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"Come in and I'll get my Interlinear Bible and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance."
So sorry to hear you have to carry this burden :( It must be an incredibly heavy weight to lift.
I haven't struggled this way, but I wanted to say I admire your faith in Jesus Christ, and your willingness to follow him no matter the cost. I'm not sure if my faith would be able to endure what you endure! I'm praying my faith would be more like yours.
Do you like to read?
A Change of Affection by Becket Cook
and
Born Again This Way by Rachel Gilson
both share their testimonies about becoming christian despite having SSA, and how they live fulfilling lives now in the midst of it.
Praise God of your desire to put sin to death and walk closer with God.
> I dont really know how to be a man
This is a challenge even for me as a guy. There's a lot of Christian books that focus more on what our world says it means to be a man than what the Bible says.
What I've found helpful is to study passages which show this distinction, such as found in Ephesians 5 and 1 Peter 3.
> I'm trying to develop an attraction for women.
Don't force this, but allow it to come as the Holy Spirit grows you in your walk with God. The focus of having a right relationship with God isn't dependent on who you are attracted to, but what you do with those feelings.
It is just as sinful to be attracted to a women whom someone lusts after as it is to a man.
> I'm looking for spiritual advice and resources for this journey.
Some helpful online resources I turn to include:
- DesiringGod.org
- GotQuestions.org
- TheGospelCoalition.org
Those sites tend to cover a lot of broad topics.
You may find people like Jackie Hill Perry and Rosaria Butterfield also helpful. Both women are solid Christians who share about God's work. Rosaria came from the gay community, while Jackie has battled SSA.
I really enjoyed "The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert" by Rosaria. I've also heard a lot of great things about Jackie's book, "Gay Girl, Good God."
The heartbreak must be so unbearable. I hope that I can offer a small token of encouragement with the following.
firstly - this sermon helped me learn how to call out to God through the psalms in times of anguish. this tiny book is more generally about praying the psalms and changed my prayer life forever.
secondly, Though it may be no comfort now, someday you may be under attack in the form of condemnation over this, and I want you to know that biblically you have no sin in a divorce resulting from this situation in which you have done what you can. I get that from 1 Corinthians 7:12-16 which says (emphasis mine):
>To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
May God be your refuge in this time of turmoil. May the body of Christ give you special graces.
know that God has promised that this situation is for your eternal good - Romans 8:28
May His countenance shine upon you brighter, nearer, and clearer as you go through this and overcome in Him.
There are people whose genitalia are ambiguous and whose sex chromosomes are not distinctly male or female (XXY, XXYY, or XY minus SRY gene).
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ambiguous-genitalia/symptoms-causes/syc-20369273
They exist in the Bible too - they were called eunuchs (Matthew 19:12), a word which Jesus expands beyond castrated males.
Continue praying for her. Share the Gospel with her. I will recommend checking out Living Waters on YouTube as it is a great evangelical tool. Also, if you’re nervous about witnessing I couldn’t recommend The Evidence Bible enough!
Hebrews 4 says to come to him boldly. Think about it, if God paid such a high price to get you into his Presence then it means that he wants you there. He died to restore us and bring us back to him. Anything that tells you that he’s unapproachable is not true.
Don’t do appointments, be with him. When is he not with you? He lives inside of you.
I did this on relationship with Jesus. I cant remember exactly what it’s about so hopefully it helps lol. Some practical tips-
Some practical tips-
-When you think of God, talk to him. it will build the intimacy. There is no pressure to perform or "do" but just be. be with him, get to know him, and there is no pressure ever, because Jesus took the test and so we get an A. The Bible says be compelled by love. So if anything else is driving you (fear, guilt, shame, works, etc) it’s not God’s best for you.
-When i wake up i'll talk to Jesus, say good morning, etc. when i brush my teeth i have a post it of an awesome bible verse so ill see it and think about it. I include God in every aspect of my day. If you forget about God during the day don’t feel bad. Ask Jesus to remind you. And when he does talk to him. He will, he loves you and loves to hear you and loves to speak with you. Remember, God moved heaven and earth to get you into his Presence, anything that keeps you from him is a lie or a trick. He desires your friendship.
-When I drive I like to listen to the Bible, (or you are driven in your case) I will push pause and talk it over when God highlights something to me.
This is a good book and Frank Turek helped write it
I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist
Listen to Frank Turek, Ravi Zacharias, and I also love John Lennox.
Also I’d recommend reading the Bible. If God is real, do you want to know him? If so, in Matthew 6:6 the Bible says if you pray to God in the secret he’ll see you there and he’ll reward you openly. If you seek him with all your heart, you’ll find him. I did. He changed my life!
"Good people?" Jesus Himself said that there is no one good.
> “Jesus does not offer to make bad people good but to make dead people alive.” - some hypocrite, like the rest of us
I want truth. That's my quest.
And if you are on a truth quest, I would encourage you to check out is God a moral monster by Paul Copan.
Down a bit I made some comments about God being the only one who can define morality.
https://www.amazon.com/God-Moral-Monster-Making-Testament/dp/0801072751
No it’s not sinful to break a fast. God is happy that you’re even trying, a lot of Christians don’t fast even though the Bible tells us to. I believe there’s a difference between fasting with God and fasting for him, and when it’s with him, Grace is there to help you and to empower you. There is no way I could’ve done the fasts that I have except by his grace!
I have a podcast episode i did on it if you want the link message me. Give some tips on what is helped me. Most of all I recommend this book called The Complete Guide to Fasting written by Dr Fung. It’s very informative!
Also fasting is not to get something it’s to become someone. You’re already close to God by the Blood of Jesus. Don’t use fasting as works, it doesn’t get us stuff. It helps us to learn who we are by the finished work.
I think the fact you have a desire to draw near to him is amazing-it’s because he is drawing you. This desire you have toward mirrors his desire for you. Remember that we don’t have to spend time with God, we get to. We don’t have to read the Bible for God, we get to read the Bible with him. Walking with God is something we get to do all throughout the day. Don’t compartmentalize God, let God be with you all throughout the day. When you think of him, talk to him. That will build the intimacy with him :)
I have made a few things on these topics, they might help :)
There’s a great book I read as a new Christian called drawing near by John Bevere. I totally recommend it. Just remember to look at it that you don’t have to spend time with God, you get to. When you put pressure on yourself it makes you not want to do it. It’s not about clicking in a time clock to spend time with God, it’s about getting to know him.
You should realize that God himself is drawing you, because nobody can draw near to God unless he draws them. So the fact that you are desiring to draw near to him just mirrors his desire for you and to draw near to you. He knows that when you draw near to him he will draw near to you-that’s exciting! I do also share some tips here- Relationship with Jesus
I am happy you are coming around and are determined to tackle this properly. My son struggles with inattentive ADHD and there have been times when it was such a struggle for him to do anything. I went out and did research and after we started tackling it his teachers within months were seeing a difference.
The main resource my wife and I rely on is a book called Finally Focused which gave us a way to approach it methodically and without jumping straight to the drugs. Learning about magnesium deficiency and things like that was eye-opening and made the ADHD a lot less scary, that a large part of it is fixable and that the brain is not "broken".
God is good and it sounds like He has been pretty awesome in helping you live a good and productive life. I pray that you continue to find your strength him Him as you find the next steps to take down this path.
Hello Murseturkleton most certainly praying for you! Know that you are not suffering alone to these schemes, according to statistics about 50 percent of the men at church watch porn. Quite incredible ain't it? It really is an undealt situation. I myself have the same struggles as you stated, it is a tough battle to face alone.
I would like to invite you to visit /r/NoFapChristians/ or the more general /r/NoFap/. Together with God and these communities I managed to hit a "3 week clean" mark and planning to take it to infinity. I really hope to see you at the first one, I think it can be of a great help to you. And if you ever got questions or need an accountability partner you can always PM me :)
Stay strong brother
edit: some general tips: (bit in a rush sorry)
- Get together with God! My 23 days mark is directly a consequence of this. I realized when He made me He had a good man in mind, a man who doesn't sin in such ways. Try to read the word daily. Confess and pray for strength. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself, we need Him daily!
- Block pornography from your computer(s) obviously. Try either OpenDNS or k9 web protection
- Exercise, get yourself so tired that when you are at bed you only want to sleep. Also discipline to get straight out of bed when the alarm goes is very welcome.
I found my wife on match.com after i prayed for her. She hit every detail i asked God for even the ones I was joking to him about but not really. He knew my heart and gave me everything. She even went to the church i was planning on going. Church isn't the only place you'll find your soul mate. God isn't that limited you know. Talk to people. Your wife or husband starts as a friend first.
There's a book written by a Dutch author, Ben Hobrink, called 'Modern Science in the Bible: Amazing Scientific Truths Found in Ancient Texts', or 'Moderne wetenschap in de Bijbel' in Dutch.
Hobrink describes this and many things like this in his book, which I'm reading through at the moment. These things are amazing arguments for the inspiration of Scripture.
God bless you!
That quote is probably not authentic. At least your phrasing is better than the more common "if necessary" one. Would you feed hungry at all times, using food if necessary?
Former/current sinner turned adopted child of God who unsuccessfully rejects the implications of this new identity's default emptiness to be filled and used by the Holy Spirit to advance His Kingdom through spiritual generations of disciples living and laboring among the lost.
Edit: I suppose I can also add that I'm 22, male, attorney, married with 2 kids and one on the way. I'm not sure if that was more what you were looking for. Also, LinkedIn and Facebook.
I was just re-reading Orthodoxy earlier this week (I rarely will read a book a second time, but that's the third time I've read it) and that's one of my favorite quotes. The last four paragraphs of the book also pack an incredible punch for me as well.
Public service announcement: Orthodoxy is in the public domain and is available for free at Project Gutenberg or for Kindle. Everyone owes it to themselves to read this book.
You can link hop around and see which ones you like. I think NT only Bibles are $2. I would note that the font for these can be quite small, and a lot of homeless have sight issues so may be worth looking into large print Bibles.
Just remember, the stone has already been rolled away so we don’t need breakthrough, we have it.
Some background info-fasting surpresses the carnal voice in our lives and helps us to see clear. It helps us to learn that the “spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” is before Jesus died, and now that he died and rose again, our spirit is willing and our flesh says amen. Fasting gets rid of “cobwebs” so to speak and makes things clear. It’s truly amazing. The self control I have grown in from fasting is so awesome-it really changes your perspective on things. It teaches you not to live sensual and not to let your flesh be in charge. Not to mention the physical and health benefits from fasting. The important thing about fasting is that fasting and prayer must go together. With fasting we put off the old and with prayer we put on the new. I can’t even begin to talk about all the good fruit I’ve seen in my life with fasting. It’s truly a powerful tool God has given us.
I highly recommend you check out The Complete Guide to Fasting by Dr. Fung. It's a very informative book and has lots of great info on fasting. I do practice a fasted lifestyle and do extended fasting, I have a podcast episode here I did on fasting, if you'd like some spiritual tips.
For longer fasts, It's ok to take supplements when you fast-potassium, magnesium, and sodium are great. Check out the r/fasting sub, too. Lots of great info there :)
> Richard Deem, a microbiologist who is currently a professor at UCLA (he produces tons of current medical journals too).
Deem is not and has never been a professor at UCLA. He has never been a professor or teacher at any school, nor does he direct any research programs. He's a staff researcher at Cedars-Sinai medical center. https://www.linkedin.com/in/richarddeem
Sing Spirt filled worship music as though you are before Him on His throne. It doesn’t matter if you can sing. Open your mouth and give Him your worship.
Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUYqdKa3bWgBiWkb1XNjkdgV8AVIBemqo
Interesting perspective on worship: Odes of Eve : Bedtime Poetry for Black Men & Women https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MD8XL87/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_ZDRSW0RG4VRAZ56M7RFB
I use this one:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sirma.mobile.bible.android
It has multiple translations on it which is pretty awesome for studying.
HCSKL 2011 it’s 51 messages, they’re long so it’ll take awhile to go through it. Changed my life :) I have a small podcast too if you ever get bored :)
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."
I would also assert - and I would say this speaking as a very ordinary Episcopalian - that a "false teaching" really has to be something that is not provably true.
An affirmation of deliberate, willful ignorance in the face of knowable reality makes any discussion pointless. Your only way forward is some form of violence or retreat. But you have no way to discuss or consider my faith, your faith, any faith or no faith. Any consideration requires the possibility that your assumption is incorrect.
That's the simple truth. It's not disrespectful to observe a fact. And indeed, I don't disrespect your faith. I happen to believe you are wrong - and I'm politically inclined to resist the things you might support based on your faith that would affect people I care for. I don't think it reflects well on your ability to parse reality, so I probably would pass you over in any situation where cognitive flexibility mattered.
But you be you. Just don't expect to have a "discussion" when you state terms that preclude it.
>no signs of primordial mythology that could be said for the creation narrative.
Ahem.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=1Co&c=13#s=t_conc_1075002
The original greek word used was "agape":
http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Agape
>Agape became appropriated in Christian theology as the love of God or Christ for humankind. In the New Testament, it refers to the covenant love of God for humans, as well as the human reciprocal love for God; the term necessarily extends to the love of one's fellow man
i recommend finding a group of people who know the struggle and can help you with it. something like 'Celebrate Recovery'.
Pornography affects your brain in the same way as addictive substances https://www.netnanny.com/learn-center/article/175/
so you are literally chemically addicted to pornography. Please do seek help outside of yourself with a mentor 1 on 1 or with a group who understands your struggle.
my prayers are with you.
Hey, I'm not OP, but I also read the entire Bible last year on the "YouVersion" Bible app. There is a reading plan that takes you through it, and even will remind you every day. It was truly life changing! I'll post a link to the download if you have an android phone.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sirma.mobile.bible.android
The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Revised Standard Version is one I like. It's a bit more conservative than the later New Revised Standard Version Oxford Annotated Bible, but still includes modern scholarship.
Edit: Amazon lies. This Bible is not made by Nintendo.
This was an awesome book on the subject. Everyone should read it, not just men. My wife was shocked. She had no idea this is what it's like for us.
https://www.amazon.com/Every-Mans-Battle-Winning-Temptation/dp/0307457974
Republicans are worse at managing the economy. Look up the data, the economy does better under democratic presidents.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/lucky-or-not-the-economy-does-better-under-democrats-2015-10-27
Obama did a fantastic job with the economy despite the lies told by right wing pundits.
https://player.fm/series/frontline-church-south-sermons
The sermon series of Hosea starting with God and His unfaithful wife really helped me to understand the love of God outside the bounds of human love that so often fails us.
It's a couple sermons long but worth it
In Middle English, Adam and Eve ate an apple.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/apple >In Middle English and as late as 17c., it was a generic term for all fruit other than berries but including nuts
A pineapple for instance, is an "apple" that looks like a pine cone.
Here is a link for more info on the Greek translation and canon of the Hebrew scriptures. These were translated into Greek by Hellenistic Jews before Christ. Many Greek speaking Jews and early Christians did consider them canonical.
No matter what you pick, someone will get fiercely irritated with you. Pick with prayer, and don't look back.
That innocent soft piano tune? Well, that was inspired by Voltaire, who was beyond lukewarm, flinging himself between the light and the dark.
Then there's that one classical pianist whose songs are too dangerous for NASA to put on a probe - maybe they are some sort of encoded death threat or whatever. (I really wish I paid more attention in music appreciation - it would be great if I could remember this guy's name EDIT: It was Bach) Surely you can't play music that even NASA is frightened of using!
Also, and this is just a suggestion, but your goal is probably to improve the relaxing, pleasant atmosphere in your church lobby. Please also consider the eyes and nose of your parishoners by swapping fluorescent lighting with soft incandescent, and perhaps adding a pleasant smell like fresh coffee or vanilla or something like that.
I have been diagnosed with ADHD, and have never taken any medications, so I know a little about this.
First let me say that my condition does make focusing on Bible reading and prayer more difficult, there is no doubt about it, so I have had to condition myself to want it (and I have other problems in my life, so its easier than if everything was easy). You have to condition your desires, and that takes discipline.
Second, we live in an era where it is not necessary to do prayer and Bible reading the same way that people have for the last five hundred years. There are several great options for Bible listening. Of course there are countless CDs and DVDs of audio Bible, which are outstanding: the best, in my view is the Scourby reading of the KJV. There are free options, though, like librivox, which has public domain readings of the entire King James Bible, for no cost.
My favorite thing to do, however, is to listen to the Bible sent as a Podcast, from audiobiblepodcast.com. I listen to about 20 minutes per day, and will make it through the whole Bible in a year. I listen while I commute to work, and it beats almost anything on the radio.
Concerning prayer, I'm only just getting better with praying, and the one thing which has helped more than anything is a cell phone app called PrayerMate; it has made remembering what I need to pray for so much easier.
I add prayer needs when I get them, when the Lord moves me, how often to prayer for them, and the app brings them up and refreshes them every day. It's amazing. I cannot recommend it enough: its free and has no ads.
We need to pray more often because of our need, and these go a long way to reaching your goal to having a regular Bible reading and prayer life. It is now incumbent on you to obey the Holy Spirit and take the action.
I really ~~hated this stupid movie~~liked how Noah gives the biblically-accurate representation of how Optimus Prime and Megatron and the rest of the Transformers evolved from angel-possessed golems.
I used to do this exact thing lol. The problem is it’s just living by feelings and how it seems. Jesus is with you and in you, you’re not disconnecting from him. Ask him to remind you to talk to him. There’s no pressure! Jesus took the test and we got an A. We don’t have to talk to him, we get to.
It’s like with a spouse. Would you rather your spouse want to talk to you because they love you or feel pressured to always talk to you and think about you to prove their love for you? Talk to him when you think of him, and that will build intimacy. I always take it as whenever I think of him it’s God putting that thought there and him wanting me to draw near, if that makes sense. It’s a fun journey where we get to know Jesus :)
If you have time this might be helpful :) relationship with Jesus
As someone else said, you will need to find a church and be with other believers. Others here will all recommend churches, but they will recommend their own denomination to you, and you really have to figure it out on your own. That said, don't worry about. First you want to get in a church and share your faith with others. This is essential. You'll figure out the rest as you go along.
So, first. Pray. God is a person who wants to relate with you and is excited that you have chosen to follow him. Ask him to guide you.
Secondly, find a church without assuming that the denomination you have chosen is the right one. Just learn what they believe and how that is different from other denominations.
Thirdly, read a Bible to understand more deeply the essentials. I would recommend starting with the Book of John.
Finally, your amazing feeling and understanding is great but ultimately not something you can rely on. You need to understand why you believe what you believe. I recommend C.O.R.E. F.A.C.T.S. by Dr. Braxton Hunter. It is very approachable and will give you a good foundation for why Christianity is something you can trust.
If this is the worst thing your neighbor has done, you've gotten off pretty easy.
These people are your neighbors and are in a new place, probably without many (or any) friends. They may not have known, or they may have just gone with it since it didn't seem to bother you.
In the future, it's perfectly acceptable to turn down a play session, especially during a pandemic. It seems both sides are at fault here. They should have at least acknowledged it and asked if it was ok, and you should have politely declined until another time if you were worried. This season has created a lot of uncomfortable choices like that. The best we can do is make informed ones, and try to let our mistakes inform better ones in the future.
You honestly seem pretty angry (to the point of calling your new neighbors "a-holes"). If I could offer a book to read, Unoffendable is a pretty good look at anger from a Christian perspective. A Christian author and theologian once said, "to forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you."
I highly, highly recommend Thomas C. Oden's Classic Christianity. He tried to synthesize early church teaching into a cohesive systematic theology and while he's sometimes successful, sometimes not, the real value of the book is that it's an immense treasure trove of primary sources. Just leaf through his bibliography and look up the sources he uses on something like CCEL.
All three reformed. I realize you gotta start somewhere, but you are really biasing yourself towards a reformed theology when the only systematics you consider are reformed. There are brilliant non-reformed theologians that are worth your consideration as well.
https://www.amazon.com/Biblical-Theology-Ben-Witherington-III/dp/1108712681
Nowhere in the Bible does it say they are word for word. The Quran says it was dictated word for word, thats verbal inspiration. But the Bible says holy men were moved by the spirit, thought inspiration. Men put it down in their own words.
My trust in the scripture is not based on it being word for word, but in it being inspired by God.
People had better memories in those days. Studies have been done about it. And the dicsiples were there to listen to Jesus praying in John 17.
Preston Sprinkle's book Fight is a very comprehensive Biblical examination of violence, and was very helpful for me thinking through that question.
Being Partial / showing favoritism to different people within Christians themselves and even among non-Christians.
Good suggestion: highlight the godly attributes that are encouraged in one color (e.g; green), and highlight attributes that are discouraged in another (e.g; orange) and flip through it every so often. it'll make reminding yourself of these qualities a lot easier to learn. You can do the same with snippets of the Gospel (highlight in red).
I use erasable colored pencils
>My family is playing that Christmas game where everyone buys a gift then we all fight over them, don't remember the name of the game haha!
White Elephant?
If $59.99 is "around $50," I'd recommend Robert Alter's translation of the Hebrew Bible, which is over half off on Amazon right now. It looks like a great gift - three stately volumes with beautiful covers in a huge gorgeous slipcase, very impressive and regal. More importantly, it really is a great gift - Alter is a genius and his translation is the culmination of a lifetime spent studying the poetry of the original Hebrew. It's a real masterpiece.
Check out this book, from Hubie Synn
https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Wandering-Prophet-Anyone-Purpose/dp/162136982X
It doesn't tell you how to be friends with non-believers, but there's a chapter that goes into the author's friendship with a non-believer based on common hobbies and mutual respect.
So to answer your question, yes, yes you can. You're not trying to change the other person, but organically get to know them. And you can pray for them in private, but also respect that they may not want belief systems lurking behind every convo topic.
I would get a MacArthur Study bible 📖. It helped me a ton✔-
Free App-
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gty.macarthurstudybible
$20 paper version-
https://www.gty.org/store/bibles/44NASP/nas-macarthur-study-bible#.Xhc-w4HWOD0.link
The book The Giza Power Plant : Technologies of Ancient Egypt by Chris Dunn is well known.
I have a paper printout from a Christian author that has been there (also banned from there, the Egyptian gov tends to do that to anyone who goes outside the box...)
I'm not sure if you can find it online still, but here is the title and author:
Advanced Technology and Recent Discoveries Within the Great Egyptian Pyramid Cheops:
by Perry Atkinson and John Mittendorf
Edit: found a video by John online, looks like there's a couple others in that channel as well.
I would encourage you to also look up the celestial alignments (not just the belt of Orion, but the shafts point to Bethlehem and other alignments as well) and the incredible Mathematical clues hidden in it (pi, phi, e, distance/diameter of sun, ton of clues show it's divine origin, like the instructions for the temple given to Moses that were to be copied exactly).
I am not quoting others, but I am paraphrasing. It's not really from any one source, but more from lots of research I've done summarized in one place. I originally included more info, but it was to long and I couldn't post it. Here are some links/info I used to create this info.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/031027513X/ref=ppx_yo_mob_b_inactive_ship_o1_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Websites:
carm.org
gotquestions.org
tektonics.org
Christian Think Tank. This one is very very long and in depth, but very good. Despite the name it is only written by one guy: cttx.com.
I absolutely agree that there is nothing wrong with medication. As other users have said - if you break your leg, you wear a cast.
This said, if you are looking for an absolutely excellent book on dealing with anxiety disorders, this book changed my life. I had anxiety disorders up until about your age and then I experienced freedom through this book.
Freedom from Fear by Neil Anderson
It has lots of testimonies and stories of Christians walking through anxiety disorders and how they overcame. It starts slow but powerfully builds. I've read it many times - best book I've ever encountered on how to actually break free from this stuff. Written by a Christian counselor with over 35 years experience.
This was a good book, but I didn't get to finish it, my pastor forgot to return it! For me it was all I needed on the subject, but I only got through half of it and that was years ago so I forgot, but I remember being very sure it was correct and understood the problems with the other views- https://www.amazon.com/Case-Amillennialism-Understanding-End-Times/dp/0801015502
I wonder how Jesus would reign and still there would be anyone against Him. I guess everyone does believe in Jesus now, they just hate Him. (heart deceptive above all things, we all continue to want to eat of that fruit and be our own god)
This is a great book from my Orthodox Inquirer days. My Catholic prayer book is on the way (in the mail), so I can't give any reviews yet.
My pleasure! God will help you. Draw near to him and let him teach you what it means to know him :) I did record this awhile back where I shared tips, it might be a blessing to you if you have the time to listen. God bless!
I'm trying to help you because your arguments do not hold up to examination. I suggest you take a look at the Apostolic Fathers. These writings are mostly from men who learned directly from the Apostles. When these were being written, the NT had still not been completely complied by the Church. These were written in the late first and early second century.
Some background info-fasting surpresses the carnal voice in our lives and helps us to see clear. It helps us to learn that the “spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” is before Jesus died, and now that he died and rose again, our spirit is willing and our flesh says amen. Fasting gets rid of “cobwebs” so to speak and makes things clear. It’s truly amazing. The self control I have grown in from fasting is so awesome-it really changes your perspective on things. It teaches you not to live sensual and not to let your flesh be in charge. Not to mention the physical and health benefits from fasting. The important thing about fasting is that fasting and prayer must go together. With fasting we put off the old and with prayer we put on the new. I can’t even begin to talk about all the good fruit I’ve seen in my life with fasting. It’s truly a powerful tool God has given us.
For me personally, I don't prepare when I do fasts. I just do them. I highly recommend you check out The Complete Guide to Fasting by Dr. Fung. It's a very informative book and has lots of great info on fasting. I do practice a fasted lifestyle and do extended fasting, I have a podcast episode here I did on fasting, if you'd like some spiritual tips.
For longer fasts, It's ok to take supplements when you fast-potassium, magnesium, and sodium are great. Check out the r/fasting sub, too. Lots of great info there :)
Regardless of what you think about Dan Mohler, check out Dan Mohler fasting on YouTube. He has some great messages. I also talk about it a bit here. if you want something quick to listen to first lol. I also recommend the complete guide to fasting by Dr. Fung and the r/fasting subreddit if you want to learn some scientific stuff on it.
The main things that I want to emphasize-
1- when you fast, fast with God not for him, meaning don’t do it as a work. it’s not something we have to do it something we get to do. His grace is available and you don’t have to get side effects-I don’t. But if you do, it doesn’t reflect on you
2-don’t worry about how many days you do. It’s the heart and why behind the fast that makes it count. Isaiah 58 and Matthew 6 have good things to say about fasting. Remember to read Isaiah 58 through the lens of what Jesus accomplished.
Join a group of Christians who are on FIRE for God We pray every day at 6am-7am EST on zoom. It is a zoom meeting that's available to all!
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMscOGtrz0tclKav81VB3NXGIaqd_XgjA
God Bless🙏
> Frankly, we have a lot of "junk" DNA that doesn't offer an advantage
>Kids with homosexual aunt/uncles do better. They get an extra "parent" looking out for them, without any competition for resources from another kid. Hence, they have a better chance of reproducing.
However, the homosexual doesn't reproduce, which means that they won't pass on the "gay gene(s)".
>But don't twist science to support your beliefs
Science, hsitory, and scripture all support the concept that homosexuality is bad for you. It's even mentioned in the Egyption book of the dead
It's possible cherry picking was the first mistake. Nowhere is it written specifically that there was an apple. Malus notwithstanding. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/04/30/526069512/paradise-lost-how-the-apple-became-the-forbidden-fruit
:-)
I enjoy tangents.
First I mean sincerely, you're okay... Gotta take control of your thoughts or else you're gonna get seriously freaked out. https://www.audible.com/pd/Religion-Spirituality/Into-the-Silent-Land-Audiobook/B00FPUZHQM really good book for meditation, helped me take command of my thoughts and lead to many other books I've since read.
I'd classify the video game as the Father's discipline - “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Heb. 12:5b–6).
Rudeness in traffic, missed flights, stepping in dog poop, etc etc think of discipline not as punishment but as training. He's giving you opportunities to mature and practice patience and lovingkindess so that when real chaos and evil hit you're prepared. Wax on, wax off.
For the marijuana, it can become a mental addiction... As I had to go through in another thread, if you're already performing gnostic/pagan/any kind of sorcery, and using marijuana as part of it that is also bad.
But the fact is that it is really, really good for the brain-organ and all related diseases mental and physical, literally attacks cancer cells which exist in all of our bodies, safely decreases inflammation, and isn't even as dangerous as caffeine let alone alcohol, pain killers, anti-depressants, etc. If you've got yourself in order though (health, finances, friends, etc...) and is practiced with due moderation I think it's more of a supplement than anything.
Next time something like that happens though practice reflexively thanking the Lord for caring enough to help you mature.
Mere Christianity is an amazing book, I did not realize but if I'm honest with myself i had drifted into almost some form of pantheism in my 20s. Mere Christianity, Problem of Pain, Jesus Calling are like 3 of the top 5 books that brought me back.
Prayin for ya brother.. If I may presume, I also have a pathology against peace that I will always need to work on. I'm also "in my first year" as you describe it... I've done enough preliminary study and prayed enough that the words in the Bible jump off the page. I know at some point in my life the waters and winds will still as it seems they have for you.. So for God and you first, but also for all of us who come after you, keep going
Do you meditate? https://www.audible.com/pd/Religion-Spirituality/Into-the-Silent-Land-Audiobook/B00FPUZHQM is really good... A short excerpt: you are not your feelings, you are not your thoughts... Actually... where do thoughts and feelings even come from? Who is actually having those thoughts and feelings?
> I feel as if I have lost my interest in God. Maybe not Him, but sometimes the thought of having to face my flaws and issues instead of living in denial and just coping is enough to turn me away
> I feel like I've never been so free in this sense, but I feel so far away from God and I feel ashamed.
Thank you for sharing, many would be afraid for the hit to their esteem. You aren't your feelings though. Seems like those feelings are stuck so to speak, blocking you from answering the call to face your flaws as you say. As with everything, one must surrender those feelings to God and open your heart up to His healing grace... The truth set you free
Prayin for you and I in completely humility, I pray that you or others are somehow there for me when I hit the same desert you're in right now because I'll be needing all the help I can get.
Have them read Bad Religion: How We Became A Nation Of Heretics. Ross Douthat has a brilliant chapter on Glenn Beck and the political conflation and corruption with Christianity in America called "City on a Hill". You can just skip to the chapter i'm talking about with a free Scribd trial and then cancel it.
Use some tools that are available to you.
- If your eye offends you, pluck it out. Set up content blocking/filtering/parental controls (whatever it’s called) on your router if you have access to the administrative controls. AdGuard DNS is an easy, free way to do this. You just have to change the DNS settings on your router. If you don’t have access to the router administrator controls, you can download their app on your devices.
Sending prayers.
Regarding the DDOS. Have you ever considered using a virtual private server in the cloud? That way your family's internet will not be affected by any DDOS attacks.
God bless.
Yes. Anyone trying to make this decision should make sure they understand the relevant tax rules and determine whether or not they could even benefit from taking those deductions. If your charitable giving (combined with other deductions such as mortgage interest) is less than the standard deduction, then you won't benefit from keeping track of your donations.
You keep saying a 'male brain' or a 'female brain' but show me studies that shown male and female brains are different. According to this article, brains do not come in male and female forms. So explain to me what you mean when you try to use this argument.
Well, if you're interested in learning about her but don't want to risk paying money to read her, some of her writings can be found for free. Her most famous book is only short. It's called "A Short and Easy Method of Prayer". Since it's experiential what she says can be proven by any Christian: I'm certainly a witness to this, and can testify that all she promised came true.
And, although by this point my posting link after link may be getting redundant, I'll offer you just one more, in case you might be interested: her autobiography.
The fullness of her teachings, the wisdom, all perfectly grounded in Scripture and presented in a way that few but her could pull off all means that I can't recommend Guyon's literature enough.
> That's hardly a useful definition of "theft".
How would you define theft? Gaining something that must normally be purchased without actually paying for it (or having someone else pay for it on your behalf as a gift) does seem to qualify.
And yes, the existence of the content independent of medium is somewhat approached in p2p sharing; the content becomes an abstract and easily transferable thing, instead of a physical disc. So, using music as the example, is it a product or a service? Are you paying for the product of the song? Not necessarily - having a copy of a recording doesn't give you any ownership of the song itself, of the words or instrumental parts. It gives you entertainment for the length of the song.
This is an inherent problem with technology, really - before, what, about a century ago and the invention of records, it was pretty simple. If you wanted to hear a piece of music, you could buy the sheet music and play it yourself, or you could pay the musician to play it for you. Now that there are so many additional steps in between (the manufacturer of the stereo and of the CD or iPod, the record company that distributes, the recording studio that produces, etc) how do we discern ownership and fair compensation for those who do create? Because we must fairly compensate those who create - for reasons I cannot understand, most people seem to want the benefits of artists, but don't think they're worth paying for. Taking their products without compensating them is theft.
You ask why copyright is a relatively recent legal innovation? Because technology has reached a point to make it necessary. Theft of content is a much less of a problem when you're copying out by hand on a scroll and transmitting it by carrying it around on your own two feet, versus today making unlimited digital copies with the click of a mouse and sending it around the world in seconds.
Edit: also, this cartoon
The Olive Tree Bible apps have topical guides available in the "Resource Center" included with the app. Not quite as fancy as the website, but convenient as they are right there while you are reading.
I preached a sermon about this just recently.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/59504/473973-ephesians-destructive-theology-trusting-god-s-word
TLDL: Not exactly. He speaks through his word with certitude, everything else you can't trust. So stick with his word.
Hi, this practice of prayer has given me peace during times of anxiety and fear. https://podcasts.google.com?feed=aHR0cDovL3RoZXByYWN0aWNlLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz&episode=ZTFkYjRjNTlhODM4YWM1MDJhNDdjNTQyMWM4NzVlNzc
Here is a helpful talk on your identity in Christ: https://podcasts.google.com?feed=aHR0cDovL3RoZXByYWN0aWNlLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz&episode=ZDY1NjhiNTJiOGIzNDcyM2EzYTIxNjliMTU0ZWJlMzk
>Charity falls under love, I personally find charity fitting in the context
I respect that, but that doesn't make it a proper translation from Greek to modern English, as virtually any bible translation/translator would agree. Even the paraphrase, thought for thought bibles such as Message translation and New Living Translation use the word love.
If you want to stress the importance of charity, you can quote the Bible verses that actually talk about it, instead of quoting verses that talk about another word, and then swapping it with the word charity, which had a different meaning in the KJV old english than now: https://glosbe.com/en/ang/charity
>(archaic) Christian love; representing God's love of man, man's love of God, or man's love of his fellow-men.
I don't think you meant it harmfully, but I do find it important to point out. Bible study would be a bit messy if everyone was to treat scripture in this way.
Well as a Christian I struggle with it myself but with god's help & a solid biblical foundation I'm removing that sort of temptation from my life....here are a few tips that might help.
have a friend/relative put a porn blocker on your computer & place your computer in an open/non secluded here are a few porn blockers that might help https://alternativeto.net/software/covenant-eyes/?license=free
find a prayer partner who has gone through what you are going through..ask him/her to be your mentor & watch over you when you feel you are being tempted whether you are going to a movie,magazine rack or just surfing the internet
realize these women in porn aren't just images on a screen they are someone's daughter wife or sister..or on a more disturbing level a victim of some sort of sex trafficking ring who can't escape the situation they are in
Two quick things: This could have written by me, it is so relevant to my life, and I'm sorry that my following advice isn't a success story or even scripture based. This is more practical advice for getting rid of the temptation.
Do you live with your parents or with a trusted roommate? Even better if they're an encouraging believer...
There is a filter called Open DNS that filters 99% of pornography results from the web. It goes deep, and is always smarter than my perverted, deceitful mind. It is not a program you have to install on individual devices -- it is a filter that works straight from the router.
The second thing I highly recommend to avoid temptation is to remove WiFi access on all phones and laptops at home (unless, of course, you need internet access to do work on a computer). My problem was that I only used the internet to browse and waste time, so I would lose battles to lust every day. I don't know what type of router/modem you have, but if you google it you can find out how to go to your router's settings, find a list of device IPs that are disabled from receiving signal, and take away their WiFi access.
The only caveat to these options is that you need a trusted friend who can change and remember the password for the router settings. Obviously, it's useless if you know how to change the settings.
Because of these two things, I haven't had full access to pornography in over a year. I still find ways to be tempted, but I know I would be far more addicted without them. As for your devotion to the Lord, we both need prayer in that area.
Very good; I hope the weather is pleasant enough. I suppose coffee or cocoa becomes more important if it's going to be chilly.
If you need any help figuring out when the sun will rise, you should be able to use an almanac or a website like this one to figure out when it will that day at your location. If it matters, you can similarly look up how far from due east the sun will rise that day at your latitude.
If you are worried about trees or hills or buildings obscuring the horizon and affecting the timing, you can take that into account by measuring the angle they place the horizon at - you'll need a sextant to obtain that angle (which can be jury-rigged from a half-circle protractor, a straw, a bit of twine, tape, and a washer if need be). Once you have that measure, you can figure out how much time the sun will take to get over the barriers by noting how long from sunrise to sunset on that day it is; the sun's movement is steady, so you can divide the day length by the standard hundred-and-eighty degree hemisphere to get degrees per time. But this is perhaps unnecessarily precise, depending on how big a role you want the dawn to play; I just get a kick out of the logistics, so I thought I'd mention it.
As an afterthought, it may not be unwise to make sure you don't need a permit or something silly to hold such a service; I can't imagine you would, but bureaucracy being what it is...
Any any rate, good luck, and do let me know if I can be of any further assistance; here's hoping it's a lovely ceremony!
Hey there. Praying for your freedom! That you are free from blasphemous thoughts, that King Jesus breaks your chains, that you aren't under condemnation, guilt and shame, in Jesus' name, out of His great and abundant love for you!
In Jesus' name: amen.
Also, this book has been helpful for me and some buddies for breaking chains, getting to the roots of wounds and sin patterns, so that we ask King Jesus to bring light into those areas, not to judge or punish or make us feel bad, but even if it hurts to bring these things up to Him in prayer and in His presence, that we do so trusting in His goodness, and His desire to heal, since He took our punishment so we might have His life and righteousness by His blood!
https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Care-Transformational-Principles-Healthy/dp/1942587457
It's "Soul Care" by Dr. Rob Reimer. He bases his teachings on Scripture, on how to get free.
Be blessed! Praying God leads you into a healthy community that is humble, gentle, wise, truthful, loving, kind, and who submit to the Lord Jesus Christ only!
Wow, really awesome reply. A lot to digest here. The Eastern Orthodox tradition is so fascinating, and it's a shame it hasn't seen a lot of popularity in the west. That seems to be changing in recent decades, however. I remember reading a book a couple years ago that some Eastern Orthodox posters recommended to me. Really fascinating how different the approach to atonement is in the EO faith. It treats sin, like you said, as more of an infection, rather than inherited guilt.
It made my day to see you say you agree that we can toss overboard some of Augustine's doctrines, especially when it comes to original sin. I like Augustine generally, but some of the doctrines he espoused just never made a lot of logical sense to me, and it spawned hundreds of years of mental gymnastics and odd doctrines about atonement and how the point of the death of Jesus was to appease the wrath of an angry God. But lost in all this discussion is the resurrection and ascension of Jesus and the role that plays in conquering sin, death, and our eternal destiny. So it's so interesting to look at the EO tradition that bypassed Augustine.
It's so fascinating and liberating being exposed to doctrines that upend the Calvinist/fundamentalist doctrines I've held to most of my life. I find myself much more at peace with God. So much of western Christianity, both the Roman Catholic faith and various Protestant faiths, seem to heavily revolve around things like guilt, damnation, and doctrines like total depravity. And the more I get to know history and people of other faiths (or lack thereof) the less much of that makes sense.
I have been listening to Pete Enns quite a bit on his Bible For Normal People podcast, and he seems to quote David Bentley Hart quite a bit too.
I'll definitely be reaching out to pick your brain at some point. Really appreciate your post!
I’m currently in the early stages of trying to learn Greek because the Church I am currently about to be baptized in uses a lot of Koine Greek during the Liturgy and I want to learn to participate and understand more. The modern Greek I’ve been learning has definitely helped me to be able to pick up on some of the Koine Greek used during the Liturgy. Based off my small experience and what I’ve seen others recommend, I highly recommend learning to read modern Greek first. I personally am using a book called “Learn to Read Greek in 5 Days” I got off Amazon for like 10 bucks. It’s def taken longer than 5 days lol but it has truly helped me tremendously to learn to read and speak Greek much better than I anticipated for just a few months. Not fluent by any means but it has helped me a ton to be able to read Greek. It was a great start for me personally. Idk if this allowed so I apologize in advance, but here’s the link if you’re interested below:
Learn to Read Greek in 5 Days https://www.amazon.com/dp/1519518846/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_H4QAX8PBRZYQ5E3WP6J3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Hope it goes great and God bless!!
The Faith Once for All: Bible Doctrine for Today By Jack Cottrell
https://www.amazon.com/Faith-Once-All-Bible-Doctrine/dp/0899009050
Not my favorite theologian. But the book is laid out well, covers everything well, and has generally been well received by everyone I have recommended it to.
Carl Jung said “modern people can’t see God because they won’t look low enough”. It means that people underestimate the importance of small things. They’re not small. Everyday things make up our lifetimes.
As a Dad of similar age this Babylon Bee article though tongue in cheek, hits the nail on it's head.
You have a ministry to your wife, a ministry to your child and a ministry to the 30 or so children you teach and those you work with. There should be no distinction between everyday activities and worship/praying.
It may seem boring compared to those who leave for the mission field but it's no less important. There's a good book on the topic by Kevin Deyoung called "Just do Something"
This was posted about a week ago.
It’s not bad, but it doesn’t paint a full picture of the early church. It doesn’t really have anything to say about ecclesiology or the sacraments, and quotes Tertullian and Origen an inordinate amount, which is weird since Tertullian died a heretic, and Origen had enough of his writings condemned that he was eventually declared anathema after his death (fairly or unfairly). While that doesn’t mean that any of the quotes used in the documentary are heretical, it would have been nice to see a wider variety of church fathers quoted rather than going back to the same wells time and again, especially when the presenter claims that each quote can be backed up by multiple sources who say the same things.
I would say that the documentary does a better job of critiquing the modern church by showing how the modern church is different to the early church fathers than by showing what the early church actually looked like in a fuller way.
I would also like to point out that stopping at Nicea is really an arbitrary decision. Nothing about Nicea is nefarious, there have been a lot of myths that have circulated about Constantine and the church but they’re pretty much baseless conspiracy theories.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the early church.
Fair enough. You asked for advice and I thought I gave it but I’ll be more direct I suppose.
If being a Christian means dying to self, doesn’t that mean that you should not be sexually active with your boyfriend (if that’s not what you meant above, I’m sorry for misreading it).
Repentance means turning the other way that you’re going. If you say you want to head to Canada and I say I know the way and agree to drive you there and while we’re driving you fall asleep and when you wake up and see cactus’s and desert, you’d expect me to first apologize about not knowing the way and two driving you in the direction that you want to be going.
Are these thoughts from God, I don’t know, because He didn’t tell me. I’d say again, read and study the New Testament and see what He says about living for Him and the path of your life, including with your boyfriend, will be clear.
There’s a great book for anxiety sufferers like us that you should consider reading.
https://www.amazon.com/Stressed-Out-Practical-Biblical-Approach-ebook/dp/B01HN91WWU
I hope that gives you the answers you’re looking for
Two books I would recommend on this topic: The Lost World of Genesis One and Genesis Unbound.
One author was a professor of Old Testament studies at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and was president of the Evangelical Theological Society. The other author is an Old Testament scholar and professor at Wheaton College/Moody Bible Institute. Serious, Jesus-loving Bible scholars, who are doing some really in-depth exegesis and work with the original language and cultural context and not some fringe YouTube wingnuts.
Genesis Unbound dives into the opening of Genesis 1 and explores why it might not be talking about the planet as it is modernly understood. The Lost World of Genesis One dives more into the cultural context of Genesis and how ancient audiences might have understood and comprehended it.
I would highly suggest you get this book. It will give you the actionable steps to overcome your OCD. I prayed for God to give me the tools to over come OCD, and this is the book he lead me to (along with His word)!
https://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder-Behavioral/dp/046501108X
Hey buddy, I would suggest picking up this book and reading all the way through. It has very helpful insights and actions you can take to help rid yourself of that stuff. Hope it helps.
https://www.amazon.com/Every-Mans-Battle-Winning-Temptation/dp/0307457974
How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind It’s not about what you might think it’s — it’s about the origin of Christianity.
A good Christian friend of mine has OCD. He said this book was helpful:
Three things:
- Memorize Proverbs 5-7
- Get mentoring / counsel regularly from a parent or a minister / elder at your church
- Read Overcoming Sin and Temptation by John Owen
The second one is especially important. If you're not ready to confess to a person who knows you and can hold you accountable, you're not ready to repent. And when I say this, I don't mean your best friend: I mean someone in authority, who is one of the three categories above (parent, minister, elder).
The Bible was written for all of God's people for all time, but it was written to certain of God's people in a certain time. This means that we cannot fully understand and appreciate what the Bible is saying to us today until we first understand what it was originally saying to the people it was first written to. So, I'd recommend reading something that will help you to understand the Bible in its historical and cultural context.
I'd highly recommend Hill and Walton's A Survey of the Old Testament for this. It's not too tough a read, and does a great job helping to understand the context of the OT with an eye for the spiritual transformation of the reader - how this impacts our understanding of the Bible and God, rather than just trying to provide dry knowledge.
I'd recommend picking that book up (hard copy is pricey but digital copy is cheap) and reading it alongside re-reading the Bible, and see how your understanding is impacted.
I would get a MacArthur Study bible 📖. It helped me a ton✔-
Free App-
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gty.macarthurstudybible
$20 paper version-
https://www.gty.org/store/bibles/44NASP/nas-macarthur-study-bible#.Xhc-w4HWOD0.link
It made me think of the perfect study Bible for you: the one by Madame Jeanne Guyon. I've read many commentaries in my time and never found any with the level of her depth and insight.
Unfortunately her commentaries, originally written in the 18th century, are difficult to find. There's one here on Amazon and you could find the same book on Ebay if you wanted.
I wrote a four volume set that is designed especially for what you're asking. Here's an Amazon link to volume one: What Christians Believe. Shoot me a private message if it might be what you're looking for.
I would get a MacArthur Study bible..
Free App-
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gty.macarthurstudybible
$20 paper version-
https://www.gty.org/store/bibles/44NASP/nas-macarthur-study-bible#.Xhc-w4HWOD0.link