“That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man;" "that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love," "may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;" "and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19)

This prayer of the apostle Paul applies to us as well as “to the saints which are at Ephesus” (Ephesians 1:1). Paul directs his prayer “unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (3:14), and he requests both that “Christ may dwell in your hearts” and also that the Holy Spirit would strengthen our “inner man.” We know elsewhere that Christ is at the right hand of the Father in heaven so that the Holy Spirit is the person who actually indwells our bodies as believers (Ephesians 1:20). And yet, because God is a triune God, if the Holy Spirit indwells us, so also must “the Spirit of Christ” or else “he is none of His” (Romans 8:9).

But the prayer doesn’t end with Christ dwelling in our hearts. He further prays that “ye might be filled with all the fulness of God,” and thus the Father is there too! When we accept Christ, we accept also the Father and the Holy Spirit, for the three are one, and God in all His triune fullness thenceforth lives in us.

The Lord Jesus Himself prayed essentially the same prayer. “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth... and My Father will love [you], and We will... make Our abode with [you]” (John 14:16-17, 23). What a priceless privilege and responsibility is ours as believers that our triune God of creation, redemption, and direction is with us always! HMM
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16093/

A post where people can post topics they wish for others to pray about, and where people can come and find topics and users to pray for.

"And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?'" "And he said, Who art Thou, Lord? And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.'" "And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, 'Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.'" - Acts 9:4-6

PONDER THIS

If you want to know the will of God, there must be willingness. And there must also be meekness. Saul said, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” That is, “You are in control. I’m not in control.” Do you know what meekness is? Meekness means you are teachable. Psalm 25:9 says, “the meek will He guide”. Are you meek? If you’re not willing and you’re not meek, you won’t know God’s will.

Now, here’s a third thing: Not only did Saul have willingness and meekness, but he also had openness. He sought the will of God. Have you been open to the will of God? Don’t just simply say, “If God wants to show me, He can.” Have you earnestly prayed and said, “Oh God, I want to know Your will”? Do you report for godly duty? Do you think it’s up to God to put His hand on your shoulder and snatch you and turn you around? Or, after you’ve met the Lord Jesus, are you going to be like Paul and say, “What is it Lord that you really want me to do?”

- Where have you seen an example of meekness in someone close to you?
- Has God ever guided you to do something? What was that like?

PRACTICE THIS

Talk to a close friend or family member and ask if that person has seen meekness in you. Ask that person to keep you accountable as you seek God’s guidance. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/give-god-control-of-what-happens-next

It seems that just saying there is no verse i can read in my Bible that commands me to "pray to Mary" seems to cause such hatred, as if my version of Christianity is unaccepted but theres must be protected.

idk, i dont really consider myself a protestant as more as a Bible believing born again Christian, but what do i know about labels. I only go by what others tell me of their version.

have had plenty of catholics tell me they work for their salvation, but when i call it a works based salvation group, they get upset?

have had plenty of catholics tell me they dont just follow the Bible only, they have traditions that were passed down. but if i repeat that on some subs, i am automatically anti-catholic. so do they not know what they are, or what?

so what are your thoughts on this sub and how has it helped you in the past?

“If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel.” - Colossians 1:23

In our text, “the faith” insists on a particular body of doctrine that defines the Christian life. For instance, as Paul and Barnabas were returning from their initial missionary effort, they went back to each area “confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith” (Acts 14:22).

There are nearly 50 occurrences in the New Testament where “the faith” is used in this way. These references always speak of obedience to specific teachings that embrace the core of the godly lifestyle that represents holiness and the divine nature (II Peter 1:4). Thus, one who is “grounded and settled” in the faith will be both knowledgeable and stable in his Christian testimony and ministry.

It is necessary, of course, to build on the foundation of the Lord Jesus (I Corinthians 3:11), but only the “gold, silver, precious stones” have any lasting value (I Corinthians 3:12-15) —hence the requirement in Jude: “It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3).

Furthermore, those who continue in the faith will not be “moved away from the hope of the gospel.” That hope acts as “an anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19) and is the drive that motivates us to maintain a pure lifestyle (I John 3:3). “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:58). HMM III
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16092/

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." - Romans 12:1-2

PONDER THIS

There are two great questions a person can ask. Question number one, “Who are You, Lord?” Question two, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” Those are the two questions I want you to ask today. I was reading recently about a young Navy officer who made his first trip on a destroyer across the ocean. He had impeccable training, and so he was assigned to take the destroyer out of the harbor and bring it back to the United States. The deck was buzzing with action. He was barking commands here and there, and everything was moving like a Swiss clock as that destroyer set sail, and they were on their way in record time. Then someone came to the young officer and said, “You have a message from the captain.” He read it and the captain said, “Young man, you’ve done an excellent job. You’ve done it with great speed, with dispatch according to the book, but he said there is an unwritten rule that you’ve overlooked. The next time you set sail, make certain the captain is on board.”

No matter how wise your plans are and how capable you are before you set off on a journey, you’d better make certain the captain is on board—that you are in the will of God.

- Have you ever asked God, “Who are You, Lord?” and “What do You want me to do?” Why or why not?
- How might asking these questions change the way you live?

PRACTICE THIS

Pray and ask God to reveal where you have not allowed Him to be the captain of your life. Share that with another follower of Christ, seeking to hold each other accountable in keeping Him as your captain. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/whos-really-steering-your-life

Of course, I am not going to do it but hypothetically...

I am curious whether injecting into a website without the owners permission would be permissible or not. If it were, what sin would it be?

How to pray as new Protestant

Hello community, I'm a converted Christian who spent many years away from the faith, and now I've come back.

One of the things that brought me back to the faith was theology and eschatology (I'm also drawn to Hermeneutics and Homiletics, although I haven't studied them much), I'm fascinated by the study of the end times (not because I'm trying to figure out when it will be, because "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father").

I'm looking for a friend to talk with about theology, eschatology, and also to share our faith, helping each other grow together as brothers in Christ.

Some other things about me are that I like finance and economics, I’m also interested about learning Hebrew and improve my English level!

“For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead.” - Romans 1:20

One reason we should trust what God says about our earliest beginnings is that the New Testament agrees with what Genesis records in the Old Testament. What did New Testament authors say happened in the very beginning?

Prophets began revealing God’s words to human hearers when the world began. Zacharias said after the Lord restored his voice, “As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the world began” (Luke 1:70). Genesis says Adam and Eve were created at the start of time, and Mark affirmed this: “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female” (10:6).

Today’s New Testament verse teaches that creation has been revealing the Lord’s “invisible things,” meaning His supernatural essence, since “the creation of the world.” Similarly, Hebrews 1:10 aligns with Genesis 1 in that God laid the foundation of the earth “in the beginning” and not billions of years after time began. Clearly both Testaments agree on a recent creation. These records falsify ancient and modern pagan notions of eons before Adam.

Peter encouraged his readers to “be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets [in the Old Testament], and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour [in the New Testament]” (II Peter 3:2).

Belief in both the Old and New Testaments elevates our opinion of God’s Word and thus His character. He spoke the truth in the beginning about our beginnings. We can trust this God who is Himself “the truth” (John 14:6). BDT
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16091/

Hello, I’m a student currently enrolled in a mortuary school. And one of our assignments for a class based in religion was to reach out to a religious leader or clergy member in a religion of our choosing and have a recorded zoom interview in which we would discuss funeral rites, mourning customs, and religious beliefs. And I’m having trouble, I have contacted almost every church in my area and I haven’t received anything back.

If there is anyway I could get some help with connecting with someone I would greatly appreciate it.

I have heard a bunch of stories of Protestants converting to Catholics or Orthodox upon realizing that “Anyone can interpret scripture” and various other reason. But I’ve wondered if the opposite could happen, and if there is anyone in this subreddit who is a case of this, why so???

"In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:" "buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead." - Colossians 2:11-12

PONDER THIS

When you come out of the waters of baptism, you’re saying, “I have come out of the grave of that old life. I have risen to walk with the Lord Jesus because I've been born again. I have a new life.”

Baptism speaks of your past—you’re buried. It speaks of your present—a new life. And it also speaks of your future. One of these days they are going to put each of us in the grave, but I want to tell you that the grave that could not hold the Lord Jesus will not be able to hold you down. And we will be in the likeness of His resurrection, and the God who raised up Jesus Christ from the grave is the God who’s going to raise up each of us. Therefore, we don’t need to fear death.

I want you to know, one of these days, we are all going to be caught up to meet the Lord Jesus in the air. We’d be foolish to be afraid of death in the same way a grubby, wormy caterpillar wouldn’t be afraid of being a butterfly.

- How have you experienced the hope of the resurrection in daily life?
- How does the hope of your future in Christ change your perspective on death?

PRACTICE THIS

Share with a friend your testimony in terms of the things that you have buried, the new life you have, and the future of your hope beyond the grave. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/the-grave-doesnt-get-the-last-word

“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” - II Corinthians 5:8

This wonderful phrase of hope—“absent from the body, present with the Lord”—was the most appropriate inscription we could think of to place on the gravestone of our youngest son when he died many years ago. He was a solid Christian young man with a good Christian testimony, so we are indeed “confident” that he has been “present with the Lord” ever since sudden cancer temporarily conquered his body, leaving a beautiful wife and three young children behind.

Therefore, though we all miss him deeply, we “sorrow not, even as others which have no hope” (I Thessalonians 4:13). Sadly, however, there are many others who are “without Christ, . . . having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). Although Christ has paid the full redemption price on the cross to have their sins forgiven and to give them eternal life, they spurn His love, and so Jesus has to say, “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (John 5:40).

The times of judgment are coming, when they learn that “whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). Right now, however, all who know Christ as their Lord and Saviour can know, with Paul, that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

Furthermore, when Christ returns, “them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him” (I Thessalonians 4:14). And then He will change our old body, whether in the grave or still living, “that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body,” and “we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2). HMM
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16090/

"And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." "And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him." "And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing." - Acts 8:37-39

PONDER THIS

Why should you be baptized? Baptism proclaims your commitment to Jesus. The Bible says, “We were buried with Him” (Romans 6:4). Baptism says, “Jesus, I’m identifying myself with You openly and publicly.” Someone may ask, “Does baptism make you a Christian?” No. But it does show you’re a Christian.

I have a wedding ring I wear. Do you know what that ring means? It means I love Joyce. It says I belong to Joyce. It doesn’t make me married, but it shows I’m married. And it shows I’m not ashamed to let everybody know I’m married. I belong to another person. I belong to my wife that I love with all my heart, and when you get baptized, you’re saying, “I belong to Jesus.” When Jesus was baptized, He identified Himself with us, and when we get baptized, we identify ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.

- What are some things that change when you make a commitment to someone?
- Have you ever had a difficult time proclaiming your commitment to Jesus? Why or why not?

PRACTICE THIS

Write out a few ways you demonstrate the commitment you have made to Jesus. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/are-you-ready-to-show-the-world-whose-you-are

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” - Romans 15:13

The apostle Paul invokes the Lord as “the God of hope” in this verse, which is an unusual but important description for God found nowhere else in the Old or New Testament. So, how are the two nouns related in this Greek text, which is known as a genitive phrase, “the God of hope” (ho Theos tes elpidos)? The encouraging answer for us as believers in Christ Jesus is twofold.

First, our mighty Creator and Redeemer God is the only source who can give true hope. This hope is for the present life: “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). The hope is also for the life to come: “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (I Peter 1:4).

Even more amazing is that Paul desired that we would “abound” or literally overflow with hope, as the Greek verb (perisseuo) implies. God does this “through the power of the Holy Ghost,” blessing His people with “all joy and peace in believing” as they trust in Him.

Second, God is also the object of our hope. The psalmist declared, “Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee." "My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever” (Psalm 73:25-26). So we look “unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

Because we live in a sin-cursed world devoid of true hope, we must focus on the God of hope, not the problems of this life or our own strength. JPT
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16088/

Do what is right and YHWH, who sees what you do in private, will reward you!

In 2 Thessalonians 2, St. Paul speaks of the Katechon/the restrainer holding back the man of lawlessness until the appointed time. Historically, the Protestant tradition (from Luther onward) analyzed this verse to understand how civiv=l authority and institutional power interact with God's sovereign timeline.

Analyzing a recent lecture series on political theology in Nashville, there is a crucial distinction that Reformed and Protestant thinkers need to pay attention to regarding modern governance:

1. The Baconian Shift: Early Protestant thinkers like Francis Bacon (New Atlantis) viewed scientific discovery as a God-given mandate to fulfill Daniel 12:4 (knowledge shall be increased).

2. The Hobbesian Counterfeit: Over time, the state abandoned the glory of God and replaced it with pure Hobbesian risk-management. The modern secular state now acts as a counterfeit Katechon. It promises peace and safety by managing every micro-risk, effectively trying to replace Divine Providence with human administrative lockdown.

3. The Eschatological Trap: When a government's supreme goal becomes total risk-elimination, it inevitably builds a totalizing surveillance apparatus to enforce that static order.

I put together a breakdown mapping night 2 of the lectures: https://danielforresternash.substack.com/p/the-counterfeit-church-and-the-epimethean

"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." - Hebrews 5:12

PONDER THIS

The author of Hebrews said in effect, “I’d like to give you a steak today, but I can’t. If I gave it to you, you couldn’t chew it. If you could chew it, you couldn’t swallow it. If you could swallow it, you couldn’t digest it. You’re a little baby. So today I’m going to give you some formula. I’m going to give you some milk, but I can’t give you meat because you’re not able to digest it.” There are those who ought to be teachers, but you need somebody to teach you again the first principles. There are those who have been members of the church for their whole lives, and they’ve never taught anybody anything. They just say, “Feed me.” They want to come to church on Sunday, let the pastor give them a Bible, and burp them on the way out. God calls us to grow up into Christ so that we may pass on what we’ve received.

- What does it look like for God’s people to still be on spiritual milk when they should be ready for more?
- Is God speaking to you about this in your own life? How do you need to respond?

PRACTICE THIS

Make a list of mature traits of a follower of Christ. Make a corresponding list of the traits of an immature follower of Christ. Assess which of these most resembles your life. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/its-time-to-grow-up-in-christ