#How To Love Neighbor According To Command

[clownsuu]

Getting back into your Mob!Au for Welcome Home, but I forgot everyone's rolls in the mob! Can we get a refresher of the gang's responsibilities? I know Wally is the boss, Howdy runs the bar, Frank is financial manager, and Dusty protects the vault... but past that, I'm lost!

o h m a n its been a while since I worked, or even thought about these goobers lore wise JJHFGKSFF-- like holy moly I even forgot how to draw em (so take a test doodle lmAo)

cw bug/swarm silhouettes

But what from I remember, here's a list of their respected jobs (in order of Rank)

(for the main cast for now) (there may or may not be anything missing, or added/updated)

Wally: Obviously their most "enthusiastic" Boss. He doesn't do too much besides approve/reject orders, enforce rules, and be a casual reminder that, you are indeed, here forever*. Owns several brands ranging WILDLY (from cigs, to ovens, to baby diapers etc etc. Seemingly random, totally not a fire hazard)

Barnaby: Wally's Left-hand bodyguard. The boss isnt quite the greatest when it comes to discussions with potential clients/neighbors, so Barnaby is usually the one who does all the sweet talking for him. Usually the one who recommends "party" plans.

Howdy: Wally's Right-hand bodyguard. Due to his silent nature, he's purely there to be commanded however the boss sees fit. When not on duty as a guard, he's tending the company building's bar (open to the public on ground floor) and refilling stock.

Frank: Oh goodie look who ranked up! HEAVILY overworked however. He alone deals with all of the most boring of tasks, which include (but not limited to): Keeping every single paper file organized and up to date, calling in appointments for the boss and sometimes the family members, running errands, quality inspection in case they need to call in for second or even third party quality inspection, make online orders, make physical orders, update the decorative flora, plan events, put "party" plans into motion or reject due to budget, also cancel said planned events due to Sally, make sure the nursery is stocked and full, refill not bar exclusive fridges, haggling, getting rid of evidence, planting fake evidence, and so so so so so so so so much more! an alcoholic, and not-too recently started smoking.

Poppy: The only nurse who's available 24/7. Due to her severe insistent and persistent paranoia and anxiety, her workload has been reduced considerably (and shoved onto Frank.) On weekends, on her own accord, she likes to make everyone breakfast and serve it at the bar before everyone wakes up. Usually Howdy is awake as well and helps her whenever available.

Julie: Secondary nurse and "private" assassin. Specializes in poisons/antidotes, and organized crimes. Despite being a nurse, she's rarely doing nurse work, and instead can be found constantly reworking formulas, creating mind altering substances, and hunting for someone who's perhaps willing to be her guineapig to do test trials on (nobody ever is). Sometimes takes pity on Frank and helps him with their work. Sometimes.

Sally: "Public" assassin and a complete menace. Incredibly sloppy with her work and not completely reliable with making sure someone is dead unless she's allowed explosives (She's blacklisted from ever doing so again.) Developed a love for the next best thing: tasers. Mainly used to trash enemy bases and send a message that the mob doesn't take too kindly to their recent behaviors. Basically a physical embodiment of (and nicknamed) "Cease and Desist".

[doitforbangchan]

All Bark and No Bite : Meet the pack

Helloooooo! Welcome to my new series titled All Bark and No Bite. Before the series officially begins I want to give a quick overview of the SKZ pack members and their roles within the pack! This is how I view the pack dynamics working and my own personal thoughts. I have sorted them based on where I think they would fall. I have also included what tendencies I think some of them would have. I am also including a small background for the story. Please let me know your thoughts as well! I’d love to discuss :)

Disclaimer: The names and faces used here are just that, names and faces, and in no way reflect the real people the characters were designed after. The views and actions of these characters do not reflect the real Stray Kids in any way shape or form. This is all for fun let’s keep it that way please. 

My content is always for 18+ ONLY. If you are not 18+ please see yourselves out thanks

Background info: This story takes place in an alternate universe where people eventually present as one of three presentations: Alpha, beta and omega. Omegas are incredibly rare and many people have never even seen an omega in their lives. The new tradition is if an alpha does get an omega then that Omega does become the packs, though they will mainly ‘belong’ to the main alpha of the pack. Due to the submissive nature of the omegas this has turned many alphas and betas very misogynistic. 

Next Series masterlist Masterlist

Bang Chan aka Chris -Pack Main Alpha 

Chris is the head alpha of the SKZ pack. He is strong willed and carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. Head of the pack and also unofficial head of the neighboring town has taken its toll on Chan mentally and emotionally. He is known as a strong leader who would and has done anything to protect his people. Other packs have heard of him and know better than to challenge him… Mostly anyways. The stupid few usually don’t make it home after coming for Chan. He is used to obedience and expects it in all aspects.

Lee Minho -Beta 

Minho can be hard to read sometimes, he gives off such a serious vibe but once you get to know him and how he interacts with the pack it’s clear he really cares for them. Minho is very blunt and will tell you exactly how he sees it. Even though he’s a beta he is still Chan's second in command in the pack. Minho is often there to remind Chan that he’s allowed to be a human and not a machine. Main cook for the pack. 

Seo Changbin -Alpha 

The main muscle (other than chan) of the pack. He takes pride in his strength and his ability to protect the pack as well as offer a shoulder to cry on. Changbin is often the one the pack goes too when they are down and just need a hug. According to them he gives the best hugs. Also really good for a laugh as he never stops joking around. 

Hwang Hyunjin -Beta 

Hyunjin is a true romantic through and through. When he’s not helping out at home with the pack you could usually find him painting out in a field somewhere or in town helping the townsfolk. He can often be found running errands for the elderly in town. He is a true artist and loves to do portraits of his fellow pack mates. 

Han Jisung -Beta with Omega tendencies

Precious Hannie, always so helpful and supportive. It was a surprise to his family he didn’t present as an omega growing up given how submissive he can be. He just wants to please the people he cares about! He can be a little introverted and shy around new people but once he warms up to you he never stops talking or joking around. Sunshine boy :) 

Lee Felix -Beta Omega tendencies 

Felix is another ray of sunshine for the pack. He is very dainty like a fairy and dances around like one too, despite his deep voice! His bubbly personality is contagious and anyone he meets is enamored by him. He can often be found in the kitchen baking during the day and singing along to whatever song is stuck in his head. Sometimes the pack wonders how he didn’t end up an omega. 

Kim Seungmin -Beta with Alpha tendencies 

This boy is very smart and is one of Chan's right hand men in the pack. He pays attention better than anyone else to small details and is good with strategy. He can come off as aloof and rude when you don’t know him yet, but once his shell is broken through he is actually a very caring person. He always tries to do right by his pack and would stop at nothing to protect them. 

Yang Jeongin -Alpha 

The youngest member of the pack and newest to present as an Alpha. He is very easy going and doesn’t have many responsibilities yet as he’s still trying to find himself as an alpha. He really looks up to the other members, especially Chan as he is a prime example of who Jeongin wants to become. The least experienced of the pack. One thing about him is he is very quick on his feet and even though he is young he knows he would die for the pack’s safety. 

If you got this far thank you :') I am not the best writer but I do enjoy it and hope you do too!

©doitforbangchan

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Taglist

@ihrtlix

[allegraforchrist]

I’ve been feeling really angry and overwhelmed about how wicked the world is. Just frustrated at my flesh, and how demons play and toy with people, and how Satan delights in successfully stealing, killing, and deceiving people. How fickle and weak the flesh is, how horrible the heart is, how cruel are the hands we are meant to hug and kiss one another with, how vile are our lips that we are meant to speak kindness and praise the Lord with. Hating evil is natural as a Christian. It’s impossible to ignore, and I know it weighs heavy in the soul: your own evil and the multitude of evils others commit. But we often need to be reminded of how this evil works against us, and where the temptations on hating wickedness lies.

Leviticus 19:18 - You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

Psalm 97:10 - "Let those who love the LORD hate evil"

Hebrews 1:9 - You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.

3 John 1:11 - Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God

I try not to be disheartened or hardened my heart against blatant wicked people. I hate wickedness. I scoff and scorn at it and beg to banish it. But I understand now the conviction that you cannot hate wickedness and delight in the mockery of it. You become drunk on foolishness and gossip and hate. You become wicked by comparing common evil with your individual ‘goodness’.

Proverbs 10:12 - Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses

Romans 12:21 - "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good".

Philippians 2:1–2 - So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind

Evil will exist until Christ returns; and as Christians we must stand against wickedness but not entertain it. We must carry our cross and be compassionate to the cruel. We must have our hearts mourn and be in supplication to Christ, so Christ may deal with those stubborn hearts. We must curb our own sense of morality, and live out the perfect law Christ has demonstrated for us. Loving Christ comes with the territory of hating what is AntiChrist; but that territory is shared with the enemy priding on what is wrong. Being wrong is a prideful struggle, and we will often mix up being haughty with hating wickedness. I’m guilty of it. I confess this because I know confessing sins to one another is also a Christ-given gift. We share joy and sorrow. We share frustration and favor. Just as Christ did. He shared our sorrow, and joy, and frustrations of the flesh and favor with God, and remained perfect on the Cross. He is proof of hating wickedness and overcoming it.

I can be angry, and heartbroken, and despise wickedness, but if I sin in doing so, I must repent and remain in the Spirit to convict me and not forget to love most of all. Love the Lord, love my neighbours, and love the Kingdom. Nothing less, only more.

1 Corinthians 13:13 - Three things will last forever: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.

Romans 12:9–10 - Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Mark 12:30–31 - ‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.

Lord let me not be haughty not lean on my own understanding. Give me your strength and your heart to overcome wickedness and carry your redeeming Spirit in every step I take, with every word I utter, and with every heart I meet. Let me have the anger and the right spirit like you did in the temple, and the wisdom to scatter evil. Let it be your will, your work, and your wonders prevailing in me. Let nothing be for my sake and comfort. For you are all I am in need of. In Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[hiswordsarekisses]

To love someone - according to 1st Corinthians chapter 13 - is to be patient with them. To be kind. Not to insist on having our own way. Not to be irritable or resentful toward them… to take joy in the truth.

To love someone is bear with them, hope for them, and endure with them in all things without failing.

To love is to lay my life down to the death of self for another.

Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24 that in the end days the love of a great many people will grow cold because of the spirit of law-less-ness and sin. (Matt 24:12!!!)

What it looks like when our love grows cold is the opposite of 2nd Corinthians chapter 13.

According to 2nd Timothy chapter 3 it looks like people loving themselves.

It looks like people being proud, arrogant, and abusive.

It looks like people being ungrateful, impossible to please,

and having a high opinion of themselves.

It looks like heartless, rebellious, slanderous treacherous, reckless, brutal people.

It looks like loving pleasure instead of loving God.

So the root of our love growing cold Jesus says is law-less-ness and sin. And now we know the symptoms of both walks. With and without love. So we have to be aware and stay on our face before God keeping our hearts cleansed and praying that our love will not grow cold.

***

“Some people understand Paul to say that the New Testament principle of love has replaced the Old Testament principle of law… Since love must be voluntary and cannot be compelled, so the thinking goes, love and law are mutually exclusive.

But if we realize the moral law is a transcript—a written reproduction—of the moral character of God and that "God is love" (1 John 4:8), we see that we cannot distinguish between law and love. Both express the character of God. They’re two sides of the same coin, and reading scripture, we find they are the same.

Paul said in Romans 13:10, "love does no wrong to its neighbor" - If we didn’t also have the commandments (which Paul actually quotes in verse 9) against such things as adultery, stealing, and murder, how would we even know what it means to harm one’s neighbor?”

- Jerry Bridges

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Christmas Reruns 2024–Day 19: Deck the Halls…Or Maybe the Neighbor

Merry Christmas if you celebrate it and happy holidays if you don’t!  One of the things I love about Christmas is watching reruns of all the old classic Christmas movies–Christmas is a big time for nostalgia.  A few years ago, I decided to incorporate that tradition into my fandom life and post my CS holiday reruns.  So here you go!  Enough holiday (mostly) fluff to get you to New Year’s Day. (With a new story posting on Christmas Day.)

Word Count: 2099

Other chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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Notes:  This story was written for my “Christmas with Captain Swan” collection in 2020.

CS Genre: Enemies to Lovers AU

She was going to kill him.  She was going to drive a stake of holly through his heart or strangle him with a strand of Christmas lights or…well, some other holiday themed method of homicide.

Emma worked hard all day chasing down the scum of the earth and hauling their worthless asses back to jail where they belonged.  Was it really too much to ask that she have a little peace and quiet downtime to relax once she got home.

According to the idiot who lived in the apartment directly above hers, apparently so.  Every damn day since Thanksgiving he’d blared his Christmas music loud enough to wake the ghost of Christmas past.  Sometimes he even enthusiastically belted along with it.  (She had to admit his voice wasn’t half bad, but that was entirely beside the point.)

Emma hissed as she dabbed at the cut beside her eye where tonight’s skip had clocked her.  She’d got him in the end; Emma Swan always got her man, but now that the adrenaline of the chase was over, her cuts and bruises and sore muscles were screaming at her.

And the guy in the apartment above had just started singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” at the top of his lungs.

Emma growled, tossing the bloody cotton ball into her bathroom trash and getting to her feet.  Enough was enough.  This stopped now.  He could take his merry little Christmas and shove it up his south pole.

Two minutes later, she stood before his apartment.  Pounding on the door felt extremely satisfying if she did say so herself.

The music suddenly stopped, and a moment later the door opened, and for the first time Emma got a glimpse of the man who’d been the bane of her existence for the past two weeks.

Her jaw dropped.  He was drop dead gorgeous, melt-an-entire-population-of-snowmen hot.

“Well hello, there, Love,” he said with an appreciative grin-and in an accent that had her toes curling in her boots.  “How can I help you?”

Emma’s stomach swooped and her heart stuttered and then started racing.  She blinked and the spell was broken.  She wasn’t some teenager who drooled over hot guys.  Especially hot guys that she’d been seriously contemplating murdering five minutes ago.

“If you don’t stop with the Christmas crap, I’m going to punch your stupid, festive face,” she gritted out.

His eyebrows raised.  “Pardon?”

“Your music!” she said.  “Every freaking day, everytime I get home you’re blaring the Christmas music, and it got old about five minutes after you started.  I don’t think it’s too much to ask that I have a little peace and quiet in my own home.”

He huffed a breath.  “Darling, I had no idea anyone was even in the building in the middle of the afternoon.  Did it ever occur to you to come to me and ask me to turn down my music?”

She had to admit he had a point there.  Maybe yelling at him and threatening bodily harm wasn’t the best opening salvo, but it had been a long day, and she was in pain, and she wasn’t in the mood to be reasonable.

“Look, just turn it down,” she said, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

“Your wish is my command,” he said with biting sarcasm, sketching a mock bow.  “Now is there anything else you wish to yell at me about or may I get back to my tasks at hand?”

“Nope.  That’s all,” she said.

“Good,” he said and then tacked on a biting “merry Christmas” before shutting the door in her face.

The next morning, Emma was rather embarrassed about her interaction with Hot Christmas Guy upstairs, as she’d been calling him in her mind.  She’d had a frustrating day–the skip she’d gone after had left his wife and kids just before Christmas, taking every penny of their Christmas fund.  

It hit too close to home for a girl who had grown up with no family, with no one.  Hard to get into the warm and fuzzy Christmas spirit when no one gave a crap about you.

She’d been too harsh with Hot Christmas Guy, but at least the results were in her favor.  He’d been as good as his word, and if he’d continued playing his Christmas music, he’d done it at a low enough volume that she didn’t even hear it.

Emma had only just begun to think she should go upstairs and apologize, when suddenly there was a knock at her door. 

She opened the door to find the man himself, standing there holding a large plate of cookies. Her stomach not only swooped this time; it did cartwheels.  The guy looked even better in the bright light of morning with his slightly disheveled black hair, his reddish scruff, his blue button down that highlighted his even bluer eyes and his black leather jacket.

“I’m afraid we came to rather a bad start, yesterday,” he said.  “Perhaps we might start again, Aye?  My name is Killian Jones, and I’d like to offer you these Christmas cookies as a token of my apology for the excessive volume of my music.”

Emma took a step back and gestured for him to enter her apartment.  “Hey, I’m Emma Swan, and no apology is necessary.  In fact, I kind of think I owe you an apology.  I shouldn’t have just come out swinging like that.”

He smiled at her, the fine lines around his (beautiful) eyes crinkling with the gesture.  “Apology accepted Love.  I’ll leave you to your morning.”

He turned to leave, but suddenly, Emma didn’t want him to go.  “Killian wait!” she said.

Obediently he stopped, eyebrows raised in question.

“Would you like to stay and help me eat these cookies?”

He shot her a skeptical look.  “Dessert at nine in the morning?”

She shrugged.  “Can’t be much more unhealthy than my normal blueberry PopTart.”

Killian laughed then, taking a step back inside.  “Do you at least have milk to wash them down with?”

“Of course.”

Killian ended up staying for two hours, and it amazed Emma how quickly they fell into conversation.  It was like they were old friends catching up rather than relative strangers.  Emma learned that Killian was a novelist.  His music helped him with the creative process, jump started his creativity as it were.

The conversation had then turned to the upcoming holiday.

“Swan, do you not celebrate Christmas?” he’d asked, looking around her apartment.

She shrugged.  “I mean, I guess I do.  I’m not like opposed to Christmas or anything.  Why?”

“I can’t help but notice you have no tree, no decorations of any kind, and your opposition to the music of the season is well established,” he said.

Emma looked around her neat but rather sterile apartment and shrugged.  “I don’t know, I guess I just didn’t see the point of going to all that trouble.  I mean, it’s not like I’m going to have any presents under the tree or anyone to share the holiday with.”

She had expected him to look at her with pity at her admission of just how alone she was, but instead, the look on his face was knowing, understanding.  “The holidays are difficult when you’re alone, aren’t they?”

That surprised her.  Was he speaking from personal experience?

“Aye love,” he said, answering her unasked question, “I suspect we have more in common than you might have supposed.  Ever since my brother passed a decade ago, I’ve been on my own.  The holidays always bring with them a special kind of melancholy.”

“But…” she began, “but you play Christmas music.  From the glimpse I got of your apartment yesterday, you have all the decorations and trappings.  Doesn’t that make the loneliness worse?”

He shook his head.  “It helps me to remember the good memories, and there are always good memories if you dig deep enough.”

The conversation stuck with her long after she and Killian had said goodbye and gone their separate ways.  Maybe…maybe he was right.  Maybe if she let a little Christmas cheer into her life, it would help, even in a small part, to soothe the pain of a lifetime of loneliness.

The next morning, bright and early, there was a knock on Emma’s door.  This time she smiled as she went to the door, knowing instinctively that she’d find Killian on the other side.

What she wasn’t expecting was the large, beautiful, fragrant pine tree he was holding in front of him.

“What’s this?” she asked, opening the door wider so that he could awkwardly maneuver himself and the tree inside.

“This, Swan,” he said with a teasing grin, “is called a Christmas tree.  Traditionally people set them up in their houses this time of year and decorate them with lights and colorful baubles.”

She grinned, rolling her eyes at him and playfully swatting his shoulder.  “I know what it is, smart ass.  I’m wondering why you brought it here.”

He propped the tree against the door, and then reached up to scratch at the spot behind his ear.  “I got to thinking after our conversation yesterday.  I wanted to bring you some of the Christmas joy that has helped me through the season for years.  I hope I’ve not overstepped by bringing this.”

Emma smiled gently, stepping up to place a hand on his arm.  “This is really sweet, Killian,” she said.  “Thanks.”

“It was my pleasure,” he said, stepping outside to gather the boxes of lights, ornaments and tinsel he had waiting for him.  “If you’ve the time and inclination, I thought perhaps we could decorate your apartment together.”

She took one of the boxes from him and set it on her living room floor.  “As it turns out, I have the day off, and decorating a tree sounds like the perfect way to pass the time.  If you play your cards right, I might even let you play some Christmas music while we work.”

They’d spent the entire day together, first decorating her tree, then splitting a pizza from the place down the street, talking, laughing, and genuinely enjoying each other’s company.

The next day he was back, and the day after that she went to his apartment.  Barely a day went by that they didn’t see each other.  Each day brought a new holiday themed activity.  

For the first time she could remember, Emma felt the magic of Christmas.  For the first time she woke up looking forward to what the day might bring–and it was all due to Killian Jones.  It should scare her how comfortable she felt with him.  It should scare her how much she was coming to look forward to their time together, to their daily phone calls and text conversations.

But somehow it didn’t.  She could read people; it’s what made her so good at her job.  And Killian?  She read him loud and clear.  He was the real deal.  She could trust him.

And so it was that when the idea occurred to her she didn’t let herself think too hard, merely acted.

“So I was thinking,” she said, turning toward him on the couch where they sat together watching Christmas movies on Christmas eve.

“Dangerous prospect, love,” he said with a teasing grin.  She smacked his shoulder.

“I think that we should spend Christmas together,” she said.

This shouldn’t be that big of a deal–after all, they’d spent the last two weeks together–but somehow it was.  Somehow spending Christmas together felt huge. Like this-could-be-the-start-of-something-life-changing huge.

Killian’s eyes widened.  He clearly understood how momentous this question really was.  After a moment, his look of surprise softened into a gentle smile, and he reached up and cupped her cheek.  “Emma, I’d like nothing better than to spend Christmas with you.”

The relief, the joy that came over her at his answer overwhelmed her, and so she did the only thing that seemed to make sense in the moment.  She leaned forward and kissed him.

On Christmas, they made plans to spend New Years together, and on New Years, they made plans for Valentine’s Day.

And on the following Christmas, Killian got down on one knee and asked her to make plans with him for the rest of their lives.

It seemed only fitting that for their wedding several months later, they play Christmas music.  After all, without the sounds of the season, the beautiful, perfect life they’d built for themselves may never have begun.

NEXT CHAPTER->

[scribeforchrist-blog]

Hidden In Him 

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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+ Job 10:9 Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again?

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VERSE OF THE DAY 

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+ Colossians 2:20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as,

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SUBJECT: Hidden In Him 

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** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN TRUTHS **

I AM WALKING IN HIS PRESENCE 

I AM FREE

I AM LIVING UNDER HIS ANOINTING 

I AM LOVING GOD 

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READ TIME: 7 Minutes & 30 Seconds

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THOUGHTS:

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 It rules everywhere, whether we go to work, school, church, DMV, restaurants, libraries, schools, or anywhere. Its rules are all over the place; no matter where we go, we must obey them. To be in that establishment, we must obey the rules and follow its guidelines. Sure, some of them seem extreme and out there, but no matter what we do, we must follow them to align with where we are. 

    My mom always tells me that I should follow whatever is in the Bible from a young age. That’s what she taught: the Ten Commandments, and other rules and such, and that’s how I knew not to lie, or I knew not to steal, etc., but as I got older, some rules seemed a bit too much to be the thing about drinking don’t get drunk, I did that a lot, don’t lie I did that too I wasn’t the worst human being. Still, I wasn’t the greatest. I did what I wanted when I wanted. I didn’t care, but when I gave my life back to Christ, I learned that some of the things I was doing were wrong, and he showed me immediately. And some things were easy to let go of, while others took me a minute. Just like anything, I had to learn what pleased him and what would help me on my journey with him.

 The verse today reminds us that, as Christians, we have been set free from the powers of this world. This means that we are no longer bound by the rules and expectations that society imposes on us. Yet, we often find ourselves still following these rules, even though we have been freed from them. As a new Christian at the time, I struggled with legalism and constantly tried to do everything perfectly. My mom would always remind me that I am not perfect and that it's okay to make mistakes. But I was so consumed with following the rules that I lost sight of the real meaning of being a Christian. It wasn't until God showed me the error of my ways that I realized I was doing it all wrong. This verse serves as a powerful reminder to me that true freedom in Christ means breaking away from the world's rules and living according to His will. Which brings me to my next verse 

  Verse 21-23: Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. However, they offer no assistance in overcoming a person’s evil desires.

    These rules cause us to put our sleeves too far on a pedestal, and we become so aware of ourselves that we try to do things in our strength, forgetting about God's strength. We forget that Christ died for our sins. He took those rules away, and the more we follow them, the more we become self-denial, and it doesn’t help us conquer evil desires. Still, you know what? Denying ourselves for Christ to show us the way, denying ourselves and allowing His ways to be what we need, we become so self-aware that we forget that we can't do anything without Him.

   What rules are you having a hard time following when Christ comes back? He did away with so much, but what he placed in the place of those other things was to love your neighbor and to love the lord god with all your heart and all your soul. Many of us struggle with this because we don’t want any rules or commandments set in place. However, what we must understand is that if we walk in God, we must do what He says and hold ourselves to what He says we must do. 

  Colossians 2:14, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross.

 We had so much standing against us; there was no way that we were going to pass the task and no way we were going to win, but Christ canceled it all when he died on the cross; the moment they nailed him was when he took all of our debt and said no more, all of the rules and commandments he took them and said you don’t have to carry the load I will. No, he didn’t do away with the commandments; we just don’t have to follow them to be saved. 

 What do you understand the most about today’s devotion? I hope you gather that the lord is not about rules; he’s not about placing heavy weights on us; he’s about freeing us from the weight of the world, the weight of sin, and the weight of rules, but he wants us to be free in him! Free in our lives to him! 

  ***Today, we discussed how Christ wants us to be free from rules, yet every place we go has them. Although He freed us from rules, we still must follow guidelines to walk in His presence. What is God calling you to see today? What is God saying to you? He’s speaking to us to hear from our heart his voice; his voice is speaking to us all about living a life that's about him, a life that isn’t about sticking to the rules but about living in his presence. I can say that sometimes it is hard trying to live in his presence, but walking in it is the most amazing feeling we can ever have in Him. 

 Colossians 3:3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

 With the realization that we are hidden in Christ and have died to our old selves, we are freed from the worries and pressures of this world. No longer do we have to conform to its rules and expectations, for our true purpose in life is now found in following God's plan for us. It is through this surrender to His will that we experience true freedom and fulfillment. Yet, many of us still fall into the trap of living by our desires and ignoring God's guidance. We must remember that the Bible is not a list of restrictive rules but rather a reflection of God's unconditional love and direction for our lives. By embracing this truth, we can fully embrace the joy and peace that comes with living in His will.

©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

======================

PRAYER

=====================

Heavenly Father, we come before you today with hearts filled with gratitude and awe for the peace and love that you constantly shower upon us. Your love is the foundation of our existence, and we cannot thank you enough for being our guiding light in this world. Lord, we humbly ask for your forgiveness for the sins we have committed, knowing that your unconditional love and grace will cover us. We love you, Lord, and we long to walk in your presence every day in Jesus' Name, Amen.

======================

REFERENCES 

======================

+ Exodus 33:14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.

 

+ Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart

 

+ James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded

======================

FURTHER READINGS 

======================

Proverbs 29

Psalm 45

1 Kings 13

2 Chronicles 19

1 Chronicles 27

======================

[mental-health-and-jesus]

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A post shared by Bring Joy Always ✞ (@bringjoyalways)

10-22-2024

💖 Insta bringjoyalways

John 13:34-35 📖

34: ‘A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.”35: “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.’

Other Bible Verses ✝️

25: ‘so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.’ 26: ‘If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.’ 27: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.’ ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭25-27‬

12: ‘And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.’ ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬

16: ‘no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.’ ‭17: “So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.’ Philemon‬ ‭1‬:‭16-17

1: ‘Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!’ ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭133‬:‭1‬

4: ‘Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function,’ 5: “so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.’ Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭4‬-5

16: ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ ‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬

4: ‘I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father has commanded us.’ 5: ‘And now I urge you, dear lady—not as a new commandment to you, but one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.’ 6: ‘And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the very commandment you have heard from the beginning, that you must walk in love.’ ‭‭2 John‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬

36: ‘“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?”’ 37: ‘Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”’ 39: ‘And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”’ Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭36‬-37

LORD✝️ YHWH✝️ אֲדֹנָי✝️ אלוהים✝️ Is Always With You 💗

[createdbyprayers]

Fratres in Fide. Please read this post so that those who need the truth know that the Lord never leaves a person, that He always hears and will reward everyone according to their deeds.

Today I was impressed by one interest in justice, or rather, in those people who sacredly preserve this justice and give it to the world.

Everyone can call justice in their own way.

But justice from God, life according to the commandments, from His love to give love to other people - true unshakable justice.

A person who tries his best to help others, but is condemned without reason, forced to give up his activities (probably out of envy for his pure heart), a person who does not stop loving his neighbors, who are trying to deprive him of communication when he makes every effort to save these people

-is worthy of respect and all kinds of praise;

A person who is punished not according to justice, but according to his petty heart, and he does not give in - is worthy of respect and all kinds of praise;

A person who is openly humiliated, doing everything to be laughed at, but he tries to get rid of the slander in order to prove that virtue still exists - is worthy of respect and all kinds of praise;

A person who, despite all sorts of experiences, remains faithful to God and people, despite all obstacles, when others hate him for that very justice, that very truth, about which everyone is silent, but he is not - is worthy of respect and all kinds of praise.

If now those who condemn are happy about their "victories", it does not mean that injustice will reign forever.

And even if the forgiver is not forgiven by such people, he is always forgiven by God, because He did not abandon him when everyone abandoned man.

lLes, slander and hatred will always exist, but the Word of the Lord will endure forever, for there is nothing that the Lord would not judge, and nothing that He would not reward for the labors of His selfless love for people and for God.

Many want to be judges, but we must all remember that there is only one Judge for everyone, and no matter how people unjustly condemn the unfortunate, they themselves will be condemned for their crimes.

"For no word from God will ever fail" Luke 1, 37

"They persecuted me and they will persecute you"(John 15:20). But the Lord immediately consoles:"They have kept my word, and they will keep yours"(John 15:20).

Amen

[hallowedbetheirname]

I'm starting to read the Bible every day according to the lectionary calendar of the Episcopalian church and pray and communicate with Thea/God about it. Matthew 10:24-33, which goes like this:

24 ‘A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; 25 it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household! 26 ‘So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. 27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. 28 Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. 30 And even the hairs of your head are all counted. 31 So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 ‘Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; 33 but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.

I asked Thea what She thought of this passage and this is the reading I got:

7 of Swords Reversed: consequences, exposure, regret, truth coming to light, changing your approach, running away from responsibility

Queen of Swords: direct, independent, meticulous, honest, fair, big picture view, logical, sharp-wit, rigorous

The Lovers: choices, relationships to other people, harmony, alignment, shared values.

(Magdeleno, 2022)

Interesting combination, I thought. This is the interpretation I believe She gave me and wanted me to share.

Thus saith the Lord:

Christians have weaponized this scripture against any one they deem "not Christian" and anyone who is actually non-Christian. What's worse, they try to avoid accountability for it at all costs, even to the point of calling My convictions or even Myself "demonic." It is a disgrace!

My Son's words are not a weapon for you to use against the people you oppress. It's time for you all to reevaluate your theologies and your beliefs. Do they hold up to the greatest two commandments: "Love God and Love Your Neighbor"? Be honest. I will not take your lack of self-awareness for an answer.

You all have a choice to make: to continue your destructive path or to interpret the Bible with love, compassion and respect. Choose the latter, and ye will be spared. Choose the former, and you and your foundations will be burnt to ashes. It is up to you.

Meanings Citation:

Magdeleno, Sam. The Big Book of Tarot Meanings. Fair Winds Press. 2022.

[falsealibi]

[  cindy  kimberly.  cisgender  woman.  she/her.  subplot  03. ]  welcome  back  to  montclair  university,  NOVEMBER  SARI  NAVARRO !  according  to  your  student  file  you’re  a  TWENTY-FOUR  year  old  GRADUATE STUDENT,  studying  FASHION DESIGN,  and  funny  enough  you  were  voted  most  likely  to  take  over  the  world  your  senior  year  of  high  school  back  home  in  SAN FRANCISCO,  CALIFORNIA.  i  can  totally  see  it  with  your  unyielding,  secretive  and  abrasive  personality !  but  enough  about  that  —  i  heard  you  were  lizzie  harrington’s  NEXT  DOOR  NEIGHBOR.  makes  sense  when  you  take  into  consideration  your  status  as  a  scholarship  student…  and  the  fact  that  [  redacted  ].  you’re  often  seen  at  the  hollow  bar,  and  you  kind  of  embody  the  sound  of  rain  against  a  windowpane,  energy  drinks  cluttering  up  a  desk,  walking  with  purpose  and  poise,  heavy  bass  playing  through  headphones  as  you  work  out,  the  precise  click  of  a  pen  while  taking  notes…  not  to  mention  people  always  seem  to  hum  difficult  by  gracie  abrams  when  you’re  around,  but  you’ll  always  be  known  on  campus  as  THE  HELLCAT  who  enjoys  mixed martial arts  and  has  10k  instagram  followers…  good  luck  this  semester !

BASICS !

full  name.  november  sari  navarro.

nicknames.  nova, novie, ember.

gender.  cisgender  woman.

pronouns.  she/her.

age.  twenty-four.

birthday.  november  1st.

sexual  orientation.  pansexual  panromantic.

major  +  minor.  fashion design  +  mechanical  engineering.

school  year.  graduate.

PSYCHE !

positive  traits.  ambitious,  strategic,  disciplined,  hardworking,  witty.

negative  traits.  judgemental,  ruthless,  vindictive,  controlling,  guarded.

zodiac  sign.  scorpio.

mbti.  entj-a.

APPEARANCE !

face claim. cindy kimberly.

height. 5 ft. 5 in.

eye color. brown.

hair color. brown.

clothing style. elegant, stockholm.

CONNECTIONS !

mother.  kirana  siahaan.

father.  felipe  navarro.

sibling(s).  two  older  brothers.

pet(s).  none.

relationship  to  lizzie  harrington.  next  door  neighbor.

BIOGRAPHY !

november  sari  navarro  was  born  and  raised  in  san  francisco,  california  as  the  youngest  of  three  children  (and  only  daughter)  in  a  family  that  valued  perseverance,  intellect,  and  self-sufficiency  above  all  else.  her  mother  was  an  indonesian  immigrant  and  professor,  while  her  father  worked  as  a  mechanical  engineer,  spending  more  time  designing  than  parenting.  still,  they  didn't  have  too  much  supporting  them,  and  sari  quickly  learned  that  ambition  was  what  it  would  take  to  build  her  own  life.

from  an  early  age,  november  was  one  thing  above  all  else:  ambitious.  she  was  an  overachiever  in  every  field.  she'd  spend  hours  working  on  schoolwork,  and  hours  after  learning  how  to  fix  cars  in  her  oldest  brother's  garage.  she  threw  herself  into  anything  and  everything:  martial  arts  and  self  defense  courses,  artwork,  mechanics.  in  high  school,  that  same  ruthless  ambition  earned  her  the  title  of  “most  likely  to  take  over  the  world”,  and  the  truth  was—she  believed  it.  she  had  no  intention  of  letting  anyone  outwork  her.

despite  that  all,  november's  first  love  ended  up  being  clothes.  she  spent  hours  sketching  designs  in  the  margins  of  her  notebooks,  turning  old  thrifted  clothes  into  something  new,  wearing  anything  and  everything  that  made  her  feel  powerful.  she  eventually  realized  she  liked  the  attention  it  commanded.  clothes  were  her  armor.

but  being  an  artist  wasn't  enough.  she  knew  that.  ambition  alone  wouldn't  pay  the  bills,  and  she  had  learned  young  that  no  one  was  going  to  hand  her  success.  so  she  made  a  plan:  a  dual  focus  on  the  two  things  she  loved  most.  artistry  and  practicality,  hand  in  hand.  she  eventually  earned  a  degree  in  fashion  design  with  a  minor  in  mechanical  engineering.

she's  now  attending  montclair  as  a  graduate  student,  still  relying  on  the  scholarship  she  has  in  hand.  truthfully,  money  is  still  hard  to  come  by,  and  she's  had  to  turn  to  some  creative  (and  risky)  ways  to  make  a  bit  of  spare  cash.  but  she  keeps  moving  forward.

she  lives  next  to  lizzie,  and  truthfully,  she  envied  her—it  was  a  bit  irritating  for  november  to  see  people  who  coasted  by  so  easily.  nonetheless,  the  thought  of  someone  who  was  so  close  to  her  orbit  being  gone  is  .  .  .  alarming  to  her.  she's  not  even  certain  she  wants  to  be  involved. 

WANTED CONNECTIONS !

academic  rival:  someone  who's  just  as  ambitious,  just  as  relentless,  and  just  as  unwilling  to  lose.  the  two  of  them  have  been  butting  heads  for  a  while  now—competing  over  grades,  internships,  or  who  can  pull  off  the  most  impressive  project.  maybe  there's  a  level  of  mutual  respect  there,  or  maybe  it's  pure  animosity,  but  either  way,  it  might  even  be  their  twisted  idea  of  fun.

blackmailer:  someone  who  knows  november's  secret!  they  have  something  to  hold  over  her  head,  and  they're  not  afraid  to  use  it  to  earn  some  extra  money  (whether  that's  a  product  of  their  need  or  simply  for  their  own  amusement  and  feeling  of  control).

best  friend:  the  one  person  november  actually  lets  in.  someone  who's  managed  to  stick  around  despite  her  guarded  nature,  who  sees  past  her  walls  and  refuses  to  let  her  push  them  away.  they  know  the  real  her  better  than  most,  and  she  probably  lets  herself  soften  a  bit  whenever  they're  around.

someone  indebted:  she  doesn't  do  favors  for  free,  so  sometimes,  debts  come  in  forms  other  than  cash.  maybe  this  person  came  to  her  with  a  wrecked  car,  an  engine  problem  they  couldn’t  fix,  or  something  even  shadier  that  required  her  help.  she  helped  them  out—no  questions  asked—but  now?  they  owe  her.  and  she  always  collects.

the  one  she's  trying  to  protect:  she  certainly  isn't  the  type  to  be  self-sacrificing,  but  for  some  reason,  she  feels  a  strong  protectiveness  over  this  person.  maybe  they're  younger  or  more  naive,  or  maybe  she  just  sees  too  much  of  herself  in  them.  she  might  even  consider  them  to  be  a  sibling  figure  of  sorts,  whether  they  know  it  or  not.

other  ideas  include  .  .  .  a  rival  designer,  someone  to  teach  self  defense  to,  flings,  crushes  (one-sided  or  otherwise),  a  rich  kid  who  never  had  to  struggle (who  gets  on  her  nerves  so  much)!

[evita-shelby]

They didn't know we were seeds

Chapter 17

Cw: grief, mentions of substance abuse, anxiety, suicidial thoughts

@justrainandcoffee @emotionalcadaver @call-sign-shark @peakyswritings

Jack is a man on a mission.

He has packed all ne should need, he has a good guide and a peacekeeper’s uniform and a badge that should get him all the way to 12.

His beard is gone as part of Peacekeeper regulations, he has adopted a more Capitol-like accent to sell the lie he is a nobody from there and he has enough time to make it back home without anyone suspecting where he went.

His mother will assume he is with Eva, Eva will assume he is at his cabin, and he’ll be back home before they know it. He just needs to meet with their contacts and know how far he can get before 13 picks them up and takes them. It’s over a thousand miles and it would take a month or so to get there on foot if they managed to get there at all.

But the fake passes and the uniforms he’s stolen could allow more people to leave. Adults and some teenagers could do it. Tall girls and boys could make it to safety, but small children and women too far along wouldn’t.

Unless he could smuggle them in containers.

The train ride to 12 is expected to take about two days at the most, 6 to 10 hours if it’s on the newer trains used for government officials and those hosting the Reapings.

It would be a tight fit and risk far too much, but maybe a sedative in Laurie’s juice could have him asleep in a crate until they leave 12 and walk the rest of the way. They could do it, they have to before it takes more people he loves.

“Give the baby a kiss for me.” His mother fastens the straps on his backpack he’s taken to hide some last-minute things.

“I will, mom. Tell Katie that Eva doesn’t have a phone in her farmhouse, so she won’t answer any of her calls while we are there.” He hates lying to her, but he has to do this.

It was the only way.

Jack Nelson leaves his cabin as Sejanus, some rank-and-file peacekeeper assigned to 12.

“Where to, Sergeant?” the Officer checking the papers asks,

“12, under Head Peacekeeper Cray’s command, sir.”

Eva knows something is wrong when Jack doesn’t come.

“Daddy?” Laurie asks, pointing at the clearing that Jack always comes from because it makes it look like he is coming from a path that leads to a neighboring farm some miles out and not 2. Even their toddler knows something is wrong.

“He’s not coming, baby.”

He never misses the first week after the Games end. He always comes home and stays the week with her because there’s no work to be done on her farm and no one will notice he is gone beyond his mother and sister.

But it’s two days into the week and he has yet to show up.

Eva has no telephone here and spends the rest of the week in a state of anxiety waiting for Jack to come and tell her she was worrying for nothing. It takes her everything to pretend everything is fine for her baby son and she prays that he is not dead.

Jack had been in a terrible state when they left, reeking of booze and high on pills to numb himself. He hadn’t even remembered the train ride to 2 according to Katie who had called her to let her know she and their mother were taking care of him.

Their last call had worried her.

“I don’t know if I’ll get better.” He had unburdened himself completely to avoid taking up old habits and something told her that it had failed.

“You will, just as I did, and everyone here has.” She had reassured him as she kept him from hurting himself even more. “You can’t leave me, Jack. I forbid you.”

If he dies, she dies.

The Victor knows in her heart that she could never survive a world without him.

On the fourth day, someone comes and its not Jack. It is his mother who knows Jack as well as Eva does.

“I had hoped he was here.” She takes the whiskey Jack smuggled out of his district and pours it into her tea. Tea was not enough to calm Atia and Eva would do the same if she could. “I knew he was lying to me the second he began packing, but I thought he was just being cautious.”

“Did you ask Lyme?” Eva paces to keep herself from losing her mind in worry.

“She’s in 11 with her girlfriend, her father hasn’t seen Jack. No one has seen him, and I wanted him to be here and tell me I was being ridiculous, and he is fine.” The red-haired woman bites her nail trying to keep it together, but her mother’s heart cannot be hidden. “Oh, my poor rabbit!”

Eva knows what they do to those who run.

She’s seen how they kill and torture them, how difficult it is to leave one district.

And it is then the young mother and wife knows where he went.

Her husband had told her how he gets deserters to 13. A uniform and a fake badge and train to 12 where one of Shelby’s Contacts, a man by the name of Johnny Dogs leads them out to the ruins of 13.

“I know where he is. 13. He has been helping deserters escape Panem.”

He is able to leave the District with far too much ease.

Something is going to go wrong. He feels it in his gut as he changes into plain Coalminer’s getup in some derelict hut in the Seam.

“I can go with you, you won’t even know I am there, Johnny.” The young man, a grey eyed rebel by the name of Gale, begs with the ringleader who shook his head.

“And what will I tell your mom when you are killed or worse, boy?” the short and strange man ---a Covey man going by the way he acts--- was adamant that he turns back when they get to the lake.

“Can you use a bow?” the young man asks the career.

If they knew who he was, they made no mention of it, but for plausible deniability, Jack doesn’t say who he truly is. They wouldn’t help him if they knew.

“Since I turned ten, why do you ask?” Jack no longer feels any pride in how he was raised and yet it is that training that kept him alive and makes him invaluable to the rebellion.

“Just asking, you won your games with a sword.” The sixteen-year-old boy shows how bright he is by revealing to all who is the man wanting to know the way to 13.

“If I’d known the hell I’d live after, I would’ve let Juno kill me.” The victor says to Gale’s honest surprise.

“Tell me how you won, my name’s gonna be in the bowl forty times next year. I have to know in case I---” even the sullen and strong kid as tall as him cannot even bring himself to say it.

“It won’t come to that, not if you do as I say.”

Gale Hawthrone doesn’t turn back as he promised, and Jack makes sure the boy stays on the right path the entire time. When he does finally stop following, Jack and his group are greeted by a man named Boggs.

“Do you think we could get a kid here safely?” Jack asks Johnny and Boggs as they do the trade off and give Jack new orders.

He isn’t Iacobus Nelson here, he is Private Jack Nelson, another new soldier for District 13.

By the time he gets home, to Eva and his mother waiting anxiously on the porch, he and Gale have devised a way to get their families away from Panem should they need to leave without Johnny.

The last of his days with Eva and Laurie are spent planning an escape for all of them. Jack Nelson won’t let his family die while Plutarch wastes their time waiting for something that doesn’t exist.

[theprayerfulword]

February 05

Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

2 John 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands

Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven…

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you.

John 14:23 If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.

May you see the love and concern of God for you in His law, for as we, together, form the Bride for Jesus, we are under His protection. When powers not of earth strive and spiritual authorities battle, if the enemy harms the Son's Bride, causing the fruit of the Spirit to be lost, God's promise is for vengeance. Exodus 21

May you not feel shame at the scars from the past, for God's law requires that a slave be freed when the master abused those held in captivity. Just as Satan held each of us in slavery to sin through fear of death, misusing and tormenting all in his control, your wounds and scars give grounds to allow Jesus, once the debt of sin was paid and death defeated, to grant freedom to the slave and liberty to the captive. Exodus 21

May you live a deliberate life full of grace among your family and your neighbors exemplifying the love of God that has been shown to you and demonstrating esteem for the high value God places on them. Exodus 22

May your heart fear God, and not man, giving a true and honest report when called upon, not taking sides or expressing either favoritism or prejudice, that God's justice should not be perverted at home or in the marketplace. Exodus 23

May you trust God to provide all your needs, whether through His blessing of your efforts as you toil, or by His grace when He calls you aside. He bids you to rest lest you come to believe that it is by your own hand and through your own strength that you prosper. Exodus 23

Converse with Me daily, hourly, minute by minute, My child. Set your thoughts upon Me continually, and bring them back to Me when you recognize that your thoughts have drifted or been distracted. Make Me party to all that you are interested in, seeking My thoughts and discerning My will. Do not be blind to the world and the work therein, but neither be deaf to My voice or the wisdom I would share. Know that I care for you, and for what you care for, as that is how I have formed you. Bring all things to Me, My love, your joys, your sorrows, your anticipation, your disappointments, your needs, your praise; include Me in all of your life as a constant companion, inseparable, for I am your Life-giver, the One from Whom your life flows. Tune your heart to My presence, form your thoughts to My glory, speak your words from My Spirit, giving voice to your thanks for My promise, expressing your regret and sorrow for that sin which the Spirit convicts you of, honoring Me for the mercy I have given you, turning into a prayer those things which others tell you or that burden which I have given you. Dwell in My Presence and abide in My Spirit acknowledging Me, for as you learn to hear My voice and speak to My heart, you will see My power touch the lives of those about you.

May you not look for the great signs and miracles, for these will come from false Christs and false prophets; rather, look for the Lord in the small things and the little details, for only He, omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient, can reach to where you are, speaking in ways only you understand, since He has walked with you every day of your life, and knows every word before it leaves your mouth. Matthew 24

May you know that Christ, Who came humbly and lived quietly, gently seeking the lost sheep who had been scattered, will return triumphantly and victoriously in splendor before all of mankind, and only the false Christs, all of whom are without power or authority, will seek to be secluded and deceive you. Matthew 24

May you stand firm to the end, even as the love of many others will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity, for so shall you be saved. Matthew 24

May you ascribe to the Lord glory and strength, praising Him for the majestic glory of His name, worshiping Him in the beauty of holy and sacred garments. Psalm 29

May the voice of the Lord, which is powerful and full of majesty, breaking trees and shaking mountains, striking like lightning and resounding like thunder through the desert wilderness, bring forth life in His people as they worship in His temple and ascribe glory to God through their praise. Psalm 29

May the Lord, who showed His control over creation at the Flood and is still sitting as King, as He will through eternity, give unyielding and impenetrable strength to His people and bless them with peace. Psalm 29

[walkswithmyfather]

“We love, because He first loved us.” —1 John 4:19 (NASB)

1 John 4: 7-21 (MSG). “My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.

My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love! This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgement—is one not yet fully formed in love.

We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.”

“What does 1 John 4:19 mean?” By BibleRef.com:

“Verse Commentary: This short verse offers profound words. People do not wake up one day and decide to love (Romans 3:10). God is love, created love, and loved us first. John's summary of verses 17 and 18 also serves as a reminder. We are not to take credit for the love we have and show to others. God loved us, before we were capable of loving Him, and we can only love others because of what He has done in our lives.

As verses 20 and 21 will add, this love is not merely a mutual affection between us and God. It must also include love for others. Acting out of love is not exclusive to God in this context, but consists of loving both God and other people. This is the Great Commandment which involves loving God fully and loving neighbor as yourself. This teaching is also based upon the ancient Shema, or the Saying, from Deuteronomy 6:4–5: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." The same is seen in Leviticus 19:18: "you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord."

Verse Context: First John 4:11–19 is the backbone of John's letter. The primary way Christians are to be recognized is by love. This is not merely what we feel, but what we do for others. True, godly love is the most powerful evidence of being ''born again'' as a child of God. This love comes from God, who loved us before we loved Him. When we live in obedience to God, according to love, we can be confident in our relationship with Him, and have no need to fear His judgement.” Amen! 🙌

[falseandrealultravival]

Dialogue with Gemini (18) The Faults of Christianity

My Question:

Christianity is generally said to be a religion of "love," but I think that on the other side of it, it is also a religion in which "God threatens humans." God makes unreasonable demands on humans and tries to control them. Could the obsessions instilled in humans there lead them to commit evil deeds? A good example is the massacre of Native Americans by immigrants to the New World.

キリスト教は、一般的には「愛」の宗教と言われるが、その裏の側面では、「神によって人間が脅される」宗教という一面もあると思う。神は理不尽な要求を人間に突きつけ、人間を意のままにしようとする。そこで植え付けられた強迫観念が、人間を悪行に導く側面はないか？新大陸移民によるネイティブ・アメリカン虐殺が良い例だ。

Huggingface’s Answer (Best Answer)

Indeed, it can be said that Christianity has both the aspect of a religion of "love" and the aspect of a religion of "threat."

The God of Christianity is depicted as a God of love and mercy, but also as a God of judgment and punishment. The Bible contains many passages in which God judges and punishes human sins. Examples include Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction in the Old Testament, and the Last Judgment in the New Testament.

Such an image of God can inspire feelings of guilt and fear in humans and motivate them to act according to God's will. In particular, in societies and cultures where Christianity has been the official religion, obedience to God becomes an important factor in maintaining social order, and the idea that rebelling against God is sinful can become widespread.

These aspects of Christianity may have influenced the massacre of Native Americans by immigrants to the New World. Immigrants from Europe sometimes considered their own culture and religion to be superior, and those of Native Americans to be inferior or demonic. This way of thinking may have justified their actions and weakened their resistance to persecuting and slaughtering Native Americans.

Also, in Christian teachings, there is the concept of "entrustment of dominion," which says that God commanded humans to rule over the earth. This concept has been used by some people to assert the superiority of humans over the natural environment and other cultures. This interpretation can become a logic to justify human exploitation and destruction of the natural environment and other cultures and can lead to environmental destruction and cultural genocide.

However, there are elements in Christian teachings that deny this aspect of "threat." For example, Jesus Christ preached the "commandment of love" to "love God and love your neighbor," and taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Paul also preached, "Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not brag, it is not proud."

Therefore, the impact of Christian teachings can vary greatly depending on how they are interpreted and practiced. Interpretations that emphasize love and tolerance can bring about peace and harmony, while interpretations that emphasize intimidation and control can lead to evil and violence.

Impression:

First of all, I don't believe in Christianity, so I don't need to worry about what will come at the end of AI.

[gatekeeper-watchman]

Daily Devotionals for October 1, 2024

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living

Devotional Scripture:

Proverbs 25:18 (KJV): 18 A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow. Proverbs 25:18 (AMP): 18 A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a heavy sledgehammer and a sword and a sharp arrow.

Thought for the Day

Today's proverb emphasizes how hurtful a false testimony can be. This form of lying under formal witness is forbidden in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:16). A false witness damages you and your reputation or career. One can do as much damage to your intangible possessions by lying about you as he can do to your car with a sledgehammer. He also wounds your soul with a gash as real as a stab to the body. To hear a neighbor bear false witness, you feel just as much attacked as if he had come at you with a drawn sword. If you are not present when he speaks, its affect is like an arrow fired without your knowing. Suddenly, without warning, it strikes and injures you deeply.

We all know it is a crime to give false testimony in court, but we should be aware that in a sense we give a positive or negative "witness" every time we say something about a person. Repeating damaging rumors or negative gossip is akin to bearing false witness. People are always judging each other. When we talk about someone, it is like testifying in an informal, social courtroom. The informal judgments that society makes, whether that society is the populace of a large city, small town, or a circle of friends, can be just as damaging to someone as the formal judgments of a court of law. God will not hold us guiltless for this. David's cry to God regarding his enemies is very insightful: "My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword" (Psalm 57:4).

When the Holy Spirit comes in our heart, He begins to cleanse us from unrighteousness and remove those things in us that do not look like Jesus. Years ago, when I made a total commitment and surrender to God, the first thing He dealt within my life was the sin of gossip. He revealed that my critical words were bringing destruction to my life, as well as others. Scripture makes many references to the tongue. Because the power of life and death is in the tongue, we are to guard them very carefully. Our words will make or break us; give us victory or destroy us according to Proverbs 18:20-21: "A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." When we lie or gossip, our negative words go out into the spiritual dimension to unleash destructive power. We must learn to speak what is good and pray for everyone, even our enemies, so that our words release blessing.

Prayer Devotional for the Day

Dear heavenly Father, we thank you for forgiving us of all the things that we have said that have not agreed with Your Word. Father, please cancel all of the negative words that we have spoken against anyone. Lord, we truly want to use our tongues in a godly manner by speaking those things that will bless and edify others. Teach us how to pray correctly and may our lips now speak Your Word. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen. From: Steven P. Miller, @ParkermillerQ, gatekeeperwatchman.org TM ‎Founder and Administrator of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Group Monday, September 30, 2024, X … @ParkermillerQ,  live:.cid.8b8d3e7215f7ca19   https://www.facebook.com/gatekeeperwatchnan https://www.facebook.com/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/Sparkermiller.JAX.FL.USA Instagram: steven_parker_miller_1956 #GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO.

[hiswordsarekisses]

To love someone - according to 1st Corinthians chapter 13 - is to be patient with them. To be kind. Not to be envious or boastful or rude to them. Not to insist on having our own way. Not to be irritable or resentful toward them… not to find joy in doing wrong - but to take joy in the truth.

To love someone is bear with them, hope for them, and endure with them in all things without failing.

To love is to lay my life down to the death of self for another.

Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24 that in the end days the love of a great many people will grow cold because of the spirit of law-less-ness and sin. (Matt 24:12!!!)

What it looks like when our love grows cold is the opposite of 2nd Corinthians chapter 13.

According to 2nd Timothy chapter 3 it looks like people loving themselves.

It looks like people being proud, arrogant, and abusive.

It looks like people being ungrateful, impossible to please, and having a high opinion of themselves.

It looks like heartless, rebellious, slanderous treacherous, reckless, brutal people.

It looks like loving pleasure instead of loving God.

So the root of our love growing cold Jesus says is law-less-ness and sin. And now we know the symptoms of both walks. With and without love. So we have to be aware and stay on our face before God keeping our hearts cleansed and praying that our love will not grow cold.

The tying together of all of these passages were inspired by my beautiful daughter who knows how to dig for treasure, and I’m so grateful that I get to be included in what she finds. (Thank you Jordi 💕)

***

“Some people understand Paul to say that the New Testament principle of love has replaced the Old Testament principle of law… Since love must be voluntary and cannot be compelled, so the thinking goes, love and law are mutually exclusive.

But if we realize the moral law is a transcript—a written reproduction—of the moral character of God and that "God is love" (1 John 4:8), we see that we cannot distinguish between law and love. Both express the character of God. They’re two sides of the same coin, and reading scripture, we find they are the same.

Paul said in Romans 13:10, "love does no wrong to its neighbor" - If we didn’t also have the commandments (which Paul actually quotes in verse 9) against such things as adultery, stealing, and murder, how would we even know what it means to harm one’s neighbor?”

- Jerry Bridges