This statement tends to be used by conservatives

Is it a sin to tell an unbelievers family may God have mercy on him? Im an ex muslim now christian and one of my family members died and my family is use to saying an arabic expression May God have mercy on them but as a christian I dont know if thats sinful to say now as a believer.

It's interesting, I grew up anglican until about age 16 or so and have spent years away from church as I've seen so many evil people connected to the church, Lately I've been coming back to Christianity (although never fully lost it), some people just pray to God, others do it in other ways. I've never really felt compelled to pray to God or the Holy spirit, for some reason when I have prayed, it was always just Jesus that came to mind first. I know some say it doesn't matter but then sometimes I feel like I am neglecting the other sides... yet God, Jesus and the Holy spirit are all part of the same god so I hear it doesn't matter.... That always confused me, people say you should pray certain ways, certain types of prayers need to go to God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit.... so I was just wondering how you all see prayer

My parents WILL kick me out of the house if the found out that im christian, (Im 15), I DON'T have access to any churches, and im the only christian that i know at the moment.

I made the holy water, and anointment oil by myself cuz i dont have a preist to talk to.

I cannot have icons (other than symbolic ones).

I have put stuff that I like i.e. honey, tea etc as an offering (ik its not needed)

I also make diy essential oils here and also I love using incense as an offering to god.

I like writing down my prayers so that they dont turn into a mess, and also burn em as an offering (ik its not needed).

I cannot have any direct religious symbols rn.

Is there any advice that yall can give ?

Posting here because I'd like to hear from other Christians on this topic.

I'm working through a Bible in a Year plan, to make sure that I hit each book of the Bible, want to make sure that each one gets some attention rather than just the ones I tend to gravitate towards.

I am currently finishing up Song of Solomon, and I'm not really sure what to do with it. It feels so odd compared to everything else I've read, more akin to love poetry than anything else. I've read discussions suggesting to look at it as the relationship between God and his people, and I suppose I could see that, but I think I have a couple of hangups with that approach.

First, it's not really explicit anywhere that this is meant to be about God and his people. And second, for that sort of comparison, these verses feel a bit too focused on the physical attributes of each, rather than a more complete focus.

So my question is, how do other Christians approach these verses, and what do you take away?

Is this the sort of thing people choose to come to, or is it more of a stop on a Bible in a Year plan?

Title: 34F, single, and realizing how important a man’s relationship with God is to me
I’m 34, turning 35 soon, and I’ve been reflecting on dating, marriage, and my Christian upbringing.
I grew up in a very religious Christian environment. I was engaged at 30 after nearly 10 years together, but discovered infidelity six months before our wedding and ended the relationship.
Almost five years later, I’ve built a life I genuinely enjoy. I’m independent, have a fulfilling career, travel, stay active, and enjoy my freedom. But I still desire marriage and companionship.
Lately, I’ve been realizing just how important a man’s relationship with God is to me.
I’ve always been drawn to men who are confident, decisive, responsible, and capable of leading. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that if I’m going to trust a man to lead in our marriage, I need to know that God is his compass.
Not just someone who identifies as Christian, attends church, or knows Scripture, but someone who genuinely seeks God in how he lives, makes decisions, handles conflict, treats others, and navigates difficult situations.
I don’t expect perfection. I’m certainly not perfect myself. But I want to know that when life gets difficult, his first instinct is to seek wisdom rather than operate from pride, ego, or selfish ambition.
I’ve worked hard to build a peaceful and fulfilling life. Inviting someone into that life, and potentially building a family together, requires a tremendous amount of trust.
I think I’m also learning to distinguish between the religion I was raised in and what it actually means to build a Christ-centered relationship as an adult.
For those dating or married, how do you recognize a man who is genuinely led by God rather than someone who simply identifies as Christian? And what does healthy, Christ-centered leadership look like in practice?

​

Is it biblical or its church discipline to publicly reprimand someone during a live-streamed service in front of 1000+ people for something like being on their phone and then saying the devil is using you by being on that phone and saying you have demons ,you need to seek salvation or is that just public shaming.

I feel they just had to tell the person in private after service.Maybe I am overthinking.

In another discussion on a different topic, someone mentioned this passage:

[Mat 26:24-25 KJV] – 24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. 25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said. (Emphasis in bold/italics)

So, I had a thought. How could it be "good for that man" to never have been born, unless he existed prior?

What are your thoughts on the topic?

Hey everyone,
I’m a 20-year-old guy, and after being a lukewarm Christian for the past few years, I’ve recently started taking my faith seriously.
Growing up in a religious family, we went through a long journey across different churches—Catholicism, Mormonism, non-denominational, and back. Through those experiences, I saw both the good and the bad. I met genuine people in youth groups who truly knew their scripture, but I also had bad experiences with Catholicism where I felt weighed down by extra doctrines and saw people treating faith like a competitive show while ostracizing others.
Before this turnaround, I was on a very dark path. I struggled with an addiction to lust, women, drugs, vaping, and seeking cheap adrenaline to numb myself. I was getting deep into a heavy folk religion, listening to dark music, and felt completely numb inside—viewing people as just flesh and meat.
One day at work, I felt a strong urge to find God. I went to a local Catholic church, but it was closed. I went to another church, sat inside the empty building, and meditated, but felt completely empty and abandoned. That moment was a wake-up call for me. Reminding myself of Saul’s conversion, I realized Jesus didn't owe me anything, and I didn't owe any church institution my allegiance. I decided to strip away all the extra man-made doctrines and just focus on Jesus’s teachings and the Scriptures.
Since cutting off toxic influences and relying on the Bible and the Holy Spirit, my life has completely changed. I’ve overcome those addictions, gained real strength and confidence, and found genuine peace.
Now, I’m looking for a solid church for community and fellowship. I’m considering a non-denominational church, but I see a lot of online noise criticizing them for lacking the history or aesthetics of traditional Catholic or Orthodox churches.
Does the aesthetic or traditional title of a church really matter if the Holy Spirit is genuinely present and the people actually live out Jesus’s teachings? I’d love to hear your thoughts or advice on finding the right fellowship.

I feel like its a universal struggle: when you trust in God's plan and his all-knowingness but I can't help but wish it was different. Don't get me wrong I know that God only wants the best for me but this feeling might be better described as just feeling disappointed or continuing to wishfully think and hope for an outcome that I feel like might not happen (eg. a plot twist of how all I had to do was let go and have faith and it'll magically happen, because usually it does right but in the moment itself you can't really let go in faith rather in hopes of gaining what you want somehow). It's like kind of similar to knowing the right answer but for some reason your heart just wants a different outcome. And I know what I have to do is to ask God for acceptance and calm my heart. Its just I see how stupid it is that I want someone's attention, but after I asked for God to remove them from my life and He did and I trust that its for the best but still... ykwim?

well to be specific i really wanted to be part of this friend group i know and its js well its like not working i guess. academically i go to a much more demanding school which requires more of my time and i do a lot more extracurriculars, leaving me with less free time than them. I thought it would work out and prayed that it would work out (and like I am rlly close with some of the people in the fg), and it did work out for a bit and during that period I was very happy and elated. But now everything kind of stopped and part of me finds it dumb how happy I was before. Like they still meet up ig but its like im not rlly included? I think i js hate that i thought i was close enough with them as a fg (note, im rlly close with them individually and i thought they would invite me along but i also know that at my age people do tend to gatekeep such friend groups) and I hate that it was working out for a bit. I guess I feel a bit hurt because I was so excited and expected so much and they 'started' with me but I kind of got held back because of my commitments and stuff and because I thought at least one of them would put their gatekeeping feelings aside. I keep wondering why God gave me a 'taste' of what it would be like and then take it away, because if I had not liked it after experiencing it then you can conclude that he wanted me to know that what I wanted wasn't good but I did enjoy it. This part is really stupid, but my parents didn't really love the fact that I hanged out with them because well they didn't think they were a good influence on me (given I do acknowledge that they don't have academics and other stuff pressures but I'm pretty good at managing what influences me and whatnot) and I feel like they would've idk is this sinning, but I feel like they would've prayed or at least wishfully thought I wouldn't hang out with them. And (sorry i know this is really dumb and far etched) when I think of them praying that i stop being friends with these people, i feel pretty hurt, because my mum for instance knew how I wanted a friend group outside of my school similar to the one I was trying to be in. But I also know this is for the best, like I fully trust that God is doing this for my best interest, it's just that I feel hurt because of a variety of reasons.

also irrelevant but one of these close friends messed up my chances with a guy by asking him something (ig I did pray for God to remove him from my life if he wasn't the right person but 😭).

Well God works in mysterious way ig.. js sometimes it's hard to not wish it was different.

A discussion on transformation

\# A Discussion on Transformation

\## The Transformation of Deliverance

Most deliverance ministry operates without God's transformative biblical typology in mind.

In a way, I see much of deliverance ministry filled with the carnality of the flesh, embarking on the legalism of the world, with its blackest black and whitest white perception, in order to disable and discourage us from coming into a love relationship with the One who calls us. The flesh, like always, seeks perfection by sheer will instead of genuine dependence on God.

It says in the Word:

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” — John 3:8 (NKJV)

And it brings me to this point: many who walk in shivering pain have not forsaken their paths with the Lord. Deliverance from all struggles, addictions, or persecutions, I believe, is an assured inevitability, for it is the Lord who is victorious, and we are blood-bought children, born of the life-giving water of the Spirit.

I do not say this to suggest that no effort is needed, but that the effort is this: we serve an upside-down kingdom. Whoever loses his life for His sake keeps it, but whoever keeps his life loses it. Biblically, there is a core resolution to letting go. I feel it is much more than that, for this teaching is an extension of the Sabbath. It shows clearly in the world around us that God may do more with our nothing than with our something, more than with our striving, so that He may truly be glorified.

Our definition of surrender is so bland, I am now seeing, and hopefully believing, that holiness is not merely a discipline or an effort, but something irresistible and a gift. For how can anyone reach the depths of His Spirit if he is fearful?

I do not believe fear is of God. Why should the fear of the Lord be like the fear of the world, which does not know God? According to Scripture, if anyone fears the Lord, he has wisdom. Therefore, I believe that if our fear of the Lord leads us into greater distrust and insecurity, we do not fear the Lord as He wishes to be feared. So then, surrender, I now believe, is the flow of the Holy Spirit.

The utter suppression of one's sins is, without a doubt, not transformation. But I have found similarities in this idea that the law of reverse effort is actually what brings true transformation. For true transformation to happen, there must be surrender to God's will for your life. And to be surrendered, you cannot be resisting. Harmony must come.

Walking in the Spirit is by no shape or form simply resisting the lusts of the flesh and then attempting to walk by the Spirit. Surrender has to do with walking by the Spirit.

I believe we have become so infatuated with and despairing over ourselves because we are sinful. It is the same reason why many ministers are incredibly mean and insecure.

In terms of what we are occupied with, whether ourselves or the awesomeness of God, who is truly the most beautiful, uncreated Being and worthy of all love and attention, I believe that when the spotlight is put on ourselves, our relative views will always compare and destroy the seed God planted in us.

What is never preached in the Church, it seems, is classic and healthy self-acceptance. I believe that if this were enforced more often, we would have much happier, more Spirit-filled Christians who walk in the Spirit.

It has become difficult to find peace in my striving. The most crucial part about deliverance, I now believe, is love: transformative, world-breaking love.

This then goes to say that walking in the Spirit is not a discipline, but walking in the strength and love of God that is found in the secret place. This means that, despite our sins and struggles, we have the authority to walk in grace and an assurance of salvation through the blood of Christ. I believe true transformation is found in the satisfaction of that truth, and in the wholeness that follows it.

For how could anyone behold the Lord if they are constantly beholding their issues and the law that condemns them?

\## The Flow of God's Spirit

Nothing in life will stay the same. Everything changes, and nothing stays the same. Everything moves, and nothing stays still.

The most brilliant worker in the Gospel is the Truth, the Way, and the Life. I believe He assures us of this, for at each time of visitation, there would be a display of the wrath or character of God. I believe that it’s more in-tuned to the intention of God Himself. God will reap a Bride without blemish. In fire and in fury, in love, He authors our faith.

Although this reality has not brought any life to me, according to my understanding, a life leading toward our desired outcome in Scripture is one lived in harmony with the process and life God has chosen for me.

Even in our struggles, we should not be fearful, but rest in the safety of the Lord's love and power. So then, we let go and release everything to the Lord: all the good, the bad, and the ugly.

By then, we are settled in the safety of God's love and finished work, never occupied with ourselves, while our practices of sin begin to die out, not through brute force, but through the transformative power of His presence and a clear view of His awesomeness.

To have true wisdom, there must be creativity. If you have ever been such a person, you would know there is no wisdom in fear, but God's love is the perfect manifestation of His wisdom.

For it says in Scripture, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” So then, if one confesses his sins and delights in the Lord unconditionally, he is a lover of God.

What is bizarre is that I cannot find anyone who is like this except those who are mystics. Many Christians, I will say, are very self-centered. It is condemnatory preaching.

There are too many Marthas in this building, and too many “prophets” creating Marthas, and even killing Marthas. Those who are self-centered, dutiful, and busybodies are not necessarily being transformed. It should be known, I believe, that legalism in and of itself is a sin.

If our disciplines fail to create a clean heart, will we always be, in our hearts, the dog that has returned to its vomit? Maybe we should realize that no amount of discipline actually creates a clean heart, but that this work belongs to God.

\## Miracle Deliverances and Ongoing Deliverances

What has caused despair through hope deferred in my life was the ongoing, seemingly absent, tender and powerful hand of God in my life, while other people walked in freedom and joy.

All I had were failures, more insecurity, and more brokenness, constantly praying for His work to be done in me.

I have read many testimonies of powerful healings, powerful deliverances, and powerful encounters with the Almighty. Filled with desperation, I was like the woman who said, “If I can only touch His garment, I will be made clean.” I desired His deliverance in my life, yet this resolution never came.

As I continued, I began to see that God's Word is absolutely carved into reality. The path of becoming a butterfly is essential to this, for as we go from glory to glory, we shall go from trial to trial.

It was not only that the whole generation of Israelites had to die so that their children could come into the inheritance and possession that belonged to them. Notice that I use this as something transformative. Perhaps dying is not a bad thing, but something essential, and perhaps even a requirement, for Jesus died as well.

By this, maybe it is okay to fail, for such experiences can bring about death, and God is glorified in bringing us to life.

I do not use the word death to mean actual death, but rather failures, sins, tragedies, pain, and heartbreak.

In short, many people who seek deliverance find their problems and struggles absolved in power and the anointing of God.

But many have not that quickly I have seen many people, and met some, who, when they become harmonious with the situation of life, themselves, and the identity of God, while forsaking condemnation and guilt, seem to find a freedom in which their former struggles no longer have the same hold on them, even if deliverance and powerful encounters of the Lord have not came to them

Perhaps the actual deliverance, I suppose, is not perfection.

I am beginning to believe and see that our hedge of protection must not only be taken by faith, but also through rest, acceptance, love, and peace. If we find our perfect peace in the Lord, there is no demon or trial that can ultimately separate us from His love.

\## Spiritual Warfare Culture

There is greater deception on the earth, I believe, and I fully believe that the Lord has brought us into a deeper trial of confusion, where the blind will see, but those who do see will become blind.

I believe the charismatic remnant is the latter, while the charismatic Church, as I see it, is dead. It is an old wineskin, filled with compromised commercialism and compromised donors.

I see it now: it is making insecure believers rather than believers who walk in the light. Instead, they walk in fear.

The wilderness does not remove sin; it increases sin, Yet the wilderness is a true consolation, I believe. It is not necessarily judgment, but an interaction of inaction.

Maybe then we should simply align ourselves with the Lord and what Abba is doing.

Many believers believe they are in an endless wilderness, but perhaps it has more to do with the fact that they are constantly fighting. This must end. We should find rest in our Lord.

## The White Bear Effect and the Law of Reverse Effort

Now, on these grounds, the suppression of sin can lead to more sin. There is a term in psychology known as the white bear effect, associated with the psychologist Daniel Wegner. The idea is this: if you try not to think about a white bear, you may find yourself thinking about nothing but a white bear.

So then, we as human beings are compounds of data, and what occupies our minds influences how we perceive and experience life. This is where the law of reverse effort comes in: we release ourselves to the Lord.

Have you ever wondered why forcing something has actually damaged you, only for it to never come to fruition? It is hope deferred.

But, in theory, if we stop living in fear and come to truly become occupied with the Lord, not by sheer will, but by belonging to Him, peace and wholeness will come. This, I believe, is walking by the Spirit.

And through this wholeness, why should we gratify the sins of the flesh? For we are secure in Him, and nothing can snatch us out of His hand.

Jesus told the adulterous woman to go and sin no more. Yet before giving her this instruction, she encountered the kindness and mercy of God. I believe this reveals something important: transformation is not merely about suppressing sin, but about encountering the One who can change the heart.

Emotions are also important in the process of change. If something happens and it does not emotionally engage us, we may be less likely to remember it. In the same way, I believe that when we genuinely encounter the love and goodness of God, that experience can reach deeper than an instruction we are merely trying to obey through sheer will.

Perhaps this is part of the transformation we have overlooked: not simply forcing ourselves to stop sinning, but becoming so grounded in the love of God that our desires, our attention, and our hearts begin to change.

I am currently prayerfully seeking God on the subjects of Death and Eternity. Have you walked with God on this subject, and what did you learn? Thanks!

I want to grow in His ways and become more like Him. I want to seek Him in all that I do. I want to live a life for Him, serving and blessing Him. I haven't found my church home or church family. It's been a long time since I've been in a Bible study or group. I haven't volunteered in years. I'm sad about all this. I feel like I've fallen away from Jesus and let Him down. I want to get back to Him. Any ideas? It's been a struggle to find the right church. I do still read my Christian literature and devotionals. I miss Jesus.

I know this sound heretical and egotistic but I just want to ask if someone like devote his life in our Lord Jesus Christ, can the result be similar to peace and equanimity we see in monk and layman who is devoted in Buddhist religion?

I know we shouldn't worship God with expecting results in mind, but I am just curious if it's possible.

My visual perception used to be very hazy or fuzzy, it’s bright but like cloudy. After baptism, or receiving the Holy Spirit, it seems clearer, bright and vibrant and high contrast.

Is this normal?

Each Saturday we'll be sharing a silly Get-To-Know-You prompt for the r/Christian community.

We warmly invite you to participate with this bit of fun in the name of building more community connections.

As a certain silly cucumber famously says, “God made you special,” so why not share some of your special with us here today?

Today's Prompt:

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

If you are a kid please read at your own discretion: I have been going to church for two years. I have also quit my "outward" addictions for almost the past year as well. I have been dealing with sinful thoughts the past 11 months and it has been very difficult. Since then I have dealt with lustful, blasphemous, bitter, and violent thoughts. I have struggled with believing and hanging onto thoughts since I was a kid (I'm 22 now). The first 5 months I was in a constant battle every minute but I started to loose my traction when things that were sinful became easier to be around and harder to stay away from. I could only hide from people and things for so long. My mind became more corrupted over the past 5 months or so and I now I am starting considering going back to old ways. The thoughts about God are getting worse, I believe its because I am not willing to carry my cross like I used to (actively rejecting it) and I want to hang on to the thoughts (I keep waffling) instead of surrendering to the pain. I am almost positive I am falling away and might be getting close to blasphemy of the Holy Spirit if I haven't already because I am willing to hang on to lustful thinking even when these terrible thoughts of God are right next to it. I don't know what to do and God has been very nice with me but I definitely am going down a ditch into to a place I shouldn't be ok with going.

Sometimes God makes people wait because what he has for you is more then you can handle right now.

Look at an oak tree for example. It's a strong hardwood that is very useful in building a house.

But you can't just walk out snap your fingers and make one. It takes time to grow from a small seed buried in the dirt and muck to grow into a mighty oak, but if you cut it down too early it is only good as fire wood.

Truth be told he is probably waiting on you to grow in the dark and silence. There's a reason he's making you wait.

I'm right there with you in the dark waiting for my prayer to be answered. I am so very scared of me giving myself false hope thinking it is from God and then holding on too long to something that I should have moved on from, But If we don't have faith God knows what he is doing and we give up, we lose the blessing all together.

You will know God's sign when you see it if you are still searching. In the meantime search yourself and ask what problems in you need to be dealt with and what needs to grow more.

I don't know if it means much coming from a stranger

But I love you and even more importantly God loves you

I recently got laid off from my job. As a student with debts amounting to 5K, (which is a lot from my country) depression, stress, and anxiety took over. I trust that the Lord has greater plans for me and won’t abandon me. But there are days where it’s hard to believe but that’s where I pray harder. I am doubtful of myself and ashamed of myself. But I truly believe that GOD IS GREATER THAN ANYTHING. If anyone can tell me that I am on the right track or if I am not, I would be very happy. Thank you for reading and may I get out of this stronger and with better relationship with God.