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  1. A music video about a family's love and care of a puppy Cavapoo, which shows how much God loves and cares for each one of us who will believe and trust in Him (see Luke 12:27,28 and Matthew 10:29-31). https://youtu.be/OTCIHUWZbTk
  2. Hello! The Coffee Shop thread is a place where we can hang out and talk about anything! =3 ^-^ Bring your Coffee, Tea, Iced Coffee, Iced Tea, and relax! ^-^ =3
  3. Hello! Here we can just talk about What's On Our Mind.
  4. hello, I have been taught through the scriptures and through pastors that Christian women are not to preach over men, but I was wondering if, in the case of raising children, if they are allowed to teach their sons the scriptures as well as their daughters, or if they should leave it up to their husbands to teach their sons, or if she is single or divorced or widowed, a male mentor from the Church ? I have been searching through the scriptures and been having trouble finding a definite answer
  5. from my understanding, being born again is having Jesus's holy spirit come live inside of you and being a new creation in Jesus, but how can I be sure that I am born again ? I am wondering if it happens in an instant moment as soon as you trust Jesus as Savior, or if it is a process, and what scriptures could help clarify this for me ? I am feeling pretty lost on this topic right now and would love to have a more educated understanding on how to be assured that you are born again in Jesus
  6. Writing this has taken a great deal of courage on my part. But I’m stuck and so confused right now. I’m going to do my best to summarize this situation while also trying to leave out any details. My husband and I met in middle school. We were 14 years old. We were allowed by our parents to “date” a few months after the attraction started. My husband comes a pastoral home. Most of his family members are Pentecostals that follow every rule to point of preaching and practicing religiousness instead of a true love for Christ. I am an only child. Parents were divorced before I turned 1. My mom had a few boyfriends, only two moved in. The second being my step dad that basically helped raise me after the age of 11. My husband and I had some issues while dating. We were so young. Arguments created by jealousy mostly but we were very young and these were never red flags. We never thought twice about getting married right out of high school. Hormones were ragging and we didn’t want to fall into fornication. Yet, as mentioned before he was alway very persuasive and convinced me many times to do other sorts sexual acts before marrying. I always spoke up and said it wasn’t right and we were sinning but his persistence was strong and I always gave in. I always felt so guilty but I kept doing it to avoid having to hear the persistence. In hindsight, I was very weak minded. We were engaged by 16 and married by 18. I had lots of push back from my mom. She warned me so many times that I was too young and didn’t know what live was but I was so madly “in love” that I didn’t hear her warnings. We were leaders in church because that’s just what pastors kids do. I was introverted and he was very very social. I always blended into the background and was often told I needed to change my habits of being quiet. That I wouldn’t get across to any youth members by being shy. That pattern of being subtlety told I was not doing a good job led to many insecurities. Sexually, it had to be at his time and when he wanted it. God forbid id fall asleep or say not tonight! That would into to hour long discussions about how that meant I didn’t love him if couldn’t wake up for it or if I could so easily say I didn’t want it that night. I would speak up and say I’m just tired it has nothing to do with not loving you. But my words were always followed by another persuasive argument. Eventually, I learned to submit and have sex even if I didn’t want it just to avoid an argument. Eventually, I convinced myself I was wrong and I should want to have sex when he does. I put up with this emotional abuse for years, either by persuasion, manipulation, narcissistic thinking, verbal abuse and more. Yet, in front of everyone he was the most loving affection husband. He really was and still is extremely affectionate but it’s all physical. Behind the scenes I battled for emotional and spiritual well being. There were zero boundaries….ZERO! Space was never an option. We had to argue for as long as he wanted to. I’d beg for space and time and never got it because he thought a marriage is not solved by space. We solved things arguing until I gave in. Fast forward with two kids later. His narcissistic behavior only got worse. By this point I was numb and truly believed every word he said, did everything he said. I started to become depressed and my self esteem was non existent. All the while I was clueless to the critical issues going on in my marriage. I knew something was wrong but we argued about it and I’d give in. Endless cycle. His need for sex and affection got worse as the years passed. Eventually he persuaded me have a threesome with a girl from church. We started having drinks hidden from everyone because no one could know we drank alcohol or we would be kicked out of church and we would dishonor his parents as pastors. The pressure to meet expectations was real. We had sex with her many times over the course of 1 year. She would go home and we would go to church the next day. He would become jealous of her and I. He would scream and tell me I loved her and not him. That I enjoyed her more in bed. One time he was so angry he grabbed me by my neck and shoved against a door to prove to me that loved her. But then he couldn’t stop himself from instigating another night with her. I fought him so many times on this. Telling him I felt guilty. It was sin. We were liars in front of our congregation and before God we looked like clean cups on the outside while the inside was filthy. The fights and issues around this weren’t worth it. But he didn’t listen and continued to pressure me to have another night with her. That led to us both having some sort of side relationship with her even though we both denied it. For years after that we continued this on and of thing with this girl. There was always toying around with her in some aspects although we stopped having sex with her. Pornography was the only way we could get each other to be turned on most of the times we had sex. We became main pastors of a church after his parents persuaded him that it was his calling. The wages of sin is death and our marriage has been dead for years. We have now been married for 16 years and been together for 20. I see now that we always tried to satisfy our need of God with other things in the world. There were so many hidden sins slowly killing us and our marriage and no one knew a thing. Arguments were worse. His narcissistic ways worse. The love bombing and gaslighting were worse, always been there but worse. No of us willing to get help for fear of shame. I was so blinded by his manipulation and persuasive ways that I no longer had a voice for myself. I believed I was worth nothing even to God. Too much sin was allowed to invade our marriage. I recently had an affair with a man. Entirely emotional never sexual. It lasted just a couple months but he was the trigger that led me me to open my eyes to the emotional abuse I had endured for so long. He was gentle, never overbearing, always understanding. We had an emotional relationship that I cannot explain. It felt to right and so easy. I was and still very emotionally attached to him. None of us went out looking for each other, we were coworkers turned into friends and with time that turned into heavy feelings for each other which we both confessed to. We never spoke about sex or about leaving our significant others. We knew is was wrong but emotionally we couldn’t let go as fast as we should have. The affair now has ended but emotionally I still need him yet I try to pray and distract myself when thoughts come to my mind. I have now confessed this to my husband and asked for space to think things though. My marriage is crumbled. My husband now sees his faults and says he is going to fix them all. He’s love bombing me but still giving me space by sleeping in another room. He is unable to comprehend space and boundaries. We are both going to therapy separately and speaking to our current pastors, not his parents. He wants to save our marriage at all costs. I in the other feel like my eyes have been opened to a new reality. A reality where I can free to do as I wish without retaliation. A reality where I can find God and depend on God alone and stop searching for my husbands approval for everything I do and choice I make. I’m checked out and really think this marriage is far from fixable. Of course, God can do all things but the amount of work that we need it put into fixing this while at the same time fixing our very broken relationship with God are just too much for me to process. I want a fresh start at life, at love one day very far ahead, at meeting and depending on God, at finding myself, at learning how to love myself. I feel like I’ve grown from in 20 years. My mind and mentally are so different. Sexually I cringe at knowing I have to have sex with him if I don’t end things now. My kids matter most to me. They’ll be devastated if we get a divorce. The backlash from family and friends upon me for choosing this will be basically unbearable. Do I chose my happiness and rely solely on Jesus to make a way for me and my kids or do I give in to his ways and try to give this another shot. I have fallen out of love and made myself love him again so many times during our marriage. I do want to force myself to fall in love again. It will never be love again. Will it? I need advice!!!
  7. How, Then, Shall We Live? (Luke 22:31-38) Our job in this life is to serve the Lord - Love Him, Obey Him Practically, we should be telling others about Jesus, - the Gospel We should be doing his will - part of that if becoming familiar with His will. That involves a life of reading His word - the clearest way to hear his voice, and we should be praying, talking to God. We cannot have much or a relationship without two way communication. We need to love others. We do that by encouraging them, enjoying their company, and generally doing things that are beneficial to them. We need to live holy lives. That means that we need to live lives that are different from the world at large. That might be the hardest part for us. The world has so much to offer us, some of it is good. God gives us good things. He loves the world enough to give them good things. Not everyone is thankful for what they have, that is one of the things that should make us different, that we are thankful to our Source, to He who is our Provider. We should be having fellowship with other believers, encouraging them, being encouraged by them, helping them, and being helped by them. Hanging out with other people, alters our character, that is something we need to be careful about. We tend to imitate the behaviors of those we hang out with. We can be tempted to act like them, talk like them, and in general, do what they do. For this reason, we should cultivate an awareness that as believers, Jesus is with us also. Before we act, before we speak, we should try to me mindful of Jesus' presence, and act like Him, more than we act like our friends. If we want to act like our friends, we should act like the ones who act the most like Jesus. What to our friends say? Do they say spiritual things, or does filth and bitterness come out of their mouths? What do we and they do for fun? Do we go bar hoping? Do we go to movies, that depict a lot of worldly behavior, or do we do things that we would do with Jesus as our guest? Do we eat to the glory of God, or do we pig out on junk food, valueing pleasure more than nutrition that shows that we care for the bodies we have, God's temple? I am resolving to attemp to improve my life. Changing some of my habits, developing some new ones. I'd like to hear some ideas that you have, in general terms or even in specific ways, on how we might improve ourselves (with God's help of course, without Him, we can do nothing). This need not be a confessional, and I do not suspect that everyone will be looking forward to admit their short commings, nor commit to improvements they may not keep. Rather, I hope to see people offering suggestions, and people recognizing some of the areas they could improve in their lives, and was all can join in in the atc of praying for each other, in our own time, our own hearts, and in our own ways, knowing that God hears our prayers, and grants them when they are in His will.
  8. she's need help or she's getting evicted going around she one of those person's that need help.so wanna where do I post for people who need go fundme and people will see and will help this mother who has 7 children. pls need to be specific to be effective.
  9. It could be anything, something you think would make you A better christian and commit yourself better to the lord ? friends can give you opinions and only one thing in your life that has that impact.
  10. https://youtu.be/wcokc1sM-TU
  11. tell me what you think 2 episodes I made, did A lot of hard work https://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=YPPG7LNX
  12. Hi All, I assume it's been a rough year for everyone, including my family. I lost my job due to Covid19 during the summer and after thinking about how to continue, I made a decision to create my own wooden cross model since jewelry has been my passion for a long time. I got a friend from Finland to help me, and the first batch of the cross is now finally finished and I was able to add it to Amazon marketplace. I'm not sure where to start marketing this necklace, does anyone here have ideas where to start? Here's the link to the product if you're interested: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B08HXPFTCH/ God Bless you all, Maria
  13. Earlier today I was talking to someone and the topic of religion and Christianity was brought up and the person asked me how do we know God is real, what is the evidence of God being "God". I explained with scripture and the FC of Jesus and all that good stuff but I just wanted to hear everyone else's knowledge on this topic. So, according to scripture, how do we know God is real?
  14. Hey. ive been dwelling on blasphemous thoughts about the Holy Spirit all day. i has been tormented by them for months but spiritual warfare. but these have originated in my mind out of fear and I’ve been thinking them for days. im terrified incase I’ve committed the unpardonable sin. im scared incase I’ve lost God. i love God with all my heart and all my soul. the thoughts have been calling the HS demon and devil out of obsession It feels like I’ve lost him. my head has been disrespectful towards God all day almost like getting angry at him because of this. ive felt condemned all day. this is all me because I was away all day places. im worried incase I’ve lost him. I love God so much with all my heart and soul. i can’t hear from God (soft still voice) so i don’t know what he thinks about this Everytime I pray my head has an urge to think terrifying things like blot my n.m. out of the book of life and selling my s..l and blasphemous things because I try not to think them. im so worried incase I’ve lost him. i had a dream last night where he was angry and it scares me. i feel like he’s not with me ?? I love God and Jesus with all my heart and soul. This isn’t an attack jesus said WHOEVER blasphemes the holy spirt (Christian or non Christian) will never be forgiven. I’ve been dwelling on blasphemous thoughts towards the Holy Spirit for days. I want to worship and serve God and glorify praise know and love him. my head just thinks blasphemous things I’m terrified incase I’ve lost him please help ??????
  15. There are many Christians that are dating. Now according to the bible there is not a scripture that says don't date. Now my question is as a Christian if a non Christian has a crush on you and asks you out what would your answer be?
  16. Is "Son of God" a really best Christian Movie of 2018? that describes the life of Jesus Christ according to The Bible and the principles of Christianity.
  17. Before reading, just know that is a long text, and may seem like something ridiculous and not needing to bother with to most of y'all, but this means a lot to me, and I keep hoping to find answers, but can't find any, so that's why I'm here... Hey, Everyone! I am fairly new to this Forum and excited to be a part of it! I was born into the faith, and have been a Christian my entire life (I'm 17 years old, lol). It wasn't until around I was about 12 or 13, though, that I began to become more interested in Christianity and the Bible, and at the age of 15, I discovered Apologetics, which helped me retain my faith that I was struggling with at the time. Thanks to that, I now have learned much more about Christianity than I ever thought I would, and I am so happy to know that Christ is Lord and that I am a Follower of Him! So y'all are probably wondering "what does any of this have to do with Tupac Shakur, as named in the title?" Well, that's where the questions come in. For any who don't know, Tupac Amaru Shakur (1971-1996) was a rapper who went by the stage names MC New York, 2Pac, and Makaveli. He was born in New York, and then moved to Maryland where he attended the Baltimore Academy of Arts (I believe that's what it is called), but then moved to California at the age of 17, where he was introduced to the drug and ghetto culture, where dealing, gang violence, sex, and robberies were frequent and even promoted. He was brought up as a thug, due to this, and incorporated this message in many of his songs. Unlike many rappers today though, when Tupac rapped about drugs and crime, he didn't do it in an attempt to glorify them, he did it to show the consequences of dabbling with them and tried to show those that didn't live that lifestyle, what it's like to live it. Tupac even made songs that, to me, were very powerful. His songs such as: Changes, Dear Mama, Brenda's Got A Baby, Until the End of Time, etc. are enough to make one tear up (I did with Brenda's Got A Baby). Me, being born into the ghetto and being raised in a household of domestic violence, I began to feel extremely attached to his music and his message. I began to binge several of his interviews, videos, albums, films, etc. It got to the point to where he felt like a friend of mine, or even, family. Then, I saw an interview where he was asked his religious views, and this is where it gets downhill. His songs and poems show that he was an extremely strong believer in God, but when he is asked about what he follows, he responds, stating that he believes that if you are good in your heart and do good things, then you are closer to God. But if you're evil in your heart and do bad things, then you're closer to the Devil. But he then went on to say that the Bible, he believes, was made by a person who wanted to find a way to control people. He says that the Bible says that certain people (prophets, patriarchs, etc) are good because they suffered a lot. He then went on to say that he got shot 5 times, and that he was 'crucified' by the media, and he 'walked through with the thorns on', and he told the thief (probably someone in the jail he was in) that 'this ain't supposed to happen, I'll come back for you.' Then he clarified by saying that he ain't saying he's Jesus, but that people go through that type of 'stuff' everyday. He then went on to attack a lot of what he sees as selfishness by megachurches and gigantic cathedrals who won't help homeless people who need God (although I don't have an issue with that point). During this interview, he was quick to make sure that he wasn't trying to disrespect anyone's beliefs, and that these things he's saying are simply his opinions only. This broke my heart. I thought Tupac, someone who I see as an inspiration, was a full on believer! I began to overspeculate, and came to several conclusions, one of which was that Tupac wasn't being entirely truthful in the interview, as he does have different tones with different interviewers, and that he truly did believe in the Bible, but then I felt like I was lying to myself. There several factors that contribute to my continued belief that Tupac was a Christian. Such as: - He had a giant tattoo of a cross on his back - He had a tattoo of a cross, along with Jesus' face, with the words "Only God Can Judge Me" on his arm - His most frequently worn necklace was a necklace of a cross - He was extremely close to his mother, who was a very devout Christian, who even claimed that the group she was in (Black Panther Party) failed because they didn't involve God - In many of his songs, he implements Christian tones: "Hail Mary", "Only God Can Judge Me", "Black Jesuz", "Ghetto Gospel", "I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto" - Many of his lyrics point to a Christian belief: "Father please forgive me for my life of sin, my hard stare seems to scare my sister's kids.." (Until the End of Time) "Get on yo knees to pray, Oh Lord, Help me change my ways, and show a lil mercy on judgment day, it ain't me I was raised this way.." (Hell 4 a Hustla) "Is there a ghetto in heaven or do I go to hell?" (Gotta Survive) "Picture a world where black babies can survive past five, but we must keep hope, quotin the reverend from the pulpit.." (Everything You Own) "Question for the Lord, why don't He like me, please guard my soul" (High Speed) "Just another lost soul stuck callin Jehovah.. Father how the hell did I survive these five shots?" (All Out) "and I wonder if the Lord ever heard of me.." (Po N*gga Blues) "and I pray to black Jesus to please take the rest of me.." (As The World Turns) "Before I go to sleep I pray and thank the Lord for another fruitful day.." (F*ckin with the Wrong N*gga) "Dear God I been feeling like I'm close to Jesus.." (Catchin Feelings) "And God said He should send His one begotten son to lead the wild into the ways of the man Follow me; eat my flesh, flesh and my flesh" & "Catch me father please, cause I'm fallin," (Hail Mary) "Cry later but for now let's enjoy the laughter God bless the dead" (God Bless the Dead) "Dear Lord..How can I survive? Got me askin white Jesus will a brotha live or die, cause the Lord can't see us in the deep dark clouds of the projects, ain't no sunshine No sunny days and we only play sometimes" (Still I Rise) "Keep yo' head up and try to keep the faith And pray for better days" (Better Dayz) "Searchin for Black Jesus It's hard, it's hard We need help out here So we searchins for Black Jesus It's like a Saint, that we pray to in the ghetto, to get us through" (Black Jesuz) "Who do you believe in? I put my faith in God Blessed and still breathing And even though it's hard That's who I believe in Before I'm leaving I'm asking the grieving Who do you believe in?" (Who Do You Believe In) These things often comfort me. In regards to Christianity, the closest he ever came to "insulting" it, is saying that the Bible wasn't "written by God". He harshly criticized pastors, priests, and especially televangelists, but he never once, not once, ever spoke bad about Jesus Christ. And even though he didn't hold the Bible in the same regard as we do here, he never insulted any prophet or person in the Bible that is shown as good. What's strange though, is that, in an interview after this, Tupac, while acting in a movie called "Gang Related", states that his faith is in "Black Jesus" and that he has "been gifted by God, by Black Jesus". Here, Tupac refers to Jesus as God, (the reason he uses the term "Black Jesus", is because he wants to make it clear that he doesn't have the same thought pattern as WASP Christians) (also, note that this interview isn't part of the movie, lol). In an interview with MTV (I believe this was his last interview before he was eventually shot and killed), he compares Judas' Betrayal to his competition in the music industry. I don't remember what he said exactly, but it's easy to find online, and it's very short. After he was shot, he didn't die on the spot, but instead, fell into a coma and was rushed to the hospital, where he was alive for about 3-6 days until he eventually died from his wounds. During this time, he was visited by his mother, Afeni Shakur, and his aunt, Gloria Cox, both of whom were devout Christians, and they had with them, in Tupac's hospital room, an Evangelist, who was Tupac's aunt Gloria's cousin, who visited Tupac all the time and prayed over him, and also put oil over him and put a healing cloth on him, while he was still shot up and unconscious, but still alive. He eventually passed away, with the last ones seeing him pass on, being his mother and aunt. Now some of y'all may have a question of your own when reading this: "Why do you care so much?". Well, because I feel extremely close to Tupac, and he touched on so many things that meant a lot to me, and what he said are things that I very much relate to. He feels kind of like a best friend, or even a brother sometimes. I don't let this cloud my judgement, though, as there are aspects of him that I don't agree with. I don't want to follow the life he lived, and I believe that Biggie handled their feud in a much more mature manner and tried to calm people on both sides down, whereas Tupac, due to growing up in the ghetto and already being shot 5 times, became extremely paranoid and reacted somewhat militantly (though, only verbally, not physically). But as Tupac said, he didn't want to be seen as a role model, but instead, show the world what he alone was like. With all this being said, there are some questions I have regarding this. 1) Tupac promoted songs and messages of righteousness, with some gangsta-type themes, only so he could connect and reach out to the people who lived in ghetto hood areas. First and foremost, 2Pac believed in helping the poor, and fought for those who couldn't, but often times his anger did get the best of him, and he would act out on it, but then regret it later on. ~ Does this make him more of a no good thug rather than someone who can be seen as good? 2) Despite him not believing the divine context of the Bible (at least not at the time of the interview), do you think he could still be considered a Christian? He held a very strong and firm belief in God, and believed in the teachings of Christ as well. His Gang Related interview shows him calling Black Jesus, God. Maybe he could've been what is called an "Agnostic Christian"? What is the minimum requirement to being called a "Christian"? 3) Would you say that Tupac made it into Heaven? Or that it seems like He could've? He did exactly what Jesus taught people to do in His Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, but he didn't seem to believe in Biblical authority, but he did refer to Jesus as God. This means he took Him as his "Lord", but I'm not sure if he then also took him as his "Savior". His body art and songs seem to show a promotion of Christian belief, though. I remember reading about King Solomon who was once righteous in the Eyes of God, but then turned to idolatry and had several women as his wives and concubines. I don't think Solomon would've landed in Hell though, so I don't think that what Tupac did, would've landed him in Hell (but I'm not the one to make that judgement). Sorry for seeming somewhat dramatic, and over thinking the faith and actions of one man, but the reason I do this, is because I love Tupac and I genuinely care about his condition and his faith. If there's anyone here, especially a fan of 2Pac who may also know about his life, who can give an answer, then as Tupac said in Dear Mama, "you are appreciated". I kindly ask for as many answers that can be received as possible. Thank you, and God Bless!
  18. Sophia Benjamin’s regular devotional column TheGodMinute encourages readers to seek a deeper relationship with the Lord. Links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fetuHjfsro&t=456s /
  19. White Heart began their musical career in the early 1980's and spanned a number of Christian contemporary hits through the late 1990's. Their sound was sometimes progressive, but always had a terrific blend of vocal harmonies with numerous ballads as well. It was a fortunate fluke when a friend called up one night, saying he had gotten a couple of tickets to a sold out show on a local Christian station, KDUV. It was a wonderful concert also featuring dc Talk. Not every group I've seen over the years has an altar call at the conclusion of their performance, but White Heart did. What a blessed experience. Here is that song from the Power House album: Lay It Down.
  20. Greetings, I understand it takes a certain expected period of time before Christian music videos meet Worthy's approval process. Two really great ones that could be a blessing have been shared with several by PM. Both were submitted on the 21st, and have apparently been viewed by some already. A few others were added after mine and have already been approved. However, mine haven't yet. We are short on staff at this time, so I do realize that. Is there any way they can possibly be expedited? I'm anxious for them to get out there, because they've certainly blessed me. Thanks! God bless. Shalom, David/BeauJangles Here are the titles. Randy Stonehill ~ Angel's Wings - LP: Thirst Randy Stonehill ~ The Lazarus Heart - LP: Stonehill
  21. Before reading, just know that is a long text, and may seem like something ridiculous and not needing to bother with to most of y'all, but this means a lot to me, and I keep hoping to find answers, but can't find any, so that's why I'm here... Hey, Everyone! I am fairly new to this Forum and excited to be a part of it! I was born into the faith, and have been a Christian my entire life (I'm 17 years old, lol). It wasn't until around I was about 12 or 13, though, that I began to become more interested in Christianity and the Bible, and at the age of 15, I discovered Apologetics, which helped me retain my faith that I was struggling with at the time. Thanks to that, I now have learned much more about Christianity than I ever thought I would, and I am so happy to know that Christ is Lord and that I am a Follower of Him! So y'all are probably wondering "what does any of this have to do with Tupac Shakur, as named in the title?" Well, that's where the questions come in. For any who don't know, Tupac Amaru Shakur (1971-1996) was a rapper who went by the stage names MC New York, 2Pac, and Makaveli. He was born in New York, and then moved to Maryland where he attended the Baltimore Academy of Arts (I believe that's what it is called), but then moved to California at the age of 17, where he was introduced to the drug and ghetto culture, where dealing, gang violence, sex, and robberies were frequent and even promoted. He was brought up as a thug, due to this, and incorporated this message in many of his songs. Unlike many rappers today though, when Tupac rapped about drugs and crime, he didn't do it in an attempt to glorify them, he did it to show the consequences of dabbling with them and tried to show those that didn't live that lifestyle, what it's like to live it. Tupac even made songs that, to me, were very powerful. His songs such as: Changes, Dear Mama, Brenda's Got A Baby, Until the End of Time, etc. are enough to make one tear up (I did with Brenda's Got A Baby). Me, being born into the ghetto and being raised in a household of domestic violence, I began to feel extremely attached to his music and his message. I began to binge several of his interviews, videos, albums, films, etc. It got to the point to where he felt like a friend of mine, or even, family. Then, I saw an interview where he was asked his religious views, and this is where it gets downhill. His songs and poems show that he was an extremely strong believer in God, but when he is asked about what he follows, he responds, stating that he believes that if you are good in your heart and do good things, then you are closer to God. But if you're evil in your heart and do bad things, then you're closer to the Devil. But he then went on to say that the Bible, he believes, was made by a person who wanted to find a way to control people. He says that the Bible says that certain people (prophets, patriarchs, etc) are good because they suffered a lot. He then went on to say that he got shot 5 times, and that he was 'crucified' by the media, and he 'walked through with the thorns on', and he told the thief (probably someone in the jail he was in) that 'this ain't supposed to happen, I'll come back for you.' Then he clarified by saying that he ain't saying he's Jesus, but that people go through that type of 'stuff' everyday. He then went on to attack a lot of what he sees as selfishness by megachurches and gigantic cathedrals who won't help homeless people who need God (although I don't have an issue with that point). During this interview, he was quick to make sure that he wasn't trying to disrespect anyone's beliefs, and that these things he's saying are simply his opinions only. This broke my heart. I thought Tupac, someone who I see as an inspiration, was a full on believer! I began to overspeculate, and came to several conclusions, one of which was that Tupac wasn't being entirely truthful in the interview, as he does have different tones with different interviewers, and that he truly did believe in the Bible, but then I felt like I was lying to myself. There several factors that contribute to my continued belief that Tupac was a Christian. Such as: - He had a giant tattoo of a cross on his back - He had a tattoo of a cross, along with Jesus' face, with the words "Only God Can Judge Me" on his arm - His most frequently worn necklace was a necklace of a cross - He was extremely close to his mother, who was a very devout Christian, who even claimed that the group she was in (Black Panther Party) failed because they didn't involve God - In many of his songs, he implements Christian tones: "Hail Mary", "Only God Can Judge Me", "Black Jesuz", "Ghetto Gospel", "I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto" - Many of his lyrics point to a Christian belief: "Father please forgive me for my life of sin, my hard stare seems to scare my sister's kids.." (Until the End of Time) "Get on yo knees to pray, Oh Lord, Help me change my ways, and show a lil mercy on judgment day, it ain't me I was raised this way.." (Hell 4 a Hustla) "Is there a ghetto in heaven or do I go to hell?" (Gotta Survive) "Picture a world where black babies can survive past five, but we must keep hope, quotin the reverend from the pulpit.." (Everything You Own) "Question for the Lord, why don't He like me, please guard my soul" (High Speed) "Just another lost soul stuck callin Jehovah.. Father how the heck did I survive these five shots?" (All Out) "and I wonder if the Lord ever heard of me.." ([Song Title Contains Profanity]) "and I pray to black Jesus to please take the rest of me.." (As The World Turns) "Before I go to sleep I pray and thank the Lord for another fruitful day.." ([Song Title Contains Profanity]) "Dear God I been feeling like I'm close to Jesus.." (Catchin Feelings) "And God said He should send His one begotten son to lead the wild into the ways of the man Follow me; eat my flesh, flesh and my flesh" & "Catch me father please, cause I'm fallin," (Hail Mary) "Cry later but for now let's enjoy the laughter God bless the dead" (God Bless the Dead) "Dear Lord..How can I survive? Got me askin white Jesus will a brotha live or die, cause the Lord can't see us in the deep dark clouds of the projects, ain't no sunshine No sunny days and we only play sometimes" (Still I Rise) "Keep yo' head up and try to keep the faith And pray for better days" (Better Dayz) "Searchin for Black Jesus It's hard, it's hard We need help out here So we searchins for Black Jesus It's like a Saint, that we pray to in the ghetto, to get us through" (Black Jesuz) "Who do you believe in? I put my faith in God Blessed and still breathing And even though it's hard That's who I believe in Before I'm leaving I'm asking the grieving Who do you believe in?" (Who Do You Believe In) These things often comfort me. In regards to Christianity, the closest he ever came to "insulting" it, is saying that the Bible wasn't "written by God". He harshly criticized pastors, priests, and especially televangelists, but he never once, not once, ever spoke bad about Jesus Christ. And even though he didn't hold the Bible in the same regard as we do here, he never insulted any prophet or person in the Bible that is shown as good. What's strange though, is that, in an interview after this, Tupac, while acting in a movie called "Gang Related", states that his faith is in "Black Jesus" and that he has "been gifted by God, by Black Jesus". Here, Tupac refers to Jesus as God, (the reason he uses the term "Black Jesus", is because he wants to make it clear that he doesn't have the same thought pattern as WASP Christians) (also, note that this interview isn't part of the movie, lol). In an interview with MTV (I believe this was his last interview before he was eventually shot and killed), he compares Judas' Betrayal to his competition in the music industry. I don't remember what he said exactly, but it's easy to find online, and it's very short. After he was shot, he didn't die on the spot, but instead, fell into a coma and was rushed to the hospital, where he was alive for about 3-6 days until he eventually died from his wounds. During this time, he was visited by his mother, Afeni Shakur, and his aunt, Gloria Cox, both of whom were devout Christians, and they had with them, in Tupac's hospital room, an Evangelist, who was Tupac's aunt Gloria's cousin, who visited Tupac all the time and prayed over him, and also put oil over him and put a healing cloth on him, while he was still shot up and unconscious, but still alive. He eventually passed away, with the last ones seeing him pass on, being his mother and aunt. Now some of y'all may have a question of your own when reading this: "Why do you care so much?". Well, because I feel extremely close to Tupac, and he touched on so many things that meant a lot to me, and what he said are things that I very much relate to. He feels kind of like a best friend, or even a brother sometimes. I don't let this cloud my judgement, though, as there are aspects of him that I don't agree with. I don't want to follow the life he lived, and I believe that Biggie handled their feud in a much more mature manner and tried to calm people on both sides down, whereas Tupac, due to growing up in the ghetto and already being shot 5 times, became extremely paranoid and reacted somewhat militantly (though, only verbally, not physically). But as Tupac said, he didn't want to be seen as a role model, but instead, show the world what he alone was like. With all this being said, there are some questions I have regarding this. 1) Tupac promoted songs and messages of righteousness, with some gangsta-type themes, only so he could connect and reach out to the people who lived in ghetto hood areas. First and foremost, 2Pac believed in helping the poor, and fought for those who couldn't, but often times his anger did get the best of him, and he would act out on it, but then regret it later on. ~ Does this make him more of a no good thug rather than someone who can be seen as good? 2) Despite him not believing the divine context of the Bible (at least not at the time of the interview), do you think he could still be considered a Christian? He held a very strong and firm belief in God, and believed in the teachings of Christ as well. His Gang Related interview shows him calling Black Jesus, God. Maybe he could've been what is called an "Agnostic Christian"? What is the minimum requirement to being called a "Christian"? 3) Would you say that Tupac made it into Heaven? Or that it seems like He could've? He did exactly what Jesus taught people to do in His Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, but he didn't seem to believe in Biblical authority, but he did refer to Jesus as God. This means he took Him as his "Lord", but I'm not sure if he then also took him as his "Savior". His body art and songs seem to show a promotion of Christian belief, though. I remember reading about King Solomon who was once righteous in the Eyes of God, but then turned to idolatry and had several women as his wives and concubines. I don't think Solomon would've landed in Hell though, so I don't think that what Tupac did, would've landed him in Hell (but I'm not the one to make that judgement). Sorry for seeming somewhat dramatic, and over thinking the faith and actions of one man, but the reason I do this, is because I love Tupac and I genuinely care about his condition and his faith. If there's anyone here, especially a fan of 2Pac who may also know about his life, who can give an answer, then as Tupac said in Dear Mama, "you are appreciated". I kindly ask for as many answers that can be received as possible. Thank you, and God Bless!
  22. Hello brothers and sisters of faith! I have a concern that's been bothering me for days already. ind you it's quite a long one but please do hear me out. i don't know what to do in this dilemma. My family and I lives in Japan and have been living here for a very long time now. Back in our home country, we have our aunts, uncles, cousins and everyone else in our extended family. One of my mom's brother and his family had been struggling financially all their life. So as a concerned sister, my mother wanted to help them. As a form of help. my mom got my uncles youngest daughter (my cousin), who's my age, to live with us for 3 months to somehow earn a living and have something to send to her family from time to time. While she was living with us, there was no problem. She was very obedient to my mom and did earn a living somehow. She met a Japanese man on the process. They went on multiple getaways and vacations together with his colleagues and her colleagues as well. Sometimes, my mom was with them as chaperone (so my mom has met the guy) Eventually, the man fell in love with her, I cannot say for sure about her. However since her visa was just temporary, she needs to go back to our home country. She ran away for days, we cannot contact her and eventually she went over her period of stay. So now, she's already an illegal alien. The guy doesn't know where she is as well. After some time, we were able to contact her. She doesn't want to go home already. She and my mom had a lengthy discussion about it. The guy who's in love with her also persuaded her to go back home. He said he had plans on marrying her so just endure the one-year no-entry policy and after a year, go back here and they would marry. (In Japan, if an illegal alien surrendered to the immigration willfully after an overstay, they penalty of no entry is only one year. if the person did not surrender and was caught by authorities the penalty is graver, so the Japanese man was persuading my cousin to surrender and endure the one-year no entry penalty). She eventually caved in. The Japanese man promised to support her even if she's back in our home country, he said he would support whatever it is that she wanted to do. So my cousin, told him she wanted to take Japanese language classes, she wanted to take a short course of hair dressing and make-up classes, and also driving lessons. The man agreed to support her with that with the condition of constant communication. So my cousin went back home and as promised the man send monthly allowance to my cousin to cover for the fees of the classes she wants to take. The amount is quite big, it was more than enough. The first months were okay. Until last March, 2019, when the Japanese man took a one-week vacation leave from work to fly to our home country and visit my cousin. He was accompanied by 3 of his friends, and my cousin took one of our other cousin to accompany her as well. The went to different beaches and even wen island hopping. And after the trip was over, the Japanese men back to Japan and my cousins went home. Now this is where it all turned out bad. This August, I flew to our home country to join the celebration of our Grandfather's birthday. We went to the beach and had fun. I overheard our aunts talking about my cousin and joined the conversation. That is when they all told me what was really happening. But first, I just want to point out that when I arrived and saw my cousin, she was bigger than when she was in Japan with us, bigger as in gained weight, I was shocked, because she's not the type of person who's a big eater, so that was kind of strange for me, but didn't mind it, maybe she had changed her ways, I thought. Anyway, going back to our aunts, they confessed to me what was happening. It turns out, she's been betraying the Japanese man and the money that he sends her are not being put into good use (1) she has a boyfriend right now, AND MIGHT BE PREGNANT. One of our cousins said she accompanied her to an ultrasound session, but doesn't know the result, so SHE MIGHT BE PREGNANT. (2) She hasn't been attending the classes she said she would do, in fact she didn't even enroll in any of the three classes she said she wanted. (3) She's been frequently travelling the country with her "friends" partying and attending car shows. (4) SHE BOUGHT HER BOYFRIEND A CAR. ALL FROM THE MONEY THAT THE JAPANESE MAN SENDS HER. And (5), this is the worst, remember the trip last March, where the Japanese man and three of his friends flew to meet my cousin and one of my other cousin tagged along? my cousin who tagged along confessed that my cousin had been intimate and slept together with THE FRIEND OF THE JAPANESE MAN THAT'S BEEN SUPPORTING MY COUSIN and my cousin told my other cousin that she did that because the man she slept with was the one she loved and not the one who's been supporting her. I was in shock. I was feeling a lot of emotions at that time. One, I was worried about what is going to happen if the Japanese man found out. Two, I was mad, how could she do this? Three, I was ashamed, for her, for our family, and also for the people of our nation. What if the Japanese man finds out about this, what would he think about the people of our nation? He would think that we are a nation who takes advantage of people. This was very shameful. September 1, 2019, I told my mom everything and she confirmed it with my aunts. She's been contacting my cousin, facebook messages, facetime, video calls, to no avail. My mom message her that she wants to talk and why she hasn't been answering. She told my mom that she doesn't want to talk to her because she doesn't want my mom to be stressed and she would talk to her when she flies back to our country. The situation is, my mom is in no position to fly to our country right now, she has work, my father and my sister does too. Me on the other hand am still in our home country and won't be back to Japan until October. So we don't have a choice but to do it over the phone but she refuses. I tried talking to her as well but she never meets me. Her betrayal to the Japanese man has been going on for months now. In fact my cousin's father talked to my mom a few days ago and told my mom to explain the situation and tell the Japanese man to stop with the money remittances already because of what his daughter is doing. And I agreed. my cousin has been sinning for quite a long time already and as Christians, and as her family, we should cut the source of her sins as early as now so it wouldn't be a bigger issue in the future. It's better to end it now, than to have a bigger catastrophe later on. But my mother second guesses herself on doing it, since she's the only one who's met the Japanese guy, she should do it, but my mom insists that my cousin should be the first to realize her sin and come clean herself and that's the time she's going to step in to help her and pay the Japanese man the money she spent. But by doing that, she's just prolonging the sin, and poor Japanese man, doesn't know he's been cheated on already. Please help me brothers and sisters of faith, how do I persuade my mom to tell the Japanese guy of what my cousin has been doing and to tell him to stop with the money support already. If were to do this, are we doing the right thing of exposing my cousin to the Japanese man? Please help me discern what to do. I have been feeling guilty about this for days already, I'm not even the one who's been doing the dirty work. I can't sleep, I have been anxious everyday. What do I do? Please help and enlighten me with your opinions. David Minjoon.
  23. I made a video about christian celebrities who gave their testimonies. Hope it inspires some people and give them the courage to keep in faith. You can see it here: Now I wanna make a new video and it's not that easy to find some FEMALE celebrities giving their testimonies and talk about their faith. If somebody know some christian female celebrities and maybe has a link to their testimonies/christian speeches/or something like this I'd be VERY thankfull! Wish you all a wonderful day and GOD bless you!
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