CJ Penn's Online Writing Hangout

The reason I write: To promote Christian truth and help Jesus get His Christianity back.

Tag Archives: Life


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Reading the Bible with clear eyes

For many who read the Bible, they read it through figurative church-made glasses. These glasses have a special filter that consists of the Bible interpretations they’ve heard in church. As they read the Bible, the words they read go through this filter. In some cases, the words are modified by the filter so that what reaches the mind conveniently matches up with what they’ve heard in church.

Yet if they notice a conflict between what they’re reading and what they’ve heard, they may attribute the conflict to their apparent inability to understand the “complex” messages in the Bible, messages only seminary-trained pastors can understand, or so they may have been told.

Nagged by the conflicts I’d noticed while reading the Bible—conflicts between what I had heard in church and what I was reading—I gradually removed those church-made glasses and, for the first time, read the Bible with clear eyes. That’s how I came to find true Christianity, the Christianity that Jesus lived and taught. You can read about what I found in my book, Beneath the Graffiti: A De-churched Christian’s Search for Christianity.

https://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Graffiti-churched-Christians-Christianity-ebook/dp/B0DK7VD71B


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Freedom From Anxiety – Thought #5

David wrote, “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” (Psalm 27:4))

Since he said “all the days of my life,” I believe David wasn’t referring only to his eventual living with God in heaven. I believe he also was referring to his here-and-now life on earth.

To “dwell in the house of the Lord” means to share the dwelling in which God lives. But God doesn’t live only in heaven—He also lives within the souls of those who believe and accept Him. So, to “dwell in the house of the Lord” means to BE that house, to be the dwelling in which God lives. YOU can be God’s dwelling, via His Holy Spirit living within you, sharing your body with you. And where God lives, there is love and peace … and no anxiety.

So, as I’ve recommended before, if you’re looking for freedom from anxiety, look within yourself for the presence of the Holy Spirit. The more you look, the more real His presence will become.


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Time for Real Christianity

Fear, anger, anxiousness … the times we live in.

If there ever was a time for real Christianity—not a weakened manmade version—it’s now.

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“Beneath the Graffiti: A De-churched Christian’s Search for Christianity”

https://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Graffiti-churched-Christians-Christianity-ebook/dp/B0DK7VD71B


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Freedom From Anxiety – Thought #4

Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)

Yes, for many of us these are anxious times—no need for details. But what if you knew and felt the presence of the Holy Spirit within you? We need never be alone in dealing with this life we’re emersed in. We need never be alone in our anxiety.

Try this: Envision the Spirit within you as the Spirit of God or the Spirit of Jesus, whoever is most comfortable for you—they are both the same Spirit. Conjure up an image in your mind. Look, He’s smiling at you, with a soft, gentle smile, a smile filled with love. Hold onto that image and go back to that image as you venture through your day.


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Freedom From Anxiety – Thought #3

Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” (Acts 1:8)

Looking for freedom from anxiety? Look for the living presence of the Holy Spirit within you. And with His power, you can fend off the attacks of anxiety.

Maybe try this: sit and get comfortable, close your eyes, breath gently and slowly, focus on your breath, going in, and out, and empty your mind as best you can.

Now, in your mind’s eye look for the Spirit of God within you. It may be hard at first. Try using your imagination. Imagine God’s Spirit within you, there with your soul, two entities in one body. Jesus spoke of this relationship, He prayed for it, and promised it. Let His promise come true within you.

See the Spirit, try to feel His presence. Talk to Him. Give your worries to Him, all of them.

Now that your mind is all worked up again, try once more to empty it and quiet it down. And listen. Give God His turn to talk. Not with words but with thoughts and feelings, He may speak to you. And maybe you’ll feel His power, AND His peace.


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A brief conversation about the times we live in.

“You stressed?” Sid asked.

“Duh,” Larry groaned. “Hard not to be.”

“Ever consider Christianity? To help with the stress?

“What!? Are you kidding!? Christianity’s part of the problem. Look at all the Christians who voted for the guy. And then there’s the whole Christian Nationalism thing.”

“No, not that Christianity—I mean, that’s not really Christianity. I’m talking about the way of life that Jesus promoted … before men got ahold of it and splattered it with their self-centered ideas.”

“A Jesus Christianity? Really? Is there such a thing, and do you think it would help? I mean, help me deal with all the crap that’s going on?”

“It helps me.”

“Hmm. Okay, sure. I’m game. So how do I learn about this Jesus Christianity?”

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“Beneath the Graffiti: A De-churched Christian’s Search for Christianity”

https://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Graffiti-churched-Christians-Christianity-ebook/dp/B0DK7VD71B


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Freedom From Anxiety – Thought #2

Paul said, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)

Feeling the grip of anxiety? Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom from that grip. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live within us, to share our bodies with our souls—it’s the promise He left us with. All we have to do is believe His promise, and desire His living presence in our lives.


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Freedom From Anxiety – Thought #1

In referring to God, King David said, “Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place.” (1 Chronicles 16:27)

And as Jesus said, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (John 14:23)

You can be God’s dwelling place. And where God dwells, there is strength and joy, just what many of us need right now.

God dwells in us via His Holy Spirit. Not as an ethereal concept, but as the actual and living Spirit of God and Jesus, sharing your body with your soul, filling you with strength and joy. Now that’s freedom from anxiety.


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Looking for peace in anxious times?

Since January 20th my anxiety periodically rises to gut-churning and chest-clenching levels. It’s Trump’s actions and decisions—I was hoping for less chaos. How do you feel about what’s going on in the US and the world right now? Do you suffer from Trump-induced anxiety? Are you looking for relief?

Have you ever considered Christianity, though not the Christianity most of us are exposed to? I’m talking about a Christianity that, rather than being a relationship with a manmade church, is an intimate and personal relationship with the Spirit of God.

Look, the way of life that Jesus lived and taught, the way that was eventually labeled “Christianity,” well, that way now suffers from being tainted by 2000 years of human influence. These days, some churches are influenced more by man than God. Yet, have you considered Jesus’ Christianity, the Christianity where the Holy Spirit hasn’t been usurped by the ways of men? You see, the soul of Jesus’ Christianity is the living presence of the Holy Spirit within you.

You can see Jesus’ Christianity in the Bible. It was the Bible, not a church, that first introduced me to the Holy Spirit—not as an ethereal concept, but as life force living within me. The Spirit of God and my soul now share this body I inhabit. And it’s feeling the presence of God and Jesus within me that stifles rising feelings of anxiety. Jesus promised us a peace that goes beyond our ability to understand. That peace comes from His Spirit living within us. I’ve felt that peace.

The Bible will introduce you to the Holy Spirit. He’s there, waiting to read along with you. So, my recommendation for anyone suffering from anxiety is to make some time each morning to open a Bible, open your mind, and shut out the world. And though it may take time to actually feel His presence, look for the Holy Spirit within you.

But if opening the Bible feels daunting or unappealing for some reason, here’s a book that may be easier for you to read: “Beneath the Graffiti: A De-churched Christian’s Search for Christianity.” This book looks beneath the 2000-year accumulation of the graffiti of man, to the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ untainted Christianity. You can find the book on Amazon.com.


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Finding truth in a truth-starved world

Whether Christian or not, have you ever wondered about the validity of the Christianity you’ve seen and experienced? Have you ever wondered if that’s how it’s really supposed to be? Have you ever been curious about how true Christianity—that is, the Christianity that Jesus Christ lived and taught—might differ from the Christianity you’ve experienced?

You can find answers, and the truth, in the book, “Beneath the Graffiti: A De-churched Christian’s Search for Christianity.”

Now available via Kindle Unlimited.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DK7VD71B

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Are you de-churched?

Did you once attend a Christian church, but don’t anymore?

If so, from one de-churched person to another, you might be interested in this book. Writing it helped me recover from my experience with a manmade version of Christianity. Reading it might do the same for you.

Paperback and ebook are now available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DK7VD71B

Cover


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Looking for Stress Relief?

Do you feel surrounded by stress-inducers? Take world events—I don’t need to mention which ones might be causing you stress. You know what they are. At least we’re not under attack by another pandemic.

Some look to their religion for stress relief. But what if that’s not doing it for you? Take Christianity for example. What if your experience with Christianity isn’t giving you the peace you’re looking for, the answers you’re looking for, or the sense of God’s presence and protection you may be looking for?

Look, Jesus Christ created a masterpiece when He lived and taught what came to be called Christianity. Then, over the centuries, men splattered graffiti on that masterpiece, graffiti in the form of manmade rules, doctrines, beliefs, and traditions. Today, the manmade sometimes obscures the God-made to the point where, in some Christian circles, Jesus’ masterpiece is barely visible.

Sensing that the Christianity I’d been experiencing was influenced more by man than God, many years ago I left church and stepped off on a multi-year journey in search of the masterpiece. My newly-published book, “Beneath the Graffiti: A De-churched Christian’s Search for Christianity,” is a record of what I found when I peered beneath the accumulated graffiti of the past 2000 years, graffiti painted by church history and human nature.

I found the masterpiece. And in that masterpiece, I found the peace I’d always been looking for, the answers I’d been looking for, and God’s presence in my life in a way that’s far beyond anything I’d been looking for. By seeing Jesus’ masterpiece as revealed in my book, maybe you can find what you’ve been looking for.

Paperback and ebook now available on Amazon.

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Who is it That Overcomes the World?

No need for me to rattle off a chaos-list of insane things going on in this crazy world. You don’t need a litany of stress this morning. What you may need, what we all may need, is a way to overcome those things that cause us stress. We need help overcoming the world.

This morning, in between sips of coffee and moments of meditation that often slid off into a realm of random thoughts or semi-sleep, I was reading the Apostle John’s first letter to whomever he was writing it to. Good letter. I like what he says. Anyway, here’s what prompted me to write this short post this morning:

“Whoever has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5 NASB)

Our ability to cope with and overcome what’s going on in this world comes from our faith and relationship with God and Jesus. That relationship—being “born of God”—is a relationship of Father and child, which is made real by our faith in Jesus.

If you feel you don’t have such a relationship, try this: close your eyes, tamp down those random thoughts, quiet your mind, and look for the Spirit of God and Jesus within you. And wait. That’s where you’ll find the Holy Spirit. That’s where you’ll find the relationship. That’s where you’ll overcome the world.


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Where the Morning Coffee Led Me

What’s it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? As I waited for my morning coffee to fire up the brain cells, some of those cells got stuck on this question. Then my brain took a little walk and stumbled upon these words from Jesus:

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23 NIV)

Hmm. You know, I’ve been on this journey called life a long time. My goals have changed over the years, but as I’ve gotten older—and hopefully a little wiser—my goals have become less focused on myself and more focused on God and Jesus, and my relationship with them. And I’ve come to see that “self” can be a very troublesome character.

Self is that little devil on my shoulder telling me to do the opposite of what my conscience—on the other shoulder—is encouraging me to do. Looking back, I see that self and its utter selfishness is the root cause of almost all my troubles. Either self has created problems directly, or its selfish reaction to external problems has caused me to internalize those problems.

I think it’s my evolving perspective of self that’s helped open my eyes to see a clearer image of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. For me, it’s denying self. I want to live as if my self were dead. I want to leave self hanging on its cross, and follow Jesus wherever He wants to lead me. And I want to have the peace that Paul promised when he said,

“The mind governed by the flesh [aka, self] is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6 NIV)

I want the Holy Spirit—whom I see as sitting on my other shoulder with my conscience—to control my thoughts. I want the Spirit of Jesus to live within me, and through me, leading me to wherever He wants me to go. And I believe that’s ultimately what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.


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Finding Hope When So Much Can Feel Hopeless

It can be hard to find hope these days. Too many things fight against it. The ongoing pandemic, a new virus, climate change, wars, political and social chaos— Stop CJ, we get the point. Okay. Anyway, I found some hope, without even looking for it. Or, maybe I was looking.

I’ve been thinking about something Jesus once said, when He began to teach His disciples how to pray. “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors’” (Matthew 6:9-12).

Well, since Jesus told us to pray for that stuff, it must be important. But it’s that first part that kept pulling me deeper into my thoughts. I think Jesus is asking us to pray that God be glorified—that’s how I interpret “hallowed be your name.” So I’ve been thinking a lot about God being glorified on earth as He is in heaven. Though I’m not sure what that would look like, I don’t think we see much of it in the world these days.

Also, I noticed that Jesus taught us to pray first for God’s glory, kingdom, and will. The priority is God, which I think is as it should be. And in speaking about prayer, Jesus also said, “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13). Again, our prayers should be for God’s glory, not only for our needs. And Paul said, “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). But again, what would such glory look like?

Well, something that happened recently gave me an image to visualize. With the death of Queen Elizabeth, it seems like much of the world is thinking of her with fondness and even love. What if most of the world thought of God in the same way? I’ve been picturing that, where it’s God who’s getting all the attention. Can you conjure up an image in your mind? How might such glory for God influence our experiences here on earth? I mean, could we experience a life on earth as it is in heaven?

This morning I again found myself thinking about a world where God is glorified, where His kingdom reigns, and His will is done. I found myself imagining a worldwide revival of God’s love, truth, His kingdom, and His glory. And I got excited. And I found hope, a deep, energizing, love-infused, tear-inducing hope.

Maybe you can find the same hope too.Romans 15_13


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Christian Nationalism is Rising and Christianity is Dying in the US

A major battle has been launched in the war against Christianity. But like all attacks that inflict the most damage, this one’s coming from people who call themselves Christian.

RIP ChristianityI’m talking about the apparent push in the US Supreme Court and among certain conservative politicians to abolish the separation of church and state and bring about the rise of Christian nationalism. These people appear to want the church to run the state, or at least greatly influence the laws of the state. For them, Christianity isn’t about honoring and glorifying God. It’s about exerting their power to force their so-called Christian values upon others. It’s all about them, not God. And talk about painting a target on Christianity. If these Christians thought there was a war against Christianity before, they ain’t seen nothin yet.

But if these so-called Christians succeed, that could mean the death of Christianity in the US, the manmade version that is. It will further pull Christianity into the workings of the state, making it even more worldly than it currently is. And this will entice so-called Christians to rely still more on the state and less on their relationship with God and Jesus.

Yet God and Jesus are speaking to these Christian nationalists, and this is what They’re saying:

“You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.1 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.3 Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly.4 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.5 For our citizenship is in heaven.6 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”7

HOWEVER, while the manmade version of Christianity dies in the US, Jesus wants His Christianity back, the one true Christianity, and He’s going to get it. Do you want to help Him?

1 (Mark 8:33)

2 (John 15:19)

3 (Romans 12:2, NASB)

4 (Colossians 3:5, NRSV)

5 (Colossians 3:1-2)

6 (Philippians 3:20, NASB)

7 (James 1:27, NRSV)


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Jesus Wants His Christianity Back

Christianity appears to be dying in the US, the war is nearly lost. The manmade (per)version has nearly won. Yet with its rise, it will soon fall, for it hasn’t the strength to stand as Jesus’ Christianity has stood for the last 2000 years. And with the looming death of manmade Christianity and the void left behind, maybe there can be a revival of Jesus’ true Christianity.

Yes, what is often seen and experienced is not true Christianity, but rather the 2000-year accumulation of human influence and human nature. I’ve felt the weight of those 2000 years of manmade baggage. I first noticed it at the so-called Christian church I was once a member of. I now see it in my news feed almost every day.

Colossians 2-8But I escaped captivity to false Christianity. I quit that church I’d attended, and found freedom in the truth. Yet like I once was, many people are prisoners in this war for Christianity, mostly unaware of their confinement. They’re held captive to false ideas about what it means to be Christian.

It’s time for a truth revival. For a long time, Christianity has relied on worldly methods and manmade doctrine. It’s time to rely on God and His truth. Then, as Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

So, until I’m reassigned, I’m on a mission to help Jesus in His efforts to win His Christianity back. Anyone want to join me? My future posts will all be in support of the mission. Until next time …

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)