@reaganramm
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Yeah, I’ve heard some Christians don’t celebrate Christmas because it integrated some popular winter traditions from pagan cultures.
Personally, I see it as taking back the culture for Christ. Taking something pagan and turning into something that is meant to glorify God.
That’s actually one of the primary missions of Kingdom Pen.
But if you throw out Christmas for pagan origin reasons, then you also have to throw out attending church, as just about every tradition we have during Sunday meetings today came from a pagan source.
In the first century, disciples of Christ just met in homes, and everyone contributed and participated. Basically what modern small groups look like is what church attendance was supposed to resemble.
But from the pagans, the church adopted the idea of church buildings as sacred spaces (temples), the modern order of worship, the weekly sermon as the centerpiece, the professional pastor and clergy hierarchy (now there are “special” christians or “super saints”), special clothing worn for church, professional church musicians and choirs, turning baptism and the Lord’s supper into impotent and sterile religious rituals, seminaries, etc.
All came from outside the Bible and were commonplace in other religions that christians adopted. A really great book that goes through how pagan the modern church is, is this book “Pagan Christianity“.
Or, you can watch this video. WARNING: this is very much like taking the “red pill” and may cause you to rethink everything about Christianity and religion. Lol!
That said, it’s totally fine if you don’t want to celebrate Christmas. The Bible even says it’s totally fine if you want to have holidays OR if you want to just treat every day the same.
Romans 14 really just renders so much of the things we Christians argue about completely irrelevant. Haha!
One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord.[a] Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God. – Romans 14
My Music:
YouTube: @andromedacoastmusic
Learn Music production: https://www.orpheusuniversity.com/Hi @Elishavet Elroi !
So cool you’re pursuing an illustrating career and theology! What kinds of essays do you write?
We’ll look into the privacy option. Actually, the original reason we had it public was for safety.
I used to be a member of a private creative writing forum, and it allowed for some people to prey on members of the community. That’s also why we don’t DMs here. We thought making everything open would actually protect members better. But we can explore that, or maybe we have a different space for asking those more niche questions.
I don’t think there is any stopping or slowing down AI from getting a hold of everything though.
We have thought about potentially launching a membership site in the future that, in addition to courses and coaching, would have a private community/forum.
My Music:
YouTube: @andromedacoastmusic
Learn Music production: https://www.orpheusuniversity.com/Really great points @Quicksilverwyvern ! Especially bringing up the Genetic Fallacy. Not to sound judgy, but I feel like a lot of Christians could benefit from studying a little bit of logic. Maybe we wouldn’t get so many wanting to cancel Christmas and things of that sort. Haha!
My wife grew up in an abusive religious cult that actually had the same exact views on rock music. They didn’t get their views from the Bible, but from some random guy who was a former African witch doctor or something and made a similar comment about African drums that didn’t really make sense.
It’s funny, because she said she would never marry someone like me who listened to rock music and actually wrote and made electronic music (electronic music was sinful too).
Thankfully, I managed to corrupt her.
But everything impacts people differently.
Just like Paul said there was nothing wrong with eating meat sacrificed to idols, he said he wouldn’t eat that meat in front of someone who was weaker in their faith thought it was wrong.
If you think something is a sin, then for you, it’s a sin to do that thing.
So always listen to the guidance and prompting of the Holy Spirit.
I also just recently wrote and produced a rock song, so it better not be sinful! Haha!
My Music:
YouTube: @andromedacoastmusic
Learn Music production: https://www.orpheusuniversity.com/My family started out going to an Evangelical Free church as well, I used to work at a Presbyterian church, and I’ve a southern baptist church before too, so a little familiar with all of that. My views on God and the Bible have changed pretty radically since I was a kid though.
But definitely agree with the EF belief in “unity in essentials, liberty in non-essentials, and charity in all things”.
Christmas is also our favorite time of the year too. Definitely miss the snow though living in Florida now.
My Music:
YouTube: @andromedacoastmusic
Learn Music production: https://www.orpheusuniversity.com/Exactly! Love geeking out over the Bible! Baptism is the new circumcision. There are so many other passages and example of baptism all throughout scripture that are all consistent and point to this reality.
Passover for example. The Israelites had to be covered by the blood of the lamb by spreading the blood on their doorposts. We now receive the blood of the lamb through baptism.
Also, yes! Receiving the Holy Spirit is a separate event. I didn’t realize that for a long time and thought I just automatically received the Holy Spirit when I said the sinner’s prayer.
But it’s very clear when you read Acts that it is a separate event and it’s usually also very visible when someone receives.
My Music:
YouTube: @andromedacoastmusic
Learn Music production: https://www.orpheusuniversity.com/He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. – 1 Peter 2:24
My Music:
YouTube: @andromedacoastmusic
Learn Music production: https://www.orpheusuniversity.com/Personally, I like to do a LOT of plotting, since my stories usually are very complex from a plot standpoint and want to diminish plot holes, so I created a 10 milestone framework.
My Music:
YouTube: @andromedacoastmusic
Learn Music production: https://www.orpheusuniversity.com/Have you heard of the 5 Milestones?
It’s a very simple plotting structure, kinda like a balance between pantsing and plotting.
It’s:
- Set-up
- Inciting Incident
- 1st slap
- 2nd slap
- Climax
This way, you only need to plot out 5 key events, and then you can fill in the rest as you go.
My Music:
YouTube: @andromedacoastmusic
Learn Music production: https://www.orpheusuniversity.com/That’s kinda cool you don’t describe her appearance. Charlotte Brontë deliberately did not provide a conventional or detailed physical description of her character in Jane Eyre.
Also love the music/song power.
So you’re just looking for a name for her?
I typically use baby name sites, Behind The Name, or AI for finding a good name.
My Music:
YouTube: @andromedacoastmusic
Learn Music production: https://www.orpheusuniversity.com/Hi @Renegade ! Welcome to Kingdom Pen! How did you hear about us?
Also, what made you choose the username “Renegade”?
My Music:
YouTube: @andromedacoastmusic
Learn Music production: https://www.orpheusuniversity.com/Welcome @stellybean ! How did you hear about Kingdom Pen?
My Music:
YouTube: @andromedacoastmusic
Learn Music production: https://www.orpheusuniversity.com/Welcome QuicksilverWyvern!
So cool you write Fantasy and want to own your own business! I’m a huge fan of entrepreneurship!
Also so cool how many different creative pursuits you have!
I’m also curious about your “health issue roulette”. My wife had so many health issues for so long and almost died as well until she received healing from Jesus.
How did you hear about Kingdom Pen?
My Music:
YouTube: @andromedacoastmusic
Learn Music production: https://www.orpheusuniversity.com/Welcome Elias! So cool you write Fantasy and Sci-fi! I like to write those too.
Also intrigued that you like essay writing. What topics do you like to write about?
How did you hear about Kingdom Pen?
My Music:
YouTube: @andromedacoastmusic
Learn Music production: https://www.orpheusuniversity.com/Rock music is not sinful.
You have freedom in Christ.
Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? – Colossians 2
At best, it’s a Romans 14 issue, as just about all external things and lifestyle choices (so long as they aren’t explicitly condemned in scripture).
Same category as drinking alcohol. For some, it’s no big deal, and even can be healthy. For others, it’s a very bad idea.
If it’s harmful for you, then don’t listen to it, but it’s not inherently satanic.
Also, Matthew 15:11.
Nothing that goes into a person from outside can defile him but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.
Always check with scripture before accepting new theology or views from any person or book.
My Music:
YouTube: @andromedacoastmusic
Learn Music production: https://www.orpheusuniversity.com/@theducktator Mark 16:16 — Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 1 Peter 3:21 — Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Romans 6:4-5 — We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.Really good verses. I didn’t understand the purpose of baptism for a really long time. Didn’t really get it until a few years ago. I thought it was just a symbol and not important.
The Bible is very clear on how to be saved. In Acts 2:38, the crowd asks Peter what they must do to be saved. He says: “Repent AND be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The book of Acts is the ONLY book in the Bible where we see people getting saved. Everyone who gets “saved”, or rather born again, are immediately baptized. Also, anytime the word “baptized” is used, it’s talking about a water baptism. Not something spiritual.
Jesus does talk to Nicodemus about needing to be born again of “water and spirit”, that’s talking water baptism, and receiving the Holy Spirit.
The thief on the cross happened before Christ’s death and resurrection, so he was still under the old covenant and baptism didn’t exist yet, so that’s not really relevant here. Christ defeating sin and death and rising from the dead changed everything. We moved from the Law into Grace.
There were even people who believed in God, but hadn’t been baptized or received the Holy Spirit (Cornelius for example in Acts 10), which shows that just having a faith in God is an incomplete faith. I think Cornelius would likely have still gone to heaven, but he was incomplete.
Christ’s primary ministry wasn’t really about getting people into heaven when they died. It was about getting people into heaven BEFORE they died. He taught on “The Kingdom of Heaven”, which includes so much more than just heaven the physical place.
Paul goes on to explain WHY baptism is important in Romans 6. Baptism is both a bath and a burial.
In order to receive the blood of Christ, we have to share in Christ’s death and resurrection, and we do that through water baptism (Peter backs this up as well). It’s also where your old man is put to death and you become free from sin, so you no longer have to be a slave to sin.
Baptism is not supposed to be an outward sign of following God, or a good work. That’s nowhere found in the Bible. It’s how we share in Christ’s death and resurrection and die to sin. This is why Peter compares it to Noah’s flood. The Flood is a picture of salvation through the water. Paul says the same thing and points out that the Israelites passing through the Red Sea was also foreshadowing water baptism. It’s where their old life/the old man (Egypt) was put to death and they became a new creation.
“How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.”
Don’t get me wrong. I believe salvation is through faith in Christ alone. But the understanding of “faith” that the Jews had is different from our more “Greek” understanding today. Faith didn’t just mean mental assent, but a belief that actually impacted and shaped your actions.
Grace is not opposed to effort, it’s opposed to earning. We can’t earn salvation through good works, but there are some steps we have to take to be born again. Even if you only believed in “The Sinner’s Prayer” to be saved, that is still a “work” or effort on your part that you would have to do.
But I also believe Christianity was never meant to be turned into a religion in the first place. In the first century after Jesus ascended into heaven, following Jesus’ teachings was referred to as “The Way”. It wasn’t a religion at all. It was life transformation. It was a different lifestyle. So while I do believe there are absolutely spiritual laws that are unbending, just like physical laws, I would also say there can be exceptions to the rule or the way God set things up to work (like with the unborn or young children).
My wife has a really powerful baptism story that you can watch here if you want (viewer discretion is advised as there are a lot of dark and graphic subjects discussed). There’s even a clip of her getting baptized in this video.
She grew up in an extremely abusive religious cult and was dealing with all the trauma from that. When she was baptized, all of that washed away, and she was even healed of Lyme disease which she battled for years.
Baptism doesn’t just wash away your sin, but also all the sin that has been done to you. God is SO good. 🙂
My Music:
YouTube: @andromedacoastmusic
Learn Music production: https://www.orpheusuniversity.com/
