My faith in Christ was settled at 18. After that, my struggle was not with belief as much as with believers. In college, I wrestled mightily with indentifying myself openly as a Christian. Others, both in the culture & on my campus, had made the label toxic. Christians were...

...not respected. Some Christians on campus welcomed the disrespect as authentication of their faith. After all, Jesus was disrespected too. What they missed, however, was that Jesus was maligned for his compassion, love, association with the lowly & sinners, & for rebuking...

...the powerful & self-righteous. Christianity on my campus was maligned for being intolerant, bigoted, unintellectual, partisan, arrogant, mean, & condemning. This reputation was earned by the behavior of some believers at my school, but more by the national figures leading...

...the Religious Right. Simply put, the disrespect didn’t come because Christians were emulating Jesus, but because they were not. That’s why I struggled. To identify myself with this twisted anti-Christ Christianity would be a betrayal of the true Christ to whom I belonged...

...That was 1994. Today, I have teenage kids including one attending my alma mater. As we talk about faith, I hear echoes of my struggle in them & my heart breaks. The idolatry & hypocrisy that existed in American Christianity a generation ago I now far, far worse. My kids know..

Today makes four years since I took my shahada and became Muslim, even though it feels like a lifetime ago.

Below are some reflections and advices I’d give to new Muslims and the greater Muslim community as someone who accepted Islam:

1) Remember what you got here in the first place: Allah. No one has an easy journey in this fleeting life. Remember when times get difficult that your Lord guiding you to Islam is a sign of His mercy. Let your actions be for Him alone, and you’ll see the blessings unfold.

2) Choose your company wisely: the Prophet ﷺ tells us good company is like the one who sells perfume and bad company is like a blacksmith. Surround yourself around people who will benefit you in your journey seeking Allah. Do not be around people who will hurt your akhira.

3) Be gentle: if you want guidance for your loved ones, don’t be harsh with them nor should you try and debate them. Speak kindly, treat them with honor, and allow your actions to be a representation of your faith. Remember the Prophet ﷺ was characterized as a walking Quran!

4) Seek knowledge, but take it slow: it’s easy to rush into things overzealously and be burnt out. Take things a step at a time, and in increments. You won’t ever be perfect, but strive for ihsan. Make it so that you feel like you’re falling in love with your deen repeatedly.

Wherever you are, God is with you.🙏

To support you and your faith during this time, we've compiled a list of our spiritual resources - free to use and available to all.

A thread👇

Those without internet access can access Daily Hope.

From prayers, services, reflections and music, our free phone line is available 24/7 on 0800 804

Each week, we release a service from a different church.

Watch the services with our online worshipping community on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram or our website, from 9am every

It can be hard to find the right words sometimes.

To help, we've produced a series of prayers and liturgy to help you reflect during this

Candles can be a comforting way to pray.

You can light a virtual candle on our website, to mark an occasion or just to still your

HOW TO RECEIVE & ACTIVATE THE GIFT OF SPEAKING IN TONGUES.

Thread: 1/15

John the Baptist introduces Jesus: "After me will come One more powerful than I. I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit" Mark 1v7-8

Jesus did not baptize anybody with the Holy Spirit while He was on earth. HE BAPTIZES NOW in the Spirit.

This is one truth about Jesus Christ that the four gospels unequivocally testifies to.
See Matth 3v11, Mark 1v7-8, Luke 3v16, John 1v33

"He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit". But nobody was baptized with the Spirit while He was on earth, until after He ascended-Acts 1v5-8

He baptizes now in the Spirit!

Why is this truth important? Because for the most part Christians have developed this habit of separating salvation from every other experience in Christ.

Just as Jesus is the Savior; Jesus is the Healer; Jesus is the baptizer in the Spirit!

Now tell me, what did we do to qualify for salvation? Nothing! We simply believed the testimony of God's Word & were saved. When we cried for mercy we knew He was merciful & gracious enough to forgive us.

What about the baptism of the Spirit? Is He now holding it back from us?

🌺𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢’𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐝 🌺

1. ɪʀᴜᴠᴀɪʟᴜ ᴅᴜʀɢᴇ
2. ᴍᴜɴᴅᴋᴜʀ ᴅᴜʀɢᴇ
3. ʙᴀᴘᴘᴀɴᴀᴅᴜ ᴅᴜʀɢᴇ
4. ᴄʜɪᴛʀᴀᴘᴜʀᴀ ᴅᴜʀɢᴇ

5. ᴋᴜɴᴊᴀʀᴜɢɪʀɪ ᴅᴜʀɢᴇ
6. ʙᴇʟᴍᴀɴ ᴅᴜʀɢᴀᴘᴀʀᴍᴇꜱʜᴡᴀʀɪ
7. ᴘᴏʟᴀʟɪ ʀᴀᴊᴀʀᴀᴊᴇꜱʜᴡᴀʀɪ
8. ᴋᴏᴛᴀ ᴀᴍʀᴜᴛʜᴇꜱʜᴡᴀʀɪ

9. ᴋᴜᴍʙʜᴀꜱʜɪ ᴄʜᴀɴᴅɪᴋᴀ ᴅᴜʀɢᴇ
10. ᴜᴄᴄʜɪʟᴀ ᴍᴀʜᴀʟᴀᴋꜱʜᴍɪ
11. ᴋᴀᴅɪʟʏᴀʟɪ ᴍᴀʜɪꜱʜᴀᴍᴀʀᴅɪɴɪ
12. ᴀᴍʙᴀʟᴀᴘᴀᴅʏ ᴍᴀʜᴀᴋᴀʟɪ

13. ᴋᴀᴍᴀʟᴀꜱʜɪʟᴇ ᴅᴜʀɢᴇ
14. ᴋᴏᴅʏᴀᴅᴋᴀ ᴀɴɴᴀᴘᴏᴏʀɴᴇꜱʜᴡᴀʀɪ
15. ʙᴀʀᴋᴜʀ ʏᴇᴋᴀɴᴀᴛʜᴇꜱʜᴡᴀʀɪ
16. ʜᴇʀɢᴀ ᴅᴜʀɢᴇ

17. ᴋᴏʟʟᴜʀᴜ ᴍᴏᴏᴋᴀᴍʙɪᴋᴇ
18. ᴍᴀɴᴅᴀʀᴛʜɪ ᴅᴜʀɢᴇ
19. ɴᴀɴᴅɪᴋᴏᴏʀ ᴅᴜʀɢᴇ
20. ꜱᴀꜱɪʜɪᴛʟᴜ ʙʜᴀɢᴀᴠᴀᴛʜɪ

THIS IS STRICTLY FOR THE SO-CALLED CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS BIGOTS

"CHIEFS OF ARMY STAFF

We have had 9 Chiefs of Army Staff, (Victor, Alex, Agwai, Azazi, Luka, Dambazau, Ihejirika, Minima and Buratai) only Dambazau and Buratai are Muslims.

The both have spent 5 years of the close to 20 years which means Christians held that position for 15 years. Christians 75%, Muslims 25%

1.3 CHIEFS OF AIR STAFF.

We have had 8 Chiefs of Air Staff, (Isaac, Jonah, Dike, Petirin, Dikko, Alex, Amosu and Sadiq).

Only Sadiq and Dikko are Muslims and both have spent 5 years of the close to 20 years. Christians held that position for 15 years. Christians 75% Muslims 25%.

1.4 CHIEFS OF NAVAL STAFF.

We have had 8 Chiefs of Navy Staff (Ombu, Afolayan, Adeleke, I. Ibrahim, S. Ibrahim,

Ezeoba, Jibrin and Ibak). Only Jibrin who seved 2 years and one of the Ibrahims is a Muslims, both Ibrahim served 2 years each, so Muslims served 4 years. Christians 16 years, Muslims 4 years. Christians 75% Muslims 25%.

1.5 CHIEFS OF DEFENCE STAFF.

We have had 9 CDS (Ogohi, Ogomudia, Agwai, Azazi, Dike, Petinri, Ibrahim, Alex and Abayomi). Only Ogohi and Ibrahim are Muslims, not so sure of Petinri. Both Ogohi and Ibrahim spent 5 years. Meaning Christians have spent 15 years, and Muslims 5 years.

-THREAD- THE DEMETEREAN ARCHETYPE, Goddess of Grain, Nurturer and Mother

Previous threads about archetypes:
-Artemis: https://t.co/aJQbTNLeu5
-Athena: https://t.co/ONWmaojGyn
-Hestia: https://t.co/ize4ZvAv8J
-Hera: https://t.co/kB946w4Uxc

Demeter, Goddess of Grain, as Hera, Goddess of Marriage and Persephone, the Kore and Queen of the Underworld, is a vulnerable goddess. These 3 goddesses personify archetypes that represent the traditional roles of women : mother, wife and daughter.

The vulnerable goddesses are the relationship-oriented goddesses, whose identity and well-being depend on having a significant relationship. They express the needs in women for affiliation.

In Greek mythos, Demeter, Goddess of Grain, presided over bountiful harvests. She was portrayed as a beautiful woman with golden hair and dressed in a blue robe. Part of her name, "meter", seems to mean mother: she was worshipped as a mother of grain and of the maiden Persephone.

-THE ARCHETYPAL DEMETER- The Mother

She represents maternal instinct fulfilled through pregnancy or providing physical, psychological or spiritual nourishment to others. This goddess was provider of food (Grain) and spiritual sustenance (through the Eleusinian Mysteries).

Your fellowship with God doesn't get broken Because you did something wrong

It's your heart/conscience condemning you but the Bible says God is greater than your conscience

That Fellowship is intact. Let's not be using our earthly father to describe God

Issa Thread 🔥🔥

I often hear that when you sin, you break your Fellowship with God and to recover or restore back that fellowship you have to Confess your sins to God and all that

And there are people that have been running with this mindset but it's not consistent with the Christian realities

This misconception or idea that a Christian breaks fellowship comes from the old testament/Convenant thinking

That is in Deuteronomy 28, Where if you obeyed God He will get close to you

And when you don't He stays far from you

You can not be a Christian and living according to the old testament

In the new testament the Bible says we are united to God. You can’t get any closer to God than that and sin doesn’t break that union.

So they say you have to confess your sins so that you'd be forgiven and as a result of that the Fellowship is restored

See as a Christian all your sins are forgiven whether you confess them or not... Infact confessing does nothing when it comes to forgiveness

Do you know who is ekadashi bhagwati & Why Ekadashi fast is auspicious:
Know the story behind how Bhagwati Ekadashi came into being:

In satyayuga there was asura named mur who was so powerful that he even tookover the swarglok from indradev and drove the devtas from the...

Swarglok. All devtas were so frustrated since there was no ways to take the swarglok back as the asur was very powerful thus they went to mahadev and told him about the terrible situation they were facing. after listening to them mahadev suggested them to seek help..

From bhagwan vishnu as he is the only one who can help devtas After suggestions devtas went to kshirsagar were bhagwan was residing and devtas started praying to bhagwan for help ,when prabhu saw that devtas are helpless Prabhu asked them to let him know about asura ..

And how powerful he is & where he reside Indradev said that during ancient time an asur was born in the lineage of Brahma Ji. This asur was called Taaljangh. He was very powerful and fearsome. His son was named Mura who was also equally powerful and fearsome and..

He is the one who Defeated all devtas Listening to this bhagwan Vishnu Ji got angry and asked the devtas to take him to the asura Mura .When they reached, Bhagwan saw that all devtas were scared and running away from Mura in 10 different directions when asura saw Bhagwan Vishnu..

Doha links to Muslim Brotherhood. The Saudis want Qatar to end all financial support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which the kingdom has labeled a terrorist organization but Qatar is still doing business with MOUs to work with Doha.

The Doha Bank has a Toronto branch and were looking to expand Canadian branches.

Brookfield Asset Management and Doha connected with Brookfield Property Partners (BPY). Through a sovereign wealth fund, Doha holds $1.8bn worth of BPY and Qatar can force Brookfield Asset Management to buy them back for $1.8bn over the next 6 years.

Qatari funds ended up in a billion-dollar rescue by Brookfield Asset Management for a company directly tied to Jared Kushner.

Among the areas of focus identified by US Congressional investigators is Brookfield’s decision to pay nearly a century of rent in advance when it leased 666 Fifth Avenue in 2018, months before the Kushner mortgage fell due.

I say this without a shred of hyperbole: nearly all the problems of contemporary Christendom can be traced back to a defective view of worship.

Even most of the best churches, that otherwise seriously believe the Bible, don't pay attention to what it says about worship.

What the contemporary church believes worship is for:

Evangelism
Outreach
Marketing
Entertainment
TEDtalks w/Bible verses
Theology lectures
Impressive rock concerts

What the Bible says worship is for:

God's people gathering before His presence
God renewing His covenant relationship with His people
God's people receiving grace from Him
God's people responding with praise
God's people returning a portion of the grace He has given

If you want a simple, one-sentence definition of what the Bible says worship is it is this:

GOD'S PEOPLE DRAWING NEAR TO HIM.

Read that again, and again, and again. THAT is what worship according to the Bible is.

God gave His people a pattern of how He is to be approached.

He CALLS us into his presence (Lev. 9:3-5).

He speaks, and we respond by gathering before His face.

Historically, this is where the "call to worship" is derived.

Navigation through the Zodiac (signs) in the Quran..

A thread about Zodiac Signs in the Quran, Part 1 (from Aries to Virgo):

Long Thread:
Debunking the myth of Rajputs saving Hinduism(from islamic iconoclasts) in Odisha.
In last few days there are some people who are trying to selectively quote few things and create an impression that Rajputs saved Odisha from iconoclastic muslims 1/n

To discuss this specific issue I will analyse various available information from beginning of islamic rule in India till d period of start of Maratha rule in Odisha(from 1193 to 1751). In dis I will cover the question of Rajputs safeguarding hindu cause in Odisha as well. 2/n

Muslims started ruling in India after the fall of Prithviraj Chauhan. It is to the credit of Rajputs and other Indian kingdoms who stopped the islamic armies for centuries. But, finally they lost and by around 1200 they reached near the border of Odisha. 3/n

after d fall of Sena Dynasty they took Bengal into their control. Their next target ws Odisha, d next door neighbour. So, frm around 1200 till around 1570 for almost 370 years muslims from Bengal either as independent rulers or under sultanate of Delhi did multiple invasion s 4/n

of Odisha from northern side. Along with that another muslim kingdom of Jaunpur (eastern UP) also had multiple invasion of Odisha. In the eastern side obviously due to bay of Bengal, there weren't any land invasion. But, there are theories that invaders from 5/n

significance & worship to be performed on a rare combination occurring Jan 12th

In the culture of Bhāratadēśa, ‘Time’ has great significance. Tithis, days of the week, stars – everything has its own distinction. All the beings are bound by time and time is in the control of God.

With compassion, the Supreme God graced that one performing worship in some special stipulated times acquires special merits. This is true in case of every deity. Worship of a particular deity on a particular tithi bestows the grace of that particular deity quickly and certainly.

Among those, Kr̥ṣṇāṁgāraka Caturdaśi is imp. The combination of Tuesday & Caturdaśi in the dark fortnight is a great occasion.

विरिन्चिशक्रविष्णूनां मनुष्याणां तु का कथा ।
तेन त्वं सर्वसत्त्वेन ग्रहराजो महाबलः॥

Not only present as one among the nine planets, Aṅgāraka..

Aṅgāraka (Mars) planet is the king of all the planets. The reason for this is mentioned below that Aṅgāraka is the son of Śiva.

पुरा तपस्यतः शम्भोर्दाक्षायण्या वियोगतः ।
भालस्थलात्पपातैकः स्वेदबिन्दुर्महीतले ॥

ततः कुमारः सम्जज्ञे लोहिताङ्गो महीतलात् ।
स्नेहसम्बन्धिनः सोఽथ धात्र्या धात्रीस्वरूपया ॥
माहेय इत्यतः ख्यातिं परामेष गतः सदा ।

Skānda Purāṇa mentions that a waterdrop fell on the earth from Paramēśwara deeply immersed in tapas from which came a red-complexioned boy.

#Nationalists
In 70 years, Hindus didn't understand that a family made India a Muslim nation. But in 5 years, Muslims understood that Modi was creating a Hindu nation.
Country was cut into 2 pieces, but no sound came from anywhere. Half Kashmir gone, no noise?
1/9

Tibet went, there was no rebellion?
Wounds like reservation, emergency, Tashkent, Shimla, Sindhu were given, but no one cared
2G, Coal, CWG, Augusta Westland, Bofors like blur but no noise
Veto power was given to china, no train were stopped.
2/9

Brave heart like Lal Bahadur Shastri was lost, no candle was lit and nobody demanded a CBI inquiry
Leaders like Madhavrao, Rajesh Pilot were killed, made no difference
But as soon as beef was stopped, the catastrophe ensued
3/9

As soon as the national anthem was made compulsory, unhappiness followed
When asked to say #VandeMataram or #BharatMataKiJai, their tongues got stitched
Demonetization and GST made them dance in anger
Best efforts were made to make Aadhar into niradhar
4/9

No one felt pain for #KashmirPandits who became refugees in their own country
Rohingyas are causing pain for Muslims.
Congress has made Hindus Namard
5/9

The Lingaraja temple, the largest temple in Bhubaneswar. It is regarded as one of the best archaeological monument of the east reflecting Kalinga type of architect. The temple was built by the kings of Somavamsi Dynasty in the 11th century.

The central deity of the temple, Lingaraja, is worshipped both as Shiva and Vishnu (hari hara). Lingaraja, means the king of Lingam, the iconic form of Shiva. Shiva is commonly referred to as Tribhuvaneshwara the master of three worlds:- heaven, earth, and hell.

The temple has been described as “One of the finest examples of purely Hindu Temple in India” by noted critic and historian James Fergusson.

According to tradition, Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati after their marriage came to Varanasi. But with the passage of time, Varanasi became over populated. So Lord Shiva chose this location in Ekamrakshetra(Bhubaneswar) for meditation in disguise.

Maa Parvati came to know about this place from Brahma and came to Ekamra-Kshetra to search for Lord Shiva. There she noticed cows going under a huge mango tree and automatically milking a place. She understood that Lord Shiva is there.