When I first read the Message version, found on biblegateway.com, verses 23-25 in this chapter stuck out to me like a sore thumb, for I couldn’t live in Tempe for three years after I become Christian… for what I don’t know. Maybe because offence had spread too much due to me losing my mind the summer before that this happened? I don’t know… but even in my fourth year at ASU, I was able to rent an apartment for the very first time with a friend of mine, but I still didn’t attend church much. But I didn’t know that churches could lie about being non-denominational, too š¤¦š¼āāļøš¤¦š¼āāļøš¤¦š¼āāļøš¤¦š¼āāļøš¤¦š¼āāļøš¤¦š¼āāļøš¤¦š¼āāļøš¤¦š¼āāļø I wish any church would preach truth 24/7 and not just themselves. Yet right before I started my fifth year at ASU, I started going to Antioch in Tempe (it was since moved to Chandler), and that was after my four-year anniversary of me becoming Christian (this was in 2013). I don’t want to talk about my personal history that much, though. Yet through a turn of events, I eventually made my way to Two Rivers Gilbert and have more or less been going there often since. I’ve believed I needed to step back from it a lot, and have even written some of it in previous posts… but I didn’t realize that Tom, the pastor, would rightly say some great stuff about not believing a preacher 24/7, and last week, I played a sermon he had recorded which contained him saying, as I can put it, “A leader can correct you and they’re right, but what happens when they do this and they’re wrong?” He then went on to say that’s even tougher to deal with. And I know about those who would weaponize Scriptures like Romans 13:1-5 and 2 Thessalonians 3. And I wonder, has anyone reading this been falsely corrected in their churches? I want to hear your stories, so drop something in the comments or DM me privately and tell me about all of it. This passage is found in page 69 of my NKJV Bible, page 89 of my NASB Bible (Old Testament), page 147 of my VOICE copy, and page 145 of my Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) copy.
The title of this post is based on a footnote I found of the VOICE version of this passage, in which the word “off-limits” is a reference to a tree being uncircumcised for three years. And it reminds me of Romans 2:25-27 about if someone’s got their hearts replaced by Jesus Himself or not (see Ezekiel 36:26-27, also Romans 6:17). I’ll get to these passages eventually, God-willing… and I’m also thinking of Titus 1:15-16 about if someone’s soul is pure, and if it is, everything is pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure… I don’t want to talk about someone else’s deeds to embarrass them, though. Indeed, there’s things I heard about I’m not ready to put on here, and by the time you read this, there may be more, even if I don’t leave the house before texting this to a friend. I do think this passage helped me lay out more of a foundation of where I should be in Jesus, though, especially concerning my history with Arizona State and other things that had happened in my first five years of my walk with Jesus. But there’s always room to grow somewhere, so that’s nice. I did lose all my data of my Bible notes after I had gotten a Bible to write some on in 2012, and then following what I wrote on a laptop, though. I still don’t know where it is… and I’ll probably need a new one soon, for they’re ending updates for my Windows 10 laptop in October. I pray they don’t drag me to a disgraceful place by then, for they’re willing to enforce Project 2025, criminalizing everyone but the Trump worshipers, not to mention they’re willing to put me to death simply for exercising the fruits of the Spirit should they declare kindness or forgiveness illegal. I’ll actually be more surprised if they don’t do this.
But whether or not you’ve followed me for a while, you can send me an e-mail if you need prayer or something at ron.outland4727@gmail.com! I’m bad at checking my e-mails, though, so I’m sorry if I don’t see it. I’ll see you in verses 26-28 soon, God-willing. L8r!
Ron And His Stories 