#1 samuel 15:23

[jarfieid]

[tmglineaday]

Go down to the netherworld, plant grapes

[outofcontextgoats]

go down to the netherworld, plant grapes

[john-gosh-darnielle]

go down to the netherworld

plant grapes

[malaisequotes]

“My house will be for all people who have nowhere to go.”

1 Samuel 15:23 by The Mountain Goats

[scripture-pictures]

[walkswithmyfather]

“Samuel Rebukes Saul.” “Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was furious and cried out to the Lord all night.

Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was reported to Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal.”

So Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.” But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the bellowing of the oxen which I hear?”

Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have completely destroyed.”

Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop, and let me inform you of what the Lord said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak!”

So Samuel said, “Is it not true, though you were insignificant in your own eyes, that you became the head of the tribes of Israel? For the Lord anointed you as king over Israel. And the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are eliminated.’

“Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Instead, you loudly rushed upon the spoils and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord!”

Then Saul said to Samuel, “I did obey the voice of the Lord, for I went on the mission on which the Lord sent me; and I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have completely destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took some of the spoils, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things designated for destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”

Samuel said, “Does the Lord have as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than a sacrifice, And to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as reprehensible as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as reprehensible as false religion and idolatry. Since you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.” —1 Samuel 15:10-23 (NASB)

“God Blesses Our Obedience” By In Touch Ministries:

“Because God loves us and wants the best for us, we can trust Him wholeheartedly.”

“Nowadays, when we come across the word sacrifice, we probably think of giving up our time or resources—not killing an animal on an altar, watching its blood pour out, and smelling its flesh burn. But in the Old Testament, that’s what God required for the Israelites’ atonement. Sacrifice provided a way to purify the spiritual stain of sin and restore a right relationship with God.

You’d think the unpleasantness of burnt offerings would have made people hesitate before sinning so that they’d choose obedience instead. But humans have always wrestled with temptation. Just look at Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:1-24. God created a perfect world, free of sin. And yet He knew we’d make mistakes, so He provided a way for us to be right with Him again—through the gift of sacrifice and His Son. Of course, our Father would prefer we didn’t sin in the first place, but He always forgives us when we come before Him with a “broken and contrite heart” (Ps. 51:17 NIV). He loves us and wants the best for us—which includes being spiritually healthy, free, and full of joy.

Jesus told the disciples, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Let us love and trust God enough to obey Him, keeping our heart and conscience pure and our connection with Him strong.”

[unloneliest]

For the tmg album asks: The Life of the World To Come?

thank you so, so much for this ask - the life of the world to come was my first mountain goats album and remains the most important to me to this day <3

the best song on the album: matthew 25:21 speaks to grief in a way that is genuinely incomparable in my experience. i think it'd be a crime to suggest any other song off this album for best song.

my favorite song on the album: extremely difficult to answer. genesis 3:23 like. changed my life. i'd heard a few tmg songs before my best friend played me genesis 3:23 but wasn't Into The Goats. and since then i've been like. guy who almost exclusively listens to the mountain goats. it also had an insane impact on my original story. but if we're permitting bonus tracks too, the itunes bonus track, enoch 18:14, is like. one of the best songs in tmg's discography to me and i love it in a place beyond words.

my least favorite song on the album: my least favorite song on this album is ezekiel 7 and the permanent efficacy of grace, but like. it's still a song with complex layers of meaning and personal emotional connection for me, i very much so love and have cried to this song, the others just all outrank it.

the most overrated song on the album: psalms 40:2. people aren't wrong to love it as much as they do, but it's the song i see recognized the most off of this album and it's far from the best song on the album as a whole! no hate to psalms 40:2, just a wish that the rest of the album got More recognition.

most underrated: 1 samuel 15:23? i don't actually know the definitive lowest rated song on this album, but i also don't think i've ever seen any love for this track. it's not My Favorite of all the songs on this album? it's not top 3 for me? but it is like really important to me. it stands at the threshold to this album and stands by your side as you enter the emotional space the album occupies. it's a guardian of sorts to me, and i treasure it, and it brings me to some crystal clear memories of a beloved friend's home. the only other transitional guardian like it i can name in the discography is going to chino, which i love just as earnestly.

the banger of all bangers: i'd be lying if i didn't say psalms 40:2, straight up. to avoid repeat answers though i'm gonna shout out romans 10:9 which was my alarm clock when i worked at an airport starbucks for the 3:30 am shift and was getting at most 3 hours of sleep at a time but frequently less.

rate from 0-10: ten. i love you the life of the world to come.

[freebiblestudies]

Lessons from Cain Lesson 03: The Legacies of Cain and Abel

In our previous Bible study we learned about Cain’s punishment for murdering Abel.  Surprisingly, God spared Cain’s life even though he deserved to die. What happened to Cain afterwards?

Let’s read together Genesis 4:16-18.

Cain left the presence of God and founded a city. He lived on to have sons and daughters.

Did Cain ever feel any remorse for killing Abel? Did he ever repent of his sins?

Let’s read together Genesis 4:19-24; 1 John 3:11-12; and Jude 1:11.

Sadly, Cain remained an unrepentant sinner. There is no record in the Bible of Cain returning to God.  Looking at his family history, his son Lamech twisted God’s act of mercy towards Cain into a defiant boast.  Like his father, Lamech showed no remorse for killing another man.

Let’s read together Genesis 4:25-26; 5:1-32; and 6:1-8.

Adam and Eve had another son named Seth, who had sons and daughters of his own. The Bible implies that for a time Cain’s lineage and Seth’s lineage remained separate.  In a spiritual sense, there were two races of man on the earth - one loyal to God and one disloyal to God.  

However, eventually Seth’s descendants (the sons of God) intermarried with Cain’s descendants. As a result, mankind became corrupt and mostly turned away from God.

It got so bad God ultimately destroyed the world with a flood.  (Even then, God gave mankind one hundred twenty years to repent and one last chance to escape destruction if they entered Noah’s ark in faith.)

Let’s read together 1 John 3:11-12 and Jude 1:11.

The New Testament confirms Cain’s legacy as one of evil.  Cain killed out of jealousy.  His actions revealed a selfish and evil heart.

Let’s read together Matthew 25:35; Luke 11:51; and Hebrews 11:4.

While we have spent much of our time discussing Cain, let us not forget the victim in the story. Abel was the first martyr in history.  He was killed because he faithfully followed God’s commands.

Let’s read together John 16:2-3; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Hebrews 12:24; and Revelation 12:17.

The story of Cain and Abel will be repeated in the end times on a much grander scale.  In the end times, there will be two groups of people who claim to worship God.  One group will engage in true worship of God, while the other other group will engage in false worship.  The true worshipers of God will be persecuted even to the point of death.  

However, do not fear!  Jesus is coming soon for His people.  He promises to be with us always, even in the midst of persecution.

Let’s read together 1 Samuel 15:22-23; Matthew 12:17; and Revelation 22:12-15

Cain’s life and legacy is an object lesson of what happens when sin is allowed to continue to exist.  Abel’s legacy reminds us God’s people will continue to face trials, persecution, and even death for their faith.  Nevertheless, Jesus will redeem his faithful people in the end times.

Friend, will you learn from the legacies of Cain and Abel?

[coreofthebible]

The anointing that makes for a holy sacrifice

The anointing that makes for a holy sacrifice

The Biblical pattern of anointing and sacrifice lays down a template for the spiritual life of believers today. In the Bible, holiness, in the sense of something being set apart for God’s use, is a quality that was to have been instituted through a process of anointing. Anointing was the practice of rubbing, smearing, or pouring a substance on a thing or person to designate it as being set apart…

[jaguar726]

Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice

Daily Verse Reading – 1 Samuel 15:16-23 16 “Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied. 17 Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked…

[bojackson54]

Unbelievable! The Woman Who Believed in a Preposterous Message

Almost every Christmas pageant contains the Angel’s appearance to Mary. Luke’s narrative about Mary’s conversation with Gabriel described her reaction to some pretty unbelievable news. If you think about it, there is much to learn from Mary’s response to God’s messenger. (And BTW, the Greek word for angel is anggelos, or messenger—simply put, a courier who brings a message, or a word from someone…

[thaoworra]

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association recently released the poems that made it to the finalist stage for consideration for the 2024 Rhysling Awards for Short and Long Speculative Poems of the year. Congratulations to all of the nominees! This will be the 46th year these awards have been conferred!

Short Poems (50 finalists)

Attn: Prime Real Estate Opportunity!, Emily Ruth Verona, Under Her Eye: A Women in Horror Poetry Collection Volume II

The Beauty of Monsters, Angela Liu, Small Wonders 1

The Blight of Kezia, Patricia Gomes, HWA Poetry Showcase X

The Day We All Died, A Little, Lisa Timpf, Radon 5

Deadweight, Jack Cooper, Propel 7

Dear Mars, Susan L. Lin, The Sprawl Mag 1.2

Dispatches from the Dragon's Den, Mary Soon Lee, Star*Line 46.2

Dr. Jekyll, West Ambrose, Thin Veil Press December

First Eclipse: Chang-O and the Jade Hare, Emily Jiang, Uncanny 53

Five of Cups Considers Forgiveness, Ali Trotta, The Deadlands 31

Gods of the Garden, Steven Withrow, Spectral Realms 19

The Goth Girls' Gun Gang, Marisca Pichette, The Dread Machine 3.2

Guiding Star, Tim Jones, Remains to be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa, ed. Lee Murray (Clan Destine Press)

Hallucinations Gifted to Me by Heatstroke, Morgan L. Ventura, Banshee 15

hemiplegic migraine as willing human sacrifice, Ennis Rook Bashe, Eternal Haunted Summer Winter Solstice

Hi! I am your Cortical Update!, Mahaila Smith, Star*Line 46.3

How to Make the Animal Perfect?, Linda D. Addison, Weird Tales 100

I Dreamt They Cast a Trans Girl to Give Birth to the Demon, Jennessa Hester, HAD October

Invasive, Marcie Lynn Tentchoff, Polar Starlight 9

kan-da-ka, Nadaa Hussein, Apparition Lit 23

Language as a Form of Breath, Angel Leal, Apparition Lit October

The Lantern of September, Scott Couturier, Spectral Realms 19

Let Us Dream, Myna Chang, Small Wonders 3

The Magician's Foundling, Angel Leal, Heartlines Spec 2

The Man with the Stone Flute, Joshua St. Claire, Abyss & Apex 87

Mass-Market Affair, Casey Aimer, Star*Line 46.4

Mom's Surprise, Francis W. Alexander, Tales from the Moonlit Path June

A Murder of Crows, Alicia Hilton, Ice Queen 11

No One Now Remembers, Geoffrey Landis, Fantasy and Science Fiction Nov./Dec.

orion conquers the sky, Maria Zoccula, On Spec 33.2

Pines in the Wind, Karen Greenbaum-Maya, The Beautiful Leaves (Bamboo Dart Press)

The Poet Responds to an Invitation from the AI on the Moon, T.D. Walker, Radon Journal 5

A Prayer for the Surviving, Marisca Pichette, Haven Speculative 9

Pre-Nuptial, F. J. Bergmann, The Vampiricon (Mind's Eye Publications)

The Problem of Pain, Anna Cates, Eye on the Telescope 49

The Return of the Sauceress, F. J. Bergmann, The Flying Saucer Poetry Review February

Sea Change, David C. Kopaska-Merkel and Ann K. Schwader, Scifaikuest May

Seed of Power, Linda D. Addison, The Book of Witches ed. Jonathan Strahan (Harper Collins)

Sleeping Beauties, Carina Bissett, HWA Poetry Showcase X

Solar Punks, J. D. Harlock, The Dread Machine 3.1

Song of the Last Hour, Samuel A. Betiku, The Deadlands 22

Sphinx, Mary Soon Lee, Asimov's September/October

Storm Watchers (a drabbun), Terrie Leigh Relf, Space & Time

Sunflower Astronaut, Charlie Espinosa, Strange Horizons July

Three Hearts as One, G. O. Clark, Asimov's May/June

Troy, Carolyn Clink, Polar Starlight 12

Twenty-Fifth Wedding Anniversary, John Grey, Medusa's Kitchen September

Under World, Jacqueline West, Carmina Magazine September

Walking in the Starry World, John Philip Johnson, Orion's Belt May

Whispers in Ink, Angela Yuriko Smith, Whispers from Beyond (Crystal Lake Publishing)

Long Poems (25 finalists)

Archivist of a Lost World, Gerri Leen, Eccentric Orbits 4

As the witch burns, Marisca Pichette, Fantasy 87

Brigid the Poet, Adele Gardner, Eternal Haunted Summer Summer Solstice

Coding a Demi-griot (An Olivian Measure), Armoni “Monihymn” Boone, Fiyah 26

Cradling Fish, Laura Ma, Strange Horizons May

Dream Visions, Melissa Ridley Elmes, Eccentric Orbits 4

Eight Dwarfs on Planet X, Avra Margariti, Radon Journal 3

The Giants of Kandahar, Anna Cates, Abyss & Apex 88

How to Haunt a Northern Lake, Lora Gray, Uncanny 55

Impostor Syndrome, Robert Borski, Dreams and Nightmares 124

The Incessant Rain, Rhiannon Owens, Evermore 3

Interrogation About A Monster During Sleep Paralysis, Angela Liu, Strange Horizons November

Little Brown Changeling, Lauren Scharhag, Aphelion 283

A Mere Million Miles from Earth, John C. Mannone, Altered Reality April

Pilot, Akua Lezli Hope, Black Joy Unbound eds. Stephanie Andrea Allen & Lauren Cherelle (BLF Press)

Protocol, Jamie Simpher, Small Wonders 5

Sleep Dragon, Herb Kauderer, The Book of Sleep (Written Image Press)

Slow Dreaming, Herb Kauderer, The Book of Sleep (Written Image Press)

St. Sebastian Goes To Confession, West Ambrose, Mouthfeel 1

Value Measure, Joseph Halden and Rhonda Parrish, Dreams and Nightmares 125

A Weather of My Own Making, Nnadi Samuel, Silver Blade 56

Welcoming the New Girl, Beth Cato, Penumbric October

What You Find at the Center, Elizabeth R McClellan, Haven Spec Magazine 12

The Witch Makes Her To-Do List, Theodora Goss, Uncanny 50

The Year It Changed, David C. Kopaska-Merkel, Star*Line 46.4

Voting for the Rhysling Award begins July 1; a link to the ballot will be sent with the Rhysling Anthology, as well as with the July issue of Star*Line. More information on the Rhysling Award can be found here.

[girlbloggercher]

how to read the Bible

this is in order!

1. John

2. Mark

3. Matthew

4. Luke

5. Genesis

6. Exodus

7. Leviticus

8. Numbers

9. Dueteronomy

10. Romans

11. Galatians

12. Colossians

13. Proverbs

14. Ecclesiastes

15. Job

16. 1 Peter

17. 1 Corinthians

18. 2 Corinthians

19. Ephesians

20. Philippians

21. 1 Thessalonians

22. 2 Thessalonians

23. 1 Timothy

24. 2 Timothy

25. James

26. 2 Peter

27. 1 John

28. 2 John

29. 3 John

30. Jude

31. Psalms

32. Joshua

33. Judges

34. 1 Samuel

35. 2 Samuel

36. 1 Kings

37. 2 Kings

38. 1 Chronicles

39. 2 Chronicles

40. Ezra

41. Nehemiah

42. Jeremiah

43. Lamentations

44. Ezekiel

45. Joel

46. Amos

47. Obadiah

48. Nahum

49. Habakkuk

50. Zephaniah

51. Haggai

52. Zechariah

53. Malachi

54. Micah

55. Hosea

56. Luke

57. Esther

58. Jonah

59. Song of Solomon

60. Acts

61. Titus

62. Philemon

63. Hebrew

64. Isaiah

65. Daniel

66. Revelation

[malaisequotes]

“Go down to the netherworld, plant grapes.”

1 Samuel 15:23 by The Mountain Goats

[creativewaygrace]

Bible Verses About Witchcraft

1 Chronicles 10:13- Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the Lord because he did not keep the Lord's word He even consulted a medium for guidance.

1 Samuel 15:23- For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.

1 Samuel 22:23- Stay with me. Don't be afraid, for the one who wants to take my life wants to take your life. You will be safe with me.

2 Chronicles 33:6- He passed his sons through the fire in Ben Hinnom Valley. He practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did a huge amount of evil in the Lord's sight, angering him.

Leviticus 19:31- Do not turn to mediums, or consult spiritists, or you will be defiled by them, I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 20:6- Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists and prostitutes' himself with them, I will turn against that person and cut him off from his people.

Leviticus 20:27- A man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritists must be put to death. They are to be stoned; their death is their own fault.

Revelation 18:23- The light of a lamp will never shine in you again and the voice of a groom and bride will never be heard in you again. All this will happen because your merchants were the nobility of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.

Revelation 21:8- But the cowards, faithless, detestable, murderers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

Galatians 5:19-20- Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions.

Galatians 5:19-21- Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and anything similar. I am warning you about these things, as I warned you before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Micha 5:10-12- In that day, this is the Lord's declaration, I will remove your horses from you and wreck your chariots. I will remove the cities of your land and tear down all your fortresses. I will remove sorceries from your hands, and you will not have any more fortune tellers.

Acts 19:17-20- When this became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, they became afraid, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high esteem. And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, while many of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So they calculated their value and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver, in this way the word of the Lord flourished and prevailed.

Isaiah 8:19-22- When they say to you, "Inquire of the mediums and the spiritists who chirp and mutter, shouldn't a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead, on behalf of the living? Go to God's instruction and testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, there will be no dawn for them. They will wander through the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged, and looking upward, will curse their king and their God. They will look toward the earth and see only distress, darkness, and the gloom of affliction, and they will be driven into thick darkness.

Isaiah 19: 1-4- A pronouncement concerning Egypt: Look, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. Egypt's idols will tremble before him, and Egypt will loose heart. I will provoke Egyptians against Egyptians, each will fight against his brother and each against his friend, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. Egypt's spirit will be disturbed within it, and I will frustrate it's plans. Then they will inquire of idols, ghosts, and spiritists. I will hand over Egypt to harsh masters, and a strong king will rule it. This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.

Acts 8:9-13- A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and amazed the Samaritan people, while calming to be somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest and they said, "This man is called the Great Power of God". They were attentive to him because he had amazed them with his sorceries for a long time, but when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed

Deuteronomy 18:10-14- No one among you is to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire, practice divination, tell fortunes, interpret omens, practice sorcery, cast spells, consult a medium or spiritists, or inquire of the dead. Everyone who does these acts is detestable to the Lord, and the Lord your God is driving out the nations before you because of these detestable acts. You must be blameless before the Lord your God. Though these nations you are about to drive out listen to fortune-tellers and diviners, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do this.

Isaiah 47: 8-14- So now hear this, lover of luxury, who sits securely, who says to herself, I am, and there is no one else. I will never be a widow or know the loss of children. These two things will happen to you suddenly, in one day, loss of children and widowhood. They will happen to you in their entirety, in spite of your many sorceries and potency of your spells. You were secure in your wickedness, you said No one sees me. Your wisdom and knowledge led astray. You said it yourself, I am, and there is no one else. But disaster will happen to you, you will not know how to avert it. And it will fall on you, but you will be unable to ward it off . Devastation will happen to you suddenly and unexpectedly. So take your stand with your spells and your many sorceries, which you have wearied yourself with from your youth. Perhaps you will be able to succeed, perhaps you will inspire terror! You are worn out with your many consultations. So let the astrologers stand and save you, those who observe the stars, those predict monthly what will happen to you. Look, they are like stubble, fire burns them. They cannot rescue themselves from the power of the flame. This is not a coal for warming themselves, or a fire to sit beside!