1 Kings chapter 17 illustrates some things about God’s character and his promise of provision, and our role in receiving from him. It is the story of the prophet Elijah and a widow in Zarephath.
Continue readingCategory Archives: Spirituality
Essays discussing spirituality in Christianity.
Confession: Uprooting vs Burying Sin
Pretending like temptation doesn’t exist in order to avoid engaging it just makes it harder to resist and it just makes you miserable, but calling it out directly and acknowledging it really changes things. Confession can be a form of therapy.
Continue readingGod’s Protection Promise
There is a lot of fear-mongering going around. How are Christians supposed to react to things that are out of their control? If the food supply is poisoned or if mass inflation is happening, can Christians count on God?
Continue readingA Deeper Look At Psalms 1 and 2
Psalms 1 and 2 are alluded to in Jesus’ teachings, let’s look at what they are saying.
Continue readingWhat is Testing God?
What does it mean to test God? In Matt 4:5-7 when Satan is tempting Jesus he tells Jesus to jump off of the Temple and says that God should protect him. Then Satan quotes Psalms 91:11-12, which says, “It is written: ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Jesus responds in verse 7 by saying, “It is also written: ‘You must not test the Lord your God.”
Continue readingThe Context of Supernatural In The Bible Pt.1
This essay is part one of a two-part series responding to a meme. The meme in question suggests that since supernatural and ritualistic elements are in the bible, magic and witchcraft can’t be sinful and that the bible is contradictory. Part 2–>
God was completely against people using gemstones as charms because it was deceptive. Deuteronomy 18:9-12 makes it clear that God was against, fortune-telling, sorcery, looking for omens, witchcraft, casting spells, or functioning as mediums or psychics calling forth the spirits of the dead. In Ezekiel 13:18-21 God curses those who use these things to deceive his people. Revelation 21:8 and 22:14-15 both have a list of sins that will prohibit people from inheriting the kingdom and among them are sorcery, witchcraft, and such. Most of the other things listed are completely out of context or the result of bad denominational theology.
Continue readingTruly Loving God
People often talk about how much God loves them, but do they ever love him back? If you don’t have time for him, then you don’t love him, because we make time for the people we love. If you don’t keep his commandments then you don’t love him, because we will do anything for the ones we love. Jesus even said, “if you love me you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
Continue readingLove Your Enemies
Often people want vengeance and revenge for injustices and wrongs done by other people to them, but they themselves want mercy when they wrong others. If you are not willing to show mercy, then you should not expect mercy in your life (Lev 19:18, Matt 6:14-15, Col 3:13). True justice is given out by God (Deut 32:35, Prov 20:22, Prov 24:29), so people should only respond in love, their enemies can be humbled into shame for how they treated others and repent. If they refuse then God will condemn them. In the meantime, we must love our enemies (Prov 25:21-22, Matt 5:43-48, Luke 6:27-28, Rom 12:14-21).
Continue readingPraying in the Spirit (in Tongues)
What is speaking in tongues? Is it demonic? What does it look like? What is its purpose? Some people are against it because they don’t understand it but it is in the bible and listed as one of the gifts of the spirit. There is a debate about whether or not it is just a supernatural translation of foreign languages or a purely spiritual language that must be interpreted by the spirit for an assembly when spoken in public. One question is, why would there be a separate gift of interpretation if it was just the ability to speak any language?
Continue readingNo Need To Beg
When we ask God for things we need, do we need to beg and plead with him? Or can we just trust that he loves us and will hear and answer us simply because we call on him? We don’t need to beg God to help us, instead, we can trust God to supply our needs because he promises to do so.
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