Jonathan - yet another amazing profound article to which we can totally relate but also causes us to consider our position and viewpoints in detail.
Your articles are the product of a lot of thinking, spiritual questioning and self searching. Like most deep writings they need re-reading and exploring.
So many articles today are the result of a flash in the pan thought and can be helpful - but yours are generally much deeper and require time to digest.
I suspect the reader requiring a quick fix is unlikely to appreciate, like or respond.
Maybe your writings should be compiled into a book - that we can sit down and read at leisure?
Please keep it up as I suspect most of your fellow ex 2x2s totally gel with your writings and explorations of our feelings and attitudes post our departure; but like me in the past have not liked/ responded etc
Thank you! I do have some thoughts of possibly doing a book or a few. I haven't learned much about self-publishing, but I'm sure it's more doable than ever before.
I already have at least 4 more major series planned to write, but I have to pace myself for both my sake and that of the reader :)
You know Johnathan, I've had many of the feelings that you described. When I read this article, my thoughts went to the servant who buried his master's money. Why did he bury it instead of taking it to bank to earn interest? Was it not because he was afraid of his master? He was afraid of his master, because he knew he was a hard man, but he didn't respect his master, which caused him to make a bad decision. In the same way we can be afraid of God, because we don't know Him for who and what He really is, because of that, we will miss out on the love, mercy, compassion, grace, and hope that God holds towards us, because of what Christ Jesus was willing to do for our souls sake.
In Hebrews, 4:9 - 11, "So there remains a sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered God's rest has also ceased from his own work, just as God did from His.
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through the same pattern of disobedience."
That verse became clear to me many years ago. If we try to do the works of God in our own strength and efforts, we will surely fail, we are never stronger than our sinful nature, or the tempter, the enemy of our souls. The only thing that we can do, is go to the God of all Power, confessing our weaknesses and sins and leave it to His work, in His timing, for He knows how to deal with all things in our lives, we must trust Him wholeheartedly, and acknowledge that we are totally helpless in our own abilities. Maybe we need change, want change, but find we just aren't able aside from God's work within.
Makes me think of what is written in Philipians 2:13,
"For the One working in you is God, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."
It's not of ourselves, but by the grace of God in Christ Jesus, Who was willing to finish the work by His life, body, blood and resurrection from death, to everlasting life, which we, by faith in Christ, also have that hope.
I appreciate your thoughts, thanks for sharing them.
Such a great treatment of this topic. Just read another substack today about the same idea...from someone escaping religious abuse... but it did not stay within biblical guardrails so this is refreshing.
I appreciate how you bring to light what most people are thinking.
Something I concentrate on is that a great and mighty God loves ME so much that no matter how small and insignificant I think I am He likes to spend time with me. He gave his son for me so I can come into His presence in Christ's righteousness.
Me, an unworthy spec in humanity. He thinks that much of me, who am I to put down someone He loves that much. I see myself as an unworthy filthy sinner. He sees me as a precious child that He was willing to give His son for. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! I love Him, I love spending time with Him and He is always there.
Jonathan - yet another amazing profound article to which we can totally relate but also causes us to consider our position and viewpoints in detail.
Your articles are the product of a lot of thinking, spiritual questioning and self searching. Like most deep writings they need re-reading and exploring.
So many articles today are the result of a flash in the pan thought and can be helpful - but yours are generally much deeper and require time to digest.
I suspect the reader requiring a quick fix is unlikely to appreciate, like or respond.
Maybe your writings should be compiled into a book - that we can sit down and read at leisure?
Please keep it up as I suspect most of your fellow ex 2x2s totally gel with your writings and explorations of our feelings and attitudes post our departure; but like me in the past have not liked/ responded etc
Thank you! I do have some thoughts of possibly doing a book or a few. I haven't learned much about self-publishing, but I'm sure it's more doable than ever before.
I already have at least 4 more major series planned to write, but I have to pace myself for both my sake and that of the reader :)
You know Johnathan, I've had many of the feelings that you described. When I read this article, my thoughts went to the servant who buried his master's money. Why did he bury it instead of taking it to bank to earn interest? Was it not because he was afraid of his master? He was afraid of his master, because he knew he was a hard man, but he didn't respect his master, which caused him to make a bad decision. In the same way we can be afraid of God, because we don't know Him for who and what He really is, because of that, we will miss out on the love, mercy, compassion, grace, and hope that God holds towards us, because of what Christ Jesus was willing to do for our souls sake.
In Hebrews, 4:9 - 11, "So there remains a sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered God's rest has also ceased from his own work, just as God did from His.
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through the same pattern of disobedience."
That verse became clear to me many years ago. If we try to do the works of God in our own strength and efforts, we will surely fail, we are never stronger than our sinful nature, or the tempter, the enemy of our souls. The only thing that we can do, is go to the God of all Power, confessing our weaknesses and sins and leave it to His work, in His timing, for He knows how to deal with all things in our lives, we must trust Him wholeheartedly, and acknowledge that we are totally helpless in our own abilities. Maybe we need change, want change, but find we just aren't able aside from God's work within.
Makes me think of what is written in Philipians 2:13,
"For the One working in you is God, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."
It's not of ourselves, but by the grace of God in Christ Jesus, Who was willing to finish the work by His life, body, blood and resurrection from death, to everlasting life, which we, by faith in Christ, also have that hope.
I appreciate your thoughts, thanks for sharing them.
Such a great treatment of this topic. Just read another substack today about the same idea...from someone escaping religious abuse... but it did not stay within biblical guardrails so this is refreshing.
Thank you! It feels like a large burden lifting when God's goodness because a source of great reassurance instead of shame
I appreciate how you bring to light what most people are thinking.
Something I concentrate on is that a great and mighty God loves ME so much that no matter how small and insignificant I think I am He likes to spend time with me. He gave his son for me so I can come into His presence in Christ's righteousness.
Me, an unworthy spec in humanity. He thinks that much of me, who am I to put down someone He loves that much. I see myself as an unworthy filthy sinner. He sees me as a precious child that He was willing to give His son for. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! I love Him, I love spending time with Him and He is always there.