#christian things

[rosegoldthorns]

Society: gets obsessed with fictional movies and characters to the point of idolization.

Christians: Creates bomb TV shows that people can obsess about which are about God so people are hyper fixating on Jesus

[godslove]

[living-for-jesus-and-telenovelas]

From Fear to Courage Have you ever had questions or doubts that you felt you had to figure out on your own?  Sometimes, we’re embarrassed to ask our questions because we think we should already know the answers. But Jesus invites us to bring all of our doubts, fears, and questions to Him.  In John 3, we see Nicodemus, a respected, religious man of influence, come to Jesus privately one night to ask him some questions. Many people think Nicodemus came to Jesus at night because he was afraid the other Pharisees, who were always looking for ways to get rid of Jesus, would see Nicodemus and judge him.  As a Pharisee, Nicodemus had spent his entire life studying Scripture. But he still didn’t have all of the answers. Instead of relying on his own abilities and knowledge, Nicodemus set aside his pride and status and went to Jesus.   While Nicodemus may have been afraid of the Pharisees’ judgment, Jesus didn’t judge him. He welcomed Nicodemus’ questions and answered him with the truth.  In Jesus’ response to Nicodemus, He says this: “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”  Jesus is saying that whoever lives by the truth and follows Him, lives in the light. Those who don’t live like Jesus, run away from the light and live in darkness.  Nicodemus approached Jesus at night out of fear of what others might think. But Jesus challenged him to live in the light and follow Him. This encounter with Jesus changed Nicodemus’ life. He no longer followed Jesus in the shadows. In John 7, he defended Jesus to the other Pharisees, and in John 19, he was there to bury Jesus’ body. Just like Nicodemus, when we choose to walk with Jesus, we move from darkness to light and from fear to courage. And when we come to Jesus, He meets us where we are and guides us toward His truth.

[officeobject]

Rant I ended up making, as a Christian ... about my own religion ... lmao.

Also, I seem to have a weird approach to Christianity - like, I can't take my religion too seriously or I'll get nervous or something, so I'm just being casual about it - seeing God as some weird magical sky thing that is nice and all and a friend and all, but also authority, and also, is it really fair to say that one must love him above all? Loveless people exist! And even if one CAN love him, STILL (+ aplatonic and afamilial people exist, so there goes THOSE two options) - and like, what do you MEAN I have to love God above all? I have to compare the love of a mysterious magical entity, to my human friends, in order to then love God more?! Like, excuse me, but nah, God ain't a parental figure to me, HE'S A GOD - he's a friend if I choose it (which I do), but you can't just be like "oh, do you love your friends or God more?" - like, normal friend-wise? Human friends. God-wise? God, duh! And like, why must I be super serious? I don't really think it encourages happiness, to be like "you gotta be super serious about this thing you also are never gonna be able to fully comprehend and forgive everyone and be grateful all of the time and also follow the most vague book written 927196382 years ago down by biased people and also you gotta always be kind and tolerant of everything, and also this is your dad now but also has authority over you but also your best friend but also relatable and hip with the kids" - like, nah, I'm more like "oh Lord ... what the feck are you doing now - OH MY GOD, NO - BITCH DON'T YOU DARE - oh things worked out, nevermind, sorry, you're, like, the one who knows stuff ... oops ..." and yes I'm grateful and all, but holy shit, my personality just doesn't fit in with the typical, like, looks of religion and stuff - like I have 2 options, either be kind and horrified, or just be myself, and I prefer to look up to the sky and complain or be grateful like a Sims 2 character who popped into life out of nowhere.

[vivianne-betty]

I was reading the Word today on Psalms 37, and first part of verse 7 says, be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

Exodus 14:13 says, ‭the Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

And also Psalms 46:10 says again, be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

But me, I do anything but be still. I fret. And I worry.

When the mountains and hills in front of me don't fall away, when the valley begins to look a little bit too deep, or when the raging storms seem to have an eternity to them, I worry.

Like the parable of the sower, I let the thorns of worry choke up my faith.

I want to see things moving. To see ME in control.

I forget the greatest thing I can do is have faith. Being still before the Lord and taking delight in Him.

Because, can any one of us by worrying add a single hour to our lives?

So, if you're sometimes like me, remind your heart to be still.

Remind yourself that whatever you lack that makes you worry, God already knows it.

The birds of the air do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Hold on to your faith, that is more precious than gold, and know that He is God.

He is Jireh. He is El-Roi.

[blessthosewhocurseyou]

Today, in adventures in looking for a new church:

I'm looking for what church to visit next and wishing church websites would just be slightly more clear about the church's doctrine. You don't need to cover everything but when like every site I look at says something like "we love Jesus and want to be a welcoming place"

Like that's a bit vague and non specific and almost any group can say it.

Like the one website that gave me a clear indication of their doctrine was the Baptist church clearly saying they do believers baptism not infant baptism. Everything else feels like I have to decode something. If it even goes beyond the generic points to give me any indication at all.

I mean I don't think churches have an obligation to have a website but if you do it could be good to have some things on there that I don't have to decode before I know what it means, you know?

[sugarand-everythingnice]

Is it like a cutomary thing where when getting ready for church, nobody goes in a good mood because of a parent getting frustrated over something?

[shadowqueenjude]

Some Christian converters cornered me this morning and I froze up trying to figure out a way to escape in the most polite way possible and now I have a bag full of bagels that I have no idea what to do with😭😭😭

[birdiebowers]

praying for the souls of scott, bill and birdie, i hope they have found peace and golden meadows somewhere

[watermeloncholycucumbersome]

🥰 *pats bed* Lol

[lazorbeanz]

I’ve spent my entire arvo sticking lil cards with Bible verses on them, INTO my Bible…and now I can’t close it properly

ITS TOO PHAT 😭

[mimi-cee-hq]

Do you sometimes feel God’s voice tell you not to do something, and then you go do it for the 5 billionth time? And then afterwards, you feel awful and feel as though you failed God and yourself, again.

And yes, this whole situation is me. I feel awful and I don’t know what to do to make me feel whole again with God.

thanks in advance! :’)

Oh anon. I most certainly can relate to this and I think all Christians can. Psalm 51, I find, eloquently expresses those feelings. (Seriously, I encourage you to read it.) I'm going to share some passages in Scripture to let the Word of God speak to you instead of what "Mimi says."

*****

Isaiah 53:4‭-‬6 ESV

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Ephesians 2:1‭-‬10 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Romans 5:6‭-‬11 ESV

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

*****

I encourage you to think about these passages, reread them, learn what the words mean if any are unfamiliar to you, and meditate on them. And keep asking the Lord to help you through this.

Also, try your best to find a good local church if you already don't go to one. God wants us to be in community with other believers to teach and encourage each other about things like this. And (like what I usually say) I also want to encourage you to study the Bible for yourself to understand what it says.

I'm praying for you!

[living-for-jesus-and-telenovelas]

The Power of Thinking Did you know that thoughts can actually make you more anxious, happy, fearful, or content? And what you spend time thinking about has the power to affect your emotions, your actions, and ultimately, your character? Your thoughts are some of the most powerful things about you. Scripture has a lot to say about our thoughts because God knows the power of our minds. Isaiah 26:3 says that God will keep our hearts in perfect peace if we keep our minds fixed on Him. Can you imagine that? Perfect peace.  The more time we spend focusing our thoughts on God and His Word, the more our hearts will be kept in peace. That is a powerful thought, especially in a world that is constantly looking for peace and unity.  The starting point for this peace is trusting God. We must come to Him trusting in who He is, and having faith in what He has done for us. We know that God is good and just. So if we have faith in Him, we know that we are accepted and loved by Him. And those who trust in God are given access to Him and His presence. Perfect peace is available to those who consistently trust in God, and fix their thoughts on Him.  How many of your thoughts are spent on things relating to God? Do you keep your mind focused on Him when you’re feeling anxious or stressed? What are some simple ways you can continue to remind yourself to think about God throughout your day?  Spend some time thinking about the power of your own thoughts and the access you’ve been given to God through Scripture. Commit to building the habit of centering your thoughts on God so that you can experience His perfect peace.

[blessthosewhocurseyou]

More the Saturdays for me sometimes. On Sunday at least I got church

[blessthosewhocurseyou]

Today's adventure: juust missed a train. Found a church that starts a little later to go to. Very grateful for them picking a start time that makes making sure I get there on time just slightly easier