Faithful Writers

unsplash This is Part 2 of a three-part series on the Sexual Revolution. For the first article, please see The Sexual Revolution Lies to Women . A Better Revolution The 1960s promised a sexual revolution. And it delivered — just not the kind most people expected. The fallout is now impossible to ignore: rising loneliness, regret, anxiety, and abuse, especially for women. Even secular voices like Louise Perry are sounding the alarm, wondering aloud if we’ve dismantled something vital in our pursuit of freedom. But what if the sexual revolution we actually need… already happened? Not in the 20th century. Not in a courtroom or a university. But in dusty towns under Roman rule — led by a carpenter’s son who never married and spoke to women like no man ever had. The Roman World Was a Sexual Free-for-All — But Only for the Powerful To understand how revolutionary Jesus really was, we need to look at what he was confronting. The Greco-Roman world was permissive — but only for those at the top. In Rome, consent wasn’t the rule — power was . Men could sleep with their wives, mistresses, slaves, prostitutes, and even adolescent boys. So long as they didn’t violate another man’s wife or take a “passive” role, it was socially acceptable. This wasn’t fringe behavior — it was expected . Slaves had no sexual rights . Prostitution was institutionalized. Infanticide — especially of baby girls — was routine. Women’s worth? Conditional. A Roman woman’s job was to marry, bear sons, and stay silent. If she were raped, she could be punished. If she were unfaithful, she could be killed. Meanwhile, her husband could keep concubines without scandal. In this world, sex was power — and those with none paid the price. Jesus Didn’t Just Restrain Desire — He Rewired It Into this world stepped Jesus of Nazareth. He didn’t start a riot. He didn’t run for office. But the culture-shock he introduced was seismic. He taught that lust in the heart was on par with adultery in action. He said divorce was a moral failure, not a loophole. He taught that sex belonged within lifelong fidelity between one man and one woman — period. Even more radical? These rules applied to everyone. No exceptions for power. No special treatment for men. He held the rich and religious to the same standards as prostitutes and peasants. In short, Jesus didn’t shame desire — He redefined it. And He did it not to control people, but to honor them . Jesus and Women: Dignity in a World of Disposability Jesus not only taught a new sexual ethic — He lived it. In John 8, He defended a woman caught in adultery from public execution. Not by denying her sin, but by exposing her accusers’ hypocrisy. “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” They all walked away. Jesus said, “Go and sin no more.” It was grace without moral compromise — utterly unlike the cruelty of Rome. In John 4, he spoke to a Samaritan woman at a well — a woman with five past husbands and a live-in lover. He didn’t shame her. He offered her “living water.” And she became the first evangelist in her town. Time after time, Jesus treated “unworthy” women as worthy of conversation, conviction, and calling . It was revolutionary. Everyone Was Accountable. Everyone Was Honored. The most disruptive part of Jesus’s teaching wasn’t how hard it was. It was how fair it was. In a society where men got a pass , Jesus gave them a calling. He didn’t just tell women to be pure. He told men to stop objectifying them . His earliest followers carried this forward. Paul wrote that the body “is not your own” but “a temple of the Holy Spirit.” And in Corinth — a city full of brothels — He told Christian men not to unite Christ’s body with a prostitute. This wasn’t prudishness. It was purpose. It was protection. Jesus’s ethic wasn’t about repressing sexuality. It was about redeeming it . A Revolution That Starts in the Heart Jesus never stormed Rome. But his sexual ethic dismantled it from the inside out. It challenged the powerful. It protected the vulnerable. It required everyone — slave or senator — to treat sex not as conquest, but covenant. This was the true beginning of the first sexual revolution. But it didn’t stop with Him. The early church took Jesus’s vision and turned it into a community. That’s where we’ll go next. What do you think? Was Jesus a moral conservative — or a cultural revolutionary? If His ethics lifted the lowly and challenged the powerful, what would it do in today’s world? Share your thoughts — especially if you disagree. © Nathan Cole Originally published on Medium .

Can you follow the Teachings of Jesus without knowing Who He is? unsplash.com Housekeeping If you have already read a Holy Hormones article you know what to expect. If this is your first visit, it is advised that you read THIS before proceeding. However, if you like what you read, there is more to be found in this LIBRARY . Introduction. Inclusiveness and tolerance have become the New Gospel. Everyone, especially the Atheist, seems to know that, “The New Testament (NT) Jesus is a God of Love,” and incessantly lecture Christians who do not passionately embrace the ‘enlightened morality’ in order to educate them to become better, less bigoted, human beings. The Old Testament (OT), where the 10 Commandments are written, is on the wrong side of history. Comments like, “I like your Jesus but I don’t think much of his dad,” and “Jesus is cute but Jehovah’s a brute,” abound. It seems that, in the eyes of the World, Christians just don’t understand Christianity because they are confused about which God is in charge. I’m open to correction but, unfortunately, that applies to many well-meaning Christians. Possibly because they are Torah-fied of the Old Testament and are afraid of, “Falling under the Law.” It is high time to sort this confusion out for Christians. If Atheists (or Apathy-ists because we are in Australia ) care to follow on that is good, but you are not the focus. My concern is saving the Saved who are stumbling about in the fog. ARE YOU BAD MOUTHING YEHOVAH BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW WHO JESUS IS? It is expected that anyone reading this would have a working knowledge of the Bible — OT and NT. Background There has been quite a bit of traffic on Medium recently about the deplorable practice of slavery . (Only despicable persons would condone such a concept.) The text of concern is Leviticus 25:39–55, The Law Concerning Slavery . A suite of articles on the topic, Revenge and Slavery , shows the scallywag Hebrew word is עבד (H5650 — ‘eḇeḏ) which occurs 803 times in 714 verses in the WLC Hebrew — the Hebrew text used by both Hebrew and Gentiles as the reference for the Tanakh/Old Testament. THERE IS NO ENGLISH WORD THAT IS A SEAMLESS TRANSLATION AND “SLAVE” IS ABOUT AS BAD AS IT CAN GET. It is interesting that the same Bible Text is read by two demographics and each one interprets it the polar opposite to the other. One group sees God as condoning (even mandating) slavery and the other sees Him as declaring it an abomination. More than one person who saw that God’s Law was nasty made the comment along the line, “ I am pointing out that some laws in the Bible are incompatible with following Jesus of Nazareth. ” So we now have a situation. In the beginning God. . . (Genesis 1:1) God rescued Israel from Egypt. God gave the Law. But some laws in the Bible are incompatible with following Jesus of Nazareth? THE BURNING QUESTION IS, “WHO IS JESUS IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS?” Is He God or, as the Jehovah’s Witnesses say, a god? To sort this out it is necessary to bring the Hebrew of the Tanakh, the Greek of the Septuagint, and an English translation together. As it turns out, in this case the best English translation is the New World Translation (NWT) of the Jehovah’s Witnesses because they are adamant that Jesus is not God. The admission of evidence against interest from their translation ensures the elimination of bias on my part. But first It is necessary to link the major Names of God in Hebrew and Greek to English. At least a rudimentary knowledge of both the Old and New Testaments is required. As well as the knowledge that the Septuagint is an ancient translation of the Hebrew Tanakh into Koinonia Greek by well qualified Hebrew Scholars. (But you knew that.) This can be done with Deuteronomy 6:4 || Hear, O Israel: The Lord [1] our God [2] is one Lord [1] : [1] Lord . Hebrew: H3068 — Yehovah [יהוה]. Greek: G2962 — kyrios [κύριος]. [2] God . Hebrew: H430 — ‘ĕlōhîm [אלהי]. Greek: G2316 — theos [θεός]. Obviously, Jesus isn’t mentioned here. But you are quick on the uptake so will pick up on what is about to happen. Now jump to the final Book of the Bible, The Revelation. The NWT uses the Morphological Greek New Testament, which is a perfectly valid document. In Revelation 1 it is clear that John is speaking to The Christ. In 1:8 The Person speaking describes Himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End . While in 1:17 He uses a slight variation on the same metaphor, I am the First and the Last, gluing both personages to be the same. And He specifies exactly Who He is in 1:18, I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. The choice of the word, forever , is important. It separates Him from Lazarus. There are several phrases in the text which must be clarified because of the implications of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. These are:- • Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last • Lord God What does, “The First and the Last,” mean? In discussion on the front lawn one day (Covid has obviously passed) my JW friends argued that first means he is the first created by Jehovah. LOGIC TEST In a queue, how many people are in front of the first? In the same queue, how many people are behind the last? If the same person is both the first and the last, how many people are in the queue? Jesus Christ is identified as the first of a number of things but the addition of last is unique. In this case the word First is G4413 — prōtos (meaning “first in rank”) which is a superlative adjective — best described thus:- JESUS IS DESCRIBING HIMSELF AS NOT ONLY UNIQUE BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT. Lord God In the Morphological Greek New Testament it is written in Revelation 1:8 || “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” It has been established above that this could be written || “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord (G2962 — kyrios = H3068 — Yehovah) God (G2316 — theos = H430 — ‘ĕlōhîm) . . . This is where the Jehovah’s Witnesses come to our aid. It is written in the latest version (2013) of the NWT, Revelation 1:8, (pasted directly from the website) || “ I am the Alʹpha and the O·meʹga,”*+ says Jehovah* God , “the One who is and who was and who is coming, the Almighty.” Obviously Lord/kyrios is replaced by Jehovah . The NWT Bible Translation Committee explain why. J W reference A5 : The Divine Name in the Christian Greek Scriptures Bible scholars acknowledge that God’s personal name, as represented by the Tetragrammaton (יהוה), appears almost 7,000 times in the original text of the Hebrew Scriptures. However, many feel that it did not appear in the original text of the Christian Greek Scriptures. For this reason, most modern English Bibles do not use the name Jehovah when translating the so-called New Testament. Even when translating quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures in which the Tetragrammaton appears, most translators use “Lord” rather than God’s personal name. The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures does not follow this common practice. It uses the name Jehovah a total of 237 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures. In deciding to do this, the translators took into consideration two important factors: (1) The Greek manuscripts we possess today are not the originals. Of the thousands of copies in existence today, most were made at least two centuries after the originals were composed. (2) By that time, those copying the manuscripts either replaced the Tetragrammaton with Kyʹri·os, the Greek word for “Lord,” or they copied from manuscripts where this had already been done. The New World Bible Translation Committee determined that there is compelling evidence that the Tetragrammaton did appear in the original Greek manuscripts. FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH FROM ME, I COULD NOT AGREE MORE! But they go only half the way. What about the associated word, God ? It was shown in the discussion on Deuteronomy 6:4 that Lord God → kyrios theos → Jehovah Elohim. So the NWT Revelation 1:8 should be written || “ I am the Alʹpha and the O·meʹga,”*+ says Jehovah* Elohim , “the One who is and who was and who is coming, the Almighty.” Where else are the words Jehovah , Elohim , first and last clustered in a Bible Verse? Again, the NWT is the chosen Translation. It is written in Isaiah 44:6 || This is what Jehovah says,The King of Israel + and his Repurchaser,+ Jehovah of armies : ‘I am the first and I am the last .+ There is no God (Elohim) but me.+ And in Isaiah 48:12|| Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I have called. I am the same One. I am the first( G4413) ; I am also the last. G4413 — prōtos = first → Contracted superlative → most important. IN ISAIAH 48:12 YHVH IS DECLARING HIMSELF TO BE BOTH THE ONLY AND THE MOST IMPORTANT. So, in Isaiah 44:6 & 48:12 AND Revelation 1:8 & 1:18 it appears there are two people claiming the same title. Fundamental Laws of Logic a) The law of (non-)contradiction: A cannot be A and not- A at the same time. What this means is that a statement cannot be true and false at the same time. For instance, it cannot be raining and not raining at the same time. b) The law of identity: everything is what it is. A is A , that is, identical with A . A = A . If any statement is true, then it is true. c) The law of the excluded middle: A is either A or not A . A cannot equal non A or be non A . Initial Conclusion ALL THE FUNDAMENTAL LAWS OF LOGIC ARE BROKEN IF THE GOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IS NOT THE GOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. Are you telling me that Christ is Yehovah?!!! No. The Holy Spirit is telling you. But Jesus is cute and Jehovah’s a brute. It’s in the Book. Test me on this. PERHAPS YOUR PRECONCEPTIONS HAVE BEEN FAKE NEWS ALL ALONG? BUT BE CAUTIOUS! CHECK ME OUT! IF YOU ACCEPT THIS EVIDENCE IT WILL REQUIRE A DIFFERENT PARADIGM ON THE TRINITY [WHICH REMAINS THE TRINITY] FOR TRINITARIANS THAN THE CONCEPT PREVAILING IN THE PULPITS/PEWS. Final Conclusion There is more on the God/Jesus connection in here, Did Jesus say He was God? In it, Jesus said He was God. That is, the God of the New Testament AND the Old Testament. How can any clear minded person say, “I am pointing out that some laws in the Bible are incompatible with following Jesus of Nazareth,”? You can’t blame God if you don’t read the Bible. “THIS IS MY FAVOURITE BOOK IN ALL THE WORLD, THOUGH I HAVE NEVER READ IT.” 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 re-gurgitate 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

unsplash.com By Guest Writer: Mary Lou Cornish When I was in high school, one of my French teachers was off sick a great deal. That left a supply teacher to find ways of amusing us. One such amusement was the telephone game. It would start with one person relating a story (in French, of course) to another. That student would, in turn, whisper it to the next person in line who would then tell it to the next one and so on. The last person to receive the story would then speak it out loud. Often, what he or she said was a far cry from the story as it was originally stated by the first person in the line. Many people liken the transmission of the New Testament books to the telephone game, implying that Scripture is full of errors and does not resemble the original accounts at all. However, it is a poor comparison for a variety of reasons. For one thing, there is the purpose of each exercise. The telephone game is played for fun and no one tries very hard to get the story correct. In fact, the more mistakes there were, the more entertaining it was for us. Given that some of the kids in my French class weren’t scholars who understood or spoke French well, we could count on a lot of mistakes that made us hoot with laughter. The people who translated and transmitted the Gospels, epistles and other books of the New Testament did so with the goal of getting it right. The care they took was phenomenal because they were dealing with the Word of God and it was too precious to misquote or mistranslate. And they, unlike some of my classmates, were good at what they did. Secondly, in the telephone game there is only one line of transmission as the story went from person to person. However, there were multiple copies from which the transcribers of Scripture could compare so that, if there were errors, they would be noticeable. Scholars offer Lincoln’s Gettysburg address in illustration. If you ask 100 students to copy it out, it is unlikely that every single transcription is identical. However, if you spot a variation in one copy, you can compare it with the other 99 to determine what is correct. The same is true of Biblical manuscripts. There are over 5800 ancient Greek manuscripts, some complete, some in fragments, for scholars to compare. And then there are the copies in other languages such as Latin, Syriac, and Coptic, for example, that can also be used for comparison. Thirdly, people today don’t understand what it is like to live in an oral culture. In fact, experts say our listening skills are poor in comparison to those of the people in the Ancient Near East. Given that not everyone was able to read and write in those days, listening carefully and memorizing what was said correctly was all-important. Additionally, these texts were shared orally with many congregations. People who had heard these stories over and over would recognize when an error entered their telling. And, as I stated, preserving Scripture with its correct content was the goal of every person who related or copied it. So the telephone game does not describe the transmission of Scripture in any way, shape, or form. © Mary Lou Cornish

Google Nano Banana You weren’t too dumb to understand. They were too proud to explain. That question you asked in Sunday school that made everyone go silent? It wasn’t because you asked something wrong.It was because they didn’t know how to answer it. That time you raised your hand during the sermon and the pastor gave you that look? You weren’t being disruptive. You were being curious. And that made them uncomfortable. That moment when you said, “I don’t understand,” and someone told you to “just have faith”? You weren’t lacking faith.You were displaying it. Real faith asks real questions. But somewhere along the way, you started believing that your confusion was evidence of your stupidity instead of evidence of their poor teaching. You internalized the message that good Christians don’t ask hard questions, don’t admit confusion, and don’t challenge explanations that don’t make sense. You learned to nod along when you didn’t understand, smile when you disagreed, and stay quiet when you had doubts. That wasn’t spiritual maturity. That was intellectual abuse. The Lie That’s Keeping Christians Dumb Here’s the toxic teaching that’s been destroying Christian minds for generations: “If you have to ask questions about faith, you don’t have enough faith.” This spiritual gaslighting suggests that confusion is a character flaw rather than a cognitive process. It implies that people who need explanations are spiritually inferior to people who accept everything without question. Church culture reinforces this by celebrating blind acceptance and shaming intellectual curiosity. We applaud the person who says, “I don’t need to understand it, I just believe it.” We praise the believer who “trusts God even when it doesn’t make sense.” We celebrate the Christian who “has simple, childlike faith.” You see, there will be times where we will need that ‘childlike faith’, and that ‘trust when it doesn’t make sense’ type of faith. There’s nothing wrong with it, and it’s great to have, but not everyone is either like that or is at that stage in their walk with God. Meanwhile, we treat people who ask “why,” or “how,” or “what if” like they’re spiritual problems to be fixed rather than minds to be engaged. But here’s what we’ve forgotten: God created human intelligence and curiosity. Asking questions isn’t evidence of weak faith. It’s evidence of engaged faith. What Your Questions Actually Revealed About the Church When you asked questions that made church leaders uncomfortable, you weren’t exposing problems with Christianity. You were exposing problems with their version of Christianity. Your questions revealed that they had shallow theology. When someone responds to legitimate questions with “just have faith,” they’re usually protecting weak doctrine, not strong convictions. If their beliefs could survive examination, they wouldn’t be afraid of examination. Your questions revealed that they preferred control over understanding. Leaders who discourage questions often care more about compliance than comprehension. They want followers, not thinkers. Your questions revealed that they confused certainty with confidence. There’s a difference between being confident in God and being certain about every theological detail. Your questions threatened their need to appear like they had everything figured out. Your questions revealed that they were afraid of honest inquiry. Churches that shame questioners are usually churches with something to hide — whether that’s intellectual dishonesty, abusive leadership, or theological errors they can’t defend. Biblical Evidence That God Loves Questions If God hated questions, the Bible would be a very different book. Instead, Scripture is full of people asking God hard questions and God engaging with their inquiries. Abraham questioned God’s plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He literally negotiated with God, asking, “What if there are fifty righteous people? What about forty? What about ten?” God didn’t rebuke him for questioning. He answered every single question. Moses questioned God’s call on his life multiple times. “Who am I? What if they don’t believe me? What if I can’t speak well?” God didn’t tell Moses to “just have faith.” He addressed every concern with specific answers. David filled the Psalms with questions: “Why do the wicked prosper? How long will you be angry? Where are you when I need you?” God didn’t consider these complaints evidence of weak faith. He included them in Scripture. Job spent entire chapters questioning God’s justice, goodness, and purposes. When God finally responds, He doesn’t condemn Job for asking questions. He condemns Job’s friends for giving simplistic answers to complex problems. Thomas demanded evidence before believing in Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus didn’t shame him for needing proof. He provided exactly the evidence Thomas needed. From there, he became the disciple who traveled the furthest to deliver the gospel according to church tradition. The disciples constantly asked Jesus to explain His teachings. They said things like “We don’t understand this parable” and “What do you mean?” Jesus never told them they lacked faith. He explained things more clearly. Paul encouraged believers to “test everything” and “examine the Scriptures” to verify what they were being taught. He praised the Bereans specifically because they questioned his teaching instead of blindly accepting it. The pattern is clear: God engages with honest questions. He always has. Why Churches Are Afraid of Your Intelligence Questions expose poor leadership. When leaders can’t answer basic questions about what they’re teaching, it reveals that they might not understand it themselves. Your curiosity threatened their authority. Questions challenge tradition. Many church practices exist because “that’s how we’ve always done it,” not because they’re biblical or effective. Your questions forced them to defend traditions they’d never examined. Questions require actual study. Answering thoughtful questions requires doing homework. Some leaders would rather silence questioners than do the work of providing good answers. Questions create accountability. When you ask “Where does the Bible say that?” you’re holding teachers accountable to their source material. Some teachers prefer assumptions over accuracy. Questions democratize knowledge. When everyone is encouraged to ask questions and think critically, it’s harder for leaders to maintain knowledge monopolies or spiritual hierarchies. The Difference Between Faith and Gullibility Churches that discourage questions often confuse faith with gullibility, but they’re opposite qualities. Gullibility says: “I’ll believe anything you tell me without question.” Faith says: “I’ll believe this because I’ve examined it and found it trustworthy.” Gullibility is passive. It accepts information without processing it. Faith is active. It engages with truth and wrestles with implications. Gullibility fears examination. It avoids hard questions because it’s built on shaky foundations. Faith welcomes examination. It invites questions because it’s confident in its foundations. Gullibility creates weak believers. People who never question their beliefs can’t defend them when challenged. Faith creates strong believers. People who’ve worked through their questions have conviction that can withstand opposition. The church leaders who tried to make you feel stupid for asking questions were actually trying to turn you into a gullible follower instead of a faithful thinker. How Smart Faith Actually Works Smart faith asks good questions. It wants to understand what it believes and why it believes it. It’s not threatened by inquiry because truth can handle examination. Smart faith does homework. It studies Scripture, reads broadly, and engages with different perspectives. It’s not afraid of learning because it trusts that truth will emerge from honest investigation. Smart faith admits uncertainty. It ’s comfortable saying “I don’t know” about things that aren’t clear rather than pretending to have all the answers. Smart faith distinguishes between core truths and cultural preferences. It knows the difference between essential Christian beliefs and denominational traditions. Smart faith welcomes discussion. It enjoys theological conversations because it sees them as opportunities to grow and learn, not threats to defend against. What to Do With Your God-Given Intelligence Now Stop apologizing for being curious. Your questions aren’t character flaws. They’re evidence that God gave you a brain and expects you to use it. Find communities that welcome questions. Look for churches and Christian friends who see your curiosity as an asset, not a problem. Study for yourself. Don’t rely on other people’s theological opinions. Read Scripture, research history, and engage with different perspectives so you can form your own convictions. Ask better questions. Instead of just questioning everything, learn to ask productive questions that lead to understanding rather than just doubt. Help others feel safe to question. When you encounter Christians who are afraid to voice their doubts or confusion, create space for them to process honestly. Remember that your intelligence honors God. Using your mind to understand truth is an act of worship, not rebellion. The Church You Deserve You deserve a church that sees your questions as gifts, not threats. You deserve teachers who can explain what they believe and why they believe it. You deserve a community that values understanding over blind compliance. You deserve leaders who are secure enough to say “I don’t know” when they don’t know. You deserve a faith that can handle examination because it’s built on truth. The church that made you feel stupid was protecting its weakness, not God’s truth. The church that shamed your questions was revealing its insecurity, not your inadequacy. The church that preferred your silence to your curiosity was prioritizing control over growth. You weren’t the problem. Your questions weren’t the problem. A church culture that’s threatened by intelligence — that’s the problem. Your mind is not God’s enemy. It’s one of His greatest gifts to you. And any church that treats it as a threat isn’t worthy of the God they claim to serve. What questions were you discouraged from asking in church? How did that experience affect your relationship with faith and learning? © Ashneil

unsplash.com This will be my wrap-up article addressing this whole Old Testament vs New Testament God ridiculousness going on out there. I wish people would realize that the Bible is ONE whole book; people added the term “Old” Testament, not God. Since so many like to cherry-pick their form of Christianity these days to believe in, let's reconcile this. They hate the God of the Old Testament (God of Wrath)  and choose to follow the God of the New Testament (God of Love) . What would you do if you found out you were wrong about this? The Loving God of the Old Testament. So I’m dropping a comment by I. M. Koen  that sums up what I would list out about God’s love in the Old Testament. “God is so angry!  Except for the manna, water, sea splitting, dropping Jericho, cloud and pillar of fire, healing foreign lepers, miraculously feeding his people during famines, saving from plagues, shutting lions’ mouths, showing up in a furnace, speaking to myriads face to face, saving Lot, forgiving sin, giving His people their own land, hearing cries, writing our names on the palms of His hands, using women to save entire races, confusing our enemies, feeding with ravens, bringing dry bones back to life, bringing victory against overwhelming odds, forgiving Nineveh (much to Jonah’s chagrin), guiding a stone to Goliath, opening wombs, demanding we rest one day a week, making the sun to stand still, giving Samson supernatural strength right after he had been with a hooker, sowing skins to replace fig leaves, decreeing clothes don’t wear out for 40 years, restoring fortunes, promoting and exalting the unworthy, warning Cain, delighting in prosperity, hearing prayers, multiplying oil and grain, making a borrowed axe head swim, sending angels many times to help people, and watching His son be mutilated for OUR sakes….I can go on for hours. But OTHER THAN THAT,  God is so angry.” That is your “God of Wrath,” you hate so much, that you fight against and try to ignore. But what would happen to your belief system when confronted with the “God of the New Testament?” And the books were opened. “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:15 That’s your “God of Love, ” your  “God of the New Testament” that you prefer and built your belief system on. He is the same God who has always held people accountable for their actions; the message has never changed. © Jane Isley Recommended Reads: Christianity’s new trend, & just like some fashion trends, this one needs to stop. Can I get a slice of God to go, please? God Isn’t Stuck In The Past — He’s Not Trapped Within Old Testament Walls 1–12: Starting your Bible studies from the NT is like watching a movie from its halfway point

Photo by Artyom Kabajev on Unsplash When Criticism Becomes Your Inner Voice There comes a point where you are no longer hearing what people said. You are hearing what you have started saying to yourself. After years of criticism, the voice in your head begins to sound familiar, almost like the people who hurt you left an echo behind. Sometimes, you do not even realise how much it shaped the way you walk, speak, choose, and think about yourself. The Weight of Words You Did Not Deserve Some of the things spoken over you were never meant to land on your heart, but you were younger, softer, and more open. You carried comments that made you feel too loud or not bright enough. You carried the pressure to always perform, and you even carried the feeling that nothing you did was quite right. These words became heavy, heavier than anyone around you ever understood. God’s Truth Has Always Been Louder Even on days when those old voices felt louder than your own, God was not silent. He was speaking constantly, speaking worth when people spoke shame, speaking identity when others spoke labels . He was calling you loved when you were being made to feel small . God’s truth does not expire because people mishandled you. His words are still waiting to replace everything that tried to break you, and that’s the truth. Replacing Negative Words With God’s Truth Let me show you where the shift begins. You take the words that wounded you and place them beside the words God spoke. For example: People said you were not enough. God says you are His workmanship. People made you feel invisible, but God says He sees you and has called you by name. When people acted like your efforts did not matter, God reassures you that your labor is not in vain. People treated you like you had to earn love, but God is saying nothing can ever separate you from His love. Look at this: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” — Psalm 139:14 This is God reminding you that your worth was settled long before anyone had an opinion about you, but you need to understand that it is not instant. Some days you will still hear the old voices, but the more you feed your heart with what God says, the quieter those voices become. Slowly, the truth begins to feel like home. The Soft Rebuilding of Your Heart You begin to notice the little changes first. You stop apologizing for things that were not your fault, you give yourself permission to rest, and you do not shrink in conversations as much or catch yourself offering grace instead of harsh self-judgment. This is the gentle rebuilding God does from the inside out. Becoming the You God Always Saw As you heal, you meet a version of yourself that feels new, yet familiar. That is the version of you God always saw: confident, gentle, and steady. That you were always there, buried under years of criticism, waiting to breathe. Loving yourself after all that did not break you is one of the most powerful ways you reflect God’s restoration. You are not just healing, but you’re becoming whole in the process, and that version of you deserves to be loved fully and very loudly. © Favour

Canva Pro We’re going to start with the question that you may be asking: “Why even touch one of the classic paraphrases?” You already know the line. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” It’s been etched on cemetery stones, written on Hallmark Cards, and quoted in heavy times of life. But here’s the thing — sometimes the classics fade into background music. We hear them, but we don’t hear them. Like a song on repeat in the grocery store. Or, road speed signs you've seen over and over. We don’t often pay attention we’ve seen them so often. David wasn’t writing wallpaper. He was speaking (and singing) poetry. He was putting pain, trust, fear, and hope into words raw enough for people in his time to feel it. Sheep, staffs, valleys — they knew those images. But us? We live in a world of late-night anxiety spirals, student loan notices, TikTok dopamine hits, and Waze telling us to “reroute.” So what if David dropped Psalm 23 today? What if it showed up not in King James, but in street slang and café-mic rhythm? Psalm 23 as Spoken Word Picture this: dim light, mic stand, crowd leaning in. David clears his throat. And then — The Lord? He’s my ride-or-die. No cap, I’m set. I’m lacking nothing. He lays me out on soft green grass, drops me by the still waters — peace so deep it hums louder than my anxiety. He brings my soul back from the edge, resets my GPS when I’m lost in the maze, and I walk His path ’cause His name stays solid. Even when I’m crawling through the valley, where shadows creep like unpaid bills, and fear whispers, “You’re done…” — I don’t fold. He’s right here. Rod and staff like bodyguards. I feel safe. He sets up a feast in front of my haters. Tablecloth spread. Five-star. Cup running over,while they watch me eat in peace. Oil dripping on my head like anointing and flex. Overflow everywhere. Goodness and mercy stalk me — better than followers, better than fame. All my days. And me? I’m home. Forever. In His house. In His love. No rent due. No eviction. Just home. Why Put It in Slang? Because sometimes holy words need to break out of stained glass . They need to sound like us. To sit in our kitchens and crawl into our headphones. David wasn’t polishing theology. He was telling the truth from his gut. The valley felt dark. Enemies felt close. Provision felt like a miracle. His song was the language of survival. It wakes us up. What It Still Says (Loud and Clear) We’re not alone. Valleys still exist, whether they’re hospital corridors, sleepless nights, or bank account notifications. God’s presence still walks the hallway. Provision is real. Not always fancy. But enough. And sometimes more than enough. Goodness and mercy don’t just tag along. They chase us. Hunt us down with kindness. And So… Psalm 23 isn’t old. It’s eternal. And eternal things don’t mind wearing new clothes if it helps us pay attention. Because whether you chant it in King James cadence or slam it in spoken word, the truth hits the same: You’re not abandoned. You ’re not empty. You’re not homeless. The Lord is your ride-or-die. And you’re home. © Gary L Ellis

Image by author Introduction My husband and I love science fiction movies and came across the 2009 TV series “V.” We started watching the episodes and fast-forwarded through the Christian-inappropriate scenes. The action was fast-paced and exciting. We enjoyed the series completely until the last episode. The series ends with evil prevailing over good. Had the series not been cancelled, it appeared the writer’s intent was for humanity to win in the end. I found it intriguing that the show’s theme seemed to reflect patterns found in Scripture relating to Satan’s tactics, Bible prophecy, and the end times. Prophetic Patterns — Signs in the Sky In the first episode of “V” (2009), massive alien ships suddenly appear across 29 major cities, creating global awe and fear. The Biblical parallel to this is the following passage. Luke 21:25–26 , KJV — And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. Both depict heavenly phenomena that shake humanity and signal a transformational moment in world history. Deception in the Form of Beauty The “Visitors” (aliens in spaceships hovering over the cities) look perfectly human, beautiful, calm, trustworthy — but their appearance is a façade hiding a predatory nature. (And boy, are they predatory! Spoiler alert: They are lizards covered with human skin with retracted, huge, sharp teeth and a hidden spiked tail. The Biblical parallel to this is in this passage. 2 Corinthians 11:14, KJV — And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Both accounts emphasize that evil often disguises itself in beauty, and discernment is required to recognize truth beneath appearances. This is exactly how Satan operates. False Peace as a Tool of Control The “Visitors” offer medical cures, clean energy, and promise global unity. “ Peace” is used not as salvation, but as sedation — a strategic cover for domination . Anna leads the aliens, who have a secret agenda (to enhance their race by extracting DNA from humans). This false peace is parallel to the following. 1 Thessalonians 5:3, KJV — For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. Global Admiration of a Charismatic Leader Anna, the Visitor Queen, becomes a worldwide icon of hope and unity. The Biblical parallel to this is in the book of Revelation. Revelation 13:3–4, KJV — And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? Both narratives portray the rise of a universally adored figure whose charisma masks darker intentions. Dependence on Miraculous Gifts Humanity becomes increasingly reliant on Visitor technology for health, energy, and social stability. The parallel here is the economic and social dependence on the Beast system, which will occur during the Tribulation. Whether economic or technological, dependency deepens allegiance, making resistance difficult and costly. Revelation 13:16–17, KJV — And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Hidden Identity Revealed The truth about the Visitors as reptiles disguised as humans is revealed only gradually. This theme of a hidden predatory nature mirrors Jesus’ warning about wolves disguised as sheep. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:15, KJV Infiltration of Societal Structures The Visitors infiltrate governments, media networks, youth groups, and religious institutions. Scripture often depicts evil powers as operating subtly within existing structures rather than through obvious conquest. Daniel 8:25 — “He will cause deceit to prosper… and will destroy many by peace.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7 — “The mystery of lawlessness is already at work…” Manipulation of Truth and Propaganda The Visitors control media broadcasts, shape narratives, and suppress negative information about them. The Scriptures below highlight the danger of truth being replaced with spectacle, narrative, or propaganda. Revelation 13:11–14 — the False Prophet deceives the world with “great signs” and persuasive speech.Isaiah 5:20 — “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.” A Faithful Remnant A small resistance — humans and a small number of Visitors who have defected, reject the deception and work to expose the truth. These Scriptures parallel this idea. Revelation 12:17 — the dragon wages war against “the remnant… who keep God’s commandments.”1 Kings 19:18 — a remnant remains faithful despite widespread compromise. In both settings, truth survives through a small, often overlooked group who, at great personal cost, refuse to bow to the dominant narrative. War Behind the Veil As in reality, the true conflict is unseen — psychological, spiritual, ideological — manifesting physically only after deception fails. This is clearly seen in the Scriptures below. Ephesians 6:12 — “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against… spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Revelation 12:7–9 — a heavenly war with earthly consequences. Both worlds present dual-layer warfare: visible events shaped by invisible, deeper conflicts. The Unmasking at the End The truth about the hostile intent of the Visitors spreads throughout the world thanks to the work of the underground group, the “Fifth Column”. Finally, the Visitors reveal their hostile intentions openly; the façade gives way to reality. Here is the Biblical parallel to this. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 — “Then the lawless one will be revealed…” Revelation 17:16 — alliances collapse as the true motives of the Antichrist surface. Prophecy describes a future moment when deception collapses, and the nature of evil becomes unmistakably clear — just as in V when the “benevolence” unravels. True Light Versus False Light The Visitors’ ships glow brilliantly, symbolizing enlightenment and salvation — but the light is artificial and deceptive. It contrasts with the scriptural concept of true, divine light — a recurring prophetic theme. John 1:9 — “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 — the true light is from God’s glory, not manufactured illusions. Conclusion The 2009 TV series “ V” reflects biblical prophetic themes by showing: deceptive appearances false peace charismatic leadership dependence as control infiltration of systems chosen remnant unveiling of hidden evil a cosmic struggle behind visible events I am not claiming that this TV series is prophetic. I’m demonstrating how comparing the themes of this show with Scripture can serve as a teaching tool for discernment, spiritual vigilance, and the power of Biblical truth. © Debra Hodges

By Guest Writer: Eniola Erivona I asked God for the grace to be consistent, and He led me to these insights: I commit everything I have to do into God’s hands and ask for the grace to complete them each day. It’s less about doing things in my strength and more about total surrender. I am less concerned about how I get things done and more concerned about getting them done. I don’t try to be perfect, I just ensure I’m “getting things done." When I skip a task, I don’t waste time beating myself up about how I could’ve gotten it done by now. I just focus on doing it. I try not to make promises until I’ve developed an ample amount of trust in myself in that area. I spend more time doing stuff than wasting time thinking about doing stuff. There’s something called noise (anything that distracts you from your goal for that day). I ensure that I am ruthless to noise. Having worked with all these in mind, I discovered that I started to fall in love with the process. I’m someone who doesn’t really want to do anything, but I realised that the life I want to live is on the other side of relentless years of disciplined work and sowing, and I’m committed to making this sacrifice. It was hard, but it’s getting easier. I can feel myself growing into loving the process I used to detest and complain about. January through June were months where I was trying to impress until I got the understanding that if I wanted to grow, I had to impact(especially myself), not impress. I now do things more from a place of obedience, and less from a place of “wanting to impress”. I stopped trying to hit goals and focused more on getting things done, and especially soaking myself in the process of getting things done (I’ll hit the goal anyway). It’s been a journey, I’m still on it, and don’t wish to stop being on it. If I were to be asked — what’s the one thing you love the most about God, I’ll say this: The fact that a being like Him chooses to always be there for me, ready to listen, and even answer requests of mine is more humbling than anything I can think of. You and I both know how difficult it can be to always be there even for our loved ones, but God is, and will continue to be there. Such commitment. I strive for it, I long for it. Consistency is the one thing God is known for. And I strive to be known for that, too. Cheers to growth.. I write about life and success as a Christian, sharing many lessons from my journey. Why not consider becoming a free subscriber ? © Eniola Erivona

Did you catch the quotes there?? Let me explain, I think it’ll be worth your time. I’m going to take you on a visual tour of a new way to think about the whole God being silent ordeal and those mantras out there that we’ve all been through at least a couple of dozen times in our lives. First, no. He is never silent, even when you don’t hear Him, no matter what anyone tries to say. The other night, my daughter was not doing well. For background, I am her caregiver, and medically, things often go south on her, and we were packing for the Antarctic that night. I was trying to talk, encourage, comfort, and distract her. I brought it all that night, the whole nine yards, but nothing was helping. So I sat there for a few minutes feeling defeated and a bit useless, and just watched her. Then a thought popped in my head, so I started scooching my pillows and butt out of the way and asked her to come over. I had moved around so she could sit on the recliner with me and curl up so I could hold her, like I had done when she was a child. We sat there like that for a long time that night. I held her tight, rocked her, used my hands to rub her back, squeezed her hand, and soothed her. I just kept sitting there holding her, and it felt right to be doing that at that moment for her. Many like to say God is silent during our storms for incorrect reasons, and that can be harmful. When we can’t hear Him talking, He is somehow “testing us.” He wants to see “how strong” we are on our own. He is silent because He is “teaching us a lesson.” (btw, a crap storm going on in your life is not the same as God trying to talk you and you being dense. Don’t worry I put myself in that category and that’s not the issue I’m addressing here.) Believe it or not, not every storm is a deliberate action, test, or strength challenge from God. Storms naturally occur because of life. But we can turn those into lessons as we survive each one with God’s help. Here’s the thing to realize: when you are in a storm, and in the back of your mind, you remember all those phrases said about God being silent. They are not all good and have the potential to worsen your loneliness and damage your relationship with God because you are thinking about it the wrong way. There’s a big difference between quiet and true silence. For God to be truly and utterly silent towards you, He would have no choice but to leave, not just you, but everyone, everywhere, all for all time. As in His presence would have to cease to exist. Let me give you a visual. With my daughter that night. I was quiet, but I was never silent. My presence, my touch, my acceptance, and my heartbeat were my communication. Not all situations call for a voice; some call for simply accepting love. Not additional words that the person can’t process properly during their storm. She needed me to be quiet. As humans, we are (or should be) aware that we do this all the time in our lives when interacting with other people. We spot cues that let us know when to just shut it for a while. Where do you think we got that natural ability to sense when to be quiet? In Genesis 1:27 we are told we are created in the image of God. Why would God create humanity without the same set of emotional reasoning as Him? Truly, it would defeat the purpose of us connecting with Him and vice versa if they weren’t the same. I remember being told once during a depressive storm that God wasn’t talking to me because He was testing me and He wouldn’t talk to me again until I was willing to listen. 🤦‍♀️ Because yes, that apparently is what you should be telling someone during a storm, that you aren’t willing to listen to make them feel better. 🤦‍♀️ Life is always ripe with storms, even if you are the cause. But never ones that He leaves you alone with. Looking back, I’m surprised I survived that intact because I truly believed God had abandoned me; it was awful. I had no concept of what I know now, and that is God is everywhere and in everything. He is in the comfort of the blanket you are wrapped in, the tissue for your tears, and the pillow you may cry in. He is quiet because He knows you need the quiet. Just keep your gaze locked on Him and trust that He knows what you need right now. Don’t strain and frustrate yourself listening for a voice. Trust me, God is perfectly capable of making His voice heard when He wants or when you need it. Take comfort that He is holding you and respecting you. Our minds are all unique and process storms differently. So, no, God is never silent. Just quiet at times. Remember this during your next storm, and see it for the way it actually is. Look for the communication that is beyond words and visualize Him holding you like I held my daughter that night. Sometimes, the most beautiful gift to give someone when they are hurting is your quiet presence. © Jane Isley First published in Never Stop Writing on Medium. Thank you for taking the time to read, and please consider  supporting my work . Your gift helps keep this work going, blesses others, and means the world to me. 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.