"I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve.

This is no time for ceremony or political correctness.

The question before us is one of extreme importance for every Christian.

For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery.

It is natural for a person struggling with addiction to indulge in the illusions of hope.

We are apt to shut our eyes against painful truth,

and listen to the song of temptation—the promise that this one more drink, one more pill, one more indulgence will bring pleasure or relief—until it transforms us into slaves.

Is this the part of wise men and women, engaged in a great and rigorous struggle for freedom and eternal salvation?

Are we supposed to be among those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern our temporal and eternal salvation?

As for me, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost,

I am willing to know the whole truth;

to know the worst, and to provide for it through the precious blood of Christ.

Don’t allow yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss.

This is the lie of Satan: promising pleasure, comfort, or escape, but delivering chains.

Evil is crouching at the door and waiting for us! It may be in these very streets, in our homes, on our phones, in our medicine cabinets, or hidden in the secret places of the heart.

The enemy wants to bind and rivet upon us those chains which he has been so long forging.

There is no longer any room for false hope. If we wish to be free—

we must fight! I repeat it: we must fight the good fight of faith!

An appeal to the full armor of God and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!

They tell us that we are weak, unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.

But when shall we be stronger?

Will it be next week, or next year?

Shall we gather strength through uncertainty and inaction?

Shall we prepare ourselves by lying lazily on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope—telling ourselves that we can quit whenever we please— until our enemy has bound us hand and foot?

Brethren, we are not weak if we make proper use of those means which God has placed in our power.

We must pray, watch, confess, seek help, remove temptation, and call upon those who can stand beside us.

We shall not fight our battles alone.

There is a just God who presides over our destinies and who raises up friends, family, brethren, counselors, and fellow soldiers to fight beside us.

The battle is not to the strong alone;

it is to the vigilant, the active, and the brave.

It is now too late to retreat from the contest.

There is no retreat into addiction but submission and slavery!

Our chains are forged!

Their clanking may be heard outside these doors and throughout our city!

The war is inevitable—and let it come!

I repeat it: let it come.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

People may cry, “Peace, peace,” telling themselves there is no danger, that they are still in control—but there is no peace.

The war has already begun!

What is it that we wish?

What would we have?

Is life so dear, or temporary pleasure so sweet,

as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? 

Forbid it, Almighty God!

I know not what course others may take;

but as for me, give me liberty—or give me death!"

 

"Indeed, every person, in every condition, is great.

It is only OUR diseased sight that makes him seem little.

A person is great simply as a human being,

whatever or wherever he may be.

The grandeur of his nature renders outward distinctions (color, race, sex) insignificant.

His abilities to think, follow his conscience, love, know God,

appreciate beauty, govern himself, influence the world around him,

and affect the lives of others—

these are glorious gifts given by God.

The common lights of reason, conscience, and love are of greater worth and dignity than the rare endowments that bring fame to a few.

He who possesses these divine powers of the soul is a great being, whatever his station.

You may clothe him in rags, confine him in a dungeon,

or chain him to slavish tasks.

But he is still great.

You may shut him out of your houses,

but God opens to him heavenly mansions.

He may make no show in the streets of a splendid city,

but a clear thought, a pure affection,

and a resolute act of virtuous will

possess a dignity far higher than all the accumulations of brick, granite, plaster, and stucco, however skillfully fashioned

or how far they stretch beyond sight." William Ellery Channing. 

 

"Because the Holy Spirit lives within you,

His leading may sometimes feel surprisingly natural.

A Scripture comes back to you,

something you were comfortable with suddenly troubles you,

you see a situation differently,

or a quiet conviction keeps coming back to your mind.

And because it can feel so natural, your first reaction is often,

“Was that Him, or was that just me?”

So how do you know?

Think about a stranger talking to you in a coffee shop.

You may hear them for five minutes

and forget their voice by tomorrow,

but if your spouse, parent, or best friend says one word from another room, you know exactly who it is.

Why?

Familiarity, not volume.

We assume God needs to speak louder.

In reality, we need to become more familiar with Him.

Now, this doesn’t mean every random thought in your head is the Holy Spirit.

Anxiety talks.

Fear talks.

Ego talks a lot.

Old wounds can also speak so convincingly that we sometimes

mistake our deepest insecurities for spiritual discernment.

So the real goal is not to look for a special feeling.

It is learning the character of the Holy Spirit well enough

that you begin to recognize

His sound,

His tone,

and His texture.

Think about getting a message from someone you have known for years. Even if their name appears at the top of the screen, you can read three sentences and think,

“No, that doesn’t sound like her.”

You know because you know the person.

You know how they speak.

You know what they would never say.

You know the kind of response that fits their character

and the kind that immediately feels foreign.

Jesus gave us that kind of pattern for the Holy Spirit.

He said the Spirit would guide into truth, remind us of what He said,

teach us, and glorify Him.

So we are not guessing in the dark when we try to discern His leading.

This is where Scripture is very important.

It’s not about reading chapters so God will be impressed.

Scripture gives you repeated exposure to His character until you begin recognizing the way He speaks, corrects, comforts, confronts, and leads.

That is why Jesus could say,

“My sheep hear my voice.”

A shepherd does not need to shout louder than everything else in the field. The sheep recognize him because they have stayed around him long enough to learn his sound." 

Ellis Enobun.

 

"To return to the character of our Savior:

His great work in the world was to teach.

Yet He did not present His instruction as a systematic code or abstract philosophy, nor in vague or ornamental language.

He spoke directly, practically, and precisely where truth was most needed.

As the great reformer of His age, His strongest words were aimed at the abuses and corruptions around Him.

He confronted prevailing sins,

fashionable worldly attitudes,

distortions of Scripture,

and attempts to evade known duties.

His teaching arose from the occasions before Him and therefore spoke directly to the lives and consciences of His hearers.

Had He merely delivered orderly lectures on morality and religion,

the Scribes and Pharisees might not have opposed Him.

But He did more: He exposed corruption.

Therefore, we should not expect the scattered discourses and conversations preserved in the Gospels to form a complete legal or systematic code.

Jesus generally referred to laws already known, seeking instead to restore their true spirit and elevate the motives for obedience." Alexander McLaren. 

"So often an encounter with another person leaves you shaking your head. Different personalities, learning styles, thought processes… and then there's that healing thing.

Many people have never even considered healing.

Others carry their wound like an old friend,

one that invades every circumstance.

Some are so attached to their wounding that if they sense you might take it from them, you'll get the message fast.

If you hold onto pain without ever doing the work to heal it,

expect turbulent relationships.

You'll filter everything through that pain —

misreading people,

overreacting,

getting triggered by the smallest things.

You won't always know why.

We don't relate well to others when this is where we live.

Refuse to heal, and you'll keep reliving the wound, over and over.

That's how addiction cycles persist.

With God's healing so available to us, it's sad watching people let pain reign over their lives instead.

It's costly — so many blessings missed, so much joy lost.

Relationships are hard enough on their own. Now try communicating through a wound that's never healed —it's like trying to see the world through a patch over one eye.

You're missing part of the picture, and it's costing you.

Why would anyone choose that?

Because they've been deceived into believing life will always look the way it always has.

They can't see that change is possible — and precious.

But here's the truth: healing is a gift.

It opens doors to deeper growth and joy.

Yes, it's hard — often brutal, soul-level work. But when you consider what it can do for your marriage, your children, your work, your friendships, it's worth every bit of it.

I've seen it firsthand — people who doggedly pursued healing, and now their spouses, children, friends, even employers say how grateful they are. You would be too.

So if the challenges feel overwhelming and the excuses are exhausting, choose healing instead. See the world through a new filter.

It's time. Your life may depend on it." Ann Stewart Porter. 

  

I ran across a new word, or term — "liminal space." I read up on it and learned it means the space between beginning and ending; a threshold between who you were and who you're becoming.

That intrigued me because I often feel like I'm in a spiritual liminal space. What I love most about walking with Christ is how He brings me to places I've never been. He never allows me to take up residence in complacency; I'm always on the threshold — between who I was and who I'm becoming, what I know and what I don't, who I think I am and who I really am.

A spiritual liminal space is the sacred threshold where one life has ended, another has not yet begun, and the soul must learn to stand in the uncertainty between them. It's often an uncomfortable place because we naturally want clarity and resolution. Yet it can also be a place where old illusions fall away, faith deepens, and a person learns to trust God without yet knowing where the path will lead.

“Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling-block before the blind, but shalt fear thy God.” Leviticus 19:14

"This command reveals something profound about the character of God and the way He expects us to treat those who are vulnerable.

The deaf person cannot hear the insult;

the blind person cannot see the obstacle placed in his path.

In other words, God forbids us from taking advantage of another person's limitations simply because they cannot defend themselves or even know what has been done to them.

The command reaches beyond the deaf and blind to establish a broader principle:

God expects His people to protect those who are vulnerable,

not exploit their vulnerabilities.

A person's disability, weakness, confusion, or inability to protect himself must never become an opportunity for cruelty, deception, humiliation, or NEGLECT.

Notice also the reason God gives: “but shalt fear thy God.”

The person who cannot see what we have done may not know;

the person who cannot hear our words may never hear them.

But God sees and God hears.

Our treatment of the vulnerable is therefore ultimately an act of worship—or an act of rebellion—before God.

The principle is especially important for those who live with or care for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Such individuals may depend upon others

to advocate for them,

protect them,

guide them,

and sometimes even speak for them.

Scripture places a solemn responsibility upon those with greater strength and understanding:

never use another person's weakness as a reason to diminish his dignity. Instead, use your strength to protect his dignity.

Leviticus 19:14 therefore gives us more than a prohibition against cruelty.

It gives us a picture of biblical justice:

where another person is vulnerable, we are to become more careful,

more compassionate, and more protective—not less."

The Gospel of the Wounded Church

The wild Messiah

is not done walking.

But now

he limps in the Body.

Here is the Church—

the Body of Christ,

broken.

She is the Bride—

covenanted,

called,

blessed to be a blessing,

light of the world,

a city on a hill.

But this Bride

has scars.

Some wounds are holy—

from washing feet,

bearing burdens,

serving the unseen,

kneeling where no king kneels.

But not all wounds are holy.

Some are self-inflicted—

scars from crusades,

stains from scandals,

the sword grasped

when the cross was forgotten.

And sometimes—

these seasons of 

faithfulness and failure

happen at the same time.

She breathes in mercy

and inhales empire.

She touches the untouchable

and yet turns away.

A complicated Bride.

A Bride in need of healing.

Yet even now,

this broken Body

is still His Body.

Christ is not ashamed

to wear her wounds.

Even the scandalous scars

are gathered into grace.

For this is the wounded Church

sent into a wounded world—

a world unravelled by greed,

choked by climate breakdown,

teetering on the edge of collapse.

She is cross-cultural,

multi-lingual,

a global mosaic of mercy.

Here is a village chapel—

wooden benches,

a fragile choir

singing with hearts on fire.

Here is a grand cathedral—

stone arches,

candles lit,

ancient prayers

echoing in stained glass light.

Here is a corrugated iron hut—

the Spirit moves

as hands are laid

on the sick and the suffering.

Here is a city storefront—

where addicts and artists

gather to sing psalms

that break in unexpected hallelujahs.

Here is a protest march—

banners raised,

tears in the streets,

as songs of justice

rise into the tear-gas air.

Here is a quiet home—

an elder’s hands

cradling scripture,

as grandchildren

learn the stories

that shape the soul.

One Body,

many wounds.

One Gospel,

many accents.

The Church’s fractures

may yet become

the cracks

through which light gets in.

At her best,

she weeps with those who weep,

names the silenced,

stands interruptible in the crowd,

interrupting the machinery of death.

At her worst,

she forgets the Wild Messiah,

and the blessing becomes a blight.

But still—

the Spirit broods over the waters.

Still—

mercy rises from the margins.

Still—

the Lamb who was slain

leads her home.

Let the Church be like this—

honest about her fractures,

humble in her witness,

wild in her mercy.

Not a museum of saints,

but a field hospital of grace.

Not a fortress of certainty,

but a covenant people,

wounded yet sent.

The Gospel was never clean.

It still smells of sweat and sorrow,

rupture and resurrection.

It will not be televised.

It will be whispered

at the edges.

It will be sung

by the ones who stayed.

Let the Church be like this—

wounded,

wild,

and faithful.

Amen.

And amen again.

- Rev’d Jon Swales

 

About 65% of the Bible is directed to both sexes. It is, for the most part, "Gender Neutral." There are verses that specify sex regarding marriage, widows, child rearing and other gender specific verses like - Prohibition against a woman wearing men’s clothing or a man wearing women’s garments (described as an abomination). Deuteronomy 22:5 

As well as instructions on modest apparel and avoidance of certain external adornment directed particularly to women. That's the subject I ran across today in Isaiah 3. 

In Isaiah 3:16 the Lord begins his warning because some of the women of Israel were haughty, proud and had some serious attitude, and "dressed to the nines." The Lord strongly chastised them for their ostentatious dress and attitude. He mentions things like -  Proud attitude, woman walking with mincing steps, head held high and very seductive eyes,

And tinkling bangles on her feet, beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments, dangling earrings, nose rings, bracelets, headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, elaborate finger rings, nose rings, festal robes, outer tunics, bright and flashy clothing colors. 

Now this seems gender specific, but the principle applies to both sexes, although, no doubt, women have a far wider assortment of beautifying products than men. 

I asked A.I. to create an imaged based on the passage. 

In the jail service, as we made our way to verse 6,

“Don't cast your pearls before swine.”

The Holy Spirit startled and struck a 27-year-old woman with a barbed arrow that pierced her to the core.

She has spent ten years in a marriage where she poured herself into her husband but he took all she had to give, but never gave an inch.

Now he is in addiction, her 4 children have been placed in a family members care, and she has a restraining order against her.

Of course, these stories are huge and we just get a peek into them,

but this verse hit her hard.

She began to try and explain but was absolutely overcome with anguish and sobbed and cried as she helplessly asked,

"How can they tear your own children from your arms? How can they do that?"

And her inner pain was violently expressing itself in her body as she writhed under the grief.

I felt her pain to my core and the six women there did as well.

You know, I guess I always think the women tell their stories to one another, but not so, no one there knew her story but the sympathy poured out from every heart and mouth there.

I was in CHURCH!

Every person there had experienced, to some degree, this anguish and loss.

To watch this group of women that came in distant strangers, turn into the caring and consoling arm of the church left me in awe.

Each woman took a turn to do their best to encourage her, while all the time Stardust, with uplifted hands, was repeating

“HOLY SPIRIT, HOLY SPIRIT” as she prayed continually.

The tears flowed so much, by so many, a few of them had to leave just to compose themselves, and then they'd return again.

We emptied a box of Kleenex!

As I left, I was in that kind of melancholy surreal state where my soul feasted on what God had done all the way home.

 

I read these interesting thoughts on whether we should go to church or withdraw and worship privately.

Apparently, this was a discussion during the seventeen hundreds

as it is for some today.

"Human nature makes us seek the approval or sympathy of others in every significant act or event.

Religion is personal—

like marriage,

the birth of a child,

or the death of someone we love—

yet we still mark these publicly.

We neither laugh nor weep alone;

why then should we pray alone?

Religious feelings are among the most contagious we have.

If devotion really exists in the heart of each individual,

it is morally impossible it should exist there apart and single.

If genuine devotion exists in individual hearts,

it almost inevitably spreads and merges into a shared flame.

Public and private worship each have clear strengths,

so both are valuable.

Public worship is livelier and more energetic;

private worship feels more intimate and tailored to our personal circumstances.

Most criticisms of one apply equally to the other:

superstition, wandering thoughts, dullness, and selfish requests

can appear in either setting.

Public worship has distinct advantages.

It teaches people how to pray

who would otherwise struggle,

and it trains us to pray as members of a community

rather than for purely private gain.

Public worship has another advantage over private worship:

it helps guard against both spiritual coldness

and unhealthy enthusiasm.

Without the encouragement of shared worship,

many people struggle to maintain devotion

in silence and solitude.

Yet if a person's sense of spiritual realities is especially strong,

prolonged isolation can also lead the imagination

into mystical extremes

and the overheated mysticism

that can arise from unchecked solitary brooding. (I found that interesting.)

Public worship helps preserve a healthy balance,

avoiding both indifference and excess.

For worldly minds, solitary devotion is too weak;

for weak minds, it is unhelpful;

for passionate minds, it is unsafe." Anna Lititia Barbauld.

 

I love Jeremy Taylors sermons! Bold, shocking and colorful illustrations of sin and its deception and allurements.

Taylor is considered the "Shakespeare of the divines," this is one example.

I put the original at the bottom.

"Learn to despise the world;

or, better yet, learn to truly understand it.

It is a deception all the way through.

Its head is a rainbow,

its face is flattery;

its words are charms, and all its stories are false.

Its body is a shadow,

and its hands knit spiders' webs.

It is an image and a noise,

with a hyena's lip and a serpent's tail with a scorpion’s sting.

It was given to serve the needs of our nature,

but instead it craves strange appetites

and nourishes thirsts and fevers.

It brings care and worry,

corrupts our nature,

and rewards all our labors with shame and death.

Our nature is a disease,

and the world nourishes it;

but if you refuse to feed on such unwholesome fare,

your nature returns to its original purity

and becomes receptive to the grace of God."

Here is the original unabridged --

"Learn to despise the world; or, which is better compendium in the duty, learn but truly to understand it; for it is a cousenage all the way;

the head of it is a rainbow, and the face of it is flattery;

it words are charms, and all its stories are false;

its body is a shadow, and its hands do knit spiders webs;

it is an image and a noise,

with a Hyena’s lip and a Serpents tail with the sting of a scorpion;

it was given to serve the needs of our nature, and instead of doing it,

it craves strange appetites, and nourishes thirsts and fevers;

it brings care and debauches our nature,

and brings shame and death as the reward for all our cares.

Our nature is a disease, and the world does nourish it;

but if you decline to feed upon such unwholesome diet,

your nature reverts to its first purities,

and to the entertainment of the grace of God."