#Danger Do NOT Tithe- Is it Wrong to Tithe?

[ausetkmt]

Danger, Do NOT Tithe- Is it Wrong to Tithe?

Just give him a moment and understand that HE IS SPEAKING TRUTH, to Devils, who collect their shekels in the name of their false prophets. Stop paying for rolls royces if you are riging in a honda.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Got any games about being a little creature out to cause chaos?

THEME: Chaos Gremlins.

Hello friend! I sure do!

Space Gerbils, by Penguin King Games

You are the galaxy's most famous bounty hunter, but nobody knows your real name, or what your real voice sounds like. In fact, you've never taken your helmet off in public, at least as far as anybody knows!

The interstellar tabloids have accused any number of public figures of secretly being you. They are, of course, all wrong. The real reason you never remove your helmet is that you're actually a bunch of space gerbils operating a human-size mech suit.

You're very keen on not letting this get out.

Space Gerbils is definitely the longest game on this list, with over 100 pages in the current iteration of the playtest. This is a game about teamwork, and the mech creation is the first indicator of that, as you’ll have to collaboratively create the robot the gerbils pilot in order to keep their identities a secret.

Play involves a series of phases (setup, operations, fallout, end) and a grid where your gerbils will strategically move in order to operate their bounty hunter effectively. While the premise of Space Gerbils is cute and funny, it has the potential for both humorous and dramatic scenes, you’ll likely find that your play table will approach the strategy of the game with dedication and the desire to succeed. As a result, I think Space Gerbils is going to produce a high amount of group investment.

Mutant Possum Cowboys, by It’s Eric! Games.

Mutant Possum Cowboys is a quick-play RPG where ya take the roll of talkin' possums who have taken it upon themselves ta help tha' townsfolk of tha' Wild West. 

Yer a Mutant Possum Cowboy. Yer posse is part of tha' Order of tha' Gun, dedicated ta wanderin’ from Town ta Town in “Roadkill County,” tha' Mutated Deserts of tha' Wild West, offerin’ help where needed against mutated critters and all sorts of Ne'er-Do-Wells. 

This game involves distributing points among three stats to indicate what your lil’ cowboy is good at. Your character also gets a special treasure in addition to their regular gear that gives them a little bit of kick - such as “Tha Rallyin’ Jaw Harp” which sounds like an instrument that can call for aid from miles away, or “Gold Lightnin’”, a famous double-barrelled revolver. The game feels like it draws a lot of inspiration from games such as Lasers and Feelings - particularly the roll tables provided to the GM to help them quickly generate a problem situation that the possums will have to wrangle with.

Sockgoblins, by poorstudents

You are a Sockgoblin! One of many loyal to the Great And All Powerful And Really Important Queen, living in the secret underground goblin city. Your Queen demands all sorts of items from the surface world; coffee, really big hats, the occasional hubcap. But what she craves most are Socks.

Every year, the Queen demands a sock tithe, which is where you, little sockgoblin, come in! Every other Sockgoblin has already got their Socks, but you have been slacking! You will need to venture up into the giant world of the humans and steal the last Socks! But the humans are ready. They have prepared their traps, trained their guard animals, and hired the dreaded Sockgoblin exterminator.

You and your crew of Sockgoblins venture into the world finding adventure, danger, and most importantly, Socks! No one knows where the Socks are now but you’re confident you know where they will end up; at the feet of your Great And All Powerful And Really Important Queen!

Sockgoblins is a Forged-in-the-Dark game inspired by media such as The Boxtrolls, Over the Garden Wall, and Home Alone, and provides adventures as little goblins stealing socks for the Goblin Queen. The danger of the each thing you try to do escalates in correlation to how many socks you’ll get out of it - and you can actually play using socks because they’re part of your inventory!

Sockgoblins can work as ether a one-shot or as an episodic campaign, so it’s great if you want to try out a game of it to see if your group wants to keep coming back to it.

Hotdog Princess, by jesthehuman

You are on a rookie team of Hotdog Hopefuls, wanting to join the ranks of HOTDOG: Hyper Optic Team DOG. There are a limited number of spots on the team, but one way to impress the Top Dog is by being crowned the Hotdog Princess at the local puppy pageant. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate the Puppy Pageant and WIN. Alliances should be formed. Knowing when to break them is key. 

Hotdog Princess is full of puns and nods to various kinds of ‘dogs, with “Chili Dog”, “Veggie Dog” and “Danger Dog’ just a few of the dog options underneath the roll table that determines your character type. Players have two tracks: “hot” and “dog’, which you’ll fill out hangman-style whenever you fail a roll. Filling either one of the tracks prompts an end for your dog in some way. Your stats are, of course, “hot” and “dog”, with “hot” representing your charm, while your “dog” represents your jokes and pranks.

If you want a goofy game with an even goofier premise, you want Hotdog Princess.

Partners in Grime, by Michael Low

Partnerz in Grime is a story game in which the players take on the role of a crew of goblins: awesomely awful, magical critters hiding out on the edges of hooman society getting into all sorts of trouble.

The bones of this game is the Stories RPG, which is a one-page game that details some simple rules about how to use d6 dice pools to overcome obstacles or move the story forward. Partnerz in Grime is not just a story to run through with the base engine - it also comes with worldubuilding prompts, drama clocks, ways to power up your character, and a mechanic that improves’ players’ math as they play. The authorial voice is incredibly specific, sinking you into the goofiness of the game from the start, and character creation involves fill-in-the-blank prompts that fill out the character’s story.

If you want a game that is great for kids or that is really open about the kind of chaos you can unleash, you might want to check out Partnerz in Grime.

Heckhounds, by TheOtherTracy

Yours is a legacy of brimstone, fire, and damnation. You're a hunter of hell, sent to Earth to bring escaped damned souls back to the Eternal Fire.

You're also a good boy! Who's a good boy? You are!

Heckhounds is game of hellfire and tail wags. You and your littermates were sent to Earth to hunt an escaped damned soul. Business as usual, right? Except this time you got the bodies of mortal, Earth puppies rather than the hellhound bodies you'd normally get. The nature of the puppy in you is strong, and you've got to keep from blowing your cover while you hunt down your target!

This game feels directly inspired by the dog given to Adam in Good Omens, and I love the idea of it already. The three stats in Heckhounds are Hell, Hound, and Ineffability, with Hell relating to your infernal demon-dog strength, Hound relating to your puppy charms and virtues, and Ineffability relating to what the game calls “the odd surety of the unknowable.” The game is inspired by Honey Heist, which means that your stats will fluctuate in value and you are always at the risk of pushing a stat too high and triggering some kind of end-game state. If you want a game that sparks fun times by merging great cosmic power into an itty bitty life-form, then you want Heckhounds.

Games I’ve Recommended in the Past…

Cryptid TV,by yanahn.

Something Is Wrong With The Chickens, by Elliot Davis.

Geese At The Beach, by Justin Joyce.

I’ll Be Taking That, by porchlightdusk.

Mouse Cult, by Mint-Rabbit (that’s me!)

[hoboblaidd]

The Evanuris' Rule

How did they come to be remembered as gods? Slowly. It started with a war. War breeds fear. Fear breeds a desire for simplicity. Good and evil, right and wrong, chains of command. After the war ended, generals became respected elders, then kings, then finally gods. The Evanuris.

I want to talk about the devolution of Elvhenan after the war with the Titans from a loose system of warlords to the worst sort of feudal theocracy. I'm not going into Solas' rebellion apart from pointing out that the people under the Evanuris' rule did try to fight back, and they were brutally crushed until the rebellion became centralized.

This is an incredibly long post that may be a bit rambling. I've tried to organize it. This is Elvhenan, so there will be discussions of slavery. It's the essential throughline - it's easy to talk about gods and their politics in an almost ASOIAF way. It's high fantasy drama and fun to dissect how immortal god-emperors think. But it's more important to talk about the people who suffered under those politics, and how they fought back.

First, note that this is pure headcanon territory based on the lore we have from DAI and DATV, and my own historical research. I am not an expert. It has been a long time since I studied European and Japanese history. I'm not making any findings or stating opinions on the real world, just using these as an analogue to Elvhenan.

Feudalism in Elvhenan

Think of Elvhenan as a feudal world - warlords ruled their slice of land, and dictated how all the people on it lived. As their power grew, so too did their tyranny. It devolved from governing food and trade to controlling how their people would live, what they would do, how they should act, etc. Warlords took their shares of all commerce from their subjects, a tithe or a tax that grew more oppressive as they grew in strength and their land grabs turned to infighting. 

Each Evanuris governed their lands and their people differently. As with their archdemons, their governing style reflected them. Elgar'nan would rule his lands differently than say, Sylaise. But they all lusted for greater power.

Even before they declared themselves gods, the people under their rule fell more and more from serfs to slaves. The warlords came to control everything about their lives. The people were marked by vallaslin. I think this was proclaimed as a mark of "protection", when of course, it was a mark of ownership. "Those who bear the mark of Dirthamen are protected as his people from the dangers of the other kings." The grip of ownership tightened beyond that. Along with the more real world analogues like food, commerce, tax, etc., Elvhenan had greater ways of subduing their people. Travel was restricted by the eluvians - June built them so only those with the keystone could activate it. Leaving the relative safety of their villages was dangerous - Andruil hunted her own people and Ghilan'nain's creations became more and more twisted. The people became wholly dependent on their respective warlords to just survive.

Elgar'nan and Mythal's Central Government

Elgar'nan consolidated these warring factions under his umbrella, a more centralized governing system as opposed to dozens of fiefdoms fighting each other. He could mediate disagreements, but his temperament was not suited for peace. He wanted above all else to rule over everything. But Solas also tells us that he raised like minded people up as dictators in their own right. He wasn't building a senate so much as creating new fiefdoms that were fiercely loyal to him. It's a land game - the more land an Evanuris had, the more control they could exert. But his style of governance, that of an iron fist, was bound to incite the other warlords to chafe under his imposed rule.

Mythal became the actual arbiter of feudal Elvhenan struggles. She dispensed justice when Elgar'nan's vengeance could be avoided. It was she to whom the other warlords came to settle disputes. She played the precursor to the Game well enough that Elgar'nan allowed it. Her power was great enough that she was almost his equal. Almost. The mural of the Evanuris' apotheosis is a telling one. Though Elgar'nan and Mythal stand side by side, she is a little lower than him. Again, he allowed it. In his mind, this still makes the final word his own.

Despite Mythal's stabilizing influence, the infighting continued. Perhaps not all out war except when things got too extreme - Falon'din's bloody civil war that she rallied the gods to subdue, or Andruil's mad rampage when she was infected by the Blight. But they still sought to seize more and more power. With that comes a tightening of the chokehold on their people, and a propaganda war that sowed the seeds of their claimed divinity - "Falon'din will protect you from Andruil's bow;" "Pray that Andruil strikes swift and true against Falon'din's encroachment onto our land." That sort of thing.

Apotheosis

Solas suggests that all elves had magical abilities, which I tend to agree with. But the Evanuris' powers outstripped his and certainly all of the rest of the peoples'. They could control minds, twist forms, create new "life." To see your king move the sun becomes something otherworldly. Divine, even. 

Elgar'nan's leap from king to god-emperor is not a big one. They'd already gained total control over their land and people. The next logical step for creatures voracious for more power can only be godhood.

By the time the Evanuris declared themselves gods, they had total control over their people. It is not just protection that keeps the people humbled - it is fear. Andruil's people prayed that she would not hunt them. Whole villages were twisted by Ghilan'nain for nothing more than the pursuit of her creative ambition. Thousands were sacrificed to build monuments and "wonders." These people lived on the knife's edge and at the whim of capricious, all powerful assholes.

If you step out of line, the gods make a crater of your entire city. If you dare to think differently, your mind is broken. But their control was not just this almost divine power. It was also terribly mundane: propaganda, societal brainwashing, restrictive education, etc. etc. All the stuff we've see play out in the real world. It's just as effective.

Again, each Evanuris' power was different, and so their rule over their people would be too. Elgar'nan dominated his followers' minds to force them to joyfully obey their 'Father.' Mythal placed her most 'loyal' servants under a compulsion, sapping their will to replace it with her own. Sylaise created a wonder that was fueled by the blood sacrifice of hundreds or thousands of slaves. 

Nixe quoted that damning "sermon" from Veilguard called The Trials of the Gods the other day. I'm going to copy a portion of that here:

How does one serve a god? For the poor souls still in thrall to the Evanuris, that question has been answered for them. Service is no longer willingly given: it must be wrested, and it must entertain.

This is the lot of the people under their gods. Their very will stolen, broken, to the point that they can only mindlessly obey to fulfill the wishes and whims of their ruler. The loss of free will is terrible in and of itself, but that their forced servility was also intended to entertain? It's pure decadent Rome with the unrestricted, supernatural power to dominate. And why? because these beings are all powerful, and since there is no way to go higher than a god, they grow bored. Their people are their playthings.

Mythal as an Illustration

We have bits and pieces of damning lore about how the people under the Evanuris' rule lived, both from Felassan and scraps of firsthand accounts. But our greatest analogue for how those people lived is in how we dealt with the god who is most familiar to us: Mythal.

Mythal's admonishment in the Trial of the Gods sermon is both a glimpse into what the other Evanuris were doing and to her own cruelty: 

Shall you kneel in terror, work mindlessly, parrot my virtues, and think it the greatest of compliments to me? Do not merely follow the wise. Seek the wisdom they sought.

How can those under a compulsion, those so accustomed to subjugation that they lose their freedom of thought and will, be expected to "seek the wisdom of the wise"? This is not Benevolence. This is an impossible game. It is not nurturing free will, it is setting pieces on a board and watching how it plays out. It is entertainment. And what is their reward? That they learn how to better serve their god.

Is this not the same as Flemythal's "a soul is not forced on the unwilling", when her life has been spent trying to break Morrigan's will to the point that she would agree to the acceptance of the soul (which she did in Veilguard)?

Mythal's help to us the player character always came at a price - forcing us to petition as her subjects did when we need her help against Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain; her 'aid' of the Hero of Ferelden being a mask to conquer Morrigan; helping Hawke's family escape the Blight as long as they secreted her away; only helping against Corypheus when either the Inquisitor or Morrigan were under her direct, physical control. She demanded the same from her slaves that she called 'chosen'. 

This sermon is one of praise to Mythal. It mourns those under the thrall of the Evanuris while Mythal delivers a sermon of seeming benevolence. They are also under the thrall of an Evanuris, but her manipulation is so great that they don't even see it.

Rebellion

I'm not going into Solas' rebellion, except to say this: Imagine Mythal's cruelty tripled compared to someone like Elgar'nan, and the people's hopeless situation becomes unbearably clear. How can anyone hope to fight back against that? But they did. They tried. And they were crushed. Their freedom was not something that a protest could cure - Andruil decimated a village for protesting. Their freedom was not something they could gain by running away - the gods could always travel faster than the people could hope to.

Their only viable salvation was to upturn the entire system through violent revolution. That can't be accomplished by isolated pockets of resistance. As shown above, those were all brutally crushed. It's just like Shartan. It requires the same centralization that Elgar'nan pulled on the Evanuris. It requires something to rally behind that has the force of will to withstand the constant assaults. It needs a "Dread Wolf."

[mikeylivesattheend]

SO I finally read the first Unwind book by Neal Shusterman and wowowowow people were not lying it's so genuinely incredible. Like no joke, even if you read this goofy post read the first book. It's not perfect (looking at you 2007 era feminism) but it's haunting my thoughts. I don't think it will ever fade. And you know the one scene. You know.

What I'm saying is, even after reading (and starting the 2nd book) of this very grounded, fleshed out world, I had to look it up on a03. With Jason Todd 💀💀💀

It doesn't seem to exist so here's some AU ideas/HCs

Note: This is for fun, and I do not know the ending to the series. This post will spoil general plot points of the first and second books.

-Bruce is a moderate on unwinding. He would, of course, never unwind HIS kids but he trusts s c i e n c e and it follows logic

-just for fun, maybe the person who killed his parents was an awol unwind, and hes grateful that person was able to live on in a better form

-bruce wayne has great security, and the family is intense about preventing storked babies. But if a mother does try, they usually send at least 1k to help, and a lot of mothers go to his house to get some financial assistance

- dick traveled a lot, met a lot of different people. I think he met a lot of unwinds, and his parents were pro not murdering teens, but they couldn't house them for more than a day or two. The law pays more attention to transient spaces they can track after all

-all of this to say dick loved meeting and showing off to new people, and doesnt like the cops, and doesnt like that they get so scared. His parents/troupe influenced him a lot but no one has really said any of this aloud to him since he's so young. Hes never feared being unwound, not seriously.

-my ideal fic wouldnt be dick focused, so his character progression might be depressing here.

-he thinks unwinding is immoral, says it feels wrong, doesn't use words like soul. He is passionate about this issue when directly confronted, but he believes temporary help is the best he can provide.

-dick feels secure he wont be unwound for two reasons. Bruce knows hes too capable to be detained by cops. And dick knows that bruce couldn't live with himself if he condemned dick to a divided existence, no matter what his logic says.

-Unwinding is a huge blur of grey for batman in chaotic, unpredictable Gotham. For brucie wayne, clinking champagne glasses with a teenager's hands, complimenting an elderly investors washboard abs, unwinding is a fact of life. But for bruce wayne, the father, the son, unwinding would always be a prolonged muder. Bruce does not ponder those feelings deeply. He does all he can (he doesnt)

-Dick doesn't like that they rat on violent runaways/unwinding awols, but he knows they fill in lower gaps as goons. He hates it at first, and bruce does learn to ignore more. But dick learns the dangers of desperation. He meets nore people who agree with unwinding, tithes, and as he grows into larger scale problems/hero teams, he loses sight of the bigger government issue.

-all this to say, as an adult, dick does what all his parents did in a way (money, hidden spots he knows, advice he's picked up on) but his morals match bruces more than his parents. He thinks that tithing is okay if the kid is 17 and consents, understands that religion is personal, despises the state homes doing it the most (bruce has given so much to those leeches).

-i dont know enough about the teen titans to know how theyd feel, how that would impact dick, if he'd even /have/ the entire team or if some became unwound

-oh my god unrelated note clark as a teen, despite being very loved, was glad he was indestructible. Docs dont use kryptonite

-jason jason jason my boy jason. So yes unwind awols are pretty natural to him, working girls, hes against the process bc he knows a lot of families who do that to kids & he gets it

-in this au he could keep the canon backstory. It still hurts bc he especially feels then he was a burden, storked by one of willis' exes. Or he could be fully storked from the jump. His bio dad is dead, shelia is the only one alive. Bruce is more anti-shelia initially bc she storked him but he knows some people do want to see their kids later in life? This also impacts his early social clout, since storks are looked down on. Maybe especially so where he's a 'real' burden.

-hes a lot more intense than dick abt unwinds, is deeply paranoid bruce will unwind him and has to be reassured bruce would never personally do that. Jason doesnt want to use unwind body parts, but bruce will always choose jays life over his 'moral high ground.'

-honestly most of death with the family will feel the same, the main difference is Jay will have a guilty thought, wonder if it would have been better to let bruce unwind him, if robin should have served everyone (bruce did not threaten this, but kids have been unwound for a whole lot less).

- THE CRUX IS THAT JAY WAKES UP WHOLE BRAIN IN NEW BODY HORRIFIED HEHEHEGED

- this au uses the movie version of utrh with talua stuff, but add in that the brain cannot automatically connect to the body, this is very untested, and it takes like a year to make it work at all. No laz pit, the body is a military buff 16 year old but not excessively violent yaknow

-he still loses it bc "oh my god I was unwound, how did this happen? did bruce do it? no no? he couldnt. i died. where am i? talias oh shit - gotta go fast yeet"

- he goes to gotham, doesn't try to kill bruce but does realize how fucked he is. He can barely open doors, has to think constantly to walk. After moping for a while talia finds him, offers to train him, explains he was meant to be a gift. Jay says he doesnt want to go back to bruce, talia fucked him over, she seems guilty so the training still happens, mainly as an urge to finish what she started, and maybe fulfill that initial goal someday

- im the most torn on this bc i think jason would never want to risk being their guinea pig again.

-he does not kill anyone until its a parts pirate. Talia sent him to increasingly pro unwinding people to force his hand for sure. Either to have a reason to cut him off, or to make their moral worldviews align more.

-Jay is def vaguely suicidal, self disgust. So this is punishment for him + scumbags. It also puts the body to a purposeful use, in honor of the kid.

-body dysmorphia duh btw. After this im extra fuzzy on details for jay

- i want him to be part of the anti divisional group, I want him to be a more community driven hero. But is that really in character for him? How would the unwinding world impact his priorities? Would he operate in gothan as the red hood, work as a human trafficker to save those kids?

- this is also the reason I'm not focusing on characters that come after jason much. His impact would need to be felt in some way in the stories, but I dont know where yet

-i think tim is part of a much, much larger family here and he didnt go to a fancy school. In canon his grades are mid, and even tho his parents love him, he has a lot of competition.

- him being robin makes his life a lot harder. Maybe after jack +janet die the gov actually orders most of the kids to be unwound bc state ho budgets etc. The uncle thing is very legitimately needed lmao

- steph storks her baby yes, but now she's able to keep track of their life in a really unhealthy way.

-i don't know enough about babs to know how she'd feel. I think she might be for it, she might even heal her spine with it. But I'm not sold on that fully

-cass is radically anti unwind. She does go to bruce, but honestly in this au she might leave because he does condone it through his inaction

- the justice league must be pro unwinding for conflict in this world to work, and finding out the reasons for that would be so interesting. Hell maybe the justice league wouldn't really be a thing at all, with such clashing morals.

-and idk how unwind ends so no fuckin clue on resolving the conflict AND adding superheroes

Sorry this was so long, and for at least 5 typos. Please steal my ideas and write a better fic than i can ty 😘😘😘

I'll probably end up adding more jason details to this if/when I find a game plan for jay or finish the unwind dystology

[thebookofnehemiah]

"Eliashib." From the Book of Nehemiah, "the Exploration of the Mysteries of the Lions that Lay," 13: 4-5.

We continue our discussion of the storeroom. Storerooms are 625, vbeha, "the sewerage of the brother's fireplace." Hebrew is radial, so the storeroom is either a container of manure or fuel, depending on the chain of transmission.

Our world is an endangered species because the Christians communicate a dangerously slanted dogma to the world. They hate everyone and have sought and successfully gained far too much state power to use in their suppression of the Self all around the world. They do not understand whit or wisdom, are incapable of sound government and their storerooms must be drained.

The body count in America post RVW is a good example of gross miscoduct by the Christian faith. The demonization of Israel after the US Government sponsored terror attacks in Israel October 7 is another. Neither aspect demonstrates competence in the church and state houses. Both are due to the heavy and inappropriate influences of Christendom on the human condition.

Humanity has not been paying attention. Gaza was constituted as a terrorist jurisdiction and its people live like animals. Still the US Secretary of State wanted to give them aid. This is quite illegal. One cannot aid or abet a designated terrorist organization in any way or one becomes an accomplice. Hamas is such an organization. Aid cannot reach the territory until this designation is lifted or the organization is extermimated. It's sad and a tear jerker, but Gaza could easily have become a lucrative wealthy resort town by the beach. Instead, its residents threw down with the Mormons who create hell on earth everywhere they go.

Amy Coney Barrett, Justices Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Roberts are aspects of the very same filth, dogmatic public servants that cause grave harm instead of imposing rule of law. They have caused illegal misery to hundreds of thousands of families and are not, as yet under arrest for it.

Nehemiah says flush that shit out and replace the stores with the proper inventory: He calls this Eliashib, a type of Levite:

"The verb שוב (shub) tells of a reversal in motion; the point where an upward motion becomes a downward one, or vice versa, or a westward motion an eastward one, and so on. This very frequently occurring verb is mostly translated with to turn or return, and is often used to mean to convert or return to a more fruitful way of life, and hence to restore, to retrieve or even to abstain, to reply and to repeat.

Noun שובה (shuba) means withdrawal; noun שיבה (shiba) means restoration, and noun תשובה (teshuba) means answer. Adjectives שובב (shobab), שובב (shobeb) and משובה (meshuba) mean backsliding, or transitioning from a positive to a negative way of life."

The Zohar says the ability of man to reverse the curse is Tobiah, "a sign of wealth and fortune." It says aim high...farm the field, press the olive and the grape, and give thanks to God in the Temple.

4 Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah, 5 and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain, new wine and olive oil prescribed for the Levites, musicians and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests.

For this Kabbalah to work we need to know more about the "large room". The Number is 324, גךד‎‎, gechad, "not the appearance but the behavior."

This is the not so deep secret to understanding religion. All one has to do is observe the intricate relationships God has programmed into nature and then observe humanity and it will be obvious something is wrong. We have made a gigantic mess and now we must clean it up. It will not be cleaned up by Pro-Life one of the major causes of suffering on this planet, it will not be solved by fanning the flames of acrimony against other human beings on the basis of superstition.

Christianity has to study the Gospel Torahs PROPERLY and renew its commitment to mankind or I am content to dissolve it in favor of a newer, more effective matrix.

The Values in Gematria are:

v. 4: The priest was in charge of the storehouse. The Number is 6429, ו‎דבט, ‎v‎shbet‎, "the debt of the tribe."

The Jewish people are the longest lived race on the planet. Long ago, they agreed the maker and giver of life had a viable plan for the human race and agreed to carry it out. It is a noble mission and should not be criticized or attacked. The Gospels were written by persons who were Jewish and saw the role of an additional room, a "large room" in the House of God and built it on. This should not be the cause of the demise of the human race.

v. 5: He provided the room with contributions for the priests. Priests, Lamas, Imams, etc. do not relish preaching to drug addicts, whores, cheaters, divorcees, mourners and the dying feeling powerless the entire time to turn the tide. God said parishioners must return the favors given them by the priesthood by trying, really trying to be happy and sharing their happiness with their fellow man.

The Number is 10316, קג‎י״ו, kag‎yravoo, "grab it."

The frame ends as it began with a discussion of how to light the fire of happiness in a friend's furnace with what is called "a grab":

"The Macedonian word is spelled with a single b but the Greek one has a double one. That draws our attention to the Hebrew verb רבב (rabab), which speaks of being much or many, and especially many becoming one (many arrows, many rain drops, many instructions, many branches), which would perfectly describe our bundle or twigs."

The prescriptions and prohibitions in the Torah, the "twigs and branches" are the fuel for the central furnace of happiness in the Self and all Selves. Their wisdom cannot be bypassed, especially not now when time is growing so short for far too many.

The Rab says to grab is Elul, "the strength to do what we might." An entire nation of these is what God had in mind.

[wolint]

NOT LIKE OTHER PEOPLE!

NOT LIKE OTHER PEOPLE

Luke 18:11-14

 

Humanity is full of arrogant pride! Everyone thinks they are better than someone else. “I’m better than him or her, so why have they got it?” We are never content with what we have, who we are, and where we are. We’re always thinking we should be the “one.”

Sadly, this attitude is even present within the body of Christ, where someone always thinks they are better than another—more fervent in prayer, a greater worshipper, preacher, leader, and more. You can almost hear the Pharisee’s words in the mouths of many Christians today: “Lord, you know I am not like that person. I am righteous, kind, good, and ‘holier than thou’ to boot.”

He was standing—the normal posture of prayer—but unfortunately, it indicates the posture of his heart: a proud heart, one of the things God detests and resists. Or he stood! Nothing is wrong with standing to pray, but it gives the impression that he was parading, pacing up and down to be seen and noticed by others.

“God, I thank you that I…” His prayer was all about him and his self-righteousness. The five “I’s” in this passage reveal the self-centeredness of the Pharisee. Rather than expressing thanks for what God has done for him, he brags about his own moral purity and religious faithfulness.

Rather than coming to the Lord penitent and humble, he came with the arrogant pride that he was better than the other people around him and used them as his standard of righteousness instead of God. He celebrated himself, realizing again that he was better than them, judging from his use of “I.”

Thinking himself better than everyone else, he wrongly assumed, as so many like him do, that God would be pleased with him. His prayer didn’t glorify the Lord in any way, since he was full of condemnation for others whom he saw as beneath him—sinners unlike him and not Pharisees like him. “I am not like other people.”

How about you? Do you speak to God in the same way this man did? With arrogant pride and self-righteousness, thinking that other people harbour worse sins than you? Look at Revelation 3:17 and ask yourself why: “You say, ‘I am rich, with everything I want; I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that spiritually you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” Self-sufficiency is the fatal danger of a lukewarm state according to Revelation 3:15.

Hebrews 4:13 says nothing is hidden from God, meaning that He knows everything we do. Like this Pharisee, God knows if and how often we fast, so He doesn’t need us to recount all our activities to Him in prayer like this man.

This Pharisee was self-bragging, which sadly is so common among Christians today. He bragged about not praying with sinners, not being like other men, not being an extortioner or unjust. He claimed not to be an adulterer, not like the tax collectors. He fasts twice a week (over the Old Testament’s expected Jewish requirement of a yearly fast in Leviticus 23:27-32 and less than the yearly 104 fasts of the New Testament) and even pays his tithe. Wow! What a good man. Unfortunately for him and many like him, heaven is not for “good people” but for saved people.

But if God were to answer him based on his works and self-righteousness, he would have failed for not upholding the required fast.

Like this man, many of us Christians make our prayers with details of me, myself, and I, more concerned with ourselves rather than glorifying the Lord, hoping that God will at least be appeased and pleased that we prayed at all.

We must always bear Matthew 20:16 in mind when we pray. God doesn’t listen to us because of who we are, as this man exhibited. Do not use others as your standard of approaching the Lord and never be quick to point out “not like other people.”

PRAYER: Father, help me to remain humbly conscious of Your love and never to be haughty in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Shalom

WOMEN OF LIGHT INT’L PRAYER MIN

[biblenewsprophecy]

NINTH COMMANDMENT: Joys to the World

@bible-news-prophecy-radio

The ninth commandment is, "You shall not bear false witness against you neighbor" (Exodus 20:16). Jesus said Satan the Devil was a liar and the father of lies. What were the first lies? What are the results of lies? What about vanity, self-deception, and pornography? What about gossips and talebearers? Are Christians supposed to lie? If there were no lies, would there be less war and more joy? What about justice? Should you change and not harden your heart? Are God's people to keep their promises even if it is very difficult to do so? Is it impossible for God to lie? Do many rely on religions based on lies, traditions, and deceitful philosophies of men? If there is a conflict between the Bible and what is called scientific knowledge, which should you believe? Are their dangers associated with self-deception according to the 'Atlantic' or lying to yourself according to the BBC? What about Pharaoh, Korah, and Laodiceans? Are we in a generation that the Book of Proverbs, the Apostle Paul, and Jesus warned about? Will God's kingdom be a joyful time when you can believe people? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters and more in this sermon message.

A written article of related interest is available titled 'NINTH COMMANDMENT: For a Better World’

Sermon Youtube video link: NINTH COMMANDMENT: Joys to the World

Some items of possibly related interest:

NINTH COMMANDMENT: For a Better World

The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.

FIRST COMMANDMENT: Priorities and the Most Broken Commandment Which commandment is broken the most? Which one is most involved with what should be your top priority? Here is a link to a related sermon: The Most Violated Commandment and Priorities.

SECOND COMMANDMENT: What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? Did the early Church use icons? What was the position of Christians about such things? A related sermon is available: The Second Commandment, Idols, and Icons.

THIRD COMMANDMENT: Words Matter Are you obeying the Third Commandment? Are you sure? Could you be blaspheming with your euphemisms or life actions? Here is a link to a related sermon: Third Commandment Plus: Words Matter. Here is a link to a shorter video: Was Increased Cursing Prophesied?

FOURTH COMMANDMENT: The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church? Here is a link to a related sermon: Fourth Commandment: Saturday or Sunday?

FIFTH COMMANDMENT: Honor and Be Honorable The fifth commandment involves family relationships. Is it more than parents and children? What about love and ruling well your household? Here is a link to a related sermon: Honor Your Parents and Rule Honorably.

SIXTH COMMANDMENT: Anger, Murder, Abortion, Sports, Self-Control, & Kindness Is there more to the 6th commandment than not murdering? What about abortion, hate, and violent sports? What is the attitude real Christians should have? Here is a link to a related sermon:: Murder, anger, kindness, and love.

SEVENTH COMMANDMENT: Love and Faithfulness, Not Sexual Immorality The seventh commandment prohibits adultery. Jesus made it clear that it involved more than marital infiedlity. What about the LGBTQ+ movement and the Bible? Here is a link to a related video sermon: 7th Commandment: Love and Faithfulness.

EIGHTH COMMANDMENT: Give not take. The eighth commandment prohibits stealing. This includes thievery, not tithing, debasing currency, cheating, and many other wrong acts. Here is a link to a related sermon: 8th Commandment: Do Not Steal or Cheat, Instead Produce and Give.

NINTH COMMANDMENT: No False Witness For a Better World What were the first lies in the Bible? What would happen if people obeyed God and did not bear false witness? Here is a link to a related sermon: NINTH COMMANDMENT: Joys to the World.

About Baptism Should you be baptized? Could baptism be necessary for salvation? Who should baptize and how should it be done? Here is a link to a related sermon: Let’s Talk About Baptism and Baptism, Infants, Fire, & the Second Death.

Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian.Two related sermons are also available:  Living as a Christian and Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God. Here is a video in Spanish: ¿Qué es un verdadero cristiano?

Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but …

Is God’s Existence Logical? Is it really logical to believe in God? Yes! Would you like Christian answers to give atheists? This is a free online booklet that deal with improper theories and musings called science related to the origin of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and evolution. Here is a link to a related sermon: Evolution is NOT the Origin of Life. Two animated videos of related interest are also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator? and A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?

Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.

Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.

Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.

The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, Mystery of Race, and The Mystery of YOU. Here is a link to a video in Spanish: El Misterio del Plan de Dios.

Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation Will all get a fair chance at salvation? This free book is packed with scriptures showing that God does intend to offer salvation to all who ever lived–the elect in this age, and the rest in the age to come. Here is a link to a related sermon series: Universal Offer of Salvation 1: Apocatastasis, Universal Offer of Salvation 2: Jesus Desires All to be Saved, Mysteries of the Great White Throne Judgment (Universal Offer of Salvation part 3), Is God Fair, Will God Pardon the Ignorant?, Can God Save Your Relatives?, Babies, Limbo, Purgatory and God’s Plan, and ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prophets’.

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. It is available in hundreds of languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.

Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?

Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. There are links to literature is about 100 different languages there.

Congregations of the Continuing Church of God This is a listing of congregations and groups of the Continuing Church of God around the world.

LATEST SERMONS

[azriel-delacroix]

"I fault those who use their beliefs as a means of control, but I won't deny the dangers." The simple phrase was reminiscent of his time talking to Pandora at the coronation party, how the coven was also the same as his family. Using the words of a deity or figurehead long past to enact control and fear in to their subjects to get what they wanted. It was a brutal and endless cycle, one that he witnessed firsthand. Azriel continued to watch the memory play around them, the younger version of him studiously working while the front door opened, in bounding his brother and their father not far behind– his brother stopping to sit next to him as he also pulled out his own homework. "It wasn't lonely, at least not in the beginning. Asa thought I was a superhero." The word superhero spoken with a rueful laugh before Azriel pointed over to the mirage of his father. The man took in his two sons, flicking from one to the other, landing on Azriel with a wariness that one wouldn't attribute to looking at their own child. "However, it was hard for my parents to dismiss that I knew things about people around me that a child wouldn't know. Things like Mrs. Jenkins having an affair with Mr. Henderson across the street or our pastor was skimming off the tops of the tithe taken every Sunday. I knew what people did in the safety of the night when they didn't believe anyone was watching." The images flickered through memories, centering around the two boys as the surroundings filtered together– both of them growing slightly older while the glances of their parents grew progressively more worried, then the memory shifted completely to a grand chapel. It was a majestic view even to this day to Azriel. Candles in abundance lit and casting soft glows with lit incense– any light dying from the afternoon sun sending rainbows of colors through the stained glass as the younger version of him knelt in one of the pews; hushed conversations between his parents and the pastor as the younger him prayed. He never knew what they said, casting his faith into the Lord and his Son that everything would work out– how was he to know that he never belonged when the teachings were always that mortals were made in His image. Even a kid such as him who could do things that no one else could that he knew of. "At first, I think they started to believe that I was some... prophet, but that changed quickly. Afterall, what prophet would hurt one of their own?" The memories flickered once more so that Lust and Azriel stood side by side outside in a rainy autumn day. He remembered how cold it was, the rain soaking through to the bone so much that he never thought he'd be warm again while he watched from afar while the funeral procession buried his brother into the cold and unforgiving earth– even from that far he could hear his mother's wails. "It was my fault, my parents knew it. They wouldn't let me onto the holy ground unless I tainted it with my filth," the words spat from his lips, gaze moving to Lust's, "the coroner report said that his body had been crushed from the inside out, a medical mystery and oddity but I knew. My brother died in one of the dreams I crafted. We were acting out some comic book scene when he slipped and fell from the roof we were running on. I didn't know what could happen so I didn't know to stop it. I knew something was wrong when I was booted out of his mind and back into my own body." The memory flicked once again to show his childhood room the night of Asa's passing after he had been sent back into his own mind, the younger version of him bolting out of bed and crossing the room he shared with his brother in record time. Azriel couldn't look, the memory branded into his mind forever, but he knew what his younger self saw. Asa lying in bed almost peacefully except for the blood that was now leaking out of the corners of his mouth, eyes, and his nostrils. Instead, the witch turned to look out the window with crossed arms, darkness greeting him as he spoke quietly, "my first casualty and greatest regret."

Lust couldn't help feeling as if he was the intruder on these memories despite the permission Azriel gave, the precious moment between the witch's younger self and his brother not something another was meant to see. A strange sense of yearning overtook the demon Prince, both from Az's loss and the fact that his brothers never would have experienced a darling bonding time, that is, had they ever been children. The Princes came from existence one day, they just were. "He seemed like a sweet boy. You both did." Lust's gaze locked with his prince's and then found the man who he only assumed was the Delacroix patriarch, almost taken aback by the similarities between Azriel and his father. Asa, the younger boy was called, he placed the memory aside for another time in case Lust decided to track down the family just to question them how Azriel turned out the way he did, how there were so many terrible traumas wrapped up in a child who was happy at one point. Lust regretfully knew this had to be the beginning, a snow day couldn't represent a lifetime's worth of trauma, so he watched the scene fade from the outside and paint a picture of a dining room with a family dinner. Saying their prayers. Truthfully, the understanding escaped the demon why any religion involving showing gratefulness before eating a meal became an important aspect. Yet, someone's lack of comprehending was another's norm. "I can't really fault anyone for having beliefs, but if I know anything, beliefs can be very dangerous." Lust rounded the table as he silently watched Azriel take in the memory with the sadness he could feel from where he stood, wanting nothing more than reaching out a hand, yet he wasn't certain if Az could feel it or his hand would disappear right through him. The scene shifted yet again, planting a younger Azriel at the kitchen table working on his schoolwork. "Your powers were developing. It must have been lonely for you even if you did not know what was happening." He stopped at the witch's side, glancing between the two Az's with a small frown touching his lips, "Your family noticed it too, didn't they?" It was then Lust completely understood where this story led. Religious mortals discovering their son can do something an ordinary child cannot. Like a touch of the devil. "Keep going. I need to know."

[bethanydelleman]

A Full Defense of Lydia Bennet

Lydia Bennet is not a villain, but she gets a lot of hate for carelessly running off with Wickham and possibly ruining her sister’s lives. The narrator and characters, however, do not blame Lydia very much and I don’t think the author meant for us to hate her. She was failed by her parents, who did not teach her how to properly behave and did not ensure she was properly protected.

Obviously, the real villain is Wickham.

The most vicious takedown of Lydia is put in the mouth (letter) of a character we should not respect, Mr. Collins. We already know that his morality is skewed, as he seems to view the collection of tithes and sucking up to Lady Catherine as his primary duties, he writes this of Lydia, “I am inclined to think that her own disposition must be naturally bad, or she could not be guilty of such an enormity, at so early an age.” (Ch 48). However, even he mentions the real cause, “a faulty degree of indulgence”.

Elizabeth feels this cause strongly, and lays out a good argument for her father on why Lydia should not go to Brighton, “She represented to him all the improprieties of Lydia’s general behaviour, the little advantage she could derive from the friendship of such a woman as Mrs. Forster, and the probability of her being yet more imprudent with such a companion at Brighton, where the temptations must be greater than at home.” (Ch 41). Mr. Bennet dismisses all these great arguments because he is too lazy to deal with Lydia’s disappointment. He’s been a lazy parent and continues to be.

Mr. Bennet then takes on the responsibility for what happened, ““Who should suffer but myself? It has been my own doing, and I ought to feel it… No, Lizzy, let me once in my life feel how much I have been to blame.” (Ch 50). Lydia has been allowed to run around flirting with officers for months, without any check on her conduct. She does not act within the rules of society, and while Elizabeth and Jane have tried to correct her, Lydia knew they had no real authority. She needed parents and neither of them did their duty. 

Mr. Bennet also acknowledges that he failed his daughters by not saving money for their future provision, “Had he done his duty in that respect” (Ch 50).

Mrs. Bennet shares this guilt, little as she will accept it: Mrs. Bennet, to whose apartment they all repaired, after a few minutes’ conversation together, received them exactly as might be expected; with tears and lamentations of regret, invectives against the villainous conduct of Wickham, and complaints of her own sufferings and ill-usage; blaming everybody but the person to whose ill-judging indulgence the errors of her daughter must principally be owing. (Ch 47)

Lastly, Lydia was failed by Darcy, who talks about his share of the blame here: “Wickham’s worthlessness had not been so well known as to make it impossible for any young woman of character to love or confide in him. He generously imputed the whole to his mistaken pride, and confessed that he had before thought it beneath him to lay his private actions open to the world.” (Ch 52). We see in Sense & Sensibility Elinor asking everyone who knows him about Willoughby’s character. Character references were important, that is how women knew they were safe in a man’s presence. Darcy knew the truth and he left Meryton and the Bennets in danger.

Lydia did make a choice (and certainly the wrong one), but she does not deserve all the blame for what happened. The narrator makes it clear that no one should be surprised by the outcome. Lydia was not taught was what right, she was not taught to control her impulses, and she was put out in the world too young, as Colonel Brandon said in Sense & Sensibility, “But can we wonder that… without a friend to advise or restrain her… she should fall?”

Related posts: Lydia too young to be out, Should Darcy have warned Meryton?

[taylors-fourth-cat-meow]

I started reading ACOTAR preparing to hate Tamlin and Nesta. I read through everything and I was like??? What was there to hate. What was there that was so unforgivable? I didn’t understand. Now the more that I think about it, I hate Rhys/Feyre and the IC more than Tamlin&Nesta.

The IC is portrayed as innocent angels who do the wrong things for the right reasons. They don’t. They do the wrong things or just don’t do anything at all. Feyre is portrayed as this innocent little victim who suffered and never fought back. (She did, she was always a fighter). She said she was just as mean to Nesta as Nesta was to her. But in the end Nesta went to look for her, told her to be happy with Tamlin and helped her. “BUT FEYRE HUNTED”. Yeah ok…. No one forced her. 

Tamlin gave back her family’s wealth, saved her, saved her mate, and helped win the war. But he is still villianized because of the PTSD by locking her up and fearing for her safety. I firmly believe if Velaris wasn’t shielded, Rhys would have been the same way and locked her up as well. That is why she was only allowed to roam in Velaris. 

We all know Tamlin doesn’t have much control over his powers, so him “blowing up” is accidental anyways. But when Rhys hurts people its on purpose. He SA’d her (I didn’t realize until I was thinking about it to myself later), twisted her broken arm and used her for his gain against Hybern (getting the first half of the book, weaver’s cottage) All dangerous missions, but forgivable, but Nesta allowing her sister to hunt is unforgivable.

3 years between siblings is not a difference. Nesta was still a child too Rhys and IC. 

Moreover, Feyre looked down on Tamlin’s tithe. At least in his court everyone is treated equally and met with the same love and adoration no matter where in the SC they are. But Rhys favors the rich city of Velaris and looks down on CoN and Illyria, but that is okay in Feyre’s eyes. There could be dreamers born in the place of nightmares (not just you Mor). How they treat the citizens of CoN is disgusting. Yall supposed to be leaders.

I hope Tamlin gets his happy ending. He deserves someone who loves him unconditionally. I hope his court gets rebuilt as well because he was the one who took in all the refugees from other courts during Amarantha’s reign and protected his citizens as best he could. (It makes no sense they would leave him). 

I also hope Nesta doesn’t change her personality to bow to Rhys/Feyre. I loved the fact she told Rhys he wasn’t her high lord. IF Rhys has the energy to say to Feyre she is no ones subject, the same courtesy can be given to Nesta. Also Cassian better put his mate above his high lord/lady. If Lucien can leave/betray his best friend for his mate, then Cassian can too. 

Hi anon!!

So wonderful l said 👏🏼👏🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼😌🤌🏼🤌🏼

[tiredqueermushroom]

Ludinus Thoughts

Ludinus potentially being from the age of arcanum makes sense. We know that wizards from the Aviler were using the tithe to extend their life unnaturally. It wouldn't be a stretch to assume other floating cities had similar means.

Ludinus is much an interesting character with interesting motivations, I want to put in jar and shake him up and see what comes out. Ludinus bitterness and outright hatred for the Gods is understandable. To watch your home, friends, family, everything you've ever known and loved reduced to ash in the blink of an eye by powerful beings you have no power to stop is pretty disconcerting.

But I don't get how he came to the conclusion that the gods are somehow in the wrong. Don't get me wrong, Ludinus is correct in stating that the Gods need humanity, case in point Jester's genuine belief in Artagen gave him the power to be a small deity or how Sarenrae was significantly weakened after Asmodeus killed a majority of her followers.

But his assertion that the divine gate was created as a means to protect the Gods from their creations and not the other way round doesn't make sense.

Think about it from the Gods perspective. They come to Exandria and start creating mortal men; the Primordials aren't too happy about it but allow it as long as humanity stays in its line. However, expansion is a natural consequence of humanity. So now the Primordials and half of your 'siblings' are trying to kill your child, so what happens, war. But the Prime deities win and kill or seal them away, and now humanity can thrive again.

Humanity's acceleration is both fascinating and dangerous. Not only have they gained the ability to ascend to Gods status, but they are also simultaneously creating a weapon bent on your destruction. The same humanity that you sacrificed your siblings for, yeah no. The Gods knocking Aeor out of the sky can only be seen as an act of self-defense, and then those same humans release your 'siblings' who hate humanity because of the events of the Founding.

War happens again. But this time, it's devastating. 2/3 of your creations slaughter in a war started by them, but that was still fought for their protection. So what do you do? You re-seal the betrayers, but this time, you join them, not only to prevent another cataclysmic event, that should the Betrayers and Prime Deities come to blows again, humanity can be shielded from it impact.

If the gods were only behind the divine gate for their own fear of their creations. They wouldn't be in the wrong for that. Plus the God's powes are limited through the gate, so it could be reasoned that beyond the gate, they are significantly more powerful.

The fact that Ludinus is currently living in the post-apocalyptic version of a world he saw burn and still thinks that removing the Gods wouldn't end the world is beyond me.

[muddyhippy]

Hello fellow Whovians!

I have been reminded that Will Chandler a) existed and b) was considered to have had potential to be a new companion from the Doctor Who story ‘The Awakening’. He wasn’t used but he would have been like a younger Jamie for the 5th Doctor, a character from the past for whom technology and space travel is a completely new concept. The Doctor had a really lovely manner with him in the story and I can see how it could have worked with Will as part of team Tardis. Oh well, I thought, that’s what fanfic is for.  

Turns out there is nothing on AO3, FF.net or even Teaspoon for him and I feel that is a shame so I have concocted this piece to remedy that.

I loved Will as kid, he was sweet and funny and scared and lost but still did the brave things when it counted. He was a boy from the 17th century who accidentally ends up falling through a crack in time and crossing into 1984 in the midst of the Civil War and devils afoot in the village of Little Hodcombe.

It’s a proper British folk horror story with the supernatural element swapped for Sci Fi and it’s pretty good.

I re-watched the story here and I couldn’t help but think, given what’s said about his own time, the lack of mention of any family he wants to get back to or is worried about and the state of his village post-civil war that it would be pretty sad to return him to 1643 if he wanted to stay in the present. So, I had a go at re-writing the Awakening from (mostly) his perspective and what happens afterwards. I’m now old enough to be his mother (I’d have been a young mum but still!) and I couldn’t help but want better for him!

Honestly, it’s been a nice break from my writers block on my other works and I thought I’d share if anyone else had seen this story!

On Ao3 here 

One Summer’s Day-Chapter 1

Will knew danger when he heard it. He also knew well enough how to hide when he needed to. The roundheads were coming, he knew they were, he’d heard the shouts, the horses hooves and the unstoppable march.

Why did they have to come to his home? His village?

They didn’t bother no one, kings and parliament meant nothing to those of Little Hodcombe. Sir Hutchinson maybe but not the villagers. They paid their tithes, farmed the land and minded the animals. He wanted to become a stone mason, orphaned as he was it was harder to have someone take him on without apprenticeship fee but he was working on that. He’d be grown and a skilled man one day, enough that he’d be man of his own house. Built by his own hands. Better than the poor labourer his father had been god rest him.

Right now though, thoughts of the future had to wait.

He had to survive the next few hours.

The village had gone mad and the soldiers were coming.

Terror coursed through him, there was no steady pace to the oncoming catastrophe. They were running, charging as they fought.

That falling star. The old story passed down father to son. The priest, before he died at Candlemas, said it was an ill omen even with the prayers and goodness of the village. Will had believed him. He could feel it sometimes. A cold that had nothing to do with midwinter. The feel of things just being wrong, like a shoe not fitting when it should. Not much, but enough. And if the priest said it then he must be right, he had been clever, one of the few who could read in the village and he had read more than the bible. He knew about stars and history and old folk tales. He said it was bad, that it was a punishment from God for this war. That, Will did not agree with, why punish Little Hodcombe? They’d not asked for this. But it felt wrong all the same. Evil. Like he had heard on Sundays. There was something in the air, it tasted like lime smoke, burning and sharp. Something like that was no good for anyone.

Still, it was the church he’d run to when he’d heard the approach, it was holy ground, they couldn’t fight there.

The thunder of violence followed him.

In a panic Will remembered the priest hole, left over from the days more active persecution,  hidden as a blocked-up chapel on the side of the church there was enough of gap to squeeze through between the wall of the church proper and the decoy wall that was built in the ruin.

Most of the time he lamented his skinny frame, ‘like a rabbit you are boy.’ He could hear his father’s words. He’d tried hard to grow, worked day and night to become built like him but still he remained, small and thin. He had some strength to him mind. And right now, being like he was served him well.

Will scrambled into the secret hide hardly daring to breathe.

He stayed quiet, silently praying whilst the battle grew louder and louder.

Will scrunched himself up as small as possible, hands over his ears as the soldiers burst into the building, it was all he could do not to cry out but that would have been a death sentence. They were in the church! They were fighting! Here in the church itself! Maybe God would punish them after all.

He’d never heard such sounds before, even through the hands he’d pressed hard to his ears. There was no drowning out the sound of such frenzy. It was like they were tearing each other apart out there.

He tried to hold back the tears that had sprung forth unbidden. He didn’t want to die in this dark little hole, he might be sixteen and nearly full-grown, but right now he wanted his father very badly, to be a little lad again and held and told it would be alright.

Instead, a wind began to blow, soft at first. Enough to just ruffle his hair but it quickly grew in strength building to a howling gale, drowning out the screams and muskets and clash of swords. It was like a tempest tearing the terror from his lips as soon as it appeared.

Will screwed his eyes tightly shut and tried to recite the Lord’s prayer.

A light was building, bright enough that he knew it even with his eyes closed.

He didn’t want to see. He didn’t, truly.

But there was no stopping it.

Try as he might his eyes slowly opened.

The sight he beheld would haunt him for the rest of his days.

Deep in the heart of raging tempest, swirling musket smoke and blood Will Chandler saw the face of the devil.

The stories were true. The Malus had come and it would be death for all.

One more horrified scream joined the cacophony and he knew no more.

&&&

Will came-to in deafening silence.

At first, he just lay where he was, trying to breathe quietly and work out if it was safe to move. He’d fallen backwards from where he’d scrunched himself up and was now half on his back, half on his side curled up with hands still over his ears.

Everything hurt.

It was dark still too.

Will hated the dark. It was cold and lonely. And now it was filled with visions of Malus, staring at him with those awful eyes and rictus grin that held no mirth. Laughing at him, laughing at the slaughter and at his terror of the carnage.

He had to get out.

It all sounded quiet now anyway.

He pushed with his feet towards the entrance, only to hit stone.

Panic surged in him, some of the church must have come down when Malus came, he was trapped, there was only one way in or out.

Blood began to pound in his ears as the need to break free of the dark flooded his chest. Over the din of his own fear, he managed to hear a voice calling, it didn’t sound familiar but it didn’t sound angry neither. Sounded like they were looking for someone. Maybe it was him! Maybe someone had missed him and sent someone to look.

It was unlikely but Will used that hope to fuel his escape attempt. He knew the walls weren’t the strongest, the priest hole was part of what had been the lady chapel according to stories the old folk told, before king Henry changed the churches. It had been blocked up but not well, the villagers had liked the chapel and hoped the change would only be a passing fancy.

As it was, the change had stuck but the wall was thin, not the solid stone demanded at the time. With a bit of force Will could break his way out, he had to.

He struggled to his feet, shoving the fallen timber and loose chunks of heavy plaster and bits of masonry off himself. Once he was up there wasn’t room to brace his shoulder properly but his hands were free enough and he was desperate enough to beat his way through, elbow, knuckle and palm. After a few goes he felt the wall start to give, renewed with hope at seeing the trickle of daylight he fight harder, smashing his way through, regardless of the pain it caused.

He had to get out.

Get to the voice, he told himself, maybe he’d not heard right through all the stone and it was Thomas come looking for him.

The second the gap was big enough he wriggled his way through.

“What took thee so’ long? I bin in thur for ages—”

Will caught sight of the figure of the in front of him, someone he’d never seen before in his life. Must be a gentleman given the clothes. Cream coloured coat and trousers the likes of which Will had never seen before. He froze.

“Who are you?” The strangely dressed man asked. He was tall, much taller than Will in clothes so finely woven made it the boy pause. He even had some greenery pinned to the jacket. Maybe he was a fairy gentleman? He’d not really believed the old stories told on a dark night but he still didn’t walk into a circle of mushrooms that was growing in any of the fields.

Without waiting for an answer he offered his hand, “I’m the Doctor, pleased to meet you.”

That shook him to his senses, what sort of a name was that?! All fear of the fey dropped when distracted with such an odd name. The fey were supposed to be regal. This man just seemed friendly.

The words escaped him before he could help it, “Doctor b’aint a proper name, Will Chandler be a proper name.” he added proudly.

The man moved to close in on him in response.

Will’s survival instinct kicked in, the man, this Doctor, fey or not, could be anyone, there was a war happening and he was a lot bigger than Will. Fear coursed through him as he leapt backwards, grabbing a piece of fallen masonry in his aching right hand to try and defend himself. His back was against the wall but he had to try.

He brandished it at the Doctor, who’d stopped in his tracks.

“I won’t let ‘ee!” He cried determined to try and protect himself, staving off this new threat, not sure what the stranger intended but wasn’t fool enough to think it was anything good. He’d heard the cries in the church. They still rang in his ears.

The pain lanced through his already bruised hand. He bit back a whimper and the urge to drop the stone as his eyes darted back the way he came but there was no escape there.

“I won’t hurt you.” The Doctor raised his hands in a mollifying gesture.

He looked back to the man who’d not moved any closer. It might be Will being fanciful he thought but he looked kind. His voice sounded warm enough. Maybe he was friendly.

The words blurted out of their own accord, “My hand’s ‘urting.” And it was, aching like nobody’s business, the wall hadn’t broken without a fight after all. This time he did drop the stone, and tried to rub his hand better, tucking it up against his chest.

“Show me.” The voice was laced with concern.

Will complied without really thinking too hard. He was sore and scared and this man could have attacked him if he wanted. He was big enough and he certainly looked strong enough. But he did look kind. And he said he was a doctor. He wanted to believe he was safe.

Warm hands engulfed his, the Doctor gently examining the damage before pushing up his frayed sleeve to see if there was anything else wrong further up his arm.

Will was surprised to feel comforted by that, it already started to feel a bit better. He hadn’t cut it so it wasn’t too bad but it felt like the man knew what he was doing. And he hadn’t tried to bargain with him for help. Not a fairy then. Good.

“What were you doing in there?”

Will thought that was obvious, “it’s a priest hole innit?” Then realised he probably should explain more given the look on the Doctor’s face, “I hid from fighting.” He admitted. He wasn’t ashamed of having hidden. He had no part to play in the war, he didn’t care who was in charge of England. Rich folk didn’t care about the likes of him or the rest of the villagers so why should he get involved? Especially after what had happened on the green that morning. He was far more concerned about the harvest and whether he’d be able to get shearing work in the next two weeks.

“What fighting?”

That startled him, this man looked learned and yet he was asking Will something a gentleman like that should surely know. He couldn’t help the grin spread across his face, he drew back, feeling a little pleased to know something the other didn’t. “What fighting? Ere, where you bin ‘en?”

The Doctor didn’t seem to mind the mocking tone but asked another question, “What year is it?”

He knew that one! He did! If he could just remember, the words tumbled out quickly, “I knows that one! The year is sixteen hundred,” what was the last bit again? “an, an forty three!” He moved himself around to sit down in one of the ruined pews, pleased with himself but now acutely aware how much his hand was still hurting.

He heard the Doctor murmur to himself, repeating the date.

“Has the battle gone?”

“Yes, yes all done now.”

He breathed a sigh of relief, “Good.” He hoped that would be the end of it, once his hand stopped hurting so badly he’d check the village, see if everyone was alright, if they’s had calmed down after what happened at the green. The soldiers would take their fighting away from it surely. Battles were supposed to be in fields not churches. A thought struck him, was it was supposed to be in the field? But Malus drew them in? Making them fight harder, make em worse, so bad that that they didn’t care they wus in a church. Priest had had a big word for that, des, dese, desecration! That was it. A shiver ran down Will’s spine. If theys didn’t care they were doing that then maybe they wouldn’t care where else they fought.

He considered the other man with hope, maybe the Doctor could help him.

He was just resolving to ask when the door to the church flew open. He was already ducked down behind the pew, convinced there were more soldiers coming.

Peeping over the edge of the pew he found they weren’t soldiers but they were the strangest people he’d ever laid eyes on. The red-headed young man was pale, thin and delicate-looking, like he’d never done a day’s work in his life. The woman next to him, well, he’d never seen a woman look like that before. Short, uncovered hair, a shapeless garment that looked like a finely woven, brightly-patterned sack. And he could see her legs! Uncovered to above her knees! They must be from London. He’d heard tell of the fancy folk there doing as they pleased. Given what the Doctor wore that must be the case. Well, it was none of his business and she was obviously a high-born lady so he was not to pry or stare.

The red-headed man noticed him first.

He found himself shrinking away from such an intense gaze.

“Who is that?” He asked, like Will was some sort of stain on his fancy white shirt.

The Doctor introduced him quickly.

“Will Chandler”

“Sir,” he nodded not sure what else to do.

The Doctor said they’d talk about it and he came to sit on the pew next to him but they talked too fast and fancy for Will to keep up. Too many words he didn’t know. He was worried about the village and couldn’t shake the ache from his bones, he liked the sounds of their voices though even if he didn’t really understand what was being said.

A wave of exhaustion washed over him now his heart wasn’t beating like a rabbit’s. He was safe with these people, knew it in his soul. Without thinking about it he curled into the side of pew and let his eyes close.

***

The Doctor had not expected an escapee from apparently the 17th century to bash his way through the wall of the church, but stranger things had happened after all. To be honest though, he’d not expected anything of this nature to occur when agreeing to take Tegan to the village of Little Hodcome in 1984 to visit her grandfather Andrew Verney.

The village was apparently in the middle of some English Civil War re-enactment to commemorate the time that conflict destroyed the village. The English were rather odd with their customs it must be said. But even allowing for English eccentricity this was decidedly odd. Sir George Hutchinson was clearly the leader of this village-wide endeavour and was a little too into the part of playing head royalist. Historically that didn’t go well but right now, the village seemed a little too dedicated to authenticity. The Doctor didn’t like Sir George’s manner, he hoped it was just down to getting a bit carried away rather than the megalomania that seemed to lurk beneath the surface of so many men he came across. Time would tell.

That and he had had flintlock pistol pointed at him when he tried to follow Tegan and Turlough out of the impressive replica 1600s study and manor house that they’d been brought too when rounded up by armed and armoured horsemen outside of the church’s crypt that the Tardis had landed in. Tegan clearly had a right be worried about her missing grandfather that no one else seemed too upset about apart from Jane Hampden, the local school teacher apparently, who was still dressed for 1984 and seemed rather exasperated by the whole thing. Nice to see a sensible person around at least.

But Tegan getting upset and running with Turlough chasing after had led the Doctor to this derelict church hunting for the pair of them and apparently finding instead someone very out of time.

It rather made things a little more complicated, but things were certainly not right within Little Hodcombe, between Sir George’s ‘War Games’ that sounded a little too realistic, with soldiers apparently far too eager to take prisoners rather than ask politely their business, the fact that Tegan’s grandfather was missing, and now Will appearing from allegedly 1643. No, there was definitely something connecting it all, it couldn’t be a coincidence. Jane at the manor house where they’d met Sir George seemed to think there was something very wrong too.

He was deeply pleased his young friends had found him rather quickly, appraising the oddness of Will’s appearance and the crack in the church wall that hadn’t been there when they first explored the church having arrived by Tardis in the crypt. Ominous indeed.

They’d been talking about the strange limping man who certainly didn’t look like he belonged to 1984 whatsoever, dressed up or no. He’d stolen Tegan’s bag, managed to knock the Doctor over in his haste but still made it an inhuman distance up the lane ahead of the timelord.

Turlough was right in his guess. Physical psychic projections would fit but they would take enormous power to generate, that had to be of an alien origin without a doubt, but where from, and why? Why here? What the purpose of having a blend of the 20th & 17th centuries and someone who could have easily fitted in anywhere along medieval timeline with his limp and facial skin condition.

And then there was Will.

He looked over to the boy who was impressively solid for a psychic projection. It was extraordinary attention to detail, Will was dressed in the style of country clothing of his era, shirt, breeches and a leather jerkin all of which had seen better years rather than days, all clearly worn and worked in. The Doctor found himself wondering if the lad had been rather on the edge of society in his own time.

Will himself was filthy dirty, covered with masonry grime, soot and dust, which matched up with his claims of hiding in a decrepit priest hole and then some. The Doctor wondered about whatever had projected him, they had gone to an astonishing amount of detail. He’d certainly felt real when the Doctor had examined his hand for him, partly to see to the damage and partly to check how real Will was. His hand was badly scraped and bruised with soft tissue damage, but nothing broken. It would heal up in a few days at least. He still seemed real enough, fallen asleep as he was tucked against the side of the pew, his breathing was just starting to even out, making the soft mumbling sounds of young ones when right on the edge of deep sleep. Probably the adrenaline crash. Hmm. Very real.

But benign as he’d pointed out to the others, no bag thieving from Will who seemed so far, friendly if very lost.

He definitely needed more answers, and he was going to need Will along to help him piece it together.

Still, there were armed soldiers riding about and he had no interest in adding any more sport to their war games, he’d rather take one person with him whom he could keep an eye on rather than have three young people running about like rabbits trying to avoid traps. He knew his companions. As much as he enjoyed their company they were as bad as he was at finding trouble.

No. This time it would be better to know they were safely in the Tardis whilst he took Will with him to find out what was happening under all the pageantry. Will might actually listen to him too. There was a novelty.

He made up his mind, to the village he and Will would go.

He lightly slapped the boy’s shoulder to rouse him, “Come on Will, you’re coming with me.”

“What about us?” Tegan demanded.

“You’ll be safer in the Tardis.” He was already heading towards the door, “and don’t argue!” If he moved fast enough Tegan couldn’t get a chance to complain within earshot. “Will!”

Will had woken at the Doctor’s first call, it took him a minute to remember where he was before he blearily made his way after the strange man, his own name ringing in his ears.

&&&

Once the Doctor had shown him how to trace the numbers, he could read them well enough and knew what they meant, didn’t mean he could believe it. 1850? And it looked old. According to the Doctor it was now the year nineteen hundred and eighty-four. Another, another,” he thought hard, he could work this out, he counted bales right enough, “hundred and, and thirty-four! Yes! Another hundred and thirty-four years from the old headstones. The elation drained as realisation dawned. And over three hundred years from his home. Well, time. They were still in his home village at least. It still made him feel small. He swallowed hard.

He ran over to another inscription, this time in the wall of the church not to read it but to try and compose himself away from the Doctor. He didn’t want to embarrass himself further by crying in front of the older man. He refused to let the tears fall. Refused to let them escape and betray how utterly terrified he was to find himself in the future away from everything he’d known. And by the sound of it, things were still wrong here.

It would be alright though. It had to be.

The Doctor seemed to be a man who could fix things.

He’d just pulled himself together when the Doctor called him over in a whisper. More soldiers. Will couldn’t resist a closer look, he’d hoped they were all long gone by now.

Next thing he knew he was being hauled backwards into the side door of the church. He was right, the Doctor was strong.

They hid in one the side chapels, the one with all the rich folk’s memorials. Will had always been rather interested in the carvings, he quite liked the fact that there were ways to remember how people looked after they died. He wished he’d been able to have something like that of his Dad. His mother too, at least he knew his father, his mother was a figure only from stories. It’s why he wanted to be a mason in the first place.

His mind began to wander as he took the opportunity to look closely at the effigy, he remembered it from when he was a little lad and took comfort in finding something familiar at least whilst they waited for the soldiers to go.

“Will come and look at this.”

He turned to see what the Doctor wanted, the man was staring at memorial in the ground. It took Will a moment to realise what it was from his position, crouched as he was. The knowledge felt like ice hitting his belly, he cringed away from it, letting out an unwilling whimper.

The older man was immediately concerned, “What’s the matter? Will?” The Doctor pressed gently, “What happened in 1643?”

Will tore his gaze from the horrible gauntness of the floor to fix frightened eyes on the timelord, “Troopers come,” he tried to deflect, hand tangled up in his hair betraying his nerves. He didn’t want to say it, didn’t want to admit it, that it was real and it came and it was the devil.

“No, no, something else.” The older man insisted in the soft-firm way of his that demanded an answer.

He couldn’t lie to the Doctor, he probably knew anyway, Will had to say it, even if he didn’t want to, didn’t want it to be real, “Malus come,” came the defiant exclamation, if the Doctor wanted him to admit it then he would, out loud and clear. Suddenly it felt incredibly important to explain it all to this clever man, maybe he could make it go away. “Malus is a God o’war in’t ‘ee?” He didn’t wait for answer, rushing to explain his meaning, “Makes the fighting worse, makes them hate more!”  

That felt like an ominous but probably quite astute take on the situation however, the Doctor couldn’t just accept that on face value, he needed to know, “Malus is just a superstition!” he insisted.

That got a rise out of the boy, “No!” Will cried, “No, I’ve seen Malus!” He had, he did, in that awful priest hole when he thought he was going to die. He wouldn’t make this up! This was real and terrible and those soldiers were killed in church because of it. He’d felt that evil, felt the rage and hate swirl in that tiny space. “I, I seen it.” He insisted, staring earnestly at the Doctor praying he’d listen.

The Doctor did believe him. There could be no mistaking that look. Whatever Will had seen had been very real to him, whatever the Malus was it was certainly there in 1643 and was probably now in the present. He had to know more.

The Doctor fixed the boy with a searching look, “Will, tell me what happened. How did it appear?”

Will found himself unable to refuse that voice, it was so expectant, like it wanted the answers from him and knew he knew them. As much as he didn’t want to talk about it, part of him wanted to tell the Doctor, share the experience, be believed and maybe it would get the awful noise out of his head and the horrible vision.

“Round’eads and Cavillers and they wus fightin’ in church. An’ then there wus a wind comin’, such a wind.” He remembered how it had started, a light breeze that quickly became a roaring gale straight out of the mouth of hell itself. “Then Malus, came from nowhere!” He glared at the Doctor, determined to explain the full horror of what he’d seen. Maybe he could help, stop it from hurting anyone else.

“What do you remember?” asked the Doctor gently, fully aware the boy was on the edge of reason. Will looked like a rabbit caught in a trap. His big brown eyes wide with remembered terror. The Doctor needed to get all the information he could to confirm his suspicion, but he had to proceed cautiously in case he tipped the boy over that edge. He’d clearly been through a lot in the last few hours and several centuries ago.

“Did it look like this?” He pointed to the carved face in the floor, voice deliberately gentle. He moved closer to the boy as horrified recognition swam in his eyes. His need for answers overrode his good judgement. He was so close to understanding an important part of the puzzle. “Did it look like this?” he pressed.

Will stared at it for a heartbeat.

“Yes!” He cried, scrabbling away from it, curling in on himself clearly trying very hard not to sob.

The Doctor immediately regretting pushing quite as hard as he did. He needed to know but at the expense of the continued terror of the boy? Well. There was something in Will’s eyes the Doctor had noticed. There was a swirl of something that didn’t look like it belonged. The boy had seen the face of the Malus, maybe it had tried to mark him. That would be another thing to consider.

Right now though, he tried to calm the trembling Will, “it’s alright, it’s alright.” He placated. He didn’t crowd the lad but tried to be soothing. It struck him again how young Will was, the way he could curl himself up when scared, the way he’d nervously fiddle with his hair. A stray thought pondered across his mind, he wondered if the boy had been rather forced to grow up a lot sooner than was usual, now faced with something so utterly and literally alien he had very little reserves of ways to cope. Hmm. Something else to muse on when he had time.

The Doctor considered, he wondered if Will had apparently been spared the violent influence of the Malus back in 1643 because he had no stake in either side, no one to direct that hate towards. The look of the eyes that held the swirl were innocent. Then again, it could have been simply that the boy, underneath initial reticence obviously had a kindly nature, quick to trust and befriend. That was always rocky ground for seeds of rage and hate to take root in.

He felt bad for pushing the boy, who’d scrabbled away from the image of the Malus in terror, trying to make himself as small as possible. It was vital information though, Malus was apparently very real, enough to terrify Will who’d witnessed it whilst it used civil war forces to destroy themselves and the church, and, he realised with a start, the entire village. This had to be a hostile alien force, drawing on emotions maybe? What had Will said? Made them hate more?

Hmm. He might not understand the whys but Will Chandler had certainly got to the heart of it all right. They must be a source of energy for whatever this was.

He cast his eyes over the carving once again. An idea struck him.

Very carefully he pressed down on the face on the Malus. A deep click seemed to resonate out of the stones. The tombstone rose revealing a secret passage. Well then.

He checked in on Will to see if he’d noticed.

The boy was clearly trying to pull himself together, breathing deeply and furiously rubbing his nose.

The Doctor felt a rush of paternal protectiveness that tended to appear around his younger travelling companions. Will really couldn’t have been more than sixteen at most.  The Doctor had no intention of letting this Malus do any more damage if he could help it. He’d keep him close.

“Come on Will,”

Will swallowed hard, turning to face the Doctor after scrubbing his face vigorously.  He eyed the steps into the darkness unhappily.

Will really didn’t want to follow a pathway into the dark hidden behind the face of the Malus but he didn’t want to be left alone either. The Doctor was best to stick by, he seemed like a good man, safe. And he seemed to be trying to stop whatever dark things were happening here. Better to be by his side than away from it reckoned.

With another nervous swallow Will reluctantly followed the timelord into the dark.

&&&

The Doctor told him to stay close, as if Will was going to go running off into the dark on his own! He was sticking by the Doctor’s side whether the gentleman wanted him there or not, he’d brought them down into this miserable passageway and he wasn’t going nowhere without him.

He was just starting to get used to the gloom when a familiar sound of footsteps was coming from ahead of them, the Doctor paused a moment whilst Will strained to hear. Something seemed to have alerted the older man, before Will could process he was being pulled towards a staircase, the Doctor diving under the space beneath the steps to hide. Will scrunched himself up small next to the timelord to hide from the incoming danger.

What he hadn’t been expecting was an older lady, clearly genteel with her fine tailoring, come carefully down the stairs obviously unused to the passage and trying to get away.

He scooted over to make room for her, hoping the soldiers passed them by.

&&&

Jane Hampden had no idea where the apparently secret passage went only that it was away from Sir George and his mad pageantry in the manor house. She inched her way down the stairs, trying to see in the gloom and unwilling to break an ankle by rushing. She was hoping she could avoid making too much noise, regretting her haste at leaving the hidden door open.

She hadn’t expected a tap on the shoulder.

Jane was deeply grateful that after twenty years of teaching she was pretty shock proof and didn’t audibly gasp.

The Doctor was drawing her over to hide under the stairs, she squeezed in gratefully, not spotting the grubby boy until she almost collided with him. She’d ask later. Right now, the soldiers were coming.

She held her breath and tried to control her rising anger as Sir George barked his orders like it was in fact 1643 and not 1984 where he was just the local councillor and magistrate for the village and surrounding area who actually had to listen to the will of the people. She’d always thought him a bit arrogant and self-important but now? She didn’t recognise him. It was like the very worst parts of his personality had been amplified to their worst possible conclusion. What she didn’t understand was why so many were going along with it, even Ben! Ben who was so sensible most of the time, just passionate about history. Now he was colonel Wolsey. Even Joseph, or sergeant Willow as he was called now, he’d never been like this. She’d taught him! Sure, he liked being on the ‘winning’ side of things more often than not, and could be a bit bullish but he was at his heart a decent, reasonable man. This enforcer role he’d taken on was very alien, and yet he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Jane had the sick feeling that it wasn’t just a re-enactment getting a bit too enthusiastic that was the cause of all this. Something interminably wrong.

The phrasing of Sir George made her blood run cold. ‘She won’t get far’ well hopefully she’d get very far indeed. Far enough to get to a phone to call the police to stop this nonsense. She couldn’t find a phone in Ben’s recreation room to try but that wasn’t surprising, it was supposed to be a total replica. No room for phones in 17th century England.

The Doctor’s explanation of the malleable metal they’d found in the passageway between the manor and the church was not reassuring. It was the squashy thing Sir George had been using like a stress ball in Ben’s replica study. What had he said? Tinclavic? From another world? What else did he say like it was the most normal thing for a Saturday afternoon? The planet Raga? What on earth or not on earth apparently had she stumbled in on? Jane wondered if it was some sort of summer madness, like the dancing plague. Maybe it did go some way to explaining Sir George’s nonsense though. Jane shook herself, she couldn’t just go along with this, she’d be no better than the others.

Now they were on their way to the church without the fear of running into Sir George’s men Jane took a moment to collect herself and drew both men to a halt, ostensibly to catch her breath as the light levels were beginning to grow.  She was still reeling from all the talk of aliens and space, she needed just a few moments to collect herself, even if she was still holding on to the squashy tinclavic that was apparently from another planet.

“Well thank you for that timely intervention, Doctor and…” she trailed off, giving the grubby boy the once over now she could properly see him, he wouldn’t have looked out of place as an urchin in a Victorian street scene, except, well, his clothes looked older. 17th century if her memory served. Another one play acting in this madness? The grime was definitely a step too far, he looked like he’d slept in a ditch for a week. Then again, she didn’t recognise his face and she thought she knew everyone in the village, the ‘little’ part of the name was no coincidence.

She was still thinking this as the Doctor made introductions, “Ah yes, Jane meet Will, Will Chandler.” The boy was halfway through saying ‘Mistress’ with a bow when the schoolteacher interrupted.

“You’re not from the village!”

Will was indignant, “I am! Jus’,” he trailed off into uncertainty, eyeing the Doctor for support, “not from ‘ere, here.” Even to his ears that wasn’t a helpful explanation.

Jane slow blinked at the Doctor for help.

The timelord sighed, “Will has joined us from 1643. He is from Little Hodcombe, just not from the present Little Hodcombe.”

The schoolteacher opened her mouth to protest. Alien metals and other planets and now time travel?!

“I don’t knows the whys either.” Added Will with a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

She could see the fear under the attempt at humour, teacher senses never letting her down.

That gave her something to focus on, something real and tangible she could understand.  Jane leaned in conspiratorially, she might not believe a word of this but she knew when a young person needed some reassurance, “We’ll work it out together then.” She promised with as much confidence as she could muster.

The genuine grin on the youth’s face this time was worth it, there was real relief there.

“Right then,” The Doctor looked like he had a terrible case of itchy feet, “now we’re all acquainted, back to the church, I rather have a theory I’d like to test.”

With that Doctor charged onwards, Jane and Will shared a helpless shrug and followed in his wake.

&&&

They reached the church in record time, the Doctor in full flow of explanation. Will had absolutely no idea what either one of them was saying. Words like ‘space’ ‘Harkol’ and ‘Terrileptil’ meant nothing to him but they were clearly talking about where Malus come from. It had come from the sky, he knew that, come from the falling star like the story said. He was about to try and explain when the Doctor mentioned Malus by name. He couldn’t help jumping in, telling the learned lady that he’d seen it. Really and truly seen it in all it’s horror. She didn’t seem to want to believe the Doctor but the Doctor was the only one he’d met who’d taken him seriously and seemed to understand the threat the Malus posed.

“Yes, I’m sorry for ever having doubted you Will.” The Doctor clapped the boy on back in a gesture of comradeship. The boy beamed.

It was nice to be apologised to, as well. It didn’t happen often, if ever. Will found himself standing a little taller, it was a pleasant feeling to be believed. He was determined to help the Doctor if he could. Even if all this was bewildering and frightening. He wanted to explain it all to her, the Doctor was right, it had come to them, maybe not in a ship like he said unless you could have ships in the stars which given what he’d seen he’d believe just about anything today.

Mistress Jane didn’t believe him but that was alright. The Doctor did and really, would he have believed him if he’d not seen it? She said it was a myth but it wasn’t, he knew it wasn’t.

Still, the Doctor was on his side, talking about where Malus had come from. From up in the stars if he followed him right. Which, yes, of course it had. It came in a star that fell to earth. He’d tell them if they asked but he didn’t really want to interrupt. They used far too many big words and his Dad had always taught him to be polite round gentle folk. The Doctor would explain it all to her, she’d understand eventually. She seemed clever. And kind.

The familiar cold came rolling in all of a sudden, as soon as the Doctor explained where it had come from and that fact it ent left. He was right o’course. He’d seen it, he knew it. Like he knew something bad was coming with the cold. The hairs started to rise on the back of his neck. He drew away from the wall as Mistress Jane commented on the crack that had appeared in the wall. There was something evil there. Something evil for sure.

The crack in the wall widened to the point it started to give way almost immediately. Will leapt back with Mistress Jane, there was no good to be found behind that wall. He tried to warn the Doctor.

“Don’t touch it!” The boy cried.

“He’s right Doctor! There’s suddenly a very strange atmosphere in here!” agreed Jane, drawing her cardigan around her more closely.

To Will’s utter horror the Doctor started pulling away at the wall.

The madman called to them to look closer, Will was having absolutely none of it.

“No!” Will didn’t move an inch, all he could see was the depths of the monster behind. He’d seen those eyes before; he knew the face that was hiding in the stone and he didn’t want to get a single step closer. He wanted to run but he couldn’t leave the Doctor or Mistress Jane. Rooted in terror he watched the Doctor get closer and closer until the face of Malus was on him, engulfing him in a miasma of hate, Mistress Jane was screaming his name and all Will could do was stand, horrorstruck, watching the end of the Doctor.

[lncarnon]

What a rude awakening to slumber begot by grand feasting. Erasing so many lives, changing the very neurons within the brains of those who remained, such a twist of the knife known as reality. Plenty appeared to be inscrutable but where a dragon could concern itself, nothing was out of reach, only a whim away from becoming textile against the conscious mind. Opening a single eye to the disturbance of an oncoming vehicle not a shred of worry crosses between the threshold of their complex thoughts. Someone was on their way and even as they draw ever close, the shroud of a wanted man does not move a muscle. Completely unperturbed by the whine produced by an engine they do wait quite patiently for the offender to settle and dismount the strange vehicles. Armor, weapons of some type, and words to be shared.

Not that the stranger seemed too particularly amused with the antics of such a carefree individual. Soldiers were all the same. Haughty, throwing the weight of their purpose against those who were less fortunate. Only half a mind to pay any real attention, the guise of Haldus leans himself forward, planting hands upon each knee and staring earnestly to at least give the idea that he cares about whatever it is they want. Unbeknownst to the great beast laying just out of view, their visage was someone that would actually garner a less than friendly response. It'd been at least a hint that the man was less than savory, found amidst the scum of this universe, but to the degree that earns a barrel directed at him was something unexpected.

And, there is the question.

What happened?

He had smiled, lips pulled uncannily too wide for that of a normal man, and the confounding notion which follows: Why, I got hungry, of course. Not the answer that had been expected the Ahamkara revels in the unfurling of a desire unbidden. These people want to know, and that alone, proves dangerous within the metaphorical opening of a maw awaiting their misfortune. Fate plays its hand in a different way and the soldier might never fully grasp just how lucky he had been.

Hands dirtied by grime and gunk raise palm outwards and not an iota of resistance becomes of the actions which follow. To be placed into a state of arrest was a new experience indeed. How exciting that, even after all these endless centuries, something could happen which had never before. These ones were still fresh to the tithe of a paracausal entity and that thought, the simple fact that there were no other Ahamkara here? Oh, how sweet a treat to feast upon. An entire galaxy of potential chaos laid within their talons now and not a force could reckon with the power that would feed them forever.

Haldus does not speak, nor does he act as if escape were a priority. Rather, the slaver remains in quite good spirits despite it all. At a contented pace the man is paraded around, keen to take in all that they had to offer. Technology varied vastly between galaxies; life evolved to its niche and what tools turned into, followed suite. Though such novelties rarely mattered to a being that could return them to their base components without half a second of effort, should the want arise.

Seated and cuffed Haldus eyes the warden of his cell with the utmost curiosity. These people had not stumbled here by sheer accident. Someone, or perhaps thing, made note of the change. That there was now a void within the landscape where once a proud cesspit of debauchery stood, was only ever bound to draw attention. At least to the off-worlders who had not been affected by the arcane, something was seriously wrong.

Fingers interlace into one another and his head cants, a grin still unwavering.

"A question asked- and, although an answer arrived, it bears no notable notion of what, where, why... and you.. yearn. I can see it. Inescapable, indecipherable, inside your head something savory sullies itself against failure. What do you tell them? That the teetering town of vicious victims vindicated by revenge no longer exists? Unlikely, they will say. Yet it is.. so."

His words speak to whoever had delivered him into the single room, an interrogation had begun, and the interrogated was not even the one being held captive.

             𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙸𝚁𝙾𝙽𝚈 𝚆𝙰𝚂 𝙿𝙰𝙻𝙿𝙰𝙱𝙻𝙴: 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚆𝙸𝙳𝙴𝚂𝙿𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙳 𝙰𝙳𝙾𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝙰𝙽𝙰𝙺𝙸𝙽 𝚂𝙺𝚈𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁, the 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐍𝐎 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑, had become the very foundation upon which vader built his empire.

throughout the clone wars, anakin skywalker had emerged as a paragon of valor, his daring exploits and unparalleled piloting skills capturing the hearts of countless beings across the galaxy.  recognizable, steadfast, revered—his very visage became the ideal face for the nascent regime.  being a young, rather handsome widower with two adorable little newborns only added a poignant layer to his public persona, and the tragic loss of his secret wife, the late senator padmé amidala, spun well into a narrative of personal suffering and resilience.

it certainly made for a gripping sob story, one that evoked sympathy and understanding from the masses.  the public, predictable as ever, had eaten it up, conveniently overlooking the atrocities committed in the name of a new order. however, the hope for an era of peace proved fleeting, dissipating within mere days as vader’s uncompromising nature revealed itself.  negotiations stumbled, punctuated by eruptions of violence, and the lingering wounds inflicted by sheev palpatine’s treachery against democracy, cast doubt upon the very legitimacy of his reign.

             the emperor’s distaste for proper diplomatic negotiations didn’t help to ease concerns, either.

the senate had devolved into a quagmire of corruption during the clone wars, a breeding ground for incessant debates and clandestine agreements that thwarted progress.  vader had long since grown weary of duplicitous politicians and their endless verbal fencing, the constant battles fought with empty words and broken promises, which harkened back to his days as a jedi general, shackled by the constraints of the council and the republic’s bureaucratic blasted red tape.

the jedi taught peaceful solutions and to uphold the principles of justice and fairness, but diplomacy and kindness had their limitations, and those with relentless greed and ambition never hesitated to undermine progress for personal gain.  warfare had taught him that strength was the only language that certain individuals understood.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐊: change did not come to those who merely wished for it.  peace could never be a simple prayer; it demanded audacity, sacrifice.  progress exacted its toll.  and if he must embrace the mantle of darkness to herald a new era of peace in the galaxy, then he alone would become its grim harbinger.

and so it began mere weeks following his ascent to power, on the desert planet tatooine, within the bustling spaceport of mos espa, and it began with an eruption of fire.  for eight days and eight nights, tatooine succumbed to an inferno as vader liberated countless souls trapped in the chains of oppression.

𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 was a benediction seldom seen by the enslaved; therefore, he extended no kindness to those who preyed upon the vulnerable and weak.  wealthy, insufferable masters met their fate in the clamor of frenzied mobs.  the hutts, the insolent handful arrogant enough to remain planetside, made their graves under the ashes of their burned palaces.

vader took; he seized, and he conquered, forging the bedrock of peace and prosperity with hands soaked in the blood of those blind to reason.  his methodology was a pitiless, vengeful specter, a bleak departure from an era of vain pleasantries, yet it yielded undeniable triumphs.  with crime ruthlessly quelled, infrastructure initiatives thrived, and the economy, buoyed by these novel directives, experienced notable periods of expansion.

for all the fear vader inspired and the disdain for his heavy-handed methods, few truly hated him, and plenty more respected him, willing to lay down their lives at his command.  yet, it wasn’t enough.  not even his relentless crusade against the festering criminal underworld, left unchecked by the feckless republic, fulfilled that which he kept tucked in the darkest crevices of his mind, what the jedi had so readily shamed him for harboring: attachment, longing, love —

             ❝𝚁𝙴𝙲𝙾𝙽’𝚂 𝙸𝙽, 𝚂𝙸𝚁,❞ jesse’s tinny voice burst through the comlink in an eruption of static.  ❝bot-un’s looking good, but plett’s well is another story.  it’s gone, sir.  the whole settlement’s gone—completely wiped out.  plett’s well is one of the bigger settlements here on belsavis, but crank said tick’s coordinates led to an empty plot.  he sent us visuals.  doesn’t match our records at all.❞

vader’s gaze cut across the holographic projection of belsavis’s topography.  the planet’s renown lay in its entanglement with the rakatan infinite empire, an ancient civilization steeped in advanced technologies.  sparse records remained of the lost race, yet their legacy endured in the formidable rakata-made tech and the existing penitentiary, once a stronghold for formidable force wielders and artifacts alike.  however, despite its rich history, the planet held little allure beyond its historical weight.

❝what intelligence do we have from the people of bot-un? someone there must have seen what happened to the settlement.❞

❝it’s been tough finding anyone willing to speak up.  the friendly ones all say the same thing: they don’t know a place called plett’s well.❞ jesse paused for a moment.  ❝honestly, they seemed genuine.  no one looked like they had anything to hide.  i’ll keep you updated.  jesse, out.❞

across the holotable, rex lifted a brow, his arms folding over his chest as he regarded vader with well-meaning concern.  ❝sir, you think this may be related to what you sensed a few rotations ago?❞

❝it’s no coincidence.❞ vader had come upon a peculiar stirring in the force—a presence that defied classification, neither wholly dark nor light, but altogether different.  with a flicker of interest, he’d extended his mind, probing the depths of the force for any sign of the novel presence and — found nothing.  whatever it was, it had quickly hidden itself with intent. and now, as his consciousness extended and brushed against the boundaries of the unknown, he felt again a familiar ripple—a split-second contact that thrilled his pulse.  unlike the smothering embrace of the dark or the blistering glare of the light side, this presence was a paradox—a confluence of energies, maddeningly inscrutable…

             ❝sir?❞ it was knox this time.  ❝got a lead: haldus alniyat.  he’s deep in with the iron ring slavers.  spotted him sprawled out in the open where plett’s well ought to be.  crank damn near turned him into roadkill…  i reckon he’s got some intel, sir.  asked him about plett’s well, and he just grinned at me.  said he got ‘hungry’.  gave me the creeps.  we’re transferring him to the box for interrogation.  knox, out.❞

[biblenewsprophecy]

Irenaeus: The Most Dangerous Early Heretic?

Who was the most dangerous early heretic? Simon Magus, Marcion, Valentinus, Justin Martyr, or Irenaeus of Lyon? Why should modern Christians care? Though considered a major saint by the Church of Rome, the Eastern Orthodox, and most Protestants, Irenaeus was hot and cold on doctrine. Could Irenaeus have been the most dangerous of early heretics? Was Irenaeus a binitarian or trinitarian? Was he a millennialist? Did Irenaeus quote apocryphal books as scripture? Did he rely on them and traditions of men to push non-biblical doctrines? Did he claim to know Polycarp of Smyrna and endorse him, but not hold to his and the Apostle John's practices regarding the biblical Passover? What about the 'Lord's Day'? Did Pope Benedict XVI refer to Irenaeus as the "true founder of Catholic theology'? Do Protestants consider him the most important second century source of "orthodoxy'? Was Irenaeus wrong about the founding and succession from the Apostles Peter and Paul related to Rome according to Roman Catholic scholars? What about heaven? Who really had (and still has) true apostolic succession? Should the Book of Revelation be allegorized? Did Irenaeus confuse the Beast and the Antichrist? What about 666? What are some of the reasons Christians would want to know about Irenaeus and his teachings today? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

A detailed and referenced article of related interest is available titled 'Irenaeus: The Most Dangerous Heretic?'

Sermon Youtube video link: Irenaeus: The Most Dangerous Early Heretic?

Related Items:

Irenaeus: The Most Dangerous Heretic? Was Irenaeus a faithful peacemaker or was he possibly the most dangerous of the early heretics? Here is a link to a related sermon video: Irenaeus: The Most Dangerous Early Heretic?

Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete? Are there lost gospels? What about the Apocrypha? Is the Septuagint better than the Masoretic text? What about the Textus Receptus vs. Nestle Alland? Was the New Testament written in Greek, Aramaic, or Hebrew? Which translations are based upon the best ancient text? Did the true Church of God have the canon from the beginning? Here are links to related sermons: Let’s Talk About the Bible, The Books of the Old Testament, The Septuagint and its Apocrypha, Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, and Lost Books of the Bible, and Let’s Talk About the New Testament, The New Testament Canon From the Beginning, English Versions of the Bible and How Did We Get Them?, What was the Original Language of the New Testament?, Original Order of the Books of the Bible, and Who Gave the World the Bible? Who Had the Chain of Custody?

Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.

Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.

The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, and The Mystery of YOU.

Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God. Here is a video in Spanish: ¿Qué es un verdadero cristiano?

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.

Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?

Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen What is faith? Can faith be increased? Are you saved by faith? What about works? Do Christians need to keep the Ten Commandments? What is the ‘faith chapter’? How do the just live by faith? Is faith one of the weightier matters of the law? How does faith come? Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Fe para aquellos que Dios ha llamado y escogido. In German: Glaube für die von Gott Berufenen und Auserwählten. In French: La Foi pour ceux que Dieu a Appelés et Choisis. Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Faith for the Called and Chosen.and here is a link to another sermon Faith and Courage. Here is a link to shorter version of the written article in Mandarin Chinese 一篇关于信仰的小文章. Here are links to the sermons Christian Faith and Increasing Faith.

Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach? This free booklet contains 28 biblically-based tips on improving the effectiveness of your prayers. This is a pdf. A related two part sermon is available: What Does the Bible Teach About Prayer? and What does the Bible Teach About Prayer (& Healing)?

Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is a link to a related sermon: Could God be Calling You? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?

Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus

Is God’s Existence Logical? Is it really logical to believe in God? Yes! Would you like Christian answers to give atheists? This is a free online booklet that deal with improper theories and musings called science related to the origin of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and evolution. Two animated videos of related interest are also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator? and A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?

Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation Will all get a fair chance at salvation? This free book is packed with scriptures showing that God does intend to offer salvation to all who ever lived–the elect in this age, and the rest in the age to come. Here is a link to a related sermon series: Universal Offer of Salvation 1: Apocatastasis, Universal Offer of Salvation 2: Jesus Desires All to be Saved, Mysteries of the Great White Throne Judgment (Universal Offer of Salvation part 3), Is God Fair, Will God Pardon the Ignorant?, Can God Save Your Relatives?, Babies, Limbo, Purgatory and God’s Plan, and ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prophets’. Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.

Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is a link to a related sermon: Could God be Calling You? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.

The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.

CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. There are links to literature is about 100 different languages there.

Congregations of the Continuing Church of God This is a listing of congregations and groups of the Continuing Church of God around the world.

LATEST SERMONS

[nightswithkookmin]

SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL???

What's the big deal, you say??? Sir/Ma'am

Get out of here with that attitude.

Pack it up before I quick punch you in the throat with the set of ninja skills I don't have but I'm cultivating. I'm gon be dangerous😎

Yes Hobi was looking at him too but JM didn't just talk about Hobi now did he?

The reasons Hobi makes Jimin nervous is entirely different from the reasons Jungkook makes him nervous- you gon catch an ass whooping if can't tell that by now.

When he dances and he makes mistakes he gets nervous talking bout how Hobi is gonna kill him for messing up.

Do you see then how Hobi monitoring him closely and intensely in that moment would make him nervous??

Do you not hear him talk about how Hobi *complains often or points out how slow he dances and how late he gets behind a beat??

Have you not heard V talk about wanting to impress Hobi mostly and so did the most to get noticed by him??

Did you or did you not hear Jungkook talk about wanting to be praised by Hobi during Let's BTS. Did you catch Jimin saying it feels good to be praised by Hobi especially when it comes to dance???

Yall do this on purpose to ruin my mood😭😭

Throughout the shoot Hobi was monitoring all the performances closely, pointing out minor errors and inconsistencies in the moves- my butt quivered and I wasn't even on that stage under the spotlight performing you know?

Hobi makes everyone nervous- he is a Main dancer as well, a dance teacher and choreographer, Jimin's hyung and coworker. Jimin's nervousness here is to be expected.

The question here is WHY JK WOULD MAKE JIMIN NERVOUS at all.

Jimin have said it himself and JK has admitted, JK is JM's copycat. Jk learns a lot from Jimin professionally with regards to dance as Jimin learns from JK musically.

Yet the times he's talked about being nervous around JK was when he said he saw JK in a see through shirt and immediately his mind went blank because he thought he was naked.

Unless he was picturing Jungkook naked behind the monitor- WHAT WAS THE REASON???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😏

He's in love with Jungkook. I've said a couple of times it seems he's been refalling for him especially in late December last year- remember when it was Jin's birthday and dude started hiccuping when he saw JK?

Now he's saying his mind went blank when he saw Jungkook watching him- go figure.

Have you been seeing JM around Koom lately??

You saw this???

Nevermind that it's MAY.

All this is happening in MAY!!!!!!!!

You saw run? Him trying to remind Kook of their past schtick??? "I like it. Do you remember?"

JiminiwaJungkookie- also a moment from their past.

It's anniversary month and you is slow😌

Anywho, I'm vibing with this. I love this. I'm watching things. I'm enjoying the calm and domesticity. All my ships are sailing- Tae Kook seem to be good, Taejin is good, Yoonmin is good, minimoni is good, Vmin is excellent, never have to worry bout Jihope and Jinmin and as for Jikook... well😏

My ancestors are happy, my skin is moisturized, I'm paying my tithes, observing the sabbath- sometimes, The IRS would have to drag me to hell to get my taxes out of me🤧

My life was going really well untill now😒

Expeliamus!!!!!!!

Sorry wrong spell. Hold on.

Signed,

GOLDY

[tamlindain]

I think the only thing Tamlin did wrong in this situation is refusing to let her train. Had he put some kind of tutor for her, she would have been distracted and off his hair but he sincerely believed she would be in danger and there was unfortunately no changing his mind even when Lucien insisted. And that particular decision was his doom imo. That was his sole mistake. But it was also not something that can be called abusive. It's not like he's doing it out of spite or riding away laughing evilly lol.

The locking up thing isn't the whole Rapunzel situation Feyre (and the precious feysand fandom) makes it out to be. You're in a whole ass mansion for few hours till he comes back, with people all around you. And if you are having a panic attack for that, as kate mentioned, she was clearly in no place to go out with Tamlin and Lucien, like at all.

But while Feyre was stubborn as hell, so was Tamlin, and that is the part which was written ooc for him because if he was being as observant and understanding as he was in acotar, he would have made sure a compromise was made. The thing is, he does apologize when she's upset in acomaf, even when he doesn't have to (eg: tithe) but there is no follow through and that can solely be blamed on the author, and she then proceeds to use these ooc moments to pin him as abusive which is just bang-your-head-against-the-wall kind of bullshit.

My main problem is the way she sunk Feylin, not even that she did it because there are much better ways to go about it and making it stay IC for everyone involved. She could literally have said Feyre was unable to communicate with tamlin because of her ptsd but it was easier with Rhys because he read her mind and helped, which can also have made his mind reading a positive thing. It would actually have been more believable than villanizing Tamlin in her head because that makes so little sense, I still think Rhys muddled her head for that to happen.

Okay but like...what if they'd taken her with them and she got badly injured? You would have vilified them for even getting her into a dangerous situation.