When I was about sixteen years old, our family tried out a new church. I went to the Sunday School class, and on this day, of all days, the teacher was discussing how being gay was a sin. I could see a kid sitting there uncomfortably squirming and obviously gay. I quickly raised my hand, and the teacher called on me. “New kid in the back; what’s your question.” Without hesitation, I asked, “do you masturbate?”
This right here: "I’ve always found it interesting the things that Jesus said that people choose to take as literal and that which gets tossed in the old figurative bin. Give all your money to the poor, figurative. Hell, literal. Heal the sick, figurative. Don’t get divorced, literal. Cut off your right hand if you are being lustful, figurative." This is one of the things I've always taken issue with when it comes to organized religion. As always, THANK YOU for explaining things in an easily accessible manner and for giving me much to consider.
I apologize if this is a bit over the top. Im still a rookie at this and my spirit is bit more playful and childlike than most. If you take the time to read the link below you will realize just how much of a miracle that is.
I will not go into detail about my past but it was one of great trauma and despair. It is not a coincidence that I do not fear the dark, but a testament to the power and grace of Jesus Christ.
I paid $8 to leave this comment. To share the deepest darkest most horrific part of my life and chase after your lost sheep butt.
Wow. Presumptive much? I have read the Bible. I also have a past of great trauma and despair. I too have been carried through dark times and have experienced grace. I am not, by any definition, a "lost sheep butt". If your plan is to bring others to God through making assumptions and insulting others, you might want to rethink that plan....I don't think it's going to work out the way you were hoping it would. Point you might consider: The Great Teacher didn't do either of those things, so I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that He didn't think that would persuade others to follow Him. If I had even the slightest inclination to click the link you provided in your reply, you managed to very quickly convince me with your words that it is not worth even a millisecond of my time to read anything else you have written. And this: "the end days saints aren't quite what most were expecting". I fervently hope that the end day saints are more effective at their task than you are. Maybe if you ask politely, Father Nathan will give you your $8 back.
He has gifted me with a story and verse in answer to you. ~Revelation 14:9
My path and submission to Jesus was different from others, my battle with the devil was quite literally life or death. My faith was truly the blind faith of a child when I called out to him. I had no real knowledge of Jesus or the Holy Spirit. People often say that it is God that chooses us and that once you have him you cannot lose him. This leaves out the other half of the equation. We must also choose God too. It is not God's will to abandon us. It is us who retain the ability to reject and abandon him, even after we have received his spirit. He vowed to never abandon me and I vowed to never abandon him even if all others do. These words "even if all others do" are a prophetic seal. I have known for a long time that just like everyone I loved abandoned me when things got bad, everyone would soon start to abandon him and felt the agony of his despair as if it was my own. This is why I am so bold in my claim of Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. This is why my life has been so full of his blessings and favor. I willingly chose to serve him during this time of great trial. I was born for times such as this. He comes before all others.
ust like when I took my wedding vows to my husband. It is a covenant, an agreement. The old testament contains lessons with warnings regarding breaking a vow with God like that. I believe this relates to the sin against the Holy Spirit that Jesus speaks of that will not be forgiven.
I know his presence personally, if I choose to betray him it is tantamount to the betrayal of Judas. I love others more than myself, possessions and power do not hold much appeal to me in general. Love has always been what I most desperately desire, but not just human love, the love of Jesus Christ. I believe that is why my relationships with those close to me have become so conflicted. God comes first, I am his and he is mine. I am willing to sacrifice and suffer and be abandoned by all others to ensure I do not abandon him. This is the purpose of my life, to love and glorify him.
"...just like everyone I loved abandoned me when things got bad" "I believe that is why my relationships with those close to me have become so conflicted." (direct quotes from your comment)
Oh, I have a pretty good idea why- it's not a mystery to me at all.
I don't know why you've singled me out, made gigantic assumptions about me, and insulted me...I guess it's just my time to suffer fools.
I AM a believer, and have been for as long as I can remember, but I SWEAR if I have to read any more of your self-worshiping, self-serving crap, you MIGHT just talk me out of my salvation. 🙄🙄🙄
Here's the deal- you DO NOT come across in your writing as someone who just wants to share the Good Word. NOT AT ALL. You instead come across as sanctimonious, self-serving, offensive, belligerent, holier-than-thou, superior to others...hopefully you get the idea. If the purpose of your life is "to love and glorify him" as you have indicated, you need to do some serious reevaluation. Keep up with your current approach, and you're bound to turn more people AWAY from the Lord than Satan has (seriously, are you in some kind of competition with him? Have you wagered on a golden fiddle as a prize?). "And by their fruits ye shall know them." (Matthew 7...might want to give it a read) We are being told that we are able to distinguish between false and genuine prophets by the things they do and say. You, fellow human, give the strongest "false prophet vibe" I have felt in quite a while. For the love of all that is Holy, just stop. Seriously. Before you run believers away with your claptrap.
You are not the Chosen One. QUOTE: "I was born for times such as this." WHOA. Self aggrandizing much? Slow your roll, lady. It is NOT your job to single-handedly convert the world, and THANK GOD 🙌 for that, because if it was your job, you would be an abysmal failure. How about you step back and let the man upstairs take care of this...I can PROMISE you that He can handle it and do it perfectly, unlike you. Honest feeling right now: I gotta go find my pastor and get him to say a blessing over me because interacting with you on this post has left my soul feeling defiled. If that isn't the work of Satan, I don't know what is. Begone, demon, and find someone else to torment. ICK.
False doctrine and weak leadership becomes apparent under pressure or challenge. Each lie compounding on top of one another getting weaker with each new addition. Add in a little bit of chaos, and it all falls apart.
Surrender is the act of conceding defeat in the face of challenge. By choosing not to even read my argument your actions admit surrender. Just FYI! K bye!
This is probably the worst interpretation of the beatitudes I have ever seen. It doesn't make any sense...
If you are looking for a more "easily assessable" version of the Bible you should try cliff notes or google or if you are feeling ambitious try actually READING it. I cannot believe 145 people liked this... Where you at Aston? Sorry just like riding that estrogen dragon today, the end days saints aren't quite what most were expecting. Nothing wrong with a little bit of extra snap ;)
The law is given in love. The religious leaders who teach the law without love are false prophets and do not do justice to the glory of Lord Jesus Christ's triumph. I have had a personal encounter with Jesus, I was thinking of killing myself and for some reason he took pity on me and intervened. My testimony is below and my calling is to bring hope to the hopeless.
Unlike most false teachers you will find I am a bit more bold in my declaration of faith and proudly declare my submission to Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. My lessons and understanding of spiritual authority and dominion come straight from the Holy Spirit himself. If you would like to watch Jesus Christ spank the devil on the world stage with from the winners dugout hit me up. I'll be the one front and center making popcorn and creating memes to pass around for all eternity.
My grandmother got kicked out of catechism class for asking "why, if god was all knowing, past, present and future, then why did he put the tree in the garden?" Out she went. Angry nuns. Then, unbeknownst to my mother, she goes and does literally the same thing 🤣🤣🤦♀️ kicked out also. We're talking Irish Catholics here. They didn't bother with me. 😉 I'm not even baptized. I'm Native and I'll stick with that thanks. But I do love reading everything you write. I've read the Bible, more than most "Christians" can even say. So, you explaining it further makes it even funner.
This is EVERYTHING!!! “Give all your money to the poor, figurative. Hell, literal. Heal the sick, figurative. Don’t get divorced, literal. Cut off your right hand if you are being lustful, figurative.” As a queer man who has had to endure the ridiculousness of the shopping mall mentality of the devout, i.e., I’ll just pick up a little belief here and another over here, I am over having to listen to people wanting it both ways. Great article. Thank you. ❤️
I loved this and felt inspired by it. I thought I was some hot sh*t because I "asked the hard questions" in Catechism class but it looks like you had better parents than I did if they raised you to really get in there and get in their faces like that. I have a lot to learn from you.
As such...
....I will take one slight exception to this overall sermon in cases where some form of overt (or even, one might say, "covert") abuse has already taken place. And this can be deceptive. I am very willing to be transparent about this (it is one of the main themes, at present, of the substack that I write in case anyone is curious, and in fact the post I published today also deals with fuzzy quesitons of literal vs. hypothetical scenarios).
My therapist tells me that something like 4%-5% (paraphrasing) of boys in the care of female caregivers are abused by them, in ways that society might not consider "overt" enough to "count" as sexual abuse because people should really know better. I fell into that small category and carried the guilt of it for years.
Was there culpability in my actions? I tell you, given the way I understand the spiritual laws of the universe, more than you know. I think that thoughts can be just as influential as bona fide actions in terms of their impact on the world. So there is tremendous culpability here, for much is at stake.
In like manner, however, I learned only after years of behaviors that generate even more harmful results that the shame I had been carrying was the even bigger problem. And I learned that there is good science supporting the fact that in circumstances such as these, the question of who is to blame is a bit of a "both/and,' at best.
This right here: "I’ve always found it interesting the things that Jesus said that people choose to take as literal and that which gets tossed in the old figurative bin. Give all your money to the poor, figurative. Hell, literal. Heal the sick, figurative. Don’t get divorced, literal. Cut off your right hand if you are being lustful, figurative." This is one of the things I've always taken issue with when it comes to organized religion. As always, THANK YOU for explaining things in an easily accessible manner and for giving me much to consider.
I apologize if this is a bit over the top. Im still a rookie at this and my spirit is bit more playful and childlike than most. If you take the time to read the link below you will realize just how much of a miracle that is.
I will not go into detail about my past but it was one of great trauma and despair. It is not a coincidence that I do not fear the dark, but a testament to the power and grace of Jesus Christ.
I paid $8 to leave this comment. To share the deepest darkest most horrific part of my life and chase after your lost sheep butt.
Follow me back home.
Wow. Presumptive much? I have read the Bible. I also have a past of great trauma and despair. I too have been carried through dark times and have experienced grace. I am not, by any definition, a "lost sheep butt". If your plan is to bring others to God through making assumptions and insulting others, you might want to rethink that plan....I don't think it's going to work out the way you were hoping it would. Point you might consider: The Great Teacher didn't do either of those things, so I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that He didn't think that would persuade others to follow Him. If I had even the slightest inclination to click the link you provided in your reply, you managed to very quickly convince me with your words that it is not worth even a millisecond of my time to read anything else you have written. And this: "the end days saints aren't quite what most were expecting". I fervently hope that the end day saints are more effective at their task than you are. Maybe if you ask politely, Father Nathan will give you your $8 back.
You can also file a complaint with my manager (Jesus Christ, The lamb of God) if you are displeased with my performance.
I don't even need to- He already knows.
He has gifted me with a story and verse in answer to you. ~Revelation 14:9
My path and submission to Jesus was different from others, my battle with the devil was quite literally life or death. My faith was truly the blind faith of a child when I called out to him. I had no real knowledge of Jesus or the Holy Spirit. People often say that it is God that chooses us and that once you have him you cannot lose him. This leaves out the other half of the equation. We must also choose God too. It is not God's will to abandon us. It is us who retain the ability to reject and abandon him, even after we have received his spirit. He vowed to never abandon me and I vowed to never abandon him even if all others do. These words "even if all others do" are a prophetic seal. I have known for a long time that just like everyone I loved abandoned me when things got bad, everyone would soon start to abandon him and felt the agony of his despair as if it was my own. This is why I am so bold in my claim of Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. This is why my life has been so full of his blessings and favor. I willingly chose to serve him during this time of great trial. I was born for times such as this. He comes before all others.
ust like when I took my wedding vows to my husband. It is a covenant, an agreement. The old testament contains lessons with warnings regarding breaking a vow with God like that. I believe this relates to the sin against the Holy Spirit that Jesus speaks of that will not be forgiven.
I know his presence personally, if I choose to betray him it is tantamount to the betrayal of Judas. I love others more than myself, possessions and power do not hold much appeal to me in general. Love has always been what I most desperately desire, but not just human love, the love of Jesus Christ. I believe that is why my relationships with those close to me have become so conflicted. God comes first, I am his and he is mine. I am willing to sacrifice and suffer and be abandoned by all others to ensure I do not abandon him. This is the purpose of my life, to love and glorify him.
"...just like everyone I loved abandoned me when things got bad" "I believe that is why my relationships with those close to me have become so conflicted." (direct quotes from your comment)
Oh, I have a pretty good idea why- it's not a mystery to me at all.
I don't know why you've singled me out, made gigantic assumptions about me, and insulted me...I guess it's just my time to suffer fools.
I AM a believer, and have been for as long as I can remember, but I SWEAR if I have to read any more of your self-worshiping, self-serving crap, you MIGHT just talk me out of my salvation. 🙄🙄🙄
Here's the deal- you DO NOT come across in your writing as someone who just wants to share the Good Word. NOT AT ALL. You instead come across as sanctimonious, self-serving, offensive, belligerent, holier-than-thou, superior to others...hopefully you get the idea. If the purpose of your life is "to love and glorify him" as you have indicated, you need to do some serious reevaluation. Keep up with your current approach, and you're bound to turn more people AWAY from the Lord than Satan has (seriously, are you in some kind of competition with him? Have you wagered on a golden fiddle as a prize?). "And by their fruits ye shall know them." (Matthew 7...might want to give it a read) We are being told that we are able to distinguish between false and genuine prophets by the things they do and say. You, fellow human, give the strongest "false prophet vibe" I have felt in quite a while. For the love of all that is Holy, just stop. Seriously. Before you run believers away with your claptrap.
You are not the Chosen One. QUOTE: "I was born for times such as this." WHOA. Self aggrandizing much? Slow your roll, lady. It is NOT your job to single-handedly convert the world, and THANK GOD 🙌 for that, because if it was your job, you would be an abysmal failure. How about you step back and let the man upstairs take care of this...I can PROMISE you that He can handle it and do it perfectly, unlike you. Honest feeling right now: I gotta go find my pastor and get him to say a blessing over me because interacting with you on this post has left my soul feeling defiled. If that isn't the work of Satan, I don't know what is. Begone, demon, and find someone else to torment. ICK.
False doctrine and weak leadership becomes apparent under pressure or challenge. Each lie compounding on top of one another getting weaker with each new addition. Add in a little bit of chaos, and it all falls apart.
Surrender is the act of conceding defeat in the face of challenge. By choosing not to even read my argument your actions admit surrender. Just FYI! K bye!
Mmmmhmm...ok, whatever. Reasonably sure my 5 year old granddaughter is capable of putting together something more cogent than this. Yikes.
God sends the simple to confound the wise.
😂 You'll get no argument from me!
This is probably the worst interpretation of the beatitudes I have ever seen. It doesn't make any sense...
If you are looking for a more "easily assessable" version of the Bible you should try cliff notes or google or if you are feeling ambitious try actually READING it. I cannot believe 145 people liked this... Where you at Aston? Sorry just like riding that estrogen dragon today, the end days saints aren't quite what most were expecting. Nothing wrong with a little bit of extra snap ;)
The law is given in love. The religious leaders who teach the law without love are false prophets and do not do justice to the glory of Lord Jesus Christ's triumph. I have had a personal encounter with Jesus, I was thinking of killing myself and for some reason he took pity on me and intervened. My testimony is below and my calling is to bring hope to the hopeless.
Unlike most false teachers you will find I am a bit more bold in my declaration of faith and proudly declare my submission to Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. My lessons and understanding of spiritual authority and dominion come straight from the Holy Spirit himself. If you would like to watch Jesus Christ spank the devil on the world stage with from the winners dugout hit me up. I'll be the one front and center making popcorn and creating memes to pass around for all eternity.
Jesus Christ is coming back!!!
https://open.substack.com/pub/ascensionfromdarkness/p/jesus-neutered-the-devil-real-bad?r=25fg9s&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thank you for another understandable lesson. When you write these out, it makes sense.
My grandmother got kicked out of catechism class for asking "why, if god was all knowing, past, present and future, then why did he put the tree in the garden?" Out she went. Angry nuns. Then, unbeknownst to my mother, she goes and does literally the same thing 🤣🤣🤦♀️ kicked out also. We're talking Irish Catholics here. They didn't bother with me. 😉 I'm not even baptized. I'm Native and I'll stick with that thanks. But I do love reading everything you write. I've read the Bible, more than most "Christians" can even say. So, you explaining it further makes it even funner.
This is EVERYTHING!!! “Give all your money to the poor, figurative. Hell, literal. Heal the sick, figurative. Don’t get divorced, literal. Cut off your right hand if you are being lustful, figurative.” As a queer man who has had to endure the ridiculousness of the shopping mall mentality of the devout, i.e., I’ll just pick up a little belief here and another over here, I am over having to listen to people wanting it both ways. Great article. Thank you. ❤️
Amen
I loved this and felt inspired by it. I thought I was some hot sh*t because I "asked the hard questions" in Catechism class but it looks like you had better parents than I did if they raised you to really get in there and get in their faces like that. I have a lot to learn from you.
As such...
....I will take one slight exception to this overall sermon in cases where some form of overt (or even, one might say, "covert") abuse has already taken place. And this can be deceptive. I am very willing to be transparent about this (it is one of the main themes, at present, of the substack that I write in case anyone is curious, and in fact the post I published today also deals with fuzzy quesitons of literal vs. hypothetical scenarios).
My therapist tells me that something like 4%-5% (paraphrasing) of boys in the care of female caregivers are abused by them, in ways that society might not consider "overt" enough to "count" as sexual abuse because people should really know better. I fell into that small category and carried the guilt of it for years.
Was there culpability in my actions? I tell you, given the way I understand the spiritual laws of the universe, more than you know. I think that thoughts can be just as influential as bona fide actions in terms of their impact on the world. So there is tremendous culpability here, for much is at stake.
In like manner, however, I learned only after years of behaviors that generate even more harmful results that the shame I had been carrying was the even bigger problem. And I learned that there is good science supporting the fact that in circumstances such as these, the question of who is to blame is a bit of a "both/and,' at best.