Faithful Writers

This has become one of the most damaging habits in modern Christianity: People curated, dissected, politicized, and trademarked Scripture. People highlight what comforts, quote what supports, and ignore what confronts. Honestly, it’s just preference dressed up in spiritual language that fits the bill at the moment. Cherry-picking isn’t a new trend by any means; history verifies this over and over. But the church has gotten quite bold about it. Verses are yanked out of context, slapped on mugs, elevated into doctrines, and built into entire belief systems. And anything that challenges those fragments of Christanity gets dismissed as outdated, misunderstood, or  “not for today.”   God’s word isn’t rejected outright; it’s just outright filtered. As though that makes it ok somehow, deemed “permissible” because it gets reinterpreted to  “fit the times.” God is timeless; if it were meant ONLY for that time in history, we’d have more crucifixions. By filtering God, people get to avoid submitting to Him. Chapters and verses were added to Scripture to help us study, not to permit us to dissect God into the parts we like and parts we tolerate. The Bible was written as a unified message, yet the modern church treats it like a buffet. One of the clearest symptoms is how easily we divide God Himself.  Passages get labeled as “loving”  and others as “problematic,”  as if God’s character shifts with the culture. But this isn’t really about testaments or theology.  It’s about control. People wanting control. A whole God requires repentance.  A customized god requires nothing from people. So Scripture gets shrunk to fit lifestyles instead of letting it reshape us. Disobedience got spiritualized, sin got excused, and faithfulness was redefined. And when God’s word pushes back, people accuse it of being harsh rather than honest. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: when we cherry-pick Scripture, we teach the world they can do the same. We handed unbelievers permission to reshape God however they see fit, because that’s exactly what we’re doing. The Bible doesn’t need to be softened, and God doesn’t need to be updated. What needs to change is the modern church’s willingness to stop editing God and start following Him. © Jane Isley Thank you for taking the time to read, and please consider  supporting my work . Your gift helps keep this site going. You can visit me at Faithful Writers  on Medium, where other Christian writers have joined me in sharing the word of God. You can also find me on   Tumblr  and   Facebook.

Creator of Faithful Writers A little about how I got into writing. This should be hilarious. I can write, but an "about me"or a "bio," naw.......my brain goes right out the window in spectacular form. 😅 I am the creator of Faithful Writers, and I’ll explain in a minute or two how that happened. But if I jumped straight into that, I’d miss a lot of important parts of my journey that got me here. My background actually starts in art, web design, and computers. For many years, art was my exclusive focus. I spent all that time writing artist statements, but I didn’t realize I loved writing itself until later. The realization came while I was taking bookkeeping and accounting classes… and God said, “Nope, not today.” I started those classes because I wanted to do something beyond my full-time role as a caregiver for a family member. I’m on call 24/7, never knowing what the day will bring. And art had long been my outlet for stress, depression, and loneliness during the tougher years with her. That’s when writing started to really take hold, just didn't realize it. One night, in a moment of frustration and banging my head on a wall, I took it to God, I asked Him what He wanted me to do because I felt so lost. Two things happened at once "Write for me" was whispered in my mind, just as my husband yells from the other room something along the lines of maybe you should start focusing on your writing because you really love it. 💡 And there it was, just like that. The perfect moment; clarity, excitement, peace, joy, hope, acceptance, happiness, you name it, I felt it and it's felt right ever since and I've never looked back, doubted or regretted pursuing this full-ish time. Now how I came to create this publication.   I write in a very wide varieties of styles and cover multiple topics related to my faith, the Bible, and my life experiences, which means I never fit a specific " niche, " same can be said for my art to. ​ After one email to many, I finally just got tired of having to constantly altering my work for other people and publications or watching an editor strip away my voice and natural wack-a-do flair. I wanted the freedom to write authentically, in whatever style I chose, to keep my pieces as short as I wanted, and not have a publisher tell me I needed to change a whole bunch of stuff to ultimately be what they wanted me to write about. Kinda sucks the thunder out of a person, you know what I mean? ​​ ​ So here I am, creating my own niche in this world and offering that to other Christian writers who want to share their inspired writings in a publication that holds to Biblical teachings.   I adhere to a strict rule: I will not change a writer's voice. While there are guidelines , I do my best to make publishing easy, fun, and as uncomplicated as possible. ​ Have fun reading, and learning, bookmark, and feel free to leave a comment or question . If you're looking for something specific, click here to do some searching, we have every topic under the sun here. Medium Tumblr Facebook Email  Me

Editor for Faithful Writers For over 40 years, Gary has served as a life coach and relationship counselor, helping countless people achieve success in their relationships and create lives that “thrive rather than just survive.” While they admit the phrase carries a touch of cheese, they stand by its truth with a smile. A creative communicator and inspirational speaker, they are deeply satisfied and thrilled that their talks and written stories have motivated and inspired audiences and readers alike. Gary also serves as one of the editors of Faithful Writers, where they help nurture and support other voices sharing messages of faith and encouragement. Gary L. Ellis on Medium and on Facebook Gary's Spiritual Encouragement on Medium

Editor for Faithful Writers I’m a Christian student at SNHU, currently majoring in Anthropology, minoring in professional writing and serving as editor of Faithful Writers. My biological CPU also often breaks down, glitches, and crashes often, making life interesting and different from an average healthy person. My entire health journey since I was 11 is a testimony to God and His love, power, and mercy. He gave me the love for learning and an interest in other cultures and ways of life. He has made it clear that there is no singular right way to live for Him, everyone is different, from different backgrounds, with different spiritual gifts. My goal is to bridge faith and scholarship by writing articles that bring Christian values into conversation with anthropological concepts. There's more than one way to serve Him, and I think we can learn a lot by seeing how people from different cultural backgrounds do just that. Maia Vashti

Image by author Introduction Richard Dawkins, a prominent British biologist and atheist, believes that complex things appear to be designed for a purpose, but are not . [1] Authors such as Dr. Steven C. Meyer ( Return of the God Hypothesis ), Professor John Lennox ( Cosmic Chemistry: Do God and Science Mix? ), and Dr. James Tour, et all ( Mystery of Life’s Origin ) have written books providing ample scientific and philosophical evidence that complex things are , in fact, genuinely designed by an intelligent designer, not just appearing to be so. When and how did science replace God? Before science offered “real explanations” of how life began and evolved to its present state, humanity relied on belief in God. As knowledge grew, God became unnecessary . How did this happen? The earliest pioneers of modern science didn’t see their work as a replacement for God. Modern science was not born in opposition to belief in God; the pioneers of modern science saw their work as revealing Him . Isaac Newton , who is regarded as one of the greatest scientists in history, believed the order of the universe reflected divine intelligence: This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being. [2] Robert Boyle , one of the founders of modern chemistry and a pioneer of the scientific method, saw science as a means to honor God: The study of nature is a duty we owe to God. [3] These early scientists believed nature was understandable and discoverable only because it was created by an intelligent, rational mind. Their faith inspired their work rather than hindering it. As science advanced during the scientific revolution, its success led many thinkers to assume that material explanations were sufficient for everything. In his book cited above, Dr. Meyer explains how this philosophical shift occurred: The success of mechanistic explanations led many scientists to assume that matter and energy alone could explain all of reality. [4] In other words, the existence of God wasn’t disproven by scientists; His existence was simply deemed unnecessary. This assumption took root in scientific circles during the Enlightenment and shaped modern materialism. Challenges to the assumption that “Science has explained God away.” The following three recent scientific discoveries undermine this assumption. Philosopher of science Stephen C. Meyer discusses these discoveries and their implications in his book Return of the God Hypothesis . 1. The universe had a beginning. The Big Bang confirmed that the universe is not eternal. The discovery that space, time, matter, and energy all came into existence at a definite point in the past counters the idea of an eternal, unchanging cosmos, suggesting a transcendent cause. 2. Life exists only because the universe is governed by precise, physical laws, making chance explanations highly implausible. 3. The complex information in DNA points to a conscious mind. Naturalistic mechanisms alone cannot adequately explain how complex biological information arose. We have never observed information arise from purely material processes without the involvement of a mind . [5] Inference to the Best Explanation Using philosophical reasoning, Dr. Meyer argues that the God hypothesis — a personal, intelligent Designer — is the best metaphysical explanation for what we see. An all-powerful, intelligent, spaceless, timeless, immaterial, and personal Creator is a far more coherent explanation of life than materialistic alternatives. The central thesis in his book is that scientific data doesn’t undermine belief in God; rather, as scientific knowledge and understanding deepen, theism becomes a stronger and more plausible explanation for why the universe exists as it does. As mathematician and philosopher John Lennox explains, biological systems do not merely show complexity; they show language (which always comes from a mind). In his discussions and books, he emphasizes that human reason and the intelligible nature of the universe (e.g., mathematical laws) are consistent with the belief in a Creator who designed a universe that can be studied and understood. Science explains how things work; it does not explain why they exist. [6] Like Dr. Meyer, Professor Lennox argues that chance lacks creative power! He insists that a purely materialistic worldview struggles to account for the coherence and order we observe. He asserts that theism provides a framework that makes sense of both scientific knowledge and the deeper questions of meaning and purpose. Self-creation is logically impossible. Something cannot create itself . [7] Conclusion Life contains coded instructions, best explained by intelligent design. Faith and reason can be reunited by explaining reality in terms of both how and why God, as the mind behind DNA, explains both order and intelligence. A personal, intelligent, purposeful Creator revealed in the God of the Bible uniquely explains: Creation from nothing Order and rationality Moral meaning and human dignity Belief in the God of the Bible is not a relic of the past. It is increasingly consistent with the best scientific evidence we have. Science hasn’t disproved the God hypothesis; on the contrary, it has brought it back with a profound force. © Debra Hodges Resources Wikipedia contributors. (2025, December 17). The blind watchmaker. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blind_Watchmaker Isaac Newton, Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/newton/ Robert Boyle, The Christian Virtuoso https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/boyle/ Stephen C. Meyer, Return of the God Hypothesis (HarperOne) https://www.harpercollins.com/products/return-of-the-god-hypothesis-stephen-c-meyer Stephen C. Meyer, Return of the God Hypothesis John C. Lennox, God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? (Lion Hudson) https://lionhudson.com/gods-undertaker/ John Lennox, God’s Undertaker

Short version - The Gospel of Matthew is the opening of the New Beginning, as is written in Matthew 11:13: "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John." His Genealogy is the ultimate example of the reliable proverb: "If you want a job done well, you have to do it yourself." I’m not foolhardy enough to put words into God’s mouth, so the best words I can find for myself to make sense of what is beginning to unfold in the Greatest Story Ever Told is, “I’ve given you your chance. You’re not as good as that con-artist Satan has deceived you into believing. You’ve failed. You’ve suffered enough. I’m coming to rescue you, Myself.” God opens the last part of the Narrative with a declaration of how Faithful and Merciful He is. That should set the mood for reading the Bible. Long Version - The wood and the trees There is so much petty argument about the Genealogies in the Gospels. A previous post, HOW MANY GENEALOGIES DOES JESUS HAVE ? shows that both the one in Matthew and the one in Luke are valid genealogies of David’s two sons, Solomon and Nathan. And Nathan’s is the authoritative one. But what is the purpose of Matthew’s genealogy? This figure shows Matthew’s genealogy compared to the records in Chronicles. It can be seen that it is a genealogy of the Jews. Abraham, the first Jew, was a Gentile. The green highlights are the discrepancies between the record of the Chronicles and the Holy Spirit’s list in Matthew. Why don’t they match? Surely that’s another error in the Bible. No . It is up to the Holy Spirit to decide who to eradicate from Christ’s biological lineage. The reasons for the omissions are contained in the Old Testament. If you are interested, they are there to find. If you’re not interested … … Some surprising names are Manasseh, Jehoiakim, and Jeconiah. The reasons are included in the Narrative if you are so inclined. Some family secrets are kept in the closet Adam, who had a personal, one-on-one relationship with Yehovah Elohim, sold his soul to the Devil because he didn’t believe what God said on those sublime afternoon strolls. Abraham, who believed Yehovah, could not redeem what Adam had sold for nothing. Neither could Samson, the physically strongest mere mortal. (OK. He’s not in the Genealogy.) Nor could David, the man after God’s own Heart. David had sinned (murder), and the line of Kings behind him were truly wicked, even the best was bad, yet Yehovah remained true to His Promises. That is an encouragement to all who profess the Name of Jesus. Then came Solomon, the wisest mere mortal, who made a dog’s breakfast of it all. The women in Matthew’s Genealogy Matthew does something radically unusual for an ancient Jewish genealogy: he includes women, five of them. Leaving Mary aside for a while, they all come from the wrong side of the tracks. • Tamar (Genesis 38) began a line of bastards. • Rahab (Joshua 2; 6) was a lady of negotiable virtue. • Ruth (Book of Ruth) came from the wrong family. But these were the only successes in the list. Haven’t you missed one? That intriguing woman is “The wife of Uriah” (2 Samuel). Everyone with a smidgen of Biblical knowledge (or watched the 1951 Susan Hayward/Gregory Peck movie) knows that Uriah’s wife was Bathsheba. However, the Holy Spirit did not show her the courtesy of giving her a name; names are very important in the Bible, so there was more going on there than meets the eye. But that’s something you can cogitate on for yourself. The subliminal message God opens the next part of the Narrative with a declaration of how Faithful and Merciful He is. ° Satan is a con-artist. ° Humanity could not look after itself. ° Immanuel was necessary. ° Christmas is the new beginning promised in Jeremiah 31:33 & 32:40. GOD DID NOT FORGET. IF THAT IS NOT A REASON TO CELEBRATE, WHAT IS? But Mary can’t be ignored Mary and Joseph would end up in Bethlehem regardless of which Genealogy you favour; both Jacob (Matthew) and Heli (Luke) lead them there. So Mary was in the line of David by both Blood and Marriage. In Bethlehem, she was amongst family. Yet no one would (repeat, ‘ would ’, NOT ‘ could ’) find room for her, even though she was with child, supposedly the epitome of social status for a Jewish woman. Why would that be? The post ILLEGITIMATE SKELETONS IN MESSIAH’S FAMILY CLOSE T shows that Mary was a gutsy girl. Someone to be admired. Not worshipped. The forgoing evidence has not been presented to convince any reader but to allow a personal decision to be made. There is much more to know about this subject. Perhaps you’ll pay another visit, sometime. If you have seen something you like, I encourage plagiarism. So, always check everything I say first, then please re-cycle, re-brand, re-structure, re-issue, re-label, or regurgitate in any manner you please. No need to acknowledge me because it is the Holy Spirit Who holds the Intellectual Rights. All Glory to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (We all have a plank in our eye. It’s bigger than we think.) © ネ   Brad Banardict

“The gospel is not about how to get saved. The gospel is about the reign of God through Jesus.” — Scot McKnight, Christian author and theologian Many of us heard “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” as something different than what Jesus actually meant. I grew up in a Fundamentalist, Evangelical background. To them, it meant something like, “Seek getting saved so that when you die, you can avoid hell and gain heaven.” It also meant making it your priority in life to share the Gospel of Salvation so that they also can avoid hell and be in heaven after they die. Truth hidden in plain sight rather than buried under church doctrine: Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom, not the Gospel of Salvation from one’s sins. There are good points that can be known about Salvation. But, from Jesus’ perspective, it shouldn’t be labeled as The Gospel. When Jesus said “seek first,” He meant make it your highest priority in life . He didn’t mean that you’re truly spiritual if you have your prayer and devotions before doing anything else every day. It’s not one priority among many. It’s not something you aim for when things calm down. It’s not something you try harder at during stressful seasons. He meant first as in what you make your priority in life. The thing everything else gets arranged around. What “Seek First” Actually Means So let’s be practical. “Seek first” means decide what sits at the center of your life. Everyone already has a center. We don’t usually name it, but it shows up in how we make decisions, what we worry about, and what we protect when things feel threatened. For some people, that center is money. For others, it’s safety. For others, it’s productivity.For others, it’s control. For plenty of religious people, it’s being right or being seen as faithful. Jesus isn’t introducing the idea of priorities. He’s not saying that other things in life don’t matter. He’s challenging which one gets top billing. Seeking first the kingdom means God’s reign is no longer something you consult after you’ve already decided what matters. It becomes the reference point. That changes how ordinary life looks. It could mean choosing honesty even when it costs you leverage. It could mean generosity when fear tells you to tighten your grip. It could mean forgiveness when staying angry feels justified. It could mean refusing to step on people to get ahead. It’s just real life reordered. What Jesus Means by “The Kingdom” The kingdom of God is not heaven later and it’s not a spiritual feeling now. It’s not an abstract idea or a theological category. The kingdom is God’s reign made visible in the world through a people who live by it . That definition forces the kingdom out of the clouds and onto the ground. A kingdom requires a king. A kingdom requires people. A kingdom requires a way of life. Jesus wasn’t announcing a set of beliefs. He was announcing that God’s reign was breaking into the world and forming a new community with new loyalties. That means the kingdom shows up in how people treat each other. It shows up in how power is used. It shows up in economics, forgiveness, justice, and mercy. It shows up in everyday decisions. You can’t reduce that to private spirituality. A kingdom is public. It’s visible. It’s lived. So when Jesus says “seek first the kingdom,” He’s talking about allegiance. Who do you belong to? Who shapes your values? Who defines success? What “His Righteousness” Is and Is Not This is where many readings go off the rails. “Righteousness” often gets flattened into moral perfection or personal purity. Try harder. Do better. Sin less. In the Jewish world of Jesus, righteousness meant living in ways that reflected God’s character in community. It meant justice, mercy, honesty, and faithfulness. It meant treating people rightly and keeping commitments. It was never just about inner morality. It was about how life was lived together. So when Jesus says “seek his righteousness,” He’s talking about what God’s reign looks like when it’s practiced. That includes how money is handled. How enemies are treated. How forgiveness works. How truth is spoken. Jesus had already described righteousness earlier in the Sermon on the Mount. He didn’t leave it vague. Love enemies. Give quietly. Pray without performing. Forgive without keeping score. That’s righteousness. Not abstract. Not theoretical. Not theological. Lived. The Real Context: Anxiety and Survival Matthew 6 is not a theological essay. It’s a conversation about worry. Food. Clothing. Money. Tomorrow. Jesus isn’t chiding people for being anxious. He’s naming the system they’re trapped in. A system where survival becomes the highest priority, and everything else bows to it. When survival comes first, fear becomes the decision-maker. People hoard. People compromise. People justify harm. People protect themselves at all costs. Jesus says there is another way to live. Seeking the kingdom first means refusing to let fear be the organizing principle of your life. Not denying fear exists. Not pretending life is easy. But choosing not to let anxiety decide what is right. That’s why Jesus contrasts the kingdom with money. Both promise security. Both demand loyalty. Only one can be trusted without deforming you. This Is Not a Deal with God This verse often gets read like a transaction. If I put God first, God will make sure everything works out. Jesus isn’t offering a bargain. He’s describing how life works under God’s reign. God’s care is not a reward for obedience. It’s the environment of the kingdom. When your life is ordered around God’s reign instead of fear, money loses its grip. Anxiety loses its authority. You’re no longer scrambling to secure yourself at the expense of others. “All these things will be added to you” is not a promise of ease. It’s a statement of trust. A life aligned with God’s reign is not abandoned. This Is About Allegiance, Not Add-Ons Kingdom language always forces the question of loyalty. Who gets first place? Who sets the terms? Who defines what matters? Seeking the kingdom first means Jesus is not added to your existing life plan. He reshapes it. That’s why this teaching doesn’t feel harmless once you hear it clearly. It confronts whatever you’ve been trusting to save you. Some ambitions get questioned. Some habits get exposed. Some fears lose their authority. This Is a Daily Orientation This verse is a daily choice, not a one-time decision. Every day, something sits at the center. Every day, something shapes your reactions. Every day, something defines what you protect. Seeking the kingdom first doesn’t mean you stop paying bills or planning ahead. It means those things no longer sit on the throne. Fear doesn’t get first place. Money doesn’t get first place. Reputation doesn’t get first place. God’s reign does. What Jesus Is Really Saying Through this way of defining it, Matthew 6:33 sounds less like a slogan and more like a challenge. Make God’s reign your highest priority. Live in ways that reflect God’s justice and mercy. Order your life around trust instead of fear. Seek the community shaped by King Jesus and His Kingdom. No poetry. No spiritual fog. No escape from real life. Just a clear invitation to live under a different king in the middle of this world. The Bottom Line “Seek first the kingdom of God” isn’t about trying harder or worrying less. It’s about deciding what gets first place in your life. Jesus isn’t asking for interest or intention. He’s asking for loyalty. What actually has first place in my life — and what kind of kingdom is that shaping me into? © Gary L Ellis

Understanding that the kingdom is authority breaking in before territory is claimed or recognized, it is the first power before possession. Photo by Dorian Mongel  on Unsplash “And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.” Luke 11:19–20 What is a kingdom? This question has walked freely up and down the corridors of my mind, seeking an answer, wanting to be understood, and seeking elaboration. Folklore, movies, and ancient history have given the word different colouration throughout the ages of mankind, until its meaning has become largely watered down in present times. Yet a definition has stood out, one that seems applicable in every sense: In folklore Ancient history The physical world The spiritual realm The world to come The irony is that I cannot now recall exactly where I first learned it, but it has stayed with me nonetheless. The Bible declares: “Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou? ” Ecclesiastes 8:4 The word of a king is power. It is powerful because it is backed by supreme authority. Anyone carrying the word of the king is, by extension, carrying power. This is why, in ancient times, a common phrase was spoken and understood: “In the name of the king!” This brings us to the definition that has endured: A kingdom is any place the authority of a king reaches. A kingdom is the first authority, before it is ever translated into territory. This is precisely the message Jesus was delivering to His accusers, those who claimed the unthinkable: that He, the Son of God, was casting out demons by Beelzebub. What an insult. His response was sharp and decisive: “But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.” Luke 11:20 In that moment, Jesus exposed both their blindness and their judgment. Though they were the “ gatekeepers of revelation” , the stewards of the Law and the Prophets, they failed to recognize the King when He stood before them. The Kingdom had arrived. Not as an announcement, not as a warning, but as a reality, and they knew it not. Jesus was, in effect, saying: The Kingdom was not just near Not merely approaching But actively breaking in Right there, in their midst And they were witnessing it It was a real-time takeover, and the miracles were evidence of that authority at work. Yet His audience, His chosen people, failed to discern what was happening before their very eyes. My thoughts are drawn inevitably back to our own time: Do the present children of the Kingdom understand it? Are they walking in it? Are they enforcing the Word of the one true King? Do they recognize who and what they are? Are they carrying His Word and wielding it “in the name of the King”? For we must always remember: all Scripture is written for our admonition. These things are “ ensamples.” Patterns meant to instruct and awaken us. If you are here, do you bring His Kingdom to bear? For the Kingdom is wherever the authority of a King reaches. Give Him the reach; give Him His due. The Kingdom is the first authority before territory. Wield that authority, it was given to you for that very purpose. © KenbrianPhos Bringing the Light

Photo by Katja Anokhina on Unsplash I struggled to come out of the fog of sleep, searching for awakeness after a broken night’s rest.  Lying still with my eyes closed, my brain sorted through its daily reality check.  Sunday morning.  Church. Lunch with friends. Evening to relax.  Got it.  But then the flood of anguishing memories from the previous week hit me. It would be an overcast day at best. I pictured myself walking into church, locking eyes with a smiling friend, and bursting into tears.  The music would open the floodgates.  The sermon would surely hit the bullseye.  Should I just walk into church with a box of Kleenex? I quickly decided to tell Hubby we need to watch the livestream; I’m not in the mood to see smiling faces. But then I remembered the chopsticks, and I smiled.  The chopstick’s smile study was conducted in 2009 by Daniel Wiswede and his colleagues at the Otto-von Guericke Universität Magdeburg, in Magdeburg, Germany.  The researchers were trying to determine if the physical act of smiling had an effect on dopamine levels. Dopamine levels run parallel to mood.  A person with low levels of dopamine may feel sad or depressed.  A person with excessively high levels of dopamine may be more aggressive and have trouble sleeping.  Maintaining a ‘normal’ level of this neurotransmitter helps with the regulation of a person’s generally happy mood.   The Chopstick’s Study (as I will refer to it) had participants hold a chopstick horizontally between their teeth, thus forcing their face into a ‘smile’ position.  Other participants held a chopstick vertically by their upper lip, thus forcing their face into a ‘frown’ position. These people sat with a chopstick either horizontally or vertically in their mouths for five minutes.  The people with the horizontal chopstick between their teeth were found to have an elevated mood and higher dopamine levels. The mere act of smiling makes you feel happier! An alternate study involving the Mirror Neuron System (MNS) was also referenced in the Chopstick’s Study literature. “Mirror neurons in the brain fire not only when the action is performed, but also when the action is observed.”  So if I am feeling blue, and someone smiles at me, happy neurological activity starts firing in my brain! As a believer in Jesus, I not only have an MNS, but I also have an MJS (Mirror Jesus System) !  Of all the things God created, humans are the only ones created in His image.  We were made to reflect His glory.  If you are filled with the Holy Spirit, people see Jesus when they see you.  When you smile at someone, it causes the other person to smile back, thus releasing dopamine in their brain. Be a mirror of Jesus! Hubby lovingly denied my request to watch the church livestream.  I gave myself a mental pep talk on the 23-minute drive to church, my purse loaded with Kleenex, just in case. Stepping out of the car, a smile greeted me.  I mirrored.  Three more smiles were beamed in my direction.  I reflected.  By the time I sat down, I had been smiling nonstop for minutes.  The dopamine in my brain was flowing.  The dark cloud of the previous week had not gone away- But my church family was there holding my umbrella. Chopstick’s Study First published in Pursuing Perfection on Substack by © Tessa Lind,  tessalind.substack.com

It’s easy to assume pastors, preachers, and ministers are always right. But that assumption is all too often dangerous this day in age. Because many leaders are simply no longer teaching the Word of God. They’re dishing out a version of Christianity they’ve shaped to fit their own desires, and far too many congregations nod along without question. “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matt 7:15 I’m seeing it more and more as each day passes. A leader drifts off course, and instead of conviction correcting the moment, silence fills the room. People are reading the room more than they read their own Bible. The conviction stirs inside, but comfort wins out. And just like that, a church stops being the body of Christ and becomes a crowd primed for deception. Psychology calls it mob mentality. Scripture calls it apostasy. That is a deliberate turning away; a conscious rejection of Christ and His teachings. One person stays silent. Then another. Then another. Slowly, conviction collapses in favour of fitting in. As the congregation drifts, satan seizes a foothold, whispering into that leader’s ear. They then test boundaries because they can, knowing the congregation will go along; this is an easily self-feeding cycle. A closed loop of delusion dressed in church language and religious ritual. We were warned. “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” 2 Tim 4:3 We were also forewarned of the consequences. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matt 7:21–23 When conviction and comfort clash, where do you fall? © Jane Isley