Christian - Blog Posts
An Argument for God - The Genuine Nature of Christianity
This post is a product of a heated conversation I’ve had very recently. The argument I will present is in no way a proof, rather a compelling line of reasoning, supporting the legitimacy of the Christian faith.
First of all, religious beliefs have been present since the naissance of our race, as evident from numerous archeological findings of ritual items. Although primitive iterations of different faiths can be connected to the lack of scientific understanding. For example it could seem logical for groups of humans to praise the sun, as they had no distant idea of its inner workings, and as something beyond their comprehension, yet observably powerful, it appeared to be an entity far above them, ergo a god of sorts. Similar patterns can be found in countless natural religions, as usually their objects are things or persons of immense influence and/or outside the intellectual and physical grasp of their subjects. This mode of religious faith (or fear) is thus very natural, almost inherent to the unknowing masses of the distant past. Opposite to this, the Judeo-Christian tradition had an original birth, meaning it was not connected to observable objects, rather an entity outside of the physical and intellectual realms, through revelation through a long line of prophets and inspired people. In comparison the natural religions had an understandable reason to be invented because their objects were things overpowering humans, whereas Christianity’s roots came from a place outside of the boundaries of rationality, ergo, as far as religions are concerned, the birth of Christianity is genuine.
Secondly, in the stratum of religions from revelation, there is a great amount of corruption and an even greater amount of dubious sources. Many faiths come from the preaching of inspired individuals, who have claimed to have some supernatural knowledge, and usually these persons even had miraculous happenings in their close proximity. Whenever one such individual could amass a cult, a new religion was born and very often their teachings remained the core of their religion ever after. Now this is problematic because the only convincing power of these faiths is that of their missionary’s, the original prophet (or anyone called by any name, serving as such) is completely at the mercy of the skills of the coming teachers and preachers of given religion. Even more severely so, when history discredits the original bringers of revelation. Probably the most outstanding example of this is the case of Mohammad, the prophet of Islam. First, his first amanuensis left him. It is extremely alarming, when the person, who writes down the words of a prophet reports that he lost his faith in the prophet’s revelation’s genuineness. Second, when the prophet’s teachings became self-contradictory, evidently along the lines of personal interest, a large group of people left the prophet. Third, the prophet had to discard parts of his teachings, attributing it to deception from Satan, when its contents found no popular acceptance. Mohammad thus seems like a hardly credible source. Of course his revelations are very compelling to many people, who choose to overlook all these three discrediting instances. The Bible, at the same time, has been created in the span of thousands of years, written by many dozens of inspired people. The revelation, to be so spread out, is quite unique in this manner, unlike any other out there. It can be thus said that, in comparison, Christianity’s revelation -- again, as far as religions from revelations go -- is genuine.
Thirdly, the Judeo-Christian revelation claims to have been proven and fulfilled. Like religions in a large percentage, Christianity also operates with many prophecies. Yet, it is quite exquisite in that its prophecies have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ(1). This is some two thousand years worth of texts, which have been completed in a real persons life and death and his message. Now at this point, to accept the above sentence, it requires faith, however, the fact that the Judeo-Christian tradition counts Jesus Christ as fulfillment to its prophecies and expectations is very unique and can be counted as a genuine basis of faith.
And lastly, the inspiration behind the text is very credible. Most likely in connection with the long time span, the revelation of the Bible doesn’t follow lines of interest. Quite the contrary, often great historical influences were opposed by actual revelations and sacred guidance. Even socio-economic contexts were ignored or opposed time and time again, which again, proves that the revelations are genuine. Now whether or not to believe them still can be a question but not whether or not the claims are genuine.
Note: I’m aware of the possibility my above argumentation might be plagiaristic but as this is not published as a scholarly work I feel I don’t need to go source-hunting. Originally the basic concepts presented here are used in a novella I’m still trying to write and I put it out here in this shape and form because I’ve been deeply inspired by a personal conversation (see preface).
(1) Jesus is, historically, better recorded than Julius Caesar, so his earthly existence can be regarded as historical fact (as long as one accepts such things, since they can sometimes seem questionable), his metaphysical significance and the truth of his message is what is usually argued.
One day Joseph, a Masai warrior, who was walking along one of these hot, dirty African roads, met someone who shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with him, and then and there, he accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. The power of the spirit began transforming his life, and he was filled with such excitement and joy that the first thing he wanted to do was return to his own village and there share the good news to the members of his own local tribe. Joseph began going from door to door telling everyone he met about the cross, suffering, and the salvation that it offered, expecting to see their faces light up the way his had. And to his amazement, the villagers not only didn’t care, they became violent. The men of the village seized him, held him to the ground while the women beat him with strands of barbed wire. He was dragged from the village and left to die alone in the bush. Joseph somehow managed to crawl to a water hole and there, after days of passing in and out of consciousness, found the strength to get up. He wondered about the hostile reception that he had received from people he had known all his life. He decided he must have said something wrong or left something out from the story of Jesus. After rehearsing the message that he gave at first, he decided to go back and share this message again. Joseph limped into the circle of huts and began to proclaim Jesus. “He died for you so that you might find forgiveness and come to know the living God,” he pleaded. Again he was grabbed by the men of the village and held while the women beat him, reopening wounds that had just begun to heal. Once more, they dragged him unconscious from the village and left him to die. To have survived the first beating was truly remarkable. To live through the second was a miracle. Again, days later, Joseph awoke in the wilderness, bruised, scarred, determined to go back. He returned to the small village, and this time, they attacked him before he had a chance to open his mouth. As they flogged him for the third and possibly the last time, he again spoke to them of Jesus Christ, the Lord. Before he passed out, the last thing he saw was the women who were beating him began to weep. This time, he awoke in his own bed. The ones who had so severely beaten him were now trying to save his life and nurse him back to health. And the entire village came to Christ.
How Our Suffering Glorifies the Greatness of the Grace of God by John Piper (via worshipgifs)
Listen without interrupting. ( PROVERBS 18 )
Speak without accusing. ( JAMES 1:19 )
Give without sparing. ( PROVERBS 21:26 )
Pray without ceasing. ( COLOSSIANS 1:9 )
Answer without arguing. ( PROVERBS 17:1 )
Share without pretending. ( EPHESIANS 4:15 )
Enjoy without complaint. ( PHILIPPIANS 2:14 )
Trust without wavering. ( CORINTHIANS 13:7 )
Forgive without punishing. ( COLOSSIANS 3:13 )
Promise without forgetting. ( PROVERBS 13:12 )
Ten Ways To Love
a wonderful event in the life of a truly wonderful YouTuber :)
I’ve been a Christian my entire life, but wasn’t baptized as a child. That changed last night, and I feel incredibly blessed and humbled.
Noah vs Christians
My political philosophy professor once said that philosophical texts argue against something. I originally intended to critique Darren Aronofsky's Noah but I've been overwhelmed by the many unjust (well, in some cases) reviews. So what I'm writing right now will not be a crystal-clear stand-alone critique but it will be also an argument against others.
I will begin with the harshest criticism that I've heard so far: It is a falsification of he biblical Noah story. It was actually a bit of a surprise to me because I am a christian myself and it never occured to me. What must be observed is that it is a dramatization, which means making something into a drama. A drama is a piece of art, like a painting or an opera. If the crucifixion is painted, does it falsify the Bible by the characters not looking exactly the same as they actually looked? No. If Noah is a dramatization, one must look at it as an independent artistic feat, which in no way attempts to replace, say, the teachings of the Bible. Someone said to me that those, who don't have a basic knowledge or understanding of the Noah story, will watch Aronofsky's work and think that it's the Bible. Well, it's problematic. I can't imagine this becoming a thing. This isn't a hundred percent true, of course, so there might be people, who would fall under the impression that it is a true depiction and it is, of course, acceptable to advertise that it actually isn't but nothing further comes from this, like saying that it is actively against the Bible. In the other hand, this person did not consider how the christians, who think like him, will miss the actual merits of the film, while strongly concentrating on their preconcieved fears.
There was also the idea that the Bible's Noah was a missionary and he tried to actually save everyone from dying, instead of deliberately keeping them out of the ark. They argued that it is written in the New Testament that God patiently waited for the people who were otherwise condemned to death (1 Peter 3:20); and that Noah was a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5). It is a misunderstanding to think that these things go against the movie. They certainly aren't in focus because Aronofsky had other things he wanted to communicate. But the film's depiction of God isn't essentially untrue to this. Christianity's chief principle is that life on earth is not the complete life but instead, we have an eternal perspective. The Bible's truth is also about more than the truth that a flood will come: it is about God and his love for humanity. If we marry these two together we will see that Noah's missionary work was to save the souls of the poeple of his time, much rather than convincing them that they will be killed by water if they persist that they keep out from his ark. So, this aspect of the Noah story isn't represented, however, if people turned to God, gave up their wicked ways and were truly converted, even Aronofsky's Noah wouldn't have kept them out of the ark, even so, the whole deluge would probably have been cancelled.
Another criticism that I've heard was not unique to christians, even secular voices said this: In the movie, people are subordinate to nature. Noah seems to think the same and the bad guy, Tubalcain, says, what seems to be the modern approach, and it looks a bit like judgment of modern people because of how much they neglect their environment. To me it was much more like Noah had this inner conflict whether or not God wants mankind to continue existing but he never even entertained the thought that hierarchically the animals and plants would be superior to mankind. The animals seemed to have preserved the right to live through not being corrupted, on the contrary it doesn't equal being more valuable. What gives ground to this view is that Noah understands that he has a responsibility toward the nature. He should serve the animals but not be their servant or slave, much rather being a true master through caring and valuing them. Sadly, this is such an alien or radical concept that people tend to feel offended by it and feel that they are treated inferior to animals.
I heard something else, what really seemed baseless to me: Female characters are depicted in the light of the modern feminist culture, instead of what was present at that age. This argument was a real surprise because the first thing I said, while leaving the cinema was that in this movie the female characters were pretty traditional. Others argued that the way Noah's wife "told him off" would have been unimaginable at that time, since if the man says they cut down the wife's children, the wife will have her own thoughts, disagreeing with the man's decision but they will keep silent and watch he man deliver his will. Well, the first consideration we ought to make is: how long ago did Noah live? Very long ago but who can tell exactly? Nobody can. But someone said to me that the same system existed as in Abraham's time, since Noah's family was which started civilization again and so culture originates from them and Abraham lived in an early culture. This is poor reasoning because theologians may know quite a lot about a certain part of history but since every civilization comes from Noah and his descendants, so do older ones, like China. Abraham lived about 4000 years ago, whereas China started its career approximately 5000 years ago (these aren't accurate numbers, I'm only trying to give a sense about which one is the older). So to have the right to say that this or that was traditional in Noah's time requires thorough understanding of all of the ancient cultures, which the creators of this argument lack (I lack it about equally as much). We might think that hierarchical traditions precede egalitarian ones, while in China there have been egalitarian communities a lot earlier than the philosophy would have been borne with John Rawls in the 20th century. Of course, there has always been a hierarchical tradition in ancient China, too, my point is only that certain social systems seem to appear after a certain chronology preceding it and it's just misleading. Having made these precautions, I will proceed to my last argument against this line of reasoning. As Noah's wife even tells Noah, she stuck with him through everything, even through the annihilation of everyone on earth. She did as he has said and she helped him through hell without really ever going against him in words or in actions. So she never told Noah off. But when she says that she will abandon him, it is not that she stands up and starts a new family, or casts Noah out. She actually pledges her allegiance to Shem and his new family, so the authority that Noah used to have as the patriarch, is being withdrawn by the family, which' trust formerly constituted it.
There was a secular argument, which really confused me. Someone said that Aronofsky usually makes his characters suffer from a sort of obsession in his films and Noah's obsession is obeying God's orders. While I understand what this argument is about, I still find it overall confusing. Nobody can have this obsession because God gives wisdom and shows the way on which to walk in every field of life, ergo whoever is obsessed with God is obsessed with everything and that is not an obsession. In Noah's particular case he is exclusively focusing on what mission God has given him. He builds up the ark, he gives up human life on earth but eventually walks back on his decision. This can seem like having an obsession, then finally getting rid of it, still, I believe it is a wrong inerpretation. First, we see what happens, when Noah follows his vision: everything goes well and everything is justified by God, he always receives what is necessary for continuing. Then, at one point, Noah is going out to find wives for his sons and then he sees the true wickedness of humanity and that is what implants the idea that all the people should die on earth, including his own family. But this isn't God's message, it is Noah's own idea because he is afraid of the bad that's inside of everyone's heart. In the Bible we get to see that Noah's a righteous person and his heart is clean but it is, once more, a dramatization, and he finds himself equally evil. And though it is true that there was evil in Noah and all his family, he was still saved. Why Noah is trying to get an end to humanity is that he himself judges his own race, just like God has done formerly. We see the consequences of Noah's judgment, not the Lord's in it. Well, the Bible is not going into details of this sort but there never seems to be the same thing, so this is Aronofsky's addition. It is an ineresting thought and worth meditating on but I think it's quite clear that Noah was not really obsessed but actually conflicted.
The part where I "argue against" ends here. I will go on, though without opposing ideas this time.
What I found very profound was Tubalcain's inner conflict. He knew about the existence of the Creator but he lost contact with him, he has probably never had it. From the story of Pentecost we have learned that the Holy Spirit was sent to be the mediator between God and mankind only after that event and so having connection with God has been very different before. Tubalcain's in-film problems probably originate from the fact that apart from Noah, nobody had that connection, but since Tubalcain and his contemporaries were not long after Eden, where Adam and Eve had a daily and personal connection with God, they somehow craved it. There is a certain ambivalence in this because even though he has an honest desire to reconnect with the Creator he still is evil and he wouldn't think for a second of following God. Tubalcain thinks of the Almighty as equal but men aren't equal with God. He refuses the proud and accepts the humble. Noah is humble and it doesn't mean he would be weak or stupid, since he is the only righteous person in the whole world, which is quite an achievement. But returning to Tubalcain, I find it ingenius that Aronofsky made this attempt to explore the depths of feeling neglected or denied by God.
The last thing that I'd like to mention is the montage of murders: Showing people of different ages killing each other by different means, the people being only dark silhouttes before the red background. Aronofsky was truly creative with this one but there's more to it than the mere spectacle. First of all, it is in the contex of Noah's tale of the creation of the world, so Noah is reasoning with it against the continuation of the existence of men. But as we see that killing is present through all the ages, not exclusively in the ones that preceded Noah, is alarming. Even in the Bible, it is written after the deluge ended that the heart of humans is filled with evil. The very reason why the total population of earth has been annihilated ultimately persists. This is actually why the story of Noah matters so much: the crimes, for which once everyone was killed, are still present, yet we live. This doesn't make much sense in itself. Not at all, unless you read the whole Bible and you read about Jesus, who died for us. This is a brilliant thing, something that only God could think of.
Beliefs
"Doubt your doubts and believe your beliefs" sings Jon Foreman. This is a great advice to us, modern-day people. We let ourselves be shaken by nearly everything: science, new religions, even the opinions that aren't identical to ours. Nowadays people are lacking confidence and mostly confidence in what they believe. In what WE believe.
On the contrary, when we don't believe in something, we mostly have absolutely no idea what that thing's about. We don't read the literature of the religions we don't agree with, so this means we are very far away from being given the right to disagree, since we aren't informed. When someone denies evolution, or science, they don't have a physics, chemistry or biology degree, they just are willingly ignorant.
At the end of the day, we don't have strong faith or strong doubt, but even when we do, it's based on nothing. But why is that? It's because we can't listen to all debates, read every book, perform each experiments to support our beliefs or doubts. In fact it would be impossible, since humanity hasn't yet answered every questions, we are too young a specie to know it all. This means that every faith and doubt will be open for discussion for an exceedingly long time.
Opinions and beliefs make us, people, so diverse and it's wonderful. However, it's quite trivial that in the end only one faith will prevail and on a distant-enough day we will know who was right because every single belief system, no matter if they say it differently, excludes every other. You can try and model religions as different paths to the same place but it doesn't work. They're contradicting each other. If one's true, the other is inevitably false.
I know there have been countless flame wars generated by religious differences. You might even bring up the crusades as a fine example, however, the crusades are so much opposed to how christianity is defined that the "holy crusades" were acts of the least christian roots. Just saying... But where am I going with this? Fighting over who's right or who's wrong is folly. Think about it, truth will prevail. Forcing your ideals on others will never produce new believers, only averse souls. I, for one, am a believer of Jesus Christ. And yes, I'm convinced that I'm right about what I have faith in. I stongly think that everyone should believe in what I do, STILL, my onlytool to achieve this is live my life by the principles I believe in. You have the choice to disagree. I'm sad if you do but it's completely up to you.
Cheers :)
Converting friendship to love (?)
Today I had a very inspiring conversation about love. Someone asked me if my falling in love with my girlfriend was instantaneous. To give a sufficient answer, I had to start from a couple years ago.
In the first years of highschool I had a girlfriend, then we broke up. Then I was attracted to a girl I didn't actually know. It was a very mindless and surprisingly pricey crush/relationship, anyways hard to define and completely irrelevant... I had all these, while my girlfriend and I were only friends.
My experience was, that love is a relationship, where you can't fully trust the other, you have to provide, where feelings are forged and you can't be honest about it, where you kind of get all used-out for a made-up ideal, which doesn't even exist in real life. With this sad and depressing concept I often pictured myself lonely in the future.
HOWEVER, and this however is, I suppose, one of the most important howevers in my entire life, I had a very great friend. She was my secret's keeper, someone, who understood me and whom I understood just as much. She was the most important person to me and I was 100% aware of this but considering what Iknewabout love, I figured it's the best to be friends and not even the slightest bit lovers...
After a long and fruitful friendship, and some disappointing experiences with other girls, the big, romantic turn occured. We (I mean my girlfriend and I (of course)), went to a big christian youth conference, where there was a seminar about how we relate to the people. The preacher said, that we should inspect our lives and find the leaks on our relationships and go and try to mend them. My first thought was a girl I was very keen on getting to fall in love with me, who would've thought... BUT a little later that night, I realised how twisted my life was and more importantly my relationships. And then I started to have faith in love, where you care, you respect, you can be honest, and most of all, you finally are whole.
There was one person, who I felt all this with. And it wasn't and still isn't just some mindless emotional stuff. This is a wonderful, deep and meaningful relationship. It takes you to places you never thought existed. You feel its stunning heights and the somehow hopeful depths. It isn't contrary. It's honest and clean. It makes you balanced and your life seems to finally get on the right track.
I'm in love. Not in the blinded, naiv kind. It's true love and sometimes it comes along with troubles, no doubt, but it feels just right. I'm grateful for my wonderful Girlfriend. Whenever I look at her, or listen to her or just simply think of her, I know, that this is where I belong. She gives me that feeling, that I'm finally home.
I could write houndreds of books about my remaining thoughts on love but this is a piece, which I felt like sharing...
The " Spirituality/Religion = Low intelligence " never fails to baffle me
Edgy Reddit-Type Atheists will assume everyone who believes in a higher power or ANYTHING spiritual means you are low IQ and can't think for yourself.
Like you do know there are Scientists, Philosophers, Professors etc who are Religious/Spiritual Right?
Like just because someone believes in God doesn't mean they're 'Unintelligent' or 'Cant think for themselves '..
(sorry I just wanted to put my own take on this post)
I'm so tired of "actually, having any sense of spirituality or belief in the spiritual makes you unintelligent" rhetoric. like are you my evangelical father? because you sound just like him
All of these are old Testament Mosaic laws, which applies to the Hebrews of The time (the rules regarding slaves don't apply to modern day slaves and I don't think the women being 'property' part also doesn't apply to modern Jews at all. These were made during a time where the Hebrews (Jews) were brought out of Egypt where they were slaves, they also had slaves themselves (probably to help with the tons of work that was forced on them by Pharaoh in Exodus 5:4—9 but that's my interpretation) also slavery was very common back in the ancient times, especially slave girls so of course Laws Made by God would apply to that time and thus outdated when it comes to slave girls and boys. It wasn't saying women were properties but it was talking about slaves (including slave girls) I hope this part does make sense but my point is that context matters when it comes to Old Testament Laws
As for the "Girls being Unclean" part, God's not saying we are lesser than men or 'unclean'. I read through the entirety of Leviticus as a woman and nowhere does it say women are lesser or unclean
Leviticus is mainly rules about worship and ceremonies, including how to build a tabernacle and to decorate it, How Jewish Priests should dress and what animals to Sacrifice on what occasion and how.
Leviticus also has multiple verses and chapters on Bodily fluids such as Seminal Fluids from a Man
"When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his entire body in water; he remains unclean until evening. Every piece of clothing and everything made of leather which gets semen on it must be washed with water; it remains unclean until evening. When a man sleeps with a woman and has an emission of semen, both are to wash in water; they remain unclean until evening."
—Leviticus 15:16-18
Same with Menstrual Blood
"When a woman has a discharge of blood, the impurity of her menstrual period lasts seven days. Anyone who touches her is unclean until evening. Everything on which she lies or sits during her period is unclean. Anyone who touches her bed or anything on which she sits must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening.
Leviticus 15:19-23
And it says later in Leviticus 12:6-7
"she must take them to the door of the Tabernacle to the priest; and the priest will offer them before the Lord and make atonement for her; then she will be ceremonially clean again after her bleeding childbirth"
God is not saying women are unclean, or Baby girls are unclean. The Days of 'Uncleanliness' after childbirth is because the Mother bleeds during her childbirth, Like How a Man who rejects Semen from the Crotch Area is considered Ceremonially Unpure until the Evening (and has to bathe) Leviticus is a book based on rules for Ceremonies and Worship, And that's why it stresses heavily on hygiene and gives details on little things. Like Exodus none of these laws apply to Modern Christians, Maybe it does apply to Modern Jews but it was made for that time, not this time.
I hope you understand this, I really tried my best.
following some liberal/progressive christian blogs on here is like will i see some profound insight into the nature of God or straight heresy
and then following conservative christian blogs is like will i see something that upholds tradition and is spiritually edifying or will i see someone who thinks women shouldn't have rights
I'm sorry I have just joined and searched for Christian content, I came across this community; God is against all witchcraft, why decide to deceive people into thinking you can do evil things, aka walk with the devil and walk with god. You can't do evil and be proud of it whilst claiming to be a Christian.
There's a section in Deuteronomy 18:9-14 that tells us what wicked customs to avoid, and it mentions:
[9] “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. [10] There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, [11] or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. [12] For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. [13] You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. [14] For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.
So please, if you come across things like this and you want to come closer to God, get a bible and read it, be open-minded, and research verses that you don't understand. Do not trust these liberal and woke people who claim to be Christian
Apathetic Christians
As Christians we work in our church, we do stuffs, we do our ministries and we become busy in our Church/ Ministries. We know we do it for the Lord.
Did You consider yourself sometimes doing works for the Lord but feeling tired of doing it? Just because you have to, you still do it. Just like the volunteers feeling like they are obliged by the work because they have to finish their task. We became apathetic Christians when we forget to come into the Word.
what we are going to meditate and study right now is the book of Revelation 2:1-7.
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’ (ESV)
The one who write the book of revelation is Apostle John which is exiled in the island of Patmos, these words was a revelation to Him while He is in the island. Jesus is speaking to the messenger of the church of Ephesus, whom were He has against them – they have left their first love.
Who were the called first love of the Church of Ephesus?
First let us read how the church of Ephesus grow.
We can see it in the book of Acts 19:1-10. This is the background how the Church of Ephesus started. The church were firmly taught by Paul from the Word of God for 2 Years and they are so on fire with it because of the Holy Spirit that is with them, that every people in Asia minor heard the Gospel.
Their first love is the Word of God, they grow in the knowledge of the Word, and “so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.” Acts 19:10
In Revelation 4:1-7, let’s read and overlook what the Lord said in the messenger in Church of Ephesus
Forsaken The First Love (vv. 1-4)
Why they become Apathetic?
Church have worked, labored, been patient, did not work with those who are evil, revealed who are the false teachers/Prophets, and not become weary for Christ’s sake (2-3). But the was a problem, God is not pleased.
Are we like the Church of Ephesus working and laboring in our church or in our Job doing this things:
We worked, labored, been patient, did not live with the wicked, revealed the false teachers, and not become weary as Christians for Christ sake. We give our tights and offerings.What if we are doing these things but in the end we’ll going to hear the message of God as He in the Ephesus:
“I know your works, but I have something against you”
and we are going to ask why? what do I neglected?
If we are the church of Ephesus we will know that our first love is the Word of God.
Remember Where You Have Fallen (v. 5a)
“Works without the Word is still not glorifying God, therefore He is not pleased”
Where they have fallen?
The problem in Ephesus
“As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.” - 1 Timothy 1:3-7, ESV
Their love for the word of God has Fallen. The church of Ephesus have lost their affection for the WORD OF GOD, they become apathetic.
Whatever we do in our workplace or in our ministries without taking the word inside our hearts, we cannot live it out in the world, in our workplace, and/or in our ministry; therefore God is not pleased for Christ is not in the center of all of our works because we forgot to involve the Word of God in our lives and therefore God is not glorified in all of these.
The emotion has lost, the affection for the word has lost.
“Works without taking the Word inside us is vain”
“Apathy in the Word is a loveless works”
How we should respond?
Remember
Remember is the first word of instruction in this verses. Consider your life with the Word from the beginning. Remember that you have fallen from the word of God and now you are living without taking it in your heart.
Remember that in all of our deeds our heart for the Lord is the most important as we do those things, and we cannot do things for the glory of God if we cannot embrace the Word.
Turn Away/Repent
As Christians if we can see ourselves as the church of Ephesus, God is calling us too in repentance and turn away from our sins when we are far from the Word.
Do The First Work
The first work is to get back from the Word of God and embrace it, like how the psalmist says:
“I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You” – Psalm 119:11,ESV
Removing the Lamp Stand (v.5c)
Means that both in the near future and when Christ return, they would lose their status as a church and Christ would treat them like apostate Israel.
Nicolaitans - Heretical Christians. (V. 6)
The Greatest Reward (v.7)
Eat in the Tree of Life which is in Heaven.( v. 7)
Like the Church of Ephesus some Christians hates the heretical Christians the unorthodox, God considered those; we are also warned to remove their lampstand if they will not repent (it’s just mean that we are not a legitimate part of the church), and if we overcome we will inherit the rewards waiting for the church.
Taking the Word inside our hearts as we live it all out in our ministry and in everywhere we are is the work that pleases God, the Love that loved us first. In the end after all that should happen on earth has done we will face God and get the price we deserved aside from the eternal life.
We need the Word of God
Take it in, and live it all out
Humility values others above yourself.
The Creator's Poem
I am your poem,
Created in Christ Jesus
To imitate Him
I'm Your masterpiece,
Crafted from the beginning
For the Prince of Peace
Creator's poem
Named human, for Your glory
Your will, Your poem
Practice before paging, taught.
Ravine ruling a route
Kidrow this a stiff skylight
Cohort a callings of equals
Sheath thine's scripture's truth
Synagogues to simpler times
Pilate becoming a Prince's playground
Praetorium thy pause to effective
Defiled thine's wholly universe
Gird to pulling purpose
Brethren beholden this bribe
Stadia a civilization to conform
Cubits caught to centuries
Breadth the borrowed buried
Thither a total peacefulness
Shekel thy's hundredth marked
Seer His overheard humanities
Garrison the given of beliefs.
Bag Tour 2024: Daily Bag Edition Feat. Hannibal Lector
All images have alt text descriptions with items listed, bag tour, and the reasons for each item below the cut
The Bag Itself:
This bag is a Coach Turnlock Tote bag in the pebbled leather color Blossom. This bag, the belt bag I now use as a bag organizer, and the wallet were all gifted to me in 2019 by a family member. The belt is too large for me at this point in life, so the pouch has been repurposed as a Toolkit of sorts. While it is a hair small fully packed, I enjoy the color of it and the balance of it as well as the functionality of the pockets it has.
The Straps:
My straps on this bag usually aren't this cluttered. However, Hannibal has been coming with me to work on a daily basis to get him used to the idea of traveling, and I needed a place to put his harness.
On my straps there is a malachite pendant necklace attached to the charm loop at the bottom of the right side of the outer strap, and my keys are also usually attached here with a carabiner unless I'm going somewhere that I'd want my keys a little bit more secured. I just like malachite. It looks cool. It's the right shades of green, and it's fairly easy to get ahold of.
I also have my stethoscope looped here if it's not around my neck or on my desk at home. I have a neonate size littman stethoscope since I primarily work in companion animal medicine, and I find that it focuses a bit better on my patients who are less than 15 pounds. I do have a regular litmann as well, but that one stays at the office. Most of my after-hours calls are on cats and small geriatric dogs who have standing orders for as needed injections of certain medications whose owners are either unwilling or unable to administer those medications.
Then, the big thing on the straps today is Hannibal's harness. Little dude is 17 weeks, and a whopping 7 lbs already. I could gush about him literally all day, though. His harness was only on the bag while he was allowed to have free roam over the back of the reception area and wrestle with Chewbacca (my terrier).
Turnlock Pocket:
This is where I keep my human med kit for myself, plus treats for my pets, or snacks for myself. Image 8 is the corresponding image.
Human Med Kit:
Glucometer: I have struggled with Non-diabetic hypoglycemia, POTS, and hemiplegic migraines for about 7 years now due to a moderate traumatic brain injury in my teens. So I tend to take 2-5 glucose readings per day. The rubber gloves in my glucometer bag aren't for me to use on me so much as they are to be ready if I need to assist someone in a first aid setting or administer narcan to someone.
Excedrine Migraine: A tried and true beloved OTC medication, both my terrier, Chewbacca, and my malinois, Phobos, are trained for migraine alert and POTS electrolyte imbalance alert work, although Chewbacca is retired at this point. At the first migraine alert from my dogs, I take one tablet of Excedrine and then wait an hour. If the migraine continues to worsen, I then take the second half of the regular dose. This is what works for me, and you should talk to your doctor about treatment options if you have migraines. Currently, I'm down to only 2-4 migraines a month and only experiencing breakthrough hemiplegic migraine symptoms about once every 3 months with this routine.
Narcan: I carry it everywhere. I was never an opioid addict. However, after my TBI, I did struggle with perscription amphetamine addiction, and as a result of having been through that, and having gotten clean, I've become a really big proponent of harm reduction and narcan access programs. There's a few charities I'm involved with that give away narcan locally, and I'd be happy to put anyone interested in carrying narcan some national resources. I also live fairly close to Philadelphia and have unfortunately had to utilize narcan to assist strangers in bars in the past from tainted supplies.
Menstrual cup: I have PCOS, so my cycle isn't super regular and I'd rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it.
Not Pictured: My supply of both instant iced coffee, instant electrolytes, and protein bars that I keep in my glove box, office desk, and at home. Both the caffiene (increases blood pressure) and the electrolytes (increases sodium and potassium) are important in managing my POTS symptoms. The protein bars are for when my glucose drops a bit too far.
Chicken Churu: This was Hannibal's treat for today, we worked on saying hello to strangers and walking nicely on a leash.
Tech:
Corresponding Photos: 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, & 9
Samsung Galaxybook Go: This is my laptop for work and personal use, it has an LTE data chip so I can use it on the go without sucking up my Hotspot data, and it's got fantastic battery life. I bought this refurbished off of Amazon at the beginning of the year. It also charges with a USB-C cable which is super convenient since the rest of my tech with the exception of my smart watch also utilizes USB-C charging so I can just pack a fast charge block and 2 USB-C cables rather than lug around 5 different chargers.
Samsung Galaxytab S6 Lite: It was on special at costco and has an S-Pen which is great as someone who's memory for reading/typing isn't nearly as effective as my memory for things I've written down. I mostly use this for notes on patients and my studies.
Samsung Galaxy23 Ultra: It has a stylus and is of a similar design, feel, and functionality to my Note9 I just replaced last fall.
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro: The active noise cancelling is fantastic for working in busy coffee shops on Mondays, and the Ambient sound is great for getting a Podcast in during charting or longer monitoring stints.
Samsung Galaxy Watch5: LTE enabled watch helps when I'm away from my phone during the day, it allows me to still get calls, texts, notifications, and keep track of active time and calories burned.
Charging Bundle: One 8" USB-C -> USB-C cord for charging my tablet, phone, or earbuds off of my laptop, one 4' USB-C -> USB-C cord to charge my laptop or other devices if my laptop is sufficently charged, a USB-A -> hard drive cord for my 1TB portable drive, and a USB-A Smart watch charging cord.
Data storage: 8GB flash drive that is mostly used for ultrasound capture transfers and X-Ray Diacom transfers, although occasionally it also gets used for in-house lab data transfers when the WiFi link is acting up. 1 TB portable hard drive, this contains textbook PDFs, a large music library, archived notes, and lesser used reference tables and software. It also has copies of my more important documents.
Vlogging/Content Creation Supplies: Light bar, microphone, mini tripod, comfort grip, and microphone stand. Basically just stuff to enhance recording quality for tiktoks, reels, and YouTube videos (coming soon).
Books & Stationery:
Pocket Edition Book of Common Prayer: No, I am not carrying a Bible around, I have an app for that. This is a Book of Common Prayer (1979 edition) for The Episcopal Church. While I'm laity, I do still try and take time for Morning Prayer/Matin, Noonday Prayer/Diurnum, Evening Prayer/Evensong, and End of Day Prayer/Compline. These are quiet moments for me to break away from the stressors of the day. I also utilize 2 additional devotionals for quiet time upon rising and before bed that supplement my regular journaling, however these stay on my bedside table with my primary journal.
Martha Stewart For Staples Discbound Junior Notebook, this is my planner, quick notebook, and lazy journal, I basically dump my brain out right here throughout the day.
Paper clips: From marking off the current month and week in my planner to organizing papers from drug reps, to getting a client printed copies of their records, there's lots of paperclip usage.
Correction tape: I don't often use pencils and sometimes my brain goes faster than my hand and mistakes happen.
Erasers and pencil leads: If I'm out and about I don't want to lose my ability to sketch and use pencils if they're needed
Pens: Pink, Red, and Black ink, my standard for personal notes is Pink ink, while business notes are done in black, the red is for corrections on both
Pencil: it's the same grip as my favorite pens that I can write for hours with, super beneficial for long study sessions.
S Note App: My longer rough notes and revised notes are done in SNote with a SPen/stylus and handwritten out. I also tend to keep spare nibs on hand, however I am currently out of spare nibs.
Sticky notes/flags: great for passing off notes to coworkers, flagging charts, or marking messages.
Snack Attack:
Travel Cutlery set with a fork, spoon, and knife so that I don't have to get utensils when I grab breakfast or lunch at Wawa or the local BBQ joint
Travel straw: Save the turtles while still enjoying my Starbucks
Bandana/neckerchief: No single use napkins here
Coozie: Perfect for NA Seltzers, Sodas, or a beer at the bar after work. Plus it holds all my other eating supplies.
Beauty/Hygiene:
Hand lotion: washing hands between every patient can leave my hands feeling pretty gnarly, so I always pack lotion
Perfume: Anal Glands happen, and sometimes you just... need to freshen up a bit.
Dry Shampoo: my hair always looks super greasy after taking my scrub cap off after surgeries, this buys me enough time to get through my shift
Hand sanitizer: ideal for housecall visits or visits to elder care facilities where you may not be able to properly wash your hands between patients.
Lip gloss: I'm not a huge fan of lip balms and the waxy feeling they leave on my lips vs the glide of a lipgloss or oil.
Sewing kit: Because if your shirt rips in vet med, it's probably going to be in a place you really don't want it to rip
Manicure kit: wrestling with animals can cause nail breakage and hang nails, and I'd rather not have to chew one off. It also has tweezers that come in handy for splinters or thorns picked up from animal coats.
Blotting sponge: again, I tend to start looking greasy after surgery because I sweat. And I'd rather be able to take care of it quickly and discreetly
Condoms: These don't need to be in my work bag, but they're in the tool kit along with my most basic essentials because the Toolkit is in every bag I use, including bags I use when I go out for girls night or linedancing. Also another have and not need vs need and not have item.
Hair tie, bobby pins, barette: just little extra bits and bobs as needed for hair issues, sometimes the dry shampoo isn't enough and the only solution is to throw my hair up into a slicked back ponytail instead of having it down.
Cooling wet wipe: again, surgical sweating
Other Essentials:
Wallet: Obvious Reasons
Nicotine Pouches: I've quit vaping but I haven't quite kicked the habit entirely yet
Unpictured: Glock 43. I uber and doordash after work, I also deliver controlled substances for patients in some not-so-great areas being ravaged by the opioid epidemic. I'm also a 5'5" disabled female who lives alone and has had a stalker. Sorry not sorry, it's insured, I'm licensed, and I take courses for it routinely.
If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts, feel free to DM me, comment here, comment in the tags, or reblog. Also, I'm aware this is Tumblr and that the Jesus stuff can be frightening to see, just want to make note that I do fall somewhere between a pluralist and a universalist. As long as you aren't using your religious views to oppress, marginalize, or harm people, we're good as far as I'm concerned.
Childhood dreams
Till this day I’m still upset I never got to do ballet when I was younger- I find it so sweet that my family members even remembered how much I wanted to be a ballerina and ‘go to ballet school’ even the ones I hadn’t seen in over 10 years remembered. Idk maybe God was saving me from damaging my body somehow lol put I still watch YouTube videos of ballet recitals and I feel a little crushed but I mean 17 shouldn’t be too late to start right? But that’s if I find any time...
I was listening to the song 'The less I know the better' by Tame Impala who I'm pretty sure isn't a Christian singer at all lol but the lyrics really reminded me of the Book to Hosea; God chasing after his lost nation who are too busy pursuing others to fill his place, chasing after the flesh in the form of wealth, wine and feeling like they aren't neglected. God stands by them the ENTIRE TIME! Waiting for his 'love' to return to him even if they're too busy chasing after 'Trevor's' 😂😂 anyways tell me what you think about secular music: any songs you feel God has reached out to you with? The Holy Spirit is amazing!
This picture is depicting the destruction of the temple market. Any one who read the story would know that in this scene in the Bible Jesus fucking destroyed that temple.
Men had turned a holy place of worship into a market which had infuriated Jesus, so he took a whip and drove all the evil men out of the temple, destroyed all of their tables and goods that were being sold, scattered their money, and set their animals loose. Jesus fuckin decimated property in this scene.
So it wasn’t flipping over 1 table he destroyed the place, this was actually a catalyst that caused Jesus to get arrested in the first place.
they “forget” anything that doesn’t benefit their side and push their agenda.
Day 3/365 I WON'T GIVE UP!
Thank you jesus for new day in mylife 🏷😇
I'm thankful for all your good dids to me.
Thank you heavenly father !!
PLEASE STOP THE ABUSE.
Hi Everyone.
I keep getting messages about WHY I use Ai.WHY I don't feel guilty about it.Plus a lot of very abusive messages and emails,This is not having a good effect on my mind and health.
Here is a short explanation of WHY.
After catching a Virus while working.I was left Paralyzed with brain damage,I went from a healthy Physical worker{Builder} A scuba diving instructor and a love of everything outdoors.From Running,Diving,Swimming,Hill walking,Charity sports fundraiser.To a vegetable.I have lost everything else.But Ai gave me back my Art.After 14 yrs staring out a window.Wishing for the worst.I was given a way to express myself again.It's impossible for anyone not in the same position to grasp the miracle this is to me.All i need now is a way to get outside to make the most of this miracle.I am now using that Ai as a way to try and raise funds to purchase an Outdoor Electric Wheelchair.Nothing Evil.i am not trying to ruin TRUE artists livings or push Ai onto anyone else who might otherwise use or collect REAL Art.I love real artwork.It was once a big part of my life.Nothing can replace the genuine artwork and ideas of the human mind.NOTHING.
I don't have the choice to create artwork anymore.There is a lot of other human beings in exactly the same position as myself.We can not make you understand what Ai has given so much of us.But we can ask that you TRY. We do no harm to you and simply wish to live and enjoy a tool that makes our lives more bearable and to be left alone without feeling guilty for this small miracle.
I hope this helps you to understand a little better.
Thanks.Christy.
Christy Wheelchair Fundraiser.
Links;
Buy me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/myfrontdoor
Paypal donate https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=UQD48H4SCEEPE
Patreon support https://www.patreon.com/MyFrontDoor
Christy's Electric Wheelchair Fundraiser,
Hi Guy's.
I created this Artwork as a way to raise funds for an outdoor Electric Wheelchair for myself.I've been trying to raise funds for 14yrs without success,My story is on the Buy me a coffee Website below.All I ask is if you could Like and Share and to please read my story.All my ARTWORK is genuinely FREE on BUY ME A COFFEE.You only donate to my Wheelchair if YOU choose to Donate.Artwork is FREE to download immediately.You can download as many images as you wish.No limits.1000's of images on different topics.With more images uploaded every week.
Buy me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/myfrontdoor
Paypal donate https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=UQD48H4SCEEPE
Patreon support https://www.patreon.com/MyFrontDoor
Christy's Electric Wheelchair Fundraiser,
Hi Guy's.
I created this Artwork as a way to raise funds for an outdoor Electric Wheelchair for myself.I've been trying to raise funds for 14yrs without success,My story is on the Buy me a coffee Website below.All I ask is if you could Like and Share and to please read my story.All my ARTWORK is genuinely FREE on BUY ME A COFFEE.You only donate to my Wheelchair if YOU choose to Donate.Artwork is FREE to download immediately.You can download as many images as you wish.No limits.1000's of images on different topics.With more images uploaded every week.
Buy me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/myfrontdoor
Paypal donate https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=UQD48H4SCEEPE
Patreon support https://www.patreon.com/MyFrontDoor
Christy's Electric Wheelchair Fundraiser,
Hi Guy's.
I created this Artwork as a way to raise funds for an outdoor Electric Wheelchair for myself.I've been trying to raise funds for 14yrs without success,My story is on the Buy me a coffee Website below.All I ask is if you could Like and Share and to please read my story.All my ARTWORK is genuinely FREE on BUY ME A COFFEE.You only donate to my Wheelchair if YOU choose to Donate.Artwork is FREE to download immediately.You can download as many images as you wish.No limits.1000's of images on different topics.With more images uploaded every week.
Buy me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/myfrontdoor
Paypal donate https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=UQD48H4SCEEPE
Patreon support https://www.patreon.com/MyFrontDoor
Christy's Electric Wheelchair Fundraiser,
Hi Guy's.
I created this Artwork as a way to raise funds for an outdoor Electric Wheelchair for myself.I've been trying to raise funds for 14yrs without success,My story is on the Buy me a coffee Website below.All I ask is if you could Like and Share and to please read my story.All my ARTWORK is genuinely FREE on BUY ME A COFFEE.You only donate to my Wheelchair if YOU choose to Donate.Artwork is FREE to download immediately.You can download as many images as you wish.No limits.1000's of images on different topics.With more images uploaded every week.
Buy me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/myfrontdoor
Paypal donate https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=UQD48H4SCEEPE
Patreon support https://www.patreon.com/MyFrontDoor
Christy's Electric Wheelchair Fundraiser,
Hi Guy's.
I created this Artwork as a way to raise funds for an outdoor Electric Wheelchair for myself.I've been trying to raise funds for 14yrs without success,My story is on the Buy me a coffee Website below.All I ask is if you could Like and Share and to please read my story.All my ARTWORK is genuinely FREE on BUY ME A COFFEE.You only donate to my Wheelchair if YOU choose to Donate.Artwork is FREE to download immediately.You can download as many images as you wish.No limits.1000's of images on different topics.With more images uploaded every week.
Buy me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/myfrontdoor
Paypal donate https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=UQD48H4SCEEPE
Patreon support https://www.patreon.com/MyFrontDoor
Christy's Electric Wheelchair Fundraiser,
Hi Guy's.
I created this Artwork as a way to raise funds for an outdoor Electric Wheelchair for myself.I've been trying to raise funds for 14yrs without success,My story is on the Buy me a coffee Website below.All I ask is if you could Like and Share and to please read my story.All my ARTWORK is genuinely FREE on BUY ME A COFFEE.You only donate to my Wheelchair if YOU choose to Donate.Artwork is FREE to download immediately.You can download as many images as you wish.No limits.1000's of images on different topics.With more images uploaded every week.
Buy me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/myfrontdoor
Paypal donate https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=UQD48H4SCEEPE
Patreon support https://www.patreon.com/MyFrontDoor
Christy's Electric Wheelchair Fundraiser,
Hi Guy's.
I created this Artwork as a way to raise funds for an outdoor Electric Wheelchair for myself.I've been trying to raise funds for 14yrs without success,My story is on the Buy me a coffee Website below.All I ask is if you could Like and Share and to please read my story.All my ARTWORK is genuinely FREE on BUY ME A COFFEE.You only donate to my Wheelchair if YOU choose to Donate.Artwork is FREE to download immediately.You can download as many images as you wish.No limits.1000's of images on different topics.With more images uploaded every week.
Buy me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/myfrontdoor
Paypal donate https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=UQD48H4SCEEPE
Patreon support https://www.patreon.com/MyFrontDoor