#Judah's desolation

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Yahweh Calls Israel to Return to Him

1 If thou wilt return, O Israel, Saith the LORD, Yea, return unto Me; And if thou wilt put away thy detestable things out of My sight, And wilt not waver; 2 And wilt swear: ‘As the LORD liveth’ In truth, in justice, and in righteousness; Then shall the nations bless themselves by Him, And in Him shall they glory.

3 For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem: Break up for you a fallow ground, And sow not among thorns. 4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, And take away the foreskins of your heart, Ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Lest My fury go forth like fire, And burn that none can quench it, Because of the evil of your doings.

5 Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem, And say: ‘Blow ye the horn in the land’; Cry aloud and say: ‘Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities.’ 6 Set up a standard toward Zion; Put yourselves under covert, stay not; For I will bring evil from the north, And a great destruction. 7 A lion is gone up from his thicket, And a destroyer of nations Is set out, gone forth from his place; To make thy land desolate, That thy cities be laid waste, without inhabitant. 8 For this gird you with sackcloth, Lament and wail; For the fierce anger of the LORD Is not turned back from us. 9 And it shall come to pass at that day, Saith the LORD, That the heart of the king shall fail, And the heart of the princes; And the priests shall be astonished, And the prophets shall wonder.

10 Then said I: ‘Ah, Lord GOD! surely Thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying: Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.’ 11 At that time shall it be said of this people and of Jerusalem; A hot wind of the high hills in the wilderness Toward the daughter of My people, Not to fan, nor to cleanse; 12 A wind too strong for this shall come for Me; Now will I also utter judgments against them. 13 Behold, he cometh up as clouds, And his chariots are as the whirlwind; His horses are swifter than eagles.— ‘Woe unto us! for we are undone.’— 14 O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, That thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy baleful thoughts Lodge within thee? 15 For hark! one declareth from Dan, And announceth calamity from the hills of Ephraim: 16 ‘Make ye mention to the nations: Behold—publish concerning Jerusalem— Watchers come from a far country, And give out their voice against the cities of Judah.’ 17 As keepers of a field Are they against her round about; Because she hath been rebellious against Me,

Saith the LORD.

18 Thy way and thy doings have procured These things unto thee; This is thy wickedness; yea, it is bitter, Yea, it reacheth unto thy heart.

19 My bowels, my bowels! I writhe in pain! The chambers of my heart! My heart moaneth within me! I cannot hold my peace! Because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the horn, The alarm of war. 20 Destruction followeth upon destruction, For the whole land is spoiled; Suddenly are my tents spoiled, My curtains in a moment. 21 How long shall I see the standard, Shall I hear the sound of the horn?

22 For My people is foolish, They know Me not; They are sottish children, And they have no understanding; They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge.

23 I beheld the earth, And, lo, it was waste and void; And the heavens, and they had no light. 24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, And all the hills moved to and fro. 25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens were fled. 26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful field was a wilderness, And all the cities thereof were broken down At the presence of the LORD, And before His fierce anger.

27 For thus saith the LORD: The whole land shall be desolate; Yet will I not make a full end. 28 For this shall the earth mourn, And the heavens above be black; Because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, And I have not repented, neither will I turn back from it. 29 For the noise of the horsemen and bowmen The whole city fleeth; They go into the thickets, And climb up upon the rocks; Every city is forsaken, And not a man dwelleth therein. 30 And thou, that art spoiled, what doest thou, That thou clothest thyself with scarlet, That thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, That thou enlargest thine eyes with paint? In vain dost thou make thyself fair; Thy lovers despise thee, they seek thy life. 31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, The anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, The voice of the daughter of Zion, that gaspeth for breath, That spreadeth her hands: ‘Woe is me, now! for my soul fainteth Before the murderers.’ — Jeremiah 4 | JPS Tanakh 1917 (JPST) The Holy Scriptures according to the Masoretic text; Jewish Publication Society 1917. Cross References: Genesis 1:2; Numbers 10:3; Numbers 23:19; Deuteronomy 4:30; 2 Samuel 1:23; 2 Kings 9:30; 2 Kings 25:1; 2 Kings 25:4; Nehemiah 9:31; Psalm 11:6; Psalm 42:7; Psalm 107:17; Isaiah 1:7; Isaiah 1:15; Isaiah 5:25; Isaiah 22:3; Isaiah 39:3; Isaiah 52:7; Isaiah 62:10; Jeremiah 9:10; Jeremiah 12:4; Jeremiah 12:13; Jeremiah 42:14; Jeremiah 51:1; Matthew 13:7; Mark 9:43; Romans 1:22; 1 Corinthians 1:31; 1 Corinthians 14:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:11; James 4:8; Revelation 6:14

[ultrachoppedpenguinbouquet]

Lamentations 3

[twiggy-in-pink]

“I will put an end to the happy singing and laughter in the streets of Jerusalem. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard in the towns of Judah. The land will lie in complete desolation.”

Jeremiah 7:34

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

2nd August >> Mass Readings (USA)

Friday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time 

or

Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop 

or

Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Priest.

Friday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Colour: Green. Year: B(II))

First Reading Jeremiah 26:1-9 All the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah, this message came from the LORD: Thus says the LORD: Stand in the court of the house of the LORD and speak to the people of all the cities of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD; whatever I command you, tell them, and omit nothing. Perhaps they will listen and turn back, each from his evil way, so that I may repent of the evil I have planned to inflict upon them for their evil deeds. Say to them: Thus says the LORD: If you disobey me, not living according to the law I placed before you and not listening to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send you constantly though you do not obey them, I will treat this house like Shiloh, and make this the city to which all the nations of the earth shall refer when cursing another. Now the priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the LORD. When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the LORD bade him speak to all the people, the priests and prophets laid hold of him, crying, “You must be put to death! Why do you prophesy in the name of the LORD: ‘This house shall be like Shiloh,’ and ‘This city shall be desolate and deserted’?” And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 69:5, 8-10, 14

R/ Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Those outnumber the hairs of my head who hate me without cause. Too many for my strength are they who wrongfully are my enemies. Must I restore what I did not steal?

R/ Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Since for your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face. I have become an outcast to my brothers, a stranger to my mother’s sons, Because zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.

R/ Lord, in your great love, answer me.

But I pray to you, O LORD, for the time of your favor, O God! In your great kindness answer me with your constant help.

R/ Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Gospel Acclamation 1 Peter 1:25

Alleluia, alleluia. The word of the Lord remains forever; this is the word that has been proclaimed to you. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Matthew 13:54-58 Is he not the carpenter’s son? Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.” And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

--------------------------

Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop 

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II))

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Friday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading 1 John 5:1-5 The victory that conquers the world is our faith.

Beloved: Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the Father loves also the one begotten by him. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 21-22, 25 and 27

R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

The favors of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.

R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant: Forever will I confirm your posterity and establish your throne for all generations.”

R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

“I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, That my hand may be always with him, and that my arm may make him strong.”

R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

“My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him, and through my name shall his horn be exalted. He shall say of me, ‘You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior.’”

R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation Matthew 5:3

Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Matthew 5:1-12a Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

--------------------------

Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Priest 

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II))

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Friday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading Acts of the Apostles 4:32-35 The community of believers was of one heart and mind.

The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the Apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the Apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11

R/ Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear and be glad.

R/ Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol his name. I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

R/ Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him.

R/ Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. Taste and see how good the LORD is; blessed the man who takes refuge in him.

R/ Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Fear the LORD, you his holy ones, for nought is lacking to those who fear him. The great grow poor and hungry; but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing.

R/ Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation John 15:4a, 5b

Alleluia, alleluia. Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord; whoever remains in me will bear much fruit. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel John 15:1-8 Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit.

Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[ongolecharles]

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS (DSR) 📚 Group, Fri Aug 02nd, 2024 ... Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

Reading 1

----------

Jer 26:1-9

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim,

son of Josiah, king of Judah,

this message came from the LORD:

Thus says the LORD:

Stand in the court of the house of the LORD

and speak to the people of all the cities of Judah

who come to worship in the house of the LORD;

whatever I command you, tell them, and omit nothing.

Perhaps they will listen and turn back,

each from his evil way,

so that I may repent of the evil I have planned to inflict upon them

for their evil deeds.

Say to them: Thus says the LORD:

If you disobey me,

not living according to the law I placed before you

and not listening to the words of my servants the prophets,

whom I send you constantly though you do not obey them,

I will treat this house like Shiloh,

and make this the city to which all the nations of the earth

shall refer when cursing another.

Now the priests, the prophets, and all the people

heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the LORD.

When Jeremiah finished speaking

all that the LORD bade him speak to all the people,

the priests and prophets laid hold of him, crying,

"You must be put to death!

Why do you prophesy in the name of the LORD:

'This house shall be like Shiloh,' and

'This city shall be desolate and deserted'?"

And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm

----------------

PS 69:5, 8-10, 14

R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Those outnumber the hairs of my head

who hate me without cause.

Too many for my strength

are they who wrongfully are my enemies.

Must I restore what I did not steal?

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Since for your sake I bear insult,

and shame covers my face.

I have become an outcast to my brothers,

a stranger to my mother’s sons,

Because zeal for your house consumes me,

and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

But I pray to you, O LORD,

for the time of your favor, O God!

In your great kindness answer me

with your constant help.

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Alleluia

--------

1 Pt 1:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The word of the Lord remains forever;

this is the word that has been proclaimed to you.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

-----------

Mt 13:54-58

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.

They were astonished and said,

“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?

Is he not the carpenter’s son?

Is not his mother named Mary

and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?

Are not his sisters all with us?

Where did this man get all this?”

And they took offense at him.

But Jesus said to them,

“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place

and in his own house.”

And he did not work many mighty deeds there

because of their lack of faith.

***

FOCUS AND LITURGY OF THE WORD

I have a friend, who in his third year of high school, got caught stealing a package of cigarettes in his neighborhood drugstore. The owner banished him for ever from the store.

Fourteen years later, the week after his ordination as a Jesuit priest, his mother asked him to go to the same drugstore to get her something. He walked in and the older owner shouted, “I told you never again to come in here!” So he left with a big smile and went to a more welcoming place.

In today’s Gospel for this First-Friday Eucharistic liturgy, Jesus is not only returning to His home town, but is teaching to His old neighbors in their Synogogue. These faithful Jews question among themselves about his wisdom and power. They think they know Him, because they knew His parents and extended family. He had been urging the, by His words, to a more faith-based, more personally relationship with the God of their ancient faith. They resisted Him and His words, because they clung. His life-giving Word-Seeds fell on hard soil and so He moved on where there might be a more welcoming growing area.

Jesus did not need popular-acceptance. He was advancing in holy self-acceptance and so came and went. He was growing in the awareness of Who He was. He did not need any validation for His growing into. It would be attractive and easy for me to fill out this Reflection by writing about our need to grow in self-acceptance, so I won’t.

I write just a closing thought about living with memories of what we thought in the past which have frozen into the comfortable concrete. Memories can form images and we grow holding them tightly against the intrusion of the new, different and so uncomfortable.

Now here’s the punchline. What Jesus really came to do was to change the ideas of God! Imagine that! Once a relationship is concretely comfortable, it is dying and probably dead.        So, if we are unmovable and relaxed with our image of Jesus and or the unknowable God, that Jesus and His Father are moving on to more receptive soil.    

***

SAINT OF THE DAY

Saint Eusebius of Vercelli

(c. 300 – August 1, 371)

Saint Eusebius of Vercelli’s Story

Someone has said that if there had been no Arian heresy denying Christ’s divinity, it would be very difficult to write the lives of many early saints. Eusebius is another of the defenders of the Church during one of its most trying periods.

Born on the isle of Sardinia, he became a member of the Roman clergy, and is the first recorded bishop of Vercelli in Piedmont in northwest Italy. Eusebius was also the first to link the monastic life with that of the clergy, establishing a community of his diocesan clergy on the principle that the best way to sanctify his people was to have them see a clergy formed in solid virtue and living in community.

He was sent by Pope Liberius to persuade the emperor to call a council to settle Catholic-Arian troubles. When it was called at Milan, Eusebius went reluctantly, sensing that the Arian block would have its way, although the Catholics were more numerous. He refused to go along with the condemnation of Saint Athanasius; instead, he laid the Nicene Creed on the table and insisted that all sign it before taking up any other matter. The emperor put pressure on him, but Eusebius insisted on Athanasius’ innocence and reminded the emperor that secular force should not be used to influence Church decisions. At first the emperor threatened to kill him, but later sent him into exile in Palestine. There the Arians dragged him through the streets and shut him up in a little room, releasing him only after his four-day hunger strike. They resumed their harassment shortly after.

His exile continued in Asia Minor and Egypt, until the new emperor permitted him to be welcomed back to his see in Vercelli. Eusebius attended the Council of Alexandria with Athanasius and approved the leniency shown to bishops who had wavered. He also worked with Saint Hilary of Poitiers against the Arians.

Eusebius died peacefully in his own diocese at what was then considered an advanced age.

Reflection

----------

Catholics in the U.S. have sometimes felt penalized by an unwarranted interpretation of the principle of separation of Church and state, especially in the matter of Catholic schools. Be that as it may, the Church is happily free today from the tremendous pressure put on it after it became an “established” Church under Constantine. We are happily rid of such things as a pope asking an emperor to call a Church council, Pope John I being sent by the emperor to negotiate in the East, or the pressure of kings on papal elections. The Church cannot be a prophet if it’s in someone’s pocket.

***

【Build your Faith in Christ Jesus on #dailyscripturereadingsgroup 📚: +256 751 540 524 .. Whatsapp】

[katie-the-bug]

Glorious Appearing: The End of My Patience

Finally we reach the final book in the main Left Behind series, Glorious Appearing, in which the avatar of the cruel God threatening to destroy the world appears for the final reckoning. Will the forces of the Global Community be able to stand against him, or will humanity be condemned to a fate worse than death?

...That's not how the authors would put it, but I like my version better.

The Cast:

The Tribulation Force: Rayford Steele, pilot; Buck Williams, dead journalist; Tsion Ben-Judah, posthumous pastor; Mac McCullum, other pilot; Abdullah Smith, other other pilot; Leah, nurse; Chang Wong, IT guy; Naomi Tiberias, IT girl.

The Global Community: Nicolae Carpathia, Antichrist; Leon Fortunato, bumbling assistant to the Antichrist.

In Chapter 1, Mac needs a disguise to go find Buck, and the resident disguise guy decides that the best idea is to have him do blackface. Mac calls the idea "genius." What the fuck.

Buck's dead. Yay!

Rayford's alive. Damn.

The characters predicted that Jesus would come back seven years to the hour after the signing of the treaty with Israel in the second book, but he didn't. The characters are comforting themselves with the idea that God's ways are not their ways, but I personally think it would be hilarious if Jesus just didn't show up and they all had to deal with that.

Mac is in the same room as Nicolae and considers shooting him. "It fit no prophetic scenario, but how fulfilling it would be!" Once again, a characters refuses to take action because it's not in the Bible.

Apparently God intends to turn the destroyed city of New Babylon into "a desolate land of porcupines." There's nothing I can say to make this any more or less weird.

Leah reflects on God hardening people's hearts and making it impossible for them to convert to Christianity, effectively mind-controlling people into damning themselves. Her narration defends "the logic of it" - said logic being simply that God has finite patience despite being an infinite being, which frankly raises more questions than it answers.

Nicolae realizes that riding a horse into battle in the modern age is stupid, so he exchanges his horse for a car. Which he stands on top of as it drives haphazardly towards the enemy.

Jesus comes back in the middle of Chapter 11, and it's astounding how the authors have failed to make this - the climax of the series, the summit of everything they're trying to convey - feel special in any way. There's no chapter break, no change in perspectives, it just kinda happens. And the story moves on.

Jesus proceeds to kill millions by reciting Scripture about himself. I understand that this is meant to show the power of the "Word of God" but having a little Sunday-school recitation rip people open is a bit of a stretch.

Despite Jesus being right fucking there, Rayford and Mac are still interested in what Nicolae is doing. At least one thing's consistent throughout this series, and it's nobody ever having their priorities straight.

Everyone gets super-speed so they can follow Jesus long distances. I don't think that's in the Bible.

LaHaye and Jenkins' Jesus is absolutely reveling in the carnage, ripping people apart and dyeing his robe red in their blood. He follows every action with loud boasts about his greatness. Meanwhile his chorus of heavenly yes-men are singing about his love and kindness. No self-awareness to be found here.

Nicolae and Leon are driving away from the scene and bickering like a pair of harmless comic relief villains. Bit of a disappointing downgrade for the characters alleged to be the most evil men in existence.

An earthquake occurs that turns Earth into a featureless ball. This gets one paragraph of description, then it's business as usual.

Nicolae and Leon get unceremoniously and anticlimactically dumped into Hell. Can this book be done already?

Lucifer repeats his story about having evolved from primordial chaos, and Jesus tells the crowd that Lucifer was in fact created and should have been subordinate to God. We're supposed to trust Jesus because the authors like him, but there's no in-universe way to verify which of these two assholes, if either, is telling the truth.

Jesus reiterates that God is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" and I reiterate how the series itself has shown that this is bullshit. This is the God who hardens people's hearts, this is the God who rejects anyone who took the Mark of the Beast to survive, and this is the God who's perfectly happy with the majority of the human population suffering in Hell for all eternity.

Satan is ordered to "acknowledge Jesus as Lord" and refuses to. Good for him; at least someone's standing up to God.

Paradise on Earth comes for the people God cares about, but it's explicitly said that "all unbelievers would soon die" (emphasis theirs). Has Jesus not had his fill of violence yet?

It's specifically mentioned that "all Israel will be saved"...because everyone who isn't saved will be killed. Do the authors realize how sinister they sound?

Jesus sends the world's remaining unbelieving population to Hell all at once. Rayford is rightly horrified, and Jesus basically tells him not to think about it. Presumably that's the authors' directive as well to anyone who starts to realize that their God is evil.

If this book were consciously some kind of cosmic horror, it would be a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the atrocities depicted in this book are things the authors and target audience hope for and revel in, and as such, this book is horrifying in an uncomfortable real-world way.

That won't stop me from diving right into the follow-up book. Wish me luck.

[soldier-requests]

https://www.tumblr.com/soldier-requests/742779174051364864/hello-can-i-ask-for-a-playlist-for-a?source=share

hello, sorry for not specifying. nothing from a certain media, the kintype in general. but if a character can help with it, something like Barbatos from obey me!, but I don't kin him. he isn't stated as a realitywarper anyway-

and about songs.. things like Six Forty Seven by insupendo ; Solitude from Candlemass and Vermillion by Slipknot?

thank you for your hardwork :). [please tag @orderling when you're done.]

hello!! okay i gotcha now, thanks for clarifying; hopefully you like whatever i ended up finding ^_^.

and thank you! i appreciate the compliment :]].

(@orderling)

under a cut because this one's pretty long XD.

songs go like "song" + "artist"

dividers from @/just-my-latest-hyperfixation and @/baexywth

"Falling" + "Instupendo"

"128" + "machingum"

"This Could Build Us a Home" + "The Garden"

"Where Is My Mind" + "Safari Riot" and "Grayson Sanders"

"Vanished" + "Crystal Castles"

"Suffer With Me" + "líue"

"LOVELY BASTARDS" + "ZWE1HVNDXR" and "yatashigang"

"Catalysts for Her Awakening" + "Avith Ortega"

"Insidious" + "joseph bishara"

"The Sound Of Your Fear" + "Midi Blossom"

"Key" + "C418"

"It's Playtime" + "MOB Games"

"Browser History" + "Graham Kartna"

"A Burning Memory" + "Reece Moseley"

"warm nights" + "Xori"

"Lavender Town" + "8-Bit Arcade"

"Lavender Town" + "Bitmaster"

"you not the same" + "TileKid"

"Judah's Lullaby" + "REPULSIVE"

"Kyomi's Lullaby" + "REPULSIVE"

"バラック集落" (In English: "Barrack Settlements" or "Barracks") + "Kikiyama"

"PP1" + "Frakkur"

"Deep Swim" + "Windows 96"

"Sony" + "VHS LOGOS"

"Implanted Memories" + "Infinity Frequencies"

"The descent" + "Infinity Frequencies"

"Agony" (Instrumental) + "Scammacist"

"Echoes of Tranquility" + "Nocturne"

"Stars Will Fall" + "Duster"

"Choking on Flowers" + "Fox Academy"

"Dust Collector" + "YG Hypnos"

"Memoir #02 [06.12.09]" + "Maria Pseftoga" and "May Roosevelt"

"The Lobotomy" + "Maebi"

"Year Zero" + "Ghost"

"Con Clavi Con Dio" + "Ghost"

"Prime Mover" + "Ghost"

"Call Me Little Sunshine" + "Ghost"

"The Killer in My Skull" + "Alastor"

"I'll Cut You Down" + "Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats"

"Them!" + "Acid Mammoth"

"Strong Reflection" + "Mars Red Sky"

"Prehistoric Dog" + "Red Fang"

"The Culling" + "Chelsea Wolfe"

"Christ is Dead" + "Crypt Sermon"

"Beneath the Torchfire Glare" + "Crypt Sermon"

"Mare of the Night" + "Below"

"The Coven" + "Below"

"Seeds of the Desolate" + "Solitude Aeturnus"

"Fallen Empire" + "Dawn Of Winter"

"Ragnaradi Eve" + "Scald"

"In the Open Sea" + "Scald"

"Black Colossus" + "Funeral Circle"

"Scion of Infinity" + "Funeral Circle"

"Spiritus Mortis" + "I Am a Name on Your Funeral Wreath"

"Lost Horizons" + "Memento Mori"

"The Sword Woman" + "Smoulder"

"The Poltergeist" + "Count Raven"

"Beyond the Horizon" + "Isole"

"Among the Exalted" + "Godthrymm"

"Wolf God" + "Grand Magus"

"Here Be Monsters" + "Apocalypse Orchestra"

"Bring Me To Life" + "Evanescence"

"Break Stuff" + "Limp Bizkit"

"Bodies" + "Drowning Pool"

"Down with the Sickness" + "Disturbed"

"Yuve Yuve Yu" + "The HU"

"Up to the Flames" + "Ludovico Technique"

"Framed In Blood" (Remastered 2006) + "The 69 Eyes"

"Heavy Lies The Crown" + "In Fear And Faith"

"Last Man Stranded" + "In Fear And Faith"

"A Fire On A Hill" + "Hands Like Houses"

"Let Me In" + "Dead Silence Hides My Cries"

"Murder Mitten" + "I See Stars"

"Melancholia" + "Dark Sarah"

"Every Little Thing" + "Dishwalla"

"The Air-Conditioned Nightmare" + "Mr. Bungle"

"The Diary Of Jane" + "Breaking Benjamin"

"Truth" + "Seether"

"Woohoo" + "Fleshwater"

"Waking the Demon" + "Bullet For My Valentine"

"Orchid" (Remastered 2014) + "Black Sabbath"

"Neon Knights" (Remastered 2008) + "Black Sabbath"

"Holy Diver" + "Dio"

"Rainbow in the Dark" + "Dio"

"Anesthesia" + "Type O Negative"

"Nettie" + "Type O Negative"

"Love You to Death" + "Type O Negative"

"Haunted" (Per Version) + "Type O Negative"

"Rev 22-20" + "Puscifer"

"Dragonaut" + "Sleep"

[standskeleton]

The Welcome Section

Welcome! We're still building this project, but we invite you to explore and engage. Think of it as Habakkuk, standing upon his watchtower, from his posts awaiting answers to the Lord's controversy with His people -Habakkuk chapter 2 verses 1&2.

Holy Covenant Forsaker Ministry at Work - HCFMW, accepts donations via PayPal, Zelle and mail in checks. If you would like to donate to Holy Covenant Forsakers, please click the above give button. Your no cost subscription to immediately belong also to the group is welcome and anticipated. The button above will take you to our giving page where you may donate to the group. We will be announcing "at the right time" the travel plan to minister and work for more research in Israel / Palestine where you may wish to be a part with us. We appreciate your generosity and hope you will continue to come back to Holy Covenant  Forsakers or visit us in the near future.

Note to commenters:

In this Welcome Section you can leave a comment in my notes below, here until we move to a wider format, and there you have column or pages yourself to express and expand yourself. There are buttons or links here to subscribe so that interim I have your email for my announcements and notifications.

Holy Covenant Forsakers is a program for discussing the Lord's disputes with the land of Israel -Hosea 4, Zechariah 2:13. Must we grapple with rampant "swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and adultery," echoing the end-day prophecies where truth, mercy, and knowledge of God but dwindle?

In Hosea chapter 4, we read that "the Lord has a controversy with the land of Israel" signifying that God has a legal dispute or contention with the people of Israel due to their disobedience and unfaithfulness. This "controversy" reflects God's judgment against Israel for their sins, which include idolatry, dishonesty, violence, and moral corruption. God is expressing his displeasure with their actions and warning them of the consequences of their behavior.

Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord, for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.

Psalm 103

The Latter Days have interested all, particularly Daniel's prophecy of the "70 Weeks of the holy covenant and commandment." This period, marked by desolations and indignation, culminate in Jerusalem's desolation and eventual restoration -Daniel 9:24.

So particularly interested in the latter days we currently have an ebook that provides perspective on Israel's war. Little Book Open by Randall Frushour was released 10 days before the Hamas attack in early October. Our focus is on Daniel's prophecy of the "70 Weeks of Covenant Commandment," covering commandment, determination, desolations, and indignation, ultimately leading to Jerusalem's desolation and eventual restoration -Daniel 9:24. Our aim is to understand these trials and witness the unfolding hour of judgment.

Our subgroup centralizes scriptures in Isaiah Chapter 28, sheds light on the Lord's redemptive actions upon Israel and Judah, as well as the land, particularly emphasizing His "strange act and strange work" (v. 21). This directive, spanning from Daniel 9:22 to the onset of the Armageddon World War today we now under are watching unfold, as indicated in Zephaniah 3: 8 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey

For my determination is to gather the nations that I may assemble the kingdoms to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger, for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

. Daniel chapter 7 & Daniel 9:26, provides the foundation for our discussions. We welcome diverse perspectives and encourage questions and comments about the legitimacy of interpreting scriptural commandments or evaluating the community as a whole.

There may be those who wish to participate or belong but do oppose Israel's restoration and any rise from the dust and desolation, favoring dominant reoccupation. Others might advocate for a compromise like a two-state solution, dividing Palestine and Israel with an international entity overseeing Jerusalem.

Finally, we come to your welcomed concerns or thoughtful comments, whether they revolve around worries or that have none, specifically regarding Jerusalem. Also aspiring bloggers, send us your work along with relevant themes! We're considering a blog moderator for comment safety, with potential restrictions for Non-Agent Portal users. However, for now, the floor is open!

[pugzman3]

Psalms chapter 69

1 (To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Psalm of David.) Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.

2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

3 I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.

4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.

5 O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.

6 Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.

7 Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.

8 I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.

9 For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

10 When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.

11 I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.

12 They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.

13 But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

14 Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.

15 Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.

16 Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

17 And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.

18 Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.

19 Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.

20 Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.

21 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

22 Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.

23 Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.

24 Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.

25 Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.

26 For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.

27 Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.

28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

29 But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.

30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

31 This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.

32 The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.

33 For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.

34 Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.

35 For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.

36 The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

[orthodoxadventure]

Psalm 69 (NKJV)

Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, Where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, Where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying; My throat is dry; My eyes fail while I wait for my God.

Those who hate me without a cause Are more than the hairs of my head; They are mighty who would destroy me, Being my enemies wrongfully; Though I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it.

O God, You know my foolishness; And my sins are not hidden from You. Let not those who wait for You, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed because of me; Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel. Because for Your sake I have borne reproach; Shame has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my brothers, And an alien to my mother’s children; Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me. When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, That became my reproach. I also made sackcloth my garment; I became a byword to them. Those who sit in the gate speak against me, And I am the song of the drunkards.

But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, in the acceptable time; O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, Hear me in the truth of Your salvation. Deliver me out of the mire, And let me not sink; Let me be delivered from those who hate me, And out of the deep waters. Let not the floodwater overflow me, Nor let the deep swallow me up; And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.

Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. And do not hide Your face from Your servant, For I am in trouble; Hear me speedily. Draw near to my soul, and redeem it; Deliver me because of my enemies.

You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor; My adversaries are all before You. Reproach has broken my heart, And I am full of heaviness; I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; And for comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Let their table become a snare before them, And their well-being a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see; And make their loins shake continually. Pour out Your indignation upon them, And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their dwelling place be desolate; Let no one live in their tents. For they persecute the ones You have struck, And talk of the grief of those You have wounded. Add iniquity to their iniquity, And let them not come into Your righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, And not be written with the righteous.

But I am poor and sorrowful; Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high. I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull, Which has horns and hooves. The humble shall see this and be glad; And you who seek God, your hearts shall live. For the Lord hears the poor, And does not despise His prisoners.

Let heaven and earth praise Him, The seas and everything that moves in them. For God will save Zion And build the cities of Judah, That they may dwell there and possess it. Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it, And those who love His name shall dwell in it.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

A Prophecy Against Zedekiah

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion, and all the peoples, fought against Jerusalem and against all the cities thereof, saying, 2 Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. 3 And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt certainly be taken, and given into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and his mouth shall speak with thy mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon. 4 Only, hear the word of Jehovah, O Zedekiah king of Judah. Thus saith Jehovah as to thee: Thou shalt not die by the sword; 5 thou shalt die in peace, and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings that were before thee, so shall they burn for thee; and they will lament for thee, Ah, lord! for I have spoken the word, saith Jehovah.

6 And the prophet Jeremiah spoke all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem. 7 And the king of Babylon's army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah; for these were amongst the cities of Judah, the fenced cities that were left.

8 The word that came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, after that king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people that were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them: 9 that every man should let his bondman, and every man his bondmaid, the Hebrew and the Hebrewess, go free, that none should exact service of them, that is, of a Jew his brother. 10 And all the princes and all the people that had entered into the covenant obeyed, every man letting his bondman and every man his bondmaid go free, that none should exact service of them any more: they obeyed, and let them go. 11 But afterwards they turned, and caused the bondmen and the bondmaids whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for bondmen and for bondmaids.

12 And the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, 13 Thus saith Jehovah the God of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying, 14 At the end of seven years ye shall let go every man his brother, a Hebrew, who hath sold himself unto thee; when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee. But your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear. 15 And you, ye had this day turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name: 16 but ye have turned and profaned my name, and caused every man his bondman, and every man his bondmaid, whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and ye have brought them into subjection, to be unto you for bondmen and for bondmaids.

17 Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith Jehovah, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will give you over to be driven hither and thither among all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, the calf which they cut in twain, and passed between the parts thereof, 19 the princes of Judah and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, that passed between the parts of the calf; 20 them will I give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of them that seek their life; and their carcases shall be food for the fowl of the heavens and for the beasts of the earth. 21 And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which are gone up from you. 22 Behold, I command, saith Jehovah, and I will cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant. — Jeremiah 34 | Literal Emphasis Translation (LET) The Literal Emphasis Bible is in the public domain. Cross References: Genesis 14:13; Genesis 15:10; Genesis 15:17; Exodus 20:2; Exodus 20:7; Exodus 21:2; Leviticus 25:10; Deuteronomy 15:12; Deuteronomy 28:26; Joshua 10:3; 1 Samuel 3:18; 2 Kings 25:1; 2 Kings 25:4,5,6 and 7; 2 Kings 25:18; 2 Chronicles 16:14; 2 Chronicles 36:11-12; Jeremiah 4:7; Jeremiah 9:11; Jeremiah 26:10; Ezekiel 22:27; Matthew 7:2; Romans 2:8

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Friday, Saturday 22, 2023

september 9_september 22

HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS ANCESTORS OF GOD, JOACHIM AND ANNA

Saint Joachim, the son of Barpathir, was of the tribe of Judah, and was a descendant of King David, to whom God had revealed that the Savior of the world would be born from his seed. Saint Anna was the daughter of Matthan the priest, who was of the tribe of Levi. Saint Anna’s family came from Bethlehem.

Once, during a great feast, the gifts which Joachim took to Jerusalem as an offering to God were not accepted by the priest Reuben, who considered that a childless man was not worthy to offer sacrifice to God. This pained the old man very much, and he, regarding himself the most sinful of people, decided not to return home, but to settle in solitude in a desolate place.

When Saint Anna learned what humiliation her husband had endured, she sorrowfully entreated God with prayer and fasting to grant her a child. In his desolate solitude the righteous Joachim also asked God for this. The prayer of the saintly couple was heard. An angel told them that a daughter would be born to them, Who would be blessed above all other women. He also told them that She would remain a virgin, would be dedicated to the Lord and live in the Temple, and would give birth to the Savior. Obeying the instructions of the heavenly messenger, Saints Joachim and Anna met at the Golden Gate in Jerusalem. Then, as God promised, a daughter was born to them and they named her Mary.

Saint Joachim died a few years later at the age of 80, after his daughter went to live in the Temple. Saint Anna died at the age of 70, two years after her husband.

Saints Joachim and Anna are often invoked by couples trying to have children.

EPHESIANS 1:7-17

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth-in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

5 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

LUKE 8:16-21

16 No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. 18 Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him. 19 Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. 20 And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You." 21 But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."

[hiswordsarekisses]

The love of God ~ the delighting, rejoicing love of God over you ~ is big, extravagant, and loud! Many Christians think God is an unfeeling, distant dictator. Perhaps some think He puts up with or barely tolerates them. And yet, we see Him there in Zephaniah 3:17 dancing out of delight ~ singing because of His love.

Isaiah 62:3–5 describes God’s delight and rejoicing over His people in the same way a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.

Psalm 23:5 gives an incredible visual of how much God loves you and wants to spend time with you….

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

In ancient times, if the host kept refilling the guest’s cup, it showed that the guest was invited to stay longer. When the host would allow the cup to empty, it was a way of saying it was time for the guest to leave.

When the psalmist says, “My cup overflows” (v. 5), he is saying that God wanted to be with him. The Lord didn’t want him to leave but wanted to spend time with him.

So it is with Jesus’ love for you. And it’s not only in this life that He wants time with you. He has made it possible for a finite, mortal person ~ once separated from Him by sin ~ to live with Him for eternity.

He loves you so much that He wants to spend forever with you… and sent His son to die in order to make that happen. He’d rather die than live without you.

“You shall also be [so beautiful and prosperous as to be thought of as] a crown of glory and honor in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem [exceedingly beautiful] in the hand of your God. You [Judah] shall no more be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land be called Desolate any more. But you shall be called Hephzibah [My delight is in her], and your land be called Beulah [married]; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married [owned and protected by the Lord]. For as a young man marries a virgin [O Jerusalem], so shall your sons marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” Isaiah‬ ‭62‬:‭3‬-‭5‬

(Verses from the amplified version)

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

10th March >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday) - Proper Readings and also The Man Born Blind.

Fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday) - Proper Readings

(Liturgical Colour: Rose or Violet: B (2))

First Reading 2 Chronicles 36:14-16,19-23 God's wrath and mercy are revealed in the exile and release of his people.

All the heads of the priesthood, and the people too, added infidelity to infidelity, copying all the shameful practices of the nations and defiling the Temple that the Lord had consecrated for himself in Jerusalem. The Lord, the God of their ancestors, tirelessly sent them messenger after messenger, since he wished to spare his people and his house. But they ridiculed the messengers of God, they despised his words, they laughed at his prophets, until at last the wrath of the Lord rose so high against his people that there was no further remedy.

Their enemies burned down the Temple of God, demolished the walls of Jerusalem, set fire to all its palaces, and destroyed everything of value in it. The survivors were deported by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon; they were to serve him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. This is how the word of the Lord was fulfilled that he spoke through Jeremiah, ‘Until this land has enjoyed its sabbath rest, until seventy years have gone by, it will keep sabbath throughout the days of its desolation.’

And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfil the word of the Lord that was spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord roused the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to issue a proclamation and to have it publicly displayed throughout his kingdom: ‘Thus speaks Cyrus king of Persia, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; he has ordered me to build him a Temple in Jerusalem, in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him! Let him go up.”’

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 136(137):1-6

R/ O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not!

By the rivers of Babylon there we sat and wept, remembering Zion; on the poplars that grew there we hung up our harps.

R/ O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not!

For it was there that they asked us, our captors, for songs, our oppressors, for joy. ‘Sing to us,’ they said, ‘one of Zion’s songs.’

R/ O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not!

O how could we sing the song of the Lord on alien soil? If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand wither!

R/ O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not!

O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not, if I prize not Jerusalem above all my joys!

R/ O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not!

Second Reading Ephesians 2:4-10 You have been saved through grace.

God loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy: when we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with Christ – it is through grace that you have been saved – and raised us up with him and gave us a place with him in heaven, in Christ Jesus. This was to show for all ages to come, through his goodness towards us in Christ Jesus, how infinitely rich he is in grace. Because it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith; not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God; not by anything that you have done, so that nobody can claim the credit. We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning he had meant us to live it.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation John 3:16

Glory and praise to you, O Christ! God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son: everyone who believes in him has eternal life. Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Gospel John 3:14-21 God sent his Son so that through him the world might be saved.

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

‘The Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved. No one who believes in him will be condemned; but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already, because he has refused to believe in the name of God’s only Son. On these grounds is sentence pronounced: that though the light has come into the world men have shown they prefer darkness to the light because their deeds were evil. And indeed, everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, for fear his actions should be exposed; but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light, so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

--------------------------

Fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday) - The Man Born Blind 

Liturgical Colour: Rose or Violet.

First Reading 1 Samuel 16:1,6-7,10-13 David is anointed by Samuel.

The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen myself a king among his sons.’ When Samuel arrived, he caught sight of Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed stands there before him,’ but the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Take no notice of his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him: God does not see as man sees: man looks at appearances but the Lord looks at the heart.’ Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen these.’ He then asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’ He answered, ‘There is still one left, the youngest; he is out looking after the sheep.’ Then Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send for him; we will not sit down to eat until he comes.’ Jesse had him sent for, a boy of fresh complexion, with fine eyes and pleasant bearing. The Lord said, ‘Come, anoint him, for this is the one.’ At this, Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him where he stood with his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord seized on David and stayed with him from that day on.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 22(23)

R/ The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose. Near restful waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit.

R/ The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path; he is true to his name. If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil would I fear. You are there with your crook and your staff; with these you give me comfort.

R/ The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing.

R/ The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life. In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

R/ The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Second Reading Ephesians 5:8-14 Anything exposed by the light will turn into light.

You were darkness once, but now you are light in the Lord; be like children of light, for the effects of the light are seen in complete goodness and right living and truth. Try to discover what the Lord wants of you, having nothing to do with the futile works of darkness but exposing them by contrast. The things which are done in secret are things that people are ashamed even to speak of; but anything exposed by the light will be illuminated and anything illuminated turns into light. That is why it is said:

Wake up from your sleep, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation John 8:12

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God! I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life. Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Either:

Gospel John 9:1-41 The blind man went off and washed himself, and came away with his sight restored.

As Jesus went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, for him to have been born blind?’ ‘Neither he nor his parents sinned,’ Jesus answered ‘he was born blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

‘As long as the day lasts I must carry out the work of the one who sent me; the night will soon be here when no one can work. As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world.’

Having said this, he spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, ‘Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (a name that means ‘sent’). So the blind man went off and washed himself, and came away with his sight restored.

His neighbours and people who earlier had seen him begging said, ‘Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some said, ‘Yes, it is the same one.’ Others said, ‘No, he only looks like him.’ The man himself said, ‘I am the man.’ So they said to him, ‘Then how do your eyes come to be open?’ ‘The man called Jesus’ he answered ‘made a paste, daubed my eyes with it and said to me, “Go and wash at Siloam”; so I went, and when I washed I could see.’ They asked, ‘Where is he?’ ‘I don’t know’ he answered.

They brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. It had been a sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened the man’s eyes, so when the Pharisees asked him how he had come to see, he said, ‘He put a paste on my eyes, and I washed, and I can see.’ Then some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man cannot be from God: he does not keep the sabbath.’ Others said, ‘How could a sinner produce signs like this?’ And there was disagreement among them. So they spoke to the blind man again, ‘What have you to say about him yourself, now that he has opened your eyes?’ ‘He is a prophet’ replied the man. However, the Jews would not believe that the man had been blind and had gained his sight, without first sending for his parents and asking them, ‘Is this man really your son who you say was born blind? If so, how is it that he is now able to see?’ His parents answered, ‘We know he is our son and we know he was born blind, but we do not know how it is that he can see now, or who opened his eyes. He is old enough: let him speak for himself.’ His parents spoke like this out of fear of the Jews, who had already agreed to expel from the synagogue anyone who should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ. This was why his parents said, ‘He is old enough; ask him.’

So the Jews again sent for the man and said to him, ‘Give glory to God! For our part, we know that this man is a sinner.’ The man answered, ‘I don’t know if he is a sinner; I only know that I was blind and now I can see.’ They said to him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ He replied, ‘I have told you once and you wouldn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it all again? Do you want to become his disciples too?’ At this they hurled abuse at him: ‘You can be his disciple,’ they said ‘we are disciples of Moses: we know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.’ The man replied, ‘Now here is an astonishing thing! He has opened my eyes, and you don’t know where he comes from! We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but God does listen to men who are devout and do his will. Ever since the world began it is unheard of for anyone to open the eyes of a man who was born blind; if this man were not from God, he couldn’t do a thing.’ ‘Are you trying to teach us,’ they replied ‘and you a sinner through and through, since you were born!’ And they drove him away.

Jesus heard they had driven him away, and when he found him he said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied ‘tell me who he is so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said, ‘You are looking at him; he is speaking to you.’ The man said, ‘Lord, I believe’, and worshipped him. Jesus said:

‘It is for judgement that I have come into this world, so that those without sight may see and those with sight turn blind.’

Hearing this, some Pharisees who were present said to him, ‘We are not blind, surely?’ Jesus replied:

‘Blind? If you were, you would not be guilty, but since you say, “We see,” your guilt remains.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel John 9:1,6-9,13-17,34-38 The blind man went off and washed himself, and came away with his sight restored.

As Jesus went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. He spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, ‘Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (a name that means ‘sent’). So the blind man went off and washed himself, and came away with his sight restored.

His neighbours and people who earlier had seen him begging said, ‘Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some said, ‘Yes, it is the same one.’ Others said, ‘No, he only looks like him.’ The man himself said, ‘I am the man.’

They brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. It had been a sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened the man’s eyes, so when the Pharisees asked him how he had come to see, he said, ‘He put a paste on my eyes, and I washed, and I can see.’ Then some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man cannot be from God: he does not keep the sabbath.’ Others said, ‘How could a sinner produce signs like this?’ And there was disagreement among them. So they spoke to the blind man again, ‘What have you to say about him yourself, now that he has opened your eyes?’ ‘He is a prophet’ replied the man.

‘Are you trying to teach us,’ they replied ‘and you a sinner through and through, since you were born!’ And they drove him away. Jesus heard they had driven him away, and when he found him he said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied ‘tell me who he is so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said, ‘You are looking at him; he is speaking to you.’ The man said, ‘Lord, I believe’, and worshipped him.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[yahwehscholar]

Seven Times are Ending Soon

“He will make a firm covenant with many for one week. In the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. On the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate; and even to the full end, and that determined, wrath will be poured out on the desolate.” -Daniel 9:27

This firm covenant is for a judgement sentence of seven times, or one week. This judgement I believe was for killing Cain.

“Yahweh said to him, “Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, so that anyone finding him would not strike him.” -Genesis 4:15

How did Cain die? Either it was during the flood, which Yahweh caused, or it was by ‘natural’ causes, which is caused by Yahweh as well. Unless Cain is still alive somewhere, which I highly doubt, Yahweh is the cause of his death.

The central theme of the scriptures is that we need Yahweh to be our King because we can’t do it without him. We need to call upon Yahweh the One True God in prayer to come back, to save us from ourselves.

The seven times, or one week, started with the seventy years of prophesied desolations for Jerusalem. This started as Daniel 1:1 records, in the third year of King Jehooakim of Judah. King Nebuchadnezzar comes and subjugates Israel and took back to Babylon whatever he wanted, even princes he made into eunuchs. This was prophesied by Isaiah.

“‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up until today, will be carried to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says Yahweh. ‘They will take away your sons who will issue from you, whom you shall father, and they will be eunuchs in the king of Babylon’s palace.’” Isaiah 39:6,7

“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God; and he carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god. He brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god. The king spoke to Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring in some of the children of Israel, even of the royal offspring and of the nobles.” -Daniel 1:1,2

That was when this week of judgement upon Yahweh himself started. How long is this week?

“From the time that the continual burnt offering is taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there will be one thousand two hundred ninety days. Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred thirty-five days. “But go you your way until the end; for you will rest, and will stand in your inheritance at the end of the days.” Daniel 12.11-13

The 1,290 days and 1,335 days are two halves of this week. We should understand these days, in the bigger fulfillment on this prophecy, also mean years. This interpretation comes from the first trip of 12 spying out the promised land, but most being too scared of the Canaanites to have faith that Yahweh would give it to them. These spies spent 40 days in the promised land, so all the Hebrews spent 40 years in the wilderness. The whole generation died out, and their children were the ones to enter.

“After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.’” Numbers 14:34

This week of seven years the Jehovah’s Witnesses day ended in 1914, but that is all the way true. This is when they say Christ came back, only invisibly enthroned as King in heaven. I don’t believe that was the second coming of Christ. When he comes back, we will not have any doubt. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but it will all be good things. All things are possible with God.

Yahweh awesome!

[christian-perspectives]

How To Live The Good Life

How does someone live the good life? In our day, the word “good” is a relative term. What constitutes a good life for one may be totally different than for someone else. In our verse for today, Jeremiah addressed people who described to him what the good life was for them. We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven just as much as we like—just as we, and our ancestors, and our kings and officials have always done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles! Jeremiah 44:17 These people refused to listen to what the Lord had to say! Instead of walking with God, they, in total defiance decided to walk away from Him. Did you notice how they responded? They said, “this is what our ancestors had always done.” Wow, what arrogance and ignorance.

Their Descendants did Commit to Serving God

After their descendants got settled in the promised land, Joshua spoke to them just before his death. They made the following commitment to Joshua and God. The people replied, “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods. For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. Joshua 24:16-17 Maybe they tore that page out of their history books. They said everything was working fine for them. They had plenty to eat and the life they chose to live was good. Until . . . But ever since we quit burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and stopped worshiping her with liquid offerings, we have been in great trouble and have been dying from war and famine. Jeremiah 44:18 Jeremiah let these men and women know that God knew exactly what their actions consisted of. Not only them but their ancestors as well. Do you think the Lord did not know that you and your ancestors, your kings and officials, and all the people were burning incense to idols in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?  Jeremiah 44:21 The prophet warned the people that God had put up with enough. Therefore He enforced the consequences of their detestable worship practices. It was because the Lord could no longer bear all the disgusting things you were doing that he made your land an object of cursing—a desolate ruin without inhabitants—as it is today. Jeremiah 44:22

God will Help You Live the Good Life

The attitude Jeremiah had to put up with sounds similar to what many exhibit today. We can say it in different ways but it still means the same, “we will do whatever we want.” People for centuries have done everything they could do to live the “good life.” And there’s nothing wrong with that as long as Jesus is in the equation. We must remember that life, whether good or not, goes beyond our time here on this earth. If a person keeps living for the moment, they will miss eternal life with the Lord. The 7 churches written about in Revelation each received a letter from Jesus. The message He gave to the Church of Laodicea mentioned three types of people. “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! Revelation 3:15-16 The Cold

Those referred to as cold mean they want nothing to do with God at all. In Jeremiah’s day, the people were honest enough to say they were not interested in serving God. I know people who would give the shirts off their backs. Along with their generosity, they are good people who each live the “good life.” But they want nothing to do with the Lord, the church, the Bible, or anything they consider “religious.”  Their good lives will only last a season because Jesus said . . . “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.  John 14:6

The Hot He also referred to the hot. People who love the Lord and whose lives revolve around living for and serving Him. This has nothing at all to do with being religious. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.  Romans 2:7  The Lukewarm

These are people I feel sorry for. Many of them attend church and feel that’s all they need to do to please the Lord. Their “religion” is based on their deeds. Yet they lack faith. Others put God into a box by justifying their sinful actions. They’ll say things like: “That’s the way I interpret the Bible.” Or “God understands my situation.” Many of these folks feel they are going to heaven and I’m not saying they will or they won’t. I am saying, that is very risky. I personally wouldn’t want to take that chance. What did we read in Revelation?  Since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out! It doesn’t say spit you into heaven. It says, spit you OUT! Lord, help us to live a good life. One that leads us into your eternal presence. Check out these posts related on how God wants you to Live The Good Life. - Enjoy Life To The Fullest - Living The New Life - Enjoying The Benefits Of Living A Godly Life - God's Plans For Your Life Are Good And Encouraging Read the full article