The notjustanotherreligionandpoliticspod's Podcast

Hello, Civilla Morgan here! Welcome to episode one of the Not Just Another Religion and Politics Podcast! Thank you for tuning in!

I have been feverishly writing since deciding to obey God and do this limited-edition podcast. So many episode ideas have popped in and out of my head, but somehow I knew this had to be the first episode.

So here’s the deal:

I want this podcast to speak to people, not yell at people. Whether you are a Believer or not, a Christian or not, I want this podcast to be so plain in its language, that even if you have never stepped foot in a church, you will get this. You will get who Jesus is, and you will get what relationship with Him is like, despite what people--Christians and non-Christians, try to do to get you to turn your back. Come along with me. I promise it will be a really cool experience! And I believe you will learn something new.

Without further ado, here is episode one, ‘I Believe Jesus was an introvert’

Every time Jesus wanted to pray he tried and usually succeeded in getting away from the crowds. Luke 5:16 says ‘But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.’ Jesus was followed a lot. There was always someone who needed healing or had a family member who needed healing.

But He knew how important it was to pray on a regular basis. Which is, by the way, a great habit to practice.

I believe He, like the typical introvert, needed that alone time to recharge.

John 8:1-2, says “ but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.”

Sounds to me like He went to The Mount of Olives alone. I found in some of my research that Jesus probably went out of Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives because He did not have anyone in town willing to put Him up for the night. Everyone knew how threatened by Him the religious leaders were, so no one wanted to risk putting Him up for the night.

So he would show up at the temple during the day, but at night He went into the countryside. I would imagine His disciples were with him most of those times, but He got in His alone time.

As Believers we should all put aside a certain amount of time daily, to pray alone. And yes, we also pray in groups, corporate prayer on Sunday mornings or in small groups.

We are a social race, but we are also individuals. We need to be able to speak to God on our own, to cultivate a relationship as He asked us to do. It’s relationship that He is after. Not religion.

He wants us to talk to Him. To cry out to Him in our pain, or to praise Him when we celebrate.

I believe Jesus’ prayer time rejuvenated him--giving Him what he needed to reach the masses and the individuals on a daily basis. Large or small crowds can sap the energy of the introvert.

As introverts, we tend to be selective about who we have in our circles, on our boat, dare I say, but we can still get hurt. Jesus was hurt by Judas after all. Did you know your betrayers know your schedule? That can be a whole other episode! But the fact is, Judas knew where Jesus would be.

By the way, we will talk about church hurt in a later episode. Stay tuned for that!

Three reasons I believe Jesus was an introvert:

1. He traveled with the same small group of people--his disciples and his good friends, although he helped thousands.
2. He trusted certain of his group to do certain things, in other words, he delegated to his disciples. And seldom if ever, relied on anyone outside his circle to do anything for him. Yet even within his small group, there was a smaller group. He only took three of his disciples with Him to the Mt. of Transfiguration.

‘After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.’--Matthew 17:1-3.

1. He relied on what was reliable, what was proven. In His case, prayer. Prayer is proven. Prayer is answered, even when the answer is not quite what we expected.

Jesus genuinely cared about people. He cared about the heart of man.

‘And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.’--Ezekiel 36:26.

As I wrote and researched the content for this episode, the thought came to my mind: Has anyone posed the question, ‘is Jesus an introvert?’ So I Googled it. Surprise to me! There were several articles on the matter: There was only one that directly talked about Jesus being an introvert or extrovert. I put in the show notes. Be sure to check it out....

Who is God? Is He here right now? What's the difference between religion and relationship? Does God get mad? Is the book of Revelations real? Was Jesus an introvert? All this and more will be discussed in this podcast. Come join us for some very interesting conversation!' “I don't want to see religious bigotry in any form. It would disturb me if there was a wedding between the religious fundamentalists and the political right. The hard right has no interest in religion except to manipulate it.”--Rev. Billy Graham.

Caught in Adultery

Hello, Civilla Morgan here! Welcome to episode 02 of ‘Not Just Another Religion and Politics Podcast’! Thank you for tuning in! So here’s the deal:

I want this podcast to speak to people, not yell at people. Whether you are a Believer or not, a Christian or not, I want this podcast to be so plain in its language, that even if you have never stepped foot in a church, you will get it. You will get who Jesus is, and you will get what relationship with Him could be like, despite what people--Christians and non-Christians, try to do to get you to turn your back. Come along with me. I promise it will be a really cool experience!

So, this story. The more I think about it, the more I believe it is the crux, the cornerstone, of this entire podcast. Every time I read this story my heart gets adjusted. It’s like a re-set, a reminder of who Jesus is and what His primary mission was. He wants us to understand His way and how He wants us to live.

In the Christian church, the sermons preached on this story tend to put the weight of this sin on the woman. Keep in mind, the religious leaders dragged her or had her dragged from the bed of adultery. And if that is the case, where was the man? And really, isn’t it kinda creepy that these men dragged or had her dragged from the bed? What were they doing there?

At any rate, if she was committing adultery, so was the man. Seriously, where was he? Maybe one of those holding stones? But let me not get ahead of myself here!

If you are not familiar with the story, here it is:

Read John 8:1-11.

So, you know that quote, that movement, ‘what would Jesus do’? This is the story I most often think about. Because what He did was to kneel down and start writing in the dirt without saying a word.

When he finally stood up, his handful of words was all that was needed. Just a handful of words sent some very powerful men on their way. They just kinda ambled away. And as the adulteress stood there, she must have wondered in fear, if Jesus would punish her. What was about to happen to her? But Jesus forgives her and tells her not to sin anymore. That’s it! This is my most favorite part, he did not condone her sin and He did not condemn her. He did not sweep it under the rug. He did not try to spare her feelings, and He did not stone her.

The reason I feel this story is the crux of this podcast, the cornerstone, is because I believe it is the fundamental story of why Jesus came to us. Let me explain. Before Jesus came to Earth, there were no Jesus followers. That would be obvious right? But follow along with me. There were no Jesus followers. There were no Christians. There were people who followed the law. And there is nothing wrong with laws. Without them, there would be mayhem. Um, anarchy. I don’t know about you, but I would rather not live in a world of mayhem. As it is we have laws and some days it still feels like mayhem the moment I step out the door. But I digress.

Before Jesus, there were, and still are, other religions, and other religious beliefs. There were and still are, other gods and prophets that are worshipped around the world. Jesus however, is (still) alive. And for the three years, He was on earth, He taught that anyone who chose to follow Him would have to live a life of forgiveness.

He taught, in so many ways, but especially through this story, that there is no sinless human. Every time I read this story my initial thought is to be thankful that no one opted to throw a stone at this woman. Because really, someone in that group could have said ‘well, I am a (religious) leader, I do not sin. No seriously, we all sin. Or they may say, ‘I do not commit this type of sin.’ I’m sure you know people like this. They believe there are certain levels of sin.

In fact, our human logic and thought process says that murder would be a worse sin than gossip. But the fact is, they are both sins. That means no human is exempt from sin. We have all sinned. Romans 3:22-23 says ‘...For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...’ No human is better or worse than the next human.

But sometimes we think we are because we do not commit ‘that type of sin.’ Suppose one of the religious leaders standing there with a stone ready to stone this woman had acted out what he was probably thinking. I don’t sin like that. Hidden sin and public sin, are both sins. Gossip is sin. Murder is sin. Adultery is sin. But Jesus forgives all sin if we ask Him.

So thankfully no one opted to pretend more than they already had by dragging the woman to the town square. They dropped their rocks and backed away. Just kinda disappearing and blending into their little church click. More on church clicks in an upcoming episode.

Seriously, what was Jesus writing in the sand??? In some of my research, some thought He was writing the sins of ea...

• Church Hurt (Doesn’t have to lead to Church Hopping)

Hello, Civilla Morgan here! Welcome to episode 03 of the Not Just Another Religion and Politics Podcast! Thank you for tuning in! So here’s the deal:

I want this podcast to speak to people, not yell at people. Whether you are a Believer or not, a Christian or not, I want this podcast to be so plain in its language, that even if you have never stepped foot in a church, you will get this. You will get who Jesus is, and you will get what relationship with Him could be like, despite what people--Christians and non-Christians, try to do to get you to turn your back. Come along with me. I promise it will be a really cool experience!

Let’s begin!

I did several searches for the definition of church hurt. Not because I do not know what it is, but because I like to provide proof for what I speak of and discuss. However, of all of the searching I did, I could not get Google to give me a definition. It kept giving me articles, YouTube videos, and blogs, on the issue of church hurt.

So since I could not get an actual definition, I decided to tell you what church hurt is from first-hand knowledge. You see, if you have attended church for any amount of time, chances are you have suffered church hurt. Whether it was something the pastor said from the pulpit that was not Biblical or not said in love, and that managed to pierce your heart leaving the commentary rolling around in your head for days, weeks, or months.

Maybe it was the way a church leader spoke to you or something they said to you that was not said in love, or maybe it was something someone said about you that was untrue so that they could get a visible position in the church. Or how about this one, someone who has been in the church for decades But treats people with rampant disrespect.

Look, the list goes on. There are a million and one ways to be the victim of church hurt. Who knows, you may have even hurt someone in church and they just never said anything. We are all humans. And as we all know, humans are flawed. This is why there is no perfect church. Because the church is composed of imperfect people.

Does the fact that the church is composed of imperfect humans make it OK for people to go around hurting each other? No.

Here’s the thing: most people go to church because they want a change in their lives. They want to see positive changes in their families. And those are all wonderful reasons to go to church. Some people even want a closer relationship with Jesus, with God, which is ultimately what we should all be striving for.

On the other hand, some people will say we do not have to go to church to have a relationship with God. And many times these decisions are made because they have been church hurt. But if we want to live in the way the Bible instructs us, well Hebrews 10:24-25 says ‘And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.’

Despite the possibility of church hurt, which if you think about it Jesus was quite familiar with, this scripture is saying we should still gather together. Paul, the author of the book of Hebrews was also well aware of church hurt. He was doing the hurting! If Jesus and Paul were church hurt and church hurting yet they still felt gathering together was important, well, do not allow church hurt to dictate to you the thought process that you do not have to go to church to be a Believer.

I am by no means saying you will go to Hell if you do not go to church. I am saying that gathering together is important because it is a strengthener. You’ve heard the term ‘strength in numbers’. We are, after all, beings who were made for relationships. Yes, many of us can spend hours, even days in our own company. But it is still good and healthy to have positive human interaction.

At any rate, people go to and join their local church for many reasons. They go to: interact with like-minded people, to fulfill some type of civic duty, to find a spouse, to obtain a position in their local church which might lead to a secular position in their community, the list of reasons goes on.

Speaking of a secular position in their community, some churches are run like secular corporations. And of course, there is nothing wrong with a church that is run like a corporation. We serve a God of order. But some churches can be run so secular that people can become cutthroat to get the coveted position they seek. The leadership will not notice or take seriously what is going on right under their noses because they do not see anything wrong with being cutthroat, or they do not hear from God about whom to put where.

But lest I digress, because in a future episode we will be talking about how God deals with leaders, ...

Nehemiah and The Case for Guns in Church

Hello, Civilla Morgan here! Welcome to episode 05 of the Not Just Another Religion and Politics Podcast! Thank you for tuning in! So here’s the deal:

I want this podcast to speak to people, not yell at people. Whether you are a Believer or not, a Christian or not, I want this podcast to be so plain in its language, that even if you have never stepped foot in a church, you will get this.

You will get who Jesus is, and you will get what relationship with Him could be like, despite what people--Christians and non-Christians, try to do to get you to turn your back. Come along with me. I promise it will be a really cool experience!

Recently, my dad and I were talking about the recent rash of church shootings. Like any normal human being, he was really disheartened that people could not even feel safe in church, being murdered as they worshipped. As of this recording, the most recent shooting was in White Settlement, Texas in late December 2019. Two parishioners were shot while worship service was going on, ‘before a member of the church’s volunteer security team fatally shot him, the authorities said.’

If it wasn’t for the security team, and the team member with a gun being in the right place at the right time in particular, more people probably would have been killed. No doubt. See the entire New York Times article in the show notes for this episode.

My dad felt it was weird that there were people attending church services who carried guns, I thought it was a great idea. He disagreed. And I understood what he meant. He felt, like a lot of Christians, that God’s protection should be enough. But then I asked ‘well what about Nehemiah?’

Nehemiah? Who is Nehemiah you ask? Well, before I tell you, let me give you a little back story. Nehemiah was going through a lot, and it would get worse before it got better. But let me not get ahead of myself.

The book of Nehemiah starts out with him narrating his life just before he set out on the journey of his lifetime.

1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:

He says...

In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said:

Then he prayed: quote:

Nehemiah’s Prayer:

“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees, and laws you gave your servant Moses.’ --Nehemiah 1:1-7. Unquote.

Nehemiah was born to Jewish parents who were held in exile in a land that had gone to war with his homeland and taken his people captive many years earlier. Yet he was cupbearer to the king of the land that had taken his people captive. After praying his prayer, one day he went to serve the King who noticed he did not seem himself and asked him what was wrong. Nehemiah told the king, and here is the conversation they had:

6 Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

7 I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. 9 So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.’--Nehemiah 2:6-9.

Sounds great right? Like wow, God’s favor was with Nehemiah because he was doing a great thing. Well, ever hear the term ‘no good deed goes unpunished’? Apparently the term has been attributed to multiple people. But nevertheless, it’s usually true. And it was in this case as well. You see, this would be about the time Nehemiah’s nemeses come on the scene.

‘When Sanballa...