#he died bc of the sins of romans. and those are your sins now too? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[snekdood]

that post about "the only good jew is a dead jew" in regards to jesus specifically is so fuckin real. the only way christians will accept anything about their beliefs stemming from judaism and worship any of the people mentioned is if they die horribly at the hands of romans. its almost like a subtle indirect threat, or a dogwhistle even- the imagery they worship is of a dead jewish man on a cross, and then i can imagine them opening their eyes after prayer, smiling, and looking directly at their jewish friend, almost as a way to be like "if you step out of line, you're next".

[wesleyhill]

The Throne, the Coal, and the Voice

A homily on Isaiah 6:1-8, Psalm 29, Romans 8:12-17, and John 3:1-17, preached at Trinity Cathedral, Pittsburgh, on Trinity Sunday 2021

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple.”

May I speak to you in the Name of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In the eighth century BC, in ancient Israel, in the kingdom of Judah, there was a king whose actions became a warning to subsequent generations to tremble with fear and awe in the presence of God.

The king’s name was Uzziah, and at first — like so many new rulers who take the reins of power aware of their deep need for wise counsel and due caution for their awesome task — Uzziah was humble. But, as Israel’s Chronicler records, “when he had become strong he grew proud, to his destruction” (2 Chronicles 26:16).

Contrary to the law of Moses, King Uzziah bypassed the priests and approached the incense altar in the temple to bear the censer himself. The priests objected and tried to intervene, but Uzziah forged ahead anyway. He scoffed at the priests who stood in his way, and just at that moment a skin disease broke out on his forehead, right there in front of the altar. Then the Chronicler tells us: “When the chief priest Azariah, and all the priests, looked at [Uzziah], he was leprous in his forehead. They hurried him out, and he himself hurried to get out, because the LORD had struck him” (26:20). And he remained so struck until the day he died.

Like every other story, no matter how seemingly bizarre, in the Old Testament, this is ultimately a story about God — about the sheer mysterious otherness of God. The God we meet in this story of King Uzziah’s folly is a God of power and glory who will not be approached flippantly or arrogantly: “he [scatters] the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He [brings] down the powerful from their thrones” (Luke 1:51-2). This God is holy — He is “set apart,” lofty and exalted, morally pure (whose “eyes are too pure to behold evil,” as one of Israel’s prophets says [Habakkuk 1:13]), resplendent and radiant with eternal life and light: in a word, transcendent. As the book of Hebrews in the New Testament tells us, “indeed our God is a consuming fire” (12:29).

In the year that the proud and reckless King Uzziah died, with the skin disease he received in the temple still spread across his forehead, one of Israel’s greatest prophets received a vision of this fiery, holy, transcendent God. Isaiah the prophet says: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple.”

In the year that yet one more brash and arrogant human ruler passed away, his pride being no help at all against the inevitable forces of decay and death, Isaiah sees the God who remains unrivaled, sovereign, majestic, unchanging, impervious to the fleeting schemes of would-be usurpers.

No one can see this God and live, the Bible says, and yet somehow Isaiah is granted a vision of the LORD. He sees into the inner court of the heavenly temple: “I saw the LORD sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple.” And he sees fiery angelic creatures attending God’s throne: “Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.” And Isaiah hears their voices calling out to each other like the pulsing of an earthquake:

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

This chorus is so thunderous that Isaiah adds, “The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke.”

And just like so many other characters in the pages of the Bible who encounter God’s searing holiness, Isaiah’s first response to this heavenly vision is to be instantly aware of how unworthy he is — more than that, how doomed he is because of his impurity, his complicity in the evil of his nation. “Woe is me!” he cries. “I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” It is not only King Uzziah who is guilty before God: it is Isaiah, and it is all the people of Judah — it is, in fact, all the world, including you and me. As we think of God’s radiant, fiery holiness, aren’t we instantly confronted with the wreckage of our lives? Aren’t we like Peter when he came face to face with Jesus’ divine power and said, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:9)?

“Woe is me!” If we were dealing with any other god, that would be the end of the story. Isaiah sees into the inner sanctum of God’s holy, fiery throne room, and he is undone by it. We are undone by it. But — contrary to all just deserts and all expected outcomes — that is not the end of this story.

Isaiah says that after he protested his unworthiness, “one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’”

Rather than being obliterated by the blazing holiness of God’s life, Isaiah is touched and made pure by it himself, made to share in God’s radiant purity, with fire from the divine altar. The white heat of God’s holiness does not destroy Isaiah but delivers him instead. The coal taken from God’s presence does not consume Isaiah but cleanses him. The sacred fire that touches Isaiah’s lips does not abandon him in his guilt and sin but absolves him — sets him free to live and speak in trust and hope.

Alexander Pushkin, the celebrated nineteenth-century Russian poet, once wrote a poem about this scene from Isaiah, and he pictures the coal not only touching Isaiah’s lips but reaching into his innermost self:

[God] split my chest with a blade, Wrenched my heart from its hiding, And into the open wound Pressed a flaming coal. (Ted Hughes trans.)

This heart surgery, where the poet sees the winged seraph invading Isaiah’s life with the burning coal of God’s presence, is what the prophet Ezekiel foresaw when he prophesied: “A new heart I will give you [the LORD says to Israel], and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26-27). The flaming coal that Pushkin sees pressed into Isaiah’s heart is nothing other than what John the Baptist foresaw when he said about Jesus, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). The LORD who is lofty and exalted, who inhabits eternity, draws near to us who are lost, ruined, guilty, mortal. He touches us, cleanses us, forgives us, burns away our sin, and makes our hearts aflame with life and love by the fiery presence of His Spirit, the One Whom we name in the Creed as “the Lord, the giver of life.”

After the coal has touched his lips, Isaiah says, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’” Isaiah is not only touched to the depth of his being by God’s cleansing fire; he also hears God speak. He hears God’s voice. And as the rest of his prophecy makes clear, that divine voice conveyed to him God’s Word for the people of God. God speaks and sends Isaiah as His prophet to deliver His Word to us who cannot live without it. “The voice of the LORD is a powerful voice; the voice of the LORD is a voice of splendor” (Psalm 29:4).

This Word that God gives to Isaiah to speak to the people of Judah is the same powerful Word by which God brought the universe into being. It is the same Word that was with God in the beginning, the Word Who was God. It is the same Word Who became flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth. It is the same Word Who said, “The Father has sent me… God sent his Son into the world… that through him the world might be saved” (John 20:21; 3:17, NEB). That Word is the human being Jesus, God in human flesh, God’s voice for us, God’s self-communication, God’s ultimate self-revealing. And what He says to us is, “I absolve you. Your sins are forgiven. Peace be with you. Behold, I make all things new. Believe in Me.”

According to the writer of the Fourth Gospel, what Isaiah saw when he saw the LORD of Israel high on His throne, reaching out to sinful humanity with His cleansing fire, speaking to sinful humanity with His judging and saving Word — what Isaiah saw was none other than the glory of the God we know and worship and call out to as the Father, “the maker of heaven of earth,” who sent His eternal Word, Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord, to reconcile us to Himself, and the Holy Spirit, who pours God’s love into our hearts and by Whom we cry out, “Abba! Father!”: “Isaiah said [what he said] because he saw [Jesus’] glory and spoke about him” (8:41).

To Him, therefore, with the Father and the Spirit, one God in three Persons, be ascribed, as is most justly due, all might, dominion, majesty, and power, now and forever. Amen.

[namemeagainivebeenlost]

An atheists live reaction on Easter service, which my family thankfully streamed, because god knows the irl crowd wasn’t wearing masks.

School apparently equals ceaser and turns children into heathen romans. ThInK oF tHe ChILdReN

“Can’t call it 666, bc that’s not Christian LOL”

“Cars just don’t have CD players anymore” *upset sad sigh*

“ReAd My FrEe ChRiStIaN book”

“Society sees this day as foolish” (boy didn’t we all get off work for Good Friday? And today?? We didn’t get off for Passover tho?)

“The CulTuRe sees us as rubbish”

“The CuLtUrE hates this day bc it proves our religion”. (BOY? I got off 2 days from school. Also where’s the proof? Where is the undeniable proof? There’s not even proof Jesus was ever born. Try again.)

No masks, not anywhere. Lots of cozying up too

*baptist hand shaking commences*

*amazed gasps as pastor explains how the grave was broken open*

*singing*

*more singing, now ft. Off key voice which was apparently wrecked due to covid*

*white people raising their hands*

*voice cracks, note is flat*

Pastor is wearing a blue suit coat, blue vest, and matching blue tie which all match his jeans a little too well

*white women in the background trying to sing like gospel choirs. Off key and tune*

Seriously, a packed house and not a single damn mask, tf, y’all all old as hell too. Y’all got a death wish?

Everyone is standing and flailing their arms around

Oop, one woman has a mask, she’s using it as a chin strap

“ThAnK yOu, you may be seated”

Singing preacher left, time for the old talky talky one

*bad joke abt east Texas being full of sinners*

*monotone scripture reading*

“OuR nAtUrE sHoUlD be like JESUS” practice what you preach pal

“Every knee shall bow” I could hear this line a thousand times, it never gets less kinky

“I still believe in miracles-“ * 🎶I do believe in miracles, you sexy thang🎶*

I miss children’s Bible study

“Idc what’s going on in the world, our biggest problem is NO JeSuS!!”

“Physical healing is temporary, we’re all gonna die” fuckin mood pal

“Praise him! Not just this day but FOREVER!!!! 😤😤”

I fell asleep

Hand holding and piano jamming

Piano session is still going.

Piano

Piano

I fell asleep

They’re doing the blood n body thing

Yum, Eucharist grape juice, kind of jealous

More piano

Some old man is singing “Jesus loves me”

I fell asleep

Oh yay! It’s over!

Aw fuck, we’re watching a different service now.

No masks and an even bigger crowd in this one

“EvEn NoN-bEliVeRs KnOw JeSuS eXiStEd” (bitch where. The census that should have documented his birth never happened, and the gospel was written in GREEK about 60yrs after he “died”)

I fell asleep again.

No one is wearing a mask

Some white girl is jumping around in stage trying to sing

Still no masks

I fell asleep.

“*something vague about how our country is headed for chaos and destruction, with the implication that it’s Biden’s fault instead of, ya know, A GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT DECIMATED OUR ECONOMY AND SLAUGHTERED HALF A MILLION PEOPLE*”

More vague bitching about Biden

Shoe horning in some reference to those who “blatantly sin so near the holiday” so nice of Lil Nas X to make an appearance

I fell asleep

My mom said “wow! I can’t believe how packed it is!” Really? Really mom?

Pastor didn’t even talk about the crucifix or sacrifice. WHERE IS MY BLOOD AND GORE? I DEMAND BLOOD AND GORE ON EASTER

Apparently the microwave of life isn’t childbirth, it’s forgiveness. We need to forgive people “because they know not what they do”

Pastor sir, your 17 yo son knew that girl was 13 and hit her up for nudes anyway, we all remember. Gross.

Ya know what, at least he looks dope today, that suit is fly Pastor sir.

More singing, more Baptist physical affection. A pandemic? In the house of the LoRd?! Never

WHERE ARE THE MASKS?!

Fin. I’m going back to bed.

[freebiblestudies]

Questions for Christians Lesson 01 - Why Jesus?

We often take our religious faith and beliefs for granted.  If you were asked a difficult religious question, would you be able to answer it? The Bible calls on us to be able to explain why we believe what we believe.  In this Bible study series, we will attempt to address some of those difficult questions.

A Christian was witnessing to his Buddhist friend, telling him about Jesus. However, the Christian was stumped when his friend said the following:

“Why should I follow Jesus?   I go to temple every week.  I pray for my deceased relatives regularly.  I feel at peace following the tenets of Buddhism.”

Why Jesus?  Have you ever tried sharing the Gospel with someone of another faith and been asked that question?  Have you even asked yourself that question?  The Muslims have Mohammed.  The Buddhists have Buddha.  The Hindus have their deities.  What is so special about Jesus compared to other religious figures? 

Sometimes, Christians get too caught up in the “how’s” that we don’t ask “why?”  You may have heard a lot of sermons that put so much emphasis on evangelism and reaching out to others, that it may seem that you are being asked to sell a product to non-believers.  This is not to say that evangelism is a bad thing, but we need to understand the reason why we need to evangelize before we worry about how we evangelize.

Today, let’s discuss why we should follow Jesus over any other religious leader or belief system.

Who was Jesus?  The Bible tells us that Jesus was a Galilean carpenter who began in his own ministry at the age of 30 and preached in and around Israel for three and a half years.  Jesus’ teachings put Him at odds with the religious establishment.  So much at odds that they sought to kill Jesus.  Through a series of events, Jesus ended up falsely accused of blasphemy and was put to death on a Roman cross

Even if you were to reject the Bible as an authentic record of Jesus, there are several secular historical references verifying the historical authenticity of Jesus.

1.    Flavius Josephus (Jewish historian, 37-100 AD)

“So he [Ananus, son of Ananus the high priest] assembled the Sanhedrin of judges, and brought before him the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others (or some of his companions) and when he had formed an accusation against them, he delivered them to be stoned.” (Antiquities 20.9.1)

2.    Cornelius Tacitus (Roman historian, 55-120 AD)

[Christians] “derived their name and origin from Christ, who, in the reign of Tiberius, had suffered death by the sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilate.” (Annals 15.44)

3.       Mara bar Serapion (Stoic philosopher from Roman province of Syria)

“What else can we say, when the wise are forcibly dragged off by tyrants, their wisdom is captured by insults, and their minds are oppressed and without defense? What advantage did the Athenians gain from murdering Socrates? Famine and plague came upon them as a punishment for their crime. What advantage did the men of Samos gain from burning Pythagoras? In a moment their land was covered with sand. What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise king? It was just after that their kingdom was abolished. God justly avenged these three wise men: the Athenians died of hunger; the Samians were overwhelmed by the sea and the Jews, desolate and driven from their own kingdom, live in complete dispersion. But Socrates is not dead, because of Plato; neither is Pythagoras, because of the statue of Juno; nor is the wise king, because of the “new law” he laid down.” (letter to his son, circa 73 AD?)

It is interesting to note that Jesus' date of birth was used as a reference point for our calendar and historical chronology: BC - before Christ and AD - Anno Domino (in the year of our Lord).  Interestingly, Jesus was actually born around 4 BC, but that is a story for another time.

Even though in academia, the nomenclature of BC and AD has been replaced by BCE (before common era) and CE (common era), Jesus' date of birth is still used as the reference point to divide between BCE and CE.

Let’s now consider the teachings of Jesus with a quote from WEH Lecky:

“The character of Jesus has not only been the highest pattern of virtue, but the longest incentive in its practice, and has exerted so deep an influence, that it may be truly said that the simple record of three short years of active life has done more to regenerate and to soften mankind than all the dispositions of philosophers and all the exhortations of moralists.”

Even the most hardened atheist would admit that Jesus was a good man and moral teacher.  Jesus is respected by religious leaders of other faiths. Mahatma Gandhi considered Jesus to be one of greatest teachers humanity ever had.  Mohammed considered Jesus to be a prophet sent by God.  However, is that all there is to Jesus?  Is He only a moral teacher?  Maybe a prophet?

Let’s read together John 14:6.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  Truth, by its definition, is exclusive.  When you make an affirmation or a statement, you are excluding the opposite. Jesus makes an absolute statement in John 14:6 with no qualifications.  Jesus tells us that the only way we can have salvation is through Him.

How is this possible? Let’s turn to Mark 14:61-63.

Jesus affirms that He is the Son of God.

Let’s turn to John 10:33 and Mark 2:5-7.

The Bible gives two definitions for blasphemy:

Claim to be God

Claim to forgive sins

Jesus affirms that He is God and that He can forgive our sins.  No other respected religious leader in the world has ever claimed to be God . Only charlatans and mad men would make such a claim, but most people would agree that Jesus is neither of those.

What made Jesus so unique?  When you read the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the Bible, you will see Jesus’ accurate and specific description of the sinful human condition (Matthew 15:1-20; John 2:23-25; 3:16-19; 8:42-47).

Not only did Jesus see man trapped in the bondage of sin and completely unable to attain salvation on his own, Jesus provided a way for salvation by His sacrifice at the cross (Isaiah 53:5; Mark 10:27; John 3:16-17; 10:10; 1 John 2:2).  Mankind has been continually looking for a sacrifice that would absolve them of their sins.  Jesus is the only one that can give mankind that absolution.

Jesus gives us the opportunity to have a personal relationship with God (John 14:7-21).  As humans, we hunger for fulfilling relationships in our lives (Luke 15:11-32).  There is no more fulfilling relationship than a close intimate relationship with God.

Jesus not only lived a sinless life and practiced what He preached - He validated His claims by triumphing over the grave!  The Christian church would have died in its infancy if the enemies of Jesus simply showed the world His dead body.  However, they could not because His tomb was empty! (Matthew 28:1-7; John 26:20-29)

Friend, when you examine other religions, they teach salvation through your own deeds.  In Islam, you try to have more good deeds than bad deeds. In Hinduism, you keep paying in the karmic cycle until you reach Nirvana.  In Buddhism, you try to deny desires to make evil go away.  Yet, Jesus did not come to make bad people good.  He came to make dead people live.

Jesus gave us teachings respected by the world.  But unlike any other religious leader in history, Jesus describes our sinful condition, provides a cure for our malady, demonstrates the purity of His life and gives us hope by rising again from the dead.

Friend, will you accept that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life?  Will you accept that salvation can come through Jesus alone?

[theragamuffininitiative]

Why would God offer the option of salvation to people if they have already been predestined to either go to Heaven or Hell? If God is offering salvation to all people, and yet He has already chosen the people who are going to Heaven, that makes him sound cruel. Also, what is the point in evangelizing if the people who are predestined will end up in Heaven anyway? If you are witnessing to someone who happens to not be predestined, aren't you wasting your time?

[2] “you cannot make yourself believe in God. It’s up to him” Then there isnothing I can do if God does not want me. It’s all up to him. So if I come toGod, it’s because of him. If I don’t, it’s because he doesn’t want me.  “Those that God does not seek do not acknowledge him or have any reason to.”Maybe I’m the only one in the world God doesn’t want. I want everyone to besaved. But they won’t be bc God doesn’t want them to. Who’s fault is that?Can’t be mine bc there is NOTHING I can do. 

[3] “You are never too far away from that rescue.” Some people are. Maybe itis me. Thus, I don’t matter. I am nothing. He does not want some. No one isworthy. He just chooses to love some and not others for his own reasons.

[4] I have read the Bible at least 2 times. It has not done anything for me.I have tried to believe. It has not worked. I have believed these things, but Ihave not believed them enough. My heart just cannot do it. I want but do notwant it at the same time. Mostly I am just tired of life and tired ofstruggling. I don’t know how to have faith of any kind.

[5] “I do believe that there are those who God choose not to save” Is thisnot cruel? I mean, if I had the capacity to save everyone in the world, Iwould. Why would God not want to? Why would he die for some and not others? IfGod is a God of love, how can he just let some drown? He must not love them;this cannot be love. Then he is not completely love. Yes, he is justice, but ifhe died for some, why not die for everyone? Unless there is such a thing asfree will.

[6] I understand a prayer cannot save you. I was born in a Christian homeand been saturated in it. But this does not mean God will choose me. I cannotassume God chooses me either. He must have chosen to let millions die in theirsin, unless I am the only one. Or maybe he will save everyone. Or maybe thereis free will. I have tried so many times. It has not worked. I am exhausted ofit, of living. Only God provides faith—then I will wait and see if he wants me.If he doesn’t, I’m going to hell.

First things first, I most humbly apologize for not getting to this sooner.I have been holding off until I have had a moment to collect my thoughts so asto answer to the best of my abilities - and frankly, this past week left mewith hardly a moment to spare.

Now. Here we are.

Please understand, my dear anon, that I am not a theologian. Nor do I, orhave I ever, pretended or presumed to be well-learned in areas of theology.Despite having, like you, grown up in a Christian home, my father a pastor, myown faith still feels very small and fragile and green to me. I have doubt andconfusion and frustration and pain just like everyone else. I don’t have allthe answers. God does. Here is what I can say.

Some resources I used to help provide answers for your questions

https://www.calvinistcorner.com/predestination.htm

http://www.ligonier.org/

https://www.gotquestions.org/calvinism.html

https://www.gotquestions.org/unconditional-election.html

https://www.gotquestions.org/limited-atonement.html

http://traviscarden.com/total-depravity-verse-list

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/tulip-and-reformed-theology-irresistible-grace/

“Why would God offer the option of salvation to people if they havealready been predestined to either go to Heaven or Hell?”

This question is a little skewed in the understanding of the situation we are truly in and by answering it, I hopeyou see why:

It’s not specifically an offer of an option. Scripture tells usover and over that the heart of man is dreadfully sick, twisted by sin. No oneis righteous, none. Calvinists believe, as is laid out in the Bible numerous times, that onlyGod can quicken a spiritually dead heart, and that no one is able to come tohim of their own accord. The sinful heart wants only to please itself until Godmakes himself known in our lives.

So the answer then: It is not an option he isholding out to us as if to say “hey sin is bad, here’s an alternative to tryout.” It is instead, God plucking us out of the mire and depravity in which weare more than happy to stay, and showing us life, giving us a hunger forholiness - for him. Our “offer of salvation” from God is not a life perserver tossed out into the waves, it’s Jesus coming down to the ocean bottom when we’ve already drowned and bringing us to life. The answer is grace. God’s grace is why there is any hopefor salvation. He shows mercy on whom he will show mercy. He is God.

“If God is offering salvation to all people, and yet He has alreadychosen the people who are going to Heaven, that makes him sound cruel.”

At first, it can sound cruel. However, again, the problem lies in asking thewrong question. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,there are none who do good of their own accord, and no one wants to please God (Romans 3). That is the fallen state of all mankind without divine intervention. Sin isdisobedience to a perfect, just, jealous, and above all else holy God.By definition he cannot stand it and it must be removed from his presence andpunished.

Therefore what we all, each and every one of us, deserve is God’swrath. It is in his amazing mercy that any are saved. It is here that we haveto remember that while we are made in his image, God is not human. He is infinitely outside of our comprehension or power. We arehis creation. For glory or for condemnation, we belong to him and he does as hepleases, and this is not unfair or cruel, because he is God.

“Also, what is the point in evangelizing if the people who arepredestined will end up in Heaven anyway? If you are witnessing to someone whohappens to not be predestined, aren’t you wasting your time?”

Short answer: No, absolutely not.

God has showntime and time again that he uses us for his purposes. He created us to do hiswill and to serve him and to bring him glory - not because he had any needwhich we fulfill, but because he wanted to create.

Obedience to God and declaring his truth glorifies him. And Scripture consistently teaches that the chief end of man is to glorify God. Before returning to sit at the Father’s right hand in heaven, Jesus commanded his followers to go and tell what they had seen and what he taught them, so that others will believe and worship him. We call this the Great Commission. Similarly, Jesus taught that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our being, and then to love others. I do not know in any given situation if God has chosen in his good will and mercy to save an individual, but out of love for him and for them I cannot help but to proclaim the life-giving truth of the Gospel. God has infinite knowledge, I do not. But he has told me to love and to serve and this is what I must do.

“At this point, the non-Calvinist infers that the impetus and urgency to proclaim the gospel is gone, or diminished at best. After all, if God knows who is going to be saved, and if he will save his elect no matter what, why waste our time evangelizing?

But it is important to recognize that the God of the Bible ordains not only the end (salvation) but also the means to the end (the proclamation of the gospel).

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. And through evangelism, he is calling his sheep to himself. He calls his own sheep by name, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice (John 10:3-4). They know his voice because, at God’s appointed time, the Holy Spirit gives the elect ears to hear and hearts to understand (Matt. 13:23).

The ordinary means by which God gathers his people is through their hearing and believing the gospel message. In Romans 1:16, Paul declares that he is not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. In Romans 10:13, he states that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Then he adds, “How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!’ ” (Rom. 10:14-15 nasb).

Paul saw that it is the task of the church to proclaim the gospel. The exhortation Paul gives in Romans 10 is sandwiched between chapters 8-9 and 11. Take some time and reread those chapters. Note especially all they have to say about God’s sovereign purposes in election.

Why am I, a Calvinist, so passionate about evangelism? Several reasons immediately spring to mind. First, my Lord Jesus Christ commands me to do so (Mark 16:15). Second, given that my chief duty (and delight) is to glorify God, I am moved by the fact that the Father is honored whenever the Son is honored. The supreme means of honoring the Father is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ (John 5:22-23)! Third, I know that when the nonelect reject the gospel, as they are wont to do, preaching leaves them all the more without excuse when they receive the condemnation they justly deserve. And last, I know that God brings his elect to himself through the preaching of the gospel.

The apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:10, “Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” It is only when we recognize God’s absolute sovereignty that we can be assured of results. God blesses the faithful dissemination of his word. He promises that his word will never return to him void or empty, but will accomplish the purpose for which he sent it (Isa. 55:11).

Does Calvinism take the wind out of the sails of evangelism? Properly understood and sincerely believed, it does exactly the opposite. Believing that God has a sovereign plan to bring all his elect to himself actually encourages evangelism. It gives confidence to us, God’s people, to fulfill our God-given responsibility to spread his gospel. We know that our labor in the Lord is never in vain (1 Cor. 15:58).”

[source]

As Scripture also proclaims

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?[a] And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for

“Their voice has gone out to all the earth,    and their words to the ends of the world.”

Some resources that might answer this question better than I have:

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-dont-calvinists-care-about-missions

https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/kevindeyoung/2010/04/16/does-calvinism-discourage-evangelism/

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/calvinist-evangelist/

https://www.gotquestions.org/calvinism-evangelism.html

“So if I come toGod, it’s because of him. If I don’t, it’s because he doesn’t want me.  “Those that God does not seek do not acknowledge him or have any reason to.”Maybe I’m the only one in the world God doesn’t want. I want everyone to besaved. But they won’t be bc God doesn’t want them to. Who’s fault is that?Can’t be mine bc there is NOTHING I can do.”

If you come to God it is because of him drawing you, yes. If you ultimately perish it is because of your rejection of his truth. This may sound ludicrous at first, but they are not contradictory. God is righteous, holy, and just. He punishes sin. Sin is rejecting him. All of us have sinned and rejected him. He has chosen, elected if you will, in his goodness and love, to reach out in mercy to save us.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Look at Romans 1

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[g] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools.

Once you have acknowledged your lostness apart from salvation through Christ, and your need for that redemption to become holy, and to be loved by God, again, through Christ you are without excuse for not following him. All have sinned. All deserve punishment. But at some point, all are shown the truth about the wickedness of their hearts. This is not so that we can suddenly choose life, for those that are dead in sin can do nothing good and have no way to escape by their own power. Instead, this is so that God’s justice is known. “Without excuse.”

Also, your thinking here is entirely focused on yourself. God calls us out of being concerned so heavily with ourselves. Selfish thoughts are in fact sin. Focusing our mind’s attention and our heart’s affection on Christ is what makes a person a living, breathing, walking Christian. Try to step out of yourself.

It is your fault, my friend. It is the fault of your wicked and self-serving heart, which you are a slave to until Christ breaks those chains. But you are without excuse. God is daily revealing the truth of your heart and his will to you, and if you reject it, all punishment is well due. This goes for us all. This is a problem with free will. For if we do have the free will to choose, and God reveals himself to all so that we are without excuse, then why would anyone choose corruption, pain, death, and hell? It is only by God’s grace we are brought out of the slavery to ourselves and to sin.

Let me repeat: once these things have been made known to you, what is your reason for not seeking God’s grace and forgiveness? Turning from your selfishness? Trusting in him? Worshiping him for his holiness and the mercy he is so clearly extending to you? My dear friend, it is about him, it is all about him, and it is all for his glory. You, whatever you do in this life or the next, are here for his glory.

““You are never too far away from that rescue.” Some people are. Maybe itis me. Thus, I don’t matter. I am nothing. He does not want some. No one isworthy. He just chooses to love some and not others for his own reasons.”

Yes and no.

I said this by way of encouragement and evangelism. Again, it is not up to me to decide whether or not I believe a person can be saved. That knowledge and power is God’s alone. My saying that you are never too far however, is not incorrect. God may save whom he will save, but this is also a part of what Calvinists call “unconditional election” which basically means that God’s grace to you or to me or to anyone does not rely on any good or bad deed that we have done or failed to do. It is entirely of his own choosing. So, practically speaking, no you are never too far. God is just as capable and willing to redeem a murderer as he is a philanthropist.

So why are you resisting him? Is it pride? Is it fear? What reason do you truly have to say that God’s way is not best, and that somehow you know better? He is sovereign and in control and powerful to save. If you understand how lost you are without him, you are without excuse. He has revealed his truth to you. Why are you holding back?

“I have read the Bible at least 2 times. It has not done anything for me.”

Read it again. And again. And again. Go to Christ, humbly, and ask him to reveal himself to you. The Bible is not just a book of proverbs and histories and sayings. It is God’s inspired word. It is the record of his interaction with humanity from the beginning of time.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

“I have tried to believe. It has not worked. I have believed these things, but Ihave not believed them enough. My heart just cannot do it. I want but do notwant it at the same time. Mostly I am just tired of life and tired ofstruggling. I don’t know how to have faith of any kind.”

It is exhausting to trust in yourself for your salvation, believe me, I know. But it’s also wrong. God is in control, friend. And as scary and confusing as that may seem, it is also entirely encouraging and a relief. The One who designed the universe is also the One who will bend down to the brokenhearted and wipe away our tears.

Go to him in prayer, through Jesus Christ we have access to the very throne of the only Almighty God. Ask for faith. Ask for truth. Remember, he reveals the truth of your sinful state to you so that you are without excuse. Leave your excuses at the door. How can you know if he has elected you if you do not pursue him day and night?

If there is even a fraction of doubt, that is what you latch onto. You may be of God’s elect, and if you are, then why waste time? God will save who he wills and he will reveal when he wills, but it is through the Gospel and through prayer that he communicates with us. If you know your sin, why would you ever stop seeking for salvation? Salvation is at hand and always will be. Seek him, my dear dear friend. He has everything you need. And it’s not of yourself, or by your power. It is by his. So seek him.

“I mean, if I had the capacity to save everyone in the world, Iwould. Why would God not want to?”

Because you are not perfectly holy, as he is, and you do not see all sin as an utter abomination which must be reconciled. You are the creature. He is the creator.

“Why would he die for some and not others? IfGod is a God of love, how can he just let some drown? He must not love them;this cannot be love. Then he is not completely love. Yes, he is justice, but ifhe died for some, why not die for everyone? Unless there is such a thing asfree will.”

Again, this is the wrong question. Why should a perfect, all-powerful, all-knowing, supreme, awesome, holy God die for anyone? The only answer is mercy and love. You and I have human ideas of love, but God is the originator of perfect love, and he cannot love sin. Again, if there is free will -truly free will - why do any choose corruption? And why would a holy and all-powerful and loving God allow his creatures to choose death for themselves? The answer is that we are not free to choose, because we are enslaved to sin and the brokenness of our nature. I struggle with the idea that God does not save anyone when none are worthy, but he chooses to save some. I truly do. But if I understood perfectly the will and ways of God, then how could he still be God?

Romans 9, again

What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion,[b] but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25 As indeed he says in Hosea,

“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’    and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’    there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

“I was born in a Christian homeand been saturated in it. But this does not mean God will choose me. I cannotassume God chooses me either. He must have chosen to let millions die in theirsin, unless I am the only one.”

If you cannot assume God chooses you, why assume he will not? Why presume to know the heart and mind of God at all? But instead, looking at Scripture, see the evidence that he is able and willing to save, to show mercy and kindness and steadfast love that far outdoes any human attempt or understanding.

Again, look beyond yourself and look to Christ. It is in his power to save, why think anything otherwise? God is all about his own glory, and this is not selfish as he is God and the only one worthy of glory and honor and praise. And he will have it, whether by our lips or by the crying out of the earth itself. Why continue to distance yourself from him? Why build up barriers between you and the grace he gives?

There is always hope:

Romans 10

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

“Or maybe he will save everyone. Or maybe thereis free will. I have tried so many times. It has not worked. I am exhausted ofit, of living. Only God provides faith—then I will wait and see if he wants me.If he doesn’t, I’m going to hell.”

Faith is not a wait and see arena, my friend. Christian faith is of action: of praising God, of spreading the Gospel, of good works - not for salvation, but because of our redeemed hearts. The Christian faith is not passive, it does not lie around, inactive. Inactive faith is dead faith. If you feel you cannot believe, after all the things about yourself and himself that God has revealed specifically to you, it is not for lack of predestination. It is lack of love for God.

Stop trying in your own power, my dear friend. The end result of that is nothing but fear, frustration, grief, and misery. You have no power over your own sin, only Christ does. Seek his forgiveness, seek his will, ask him for direction.

Look to him, and look for the glory of God. He will not turn you away.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.(Matthew 7)

And Hebrews 4, in it’s entirety proclaims

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,

“As I swore in my wrath,‘They shall not enter my rest,’”

although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” 5 And again in this passage he said,

“They shall not enter my rest.”

6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,

“Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts.”

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God[b] would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

My prayers are with you, my dear friend, that Christ will show you his amazing and redemptive love that is God’s free and most precious gift to you, and that he will send his Spirit to dwell in your heart and turn it from all thoughts of self, and only to the glory and praise of the Father, and to give you hope and joy and rest. I pray also that he will send you a Godly counselor and teacher who will have the grace and wisdom that I do not.

Trust in him. He is God. He cannot fail.

[bldgrelationshipwgod]

The Message Of The Blood Of Jesus – Dr. Charles Stanley

The subject of this sermon is one that we sing about, we don’t talk much about it, & I’m not too sure that we believe, all that we believe about it.

But it’s important that you listen very carefully bc it affects every single one of us.

And you may be one of those persons who’s never heard it before. You need to listen to it carefully, because it’ll affect the way you live & the way you die.

So when I think about it being that serious, I think about the fact that some people have shunned the whole idea; & they not just a litany, but there are those denominations that cut these pages out of their hymn books because they’ve decided that it’s not important. And it offends people.

But the truth is without it, you & I wouldn’t be here today.

So what’s the subject?

The subject is the Blood of JESUS CHRIST.

And more than likely, there are many of you who may be listening/watching, you’ve never heard a sermon on it (yup).

You’ve thought about it. You’ve wondered about it. Maybe you’ve mentioned it in your prayers, but you haven’t fully understood what it’s all about.

So I’m asking you to listen very carefully: “your whole eternal future may depend upon it.”

So I want to talk about the Blood of JESUS & how it applies to every one of us. Now turn to 1 Peter 1:17-21, “you were redeemed from the empty way of life.”

1 Peter 1:17-21 | Since you call on a Father who judges each one’s work impartially, conduct yourselves in reverent fear during your stay as foreigners. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb w/out blemish or spot. He was known before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in the last times for your sake. Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead & glorified Him; & so your faith & hope are in God.

The more I’ve thought about it & the more the LORD began to speak to my heart to remind me this is the heart of the Gospel.

Then all the things we can say about other subjects & all that relates to it, this is the very heart of the truth of what you & I believe.

And it’s the message that will either get you to heaven or you’ll lose it & miss it.              ________________________________________________________

I really only want to say 2 things about it.

1.] The Seriousness of SIN.      When you sin against GOD, especially if you keep on sinning against GOD.      Especially if you keep on doing the same thing, over & over again.

     You set yourself up for divine chastisement.

     If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Saviour, you’re going to be rejected one      of these days—when you stand before the judgment seat of GOD.

     Sin is serious business with GOD because      it has eternal consequences.

And it doesn’t make any difference who you are.

It doesn’t make a difference where you’re from.

What’s your vocation, or how much wealth, you name it.

     There is nothing that matters, sin is disobedience to Holy GOD.

     And HE warns us from the beginning of the Bible to the end, that GOD hates      sin because of what it does to HIS children (to HIS creation).

     You & I have read the Bible enough to know, all through the Word of GOD,      sin is a destroyer, a divider, you name it. All the qualities that we mentioned,      that’s what sin is.

1a.] So in light of that, you say, “well what’s the nature of sin?”        This is the true nature, we’ve said it’s serious, but how serious is it?

       1st of all, it deceives.        It’s already deceived you, because you wouldn’t keep doing        what you’re doing if sin didn’t deceive you.

That is, “you’re okay, it’s alright. GOD loves you. GOD understands.”

So you just keep disobeying GOD & being deceived into thinking you are an exception to the laws of GOD & the consequences of sin!

You’re deceived!

1b.] It disappoints. Sin always makes big-time offers.        If you’ll do this, you’ll feel fantastic (drugs/wealth/beauty/sex/etc.).        If you’ll do this here, s/he will do thus & so.

       When you think about the disappointments, all of us has had in life about        different things.

       Sin disappoints because it makes awesome promises it can't produce.

It may be temporarily satisfying. If sin had no satisfaction whatsoever, you wouldn’t be sinning.

It has temporary satisfaction, but it is a deceiver & it disappoints.

1c.] It is destructive.        All you need to do is look around & realize how destructive sin is.

It takes many many pathways, but ultimately it’ll destroy ya.

It destroys families/marriages/jobs/future/children.

Sin is destructive by its nature.

Then think about it: SIN brings death.

Over a period of time, sometimes it’s instant.

The worst thing is it’s eternal [Romans 6:23].

Romans 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.   

       If I had to stop right there? This would be a terrible life.        But thank GOD, we don’t have to stop right there.

       So let’s think about this.

       What is the saving power that brings about        forgiveness of sin? The Blood of JESUS CHRIST.

Go back if you will to Genesis 3, all the way back to the beginning; & you’ll discover in this perfect garden that Adam & Eve had everything going their way. But they had a choice, GOD gave them a choice.

And so they sinned against GOD.

And the Scripture says Genesis 3:20-21, “And Adam named his wife Eve, because she was to be the mother of all the living. And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam & his wife & clothed them.”

HE killed the lamb, shed blood, & covered them with skin.

So in the very beginning of the Bible, with the 1st sin: GOD shed blood on their behalf.

GOD said from the very beginning: “if you’re going to be saved, blood has to be shed.”

    There is a cost to sin. The price of sin is blood.

    The price of sin is the Blood of JESUS CHRIST.

    But all the way back in those days, before what any of you & I know about:     The issue was forgiveness required death & the shedding of blood.

So when you come to JESUS, after HE came into the world, & HE’s talking about sin & you remember what HE said when HE talked about the Blood—to HIS disciples that night at the LORD’s Supper?

     What was the LORD’s Supper all about?      Blood of LORD JESUS CHRIST bringing about salvation.

     It’s a reminder to us of what happened.

>> Then with that in mind, I want to give you 4 words—which really describes this whole redemptive plan of GOD.

They all have to do with the Blood of JESUS.

You can just scrape up the whole message of salvation in 4 words:

REDEMPTION: you weren’t saved by perishable things like silver & gold. Isn’t it interesting that GOD took the most precious/valuable things & said, “Look your most valuable commodities won’t do you one bit of good.” We were saved from our futile/empty way of life. 1 Peter 1:18-19 , “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,” (v.18)  but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb w/out blemish or spot (v.19).   

The Message of Salvation: Reconciliation (Colossians 1:19-22) Sin has separated every single one of us from GOD. Those of us who are saved, have been reconciled. We trusted the LORD JESUS CHRIST as our Lord & Saviour; & HIS work at Calvary, we’ve been reconciled. So there is redemption, there is reconciliation. Reconciliation brings people together, & brings sinners to oneness in their relationship to JESUS CHRIST. Union, reunion, & harmony.

Colossians 1:19-22 | For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, & through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross. Once you were alienated from God & were hostile in your minds because of your evil deeds. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, & blameless in His presence—

The Message of Salvation: Justification (Romans 5:8) Romans 5:8 | But God proves His love for us in this:                        While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. When we talk about GOD’s love for us, go straight to the ultimate reason & the price for GOD’s love for us: GOD demonstrated HIS love for us through death of JESUS for us. Romans 5:9 | Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!

Does GOD just say: you’re not guilty, you’re not guilty...etc.? No It’s the blood of Christ that makes it possible, so that if a person who rejects JESUS—they reject the only person who can take care of their sin, because HE is the one who brought justification into reality.

It’s the shedding of the blood of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, so HE could redeem, reconcile, & justify us.

And it’s not what we do but what HE did for us. That’s one of the words: SANCTIFY

The Message of Salvation: Sanctification (Hebrews 13:12) Hebrews 13:12 | And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate, to sanctify the people by His own blood.

[van-goghs-right-ear]

I gotta say something, I live in a rural and predominantly Christian place, I mean there are Amish everywhere and my family even used to be Amish. But I'm not a Christian and I am gay (Not that the two are mutually exclusive). And if I'm being honest, your post almost brought me to tears. Suddenly I felt this overwhelming relief and tension leave my shoulders and I don't quite know why yet, but I just want to say thank you for accepting even if you don't agree. You don't know how much it means.

Hi friend, thanks for reaching out! I’m sorry this is like five days late! I’ve been trying to think of how to answer you without saying something wrong. This is super carefully worded since it’s such a touchy subject, and it’s gonna be REALLY SUPER long (I’M SORRY), but I do hope you’ll read it and come away with a new perspective of Christians. If you have more questions about what I’ve written to you, please, do message me privately and let me help! I’m not trying to shove stuff down your throat either; I’m just explaining stuff, and there’s a lot to this. You are so welcome to do what you wish with the information I’ve provided!

There’s a lot of things that many Christians don’t understand about what it means to love as Jesus loves us and how to spread God’s Word and the Gospel. Now, that doesn’t mean they’re bad people or bad Christians, but that they may just be a little misguided or just don’t quite understand yet. Likewise, there are a lot of things that both Christians and non-Christians alike do not understand about the Bible and how to use Scripture (I sure have a TON to learn yet!).

Before we go on, understand the following, because it is important with where I’m going with this response: GOD AND JESUS = LOVE.

I’m sure you have heard many times the scriptures in the Old Testament that call for those who practice homosexuality (there is a note about the term “practicing homosexuality” below) to be put to death or that it is an abomination. The people who use these scriptures to come against the LGTB community take them out of context and use them in a way that is condemning and hurtful (not what God wants!!!) The first 5 books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, called the Torah in Judaism) contain the 613 laws that God gave to Moses for the Israelites to follow. They contain religious laws (observe the Sabbath, do not worship idols), moral laws (do not murder or steal/honor your family), and ceremonial laws (ritual burnt offerings [aka sacrificing a lamb for Passover or sacrifices for atonement of sins]). The Jews back in Biblical times (as well as today) strive to follow all 613 laws (what a feat to undertake! Though I doubt many do some of the ceremonial ones because sacrificing animals and such is somewhat frowned upon in today’s society, but if you’re curious, I’d say ask a Jewish person about how they were taught to follow God’s 613 Laws because I’m not that well versed in that area). 

However, when Jesus died on the cross to take on our sins upon himself and save us from what we deserve as sinners (death), He fulfilled the Law and made a new covenant with those who believed He is the Messiah/Son of God. Obviously God wants us to follow the good moral laws that He had set in place (aka don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t commit adultery, etc.), but because of the New Covenant, Christians are not required to follow many of the 613 Jewish laws. Jesus tells us the greatest commandments of the New Covenant, and are found in Luke 10:27:  “He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 

(^^^This is where people get confused! They don’t understand that many of the laws in the Torah were relevant to the time when they were written, as well as many other verses in the Bible [aka how women should be silent in synagogue/church and societal stuff like that] were for social purposes. For example, [forgive me bc i can’t find the verse] somewhere in the New Testament where the apostle Paul writes to one of the early churches, he mentions how women should cover their hair. This is because women’s hair was sexualized in that particular society, and so they should dress modestly, just like women shouldn’t walk around with their boobs/butts out or how men shouldn’t be taking their genitals out in public. Get it? Okay! It’s good to know historical background for a lot of stuff in the Bible, and I’m still learning a lot about it, and admittedly doing some research to fact check myself as I write this so I don’t give you bad info!!)

ANYWAY. So in Leviticus, this particular law that everyone mentions calls for those who practice homosexuality (notice I didn’t say “homosexuals” because the point is to call out the sin, not the person, because sin does not define us) to be put to death. This obviously is not how things are done today (it’s a societal law relevant to the time it was written), and NOWHERE in Scripture does it say that God hates you if you’re gay (that’s an example of how people take that particular verse out of context!!!!! It is NOT true that God hates gay people!!!!) But God’s Word is consistent in the stance He takes on things, as seen in 1 Timothy 1:8-11 (New Testament letter written by the apostle Timothy): 

8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious [irreligious meaning those who refuse God], for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

God sees the practice of homosexuality as one of the things that is considered sexually immoral (which also includes prostitution, sex before marriage [something I’ve been guilty of and forgiven for, I’m not ashamed to admit], adultery, incest, bestiality; basically anything that isn’t sexual relations between a husband and wife only), whether it is in the Old Testament times or the New Testament (because God does not change. He is the same loving and just God and Father as He was, is, and always will be.) But listen, this is not to condemn you or judge you, please know. I’m still just explaining things. I’m getting to my point, I promise. :)

PLEASE NOTE: the term “practice of homosexuality” means engaging in the act of same-sex sexual relations. NOT same-sex attraction. The latter is a result of the Fall of Man (when Adam and Eve were banished from Eden for disobeying God and eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge) and so same-sex attraction is merely a temptation, not the sin itself. It is what those who experience same-sex attraction do with that temptation that determines whether it becomes sin or not.

The next part of this puzzle here can be found in the New Testament when Jesus is doing His teachings. See: Matthew 7:1-5 where Jesus gives his followers this analogy:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

What He means here is that we cannot judge (condemn) others for their sins, since none of us is free of sin (except Jesus). If a brother/sister (in Christ or literal, doesn’t matter ha) has a “speck of dust” aka a sin, how can you condemn them for it when you have a plank (aka a sin as well) of your own? It’s kind of like a “you who has not sinned throw the first stone,” sort of thing. Who are we to judge others’ sins? We can’t. God is the only Judge. The only way to help our brothers with their specks is to repent of our planks and have our hearts right with God.

BUT, here’s where it gets cool. To God, no sin is worse than another. He hates all sin equally, but he loves each of us as if you or I (or anyone else!) were the only human on earth to love, even though we are sinners. He made Man originally as blameless (aka without sin), and the Devil came and introduced sin to the world through the deception of Adam and Eve when they ate of the Tree of Knowledge (known as the Fall of Man). And so, to defeat the Devil and sin, God sent His Son to die and take on all the sins of the world; the ultimate and last sacrifice, all because He loves us so much and wants us to have eternal life through Jesus instead of death (John 3:16-18). 

But remember when Jesus said “Love your neighbor as yourself”? That’s where many Christians go wrong. Scripture instructs us to rebuke sin, but we are to do it in a way that does not condemn. (”Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ” Romans 8:1) We are supposed to love each other as God loves us (the Devil knows our names but calls us by our sins and condemns us, whereas God knows our sins, but calls us by our names!). God wants us all to come to repentance through Jesus (John 14:6) and be freed of the chains of our sins (no matter what they are!!! I am just as guilty of sin as a murderer or a thief or a liar in God’s eyes, but God forgives [and forgets our sins!] and has grace on all of us when we repent, and we are washed clean). A lot of Christians (most notably the ones who picket and shout nasty things at people) don’t understand the “love” part. They don’t get that there is another side to the story: salvation. They don’t get that calling people out by their sins doesn’t do anything to further the Kingdom of God or to bring people closer to Him unless they do it in a loving way (aka not shouting nasty things or saying God hates you, which is bogus anyway...) and explain how people can be saved from the fires of Hell (which is by accepting and believing that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and died for the atonement of our sins, making a way for us to get to Heaven through Him). Many of these Christians who you see shouting condemnation at people either are misguided or do not understand that they also need to preach about the fact that God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to save us from what we deserve by taking our place. Yes, it is necessary to explain what happens when we sin and do not repent (sin separates us from God and dishonors Him, which is why He hates sin, because He loves us so much and wants us to be in a close relationship with Him), and what the ultimate consequence of our sin without accepting Christ is (spending eternity in Hell, which is and should be terrifying for those who are not in Christ), but it is just as necessary to explain that there is a way out of that punishment by way of God’s grace (there is a verse below from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians at the Church of Ephesus in Greece that connects to this).

All in all (through this hugely long winded response I am so sorry haha), just know that as Christians, we need to love everyone in order to show them the true Jesus. Condemnation and judgement is NOT Jesus. (“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?” James 4:12)

But, (last thing I promise) “acceptance” is not the word I would use, because I do not accept the practice of homosexuality (or any other sin!!!!) as an okay thing. BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN I (OR GOD!!!!) DO(ES) NOT LOVE YOU OR ANYONE ELSE because who am I, a sinner myself, who is trying my very best (and failing in one way or another, whether it’s an impure thought, or a nasty word, or talking back to my parents, etc.) every day to not sin. That’s where God’s grace comes in. We fail God’s expectations of us every day (Literally the only one who has not failed Him is Jesus…) and with repentance comes grace through Jesus’ sacrifice and His blood, and that’s beautiful because God is choosing to bless us with life and a second chance rather than curse us as our sin deserves (4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions [sins]—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:4-9.) (I hope that paragraph makes sense… It’s not really coming out the way I want but catch me another day with this part and I’ll hopefully have a better way of saying it.). If this paragraph rubs anyone the wrong way, know that sin does not define any of us, Christian or not. So the fact that I do not accept any sin as okay does not mean that I don’t accept you and love you as a person. (yes I know, “but you’ve sinned!” no one’s perfect, I’m trying and I know I fail, so I’m not judging you because that would make me a hypocrite. That’s where the verse above about grace comes in.) 

Okay i’m gonna stop there bc this is like an essay and I’m sorry it’s so long! I’m so glad you liked my post, and I hope you found something in here that speaks to you about the true nature of God and what He wants Christians to really do vs. what the world sees a lot of Christians doing.

I love you, friend!!! I’m not sure if you follow me and if you will actually see this, but I hope you do and choose to message me to talk about this stuff (or literally anything bc my DM’s are always open!) God loves you so much, I want you to know that! Be well!!!

I think I did this right: here’s a link to the post my dear anon is referencing: 

https://van-goghs-right-ear.tumblr.com/post/96374967163/i-am-a-christian

[rpcreativeteam-blog]

You’re not bigger than your mental illness

It’s currently 10:33pm and usually I’d be sleeping around this time, but I took a nap and now my body clock is off – thanks, circadian rhythm!

PERSONAL DISCLAIMER: I don’t know my mental instability by name. I haven’t been diagnosed by a psychiatrist and/or psychologist as to what mental instability I have.

GENERAL DISCLAIMER: If you think you have a mental “disorder”, “illness” or instability, your safest choice is to get help with it because there are people who are willing to listen to your concerns. In BC, you can be referred to a psychiatrist by your family doctor and you don’t need to pay out of pocket with MSP. This doesn’t go without saying –if you think you are going to hurt yourselves or others, please close this page and call 911

I was going to make this post about my struggle with/my testimony about my mental instability, but I wanted to put a special word out there for anyone who deals with mental instability day-in, day-out.

I’ve expressed my personal trials with mental instability on my personal testimony, but to all those watching at home, I deal with (what I like to call) my love triangle – sin (worldly influence) and grace (Godly influence) competing for me. It’s mentally exhausting and emotionally draining. I sometimes get strains in my head when I’m being convicted.

So, I deal with mental instability. I don’t know what type of mental “illness” or “disorder” I have by name. Sometimes I think I deal with anxiety because of these physical strains that I get when convictions come my way (how pleasant), or sometimes I think that depression is dragging me down because sometimes I just feel hopeless, and most of the time, sometimes I think I’m bipolar because (as cliché as it sounds) I get so hyped up sometimes and do big projects like this website, but when it’s dark and night time and the dust settles, I go back to, bluntly, almost hating the situations I place myself in or regret these tiny choices that I do and they just snowball into hating myself and my life.

And I always keep telling myself – this isn’t God. God doesn’t want to put me through this. He doesn’t want me to go through mental instability – and while we’re on the topic of mental instability, I hope you’re not waiting for the ol’ “but frankly, I don’t want to know because I know God has me!” because for the people who live with a reality of mental illness, it doesn’t work like that – you don’t know that God has you. It’s never good to put an extra label on yourself as who you are because you’re opening up yourself to worldly influence (or in layman terms, “putting a target on your back”) but speaking personally as someone who has had an internal/emotional (and sometimes spiritual) battle, you almost feel as if you want to rip the bandaid off and just know what you have. The thought is scary, especially for a parent or for a 15-year-old who had to grow up way quicker than he should have.

What fueled my energy to write this is that as I’m writing this, almost every other member of RPCreative is off on a short-term missions trip to the Yukon, leaving, like, 4 people here. I realized after they left that I had a very different reaction to them leaving than what I had last year. Last year, I didn’t know what to think because I literally just met them the day before they all were gone, but this year, I didn’t even see them leave but I could just feel a sense of emptiness the day they left, and it hurt me pretty badly that the ones who left were the ones I was closest to. It showed me that I got waaaaay too attached to these people who I’ve barely even known.

And what the heck, Justin, they’re only gone for 7 days, you’ll live! You’re bigger than that!

You’re bigger than that.

I am bigger than that.

Am I bigger than that?

I’m going to break some motivational speakers’ hearts and tell you that, no, I am not bigger than my mental instability, and even though I could be wrong, chances are that, no, you’re not bigger than your mental instability either.

Why? Well, #tb to what I said earlier – “God doesn’t want us in that situation”. God is bigger. You’re not bigger.

And I’m not contradicting my points earlier – I don’t mean it in a “fluffy, cotton” definition of “God is bigger” (IN THIS CASE ONLY) as demonstrated in Proverbs 12:25:

Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up NLT

But I mean it in a Romans 8 way:

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. [Romans 8:26] NLT

I’ve never hesitated to give the Lord my hopes and dreams for the future. I have no idea what post-secondary is going to hold for me, but since I’m the oldest of my mom’s 4, I’m actually super excited to go to college because I want to give back – my life is practically based on giving back to others, and I always, always ask God to bless my future, bless my city, bless my friends and my family, but I’ve been super hesitant in my life to give my failures and instabilities to Him. It’s a personal topic, and I still have no idea why I don’t do it.

I have no idea where I want to end this (it’s now 11:42pm and my circadian rhythm is catching up to me), but I’m going to type a short prayer underneath [tbh that sounds like an awful idea]. If you feel in your life that you’re stuck and that you can fix all your own problems, I’m sorry to admit that it’s just not possible to do yourself. You’re not bigger than your emotions. Even struggling with that myself, with my mental instability and my reluctance to give the Lord my all in favour of just giving Him my good, I know at the end of the day that even if I feel like the world is turning on me, that there is hope and power in the beautiful Name of Jesus.

Lord, I pray for all who go through weaknesses in their lives. I pray for a revival in their souls, that they realize that action without faith will go nowhere. I pray for You, Holy Spirit, come and fill us with Your powerful indescribable presence. I pray that we become soldiers of faith for Jesus, that we can be living testimonies, walking, talking proof that Jesus Christ works in our lives. I pray for those who are living with mental instabilities or weaknesses that they look to You and not towards dangerous worldly values that do not reflect what you died for that day on the cross. Lord, we look to the cross as not a sign of defeat or weakness, but a sign of hope of when You will come back one day. I am just one man, Father, and typing this on a keyboard may seem weird, but You know our hearts and lives. I pray for a continued blessing in our lives and the lives of your creations. In Your Name, Jesus, we pray, amen.

- Justin

Matthew 17:20

PERSONAL DISCLAIMER: I don’t know my mental instability by name. I haven’t been diagnosed by a psychiatrist and/or psychologist as to what mental instability I have.

GENERAL DISCLAIMER: If you think you have a mental “disorder”, “illness” or instability, your safest choice is to get help with it because there are people who are willing to listen to your concerns. In BC, you can be referred to a psychiatrist by your family doctor and you don’t need to pay out of pocket with MSP. This doesn’t go without saying –if you think you are going to hurt yourselves or others, please close this page and call 911

[bldgrelationshipwgod]

Overview of 1 Corinthians | Bible Project

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. It’s broken up into 5 main parts along w/ a final greeting (CH 16). These five sections correspond to five main problems Paul is addressing.

So the letter reads like a collection of short essays on different topics. But there is this core idea that unites all of these pieces together.

CH 1-4:      Divisions

CH 5-7:      Sex

CH 8-10:    Food

CH 11-14:  The Gathering

CH 15:       The Resurrection

So here is what Paul does in each section: He describes the problem, but then he always responds to that problem with some part of the story of the Gospel—which is the good news about JESUS.

And he shows how they are actually not living out what they say they believe.

So this letter is all about learning to think about every area of life through the lens of the gospel (relationships / family / community / work).

So let’s dive in & see how he does it.

Chapters 1-4: The problem is there are all these DIVISIONS in the church.

There are some other teachers that had come through town—since Paul left.

A guy named Apollos, Peter, & ppl had picked their favourite teacher. Then became groupies around that teacher, & started to talk bad & disrespect ppl who favoured another teacher.

So Paul’s response:

You have to be kidding me. The church is not a popularity contest. The church is a community of people—who are centered around JESUS.

Its leaders/teachers are simply servants of JESUS. So while you might prefer one teacher more than another—it’s not worth dividing over, & certainly not speaking poorly about each other.

The center of the church is JESUS & the good news about who He is & what He’s done.           ______________________________________________

Chapters 5-7: Paul addresses some problems related to SEX.

There were a number of people sleeping around in the church.

One guy was sleeping with his step-mother. A # of other ppl still worshiped at the local temples to Greek gods, & sleeping with the prostitutes who worked there.

Not only that, but there were people in the church who were saying this was all just fine, they said, “hey we’re free in Christ. GOD’s grace is bottomless. Right? It’s fine!”

Paul says it’s not fine.

And with the Gospel in hand, he shows just how wrong-headed this kind of thinking is. He says, “Remember first of all JESUS died for your sins. Including the ruin of broken relationships that’s caused by sexual misconduct.”

And so if you’re a Christian, sexual integrity is one of the main ways that we respond to JESUS’ love & grace.

Paul also reminds them that just as JESUS was physically raised from the dead, so our bodies will be raised from the dead. Which means this: If your body is being redeemed by JESUS, now & in the future, then what you do with your body matters. It matters a lot! And it’s not yours to do whatever you want with them.

Paul being super clear: Being a follower of JESUS involves no compromise when it comes to sexual integrity.          ______________________________________________

Chapters 8-10: The issue is about FOOD.

But not just food preferences (do you dis/like a certain food). The issue the Corinthians were divided over is meat that came from animals sacrificed in the local temples—to Greek & Roman gods.

And there was a split between the Jewish (don’t eat) & non-Jewish Christians (bon-appetite) about how to respond to this issue.

Once again, Paul appealed to some core ideas from the Gospel.

He says our allegiance is first & foremost to JESUS as LORD—not to any other god. So if you’re in a situation where there’s meat that’s been dedicated to another god, & there are ppl around who might watch you & conclude, “Oh look hey Christians worship JESUS & they can worship other gods too.” Paul says if that’s the scenario: Don’t eat the meat.   - your loyalty is to JESUS, &   - you should love those ppl > yourself (not mislead them).

Paul quickly qualifies that saying: Listen as Christians we believe GOD is the creator of all things—including that animal (sacrificed); & the temple idols we believe are just pieces of wood & stone. So if there’s no one around—who’s going to misunderstand your actions & you’re hungry, eat up (Thank you for THY food, amen). You’re free as a new human in Christ to follow your conscience—in these kinds of debatable matters..

So what makes it okay in one situation, to eat, & not in the other?

CORE PRINCIPLE: LOVE.

Love will deny itself & look out for the well-being of other people. And GOD’s Love is at the core of the Gospel.         ______________________________________________

Chapters 11-14: Paul moves on to address problems w/ their weekly gatherings.

There were some ppl who were having really powerful spiritual experiences, in the gathering; so they would start praying out loud in unknown languages.

There were other ppl who might start sharing & teaching a Word from GOD, then someone else would get up & interrupt them bc they wanted to share! It was all really chaotic & it was distracting ppl, especially visitors, from hearing the Gospel.

So in these chapters Paul helps these ppl think first of all: about the purpose of this gathering, to help them see what kind of behaviours are appropriate.

He says the gathering is a place where GOD’s Spirit should be working through everybody & it should happen in a unified way.

Paul develops a really cool metaphor about the church being a human body. It’s one but it has all these different parts. And each part serves a unique & important role, so he goes on to name a whole bunch of things the Spirit does through all these different ppl. All for the building up of the church (key phrase in these chapters) [Teacher, Servant, Prophet, Apostle, Administrator, etc.] Paul concludes that the highest value in the gathering should be a concept central to the Gospel: GOD’s LOVE Love is a key word in these chapters too. Love will compel each person in the church to use their role to serve & seek the well-being of others. So Paul applies all these to the Corinthians’ problems.

Some ppl think the purpose of the gathering is to have intense spiritual experiences, or to get a chance to speak their minds.

Paul says I’m a big fan of powerful experiences but if it distracts other ppl or freaks them out, I should stop it bc I’m loving myself > those other ppl.

The gatherings around JESUS should be orderly so everybody can learn, sing, & worship, and hear GOD speak to them.              ________________________________________________________

Chapters 15: The last problem Paul addresses is the issue of JESUS’ Resurrection & the future hope of JESUS’ followers.

There were some ppl in the church, who were saying the idea of the resurrection is ridiculous & doesn’t really matter to being a Christian.

Paul reacts to this big time.

He begins by saying the resurrection is an indispensable part of the Gospel.

We believe in it because of the hundreds of eye-witnesses that saw JESUS alive in a physical body after being publicly executed by the Romans.

If JESUS didn’t rise from the dead Paul says, His death was meaningless. We’re all still lost in our sin & selfishness, we should just stop being Christians.

Paul then shows in detail: How the resurrection was JESUS’ victory over death & evil, how it’s a source of life & power for us now in the present.

And how it’s a promise of future HOPE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD!

It’s because of the resurrection that we have a reason to be:

Unified around JESUS (CH 1-4 Divisions)

Motivation for SEXUAL INTEGRITY (CH 5-7 Sex)

Power for LOVING OTHERS > OURSELVES (CH 8-10 Food; & CH 11-14 Gatherings)

Hope for VICTORY OVER DEATH (CH 15 Resurrection)

Paul concludes, we do believe JESUS was raised from the dead; which means this: The Gospel is not just moral advice, or a recipe for private spirituality. It’s an announcement about JESUS that opens up a whole new reality.

That is what 1 Corinthians is all about.

Seeing every part of life through the lens of the Gospel.