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Cosmic Funnies
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bliss lane
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pixel skylines
The Stonewall Inn
Interview Vampire Daily
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KIROKAZE
𓃗
I'd rather be in outer space 🛸
Misplaced Lens Cap
ellievsbear
if i look back, i am lost
hello vonnie
macklin celebrini has autism
titsay
ojovivo
seen from Guatemala
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@justcrazygirl15
🦐🤠🐦🔥I drew this because I really liked the song Secret Tunnel (from “Avatar: The Last Airbender - Book 2: Earth” soundtrack)
the inscription at the bottom. :
🗣-So you can't do that, can you?
Me: Shh, it's not harmful to dream!🤓
Have a nice day!❤️🔥🪲
I only write important things to Dad.
🤓🤓🤓
God bless you and love you 🫂
🐦🔥🌹🤠Hi, Christians! I want to ask you, why do you believe in God? Do you ever have times when you doubt, and if so, what helps you through them?
Thanks for your answers!🫂🫂🫂😇🤸♀️
Photo from Pinterest🐌🐌🐌
Stop running, Jesus with you. Be strong and kind
❤️🔥🌹🦐🤓🫂
🦐🦐🪸🦐🦐🦐🪸🦐🦐🦐🪸🦐🦐
🦐🦐🪸🦐🦐🦐🪸🦐🦐🦐🪸🦐🦐 I tried to add a paper effect to my drawing, it turned out to be very papery🤓
I'm at my grandmother's place in the village🤓🌹🐦🔥🤸♀️
They see me...I love this plase😇
My son
🌙She just waiting in the wings...
Poor little Cass...
So from what yall are saying…if I were an unbeliever I’d think that God is a God that wants people that believe in Him to suffer. A God that doesn’t always want to heal people even if they ask Him to. A God that doesn’t always want to bless His people financially even if they are seriously struggling and are poor.
Heck, why would they want to believe and serve a God like that!?
That is NOT who my God is. Nope. I know that my God is willing to heal all of any sickness and disease. I know that my God is willing to greatly bless His people. I know that my God is willing to give His people the desires of their hearts. My God is who I will tell unbelievers about.
I believe that God does not always bless people financially, I believe sometimes God wills a person to not be healed of a disease or a physical condition. I still believe in this God because this God is God. There is no other God for me to worship. God does not owe me a happy life, should He call me to suffer for His name then so be it. Should I have to endure chronic pain that cannot be healed then so be it. Should I have to endure being homeless that others might be fed then so be it. God owes me nothing. I expect nothing of Him but His mercy in that my sin is forgiven. I will request nothing of Him that is not His will. Sometimes healing is not His will. Sometimes being rich is not His will. Why should I store up for myself treasures on this earth where a thief can steal it? Why should I live a lavish life on earth while millions starve when I can provide for them? God is God and God is good even when life is not. I do not worship God because of what He can give me or do for me. I worship Him because He is worthy to be worshipped.
Amen! Wishfulstarlight
Do you have scripture to back up what you believe?
Is there scripture that outright says that sometimes it isn’t God’s will to heal? Is there a scripture that says that God isn’t concerned about us being happy?
The Bible says that the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came so that we may have life and have it more abundantly.
Just to name a few, there are plenty in the Bible that says we will suffer for His sake and it’s not punishment from Him. I didn’t look for health specifically, because it goes past health and money and comfort.
Acts 5:41 So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.
Romans 8:17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Hebrews 11:25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
1 Peter 4:16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.
Matthew 5:11 Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Matthew 10:22 You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
Matthew 10:39 He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.
2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Philippians 1:29 For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake
Now, I believe you have the best intentions for what you’re saying and I’m not trying to discourage you in any way. I’ve been reading the back and forth in all this. You asked for scripture, I’ve got these for you.
I understand why it sounds so nice to believe that God absolutely will heal us and provide for us in ways to give us comfort in our lives, and it’s nice to think that Christians who have faith will be rewarded with blessings, but that’s not who God is. He is a God who shapes us through trials and asks us to give up material things. He takes the wickedness that happens in this world and calls us to endure it with Him as our strength, for His glory and for the spreading of His grace. We don’t understand why He doesn’t just heal His children or give them money, food, and shelter when we need it, but we have faith that He is good and in all the things that we face, His justice will be served. We will suffer in many ways on earth. Some things we’ll see an end too in our lives, some things are lifelong, but in all the things we experience, God is still good. Even if He doesn’t heal us. Even if He doesn’t give us the things we think we need. Even if. No matter what, God is good. God is good when our lives are not. It’s not punishment, it’s life.
The call to faith is meant to be a scary one. We can’t sugar coat it in order to bring people into the church. It may fill seats, but it will never fill hearts. Because people will come expecting God to fix everything, but with time, they’ll realize that things just aren’t changing. At least not in the way they wanted. And they’ll get angry and decide God is a bunch of bull because their life is still hard.
Instead, we need to introduce people to Christ as He is. He calls us to messiness, to generosity at the cost of our comfort, to sacrificial living, to suffering. It’s not an easy step to take, and it’s one people may be scared away from, but it’s the reality of Christ. He never promised an easy life for us. There is no scripture backing up what you are saying. He promises many good things when talking about what eternity in Heaven will be, but prosperity is never once promised in our earthly lives. If it is given, it’s not meant for us, it’s entrusted to us to use serving others. We gain what He gives us so that we can give it back to Him in the form if charity and servitude. Nothing is ours when our lives belong to Christ. But when we really understand the heart of God, we understand that nothing being ours is a gift, an opportunity to bring Him glory. Lack of prosperity is a blessing. Suffering, in its own way, is a blessing. We should be honored to live the lives that we do, even in the most difficult times.
I have more Scripture to back you up, friend!
Luke 9:57-58 “As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’”
Luke 18:18-24 “And a ruler asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ And Jesus said to him… ‘You know the commandments: “Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.”’ And he said, ‘All these things I have kept from my youth.’ When Jesus heard this, He said to him, ‘One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, ‘How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’”
Philippians 4:11b-13 “For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 “A thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
John 16:33 “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I [Jesus] have overcome the world.”
Acts 2:44-45 “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.”
1 Timothy 6:17-19 “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
Luke 6:20-21 “And he lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.””
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
It is not inherently sinful to have money or a home or to be healthy or well-off. But we have to remember that God alone grants us these things (and sometimes He calls us to give these things to others), and that He does not promise any of these things as a reward for following Him- at least, not in this life.
He does cause some believers to prosper materially. The letter to Timothy (referenced above) clearly shows there were rich Christians in the church. But it was so that they could generously give to others. If God blesses you with much, whether it be financially, materially, or good health, He expects you to give much out of what you have. And if you, as a Christian, are poor, or weak in health, or suffering in some other way, it should be an opportunity for others to minister to you (something the church could work on, honestly) and for the power and grace of Christ to be seen in you in a different way. As Paul said, whether we have a lot or a little, our aim is to be content in Christ whatever the circumstances.
So does Christ call us to be miserable and spend our lives drooping our heads and lamenting “woe is me”? Absolutely not! We are blessed richly in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”
If you read the rest of Ephesians 1, those blessings are listed: “adoption to sonship,” Christ’s “glorious grace,” “redemption through His blood,” “the forgiveness of sins,” the “promised Holy Spirit” who leads us into wisdom and unites us as a body, and who produces good fruits in us- kindness, gentleness, joy, self-control, and so forth (Gal 5:22-23). In this life we are promised the ability to know and experience Christ and share the riches of His love with one another. And as for the next life, Romans 6:5-11 promises that we will be resurrected in renewed bodies, just like Jesus was, and death will have no dominion over us. Revelation 21 promises a renewed heaven and earth where sin can no longer corrupt anything.
But as for this life, we are not promised material health and wealth, and we will have hardships. As Christians we need to stop shying away from that. We need to develop a better theology of suffering. As someone who is chronically ill, who has never been miraculously healed of my scoliosis (despite the insistence of many that I should be, for some reason?), or my ADHD, or my OCD, who struggles to get out of bed some days because life feels utterly overwhelming–
I take refuge in the knowledge that I will be made new when Jesus returns. That the whole earth will be made new and disease and mental illness won’t exist. I have had moments where I intimately felt God’s shalom and joy overtake me, where I physically felt Him lift every burden from my soul for a time. But that did not last. It was granted to me to have a small taste of what is to come, so that I might hold to that hope and remember He is the only one who can provide that fullness of joy and peace that no one and nothing else can.
But God hasn’t simply abandoned me to my illness either. In fact, it’s been in some of my darkest moments that I have been made aware of how deeply He loves me and how faithful He is to hold me even when my body and my brain betray me. He is the reason I’m still alive even while depression claws at the door of my heart and begs for me to die. He is the reason I still have any faith left in Him at all.
The danger of spreading a message like yours, @relentless-for-jesus, is that some people might cling to good health and material possessions as the sole evidence of God working in their lives, as evidence of His love. Meanwhile, those who are poor or sick might think He doesn’t love them if they stay poor or sick. And they might fail to recognize the spiritual blessings He wishes to grant them, or the practical, tender love and patience and generosity that may be given to a sick or struggling person. He may miraculously heal a disease, and praise God for that! But He might also not. It doesn’t mean death is more powerful, it doesn’t mean He is callous, it doesn’t mean people with diseases are being divinely punished. It may just be that all of creation groans, including us, and our bodies (Rom. 18:19-23), and so… we suffer. But He can speak just as loudly in our suffering as He can in miracles, healing, and financial provision. The hope is that whether we suffer or prosper, we do all unto Him, and that we know Him. Christ Himself is our aim, our reward, our joy.
That is the gospel.
I've been feeling very anxious lately, but reading such posts calms me down.
I know that I am not alone.
A word to Beilievers:
Confidence In who you are will come across as arrogance to those who find their worth in what others think or care about them. When you don’t care what others think about you, people will see you as cocky, or arrogant, or rude for speaking the truth. But look at Jesus.
Most artists’ renditions portray Jesus as the sweetest, nicest-looking man, usually accompanied by lambs or children.
They’re not entirely wrong — Jesus is known as “the lamb of God,” and he did love to bless children.
But that does not mean Jesus was nice.
Jesus was more than “nice”
Christians love to proclaim: “God is love!”
They’re right. God IS love.
And in 1 Corinthians 13, love is described as patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not rude, selfless, not easily angered, and ungrudging.
“Nice” never shows up on that list.
But “Kind” does.
The difference between niceness and kindness is like the difference between tolerating and embracing, political correctness and love, appearance and reality.
Unlike niceness, which is focused on outward consequences (a desire to not ruffle feathers or to minimize conflict); kindness comes from inside (love for others and desire for their well-being).
Nice people donate money to a beggar. Kind people invite the beggar home for lunch.
Nice people ask you how you are. Kind people actually want to know.
Nice people do occasional “good deeds.” Kind people consistently love others.
Jesus was not nice — he was kind.
He touched the untouchables.
He told the disciples to “let the little children come to me.”
He ate meals with the rejects of society.
He declared “I have not come into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world.” Especially to people who were sick, discouraged, beaten down, humbled.
If you were sick, discouraged, and beaten down, would you want someone to give you a pat on the back and a “good luck!” — or would you want someone to hold you, love you, and encourage you until you get back on your feet again?
If we’re really honest with ourselves, we don’t really want people to be nice to us, either. “Nice” is just what we settle for when what we really want is for people to be kind.
Jesus didn’t care about niceness — he cared about righteousness
Nice people don’t make enemies. But Jesus did. Lots of them. Because he cared about righteousness more than making and keeping friends.
For one thing,
Jesus had no patience for unrepentant, greedy men who took advantage of others.
When he saw moneychangers and merchants selling animals in the temple courtyard (probably at exorbitant, unreasonable prices), he “made a whip, drove them from the temple area, and overturned their tables” (John 2).
This was not a fit of uncontrolled temper, however. Jesus didn’t run through the courtyard screaming and flipping cages (which would have injured the animals inside).
Instead, Jesus was totally in control: he took the time to make a cord with which to herd the larger animals out of the courtyard. He overturned money-changing tables and ordered the people to take their birdcages out (so the birds would not be injured), and barred them from coming back in to exploit the temple visitors.
He didn’t care that he was inconveniencing and offending people or messing up their business. They were the ones who were wrong, for desecrating a holy space by daring to use their unsavory business practices on humble travelers who only wanted to worship God. And he wasn’t afraid to call them out and stop them.
Jesus also had no patience for religious hypocrites.
He criticized the Jewish religious leaders for holding on to empty traditions while ignoring their fellow human beings’ very real needs.
He demonstrated through his example how true religious leaders ought to behave, how they ought to care for those under their authority.
Some of the things — actually, a lot of the things — he said to these oppressors could not be described as “nice” in any way.
But Jesus didn’t care about being nice. He cared about righteousness, about waking the religious leaders up to their cruelty and hypocrisy, and giving them a chance to repent and do better.
At times, people can be won over with gentle words. At times, they need a smack on the head to see sense.
Jesus did both.
When Jesus was “mean”
During his three and a half years of ministry, Jesus touched and healed social outcasts. He defended women who were being criticized by arrogant men. He raised the dead.
But he also pissed a lot of people off. So much so that they eventually killed him.
We tend to forget that when we are surrounded by so many sweet Jesus pictures.
From a young age, most children are taught to “be nice.” Which includes everything from being polite (say “thank you,” don’t ask awkward questions, don’t talk about religion or politics during dinner parties) to saving face (your own and others’).
We forget it is possible to act “nice” outwardly while secretly hating or deriding a person in your heart.
We do it all the time, either because we want to look good in spectators’ eyes, or because we want to avoid conflict.
But Jesus was not afraid of what people thought, nor was he afraid of conflict.
He had no qualms breaking the status quo, pointing out people who were doing or saying wrong things, and confronting arrogant religious leaders who were hurting the people they were supposed to help.
He also didn’t care about being politically correct.
Many times, after healing someone sick, Jesus would say “go and sin no more, or else something worse might happen to you.”
He knew that sickness and infirmity are often a result of a person’s sinful choices and lifestyle. He had compassion for such people, but he didn’t hesitate to warn them against returning to their previous harmful ways.
No one likes to hear that they are wrong. Not now, not back then. But Jesus was willing to tell people when they were wrong because he loved them more than he cared what they thought of him.
What Jesus stood for
Jesus stood for the kingdom of heaven, for truth, for repentance and salvation, forgiveness and hope. He came to tell the truth, to heal the sick and wounded, to save lives.
If he had to step on a few toes to do it, he was willing to do so, even at the expense of being perceived as “not nice.”
Remember, this is the guy who called the Pharisees (the Jewish elite): “Whitewashed tombs! Snakes! A brood of vipers!” (Matthew 23).
I don’t know about you, but those do not sound like “nice” words to me. They sound like fighting words.
No wonder the Pharisees wanted him dead.
Why you shouldn’t be nice
If Jesus had been “nice,” no one would have crucified Him.
But He also wouldn’t have had any power to save humanity or change the world and the course of history.
Those who followed him also had the same problem. Almost all of Jesus’ disciples were killed gruesomely for sticking to their principles against the flow of culture.
Today, this is still the case.
People who stand up for truth, hold on to their principles, and confront wrongdoers must be prepared to face a backlash.
If you stick to righteousness at the expense of “niceness,” be prepared to be insulted, mocked, demeaned, injured, threatened, maybe even killed.
So why not just stay “nice” and keep your head down, avoid all that messy stuff?
It’s been said:
“The Key to failure is trying to please everybody.”
And:
“If you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for everything.”
In a post-modern world where political correctness is king, and everyone’s “truth” is equally valid no matter how contradictory, we have fewer and fewer people courageous enough to stand up and fight for what is right and just and true.
If this continues, we will fall — not just individuals, but entire groups, our entire society.
Being “nice” comes with a price, one we actually cannot afford.
It is impossible to be nice, all the time, to everyone, no matter what. We shouldn’t even try.
Let us not be nice. Let us be kind. Let us stand up for righteousness. Let us be like Jesus.
Call to Action
If we really want to be like Jesus, we can’t settle for “nice.”
Don’t just be “nice” to people — be kind, by lending a helping hand or calling them out when necessary.
Be brave, by standing up for righteousness and not allowing your desire for approval or aversion to conflict keep you from speaking up and doing what needs to be done.
Never sacrifice your principles in order to act, or appear, nice.
You may — in fact, you will — attract opposition if you do this. Jesus did, after all: He was killed for not being nice.
But that’s how he was able to save us.
So useful
Maybe soon I will draw this again 🤠
🐌☀️🐦🔥Hey, maybe you're not having the best day today, but just remember—Jesus loves you❤️ Jesus knows you're special, beautiful, and loved. Remember, dude, it's all worth it, even if no one's watching🫂🤓
"What if my friends secretly hate me?" What if they pray for you before bed? What if they hear a song come on and it makes them immediately think of you? What if when times are hard for them, they close their eyes and think of the memories they've shared with you? What if they study your face closely to see how you're feeling? What if they listen to your stories? What if they smile when you text them first? What if
Me: I'm a good cook!
How I cook:
Would you like me to cook something for you?🤓🌚
I think part of the problem with some people’s perception of Christianity now-a-days is that they assume we think Heaven is the default and that only Sinners™ go to Hell. And if you look at it that way, it seems unfair.
But that’s not the truth.
God doesn’t pick and choose people to go to Hell. There are no “better” or “worse” people, we don’t earn salvation.
Hell is the rule; Salvation is the exception.
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)
“There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10)
We’re ALL sinners. Heaven should be, by all rights, off-limits to us.
But then Jesus paid the price for us.
He offered us a chance we don’t deserve.
God wants all of His children to come home, but He will never force them to. He gave us free will as a gift, what we do with it is up to us to decide.
I love Jesus❤️ (and Chi🫂, but not as much as I love Jesus =D)
Chi, I'm praying for you 🫂🌹🤓😎
I'm just happy 🌹🤓🤸♀️🤸♀️
🤯YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN MY FACE WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT TIMBLER CAN DO THIS.
🐌 I was, how can I put it mildly, how can I put it carefully... I was FLABBERGASTED🤸♀️🤸♀️🤸♀️🤸♀️
