If a man does not work let him not eat?

atpollard said:

You have already gotten a lot of good advice about what Paul did and did not mean. I would prefer to turn your questions around and ask you a question …


… God has removed from you the ability to spend 40 hours a week in a job and found an alternative means to provide for your physical needs: So when God asks you how you have invested the “coins” that he has given you (free time that most do not have), how will you answer? How are you investing what God has given you?

From the parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)

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you don’t know what it is like to be him

atpollard said:

You have already gotten a lot of good advice about what Paul did and did not mean. I would prefer to turn your questions around and ask you a question …


… God has removed from you the ability to spend 40 hours a week in a job and found an alternative means to provide for your physical needs: So when God asks you how you have invested the “coins” that he has given you (free time that most do not have), how will you answer? How are you investing what God has given you?

From the parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)

Click to expand...

you point this around as if a disabled person is capable of going on mission trips and door to door witnessing and preaching on streets. They may not be.
Or even that you think they would be doing youtube ministry or something like that. I mean if they're on disability? You really don't have the resources to invest in all the equipment to do that.

Unqualified said:

you don’t know what it is like to be him

Click to expand...

Jamdoc said:

you point this around as if a disabled person is capable of going on mission trips and door to door witnessing and preaching on streets. They may not be.
Or even that you think they would be doing youtube ministry or something like that. I mean if they're on disability? You really don't have the resources to invest in all the equipment to do that.

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I do not believe that God created any “worthless” people. I am doubly convinced that God has no “purposeless” children. Is any human being so disabled that they cannot pray?



I suggested that he redeem the time, the most valuable commodity that any human being has. Is it impossible that he might come in contact with other human beings during the day that, even if there is no opportunity to spread the gospel (which is more of a call to “gossip the gospel” to those that we encounter than a command to become Pauline missionaries planting churches in new lands) … does that leave no opportunity to be a “Barnabas” with an equally important Ministry of “encouraging” (the meaning of the name Barnabas) those whom God sends into our path?

You are correct, I do not know his circumstances. However I do know what God has done for others in different (also difficult) circumstances and it is on that basis that I am confident that God has not called any Christian to EXIST without any purpose or hope. So I stand by my advice … How will you redeem (spend) the time that you have been given?



God’s word is either true, or it isn’t.
I know which I believe.

atpollard said:

I do not believe that God created any “worthless” people. I am doubly convinced that God has no “purposeless” children. Is any human being so disabled that they cannot pray?

“The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (James 5:16)​

“For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)​

I suggested that he redeem the time, the most valuable commodity that any human being has. Is it impossible that he might come in contact with other human beings during the day that, even if there is no opportunity to spread the gospel (which is more of a call to “gossip the gospel” to those that we encounter than a command to become Pauline missionaries planting churches in new lands) … does that leave no opportunity to be a “Barnabas” with an equally important Ministry of “encouraging” (the meaning of the name Barnabas) those whom God sends into our path?

You are correct, I do not know his circumstances. However I do know what God has done for others in different (also difficult) circumstances and it is on that basis that I am confident that God has not called any Christian to EXIST without any purpose or hope. So I stand by my advice … How will you redeem (spend) the time that you have been given?

'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)​

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:1-10)​

God’s word is either true, or it isn’t.
I know which I believe.

Click to expand...

what sort of help do you need from this person. @Neostarwcc

atpollard said:

I do not believe that God created any “worthless” people. I am doubly convinced that God has no “purposeless” children. Is any human being so disabled that they cannot pray?

“The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (James 5:16)​

“For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)​

I suggested that he redeem the time, the most valuable commodity that any human being has. Is it impossible that he might come in contact with other human beings during the day that, even if there is no opportunity to spread the gospel (which is more of a call to “gossip the gospel” to those that we encounter than a command to become Pauline missionaries planting churches in new lands) … does that leave no opportunity to be a “Barnabas” with an equally important Ministry of “encouraging” (the meaning of the name Barnabas) those whom God sends into our path?

You are correct, I do not know his circumstances. However I do know what God has done for others in different (also difficult) circumstances and it is on that basis that I am confident that God has not called any Christian to EXIST without any purpose or hope. So I stand by my advice … How will you redeem (spend) the time that you have been given?

'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)​

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:1-10)​

God’s word is either true, or it isn’t.
I know which I believe.

Click to expand...

Well, I get that kind of attitude from people especially on the internet. Like "God gave you 2 good feet, pick up your bootstraps" like.. no dude... I can hardly walk and some days I can't.
Now I don't know OP's entire situation but I can see some of his conditions are mental illness, probably making it difficult to interact with people and relate to them. I can tell you from experience, anyone suffering from any form of depression makes a poor evangelist. People simply don't want to listen to someone who's depressed, even if they're telling the truth. If a person is totally messed up, and lacks charisma, people listen to what they say and reject it "I dont' want to believe in what THAT guy believes because look at what it's done for him, nothing".
Think about the Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah, the "Weeping Prophet" was not a very happy and charismatic man. He was given things to preach by God that nobody would have wanted to preach, doom and gloom and judgement, and nobody listened to him. He was ostracized and mocked, and Jeremiah wanted to stop, but couldn't.
Jeremiah 20

7 O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.
8 For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.
9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

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Like okay, He went and witnessed the Word of God, and delivered the words to the people. But they didn't listen to him, they mocked him, derided him, even physically assaulted in and threw him in jail.
We look at his situation from a rear view mirror perspective and see him as a truthful prophet. But in his day, people didn't listen to him, he was an ineffective witness who didn't cause people to repent. Jeremiah had the holy spirit, in a way that none of us can make a claim to, none of us write scripture.
Yet he was ineffective at causing repentance though what he said was true.
Some people, even empowered by the holy spirit, aren't going to be able to make converts.
I try to witness and share the gospel in places I know that people cannot judge me for me, as anonymous as I can make myself, that is where I will go because then MY failures don't cause the gospel to fail. But it's still difficult. The more of ME comes out in my own failings my own afflictions, my own appearance, my own identity.. the more likely I am to utterly fail and what I share be utterly rejected. What then.. do we afflicted just become the instruments of condemnation? Sharing the gospel ineffectively and having people reject it so they can be condemned?

Sure, there are some who are disabled who have charismatic personalities who can effectively share the gospel and convert people. But that's not everyone.
Maybe OP's in that same boat, just unable to make an impact with people and so they feel like gospel poison.

Yeah, if we're only given one talent we shouldn't bury it
but we may not be able to make talents in return
some of us may only be able to deposit it with the money changers and give back what is His with usury.

Jamdoc said:

Well, I get that kind of attitude from people especially on the internet. Like "God gave you 2 good feet, pick up your bootstraps" like.. no dude... I can hardly walk and some days I can't.
Now I don't know OP's entire situation but I can see some of his conditions are mental illness, probably making it difficult to interact with people and relate to them. I can tell you from experience, anyone suffering from any form of depression makes a poor evangelist. People simply don't want to listen to someone who's depressed, even if they're telling the truth. If a person is totally messed up, and lacks charisma, people listen to what they say and reject it "I dont' want to believe in what THAT guy believes because look at what it's done for him, nothing".
Think about the Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah, the "Weeping Prophet" was not a very happy and charismatic man. He was given things to preach by God that nobody would have wanted to preach, doom and gloom and judgement, and nobody listened to him. He was ostracized and mocked, and Jeremiah wanted to stop, but couldn't.
Jeremiah 20


Like okay, He went and witnessed the Word of God, and delivered the words to the people. But they didn't listen to him, they mocked him, derided him, even physically assaulted in and threw him in jail.
We look at his situation from a rear view mirror perspective and see him as a truthful prophet. But in his day, people didn't listen to him, he was an ineffective witness who didn't cause people to repent. Jeremiah had the holy spirit, in a way that none of us can make a claim to, none of us write scripture.
Yet he was ineffective at causing repentance though what he said was true.
Some people, even empowered by the holy spirit, aren't going to be able to make converts.
I try to witness and share the gospel in places I know that people cannot judge me for me, as anonymous as I can make myself, that is where I will go because then MY failures don't cause the gospel to fail. But it's still difficult. The more of ME comes out in my own failings my own afflictions, my own appearance, my own identity.. the more likely I am to utterly fail and what I share be utterly rejected. What then.. do we afflicted just become the instruments of condemnation? Sharing the gospel ineffectively and having people reject it so they can be condemned?

Sure, there are some who are disabled who have charismatic personalities who can effectively share the gospel and convert people. But that's not everyone.
Maybe OP's in that same boat, just unable to make an impact with people and so they feel like gospel poison.

Yeah, if we're only given one talent we shouldn't bury it
but we may not be able to make talents in return
some of us may only be able to deposit it with the money changers and give back what is His with usury.

Click to expand...

If you are attempting to convince me that I was wrong and you are indeed a “worthless” human being and a Child of God created to exist without any purpose or hope … then you are foredoomed to failure. God has already declared that you (and the person in the OP) have value. God has said “you are fearfully and wonderfully made.” God cannot lie.

I have no idea what in my post would make you think “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” was the message. It was not. I understand depression. I understand hardship and loss. For the record, I am the only surviving sibling of three brothers … one was murdered and the second committed suicide to end the despair. I have done things that SHOULD NOT be forgiven and suffered things that I should not forgive … so I tell you from a “been there, done that” perspective that “I get it”.


… but God.

Those words change everything. On the worst days, they take the gun out of your mouth and give you the strength to struggle on one more day. The rain doesn’t last forever. When you can’t take any more, tell God. He listens. He gets it. He sweated blood, so He understands. For every Friday, there is a Sunday. The trick is to survive the Friday by keeping your eye on Sunday.

God made us and God does not make junk. He has a plan and a purpose. We have to survive the process to become what He has envisioned us to be.


When you read the promises of God, they do not have these ‘caveats’.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God (except for Christians that struggle with mental illness) … it doesn’t say that.

I will never leave you or forsake you (unless you are handicapped) … it doesn’t say that.

God’s words are for ALL of God’s children … including those of us with damage that shows and damage that we keep hidden.

God wrote Ephesians 2:10 … are we His workmanship or not? … does the promise apply to us or not?
I say, “YES, we are and yes it does!”

“Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. ” ― John R Wooden

atpollard said:

If you are attempting to convince me that I was wrong and you are indeed a “worthless” human being and a Child of God created to exist without any purpose or hope … then you are foredoomed to failure. God has already declared that you (and the person in the OP) have value. God has said “you are fearfully and wonderfully made.” God cannot lie.

I have no idea what in my post would make you think “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” was the message. It was not. I understand depression. I understand hardship and loss. For the record, I am the only surviving sibling of three brothers … one was murdered and the second committed suicide to end the despair. I have done things that SHOULD NOT be forgiven and suffered things that I should not forgive … so I tell you from a “been there, done that” perspective that “I get it”.


… but God.

Those words change everything. On the worst days, they take the gun out of your mouth and give you the strength to struggle on one more day. The rain doesn’t last forever. When you can’t take any more, tell God. He listens. He gets it. He sweated blood, so He understands. For every Friday, there is a Sunday. The trick is to survive the Friday by keeping your eye on Sunday.

God made us and God does not make junk. He has a plan and a purpose. We have to survive the process to become what He has envisioned us to be.


When you read the promises of God, they do not have these ‘caveats’.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God (except for Christians that struggle with mental illness) … it doesn’t say that.

I will never leave you or forsake you (unless you are handicapped) … it doesn’t say that.

God’s words are for ALL of God’s children … including those of us with damage that shows and damage that we keep hidden.

God wrote Ephesians 2:10 … are we His workmanship or not? … does the promise apply to us or not?
I say, “YES, we are and yes it does!”

“Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. ” ― John R Wooden

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okay but you disregarded what I said about Jeremiah, which was, he had the Holy Spirit, he obeyed God, but was totally ineffective at convincing people of his message.

so not everyone's going to be just.. hey you have the holy spirit so people should just be converting left and right whenever you witness to them

Jamdoc said:

okay but you disregarded what I said about Jeremiah, which was, he had the Holy Spirit, he obeyed God, but was totally ineffective at convincing people of his message.

so not everyone's going to be just.. hey you have the holy spirit so people should just be converting left and right whenever you witness to them

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I never claimed otherwise.
I just pointed out that “overseas missionary” is not the only way to do evangelism. It is not even the Biblically dominant mode. Paul just recorded his exploits so it gets a lot of “press”.

If I have ever led anyone to Christ … it was purely by accident. I just answer questions honestly when asked. God is responsible for changing hearts and minds.

God called Jeremiah to be faithful, not effective. That is the mistake of many tele-evangelists that focus on being effective without necessarily being faithful. The popular term for such theology (study of God) is “an inch deep and a mile wide”. As the Bible warns, such men are blown in a new direction by every new teaching they hear.

Unqualified said:

what sort of help do you need from this person. @Neostarwcc

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A good question.

How can I be of help?

atpollard said:

I never claimed otherwise.
I just pointed out that “overseas missionary” is not the only way to do evangelism. It is not even the Biblically dominant mode. Paul just recorded his exploits so it gets a lot of “press”.

If I have ever led anyone to Christ … it was purely by accident. I just answer questions honestly when asked. God is responsible for changing hearts and minds.

God called Jeremiah to be faithful, not effective. That is the mistake of many tele-evangelists that focus on being effective without necessarily being faithful. The popular term for such theology (study of God) is “an inch deep and a mile wide”. As the Bible warns, such men are blown in a new direction by every new teaching they hear.

Click to expand...

Well I have a question then, what exactly do you expect disabled Christians to be doing?
Because it's easy from an outside perspective to look at someone else's life and say "oh you don't have a job because you're disabled, AND you're unmarried?! That means you can devote 24/7 to God! Think of all the people you can witness to, all the ministry opportunities you have!" without taking their circumstances into the equation beyond "they have free time". Very often ignoring something like, they're mentally ill and don't deal well interacting face to face with people, or they have mobility limitations and no transportation, so they can't exactly go out street preaching, etc.

and another thing is.. you can, legitimately burn out on bible reading.
I know it's going to draw some hate that I say this.. but it is possible to open the bible, because you feel obligated to, you know read x many chapters a day, no bible no breakfast etc.. without having any guidance or particular purpose just.. making sure you read it daily.. and come out with absolutely nothing on the other side.. nothing you didn't already know, nothing new came out to you, no profit. The text went in your eyes, through your brain and back out... and you think "what was the point of rereading Leviticus again? I already know what it's about and nothing about the details of the sacrifices stood out to me in a profound way.. I get it, they point to Jesus' sacrifice, okay, we've established that the first time I read it"
You literally get to burnout from forcing yourself to read the same text over and over and over again in a short period of time.

Rather.. when you're actually prompted by the spirit to scripture, to answer a question for instance.. the text the spirit points you to is always relevant, always illuminating, you see something in it you didn't notice before, when you were prompted you didn't even know what that text was going to be, what it had to do with or if you did, you had no idea HOW it had anything to do with the question asked.
But the spirit guided you, you yielded to Him, and there is profit then.
But I can say.. that doesn't even happen every day, and it certainly doesn't happen in multi hour sessions daily.
When you do something out of obligation because a human told you it's expected of you, with hard rigid rules like "no bible no breakfast", the spirit doesn't seem to honor chore like bible reading very much.
Rather He seems to honor listening to Him when He prompts, and yielding to Him, following Him step by step like the children of Israel following God in the cloud day by day. There wasn't a plan like, well you're gonna get led here, and then there, it was just.. the cloud moves, you follow, and if the cloud sits in a spot.. you camp there and don't decide to move on your own, even if you think better that "surely the Lord means us to get to the promised land and this direction would get us there more quickly and why are we stopping?"

So.. if you expect a disabled person to just spend 10+ hours a day every day reading the bible to occupy their time, like a rote, religious practice, just slogging through until their eyes hurt..
chances are, they can burn out.

so I guess again, I ask, what do you expect disabled Christians to do?

Throw up a big wall and call it God. God has mercy on the sick. Your still saying do this or die. He’ll just fiddle along as is pleased and find an opportunity that can handle. Being a doer is not out the window though. There are other of Gods ways.

Jamdoc said:

so I guess again, I ask, what do you expect disabled Christians to do?

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I expect disabled Christians to do the exact same thing that I expect any other Christian to do … to walk in the good works that God has specifically prepared (in advance) for you to walk in.

I am not God (I know, that comes as a shock, doesn’t it) so I have no idea what GOD has prepared for YOU (or anyone else) to “walk in”. Based on experience, I suspect that it is something that God has uniquely gifted and prepared you for. I have no idea what God has given you to do, but I am confident that God has not abandoned you without a purpose or hope (no matter how things appear at any given moment).


If an Angel appeared before you at this moment and said that God had promised to bless whatever you do, what would you WANT to do? I can’t answer what brings YOU joy and satisfaction. However, if you can figure out what you WANT to do, that might point you in the direction of what work God has given you to walk in. But what do I know about anything … you should ask HIM.

For the record, my wife is on SSD from 4 spine surgeries that left her with titanium rods and screws and bulging disks above and below the cage that holds her back together. This past May, she was hospitalized and Baker acted because her weight had fallen below 130 pounds and she no longer had the strength to stand … she told the doctors that she didn’t want to go on living like this. Rehab failed when they left her for several hours lying on the floor, so I burned through my vacation time taking care of her at home to get her walking again. For a while I was not sure if we needed Home Health Care to provide exercises, Hospice to provide end of life care or a road trip to a state where she could die with dignity. So do not tell me what I know or do not know about disability.

As of July, she walks with a walker to provide balance and spends her time offering conversation and encouragement eating and exercising to her mother that is fighting stage 4 cancer. That’s what a disabled person CAN do.

The question is:

Who has God placed in your life?
What can you do?

I cannot answer those questions for you.
If you don’t like the present answer to those questions, ask God to change the answer. He has the power to do so.

All I can do is to tell people about what MY JESUS has done in my life and assure you that He can do it in your life, too.

atpollard said:

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)​

I expect disabled Christians to do the exact same thing that I expect any other Christian to do … to walk in the good works that God has specifically prepared (in advance) for you to walk in.

I am not God (I know, that comes as a shock, doesn’t it) so I have no idea what GOD has prepared for YOU (or anyone else) to “walk in”. Based on experience, I suspect that it is something that God has uniquely gifted and prepared you for. I have no idea what God has given you to do, but I am confident that God has not abandoned you without a purpose or hope (no matter how things appear at any given moment).


If an Angel appeared before you at this moment and said that God had promised to bless whatever you do, what would you WANT to do? I can’t answer what brings YOU joy and satisfaction. However, if you can figure out what you WANT to do, that might point you in the direction of what work God has given you to walk in. But what do I know about anything … you should ask HIM.

For the record, my wife is on SSD from 4 spine surgeries that left her with titanium rods and screws and bulging disks above and below the cage that holds her back together. This past May, she was hospitalized and Baker acted because her weight had fallen below 130 pounds and she no longer had the strength to stand … she told the doctors that she didn’t want to go on living like this. Rehab failed when they left her for several hours lying on the floor, so I burned through my vacation time taking care of her at home to get her walking again. For a while I was not sure if we needed Home Health Care to provide exercises, Hospice to provide end of life care or a road trip to a state where she could die with dignity. So do not tell me what I know or do not know about disability.

As of July, she walks with a walker to provide balance and spends her time offering conversation and encouragement eating and exercising to her mother that is fighting stage 4 cancer. That’s what a disabled person CAN do.

The question is:

Who has God placed in your life?
What can you do?

I cannot answer those questions for you.
If you don’t like the present answer to those questions, ask God to change the answer. He has the power to do so.

All I can do is to tell people about what MY JESUS has done in my life and assure you that He can do it in your life, too.

Click to expand...

God basically placed me in isolation, between disability, a family that does not believe, and at best smiles and nods if I bring up the subject, if not outright mocks, and after Covid started.. I had a massive flareup that made it so I couldn't walk for months, and my car died at the same time, so needless to say, I was unable to go back to church during the height of the pandemic, don't have resources to get a vehicle again so I really haven't been able to get back to church since either. So I've been very isolated.
I don't know the purpose of the isolation.

shortly around the time I was becoming disabled, my mom's job transferred her, so she moved, then that store also got closed down and she decided to retire a few years early, a bit before covid. Being that I wasn't going to be able to work, I had to move back in... in a new town where I knew nobody, had no job, very few resources, and mobility disabled. Losing my vehicle was kind of the last opportunity, but as things have gotten worse it may not be safe for me to drive sometimes anyway.
So yeah, timingwise.. a perfect storm of autoimmune illness, family relocation to a place I don't know anyone at, and loss of transportation to go anywhere to see anyone.

So who has God put in my life? My mom, but she refuses to listen on that. Oh she'll believe the political elite stuff and even the Great Reset, it's just she doesn't see anything supernatural about that. They're just commies. She'll even to a degree believe in God....
just not the God in the bible, not Jesus.
She knows about Jesus, believes He existed, taught people, and was a good person.
But she doesn't believe He was resurrected, doesn't believe He is God incarnate.. and doesn't believe that the only way to heaven is through Him, and she doesn't believe He is returning, which I try to tell her incessantly, every day, the news points at it. But it's like asking a blind woman to open her eyes and see.
She specifically rejects the gospel, and the religion surrounding it.

@Jamdoc

Can you write?
Try communicating through a short story.

Can you leave the house?
Try meeting the neighbors in the houses immediately adjacent.

In this Post-COVID world, many churches have started broadcasting all of their services and gatherings … Can you attend any of your local churches online?

There are free “Bible courses” available from universities online that anyone can just take to learn.
Is that something that might interest you?

Our local Community College offers “virtual classroom” courses that are offered via “ZOOM” on a home computer where you can interact with the teacher and other students.
Is that something that might interest you?

I am just attempting to brainstorm ideas to expand the circle of your world even a little. Some seasons are just hard. Too darn hard (if we are talking frankly). I have no answer for WHY … I just know that life is like that at times.

I told you about my wife in May. For me it was impossible to watch someone you live suffer pointlessly as you watch helplessly and not have serious questions about the innate “goodness” of God. (So life is not all sunshine and puppies). I could not bring myself to go to church and “sing His praises” … my broken heart would not allow it. All I could do was re-watch “The Chosen” online to try and rebuild my belief that God really is good.

I suspect that I may be the first Christian in 4 generations of my family. So I know what you mean about having a family that doesn’t want to hear it. All we can do is to live a life that makes people wonder where our hope and joy comes from so that they might desire what we have … then tell them the TRUTH if they ask. “Salvation” is of the Lord …. not from us. I like the statement from The Chosen in reference to the feeding of the 5000 and the boy that gave his lunch … “Our job is to bring the loaves and the fish, God is in charge of the increase”. In other words, God isn’t asking US to do miracles … God is only asking us to be willing to obey and do what we can (However little or much that may be).

I will pray for you. All I can offer for NOW (in the middle) is that these seasons really do pass. Nothing stays the same forever.

atpollard said:

@Jamdoc

Can you write?
Try communicating through a short story.

Can you leave the house?
Try meeting the neighbors in the houses immediately adjacent.

In this Post-COVID world, many churches have started broadcasting all of their services and gatherings … Can you attend any of your local churches online?

There are free “Bible courses” available from universities online that anyone can just take to learn.
Is that something that might interest you?

Our local Community College offers “virtual classroom” courses that are offered via “ZOOM” on a home computer where you can interact with the teacher and other students.
Is that something that might interest you?

I am just attempting to brainstorm ideas to expand the circle of your world even a little. Some seasons are just hard. Too darn hard (if we are talking frankly). I have no answer for WHY … I just know that life is like that at times.

I told you about my wife in May. For me it was impossible to watch someone you live suffer pointlessly as you watch helplessly and not have serious questions about the innate “goodness” of God. (So life is not all sunshine and puppies). I could not bring myself to go to church and “sing His praises” … my broken heart would not allow it. All I could do was re-watch “The Chosen” online to try and rebuild my belief that God really is good.

I suspect that I may be the first Christian in 4 generations of my family. So I know what you mean about having a family that doesn’t want to hear it. All we can do is to live a life that makes people wonder where our hope and joy comes from so that they might desire what we have … then tell them the TRUTH if they ask. “Salvation” is of the Lord …. not from us. I like the statement from The Chosen in reference to the feeding of the 5000 and the boy that gave his lunch … “Our job is to bring the loaves and the fish, God is in charge of the increase”. In other words, God isn’t asking US to do miracles … God is only asking us to be willing to obey and do what we can (However little or much that may be).

I will pray for you. All I can offer for NOW (in the middle) is that these seasons really do pass. Nothing stays the same forever.

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Oh I still watch the church livestreams, along with tons of sermons, prophecy updates, bible studies (I like John Piper's "look at the book" studies a lot). But it is all in isolation still.

and I'll pray for you and your wife