Faithful Writers

A lot happened yesterday. And in its wake, I’m left with…  something. To be honest, I don’t even know what I feel. My emotions are tangled like a pile of barfed-up yarn on the floor. After today, the mundanity of life feels wrong, off. Hollow? I feel small? overwhelmed? insignificant? But no — that isn’t the truth. Feelings don’t always equal truth. So, what can I do? What if I’m scared of the answer?  What if I’m not? This shift brings tears. But are they grief? fear? sadness? selfishness? Why am I crying?  Why am I afraid? For You are my Lord God. “In God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?”  — Psalm 56:11 *deep breath* I trust You. I hand You these indescribable feelings. Help us process them. Help us navigate them. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen © Maia Vashti

Photo by NASA  on Unsplash Are we truly guarding our hearts in the digital spaces where our names and faces are hidden? The internet grants incredible opportunities to learn, connect, and share, but its cloak of anonymity can also expose us to dangerous temptations that reshape us. A question met with cruelty. Long ago, I stumbled across a simple question in a Christian forum. Someone who appeared to be a new believer asked if Noah might have taken eggs onto the ark in some cases rather than live animals to save space.  It was the kind of light, curious, and fun question that should have sparked a lighthearted conversation and encouragement for this person as they embarked on their journey with the Bible. Instead, what I saw was heartbreaking. Most responses were sarcastic, belittling, or dismissive. Yes, a few people offered their thoughts on the subject kindly, but cruelty dominated the responses.  And the common thread I noted?  Anonymity.  Hidden behind their usernames, people felt free to mock a fellow believer rather than just answer a dang innocent question. The power of the mask. “ How Does Anonymity Affect Behavior . ” This is a great and eye-opening article that I’ll be referencing.  Psychologists call this deindividuation  — a loss of identity that happens when people feel anonymous in a crowd, or online. Stripped of accountability, some are emboldened to say things they’d never speak aloud in person. “The shield of anonymity can embolden individuals to engage in harmful behaviors online, such as harassment or deliberately provocative actions. Without the fear of personal consequences, some users feel free to express extreme views or target others with hurtful comments. This behavior can have severe psychological impacts on victims and can poison online communities.” In other words, anonymity lowers the guardrails of conscience. It makes it easier to justify rudeness, sarcasm, or outright hostility. But God’s standards do not change simply because our names are hidden. A divided life. Here’s the kicker: online habits don’t just stay online.  If I grow accustomed to cruelty on the internet, how long before that bleeds into my daily life? Into the way I talk to my child, treat my husband, or serve in God’s church? Jesus warned against this kind of double life: “On the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”   Matthew 23:28 We cannot pretend to wear two faces. Sooner or later, they will merge. Our call as peacemakers The question is not simply, What are others doing online?   But how am I representing Christ when no one sees my face or knows my real name? Our words (whether spoken or typed)   carry weight. They can either wound or heal, discourage or build up. And as believers, we are called to be peacemakers, not agitators, no matter the platform. We cannot control the cruelty of others.  But we can refuse to contribute to it. We can pause before posting, pray before responding, and examine whether our words reflect God’s Spirit. Anonymity may give us freedom from Earthly consequences, but it never hides us from God’s eyes. The challenge for every Christian is simple yet sobering: Do my online actions honor Christ? Or do they reveal hypocrisy and hardness of heart? Let us choose carefully.  Our digital witness matters just as much as our in-person one. And God is watching both. (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 Thank you for taking the time to read, and please consider  supporting my work . Your gift helps keep this work going. You can visit me at Faithful Writers  on Medium, where other Christian writers have joined me in sharing the word of God. You can also find me on   Tumblr  and   Facebook.

Rethinking faith after the shutdowns, distractions, and overproduced Sunday mornings. Let me be clear: I’m not against campus-based churches. Not at all. I’ve been helped, encouraged, and challenged by them. I’ve served in them. I’ve found community, learned scripture, and seen people healed in their pews and lobbies. But if we’re honest — really honest — the COVID shutdowns pulled back the curtain. Not in a dramatic, “churches are evil” kind of way. But in the quiet, uncomfortable, “what are we even doing?” kind of way. Suddenly, we weren’t in buildings anymore.We weren’t being led by a stage team with fog machines and countdown timers. We weren’t sipping free coffee between services or navigating church apps to register for “authentic community.” And many of us didn’t miss it. What if leaving the building was God’s idea? I know, that sounds edgy. Maybe even sacrilegious. But hang with me. What if the forced simplicity of pandemic church — Zoom calls, long walks, awkward prayer circles over FaceTime — wasn’t a detour, but a divine redirection? What if the church, by losing its stage and systems for a moment, was invited back to something more raw, more human, more like Jesus? Because somewhere along the way, we confused the methods with the mission . We made “church” into a production.We called it community, but we scheduled every second.We said it was all about Jesus, but we often marketed it more like a brand. Don’t get me wrong — structure isn’t evil. Jesus taught in synagogues. Paul wrote to house churches with leadership and instruction. But they weren’t trying to run empires. They weren’t building campuses that rivaled college football programs. They were following Jesus in a complicated, ever-changing world. Simpler doesn’t mean smaller This isn’t a call to burn the whole thing down. (Though, let’s be honest, some of us flirted with that fantasy.) This is a call to return . Return to what matters: Gathering together, whether in a home or a parking lot. Breaking bread without an agenda. Carrying each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), not just reading each other’s prayer requests on a Facebook group. The early church had no buildings, no programs, no staff hierarchies.And yet “the Lord added to their number daily” (Acts 2:47). Why? Because it was real. It was present. It was enough. Richard Rohr puts it this way: “We worshipped Jesus instead of following him on the same path.” We learned to talk about grace instead of extending it.We formed committees on outreach instead of walking across the street.We taught people how to behave in church without ever teaching them how to be the church. Culture is shifting. Are we? Muh of the next generation isn’t buying what we’re selling. And frankly, I don’t blame them. They don’t want another “relevant” church that feels like a TED Talk and a Coldplay concert had a baby. They’re not looking for another coffee bar with a Bible verse on the sleeve. They want depth. They want honesty. They want space to ask questions without being labeled a “doubter.” They want to experience faith, not just consume it. And here’s reality: Jesus did all of that without a single Sunday morning service. A messy middle-aged confession I’ll be real. I’m not twenty-five anymore. I can’t keep up with TikTok theologians and exvangelical podcasts the way I used to. But I’ve got enough life behind me now to know when something feels off. I’ve seen churches with million-dollar budgets and zero relational depth. I’ve sat in leadership meetings where we planned sermon series down to the exact Instagram post… but never stopped to ask how our people were actually doing. And after COVID?After the forced slow-down, the emptied sanctuaries, the eerie quiet of Easter 2020? I couldn’t go back to pretending that the way we did church wasn’t half the problem. The sacred shift: from attendance to attention Maybe the invitation now isn’t to rebuild the church as it was.Maybe it’s to reimagine it. Not around programs. Not around production. But around people. Henri Nouwen once said: “Community is the place where the person you least want to live with always lives.” True church is inconvenient.It ’s imperfect.It ’s vulnerable.And it doesn’t need fog machines or a killer worship set to be holy. It needs people who show up. Who stay. Who listen more than they lecture. Who break bread and let each other cry. Who share their doubts without shame and their hope without hype. Scripture, not as a script — but a story we live into The early church wasn’t trying to be relevant. They were just trying to survive. And yet they thrived because they were together . “Let us not give up meeting together… but encouraging one another.” (Hebrews 10:25) That verse has been used to guilt people back into pews. But it’s not about attendance. It’s about attention . Paying attention to one another. Bearing witness to the ordinary sacredness of life. Staying awake to the presence of God in each other. It’s about showing up for one another when the livestream ends and the kitchen sink is still full. So what now? Honestly, I don’t have a five-step solution. But maybe that’s the point. Maybe instead of asking “How do we get people back in church?”we start asking,“What kind of people are we becoming?” Are we loving well? Are we growing in mercy? Are we simplifying where we’ve complicated?Are we showing the next generation a faith that’s worth following? If we are, then it won’t matter where we meet. It’ll matter how we live. Because the real church was never a building. It was always us. So what’s your next step? Maybe it’s inviting someone over for dinner instead of waiting for the next church potluck. Maybe it’s starting a weekly walk-and-talk with two friends and calling it church. Maybe it’s finally letting go of the guilt that you don’t “go” to church anymore — because you’re already being it. Either way, the invitation is here. To simplify. To strip away. To begin again. Not because we’re rebels. But because we’re returning home. © Gary L Ellis

My response to a beautifully written half truth An interesting article made its way into my feed recently, penned by a well-known writer here on Medium. He’s a clever author, eloquent wordsmith and a vocal deconstructionist. I have no beef with him personally, but I do want to set the record straight on a few points for anyone else who might have read it and fallen victim to a beautifully written half truth. The piece in particular dealt with the “real” nature of sin, as he explained it. Here is my response, difficult as it was to write. What if Sin IS What You Think it is? If you ask 1,000 people what sin is, you’ll probably get 1,000 different answers. Why? Because the enemy has been working since the Fall of Man to convince humankind that we aren’t sinners, or at least that we aren’t that bad. You see, if he can convince us that we are pretty good or that our sin isn’t our fault, we can be more easily deceived into believing we don’t need a savior. Or worse, that we can save ourselves. He makes evil look holy and lures us in with crafty lies packaged as articles meant to elicit an emotional response. Friend, don’t buy it. One of the major lies in the article is that sin isn’t our fault, but rather a result of our less-than-ideal childhood, our trauma, our generational curses, our… fill in the blank. Are past hurts painful? Of course! I’ve got them myself. But here’s the thing: Trauma doesn’t cause our sin. Our sin nature causes our sin and we use our trauma to justify it. I’m not saying we shouldn’t work through our trauma or put off healing. I’m saying we can’t use our trauma to justify our sin. Sin is disobedience to God, whether big or small. Our flesh craves it, and our spirit fights against it. It’s a spiritual battle we’ll fight until the day Jesus calls us home. What about the generational stuff? Another point in the article is that a lot of our sin is the result of generational wounds that aren’t healed. Is there some truth in that? Perhaps. But the statement in and of itself is not truth. We see repeated sin patterns throughout Scripture & in our own family trees today. While they may look different (abuse here, pride there, alcoholism over there), the root cause is always the same: Disobedience to God. The article cited examples of Jesus healing and inviting sinners to him, to sit with them as they worked through their pasts. While I don’t disagree, there’s so much more to it than that. God absolutely does want us to break generational cycles of sin. We see it all throughout the Old Testament with the Israelites. The Lord brought the 12 tribes out of exile so many times, only for them to return to old patterns of sin and wind up back in exile, waiting for God to raise up yet another cycle-breaker to set them free. Fast forward to the ultimate cycle-breaker, Jesus Christ. He came to set us all free from the bondage of sin. He came to redeem us from slavery. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. Jesus didn’t come merely to sit beside us while we wallow in our past. He came to free us from the past, and to help us put aside the behaviors we justify with it. But what about the really painful “psychological bruises?” First, don’t hear what I’m not saying. I’m truly, deeply sorry that there are so many in this world who suffer at the hands of the ones who should love them most. My heart grieves for people when I hear stories of egregious familial abuse. However (and please hear the sorrow in my voice as I write this), regardless of how atrocious, evil or gut-wrenching it may have been… we do not have a license to sin because of the ways we have been hurt. Lot tried to offer up his daughters to be abused by the drunk men in town. Joseph was kidnapped and sold into slavery by his brothers. Job lost everything he owned, and almost everyone he loved. The woman at the well had been through five husbands and avoided everyone in town (it may not be explicitly written, but you can’t tell me there wasn’t pain there). Jesus was run out of town, beaten, mocked, mortally betrayed by his close friend, nailed to a cross and killed. Jesus knows this world is hard. He’s felt it. Yet he still calls us to be sanctified. Healing takes time. Jesus understands that and is grieved for you too. He will walk with you every step of the way along your healing journey. He will acknowledge the deeply painful wounds you have suffered. And then he will call you to “go and sin no more.” Why? Why would a loving, gracious God call us to stop sinning when we’re hurting so bad? Because our sin breaks fellowship with him. It also causes bitterness and hardens our hearts when we hold on to sin. By working to sin no more, we’re taking a step towards the joy and happiness we find in Christ! Don’t buy it The enemy is crafty. He pretends to be good, and tries to sell us half-truths as whole-truths. He invites us to cozy up in our sin because “we just can’t help how we are.” Don’t believe it. Don’t buy the lies he’s selling. Jesus is calling you to repentance, not because he’s mad at you, or wants you to earn your spot in heaven, but because he loves you. He wants a relationship with you. He wants to heal you. Won’t you turn to him? Thanks for reading! If any of this resonated with you, or you’d like to see more content like this, please consider visiting so you’ll never miss out on a post. © Stephanie M Some other posts you might have missed: 3 Things You Need to Know Before Deconstructing Your Faith & no, I’m not trying to talk you out of it. Quick Guide to Start Reading the Bible: 6 Books to Start With Today

ChatGPT Genesis Chapter 14 introduces some good examples showing how the Bible has undergone certain revisions throughout history. This is also a good opportunity to introduce a technical term you probably don’t know unless you went to a seminary. The word I’m talking about is “ redacted ” and it basically means “edited." The simple truth is that the Bible you are holding in your hands is NOT the original Scriptures. The Torah has gone through many revisions over the ages. Actually, if you think about it, the mere translation of a document is by its very nature a redaction. One common reason for a redaction is that the name of a given geographical location has since changed from when the event connected to that area occurred. Let’s take a look at some redactions in this chapter. Verse 3: “all the latter joined forces at the Valley of Siddim, now the Dead Sea.” So this is a redaction right here (the part I bolded). Actually, throughout history, this verse has undergone two redactions. When this event first happened, the area in question was only known as the Valley of Siddim, so the reference to the Dead Sea was not in the earliest Scriptures. However, as time went by, the Siddim Valley became flooded and ceased to exist. That area instead came to be known as the Salt Sea. So the Bible copiers or editors at that time used the term the Salt Sea. However, as time passed, the term Salt Sea fell into disuse and became known as the Dead Sea, resulting in the verse we have in our Bibles today. Here is another much more obvious example. Verse 14: “When Abram heard that his kinsmen had been taken captive, he mustered his retainers, born into his household , numbering three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan .” They went as far as the region of “Dan”???!!! This should strike you as being strange. Dan was named after one of the tribes of Israel. In other words, Dan was one of the sons of Jacob, and Jacob was an eventual grandson of Abraham. However, Dan won’t be born until about another 600 years after this event occurred. So this is an obvious redaction with the editor using a place name that would be familiar to the readers in his time. Let’s look at one more. Verse 1: Now when Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellesar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim … Anybody with a basic working knowledge of Hebrew would know that goiim is not the name of a country but means the Gentile nations. However, since the separation of Jew and Gentile had not yet occurred… At this time, Goiim just meant any nation, like how we would use the word nations today. So here the redactor is just telling us that King Tidal was the ruler of some nation or nations. Probably because it was very common knowledge at the time, the writer did not see the need to specify the country name that King Tidal ruled over. However, we know today that King Tidal is a Hittite name. In today’s terms, he would have been a ruler over Western Turkey and Syria. © Richoka

Image by author Introduction If all were seen and known about God, what would be the merit in having faith? If people were able to see God, what would that do to our free will? We wouldn’t have any choice but to believe that He exists. God gave us the freedom to choose to have faith in Him so that we could love Him without coercion. Genuine love requires choice. The nature of faith At its core, faith involves belief in the unseen and trust in the unknown. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith requires acknowledging the possibility that a supernatural realm exists. For some, this means stepping away from naturalism into uncertainty, into the realm of mystery. It means trusting beyond the five senses and what can be immediately known or proven. It is this leap — this willingness to trust without complete knowledge — that gives faith its unique power and merit. For others, this leap of faith is simple because of the awe and wonder they feel when contemplating the vastness of the universe, the complexity of life, the precisely balanced conditions needed for life to exist, and humans’ tendency to worship. Belief in the supernatural realm doesn’t make one less intelligent; on the contrary, it makes one humble. Although invisible, God is knowable Even though God is invisible, He is not unknowable nor unreachable. He has revealed Himself through general revelation and special revelation: Creation — the order and beauty of the natural world Natural law — human moral intuition and conscience Holy scripture — the Bible Jesus Chris t — the ultimate revelation of who God is Prophets — God speaking through chosen ones to deliver His messages Holy Spirit — given to believers to help them do God’s will God’s hiddenness is not silence; it is an invitation to us to look deeper. Faith requires courage. It is valuable precisely because it asks individuals to choose trust over certainty, hope over proof, and love over mere knowledge. This choice allows faith to shape character and build resilience in the face of adversity. The faith of Abraham Abraham is frequently referred to as the “ father of faith” . His story has merit because he trusted in God completely. His faith was tested precisely because he did not see or know all that lay ahead, and it is this trust in the unseen that made his faith remarkable. Science doesn’t have all the answers Science relies on repeatable experiments to test hypotheses; it cannot prove history or anything outside the scope of observable phenomena. Science cannot prove or explain any of the following: · Subjective experiences such as the taste of a strawberry or the feeling of joy. · Experiential truth, such as proof that your spouse loves you. · The subjective reality of emotions, beauty, and morality. Science cannot prove that anything is inherently good or evil. · The principles of logic and mathematics. Some scientists argue that humans created these principles and rules to describe patterns they observe in the world. They don’t see God as the ultimate source of the mathematical truths found in the universe, which humans then discovered and formalized. · Science cannot explain why the fundamental laws of physics are what they are. They are the foundation upon which all scientific explanations are built. · Science cannot prove or disprove the existence of a soul, God, or any other supernatural entity. · Science cannot answer existential questions like whether reality is a simulation or if the world was created recently with apparent age. Conclusion Faith, then, is the courageous act of seeking the unseen, trusting that what is most real is sometimes what cannot be grasped by the senses. It has merit, not because it is easy, but because it transforms those who choose it. Faith prompts growth and strengthens one’s connection with God. The process of wrestling with doubt, questioning, and ultimately deciding to trust is what shapes the character of a believer. If all were revealed, there would be no journey — only arrival. The merit of faith lies in the journey itself, in the willingness to walk into mystery and trust in goodness even when the path is unclear. © Debra Hodges

Pixabay “Be careful with the stories you tell about yourself. They will shape you.” — Glennon Doyle If anyone else talked to me the way I talk to myself, I’d call it abuse. But when it’s my own voice? I pretend it’s “motivation.” When the Loudest Critic Lives in My Head Sometimes the harshest voice in the room is the one living inside my own skull. You’d think after a few decades on this planet, I’d have learned how to talk to myself like someone I actually love. But no. Some days I treat myself like the emotional equivalent of an overworked employee with a bad manager — piling on expectations, demanding impossible productivity, and acting shocked when I’m exhausted. And here’s the truth: if anyone else talked to me the way I talk to myself, I’d block their number so fast my phone would smoke. Calling Abuse What It Actually Is But when it’s me ? I let it slide. I even call it “being realistic,” as if tearing myself down is somehow mature or responsible. If a friend came to me weighed down with fear or shame, I’d offer compassion, a gentle word, a reminder that growth doesn’t come from being punched in the soul. But myself? I reach for the metaphorical baseball bat. So sometimes I have to ask the uncomfortable question: Am I my own abuser? Not to heap more shame on myself, but to finally notice what’s been going on. Learning a Kinder Way Forward It hits me that love never demanded perfection. God never demanded it either. Grace isn’t impressed by self-punishment . Freedom doesn’t bloom in soil soaked with shame. So I’m learning — slowly — to speak to myself the way Jesus speaks to me: gently, honestly, without the cruelty. To correct without crushing. To guide without gripping my own throat. Because I can’t carry hope into the world if I’m still beating myself up on the inside. “Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.” — Brene Brown © Gary L Ellis

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash When You Let Your Heart Speak Too Fast Sometimes life hits us with conversations that cut deeper than we expect. A tone, a word, or a silence can stir something inside you. Everything in you wants to answer fast, to defend, explain, or prove that you are right. But reaction often comes from pain, not peace. It is the heart’s first cry before wisdom can speak. The problem is, reactions rarely heal. They only echo what hurt us. But when we pause long enough to let God settle our spirit, something changes. The emotions do not disappear, but they lose control. Jesus, Our Calm in Chaos Jesus was never driven by reaction. He faced betrayal, lies, and anger, yet He stayed composed. When the crowd shouted and the soldiers mocked, He did not meet hostility with hostility. He stood in truth, not tension, but His calm was not silence; it was strength. That is what responding looks like: choosing steadiness when emotions rise, letting the Spirit lead when ego wants the last word. “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” -James 1:19 I realized that this verse is not about restraint alone; it is about rhythm. God designed us to respond from His peace, not our pressure, and so when you pause before you speak, you make room for grace to do what anger never could. Letting God Fill the Silence Maybe someone’s actions are testing your patience. Perhaps you have replayed the scene in your head a hundred times, thinking of what you should have said. But what if the win is not in saying more, but in staying still long enough to let God fill the silence? Responding is not a weakness. It is strength dressed in peace. It is saying, “I choose to act from who I am in Christ, not from what was done to me.” That kind of composure confuses darkness and heals you, too. A Sincere Advice Rather than react, ask God to calm your emotions before they control you. Let Him teach you to find His peace in heated moments. When you’re tempted to react, allow Him to help you breathe, wait, and let love lead. © Favour

Photo by Duncan Sanchez on Unsplash One simple question was the difference between life and death. (If you don’t believe the Hebrew scriptures, this article might not be for you. Move along, my agnostic friends — nothing to see here.) But if you are coming to the understanding that the story of the Exodus from Egypt is the entire Book of Revelation, here is a concept that will eliminate your fears and set you free. First, a refresher of the story. The Hebrew people were slaves in Egypt for 430 years. God fulfilled His promise to deliver them by sending ten plagues that specifically targeted different Egyptian gods. Each plague intensified in scope as they worked themselves up the Egyptian god chain of command. The tenth was targeting Pharaoh himself, a man who called himself “god in flesh” and the mediator between Ra and men. God gave Moses instructions on how to keep His people safe and secure. They must be followed to the letter. Any deviation might result in death. And the challenge was that Moses had to relay these specific instructions to over 600,000 men and their families. Here’s what the Bible says: Exodus 12: 21–23 NLT “Then Moses called all the elders of Israel together and said to them, “Go, pick out a lamb or young goat for each of your families, and slaughter the Passover animal. 22 Drain the blood into a basin. Then take a bundle of hyssop branches and dip it into the blood. Brush the hyssop across the top and sides of the doorframes of your houses. And no one may go out through the door until morning. 23 For the Lord will pass through the land to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the Lord will pass over your home. He will not permit his death angel to enter your house and strike you down. ”28–30 “So the people of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded through Moses and Aaron. 29 And that night at midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died. What if a Hebrew didn’t obey? What if he thought, ”This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. We’re not doing this. Let me deconstruct what Moses is saying for a year or two”? Or better yet, “I’m not ruining my house with lamb’s blood. We just bought this place, and I still owe money on it. We just painted this facade. My wife will kill me.” In my humble opinion, that man would have lost a firstborn. Scripture is clear from Genesis to Revelation about the priority God places on obedience. God often asks us to do peculiar things to differentiate us from the rest of the world and reveal Himself as sovereign. But here is the good news of the Death Angel’s visit: What “moral conditions” were placed on the people to be saved? What if the person inside that house was having an affair with the person down the street? What if the mother was abusive and the father a drunk? What if their hygiene was horrible, their language was coarse, and they were as dumb as a brick? It didn’t matter. The blood of the sacrificed lamb would save them. What if they weren’t even Hebrew? They were Egyptians who were tired of getting pounded by boils, hail, darkness, and frogs? It didn’t matter. If they placed the blood on their doorpost, their whole household was spared. That was the deal God made. What if they were unsure of Moses? All they knew was he was once a big shot who killed a guy, spent 40 years as a stinky shepherd in Midian, and now came back as a self-appointed spokesman for yet another God. He and Pharaoh have been duking it out for the past months. And some crazy stuff has been happening. It didn’t matter. The blood on the door saved them. It didn’t matter if they had their act together or not. The death angel had one, and only one screening process: did they have the blood of the sacrificial lamb on their door? Period! There would be plenty of time in the future for them to be refined and work out some of their problems. But for now, death passed over because a lamb gave its life for them. The Exodus Story Is a Preparation For the End of This Age. We MUST understand the Exodus to become plague-proof for the end of this age. They are the same story, only 4,000 years apart. • God’s people will be oppressed and persecuted. The Antichrist will make war with the saints and overcome them. Just as the cries of the Hebrews were heard for 430 years, God will listen to the prayers of His people and bring deliverance. (Rev 13:7) • There is a man who claims to be God himself at the throne. Pharaoh, meet “the little horn”. (2 Thes 2:4, Daniel 8:11) • He will be surrounded by magicians (false prophets) who will do mighty wonders. (Rev 13: 11–17) • God’s people will see some crazy stuff. And most of it is not good. Jesus called it birth pains. (Mat 24:8) But like David wrote in Psalm 91: 7–8 “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked.” • God’s people have a promise of deliverance. He will NEVER leave us or forsake us. We are His precious possession, His children, and His inheritance. • ZERO plagues affect God’s chosen people because they are shielded, protected, and kept by the One True God. There is nothing to fear from the events mentioned in Revelation. One hundred-pound hailstones? No problem. They’ll miss you. We won’t even smell like smoke when the fiery trial is over. • God takes His people from a place of oppression to a promised land. There will be a thousand years of peace after the purge of rebellion and evil. • There will be many last-minute converts. “A rabble of non-Israelites went with them,” (Exodus 12:38). • The kingdom of the “oppressor” will be wholly and utterly wrecked because of their disobedience and refusal to repent. If you have read about the “bowls of wrath” and become freaked out, remember who the target of each bowl is: the throne and kingdom of the antichrist. Those who took “the mark of the beast”. Those who curse God. Christians won’t be here for that anyway. • God will provide. (loaves, manna, fish, oil, clothes not wearing out, meal, water from a rock, cloud/fire, calm the storm, etc.) Do you think our God will be “out-miracled” by the false prophet? (Rev 13) Nope! Where sin does ABOUND, grace does much more ABOUND. (Rom 5:20) • Just before deliverance, everyone will have to choose to believe or not. EVERYONE MUST BATTLE FEAR AND CONQUER IT! Here’s how to be plague-proof: Exodus 15:26 NLT “He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.” Our part: Listen, do the next right thing, obey what he tells us, and keep the decrees. (statutes…rules) God’s part: Keep us safe and secure under the shadow of His wings. Suppose you are not where you want to be spiritually. Good. Keep working on yourself. But each of us must stay under the blood of the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. Is there blood on your door? Thank you for reading this far. Ruth 2:12 to you and yours. We got this! Fasten your seat belts. This world is about to get interesting. This scripture is for you: Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name. “They will be my people,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.” Malachi 3:16-18 © I. M. Koen Check out these other articles and spread the word of hope and freedom from fear. Just Get back Up! Step over the collateral roadkill and keep going . Got Agony? The Reason we don't show people our rash. How Bright Are You? Are you a firefly, a lamp, or a lighthouse?

At some point you gotta open it and read it. Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦  on Unsplash For those that have been following along — my “Spiritual, not Religious” friends — the time has come to crack open a Bible. If you’re so inclined. So far, for those that haven’t read along, the progression has included: The Awe of Nature recognizes God in the wonder of the world The Unexamined Life asks for guidance related to self-improvement Christianity Is Not a Lie attempts to separate the Bible from the people You Can’t Prove God — Part I introduces Natural Theology to prove God You Can’t Prove God — Part II shows belief in God can be rational ConfuHinduTaoBuddhism introduces some alternatives to Christianity “Unsyncretising” Beliefs In these writings, I’ve attempted to introduce the idea of syncretism as a shortcoming — the adoption of various spiritual ideas on the fly, resulting in a haphazard collection of beliefs that are completely incompatible if not outright contradictory. I didn’t realize that when I did it once upon a time… A Whole New Level of Laziness Of course, I told myself I’d expanded my horizons by dipping my toe into the waters of Zen Buddhism then later a non-spiritual form of Taoism, and I stuck with both on a daily basis for years. Somehow, despite some value, I knew I hadn’t found what I was looking for. I in fact didn’t even know what I was looking for. Years later, after more floundering, I realized that, for me, it was God. Knowing That I Don’t Know Once I made the commitment to revisit my Christian roots and finish reading (and re-reading portions of) the Bible, I went out and picked up a Biblical Theology book and a couple Systematic Theology books though I had no idea what any of it meant. I then spent the next couple months reading and taking notes, sharing my findings, and asking questions. In all that, I learned one thing: I knew absolutely nothing . And that has shaped my pursuits ever since. Today, I really only know a few things, but I’m confident that knowing the right few things matters a great deal more than knowing a lot of not-so-important things. The Basics of the Bible So, to come full circle, for my, “Spiritual, not Religious” friends who have taken some interest, it may be the right time to crack open a Bible. And perhaps some very basic knowledge will help with those first few steps. Overview What is the Bible, anyway? It’s a collection of 66–80 different books (depending on the tradition) written across nearly 1500 years and in multiple languages — Hebrew, (Hellenistic/ Koine) Greek, and Aramaic — by some 35 or more authors (depending on who you ask). The Christian Bible is split into two parts, the Old Testament and New Testament, and it’s the history of God’s self-revelation to His Creation, mankind. The Old Testament includes God’s promises (covenants), laws, protection, and judgment of the Israelite (and other) people through their many plights, and it ends on a somber note, though with a prophetic view that God will in time restore His people. The New Testament begins with the birth, life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who sacrifices his life to atone for all sins and enable believers to repent for salvation (everlasting life). The Bible is history, wisdom, prophecy, and apocalypse, and employs a wide variety of literary devices and forms, from prose to acrostic poetry and with paradox, irony, parables, metaphors, and other techniques. Ultimately, the Bible is the story of God reconciling mankind to Himself , His plans for doing so, and in this narrative, we learn that God is loving, kind, forgiving, patient, and also just. The Old Testament The Old Testament is made up of 39 (Protestant) or 46 (Catholic) books, the difference being a selection of books referred to as the Apocrypha (roughly means, “hidden”). The Protestant Old Testament Bible uses the same books as the Jewish Bible, though in different order and combinations. Roughly speaking, this includes: The Law (=Torah), 5 books The Prophets (=Nevi’im), 21 books* The Writings (=Ketuvim), 13 books* The Jewish moniker, Tanakh , is an acronym from the names of the tripartite sections. The Law includes God’s introduction to mankind across 5 books, which Jews refer to as the Torah while the Greek translation is known as the Pentateuch . These books include God’s rules for the Israelite people who were chosen to serve as an example of those who worship the one and only all-powerful Creator, Yahweh, in binding covenant. The story (and history) unfolds as God guides the Israelite people out of Egyptian slavery and to the edge of (and later into) the Promised Land. In this process, many Israelites lose faith and fall back into pagan idol worship, which doesn’t end well. The Prophets includes books of the Former and Latter Prophets, of which there are 21 (depending on how they are counted). These include instructions and warnings related to the Israeli people’s violations of provisions for the covenant with God. The Writings includes 13 wisdom and historical texts that provide guidance for typical life situations, some with encouragement and hope. * Book counts vary by tradition and depend on how writings are grouped. The New Testament The New Testament (27 books) begins with the 4 Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — that depict the life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These are followed by a 5th historical book, Acts, which describes early missions to establish the Church. The next 21 books are Epistles, or letters, on related challenges: 13 from Paul, 9 to churches and 4 to individuals 1 from James, the bother of Jesus 1 from Jude, who refers to himself as the brother of James 2 from Peter 3 without a name, though attributed to the John of the Gospels 1 anonymous (Hebrews), from an early date bound w/ Pauline Epistles The final book, Revelation, is apocalyptic, written by a person named John (whether the same author as the Gospel of John and Epistles ascribed to him is a matter of debate) during exile on the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. The book describes the future triumph of God over evil and Judgment Day. Bible Translations If you’re gonna take a swing at this Bible thing, though you can read online, you’ll probably want a Bible to hold in your own two hands. If you don’t have one and can’t afford one, go to any church and ask. In most cases, they’ll give you one, even if you don’t make any reciprocal commitments. You can also get a free Bible through various online sites, but I’m pretty sure that comes with a bunch of junk mail and the sale of your personal information, address, and so on. I’d advise against this. Go to a church, or if you have $10-$20, a bookstore or buy one online (see below about revisions). Either way, it’s, what, half the cost of a McDonald’s Happy Meal? But a couple basics. First, the Bible has been translated to over 700 different languages, and parts of the Bible are available in over 3000 languages. The Biblical text is derived from a variety of sources (historic manuscripts) and involves countless hours of meticulous work by scholars, academics, and yes, committees. Translations span the gamut between two extremes: Formal Equivalency translations attempt to achieve a word-for-word translation from the manuscripts to English (or target language). This can make the text more difficult to read and comprehend, especially at first, though such detail is critical for research and theology. In these cases, I utilize the New American Standard Bible (NASB95) and the English Standard Version (ESV). Dynamic Equivalency translations prioritize basic meaning over explicit word-detail. This makes for easier reading and comprehension, though involves a variable degree of subjectivity. Results vary significantly, though the New International Version (NIV) and Christian Standard Bible (CSB) are popular options for first-time readers. But see below for more. There’s a pretty decent chart and overview for some of the more common translations here , a nd many other sites that explain other translations. You can also look online to see what different denominations and churches use, should you begin to gravitate toward one set of beliefs (though churches continue to move away from specifics these days). In time, this and many other things will become more clear. Translation Revisions It’s important to note that translation groups from time to time release new revisions. You can find the progression for any given translation body online, or you can look at the associated notes in every Bible. But why? There’s been a relatively recent trend of cultural appropriation in Bible texts. In 2005 for example, the NIV updated their 1984 revision with some gender-neutral language, with further changes in 2011. Though this may seem well-intended, it can in the Bible mask the original text’s meaning and take away from the message and tone. The past doesn’t change because today people have a different perspective, and as such I prefer not to use Bibles that attempt to take this approach. I as a result relied on my 1984 NIV revision despite that I have both the 2005 and 2011 revisions as well. Another example: If you go to a bookstore and look for the NASB translation, odds are there will be far fewer of them than others (though it depends on where you live). If you pull an NASB Bible off the shelf, it’s more than likely the 1995 revision (NASB95). For me, personally, this works, but if you’re searching for the 2020 revision, you may have to look deeper or purchase online. It’s worth a few minutes investigation to get the right one. First Time Reading There are countless Bible reading plans available on the Internet and in any Study Bible. I’ve tried a few, but most are designed to, “conquer the Bible in 180 short days” or similar. When one of my readers asked, I offered up the response I’m sharing here. But first, as always, a couple things… I’m Not a Third Grader Many if not most plans aim to make reading the Bible seem less… daunting , I guess. And it seems people make the mistake of equating education level with intelligence. That’s how we get the third-grade teacher persona. This annoys me, and I’m not alone here. Unfortunately, this approach is alive and well, on many fronts, in various religious communities (and of course airline check-in lines, dentist offices, and other pleasant circumstances). Ignore it. You don’t need a PhD to read and understand the Bible . It’s not a contest or a conquest. Nobody’s keeping score. And contrary to those that promote the urgency of reading and accepting Jesus Christ as quickly as possible on the chance you get hit by a bus in the near future, there isn’t any rush (though I’ll concede that the third-grade teacher persona is better equipped to present this idea in a more delicate fashion). These days, we hear about people’s, “journeys” far more than we want to or need to. But on this one, it fits. For some, it may be the start of a lifelong pursuit. For others, it may be the last time they ever try to approach God in a methodical fashion. Take your time. Genesis, Exodus then Matthew and Acts Many are encouraged to start reading the Gospels, the first 4 books in the New Testament. I recommend a different approach. Start with Genesis in the Old Testament, the very first book in the Bible. Continue through Exodus. These two books cover critical early ground and provide a little bit of context for New Testament reading. Once you finish those two books, turn to the first book of the New Testament, Matthew. It’s the first of 4 Gospels about Jesus Christ. Once finished, skip ahead to Acts, the 5th (of 5) historical book in the New Testament. It describes early efforts to establish the church. This is one of many ways to begin, but it should provide enough context for any path one chooses to take in continuing forward, whether with the Old Testament or the New. Read in Context of the Author A lot of people make the mistake of picking up a Bible and immediately looking for meaning in today’s world and challenges. I suggest first considering the mindset of the author and the time — a couple thousand years ago, using a different language, in a very different social construct, and using a different means of communicating. Try and consider the text from that standpoint before you attempt to contextualize it in today’s world . You will find that such modern considerations will come naturally, without effort, if you focus on the author’s meaning and how it might have been received at the time. As for Matthew and Acts, they took place in the Middle East under Roman rule, with their pantheon of Gods. Citizens were required to praise Caesar as one of their Gods. Christian refused to do so, and the early church suffered these challenges, challenges from pagans, of course also Jews as you’ll see, and those making false claims about secret teachings of Christ (Gnostics). Keep in mind that, at the time, those supporting Jesus Christ did so at great risk to their own well-being if not very being (i.e. execution). Though I’ll be writing more about the history of the church and also of theology, at the moment that should suffice. Let it Come to You Naturally Though Study Bibles can be, and are, useful in certain circumstances, it’s not that easy to find the right fit out of the gates. More importantly, it’s critical to engage the Biblical text independently, especially at first. Though this approach may give rise to questions, I strongly encourage others to work through their first couple books of the Bible without outside influence. I cannot overstate the importance of this. You’ll know what I mean in time. If you can avoid distractions and let the text and stories form in your own mind and your own heart, naturally, you can answer questions later. Trust it. Relax, Let Your Mind Wander, Write Down Questions The Bible has some tedious sections, such as those that include genealogies. In the Book of Matthew, there will be references back to prophecy in Old Testament books you will not have read with this approach. Don’t worry too much about them — you can move past them and come back to them at another time. In the meantime, let your mind wander. If you encounter a problem passage, write down your thoughts and questions, then keep reading. There are going to be many questions, and you don’t need to answer them immediately. In some ways, you won’t be able to. This is harder for some than others. As an engineer, I hated the idea because it goes against the way we acquire new knowledge then apply it. But this isn’t engineering, or science, or philosophy, and the Bible isn’t a textbook and it doesn’t contain historical facts and figures. Though it can function as a guide of sorts, it isn’t a handbook for life like other religious texts. There are simply far too many complex issues that nobody can get in a single reading. That’s the beauty and wonder of it, in many respects. Next Steps Vary… If all goes well, you’ll find your own path. Trust it and see. And that’s the point. We all have a different way of experiencing and learning, we all see things differently. With a little time and patience, your doubts will give way to a compelling desire to move forward in different ways (or perhaps not at all). There is no shame in whatever direction you choose. And once you know what that direction is, you can at that time bring in outside input. All I can say, trust your heart — and be honest with yourself. Nobody’s watching — it’s between you, a book, and potentially God. Until next time , may your hearts be filled with joy, your family be filled with love, and the protection of the Lord watch over You and Yours… © Just Loannes