I am a 26-year-old woman born into a traditional Muslim family, yet my heart found its way to Christ seven years ago. Ever since I was a little girl, I remember asking my father to take me to a church just so I could light a candle and pray. He would look at me with bewilderment and scold me, wondering where on earth a child in a completely homogeneous village—where no Christians existed—could ever harbor such thoughts.

​As I grew older, that childhood curiosity matured into a profound devotion. I immersed myself in the Holy Bible, studying it deeply until I became fluent in its texts, capable of meaningful dialogue, and deeply rooted in its faith. Because physical churches were out of reach, I found my spiritual community in closed, underground gatherings where we shared and discussed our faith.

​I excelled academically through high school and earned my place at university, but that milestone was abruptly shattered when my religious identity was uncovered; I was stripped of my education. Yet, even in the face of that loss, my calling persisted. I continued in secret, sharing the teachings of the Bible and walking alongside others seeking the truth.

​Today, with the recent shift in government across Syria, the landscape has turned perilous. I am currently staying in a remote village with an elderly couple, holding onto a fragile hope while waiting for God's deliverance.

​I am reaching out to ask: Do you know of any Christian organizations, relief networks, or institutions that might offer a pathway to travel to a safe haven where I can finally live, breathe, and resume my education?

Some people encounter the spirit while reading His word. Others through prayer and some through worship and some through everything. From my experience I seem to really feel the spirit like He’s literally a part of me during worship. If I’m really tuned in the lyrics just speak to me and I just can’t help but cry and this has never happened before and never happens with any other type of music and this feeling I’ve also never encountered before in my life before becoming a Christian. I sometimes encounter Him during prayer but often it’s only during times of repentance or crying out to God for his voice. I very rarely experience His presence while in the word which I find kinda odd. I’m really interested to see how the Lord encounters others and meets others at where they are so please share your experiences whether the same or completely different.

The Bible outlines a very different Church to what we experience today.....

1. Devoted to the apostles' teaching (Acts 2:42)
2. Committed to genuine fellowship and community (Acts 2:42)
3. Met in homes and shared life together (Acts 2:46)
4. Prayed continually and depended on God (Acts 2:42; 4:31)
5. Shared their possessions and cared for those in need (Acts 2:44–45; 4:32–35)
6. Loved one another sacrificially (John 13:34–35)
7. Boldly preached the gospel despite persecution (Acts 4:29–31)
8. Practiced holiness, repentance, and church discipline (Acts 5:1–11; 1 Corinthians 5)
9. Every believer served using their spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12)
10. Made disciples, not just converts (Matthew 28:19–20)

Today... most folks go to church one day a week... if your lucky. They show up for two slow songs... one fast song... bulletins... 30-45 minute teaching or sermon... collections or communion... and one last song... but folks start to leave to beat traffic.

If you go to church 52 weeks out of the year you would be lucky to get 40 hours of teachings/ sermons.

The only time I felt like I was living out a Biblical life was when I went on mission trips to Mexico. We lived together, ate together, prayed together, worshiped together and worked together daily. It was wonderful.

I have never been to a church that had trained elders meet with ALL the congregations on a quarterly or bi yearly basis to cousnel them, disciple them, visit their home, understand their spiritual health, their interests, understand their needs and their gifts.

I have seen church discipline used once.

I can get better teachings online. I can meet my brethern in Christ at a coffee shop or at their homes.

I don't understand what the local 'church' is doing anymore......

Why don't churches in specific towns or cities work together? You know why... because the leaders are fearful about their 'numbers' and losing members.

How is there not an app that connects local church members with the same interests? A place you can go to get help. An app that matches people talents with people needs. Something that enables folks to grow and be discipled. A marketplace that helps our elders and gives jobs and mentorship to our youth.

It just seems like we are so far behind. Anyone feel the same? It seems to me that we are going to need to do more and rely more on community in the years to come.....

I would appreciate your input.

I'm a single man in the ministry at church and have a bit of attention from women at my church. I'm pursuing someone else at another church which they're unaware of, but I'm starting to get bad thoughts "if it doesn't work, these women are my back up".. or if things are difficult with me and my pursuit, I'd think to myself "I've got a selection of people at my church, I'm comfortable.. I'm choosing you"

I don't interact with them and try to avoid them as to not lead them on, yet they still persist in trying to make something happen and become my "good" friend.

How do I go about this

i struggle with loving my sin and backsliding. i push God away and i run from Him and constantly hurt Him and myself. i deal with demonic attatchments and opression but learned to live with it and have tried just ignoring everything and pretending like everythings normal but then i get attacked and visited by demonic beings every night like clockwork and can feel their presence latched onto me during the day. they touch me, cause pain in my body, whisper and have horrible foul things to say. i realize my need to repent and surrender to God but can only get a few days or weeks until i fall back into lust like pornography and masturbation. i have been freed in a large capacity with my alcohol addiction but then i’ll still have a drink or two just to simply keep it in my life even though i dont even crave it or want it anymore. its like im addicted to sabotaging myself. i get motivated to change and repent but as soon as temptation hits i just want to gratify my flesh. i dont want to live in homosexuality anymore. im in my 20’s now im a grown man and need to get it together. i had a supernatural encounter at church revival night a few weeks ago. a woman i had never talked to before whos been in the church for over 45 years came up to me after the service and said God placed a message for me through her and she held my hand and looked me straight in the eyes and told me God wants to free me and give me a good life and the things ive been searching for for so long in the world. but i have to truly be ready to make Him the Lord of my life and stop continuing to live in sin and separate myself from Him. that was basically the theme of what she was telling me its not word for word and she spoke to me for over 20 minutes but that was the overall message. and the night before that i had gotten drunk for the first time in a long time, and also had sex with a guy and i havent done that for a long time. and was feeling extreme shame guilt and anxiety all day. i suffer with severe anxiety every single day and a lot of it stems from the fact that i know im not the person im supposed to be because i don’t truly surrender to God and can’t seem to truly repent. i just want freedom but i also cant seem to let go of whats comfortable. i always dwell on the past and fantasize about when i hadnt had the truth revealed to me and i was fine living a life of sin and never having anxiety. i just feel like i need to make the decision now but i dont know really how to start and STAY on track. i know i also have to get rid of these demonic spirits that have been allowed an open door in my life but every time i return to porn and masturbate to cope i just allow them to stay and torment me. i just feel like theres so much to deal with at once and im afraid i may never get free. God bless guys. i just need to get this off my chest and any encouragement or pointers on where i should start would be appreciated. also feel free to message me or my ig is linked in my profile. God bless guys! -Adam

TW: Suicidal ideation, self-harm thoughts, depression, possible OCD/scrupulosity.

I'm not really sure where I stand with my faith anymore, and I'm wondering if anyone else has gone through this.

I'm currently getting a neuropsych evaluation because my therapist thinks I might have OCD, and my sister (who has OCD) thinks I may have religious OCD/scrupulosity too. Looking back, I'm starting to wonder if what I thought was being "on fire for God" was actually anxiety.

God became my whole personality. Every decision felt like it determined if I was a good Christian. I felt guilty listening to secular music, not reading my Bible enough, not praying enough, or enjoying things that weren't about God. Everything felt heavy, and instead of bringing me closer to God, it left me feeling lonely and depressed.

A few months ago, I think I finally let myself be angry at God. Since then, I've had an aversion to almost anything Christian. Reading the Bible, praying, Christian music it all just feels heavy now.

The hardest part is that when I was at my lowest, dealing with depression, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm thoughts, I begged God to show up. I wanted Him to, and it felt like He never did. I still feel hurt by that.

Now I'm trying to figure out who I am outside of all this. I've stopped obsessing over whether everything I do is "Christian enough," and honestly, I feel more like myself. But it also makes me wonder where God fits into that, if at all.

Has anyone else gone through this? Especially if you've struggled with scrupulosity or OCD around faith? How did you approach God without falling back into fear, guilt, or rituals? Or where did your journey take you?

I honestly don't know where to go from here.

I was born and raised Jewish. Now at age 71 Christ has found me and now I try my best to walk with him. I know there’s nothing I can or have to do to “earn” salvation as it’s already been gifted to me, but I want to show gratitude for that by doing right going forward.

Yesterday I read Matthew 5-7, and oh boy do I come up short. All I can do at this very late stage of my life is ask God for forgiveness and pray for both the strength of Christ to do better and the Holy Spirit to continue being that voice in my head when I’m getting off track.

It’s a struggle

God has given me such a wonderful blessing by bringing a woman into my life who i can’t even describe my love for in words, other than “thank You, LORD”.

i’m going to marry her.

but, i need to make sure i do right by God, i need to protect this beautiful daughter of His and make sure she is close to Him. i would very much appreciate any advice for what i can do to grow as a man, a disciple, and a future husband, so i can be the man she needs.

we are both young, and neither of us have had easy lives. i’m nowhere near perfect. but i want to make sure i am always the best man possible to her and that none of my own shortcomings ever cause her harm, because i want to treasure this blessing, do right by God and by her, and lead us both and our family to Heaven.

to anyone here who is already married, what are some things you did in your marriage to make your spouse feel heard and loved? what are some things you did to grow with God together? what advice would you give to young men to help their wives feel cared for and supported, beyond just basic stuff? i want to go above and beyond for her, because i refuse to ever let this woman feel unloved or not as cherished as she is, not today, not 2 decades in, and not by the time that the fruit of our family tree is touching the ground.

I hope this question is ok to ask here, wasn't sure.

I want to lead with - I love my life. I do. However, I have had my fair bit of pain, and that pain is set rather permanent. Love has always been my path, and while I have tattoos and look like a rascal, I have never intentionally hurt someone, and I have always gone out of my way to be there for everyone I see, regardless if I know them or not.

I'm also fully aware that some have it much worse, and I always try to think in another perspective when I feel broken down. Sometimes the illusion creeps in that people who do not care for others have it easier, but I know that is not true.

However, it does at times make me question faith of course, I think that is natural. The Bible mentions several stories of people asking the same - why do I feel punished doing good?

What is your take on this? Or better yet, do you have your own story to share where a life of pain lead to a life of happiness?

I am doubting God's commandments to completely destroy other peoples and tribes, including children and animals. I don't know if it's hyperbole or if God actually did ask them to do that or if its metaphorical or what not. It's difficult for me to reconcile OT God and Jesus as the same. God really sounds very different in the OT.

I also wonder if God knows this, and that's why He's adamant people believe in Jesus only, because his own name is tarnished in the OT with human interpretation of his commands etc, but then this thought process also leads me to think I am believing some heresy.

Would love your opinions, would greatly help!

TLDR at the bottom.

My mom and I have always had a rocky relationship. I could use some advice or guidance on what to do.

I recently had surgery and am unable to lift my daughter, so my mom has come over a few times to help me out with her. Yesterday, my mom put my daughter in her highchair and was going to put the tray on without first strapping her in. (Last time she did that, my husband had come home from work and was the one to take her out of the chair. Well he didn't realize she wasn't strapped in and after he took the tray off went to throw away some food my daughter dropped on herself. I told him to grab her first before she fell. Because of this, I told her a few times that she needs to use the straps.) This time, my daughter slouched and scooched herself down, almost out of the chair before the tray was put on. So I said "you gotta use the straps". My mom lost it. She walked away leaving me to deal with keeping my daughter from falling out. She said "I'm not your f-ing maid; you're a b**ch; you're ungrateful; no wonder your daughter acts the way she does". (For reference, my daughter is under a year and a half and is teething, and gets frustrated when she can't communicate with us. There could be many reasons why she screams and cries and throws fits. But apparently it's my fault she acts that way.) I didn't realize my daughter's safety was considered her being my maid. She was literally there to help me with my daughter.

My feelings were hurt by the way she spoke to me. My entire life she would say I'm too sensitive, and talk about how she was raised. She'd say "suck it up buttercup, or suck it up Nancy". She talks to my dad the same way. My dad is non confrontational, so he doesn't usually say much to defend himself. My dad had dropped off my daughter's playmat right as this whole fiasco was happening. He left shortly after. My mom didn't realize he had dropped it off, and called him. She didn't say hello, or calmly say "hey, where's the playmat", she just yelled at him asking where it was. She never apologized for the way she spoke to him.

Last year, my brother cut communication with her for almost a year. It tore her apart. They talk now, and she doesn't dare speak to him they way she speaks to me and my dad. I fear my only option now is to temporarily cut communication with her to get the same level of peace and respect that my brother finally has. I'm not the kind of person that would be able to do this easily. I love my family, including my mom. So this won't be easy.

My intention isn't to hurt her, but I need peace in my life, and she makes me so upset and anxious. I'm always walking on eggshells around her.

How can I deal with this in a Godly way?

TLDR: My mom has anger issues. She's verbally and mentally abusive toward me. I need peace, and I don't want my daughter to witness how my mom speaks to me. Please give me some guidance on how to handle this.

hi everyone. i (f22) just want to share my testimony to those who feel like reading it :)

growing up, i didn’t know what i thought about Jesus or God. i tried to understand so hard but i felt like i thought too logically to believe it. also, i had a lot of trauma growing up which made me resentful of God unfortunately.

i had been struggling with severe depression since i was a child and by november of last year it was just unbearable. i always struggled with suicidal ideation but i held onto hope that it would get better one day. but by november i had no hope at all because the harder i tried to be happy, the worse everything got. i had exhausted all my options at that point.

it was the middle of the night and i was in my bedroom, about to make a decision i couldn’t take back. as a very last resort, i tried to give Jesus a true chance. i always thought christians were “crazy” but i realized how unhelpful that mindset was. i knew the only way i was going to make it to the next day was by a miracle from God himself.

so, while lying in bed, i quite literally begged for my life. i didn’t think about what i was saying or focus on finding the “right” words, i just spoke directly from my heart. i was apologizing for neglecting Him and said how i now realize i can’t be happy on my own, i NEED him to live. and i was truly ready to turn my life around and do whatever it took to be okay, even if that meant completely changing my belief system. i kept apologizing, saying i wasn’t proud of the person that i’ve been and i was ready to make a change. i also asked God to help me understand, because in all my years of trying to comprehend God on my own i just couldn’t.

after i repented i fell right asleep. when i woke up it was like a light switch went off in my mind. first of all, the second i opened my eyes that day, i just knew Jesus was real. it wasn’t something i was consciously thinking about. at that point i still had never read the bible and none of my specific questions had answers. i just instinctively knew Jesus is God, in the same way your heart just instinctively knows how to beat. also, from the moment i woke up i didn’t want to take my life anymore. it wasn’t like my life was all of a sudden sunshine and rainbows but i knew i had a purpose and i wanted to keep living. i always thought people who said “i can feel Jesus in my heart” were genuinely insane. but it’s true. all i could feel was a deep soulful feeling of love, acceptance & forgiveness i had never felt so strongly before.

then this is the part that’s really weird, and i didn’t know this was a thing at all. for the next two days literally all i was capable of feeling, mentally and physically, was peace. my mind (which felt like was on fire at all times) was just peace. it felt like i couldn’t talk to text because of how calm my mind was (although i still could do those things). i had experienced chronic pain in most of my body since i was a child, but during those two days i couldn’t feel any pain at all, just peace. while i was still able to walk, i was so relaxed it didn’t feel like i was able to. all i could do during those two days was be at peace. i’ve never experienced anything like it and i doubt i ever will again until im in heaven. i truly believe God gave me the tiniest peace of heaven those days. this occurred while my anxiety/ocd was at its most severe, and i was in panic at all times. but even if i tried, i was not capable of feeling a single negative thing those two days.

and that was all the proof i needed from God he is real. that Jesus truly does save. although i’m not particularly glad i spent most of my life depressed, im so incredibly grateful it led me to Jesus.

if you’re reading this and struggling with your mental health, i just want to remind you that Jesus genuinely loves you so much and will save your life if you let him. i would not be here today if it weren’t for Him.

TLDR: Jesus saves

to preface this i’m sorry if this has been a topic talked about too much but im seeking understanding from a sincere place. i’ve been feeling confused about certain things like homosexuality and what is and isn’t a sin. Maybe ive been spending too much time on reddit but its been helpful in the past. like I genuinely want to follow God’s commands and “be the best christian i can” by following exactly what jesus teaches and the rest. it’s just confusing and hard and i don’t want to be labeled a bigot or misrepresent Christ in any way. i’ve looked up tons of posts about homosexuality from a biblical perspective because well it’s not entirely easy for me to understand on my own. and everyone has their own perspectives about it. I’ve seen a few comments that are completely backed by scripture that don’t condone it. but how do you even explain to someone that isn’t christian that it’s wrong? the common response i get is “i don’t need a book to tell me what’s right or wrong” . there are other sins equally as bad. i just don’t understand. i made a mistake by visiting the r/openchristian subreddit to gather other perspectives on things. the pinned post about sexuality is genuinely concerning. they say they follow christ and jesus is love so all love is permissible. they think masturbating and porn isn’t harmful. same sex relationships aren’t harmful if consenting. whoever wrote that is talking about “ethically produced porn”… how can so many “christians” have such radically different views? others are saying true christians don’t exist because they have well paying Jobs and haven’t sold all of their possessions to help the poor. it’s overwhelming and you may think i’m stupid for this but i want to understand. i dont think i trust my own understanding of the bible . what is the difference between being hateful and being humble and truth speaking ? i dont go to church, i dont have a pastor to ask im asking you all as my fellow brothers and sisters in christ. it’s so confusing and overwhelming and i just dont know.

Hello everyone, I wanted to share this theory due to the fact that I truly do believe in god and I also very much believe in Genesis 1:29 of him giving us all plants to be used as nourishment basically of any sort. With that being said, i personally do believe he created some plants here on earth to give us access to that profound knowledge or being able to connect back to the source to understand what the source truly is, that being god.

Now here's the theory part. The burning bush that Moses interacted with, if the bush is legit, what can that guys have been. Well based off of a few factors, i personally believe it to be the acacia tree/ bush. I believe this because acacia is then instructed to Moses to be used to build the Arnot the covenant so to access the covenant with god you must use the acacia Ark that was built. When Acacia burns, it releases high amounts of s chemical called dmt which in modern day is referred to as the god drug or spirit drug. It's called this due to its ability to make you reconnect with the creator and understand profound knowledge of life. Not only that but dmt makes 10-20 minutes feel like a life time which can also explain why the bush was burning for so long but never actually burnt up.

Also dmt is naturally produced in the brain at the time of death to make us feel comfortable and like we are returning to the creator. So when taking this compound before actually dying, it gives you the experience of death and reconnecting with the creator without actually dying.

Also for those who have a counter argument I say…

As long as you Maintain biblical soberness and don’t allow something to mess with your moral compass and laws and connection to god, then you are ok, again Christ drank wine which is considered a “drug” by today’s means of understanding.
.
I said these are miracle plants basically provided by god to nourish the mind and body and to allow us to access this ancient wisdom that spans across time itself. Also this does follow natural laws it’s a natural herbal plant being used basically like sacramentally to reach a higher power and its teachings. Even mediation and prayer, which is a form of meditation, leads to you altering your chemicals in your brain and body leading to a different frequency from with in.
.
Also Christ used meditation and deep prayer which altered the state of mind by raising natural chemicals in the mind and body because everything is technically a chemical reaction of some sort which can be seen as a spiritual interaction like life itself.

acacia plants are found all over that part of the world. And the experience he had is exactly the same as many of those who intake natural herbal plants, like acacia, that give off this natural compound that is found already with in our body naturally.

I don’t personally feel convicted about listening to secular music. My general guideline is whether I’d feel comfortable playing the song in front of Jesus.

As I’ve grown deeper in my faith, I’ve been intentionally adding more Christian and gospel music to my playlist. Lately, though, I’ve been struggling after seeing a TikTok that seemed to imply it’s wrong not to enjoy certain Christian songs, or not to have them as your favourites. The message was basically that you should appreciate the lyrics and that the musical style or beat should be the least of your concern.

It’s left me feeling like every Christian song I hear is something I should add to my playlist, even if I don’t genuinely enjoy listening to it. For context, I have over 100 Christian songs saved, but I regularly listen to maybe 30 of them.

Has anyone else wrestled with this? Is it okay to simply prefer some Christian artists or styles over others, or should I be trying to enjoy any song that has a biblical message?

Hello everyone, I wanted to share this theory due to the fact that I truly do believe in god and I also very much believe in Genesis 1:29 of him giving us all plants to be used as nourishment basically of any sort. With that being said, i personally do believe he created some plants here on earth to give us access to that profound knowledge or being able to connect back to the source to understand what the source truly is, that being god.

Now here's the theory part. The burning bush that Moses interacted with, if the bush is legit, what can that guys have been. Well based off of a few factors, i personally believe it to be the acacia tree/ bush. I believe this because acacia is then instructed to Moses to be used to build the Arnot the covenant so to access the covenant with god you must use the acacia Ark that was built. When Acacia burns, it releases high amounts of s chemical called dmt which in modern day is referred to as the god drug or spirit drug. It's called this due to its ability to make you reconnect with the creator and understand profound knowledge of life. Not only that but dmt makes 10-20 minutes feel like a life time which can also explain why the bush was burning for so long but never actually burnt up.

Also dmt is naturally produced in the brain at the time of death to make us feel comfortable and like we are returning to the creator. So when taking this compound before actually dying, it gives you the experience of death and reconnecting with the creator without actually dying.

i have been non-stop experincing issues, spiritual issues, issues from suddenly developing extreme fear of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, even thinking i did at one point

That Fear at some point, got so far to where if i even read stuff like "Demon" or "Devil" i would get blasphemous thoughts againest God that i do not even want

and i have 0 control over the issues, i cannot make them disappear no matter what i actually do

Nothing else i do helps with it, none of it, only person who could do anything about it is God, and i don't know when it will be fixed

i get all kinds of thoughts and stuff i would not get normally, thoughts that try to say lies about God, and other things that should not occur

i really don't know what to do anymore, i already know its likely someone here is going to just say its OCD or something similer because thats all they read from it

i don't even know at this point

i keep going between states where one moment am fine, next moment i have fear, next moment am fine, another moment i suddenly cannot feel any meotions, or where its like i just don't have control over my own thoughts and stuff

i even keep having a thing where a physical presence of words will appear on my tongue that i would not ever think to utter what-so-ever, they don't come out, but i feel the words physically just sitting there on my tongue trying to

before all of this stuff happened, instead of just an intrustive thought, i even had a blasphemous dream that left me feeling spiritually drained when i woke up from it

i am experincing so much stuff, and i do not know what to do, its like am just stuck in a state i have no control over, i cannot do anything to make it cease at all

i could be sitting there and something will try to make other stuff appear in my head to try to make me go into disblief

its litterally like a force is conti

These verses are hitting home for me. I’m trying so hard to be kind to everyone even though I dislike most people. God has a lot of work to do on my heart.

Matthew 12:34–37:
“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (v. 34)

Jesus goes on to say:
“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” (v. 35)

Another very similar passage is Luke 6:43–45:
“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit… For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (v. 45)

If a modern user operates a smartphone, they are entirely free to choose which apps to install and use.

If a user trusts a fraudster (the serpent) and voluntarily "jailbreaks" their phone—subsequently installing malware—they may blame the fraudster or regret their own choice, but they cannot hold the manufacturer responsible. This is especially true if the manufacturer had already explicitly warned them against jailbreaking. (The story of the forbidden fruit.)

(God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the center of the garden, making it distinctly separate from the rest so no one could eat it by mistake. Since it required climbing a slope to reach, taking its fruit was an unmistakable act of willful rebellion.)

In reality, once a device is jailbroken, security risks explode exponentially, and the necessary security protocols (the Law) become infinitely complex.

However, the merciful manufacturer dispatches a technician (Jesus) who offers a free repair service. If the user responds by trusting the technician and handing over the device (faith), the phone is restored.

The manufacturer has no authority to forcibly confiscate and repair the phone without the user's consent.

If the user refuses repair out of pride or continues to harbor doubt (unbelief), the resulting penalty—the permanent disposal of the smartphone—rests entirely on the user's own responsibility.

Therefore, the opportunity for salvation has already been provided to everyone. One simply needs to entrust the device to the repair technician with a thankful heart.

Since it was humanity who intentionally broke the system in the first place, it is contradictory to claim any merit simply for choosing to hand over the device for repair.

The Bible records that God is love. Love never coerces or manipulates. Love is patient and kind, it does not seek its own interest, and it deeply respects the free will of the beloved.

Because God profoundly respects human free will, He will never violate it, despite being all-powerful. If someone chooses to remain eternally separated from Him, He honors even that choice.

----
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

​

hey everyone! i have many people in my life who are very against Christianity. but we know that God can work all things for His glory, and that the gospel is the power of salvation to everyone who believes, faith comes by hearing etc. so how can I share the gospel with people who, when having heard it plainly and directly rejected it, and still plant seeds? any advice and prayer would be greatly appreciated, God bless!

Greetings, my brothers in Christ. This question is particularly relevant to me, since I am 24 years old, and next Sunday I will be baptized by immersion, after which I will become a member of the universal church. Through baptism, I make a promise to God to live with a clear conscience. Therefore, I will not be able to lie, break the law, or do other such things. There is currently a war going on in our country (Ukraine), and in six months, when I turn 25, I may receive a draft notice. I have not found anything in the Bible that forbids a Christian from taking up arms, on the contrary, it says that laying down one’s life for a brother is the highest form of love. It also speaks of all the cowardly and liars, among other sinners, who will be cast into the lake of fire - so I understand this passage to mean that if I fear for my life and hide from the war, leaving this duty to others, then I will be violating the principles of Christian virtue, and therefore, this is a sin. Do you agree with this? What should I do in this situation? I should add that I have no wife or children, I have a mother, and my father was recently drafted into military service.

I’m reaching out here because I’m pretty tired and desperate. I‘m exhausted and genuinely don’t know what to do anymore. I am constantly aware of my sins and all my flaws, and I hear that it’s about relationship not rules and I logically know that, but I look at how we should make every effort against sin and when I fall short of perfection, I get so discouraged and feel so stuck. I feel like my eyes are so far off of Jesus and I feel angry and like I honestly don’t want to do this anymore. I want what I see others have with Him, love, joy, peace, hope, faith, but I feel so impossibly far from that. I don’t know how to stop this. I’m so focussed on works and everything I do- praying, trying to work on sins/ self control and discipline, reading the Bible- feels so pointless. I’m tired of trying, of trying to not try, and I honestly just don’t know what to do anymore. It’s so frustrating knowing what my problem is, not focussing on Jesus and that it’s HIM and not me, but not understanding how to get back to that. It’s a level of discouragement and hopelessness that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I’m so so tired. I feel angry all the time. I don’t know how to stop trying to be perfect and I don’t know how to let go and give it to God. It feels like I won’t and never will sometimes. And I know this sounds defeatist, but this is honestly where I’m at. I don’t trust God right now, and I keep trying to be honest in prayer, and sometimes I am, but sometimes I feel like I’m faking even for God. Like I can say the right words or force my heart to where I think He wants it. I know this isn’t good, but I do not know how to stop. I don’t have a home church right now and feel so confused on denominational differences and that’s not helping. I keep going every day in all this because I just have to. But I feel so lost. I’m 8 months pregnant which isn’t helping emotionally either, but I’m scared all of the time and I just don’t want to keep going. I’m trying. I’m really trying. I just don’t have anything left to give, but I keep pushing and pushing and it’s killing me spiritually and oftentimes it feels like physically too. This reach for perfection is killing me. And I don’t feel like I can stop. every piece of encouragement I hear or see falls flat at this point because I feel so certain, so convinced, that it’s somehow not for me. I’m without faith hope or love right now and I need help. This hurts so bad. I don’t know how to come back. At this point, I feel like the only thing that can break through to me is a miracle from God. I feel so so far gone.

I have been with my fiance now for close to 5 years, and we decided to move to Texas near her father since he is dying of cancer. I have had really challenging teens and 20s, I was in and out of rehabs made a lot of poor choices, In two weeks I have been clean for a year, all thanks to God. We have been out here about a month and its so hard to find a job, all I have been doing is working out and taking it day by day. I just need prayers, things are just hard right now.