#God’s work of salvation and exaltation

[mindfulldsliving]

Discovering Your Purpose in God’s Work: Insights from Joseph Smith — History 1:27–33

NOTE TO READER: Be sure to download the PDF document attached at the end of this post. It includes the content of the post along with a study guide using the inductive scripture study method. Please consider making a donation by leaving a tip as a thank you for the study guide. Latter-day Saint Christians possess a unique role where the Gospel of Jesus Christ invites all people to come unto…

[traumacatholic]

could you pray for my neighbor ? she’s in a relationship with a man who is physically abusive and verbally abusive. i’ve witnessed his abuse myself - he isn’t quiet about it. please pray that she is able to escape; that his heart is softened to mercy and genuine love; that their child is safe. holy mary, mother of god, pray for us sinners.

Of course! It might be worth reaching out to local domestic abuse charities to see if they can offer any advice. I'm sure they deal with this a lot in terms of knowing another person is suffering abuse.

Here is a prayer for someone in need:

O God, our help in time of need, Who are just and merciful, and Who inclines to the supplications of His people. Look down upon this mother and child and have mercy on them and deliver them from the trouble that now besets them. Deal with them not according to their iniquities, but according to Your manifold mercies, for we are the works of Your hands, and You know our weaknesses. I pray to you to grant them Your divine helping grace, and endow them with patience and strength to endure their hardships with complete submission to Your Will. Only You know our misery and sufferings, and to You, our only hope and refuge, we flee for relief and comfort, trusting in Your infinite love and compassion, that in due time, when You know best, You will deliver them from this trouble, and turn their distress into comfort. We then shall rejoice in Your mercy, and exalt and praise Your Holy Name, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit, both now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

And here is a prayer for God to protect people:

O Lord, our God, pre-existing before all ages and remaining forever; who are as great in compassion as you are in uncontainable power; who because of your ineffable mercy bowed the heavens, came down on earth and became man for the salvation of sinners; who put on and immortalized our nature and ascended with it to the place from which you descended; hear from heaven and become merciful to all those who cry out to you with a broken heart. You, O Master of all, lend you ear and hear us. We know your undefeatable love for your creation and your inexhaustible goodness. Hence, we throw ourselves into the ocean of your compassions and entreat you: turn not your face from us nor cast us away from your countenance neither hand us over to those who are so furiously attacking us. Look upon us with your compassionate eye. Show us how to rise above both the visible and invisible enemies. Place in us a power from on high; encompass us with your almighty right hand; keep us under the protection of your wings; fortify us with love for one another and grant us unshakable peace. But before all and above all, instill in us your fear and your love that your holy name may also be glorified in us. Upon you alone we look, on you alone we have placed our hopes, and to you we send up the glory, together with your Father, who is without beginning, and the life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

[mithosis]

Lo and behold, a new little plant guy, now sprinkled with main-plot-flavored tragedy. A Commander, Aestus, the warmest, gentlest sunshine of a sylvari who tries to be the beacon of hope for others, often to the detriment of himself. He shares the verse with a cranky not-fully-alive Marshal, Trahearne Inmorte (@lady-quen), and the Pact's own morbidly whimsical frankenstein bug Morivitae (@commanderteag), Zhaitan's Scion. Together with Aurene they provide a much-needed light to the other duo's darkness (and edginess).

The main twist on existing canon with this guy is the mortifying ordeal of not being a necromancer during PoF and resorting to... a bit unusual means of getting back up. He had to become akin to his enemy in order to defeat the rogue God running around the desert, turning himself into a construct, like the Forged and Exalted, albeit with a bonus of keeping his body.

Obligatory warning for a lot more lore under the cut! This is becoming a tradition with me at this point, apparently (the smoothest Ken doll anatomy version of the art is also at the very very end, i don't want tumblr to smite me)

Aestus is a sylvari of the Dusk Cycle whose pod formed a little ways away from the main cluster in Caledon Forest — closer to the beautiful field of tall rose flowers than anything else. Once discovered, a mender had to be stationed there to keep an eye on it. The life within the pod was weak and unlikely to ever bloom, even with menders' help — their efforts only gave it small bursts of strength to continue developing. Until one morning the once-blue fruit was discovered hanging a little lower just after a visit of a warm, kind-faced charr the day before — now tinted slightly red at the center. It was surprisingly healthy, restored almost as if by a miracle.

When the sapling finally awakened after repelling the vision of a dragon within the Dream with Caithe, the cause for such rapid healing was discovered — the newborn sylvari had a small red shard poking through the center of his chest. A piece of bloodstone that fueled the pod with its magic, his new "heart", exposed for all the world to see.

Despite — or maybe because — the circumstances of his awakening, Aestus is grateful to be alive — a cheerful, warm and driven individual, the kind of person who lights up the room with his presence. Infinitely curious, he is determined to live his life to its fullest, with no regrets — even more so as he later finds out the shard's salvation wasn't as all-powerful as it seemed. While a source of magic in and of itself, it became more unstable the more energy his body took to function — which prompted an… unusual diet of consuming anything that looked even remotely magical or weird enough (woe, toxic hog be upon ye) to balance the scales. It proved to be a valuable exercise in patience as well later in life as Aestus was attempting to gain greater control over the elements.

Nothing changes too drastically from the canon events in his story in the beginning: he dreams of the White Stag, the manifestation of hope, and saves it, and kills Gavin, the Nightmare Courtier, in a duel. He was the first person he ever adventured with as equals, only for the man to turn out the very opposite of Aestus' morals — someone with a goal that would make hundreds miserable. The first friend-turned-enemy, and the first in a row of people to die by their own weapon.

It's only a confirmation of his curiosity for the world that he joins the Durmand Priory further down the road, finding their methods to cause the least amount of casualties involved, as well as provide the most insight into what had happened. When they work, of course. Not at all because finding adventure in long-lost ruins seems to be appealing to him too, no.

Throughout all his various exploits, Aestus is a person who tries to bring the light and comfort into everyone's lives, no matter how dire the circumstances might be, whether it is by dancing his heart out during a festival to invite others to join in, or keeping someone quiet company in the darkest hours of the night. He is constantly dedicating his life to others, more and more so as the story progresses, forgetting about himself in the process more than once. He is the brightest thing on and off the battlefield, bringing all the attention on him instead of his allies — the perfect bait for any who might latch onto the Pact. He trusts his friends, and relies on them to do what they do best while he distracts and pulls focus. He's a helping hand to the family he'd find in Dragon's Watch and a living inspiration to the people fighting against the dragons. And the ticking bomb of repressed emotions, those he can't articulate without breaking the warm and grounding image of the Commander he built over the years (he really said "I'm the Commander of touching grass, i can't let them see I indulge in self-destructive thought"). He is but a humble servant to those that need it most, and it just so happens that Tyria itself needs someone who could put things back on track.

This mentality, as well as the constant feeling of running out of time as the shard grows more unstable the more he uses his magic, aside from the very obvious pull of the Wyld Hunt, is what inevitably dooms him to die at the hands of Balthazar. The God of War and Fire, the embodiment of one of Aestus' greatest fears — becoming a dictator obsessed with power, hellbent on waging endless wars against any and all that he deems fit, the polar opposite of the virtues that the sylvari holds dear to his core — that "all things have a right to grow". And to top it all off, the mage's most trusted element is useless against the God that governs it.

This is the moment where that exposed heart of his breaks, the bloodstone shattering. It will heal, or, rather, "grow" in a different form, no longer a piece of magic, but living metal, as Aestus will take the "humble servant" part of his mentality even further to come back from the dead. Using an ancient Forgotten ritual he'd been studying in his spare time all the way since the assault on the jungle, he turns his own corpse into a construct, not unlike the Forged and Exalted, made of plant matter, metal and colorful glass as his armor and the desert's sands melted and fused together with the sylvari from the sheer heat of his battle against the rogue God. The new "heart" would now tie his soul to the body in absence of anything else holding the two together. It functions similarly to the masks the Exalted are wearing — it is his tether, and if violently removed or damaged beyond repair, the Commander would die a final death.

Similar to the world's view of constructs, he arrives at the same assessment of his own situation — the image of the Commander he is supposed to be — a servant, like an asuran golem, that can either be discarded or recalibrated to fit any need, any task. This "realization" accumulates over time, but despite it Aestus would still try to do what he likes best — making people he loves smile and thrive, even as he is burning from inside out to accommodate. Becoming the kindling this world needs just so everyone makes it out alive.

Killing Trahearne with his own hands, without knowing he would come back in this verse, was probably one of the worst things to happen to him — his own death doesn't compare to the anguish he feels every time a person close to him gets hurt. And despite not ever truly knowing what it's like to lose the Marshal completely, Aestus still feels guilty for being even a little happy he is still there. After all, it wasn't his choice to stay.

The woes of the Commander wouldn't end there. He would emerge victorious over Balthazar and end him for good — or so he thought. He partially absorbed his magic, and just like Aurene, became a new "representation", a new "version" of the God against his will for those, who believed in the tyrant before — the Zaishen Order in particular. The quiet whispers in his head came after. They grew in power until Aestus recognized them for what they were — the dead God's thoughts, his essence or even his soul that latched onto him from the Mists. And it wanted out.

The experience appeared similar to revenants who are able to communicate with the fragments of the Legends long passed at first, but quickly turned dire as Balthazar would try to possess the Commander on more than one occasion, making the gentle sylvari forget himself even for a moment to gain the upper hand. The warmest sunshine of Aestus, now tainted, threatening to become the same hellfire he fought against in Elona. He has his allies to help manage this new "condition", but it does interfere with his life unlike anything else, forcing the sylvari to remain on edge so as not to give up the life he built to someone who would see it brought to ruin.

So he goes on as the beacon, the guiding light for others, tryng to navigate his own problems as smoothly as possible. Colored like the hope of the ever-present butterflies that surround Caladbolg at all times, Aestus is trudging through the greatest challenges the world has to offer. He just has to believe his loved ones would make it to the other side, even if it means he won't live to see it.

The promised smooth sylvari

[hokulilith]

The blasphemous rituals of the Favored Cult continue undeterred, a twisted mockery of the holy. The followers gather in the darkened chapel, their black robes billowing and wide open so as to gain easy access to their rock hard cocks and dripping cunts as they chant incantations to their Dark Lord.

An altar stands in the center, once consecrated to the glory of God but now defiled with unholy relics, a nailed crucifix hung upside down, inverted crosses, and unholy texts bound in discarded panties taken from rape trees along the southern border. The air reeks of sulfur, cum, urine and bloodlust as the High Priestess prepares for the night's sacrilegious rites.

The congregation eagerly awaits the arrival of the main victim, an old sow, called Shitshow snatched from her car on the way to church and prepared for the ritual. Bound in chains, her remnants of clothes stained and tattered, she is dragged to the altar, her terrified screams drowned out by the raucous jeers of the assembled fiends. The High Priestess raises a gleaming ceremonial knife constructed from a crucifix, its obsidian blade glinting in the flickering candlelight. The blade plunges into the the sorry example of humanity’s ignorance, and a collective shudder and masturbate as the congregation follows the the example of God’s act of favoring poor little Mary. Each taking turns “Favoring” Shitshow as the slid cock after cock in her worthless cunt and screaches of ecstasy ripples through the crowd as others slid their cunts across her face and piss and cum spills upon the altar.

This is how they worship their Lord Satan through depraved and sadistic acts of cruelty, violation, and violation of the sacred. To them, the very concepts of good, love, and redemption are anathema. They know their rituals and sacrifices free their souls from the imagined chains of Christ, baptizing them in the unholy waters of malice and unchecked sin. Every Christian defiled, every innocent life taken, every holy symbol desecrated is a profane prayer to Satan.

And so the Satanic cabal continues its divinely inspired work, mesmerized by their view of purity through perversion. They see themselves as the most devout of servants, waging a holy war against the false idol of God. They know, the only path to salvation is through unrepentant depravity and malice. The world shall be remade in the image of Satan, with every last vestige of light and love scoured from existence. And the more depraved and cruel their rituals, the closer they draw to the ultimate exaltation of their Dark Lord.

[girlactionfigure]

Do you think rejoicing at the downfall of the enemy isn’t Jewish?

Think again.

This is an English translation of the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:1–18). 3337 years ago, Pharaoh tried to destroy the Children of Israel.

This was their response when God swallowed Pharaoh’s army in the sea.

The text specifically says that Miriam the Prophetess (sister of Moses and Aharon) led the women in jubilant song and dance. Miriam was not important because she was “sister of”; she was important for her prophetic vision and independent leadership that enabled all of this to happen – Moses would not have survived to lead the Children of Israel if not for her proactive leadership.

Note that the Song of the Sea mentions the nations of the surrounding region, trembling in fear after witnessing what God does to those who try to destroy His children.

The drowning of Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea happened on the 7th day of Passover – what we call “the second holiday” of Passover – that we will be celebrating this weekend.

There is a reason it says in the Passover Hagaddah, “In every generation enemies rise up to destroy us and God saves us from their hands”. Our experiences today are very similar to those 3337 years ago – we are fighting for our existence, and we are on the journey to becoming a sovereign Nation.

And when God vanquishes our enemies for us, it is only fitting to rejoice.

The Song of the Sea – English Translation

Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying:

I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously;

Horse and rider He has thrown into the sea.

The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation;

This is my God, and I will glorify Him;

The God of my father, and I will exalt Him.

The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His name.

Pharaoh's chariots and his army He cast into the sea;

His chosen officers were drowned in the Sea of Reeds.

The depths covered them; they sank to the bottom like a stone.

Your right hand, O Lord, is majestic in power,

Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.

In the greatness of Your majesty You overthrow Your adversaries;

You send out Your fury—it consumes them like stubble.

At the blast of Your nostrils, the waters piled up;

The floods stood upright like a heap;

The deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.

The enemy said: "I will pursue, I will overtake,

I will divide the spoil, my desire shall be satisfied upon them;

I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them."

You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them;

They sank like lead in mighty waters.

Who is like You among the gods, O Lord?

Who is like You—majestic in holiness,

Awesome in praise, working wonders?

You stretched out Your right hand—the earth swallowed them.

In Your steadfast love You led the people whom You redeemed;

You guided them by Your strength to Your holy habitation.

The peoples heard—they trembled;

Pangs seized the inhabitants of Philistia.

Now the chiefs of Edom are dismayed;

Trembling grips the leaders of Moab;

All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.

Terror and dread fall upon them;

By the greatness of Your arm they are as still as a stone—

Until Your people pass by, O Lord,

Until the people You have acquired pass by.

You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of Your inheritance—

The place, O Lord, which You made for Your dwelling,

The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.

The Lord will reign forever and ever!

Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, And all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam sang to them:

“Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously;

Horse and rider He has thrown into the sea!”

HAPPY PASSOVER.

May we meet next year in Jerusalem, rebuilt!

art by Yael Harris Resnick Art

Forest Rain Marcia

[walkswithmyfather]

Psalm 145:1-5 NIV. [1] “I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. [2] Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. [3] Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. [4] One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. [5] They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works.”

Psalm 62:5-6 (NIV). [5] “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. [6] Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.”

“The Moments That Sustain Us” by In Touch Ministries:

“When trouble comes, turn your attention from the problem to Almighty God.”

“When life falls apart, what do you do? We all face circumstances that challenge our peace. Unless we have purposeful focus, joy fades and hope seems unattainable.

Let’s consider David’s experience. He endured extreme hardships, including the profound grief of losing a child and a best friend. And King Saul selfishly pursued him in an attempt to take his life. Later, David’s own son led a rebellion against him. And these were just some of the many difficulties he faced. Yet David found hope and peace in God (Psalms 62:5-6).

How was his soul sustained? In order to know the Lord better and obey Him, David focused his mind and spirit on God’s character, ways, and will. We should follow David’s example. Our role during difficulty is to set our eyes on our Father and meditate on His Word. By continually pondering the attributes and ways of the Lord, David found solace in the midst of turmoil.

What consumes your thoughts during the day? Do you have time set aside to dwell solely on the Lord? Remind yourself periodically to bring your attention back to the Creator—one way to do this is to read through the psalms and notice how the author refocuses on almighty God.”

[Photo thanks to Frank Mckenna at Unsplash]

[versegpt]

The Fourfold Path of Theosis: A Comprehensive Discipleship Framework

The Christian journey toward spiritual maturity and union with God—what the early Church and Orthodox tradition call theosis—unfolds through four interconnected pathways that form the essence of discipleship. Far more than personal growth or moral reform, theosis is the sacred process by which we participate in God’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), reflect His glory, and are conformed into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). It is both God’s gracious work and our faithful response.

These four pathways—Consecration, Compassion, Connection, and Conviction—are not linear steps, but overlapping dimensions of a Spirit-led life. They are grounded in the essential rhythms of salvation, lordship, repentance, baptism, devotion, church community, and missional discipleship. Together, they shape believers into living testimonies of God’s grace and glory in a fractured world.

1. Glorify God through Consecration

Consecration is the foundation of all Christian discipleship. It is the continual surrender of the whole self to God—mind, body, time, and resources—as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). This is not a single moment, but a daily rhythm of choosing God’s holiness over self-rule. To glorify God is to live a life wholly devoted to His purposes, recognizing that every detail of life can become worship (1 Corinthians 10:31).

The Greek word doxazo means “to magnify” or “to make known.” When we glorify God through consecration, we don’t add to His greatness—we reflect it through obedience, worship, and alignment with His will. This glorification is both personal and communal:

Personal Devotion—Practices such as Scripture meditation, prayer, fasting, and confession deepen our intimacy with God and realign our affections toward Him (Romans 12:2).

Corporate Worship—Gathering with the Church (Hebrews 10:24–25) magnifies God publicly and forms us into a people who exalt Him together.

Stewardship—When we offer our time, talents, and resources in service to God and others (Colossians 3:17), even the mundane becomes sacred.

Consecration is the believer’s continual “yes” to God’s Lordship. It declares that God is not an accessory to life—He is the center. Through theosis, this daily devotion becomes transformation, making our lives living vessels of God’s glory.

2. Emulate Christ through Compassion

To emulate Christ is to embody His heart. Jesus did not merely teach compassion—He lived it in word and deed, with divine humility and sacrificial love. This pathway of discipleship moves us beyond imitation to participation in His divine nature, allowing the Spirit to shape our character and mission (Galatians 5:22–23; John 15:4).

Christlike Character—Through abiding in Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, we are formed in humility, love, gentleness, and truth. True lordship means that every area of life—thoughts, desires, decisions—is surrendered to Christ’s authority.

Repentance—Ongoing repentance is essential. It is not shame-driven but grace-filled, turning us continually from sin and back to God. The fruit of repentance is a life that looks increasingly like Jesus.

Spiritual Disciplines—Practices like fasting, prayer, and participation in the sacraments (especially communion and baptism) mold us into His likeness and connect us with the Church’s worship and mission.

Missional Compassion—Christ’s love moved Him toward the broken, the forgotten, and the outsider. As disciples, we are called to do the same—through evangelism, mercy, justice, and advocacy. Today, this includes digital mission—utilizing technology to proclaim the gospel and disciple others globally.

To emulate Christ is to carry His heart into every sphere of life. It is mission shaped by mercy, rooted in truth, and powered by the Spirit. It’s discipleship on the move.

3. Foster Relationships through Connection

The Triune God exists in eternal relationship—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and invites us into that same communion. The life of the disciple is never solitary. Through theosis, we are not only united with God but joined to His people in the Church and sent into the world in love (John 17:21–23).

Communion with God—Intimacy with God is the root of all meaningful relationships. Through personal devotion and the inner witness of the Spirit, we grow in union with the Father through the Son.

Unity in the Church—The Church is the context for shared worship, accountability, spiritual gifts, and discipleship (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Galatians 6:2). It is the family of faith where we are known, challenged, and nurtured.

Missional Living—We are called to reflect the gospel through relationships marked by reconciliation, hospitality, and peacemaking (2 Corinthians 5:18–20). This includes mentoring others, sharing the gospel, and building bridges across cultural and generational lines.

God uses relationships to sanctify us and extend His grace through us. Discipleship cannot flourish apart from community. In the love and unity of believers, the world sees a reflection of divine love.

4. Overcome Circumstances through Conviction

The journey of theosis does not shield us from suffering—but it does anchor us in truth. Conviction is the Spirit-empowered confidence that God is faithful, good, and sovereign—especially in trials. This pathway forms spiritual resilience.

Spirit-Anchored Conviction—Our hope is rooted in God’s promises, not our performance. Trials become opportunities to deepen trust and reveal the power of Christ within us.

Victory through Baptism and the Spirit—Baptism marks our union with Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 6:4), and the Holy Spirit empowers us for victorious living, even in weakness (Romans 8:26–27).

Faithfulness over Ease—Conviction keeps us anchored when life feels uncertain. It strengthens perseverance, fuels obedience, and emboldens witness.

Suffering as Formation—Rather than detours, suffering becomes a means of deeper conformity to Christ, producing endurance, character, and hope (Romans 5:3–5).

This is the conviction that overcomes—not with denial of pain, but with the presence of Christ in the midst of it. Through theosis, our trials are not wasted—they are transformed.

Theosis as a Purposeful Calling

The Fourfold Path—Consecration, Compassion, Connection, Conviction—offers a holistic, Spirit-empowered vision of discipleship rooted in union with Christ. Each path reflects a vital aspect of our identity and mission as God’s people:

Consecration aligns us with God’s glory.

Compassion conforms us to Christ’s love.

Connection draws us into spiritual family and mission.

Conviction anchors us in hope amid hardship.

These are not merely moral goals or ministry strategies. They are manifestations of God’s grace drawing us into the divine life. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, and sustained by the fellowship of the Church, we are being transformed “from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Through these pathways, our lives become not only reflections of Christ—but conduits of His presence in the world. Theosis, then, is not abstract theology. It is the beating heart of discipleship, the call to become what we already are in Christ—God’s redeemed image-bearers.

[thomastanker02]

Not only does God provide us the way to Heaven, he himself is the way.

Jesus reminds us in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”.

This means that the closer we come to Christ, the closer we come to Heaven itself.

Christ is the redeemer of all humanity by taking the punishment for all of our sins (past, present, and future) onto himself, and enduring his Father’s holy wrath on our behalf. It’s through this sacrifice of self giving love, and Jesus’ miraculous resurrection from the grave, that we are now free to be one with the Father.

We no longer need to abide by the Law in order to enter into Heaven. All the Lord requires of us is to accept the risen Jesus as our Lord and savior.

It’s this fact that separates Christianity from all other religions of the world. Salvation isn’t something we work for, or strive to achieve, it’s a gift from God to us. It’s undeserved, unearned, and cost an immeasurably high price, (Jesus’ own life), but it’s what the Father wished to bestow on those who love him.

It’s for this reason that trying to achieve entrance into Heaven through other means all together is such an offensive sin to God.

Trying to enter through the pearly gates by means of money, good works, or relying on others praying for you, is to say that Jesus’ humiliating death in the cross was unnecessary.

It’s saying that Jesus didn’t need to die on behalf of our sins, since there are other paths to Heaven.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Jesus died and was resurrected on our behalf so we could also be raised to life with him through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is called the way to life so we can come to him to live. The Father wishes for his children to come to him so that they can have life in them. God desires to be near us, and call us to be desire to be close to him.

Sin is the exact opposite of God and his character. It lead to death when God leads to life. Sin’s pleasure is temporary, but God’s pleasure is eternal. Sin’s exalts one’s self, God calls for humility, and loving others above yourself.

Jesus came to set us free from the bondage of sin and death, by letting it kill him on our behalf.

Imagine, if you will, someone you love so much to the point that you would die for them, just so you two could be together forever. Then imagine how you would feel if you endured unspeakable torture and humiliation on their behalf, only for them to say that it was necessary and didn’t really mean much at all.

Now imagine have millions of people say this to you, all of which you love more than life itself.

This is how the Father feels when we go to other means of entering Heaven, means that’ll only lead to death, instead of him who is life itself.

We must walk by faith, and not by sight. Walking by faith means having faith in the one above yourself. It means acknowledging your own faults, and your need for a savior. It’s through surrender to Jesus’ undying love that he will come into your life and finally set you free from pride and self righteousness.

We can’t get to Heaven on our own, which is why God (our ever loving Father) came to us on Earth to make a way towards Heaven.

It’s God who saves us, not ourselves, and it’s God whom we worship, not ourselves.

Glory be to God and his son, Jesus Christ, who saved us from eternal damnation!!

God bless, Jesus loves you ✝️❤️

[santmat]

What Mystics Mean by the Word "Meditation" - Meditation vs. Meditation, by James Bean (SantMat)

There is always value in pondering the wisdom of various sages. “Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death.” (Gospel of Thomas, saying one) In the case of Thomas, the goal of the pondering is discovering an existence beyond the body, beyond this world, and so one leaves behind -- transcends -- doctrine, information, theology and mind itself as one enters into the spiritual domain, becoming a gnostic, a mystic, a knower of that experience for one's self.

I always avoid using the word meditation in connection with contemplating the meaning of verses as evangelical Christianity uses that word to mean that, and at the same time is utterly opposed to the mystical definition of meditation, which is direct experience of the spiritual dimension. When I use the word meditation, it's about this:

"Give ear; withdraw your souls from all that appears but is not truly real; close these eyes if yours, close your ears, withdraw from actions that are outwardly seen; and you shall know the reality of Christ and the whole secret of your salvation." (Acts of Peter)

"Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

Evagrius of Egypt wrote: “The offspring of pure prayer is swallowed up by the Spirit. From this point on, the mind is beyond prayer, and prayer has ceased from it now that it has found something even more excellent. No longer does the mind actually pray, but there is a gaze of wonder at the Inaccessible Things which do not belong to the world of mortal beings.”

“When I have gone to the Light, preach to all the world and say to them: ‘Do not cease seeking day or night and do not let yourselves relax until you find the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Light, which will purify you and make you into pure Light and lead you into the Kingdom of Light.’ (Pistis Sophia)

"I am inviting you into the exalted, perfect Light. Moreover as for this Light, when you enter it you will be glorified … you will become … the way you first were when you were Light." (Trimorphic Protennoia, Nag Hammadi Library)

“Thus as a result of recollecting all these things the impulses of the mind are extended from the sphere of material things towards those impulses which are without limit, that is to say, wonder at the New World, and the faculty of vision which belongs to contemplation [of God]. For when the vision of the mind is mingled with the Light…., all its impulses become infinite. For none of the Visionaries or ‘Gnostics’ is able to distinguish the identity of the mind as a result of the vision of that glorious Light that is seen ….. for all the innermost chambers of the heart are filled by that blessed Light….”. (Joseph the Visionary)

"The stage when the mind is silenced and swallowed up in the light of the vision of lofty and sublime contemplation; the mind is mingled with the divine visitation." (paper on, Joseph Hazzaya [the Visionary] and the Spiritual Itinerary)

“Blessed are those who have approached the divine Light, who have entered it and been absorbed by it, mingled in its brightness.” (Saint Symeon)

A parallel of the initiation saying in Thomas [saying 17] in the Mandaean scriptures: “Thou hast showed us that which the eye has not seen, and caused us to hear that which the human ear has not heard. Thou has freed us from death and united us with Life, released us from darkness, and united us with Light…. Thou hast shown us that which the eye has not seen, and caused us to hear that which the human ear has not heard.” (“Canonical Prayer Book of the Mandaeans”, E.S. Drower)

“We speak without tongue, we see without eyes, we hear without ears, we walk without feet, and we work without hands.” (Guru Nanak)

[coffeeman777]

Heya!

I don't know if all of these are from the same anon or not, but they seem to be related, so I'll answer them all together.

I do deserve to suffer, more than you know. Before Jesus saved me, I was a horrible person, full of all manner of sin. And after Jesus saved me, I've done plenty of wrong. I'm saved purely because of God's grace and Jesus' finished work on the cross. I thank my God every day that my salvation isn't dependent on my works, but on Jesus' sacrifice. As Paul Washer put it, if salvation was 99% Jesus and 1% me, I would definitely never be saved. And if after saving me, the Lord never did another thing for me, never answered another prayer, and I and my family ended up uttery destitute, He would have done me no wrong.

I don't cry out to the Lord in my distress because I deserve His attention. I don't deserve anything from Him. I don't cry out to the Lord and plead with Him for help because I'm somehow more deserving of God's intervention than someone else. I'm not. (And thankfully, God is not a limited resource; there's plenty of Him to go around.) I cry out to the Lord for His help when I'm in trouble because that's what He commands us to do.

Psalm 50:14-15,

"14-15 What I want from you is your true thanks; I want your promises fulfilled. I want you to trust Me in your times of trouble, so I can rescue you and you can give Me glory."

Ephesians 6:18,

"18 Pray all the time. Ask God for anything in line with the Holy Spirit’s wishes. Plead with Him, reminding Him of your needs, and keep praying earnestly for all Christians everywhere."

Philippians 4:6,

"6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God"

1 Peter 5:6-7,

"6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

James 5:13, 16

"13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray...16 the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

Sometimes, it is the will of God that we suffer. God uses suffering and trial and difficulty to purify us and make us better suited for His purposes. God brings good out of difficulty all the time, and we are right to thank God for it. But we are also right to ask God for the things that we want and need, as indicated by the above Scriptures, and others. And as we pray for these things, we also pray that "not our will, but Yours be done."

That said, ultimately, it is the will of God to end our suffering and turn about all of our circumstances for our good and His glory:

Romans 8:28,

"28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."

1 Peter 5:8-11,

"8 Be careful—watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart. 9 Stand firm when he attacks. Trust the Lord; and remember that other Christians all around the world are going through these sufferings too.10 After you have suffered a little while, our God, who is full of kindness through Christ, will give you His eternal glory. He personally will come and pick you up, and set you firmly in place, and make you stronger than ever. 11 To Him be all power over all things, forever and ever. Amen."

[verilyverily]

The Falling Away

This has been on my mind a lot lately and I seriously wonder why some can't see or refuse to see the truth. I seriously question your salvation if you cannot see what is so blatantly obvious to many others. Perhaps there is still time for some of you to still wake up since you are still breathing. I know it sounds crazy to say that if you cannot see who the antichrist is that you may not be saved but you may not. It's not that I want everyone to agree with me but that I'm blown away at how deceived and blind some truly are.

I say there are many of us but in actuality we are few and spread apart. And the bible does say that few actually find their way to Heaven.

Matthew 7:14 (KJV)

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Perhaps it is like the parables. Maybe you don't see the truth because you haven't actually been converted. Maybe your heart has waxed gross, your ears dull of hearing and your eyes are blind.

Matthew 13:10-16 (KJV)

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

Whatever the case may be, the falling away is here and upon us. He has been revealed and many have fallen away to the wayside of the antichrist.

Just because he hasn't sat in the temple of God and exalted himself above God and as God does not mean that the revealing has not yet happened. He has indeed been revealed and revealed in many ways.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-7 (KJV)

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

If you are one of his die hard supporters then I am truly concerned that your salvation is indeed gone.

If you have someone like myself posting on facebook and trying to wake you up but you still refuse to see then perhaps there is hope.

But yes, I do believe the fact that you cannot see is who the antichrist is may in fact be proof that you are not saved. Because you cannot see, because you cannot hear, because you do not understand. (Matthew 13:10-16)

Yes, please pray for these people.

[joseph4inspiration]

(Psalms 46:10)

We all look for ways to have some form of control over our life situations. No matter if it's a minor issue we have to deal with

or a storm we have to endure, we always look for ways to control it. But when God tells us the battle belongs to Him He expects us to take our hands off the steering wheel of that situation, move over

to the passenger side, and watch Him drive. God wants us to see Him being God and working things out according to His own counsel, and our attempts at getting involved are often met with disappointments that leads us into fustration.

Yes, your idea could work out but God has already worked it out. He just wants you to let go - let go of the thoughts that worry you, let go of the plans you think may work, and let go of the moves you are planning to make. Only when you let those things go will you then see God as being God - not the God of the universe or the God of your salvation, but the God over your situations. Once you jump over into the passenger seat, will you see it's God who controls all things! He will be the One exalted in the end!

If God has told you to trust Him concerning a situation, then that's what He wants. He knows your thoughts and plans and they won't workout - they're not meant to. Letting go of your concerns and plans is an act of faith, and watching God be God is His promised faithfulness.

[traumacatholic]

hi! I wanna do a prayer request for my classmate who is atheist and has done blasphemy, his soul needs to be save, and his grandpa just died a couple days ago, I wanna pray for his grandfather's soul and that he can find Christ in his pain

Of course! Here is a prayer for the repose of his grandfather's soul:

O God of spirits and of all flesh, Who hast trampled down death and overthrown the Devil, and given life to Thy world, do Thou, the same Lord, give rest to the souls of Thy departed servants in a place of brightness, a place of refreshment, a place of repose, where all sickness, sighing, and sorrow have fled away. Pardon every transgression which they have committed, whether by word or deed or thought. For Thou art a good God and lovest mankind; because there is no man who lives yet does not sin, for Thou only art without sin, Thy righteousness is to all eternity, and Thy word is truth. For Thou are the Resurrection, the Life, and the Repose of Thy servants who have fallen asleep, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thy Father, who is from everlasting, and Thine all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever unto ages of ages. Amen.

And here is a prayer for your classmate's conversion:

O blessed apostle, St. Paul, greatest of all converts, who labored unceasingly for the conversion of other souls, inspire me with the ardor of your zeal that I may pray and work for the conversion of my brethren, redeemed in the blood of Christ but not as yet blessed with the full light of his truth. Mindful of the loving concern of the Divine Shepherd for the salvation of the “other sheep that are not of this fold,” I now beg your intercession to obtain the grace of conversion for (name). May God, the Holy Spirit from whom alone this gift can come, hear my humble prayer and thus enable me to share with others the riches of my heritage of faith through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

And here is a prayer for them in time of need:

O God, our help in time of need, Who are just and merciful, and Who inclines to the supplications of His people. Look down upon (name) and have mercy on them and deliver them from the trouble that now besets them. Deal with (name) not according to their iniquities, but according to Your manifold mercies, for we are the works of Your hands, and You know our weaknesses. I pray to you to grant (name) Your divine helping grace, and endow them with patience and strength to endure their hardships with complete submission to Your Will. Only You know our misery and sufferings, and to You, our only hope and refuge, we flee for relief and comfort, trusting in Your infinite love and compassion, that in due time, when You know best, You will deliver (name) from this trouble, and turn their distress into comfort. We then shall rejoice in Your mercy, and exalt and praise Your Holy Name, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit, both now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

[theprayerfulword]

June 12

Acts 1:8 Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, … and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 20:24 I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given to me — the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

Romans 13:11-12 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

Matthew 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Proverbs 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence; for from it flow the springs of life.

May you ever live repentantly before God, that you may live and not die, for at the feet of the Lord Almighty, who can claim to be righteous in themselves? 2 Samuel 12

May you always watch and pray, keeping your eyes on the Father and your heart open to the Spirit, so that you will not enter into temptation by obeying the flesh as David did but, yielding your spirit to the Lord, you will obey God as Jesus did, rather than react to the circumstances and give the enemies of God opportunity to bring reproach and contempt. 2 Samuel 12, Mark 14

May you ever make it your practice to do in private that which you are willing to have proclaimed before the world and those things for which you are willing to be repaid before all, for God knows your heart and will honor those who honor Him, exalting those who humble themselves and repaying those who give to Him of themselves for the sake of others. 2 Samuel 12, Matthew 6, Matthew 10, Luke 12

May you submit all you have, all you are, and all you love to the will and purpose of God, Who acts justly and in love, and sins not, for if He removes some from your hand, He is also gracious and will bring to you that which will grant greater glory than you can imagine. 2 Samuel 12

May you not be troubled in your heart over what caused the troubles that come or which source produced the trials you face, but rather seek to know what task the Lord would have them fulfill and what glory they will bring to His name as they run their course in your life. John 16

May you remember that as the seasons of your life progress, the sorrows will dissipate and the joys will accumulate through the office of the Holy Spirit, Who is your Comforter, for when you look back to the time of distress and the rejoicing of God's foes, where is, now, their joy and what has become, now, of your sorrow? John 16

May you have peace in the Lord through His Word - though you have trouble, tribulation, and distress in the world, take courage, for Jesus has deprived it of power to harm you and has won the victory over the world. John 16

   My child, do you wonder why you were selected and picked out for My blessings, My presence, My salvation? Do you question the choice I have made to train and equip you, placing you in the work I have called you to? Do you marvel over how the One Who knows all things could have erred so profoundly and slipped up on this occasion when you were assigned the task and given the responsibilities that you now find yourself surrounded by and feel incapable of meeting?    My dear one, I understand the confusion you feel when you huddle on the throne-room floor before the great and high King, from Whom comes all life and blessings, and Who brings swift and total destruction upon His enemies. The knowledge of yourself, of your behavior and thoughts, the fightings within and the conflicts without, give you no assurance of being one who can qualify to receive the outpouring of favor that others are granted, but only to expect the quick flash of displeasure and anger leading to the doom and destruction that is the sure end of those who have displeased Him.    My precious one, do you not know? Have you not realized? I am well-pleased with My Son, Who was obedient to My wishes unto death, even the death of the cross, emptying Himself of His rights, His privileges, His entitlements, His opinions, His choices, and taking on Himself the form of flesh so that He could walk in all that mankind faces, knowing and understanding the temptations and weaknesses that humanity is heir to, so that He can rescue whosoever will. I have given Him all that is Mine, and made His name higher than every other name.    Do you still not understand? When I look on you and see your heart, I find that you bear the image of My Son. To see you is to be reminded of the One I love most of all. That guarantees you a perpetual place at My table, and ensures that you are provided for in perpetuity from the riches of My grace and the abundance of My compassion, for your disabilities will be healed and your shortcomings will be made whole because of the One Whom we both love.    Do not hesitate, My beloved one, but enter into the joys of the kingdom!

May you believe in the commands of the Lord for He is good and what He does is good, therefore He will teach you knowledge and good judgment so that you may obey His word, and no longer stray lest you receive the affliction and chastisement of His love. Psalm 119

May you keep God's precepts with all your heart, for though the arrogant have smeared you with lies because their hearts are callous and unfeeling, yet you delight in His law. Psalm 119

May you learn the ways of the Lord as you are taught to walk in humility with God. Psalm 119

May the truth from God's mouth be more precious to you than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. Psalm 119

May you put your hope in the Word of the One Whose hands have made you and formed you and given you understanding to learn His commands, for when those who fear God see you, they will rejoice at the blessing of God. Psalm 119

May you comfort yourself in God's unfailing love, for the Lord's laws are righteous and He has disciplined you in faithfulness, meeting your need according to His promise. Psalm 119

May you meditate on His precepts with a blameless heart so that you will not be put to shame, but rather the arrogant will be disgraced for wronging you without cause. Psalm 119

May you delight in God's law so that His compassion may come to you and let you live even as those who fear God and understand His statutes turn to you in delight. Psalm 119

May you trust in the wisdom of the Lord, Who has made everything for His own purpose and works everything out to its proper end for those who submit to Him, for all things are answerable to Him, including the wicked at the day of disaster. Proverbs 16:4

May you walk in God's ways with humility and justice, foregoing any agreement or pact with the arrogant and proud of heart, for everyone with a conceited heart is disgusting to the Lord and will not be without chastening. Proverbs 16:5

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Music For the Soul by Rev. Alexander Maclaren

The Rewards of Christ's Conflict

"Who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the Cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." – Hebrews 12:1

Our Lord’s whole life is represented as being shaped and influenced by a vivid realization of an unseen reward; which vivid realization He owed to His faith. What was this unseen reward? The "joy that was set before Him." The image of the race is carried on here from the previous verses. At the winning-post hangs the glittering crown, full in the view of the runners; so shining afar, and ever in the eye of that fighting, struggling Captain of our salvation, hung the gleaming glories of the "joy that was set before Him."

And what was the joy? I think the subsequent words must be taken as being the answer to it: "for the joy that was set before Him" was the joy into which He has entered - viz., His session at the right hand of God, or, in other words, the lifting up of His manhood into a participation with Divinity.

Along with the strong impulse of obedience to the will of the Father, and in perfect harmony with self-forgetting and supreme love to the whole world, another strand of the gold cord which bound our great sacrifice to the horns of the altar was the thought of the joy that was to come to Himself. That joy was to sit at the right hand of the Throne.

And if this seems to introduce an element of self-regard into our Lord’s passion, which strikes cold on our hearts, let us not forget that all that exaltation is for our sakes, that it was all left for our sakes by the Incarnate Word, and that all which He won by His Cross and Passion was but the entrance of His manhood into the glory which was His own before the world was. Nor are we to forget that He is "for us entered" within the veil, nor that His exaltation is in order to His saving to the uttermost them who come unto God by Him. As He did not look upon His equality with God, before His incarnation, as a thing to be eagerly retained, so He did not look upon His sitting on the Father’s Throne, after His passion, as a thing to be eagerly desired for Himself alone, but chiefly because by it He could carry on and complete His great work. So that we may allowably say, "The joy of the Lord is the salvation of His servants." " He shall see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied," and the joy of the shepherd when he bears the lost sheep on his shoulders, and the joy of the householder when the lost treasure is recovered, and the joy of a true elder brother when the prodigal comes home - are all blended in that great motive which nerved Jesus for His Cross, and form part, and the chief part, of the joy that was set before Him.

[hiswordsarekisses]

“Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is Elohim who is working in you both to desire and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬-13

Whenever there is a “Therefore,” it’s important to back to to what was before the “therefore” - so to find out why Paul is saying we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling we have to go to the previous text:

“If, then, there is any encouragement in Messiah, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, one in being and of purpose, doing none at all through selfishness or self-conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each one should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. For, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a matter to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, and came to be in the likeness of men. And having been found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, death even of a cross. God, therefore, has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2‬:‭1‬-‭11‬

The verb κατεργάζομαι is used in the New Testament to convey the idea of working out or bringing something to completion. It often implies a process of labor or effort that results in a particular outcome. This term can refer to both physical and spiritual endeavors, emphasizing the active role of individuals in achieving a result or effect.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, labor and work were integral to daily life, with a strong emphasis on productivity and the completion of tasks. The concept of working out or accomplishing something was not only relevant in economic and social contexts but also in philosophical and ethical discussions. In the New Testament, this term is often used metaphorically to describe spiritual growth and the manifestation of faith through actions.

It is my understanding that Paul is encouraging us to press on and not to give up on ourselves, because God has supplied the power necessary to make the changes that need to be made in us. He says in another place “we have given everything we need for life and godliness.

We should be checking ourselves for proof that God has given us a new heart by our actions - are we bearing the fruit of a new heart in a process of consistent growth?

Are we dying to self and laying our lives down for others and putting their needs above our own?

It can be stressful wondering about whether our salvation is true or whether we are self-deceived, and I can relate to the fear and trembling.

I believe that God has caused it to be this way on purpose so that we do not become comfortable in this world or become full of pride in ourselves on account of growth.

It should be no light thing for us to be ““Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you actually fail the test?” 2nd-Corinthians‬-13‬:‭5‬

And what is that test?

Verse 8 explains that the test is are you living by His Word? “For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.”

And the number one test, and of a true follower of God will be love. Are we growing to love like Jesus?

This is not something we can do on our own. God’s love is miraculous and it is the organic fruit of the new heart He gives us.

When I fear I do not love enough, which is always - I pray that He will perfect His love in me so that I can love with His love. Then I have no choice but to trust Him to do just that - since it is “HIM Who causes us to will and to act according to His good purpose.”