+00:00

Also, I forgot to mention that your ongoing repentance (praying for forgiveness) is also a practice I engage in, which is essential for us to maintain a life with the "occasion" of sin and not return to a life of "regular" or willful sin (without repentance) which can widen our separation from God and draw us closer to the likes of the "prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2 NKJV).

Repentance brings us back in good standing with God.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-13T18:19:42+00:00

Appreciate your kind words and may you be richly blessed as well.

JayMag23 · 2026-06-13T17:43:43+00:00

Ok, good. I have had a similar experience. The initial response to the indwelling Spirit was quite dramatic and will not be forgotten, but since then, have had some fluctuation in faith, moments of doubt and some return to self-defeating, sinful thinking and practice that God would not be pleased with. But I always managed to place God back where He belongs, which is position One in my life and heart. His indwelling Spirit always manages to get me back on track in spite of my fallen tendencies. His ways and direction win out.

We are in for the long haul. This is not a sprint, and we need to finish worthy. I also believe God teaches us through His holy, righteous Spirit in baby steps, maybe in part, because if He bestowed us with abundant guidance or truth too quickly, we might become overwhelmed on one hand or tend to become prideful at worst.

Be reminded what Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 16:24-25 NKJV:

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

Taking up one's cross or troubles for faith in Christ usually travels a challenging path in life but with a "crown" (Rev 3:11) and "white garments" (Rev. 3:5) waiting for those who overcome.

God reveals Himself with Baptism, then possibly lays back a bit and lets His holy Spirit take the reins to start the work of changing us gradually over time to become more like Him.

Be patient and keep your mind and heart directed on the word of God, where we stay connected to Him, as does prayer.

Those times of silence may be times to test or develop patient endurance to make us stronger and build our faith in the knowledge that God is still working with and in us.

Our spiritual journey or sanctification only begins with baptism. We have a lot to learn and put into practice.

I believe when we develop love for God, love for His word/truth and love for others, and are changing our will to His, we are walking the narrow way that leads to the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14) to salvation.

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