What a Modern Christian Needs to Understand to Tackle Today's Challenges

[amigo de christo]

Honestly, I’ve been asked far stranger questions than whether I think the world is flat.

After Yuri Gagarin’s flight on April 12, 1961—the first human in space—Soviet propaganda used him to “disprove” God’s existence. They attributed a famous quote to him: “I was in space and didn’t see God” (or variations like “I looked and looked, but no God”). It was meant to prove God was a myth, with space being empty of anything divine.

In reality, Gagarin never said this. Historians, like Anton Pervushin in *180 Minutes That Changed the World*, and his friends, like cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, say the quote came from Nikita Khrushchev. At a 1961 CPSU Central Committee Plenum, Khrushchev used Gagarin as a prop for his anti-religious campaign: “Gagarin flew through space and saw no God!” This was part of his push to close churches and promote atheism.

Gagarin himself was a believer, secretly baptized according to friends’ accounts, but couldn’t speak openly in the atheist USSR. After his death in 1968, his widow and friends confirmed the quote was propaganda fiction.

Yet, in the USSR and even long after its collapse, people kept asking: “Gagarin was in space and didn’t see God—how do you explain that?”

So, go ahead and try answering that one. See the issue?

that is an easy answer . To the man who said gargarin was in space and didnt see GOD .
Real simple .
NO MAN can see GOD . No not even MOSES saw His face . No man .
in fact the carnal mind cannot even recieve the things of GOD .
Very simple yet very true answers . OH it can easily be answered . But do remember
to the carnal mind of man its foolishness , neither can he discern it .
OH YEAH , ITS JESUS preaching t ime . And i shall not preach the wisdom of man LEST the CROSS of CHRIST be made of no effect .
All we need to do is speak the TRUTH . You can show them creation itself , but even then
Many will not hear thee . Its so simple my friend . ONLY GOD can open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf .
ALL we need do is simpy preach CHRIST JESUS to them . He who hears amen and he who forbears WOE unto them .

 

[amigo de christo]

Here is what any Christian needs to know to deal with whatever happens in life.

1.) "I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me".

2.) ""God who spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with him also freely (graciously) give us all things""?

3.) """Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."""

4.) """"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, ""

and yet this sure aint what the most unholy ecumeincal interfaith teaches . IT LIES to this people and to all the false religions .
IT d oes not preach BELIEF IN , FAITH IN CHRIST
it sells a lie . And you can bet from your top to your bottom dollar , THIS SHEEP aint sitting anywhere near it .
I expose it . we b etter all start doing the same to help this people OUT of this snare and fast .

 

[Chrysostomos]

of course we cannot be reading it twenty four seven .
And of course we can and SHOULD edify , exhort , yes even CORRECT one another .
Be hearers and doers . But be IN that BIBLE to learn for ourselves .
Because what i say to one i say to all , MANY wolves in wool abound now .
And all men must be tested and done so against the TRUTH of scripture .
IF even peter and barnabas , WHO I KNOW KNEW TRUTH , could get caught up into a dissumlation
THEN who is we TO TRUST IN MAN as though man be god and his word be truth .
NO sir . all men must be tested and every time they do speak , or write
IT must always be tested . Beware cause , peter and barnabas were not wolves . they just messed up and were corrected .
BUT WE NOW HAVE a number of wolves buried within christendom and many leading it
And forget trying to count the number of them . SO yeah , get in the bible and be refreshed in it .

You keep pointing out the obvious: the world is full of evil, people deceive each other, and churches are riddled with wolves in sheep’s clothing. You also claim all churches distort the Truth, but you never provide a single specific example, which makes it sound like baseless accusations. Nobody disputes that we should read the Bible—it’s essential. But now you say we “can and MUST edify, exhort, and even CORRECT one another.” Here’s the issue: to edify, exhort, or correct, you need personal credibility, a track record, some qualities that prove you’re capable of guiding others. Otherwise, it’s like a broke person teaching how to get rich or someone with obesity lecturing on how to get fit.

Look at the internet—countless coaches, gurus, and self-help “experts” are out there. Before they sell a paid course, they have to offer content that’s valuable for free, something people actually want. If your advice isn’t useful even for free, who’s going to buy it? Nobody. So, before you talk about edifying, exhorting, or correcting, show us your fruit—your personal example. I don’t know you personally, but from what I see on this forum, you’re a bit of a one-trick pony.
How do you demonstrate the kind of life that earns the right to correct others in today’s skeptical world?

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not trying to dismiss your point here. Far from it. Everything I wrote above applies to me too. You talk about edifying, exhorting, and correcting others, but I’m thinking: who am I to edify, exhort, or correct? Everyone around me thinks they’re better than me, and honestly, I don’t see myself as better than them either. Sometimes I can barely edify or correct myself, yet you’re talking about guiding others. That’s the whole issue—there are no real authorities, no rabbis, gurus, or shamans anymore. Everyone just spouts theologically perfect phrases that sound great but have zero practical value in today’s world.

 

[amigo de christo]

You keep pointing out the obvious: the world is full of evil, people deceive each other, and churches are riddled with wolves in sheep’s clothing. You also claim all churches distort the Truth, but you never provide a single specific example, which makes it sound like baseless accusations. Nobody disputes that we should read the Bible—it’s essential. But now you say we “can and MUST edify, exhort, and even CORRECT one another.” Here’s the issue: to edify, exhort, or correct, you need personal credibility, a track record, some qualities that prove you’re capable of guiding others. Otherwise, it’s like a broke person teaching how to get rich or someone with obesity lecturing on how to get fit.

Look at the internet—countless coaches, gurus, and self-help “experts” are out there. Before they sell a paid course, they have to offer content that’s valuable for free, something people actually want. If your advice isn’t useful even for free, who’s going to buy it? Nobody. So, before you talk about edifying, exhorting, or correcting, show us your fruit—your personal example. I don’t know you personally, but from what I see on this forum, you’re a bit of a one-trick pony.
How do you demonstrate the kind of life that earns the right to correct others in today’s skeptical world?

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not trying to dismiss your point here. Far from it. Everything I wrote above applies to me too. You talk about edifying, exhorting, and correcting others, but I’m thinking: who am I to edify, exhort, or correct? Everyone around me thinks they’re better than me, and honestly, I don’t see myself as better than them either. Sometimes I can barely edify or correct myself, yet you’re talking about guiding others. That’s the whole issue—there are no real authorities, no rabbis, gurus, or shamans anymore. Everyone just spouts theologically perfect phrases that sound great but have zero practical value in today’s world.

Man you think too much my friend . WHY worry what others think about you .
I dont .
Our duty is to simply live , to speak and to do TRUTH .
Dont worry about what others think or might think or might do .
We cannot open the eyes of the blind , we cannot unstop the ears of the deaf .
GOD CAN . SO preach JESUS to them and remind all beleivers of all things HE did teach and later the apostels did teach .
The cards fall where they fall my friend . I cannot , you cannot , man cannot give the increase .
OUR DUTY is to simply have learned , and keep that original pattern LEFT BY CHRIST , given to the apostels
who then would give it unto the churches . Wanna be a co helper to the truth and help keep a church safe
THEN LETS start reminding them OF the TRUTH in them there scriptures , as well as what GOD gives us to say .

 

[Chrysostomos]

Man you think too much my friend . WHY worry what others think about you .
I dont .
Our duty is to simply live , to speak and to do TRUTH .
Dont worry about what others think or might think or might do .
We cannot open the eyes of the blind , we cannot unstop the ears of the deaf .
GOD CAN . SO preach JESUS to them and remind all beleivers of all things HE did teach and later the apostels did teach .
The cards fall where they fall my friend . I cannot , you cannot , man cannot give the increase .
OUR DUTY is to simply have learned , and keep that original pattern LEFT BY CHRIST , given to the apostels
who then would give it unto the churches . Wanna be a co helper to the truth and help keep a church safe
THEN LETS start reminding them OF the TRUTH in them there scriptures , as well as what GOD gives us to say .

So now you’re suggesting we do nothing but endlessly repeat “read the Bible yourself”? You say just “simply live”—but what does that even mean? What does “speak and do TRUTH” look like in practice? So far, I haven’t seen anything new in your words—just the usual, well-known truths and obvious platitudes. Nothing fresh! No original ideas! No personal insights. This isn’t a jab at you—it’s me applying your approach to myself. I couldn’t keep hammering the same obvious, banal, widely known truths with such stubborn repetition. If it works for you, fine, but I couldn't do that .

 

[amigo de christo]

So now you’re suggesting we do nothing but endlessly repeat “read the Bible yourself”? You say just “simply live”—but what does that even mean? What does “speak and do TRUTH” look like in practice? So far, I haven’t seen anything new in your words—just the usual, well-known truths and obvious platitudes. Nothing fresh! No original ideas! No personal insights. This isn’t a jab at you—it’s me applying your approach to myself. I couldn’t keep hammering the same obvious, banal, widely known truths with such stubborn repetition. If it works for you, fine, but I couldn't do that .

No , sadly and with some tears in my eyes it means what i feared at the first it meant .
And i just cannot be a partaker of that . Good bye for now . My prayers shall be for you . But i can see what you are doing
my friend .

 

[Chrysostomos]

No , sadly and with some tears in my eyes it means what i feared at the first it meant .
And i just cannot be a partaker of that . Good bye for now . My prayers shall be for you . But i can see what you are doing
my friend .

I’m puzzled by your response. I asked you one simple question: what do we do besides reading the Bible? You couldn’t answer it. I didn’t dispute anything you said; I only pointed out that to “edify, exhort, and even CORRECT” others, you need to be something like a guru. Doing it the way you do—repeating the same calls to read Scripture—isn’t for me. And now, at this point, you say goodbye with tears in your eyes. That’s the whole story. Are you offended or something? What’s behind this reaction?

 

[amigo de christo]

I’m puzzled by your response. I asked you one simple question: what do we do besides reading the Bible? You couldn’t answer it. I didn’t dispute anything you said; I only pointed out that to “edify, exhort, and even CORRECT” others, you need to be something like a guru. Doing it the way you do—repeating the same calls to read Scripture—isn’t for me. And now, at this point, you say goodbye with tears in your eyes. That’s the whole story. Are you offended or something? What’s behind this reaction?

YEAH I did . you jus didnt see it . What is it about returning to that bible that bothers so many .
World wise carnal intellectual ones are many in these last hours . sadly Th ey know niether GOD or HIS Love
Your wisdom is of the intellectual carnal wisdom . I seen it .
Time to die to it . Dont think i acuse you , I was once YOU . BIBLE TIME friend .
Get in it for at least two hours daily and that is a minimal for now .
And if you like i will also read with you over the phone .
T ime to die to our carnal wisdom of men and time to LIVE unto GOD .
Will folks laugh us , YES
will they think we are dumbies , YES
But the time has come for you my friend
to heed what was long ago written . before i say this , I aint accusing you of being a wolf or devil etc .
But YOU NEED TO HEAR IT and FAST .
LET HE WHO IS WISE IN THIS WORLD BECOME A FOOL that he may indeed BE WISE .
BIBLE TIME . OH THE LORD did that to me too friend . I AINT No better than you . BUT
BUD you gots to get in that bible and its TIME to b ecome a fool to the wisdom of this world .
And as i said , If you like we can read it together too . I do it with others every day .

 

[Chrysostomos]

YEAH I did . you jus didnt see it . What is it about returning to that bible that bothers so many .
World wise carnal intellectual ones are many in these last hours . sadly Th ey know niether GOD or HIS Love
Your wisdom is of the intellectual carnal wisdom . I seen it .
Time to die to it . Dont think i acuse you , I was once YOU . BIBLE TIME friend .
Get in it for at least two hours daily and that is a minimal for now .
And if you like i will also read with you over the phone .
T ime to die to our carnal wisdom of men and time to LIVE unto GOD .
Will folks laugh us , YES
will they think we are dumbies , YES
But the time has come for you my friend
to heed what was long ago written . before i say this , I aint accusing you of being a wolf or devil etc .
But YOU NEED TO HEAR IT and FAST .
LET HE WHO IS WISE IN THIS WORLD BECOME A FOOL that he may indeed BE WISE .
BIBLE TIME . OH THE LORD did that to me too friend . I AINT No better than you . BUT
BUD you gots to get in that bible and its TIME to b ecome a fool to the wisdom of this world .
And as i said , If you like we can read it together too . I do it with others every day .

Great, you’re back in the saddle! Let me be clear: I’ve been reading the Bible regularly for over 20 years and studying it for about 15. So, your call to “read the Bible” might not land the way you expect—it’s already my natural, everyday habit. That’s why I reacted the way I did.

On the other hand, you’ve repeatedly accused the Orthodox Church of distorting the Truth without giving a single example. You also keep taking the teacher’s stance, telling me what I should do. I’m not offended or running off in tears over it, though.
In Russian, we have a great saying for situations like this: “Don’t tell me what to do, and I won’t tell you where to go.” Notice I haven’t once told you where to go.

 

[amigo de christo]

Great, you’re back in the saddle! Let me be clear: I’ve been reading the Bible regularly for over 20 years and studying it for about 15. So, your call to “read the Bible” might not land the way you expect—it’s already my natural, everyday habit. That’s why I reacted the way I did.

On the other hand, you’ve repeatedly accused the Orthodox Church of distorting the Truth without giving a single example. You also keep taking the teacher’s stance, telling me what I should do. I’m not offended or running off in tears over it, though.
In Russian, we have a great saying for situations like this: “Don’t tell me what to do, and I won’t tell you where to go.” Notice I haven’t once told you where to go.

Sometimes we can be a bit prideful .
Allow me to explain .
HAD you been telling me , HEY amigo READ YOUR BIBLE
i had responded the same way when one named DAVIDA told me long ago .
Allow me to tell you of that day that was now over eight years ago .
I had went onto this other site
and had been talking about the SPIRIT the working of the SPIRIT .
davida must have thought i was one of those over spiritulaized ones .
SO they responded in kind by saying to me
YOU NEED TO LEARN THE BIBLE .
To which i said AMEN , that is so lovely a reminder . THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME THIS .
EVEN T ho ugh by grace i had long been reading it hours upon hours daily
by at that time was over eleven years . I didnt go right at them and say HEY D UDE
i already read it . NO I WAS SO H APPY to just hear another one even saying WE NEED TO BE reading it .
I didnt see that in you . you are not being accused , but i do want you to pray about that .
Do you perhaps maybe see yourself a wee bit too high . that is for you not to answer but to pray about .
Nor is it an accusation against you , only a reminder .

 

[amigo de christo]

Great, you’re back in the saddle! Let me be clear: I’ve been reading the Bible regularly for over 20 years and studying it for about 15. So, your call to “read the Bible” might not land the way you expect—it’s already my natural, everyday habit. That’s why I reacted the way I did.

On the other hand, you’ve repeatedly accused the Orthodox Church of distorting the Truth without giving a single example. You also keep taking the teacher’s stance, telling me what I should do. I’m not offended or running off in tears over it, though.
In Russian, we have a great saying for situations like this: “Don’t tell me what to do, and I won’t tell you where to go.” Notice I haven’t once told you where to go.

You dont see me telling you not to take the teachers stance and tell me what to do or what not to do .
TELL me . if what you say is good and right AMEN .
if something you tell me is wrong then yeah i am gonna co rrect .
THE SAME THING i not only want you to do to me BUT I EXPECT you to do for me .
TELL me . I will do the same for you . ARE we not to look out for one another .
HEY if even peter and barnabas slipped up , that means any man can .
SO if you see real e rror in me , OR EVEN if you think its error , TELL ME
i will do the same . WE must do all for the welfare of the other . I hope that helps my friend .
I dont see you as THE ENEMY . I do see too much intellectual thought process in you .
B ut that can be corrected .

 

[Chrysostomos]

Sometimes we can be a bit prideful .
Allow me to explain .
HAD you been telling me , HEY amigo READ YOUR BIBLE
i had responded the same way when one named DAVIDA told me long ago .
Allow me to tell you of that day that was now over eight years ago .
I had went onto this other site
and had been talking about the SPIRIT the working of the SPIRIT .
davida must have thought i was one of those over spiritulaized ones .
SO they responded in kind by saying to me
YOU NEED TO LEARN THE BIBLE .
To which i said AMEN , that is so lovely a reminder . THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME THIS .
EVEN T ho ugh by grace i had long been reading it hours upon hours daily
by at that time was over eleven years . I didnt go right at them and say HEY D UDE
i already read it . NO I WAS SO H APPY to just hear another one even saying WE NEED TO BE reading it .
I didnt see that in you . you are not being accused , but i do want you to pray about that .
Do you perhaps maybe see yourself a wee bit too high . that is for you not to answer but to pray about .
Nor is it an accusation against you , only a reminder .

Look, have I ever refused to study the Bible with you? I’ve started several threads in the Bible Study Forum, and I don’t recall seeing your posts there. I’d be happy to start more! But here’s the thing: Christian forums, whether in the English-speaking internet or the Russian-speaking one, are practically dead. There’s barely any serious discussion about biblical ballistics or controversial points, including translation issues. Everyone keeps saying, “Read and study the Bible,” but when it comes to engaging with actual questions in my threads on the Bible Study Forum, people aren’t exactly rushing to respond. Why is that?

 

[Chrysostomos]

You dont see me telling you not to take the teachers stance and tell me what to do or what not to do .
TELL me . if what you say is good and right AMEN .
if something you tell me is wrong then yeah i am gonna co rrect .
THE SAME THING i not only want you to do to me BUT I EXPECT you to do for me .
TELL me . I will do the same for you . ARE we not to look out for one another .
HEY if even peter and barnabas slipped up , that means any man can .
SO if you see real e rror in me , OR EVEN if you think its error , TELL ME
i will do the same . WE must do all for the welfare of the other . I hope that helps my friend .
I dont see you as THE ENEMY . I do see too much intellectual thought process in you .
B ut that can be corrected .

Over years of engaging in the English-speaking internet, I’ve realized that the culture of communication in the Russian internet (Runet) and the English internet differ wildly. In Runet, people say exactly what they think, no filter—full contact, no rules, blood and guts.

In the English internet, I’m scared to write anything without overthinking my wording seven times to smooth out any “sharp edges,” and still, someone gets offended. If I had to compare, the English internet isn’t even wrestling—it’s a game of who can act more offended or claim to be more insulted. And I keep losing at this game.

 

[amigo de christo]

Over years of engaging in the English-speaking internet, I’ve realized that the culture of communication in the Russian internet (Runet) and the English internet differ wildly. In Runet, people say exactly what they think, no filter—full contact, no rules, blood and guts.

In the English internet, I’m scared to write anything without overthinking my wording seven times to smooth out any “sharp edges,” and still, someone gets offended. If I had to compare, the English internet isn’t even wrestling—it’s a game of who can act more offended or claim to be more insulted. And I keep losing at this game.

i got so tickled at first when i read this . i was like wow i must be RUSSAIN cause i say it like it is
BUT YOU are SPOT ON RIGHT about what you said about our western democratic , i would add SOLD OUT CHURCHES ,
and internet do . ITS ALL ABOUTWHO can play the victim card best . FRIEND YOU NAILED IT SPOT ON RIGHT .
but as you see , THEY DONT RULE ME . GOD DOES .

 

[Grailhunter]

Honestly, I’ve been asked far stranger questions than whether I think the world is flat.

After Yuri Gagarin’s flight on April 12, 1961—the first human in space—Soviet propaganda used him to “disprove” God’s existence. They attributed a famous quote to him: “I was in space and didn’t see God” (or variations like “I looked and looked, but no God”). It was meant to prove God was a myth, with space being empty of anything divine.

In reality, Gagarin never said this. Historians, like Anton Pervushin in *180 Minutes That Changed the World*, and his friends, like cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, say the quote came from Nikita Khrushchev. At a 1961 CPSU Central Committee Plenum, Khrushchev used Gagarin as a prop for his anti-religious campaign: “Gagarin flew through space and saw no God!” This was part of his push to close churches and promote atheism.

Gagarin himself was a believer, secretly baptized according to friends’ accounts, but couldn’t speak openly in the atheist USSR. After his death in 1968, his widow and friends confirmed the quote was propaganda fiction.

Yet, in the USSR and even long after its collapse, people kept asking: “Gagarin was in space and didn’t see God—how do you explain that?”

So, go ahead and try answering that one. See the issue?

The real joke is that those people you call scientists probable believe the world is flat.

 

[Chrysostomos]

The real joke is that those people you call scientists probable believe the world is flat.

Are you seriously saying Gagarin believed in a flat Earth? And that all the Soviet scientists obsessed with the space program thought the Earth was flat? Sorry, but this sounds like total nonsense to me.

 

[Marvelloustime]

You dont see me telling you not to take the teachers stance and tell me what to do or what not to do .
TELL me . if what you say is good and right AMEN .
if something you tell me is wrong then yeah i am gonna co rrect .
THE SAME THING i not only want you to do to me BUT I EXPECT you to do for me .
TELL me . I will do the same for you . ARE we not to look out for one another .
HEY if even peter and barnabas slipped up , that means any man can .
SO if you see real e rror in me , OR EVEN if you think its error , TELL ME
i will do the same . WE must do all for the welfare of the other . I hope that helps my friend .
I dont see you as THE ENEMY . I do see too much intellectual thought process in you .
B ut that can be corrected .

@amigo de christo

 

[Marvelloustime]

YEAH I did . you jus didnt see it . What is it about returning to that bible that bothers so many .
World wise carnal intellectual ones are many in these last hours . sadly Th ey know niether GOD or HIS Love
Your wisdom is of the intellectual carnal wisdom . I seen it .
Time to die to it . Dont think i acuse you , I was once YOU . BIBLE TIME friend .
Get in it for at least two hours daily and that is a minimal for now .
And if you like i will also read with you over the phone .
T ime to die to our carnal wisdom of men and time to LIVE unto GOD .
Will folks laugh us , YES
will they think we are dumbies , YES
But the time has come for you my friend
to heed what was long ago written . before i say this , I aint accusing you of being a wolf or devil etc .
But YOU NEED TO HEAR IT and FAST .
LET HE WHO IS WISE IN THIS WORLD BECOME A FOOL that he may indeed BE WISE .
BIBLE TIME . OH THE LORD did that to me too friend . I AINT No better than you . BUT
BUD you gots to get in that bible and its TIME to b ecome a fool to the wisdom of this world .
And as i said , If you like we can read it together too . I do it with others every day .

@amigo de christo

 

[Grailhunter]

Are you seriously saying Gagarin believed in a flat Earth? And that all the Soviet scientists obsessed with the space program thought the Earth was flat? Sorry, but this sounds like total nonsense to me.

Then what are you saying?
That they do not believe what the Bible says?
Can't have it both ways.
Clarify

 

[amigo de christo]

Are you seriously saying Gagarin believed in a flat Earth? And that all the Soviet scientists obsessed with the space program thought the Earth was flat? Sorry, but this sounds like total nonsense to me.

Have you noticed a huge and deadly error .
I have .
Many learn things like evolution and then they try and pander an image of GOD
to fit THAT concept .
Many do a lot of things like that. THEY take sciences , or philosophies of men
Believe those and then try and recreate the scrips and GOD into the image of such things .
WE should simply learn The scrips for ourselves .
They also do many other things like t ry and make a god into the image of their sin .
For example we have gays that try and mold JESUS , GOD into an god or jesus that accepts their sin .
They do it with the love of money .
They do this a lot with many things . Rather than simply learning the scrips
they try and twist scrips to fit what they already believed and or desire to believe .
They do this with greek words , hermes , exgegis and etc .
I am always watching men use koine greek or etc , and while they use some of it to establish truth
they also use some of it to establish a lie . We need to be on gaurd my friend .