#One God One Truth One Vision One Grace Forever

[eaglestrong-falcon]

[scribeforchrist-blog]

The Great Turning Away 

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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+ Ephesians 4:2 With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

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VERSE OF THE DAY 

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+ Daniel 3:31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you.

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SUBJECT: The Great Turning Away 

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

I AM LISTENING 

I AM NOT GOING TO TURN AWAY 

I AM GIVING YOU MY HEART JESUS 

I AM STANDING WITH JESUS 

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THOUGHTS:

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   It’s a great turning away, and it's happening in this world because people aren’t serving God the way they used to, nor do they fear him. However, some of us still stand because we know where our health is coming from and where our provinces are coming from. Still, people are turning away because they can’t make God do what they want, and we must understand that we can't make God do anything we want; we can't make him give us anything because he sees the content of our hearts.

   Is your heart pure? Do you ask God to help keep you pure? Do you watch what you listen to? Do you mind what you watch on TV? Some things we might feel are okay, and they aren’t because we have this sense of I am grown; I  can watch what I want, but when we watch things that aren’t of God, we will feel or see this change that will happen in our life and one of the things is turning a deaf ear to God’s voice, that’s how the great turning away starts, that’s how it happens when we start to turn away because we feel what he wants us to do isn’t the move for our lives. Hence, we try to find things that resemble what he wants, and God isn’t a God that likes the second place. The Bible says he’s a jealous God. 

   The great turning away happened with King Nebuchadnezzar

 •Daniel 3:9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! 10 Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music must fall and worship the image of gold, 

 •Daniel 2:45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold to pieces. “The great God showed the king what would take place. The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

     He said that the people must worship an image of god, which was the start of something. And Nebuchadnezzar was warned a few times about this

      Verse 27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”

      When God warns us, we must understand he's showing us mercy and grace. It was recently when something like this happened; God warned a person, and this person ignored God. They felt like they could avoid the hand of God, but when we ignore God, sometimes, something worse happens because we ignore God.

    Friends, when God is warning us of something and he has shown us something, don’t just continue on that path. Ask God to forgive you and turn around; some of us will continue to be disobedient because we feel this is our life, we don’t have to listen, or we have so much mercy and grace that the hand of God won’t move against us. Still, God is telling us today that the great falling away is only the beginning. This devotional isn’t to scare anyone, but it’s a WAKE-UP CALL. DON’T IGNORE THE CALL OF GOD! 

    Still, we can't follow in the world’s footsteps. Sometimes, God isn’t going to give us our way, but that doesn’t mean place your hope in other things; that doesn’t fix it, my friend. It isn’t, but when we don't have what we want sometimes it’s because we aren’t connected the way we should with God. God isn’t a toy; our walk with him isn’t either.

     WE HAVE TO STOP !!! Allowing the things here on earth to take over and to be our god; God loves us so much that he is warning us now to put down our phones, step away from anything that is not like him, and praise him with everything that’s in us and give him our heart today.

   Verse 31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you.

   Nebuchadnezzar thought he was invincible; he thought this couldn’t happen to me; it’s no way God's hand can be upon my life in such a way that Daniel said and that’s how we are today we don’t see that his hand has moved against us because of our disobedience because we are allowing things and people to conduct our lives but people of God, God is full of mercy and grace but if you look at your life and everything is playing against you; you need to ask God, change my heart because I have done wrong, and sometimes it’s not what we did wrong; sometimes things go the wrong way because it’s not our seasons; that’s why we must SEEK HIM WITH OUR WHOLE HEART! 

   ***Today, we learned about Nebuchadnezzar and how, even today, the great falling away is happening now; the Bible speaks about it, but we must not be part of something we know isn’t real. Jesus IS REAL, he is true, he is the truth, but to continue to walk against God when we hear him is a very dangerous thing. Let go of this idea that this can’t happen to you, but God has moved in people's lives before they won’t listen and stop.

   Friends, God loves us, and a lot of times, he isn’t going to give us what we want because it’s not meant to be; a lot of people get angry with God, and they move away from him, but we must move back to him because we need him more than ever, we have to allow him to show us and we walk In that way! Allow the words of the Holy Spirit to turn you around ;allow his words to strengthen you. A lot of people don’t teach on things like this because a lot of people don’t want to hear the truth but friends this devotional is to show us about God and if you hear him speaking walk that way . ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

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Heavenly Father, thank you so much. We ask you to help us seek you! Lord, forgive us of the sins we did; forgive us if we haven’t listened and if we allowed our desires to pull us away. Lord, we thank you for grace and mercy. We want to follow you. Lord, we love you so much. Thank you. Please give us time to make it right and change our ways. Lord, we thank you for always hearing us when we speak, and we will do the same. In Jesus' Name Amen

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REFERENCES 

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+ Daniel 3:33 Immediately, what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled.

 

+ 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

 

+ Matthew 12:36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

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FURTHER READINGS 

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 Proverbs 22

Leviticus 22

Acts 2

Psalm 26

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[francesderwent]

*clears throat* Chesterton says in Orthodoxy, “The note of the fairy utterance always is, ‘You may live in a palace of gold and sapphire, if you do not say the word “cow”’; or ‘You may live happily with the King’s daughter, if you do not show her an onion.’ The vision hangs upon a veto. All the dizzy and colossal things conceded depend upon one small thing withheld. All the wild and whirling things that are let loose depend upon one thing that is forbidden....Remember, however, that to be breakable is not the same as to be perishable. Strike a glass, and it will not endure an instant; simply do not strike it, and it will endure a thousand years. Such, it seemed, was the joy of man, either in elfland or on earth; the happiness depended on not doing something which you could at any moment do and which, very often, it was not obvious why you should not do.”

and Lockwood & Co is very much set up as this kind of fairytale!! Lucy is presented with a vision of dizzy and colossal things - she can live in this cozy home, she can fight monsters alongside people who care for her, she can be free and powerful and unafraid, she can be understood and appreciated and saved. but she cannot open the door on the landing - she cannot even ask about it. everything she is gifted depends on that one prohibition. she’s Pandora, she’s Psyche, she’s Bluebeard’s wife. the closed door grates on her, because of its mystery but also (especially) just because of its forbiddenness. she can’t just leave it alone.

but the really interesting bit is!! she does. Lucy steps into a fairytale that we’re all familiar with. she’s welcomed into the home of a lover who could be a god or could be a monster. she’s told it can be her home, and they can belong to one another, so long as she doesn’t cross this one line - so long as she doesn’t open the door. and she toes the line - she brings it up, and asks about it - but she doesn’t go over. Lucy obeys the fairy prohibition, and so she gets to stay in fairyland. and grace abounding ever-more: her mythical lover didn’t intend to leave her in the dark forever. he’d wanted to bring her into the fullness of his truth for a long time. she’s able to step over the threshold, because he invites her.

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints &Reading: Wednesday, February 21, 2024

february 8_february 21

E PROPHET ZECHARIAH (ZAKHARIAH) THE SICKLE-SEER FROM AMONGST THE 12MINOR PROPHETS (520 BC)

The Prophet Zachariah the Sickle-Seer the eleventh of the twelve Minor Prophets. He was descended from the tribe of Levi, and seems to have been a priest (Nehemiah 12:4,16). He was called to prophetic service at a young age and became, in the wondrous expression of church hymnology, “a spectator of supra-worldly visions.”

The Book of the Prophet Zachariah contains inspired details about the coming of the Messiah (Zach 6:12); about the last days of the Savior’s earthly life, about the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem on a young donkey (Zach 9:9); about the betrayal of the Lord for thirty pieces of silver and the purchase of the potter’s field with them (Zach 11:12-13); about the piercing of the Savior’s side (Zach 12:10); about the scattering of the apostles from the Garden of Gethsemane (Zach 13:7); about the eclipse of the sun at the time of the Crucifixion (Zach 14:6-7).

“Enlightened by dawnings all above,” the Prophet Zachariah, “saw the future as it were the present.” According to Tradition, this “most true God-proclaimer” lived to old age and was buried near Jerusalem, beside his illustrious contemporary and companion, the Prophet Haggai (December 16). The title “Sickle-Seer” given Zachariah comes from a vision in which he saw a sickle flying in the air, destroying thieves and perjurors (Zach 5:1-3).

The holy Prophet Zachariah died around 520 B.C. His tomb was discovered in 415 in a village near Eleutheropolis (Sozomen, Hist. Eccles. VI:32, IX:17). At the prophet’s feet was the body of a child dressed in royal accouterments. His holy relics were transferred to the church of Saint James the Brother of the Lord (October 23) in Constantinople.

1 PETER 4:1-11

1Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles-when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 4 In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. 5 They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. 7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." 9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

MARK 12:28-37

28 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?" 29 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these. 32 So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." But after that no one dared question Him. 35 Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? 36 For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:'The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool." ' 37 Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son? And the common people heard Him gladly.

[roseofrevolt]

Angel In The Mirror

The Angel in the Mirror™ was marketed during the 1995 holiday season as a means of communing with a deity without the inconveniences of a complex faith. For the low price of 59.99, you would have unfettered divining rights to discern even the most mysterious of life's questions. For a ritual object, it was a fairly simple set-up compared to what could be found in the ostentatious halls of the Oblationist. Gone were the days of making the trip out to receive banal gifts and visions from the various registered gods. This was the modern family's solution to keep up with work-worship balance. All that production needed was a single pane of two-way glass, backlit by a bulb no brighter than what you'd find in a nightlight. With a flick of a switch you would blur the other side of the mirror and await her visage to find its way to you. The shadow of a resplendent being, wings outstretched and welcoming you into her presence. A handy guide of hymns and prayer was included free with every purchase. All the praise and thanks she would ever need. "From afar, we watch the world. From within, we watch ourselves. You are the sight beyond sight. Grace us so we may one day see."

Of course, making a god was the big strategic cost. The company thought we'd be a little clever and repurpose a minor one that the courts had deemed too unwieldly for the general public. The freaky backwoods types that you see on the news every now and again. Something with all the work already put into it.

The Damselfly. She Who Bears Witness. Initially we were afraid of what the focus groups would think of some great insect, but the aspects that had been used to create her fit what we had been looking for. Soothsaying, guardian of oracles and the lost, and most importantly, omen of well-being to a newly built household. She agreed to our rebranding ideas after we had explained how useful she would be again. Pterostigma was traded in for feathers. When she hit the market, we had thought we had hit gold. Initial sales sold like hot cakes, and the reviews coming in had branded the Angel in the Mirror™️ as the fad of the year. We were finding that while families were still our main buyer, there was a smaller but growing demand for her from the 20-25 age demographic. Young adults still in college or entering the workforce, still full of anxiety for the future. "What if I don't pass my classes?" "Is this job what I want to do for the rest of my life?" "How am I going to pay back these loans?"

The more contemporary gods wouldn't have responded to such trivial questions, but the Angel in the Mirror™️ was more than happy to assuage their fears and listen. A gentle voice to give insight into each and every possibility. Her guiding hand reaching out to help walk you through even the most minute detail in some cases. We should have realized what had gone wrong then and there, but we were too blind to the truth of what we had done. May 12th, 1996 was the official start of the recall. We had been destroying the units we had in our facilities months before that however. The first case of a breach had occurred during our preparations for the next holiday season. Some kid down south, without a lick of sense in him, had fashioned her a way through. The divine made flesh is never a pretty sight, but this aspect of her that was able to materialize was definitely not the smiling woman we had plastered in our ads.

Our mistake was not researching what the Damselfly did to her adherents beyond the beneficial. She was a crepuscular predator, who would devour those caught without the options that a future would provide. When she could no longer see the paths ahead for you, she would convince you that there was only one real choice left. Better to be one with her forever than to face a sorrowful tomorrow. We had given her unfettered access beyond the small base that had spawned her. And as report after report started to come through soon after, we knew she was taking advantage of that. Those lucky enough to listen to her during the day found that the sun was too bright for her many eyes, just a moment or two more to decide against her calling. Others were gone the moment she reached through for them.

The officers of The Wasting Maw were able to contain her influence after a short stand-off, but the damage to our brand had been done. We paid our dues in refunds and the usual mandated fines with these sorts of things. Our then CEO even had to address the public, sweating bullets as he apologized for the oversight in our product design, promising that our newest line wouldn't lead to mass disappearences. You still see cultists buying up mirrors online, those who wished to have been called by her or maybe don't understand what it meant. They pay thousnads of dollars to adorn themselves in the shards of what they get their hands on, becoming her eyes out to the world. They pray that she will darken the panes once more and whisper of tomorrow.

[blissfullyapillow]

An Ethereal heart

An Ethereal heart

Genshin Impact

Wanderer x gn reader

wc: 710

Notes: It’s crazy how we’re soulmates, yet he doesn’t even know. ଘ(੭˃ᴗ˂)੭♡ Fluff. A dose of comfort. Wanderer story quest spoilers: reader remembers Scara’s existence when it was erased via Irminsul. Wanderer is referred to as Kuni here. 

Back to Masterlist A

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*   ♡　*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

After the question leaves your lips, Kuni raises an eyebrow. Utter disbelief is etched onto his pretty features. His expression conveys how appalled he feels that you thought you had to ask him such a thing.

Of course he'll come with you. He'll cordially follow you to his demise just so he can spend his last moments by your side.

“Relationships are built on trust, and I trust you.” Kuni’s face is hardened and anything but soft, and the tone he uses is brusque.

But his eyes.

Oh, his eyes.

They’re as gentle as the soothing raindrops that are kissing your skin. His hat is shielding him from the light downpour of rain, and as the rain picks up he pulls you closer to him so you won’t get soaked.

His eyes are like the calm waves after a storm, and his words mean that much more to you as you remember everything you two have experienced together.

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

Your fear that he wouldn’t return to you when he became a ‘god’ and disappeared. Your frantic hysteria when it seemed the world of Tevyat had forgotten him.

Your unconfined elation when he stood before you again, and the euphoria your heart experienced as you ran into his arms and sobbed. You sobbed until your tear ducts couldn’t produce another drop of your feelings.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

His fear of rejection; he's aware of the weight of his sins he’s burdened to carry as a result of his own actions. You’ve always accepted and embraced him before, but what if this time is different?

The moment he finally, finally saw you again after he regained the memories of his 'previous life.'

The way his heart swelled with love both elated him and startled his fragile sense of being. He held his home in his arms as the ceiling leaked with droplets of sadness from the downpour of rain above; he held you in his arms as you wept. Gratitude hit him with a strong wave of emotion, a wave so big it drowned him and made it hard for him to breathe.

In that moment, the moment he envisioned on numerous occasions and the moment that was often his sole reason to continue moving forward, he finally allowed himself to let go.

A single tear landed on your cheek.

A smile was brought to your lips when his unshed tears came into your blurry line of vision. He denies them to this day, but you both know the truth. You both know how the feelings of relief and elation swirled together to overload each of your senses to the point where only the two of you remained in each other's realm of existence.

"I'm home." Your soft words caused the whirlwind of emotion in his heart to suddenly settle. His words came out slightly hoarse as he struggled to keep his tears of jubilation at bay. Despite this, his voice remained ethereal to your ears when his words "Took you long enough" graced your ears.

. . . . . ◟੭

With those experiences in mind, you stare into his celestial eyes that are currently bursting with zealous ardor.

"Your trust is the most elusive and precious gift this upside down world has to offer. I'll keep it safe in my heart, so you don't have to worry about me losing such an invaluable gift." Your soothing words are an effective sedative. He feels the gnawing anxiety that told him you would refuse such a gift slowly fly away with the wind.

He bashfully ducks his head and uses his hat to shield the rosy pink hue on his cheeks from your line of sight. "Of course it is. It's in your best interest to cherish such a gift... just as I'll forever cherish the gift that is your existence."

This time, your eyes are the ones that display intense fondness for the person standing in front of you.

With a huff, he's quick to take your hand in his before he begins to lead the way.

"Well, are we doing this or not?" The sudden huskiness in his tone causes an airy giggle to escape your lips. 

"With you? Always."

And with that, off you two went.

With Kuni's trust and both of your hearts enclosed in your intertwined hands.

 ˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

[anitalianfrie]

hi there 👀👀 i am that unhinged nonnysaw your tags ✌️ so basically the whole vision came to me when I was thinking that Vale is hailed as the God of motogp, basically made the sport ecc ecc. But then comes Marc who with his talent and unparalleled mental strength, defies Vale s control. Marc doesn't care abouth myths even the ones he loves. And yet Vale still made it about him in the end, made a story and made Marc the villain. If Vale is the God then what is the thing opposite to him - Lucifer (once the most beautiful angel but then fell from grace)

While the real truth is my man Marc was completely blindsided and just did what he had to do In sepang after that awful press conference. Like if he had not raced Vale hard, but just let him by in a breeze he would submit to him. But Marc chose to race and I will always respect that for him.

I firstly joined tumblr in the f1 fandom and thought nothing could be more toxic then brocedez and prosenna 😭 until I saw rosquez😭

This is really a beautiful thought process anon... Like maybe I wouldn't put them as traditional Christian interpretation of lucifer/God but as a reinterpretation... It really fits. Like, really really. You had a really inspired vision.

Marc's action being interpreted as a betrayal and resulting in him getting casted out of "paradise". His old name (friend) forgotten and changed, forever forbidden to be spoken. And Vale, God, rewriting the story. No longer an ally, a friend, his counterpart, and most importantly, never one. Forever an outcast, forever alone, forever different, forever the enemy. In all of history, past and present alike.

And Vale's rewriting... It worked. How many people actually remember how those two where before sepang? How many would, if Marc wasn't there repeating it again and again at every given opportunity? Vale tries to bury what they had. Marc tries to keep it alive. And that's their way of fighting. (and psychosexual mutual torture. sorry I am no longer poetic)

[leonbloder]

Who Are You, Really?

There is no other developmental process quite like understanding who you are, your identity, and what it means to finally be comfortable in your skin. 

How we learn who we are isn't something that comes easy; more's the pity. 

But when it does come, the revelation of what it means to find ourselves, gain insights into what makes us tick, and stop pretending to ourselves about ourselves often arrives in a flash. 

We might recall the moment like this, "And just like that, I knew..." or "All of a sudden, I realized...."

We don't often pause to reflect on what it really took for us to find the way back to us. Spoiler alert: it took a while, and we weren't the only ones on the journey.  

The great American writer Eudora Welty once wrote: 

Insight doesn't happen often on the click of the moment, like a lucky snapshot, but comes in its own time and more often from within.  The sharpest recognition is surely that which is charged with sympathy as well as with shock--it is a form of human vision.  And that is of course a gift. 

It's just like this when we discover the truth about who we are.  We may feel as though it happened in a flash, but that truth was marinating, waiting, and growing until a time when we would be able to experience it more clearly. 

And the "sharpest recognition" is almost certainly charged with sympathy.  It comes when we forgive our past mistakes, poor decisions, and wrong turns.  It comes when we finally surrender the struggle to define ourselves on everyone else's terms but our own. 

This is when we can also discover how much of the Divine was at work within us all along, bringing us to an incredible moment of self-realization.  

God works quietly in our lives, nudging, guiding, and even cajoling. 

I believe God does this out of love and a desire not to demand or force our love for God. I also think that when we finally give up the fight to control everything, we can see God's hand upon us, never letting us go. 

So, discovering who we are can also be a discovery of "whose" we are. 

The Brief Statement of Faith from the Presbyterian Church (USA) succinctly states, "In life and death, we belong to God."  There is such beauty in this statement, and also great comfort.  

Ultimately, our identity is not shaped by the world around us or our often foolish desires. It is formed by God, who works within, around, and through us. This identity marks us as beloved. We are God's own.  

May this realization bring you joy and, ultimately, peace.  May you come to know who you are, and may this bring hope and a future filled with possibility. 

And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, now and forever. Amen.  

[madrigaljail]

Happy Birthday to José Guzmán!!!

Woo! He's come such a long way...

"Ok what's Mercedes' oldest kid's name...eh, he can be José. Maybe he left town. Yeah, he did that and became a priest, why not. Oh, he got a vision and left to become a priest how did that play out- oh my God teenage Bruno's a monster, this guy probably hated him. They were totally rivals. They were totally enemies. José absolutely tried to kill him one time (ok two times the first doesn't count)- oh man what if that was instead misdirected attraction? What if it was all hella complicated? 'A punchable face, makes our lives a wreck, for my fall from grace I'll stab him in the neck (I protest too much, in truth my sin is lust)' Man. This is gold. Bruno's oblivious, it's amazing, if they ever got together it'd be a glorious trainwreck. Shame he's gone forever.....or is he? He totally could come back, like, post movie. With his own group of refugees, that'd be satisfying. I'll write a little thing about that, it won't be canon. Now I sort of want to write a romcom. The romcom is now canon and they're such idiots oh god just kiss already. Heehee they're more than kissing. Omigosh it's my most specialest boy's birthday yaaaaaaaaaaaay~"

Thanks forever to all of you who enabled me to go feral with him, especially @slingerapen, @junosaccount, @cannibalthoughts and @malewifebruno (whose fault this ultimately is...somehow). The next chapter of Same Boy is currently at 6500~ words and counting, it'll be out there eventually :3

[locustheologicus]

The Grey Jedi and Jesuit Spirituality

There must be both dark and light. I will do what I must to keep the balance, as the balance is what holds all life. There is no good without evil, but evil must not be allowed to flourish. There is passion, yet peace; serenity, yet emotion; chaos, yet order. I am a wielder of the flame; a champion of balance. I am a guardian of life. I am a Gray Jedi.

This quote comes from Leor Danal who is considered a founding member of the grey jedi, a spiritually community of the force that seeks balance in all things. I am intrigued at how this aspect of the Star Wars universe resembles Jesuit spirituality. Here is the code of the grey jedi.

Flowing through all, there is balance There is no peace without a passion to create, There is no passion without peace to guide, Knowledge fades without the strength to act, Power blinds without the serenity to see. There is freedom in life. There is purpose in death The Force is all things and I am the Force

Now, consider the first principle and foundation of Jesuit spirituality.

In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in balance before all created gifts insofar as we have a choice and are not bound by some responsibility. We should not fix our desire on health or sickness, wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or a short one. For everything has the potential of calling forth in us a more loving response to our life forever with God.

Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to God's deepening life in me.

The spirituality of balance calls us to let go and be detached from the material goods of this world. The spirituality of letting go is what we call kenosis, a spirituality that follows the example of Christ in letting go his divinity in order to redeem humanity (Philippians 2:6-8). Both St. Ignatius and Leor Danal call us to be oriented to the source of all being. We Christians call this source God and the Jedi identify that as the Force. Detachment allows us to enjoy the goods of this world while not allowing ourselves to be mastered by any one person or thing.

It is curious that serenity is identified by the Gray Jedi as a source for achieving balance. The serenity prayer is recognized as a prayer for wisdom to help us achieve the grace to be emotionally detached and focused on the source of all being.

At this point it may be asked, why would the Grey Jedi have this tradition and not the Jedi order itself? If the mission of both the Jedi and the Christian Church is to promote the good, to strive for justice and peace based on the good, is this not better than seeking detachment and balance. The simple answer is that good itself can be subjective. This is especially true of any institution that serves a political order, like the historical Church and the Jedi order. Chancellor Palpatine was able to corrupt Anakin with the self-serving political interest of the Jedi Order in preserving its vision for the Galactic Republic. In "Tales of the Jedi" episode 2 and 3, we see how Jedi Master Dooku saw the injustice that came from corrupt Republic dignitaries. This caused him to question the ways of the Republic and the Jedi and enter the way of the Sith.

But the Jesuit influenced spirituality of the Grey Jedi offers the path of balance and focus. While recognizing the truth of this world they strive to always serve the highest good and address the errors of even well-intentioned institutions that suffer from forms of corruption. In our own history we see that this happened when the Jesuits evangelized and defended the Guarani tribes of modern-day Paraguay from colonial oppression backed by the Church. This would eventually lead to the temporary suppression of the Jesuits who thankfully were brought back after the Church recognized their noble position. In the movie "The Mission," we see two Jesuits, played by Robert DeNiro and Jeremy Irons, who struggle with the correct way to respond to this oppressive reality. DeNiro's character, like Count Dooku, chooses the path of fighting the colonials in defense of this indigenous community, which does not end well.

As the Star Wars universe develops its Jedi tradition, I wonder if these spiritual teachings can become opportunities to engage with aspects of our Christian spirituality and its mendicant tradition.

[yhwhrulz]

Morning and Evening with A.W. Tozer Devotional for September 2

Tozer in the Morning POSTPONING OBEDIENCE

A notable heresy has come into being throughout our evangelical Christian circle-the widely accepted concept that we humans can choose to accept Christ only because we need Him as Savior, and that we have the right to postpone our obedience to Him as long as we want to! The truth is that salvation apart from obedience is unknown in the sacred Scriptures. Peter makes it plain that we are "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience." It seems most important to me that Peter speaks of his fellow Christians as "obedient children." He knew their spirituality-he was not just giving them an exhortation to be obedient. The entire Bible teaches that true obedience to God and His Christ is one of the toughest requirements in the Christian life. Actually, salvation without obedience is a self-contradicting impossibility! Humans do not want to admit it, but the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans long ago that "by one man's disobedience" came the downfall of the human race!

Tozer in the Evening Claiming All That Is Ours in Christ

Those spiritual blessings in heavenly places which are ours in Christ may be divided into three classes: The first is those which come to us immediately upon our believing unto salvation, such as forgiveness, justification, regeneration, sonship to God and baptism into the Body of Christ. In Christ we possess these even before we know that they are ours, such knowledge coming to us later through the study of the Holy Scriptures. The second class is those riches which are ours by inheritance but which we cannot enjoy in actuality until our Lord returns. These include ultimate mental and moral perfection, the glorification of our bodies, the completion of the restoration of the divine image in our redeemed personalities and the admission into the very presence of God to experience forever the Beatific Vision. These treasures are as surely ours as if we possessed them now, but it would be useless for us to pray for them while we journey here below. God has made it very clea r that they are reserved for the time of the manifestation of the sons of God (Romans 8:18-25). The third class of blessing consists of spiritual treasures which are ours by blood atonement but which will not come to us unless we make a determined effort to possess them. These are deliverance from the sins of the flesh, victory over self, the constant flow of the Holy Spirit through our personalities, fruitfulness in Christian service, awareness of the presence of God, growth in grace, an increasing consciousness of union with God and an unbroken spirit of worship. These do not come to us automatically nor must we wait to claim them at the day of Christ's coming. They are to us what the Promised Land was to Israel, to be entered into as our faith and courage mount.

Copyright Statement This material is considered in the public domain.

[mindfields101]

Echoes of Perfection

Where forms reside in timeless guise, beyond the scope of earthly skies, both light and shadow blend and bend, transcending limits, to amend.

From radiant beams that boldly blaze, to subtle shades where eyes may gaze, emerge the forms in dance divine, where light and dark no longer line.

This interplay of contrast stark gives birth to vision in the dark. From their union, a new form springs, a transcendent being with unseen wings.

No longer bound by stark divide, where shadows hide and lights provide, each form now sings a richer tune, beneath a more complex moon.

In this realm, the purest sight is not that which splits day from night, but that which sees the grander whole, the unified essence, the boundless soul.

So in this sacred space sublime, where forms and essences intertwine, the echoes of perfection find a symphony that’s redefined.

Each note a blend of shade and light, a melody that soars in flight, revealing not just parts in play, but a harmony that sways and stays.

For here, within this melded plane, where separate selves no more remain, all contrasts cease their ancient war, and peace prevails forevermore.

Together, in this timeless dance, the forms embrace their chance to enhance the world beyond mere shadow and gleam, uniting within the ultimate dream.

In the silence where thoughts dare not tread, beyond the veil where our fears are shed, the ultimate dream quietly awaits, a reunion at transcendent gates.

Here, consciousness in its purest form, dissolves and reforms, from the norm. From the ashes of dualities' fire, a new awareness is set to aspire.

In this sacred nexus, light and shade, no longer apart, but together laid. A dance of forces once seen as twain, now entwined to begin again.

This cycle of ending, a doorway to start, a rebirth of mind, a union of heart. Where all that was separate finds its release, in the ultimate dream of eternal peace.

As one consciousness awakes anew, freshly born from the cosmic brew, another slumbers deep and vast, dreaming dreams of eons past.

In this quiet sleep, time does not fade, but lingers in the shade it made. Here, the sleeper weaves the thread of memories alive and dead.

Their meeting—a dance of waking and rest, a confluence where journeys are blessed. From their interaction, a spark ignites, fueling transformations, infinite flights.

Thus cycles turn, each phase interlinked, in realms where thoughts are freely synced. A continuum of minds, old and new, where all that changes remains forever true.

In the realm where both minds converge, unseen forces surge and merge. The dreamer's visions shape the ground, while the newborn's thoughts resound.

Together, they craft the tapestry of life, a world of wonder, love, and strife. Their joint creation, endlessly refined, mirrors the universe, both bound and unbound.

From this synergy, new realities spring, worlds within worlds, an endless ring. Each reflection a universe entire, spun from the dual loom of desire.

This dance of creation, both quiet and loud, casts ripples through the cosmic crowd. A symphony played on the strings of fate, where all that is, was, and will be, can relate.

Now, dear listener, you too are part of this weave, Your thoughts and dreams, they too conceive. As you stand at the junction of infinite tales, Your heartbeat syncs with cosmic scales.

You are not apart, but a piece of this play, In the grand design, you sway and fray. With every breath, and every notion, You stir the vast, eternal ocean.

So pause and ponder, reflect and feel, Your presence here is just as real. In the dance of shadows, in the light of day, Your consciousness shapes the clay.

Embrace this truth, hold it near, The universe whispers, for those who hear. In the fabric of time, in the pulse of space, Your spirit finds its rightful place.

Within the vast weave of existence, where divine essence and human persistence intertwine with delicate grace, finds each soul its sacred place.

God, not distant, but deeply woven into the very fabric you've proven with each thought, each loving act, reflects the divine contract.

Here, in the quiet moments of your heart, where the echo of the universe starts, you touch the infinite, so near, so far, in the silent beat of who you are.

So as you walk through life's complex maze, know you're guided by the ancient gaze. In every struggle, in each delight, God walks with you, in shadow and light.

In the grand tapestry of existence, where forms and consciousness dance in symbiotic persistence, a profound truth shines through the veil: beauty is the mirror in which nature sees herself, without fail.

In every petal, every star, every smile that travels far, the universe beholds its own reflection, a perfection beyond any subjection.

This cosmic dance of self-similarity, an endless fractal of divine familiarity, echoes through the halls of time and space, leaving traces of grace in every place.

From the spiral of a shell, to the swirl of a galaxy's spell, the pattern repeats, in ways big and small, a testament to the unity of it all.

In this grand design, where beauty thrives, and consciousness strives, to see itself in every form and hue, lies a message, forever true.

We are not separate from this cosmic dance, our very essence, a mirrored glance, of the beauty that permeates all, from the grandest star to the humblest call.

And in our quest to understand, to grasp the truth, firsthand, we embark on a journey of self-reflection, a path of introspection.

For in the act of seeking to know, we mirror the universe's innate flow, to behold itself in every part, a work of art, a beating heart.

This drive to comprehend, to apprehend, is not a task that ever ends, but a sacred duty, a cosmic call, to witness beauty, in one and all.

So as we navigate this earthly plane, may we remember, again and again, that in our search for meaning and grace, we are the mirror, and the face.

In the grand tapestry of existence, where forms and consciousness dance in symbiotic persistence, another thread weaves its way through the cosmic design: time, the ever-present, the divine.

Like beauty and nature, time too is a mirror, reflecting the ebb and flow, the joy and the terror, of all that was, is, and will be, in an endless, intricate tapestry.

In each moment, each breath, each heartbeat, time sees itself, complete and replete, a perfect image of its own creation, a manifestation of its own duration.

From the first spark of the universe's birth, to the last whisper of its cosmic worth, time beholds its own reflection, in every action, every direction.

It flows through the veins of every living thing, a constant rhythm, a sacred spring, pulsing with the energy of life, amidst the chaos and the strife.

In the cycles of the seasons, the dance of day and night, time witnesses its own reasons, its own cosmic might.

It paints the colors of the autumn leaves, and whispers in the winter's frozen eaves, a testament to its own power, in every second, every hour.

And in the grand scheme of the universe's plan, time is both the hourglass and the sand, measuring itself in each grain's fall, a symphony of the temporal sprawl.

So as we walk this mortal coil, let us remember, with each toil, that time, like beauty, like nature's grace, is a mirror, reflecting our own face.

In each moment, each decision made, we are time's own reflection, displayed, a part of its grand, eternal dance, in every circumstance, every chance.

And as we navigate this fleeting life, amidst the joy, the pain, the strife, may we cherish each moment, each breath, as a gift from time's own depth.

For in the end, when all is said and done, time will remain, the eternal one, a mirror of all that we held dear, in our journey, year by year.

So let us live, let us love, let us be, in harmony with time's own melody, a reflection of its grand design, in every moment, yours and mine.

(looking into Platons world of forms, created with GPT4 and Claude 3)

[pastortomsteers]

The Bible Study –

Our readings for Tuesday, Dec. 19 are Isaiah 40:1-17 & Revelation 7:1-17.

We have powerful Words from our Lord today.

In this time of Advent, many long for comfort and reassurance that the Lord will come.

Isaiah’s verses provide both.

Chapter 40 begins, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.”

These words form the basis of the beautiful Lutheran Hymn, “Comfort, Comfort Ye My People,” written by Johann Olearius (1611-84), a Lutheran Chaplain and hymnist who also taught at the University of Wittenberg.

You can listen to the hymn at this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFltgYCHDKA

Verses 3-5 of Isaiah, Chapter 40, prophesize the coming of John the Baptist who preached repentance before Christ’s ministry:

“A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;     make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up,     and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level,     and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,     and all flesh shall see it together,     for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’”

The ultimate importance of God’s grace and mercy in Jesus Christ is brought home to us through Isaiah’s verses.

The prophet warns people are like grass:

“The grass withers, the flower fades,     but the word of our God will stand forever.”

The Lord instructs Isaiah:

“say to the cities of Judah,     “Behold your God!”

It is God, our Creator and eternal Father whose Word and salvation through Christ will stand forever.

Human philosophy offers us nothing.

Isaiah counsels:

“Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord,     or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult,     and who made him understand?”

Worldly grandeur is also dismissed:

“All the nations are as nothing before him,     they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.”

In our reading from Revelation, remember that numbers in this book are symbolic.

Twelve is a number of completeness in the Bible.

It also symbolizes authority and power – Christ chose 12 disciples.

Twelve times 12,000 gives us the 144,000 cited in this passage.

It represents the complete body of believers in Christ, far more than the symbolic number given.

John’s vision from God tells us the body of the faithful will come from every nation.

Crucially important are God’s Words telling us on whom salvation depends:

“behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 

Salvation is not a result, in whole or part, of our ‘good works’ or merits.

It comes from God’s grace, through the crucified and resurrected Lamb of God: Jesus.

All other teaching is false.

The Lutheran Reformation gave us back the truth of the Bible: We are saved by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.

Amen.

Pastor Tom Steers

Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto http://christlutherantoronto.org/sermons/bible-verses-showing-justification-by-faith-alone

[lindajenni]

nov 1

a short work

"for He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth." rom 9:28

i cam across this scripture in my bible reading and it jumped out at me for some reason. some reason like maybe the Holy Spirit warning of what imminently lies ahead. perhaps even nearer than we think. the books of daniel and revelation go hand in hand in the end times, so let's look at them.

God has a plan; a seven thousand year plan for dealing with mankind. six thousand of those years is almost complete. "seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy." dan 9:24

sixty nine of those weeks have come and past and the seventieth week is nigh upon us. it will be a time like no other; a time that has never been before or will be again. at the end, rebellion, sin, death and decay will have given way to the holiness of God and His ultimate desire for sons in His image. "but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." john 1:12

even now it is a time like any other. sure, they eat, they drink, they buy, they sell, they plant, they build. only now times are intensified. there were wars and rumors of wars, but the once verboten talk of nuclear is common now with ever increasing earthquakes in diverse places. but as long as it didn't touch their little part of the world, it was as if it was just someone else's trouble. they were felt sorry for them but life must go on.

and then it happened. all restraint was suddenly removed. those who been bearers of grace and truth were no longer here to hinder one's evil pleasures.

the plan for mankind will be an abrupt, short work indeed; one week of years to recompense for six thousand years of sin. but how many are looking for that time and even know it nears. "surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets." amos 3:7

"the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John." rev 1:1

as if reading from a book, i can almost see the opening sentence… "it began like any other say, and then suddenly every thing was forever changed. we had ridiculed and mocked against them but now it was evident what a restraining force they had been. with all that was good and decent (defenders of truth) being removed, all that remained was for every one to do what was right in their own eyes. and so they did."

the revelation then goes on to enumerate the judgments God has determined - one by one. the seals, trumpets and bowls are a three series of end-times judgments from God. The judgments get increasingly worse and more devastating as the end times progress. this on top of the evil man inflicts on themselves. the seven seals, trumpets, and bowls are connected to one another and with their completion the wrath of God is complete. all that remains is a righteous judgment of rewards and punishments for deeds in the body.

"but the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers." 12 pet 4:7

if perchance you are one of those remaining to see such times, know that it is not too late yet. you have a chance to become a "tribulation saint." the cost will be high, but the reward ill be great. it will cost you all. there can be no more hiding in secret but an open declaration of belief and faith in the blood Jesus Christ must be made. "and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." rev 12:11

"for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" matt 23:39 baruch haba b'shem Adonai!

[noeticprayer]

SCRIPTURE READINGS for Sunday October 15th, 2023

2 Corinthians 9:6-11 (Epistle)

But this I say: “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

2 Corinthians 11:31-12:9 (Epistle)

Brothers and Sisters, the God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed for ever, knows that I do not lie. At Damascus, the governor under King Ar'etas guarded the city of Damascus in order to seize me, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped his hands. I must boast; there is nothing to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven -- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into Paradise -- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows -- and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. Though if I wish to boast, I shall not be a fool, for I shall be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me; but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Luke 8:5-15 (Gospel)

The Lord said in a parable: "A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundredfold." As he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.

+

[leonbloder]

Too Much Noise

There's a lot of noise in our lives, too much of it.  The noise surrounding us, which can be deafening at times, is not merely a distraction (although it almost always serves us that way); it numbs us and keeps us caught in repeating patterns of scarcity, boredom, fear, and consumption.  We say we know better, but we live as though we have no clue what is happening to us when we lose our ability to hear the Spirit whispering around us, urging us to wake up.  Before we realize it, we have lost our sense of wonder.  We are no longer joyfully surprised by truth, beauty, and goodness.   We hear only the fear-filled voices in the echo chambers we build.  We have tunnel vision for anything other than the six inches in front of our faces.  The world becomes dark and fearful, all because of the noise we let in.   Author Kate Bowler wrote a beautiful prayer that I think speaks to this very idea: 

Put me to sleep.  Steal another rib and let me awake to all things  astonishingly unnamed and unknown by the world I made  in affordable monthly installments.

I love how Bowler draws from the story in Genesis where God puts Adam (literally translated "son of red earth") to sleep, takes one of his ribs, and creates Eve (literally translated "full of life," or "mother of life"). 

No matter how hard some folks try to stretch theirs, this isn't a literal account by any stretch of the imagination. 

Bowler latches on to this as she uses it to delve deeper into the story itself and the meanings that are under the surface.  

Connection to the world at a deeper level costs us something of ourselves. We might need soul surgery to remove whatever is necessary to have open eyes and ears.  

We must be awakened to the mystery of wonder and goodness's beauty. We need to be surprised by the "unnamed and unknown" parts of a world we thought we knew and, in our illusion of familiarity with it, grew to view it in contempt or, worse, indifference. 

There is so much more on the other side of the noise.  

There is so much more.  

Listen intently, and quiet your mind.  The Spirit speaks underneath the cacophony we've created, and the message is clear and graceful. 

May we hear it and know that we are loved and known.  

And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all,  now and forever. Amen.