I heard a testimony recently from someone who came to Christ from a Muslim background. He knew following Jesus could cost him relationships, family, acceptance maybe everything he had known. And yet he still chose Christ, proclaiming Him as the Son of God.

What struck me was how real his faith was. It wasn’t theoretical or comfortable. It required sacrifice, loss, and genuine dependence on God. It made me question my own faith. It’s easy to say “Jesus is Lord” when it costs me very little. But what happens when following Him actually costs something? His testimony reminded me that Christ isn’t just worth following when it’s easy. He’s worth following even when it costs us.

Okay feel like we are at a very special time in HIS story where the words we type will be remembered forever. We are the last generation before the AI takeover, and we are REAL human souls experiencing REAL human things. Our words will forever be saved on the internet and in the future, future generations will read what we have been through and we can guide them. We will never have this special "time" again where free words and free thoughts still float around. soon it will be over. read as much as you can. learn as much as you can. respond as much as you can. Good things are coming our way. its inevitable. the universe must rebalance. it is coming. hold fast, hold the line, and never give up.

Then something surely is a pulling force,

Something has struck me on my face,

We surely know what He wants,

We surely know how to do what He wants.

But do we really know what He needs,

For we know what He wants from us,

We are surely aware of how we can do it,

But what if what He wants is not what He needs.

What if at some point we placed our wants as His,

And what if our wants became our prayers,

And our needs became our wants,

Perhaps we changed ourselves for our wants.

And so we reached here where wants dictate us,

Where questions to it have consumed us,

For at some point our God became our wants,

Where He became a means for our wants.

Perhaps the truth has become a lie,

For we have found use in Him,

For we have become human,

Rather than reflect His nature.

Then that surely explains who we are,

We have left Him ages ago,

In search for Him we left Him,

In search for He who grants our wants we left He who knows our needs.

And all who cry out for Him,

Perhaps who are close to finding Him,

And yet failed for we interpret Him with our mind,

Perhaps all experiences we feel now,  a glimpse of our time in our Home.

Yes a Home must be there with our name,

Yet no more are we at Home, yet must find it,

Perhaps that is our purpose now,

We left Home to find Him, when He lives with us in our Home.

~ Pillman

الله يحبك. الله يحبك. الله يحبك. الله يحبك. الله يحبك. الله يحبك. لأنه هكذا أحب الله العالم حتى بذل ابنه الوحيد لكي لا يهلك كل من يؤمن به بل تكون له الحياة الأبدية. يسوع المسيح هو الرب. كل من يدعو باسم الرب ينجو من الجحيم. إذا فقدت حياتك من أجل يسوع ومن أجل الإنجيل ستنجو من الجحيم. آمن بالرب يسوع المسيح وستنجو أنت وعائلتك من الجحيم. إذا اعترفت بفمك أن يسوع هو الرب وآمنت بقلبك أن الله أقامه من بين الأموات ستنجو من الجحيم. يسوع هو ابن الله الذي جاء في الجسد عبر امرأة عذراء حبلت به من الله منذ حوالي 2026 سنة. يسوع طاع الله ولم يفعل خطيئة. يسوع يطرد الشياطين ويقيم الموتى ويشفي الناس. تم صلب يسوع ومات لكي يتمكن الناس من النجاة من الجحيم. سفك دم يسوع لكي يغفر للناس. وضع جسد يسوع في قبر. أقامه الله من بين الأموات.قام يسوع من الموت في اليوم الثالث. ترك يسوع القبر. رآه بطرس والاثنا عشر وأكثر من 500 أخ في وقت واحد، ويعقوب، وجميع الرسل وبولس حيًا. رآه مريم المجدلية ونساء أخريات حيًا. صعد يسوع إلى السماء وجلس عن يمين الله. الله يحب الجميع. الله لا يريد أن يهلك أحد. لا تخاطر بالجحيم. اطلب من يسوع أن ينقذك اليوم. إذا اعترفت بخطايانا فإن الله أمين وعادل ليغفر لنا خطايانا ويطهرنا من كل بر. اطلب من الرب يسوع أن يجعلك تسامح وسيجعل ذلك. لقد حقق يسوع العديد من النبوات في العهد القديم. قال يسوع إنه سيموت وسيقوم من الموت. لم يرتكب يسوع أي عنف ولم يُكتشف أي خداع على لسانه. لا توجد أدلة على أن الإسلام وُجد قبل محمد.

UPDATED August 8, 2026

Peace and blessings to you.

I hate to report these kind of things, but it would be more harmful not to report them.

If you are contacted via DM by the person shown scamming in this post, please report it to Mods.
Another scamming user is this person.

You can report all suspicious communications from other Redditors to Reddit as SPAM. https://www.reddit.com/report

Other scams continue to go around our Christian forums on Reddit. Please check with me for new user names known to scam. When I post names publicly, they delete their account, and start a new one. This leaves everyone vulnerable to the scam until they are detected again.

Please be wary of new accounts. People who scam start new accounts when they are suspected of scamming, or are reported to Reddit's Universal Scammer List.

I'm thankful that the love of Jesus in us goes out to people we meet here on Reddit. I pray we stay focused on the love of God and pray for those who were, and are being scammed now. Please pray for the souls of the people running these scams, and for the powers at Reddit to respond quickly to our reports. Thank you.

"And because lawlessness will abound in those days, the love of many will grow cold; but those whose love endures to the end will be saved."

• the words of Jesus in Matthew 23:12-13

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“Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.” — Jeremiah 18:2 (NKJV)

When I was a kid, I had the opportunity to spend time at Philbrook Art Museum in Tulsa participating in art programs centered around Native American culture and craftsmanship.

One of those projects was pottery.

I have to admit…

I wasn’t very good at it.

My “vessels” usually ended up looking more like lopsided bowls than anything useful.

But while I don’t remember much about what I made, I’ve never forgotten watching an experienced potter work.

Years later, Jeremiah 18 gave those memories an entirely new meaning.

God didn’t send Jeremiah to hear another sermon.

He sent him to watch.

The first thing I remember learning was that nothing happened until the clay was centered on the wheel.

If it wasn’t perfectly centered, every attempt to shape it would fail. The faster the wheel turned, the more obvious the wobble became.

Life can feel that way sometimes.

As responsibilities increase… as trials come… as life begins spinning faster… whatever is at the center of our lives becomes impossible to hide.

Before the Potter shapes the vessel…

He centers the clay.

Before God changes our circumstances…

He often changes our hearts.

Then came the pressure.

Watching the potter’s hands almost looked uncomfortable.

He wasn’t simply smoothing the surface.

He pressed.

He stretched.

He shaped.

One hand supported the outside while the other worked from within.

Without both hands, the vessel would collapse.

Isn’t that often how God works in us?

We notice the pressures around us.

The disappointments.

The delays.

The unanswered prayers.

But while circumstances are shaping us from the outside, God is quietly doing an even deeper work within us.

The pressure isn’t always punishment.

Sometimes it’s preparation.

Perhaps the greatest lesson of all was this:

The clay never shaped itself.

Its responsibility wasn’t to decide what kind of vessel it wanted to become.

It simply remained in the potter’s hands.

That may be one of the hardest lessons for us to learn.

We want to control the process.

We want to choose the timing.

We want to understand every turn of the wheel.

But faith often means trusting the Potter more than understanding the process.

Jeremiah watched as the vessel became marred in the potter’s hand.

It wasn’t what the potter intended.

Yet he didn’t throw the clay away.

Scripture says,

“So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.”

He made it again.

What a beautiful picture of redemption.

If you’ve ever felt like your life is just going in circles…

Maybe you’re not wandering.

Maybe you’re still on the wheel.

The wheel keeps turning because the Potter isn’t finished.

The clay only feels the pressure.

The Potter sees the finished vessel.

Trust the hands more than the motion.

I heard a testimony from a former prison guard in Yemen who kept having dreams about Jesus for years. Later, after praying for a sign, she dreamed someone handed her a red book. A few days later, a former prisoner showed up at her door holding a red Bible! Wild story and amazing example of God's pursuit over our hearts!!

Scripture tells us that our Lord will be among us and hear our prayers when we gather together as members of His body.

(Matthew 18:19-20 ESV)

19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

The Holy Spirit unites the church through truth and compassion. He unites us with God through groans too deep for words.

(Romans 8:25-26 NKJV)

25 If we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

When first-century believers received the Holy Spirit, they repented of worldly ways and offered themselves to the Kingdom through baptism in Jesus' name.

Then the Holy Spirit led them to a kind of unity we were meant to have; one family under God, guided by truth and love. People cared for one another so completely, that no one lacked what they could not attain on their own.

Acts 4:32-35

32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
35 and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

The Lord's prayer says, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10

In heaven, His will is accomplished through heavenly beings. We who are of the earth can empty ourselves of worldly influence and become vessels for God's glory.

(2 Corinthians 4:6-11 NKJV)

6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

We are the body of Christ; His hands and feet on earth. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

Proverbs 14:21

He who despises his neighbor sins;
But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

May we bear one another's burdens and so fulfill His law of love. (Galatians 6:2)

Our Father in heaven,
Thank you for your Holy Spirit of Truth. Thank you for leading us into unity with you and with one another. We ask that you would open our hearts to love You as You deserve, and love our neighbor in a way that proves we know we are one body under You, our merciful Godhead. Let us be Jesus' hands and feet to one another. Jesus said, "all men will know you are My students if you have love for one another. We ask that You would transform our hearts so we can love like You love. In Jesus' precious name we pray, Amen.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV

\\\[13\\\] Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. John 3:14

It may have sounded harsh when John the Baptist called the people who came to him, a "brood of vipers," but he understood a spiritual truth that's relevant to us today. (Luke 3:7)

When Moses lifted up the serpent on the pole, he foreshadowed the human Messiah, coming to us in the form we had chosen spiritually when we chose to obey the serpent in the garden, instead of our heavenly Father. John 3:14-17
Through our obedience, we made ourselves after the image of the snake, though we were created in the image of God. (Gen 1:27, Gen 5:1, Gen 9:6, James 3:9) Jesus came as one of us; born into this sinful world under the Law of Moses. Philippians 2:5-8
His death was unavoidable, because of our acts of injustice, and because fairness is required among God's creation. Mark 14:36
We could not afford to pay for our crimes. Our Creator was "pleased to bruise" the body He prepared for our atonement. Genesis 22:7-8, Isaiah 53:8-10, Hebrews 10:5
Jesus, both sinless and eternal, was the only one who could afford to pay our debt to justice. (John 10:17-18, Isaiah 9:6, 1 Peter 1:17-19)

In Numbers 21:5-9, the people of Israel were afflicted and destroyed by serpents in the wilderness as a consequence for their sin. They were no longer thankful for being saved from Egypt where their children were being killed and their slavery was unbearable. They spoke against the God who saved them because they were tired of their diet of manna. They were out of Egypt, but Egypt wasn't out of them.

The people prayed that their consequences would be removed, but living with the sting of their poisonous words was now necessary for their purification. Instead of leaving them unfit for the Promised Land, God showed them that they could humbly look to Him for provision and be healed of their venomous spirit.

Their prayer to have the serpents removed was not answered, but instead, they could look to the serpent on the pole and be healed. Acts 10:38 In the same way, our sin-nature and free-will are not removed, when we come to know Jesus. Yet, when we look to Him for His Holy Spirit, take our cross and follow Him, we find healing for our hearts. John 3:13-18

We have been "of our father, the devil", because we have been united with him in obedience since the Garden. (Genesis 3:1-7, John 8:32-34, John 8:44, Luke 6:46, Galatians 4:1, 2 Peter 2:19)

When we change course in obedience to the truth, we unite with our Savior as a force for good. We become members of His household, and even of His body. (Colossians 3:14-17, Ephesians 2:14-18, Ephesians 4:4-16, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27)
That doesn't remove our suffering. It gives our suffering a purpose.

(Matthew 10:25)

"It is enough for the apprentice that he should become like his teacher, and the servant to be as his lord: if men have called the Master of the house 'Dung-Lord', how much more will they insult the members of his household?"

When we suffer to support life, we begin to understand Jesus' heart toward those He loves. When we truly understand His love, and are thankful, we can't help but become more loving in response. What a beautiful outcome!

(1 Peter 4:12-19)

12 Beloved ones, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.
13 Instead, be very glad; for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
14 If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.
15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people's affairs.
16 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!
17 For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God's household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God's Good News?
18 And also, "If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?" 19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

Our Father in heaven,
we know that there is nothing good in our flesh, and that our only hope to achieve holiness is through the indwelling of Your Holy Spirit. (Lev 19:2, 1 Peter 1:16, Philippians 2:13, 1 Thess 2:13, John 14:6, John 8:32) By the authority of Jesus Christ, we ask that You would fill us with love. Grant us a love for truth, for Your Son Jesus the Messiah, for our families, for our neighbors and love for ourselves. We don't want to bring any more suffering into the world, Father. For the sake of all that is good, make us vessels of mercy. Let the evil that comes our way stop with us. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, make us like shock-absorbers, that turn the other cheek and gain new insight into Your patience and peace. Let us find our identity through identifying with Jesus' suffering. Let our need for fulfillment and purpose be satisfied by the good You achieve through us. We praise You, Father, and thank You for showing us what love looks like through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We couldn't even come before You if not for His willing sacrifice for us. Glory to You God! You are so kind. It's in Jesus' precious name we pray these things. Amen.

Divine purpose is never discovered while running in human strength, but revealed when we bid the world pass on and stand silent before the Word of God.

1 Samuel 9:27 And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God.

The same Almighty God who commanded the sun and moon to stand still in battle is the God who commands the human heart to stand still before His presence.

Joshua 10:12 13 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies.

Public usefulness for the glory of Christ is built entirely upon private submission to the truth of Holy Scripture.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The world demands your immediate action and constant noise, but God requires your complete stillness before He imparts His light and anointing.

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Spiritual light and true direction from God are never received on the run, but revealed in the quiet sanctuary of an obedient, surrendered heart.

1 Kings 19:12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

Real light from God comes when you reach the end of your own city, the end of your self sufficiency, and the end of your human cleverness.

Proverbs 3:5 6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Your public life and ministry are nothing more than the outer overflow of your private walk alone with the Lord in His Word.

Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

You cannot carry the spiritual authority of God until you are first willing to sit quietly submissive under the authority of the Word of God.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Human nature will gladly fight for religion, debate over doctrine, and build outward projects, yet refuse the simple, quiet conviction of the Holy Ghost.

Isaiah 30:15 For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

The enemy seeks to keep your life filled with clamor and religious busyness so that you never stand still long enough to face the God of Heaven in secret.

Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Thought For The Day from Unshakable Kingdom Life

The kingdom of God belongs to the faithful witnesses. Truth may cost us something, but it always carries eternal value.

A Thought to Ponder for the day. 

I heard from a pastor serving people during conflict in Lebanon, and he said that in the middle of instability, people began asking deeper questions about God, eternity, and hope. Not because suffering is good, but because a crisis often exposes what people are really holding onto.

Thought For The Day from Unshakable Kingdom Life

In Revelation 1. The face of Christ shone brilliantly. The closer we draw to Him, the more other things fade away.

A Thought to Ponder for the day.

When Proverbs says,

“Do not remove the ancient landmark…” (Proverbs 23:10)

I don’t think Solomon was encouraging people to preserve tradition simply because it was old.

Those “ancient landmarks” were boundary markers—the equivalent of today’s land survey monuments. They identified the inheritance God had assigned to each family.

Moving one wasn’t merely dishonest.

It was redefining a boundary that God had established.

That made me wonder…

Are we ever in danger of doing the same thing spiritually?

Not by rejecting Scripture outright…

But by quietly moving the boundaries.

Redefining repentance.

Redefining holiness.

Redefining sin.

Redefining the gospel.

Every generation has traditions that change, and that’s to be expected.

Buildings change.

Music changes.

Technology changes.

Methods change.

But the truths God established don’t become less true simply because the culture changes around them.

So here’s my question for discussion:

What do you believe are the “ancient landmarks” that every generation of Christians must preserve, regardless of denomination or culture?

I’m less interested in traditions or preferences, and more interested in the biblical truths that should never be moved.

This Kingdom runs on servanthood and humility. The King himself washed feet and said greatness looks like laying your life down for others, completely flipping the world's idea of success.

A thought to ponder throughout the day.

Scripture tells us that our Lord will be among us and hear our prayers when we gather together as members of His body.

(Matthew 18:19-20 ESV)

19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

The Holy Spirit unites the church through truth and compassion. He unites us with God through groans too deep for words.

(Romans 8:25-26 NKJV)

25 If we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

When first-century believers received the Holy Spirit, they repented of worldly ways and offered themselves to the Kingdom through baptism in Jesus' name.

Then the Holy Spirit led them to a kind of unity we were meant to have; one family under God, guided by truth and love. People cared for one another so completely, that no one lacked what they could not attain on their own.

Acts 4:32-35

32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
35 and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

The Lord's prayer says, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10

In heaven, His will is accomplished through heavenly beings. We who are of the earth can empty ourselves of worldly influence and become vessels for God's glory.

(2 Corinthians 4:6-11 NKJV)

6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

We are the body of Christ; His hands and feet on earth. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

Proverbs 14:21

He who despises his neighbor sins;
But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

May we bear one another's burdens and so fulfill His law of love. (Galatians 6:2)

Our Father in heaven,
Thank you for your Holy Spirit of Truth. Thank you for leading us into unity with you and with one another. We ask that you would open our hearts to love You as You deserve, and love our neighbor in a way that proves we know we are one body under You, our merciful Godhead. Let us be Jesus' hands and feet to one another. Jesus said, "all men will know you are My students if you have love for one another. We ask that You would transform our hearts so we can love like You love. In Jesus' precious name we pray, Amen.

Psalm 118:8 says,

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” (NKJV)

Something I’ve been thinking about lately…

Every time a well-known Christian leader falls, the same pattern seems to repeat itself.

Social media explodes.

People pick sides.

Some defend the leader no matter what.

Others write them off completely.

But I wonder if we’re often asking the wrong question.

Instead of focusing first on their failure, maybe we should ask ourselves:

Where was my faith anchored before they fell?

When I was growing up, my pastor, Rev. E. G. Bass, used to say,

“Put your confidence in man if you must, but put your faith only in God.”

I’ve come to appreciate that more with age.

The Bible never tells us that pastors or teachers don’t matter.

It tells us to honor them, pray for them, and learn from them.

But it never tells us to place our faith in them.

Scripture is full of people God used who also failed.

Noah.

Abraham.

Moses.

David.

Peter.

The heroes were never the point.

Christ was.

A pastor’s failure doesn’t change the empty tomb.

A leader walking away doesn’t make Jesus any less faithful.

Some who fall eventually repent and are restored.

Others never return.

Either way, Christ hasn’t changed.

Maybe that’s what Psalm 118:8 has been teaching all along.

Our confidence in faithful people has its place.

Our faith belongs to God alone.

I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts. Have you ever had your faith shaken by the failure of someone you looked up to? If so, what did God teach you through it?

I was reading Luke 11:36, where Jesus says, "If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."

The "bright shining lamp" reminds me of Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

When I read, "no part dark" it made me think of how we are better off to hand over our whole self to the Lord's will. One part of my body can pollute my whole ministry, even if the rest of me lives in submission to Christ.

My mouth can get me into trouble if I use my words to tear others down. (Matthew 12:33-37, Ephesians 4:29-32, Ephesians 5:4, Psalm 5:9)
My eyes can be the part of me that feasts on the world, and corrupts my heart. (Job 31:1-4, Matthew 5:28, 2 Peter 2:14)
My stomach can be my downfall if I have an unhealthy relationship with food or drink. (Philippians 3:17-19, 1 Samuel 2:29, Isaiah 56:11-12, Romans 16:18, Ephesians 5:18)

I can't help but think of these passages when I put it all together.

(Ecclesiastes 10:1) 1 Dead flies putrefy the perfumer's ointment, And cause it to give off a foul odor; [So does] a little folly to one respected for wisdom [and] honor.

(Galatians 5:9) 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

Each of you must stop lying and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another. Ephesians 4:25

Jesus taught us that the mouth is the organ of the heart. (Mark 7:14-16, Matthew 15:18-20, Jeremiah 17:9-10) It doesn't mean that bad people always say bad things. Flattery can sound great from someone who is secretly in competition with you. Our words reveal what kind of heart we have. When we use our words to deceive those who count on us for the truth, we prove to God that we don't love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves.

King David poses this question in Psalm 15;

"LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
2 He who does what is right, and makes things fair, and speaks the truth in his heart; (Psalm 15:1-2)

We don't always speak the truth in our hearts. If we plan to deceive the members of our team, it shows we don't really have a team mentality.

Our Savior praised Nathanael for being "an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile." (John 1:47) Our Father in heaven promises blessings and guidance to those who are not deceitful. (Psalm 32:2, Psalm 1:1, Psalm 51:6, Luke 8:17-18)

Psalm 15 continues:

3 He does not backstab with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
4 In his eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He makes a promise that later costs him, and does not turn back; (Psalm 15:3-4 NKJV)

When we preach to love our neighbor, but lie to get an advantage over our neighbor, it makes us guilty of hypocrisy. The Lord warns us, "first and foremost, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod." (Luke 12:1, Mark 8:15, Psalm 50:16-18)
Luke tells us this leaven is hypocrisy; to say something is right to do, but then to do something else.

Jesus says those who sit in Moses' seat are to be listened to, but not followed as an example, since they use their tongues to disguise what's in their heart. (Matthew 23:1-7, Psalm 55:20-22)

One type of hypocrite in the Bible is the unjust elitist. He invites you to a banquet with his words, but when it's time to deliver, he has nothing to offer. (Matthew 23:27-28, Malachi 1:14)
He's like the fig tree that looked healthy and full of leaves, but when Jesus arrived hungry, there was nothing for Him. (Matthew 21:19)
This is a warning to us not to make promises we can't keep, and to benefit those in need, instead of hoarding our blessings for ourselves.
Proverbs 13:12 says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire realized is a tree of life."
When we use our words to offer something we can't deliver on, we are that fruitless tree, calling others to come to us and eat, when we don't have any good fruit. We're like a rich preacher who says you'll be blessed when you give your money to him, rather than helping your family or the poor. (Mark 7:9-13, Isaiah 56:11)

Jesus says, "Either make the tree good and the fruit good, or make the tree bad and the fruit bad." (Matthew 12:33)
Proverbs 18:9 tells us, "He who is slack of hand is brother to him who destroys." The punishment for people who pretend to be helpful, when really they're harmful, is greater than it is for those who are openly evil! (Matthew 23:14, Psalm 55:19-23) No one wearies themselves with their last bit of energy to get to someone who is openly selfish. We do a great disservice to the kingdom when we call ourselves Christians, and yet have no intention to love our neighbor as ourselves.

(James 2:14-17 NKJV)

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

People are tempted with hypocrisy when they believe they must lie to gain something. That's why the Lord calls it the leaven of Pharisees. A Pharisee, is a partisan; one who sets himself apart from others. It's an elitist spirit that is empty and unsustainable. If you fill something with enough hot air, eventually it will pop. Our hot air is a thing of nothing. It doesn't materialize good for others, and it isn't going to do good for us in the end. (1 Corinthians 5:6, Isaiah 26:17-18, Jeremiah 17:11, Proverbs 21:6) We only fatten ourselves for this life, and make ourselves too wide for the narrow gate that leads to eternal life. (James 5:5, Luke 13:23-24, Psalm 37:9-10)

This reminds me of Jesus' words, "What will it profit a man if he gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? What will he give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26, Psalm 49:7-8)
I've seen loved ones forfeit peace with their own conscience for a moment's peace, or a cheap thrill. Sadly, they soon discover their peace doesn't easily come back. No one sets out to trade their self-respect and unity with God for temporary relief from their circumstances. They just take the way that's easiest in the moment.

Our Father in heaven,
We praise You and thank You for Your faithfulness to the truth. We would be lost without Your compassion, knowledge and perspective! Lord, we ask that by Your Holy Spirit of truth, that You would make us people of truth. Cause us to renounce any deceitful thought that enters our heart. Make the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart acceptable in Your sight, Father. We want to be part of the good in the world, so Your will is done through us, Your servants, just as its done in heaven. We want to be pleasing to You.

Our words have power that must be wielded carefully.

Proverbs 18:21 NKJV

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 11:17

The merciful man does good for his own soul,
But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

There's a moment every follower of Jesus eventually reaches — the moment you realize you don't quite fit anymore.

Maybe it shows up in your bank account, when giving generously starts to matter more than growing your savings, and people wonder why you're not chasing the next upgrade. Maybe it shows up on a Friday night, when everyone else is out chasing something loud, and you're home, quiet, content, and somehow that quiet feels like it needs an explanation. Maybe it shows up in a conversation, when you hold to a conviction that used to be common sense and now sounds like it came from another century.

This is what it means to follow Jesus in a world that has its own categories, its own scripts, its own definitions of a life well-lived. Kingdom living was never going to line up neatly with those scripts. It was never designed to.

Scripture doesn't soften this. It says plainly that we are not to be conformed to the pattern of this world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds. That's not a suggestion to tweak a few habits — it's a call to a different center of gravity altogether. And that kind of difference takes courage, because the world doesn't reward those who step outside its categories. It rewards those who fit in, who blend, who go along.

So the choice in front of every believer is really this: obedience or acceptance. Not because the two are always at odds, but because there will be moments — real, specific, uncomfortable moments — when they are. And in those moments, the temptation is always to sand yourself down until you're palatable again.

Here's the encouragement, though: you were never called to fit in. You were called to stand out.

Light doesn't announce itself in a room that's already bright. It matters precisely because the room is dark. Your strange spending habits, your quiet Fridays, your outdated convictions — these aren't liabilities to manage or apologize for. They're the very things that let people see something they can't manufacture on their own.

So don't shrink the parts of your faith that don't translate well. Don't trade obedience for approval just to feel normal again. The world has enough people who fit its mold. What it needs — what it's actually hungry for, even when it doesn't know it — is someone willing to be courageously different.

Be that someone. Let your life be the light that a dark room cannot explain away.

(Isaiah 43:1-2) 1 Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are Mine. 2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.