Edify Issue (September/October 2020)

volume 9, issue 5

EDIFY no 5

september/october 2020

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2020

STAFF

CREATIVE DIRECTOR &

HEAD EDITOR

Amanda Brown

WRITERS

Kara Linaburg / Rebecca

Caraway / Lisa Elis / Anna

Mcauley / Allison Geckeler /

Olivia Nickerson / Jo A. Ruth /

Ghevont Panosian / Eve Parnell /

Nicole Ann

BRAND STRATEGIST

Allison Joiner

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

Hannah Mae Linder

PHOTOGRAPHY

Sara Gingerich

MODELS

Maddi Adams / Tori Allen

/ Emily Furtney / Courtney

Patton

ILLUSTRATORS

Jordan Stevenson / Hanne T.

/ Lisa Eliss

MARKETING MANAGER

Kayla Johansen

PROOFREADERS

Lisa Elis

Volume No. 9, Issue No. 5

WWW.OHBELOVEDONE.COM

CONTENTS

EDIFY: building up the believers

kingdom creatives: hannah mae linder 04

edify quick start guide 08

JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 1 13

imagine what we could do 14

rooted in love 20

imagine what

we could do

14

humility is better 32

stumbling liability ahead 34


the pride thing 40

songs of edification 44

rebuke is not a bad word 46

the pride thing

40


convert vs. proclaim 23

quotes on edifying 28

credits 51

cover: photo of Maddi Adams and Tori Allen by Sara Gingerich

books on edifying 30

visit

WWW.OHBELOVEDONE.COM

to purchase previous magazines

EDITOR’S NOTE

Amanda Brown

EDITOR - IN - CHIEF

No one believes that I’m an introvert, but I am. Not only am I

an introvert, but I will do nearly anything to avoid conflict. If

someone is mad at me or I’ve had a fight, it ruins my whole day;

I can’t function until I know that the person has forgiven me,

whether I’m in the wrong or not.

I tell you this because I used to believe that this was a strength.

While it is in some ways, it’s also a weakness. This means that

standing up for the truth at the risk of peace isn’t my first

choice. I’m good at the encouraging part of edification . . . but

the rebuking? Not so much.

So what if someone is heading down a path of self-destruction?

Someone else will tell them what’s what, and I can be there to

pick up the pieces.

But this simply isn’t what God has called us to do. We are

supposed to speak the truth in love. We are supposed to be there

to be God’s tool of both encouragement and discipline.

Here’s the thing: watching another Christian destroy their

life simply isn’t love. It may seem like it at the time, or the

comfort we feel in staying out of it may make us feel like we

aren’t responsible, but the voice asking us to speak up is the

Holy Spirit. This issue is really eye-opening; it’s a call for me,

and others like me, to get outside of their comfort zone and

understand that love isn’t a quiet pushover.

photo by abby marasigan and sara gingerich

And sometimes tough love is the sweetest.

amanda brown + team

I wish inspiration was shoveled out like

negative words are. I wish inspiration was

easily restored.

I wish it were easier to encourage than it is to

discourage.

I wish we knew our worth was entirely decided

by God️ and not us.

I wish I didn’t have to remind myself this every

day.

— julia ryan

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM KINGDOM CREATIVE

k i n g d o m

c r e a t i v e s

meet hannah

mae linder

CREATIVE

OUTLETS

Designing book covers is definitely

one of my favorite creative outlets! I

love everything from the font styles to

the infinite colors to the Photoshop

workroom. Endless possibilities!

BUILDING

UP

how I edify others

with my creative

abilities

Because I am also a Christian

author, many of the customers

that come my way are fellow

believers, which opens up many

doors for new friendships,

encouragement, and more!

I am truly blessed with the

opportunities God has placed

in my path and with all the

wonderful authors I deal with

daily.

Find Hannah . . .

Books: hannahlinderbooks.com

Design: hannahlinderdesigns.com

GOD-GIVEN

CHARACTERISTICS

how God has prepped me for my purpose

I am also an author, so when I work with

my customers, I understand them on a

more personal level. I feel like all writers

share a deep, passionate set of personality

traits—so I certainly feel like that shared

connection has been an added blessing in

my line of work.

BEST

ADVICE

for fellow creatives

Be bold! Try something new,

something outstanding, and

keep working with your project

until everything has purpose and

beauty.

OH BELOVED ONE | 4

E CHART STICKER / NEW IN THE SHOPNEW IN THE SHOP / OT COMPARATIVE CHART STICKER / NEW IN THE SHOP / COMPARATIV

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM SHOP

/ OT COMPARATIVE CHART STICKER / ONLINE NOW

OH BELOVED ONE | 5

EDIFY

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the

idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the

weak, be patient with them all.

1 Thessalonians 5:14

OH BELOVED ONE | 6

OH BELOVED ONE | 7

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM EDIFY QUICK START GUIDE

by rebecca caraway

OH BELOVED ONE | 8


First off, to edify someone

means to “instruct someone

in a way that enlightens

them or uplifts them

morally, spiritually, or

intellectually,” according

to YourDictionary.com.

illustrations by lisa elis

So how can we as Christians

edify someone? If you know me,

you know that my love language

is quality time. There are

so many great ways to edify

someone while spending time

with them.

OH BELOVED ONE | 9


I have a friend who is what we

could call a baby Christian.

They don’t have much Bible

knowledge but are very eager

to learn. So I offered to go

through a devotional with

them. This is a great way to

get to know someone and build

a closer relationship to God.

OH BELOVED ONE | 10


A great way to edify

yourself and someone else

is to serve in ministry

together. Know you don’t

have to commit to a yearlong

ministry or even a

year-long mission trip.

You can spend a day at a

soup kitchen, help with

church clean-up, assist an

elderly person with yard

work, or even just clean up

trash from your local beach

or park. Serving and doing

acts of kindness together

will grow both you and the

other person.

OH BELOVED ONE | 11


My aunt is a frequent

attendee of prayer meetings

and even tries to pray

at her local church

every Friday meeting. She

constantly reminds me how

powerful prayer can be. Try

setting a time with someone

to pray together. Pray for

each other, your church,

political leaders, and your

community.

Helping someone grow in

their faith isn’t easy,

but you can grow together.

A relationship with God

takes work, but it’s the

most important relationship

you’ll have.

meet the

author

Rebecca Caraway is a freshman at Allan Hancock college on the central coast of California. When she’s not writing,

reading, or watching Netflix, you can find her in a coffee shop drinking a salted caramel iced latte with her friends.

OH BELOVED ONE | 12

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 1

EDIFY TODAY.

RIGHT NOW.

What devotional would you like to go through with a friend?

Write down a friend and a study to start next week!

How can you serve with a friend?

Can you start a prayer meeting? Map out where/how you'll

meet, when you'll meet, and who to invite.

OH BELOVED ONE | 13

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM IMAGINE WHAT WE COULD DO

iMAGiNE

WHaT WE

CoULD DO

by lisa elis

OH BELOVED ONE | 14

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Have you ever worked on a project

long and hard, and when you were

done, someone looked at it and

said, “You did a really good job!”?

Isn’t it interesting how just a few

words of encouragement can

almost pour new life into you?

IMAGINE WHAT WE COULD DO

In our previous Serve issue,

I was delighted with the

article on spiritual gifts.

While thinking about this

particular article that I am

now writing, I realized how

the gift of encouraging is

really connected to edifying.

A synonym of edify is

to uplift, and isn’t

encouragement a way to

uplift? While some of us

might seem more “gifted” in

encouragement, it’s a skill

and trait that we all should

seek to learn and nurture.

Imagine if the Christian

community would band

together to encourage

one another to continue

doing good—if we would

all encourage each other

to keep walking the path of

service laid out for us.

If we’d hold and lift each

other up.

“... complete my

joy by being of the

same mind, having

the same love, being

in full accord and of

one mind . . .”

Phil. 2:2

And as with everything, such

a practice starts with each

one of us. Here are a few

practical ways to encourage

your spiritual family to

continue doing the good

work they are doing.

OH BELOVED ONE | 15


PRAY.

“I know that through

your prayers and

the help of the Spirit

of Jesus Christ this

will turn out for my

deliverance.”

Phil. 1:19

I’m placing this first because

prayer is really one of the

most important things one

can do for someone else. It

bridges time and space, and

it doesn’t even take that much

from us. When we pray for

others, we’re lifting them up

to God Almighty, the Creator

of the universe.

I like to think of it in terms of

Jesus' parable, The Midnight

Friend, where one man

begged for bread on behalf

of another friend (Luke 11).

Prayer is powerful, let us

believe that. And don’t forget

to tell your friend you are

praying for them, because

it means so much when

someone takes the time to do

something like this for you.

OH BELOVED ONE | 16


connect.

“Let each of you

look not only to his

own interests, but

also to the interests

of others.” Phil. 2:4

Reach out. Talk. Listen.

Respond. Ask questions. Be

interested.

I think we take connection for

granted sometimes. Isn’t it

encouraging when someone

takes the time to listen to

what you have to say? When

they reply with interest?

When they actually reach out

to see how you are?

surprised when someone

does it to me. The other day,

a friend texted just to say

hi and how are you and it

made me pause. What does

it mean, I asked myself, that

they took the time to do this

for me? That time was only

10 seconds probably, but

showing someone that you

care and think about them is

encouragement already.

While I try to reach out to

people myself, I still feel

OH BELOVED ONE | 17

ESEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM IMAGINE WHAT WE COULD DO

N

C

O

U

R

A

G

E

“I am sure of this,

that he who began

a good work in

you will bring it to

completion at the

day of Jesus Christ.”

Phil. 1:6

By encouraging, I mean

verbally telling others, "Good

job. I’m proud of you. You can

do it. I’m praying for you."

Finding words can sometimes

be hard, but I don’t think it

really takes much to convey

to someone that you think

they are doing something

worthwhile. I think it’s worth

it to go out of your way

sometimes to tell someone

that you appreciate their

work.

To your friend in childrens’

ministry, text them and tell

them that what they’re doing

is worthwhile. To your sister

who goes out of her way to

do the dishes, let her know

you appreciate it. To the one

who wrote you a birthday

card, write back and express

how much it meant to you.

I once read somewhere that

we raise others up by finding

the good in them, and I think

it’s true.

OH BELOVED ONE | 18


praise.

“If there is anything

worthy of praise,

think about these

things.” Phil. 4:8

One step up from telling the

person that they did well

is to tell OTHERS that the

person did well. I think we all

agree that we shouldn’t do

good things just to be seen

by others or try to promote

our own deeds. But there’s a

difference when you notice

someone else’s work and

bring it to others’ attention.

Think about all the Christian

testimonies that you

have read—weren’t they

encouraging? It can be

an encouragement for the

one who did something

good, and it can also be an

encouragement for those

hearing about it.

You can say something like,

“I was encouraged when I

saw so-and-so helping her

neighbor.” You can shout

out your friend’s ministry

on social media. You can

gather others together to

visit someone who is working

hard. It shows that you

appreciate them. It shows

that they and their work

matter to you.

I think that

encouraging others

takes awareness

and purposefulness;

it’s something that

has to be cultivated

and practiced,

not something

that comes to us

naturally. So let’s

start practicing. And

remember that if we

seek God’s help and

guidance, He will

teach us and enable

us to do all things.

meet the

author

Lisa Elis is a busy high school junior from Canada who spends her free time chasing many literary interests. She's also into art

and design, orchids and sunshine, plus all things that grow her wanderlust. Find her scrambling to post every week at www.

thisinkwell.blogspot.com.

OH BELOVED ONE | 19

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM ROOTED IN LOVE

rooted

in love

by anna mcauley

OH BELOVED ONE | 20


illustration by jordan stevenson

Have you ever needed to rebuke

a friend? Rebuking is pretty

harsh, isn’t it? And yet, when

necessary, we’re supposed to rebuke our

friends or relatives . . . in love. It’s almost

an oxymoron. But sometimes we see

someone we love falling into a sin or

habit we know is wrong or harmful. If we

truly care about them, we should want to

address that with them, right?

It isn’t loving to sit back and remain silent

while we allow a close friend or family

member to continue in something we

know is harmful to them.

For some people, storing up the courage

to call out a friend on a wrongdoing

can be the hardest part . . . but what

about those of us who are bold enough

to feel comfortable having those hard

conversations?

You know the type—or maybe you are

the type. You’re able to speak up about

things that matter to you, and you’re not

timid when it comes to hard situations.

If you’re a bold person who has no

problem speaking their mind, the trouble

with rebuking comes when you try to

rebuke someone in a way that is loving,

not condescending or shaming. It’s a

tricky situation; no one likes to be called

out when they’ve done something wrong,

and if you don’t do it delicately, the

situation can quickly escalate.

However, I firmly believe that it is

completely possible to rebuke a friend

lovingly . . . even if you’re bold and maybe

a bit outspoken. There are a few things

that you can keep in mind when facing

one of these difficult conversations with a

friend. These have really helped me when

I’ve struggled with this whole rebuking

thing.

1 2

The first thing to do in this situation

(as well as any situation in life) is pray.

I can’t stress this enough. Take just a

moment to talk to God. Tell Him about

the situation and ask for His guidance.

Ask that He would help you to navigate

the conversation in a loving, patient,

and humble manner. Pray that the other

person would be receptive and that your

words would gently correct, not hurt

them.

Secondly, be sure to be humble when

rebuking someone. We’ve all sinned and

made mistakes, and no sin is worse than

another. Even if you can’t relate to the

situation at hand, be sure to communicate

in a way that portrays the fact that you are

a sinner merely seeking to help another

sinner out . . . not a perfect saint helping

someone inferior.

OH BELOVED ONE | 21


3

Believe me, when you speak in a

condescending tone, it is never received

well. Be really aware of your tone. Tone

can make a world of difference.

4

Last but not least, be sure your friend

knows why you decided to reach out and

address this issue with them.

Communicate to them that you’re

speaking out of love, you care enough to

rebuke, and you love them too much to

let this issue go without speaking up.

Be sure you can also communicate clearly

why the sin, habit, etc. in question is

a problem in the first place—it helps

to have a solid foundation/reason for

bringing it up in the first place.

Rebuking is never easy, but

if you approach the situation with thoughtfulness, gentleness, and patience, the

conversation can be navigated in a way that truly is helpful and loving. As with all

things, we are to be deeply rooted in love when we see the need to rebuke a friend.

meet the

author

Anna is a student + creative from Raleigh, North Carolina. She loves dabbling in all forms of creativity, from watercolors, to

digital art/design, to writing, and seeks to glorify God in her creativity more and more. She’s a huge fan of nature and coffee;

you can usually find her outside enjoying an iced latte.

OH BELOVED ONE | 22

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM CONVERT VS. PROCLAIM

C O N V E R T

versus

PROCLAIM

For me it’s never been about

finding the right person

to help, but more about

changing how I live.

by kara linaburg

OH BELOVED ONE | 23


“I’m self-harming, but I can’t tell anyone but you.”

“I think it would be better if I wasn’t alive.”

“My dad abused me in front of my mom and she didn’t try to stop him.”

Just writing these statements takes me

back to those high-school days when I

was approached by friends asking for

my help out of these dark, gut-turning,

terrible life situations I was far from

equipped to help with. And while some

of these people have since faded from my

life, and I may never know the impact I

had on them, the impact they had on me

will last a lifetime.

Through them, I was challenged to

address my own questions about life

and answer ones I never saw coming.

I was humbled to admit when I didn't

understand. I’ve been hurt when they

misread my intentions as a goody-goody

Christian just trying to turn them into

conversion projects (and sadly when

looking back, sometimes they were probably

right).

A little backstory for you: I didn’t plan

for mentoring to become a passion in

my life. I just knew that for some reason

people would approach me with their

problems. However, now it has become

one of my biggest joys, and when I

learned that Oh Beloved One was having

a whole issue dedicated to the topic, I was

ecstatic.

For me it’s never been about finding the

right person to help, but it’s been more

about changing how I live. I need to

remain a judge-free safe house for those

already in my life. I seek to let how I live

be an open invitation for others to come

and stay as long as they like.

vulnerability

& honesty

I’ve also learned that people are more

willing to open up to you when you remain

vulnerable and honest about your own

struggles. It’s not about baring your

soul to total strangers, but remaining

authentic and honest and admitting

when you don’t have the answers.

Being a mentor is not about dishing

out advice you know nothing about,

or pouncing on a struggling friend

with Bible verses in hopes she’ll listen.

OH BELOVED ONE | 24


step

BY step

Mentoring is a process, a step-by-step

journey that doesn’t come with a how-to

guide.

Mentoring isn’t about accomplishing a

certain number of steps, ticking off the

boxes, or gaining a feeling of euphoria

knowing you did something amazing.

Mentoring is about stepping into the

murky waters and walking alongside our

fellow brokens no matter what.

WHOOPS

My first big flub was when I began to

mentor in the early days of high school.

I was zealous and excited to have these

people coming to me, determined to

convert my “secular” friends ASAP. When

they came to me for advice, I’d send them

faith-based songs, read Bible verses, and

lend out Christian books in hopes of

saving their lost souls.

This is not what it means to mentor.

A mentor means “an advisor,” but instead

of listening and learning and asking

questions, I ranted my views whether they

wanted to hear them or not. Instead of

patiently being there for them, I felt

defeated when they rejected my whacking

them over the head with Christian media I

deemed utterly paramount in their lives.

I just couldn’t understand why they didn’t

accept my side, the “right” side. They were

going to die and go to Hell and I was

powerless to stop it.

OH BELOVED ONE | 25


And that’s when God whispered into my

heart, “it’s not your job to convert them.”

Reread that.

It’s not my

job to convert

anyone.

I thought I was the answer in their life.

The one answer to convert them to Jesus

and fix their lives.

I’m not.

God has called us to share the gospel,

which is otherwise known as the Good

News. What is the Good News? That

Jesus came down to earth to save us

from our sins, dying and defeating death

once and for all so our past, present, and

future selves no longer have to define us.

“And he said to them, 'Go into all the

world and proclaim the gospel to the whole

creation.’” Mark 16:15

We are called to proclaim the gospel, but

the job of softening their hearts towards

it is God’s job and His only.

As mentors, we are advisors in peoples’

lives, a small piece in the puzzle of their

story. God has called me to love, to

correct with gentleness, and to teach

patiently (2 Timothy 2:24–26). Key

word: patiently. Sadly, change rarely

happens overnight, and many times we

as mentors won’t get to experience that

change firsthand.

God never said, “go into all the world

and convert and be the change and save

all the lost souls.”

That’s not a job He has given me.

That’s all Him.

No, it’s our job to stand together in

love, to hold one another up, and we

don’t need to look far. We are all a mess,

desperately in need of another hand, of

real and authentic love that gives us a

judge-free zone. Mentoring is rarely a

heroic journey where we get to see the

darkness defeated with a giant bang. It’s

not always a pretty picture with every

piece falling into place.

Sometimes it’s quietly being available to

someone and simply showing up.

Sometimes it’s simply not giving up on

them no matter how many times they

hurt you and walk away.

That can mean the most.

God never said

"Go into all the

world and convert

and be the change

and save all the

lost souls."

meet the

author

Kara Linaburg is passionate about finding beauty in brokenness, heart-to-heart talks, and hugs. When she's not planning

her next adventure, she's probably reading under a tree somewhere. Find her young adult fantasy books and read her blog

at www.thebeautifullybrokenblog.com.

OH BELOVED ONE | 26

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM THE SMILE PROJECT

Spreading Hope

and Joy One

Package at a Time

The Smile Project a Christian ministry of

encouragement through the hand-written

word—aka happy mail!

To learn more and find out how YOU can join our happy

mail movement, please visit our website thesmileproject20.

weebly.com

OH BELOVED ONE | 27

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM QUOTES

QUOTES

by allison geckeler

OH BELOVED ONE | 28

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM QUOTES

meet the

author

Allison Geckeler is a painter from Atlanta, Georgia. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Theology and Ministry from Fuller Seminary.

Her ultimate goal is to reunite the Church with its passion for visual art. In order to do this Allison creates art that is dynamic and filled

with stories. Her inspiration for her visual art and writing often comes from what she is learning through her community, worship, and

Scripture. You can find her work on IG @madebyallison.

OH BELOVED ONE | 29

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM BOOKS ON SERVING

1 5

2

4

3

OH BELOVED ONE | 30

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM BOOKS ON SERVING

books on

edifying

edifying

compiled

by

kara linaburg

1LOVING OTHERS IN A BROKEN WORLD BY KARA LINABURG / Am I completely shameless

in recommending my own book (which, might I add, was published by OBO)? *hides face* Probably . . . However, my hope in writing

this was to give people an honest and raw guide on what it means to love others as Jesus did, which fits this magazine issue’s theme

perfectly.

2MAKING SENSE OF YOUR WORLD BY W. GARY PHILLIPS, WILLIAM E. BROWN,

AND JOHN STONESTREET / This is not a book on mentoring, but for me it was the first step to understanding others

who may not share my worldview. First read in college, I found this book to be a vital tool not only when it comes to defending why I

believe what I believe, but also mentoring effectively.

3ALONGSIDE BY DREW HILL /I’ve gone back to this book countless times in my mentoring journey. Alongside is not

only on how to reach out to teens and young adults, but how to reach out as Jesus did.

4UNOFFENDABLE BY BRANT HANSEN / I feel like it’s hard to go through life without stepping on someone’s

toes (or feeling like mine are getting stepped on in the process!). Hansen proclaims that “righteous anger” is a myth and it’s time to give

up our “right” to being offended and instead to love unconditionally.

5IN 27 DAYS BY ALISON GERVAIS / This young adult fiction book would not be categorized as “Christian” but

is an eye-opening story on how we can impact the world, one simple gesture at a time. It really changed how I mentor, making me see

that one choice can change a life. (I would rate this PG for brief and sometimes frank discussions about suicide and death.)

OH BELOVED ONE | 31

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM HUMILITY IS BETTER

humility is better

by olivia nickerson

None of us like to be corrected.

It hurts our pride and our

egos. At times, however, it can

be extremely helpful, not only for our

personal growth, but also for our Christian

growth.

I remember the huge growing period that

I went through when I started my first job.

It took God’s grace and humility for me to

really be able to grow from the correction

that I had to face with the mistakes I

made. I look back to where I was and

compare it with where I am now, and I am

so thankful for that correction that (only

by God alone) helped me to grow and

mature into more of a godly woman, with

much more growth ahead!

I think people in general tend to look at

correction/rebuke in a negative light. But

in reality, it can be very beneficial, if we

have the right attitude toward it. I have

some practical (and hopefully helpful)

tips to follow when faced with correction.

Obviously every situation is different, but I

hope this encourages you!

OH BELOVED ONE | 32

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM HUMILITY IS BETTER

PRAY FOR

GOD'S GRACE

I’ll be the first to admit that hearing

correction isn’t the easiest, but pray for

God’s strength and grace to accept it in

humility. James 4:6 says, “But he gives more

grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the

proud but gives grace to the humble.’”

God will help you if you have a humble

spirit. Go to Him, for we are weak and

sinful.

LISTEN

No matter who may be correcting you,

despite what you think, listen to what they

have to say before you respond. The Bible

commands us to “be quick to hear, slow to

speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19). Before

you rush to judgment or anger, make sure

you’re listening.

Sometimes, others may know better than

you and it is important to realize that.

They could have some great advice and

encouragement for your growth and

maturity. Imagine if you missed out on

that by flying off the handle and getting

angry! In the case that they are wrong

and just misjudged you, be gracious with

them. Appreciate their care and concern.

You’d probably do the same for them!

BE HUMBLE

Now that they’ve expressed their

correction, how should you respond?

Are you going to respond with anger

and defensiveness? Or are you going to

respond with humility, appreciating their

honesty? Let’s see what the Bible tells us to

do. Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes,

then comes disgrace, but with the humble is

wisdom.” It is wise to be humble, but pride

will only ruin things.

APPLY IT TO

YOUR LIFE

You can’t just hear what they say and let it

go in one ear and out the other. If you’re

wise, apply it to your life!

For example, if someone pointed out that

you are impatient and encouraged you

to work on that, start in small ways with

your family and friends. If someone cuts

you off while you’re speaking, be gracious.

If someone takes forever to help you with

an algebra problem, be patient. If you

can master the small situations, you’ll be

able to overcome the bigger ones too. The

Bible says to “be completely humble and

gentle; be patient, bearing with one another

in love” (Ephesians 4:2).

Christian, I know that we all fail. Don’t be discouraged. God is good to “give more grace” every single

day. Let HIM be your motivation and your guide; your true Judge, Father, and Friend.

meet the

author

Olivia Nickerson is a high-school student, growing writer, and a Christian saved by grace. She loves Lindt chocolate, being an

aunt to little Jasper, spending time with her family and friends, and dreaming. Besides writing, Olivia loves spending time with

her family and friends in almost any way, playing board games, sports, and music.

OH BELOVED ONE | 33

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM STUMBLING LIABILITY

!

stumbling liability ahead, let's keep each other close

by jo a. ruth

*inhales*

I’m not gonna lie, when I found out the

topic for this article was rebuke and how

to do so without causing fellow believers

to stumble, I . . . was not stoked.

(Yes, I’m aware I just expressed negativity

in this Christian girl’s magazine whose

whole point is kinda to address all

elements of life and faith including this

one. Yes, I’m probably gonna be banned

from writing anything remotely serious

for the rest of time. Yes, sweet tea is really

just glorified sugar leaf juice.)

So I did what I’m sure all of us who’ve

written something for this issue have

done:

I backed off, took some time to mediate,

read up on my Bible,

watched too many comedy sketches

and came back to writing this in sheer

terror.

A page or three on how to call

someone out on their sin? I’m not

God isn't calling for truth to be spoken by those who are more, just

those who are His.

worthy to write that! There are so many

better people who could’ve taken this;

so many wiser, gentler, more polished,

more . . . more enough to handle this.

But then I remember that this is a God

thing. Not mine. And He isn’t calling

for truth to be spoken by those who are

more, just those who are His. With

that in mind, who better to speak

about calling people out in love than

one scared of that exact same thing?

Aghhhh.

OH BELOVED ONE | 34


okay, but what’s rebuke?

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any

transgression, you who are spiritual

should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.

Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be

tempted. Galatians 6:1

Let him know that whoever brings back

a sinner from his wandering will save

his soul from death and will cover a

multitude of sins. James 5:20

Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

Proverbs 27:5

If you’ve made any headway into the

Bible, you’ll quickly find examples of

this concept everywhere: with God

and His people, with the prophets and

the stubborn kings, with angels and

the devil, with Jesus and the Pharisees,

among the early church, Paul in pretty

much all of his ministry, and probably

in your church, or your family, or with

anyone you share the same faith with.

We are sinners, and we fall from grace

again and again and again. Rebuke is

one of the confrontational ways that we

help others get back up again.

illustrations by hanne t.

Man. Really wish it was that easy.

wait, but what's the

holdup?

Remember how I said we’re sinners?

Yeah, well, that kinda plays into

everything, especially if the thing is

trying to show another person how

they’re sinning. Because without the

right attitude and heart, you can easily

be sinning yourself in calling out

someone else’s sin. I know, it’s messy.

But take care that this right of yours does

not somehow become a stumbling block

to the weak. 1 Corinthians 8:9

Behold: stumbling. Causing someone

to fall. One of many things we’re not

supposed to do, but somehow in our

broken, messed-up human nature,

we manage to pull this off even as

children of God.

OH BELOVED ONE | 35


It’s sneaky though, because it doesn’t

always look deliberate, you feel? It’s

not exactly baiting someone to say the

wrong thing or leaving out a literal

block (or your shoe, which is plain

mean and you should just not do that)

and waiting. It can just as easily look

like:

The scary thing about

rebuke is Christians can

easily fall into the trap

of judging someone

solely for personal

opinions and standards.

- alienating someone who’s done

something horrible in favor of

gossiping about it with your friends

- feeling disgusted with that person

while you ask them how you can

pray for them

- rolling your eyes while moaning

that “they’re just confessing for

attention, they don’t mean it”

- giving sympathetic stares and pats

on the back

It’s being nice. It’s appearing like you

care. It's a performative act to maintain

your self-righteousness. It’s focusing more

on the fact that someone sinned instead

of the person who you’re supposed to

be helping. And it’s damaging. The

scary thing about rebuke is Christians

can easily fall into the trap of judging

someone solely for personal opinions

and standards, dress it up with Bible

words, call it rebuke, and deliver it with

scathing superiority.

So. Uh. How can we rebuke and . . .

not do this?

Therefore let us not pass judgment on

one another any longer, but rather

decide never to put a stumbling block

or hindrance in the way of a brother.

Romans 14:13

OH BELOVED ONE | 36


check your heart: Are you saying this to make yourself feel better? Are

these words coming from a smug heart? Find out why you’re willing to do this before you

confront anyone on their sin. It’s the speck and log kinda thing, and you have to be very

sensitive to your brother’s eye as well as your own.

keep it original: 2 Timothy 3:16 says that “All Scripture is breathed out by

God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

The Word of God doesn’t miss its mark or end up shorthanded. Search the Scriptures, share

what God is saying, and let God do what He does through you, without you trying to act on

your own wisdom.

love mercy: If the situation were reversed, and you were living in sin that fellow

believers noticed and pointed out, you’d want them to treat you kindly and with sensitivity and

caring, not to shun you or speak ill of you. So does everyone else. Keep that in mind, and give

whoever you confront the same grace you would want for yourself.

you alright there?

Hopefully upon reading this you

weren’t immediately turned off by

the open reclusiveness and fear with

how this opened, but you might be

wondering why I mentioned it in the

first place.

And you’d have a good reason to.

See, I wish that someone had said the

same things I’ve just written to the

person who approached me almost

a year ago and said, “Jo, may I talk

to you?” after ghosting me for the

week. This same person then blasted a

sermon titled “HOW TO REBUKE

A REBELLIOUS TEENAGER” right

next to me and took two hours to

lay into every single fault they found

with me and deemed unchristian

and unholy. In the end, they’d only

chewed me out emotionally and

mentally and spiritually.

The things, by the way?

1. being too quiet and not

participating in church

2. not listening to Christian

worship songs

3. sitting in the corner reading

OH BELOVED ONE | 37

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Yeah, normally that would just be an

awkward, unfortunate situation, and

I mean, it was, but what they didn’t

know? Was that I was a month into

depression and two weeks into passive

suicidal thoughts.

Because of their “rebuke,” I ended up

seeking mental help. And I didn’t come

back to that church or interact with

that person.

So when I think of this word? When

I think of this topic? I can’t help but

flinch—but feel the hate and the

cruelty of the words that were being

hurled at me, words that scorned and

deemed me wicked, when I was just

horribly lost and needed someone to

be there and help me.

I’ve grown a lot since then, and

something I’ve learned is that rebuke

is one of many ways that we build each

other up, not tear each other down. And

I hope that this conveyed that feeling

well. Because it hurts to fall.

But it hurts more so to fall knowing

that the people who were supposed to

carry you were the ones responsible for

causing you to stumble.

OHBELOVEDONE.COM

rebuke

is one

of many

ways

that we

build each

other

up, not

tear each

other

down.

meet the

author

Jo A. Ruth is currently hiding from society, but as a Filipiadian weirdo, fangeek, story enthusiast, and aloe vera plant, there's

not a lot of that to begin with. She rants about life and love and other stuff while simultaneously belting showtunes on https://

pananaw.home.blog/, and welcomes the company, if you happen to find her.

OH BELOVED ONE | 38


stumbling block?

Let's talk rebuking . . . without being a stumbling block. Why

are you rebuking this person in the first place?

Are you using Scripture to convict this person and turn them

back to God?

Are you trusting God to work in them, or trying to be the Holy

Spirit in their lives? (Big oof . . . guilty!!)

Are you treating this person how you'd want to be treated?

OH BELOVED ONE | 39

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM THE PRIDE THING

the

PRIDE

thing

by nicole ann

The word “rebuke”

is used often in the

Bible to describe a

strong admonition or scolding.

In certain contexts, it is used

towards individuals or groups

of people who already knew

God’s Word. For instance, Old

Testament prophets (such as

Noah or Moses) rebuked the

Israelites for neglecting their

covenants with God, and

Christ rebuked the Pharisees

multiple times for their

ungodly behavior in the New

Testament.

Sometimes it may seem like

God rebukes His children

because He’s angry and

doesn’t love us. In reality,

He rebukes us because He

loves us. Rebukes are one

of God’s ways for teaching us

to do better, to become more

Christlike. In modern times,

*tsk tsk*

OH BELOVED ONE | 40


we mess up too and find

ourselves being rebuked

(A truly uncomfortable

situation!). But just as He

encouraged the Israelites to

keep their covenants and

warned the Pharisees of the

consequences of hypocrisy,

God is trying to teach us to

be better and to embrace the

good He knows we can be.

To me, that doesn’t sound

like He doesn’t love us.

It sounds like He’s trying

awfully hard to help us.

However, sometimes we run

into “the pride problem”:

I didn’t do

anything wrong.

P R I D E

illustrations by amanda brown

Choosing to act because of a

rebuke shows our submission

to Christ. Ignoring His

rebuke is essentially ignoring

Him and prioritizing our

pride.

Christ encourages us to look

within ourselves and have

a change of heart, to put

down pride to see others

as He does. Admitting we

make mistakes is one of the

hardest things to do, but it is

necessary if we truly wish to

commit our lives to Him.

OH BELOVED ONE | 41


Although we may feel offended or

harshly judged when we are rebuked,

if we work hard on studying our own

behavior and comparing our actions

to Christ’s life, we will find peace in

God’s love for us. As we recognize

our need for Christ, we recognize our

need for change. Pride tells us that

we have no flaws; Christ tells us He

can fix our flaws.

Just as Christ did in the New

Testament, sometimes we find

ourselves in similar situations when

we must also rebuke the behavior of

those we love and care about. “But is

it really necessary for me to do that?”

You might ask yourself (I know I

have.).

It can definitely be uncomfortable,

especially when people know Christ’s

gospel. It can be really easy to

rationalize such situations: “I slip

up too, so it’s not really a big deal. I

don’t want to be hypocritical. And

after all, no one is perfect. It’s better

to forgive and forget, right? They

know better, so they’ll realize it later

and fix their mistake. Therefore, it’s

pointless for me to say something, so

I won’t.”

OH BELOVED ONE | 42

I slip up too, so it’s not really a big

deal. I don’t want to be hypocritical.

And after all, no one is perfect.

It’s better to forgive and forget,

right? They know better, so they’ll

realize it later and fix their mistake.

Therefore, it’s pointless for me to

say something, so I won’t.


Do you remember why God

rebukes His children? He is

trying to teach us to embrace

the good He knows we can be.

He is trying to help us see His

light.

The responsibility that comes

with knowing His gospel

is sharing it and teaching

others, so if we rationalize

not rebuking others when it

is necessary, we ultimately

fail in our responsibility as

representatives of Him.

True, but when we look back

at the prophets and apostles of

the Old and New Testaments,

we learn how they were teachers

and guides for God’s people. I’m

sure that at times they found

it terrifying to rebuke others—

their palms probably sweated,

and their brains probably

short-circuited!

Isaiah 41:10 (KJV) says, “Fear

thou not; for I am with thee:

be not dismayed; for I am thy

God: I will strengthen thee;

yea, I will help thee; yea, I will

uphold thee with the right

hand of my righteousness.”

See that? God will strengthen

us, help us, and best of all,

uphold us. When we do our

part, He strengthens us so

we can stand in His name

and teach His gospel. Further,

He will guide us to the right

words at the right time so we

can speak in love and kindness

to those who need to hear His

word.

It’s really not so scary with

God by our side.

“But rebuking

others is scary!”

->

strengthen

help

uphold

guide

meet the

author

Nicole Ann is a blogger, writer, and full-time business student at Brigham Young University. Her passion for creating

opportunities for people to understand themselves and each other has led her to aspire for a career in the experience industry. As

a blogger, she writes about literature and the “deep stuff” of life from a Christian perspective. She loves spending time with her

family and discussing the scriptures together, and then sharing what she learns with her friends. You can find more of her writing

and literary content at wildpennings(dot)blogspot(dot)com or on Instagram (@wildpennings).

OH BELOVED ONE | 43

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM SONGS OF EDIFICATION

Songs

of

Singing has

historically been

a way in which

people encourage

each other and receive

encouragement

themselves. Hymns

declaring the attributes

of God lift our spirits

and help us to dwell on

Who God is and what

He has done.

Edification

by ghevont panosian

Here are a few of my

favorites.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Thomas O. Chisholm

"Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!"

Morning by morning new

mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand

hath provided—

"Great is Thy faithfulness,"

Lord, unto me!

Pardon for sin and a peace that

endureth,

Thine own dear presence to

cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright

hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten

thousand beside!

"Great is Thy faithfulness!"

"Great is Thy faithfulness!"

Morning by morning new

mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand

hath provided—

"Great is Thy faithfulness,"

Lord, unto me!

OH BELOVED ONE | 44

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM SONGS OF EDIFICATION

If God Be for Us

James McGranahan

Be strong in the Lord! Rejoicing in His might,

Be loyal and true day by day;

When evils assail, be valiant for the right,

And He will be our strength, our stay.

If God be for us, if God be for us,

If God be for us,

Who can be against us,

Who, who, who?

Who can be against us, against us?

While no song can even

come close to bringing

the joy and edification

that time in God’s Word

provides, singing hymns

is a wonderful way to

strengthen believers and

point the mind to Christ

Jesus.

Day by Day

Carolina V. Sandell-Berg

Day by day, and with each passing

moment,

Strength I find to meet my trials here;

Trusting in my Father’s wise

bestowment,

I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.

He, whose heart is kind beyond all

measure,

Gives unto each day what He deems

best,

Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,

Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Aaaah! I love this one!

psalms

hymns

spiritual songs

meet the

author

Ghevont loves Shakespeare, coffee, and traveling. She is currently training to be a high school English teacher, and you can find

her editing the BJU Vintage (yearbook) with a tight group of fellow creative minds! Check her out on Instagram @gheovanni7.

OH BELOVED ONE | 45

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM NOT A BAD WORD

Rebuke

is not a

bad word

by eve parnell

We’ve all heard of it. Some of

us have experienced it. You

may have given it.

Rebuke. Rebuke seems like it’s only

negative, but read on and you’ll see how

it brings about good.

The Old Testament shows that God

rebukes those who have done evil (e.g.,

Psalm 9:5 and Psalm 119:21), and if you

look at the Israelites you’ll find that God

rebuked and punished them frequently

for sin. In the Gospels, Jesus rebuked

demons, sickness, and even the wind

and waves (Mark 1:25; Mark 9:25;

Luke 4:39; Matthew 8:26)!

Not only does God rebuke, but we

are told in the Bible that IT’S OKAY

for us to rebuke! In Luke 17:3, Jesus

tells us to rebuke fellow believers in

Christ when we see them in sin. Titus

2 and 2 Timothy 4:1–2 talk about how

OH BELOVED ONE | 46


b

rebuking someone teaches them.

You’ve probably heard about learning

from your mistakes—that’s how

rebuke teaches us.

So if Jesus rebuked, rebuking in

the Bible is so common, and we are

commanded to rebuke . . . why don’t

we? If our rebuke teaches and helps

a follower of Christ grow, we should

not be afraid of rebuking.

Rebuking is something I struggle

with. If, like me, you are a quiet

person or shy away from conflict,

then you might not have much

experience telling a friend at church

that she needs to stop cussing. You

may not know how to tell someone

in your friend group that she needs

to stop getting drunk and going to

parties. You might not think you

would ever be able to call out your

best friend on her outbursts of anger.

Rebuking is hard. It has to be done

in love and be based on God’s Word.

A lot of times it seems easier to be

quiet and hope things will work out

for the best, but in order to love our

siblings in Christ like we should, we

have to rebuke. Proverbs 27:5 (NLT)

says, “An open rebuke is better than

hidden love!”

k

When you love someone, you don’t

want them to continue sinning and

turning from God. Jesus loved us

so much that He was willing to die

for us so we wouldn’t be slaves to sin

anymore (Romans 6:14). If Jesus died

to free us, why wouldn’t we rebuke

the sin in others’ lives so that they

can repent and be free? Knowing that

by rebuking a person you are helping

them grow closer to Jesus makes it

worth it to speak out against the sin

they are in.

OH BELOVED ONE | 47


Here are

5 things to keep in mind

»

» » »

When you rebuke

someone, do it out of

love for that person.

Check what that person is doing by looking in the Bible. Are they sinning or just

making unwise decisions? Look at passages like Galatians 5:19–21 and Colossians

3:5–10 to see if what they are doing is on either of those “lists of sins.” If they are

sinning, follow what Jesus says to do in Matthew 18:15–17. Go to that believer

privately and show them through Scripture how they are sinning. If they are just

making poor decisions, like driving too fast or only eating ice cream, then lovingly

encourage them to make better decisions.

Pray beforehand that God would open that person’s eyes to sin and that God would

give you the courage to speak up to help that believer.

»

when rebuking somone.

Keep in mind that you are a sinner.

Nobody is perfect and all have sinned

(Romans 3:23). If you are living in the

same sin as the person you are rebuking,

ask them if you can work through it

together so that you both learn and grow as

you work through your struggles.

Remember that it isn’t your job to convict the person—that’s the

role of the Holy Spirit. It’s your job to rebuke sin and encourage

repentance.

meet the

author

Eve Parnell is a homeschooled high schooler who loves her family, puppies, sugar and sunshine! She reads way too many books

and spends a lot of time crocheting. Eve is learning to love Jesus more every day, and she doesn’t have a favorite Bible verse, so

don’t ask for her to pick just one!

OH BELOVED ONE | 48


rebuking as an

introvert

Trying to figure out if it's time to rebuke, little introvert?

Well, is this person sinning or making an unwise decision?

(Hint: Check Scripture and write the verses below.)

Write out a prayer asking God to help you know when to

rebuke . . . and have the courage to follow through.

Find someone struggling with the same thing you are and

become accountability partners. Write their name below!

OH BELOVED ONE | 49

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM WHAT IS SALVATION?

WHAT IS SALVATION?

Ever wonder why some people can be so bad? So mean?

Why sometimes even you succumb to these feelings

of anger, jealousy, and lust? That's because all people,

including you and me, have a sin nature. This sin separates

us from God. He's so perfect that He can't even be in the

presence of a tiny bit of sin. Not only does sin separate

us from God, but there's also a price to pay for it: death,

after which comes suffering in Hell, burning for the rest of

eternity.

But God wants a relationship with us and doesn't want

anyone to perish, so He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take

the penalty of our sin. He took our place when He died

on the cross for us.

But it doesn't stop there, because Jesus did something we

couldn't do: three days after He was crucified, He rose

again! He defeated death. And, when we accept His gift

of salvation, we become a Child of God and get to spend

eternity in Heaven with Him.

So how do you accept this gift, you ask? Believe that Jesus

Christ is the Son of God and He died on the cross for

your sins, raising on the third day and defeating death.

Confess your sins and repent (turn away) from them.

If you have any questions, please feel free to write us on

our Instagram @beloved.magazine or Facebook. If you

accept Jesus into your heart, praise God! We want to

celebrate with you, so please let us know! You may want to

look at our previous issues from this year which talk about

reading your Bible, praying, worshiping God, and serving

your fellow Christians in love. We'll be going over more

aspects of your Christian walk in great detail, so we hope

these issues will be a great encouragement to you!

OH BELOVED ONE | 50

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM CREDITS

DISCLAIMER

Oh Beloved One is not responsible for any factually inaccurate

information in its magazine pages. Additionally, we are not responsible

for plagiarism on the part of our writers. We accept their work

assuming that it is their own. Please contact us if you have any

problems.

Current reading material in our world today has been tainted and

darkened. In our pages, we strive to share clean and positive articles

that leave readers feeling blessed.

We will not stand down for our faith; however, we will not push our

beliefs on others. You are free to accept or reject things we say and

we will not discriminate against you for any reason. Additionally, just

because our pages are filled with positive articles does not mean we will

not stand up for what we believe in. However, we believe that at this

time it is best to look at the glass as half full.

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DEDICAT-

ED TO

This issue is dedicated to the people

keeping the church going: those

sacrificing time to do extra cleaning,

organize teen group Zoom calls, and

keep the church united even from far

away. Thank you to the pastoral staff for

keeping us encouraged in God's Word.

hey

look

it's the

page

no one

reads.

OH BELOVED ONE | 51

JULY/AUGUST 2019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM ARTICLE TITLE HERE

ohbelovedone.com

UP NEXT

WITNESS

Hey, guess what: if you're a Christian, you're an

ambassador for the eavenly King. Find out more about

your life mission of making Him known in our next issue,

Witness, coming your way November 2020.

OH BELOVED ONE | 52

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