My understanding of religion is very much based on my personal and academic experiences. I have always viewed religion as something someone believes and practices, and when I was younger, I thought that everyone believed in some sort of God or gods. It wasn’t until middle school that I learned more in-depth about the different types of belief systems and some of the main religions around the world. While I always understood that there were others with different beliefs, many of my experiences growing up were around differences in Christianity as opposed to other religions. My family is a mix of Christian denominations with some who choose not to practice any religion. Growing up with a single mother made it difficult for us to be accepted in certain churches, so for most of my life, I wasn’t involved in a church or even went to one. Despite this, my mom raised me as a Christian who read the Bible often and I learned to search for the answers to questions myself. Sometimes, I still find it hard to relate to other Christians who don’t do this, who don’t study the Bible’s original texts, compare translations, research the culture and history of the time period, or simply ask God to lead you to answers and understanding. My belief is solely based on Biblical texts, and I don’t put myself into a label of Christian; I feel that this divides us and prevents us from completing God’s calling effectively. Because of all of this, I know my understanding of religion is even different from someone else who practices Christianity, and I know my faith drives my perspective of other religions. As a Christian, I believe that God is the one true god, that we are not to worship other gods or have idols, and we are to minister and tell people the Good News about Jesus so they can turn to God and be saved. This leads to the point of view that I hold that other religions are people’s attempt to distance themself from God and the commands He has given us and as a way to justify their continuation of sinful behavior; people throughout history have used their imaginations, satan’s deception, spiritual experiences not from God, bits and pieces of the Bible, the strive for control and power, and many other things to create religious, or similar, beliefs to follow and practice. Some of these came as a way to explain the world around them while others were used to justify the position and power of rulers, such as with Egyptian pharaohs who were at first gods on Earth and then later the offspring of gods such as Amon, making them the son of the sun ruling over the affairs of Earth (Bentley et al., 2021, p. 50). Even Christianity has been used and changed to justify divine rule. With this said, I firmly believe in respecting others, honoring them, and not discriminating against them or treating them horribly because they believe in something different and act accordingly (Holy Bible, New International Version, 1973/2011, 1 Pet. 2:17, Rom. 12:10, Rom. 13:7, Matt. 7:12, Matt. 5:43–48, Phil. 2:3–4). I imagine that this perspective is what will challenge me the most in terms of expanding my understanding of religion, as it is not the most conducive for approaching religion as an academic study. Similar to the struggles of early scholars, holding the Christian religion as the singular, “right” model is limiting and inaccurate of the world we live in (Brodd et al., 2021, pp. 4–5). That is not to say you can’t hold onto your own beliefs and religious practices in order to effectively study other world religions, but that it is something to be aware of to ensure a scholarly, sound approach to studying and understanding the religions being discussed. While being objective is something I can excel at, it is also sometimes hard, especially when it comes to something I feel strongly about. I know there are going to be topics discussed throughout this course that will challenge my ability to remain objective and empathetic, and I know some topics are going to be hard to understand on a personal level, however, I hope my hunger for knowledge as a whole will prevent me from letting this stop me from expanding my understanding as a whole. I already plan to challenge myself by not picking Christianity as one of the two religions to study for this course’s main project. Depending on the topic I decide to pursue, I may even decide to exclude Catholicism as well. My mother taught me that in order to defend your beliefs, you should one, know why it is you believe something and be able to give Biblical evidence for it, and two, know what the other arguments/beliefs are. I studied both evolution and creationism in high school, and while I admit to not enjoying evolution, it has helped me defend my own beliefs to others better. Understanding another perspective has, in turn, helped my own faith grow, and I look forward to learning more about other perspectives I know little about. © Maia Vashti References: Bentley, J. H., Ziegler, H. F., Streets-Salter, H. E., & Benjamin, C. (2021). Traditions & Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past (7th ed., p. 50). McGraw Hill Education. Brodd, J., Little, L., Nystrom, B., Platzner, R., Shek, R., & Stiles, E. (2021). Invitation to World Religions (4th ed., pp. 4–5). Oxford University Press Academic US. https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9780197570722 Holy Bible, New International Version. (2011). Biblica, Inc. (Original Work Published 1973). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/

The person in the parable on prayer nobody talks about. If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you have probably come across Jesus’ parable on prayer. I believe His motivation for telling this story is to encourage and persuade us to persevere in our prayer life. Here is how Luke recalls it: “Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this — though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.” 11: 5–8. The lesson is simple: make your prayer life effective and fervent. Don’t just ask once and quit. Persist. Have faith and patience. Jesus goes on to say: “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” 9–13. I’ve heard this story expounded upon for many years from the perspective of the person with a need who gets what they want. And then they usually tie in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, where he encourages them to “pray without ceasing." (1 Thes 5:17) The character in the story that nobody preaches about. Have you thought about the jerk in bed? Remember, the story refers to him as a friend. And for you, Biblical scholars, the Greek word literally means “friend.” Not a neighbor or acquaintance. It is the same word James used when he called Abraham a “friend of God." (James 2:23) Can you imagine this conversation between Abraham and God? God: “Abraham, leave the home of your father and move to a land I will show you.” Abraham: “Go away, God. I have a great family and thriving business. Come back next week when I am out from under the covers.” God: “But I need you to go. I’ll keep knocking until you leave Ur of the Chaldeans.” Abraham: “OK, geez, I’ll go. You are a pain in the rear. But to shut you up, God, I’ll go.” Abraham was a friend of God, a real friend, not a social media contact, not a neighbor, not an acquaintance. The man in the parable should have bounced out of bed, run to the door, and said, “Is everything all right? It’s midnight. Are you OK?” And then rejoiced. “Make sure to introduce us before he leaves. What else do you need? A friend of yours is a friend of mine.” But he didn’t. His friendship was active if it was convenient. This article isn’t about prayer. Although the parable is. This article is about being a friend. Solomon nailed it: “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Prov 18:24 This verse highlights the importance of having authentic friends. And suggests that some friendships can be incredibly deep and supportive, even surpassing those of family. We all have friends who operate between the hours of 8 and 5. But will they be there on moving weekend? Or drive to pick you up if your car breaks down? Are they available 24/7? This is why so many people feel lonely at church. Like-minded people surround them. But none of them are friends. When I left Facebook, I had almost 1,000 “friends." And I didn’t know who most of them were. They knew someone I knew. I couldn’t tell you a thing about them. Do you have friends? Are you friendly? Would you open the door at midnight? Or do they have to badger you incessantly for what they need? Are you available to them? Are you trustworthy and faithful? Or what is called a “fair weather friend”? These are questions we should all ask ourselves. I want to be a friend to God. What should I do? First, study the lives of the people God called His friends. You know about Abraham. He had faith and a close relationship with God. Moses was also called God’s friend: “The Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” Exodus 33:11 Moses had an intimate relationship with God, characterized by direct communication and trust. Jesus called his disciples friends. “I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.” John 15:15 Bottom Line: God often arrives at inconvenient times. He knocks. And how we respond determines if we are authentic friends or not. He wants to get us out of our warm, comfortable resting place because He might want to provide for the needs of another person through us. We are blessed to be a blessing to others. Is it bothersome? It depends on the level of spiritual friendship you have. I hope I am the one who, when there is a knock at my door, bounds out of bed, provides generously what God has entrusted me with, and says, “It was nothing. No big deal. It’s how I roll. My pleasure, Lord.” God always repays. I know I’ll get much more than three loaves in return. © I.M. Koen Thanks for reading this. You might also like: God Misses You; Why not give Him a quick call to check in? Jesus Wants to Make You Breakfast.; An invitation to dine for all atheists, ex-Christians, and God-haters. Is Jesus your Boss or your Friend? Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

It was spoken between tears and whimpers, pain and sorrow. Spoken by a mother to her daughter during times of distress, of hurt. Carved in leather as a reminder around their wrists. It was a phrase that got me through plenty of times, when things were at their worst, uncertain. Pain at its most. A comfort linked with a promise. A thread of faith when the string was fraying. It was a joke when, upon arrival, said: “I won’t last.” While true, it wasn’t the gift's intention, and while corrected, the smile lasts. The steps still filled with laughter. It was a reminder that I wasn’t alone. I had those who fought for me, I still do. Heaven's armies, a mother’s determination, and a friend’s encouragement are still at my side. © Maia Vashti

Maybe you thought faith would fix you, that once you found God, all the cracks in your soul would close, the loneliness would fade, and peace would come easily. You believed that saying yes to Him meant your heart would finally stop aching. But maybe that hasn’t happened. Some mornings, the heaviness still lingers. The prayers feel forced. The peace feels far. You look in the mirror and wonder why healing still feels unfinished. And sometimes that guilt creeps in, because how can you believe in a God who restores, yet still feel undone? The Shame of Still Hurting You’re not alone in that thought. Many people quietly believe that feeling broken means their faith isn’t strong enough. So they try to pray it away, worship it away, or hide it behind smiles and verses. But hiding pain never makes it holy; it only buries it under the weight of shame. Then, somewhere in Scripture, there’s this gentle reminder: “A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out.” ~ Isaiah 42:3 Also, meditate on this: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” ~ Psalm 34:18 Let that sink in. God doesn’t throw away what’s bruised; He breathes on what’s barely burning. The God Who Sits With the Broken He’s not waiting for you to be whole before He holds you. He doesn’t turn away from the weak or ashamed. He draws near to the ones barely standing, the ones who whisper prayers between tears. Faith was never about pretending strength. It’s about showing up, trembling but trusting, and believing that He’s still enough. Even when life feels scattered in pieces, He sits right there among them, ever patient, present, and gentle. You’re Broken, But Not Abandoned Feeling broken doesn’t mean your faith has failed. It simply means you’re human, still being shaped, still being loved in process. Maybe that’s where true faith lives: in the raw, unpolished places where grace finally gets to breathe. So stop asking God to erase the cracks, ask Him to fill them with light instead, because every scar you’ve tried to hide can become a space where His love shines through. It’s a quiet proof that healing isn’t about perfection but about presence. And even when you still feel broken, you’re not forgotten. You’re being remade — slowly, softly, and honestly by the One who never stopped calling you His. A Little Note For You This piece is the beginning of a small series I’m creating for anyone who believes but still battles the ache inside. Each continuation will touch another layer of what it means to heal while believing: the waiting involved, the weariness, and also the hope that still rises. If your heart needs space to heal in faith, stay with me. We’ll walk through this, one truth at a time. © Favour

Where there’s a will, there’s a destiny. Have you been to a wedding lately? The officiant asks the bride and groom to make a vow to each other and God. They are asked something like “Will you love, honor, and cherish…” And their response is usually “I will.” On the wedding day, their will is strong. However, years later, if one of them violates their covenant, it is usually because their will has become weak, diluted, or distracted. ~How does that happen? ~What is the human will? ~Can we control it? When my children became toddlers, I read books on “strong-willed children”. I’m glad I did because they became magnificent adults and excellent parents themselves. I never squelched their will. But learned how to channel it in the right direction. And to teach them to do the same. In my limited understanding, I believe the human will is the God-given capacity to choose. It’s the seat of decision-making, where we exercise our ability to say yes or no, to obey or resist, to surrender or rebel. It’s what makes us morally responsible before God. He gave us a will so that love and obedience could be genuine, not robotic. God doesn’t force obedience — He invites it. The will is where we answer that invitation. When someone commits a horrific act, many people seek answers. And the usual response is, “Because God gave man free will.” Choices have consequences. And “the butterfly effect” causes ripples with far-reaching collateral ramifications. How is your will these days? Strong? Tired? In neutral, waiting for someone or something to put it back into drive? We can’t surrender our will. We must engage it. “Choose this day whom you will serve” Josh 24:15 Our will is where the real battle takes place. It’s not just about feelings or thoughts, it’s about deciding. We must “will” to obey God. We must “will” to renounce the ways of this present world. When the Lord shows us what could be or what should be, the question isn’t, “What will God do?” The question is, “What will we do?” “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life…” Deut 30:19 Just like Isaiah, when he heard the Lord ask, “Whom shall I send?”, the response must come from a willing heart: “Here am I. Send me” (Isaiah 6:8). In the old paradigm, there were heroes, villains, and spectators. Most of us were spectators. However, in this changing and chaotic world, that is not the case. God is demanding that we choose. No better Bible story exemplifies that point than Elijah versus the prophets of Baal. “And Elijah came near to all the people and said, ‘How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.’ And the people did not answer him a word.” 1 Kings 18:21 By not deciding, they were, in effect, making a decision. By not answering a word, they were speaking volumes. The chosen people of a mighty God had been reduced to being spectators. That might have been OK in 867 BC. But not today as we close this present age and usher in the redemptive age of the Messiah. We Must Choose a Side. We Must Get in the Game. We Must Set Our Will Like Steel. We Must Stand Under an Unseen Chuppah and Recommit Our Will to God. Is God laying big decisions in front of you? If so, don’t rush. Think back. What did you do when you became aware of your divine destiny, when the truth first broke through your darkness? Remember how easy it was to trust Him back then? That was the Spirit of God at work in you. “You were running well,” Paul says in Galatians 5:7. Go back and remember that first love (Revelation 2:4). The same God who stirred your heart then is stirring it now, inviting you again to say yes, to be loyal, to recommit. Every temptation and every crossroads comes down to a battle in the will. It’s where we either bow to God or don’t. Obeying God isn’t something we drift into. It’s a deliberate, conscious choice of will. Everything else in life waits until that choice is made. And when it comes, we shouldn’t poll the crowd, seek a sign of confirmation, or make sure our circle of influence is “OK with it.” As we continue to walk with God, fewer people will understand the steps we’re taking. That’s where the strain comes in. It’s lonely sometimes. But it’s holy ground. We don’t need to figure out where God is taking us. That’s His job. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). It’s not a spotlight showing the whole road. He may not tell us the destination. Do you remember what He did with Abram? But He will reveal more of Himself. That’s the only explanation He owes us: His presence. So, today, right now, speak it out loud: “I will be loyal. I will not be moved. I will persist. I will obey.” Say it to God. Say it in prayer, in tears, in faith, in repentance. Open a new door to greatness. It’s been there the whole time, waiting for you. Make the way to your destiny straight. Clear any mental obstacles. Ponder what God is saying to you today. Then move. Go! Take action! “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed” Psalm 57:7 The moment we choose loyalty to God, to His plans, to His people, to His nation, we stand as a witness. It’s not just to the world, but against our selfish tendencies. We are drawing a line in the sand. We have learned to choose the good and refuse the evil. (Isaiah 7:15) We have set solid, unchangeable boundaries for ourselves. No more wavering. No more hypocrisy. No more sitting in neutral, idling, burning holy gas, and going nowhere. Spiritual maturity occurs when the human will aligns with God’s will. That doesn’t happen by accident. It takes daily surrender and discipline. It’s hard. But everything memorable and lasting is hard. Be tough. Will yourself to be loyal. And give honor to those who choose loyalty also. God’s people are called to strengthen, teach, sharpen, and lift one another for His glory. That’s how our Kingdom grows strong. Thank you for reading. You might also like: Are There Mexican Angels? Where Have You Pitched Your Tent? The Real Difference Between Christians and Jews. You are here for a time such as this. God believes in you more than you believe in yourself. “Chazak, chazak, venitchazek!” (Look it up, Christians) © I.M. Koen

I stare at the screen and let the words sink in. Probable carcinoma. Motionless, I try to grasp the meaning of those two words. ‘Probable’. Most likely. Probably. Chances are, I have cancer. It’s not confirmed, but the balance is tilted in favor of the C-word. ‘Cancer’. My first thought is Beth. My dear friend Beth. We went to the Christian bookstore in Ashland and bought matching Bibles. Months later, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. When my firstborn came out, so did all of Beth’s hair. She sat in my brand-new glider rocker, head wrapped in a scarf, rocking so furiously I feared my weeks-old daughter would get motion sickness. In many ways, the treatment was worse than the cancer. She died within a year of the initial diagnosis and has been with Jesus for 28 years. But I have never foreseen cancer to be part of my story. It’s nothing I have considered. Cancer is not in my family. The cancer gene missed us. I try my best to check off the boxes of healthy living to avoid cancer. We eat our fruits and veggies, organically when possible. We buy our meat from local farmers instead of the grocery store, and make all of our meals from scratch with real ingredients. We drink our delicious well water, void of chemicals. I refuse to heat anything in the microwave with plastic. We walk four miles a day and sleep eight hours a night. Despite what we do, cancer can rear its ugly head. My phone rings out my beautiful Mozart Sonata ringtone. It’s my doctor. I’m thankful I read MyChart before she called. I am prepared and calm. She confirms the words in the report are alarming, yet sends messages of peace. ‘Probable’ does not mean cancer; it means we need further testing. ‘Probable’ means biopsy. Within hours, they call and schedule a biopsy for the next day, Friday. It’s alarming that they need to see me the next day. When my knee hurt, it was six weeks before the doctor could schedule me, but with cancer, there is an urgency. I sit with my coffee and rock in the same chair Beth sat in decades ago. Is this it? Will cancer be my demise? I am surprisingly calm. Lord Jesus, your will be done. I nod my head. Yes, that is the right prayer. At age 56, I have lived a full life. I had an idyllic childhood, with a mom and dad who stayed married, even through the hardest of hards. I graduated from college and married my best friend. The Lord blessed me with four of the most amazing people on the planet for children. He allowed me the privilege of homeschooling them, even though it meant driving rusty old minivans. He protected us in so many ways. Yes, Lord, your will be done. Twenty years ago, I learned my lesson. I selfishly prayed a Hezekiah prayer. Sick for over four years, I prayed the Lord would spare my life until my youngest graduated from high school. (2 Kings 20:1-11) Just let me live for my kiddos. Don’t let them grow up without a mom. They need me. And just as God granted Hezekiah’s request, extending his life for fifteen years, so God allowed me to live a ‘normal’ life through surgeries and medication. After so many years of selfish pleas to the Lord for Him to do what I want, my heart is now somehow completely surrendered to what He wants. What if a cancer diagnosis leads my kiddos into a deeper relationship with Him? What if people praying for me trust Jesus even more? What if cancer and treatment mold me and shape me to look like Jesus? Why would I not want that? And when I die, I’ll be with the Lord. I do want that, more than anything. But what about Hubby? I am prepared to meet the Lord today, but that means loneliness and pain for my best friend. I have often said the best way for us to die would be together, that way neither of us needs to grieve alone, which is probably worse than the pain of dying. Heavenly Father, your will be done. A Friday biopsy means my flesh is sitting in a lab somewhere, preserved for a tech to look at after the weekend break. Hubby and I sit on the couch, holding hands in silence, Nuka at our feet. I don’t cry. I remain surprisingly optimistic, even bordering on happy. My trust in God’s future plans for me prevails over any fear. He is in control, and He loves me. Why should I be afraid? I keep my phone, with the ringer turned on, next to the piano. I wait. Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday, the call comes. “As hoped for, the biopsy was benign.” “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2) First published in Pursuing Perfection on Substack by © Tessa Lind, tessalind.substack.com Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

A Foundational Look at Sacrifice and Restoration You've probably heard the phrase "Jesus died for our sins" your whole life, whether you grew up in church or not. But why did Jesus die for our sins? Why did it have to be death? Why does it matter that He rose again? And what does any of it have to do with you, today? I hope to answer some of these questions today, no screaming, no Bible-thumping. I say that as someone who's lived through real church hurt, a hard childhood, and once turned my back on God completely. I'm also autistic, which means abstract theological claims and "just have faith" never worked for me. I needed the logic first before the leap of faith. I need things to hold up under scrutiny. If you knew my full story, you'd understand that choosing Him was never handed to me by birth. I chose Him because He sought me out and I followed Him. Why Death? To understand why Jesus died, we have to start with why death was even necessary in the first place. Sin became part of our lives, and God, being just, cannot tolerate it. If He tolerated sin of any kind, He'd have to tolerate all of it. Good would stop existing, and everything would blur into grey. There had to be a firm line between right and wrong, or none of it would mean anything. Sin leads to permanent eternal death. Not just the kind where your heartbeat stops, but a deeper death, one that separates us from God's presence completely and despite popular finger pointing that is the humans' choice to make, not God's, I'll link that article below. This is the part that trips people up a lot. Sin is like a debt, and it's a debt too heavy for us to pay on our own. It's too dark, too unholy, for any human to carry into heaven. So Jesus, the Son of God, took that debt into Himself. He carried it, so that you could be free of it. Not Just a Death, a Sacrifice It's tempting to think of Jesus's death the way we think of a martyr's death. Someone dying for a cause, or for other people, and then it's over. But Jesus's death wasn't martyrdom. It was a complete and perfect sacrifice. If He had simply been a martyr, He would have known His pain would end the moment He was resurrected. But that's not what happened. The night before He was crucified, He prayed so intensely that He sweat blood, a real medical condition called Hematidrosis, caused by extreme stress, fear, or facing death. Why would He experience that if He knew His resurrection was coming? Because He wasn't just facing His own death. He was carrying every single person's sins, from the beginning of time to the end. Imagine every sin you've ever committed, multiplied by billions of people across all of history and the future. That's what He carried, willingly, to the cross for all of us. That's not martyrdom. That is the ultimate definition of love. What We're Restored To So what was all of this for? Genesis tells us that when God finished creating everything, He looked at it and called it very good. The original Hebrew word used is towb, which means so much more than just the simple English word "good." It carries the sense of beautiful, merriment, bountiful, pleasant, precious, joyful. Something rich and full, not just "good". Before sin entered the picture, God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. They were in His presence, completely, with nothing broken between them. Then sin entered, and that closeness was lost. But it wasn't lost forever. Jesus's death and resurrection are what make the way back to God's presence possible. Scripture reassures us we'll be given new, transformed bodies, free of everything that's gone wrong in this world. Not nameless, faceless spirits, but ourselves, fully known and fully whole. And we're promised a new Earth, a new heaven, a restored place where we'll be with Him again, just like it was always meant to be. Why It Matters Jesus's death paid a debt we could never pay ourselves, and His resurrection proves that death doesn't have the final word. And what's waiting for us, if we choose Him, is a restoration of everything that was lost. Not just spiritually, but a real, physical, whole existence in His presence again. That's what it means that Jesus died for our sins. Not a simple transaction, but the opening of a door back to what we were always meant to have. © 2025 Jane Isley. Want more content like this? Explore more articles in Knowing God. 🔑 Hell, Choice, and Your Accountability — Why eternal separation from God is a human choice, not something imposed by Him. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

There's a bad phrase still going around, and I'm sure some of you have heard it, or something like it: If someone were a "real Christian," they wouldn't feel anxiety or nervousness when talking to others about God. That is a sure-fire way to crush someone's faith, fast. I'm still shocked when I hear it come out of Christians' mouths. It’s Become a Weapon I have watched this happen, and I have been on the receiving end of it. It was always weaponized. Not once was it meant as Godly encouragement, and it never will be. So the next time you hear this, or see it happen to someone else, I want you to have something to hold onto. Paul shared something in 1 Corinthians I think you are going to find both interesting and comforting. We all know who Paul is, hands down one of the greatest missionaries in the Bible. He spread the Gospel like gasoline poured on a bonfire. And here is what he said about himself: "I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,” 1 Corinthians 2:3–4 There it is, in black and white. Paul struggled. If he had only used the words "weakness" and "trembling," we might chalk it up to an illness or an injury. But he did not. He also used the word "fear." Something caused Paul anxiety during that time. As a person who lives with anxiety, I felt those words when I read them. It was a genuine weight off my shoulders to learn that even Paul had these moments. This Is Significant It is significant that Paul admitted this at all, because he was a male leader in the early church. The people who spout that "real Christian" line do not want you to know this about him. They would rather use their personal opinions about what they think is "best for you" to shame you into silence. No self-respecting Christian should be saying this to you or to anyone else. And here's the thing that undoes their whole argument: by their own standard, Paul would not count as a "real Christian" either. According to their mindset, one of the greatest missionaries who ever lived fails their own test. They will argue with you about it, but it falls apart when you think it through. You cannot hold one person up as a hero while ignoring part of what he said, then turn around and condemn someone else for that very same thing. That goes past cherry-picking straight into cherry-pureeing. Your Journey Is Yours Accepting Jesus does not instantly turn you into the perfect evangelist, and it does not erase nerves or fear. We all have unique personalities and quirks. Every one of us will wrestle with fear and anxiety, some more than others. That does not make you any less of a "real Christian." Anyone who tells you otherwise, walk away. Paul shared this experience for a reason. He knew that some of us, reading his words all these centuries later, would also feel weakness, fear, and trembling. It does not make you any less of a Christian than he was. It makes you human. So do what Paul did: trust God. Your journey and your calling are between you and Him, not you, and some other person, and their timing. He is the only one who should be guiding your steps. © Jane Isley Adapted from a piece I originally wrote for Never Stop Writing

If you have started following Jesus, or you are simply curious about what the Bible teaches, this is a question that gets asked a lot. Is it a sin to defend yourself? Maybe someone told you Christians are supposed to be passive no matter what, that if you were attacked you would have to just let it happen. Maybe you have read "thou shalt not kill" and wondered whether protecting your own family would put you on the wrong side of God. Here is the short answer, and then we will walk through the why. No, defending yourself is not a sin, and it is not what that commandment forbids either. The Bible does not ask you to stand by while you or people you are harmed. That idea comes from a misunderstanding of a single word, and once you see it you will never unsee it. The word that changes everything Most of the confusion traces back to one famous line from the Ten Commandments. In older translations it reads "Thou shalt not kill." If that is all you have ever seen, it sounds absolute: no killing, no exceptions, self-defense included. But that translation is not quite right, and is the key to this whole question. The original commandment was written in Hebrew, and the word it uses is ratsach, which means to murder, to kill unlawfully, the kind of killing done with intent and malice. It is not the broader Hebrew word harag, which simply means to kill or slay in a general sense. The commandment is specifically forbidding murder, the unlawful, malicious taking of an innocent life, not every act that results in someone's death. Newer, more careful translations correctly render the verse "You shall not murder." That is not someone editing the Bible to suit themselves; it is the opposite. It is centuries of careful study correcting an old, imprecise translation to say what the text always meant. As the saying by Andrew Holt goes, all murder involves killing, but not all killing is murder. Defending your life, or someone else's, from an attacker is simply not the thing this commandment is talking about. What the rest of the Bible shows The word study settles the commandment, but it is not the only evidence. Once you know murder and self-defense are different things, you start noticing that the Bible knows people will sometimes need to protect themselves, and it makes room for it. Consider a few examples: Jesus told His disciples to buy swords. On the night before His arrest, He told them that whoever did not have a sword should sell his cloak and buy one (Luke 22:36-38). That is a strange instruction to give if self-defense were forbidden. Jesus was not arming them for aggression, but the plain fact that He told them to carry a means of defense tells you He did not consider it sinful. God gave Esther's people the legal right to defend themselves. When a decree threatened the Jewish people with slaughter, God made a way for them to defend their own lives against attack. Notably, after they defended themselves, they took no plunder. It was not about greed or revenge; it was about survival. God set up Cities of Refuge. In the law God gave Moses and Joshua, certain cities were set aside as safe places for someone who took a life unintentionally or in self-defense, so they would not be treated as a murderer (Numbers 35, Joshua 20). Think about what that means. God's own law drew a clear line between murder and a death that happened in self-defense, and He built protection for the second kind right into the system. None of this is a stretch or a loophole. It is simply what the Bible shows when you read the whole of it instead of one mistranslated line. What about Peter and the sword? There is one moment people often raise as proof that Jesus forbade self-defense. When Jesus was betrayed and arrested, Peter drew a sword and cut off the ear of the high priest's servant, and Jesus rebuked him (all four Gospels record it). Doesn't that prove we are never to fight back? Look a little closer. The man Peter struck was a servant, someone who had no choice about being there, not an attacker. Peter did not act in defense of an innocent life under threat; he lashed out impulsively, in fear and anger, at a bystander, in the middle of an event Jesus had already told him had to happen. Jesus rebuked the emotional, reckless act, not the principle of protecting the innocent. Self-defense is a measured response to real danger. What Peter did was neither. The balance the Bible does ask for So self-defense is permitted, but the Bible is not handing anyone a license for aggression or revenge, and this part matters just as much. Jesus taught us to seek peace first, to be slow to anger, to forgive, to show mercy, and to love even our enemies. He warned about the anger that festers in our own hearts. A follower of Jesus is not looking for a fight, does not repay insult with violence, and does not act out of vengeance. Self-defense, biblically, is a last resort, protecting life when there is a genuine threat, using wisdom and restraint, not an excuse to harm someone or settle a score. That is the difference in a nutshell. Murder springs from malice. Self-defense springs from the need to protect life. God has never confused the two, and neither should we. So where does that leave you? If you have been carrying worry that protecting yourself or your family would make you guilty before God, you can set that down. The commandment you were pointed to forbids murder, the unlawful, malicious taking of innocent life, and defending against an attacker is simply not that. The Bible shows God making room for self-defense, while still calling us to be people of peace, mercy, and wisdom rather than anger and revenge. You are allowed to value the life God gave you and the lives of the people you love. Protecting them, when it truly comes to that, is not a sin. It is part of the wisdom and responsibility God trusts us to carry. © Jane Isley Recommended Reads New here, or just starting to work through the big questions? These two are a good place to keep going: Why Did Jesus Die for Our Sins? A plain, no-Bible-thumping look at why the cross was necessary, why it had to be death, and what it actually accomplished for you. What Is Sin, and Where Does Pride Fit In? A clear, Scripture-based answer to a question people rarely stop to define, what sin actually is, where it started, and the pride at the root of it. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

For many true followers, a day will come when stepping away from the traditional church setting won’t just be an option, but a necessity. I know nobody asked for my two cents on this, but I’m in a mood today. Why of all days? Because I’ve been thinking a lot about the state of the church in America. Everywhere I look, I see these giant buildings with plush carpet, polished wooden pews, and not a penny spared on the pulpit, and it finally just rubbed that one last nerve cell I had left. Churches, everywhere, are dropping like flies under the weight of the world at a pace that makes me think I’m living having a bad dream, or in a B-rated movie sometimes. But then I realize I’m awake. I grew up always knowing there were the dos and don’ts in the Christian faith, regardless of denomination; well, that’s gone out the window quite spectacularly lately, and what hit me over the last few days is this: We are truly witnessing the collapse of “the church” in America; there’s no stopping it, the dominoes have been flicked. Maybe it’s time for a couch session? I’m serious, but not to take a nap on, or sprawl out on, and lay out your worries to a therapist because we can’t handle a bumped knee or side eye anymore. But a couch and maybe whatever random chairs you can find, all in a circle in a living room in someone's house. To find God once again with friends and family, laughing and crying, venting and praising, all mixed together and out of the scheduled order of a church. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when I suggested that? If you thought, Heck no, I love my church. Well, kudos to you. Just double-check why you love it so much. If you're in the opposite boat, maybe it’s time to try something else? You do know you don’t need a building called a church to have church, right? And it sure as heck isn’t required to be on Sunday, but that’s a whole different topic for a different day; let’s just focus on what the priority is right now. Your relationship with Christ. A time will come when you can’t get that in a church. Wait, let me rephrase that. A time will come when that won’t be allowed in churches. Every day, more churches are falling to this world's demands. Not God’s. Maybe this nation needs that. Maybe the churches that serve themselves need to be brought to their knees? Not harsh, just truth. The church in America (actually all over) is rapidly changing and declining, and by that, I mean Christianity as a whole at this point is declining. I know I‘m not the only one sensing the end of the Christian church around the corner. Well, I shouldn’t say “end” per se, maybe more like a major product overhaul and rebranding, complete with extra added additives that make people sicker. Leave the walls behind I don’t think it would be a bad thing, to be completely honest. Something needs to happen because Christianity, real Christianity, the Bible-believing kind of Christianity, is disappearing before your eyes and being replaced with pseudo-Christianity. Now, if you're where God wants you to be, stay there, and listen to what He’s telling you to do or say. We are capable of planting seeds in a Godless church. But if you're feeling something deep down in your soul, listen and pray. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone; the only thing that’s good for is a participation trophy that isn’t going to impress God on judgment day anyway. Open your Bibles, do not rely on humanity to teach you the word of God; that’s God’s job. Consider a home Bible study with friends and family. Consider there are many, many other ways to be a community of believers that break away those damn walls that are stifling the Holy Spirit from doing His thing. Here me out I don’t pray for God to speed up His timing towards Revelation; I’m not in a mindset of wanting churches to collapse in order to herald Him closer, not even close. What I want is Christianity back and not butchered, and the ones doing the butchering brought to their knees. Because I believe that exposing the false teachings out there will encourage people to get off the dang fence they are straddling and take a stand, one way or the other, and draw them back to each other in God’s company. Learning and studying His word together as I should truly be. © Jane Isley