The God pill

[Gazza]

I believe it is common. I've heard it mentioned many times in sermons. To paraphrase a pastor it goes something like this:

"The devil doesn't need to intervene in people that have no relationship with God, they are not a threat and are ignorantly walking right into his arms. However, the closer you get to God, the more the Devil presses in. The more devout you are, the more of a victory it is for the Devil if he can make you fall."

Biblically, just think of the Book of Job. He was a #1 fan of God and so the Devil picked him as the guy to go after the most.

In experience, it seems like the church families that I've seen hit with the most terrible and random tragedies seem to be the strongest with God. At the outset it seems like an awful curse or spite from God. The ones I recall from the last 5 years from devout families are: childhood Leukemia, 2nd bout of Childhood cancer, teenager in a random single care accident, ends up in coma. All diagnoses were considered terminal/permanent disability from doctors.

To an outsider, such tragedy being put on such God loving families would seem like proof that God is evil, indifferent or does not exist. What happened though? 6 months to 2 years later, miraculous and perfect healing in ALL instances. These are not people I read about, these are families I went to church with.

So yes, the closer you get to God, the more difficult and crazy your dark times will seem but also greater will be the victories you have over them with your faith in God.

I can sooooooo relate to this.

 

[El Draque]

Not really where to post this, but seems here is as good a place as any to get any takes on it.

My atheist boomer father, it transpires, bid 666k on a house.

He was interested in a property that a number of interested parties & had a 'closed bid' auction. Thankfully he was not successful as someone else bid 675k.

I expressed my alarm that he would even consider this sum, he had made no correlation with it, and found it quite funny that i was so taken aback. He said his reasoning was that he thought the house was worth in region 650-660, but really liked it, and thought maybe someone else would have the same value to it, but bid up in 5's, so he really thought it might get 665 tops, but wanted it to be one higher to be sure.

I told him that as far as id be concerned the place would be cursed, and i'd not feel comfortable even staying there, he just laughed & said it was ridiculous, its just a valuation.

To reiterate my dad has absolutely no interest in religion and never has. He bid on it due to his theory of it being one over the odds of what he considered a likely top bid, but still, i find his ambivalence as bizarre as he finds my shock.

Would others feel uncomfortable knowing this about a property? I suppose in any block of flats it's possible that there's a flat 66 on the 6th floor, or such forth. Car number plates may reflect it, phone numbers etc etc.

I just found it all fairly bizarre that it wouldn't even enter his mind.

 

[DanielH]

Not really where to post this, but seems here is as good a place as any to get any takes on it.

My atheist boomer father, it transpires, bid 666k on a house.

He was interested in a property that a number of interested parties & had a 'closed bid' auction. Thankfully he was not successful as someone else bid 675k.

I expressed my alarm that he would even consider this sum, he had made no correlation with it, and found it quite funny that i was so taken aback. He said his reasoning was that he thought the house was worth in region 650-660, but really liked it, and thought maybe someone else would have the same value to it, but bid up in 5's, so he really thought it might get 665 tops, but wanted it to be one higher to be sure.

I told him that as far as id be concerned the place would be cursed, and i'd not feel comfortable even staying there, he just laughed & said it was ridiculous, its just a valuation.

To reiterate my dad has absolutely no interest in religion and never has. He bid on it due to his theory of it being one over the odds of what he considered a likely top bid, but still, i find his ambivalence as bizarre as he finds my shock.

Would others feel uncomfortable knowing this about a property? I suppose in any block of flats it's possible that there's a flat 66 on the 6th floor, or such forth. Car number plates may reflect it, phone numbers etc etc.

I just found it all fairly bizarre that it wouldn't even enter his mind.

Don't be superstitious. 666 identifies a man, the antichrist, not a building or a floor. Don't let it have any power over you. The number is not evil in itself. It is strange to offer that number, but it's just a number.

 

[MusicForThePiano]

I have been seeing the number all over the place in the human cities, and on the internet. It is just a number but its prevalence and congruent appearance seems to be manifested intently. This may be another push to shove the "fear" of their asshole leader into the face of Christians, but we know better than to fear anything but the wrath of God Himself.

 

[Gazza]

Not really where to post this, but seems here is as good a place as any to get any takes on it.

My atheist boomer father, it transpires, bid 666k on a house.

He was interested in a property that a number of interested parties & had a 'closed bid' auction. Thankfully he was not successful as someone else bid 675k.

I expressed my alarm that he would even consider this sum, he had made no correlation with it, and found it quite funny that i was so taken aback. He said his reasoning was that he thought the house was worth in region 650-660, but really liked it, and thought maybe someone else would have the same value to it, but bid up in 5's, so he really thought it might get 665 tops, but wanted it to be one higher to be sure.

I told him that as far as id be concerned the place would be cursed, and i'd not feel comfortable even staying there, he just laughed & said it was ridiculous, its just a valuation.

To reiterate my dad has absolutely no interest in religion and never has. He bid on it due to his theory of it being one over the odds of what he considered a likely top bid, but still, i find his ambivalence as bizarre as he finds my shock.

Would others feel uncomfortable knowing this about a property? I suppose in any block of flats it's possible that there's a flat 66 on the 6th floor, or such forth. Car number plates may reflect it, phone numbers etc etc.

I just found it all fairly bizarre that it wouldn't even enter his mind.

I totally agree with DanielH comments. Also as an extra, remember by the time taxes and commissions are paid, the real price would be well over that of the “$666” (at least that’s how it works here in Australia anyway).

 

[Gazza]

I talked to an abbot about this, and also other clergy. Their advice is similar: if you're in communion with God, His will for you (outside of following the general commandments) will be obvious to you in time. Specific doors will keep closing and other doors will keep opening. The path will be laid out for you and you just have to follow it, though it may take several years until that path is clear.

Around 8 years ago I was visiting my mum in a local hospital while she was dying from pancreatic cancer. I was out of work as I’d recently been layed off from my job as a forklift driver of 20 years, and had been “born again” for 2-3 years and was frustrated because I still wasn’t sure what type of ministry God had planned for me. Anyway, while walking throughout the hospital I seen a guy pushing patients around in beds and wheelchairs and thought to myself, gee I’d love to do that type of work. Long story short, I got qualified to work in the health sector shortly thereafter, got a phone call from the same hospital where my mum had been getting cared for, then eventually I got the job of the guy that was pushing the patients around! I’ve been there 7 years now and every so often I get a chance to talk to people about Jesus or simply say God bless you to a patient after I take them back to their room. Some listen, some don’t, but I’m sure this was Gods plan for me, it couldn’t have been coincidental as it was just too perfect, plus we know there’s no coincidences with God. I hope this helps anyone still waiting on what Gods role in this world is for you, just be patient.

 

[Gazza]

I watched this the other day on Amazon. It was definitely worth the time to see 'the other side'



Its a bunch of cucked out Minnesota Lutherans talking about how they hate themselves and black people lecturing.

Its full of SJW/democrat talking points, but the most poignant being that there is almost zero biblical content in it. There is just one HUUUUGE leap in about a 20 second graphic and that is about it.

Its also entertaining that a lot of their beefs are actually with Jews, not 'white people' if they did a little more research.

Either way, if you've ever wondered what it is like to go to church in some sort of cucked out liberal church, this is it. This is what midwest lutherans are like, presbyterians, united and about 50% of the methodist church. You to to these places and its more like a democrat party meeting than anything about the bible or God.

Not trying to start an international rift here, but geez there’s a lot of fat arse slobby types in America.

 

[Gazza]

The Real Jesus
The man depicted in Western art is nothing like the one described in the Bible.
BY STEPHEN FLURRY • APRIL 10, 2009

This is the time of year newsmagazines often grace their covers with a pale, tender-skinned, soft-spoken, long-haired, womanish figure wearing a beard. It’s supposed to be Jesus. But these erroneous depictions of Christ look nothing like the Jesus described in your Bible.

The real Jesus was a powerfully built, masculine man—a rugged outdoorsman. He was a man who was master of every situation. He was a people-person and a dynamically persuasive teacher. He was a man of upstanding character—an upholder and promoter of God’s perfect law of liberty.

Isn’t it time you became acquainted with the Jesus of the Bible?

Christ’s Family

Prior to His 3½-year ministry, Jesus Christ was brought up in a large family as the oldest of five brothers and at least three sisters (Matthew 13:54-56). Traditional Christianity depicts Jesus’s stepfather as some kind of uneducated, deadbeat dad who was baffled by his stepson’s remarkable genius. Joseph was supposedly married to a superior woman.

The real Joseph, however, was the loving head, provider, protector and primary educator of this extraordinary family. He was a “just” man, Matthew wrote, with sterling character. Upon learning that Mary was pregnant, Joseph initially intended to secretly dissolve the engagement for the sake of his own reputation—and Mary’s.

But while Joseph “thought on these things,” an angel appeared unto him and said that Mary had conceived of the Holy Spirit. In response to the angel’s instructions, Joseph obeyed God, risked his upstanding reputation in the community, took a pregnant woman to be his wife and accepted her firstborn son as one of his very own.

In northern Galilee, Jesus became known as the son of Joseph (John 6:42). As a teenager and young adult, Jesus worked outdoors, developing into a master craftsman on his stepfather’s carpentry crew.

“And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40). This was due, in large part, to the indomitable influence of His mentor and stepfather, Joseph.

When Jesus was 12, for example, Joseph took his wife and children to Jerusalem to observe the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread. Only males were required to go to Jerusalem for the three annual festival seasons (Exodus 23:14-17). But Joseph was a successful businessman and family man—so he took the entire family.

It was during this trip to Jerusalem that Jesus wound up in the temple reasoning with the doctors of the law. Having learned to be an exceptional student under His father’s direction, Luke’s account says that Jesus was “hearing” and “asking questions” (Luke 2:46). He was listening and learning from some of the most distinguished educators of His day—this was no ordinary 12-year-old.

His parents, having lost track of Jesus on the way home, returned to Jerusalem to find Him in the temple. They were “amazed.” The teachers of the law were “astonished at his understanding.”

From that point forward, Scripture says, “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (verse 52).

The real Jesus grew up in a well-balanced, God-fearing household where His physical father served as head and His mother as a submissive and loving helpmeet and homemaker.

Jesus as Master

In his Trumpet column last week, Robert Morley wrote about the dearth of male teachers in elementary and primary schools today. “Why is society robbing young boys of the masculine role models they need?” he asked. When Morley was a boy, his favorite teachers were the stronger, more authoritative male role models he could look up to.

Isn’t it the same for you? Think back on the male teachers who impacted your life most when you were younger.

Now think about Jesus Christ—the greatest orator and teacher who has ever lived. Why should we imagine Him to be an effeminate weakling who somehow moved the masses while speaking in hushed tones?

“Follow me,” He supposedly whispered to the fishermen, tax collectors and businessmen of His day and, of course, they promptly dropped everything to learn a new profession.

That is not the Jesus of your Bible. The real Jesus “waxed strong” physically and spoke with such powerful conviction and clarity that He astonished the masses! “For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:29).

Jesus Christ did not teach or even look like the self-righteous religious figures of His day. After the miracle of the loaves and fishes, the Jewish commoners wanted to make Jesus a king (John 6:15). His wildly popular impact early on in His ministry enraged the jealous chief priests and Pharisees. “If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation,” they reasoned in John 11:48. They demanded their officers to apprehend this persuasive scholar. But none of the officers would lay hands on Him.

“No man ever spoke like this man!” they said in John 7:46 (Revised Standard Version).

Jesus Christ simply did not fit into the mold of what people thought a religious leader should look and sound like. He was a hard-working, rugged-looking, masculine family man. He loved construction and numerous other outdoor activities like sailing, hiking and camping. He was an avid reader and studier—conversant in every imaginable topic.

And He loved people. He socialized so much His critics accused Him of being a glutton and winebibber! In actual fact, Jesus was the friendliest man who ever lived. He loved being among crowds. He interacted with Samaritans, the blind and lame, the elderly, and women and children. He broke bread with Pharisees, tax collectors and sinners.

Then there were His students—the disciples. Most of those who dropped everything in order to follow the Messiah later sacrificed their very lives for this impressive, God-fearing man. “Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” His disciples lamented after Jesus was gone (Luke 24:32).

Jesus lived the abundant life (John 10:10). He practiced what He preached. And in living in accordance with all of God’s holy laws, He left for us a perfect example to follow (1 Peter 2:21).

Strive to follow those steps set before us by Jesus Christ—the real Jesus, as depicted in the pages of your Bible.

Also there are so many depictions of him wearing robe or feminine type clothes which if you search the scriptures don’t seem to be accurate at all. And I agree with all that you say, including that He was without doubt THE most unselfish person to have EVER walked the face of the earth. I’ve read the bible back to front, and can’t find one occasion where he did anything for Himself.

 

[Gazza]

I had a very heated argument about life after death, Jews, Israel and WW2 with my father. When the discussion veered into Christianity, I knew things would get heavy. I'm very bad at arguing and he's a hardcore atheist.

Long story short, after revealing my faith, I'm the black sheep of the family for believing in God, following a supposedly soft and limp-wristed imaginary figure and reading a supposedly corrupted book that was rewritten many times throughout history. As I made my points, he burst in prideful laughter and left the conversation. This instantly reminded me of Luke 12:53.

“The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father...”

We're on good terms though so this is not a jab at him, but I'm curious if any of you had similar encounters with family members in the past?

My dad got diagnosed with an aggressive lung cancer a few years ago and subsequently passed away 9 months after the diagnosis. Sometime in between I attempted to ask him about his thoughts of life after death and his thoughts on God. He put his hand out to make the stop sign to me immediately and said son, I’m happy for you and what’s happened in your life, but don’t talk to me about any of that please. My feelings that followed were strange. Kind of a mixture of sadness, anger, frustration all mixed in to one. Working in a hospital I experience so many people that get terminal diagnosis daily and don’t seem to give 2 hoots about God or the after life? These people aren’t young, yet they still won’t at least CONSIDER calling out to Christ! I just don’t get it.

 

[FiatVoluntasTua]

My dad got diagnosed with an aggressive lung cancer a few years ago and subsequently passed away 9 months after the diagnosis. Sometime in between I attempted to ask him about his thoughts of life after death and his thoughts on God. He put his hand out to make the stop sign to me immediately and said son, I’m happy for you and what’s happened in your life, but don’t talk to me about any of that please. My feelings that followed were strange. Kind of a mixture of sadness, anger, frustration all mixed in to one. Working in a hospital I experience so many people that get terminal diagnosis daily and don’t seem to give 2 hoots about God or the after life? These people aren’t young, yet they still won’t at least CONSIDER calling out to Christ! I just don’t get it.

What many don‘t know or forget is that Christ is from the heart and fills your heart and He cannot be understood via reason (although our belief is perfectly logical). The obliviousness may be due to the fading of evangelization and Christian culture in general. I went to a Catholic school and even we did not learn that much about Christianity.
I have to believe that those who do not find God and do not repent, will go to hell and stay there until eternity. That is why we habe to pray for the ones that dl not have God in their life. The prayers of Fatima here are very helpful

 

[Tippy]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but...I've been looking for churches in my local area. Thing is, so far my faith is basically all from my own readings of the Bible and other books about Christianity. I'm not well informed on the differences in different churches.

Nearby I have a Parish church and a baptist church. The differences to me are hard to get my head around with my current understanding of the Bible.

Should I study more before making a decision on a church to attend?

 

[magaman]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but...I've been looking for churches in my local area. Thing is, so far my faith is basically all from my own readings of the Bible and other books about Christianity. I'm not well informed on the differences in different churches.

Nearby I have a Parish church and a baptist church. The differences to me are hard to get my head around with my current understanding of the Bible.

Should I study more before making a decision on a church to attend?

Always study and read but you should just go and attend a mass at both churches. I attended my first mass yesterday at a Catholic church and I thought it was pretty nice. I won't be making it my home church but I still liked it. Hope you will enjoy your future church visits and find the one for you. I'm in the process of doing the same and I'm looking forward to what the future holds!

 

[Eksydys]

this is top-notch writing of conversion to orthodoxy of a post-wiccan post-radical environmentalist well accomplished author

The Cross and the Machine | Paul Kingsnorth

We must have been fifteen or sixteen when we discovered the church visitor’s book. It was an old . . . .

www.firstthings.com

 

[Coja Petrus Uscan]

 

[Viktor Zeegelaar]

Around 8 years ago I was visiting my mum in a local hospital while she was dying from pancreatic cancer. I was out of work as I’d recently been layed off from my job as a forklift driver of 20 years, and had been “born again” for 2-3 years and was frustrated because I still wasn’t sure what type of ministry God had planned for me. Anyway, while walking throughout the hospital I seen a guy pushing patients around in beds and wheelchairs and thought to myself, gee I’d love to do that type of work. Long story short, I got qualified to work in the health sector shortly thereafter, got a phone call from the same hospital where my mum had been getting cared for, then eventually I got the job of the guy that was pushing the patients around! I’ve been there 7 years now and every so often I get a chance to talk to people about Jesus or simply say God bless you to a patient after I take them back to their room. Some listen, some don’t, but I’m sure this was Gods plan for me, it couldn’t have been coincidental as it was just too perfect, plus we know there’s no coincidences with God. I hope this helps anyone still waiting on what Gods role in this world is for you, just be patient.

God bless you brother! That is a fantastic story

 

[Viktor Zeegelaar]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but...I've been looking for churches in my local area. Thing is, so far my faith is basically all from my own readings of the Bible and other books about Christianity. I'm not well informed on the differences in different churches.

Nearby I have a Parish church and a baptist church. The differences to me are hard to get my head around with my current understanding of the Bible.

Should I study more before making a decision on a church to attend?

Take the Orthodox study Bible to start. It is a great book with phenomenal commentary. Even if you end up at another direction (which I doubt) this will be a great start. The point is that you need a study bible. Without the commentary you'll be lost. There are some good books on the basic differences of Protestantism, Catholicism and Orthodoxy on Kindle. Do some research, for example The three Great churches: comparing the beliefs is a good starting point. It is written from a protestant perspective and pretty rudimentary, but it will help you to discern the first big differences.

I would get the differences clear and decide what direction to go based on your knowledge and intuitive feeling. Just follow your conscience, you'll feel what direction points to the truth. I'm in the same process myself and am researching before I will look at church possibilities.

 

[Viktor Zeegelaar]

The latter time I felt a strong urge in myself to do something, which put me under a lot of stress and worked pretty paralyzing to be honest. I felt that I had to resist what is happening, that I had to form a local community that I had to do this and that. Last week I had the epiphany to ''do what you know you have to do'' and trust God entirely on whatever will come on my path. Even if locally in this battle I may stand on my own, or not, God will guide me to wherever I need to go. I have had countless of ''accidental'' things happening to me in the last few years where at the moment I thought I was in a dreadful situation and I cursed at my situation, but in hindsight realize that was the best thing that could happen, even if that was to lose people, money, a job etc. Eventually at exactly the right moment the right thing came, the thing that I needed in order to get a step closer to the truth. So God is guiding us completely at our way. If we need suffering he will give us suffering, to come closer to the truth. If we need good times he will give us good times. If we need to be alone, we will be alone. If we need people, God will send us an opportunity to meet those people. So to conclude: let go, trust in God completely and accept what's coming your way. Do what you know you have to do and believe these impulses come from God. Don't resist it, whatever it is. Since I did this for example I have had 0 urge to watch porn, whereas before that I watched it frequently even though I felt resistance and guilt after doing it. We have to let go our wish to control the situation and give ourselves over to God and wherever he leads us, if He wants it eventually to eternal life. Amen.

 

[Pacífico]

Hi guys, I'm a Christian and wanted to know if anyone has any advice/resources for practicing Hindus that are interested in Christianity? I have been in contact with members of this religion but I have no experience with their beliefs/mentality. I don't really mind if it is from an Orthodox, Roman Catholic or Protestant viewpoint. God bless.

 

[Saintscarborough]

Hi guys, I'm a Christian and wanted to know if anyone has any advice/resources for practicing Hindus that are interested in Christianity? I have been in contact with members of this religion but I have no experience with their beliefs/mentality. I don't really mind if it is from an Orthodox, Roman Catholic or Protestant viewpoint. God bless.

Hey I'm currently trying to convert my Hindu friend to Christianity (Orthodoxy specifically). My friend is very serious about Hinduism and has thought about becoming a monk and following Babaji. In Christianity he seems to find Mt Athos interesting and I got him to read the life of St.Anthony and he also enjoyed that. I have also sent him the book called 'gurus, the young man, and elder paisios' which I hope can stoke his curiosity with Christianity while also contrasting it with Hinduism (and its dangers). Hindus I have met especially in the west see God as a kind of perrenial/freemasonic creator and hold to hindu practices as a 'cultural' but authentic spirituality. This barrier is tough to break, but one day I will get him in church God willing. That's my experience, I haven't converted any Hindus so take it for what it is.

 

[Coja Petrus Uscan]

Invidious link - https://invidious.snopyta.org/watch?v=yobUrsi4Jh8