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

Nora Gwen was born and raised as a strong believer who later went astray as a prodigal, struggling in sin and suffering its consequences as a result. Since repenting and being born again, experiencing a spiritual awakening, Nora has returned home to Our Heavenly Father (by inviting Jesus into her heart forever-literally) who has blessed her with a new name “Grateful Gwen” and a clear purpose to be salt and light through reading, writing, praying, counseling, and mentoring. She knocked and the door opened. She continues to seek and find, more is revealed one day at a time!  YouTube - @GoodReadsChannel Nora Gwen

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, and loneliness during the tougher years. 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 when studying accounting terms, 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, " the same can be said for my art though to. ​ After one email to many after submitting my work, I finally just got tired of having to constantly alter my work for other people and publications or watch an editor strip away my voice and natural wack-a-do flair. I wanted 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. That 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, then bookmark this site, articles are regulary uploaded 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

When God Has, But You Haven’t There comes a point in your walk with God where you realize He has forgiven you, but you still have not. You quote verses about grace, you believe in second chances, and yet when you think of your own mistakes, there is a small voice inside that says, “You should have known better.” I know that voice soooo well. It used to visit often, sometimes after I had prayed, sometimes in the quiet time just before sleep. It was not loud, but it lingered, replaying moments I wished I could rewrite. But one day, while praying about something completely different, God interrupted my thoughts with a simple phrase. He said, “You cannot walk in freedom while holding yourself hostage.” I meditated on those words so much so that they came alive in my Spirit with so much force. Carrying Guilt Is Not the Same as Caring It stopped me because that is exactly what I had been doing, carrying guilt like proof that I cared, as if forgiveness meant I did not take my sin seriously enough. But God does not ask for proof of sorrow; He asks for surrender. Take a look at this scripture: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12 When you truly believe that, you stop trying to be your own judge. You stop replaying what grace has already erased. Forgiving yourself is not about minimizing what happened, but it’s more about magnifying what Jesus did. Unforgiveness Can Look Like Pride I have learned that unforgiveness toward yourself is still a kind of pride. It says, “My standard matters more than God’s mercy.” But the cross changed that. The blood that covered your sin also covered your shame. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come.”  2 Corinthians 5:17 So now, when that devil tries to remind me of who I was, I remind him of who I am, redeemed, restored, still in process but no longer condemned. When he tries to remind me of my past, I remind him of his future of eternal doom that is sealed. I have learned to speak gently to my past, to thank God for what it taught me, and to let it rest. Grace Did More Forgiving yourself does not erase the memory, but it removes the sting. It is peace that says , “I did wrong, but grace did more.” “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.”  Romans 5:20 And maybe that is what God wants you to know, too. You do not have to keep punishing yourself to prove you have changed. You have already been forgiven. Now it is time to agree with heaven and forgive yourself, too, and remember one of Jesus’ commandments is “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” You can’t love your neighbor if you haven’t first loved yourself. Again, like I’ll always say: THE DEPTH OF YOUR COMPASSION LIES IN YOUR ABILITY TO FORGIVE YOURSELF. Reflection Prayer Father, thank You for forgiving me completely. Teach me to see myself through Your eyes of mercy. Help me let go of guilt and the need to earn what You have already given freely. Heal the parts of me that still hold on to shame, and fill my heart with peace. I choose today to walk in the freedom that comes from grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen. © Favour

The Exodus is one of the most significant events in the biblical narrative. It is a story of freedom, but right in the middle of it, there is a moment of absolute terror. The Israelites had just escaped Egypt. They reached the edge of the Red Sea and realized they were trapped. Behind them, the dust was rising from the wheels of the Egyptian chariots. In front of them was a wall of water. The people panicked. They looked at Moses and asked if he brought them there just because Egypt ran out of graves. They actually said it would have been better to be slaves than to die in the sand. The Impossible Command In a life-threatening situation, our instinct is to run or fight. But Moses gave an answer that sounds almost impossible. He told the people in E xodus 14:13–14 : “ Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today… The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Imagine the confusion. The people were likely thinking, “Moses, the Egyptians are coming! We have to do something!” Yet, the command was simply to be still. How can there be hope in being still? A Name With a Promise To understand why Moses was so calm, we have to look at his past. Moses knew something about water and helplessness that the people had forgotten. Years earlier, as a tiny baby, Moses was placed in a basket on the Nile River. He couldn’t fight. He couldn’t swim. He couldn’t negotiate. He had to be completely still. In that stillness, God moved. Pharaoh’s daughter found him and gave him the name Moses. The name Moses literally means “Drawn Out.” When the people questioned him at the Red Sea, Moses could have pointed to his own name as proof of God’s character. His very identity was a testimony. Moses’ confidence was rooted in history, not optimism. His name is a reminder that God had once rescued him from the Nile while he was helpless. The same God could rescue Israel now. That is why Moses could tell the people to be still. Beyond the Cry of Man However, there is a fascinating twist in this moment. While Moses told the people to be still, he himself was crying out to God. He was no longer a helpless baby in a basket. He was now an 80-year-old man with a voice and a great burden. God’s response to Moses is surprising. He said, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” God was not rebuking prayer itself. Throughout Scripture, He listens to the cries of His people. Still, God wanted to show that this rescue would not come because of the words or the emotions and tears of Moses. God alone would receive the glory. You see, God did not save Moses as a baby because Moses cried out to God. At that time, Moses was just an infant who did not even know God yet. By stopping Moses from crying out now, God showed that salvation is not dependent on our noise, tears, or our efforts. This work of rescue belongs totally to Him. No human gets the glory for it. God then told Moses to raise his staff and stretch his hand over the sea to divide it. He explained His true purpose in verses 17–1,8 saying: “I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army… The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” A Higher Purpose God’s purpose was to be glorified. This does not mean He is a God who seeks our validation like a human might. Rather, the salvation of Israel was meant to reveal the true God even to Egypt. As the Lord said in Exodus 14:18, “The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” This is a vital lesson for us today; it reminds us that when it comes to our salvation, it is the work of the Lord alone. Just as the Israelites could not bridge the sea, we could not bridge the gap of our sin. It was Jesus Christ alone who hung on that cross. He poured out His blood for ours while we were helpless. None of our cries or works save us. It is only His payment of our debt. Our salvation serves a purpose much higher than just our own eternal life. When God saves us, He is glorified. Through our lives and His rescue, others come to know that He is the Lord. We are “drawn out” of the water so that the world can see the power of the One who pulled us through. If you haven’t already, read the article “ One Question Changed How I See the Gospel ” to explore the Gospel more deeply. © Mikiyas Astatke

“ How can anyone know what is best for a man in this short, useless life of his — a life that passes like a shadow?”- Ecclesiastes 6:12 (GNT). When I think about the above verse, the answer is God. Only He knows what’s best for us. King Hezekiah was one of the few kings of Judah who was loyal to the Lord. In fact, 2 Kings 18:5–6 says: "Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; Judah never had another king like him either before or after his time. He was faithful to the Lord and never disobeyed Him…” That’s quite a resume. At one point, though, Hezekiah fell seriously ill. Almost died. And during that time, the prophet Isaiah came to him with a message straight from God: put everything in order, you’re not going to recover, get ready to die (2 Kings 20:1). That’s not a doctor’s opinion. That’s not a rumor. That’s God speaking through a prophet. If I were Hezekiah, I think I would have accepted it. Maybe I’d be sad, maybe very dejected, but I’d eventually come to terms with it. I’d start saying my goodbyes. Probably even go coffin-box shopping. Haha. But Hezekiah didn’t do that. Instead, the Bible says he turned his face to the wall and prayed. And he cried. Bitterly. Imagine that. A king. Crying like that before God. What’s interesting is this: when Hezekiah prayed, he didn’t directly ask God to heal him. He didn’t explicitly say, “Please give me more years.” Instead, he said this: “Remember, Lord, how I have served you faithfully and loyally and how I have always tried to do what you wanted me to do.” (2 Kings 20:3) Does God need reminding? Obviously not. So why did Hezekiah pray like that? I don’t think he had lost hope. I don’t think he had lost the will to live either. Sure, Proverbs 18:14 (GNT) is wisdom. Even after receiving a direct word from God, he still prayed. He still poured his heart out. There was something very child-like about it. Almost stubborn. Here’s a strange image that came to my mind. Imagine you have a pet golden retriever. Lovely dogs. Always ebullient. You take it for a morning walk in a big, green park. Sunny day. Kids playing. Birds chirping. It’s been an hour, and it’s time to go home. The dog doesn’t agree. Photo by Eric Ward It slows down. Resists. Maybe even sits down dramatically. Gives you that look that says, “Just five more minutes, human.” Not crying bitterly, but definitely whining. People around start watching. Someone might even record you both and upload it to the internet. America’s Funniest Videos, here we come. Haha. That’s kind of how Hezekiah looks to me in my imagination. And maybe, in God’s eyes too. His trust in God was deep. Whole-hearted. Almost naive. Like a child with a parent or a loyal dog with its owner. He wasn’t calculating outcomes. He just didn’t want to go yet. And God heard him. Hezekiah was given 15 more years to live. Most sermons stop there. Miracle. Prayer answered. God is good. Everyone claps. Yay! But was that really what God wanted? God originally wanted Hezekiah to leave this earth and come to Him. What happened in those extra 15 years matters a lot. During that time, Hezekiah fathered a son named Manasseh. Chapter 21 of 2 Kings begins by saying Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king. Which means he was born after Hezekiah’s life was extended. And Manasseh turned out to be one of the most wicked kings Judah ever had! He built altars for idols. Worshipped other gods, stars. Sacrificed his own son as a burnt offering. He filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. The Bible says the Lord’s anger burned intensely because of him. (2 Kings 21:3, 6, 16) It’s chilling. Perhaps God, in His wisdom, saw what was coming. Perhaps He knew what kind of destruction would follow. Perhaps He didn’t want Manasseh to be born at all. Hezekiah couldn’t have known that. He was just a faithful, obedient, golden retriever kind of man who loved God deeply. But love alone isn’t always the same as surrender. Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, sounded a bit like Hezekiah when He prayed. He asked if the cup of suffering could pass from Him. But then came the words that changed everything: “Yet not what I want, but what you want…” (Mark 14:36, GNT). Those words matter. Immensely. Imagine if Jesus didn’t say them. Whoa! We’d be in very deep trouble. The cup had to be drunk. Hezekiah refused his cup. Jesus didn’t. One man’s refusal led to a nation slowly falling apart through Manasseh. One man’s surrender led to the salvation of humanity. C.S. Lewis put it painfully well: "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’” That quote deserves to sit right here. Let it linger. So what do we learn from this? If God says something, let it be final. Even if it costs you your life. Even if it doesn’t make sense. Even if it hurts. If Abraham had argued endlessly for Isaac instead of obeying, we probably wouldn’t be here. God’s wisdom runs far deeper than our timelines, emotions, and logic. Our mortal minds are puny. Short-sighted. May we remember that His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways.” (Isaiah 55:8) It is humbling. And definitely uncomfortable. But maybe that’s the point. Writing is one of the ways I process faith and life, and this post is part of that journey. If you’d like to explore more of my writing, you can visit my Amazon Author Central page and check out my books. Thanks for reading! © Dr. Anudeep Manne

Recently, I read a quote stating that we don't see the world as it is; we see it as we are. I didn't pay much attention to it, so I can't remember where I read it or who said it, but it stuck with me. Prosperity promises Last night I watched a few podcasts, all saying the same thing: God is about to break through in my life and change my circumstances. He is going to restore me and heal me. It's wonderful. It's exciting. I needed these messages, and the effect seemed amplified as I saw many similar messages. But then I started thinking about it. It's possible that these podcasts will be viewed by millions of people. Is God saying this to all of us? Are all of us in desperate need of God's deliverance and intervention, or is it clickbait? Is it a matter of gaining viewership and generating revenue, or is it real? I guess we have to know the podcasters, and even then, we won't know what's really in their hearts. Did they hear from God, or are they trying to benefit from our pain? There are so many arguments for and against these messages. It’s good to encourage someone. It’s good to point them to God and give them hope in dire circumstances. It’s good to speak life and focus on God and His goodness. I know I need to hear positive words. I naturally gravitate toward these messages. However, it doesn’t benefit me if it’s a false hope and a deceitful message. How will I know the truth? Reading the Bible It made me wonder about how I read the Bible . Am I reading God’s Word through the lens of my circumstances, or do I see it as God intended? Do I blindly apply my favorite verses, taking them out of context, because I like what I read? It speaks to me in my circumstances. It gives me hope in the midst of my pain. I latch onto them as if they are a life raft in my ocean of problems. Am I giving myself false hope? Should I take every promise at face value, or should I develop a broader perspective? Certainly, when God gave a promise to an individual or a nation at a particular time, they could believe it, but is God saying the same to me in my time and situation? Is God giving me the future I hope for (Jeremiah 29:11), and is He working all things together for my good (Romans 8:28)? Are the angels protecting me so that I won’t stub my toe against a stone, or that I won’t break any bones? How do these promises stack up against my reality and my experience? Personal experience I don't know about you, but I have stubbed my toes many times. Bad things happen. Many Christians are persecuted, tortured, and killed. I'm sure many of them regularly declared Psalm 91 over themselves and their families. What am I missing? A few days ago, I read something in the Bible that has never registered with me before. I have read my Bible from Genesis to the maps numerous times, yet I haven't seen this before. God said that we treat Him like dirt when we don't trust Him. When Moses struck the rock (Numbers 20) instead of speaking to it, God told Moses that he wouldn't lead the people into the promised land because he didn't trust God. Trust. It's one little word. What does it mean? Stephen served God wholeheartedly. He was full of the Holy Spirit, yet he was stoned. Paul made a complete turnaround from persecuting the church to proclaiming the Gospel, yet he didn’t have an easy life. So many of the characters in the Bible struggled with the same questions, uncertainties, and problems I face. Some found relief and deliverance, but others died, still waiting for unfulfilled promises. Joseph received dreams from God, but he had to suffer dire circumstances for many years before he saw the results. Likewise, David was anointed as king, but he was on the run for many years, and even after he became king, he faced challenges regularly. Considering character after character in the Bible clearly demonstrates that there is no such thing as an easy life. We don't suffer for a short time and then experience utopia. We don't graduate to a better life here on earth after we've suffered and survived trying times. Paul shared that he learned to be content regardless of his circumstances (Philippians 4:11-13). He learned to be content. I'm sure these lessons weren't easy. He admonished us to focus on things above, not on things of the earth. Our focus should not be on us or our circumstances. Our focus should be on God. The things that can be seen will pass, but the things we can't see will last forever. What about these promises of breakthroughs, restoration, and healing? What do podcasters and preachers gain from giving us such messages? Can we believe these people? Our unique relationship with God I know that God created us uniquely, and our walk with Him is as unique and personal as our creation, and He can speak these promises to us personally in our circumstances. His Word is alive and active, and He speaks to us today. It could be that God is saying that I will experience breakthroughs in my life shortly. However, better than listening to these podcasts, I’d rather hold onto Jesus' words. He said that in this life we will have troubles (John 16:33). He also said that our Father knows what we need (Matthew 6:25-34). I have concluded that my God, my loving Father, will provide my needs. What He doesn’t provide, I don’t need. It’s as simple as that. It doesn’t mean that I don’t want it, or that I stop hoping for it. I have decided to trust God. He knows what I need, and He won’t give me a snake or a scorpion when I need sustenance. What I need most is the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13), His wisdom, guidance, and intercessory prayers. God promised His Holy Spirit to anyone who asks Him. Grace I've accepted God's Word to Paul when he prayed for the deliverance he thought he needed. God didn't take away his thorn, but promised that His grace was sufficient for him (2 Corinthians 12:9). God will provide sufficient grace for each day. The days may be difficult, but I will receive grace to help me live victoriously despite my circumstances. My prayer is that God will use my circumstances to draw me closer to Him. What do you think? Should we cling to favorite verses and prosperity podcasts, or should we take Jesus at His Word, expect trouble, and rest in the assurance that our Father will take care of us? © Rina Schultz

This one’s a bit longer than usual, about 8 minutes, but stick with it. Grab your coffee, find a comfy chair, and let’s sit with this together. With everything happening in the world today, a few minutes of thoughtful reflection can make all the difference. Why Jesus Chose an Unpredictable Metaphor If there is one thing I’ve learned from studying the Bible, it’s that certain words or phrases are very deliberate to paint a visual picture, and when you really sit down and think about that image, things start to make more sense. Today, I'm discussing “These are the beginning of birth pains,” from the New Testament. At first, I wondered why Jesus used that phrase in Mark and Matthew . Then it hit me. Labor is not a cut-and-dry process. Most people think labor works like this: your water breaks, you rush to the hospital, and 24–48 hours later, you’ve got a screaming, pooping bundle of joy. I wish. As a mother who went high-risk overnight with one child, and lost two others, absolutely nothing about pregnancy and labor is predictable. And that’s exactly why Jesus said “the beginning of birth pains.” What People Think Labor Is Culturally, we’ve been conditioned to think of labor as one single, continuous, happy event. But labor is actually a highly individualized process, with unpredictable timelines, and the media almost always misrepresents the whole process and reality of labor, which shapes unrealistic expectations.  Thank you, Hollywood. What Labor Actually Is Latent (early) labor is different from active labor, and that is different from the final transition phase of labor. To make that more complicated, each of these stages have their own different phases, and that's just the bare basics. Here is a quick breakdown without all the intimate details for some readers. Water breaking first is not always a thing. Latent (early) labor can last hours to days, especially for first-time mothers. Contractions can slow down or just start and stop altogether. Active labor can vary from an hour to 12 hours; note that some people have gone beyond this. Prodromal Labor (pre-labor) , which can happen in the final weeks of pregnancy and last 24–72 hours to weeks, because it is consistent contractions that don’t cause significant cervical dilation. It’s the body getting ready and the baby into position, and it often stops and starts. The final phase of labor can vary from 30 minutes to 3 hours. Back labor, don’t forget that one. That can throw extreme pain into the mix you weren’t planning for. Breech births, while on the rare side ,  are more dangerous, painful, and tiring, and can take longer than a normal delivery. False labor  (Braxton Hicks)  can start weeks to  months  in advance, and these help tone and prepare the body for birth; they can come and go as they please. Not to mention a host of other symptoms, pains, and surprises that come along during the labor process in general. I’ll spare those details, but they should be kept in mind too. So when Jesus says, “These are the beginning of birth pains,”  He’s describing a a full blown, unpredictable process. A process that can vary significantly.   Not A Single Quick Event He’s giving a metaphor that makes perfect sense if you understand what labor is. That is why His phrase needs to be understood from a  medical perspective  to fully digest what He is explaining to us.  Apologies to anyone who just learned more than they bargained for, but it is relevant to what Jesus is saying to us. Both Gospels show Jesus explaining a process, a painful and drawn-out process, that literally has an unpredictable nature. We are living in a time with many rumors of wars, nations rising against nations, famines, earthquakes, and people coming in His name to deceive many. But much like labor, these events can not truly be predicted. We could be in any stage or phase of these labor pains; we simply have no way of knowing just yet. Scripture is bluntly showing us that our constant guesses, fixations, and predictions about His return are about as good as our predictions of when the baby will crown, and our time here could be better spent doing more important things, like spreading the Gospel.  Like pregnancy, we know it’s going to have to come out at some point, but in the meantime lets not fear that and prepare a good home. We have to be patient and endure through all the various pains.  We also should not be assuming or proclaiming timelines based on one contraction the world is having, when we know labor can decide to slow, be mild, or completely stop for a while.  We can not confidently predict a timeline when there is no timeline to follow. Like snowflakes, no two deliveries are the same. I’m not saying don’t read and study the Bible and end-time prophecies, or not watch current events, and keep an eye on the world; we do need to do that.  What I am saying is we can not predict these labor pains, and we shouldn’t be attempting to either. At least not so concretely that we build a whole fixated way of living around just that. To confidently say we are in on stage or phase shifts a person from being Christ-centered and doing His work to focused only on His end game and bypassing all souls yet to be invited to His table. Watch Out That No One Decieves You Jesus was asked, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” in verse 3.  But look how Jesus responds to that question: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” Matthew 24:4–5 These things have already happened, in fact, many different times throughout all known history, in all manner of combinations. Many have truly thought they were entering the “birth pains”  or “end-times” phase. It’s Jesus’s very first sentence in His response that is the most overlooked, “Watch out that no one deceives you.” That prominent warning is often missed. He led His signs with a warning first, not last. This was for them, meaning us , believers.  Not some future dark figured boogy man in the dark. We are very capable and have historically proven that those in Christianity can be our own worst enemy by trying to overanalyze, overpredict, and overstate the world around us. The birth pains He spoke of are unpredictable for a reason. We do not know when they started, or, truthfully, if they have started yet, or how long the stages of labor will be for the world. History shows us a long line of groups that believed and focused on Jesus’s description in Matthew and Mark to their folly. Now, do I personally think we are possibly starting to enter this phase of labor that He is telling us about? Yes, we may be. I can definitely feel something is happening in the spiritual realm that we can not see.  But I am also not the only person to have ever felt or thought that, either in their generation.  But I am not going to overpredict, overanalyze, or overstate the world that I live in. Also, I live in America, where I am a woman who has the freedom of speech to even talk about this in the first place and put it on the internet. In other countries, you can be executed for a lot less. Think twice before you cry persecution. Yes, we may not be liked by some now, but we are not being handed over to be persecuted and waiting for our death sentences as described in this passage. I think Christians in this country have done a massive disservice to themselves by believing America is the whole world Jesus was talking about in these verses. No, we are just one of many countries.  One That Is Free Go across the Atlantic right now and ask them what they are thinking and feeling right now. They, along with many others in the past, have suffered much more for believing, and it was they who were handed over to others for their belief. You can’t remove their history and then make a prediction/assumption on the world as a whole regarding these labor pains. You just can not. People are too laser-focused on this country to look at the world as a whole. God doesn’t see it that way, and we can not either. Is America on its way to silencing believers in the future? Who knows? But in other places, it’s freer than it ever has been. I will not predict God’s timing, only state what I’m seeing and feeling, and write what I am led to write. What Scripture is describing in Matthew and Mark is an unmistakable, pivotal turning point for all Christians around the world. This, I believe, can be described accurately as entering that active phase of labor. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.”  When you are in active labor, you know it; everyone  in your family knows it, trust me. There is no feasible way to deny those contractions. But we are not fully there just yet. America and many countries have unprecedented religious freedoms that are constantly taken for granted, misused at every corner, and frankly just wasted, even if we are in the beginning stages.  And this leads me to the next phrase overlooked in this passage: “but see to it that you are not alarmed.” Why Did Jesus Say That? Because to over fixate on something that is undeniably unpredictable, especially when we do not know the date of conception, is the wrong path forward and the wrong state of mind to be in.  Our commission is to go forth and spread the Gospel, not to sit in dark rooms and attempt to predict God’s timing. To be laser-focused on that and nothing else is to miss the point of the freedom we have now, and that is: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19 I Could Go On and On  My point is, while yes, it is important to pay attention to what the world is up to and the prophecies in the Bible to help us understand. It is vitally more important to do what God commands us to do and let Him sort out our labor pains.  For all we know, we are just in the Braxton Hicks phase of this, or tomorrow we’ll be in full-blown bear-down labor, and all believers alive will feel it and see prophecy unfold before our eyes in ways we can not miss.  And some events may have happened/happen without us even realizing they’re part of the process, because we can not see everything all at once. My Takeaway Birth pains are not linear, predictable, or uniform, and neither is the spiritual “labor”  of the world. What matters is our commission, our readiness and awareness, not hyper-fixating on exact timing. We have greater things to be doing right now,  like protecting our children. We watch, we pray, we plant seeds, and we live faithfully through the waves of intensity and pauses, knowing the process is unfolding as it should and not to fear. © Jane Isley

While reading the Gospels, I saw a pattern that I wanted to take a closer look at. Turns out it painted a larger picture than I ever calculated before. Two Distinct Situations. For this, it’s essential to recognize that healing of the sick and casting out demons are two distinct actions. It’s been said by some (especially in modern conversations) that the two situations were more than likely just sick people, not actually demonically possessed people. But here’s the problem with having that mindset: it removes the reality that we live in a world filled with demons. Jesus addresses each issue separately: “ For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” Mark 5:8 “Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.” John 5:8–9 Then the Gospels also make a clear distinction: “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.” Mark 1:32 If you typically follow my writing, you know there’s always a plot twist to how I see something; this one has 5 points, then I tie it all together. One “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12 That is almost ( almost not always ) a cliché saying at this point. I note this because this verse is frequently repeated in Christian conversations; however, people do not appear to fully or meaningfully comprehend it. It’s often expressed as acknowledgments of potential bumps in the night or as something far removed from their sphere, rather than as recognition of the profound and destabilizing realities Scripture describes. By failing to consider what this passage asserts and by neglecting to examine the actions of Jesus during His ministry in the Gospels, the present reality of these forces is overlooked. They are not confined to a future eschatological moment but are active in the present time , directly involved in our everyday lives, and they are not passively waiting for Revelation 1:1 to start; they are already present and actively contributing to the conditions that Scripture describes. Two “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2 This passage is relevant to this discussion because it shows us that angelic beings are capable of appearing in ordinary, unrecognized human contexts. If Scripture affirms this capacity with respect to angels, it shows the capabilities of fallen angels as well. Consider if such encounters could occur without your awareness, and whether you could fully discern what was going on? (We live in a world where people are increasingly being desensitized to what is sick, grotesque, immoral, and demonic. That is satans strategy. That is why we need to be apart from the world. To see what’s wrong, we need to be separate from it.) Three If you’re still with me, awesome! It’ll be worth it; this background matters. By the time Jesus arrived on the scene, there had been 400 years of silence between the last prophet and His arrival. During this period, Israel drifted from God (again) and saw the rise of the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, and Essenes. Four Hundred Years. That’s actually not as long as it sounds from the last prophet to the birth of Christ, at least not in the grand scheme of things. Jesus walked into a mess: religious confusion, fractured authority, and twisted Scripture. Very much like today’s world. Remember those Jewish leaders? They had their Messiah standing right in front of them and didn’t recognize Him, because they became so blind and filled with self-righteous authority. Pharisees: legalistic, proud, hypocritical, burdening people Sadducees: rigid, spiritually blind, politically motivated, denying God’s power Scribes: rigid, man-made traditions and external rituals over God’s law, hypocritical, neglecting justice and mercy, created loopholes Sound familiar? (think current political and church climate.) Those guys pulled off some serious manipulations and corruption to get their Messiah killed. That’s layered so thick all over the Gospels, it makes me cringe knowing the lengths they went through to kill Him. Seriously, I recommend reading The Trial of Christ by Dee Wampler; you will never regret it, and you’ll see the full scope of what they did and why the betrayal and murder of Jesus was just so utterly horrific. Four So we have: 400 Years | the Jewish “leaders” | Demon Possession Stay with me. Trust me, it's all connected. I’m getting there. Casting Out vs Healing I will be working with direct numbers only from the four Gospels, because it is not possible to ascertain all the numbers with certainty for the purpose of this article. (Sources vary because different people define events differently depending on their focus. Some count a demon-possessed person as both a healing and a rebuking, while others treat “multitudes” as single events.) So I broke down and used help to narrow my search down to explicit, directly narrated moments from just the Gospels where Jesus healed someone or cast out a demon. This isn’t me removing the other instances; I’m just isolating clear examples. Healings: 25 distinct, narrated healing accounts . Casting Out: 7 distinct narrative accounts. 7 out of 25 = 28% ( This figure is not meant as a population estimate, but rather reflects the proportion of cases explicitly narrated in the Gospels) Over a quarter of the directly recorded moments are Jesus intervening in a demon possession. Not sickness, not injury, not disease, but spiritual entities inhabiting people. That’s not rare. That’s not on the fringe. And it’s definitely not accidental. This is not a demographic claim, but a proportional signal drawn from direct Gospel narratives. Five Now, for the last nugget, I’m giving you Luke 4:32–34 to look at before I start tying this all together. “They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority. In the synagogue, there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!” That man wasn’t thrashing about, gnashing his teeth, mute or convulsing. Sometimes in the Bible, even the smallest detail can carry the greatest meaning. He was in the synagogue. A place of worship. A place of God. Surrounded by his friends, family, and neighbors, listening to teachings. And the only reason anyone knew there was a problem was because Jesus showed up, and the demon reacted to His presence. No one else knew. (that should also show that demonic powers are not, in fact, all-knowing and can predict the future.) There he was, hidden in plain sight, right in the middle of everyday life, attending synagogue. That’s why 28% should be so startling. I am using straight numbers and years here to highlight current times and a trajectory. Scripture does not give us quantitative details before the last prophet. But it does give us a defined 400-year period of prophetic silence marked by spiritual decline, political abuse, and religious distortion. That is the condition Jesus stepped into, and it is sufficient for the point being made. Tying Things Together That 28% figure drawn explicitly from the narrated Gospel accounts shows just how frequently Jesus confronted demonic possession relative to physical healing. The pattern is clear. While that number was strictly drawn from the Gospels and not a comment on today’s population, it is sobering to see how often Jesus’ ministry involved deliverance and what that might look like today if we recognize what is walking among us. If it feels unbelievable, just take a look online. The bitterness, rage, moral decline, and violent speech, often paired with visceral reactions to God, Christianity, or anything good and moral, are plastered all over the place to see. Israel had 400 years and got to 28% (and that's lowballing it). We’ve had more than two thousand years since Jesus walked the Earth . Will you be able to recognize the filth beneath all those carefully constructed sparkly narratives and outward appearances? © Jane Isley Thank you for taking the time to read, and please consider  supporting my work . Your gift helps keep this work going.

© Jacob Berhoef I didn’t expect a wake-up call from God to come through a text message. Text Message: “Thank you so much for your prayers!” To my shame, I didn’t even remember what their prayer request was. I had to scroll back through my messages and look. It wasn’t a small request.  I can’t even begin to tell you the shame I felt in that moment. In that moment, I felt convicted in a way I had never experienced before. It wasn’t gentle at all. It was that cast iron pan upside the head that left a migraine kinda pow. The weight of promises. When we tell someone, “I’ll be praying for you,”  we’re making more than a polite gesture. We’re making a promise, one God Himself hears .  To forget that promise is no different than telling a friend you’ll show up to help them move, and then never arriving. That day, I realized I had been beyond careless and thoughtless with my words. They reached out to me in need, and I didn’t come through when I said I would. I felt wrecked in that moment. I cried, and I asked God to forgive me and change me. It has been a journey in changing my habits. It is important to understand that when convicted, you still have to do the work that goes with it; conviction doesn’t mean instant change of behavior, it means God is calling you out on behavior that must change.  That is why it took so long to write about this change in my life; it was a learning process and a mental/physical habit that I needed to fix because I was convicted. Ultimately, it is impossible to describe the profound impact this has had on my life in many areas, and I encourage everyone to reevaluate how they handle prayer requests. It will say a lot about your heart and relationship with Christ. I want to share a few things that I have learned along the way. This is akin to a covenant in a lot of ways.  “ a covenant is a promise between two or more parties to perform certain actions. ” A prayer doesn’t have to be fancy words, just sincere and full of faith. I don’t care if I’m in the middle of doing something with people around me. I close my eyes and lift them up in prayer, and when someone asks what’s up, I tell them the truth. I was praying for someone.  Be bold and courageous in your faith. Here’s a neat thing: once you pray, you remember their prayer request better. It’s like when you meet someone and say their name, so next time you have a better chance of remembering their name.  Discovered the same happens for prayer requests. Some days are better than others regarding the request details, and you won’t remember every prayer request or every single detail for weeks on end. And that’s ok, you remember their name and their need, God will take care of the rest.  We are not built to remember every prayer request for weeks on end. We get new data every day, but God will put it on your heart out of nowhere sometimes, so listen to that. You will fail at this sometimes; you will backslide and forget, but keep moving forward with this new chapter of your faith. God has taught me to keep pressing forward, to keep growing, and not let failure pull me back into old habits. Prayer is both a duty and a gift.  It’s one of the most intimate promises we can make to one another, bringing a need before God. And if God has never once broken a promise to us, how can we treat our own promises so lightly? This journey has humbled me, convicted me, and reshaped me. And though I’m still learning, I can say with confidence: honoring the prayers we promise transforms more than our habits.  It transforms our relationship with God and with others. So the next time you tell someone, “I’m praying for you,”  stop and pray. Right there. Right then. Because prayer is not a courtesy, it’s a covenant. (This piece is a revision of an early work and has been rewritten to reflect how God continues to mold me, draw me to this topic, and with a lot better grammar.) © Jane Isley