This Verse Secretly Undermines All of Christianity...
I just saw this and thought I would process it on my own.
This YouTuber doesn't sound like he's explored much beyond mainstream Western Christianity. He makes the bold statement that EVERY Christian sect finds indispensable the idea that Christ died on the Cross "for our sins". Period.
For the longest time I found that challenging too. He goes on to talk about many of the same things I've asked, "Why couldn't God just forgive us outright? Why must he go through a generational pageant to do something the God of the Universe could have done of his own accord in the first place?"
You can say this is a dumb question. I've been told this many times.
Yet I have never been the only one asking this.
Many, if not all Atheists ask this question. Frankly, many "Christian" answers sound a little unhinged.
Now, I don't think that his examples necessarily contradict the prevailing point of view though. All anyone has to do is look at the banking industry to see that credit on future earnings is a valid payment method. Now it's true that modern banking, and especially credit, wasn't developed until the European Jews, unable to make a living any other way, started lending during the medieval period. Jesuits came up with the idea of insurance, which didn't technically fall under the prohibition against usury. And with ongoing innovation, modern financial markets developed.
None of these, of course, would have been understood by the local people of Jesus' time and place.
What was understood was life and death.
And this is where I found my peace.
Sins can easily be forgiven, but sickness and eventual death? That's a whole other nut to crack. Now, to be clear, unfortunately even the most traditional Christian communities have started to obsess about how SIN must be atoned!
But there is a strain in the oldest Christian traditions that it wasn't primarily sin that was destroyed on the cross, but rather death, disease, corruption (of which sin is a derivation to be sure, but not the point).
Now it's easy to look around and say - "Look! it didn't work." I myself have had to say good bye to both my parents over the last several months.
However, there is a resurrection that is promised. And if Christ has done what he said he did, then there WILL be a general resurrection.
The key is to be prepared for that resurrection. Now we could go on about which denomination is best prepared, but I have little faith in denominationalism. I think it's a means to conquer and divide the faithful, pitting follower against follower. Soon the God who's being worshiped isn't the most High God, but the Deceiver who encourages us all to call each other heretics. I do not think most "Christians" are Christian, but rather following their own wisdom (1 Timothy 6:3-5, 2 Thessalonians 2:11, Matthew 7:13-14, Matthew 24:11).
Now I may be a false teacher myself for thinking such a thing and putting it out there, but I have faith that God will know his own. And while he loves the rest, and has given them life, that life will be so much less for the fact that they reject what he's given them.
I find the idea of a river of fire helpful - Moses and the Glory of God (Exodus 33:20-23), speaks to the idea that to human senses, God is Fire. The Story of the Three Holy Youths (Daniel 3) has also been seen as an illustration of man abiding in the presence of fire, as a proxy for God, unharmed. Pentecost is God's fire experienced by the faithful after his resurrection. How will Gods fire be experienced by the unfaithful?
I have no idea, but I doubt that it will be pleasant (Luke 16:19-31).
In short, I feel this video failed to land it's point. There's enough diversity in Christianity to survive this argument, though I do not think that most modern Christians are open to my resolution.
Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of God,
Have mercy upon me,
a sinner.
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Quote/s of the Day – 29 June – Confessing Christ
Quote/s of the Day – 29 June – Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles – Acts 12:1-11; Matthew 16:13-19 – – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Thou art the Christ,the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:16
“… Now you must be, for a little time,made sorrowful in divers temptations.That the trial of your faith,(much more precious than goldwhich is tried by the fire)may be found unto praise and…
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"THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE"
THE HOLY SPIRIT’S WORK IN JEREMIAH: God’s call and anointing upon Jeremiah’s life as a prophet began in the womb. God reveals to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5 AMPC). This reveals that the…
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“Hidden but Not Hidden” By Bible Love Notes:
“Psalm 119:11 says: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
In this verse, hidden doesn't mean concealing God's Word. It means storing it up and treasuring it in our hearts.
If you read all 176 verses of Psalm 119, you'll discover many ways that the psalmist hid God's Word in his heart. For example:
Psalm 119:9-16: “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 12 Praise be to you, LORD; teach me your decrees. 13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. 15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.”
In these verses, the psalmist hides God's Word by:
1. Obeying it – verse 9. “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” —James 1:22-25 (NLT)
2. Seeking God in it – verse 10. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” —Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)
3. Studying it with the Spirit's help – verse 12. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” —John 14:26 (NKJV)
4. Reciting it – verse 13. “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” —Colossians 3:16 (NLT)
5. Enjoying it – verse 14. “The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.” —Psalm 19:8 (NLT)
6. Meditating on it – verse 15. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” —Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)
7. Spending time regularly in it – verse 16. “—”Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.” —2 Timothy 2:15 (AMP)
Are you “hiding” God's Word in your heart?”
[Click here for more links to devotionals.]
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Jesus is Coming
Some years ago I was walking around the reception tables after a wedding I had performed. An older woman approached me with a question. Almost everyone present at this particular wedding had come from a high church liturgical tradition. In their tradition, they had sometimes weekly, sometimes monthly recited either the Apostle’s Creed or the Athanasian Creed. But apparently, she hadn’t been…
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Action Equals Faith; Faith Always Equals Action
Newton’s law of motion says that for whenever an object exerts force on another object, the second object exerts an equal and opposite reaction upon the first. (https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/newtons-laws-of-motion/ ) Perhaps you never thought of it, but there is also a spiritual law of motion: for every particle of faith, there is a corresponding action. One cannot…
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The Lord's Law for the Lost and for the Rescued (257) - August 3 2024
Choose your Podcast App to Play this episode
Romans 3:20 (AMPC) states that [the real function of] the Law is to make men recognize and be conscious of sin [not mere perception, but an acquaintance with sin which works toward repentance, faith, and holy character].
For the born-again believer in Christ, Romans 6:14 shows they are no longer under the Law as slaves, but under grace as subjects of…
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Revelation 21: How Firm a Foundation
There are several clues in John’s vision of a voluminous golden city descending through the sky that lead the reader to believe it symbolizes spiritual truths.
#Revelation21 #NewJerusalem #TwelveFoundations #PearlyGates
There are several clues in John’s vision of a voluminous golden city descending through the sky that lead the reader to believe it symbolizes spiritual truths.
In comparison to Babylon—portrayed as a woman of excesses—the bride motif of new Jerusalem symbolizes the far superior role as Christ’s beloved, than as the world’s.
The purity and luminosity of the precious materials in the city’s…
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Faithful Obedience in the Spiritual Wilderness: Navigating Challenges with Scriptural Insights
The challenges and trials we face can often feel overwhelming, but through faithful obedience, we can find guidance and strength.
The Lord Commands Lehi’s Family to Leave Jerusalem
Navigating Spiritual Wilderness: Faithful Obedience Lessons from Scripture
Have you ever felt lost in your spiritual journey, like you’re wandering through a wilderness with no clear direction? The concept of navigating a spiritual wilderness is not just metaphorical but deeply rooted in scripture. The challenges and trials we face can often…
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Christ's Breakthrough
“His Abide”
Reading Reflecting Responding
To
God’s Word while Walking it Out
Context: Matthew 27: 1-66
Focus: Matthew 27:51-52
“At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split. The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.” Matthew 27: 51-52
Definition: Breakthrough – a military…
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Church notes - December 2023
On LiveJournal: https://fardell24.livejournal.com/605432.html
On Dreamwidth: https://fardell24.dreamwidth.org/816947.html
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warning: every post will include smut! minors do not interact! (18+)
these will be posted at midnight (CST) from Oct. 1st to Oct. 31st. the links will be added accordingly after each one is posted!
* titles are subject to change up until posting date!
go to the bottom of this post to join the taglist! ↓
1. Video Games | Enhypen Jay
— angry sex + makeup sex
2. One Night Stand | Seventeen Hoshi
— anonymous sex + roleplay
3. Relax | Ateez Yeosang
— bath sex
4. Insatiable | Enhypen Sunghoon
— biting kink + blood play [vampire!au]
5. Merciless | Stray Kids Hyunjin
— bondage
6. Countdown | TXT Taehyun
— brat taming
7. All Of Me | Monsta X Jooheon
— breeding kink / creampie
8. Stargazing | Monsta X Changkyun
— choking
9. Sunday Morning | P1Harmony Jiung
— cockwarming
10. Cowgirl | Ateez Wooyoung
— costumes
11. Pretty When You Cry | NCT Jeno
— dacryphilia
12. “It Just . . . Slipped” | Stray Kids Chan
— daddy kink
13. Play Thing | Twice Mina
— degradation
14. Open Wide | BTS Taehyung
— dom!idol
15. Score | Stray Kids Minho
— dry humping / thigh riding
16. Wicked Games | NCT Haechan
— edging / orgasm denial
17. Watch Yourself | Seventeen Jeonghan
— mirror sex
18. That’s My Girl | Twice Jihyo
— mommy kink
19. Thin Walls | ZB1 Matthew
— masturbation
20. I Can See You | The Boyz Sangyeon
— office sex [coworkers!au]
21. Sit | Blackpink Rosé
— oral
22. Good To Me | Seventeen Wonwoo
— overstimulation
23. Kiss Me Thru The Phone | Stray Kids Felix
— phone sex
24. Beautiful | NCT Jaehyun
— praise kink
25. Focus | Ateez San
— sex tape / filming
26. Knew Better | Seventeen S.Coups
— spanking
27. First Time For Everything | (G)-Idle Soyeon
— squirting
28. Bad Day | Wonho
— stripping
29. Hotel Room Service | TXT Huening Kai
— sub!idol
30. Three’s Company | P1Harmony Keeho & Theo
— threesome
31. Weapon | ITZY Chaeryoung
— toys
🕸️ Taglist 🕷️
to join the taglist for this event only, please comment on this post! asks or comments on any other posts will not be valid.
edit: if your age isn’t visible on your blog you will not be added! you must be 18+ to be eligible for this taglist. thank you!
if you’d like to join my other taglists, you can do so here.
if you have any questions, i suggest sending those through my inbox!
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The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.
As voted on by 503 novelists, nonfiction writers, poets, critics and other book lovers — with a little help from the staff of
The New York Times Book Review.
NYT Article.
*************
Q: How many of the 100 have you read?
Q: Which ones did you love/hate?
Q: What's missing?
Here's the full list.
100. Tree of Smoke, Denis Johnson
99. How to Be Both, Ali Smith
98. Bel Canto, Ann Patchett
97. Men We Reaped, Jesmyn Ward
96. Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments, Saidiya Hartman
95. Bring Up the Bodies, Hilary Mantel
94. On Beauty, Zadie Smith
93. Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel
92. The Days of Abandonment, Elena Ferrante
91. The Human Stain, Philip Roth
90. The Sympathizer, Viet Thanh Nguyen
89. The Return, Hisham Matar
88. The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis
87. Detransition, Baby, Torrey Peters
86. Frederick Douglass, David W. Blight
85. Pastoralia, George Saunders
84. The Emperor of All Maladies, Siddhartha Mukherjee
83. When We Cease to Understand the World, Benjamin Labutat
82. Hurricane Season, Fernanda Melchor
81. Pulphead, John Jeremiah Sullivan
80. The Story of the Lost Child, Elena Ferrante
79. A Manual for Cleaning Women, Lucia Berlin
78. Septology, Jon Fosse
77. An American Marriage, Tayari Jones
76. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
75. Exit West, Mohsin Hamid
74. Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout
73. The Passage of Power, Robert Caro
72. Secondhand Time, Svetlana Alexievich
71. The Copenhagen Trilogy, Tove Ditlevsen
70. All Aunt Hagar's Children, Edward P. Jones
69. The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander
68. The Friend, Sigrid Nunez
67. Far From the Tree, Andrew Solomon
66. We the Animals, Justin Torres
65. The Plot Against America, Philip Roth
64. The Great Believers, Rebecca Makkai
63. Veronica, Mary Gaitskill
62. 10:04, Ben Lerner
61. Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver
60. Heavy, Kiese Laymon
59. Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
58. Stay True, Hua Hsu
57. Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich
56. The Flamethrowers, Rachel Kushner
55. The Looming Tower, Lawrence Wright
54. Tenth of December, George Saunders
53. Runaway, Alice Munro
52. Train Dreams, Denis Johnson
51. Life After Life, Kate Atkinson
50. Trust, Hernan Diaz
49. The Vegetarian, Han Kang
48. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi
47. A Mercy, Toni Morrison
46. The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt
45. The Argonauts, Maggie Nelson
44. The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin
43. Postwar, Tony Judt
42. A Brief History of Seven Killings, Marlon James
41. Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan
40. H Is for Hawk, Helen Macdonald
39. A Visit from the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan
38. The Savage Detectives, Roberto Balano
37. The Years, Annie Ernaux
36. Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates
35. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel
34. Citizen, Claudia Rankine
33. Salvage the Bones, Jesmyn Ward
32. The Lines of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst
31. White Teeth, Zadie Smith
30. Sing, Unburied, Sing, Jesmyn Ward
29. The Last Samurai, Helen DeWitt
28. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell
27. Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
26. Atonement, Ian McEwan
25. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
24. The Overstory, Richard Powers
23. Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage, Alice Munro
22. Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Katherine Boo
21. Evicted, Matthew Desmond
20. Erasure, Percival Everett
19. Say Nothing, Patrick Radden Keefe
18. Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders
17. The Sellout, Paul Beatty
16. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon
15. Pachinko, Min Jin Lee
14. Outline, Rachel Cusk
13. The Road, Cormac McCarthy
12. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion
11. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz
10. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson
9. Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro
8. Austerlitz, W.G. Sebald
7. The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead
6. 2666, Roberto Bolano
5. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen
4. The Known World, Edward P. Jones
3. Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel
2. The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson
1. My Brilliant Friend, Elena Ferrante
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"GOD SEES YOUR POTENTIAL"
Judges 6:15-16, “But Gideon said to Him, “Please Lord, how am I to rescue Israel? Behold, my family is the least [significant] in Manasseh, and I am the youngest (smallest) in my father’s house.” The Lord answered him, “I will certainly be with you, and you will strike down the Midianites as [if they were only] one man.” (AMP)
There was a sign that read Antique Auto Show, so Rob and his wife…
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Verse of the Day 12-3-22
Verse of the Day 12-3-22
Jesus: The Light of the World
Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 8:12
In this verse Jesus declares himself to be “the light of the world.” This is the second of Jesus’ seven “I am” statements1. While the expression appears simple and straightforward on the outside, the…
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"This Life" / "The Way"
“This Life” / “The Way”
When I was in college there was a cult pouring its poison into unsuspecting students who didn’t know their Bible. Truth is there were dozens of these cults stalking the spiritual lives of young impressionable students. The one that I am thinking of called itself “THE WAY”. They used biblical words, talked a lot about “Jesus” and offered a weekend class called “Power for Abundant Living” for…
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