fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
A Conversation about Growth by the Window
By: Christopher Toh
Tags: Discipleship, Bible, Christian Leadership, Christianity, Christian Living

The ‘Johari’ window model developed by American psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham reveals the four aspects of self-knowledge:

The top-right quadrant is the blind spots which consists of areas in our lives which are unknown to ourselves but known to others and specifically in this case, known to our leaders. Some of these areas are pride, insecurity, fear, laziness, negativity, bad character and lack of integrity.

Why is it that even though such blind spots are destructive, we sometimes fail to notice them? The reason why we are oblivious to them could be that we have become too comfortable cruising and coasting with them in the journey of life.

Take the example of a complacent driver who used to check the blind spots when he first started driving but slowly stopped paying attention because he did not run into any accident even as a probational driver. The next thing we know, an accident happens and the driver is forced to learn an uncomfortable lesson.

God placed signs and guide posts in our lives to caution us and also to steer us in the right direction. Some of them come in the form our leaders. They are equipped with wisdom, insights and the truth of God’s words, therefore positioned to point out these blind spots in our lives.

Psalm 119:105 NKJV

Your word is a lamp to my feet

And a light to my path.

We must constantly ask ourselves these two questions if we want to grow:

Are you willing to allow your leaders to point out these blind spots in your life? Are you willing to let your leaders speak truth into your life?

Is it going to be uncomfortable? For sure. As the saying goes, “truth hurts” but the the bible also mention that “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). The truth will set us free from the fears and lies which hold us back from fulfilling your potential and destiny which God has in store for us.

Pastor Lia quoted Tim Ferriss:

A person’s success in life can be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.

For us to grow, we need to embrace uncomfortable conversations. Pastor Lia shared with us:

Good disciples love truth more than their comfort.

Now, how do we know if we are ready to have that uncomfortable conversation? Ask ourselves these three questions:

Do you want your leader to love you or to lead you? Do you want your leader to comfort you or to coach you? Do you want your leader to babysit you or to build you?

If our answers are the latter, let’s not wait for our leaders to initiate the conversation. If we want the growth hard enough, then we ought to take the first step out of our comfort zone, bring down the wall of pride, open the door of our heart, invite our leaders to speak into the innermost dwelling of our private life.
A Musician’s 23rd Psalm: The Reprise
By: Done With Religion
Tags: Musicians, Acceptance, Christian Living

by Rocky Glenn

Having come through eight weeks of writing about Enjoying the Moment initiated by my love for music, I began reflecting back to this writing from April 2017. The essence of David’s words in this most loved Psalm captures the heart of finding joy, pleasure, and satisfaction in the moment because of his trust in his shepherd.

It can be argued that Psalm 23 is perhaps the most well-known, and possibly most cherished, portion of scripture. I’ve spent the last four weeks reading and rereading those six verses. I believe what makes this scripture so meaningful to those who read it is the way David captures and paints his relationship with God in terms familiar with a task he knew and lived personally. David’s picture of God as a shepherd displays the intimate involvement he feels God has in his life just as a musician recognizes his dependence on his conductor. With that thought in mind, I ventured to craft my own version of this well-loved passage. So, in humility, I present the following verses:

1. God is my conductor. I will never be without direction.

2. He guides when to rest and leads the dynamics and tempo of my life.

3. He keeps me in tune as He arranges my hymn into a reflection of Him.

4. Though I walk through the valley of sharps and flats, I will fear no key change. Your conductor’s baton will guide me.

5. You’ve written my life’s opus with a majestic symphony. I’m overwhelmed by the composition of Your hands.

6. Melodious harmonies surround me and I will play in Your presence the rest of my life.

Take a moment to pause and think about your life. What would your 23rd psalm be a reflection of?
Would to God
By: Marvin Mckenzie
Tags: Bible Study, Faith and Life, Devotional, Christianity, Christian Living

Acts 26:8 (KJV)

Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

I don’t think in this case that Paul was asking the question. The Athenians may have thought this an incredible thing. The Sadducees would have considered it incredible. But Agrippa must certainly have believed in some parts of the Jewish doctrine. Paul was speaking to a man whose foundation, though crumbled, did come from the Word of God.

I see much of the same as the case for people in the United States. The foundation is crumbled, useless for all practical purposes. It is neither a saving faith nor does it provide valid direction in life. But it does have a historic basis in the Word of God. Except for those allowed into the United States from middle eastern religious faiths, the average American at least knows that America has a Christian heritage. They may hate that heritage and wish to overturn it, but somewhere down inside, they know it is there.

Paul appealed to this foundation in His message to Agrippa. Agrippa did not become a Christian, but he was almost persuaded.

Would to God more souls in America were not only almost but altogether persuaded to become Christians.

To my readers:

First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and more than 5100 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:

https://marvinmckenzie.org

Acts 26:8 (KJV) Would to God

photos from pexels.com.
Christ With Us In The Pandemic
By: Rj Coburn
Tags: Spirituality, Pandemic, Christian Living

Isenheim Altarpiece — The Crucifixion by Grunewald

This piece of art hangs on my office wall, John the Baptist’s long finger ever reminding me of my job as a pastor: to point to Christ and him crucified. Recently, in the light of the worldwide pandemic, this piece of art has taken on a new meaning for me. It stands as a reminder of Christ being amongst his people in the midst of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

This magnificent altarpiece was sculpted and painted by Mattias Grunewald for the Monastery of St. Anthony in Isenheim. During the Middle Ages, the monastery became a hospital for those suffering from the plague, as well as ergotism, also known as “St. Anthony’s Fire.” This disease caused epidemics that would rage through the Medieval world, especially among the poor. The symptoms include seizures, excruciating pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, mania, psychosis, and gangrene. The convulsive symptoms of ergotism would cause the hands and feet of the inflicted to look twisted.

If you look closely at the painting, you will see that the crucified Christ’s feet and hands are twisted like that of an ergotism patient. And like a person afflicted by the plague, Christ is emaciated and covered in sores. The artwork is a gruesome depiction of Christ’s sufferings but brought solace and comfort to the patients of the medieval hospital, reminding them that Christ understood and shared in their suffering.

Today, we look out at a world that is descending into chaos, life as we know it has drastically changed. But, take heart, because no matter what today brings, Christ understands and shares in it with us, sores and all. He takes our pain, anxiety, and fear, unto himself. He is with us through these trying times, reminding us that because he lives, we will live also. In faith, may we stand like St. Anthony on the right side of the Isenheim Altarpiece, serene though there be a monster just outside the window.
The American Church Quarantine:
By: Shattering The Stained Glass
Tags: Coronavirus, Church, American Christianity, House Church, Christian Living

The American Church Quarantine:

A good test of character is how one responds in the midst of adversity. What better challenge for groups of people than the mass hysteria created over COVID-19. The virus and it’s ramifications have gone from being observed from afar to making it’s way into the American life. Many things Americans have taken for granted have been disrupted.

President Trump’s declaration of a National Emergency has moved State Governments into action. School closings, travel bans, and major sporting events being canceled were just the beginning. Many businesses have started to implement work from home measures and others are preparing to shut down completely. It would appear that many Faith Communities are struggling to follow suit.

Church As We Know It, Is About To Change

There has been an alarming decline in American Church attendance for some time. In the church world it has become a bit of a crisis as pastors and leaders try to come up with solutions for the exodus of so many. The only thing needed to really push the typical American Church model into a complete tail spin is a global crisis at their doorstep. Here comes the Corona Virus.

As States continue to tighten restrictions, Churches are faced with the inevitable decision of closing down. Many communities have had streaming of their services as part of their regular Sunday routine for a while now. However, with the push for self quarantine, social distancing, and reduction of group activities more churches are encouraging their members to Live Stream their services.

Back To Her Roots?

A large group of Church folks staying home to stream their favorite service are poised to learn an invaluable lesson. As self quarantine increases people are being forced to go back to original practices of the Christian faith. This, albeit unintentional, may be the solution that church leaders have been needing all along.

“Advances in technology have made the clunky model of the American Church unnecessary and brought us back to the more resilient ways of following Jesus.”

The advances in technology have by in large made the clunky model of the American Church unnecessary and are bringing us back to the resilient ways of following Jesus. Throughout Church history we can see certain attributes that are woven into the fabric of Jesus followers. These attributes are not bound by cultural leanings, government edicts, or rituals of man. They are in essence, built into the DNA of all Jesus centered people. . . Read More
Book Review: Friendish
By: Michelle Renee Kidwell
Tags: Christian, Book Review, Fiction, Book Recommendations, Christian Living

Book Review: Friendish

Friend-ish

Reclaiming Real Friendship in a Culture of Confusion

by Kelly Needham

Nelson Books

Thomas Nelson

Christian

Pub Date 27 Aug 2019

I am reviewing a copy of Friend-Ish through Thomas Nelson and Netgalley:

In this book Bible teacher Kelly Needham debunks the world’s constricted view of friendship and casts a richer, more life-giving, biblical vision for friendship as God meant it to be.

Everyone wants a friend who is consistent, who is present and a friend who values us. A friend who values us, the longing for this type of friendship is something God wired in us.

We are reminded too that Eternal Life is found in knowing God. Eternal life is not separate from God, as if it were a gift given by him. Eternal life is him. We search for stability in our friendships but it is Jesus who is our stabilizer.

Friend-ish points out that friendship is important but our most important relationship is our relationship with Christ.

This book points out that as the family unit grows more unstable and the average age of marriage increases, a shift had taken place in our culture: for many people, friends now play the role of family. And just as with family relationships, our friendships often don’t turn out quite as we envisioned or hoped, and we wonder, Is there a better way to do this?

I give Friend-Ish five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!
We are in a Difficult Time in a Weird Year
By: Done With Religion
Tags: Acceptance, Politics, United States, President, Christian Living

by Jim Gordon

This article is written to those of us who live in the USA. Here in the United States it is a time in history when things seem to get pretty weird. Currently we are in a presidential election year and that can cause a lot of chaos in itself. Then we have a lot of other important issues going on that just makes things a little crazy.

Things can certainly get strange. It seems politics (and money) can make people do things and say things they normally would not do and say.

For me, politics is not an interest. I feel it is a divider and causes disagreements and many times can cause the loss of friendships. It usually does not bring people together other than those who are in favor of the same politician or party.

One important thing we need to remember is that no one person and no one political party will be the answer to all our problems. We all have our opinions and views and we are all entitled to have them and express them. The problem is when we cannot accept opinions and views that are different from ours.

Thinking back to the tragedy of 9/11, and I would never want something like that to happen again but right after that happened, I can remember the unity that was felt here in the USA. People seemed to forget their differences and they united under a common cause. If we could only unite together as fellow human beings and not put so much importance on our different political views, what a difference there would be in our country.

There are certainly many issues going on and many issues that need to be dealt with and changed. I believe that not much will happen until we can unite in the fact that we are all human beings who want the best for our country, our families and ourselves. Though we will never all agree, we need to strive to work together in a way that will cause change where needed and bring people together to work for the good of all.

Fighting over which politician or which political party is best and will do the best job is not going to bring the unity we need to make the necessary changes. No politician is going to fight for the people without us, the people holding them accountable. They will fight for what is best for them and what is best for their party, but we need to work together to force them to do what is best for us, the people of the United States of America.
As Many Gods As Cities. Jeremiah 11:13 (KJV)
By: Marvin Mckenzie
Tags: Bible Study, Christian, Faith and Life, Christianity, Christian Living

Jeremiah 11:13 (KJV)

For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal.

These were the people of Judah, the apple of God’s eye, the cream of the crop if you will. Yet God says of them that every city had its own gods and every street had its own altar on it.

Verse 14 says, “Therefore pray not thou for this people…” There comes a point when the only correct path is to allow a person or a people to suffer their judgment. That is what happened with Judah. The correct path for them at this point was Babylonian captivity.

I don’t know that it has ever been true, but I am convinced that America has thought of itself as the apple of God’s eye, the cream of the crop, the best of the best. The fact is we have about as many gods as we have cities and we have about as many places to pay homage to those gods as we have streets. America (I realize we are not the only ones enduring these troubles) has found herself in the midst of terrible calamities. Instead of forging through them in the power of our own might, we must humble ourselves and turn from our wicked ways.

Only then can we hope to have the ear of God in prayer.

Only then may we hope God will heal our land rather than continue this judgment.

(Access more of my blogs by visiting the resource link on our church website at www.bbcpuyallup.org.)

To my readers:

First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and more than 5000 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

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Jeremiah 11:13 (KJV) As Many Gods As Cities

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It’s time to take God serious.
Tags: Christianity, Christian Living, Love

Christianity isn’t about religion it’s about relationship. How many times have we heard this in our Christian lives? “Christianity isn’t about rules, it’s not about coming to church on Sunday’s, it’s not about reading Gods word”. While that is true, being a Christian is ultimately about putting your trust in Jesus Christ. I mean look at the murderer on the cross who put his trust in Jesus and was saved without ever reading a bible or going to church. However, something tells me if he would’ve made it off that cross for the rest of his life, he would have pursued Christ. For the past century it seems our culture has been making a shift from the strict interpretation of the bible to a loose liberal viewing of interpretation. Nowadays many people don’t go to church to get “fed” with the word, they go to church to make them feel better about themselves. If we look around at the largest church’s in America such as Elevation, Lakewood Church, and even Transformation Church there’s one thing in common. A soft gospel. This is a gospel that has been watered down to appeal to a public that ultimately wants to fulfil the desires of their flesh. This gospel they preach is a gospel where sin is rarely existing, where homosexuality is acceptable, where true righteousness is not pursued. Now I am not trying to come across as a hater, I believe all of these pastors have some great illustrations in their messages, they ultimately speak that Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected on the third day. But possibly because of the size of their congregation they allow themselves to be limited in how much truth they can speak.

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

While yes Christianity is about a relationship with Jesus, in order to pursue Christ with the best of your ability you must be sound in doctrine. In Titus 2:1 “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.” In Machen’s book named “Christianity and Liberalism” he discusses the seriousness of speaking sound doctrine. He shows that a Christians primary job is to be a witness for Christ. Well when a man is put on the witness stand, he is required and under oath to say not only the truth but the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Well how much more important than is it that we speak about Christ in truth and sound doctrine? That we don’t twist the bible to achieve our own devices but speak in complete truth. At the end of the day it is God’s Word that is able to truly change individuals, families, cities. My challenge would for all of us to take Gods word seriously. As a younger Christian, I could see times in my life when I took bible verses out of context, where I believed in prosperity Gospel, heck I even had a time when I watched Joel Osteen every Sunday morning! But God has allowed my eyes to be open to understand that the Gospel is Jesus and Jesus alone. And if I am to take Jesus as my Lord and Savior than I better invest time into truly understanding His word!
Concern for Others
By: Done With Religion
Tags: Acceptance, Humility, Christian Living, Love

by Jim Gordon

Philippians 2:3–7 — Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men.

In today’s world, it seems everyone has the I am number one attitude. We are all interested in what is best for us, what makes us happy, how to be more comfortable and satisfied in our lives. Seems like we will do anything we can to get ahead in life, to get all the comforts and things to make it easier for us.

The verses above state that as followers of Christ, we should be doing just the opposite. Our thoughts and attitudes should be how we can show the love of God to others, what we can do to help those in need, how can we use the money God has blessed us with to help the less fortunate.

God says that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind and to love others as ourself. While the jobs and things we have been given and blessed with by God are not wrong, we need to keep in mind that they are not the important part of our lives. We are to be thinking of others and their need for love, acceptance and help. How can we encourage and build up someone, how can we help meet a need in their life.

There is nothing wrong with taking thought of our wants, needs and interests. The verse states ‘do not merely look out for your own interests’. Unfortunately, many times our own interests are all that concern us. May we daily ask God to help us think of others, look past the labels that are placed upon them and see the human being that we can help and encourage with the love and leading of God.
just another testimony
By: Random Reflections
Tags: Christian Living, Christianity, Christian

Growing up, I had this idea that every Christian had one testimony — their testimony — that encapsulated their entire faith within one to two pages. It seemed implicitly understood that your testimony was supposed to be a single incredible moment when your life went from 0 to 100. But for me, I don’t know if I ever felt like I reached that 100, and if I did, I definitely know that I didn’t consistently stay there.

When I got baptized, I was told to share my testimony in 500 words or less. For weeks, I sat there staring at a blank page, thinking to myself, “What is my testimony? Do I even have a testimony?” I didn’t have one single miraculous pivot point; I didn’t have a definitive moment when my life instantly became perfect afterwards. I became a Christian when I was really young, and honestly, I can’t remember much of that day or the conversation that led up to it. As a result, I always felt ashamed of my testimony; if it wasn’t even impactful enough for me to remember, then why would it ever be impactful enough to share with others?

I sat there attempting to write my testimony and I started replaying the story of my life. I realized my walk of faith has always been a rollercoaster of successes and failures. I’ve had moments of clarity and hope; of awe and wonder; of confusion and skepticism; of apathy and abandonment. I’ve witnessed God’s work in my own life; I’ve witnessed God’s work in the lives of people around me. When trying to encapsulate my entire faith in 500 words, excluding any of these moments didn’t feel accurate, but focusing on only one of these moments didn’t feel fair.

And that’s when I finally realized that my testimony is just a testimony…and then another testimony after that…and then another testimony after that…and then countless more testimonies after that one. Yes, I have a testimony about the moment I accepted Christ as my savior, but there are also so many more testimonies that followed afterwards.

This site is a collection of various reflections — each on its own is just a testimony — but together they form my testimony. And my testimony is messy, imperfect, unorganized, and it’s by no means complete. But in the end, my testimony is also just a single testimony; it’s a testimony that points to the one testimony — the testimony of victory, the testimony of the cross, the testimony of Jesus Christ — and that’s the one testimony that really matters.
Will Their Blood Be Upon Our Hands?
By: Done With Religion
Tags: Witnessing, Bible, Holy Spirit, Sharing, Christian Living

by Jim Gordon

Growing up in the christian church, we were told a lot about sharing our faith. We were told that if we did not tell others about Jesus they would never know anything about him. It seemed to make a lot of sense at the time.

We were told if we did not share our faith with everyone we met we were not doing our duty as a christian. This has led to a lot of guilt over the years.

To make things worse, we were told if we did not tell them about Jesus and the possibility of going to hell if they did not accept him that their blood would be on our hands.

I truly believe we were taught wrong. There is certainly nothing wrong with sharing your faith, but to do so under pressure and out of guilt is another story. I believe our commitment is to love God and love others. The Holy Spirit will convict and draw people to the God of love. He may even use us at times, but it will be done naturally and as he leads in love. It will not be forced or due to obligation.

I also believe when we live by guilt and pressure to witness to others, this can lead to friendship with ulterior motives (1). We are nice and friendly to others with the hope we will get to talk to them about God. We get so busy trying to force the conversation so we can do our required duty that we forget to just be unconditional friends.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12 it says to “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody”.

To me this makes more sense, to live daily in a way that wins the respect of others. Anyone can say words, but living a life being friendly, caring and accepting makes much more of a difference. I have personally seen people who were very bold in their words. They could talk to anyone, anywhere about God and tell them they need to turn their life over to God. Yet when they were done talking, they lived a life that is completely different from the words they just spoke. People look at that and do not want anything to do with the god they were just told about.

I personally do not believe we are to be forcing our views on others. We should not feel obligated or forced to share our faith with anyone. We are to live our lives as we know best in a way that is pleasing to God. Then let that love be a natural by-product that others will see and be drawn to God without us saying a word.

When we live our lives out of love for God and love for others, telling others, whether by word or deed will be natural, unforced and without obligation. It will be out of sincere love and usually because others ask about the love they see in us.
American Christianity and Nationalism
By: Lidiaann Edwards
Tags: Jesus Christ, Christianity, Christian Living, God

We as American Christians have strayed from our original leadership. Instead of looking to God for guidance, we look to politicians. Instead of being a people called and separate, we have found our identity in being American. We have come to idolize our nation and push God to the side. We value our rights as American citizens more than valuing God’s commands. Which, by the way, never once did I ever read in the Bible that we are to fight for our rights, our freedoms, ourselves. Instead, we are called to fight for the weak, the downtrodden, the oppressed, the impoverished. And let’s not even talk about the way Jesus said to treat the foreigner — as if they were one of us.

Does any of this sound familiar yet? America has all of the people, yet instead of trying to right our wrongs, American Christians love to yell that “There’s nothing wrong with this country! You just hate the best country! It’s their fault that they are _(fill in the blank)_ because they’re _(fill in the blank)_!” All we want to do is focus on ourselves and turn a blind eye to those who are suffering. I have heard family members state that they are willing to go to war and kill other Americans to keep their rights and “protect their family”, yet not even be willing to put a piece of cloth over their mouth and nose to protect others. I would be embarrassed if it was just my family, but I am ashamed because this is a common theme among many Christians I know. A willingness to shed blood over a disagreement, but an aversion to being inconvenienced because their new god has told them that it scientists and virologists are lying to them. They yell “Build the wall!” for undesirable immigrants who are caricatured as thieves, druggies, and sex slavers, never mind that humans of all nationalities fill those categories too. But we allow in European and Canadian immigrants without question and stereotyping. In fact, many of them are considered desirable (mail order brides anyone?).

Speaking of new gods, American Christians love to elevate politicians, belongings, status, education, America, etc. to godhood status and it shows. A common theme that runs among all these varied gods is that they are all patently American. It’s education that you can only get in America; it’s politicians that suck, but are better than any other country’s because they’re American politicians; it’s the attitude that only in America can an average Joe become a millionaire (a lie on so many different levels). American Christians have come to rely on their idea of America more so than the God that they profess to believe in. They rely more on their rights to protect them than God, then proceed to beat down others who are different than us using the same God that they no longer believe in.

This is a cancer that has invaded our churches and families and it must be rooted out or we will never truly show who God actually is. All the world will ever see is a spiteful God who hates everyone that isn’t white, able-bodied, cis, and heterosexual.
Is It ‘Finished’? It Has To Be.
By: Mental Faith
Tags: Faith and Life, Scripture, Jesus, Christianity, Christian Living

“When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

John 19:30 “And by God’s will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all… For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

Hebrews 10:10,14

When Jesus said, “It is finished”, He meant it. He didn’t mean it was 80% complete. He didn’t mean it was mostly finished. He didn’t mean we still had some work to do on our own. It’s the reason why the author of Hebrews claimed we’d been sanctified. Once. All of us.

It has to be finished.

It’s the only way to love God and love others as we love ourselves.

Because if it isn’t finished, I still owe God something for my sins. I’ll become angry, resentful and frustrated about owing a debt I can’t pay. Which makes it impossible to love Him.

If it isn’t finished I’m going to hate myself and be ashamed as a sinner. Which makes it impossible to love myself.

And if it isn’t finished, and if I can’t love myself, then I’m not going to love anybody else because nobody else is ever going to be good enough to deserve my love, either.

So you see, the only way we can love God is if God’s work was finished on the cross. And the only way we can love others as we love ourselves is if we’ve all been saved through Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice.

It is finished. Stop living in fear, wondering if God’s work was enough for you. And stop worrying about everyone else, whether God’s work was enough for them. Once-for-all means exactly what it sounds like.

Once. For all.
We are the Church, His Body
By: Done With Religion
Tags: Church, Holy Spirit, Temple, Christianity, Christian Living

by Jim Gordon

Ephesians 1:22,23 — And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

We talk a lot about the body of Christ, and most often describe it as church. Yet we need to know what true church is, which is His body. It is not a building. It is not someplace we go. Christ is the head of all of us who are saved by grace. We the people are the various body parts that make up the church.

I do not see separation in this statement. I do not see denominations, buildings and formal services trying to get people to come to us. I do not see places based on doctrine. I see a living, active group of people going out into the world day by day in the love and strength of God. I see a united effort seeking to show the love of God to all we meet each day. I see people looking to Jesus and the Holy Spirit for truth and guidance. No more looking to a man/woman or a group of elders for teaching and guidance. Christ is our head and the Spirit is our teacher.

1 Corinthians 3:16 states, do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? The Old Covenant days of the temple are over. According to the New Covenant, we are God’s house, His Spirit lives within us. So many people say the organized church is where God lives, but this verse tells us that God is more personal than that. God can no longer be contained within a building. We are His dwelling place.

Each one of us who are saved by grace are now the temple of God. It’s so hard to get away from the thought that God is up there somewhere, or that we have to go to church and wait for God to show up. This kind of thinking is now obsolete. Remember, the Spirit lives within us, we have the mind of Christ, the Kingdom of God is within us.

My thought is that it is time to stop arguing over doctrine and interpretations. It is time to stop looking to other brothers and sisters whom we elevate into a higher position in an organization. It is time we realize we are all kings and priests and able to teach and give a word to uplift one another. The Spirit lives within us and we should allow God to live through us daily as we go out into the world as his body and be the Church, showing His love to all people.

Jim Gordon and his wife left the institutional church after spending over fifty years within the system. Jim wanted a way to express his thoughts and concerns about the religious system and why he and his wife decided to leave the institution but not their faith in God. Jim can be contacted by email at: jimgordon731@gmail.com
Coronavirus and evangelical fear of uncertainty
By: Sarahbeth Caplin
Tags: Coronavirus, Evangelicals, Evangelicalism, Christianity, Christian Living

Evangelical discomfort with uncertainty has become clearer to me in the few months that Covid-19 has ravaged the planet. For a community of people that are supposed to be “set apart” from the world — that is,

At the start of the year, scientists were in disagreement about how to slow the spread, or “flatten the curve.” There wasn’t yet a consensus on whether face masks were helpful. There wasn’t yet a consensus on whether the virus spread through the air or via surfaces; whether it affected only the elderly or whether it could affect young adults and children. There are many kinks to still be worked out, which is to be expected with a new virus strain that the world has never seen before. Not even the people who study pandemics for a living can understand it overnight.

Because of those discrepancies in the beginning, many of my Christian friends have decided that pandemic experts are untrustworthy as a whole. Scientists apparently aren’t allowed to make mistakes, or revise their hypotheses when presented with new information. Yet, this is how science works. We have an opportunity to see the scientific method working in real time, with all its errors and disagreements, which is rather fascinating to me.

But in a world where certainty is king, you’re not allowed to be wrong. Ever. Any admission of wrongness leads creationists like Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis to gleefully proclaim that all of science is broken and therefore untrustworthy.

No wonder so many theologians in history were excommunicated or burned at the stake. There’s nothing wrong with having humility and admitting we can’t know everything, while passing the mic to people who are more educated on certain subjects than most of us will ever be.

Scientists aren’t inerrant, and the scientific process never claims to be. There may be some disagreement about how to flatten the curve, but all the experts are in agreement that the pandemic is dangerous and should be taken seriously. If there’s anything “inerrant” about the coronavirus, let it be that.

Fear of uncertainty can lead to toxic theology, which is problematic on its own. But in this case, it’s a literal matter of life and death.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Just an author, blogger, and editor working hard so my cats can have a better life. I don’t respond to “Sarah.” View all posts by Sarahbeth Caplin
Let Me Introduce Myself…
By: Bethany Rentfro-Heyde
Tags: Who Am I, Introduction, Marriage, Christian Living, Love

Hello, everyone! My name is Bethany Rentfro-Heyde and I am a small town girl who is interested in the wonderful world of writing and media communications! I am a college student who is studying journalism/mass communications, but I also have an interest in advertising/marketing, public relations, and podcasting. I got into this field because I believe communication is really important and understanding the ways in which people gain and absorb information, and how that information spreads across multiple platforms is fascinating to me.

I have a personal blog titled “Bethany’s Thoughts,” where I talk a lot about my passions, hobbies, interests, thoughts, and most importantly, my Christian faith. I’ve been wanting to make my blog more public for a while and even to monetize it, but I am not really sure how to do that, so I found this platform and decided to give it a shot. I hope I am able to import stories from my blog onto this platform so the can be viewed here.

I am newly married, and my life has been anything but easy. I am a caretaker for my father who is wheelchair bound due to an accident he suffered in March of last year. I was also a caretaker for my mother who was a stage four cancer patient. She passed away a couple months ago after battling the terrible disease for three years. My husband, Collin, is a college student as well. He is a heating/air conditioning technician. We started dating our senior year of high school, but we’ve known each other since we were kids. I truly believe God brought us together because Collin came back into my life after I got out of an emotionally abusive relationship. Marriage definitely isn’t easy, but it is such a rewarding experience and a beautiful glorification of God and the church.

I hope you all will enjoy reading the content I put out here and please feel free to reach out to me with any questions, comments, or concerns you might have. I really appreciate any feedback I get. Also, if anybody has any ideas on how to monetize a platform like this, please let me know. I am looking to make some extra money right now. Thanks, and God bless! xxoo
Prayer for wisdom and guidance Scripture
By: Isabel Motivation
Tags: Prayer, Self Care, Self Improvement, Christianity, Christian Living

Prayer for wisdom and guidance Scripture

Why Most Prayers Go Unanswered

Thank you Lord 💕💕💕

ARE YOU TOUCHED BY GOD?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN to have your heart touched by God? It means that God is now at the center of your will and your being. It means that you have surrendered your life in totality unto Him.

How does God touch your heart? He does so by the gentle influence of His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads us to the Word of God, and through the Scriptures, God touches our hearts. Once the Holy Spirit begins to illuminate your mind, it is amazing how glorious and exciting and wonderful the Bible becomes.

When God touches your heart, bitterness, anxiety and fears have to go. They can’t stay in a heart that has been touched by God. Habits and vices that were destroying your life fall away. Things you used to cherish, you now despise. Things you used to despise, you now cherish.

When God Touches Your Heart, It Fills With Love And Peace. Though The Storms May Rage, You Have A Glorious Confidence In God’s Ability To Control Life’s Circumstances.

Jesus surrounded Himself with a group of men whose hearts He had touched — men who went out and turned a world upside down. When God touches your heart, you will receive a whole new perspective. You stop living just for today and you begin living for eternity.

Thank You, Father God, for Your Holy Spirit who touches our hearts and challenges us through Your Word, the Bible. Touch the hearts of Your people today. Amen.

Why Most Prayers Go Unanswered
THE CHRISTIAN BAPTISM (Part 4)
By: Yomelijah Yomelijah
Tags: Baptism, Christian, Bible, Christianity, Christian Living

Baptize Without Delay

If baptism is a time of joy, in the Bible is described as an important beginning, and not a special celebration. The people who wanted to be baptized did not have to wait an “Assembly” to be baptized. Since we are very close to the Great Tribulation, we must do as the Apostle Paul with the jailer: baptize without delay (Acts 16:33). We must baptize without delay, in order to save the maximum number of people from the coming destruction of the Great Tribulation. They have to be baptized in the Name of (their faith in) Jehovah God, in the Name of (their faith in) Jesus Christ and in the Name of (their faith in) the action of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28: 19,20).

The simple condition for being part of the Great Crowd is based on biblical criteria of simple, sincere faith in God, in Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit, with Christian works. In an illustration, Jesus Christ showed that he accepted the baptism in the very last time (Matthew 20:1–16). We must baptize, baptize, baptize millions of sincere people who languish in this system of things and teach them the commandments of Christ.

(To read the whole article, please choose your preferred language):

English: http://www.yomelyah.com/435905399

French: http://www.yomelijah.com/435950246

Spanish: http://www.yomeliah.com/435905745

Portuguese: http://www.yomelias.com/436030093
Monotonic Array’s with JavaScript
By: Karan S. Chauhan
Tags: Coding, Flatiron School, JavaScript, Arrays, Data Structures

I recently came across a problem that asked to create a function that will check whether or not an array is monotonic.

At first glance…. I had no idea what a monotonic array was so here’s a simple explanation.

A monotonic array is an array that has elements in a completely non-increasing or non-decreasing manner. But wait…. what does that mean?

Non-increasing elements aren’t exclusively decreasing, simply put, they just don’t increase (but you can have elements repeat, consecutively, technically the elements are not increasing if it repeats itself).

And likewise, Non-decreasing elements aren’t exclusively increasing, they just don’t decrease. Elements are allowed to repeat, as long as it’s consecutive.

Let’s get started with the problem and see how we can solve it.

The Prompt

Write a function that takes in an array of integers and returns a boolean representing whether the array is monotonic.

Note → Empty arrays and array’s of one element are monotonic.

The Code

How can we get started with this?

Since we’re using boolean values, I think that we can create some variables representing non-increasing/non-decreasing, and set it to true (initially).

Now that we created those variables, we need to make a comparison.

First, we need to set up a for loop and iterate over the array. Only within the for loop, can we compare the elements of the array.

Now, within the for loop, we can initialize if statements to compare consecutive values of the array. We start with the index, i, set to 1, meaning the second element of the array. We’ll compare it to the element before and check if the element at position [i] is greater than or less than the element at position [i-1]. Let’s see how that looks in code.

Now that the conditional logic is done, we just need to return the boolean value of the variables we initially created.

And with that, the solution for this problem is complete.

Complexity Analysis

The time complexity of this solution is O(n) time, where (n) is the length of the array.

The space complexity of this solution is O(1) constant space.