r/TrueChristian

everyone in the anglicanism subreddit got super pissed when i asked why their church is theologically liberal and they said that it has never happened, but do you guys agree that so many churches are going liberal? I wanted to go to the church close to me but they accept female priests and gay marriage and i saw so many reviews just saying it was unbiblical. so now i have no church to go to because progressives have hijacked it.. PUHLEASE tell me someone agrees with me that the progressives have taken over historical churches

today i was going through my camera roll and it started to give me anxiety looking back on my past. im in my mid 20’s and i spent the first few years of my 20’s being a drug addict on and off and being an alcoholic. i struggled with hard drugs like methamphetamine. when i think about my past i get anxiety knowing that i was in such a scary place at one point. i started to think about my mortality and feel like i ruined my life. i am around 5 months clean from alcohol besides 1 night of relapsing in january. and i havent used drugs since last summer. i struggled with my relationship on and off with God during these times too. it took a long time for me to finally get sober. but now i feel fear as if i have done too much and now im going to die because of what i’ve done. i can barely even drink a coffee anymore without going into a spiral of anxiety. im also dealing with some health issues because of the alcoholism and the doctors cant really figure out what is going on with me. i just feel guilt and shame. especially because im still struggling with sins like pornography, and anger etc. so i still havent even been able to let go of all the things keeping me away from God. i feel like a failure and like i messed everything up. even though i see God basically giving me another chance i just feel this deep darkness and unhapiness in my life. im afraid im going to die before i get my life right. i could use some support during this time. thanks for reading. -Adam.

My whole life I never cared about the beliefs of those who i dated, but now I'm aiming to pursue those believers who are equally yoked. Everyone i dated in the past were nice people, never had any bad experiences with their personalities or the way they were. but is there a way i need approach people differently?

When I was in primary school, on Ash Wednesday, the priest wanted to bless us with oil. My headmistress stopped it, saying it wasn’t worth it because I’m Black, and told me to sit down.

No child should ever feel less than in a place meant to teach love, faith, and acceptance. This moment has stayed with me for years. Speaking out now matters.

"The trouble about many Christians today is that they have an insufficient idea of what God is asking of them. How glibly they say: `Lord, I am willing for anything.' Do you know that God is asking of you your very life? There are cherished ideals, strong wills,

precious relationships, much-loved work, that will have to go; so do not give yourself to God unless you mean it. God will take you seriously, even if you did not mean it seriously."

-- Watchman Nee, "The Normal Christian Life"

It is clear we are in the last days (as we always have been since Jesus departed back to heaven).

But with all the things going on in the world- the Epstein files clearly showing the days of Lot and Noah are back with pedos running countries amongst other sick and depraved things….

I am excited to be with Jesus again soon but worry for eh salvation of my family. I don’t know how else to tell them the end is near and they need to give their life to Christ without totally sounding crazy.

From the Jerusalem Catecheses

(Cat. 22, Mystagogica 4, 1. 3-6. 9: PG 33, 1098-1106)

The bread of heaven and the cup of salvation

On the night he was betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said: “Take, eat: this is my body.” He took the cup, gave thanks and said: “Take, drink: this is my blood.” Since Christ himself has declared the bread to be his body, who can have any further doubt? Since he himself has said quite categorically, This is my blood, who would dare to question it and say that it is not his blood?

Therefore, it is with complete assurance that we receive the bread and wine as the body and blood of Christ. His body is given to us under the symbol of bread, and his blood is given to us under the symbol of wine, in order to make us by receiving them one body and blood with him. Having his body and blood in our members, we become bearers of Christ and sharers, as Saint Peter says, in the divine nature.

Once, when speaking to the Jews, Christ said: Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you shall have no life in you. This horrified them and they left him. Not understanding his words in a spiritual way, they thought the Savior wished them to practice cannibalism.

Under the old covenant there was showbread, but it came to an end with the old dispensation to which it belonged. Under the new covenant there is bread from heaven and the cup of salvation. These sanctify both soul and body, the bread being adapted to the sanctification of the body, the Word, to the sanctification of the soul.

Do not, then, regard the eucharistic elements as ordinary bread and wine: they are in fact the body and blood of the Lord, as he himself has declared. Whatever your senses may tell you, be strong in faith.

You have been taught and you are firmly convinced that what looks and tastes like bread and wine is not bread and wine but the body and the blood of Christ. You know also how David referred to this long ago when he sang: Bread gives strength to man’s heart and makes his face shine with the oil of gladness. Strengthen your heart, then, by receiving this bread as spiritual bread, and bring joy to the face of your soul.

May purity of conscience remove the veil from the face of your soul so that by contemplating the glory of the Lord, as in a mirror, you may be transformed from glory to glory in Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

RESPONSORY

Luke 22:19; Exodus 12:27

Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and broke the bread.

Then he gave it to his disciples and said:

This is my body which is given up for you.

— Do this in memory of me, alleluia.

When your children ask: What does this ritual mean?

Say to them: This is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover.

— Do this in memory of me, alleluia.

Me (Protestant) and my gf (Catholic) have been butting heads about the saints and the Virgin Mary. So she asked her cousin who’s studying to be a priest in a catholic church and this is what he replied with (I’m translating from Spanish so hopefully it make sense)

If your boyfriend belongs to the "Protestant" branch of Christianity—as is the case with him—they claim that we worship a woman who is dead. In an exorcism recounted by Father Gabriele Amorth, Satan himself admits that he fears the Virgin Mary, for she is the only human being who—despite lacking divinity—has humiliated him; he states that the mere act of the priest invoking her name during an exorcism causes them to flee. The saints tell us that a single *Hail Mary* shatters the Devil's head. And this is clearly demonstrated by the apparitions at Fatima—including the Miracle of the Sun— the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes, and the apparition and miraculous unveiling of Our Lady of the Oak. The Devil himself confirms this.

I’m just wondering your thoughts about this. Is anyone in a relationship with an age difference and how’s it going for you? Even though I feel this way about it, should I try to stick with dating someone closer to my age?

Jerusalem Catechesis

by St. Cyril of Jerusalem

(AD 380)

On the night He was betrayed, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it His his disciples and said: “Take, eat: this is my Body.” He took the cup, gave thanks and said: “Take, drink: this is my Blood.”

Since Christ Himself has declared the bread to be His Body, who can have any further doubt? Since He Himself has said quite categorically, This is my Blood, who would dare to question it and say that it is not His Blood?

Therefore, it is with complete assurance that we receive the bread and wine as the body and blood of Christ. His body is given to us under the sign of bread, and his blood is given to us under the sign of wine, in order to make us by receiving them one body and blood with him. Having his body and blood in our members, we become bearers of Christ and sharers, as Saint Peter says, in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

Once, when speaking to the Jews, Christ said: Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you shall have no life in you. (John 6:53) This horrified them and they left him. Not understanding his words in a spiritual way, they thought the Saviour wished them to practise cannibalism.

Under the old covenant there was showbread, but it came to an end with the old dispensation to which it belonged. Under the new covenant there is bread from heaven and the cup of salvation. These sanctify both soul and body, the bread being adapted to the sanctification of the body, the Word, to the sanctification of the soul.

Do not, then, regard the eucharistic elements as ordinary bread and wine: they are in fact the body and blood of the Lord, as he himself has declared. Whatever your senses may tell you, be strong in faith.

You have been taught and you are firmly convinced that what looks and tastes like bread and wine is not bread and wine but the body and the blood of Christ. You know also how David referred to this long ago when he sang: Bread gives strength to man’s heart and makes his face shine with the oil of gladness. (Psalm 104:15) Strengthen your heart, then, by receiving this bread as spiritual bread, and bring joy to the face of your soul.

May purity of conscience remove the veil from the face of your soul so that by contemplating the glory of the Lord, as in a mirror, you may be transformed from glory to glory in Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus is the Son of God who came in the flesh. God is Love. Jesus obeyed God and did nothing wrong. Jesus was crucified and died for the sins of the world. Jesus' Blood was shed so that people could be forgiven. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus's Body was placed in a tomb. God raised Jesus to Life on the third day. Jesus left the tomb. Jesus was seen by Peter, James, Paul, the twelve, over 500 brethren, and all the apostles. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that anyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. If we lose our life for Jesus and the Gospels sake we will be saved. If we believe in our heart that Jesus was raised from the dead and confess with our mouth Jesus is Lord will shall be saved. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

Ask the Lord Jesus to cause you to forgive and He will.

If you confess your sins God is faithful and Just to forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy. Mercy over comes judgement. Mercy boast against judgement. Mercy triumphs over judgement.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. God loves you. Grace is when God loves you and forgives you even though you don't deserve it. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have gone our on way. And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. God is patient not will that any should perish but that all come to repentance. God is good and it is His goodness that brings people to repentance.

If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Daniel did this in the Old Testament. It worked off the sacrifice clean animals. Jesus was sacrificed in the New Testament. John the baptist said about Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." Under the Law there was still sins that could not be forgiven and that did not make those sins go away but did cleanse guilt. Jesus sacrifice would cleanse anything except blaspheme of the Holy Spirit. If you ask the Lord Jesus Christ to save you or you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you will never do anything to cause you to lose you salvation because God is faithful to keep His word.

Have yall ever asked God to take your life? I have many times because of chronic illness and living isolated and in pain every single day the disease getting proggresively worse with no answers no solutions just constant pain and fatigue im tired im young disabled and in so much constant pain i feel like i could die amy second

I consider myself a lonely person. I hope it doesn’t sound like I am victimising myself because I have no intention of doing so.

I logically know I am still young (mid 20s), but I feel like life is passing me by. Maybe I lost the ability to recognise my own successes because they look different from what others seem to praise.

I've compared myself to others my entire life and I know that I shouldn’t. We are all different for a reason but, I just feel like life doesn’t happen for me (at least not the version of life I see in others). I want to reach a point where I can feel genuine happiness for other’s achievements without feeling completely useless. I know I can only do so with God. But people around me pity me more than they uplift me, and it hurts.

Over the past few years, seeing nothing was changing, I started trying to care for myself better, hoping it would ease my sadness. I began working on my appearance and health; I began spoiling myself with the things I always dreamed about receiving from others. It doesn’t erase anything, but I feel like, at least, I am not giving up on myself.

God gave us free will, which makes us responsible for our lives. I know that my loneliness was shaped by many external factors, but I know I am just as guilty.

I don’t know if romance, motherhood, friendships are in His will for my life, but I hope that, if they are, my heart hasn’t harden before it happens.

Does anyone have any advice or even scripture that might help me, please? I would really appreciate it :)

(I hope I didn’t write too much, but if it’s too confusing, I apologise)

for my Orthodox brothers and sisters. I like to view/listen to different you tube channels from different denominations. Are there any recommended Orthodox channels that aren’t “Orthobros.” getting kind of burned out on them.

So I’m 17 and I was just wondering are polygamy and polyamory sins? I mean I would think they are same as with sex outside of marriage, Homosexuality etc but I see many people try to justify it because David, Solomon etc did it, I’m not really well informed in verse as much as the next person, but I thought God didn’t support the relationship but he used them to do his will, like how God can use people’s sins to bring about righteousness sometime,hope that’s not heretical.

But tell me if I wrong, I mean spiritually it feels super wrong, but for some people their flesh is attracted to it, and people say it’s in our nature to have as many partners as possible which I don’t believe in.

I've (33F) been feeling really discouraged and triggered by the church's views on divorce. My now ex husband walked out on me last summer, we have three young children. when I looked through the phone records I discovered he was cheating on me with tons of women and had a regular mistress he was meeting up with. He told me he didn't want to be married or fight for the family. I was super heartbroken by all of this and for my kids as well.

I've talked with other Christians that are divorced and I discovered quite a few have adultery as the reason they are no longer married, some instances the spouse left them for another person.

The Bible touches on divorce exceptions being walked out on (Corinthians 7:15), and adultery (Matthew 19:9, Matthew 5:32)-both have happened to me. These exceptions provide mercy and sympathy to the rejected spouse.

I get a little discouraged when I see Christian Instagram accounts I follow, one thing that triggered me was a popular pastor saying "God hates divorce but loves the divorcee", insinuating that the divorcee committed a sin and that's why they divorced but according to Jesus (Matthew 19:9) not all of these "divorcees" are sinners for this. I saw another pastor's post saying for Christians to protect their marriages by not being friends with divorced people. My sister's pastor made a comment about how in Hosea the prophet takes back his adulterous wife, insinuating that those who have been a victim of their spouse committing adultery should take them back. I asked about remarriage and he suggested waiting until my husband remarries because God wouldn't want him to leave the new wife for me (even though hes talked about having a live in girlfriend over remarriage).

Another popular Christian author I liked prior to all this states that people should never divorce, even in cases of adultery (but this is a superficial view since sometimes in adultery cases the spouse wants the affair partner and leaves for their spouse for them).

I'm just feeling really sensitive to all this stigma I'm picking up on. Especially since I was at the receiving end of all this, my ex husband rejected me and didn't want me anymore, he walked out, was cheating and just wants other women. I don't support divorce or family breakdown, it's terrible, but not all "divorcees" are sinners

All your days are filled with long suffering and painful toil. What do you work for? What do you suffer for? When you work, you receive your payment only to spend it on food that spoils and vanities that corrupt your soul. You work so hard. Only to die in the end. And then what becomes of your riches? What becomes of all your toil under the sun? Nothing. Eventually, it will fade and return to nothingness.

So again I ask you, what do you work for? What do you live your life for?

Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord our God. Worship him and his blessing will be on your food and water. Serve him and give yourself fully to his work because your labor in him is not in vain. Your hard-work in him will achieve eternal glory.

Verses for you, my dearest brothers and sisters:

Vanity[a] of vanities, says the Preacher,

vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

3 

What does man gain by all the toil

at which he toils under the sun?

4 

A generation goes, and a generation comes,

Ecclesiastes 1:2-4

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16:26

Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

John 15:2

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Romans 8:18

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you”

Hebrews 13:5

And He said unto them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Luke 12:15

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry.

Colossians 3:5

So I’ve recently got had the thought of maybe becoming a sperm donor. I don’t really know where this idea came from, I think I might have seen an ad for it somewhere, but it’s been on my mind for a few weeks. Not for anyone specifically, just doing it through a fertility clinic or however you actually do that. I’ve always wanted children, but as I am still unmarried I don’t. Money is a little tight so it’s a bonus to get a little cash out of it as well. However I am somewhat held back because I feel like it is kind of taboo and weird in Christian circles I feel like. Is this more of a cultural thing or are there actual moral and spiritual reasons not to do this? I don’t want to do the wrong thing on a whim. I am nondenominational of that helps.

I'm a believer and I am a caregiver to my totally blind mom. However she is very impatient, wants my attention all the time, and has some anger issues (I too have anger issues too).

Long story short, she expects me to attend to her every need. My dad is elderly and doesn't help much expect drive her to places and my brother has a full time job (I'm still trying to find work). but I'm like the only one that is having to take care of her every need or want. I am exhausted and I been having no sleep almost every night due to stress and yelling with her because she yells for my attention when I tell her I am doing something like for example cooking myself food to eat.

She wants to be entertained 24/7 and it's just not humanly possible with me. so I get angry and I yell at her. calling her the B word and stuff like that. not fool though.

however this is the second time I see the bible verse about Jesus warning on calling people a fool is in danger of hell fire and I feel like it's a warning honestly.

I don't feel fear but a bit of anxiety.

my question is, am I heading to hell because I call my mom names? (she calls me names too also; it's not just me).

I need to know the truth.. I'm kind of panicking a bit. I also struggle with hearing voices in my head and so there's that too. the stress has been making me feel like I'm in a dream state or not in my body almost everyday. it's uncomfortable and stresses me out.

Recently, I had been bogged down thinking about how to file taxes. Due to my family’s circumstances last year, it was particularly confusing this time.

I came across a post where someone with a similar situation asked if the $2,000 quote they got was reasonable. Around the same time (forgot if it was the same post), I read a comment that mentioned that there are expensive CPAs that are good but there are also expensive CPAs that get things wrong.

In addition to not wanting to pay a hefty price to have taxes prepared, a thought that came to mind was, even if I were to hire someone to do my taxes, at the end of the day, I am responsible for what is filed. It doesn’t matter if I hired someone, I would still be on the hook if anything goes wrong. And I think faith is like that too.

In the end, whatever we choose to do/believe, we are responsible for it. There are no excuses; we can’t say, it is because so and so told me this. We also can’t relieve ourselves of the responsibility by saying that we’re only following the “church” (whichever branch/denomination it is).

Each of us is responsible for ourselves. And God has provided the structure, He preserved His words and gave us both Old and New Testaments, that each one of us can read for ourselves. He has also promised the Holy Spirit as a teacher.

> But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you. (John‬ ‭14‬:‭26‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬)

> ”For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord: “I will put My law within them and write it on their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their wrongdoing, and their sin I will no longer remember.”(‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31‬:‭33‬-‭34‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬)

Now, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t listen to others. Rather, I’m saying that when we listen, we should always discern and judge. (Actually, we should even judge the thoughts that appear in our own minds.)

> ”Have two or three prophets speak, and have the others pass judgment.“ (1 Corinthians‬ ‭14‬:‭29‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬)

Anyways, I finally finished filing my taxes. Prior to this, I was dreading it so much that I even prayed about it. Even though in the end, we’re overpaying in taxes (I won’t go into details), but given the situation, it felt like the most right way to file it.

And when I went to pay my taxes, I was very surprised to see that the dollar amount (excluding cents) of my taxes payable matched up exactly with the amount in the account that I’m paying from for those digits. I know it may sound a bit superstitious, but I take it as a comfort from God, like a stamp of approval. The probability of this happening is around 0.0001 (0.01%) which is < 0.001 (0.1%). Academically speaking (partly joking), with a p-value around 0.0001, one would conclude that the result was statistically highly significant and was not by chance.

Despite having to overpay, I’m exuding with joy that God loves me so. And I want to spread this happiness on this holy Sabbath day by wishing everyone to also feel the love of God in your daily lives (Because He really does love you)!