Humanity was originally given every perfect thing they could need or want, and virtually no restrictions. Despite that, Adam 1st THEN Eve (woman) cuz Adam (man) was SUPPOSE 2 had Eve's back, hence, Eve (woman) coming FROM Adam (man) via rib bone as 2 why SURE women AREN'T inferior-NO war on women & we men got NOTHING on women BUT nevertheless or (?), Adam & Eve needed only a bit of prompting from-by-of Devil 2 disobey God & thus immediately SELF overcome by shame & quickly cursed by God = the painful human history begins with their exit from Garden of Eden; Will we 1 NECLEUS species-humanity ever go extinct? It’s a matter of WHEN tick tock 'Time' & how Coming sooner than later, NOT if, we will meet our SELF forced non voluntary-non optional 'EH" doom as Deep State-Global Elites, etc fill in blanks: 'U 8,019,876,189 individual humans of 195 individual countries worldwide = 1 all connected whole NECLEUS species-humanity just DON'T SELF GET it know how 2 literally DIE ALREADY-why can't U ALL just DIE ALREADY?! - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/will-humans-ever-go-extinct/

True Freedom

October 13, 2023
by Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Scriptures: 2 Samuel 6:16–23
David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the LORD, so I celebrate before the LORD. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!” (2 Samuel 6:21–22)
Why in the world would they get so excited about it? Because they're free. When you obey, you're free. When you disobey, you're in bondage. All around us we see individuals in bondage because they're in sin, and all they talk about is freedom. They're not free. The obedient guy dancing is free.

I should warn you, when you're really free, the people who are not so free will have trouble with your being free. Look at David's wife in verse 16. Her husband is down there dancing and singing and shouting, and there's Michal up in the second floor flat, frowning down on her husband. "Then it happened as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart" (2 Samuel 6:16).

Two things strike me here. Both have to do with the issue of focus; one is horizontal, and one is vertical. David's eyes were on the Lord; Michal's eyes were on other people.

First, the better you know where you stand with the Lord, the freer you can be. When you do the homework, you find out where you stand with your Lord, and when you follow His plan, then you are free. I mean really free! Many won't understand, of course. To some, you will be seen as independent—a maverick. You'll be misunderstood. Like David with his own wife. But you won't care that much about public opinion either. You'll care mainly about the Lord's opinion. There is no freedom like the kind He provides. In a word, it's grace.

Second, the freer you are before the Lord, the more confident you will become. When you know where you stand, that is real security.

Knowing where you stand before the Lord leads to true freedom. Being free before the Lord, you will become confident, and that is genuine security.

We Must Obey God

July 19, 2023
by Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Scriptures: Exodus 1:1–22
When we come to passages like the first chapter of Exodus, we are reminded that God's law always comes before man's law. Scripture does not teach blind-and-blanket submission. The fact is, there is a time to submit, and there's also a time to resist.

Before we run with that principle too far, however, a word of caution may be in order. The Exodus passage does not teach children to disobey their parents, wives to usurp their husband's leadership in the home, or anyone to reject ethical authority. But the passage does make one thing clear: submission to civil authority has limits. As Peter once told the Jewish ruling council, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

In other words, when the king's edict directly violates God's clearly stated will, we ought to fear God, even as a couple of brave ladies named Shiphrah and Puah feared God. And they, being dead, still speak. Scripture tells us that God honored the faith of these midwives. It says, "The people multiplied, and became very mighty. Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them" (1:20–21).

The midwives valued God's favor more than that of Pharaoh. Motivated by a deep and abiding reverence for the living God, they refused to obey the king's wicked edict. When that king told them to violate God's basic principle, the preservation of life, they refused to do so.

The date on the calendar may have changed since the days of the Exodus, but human nature has not. Apart from the redeeming work of Christ, our hearts are desperately wicked. Cruelty existed in Moses' day, and cruelty exists today. Tyrants ruled in the ancient world, and tyrants rule in our day. Injustice hurt the innocent in Pharaoh's time, in Herod's time, and still in our sophisticated twenty-first-century world.

But in the days of Exodus there also lived men and women ready to stand alone for righteousness, even in the face of death, just as there are today. God always has His remnant.

Careful Warning to All Who Are Free

May 23, 2023
by Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Scriptures: Romans 6:16
Even those who live in a free country need warnings. So we shouldn't be surprised that God gives His own a few warnings lest we abuse our privileges as people under grace. These warnings are set forth in verses 16 through 23 of Romans 6. None of them is complicated, but to grasp each one we'll need to concentrate. For some reason, this information is not commonly heard in many churches today. So we must be taught to handle grace rather carefully. An overall principle is woven into the words of verse 16:

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
If you were to ask me to give you in one sentence what the balance of chapter 6 is teaching, it would be this: How we live depends on the master we choose. "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey?" Why, of course! Submission to a master is tantamount to slavery to the same master. And what are the alternatives?

There are only two: "either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness." Every day we live, we have a choice to do what is right or what is wrong. When we send our young children off to school, we tell them, "Now, sweetheart, you need to know that Mom and Dad won't be there to make your decisions. You will find some kids at school who will encourage you to do what is right, and you'll find others who will lead you to disobey and do what is wrong. Make the right choice. Select your friends carefully. Be smart."

Parental Patience
APRIL 14, 2023

But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
Psalm 86:15

Recommended Reading: Matthew 18:21-22
Being a parent is perhaps the world’s best laboratory for learning patience. In fact, the younger the children, the greater the need for parental patience. Young children make the same bad choices over and over. Sometimes they forget; sometimes they willfully make the wrong choice; sometimes they are so young that they haven’t had time to learn. Whatever the reason(s) for the wrong choice, parents need lots of patience.

Compare that situation to our relationship with God. We are His children, all of us at varying levels of maturity (Romans 8:14). Sometimes we forget what our Father God desires; sometimes we choose to disobey; sometimes we haven’t learned what the Father’s will is. Whatever the reason(s) for our wrong choice, God has to exercise great patience with us as we grow spiritually. More often than not, patience requires forgiveness. Because Jesus told Peter not to count instances of forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-22), we can assume God doesn’t count either.

Depend on God’s patience and forgiveness when you make a wrong choice (1 John 1:9). His fatherly love is manifested by His patience.

There is no divine attribute more wonderful than the patience of God.
John Benton