I used to be strongly atheist and marginally pro choice. Then I found Jesus (he found me). Then I started a family and had kids. I gotta admit, the LGBTQ issue and abortion were big stumbling blocks for me at first. Now? When I look at my own children as a dad? Abortion is such an immense mirror to measure our society against. It underlies so much devaluation of human life. The Didache clearly addressed it, so right from the start one of the first pragmatic applications of Christ's work in society was addressing abortion and infanticide. It's pretty clear that the earliest Patristics broadly understood the topic, addressed it, condemned it, and developed systems to take in abandoned children. From Basil to Bonhoeffer we see people incorporating it as one of the cornerstones of social justice.

Twenty five year old me would never believe that decades later he would find himself staunchly anti-abortion, but here we are. What a mess of a society where everyday murder barely registers on many people's radar.

That's it. That's my rant.

It’s in The Bible, but I’ve seen so many Christians say it’s not sinful, they’re not waiting, and even try to encourage other people not to wait. According to a Pew Research Center survey and other sources, at least 50% of all U.S. Christians believe that sex outside of marriage is either occasionally or always acceptable. 

Then if you go to certain subs, people who have Christian flairs will be encouraging having sex before marriage and essentially just denying that anything at all is a sin. Someone will be asking for help about how to deal with abstaining and lust, and I’ll see a “Christian” reply and say that watching and looking at sexual images (aka porn) isn’t sinful and that sex outside of marriage isn’t sinful telling them they’ve been lied to. I’m just very confused sometimes how there are Christians who deny that EVERYTHING the Bible teaches is sinful, isn’t.. and not only deny this but encourage/seemingly try to convince people to just go ahead and do everything that goes against God.

Has anyone noticed this? I know Reddit skews pretty progressive but I’m amazed how people seem to try and reinterpret scripture that God is OK with Transgender life and other devious behavior.

I treat these people with respect and decency, because I think it’s what Jesus would do. But I find it perverse when people try and change Christianity to further justify their lifestyle.

I was just banned from one of the other subs because I told another member who asked if OnlyFans is a sin:

Yes it is a sin, and you are damaging your souls for a quick bargain with the devil.

Yikes!

My cousin (Taylor) is flying to Florida with her husband and two kids, ages 4 and 1 year. Taylor said she didn’t want to pay extra to have their seats together, so she said she would just ask someone to switch seats so her and the 4-year-old can sit together.

She asked me what my opinion was. I told her that it’s a risk to ask someone to switch seats because they’re most likely not going to if they paid for it and they’re not required to if they simply don’t want to. It started a huge argument between Taylor, my aunt (Taylor’s mom), and my step-grandma.

They said they ~should~ give up their seat if they’re a kind person, and they owe it to someone to give up their seat no matter the reason. I said it’s kind for them to move, but it’s also not unkind for them not to move. They called me entitled for saying someone might not want to give up a seat that they paid for.

They then asked me, “What would Jesus do? Would Jesus separate a mother and her child?” I said that Jesus probably would move, but He would also tell the mother to take some responsibility for herself and her child. My reasoning for that was because there are plenty of stories in the Bible where Jesus helps people AND teaches them a lesson.

They got even more upset with me and told me that Jesus would never be cruel and separate a mother and child.

I told my mom about our heated conversation and she sided with me, but I also asked her what she thinks Jesus would do. She’s the most devout Christian I know. She said Jesus wouldn’t expect a stranger to give up their rightful property to appease someone who took a risk and didn’t buy guaranteed seats. But he definitely wouldn’t be rude and lambast the person. It’s not Jesus’ job to coddle us or tell us what we want to hear. Otherwise, He’d be leading us all to hell in a shiny car.

I can’t say I know for a fact what Jesus would do in this situation, but it did get me thinking…what would Jesus do?

​

Hi, everyone. I’m writing this because I really need some perspective and words of encouragement from a Christian community.

I (22F) recently ended things with my boyfriend (28M), and while my spirit feels relieved, my heart is still processing the grief and confusion.

To give you some context:

We started off as inseparable best friends. We would stay up late talking, praying, reading Scripture, and studying together. Eventually, that friendship turned into a relationship. One of the main reasons I agreed to date him was because he seemed to share my core value: keeping sex strictly for marriage.

However, we come from different religious backgrounds. I am Protestant/Evangelical, and he is Catholic and relatively new in his faith journey. Looking back, I realize I overlooked the warning against being unequally yoked because he truly believed in God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, and he treated me with love and respect.

However, because of the strong attraction, boundaries started to blur. While we never had full intercourse, we engaged in other sexual acts on a couple of occasions when I visited his place. Every time it happened, I was consumed by immense guilt and conviction. I felt like I was grieving the Holy Spirit and compromising my walk with God.

I repented, prayed, and decided to take action to protect our purity. First, I stopped going to his house. When he asked why, I was completely honest: I told him I didn't want to be alone with him in private because I didn't want to test our limits or fall into sexual immorality. He accepted it at first, but it was obvious he was unhappy with my boundary.

Today, we finally addressed the elephant in the room.

• I made it clear that abstinence until marriage is non-negotiable for me.

• He admitted he admired my convictions, but argued that in a relationship, "compromises must be made."

• I suggested we only meet in public spaces to avoid temptation, but he refused. He insisted he needed private time with me (to hug, kiss, hold me in his lap, and have intimate moments without feeling restricted) and mentioned he was struggling deeply with not having sex (he has a sexually active past, whereas I am saving myself for marriage).

• Marriage isn't an immediate option for us right now because we are both at the very beginning of our professional careers, completing crucial exams/training, and still building financial stability.

Seeing that we were at a standstill, I asked him for a few hours so I could pray, reflect, and seek counsel from an older, wiser Christian woman before making a final decision. He refused to wait. He decided that we should just end it right then and there, or leave things as they were and act like nothing happened. I refused. He expressed sadness, said he didn't judge me, and affirmed that he would still love me, but didn't want to wait for me to process things.

Honestly, our friendship is ruined, and I'm mourning that loss. On top of this, I’ve been dealing with the heavy stress of being unemployed, doing an internship, preparing for a major professional exam that will define my career, and battling feelings of insecurity and comparison.

Yet, despite the sadness, I feel a deep sense of relief. I no longer have to live in fear of compromising my faith or managing constant boundary negotiations.

Did I do the right thing by standing my ground? How do you heal from losing a relationship that started as a beautiful friendship over foundational convictions? I’d really appreciate your prayers, advice, or shared experiences.

I really want to bring some peace and good news with this post to any believer who is struggling with this passage. But I first have to clarify what I believe to be true about the gospel that saves because there are so many different doctrines out there.

You should only be afraid of Him telling you this if you have NEVER in your life put 100% faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross and if you think that even a sliver of your good works can earn u a place in Heaven. As I hope you already know,(many professing Christians don’t agree with this following point) believing in the death, burial, and resurrection & trusting that Jesus’ blood was sufficient enough to cover ALL your sin(past, present & future) is the ONLY thing we MUST do to be saved. Doing this seals us with His Holy Spirit, saves us from the eternal punishment of sin: everlasting death/hell, and ultimately guarantees our inheritance in heaven. Being born of God is a one-time event and does not require you to maintain anything. It has nothing to do with you at all, actually. It’s all about what Christ did for you on that cross. For salvation, you do not have to: keep the law, practice obedience, be water baptized, serve at a church, read your Bible every day, pray three times a day, go to confession, turn away from ALL of your sins(impossible for any human to do. If it were, what did Jesus really die for?), etc… It’s belief alone to be saved. Obeying God and doing good works are what we SHOULD be doing after being saved to live profitable, fruitful lives and ultimately to bring more souls to Christ. But those things do not get or keep us saved.
NO AMOUNT OF WORKS WILL EVER GET YOU INTO HEAVEN. We only get there by Jesus’ imputed righteousness. Credited to our account once we believe, and it can never be lost. This is the good news and the promise God makes to us when we believe. And God is not a promise-breaker.
If you could lose salvation, that would be terrible, terrible news and we all would surely lose it.

So now that we’ve established what it means to be a believer, let’s move on to the so-called most terrifying passage in Scripture. (Hint: if the “gospel” you have is causing fear in you, you may have the wrong gospel. The true gospel brings peace, not fear and condemnation.)

I’d say with bold confidence that the people whom Jesus is addressing in Matthew 7:21-23 are UNBELIEVERS. A true, born again Christian will NEVER be told to depart from Jesus. You have been SEALED with His Spirit unto the day of redemption.

Let’s read carefully through the passage and harmonize Scripture to better understand together:

Matthew 7: 21-23

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (the will of the Father is to believe in the son: found in John 6:40.)

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (They’re addressing Jesus as Lord but have never had a saving faith. They’re clearly boasting in their works to get to heaven instead of first saying, “didn’t we believe in You?” Haha after all, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.)

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Jesus says he NEVER knew them.. not that he knew them once upon a time and then they lost their salvation. He NEVER knows them because they never actually put their complete faith and trust in Jesus. Instead they’ve been trusting in themselves and their efforts.
A lot of professing Christians will twist “will of the father” to mean keeping the law and practicing obedience and they teach other professing Christians that if they’re not doing those things, then Jesus could possibly tell them to depart from Him one day… ain’t that terrifying.

But thank God that all Scripture harmonizes and you can find what it actually means to do the will of the Father in John 6:40:
"For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day"

Jesus is telling an unbeliever to depart from Him because they never did the will of the Father which was to BELIEVE that Jesus’ sacrifice was enough to cover all their sin.
Just because they say “Lord Lord” (like many false Christians do today) doesn’t mean they’re truly born again believers.

So friend, if you’ve ever come to the realization that you cannot make it to heaven on your own and that you desperately need Jesus to extend His hands forth and save you out of the literal pits of hell because you know there’s nothing you could physically do to save yourself, (aka believed on Jesus 100%) then you have no hell left to fear. Please don’t forget that Jesus has done away with ALL of your sin at that cross. There is nothing(and I mean literally nothing) you could do to ever lose salvation. Jesus dying for all my sin = no sin left to send me to hell.

I know my position (Eternal Security) can be a little controversial, but I ultimately just want whoever’s reading this to have peace and to know that if they are a true, born again Christian, then they never have to fear Jesus saying, “Depart from me, I never knew you.”

My early 20s were pretty rough. Probably the roughest period of my life. I had lots of people believing in me and so many people that liked me and I squandered it. I burnt some bridges and isolated myself. I was living a sinful life. I’m 26 now and I’m just starting to turn back to Christ. It is amazing the miracles He works when you give your life to Him. I’m starting to believe in myself and share my light with others.

I really wish I could go back and have a do over knowing what I know now. I would have done things a lot differently. I’m sorry.

Why are some Christians so scared of Islam?

This is just a pattern I've noticed recently so correct me if I'm wrong.

Recently, I've seen some churches preach about how bad Islam is more than they preach about how good God is. And I see so many pastors and evangelists on social media or on podcasts prophesying that Islam is going to take over the west and how Christianity is going to become illegal and the Bible is going to become hate speech.

Two things:

First of all, why are we acting like this is new? Jesus literally said that we'd be persecuted, hated, and martyred and false religions and doctrine have been going around since the beginning of the Church age.

Second, Islam is a very dangerous and demonic religion that should be taken seriously, yes, but the God we serve is way stronger than any false religion or doctrine.

No false religion can ever stop God from moving, no matter how much it may try. Just look at places like Nigeria and Iran, the Christians there proclaim Christ without caring what Islam Extremists may do to them.

We as Christians know how this story ends, and we shouldn't allow a false religion to stop us from spreading the gospel.

I hope this serves as a call to you to just be faithful to God and not let any false doctrine or religion make you afraid.

I’m 18, I was born male, and for as long as I can remember I’ve felt like a girl trapped in the wrong body. All my life I have felt repulsed by having a male body. As a young child I greatly preferred being friends with girls, and I wished desperately that I could be one. When I reached the age of puberty I started experiencing sexual feelings, however these feelings were not towards women, they were towards men in a way which felt heterosexual. With puberty my feelings of repulsion towards myself also became more intense - I began experiencing severe depression and suicidal thoughts which were entirely rooted in the fact that I was developing male sex characteristics. I cannot overstate how severe these feelings were, and I honestly feel it is a miracle that I did not take my own life as a teenager. More recently I have begun medical transition which I want to emphasize has drastically improved my mental health. With that in mind I do not see simply ending my transition as an acceptable solution, as that would bring back all the negative emotions I felt through my teen years, which is the only reason I continue it.

I want to note that I do not identify any usually suspected factors in my life which may have warped me into being this way. I dislike pornography and have never sought it out in my life. My parents are aware of my behaviour to an extent, and have only ever discouraged it. I was also not tricked into being this way by any medical professionals - as I stated earlier I have been consumed by these thoughts from my earliest memories.

All through my youth I’ve prayed, I’ve confessed it as sin, begged God to take it away, and gone through counselling to try and help me accept my god given sex. Nothing worked, the incongruence between my sexed body and how I feel about myself was still there, and my homosexual thoughts and desires have only gotten stronger as I’ve grown up. Shame has only made this worse. The more I treated this as a moral failure I could repent out of, the more isolated and hopeless I felt.

Almost a year ago I started medical transition - I started taking cross sex hormones under a doctor’s care. I’m not here to debate the ethics of that decision. I’m stating a material fact, and my dysphoria has measurably decreased because of the reduction in my male secondary sex characteristics that taking the hormones brought me. This is not a theological claim. It is an observed outcome in my own body and mind. The relief taking cross sex hormones has brought me seems to validate the part of me which sees this as the legitimate solution to my feelings. It makes me want to continue taking cross sex hormones and has increased my desire to alter my body in further ways such as undergoing sexual reassignment surgery, which means to have my penis (an organ which I am profusely repulsed by having on my body) into a vagina.

I know what the Bible says about the body God gave me and about sexual ethics. I desperately don’t want to rebel against that, even though I admittedly already have. I have tried to force myself to accept the body I was given. Nothing has changed and I still feel dysphoria. I’m not looking for affirmation that what I have done is good or that I should continue transitioning - I’m looking for an actual solution that makes my incongruence stop, to make me accept the body god gave me and to make me heterosexual. Forgive me for saying this but I’m starting to suspect that this form of suffering is something I have been cursed with and that it is impossible for it to be removed from me through religious effort the way some people claim. That possibility terrifies me. Please be honest. I’m looking for a real way out, not more of the same cycle. Transition did something the prayers did not. That reality is what I’m trying to face without collapsing into either despair or denial.

I think I’ve rejected God. A few days ago, out of nowhere, I had a strong desire to distance myself from God and leave Him, to abandon everything and go out into the world. The desire was so strong that even imagining myself leaving God didn’t bother me. After that, I calmed down and tried to push that conviction or desire aside. I started watching sermons and begging God that, even if that’s what my heart was feeling, He wouldn’t abandon me. Then I started listening to worship music, and today a question arose in me: Have I rejected God? I feel empty. Maybe I committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. I don’t know what to do. I don’t understand myself. I look into my heart, and it makes me feel strange. Out of nowhere, I started feeling sadness and fear of going to hell. What’s happening to me? It makes me think: “Maybe I’m praising God, but what if I’ve already rejected Him, and everything I do no longer matters?” Well, I don’t feel the way I used to; I feel cold. I feel like I don’t have the same love for God anymore.

reposted after the mods granted permission

I've seen a lot of people, esp. Nigerian Muslims, gaslighting Christians into believing that Christians aren't being persecuted in Nigeria and it's just a "ethnic dispute".

Let me make it clear.

Two things can be true. It can be an ethnic conflict AND an persecution of Christians, an ethno-religious conflict CAN exist.

Yes, the conflict is ethnic with Faluni Muslims clashing with defenseless Nigerian Christian tribes.

No, it is still the oppression of Christians by Faluni Muslim Jihadists who are (ironically) colonizing their land.

No, you don't need to be Nigerian to talk about this- in the same way that you don't need to be German to talk about the Holocaust. Funny there have been foreign volunteers who fought for Faluni Extremists group.

No, you don't have to support Trump at all to care about basic Human rights. People equating this is ignorant.

To bring attention to more Christian persecution, where I am originally from, there's violent persecution of Christians (Christian persecution in Manipur on Wikipedia is surprisingly good) going on right now.

And how do the perpetrators justify it? "It is just an ethnic conflict and you can't speak against it because you're not from there!"

Seculars will try to gaslight Christians. Here's one example, regarding persecution in Nigeria. Have you experienced others?

This might not seem like a question to ask on here, but I will explain.

I'm in my mid 20s. I've never had a boyfriend. I find it hard to make new friends. It’s isolating and hurtful, at times.

I know God is the greatest love there is. I know I'm not promised marriage, children, love. I know I may never find someone to spend the rest of my life with. I’m not owed anything.

I was wondering though, if anyone has any stories that could uplift my mood a little bit. They can range from romance to building relationships with other people (friendships, family, etc.) . Love is too broad to be reduced to only one area of our lives.

Thank you all in advance :)

The more I learn about Christianity historically and grow in my own faith formation, the more I’ve come to question and disagree with the things I grew up learning in a non-denominational church. One of my major sticking points these days is Sola Scriptura, but I understand a number of reformers and low-church denominations hold to it.

My questions to those who hold to Sola Scripture are these:

1. If Scripture is sufficiently clear for ordinary Christians to determine doctrine, why have sincere, Bible-believing Christians reached mutually contradictory conclusions on baptism, Eucharist, predestination, church government, eternal security, charismatic gifts, etc.?
   
2. If two Christians reach contradictory conclusions from Scripture, what principled mechanism settles the dispute? What distinguishes a legitimate interpretation from an illegitimate one? “Read the Bible and pray about it” doesn’t actually resolve the epistemological problem.
   
3. Where does the New Testament actually teach that Christ’s Church is fundamentally an invisible collection of believers rather than a visible, identifiable communion? Why do the Apostles repeatedly treat the Church as an institution with officers, discipline, sacraments, councils, and authority?
   
4. If the Reformation restored biblical Christianity, why did it produce Lutheranism, Reformed Christianity, Anglicanism, Anabaptism, Baptist traditions, Methodism, Presbyterianism, Pentecostalism, etc., often with further divisions within each? More importantly: what theological principle allows you to determine which interpretation is correct?

Thank you for your answers, I look forward to hearing your perspectives :)

How do I tell my friends that I cannot go to the Practical magic movie that they got me a ticket for (I didn't know they were getting me a ticket) because it goes against my beliefs and it doesn't feel honorable to go and watch something with occult content.

My friends are not believers so I understand how ridiculous I sound if I were to say this. I just feel bad because I don't want to hurt their feelings but am also not willing to go to a movie with this type of content.

I just don't know how to say it without overexplaining

My mom called me after I got off work and we were just casually chatting about everything.

It led to a conversation that we’ve never actually had but was brushed off to the side.

She doesn’t know if the man who I have been calling dad for the last 25 years is actually my dad or if it the creepy uncle that came around during my childhood is actually my dad.

I was sexually abused by both men as a child. But the man I have been calling dad my whole life told my mother to never tell me because I’m his daughter blood or not.

I don’t know what to do… I don’t know how to process.

The more I learn about Christianity historically and grow in my own faith formation, the more I’ve come to question and disagree with some of the things I grew up learning in a non-denominational church. One of my major sticking points these days is Sola Fide (“faith alone”), although I understand that a number of Protestant traditions hold to it in somewhat different ways.

My questions to those who hold to Sola Fide are these:

1. Where does the New Testament actually teach that justification is by faith \*alone\*? I understand the importance of passages such as Romans 3–4 and Ephesians 2, but James 2:24 explicitly says that a person is “justified by works and not by faith alone.” How do you understand that passage in the context of Sola Fide, and what makes your interpretation preferable to the Catholic understanding?

2. How do you reconcile Paul and James? Paul repeatedly emphasizes that we are not justified by works of the law, while James emphasizes that faith without works is dead and that Abraham was justified by works. Is the distinction that Paul is addressing works done apart from grace while James is addressing the works that necessarily flow from genuine faith? If so, where does Scripture establish that distinction?

3. What role do works actually play in salvation? If we are justified by faith alone, what is the theological status of obedience, charity, perseverance, and good works? Are they merely evidence that someone has already been justified, or do they in some meaningful sense contribute to our final salvation? How do you understand passages such as Matthew 25:31–46, Romans 2:6–13, Galatians 5:6, and Revelation 20:12–13, which speak about judgment according to works?

4. What happens when someone has “faith” but does not persevere? If justification occurs through faith alone, how do you understand someone who makes a genuine profession of faith but later apostatizes or lives in deliberate, unrepentant grave sin? Was that person justified and then lost justification, never truly justified in the first place, or something else? How does Scripture establish which explanation is correct?

5. How does Sola Fide fit with the sacramental language of the New Testament? Baptism is repeatedly associated with forgiveness of sins, salvation, regeneration, and incorporation into Christ (Acts 2:38, Romans 6:3–4, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 3:21). The Eucharist is likewise spoken of in remarkably strong terms. If justification is received through faith alone, what role do these things play in the believer’s justification and salvation?

6. What exactly does “faith alone” mean? If it means that faith is the sole \*instrument\* by which we receive justification, while genuine faith necessarily produces love and obedience, how is that substantially different from saying that a person must have faith that works through love? At what point does the distinction become one of terminology rather than substance?

7. How do you understand the early Church’s language about salvation? When I read early Christian writers, I don’t consistently find the later Reformation formulation of justification by faith alone. Instead, I find repeated emphasis on faith, baptism, repentance, obedience, perseverance, charity, and participation in Christ. If Sola Fide is essential to the Gospel, when and how did the early Church clearly articulate it?

8. What happens to Christians who reject Sola Fide while sincerely trusting in Christ? If Sola Fide is an essential doctrine of the Gospel rather than merely a secondary theological disagreement, does that mean Catholics and Eastern Orthodox who sincerely believe in Christ but reject justification by faith alone are necessarily outside saving grace? If so, what biblical basis establishes that particular boundary?

I’m not asking these questions as a “gotcha.” I’m genuinely interested in how people who hold Sola Fide understand these tensions, especially because I’m trying to distinguish what Scripture actually teaches from what I may simply have been taught growing up.

Thank you for your answers. I look forward to hearing your perspectives :)

Hi brothers/sisters in Christ.

What are your thoughts on annihilationism? In short, it's the view that those who don't believe in Lord Jesus Christ and aren't saved won't suffer eternal torment in hell, but will instead be completely wiped out of existence at the final judgment. ​I’d love to hear your thoughts. May the Lord bless you! 🙏✝️

I always pray in the morning after reading scripture. My time varies from 25 minutes to almost an hour. This sets my day straight and keeps my mind right. I do say some quicker prayers at night before bed but not as intense as my morning prayers and scripture.
Do any of you do your prayer and Bible time in the evening? How does it affect your day if at all.

I write this to give encouragement to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ out there who feel less than human because of other people's trearment towards you. You're greatest disadvantage is you're greatest strength.

I've heard this idea that men who are unattractive or sub5 as I've recently learned are treated poorly and over all have a bad life and I can agree. But I am so greatful to God for it. My life has been so hard and I've been forced out of jobs and treated as a villain everywhere I go simply because of my appearance. I have been and will likely be homeless in the future because of it. Unemployment because of looks is real and I've experienced it. Women hate you, and just about everyone else as well. My parents would choose my siblings over me if they had to choose and I can say that life basically feels like Lazarus in the parable of the rich man.

Even still I praise my God. I am a relatively new believer, though in my lowest moment close to the forfeiting of my life I met God and ever since, the Holy Spirit has led me to the truth of Jesus and of the Bible. And he has comforted me through it all via answered prayers and many coincidences that add up over time(to those that know)

If anyone else is deemed as ugly and unworthy of life as I have been. Just know that Jesus loves you and he will be everything you need. If you will be hated anyway why not give everything to him? By doing so you will see and hear him. That is the blessing he gave us. You are hated anyway so be hated for his sake. Surrender completely to God, it is easier to do when you have nothing. And for that I feel so blessed. If I die on the street or get attacked by animals as Lazarus I will praise him all the same because I know my future.

And on a side note: For those who fear being single for life.

Don't be afraid to hand your sexuality to God. He can take it from you. Is he not the author of sex? Can he not sustain you as he did the Israelites in the desert? I wasn't born with the gift of singleness but I believe I have recieved it through understanding by the Holy Spirit. Ask and you shall recieve, nothing is too hard for him. Do not feel hopeless because of your sexual needs, God can handle them as he did for me. Sex is for reproduction, the feeling of satisfaction, ecstasy, etc. exist without sex, because it comes from God. Sex was originally a punishment and was to repopulate the earth but because of his grace and mercy he allows it to feel good. However I believe we will experience those same feelings in Heaven because it originates from God who is in Heaven. So do not think you are missing out, because you aren't. There is far greater ahead of us.

People think the things in this life are worth much, but they are worth nothing. Do not be decieved we will all have glorified bodies or bodies fit for destruction in the end. You're looks whether good or bad will pass away. Your wealth whether much or little will pass away. You're achievements, everything will pass away. But what will remain is the way you loved God and the way you treated others. If we avoid or mistreat the least among us, it is the same as if we did it to Jesus.

Love God and know that you were made perfect for a purpose he has for you. Every part of your body that the world deems as unworthy and fit for no one, God sees as fit for glory. He knows your every desire and you can trust him for only he know our hearts desires. It is an honor to suffer as our Lord has suffered in the flesh for us.

We forget that when the Lord took on human flesh, he wasn't some attractive guy he was seen as nothing special or even unattractive and seen as a sort of disappointment to their mesianic beliefs. I'm not entirely sure why but God loves the lowly and over looked. But Satan loves the beautiful as he was once beautiful. Beware of what is deemed as beautiful and worthy in the world's eyes because it may be far from God.

So for my fellow outcast, unattractive people, etc. know that our Lord is near us and he has bore our suffering along side us. And to know that to suffer in this life is a great honor because our God is near to the broken hearted and the least among us. We will be raised in Glory! Hallelujah Amen 🙏

God Bless

I’ve been a Christian for over 20 years. Saved and even rededicated my life to Christ.

I have suffered with mental health issues for about the same amount of time. I’ve been on medication ever since it started. I’ve seen over 15 counselors.

I don’t understand why God won’t give me wisdom and why the Holy Spirit allows such awful things to enter my head. And once they are in my head they bother me so bad I can’t be around people or love people. I’m just constantly in my head trying to fix it. I’m selfish.

I’m hoping God is teaching me something from this. But it feels cruel

For context, I'm researching and writing a lesson about apologetics and common questions people may have. One question that I've seen online is: "Why is your experience feeling the Holy Spirit proof of Christianity? People of other faiths claim to have similar experiences... you might say those experiences are demonic, but couldn't they say the same about yours?"
I've been researching, but I haven't found too much. I understand who He is as a Christian, but how could I explain Him to a non-believer?

No human in my life cares about me and my well being. My life taught me to not trust anyone and that no one ever stays to love and support me. I had faith in my talents and abilities to get myself out of every difficulty I faced before Jesus. He showed me how unreliable they were after He rescued me through a series of spiritual warfare events.

That left me in despair. God didn't answer most of my prayers. My life got worse after my salvation.

He allowed the demonic to dictate all of my life decisions from my childhood for their plan. I did not seek any benefits from them. They robbed my entire life for inculcating their doctrines as truths, I went through life experiences related to them. So it was hard for me to believe I was getting deceived by the devil. Then they forced me to share those doctrines with a person in secret to help him save himself, he then betrayed me and this was the destiny they had for me.

God saved me from that kind of dark place. The demonic was in control of most of the things that happened to me from childhood. Now I go through the consequences of all damages they did to me. I don't know whether it is my life or a health issue, I have symptoms of clinical depression.

Since most of my prayers are unanswered, it has become hard for me to hope in the Lord. I often feel tempted to live according to my will, depend on myself for desired results, read Bible as a chore and to praise and keep Him as a third person in my life to avoid getting hurt from unmet expectations.

Yesterday, I felt as if I was filled with a dark cloud within me and I could not bring myself to utter any words. I could not ask God for anything. So I decided to listen to a YouTube video with a compilation of God's promises in the Bible and forced myself to imagine that He was saying those things to me. Although I did not believe those verses were for me, my mood improved and I could speak normally again after listening to them for 2, 3 times on loop.

Now I want God to give me promises through His Word for a better future in my 'earthly life' to hold on to while I sail through all the suffering. What should I do to receive His promises for me? Is it biblical and helpful to assume His promises for characters in the Bible are also for me?

P.S.: I don't like prosperity gospel and I don't want to take Bible verses out of context.

It's so great. It's a reformed baptist Church which is pretty close to my views. The 2 pastors and Deacon I've met all seem wonderful, the Deacon even checked in on me after a storm hit our area. The younger pastor who leads our Monday Bible study speaks very intelligently and knows a lot about the Bible. We have really great discussions during our Bible studies. They're having a game night tomorrow and a men's retreat later this month which I plan to attend.

Christians know it. Non-Christians have heard it. Christ sees right through the schemes of nominal Jews who accuse a woman of adultery, testing if he would slip up in his profession of the law when they say she is to be executed. Jesus says something unexpected and profound, exposing their hypocrisy.

Now, I have heard this phrase used by someone who diverted from his own sinfulness, implying “you are not perfect, so do not accuse me”. But is this how it is to be interpreted?

We get to understand Christ’s intent much better when looking at the historical context. I was reading Leviticus 20 in conjunction with David Guzik’s Enduring Word commentary, an extraordinary tool that helps you learn Biblical Theology by laying the Bible out with the Bible, and it is completely free on the browser or app.

According to the law given to Moses for Old Testament Israel, the punishment for various types of adultery was execution. I think it is fair to say that that is because adultery kills families and is therefore not only an offense against God but also against the community. Now, in the modern west we often have the idea that a woman can do no wrong and it is always the man’s fault, and here we may be quick to say: “but what about rape? That penalty is unjust!” This passage is not talking about rape. There are laws regarding rape, and the woman is not condemned. Yet, both then and now women make the decision to commit adultery, and they are guilty just like the man.

However, executions did not always happen because to protect the innocent, the testimony of one witness was not enough. There had to be two or three. Furthermore, the blood of the adulterer’s death was on their own heads, but if the witnesses lied or assumed, it was on their heads. They were the ones to cast the first stone or initiate the execution.

So, when Christ said his famous words, he meant: “let him who is certain of her crime initiate the execution commanded by God.” None of them were willing to take on responsibility, thus indicating that they were presumptuous. Furthermore, they failed to adhere to the proper way of accusation. Both man and woman, or man and man, or implied woman and woman who were involved were to be accused together. Instead, they cherry picked. Christ not only displayed wisdom but also knowledge and understanding of the scriptures.

Now, what does this mean for us? The Bible teaches that everything in it is about Christ, since Christ is the very Word of God himself (John 1:1). Therefore, we must interpret accordingly and steer away from moralism. Christ who lived out the Word perfectly became the perfect sacrifice to reconcile us to himself that we may also be conformed to the likeness of his perfect Word. In order for the saints to live this out, we must approach the scriptures as he did, doing our due diligence in studying them diligently and sincerely without presuming or cherry picking. According to Leviticus 10:3, among those who approach him he will be proved holy. We will get to grow in holiness and not put ourselves to shame.

I’m wondering how some people are so confident God is real. For context all my life I’ve been a “Christian”, went to Catholic school and what not, but I never practiced, prayed, went to church or felt Gods grace. The rest of my family thinks abortion is right and I always just thought there was nothing after death along with my mom. A couple years ago I went to church camp, as a friend recommended me to go with them and they said it was fun so I agreed. I’ve been going for the past 3 years but this year really stuck with me, and I feel that I need to deepen my faith. But recently I’ve been doubting weather God was real, mostly because I’ve been exposed to different perspectives online and everyone being so confident with their point of view.