Narrow Road Comics

Christian comics and occasional memes by @cedrichohnstadt. New comics posted whenever I can find time to make something worth sharing.

[Hans Fiene 🦬 @HansFiene]

Overwhelmingly, people view children as accessories to add to their lives when they desire rather than as gifts from God and indeed, the very purpose of the sexual union. Even among conservative Christians, this mindset is rampant.

We talk about kids like they're home improvement projects? "Are you guys ready for that, or are you going to keep waiting awhile?"

We talk about them as though they're Pokemon cards that you quit collecting one you have a complete set. "So now that you have a boy and a girl, are you done?"

We often look at large families with the same kind of disdain we have for hoarders. "That's so weird. Why do you need so many of those?"

Likewise, push away all the lamentations about wanting to save your unborn child from a lifetime of suffering and hardship through abortion, and you'll find the true mindset, where we respond to our children having disabilities the way we'd respond to a restaurant giving us the wrong food, something we simply refuse to eat.

"Waiter, I ordered a healthy baby. But you gave me this gross little deformed thing. Throw that away and give me what I actually ordered."

Not everyone will follow this mindset concerning children to such an evil degree. But if we wish to protect ourselves from it, we need to fundamentally change the way we think about children. Which is to say, we need to view parenthood vocationally rather than through a consumeristic lens.

Children are not trinkets. They are human beings, as human as you, and just as worthy of love and honor as you. Likewise, parenthood is not a lifestyle, a hobby, or an era. It's a vocation.

If a child is growing in your womb, God has already given you the vocation of mother. And a mother's vocation is always to protect and love her child, never to kill her child. If your child is growing in a woman's womb, God has already given you the vocation of father. And a father's vocation is always to protect his child, never to kill his child.

If God gives you that vocation when you're poor, fulfill it faithfully and trust that He will give you your daily bread. If God gives you that vocation when you don't feel ready for it, get over yourself and fulfill it faithfully. If God gives you that vocation by giving you a child who seems too difficult to care for, trust that He will also give you the strength to endure the task, and fulfill it faithfully.

May God save our souls and purify our hearts by changing our minds.

[Narrow Road Comics @Narrowroadcomic]

@JunusAnna https://t.co/sSXJmlr1P1

[Anna Maria Junus @JunusAnna]

It boggles my mind that after decades of being told to not walk alone at night, lock your doors, don't get into an elevator alone with a strange man, be careful of stairways, watch your drink, carry your keys in your hand, don't go into the park at night...

[Narrow Road Comics @Narrowroadcomic]

Kids need both a mom and a dad.

[Them Before Us @ThemBeforeUs]

https://t.co/WY2g7fhkOl

[Narrow Road Comics @Narrowroadcomic]

Everyone should be required to watch this clip:

[Congressman Brandon Gill @RepBrandonGill]

Today I asked an abortion advocate what her favorite method of abortion is.

[Narrow Road Comics @Narrowroadcomic]

@MasterMaliq

[Melissa the Hopeful🏠Homemaker @BiblicalBeauty]

In an interview with Chuck Swindoll in 2015, Joni Eareckson Tada explained an unexpected desire involving her wheelchair, which she has been confined to as a quadriplegic since 1967:

"...I do hope that I can take my wheelchair to Heaven with me. I know that's not theologically correct, but if I could, I would put it right there. And I'd be standing in my new glorified body right here, and I'd be holding the hand of Jesus, and I would feel those nail prints in His palm.

And I will say, 'Thank you,' and I know He'll know I mean it, because He will have recognized me as the woman who came to Him every single morning, hemorrhaging human strength: 'I need you, Jesus, desperately.'

And I will say to Him, 'Jesus, you were so right when You said that in this world we would have trouble. That thing was a lot of trouble, but the weaker I was on that thing, the harder I leaned on You. And the harder I leaned on You, the stronger I just discovered You to be. And I'm just so grateful that You gave me the privilege of knowing You as not only my Man of Sorrows, but the Lord of Joy, Rock of Gibraltar, real Joy.

Thank you, Jesus. And now, if you want, you can send that thing to Hell. Woohoo! Get it outta here!'"

[Adam | Faithful Messenger @Adam_FaithfulM]

In 1986, the American Medical Association published an article titled "The Physical Death of Jesus Christ". It details the entire process of Jesus' trial to His death on the cross.

In Luke 22, before Jesus is arrested, it is written that He was in great distress & sweating blood. Although rare, it is recognized as Hematidrosis, a condition caused by high levels of stress.

At the time, the crucifixion was considered the worst death for the worst of criminals. But this is not all Jesus faced. He endured whipping so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. He was beaten so horribly that His face was torn & His beard ripped.

A crown of thorns, 2-3 inches long cut deeply into His scalp. The leather whip used to flog Him had tiny iron balls & sharp bones. The balls caused internal injuries while the sharp bones ripped open His flesh. His skeletal muscles, veins, & bowels are exposed, causing major blood loss. Most men do not survive this kind of torture. After Jesus was severely flogged, He was forced to carry His cross while people mocked & spat on Him.

Crucifixion was a process meant to instill excruciating pain, creating a slow & agonizing death. Nails as long as 8 inches were driven into Jesus' wrists & feet. The Roman soldiers knew the tendons in the wrists would tear & break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support Himself to breathe. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the courage...Jesus endured this reality for 3 hours!

The Gospel of John writes that after Jesus' death, a Roman soldier pierced His side with a spear & blood & water came out. Scientists explain that from hypovolemic shock, the rapid heart rate causes fluid to gather in the sack around the lungs & heart. The accumulation of fluid in the membrane around the heart is called a Pericardial effusion & the lungs is called a pleural effusion.

To the world, Christianity is as foolish as it can get. They believe it's for the weak. But when you are confronted by the reality of the cross, it's clearly not a pretty sight. It is brutal & horrific.

This is the weight Jesus carried. The weight of the sins of the world, all so that we can live. God's wrath is fully satisfied in Jesus. This is what it took. Repent & believe! Jesus is “God among us” in the flesh. Jesus is our Savior. Jesus loves you so much that He went through this spiritual and physical punishment for your sins and mine.

Jesus is the LORD, Almighty God, Everlasting Father.

Thank You, Jesus.

[Narrow Road Comics @Narrowroadcomic]

Animator Jezreel Carlos took one of my most popular webcomics and brought it to life. Seemed appropriate to share it again for Good Friday.

[Narrow Road Comics @Narrowroadcomic]

This comic is available to read and share in over sixty languages. You can also download a free PDF file to print and distribute it in every language, and you can help me get it translated into even more languages. Just visit https://t.co/3I2TxptxVm.

[Narrow Road Comics @Narrowroadcomic]

Why is it called "Good Friday" when it resulted in the horrible torture and death of the Son of God? Because He took the punishment we deserve. Years I go I illustrated this little comic, written by Ray Comfort, to help explain this important message. Millions of copies have been printed in over sixty languages and counting. Please read and share. But be careful, if you take this message seriously it might change your life. Happy Easter!

[Narrow Road Comics @Narrowroadcomic]

Warning: Rant ahead.

Yesterday in Washington false teacher Paula White compared Trump to Jesus. She said that just as Jesus was betrayed, arrested, and falsely accused, so was Trump. She said just as Jesus rose again, Trump also “rose up”. She prayed “Just as Jesus was favored with both God and man, so may it be with President Trump.”

I’m sorry but that’s blasphemy.

She also said God “told” her to tell Trump that because of Jesus’s resurrection, Trump will be victorious in everything he does. Um, no. That’s not how the resurrection works. Jesus rose 2,000 years ago to defeat death, not Democrats. What a cheapening of Easter! (Also, the Bible warns that any “prophet” who says God said something He didn’t really say is to be stoned. See Deuteronomy 18:20-22.)

She then twisted several Bible verses out of context to “declare victory and blessing” over Trump and our nation. She (mis)quoted 2 Chronicles 7:14 which says God will forgive and heal His people if they repent and turn to Him, but she left out the “repent” part!

Obviously it is important that our leaders seek God humbly and pray. Yes our nation desperately needs to turn back to God. But this is NOT how it’s done! To put the President—any President—on the same level as the Son of God, to preach blessing without repentance, to turn Good Friday and Easter into a political stunt, all of it is ugly blasphemy that brings shame to American Christianity (and we have precious little dignity left as it is).

Yes pastors should have influence on our nation’s leaders—the first amendment leaves room for that—but they should not be sycophants or yes men. Part of the job of any prophet or pastor is to confront, rebuke, and discipline those they shepherd, as needed. This is the opposite of that.

Lord, please have mercy on us. Raise up true godly leaders who will guide us away from sin and back to You, not for power and riches but for love, holiness, humility and truth.

[Narrow Road Comics @Narrowroadcomic]

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.” (1 John 2:15-16)

“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4)

[Narrow Road Comics @Narrowroadcomic]

Jesus: “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46) same Greek word “eternal” for both heaven and hell.

Paul: “They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord.” (2 Thessalonians 1:9) (the Greek word “destruction” can mean “ruin”, not “ceasing to exist”. A city can be ruined yet still exist.)

John: “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” (Revelation 14:11) “no rest” means you don’t get a break ever, the suffering goes on and on and on.

[Josh Howerton @howertonjosh]

This is the best 3 minutes of preaching on HELL that you will ever see.

R.C. Sproul 👇

[Narrow Road Comics @Narrowroadcomic]

From the archives: One of my earliest Christian webcomics. (Based on a true story.)