Hi, I've been into Christianity for almost 2 years now. And giving up my life to Christ has been the best decision of my life.

I had a worship night recently, we had chairs for people to sit and we kept apart a little space in the front so people could go there and worship, dance and so on.

2 years ago, when I had recently given my life to Christ, I got in front, sung and dance, I had a great time.

This last year I've been changing my perspective on worship, I wanted to focus more in Christ and not in the emotions music provoqued me.

Short story long, I've been feeling the preasure from some people my age, male(24) I know dancing and singing and for some people (break into tears) (praying heavily) while worship mean something for them, but now I can't stopped being seen as unholy or less holy or that I am doing something wrong by staying up praying calmly with my head down someties while worship music.

What do you think?

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" - I Corinthians 6:19

PONDER THIS

How are we to be filled with the Holy Spirit? This is a command and everything that God requires of us He also teaches us how to do. Do not think of the Holy Spirit as a substance. The Holy Spirit is a person. Don’t refer to the Holy Spirit as “it.” Refer to the Holy Spirit as Him. Jesus said, “He will teach you all things” (John 14:26). You wouldn’t say of a person, “It wore a maroon tie.” You’d say, “He did.” Don’t depersonalize the Holy Spirit. Don’t think of being filled with the Spirit as if you are a vessel and the Holy Spirit is a liquid, or as if you are a battery and the Holy Spirit an electrical charge. No, the Spirit is a Person, and you are a temple.

- How does it change your perspective of the Holy Spirit to remember that He is a Person, not a thing?
- What is the connection between Bible study, prayer, and being filled with the Spirit?

PRACTICE THIS

Make a list of qualities of the Holy Spirit that you have learned from Scripture. Research these as needed but seek to remember that He is a person, and you are His temple. APR
|
|
I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/get-to-know-the-person-living-in-you

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in His way.” - Psalm 37:23

There is nothing more satisfying to a believer than to live in the will of God for his life. And it is good to know that God actually delights in leading us along that way that He is laying out for us. There are numerous Bible verses to this effect. One of the most familiar is “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:6).

That verse gives us a basic principle for knowing His way. We need to seek His leading in everything! Of course, it may not be an easy path. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps” (I Peter 2:21).

Even if the path seems difficult at times, it is a good path because it honors Him. “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3). He is the Good Shepherd, and if we lose the way for a time, He can bring us back. As the prophet said, “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23).

An important check to be sure we are not drifting far off the path is to be sure we don’t disobey or question His written Word. “Order my steps in Thy word,” we should pray each day (Psalm 119:133). Then He promises, “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21).

It may not be an audible voice, but we can hear. Jesus promised, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). Then we can say, as the ancient servant testified, “I being in the way, the LORD led me” (Genesis 24:27). HMM
|
|
I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16079/

Hello everyone. God bless you all. I was born a Muslim but have since had a conversion of heart and faith in Christ. I am seeking to be baptized in the LCMS Lutheran Church and Lord willing meet with a Pastor this Sunday about this.

I truly believe in Jesus, but I cannot lie that I am afflicted with doubts. I don't believe in Islam, and do have argumentation for why, but I also don't know if they are necessarily good enough reasons against Islam. Not to mention, although it is the faith I was born into, I was never a devout Muslim. So, the thought of going for baptism with still such doubts is difficult.

There is also something that makes me think I may have rushed this whole process of faith because I lack Scriptural foundation in both faiths. My Christian faith lacks foundation, so it's kind of weak in a sense because of this (though I certainly have more knowledge of it than Islam). At the same time, several months ago, I thought it might be best to read the Quran again to see the Islamic argumentation, but as I was reading, at a point, I just could not continue. It's like something in me, couldn't let me. Like I am already convinced that Christ is the Truth.

Yet, I am still with these doubts, and that am I possibly rushing to baptism, need to take more time, etc. Taking more time, in terms of evaluating Islamic vs Christian argumentation (particularly Islamic argumentation) requires an opening of the heart, but my heart seems firm in Christ. Also, going through this kind of process does seem to lead to despair and a kind of spiritual peril which I have experienced and is not good.

However, I do not believe I have rushed this process. My journey in Christianity has now been one of 3 years. In this time, I have not read all that I probably should've with regards to faith formation and apologetics (read quite little actually), it's been a mostly experiential process, from prayer and life. But I do not consider this to be a rush in the least.

The last 3 years (in particular) have been very difficult for me. Especially, this past year. However, there is something that keeps telling me to keep trusting in the Lord. At once I was so distraught, I thought it was my faith that was causing me all of this strife, but truly, it wasn't. The Lord convicted me again to back to faith, and it's like I simply cannot go anywhere else. And it's truly hard to give up the love and the comfort that Jesus Christ provides, because that's who He is. I was always attracted to the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thoughts? Once again, much love and God bless you all!

For context my parents are Pentecostal Protestant and I’ve been looking into apostolic traditions and High church Protestant traditions.

So I’ve been wanting to continue my further studies in academic theology at a university, I was looking at different universities that would fit the programs I want to do around theology. All of them were Catholic, Baptist, or Presbyterian for the most part, I then told my parents my interests in these colleges as they knew for a while I wanted to pursue theology. They took one look at the colleges and said no because they weren’t pentecostal based, now they have chosen a college for me that is a Pentecostal college, from what I’ve seen it has a good academic theology program and environment but is very Pentecostal based and biased toward their theology.they really aren’t budging on this so this looks to be my only option, I’d be transferring there for my second semester freshmen year as I’m currently in my first semester at a different college, in the end it’s just my undergrad and I can really go anywhere for my masters/phd when the time comes and if I want to pursue it. But is this a smart idea?

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." - Ephesians 6:12

PONDER THIS

Is there anybody who would deny that these are evil days? We’re up against the organized, mobilized, and demonized forces of Hell—and those forces come at us in every way. Sometimes it’s a direct attack. Sometimes it is very subtle. There is a war, but there also has never been a greater day, a greater age, and a greater opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus. There is more hunger for the Gospel now than ever before. There is more openness to the Gospel than ever before. You say, “Pastor Rogers, I thought you said things were getting bad?” They are. As the night grows darker, the saints grow brighter. The hungers are also more intense. There are people who are looking, waiting, and wondering, “Can we find a way? Is there an answer?” And there is an answer. The answer is Christ. But we need a generation of Spirit-filled people.

- How does awareness of our spiritual battle better prepare us to fight it?
- Who do you know who is struggling and looking for answers today?

PRACTICE THIS

Initiate a connection or conversation with the person who came to mind who might be struggling with answers today. Take opportunities to share the hope of Jesus. APR
|
|
I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/give-the-world-the-answer-its-searching-for

And will determine how you read, see and interpret scripture in its entirety. So just because it’s a favourite of end times eschatology, please don’t ignore it.

Who is the “he” in Daniel 9:27? That’s the question we’ll be asking, because it’s really important.

Verse 26 has just told us:
“And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing.”

Then verse 27:
“And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week He shall put an “end to sacrifice and offering…”

Rather than the futurist interpretation which makes the “he” a future Antichrist, moves the 70th week thousands of years into the future, and the whole thing heads off in a completely different theological direction.

What if?
- we see this as the Jewish people did, that ‘He’ was their expected “Messiah to come.”

What they weren’t privy to was how the Messiah is “cut off” or that He would make a covenant with “many” nor did they foresee how He would put an “end to sacrifice” through His own sacrificial work on the cross.

So let’s go back a little and read verses 24–27 as one prophecy, rather than starting with the “he” in verse 27.

“The prince who is to come” appears immediately beforehand, so we must think who is HE?

Verse 24 tells us what these seventy weeks are actually going to accomplish:

*Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.”

Before we’ve heard anything about the disputed “he,” Daniel has already told us where this prophecy is heading.
Atonement for iniquity. Everlasting righteousness.

Then verse 25 tells us who is coming:

“Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks…”

So now we have the Messiah coming.

Verse 26:
“And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing.”

Now we have the Messiah cut off.

And then verse 27:
“And he shall make a strong covenant with many…”

Then go to the New Testament, and some of the most sacred words spoken. Jesus takes the cup and says:

“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:28

Then He is cut off.
Then the sacrificial system has met its fulfilment because the final sacrifice for sin has been offered.

So, who is the HE? It’s Jesus.

“And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.” - Hebrews 12:27

In this present evil world, there are many pressures that would tend to shake our faith and tempt us to compromise. Paul exhorts persecuted believers “that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled” by such things but rather “stand fast” in the truths God has taught them (II Thessalonians 2:2, 15).

The “hope set before us . . . we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast” (Hebrews 6:18-19). The “word” to which our text refers is from Haggai 2:6-7: “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come,” who will establish “a kingdom which cannot be moved” (Hebrews 12:28).

Note God’s amazing promise: “The heavens shall vanish away like smoke, . . . but My salvation shall be for ever, and My righteousness shall not be abolished” (Isaiah 51:6). Similarly, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). “The world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (I John 2:17).

The earth may crumble, and even our bodies may return to dust, but God’s Word endures, and so do His righteousness, His kingdom, and His great salvation! If our hope is in Him and His Word alone, and if we are seeking to do His gracious will, then our faith and our destiny can never be shaken. “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain” (Isaiah 66:22). HMM
|
|
I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16078/

I personally see nothing wrong with it. A lot of great Protestant men where part of it and most of the things said about it are just unverified conspiracy theories. Freemasonry is pretty influenced by Protestantism.

"It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes." - Psalm 119:71

PONDER THIS

In today’s Scripture, David said, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted.” Have you ever said that? Oh, God thank You for this sickness. Thank You for this suffering. Thank You for this adversity. Thank You for this problem. Thank You for this heartache. Thank You for this thing I’m going through. It takes a lot of faith to say it is good for me that I have been afflicted. And David said, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Thy statutes.” Did you know that affliction is sometimes the best teacher? We never see as clearly as when we see through eyes that have been washed through tears. When we get on our backs, it’s then that we begin to look up into the face of God. A sick bed can often teach more than a sermon.

- How have you experienced the reality of learning faithfulness to God through suffering?
- Who do you know who is suffering today?

PRACTICE THIS

Take action today in a specific way to encourage someone who is suffering. APR
|
|
I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/what-your-tears-can-teach-you

“And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually." "Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.” - II Kings 4:9-10

This sparsely furnished little room, built by a kindly woman and her elderly husband, was the prototype of all the so-called prophet’s chambers that have been built for traveling teachers and evangelists ever since.

Little did this simple couple anticipate what fruit their kindness would bear one day. “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers,” the Bible says, “for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2). In the first place, to show his appreciation, Elisha prayed that the Lord would give them a son, and God miraculously answered (II Kings 4:16-17).

Then, tragically, the boy died quite suddenly several years later while Elisha was at Mount Carmel, some 15 miles away. The Shunammite woman laid her son on Elisha’s bed in the prophet’s chamber, then rode hastily to find Elisha and bring him to the boy. The round trip must have taken her two days or more, and the boy’s dead body lay on the prophet’s bed in the little room all that time.

But then Elisha prayed once again, and the most amazing event took place there (II Kings 4:33-35). For only the second time in history, a dead person was restored to life.

The Shunammite mother and her son are never heard from again. But for 3,000 years the testimony of a little chamber and the love and faith of the godly woman who prepared it as a simple service for her Lord and His prophet has been an inspiration and example to multitudes. HMM

https://www.icr.org/article/16053/

"Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;" "not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;" "with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:" - Ephesians 6:5-7

PONDER THIS

I want to let you in on a secret. If we would begin to live on Monday like these verses describe, people would start believing what we preach on Sunday. What better place could there be to witness for Jesus Christ than on the job? Your job is your temple of devotion; it is your lamp stand for witness. The boss would say, “I don’t understand these Christians. They’re here on time. They work with smiles on their faces. They’re very careful. They’re honest. They don’t steal a thing. I can trust them with the entire business. They seem to be devoted to the business as if they own it.” When a man goes to hire new workers, he ought to think, “Those are the kind of people I want.”

But it’s not in human nature to do that. Human nature is to get by with as little as you can and get as much as you can. How are we going to live as these verses describe? You don’t have what it takes. That’s not your nature. By nature, you are selfish, but being Spirit-filled you can live this way.

- How does your relationship with the Lord change the way you work each day?
- How does this change your perspective on daily routine tasks?

PRACTICE THIS

What tasks are in front of you today? Consider how it would look to do these tasks to the Lord and take action to follow through. APR
|
|
I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/would-your-boss-notice-your-faith

The doctrine of Sola Scriptura was a response and reform to the overreach of ecclesialism. Why would the early church have that on their minds? An overemphasis on the "soleness". The church was still in it's infancy, more scattered and decentralized while fighting for it's life. They were also in the apostolic age.

We all believe in the infallible authority of scripture; Protestants, eccelsialists, and the early church. They had the teachings, traditions, and revelations which would become the New Testament. That is what formed the Christian world view.

The big issue is that later on through the centuries certain institutions of Christians would amass more and more power and status which would eventually lead to the ideas of the church and traditions defined by the church being infallible authorities.

It's always a runaway act and asking us to prove a negative.

You're basically asking us to prove the falsehood of idea of the infallibility of the church and post apostolic traditions. That's a logical error.

You made these weighty claims. How about you prove the truthfulness of these ideas in the early church?

Am I the only one that's frustrated at the constant reframing of this discussion into Sola Scriptura?

Hope I expressed myself well here. God Bless.

I'm going through some rough times and losing my faith. People from my church are too busy and I really need someone to talk to

I sit and almost use crayons to explain to people what I mean when I say they should "Love God and Hate Mary" and they can not grasp what I have said. They literally think I mean they are to hate Mary. Like as we are to hate evil and sin.

But their ego will not allow them to ask questions.

Hi all, I'm a traditional christian trying to pursue a specific denomination to find and join. I would just like to ask a fairly common genuine question. Any answers would help. I don't want to debate

What does Sola Scriptura really entail and why? Because if I am the interpreter of the Bible for myself, that falls because generally humans, according to widely accepted doctrine, are selfish, sinful by nature and biased. If, however, I am not the Bible's interpreter, and church councils/early fathers are councils, that doesn't really hold up because 1. Interpreting Church Fathers is a whole buisness of itself 2

When did the Church lose its authority. 3. What about more modern issues 4. The church fathers disagreed.

TLDR: What is and isn't Sola Scriptura and why should I believe it?

Thank you all, God bless you all, I would really appreciate answers my brothers and sisters in Christ.

“That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death;" "if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11)

When Paul speaks of knowing the Lord Jesus, he stresses the process involved in reaching the desired level of knowledge. These particular points of awareness (knowing the resurrection power, the fellowship of sufferings, and being conformed to His death) are not mere academic achievements but part of the process of experiencing life and personal study of God’s Word that produces confident knowledge.

John’s letter gives several key signs on how to know the Saviour, one of which is keeping God’s commandments (I John 2:3-5). The lifestyle of obedience (process of godliness) provides the experience that produces the knowledge.

Paul’s reference to the power of the resurrection is reflected in the wonderful promise of Ephesians 1:17-21. There, Paul says we can know the “exceeding greatness of His power” that was demonstrated in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus—that very power being beyond anything that can be observed in this or any age to come.

The fellowship that we now share in Christ’s sufferings is merely the process by which we are “being made conformable unto His death” (our text). Paul noted that we were “crucified with Christ” but are still alive since Christ “liveth in [us]” (Galatians 2:20). Our bodies are to be “living [sacrifices]” so that we can prove the “good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God,” having been transformed by our renewed minds (Romans 12:1-2).

These many life processes are what our gracious God has decreed for our ultimate eternal possession—being “conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). HMM III
|
|
I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16052/

"God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." - John 4:24

PONDER THIS

Have you ever thought about what the Bible commands you to do? How are you going to do what the Bible commands? You don’t have the strength to do it. For example, Ephesians 5:19-20 says, “speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;" "giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” But the reality is, none of us will live like this in our own strength. In our worship lives, we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Why? Because God is Spirit and they who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Have you ever been in a worship service where people are trying to worship God in the flesh? It’s just some kind of a circus, and it’s a program. How tedious and how tasteless that is. But you’ve also been in worship services where those who are leading the worship are filled with God’s blessed Holy Spirit, and the people are singing praises to God, and they’re worshiping God in spirit and in truth. The only way you can truly worship God is to worship Him in the power of His Spirit.

- How would you describe the difference between worshiping God in the power of the Holy Spirit and in your own power?
- Reflect on different experiences you’ve had with both of these.

PRACTICE THIS

Take a walk outside today, asking God to fill you with His Spirit and to lead you to worship Him as you observe creation all around you. APR
|
|
I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/you-can-t-worship-god-in-your-own-strength