u/labs_jackson

Heading to the home opener with some friends on September 5th. We plan to arrive between 9:30-10.

Where on campus can we park that's not too awfully far from the Shoe?

I really screwed up.

I gave into my lustful temptations for the first time in 3 months.

Ever since April my relationship with God has been growing stronger. I've been baptized, I've made new Godly friends, I've felt the Holy Spirit's conviction in my heart, and I've delighted in the Lord's will for so long.

Now all of it feels like it's been destroyed because I gave into lust for no reason and I feel like I'm back in the exact same position that I was in before I came to know Christ.

I know I need to repent, but I feel like as though my testimony and what I've done to advance the kingdom feels completely worthless.

My testimony is how the Lord delivered me from lust and now I feel like I just contradicted my own words.

I let the Lord down, and now I need to get back on track.

Sorry if this sounds like a pity party, that clearly wasn't my intention at all. I just need to share my heart out because I don't hide my feelings anymore.

A whole lot of Insta reels have been coming up recently of her evangelism. If I remember correctly, one of those videos had her signing a book for someone and then the person that she signed the book for fell over and thrashed around on the floor.

People who follow her claim that they've had genuine encounters with the Holy Spirit, had demons casted out of them, and their lives are changed forever because of Krick.

Others are calling it a cult, saying that this is all performative behavior and she's a false prophet.

What do we all think? Is she a genuine Christ-following evangelist or just another cult leader?

A whole lot of Insta reels have been coming up recently of her evangelism. If I remember correctly, one of those videos had her signing a book for someone and then the person that she signed the book for fell over and thrashed around on the floor.

People who follow her claim that they've had genuine encounters with the Holy Spirit, had demons casted out of them, and their lives are changed forever because of Krick.

Others are calling it a cult, saying that this is all performative behavior and she's a false prophet.

What do we all think? Is she a genuine Christ-following evangelist or just another cult leader?

A whole lot of Insta reels have been coming up recently of her evangelism. If I remember correctly, one of those videos had her signing a book for someone and then the person that she signed the book for fell over and thrashed around on the floor.

People who follow her claim that they've had genuine encounters with the Holy Spirit, had demons casted out of them, and their lives are changed forever because of Krick.

Others are calling it a cult, saying that this is all performative behavior and she's a false prophet.

What do we all think? Is she a genuine Christ-following evangelist or just another cult leader?

I need to get this off my chest.

Almost every friend I have who I know follows Christ has a vast majority of their family on fire for Jesus. Their parents, their siblings, their cousins, etc.

And me? The majority of my family is either lukewarm or just don't believe in Jesus at all.

Every day I wrestle with the thought of them being eternally lost forever if they died today.

Why me? Why must I be the one to go through this struggle?
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Note: This is not me blaming God or cursing Him for this situation, it's obviously not His fault. I just don't like that I live every day knowing I have unsaved loved ones.

Recently a video of ex-OF model Nala Ray came up in which she called out religion as a whole. She called it straight up demonic and claimed that she was simply a Christ follower.

That's what many Christians claim about religion, that it's nothing more than a set of rules and ritualistic practices that don't bring you any closer to Christ or prove your salvation in any way.

Other Christians argue that it's both religion and relationship, claiming that anyone who says such a thing believes that they're limiting themselves to just Jesus and them, completely forgetting about His Church.

On one hand, I completely agree with that people shouldn't claim to love Jesus and forget about His bride. However, keep in mind that people have done awful things in the name of religion. 9/11, Salem Witch Trials, Spanish Inquisitions, and even, depending on how you view it, the Crusades.

What's your take? Do you believe that Christianity is both a religion and a relationship, or just a relationship with Jesus?
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P. S. This question does not give you the right to insult Nala or anyone who disagrees with what you believe. Remember that Jesus died for all those people the same way He died for you.

Recently a video of ex-OF model Nala Ray came up in which she called out religion as a whole. She called it straight up demonic and claimed that she was simply a Christ follower.

That's what many Christians claim about religion, that it's nothing more than a set of rules and ritualistic practices that don't bring you any closer to Christ or prove your salvation in any way.

Other Christians argue that it's both religion and relationship, claiming that anyone who says such a thing believes that they're limiting themselves to just Jesus and them, completely forgetting about His Church.

On one hand, I completely agree with that people shouldn't claim to love Jesus and forget about His bride. However, keep in mind that people have done awful things in the name of religion. 9/11, Salem Witch Trials, Spanish Inquisitions, and even, depending on how you view it, the Crusades.

What's your take? Do you believe that Christianity is both a religion and a relationship, or just a relationship with Jesus?
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P. S. This question does not give you the right to insult Nala or anyone who disagrees with what you believe. Remember that Jesus died for all those people the same way He died for you.

My friend Nick led a revival at Edgewater Park and I witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit move in ways that I have never seen before in my life.

First off, I met a brother named Camden who came all the way from Flint, Michigan to be at the event. He shared with me and everyone else there that this was the 12th anniversary of his cousin's death, and before the event he got a phone call from his mom telling him that for the first time in a while, the grief really started to hit her. I was able to have a really nice conversation with him and his girlfriend Ava and I also was the one with the honor of baptizing him.

Furthermore, while Nick was preaching on the microphone during the event, a man named Joel came out of nowhere and Nick invited him forward. As Nick was praying for him he was on his knees begging Jesus to come into his life and change his ways. I felt led to come up and place a hand on him and soon thereafter a bunch of people came up to him and started praying for him. This poor man was being filled with the Holy Spirit and my heart was literally pounding because what I saw was a genuine encounter with God and demons being cast out of a man. Right then and there, Joel gave his life to Christ. And we also had the honor of baptizing him.

Tonight was just super awesome and I really felt led to tell y'all what God did tonight. ❤️✝️

I have a Bible study group that I go to every Friday night, and recently I was told that one of our members and her daughter are having serious issues with one another.

I won't go too much into the details for privacy's sake (Trust me, the Lord knows what's happening behind closed doors.)

Jesus clearly said drama within the family would happen. In Matthew 10:34-36, He says: "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’"

But when such a thing happens how can we be peacemakers and settle the drama according to scripture?

I'm really not a fan of the way my life is going currently. The weight of my obligations and responsibilities are really starting to crush me and it feels like no one is there for me. I don't want to be that guy who wallows around in self-pity & misery but it honestly feels like nothing is going my way.

This is likely God putting me through tribulations to help build my character, so I'd appreciate prayers as I try to navigate through this.

For me, loving God and loving others has sometimes translated to hating myself.

Because there's times when I look at myself in the mirror, I see a sinful, dirty loser that deserves to go to hell and burn. Not only that I sometimes hate how fat & ugly I am.

I even have gone so far as to punch myself in the face because of how disposable and guilty I feel.

And this isn't necessarily me throwing a pity party, this is just me telling the truth about how I feel about myself sometimes.

Sometimes I feel like God hates me, and quite frankly He has every right to hate me. Because I really, really suck.

Self-hatred and self-condemnation have been weighing down heavy on me even after I accepted Christ into my heart. Please pray for me as I go through this.

This sounds like an idiot question, because scripture clearly says that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

But it also says that "He who endures to the end will be saved."

That one verse makes me feel like I'm not even saved yet and I still have more work to do.

Jesus is also pretty clear in Matthew 24: "But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

This teaching of Jesus makes every day feel like a grind to try and not sin. Because there could be a moment where I screw up and sin at the worst possible time, and it'll be too late to repent so God will throw me into the lake of fire.

I'm certain that I'm definitely doing something wrong. Because God calls us to trust in Him and not lead on our own understanding.

Salvation is a free gift that was given to me, but should I be worried about losing it?

You know the ones I'm talking about.

The prosperity gospel preachers, the mormons, the JW, even some of the progressive Christianity preachers.

Jesus clearly warned us about these types of preachers in Matthew.

I don't even consider them as lost, clearly scripture says that they're wolves in sheep's clothing. They believe and teach a gospel that's completely contrary to what the Bible teaches and lead many astray by filling their head with lies.

Is there ANY hope of salvation for them?

EDIT: I'm not asking whether or not God is going to forgive them if they choose to repent.

I'm asking if they're going to repent at all.

The problem is their hearts are so hardened that they believe whatever demon is whispering these lies in their ear is the genuine voice of God.

Are they ever going to realize that what they're preaching is wrong and need to repent?

I got baptized a couple weeks ago and have made a vow to commit my life to Christ and do what God leads me to do.

But there's some days that go by that I question whether or not I'm necessarily saved or if I'm too lukewarm.

Don't get me wrong, I've fully recognized that Jesus died for me. I still feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit and have been trying to grow in Christ, but sometimes I feel as though I'm not doing enough.

Am I reading my bible enough? Am I praying enough? Am I fasting enough? Is there some sin that I still need to repent of?

I try to look to the cross and remember what Jesus sacrificed, but there's this nagging feeling that maybe I'm not really saved because I either don't trust in God enough or what I'm doing isn't working.

Please pray for me as I try to find my way.

To all my Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ:

At least based on what I've heard, the Catholic Church believes that Mary was completely sinless throughout her whole life, hence the reason why God chose her to be the mother of Jesus.

But I can't find anywhere in scripture where it explicitly says that Mary was sinless. Not even in the Catholic version of the Bible.

In fact, Jesus clearly says that "No one is good except God." And Paul says in Romans, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."

So how can Mary be sinless? Is there something from scripture I'm missing?

I'm genuinely curious. Help me out.