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blessedarethebinarybreakers · 3 months

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Sorry if this is a heavy question but I don't know where else to go. Is it true that you will go to hell if you commit suicide? And if not, how can I be sure? Completely sure?

I don't ask for bad reasons, just that I have a degenerative disease and there will eventually come a point when i'm still alive but can no longer live at all. Hopefully that's still a long ways away but I want to have a choice when that time comes, rather than existing for potentially years with severe pain and no joy. But can I do that without condemning myself to an eternity of the same?

CW: suicide, hell, degenerative disease, euthanasia

Hi there, anon. I fully believe that a just and loving God would never condemn anyone who is going through the kind of internal and external struggle that leads to suicide.

I have a long article on Medium where I explore instances of suicide ideation in scripture that I recommend to you. Overall, I conclude that condemnation of suicide is not present in the Bible: the few instances of completed suicide are presented pretty neutrally; and the many instances of suicide ideation elicit God's compassion, not condemnation.

Throughout scripture, God’s response to depressed and suicidal people is not condemnation, but

validation of their experience;

removal of the factors that make them depressed/suicidal; and

helping them access a more abundant life.

When it comes to your degenerative disease, that second point might sound absurd or even offensive. I do not tout cureism; I'm absolutely not telling you to put on rose-colored lenses and pretend your disease will magically go away. While it's possible that medicine may advance in your lifetime to help prolong your life or ease your pain, it sounds like you're very aware of the realities of your disease and the more likely path it will take.

But while I don't believe in a magical genie God who vanishes away all pain and illness in our lives, I do believe in a God who enters into our suffering. A God who, when removal of pain is not possible, endures that pain with us; and who guides us into community that will support us in all that we go through. And who, yes, ultimately brings us into abundant life — partially in this life, fully in the next.

___

Along with biblical support for God's compassion for suicidal persons, Christian denominations that used to promote the idea that suicide leads to damnation have since revised those views.

As our collective understandings of mental health have developed over the last century or so, it's become more obvious even to the most traditional groups (e.g. the Catholic Church) that claiming that people who die by suicide go straight to hell is an extremely callous and unjust view and frankly, a grievous form of victim-blaming.

Instead, while emphasizing the seriousness of suicide and urging suicidal persons to seek professional assistance, most churches now assure the loved ones of those who have died by suicide that God's mercy and love cover all things. And those churches with a solid social justice mindset invest their resources in removing the societal factors that lead someone to suicide, rather than blaming the suicidal.

___

I hope this helps ease your fears somewhat, anon. You may also find encouragement in my #hell tag, where I frequently talk about how I don't believe in hell at all. God's will for all of us is relationship and thriving; and when I believe anything at all I do believe the words Jesus taught us: "thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Suffering and death will not have the last word; punitive "justice" will not have the last word; God's restorative justice and all-embracing love will.

Wishing you as slow a progression in your degenerative disease as possible. And no matter where this life takes you, I pray that you find your people, who will support you and advocate for you, laugh and weep with you, learn and live and love with you; and that you feel God's deep, abiding love, holding you close through all things.

#suicide tag #suicide ideation #degenerative disease /#hell mention #death mention

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shivstar · 9 months

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I find one thing a little confusing in Hp and the POA.

Its why remus lupin was so interested in killing pettigrew????

I mean we understand where sirius is coming from. He suffered in the worst prison for 12 years because of the rat. His soul mate ( platonic or romantic prongsfoot) is gone all because of peter. The dude didn't even get to grieve properly because of the soul sucking monsters. His godson is an orphan and was abused because Peter stole the chance of sirius raising harry.

Also he broke out of prison to remove the danger to his godson. Ate God knows what. Is in filthy clothes. Has not bathed for God knows how long.

So his emotions overwhelming is understandable. His desire to kill on spite is justified.

But then there is remus on the other hand. The dude got 12 whole years to move on from all the deaths and betrayal and war. He got to live a peaceful life in that period. The opportunity to make a life for himself.

He didn't have money and lived poory. True. But that is not on Peter (or sirius, when he thought he was the real back stabber) . It is the fault of the society.

Because if you say that poor remus suffered from poverty because Peter did what he did then you are implying that if not for the event of Halloween 1981, remus would have leeched on James and sirius to live a decent life.

So money problem cannot be dumped on this event.

Also he did not have any friends or a life then that's on him. He could have put on an effort. Could have learned to make some street food and sold in muggle world as a street vendor, where people are not obsessed with moon cycles. And it would have been his own business, so he would not have been answerable to anyone.

So anyways remus's financial and mental condition cannot be dumped on the Halloween event and Peter singularly. And 12 years are more than enough to put the emotional grief on the back burner.

Also he had a most comfortable life for atleast this year, with food, quarters, money, respectable job, wolfsbane potion, social interaction etc,.

So, was it not super odd for him to say lines like, " You have to die Peter " Like dude. You are an adult. Who should be reasonable one out of all the people present in the shack.

But once again poor harry has to make this idiot see the reason. Like are you for real guy.

Like I can give sirius the concession. The guy is also super selfless, as he wants to kill the threat to his godson rather than seeking justice and clearing his name.

But lupin not even thinking about sirius's unjust imprisonment and ways to make his friend's life bearable after the hell he has been through because people like lupin condemned him.

His first instinct to kill is really terrifying. When just half an hour earlier, for him Peter was the friend who was the good one. Who was killed by that madman black. Just turning 360 degree is doubtful character trait on his part.

I mean imagine a person who is your good friend, who you thought was killed and whenever you remembered them your heart was filled with love and care. Then you just realise that that friend was not at all good. So I atleast will require a few days to come to terms with all the change in the event. I will not go for the kill immediately.

This guy lupin is honestly a psycho, keep him away from kids. He is a walking, living hazard.

#sirius black #remus lupin #harry potter #prisoner of azkaban #peter pettigrew #james & peter & remus & sirius #james potter #marauders

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blossom-works · 1 year

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Two to One - Hades x Reader

A/N: I fell in love with Hades and I could not stop thinking about this after I read the manga so, spoilers after chapter 50 of Record of Ragnarok/Shuumatsu no Valkyrie.

Editors Note: Some things were changed to fit with the OG’s setups.

---

You know just how much he loves his younger brothers. No matter how obnoxious or arrogant they are, he loves them and will do what he can to ensure their wellbeing. Once, long ago, he single handedly defeated the Titans that escaped Tartarus to ensure their safety. Sending out his men to fight alongside his brothers on the surface. His protective nature and the love he has for his younger brothers is what charmed you alongside his mannerisms and personality alone. The man was confident yet a gentleman.

Long ago you were once a human that turned into a God. You are a Demigod like the famous Hercules. To sum up your story, you stopped a war all by yourself. While you were strong as a human, able to handle yourself in battle against an army of men, you did not match the strength of Hercules. You combined your athleticism with your smarts. The combination of skills allowed you to dissolve a fruitless and inhumane war. At that time, women were simple housewives so you were not taken serious in the beginning. But with persistence, you made a name for yourself. So much so that you caught the attention of Zeus, the Godfather among Gods.

Time and time again you were able to defeat armies after armies. You did sustain damage, but your smarts is what allowed you to always end up the victor. You did show mercy though, giving the soldiers an ultimatum, join your cause and end the war, or to die fighting an unjust war. Eventually, you yourself had an army. Together, you ended the long bloodbath with you taking the heads of the kings responsible. Ironically, your efforts and tenacity is what got you in trouble. The people you persistently tried to save turned on you. The men that fought alongside you turned on you. They feared you. They feared that you would become a tyrant, leading them in another war or some crap like that. Your closest soldiers are the ones who build the platform where you would be hung. The people you fought for were joyfully anticipating your death. But you did not fight back.

Despite the cruelty of it all, you understood their fear. After all, one person, a woman at that (an indication that led people to think you were a witch) essentially stopped the war all by yourself. You accepted it. Your job was done. If this is how you die, then so be it. Moments before you were supposed to be hung Zeus, the Godfather of Gods made his appearance. He praised your efforts and your ability to still have compassion for your kind despite their barbaric treatment. With a goblet in hand he gave you a choice, drink is divine blood and join the God world, or be hanged by the very people you helped. Logically, you accepted his offer. Out of all the Gods, Zeus’ blood can turn a human into a Demigod. The only catch though is if someone who is not a true hero drinks it, they die.

From that day on, you became the Goddess of Life and Death, protecting the weak and innocent while condemning the wicked. Having only two Demigods recorded, you and Hercules because good friends. He, like his adoptive father, commended your work. You both held humanity dear in your hearts, vowing to do whatever you could to keep them away from the Gods’ wrath. Human would pray to you, asking for your help in times of conflict. You did what you could to help them and those responsible for the mass suffering would be met with your wrath. You were a forced to be respected and feared.

A couple hundred years after you joined the Heavens, you met the King of the Netherworld in one of his rare visits to Valhalla. Zeus decided to throw a welcoming party for his oldest brother. All Gods and Goddess where essentially forced to attend. While mingling with your fellow Demigod, and his adoptive brother, Hades came up to you. Hercules and Hermes greeted their uncle, and you gave a formal greeting. All Gods and Goddess respect the man, even his brothers do not sully his name. You would be damned if you would be the first person to anger him. You would have to be as crazy as Zeus is when he decides to cheat on Hera.

To your surprise, Hades ignored his nephews, choosing to focus his attention on you. He asked about your work as the Goddess of Life and Death and was curious about your process. Any and all questions he asked you answered accordingly. Hercules and Hermes left you two some time ago as you and their uncle entered an intellectual conversation. Despite being the king of a domain that is essentially Hell, he rarely visits the mortal world. You kept him up to date on your findings of humanity and Hades even wondered what your thoughts were on them. Passionately, you told him that you hold your former race near and dear. Humans may be complex and frustrating creatures, but they are no different that Gods in your opinion. Yes, you boldly told that to Hades.

Your statement intrigued the man more than you already had. Resulting in an extended conversation. For the entire night you two busied yourselves in each other. Topics ranged from philosophy, science, human nature, history, and more. To say the least, your interaction with Hades left the Heavens in gossip. Has the King of the Helheim taken an interest in someone? Will there be a new queen of the Netherworld? To answer it, yes. A week after your intellectual talk, one of his servants came to your home to invite you to Olympus Palace. Apparently, Hades came back to Valhalla to have dinner with you. Ideally, he would rather it be in Helheim, but the taboo of The Bifrost forbade you from going to his realm.

You may not have been a God for long, but you were pretty sure that Hades rarely visits Valhalla. Let alone to have dinner with a newer Goddess. Hades does not even come here to have dinner with his own brothers!

His visits kept happening to the point where at least once a week for a month, Hades would come up to have dinner with you. There was one time where you were allowed into his domain though.

True to word of mouth, Helheim is a dark domain. There is no sun or vegetation of any kind. To your surprise, Hades invited you to meet Cerberus. Taking your hand in his, Hades planted yours on top of one of the heads. Cerberus held no animosity towards you (mainly because of Hades), and allowed you to pet him like a domestic dog.

Somehow, Hades got you permission to travel to Helheim whenever you like without facing the consequences. Till this day you still do not know how he did that.

From then on, whenever you would go to Helheim, you would always greet Cerberus with a pat on each head as you make your way to have dinner with Hades. After that one month, Hades had formerly asked to court you. When you asked why he said, “I have finally found someone who can rule Helheim by my side. I would be a fool to let you slip through my fingers.”

To an outsider, the proposal may sound like an act of duty, but you knew better. Hades is more than capable of ruling Helheim by himself. He has been for the last thousand years. He does not need your help, but he is willing to have you by his side. He wants to have you by his side. In a sense, Hades humbled himself before you. You accepted, and when the Heavens found out, it became the biggest news in centuries. Hercules jokingly started to call you “auntie” when he found out. A couple months into your courtship you met the most terrifying God, Poseidon. Hades introduced you two when Zeus arranged a little welcoming party for you. Only members of their family were invited.

True to his character, the sea God did not acknowledge you, but you were not offended. You knew what to expect from Poseidon and that was nothing. Getting riled up over his lack of interest would be fruitless. You did not ask anything of the God, nor did you try to interact with him. The only interaction you gave him was a bow of the head. You never knew how Poseidon felt about you (if he even cared to think about it). Adamas, now known as Adamantine, took a liking to you. You were told about what happened between him and his brothers. You neither judged nor commended him, choosing to remain neutral. Out of the four, Adamantine adored Hades. You two created a sibling bond. Other than Hera, you would be only woman in their family (and he liked you a lot better than Hera. For what reason you do not know).

After ten years of courtship, you and Hades were married. The big gap was all for preparation. Not for the wedding, that took two months to plan. The preparation was to get you ready to rule Helheim. Hades made sure that you were familiar with the territory and its inhabitants. Mainly Tartarus. He wanted to make sure that if they were to ever break out again, you would be able to handle yourself in the chaos. Given your background, it did not take you long to prove that you could. Your wedding was elaborate. Worthy for a literal God. Hades chose to wear his usual clothing while you opted for a traditional bridal attire. Given the fact that Hades is a Greek God, a Stefana was used. A crown made of golden leaves was placed on top of your heads and tied together by a ribbon to symbolize the union. You two also sipped from a single cup of wine that was blessed by Zeus.

After that, you officially become the Netherworld’s queen. Hades had another throne made for you and had it sit right next to his. While upholding your duties as its queen, you also continued to do your regular duties and the Goddess of Life and Death. It got a bit overwhelming, so Hades gave you two assistants. One that would help with your duties in Helheim and the other to help with your Goddess duties. You still visited the mortal realm, but not as much as you used to. Your clothing changed as well to fit your role as queen. You started to wear a long white dress with sleeves. It is a dress that overlaps itself like robe, tied together with a white strip of fabric. It leaves a subtle slit for one of your legs and your collar is held together by a metal clip that resembles Hades’ choker. You also started to wear purple heels made of crocodile skin. The ankle straps are designed to resemble the vines tattooed on his forehead. A gift he gave you on your wedding day.

The Gods gather in a grand council meeting led by Zeus to discuss the existence of humanity. It occurs after every millennium. The rules are simple. If the majority of Gods vote against humanity, the human race would be wiped out. You try to attend when you can to vote for humanity, but this year something new has occurred. From what you heard; a Valkyrie has proposed a Ragnarok. A thirteen round tournament where Gods would be fight humans and humans would be fighting Gods. If humanity wins at the end of the tournament, they will live for another millennium. If they lost, their entire existence will be wiped off the face of the earth. An intriguing notion that exited the Heavens. When you heard of this you were relieved. Humanity now has a literal fighting chance. That was until today.

In round three of Ragnarok, your brother-in-law, Poseidon, perished in his fight. You and Hades did not attend but you did hear of it. When the news hit your ears, Hades orders one of the servants to pull up the video footage and sure enough, the King of the Seas did die. You place your hand on your husband’s shoulder as an effort to comfort him. It was when you witness your dear friend, Hercules, perish when you both decide to make a trip to Valhalla. You arrive during Buddha’s fight. Plot twist, the man is fighting on the side of humanity. While you are thankful for him, you did not announce it, nor did you show it. Other than Hercules, you got along well with the Buddhist Pantheon.

Upon your surprise arrival, you two sit on the couch in the skybox where your in-laws are after Hades essentially kicks his nephew, Ares, off. Your husband busies himself with talk while you focus on the fight. Since your shared arrival, neither of you have let go of each other’s hands. Both hands are resting on top of Hades’ crossed knee. A bang against the back of the couch from Ares startles you. Your husband glares at his nephew, demanding Ares to apologize to you. While your in-laws are surprised at the fluctuating battle, your husband pressed a firm kiss to your knuckles. Once the battle ends with Buddha being the victor, the problem of which God will fight in the next round arises.

Ares is about to volunteer to take Buddha’s place before your husband announces that he will be fighting the next round. His declaration shocks his family but not you. Before leaving Helheim, you two discussed Hades’ participation. It was not much of a discussion but an understanding. You already knew Hades will avenge his beloved brother’s death no matter what. The only reason why it was discussed is because your marriage is heavily reliant on communication. Over the centuries, you and Hades have built a bond where neither of you need to voice something for the other to understand. While you did want to argue against his wish, you knew it would be useless. Hades might even see it as an insult that you would deprive him of his duty as the eldest brother. You may be worried, but you have faith in your beloved husband.

In a private room prepared for Hades is where you stay until the match starts. Under Hades’ orders, no one is to disturb your family until then. While he is confident that he will win this match, the time alone is for your sake. A way to ease your anxious heart. There you spend your time as a family, doing what you all would normally do. The knock on the door signifies that the round is about to begin. Hades is sent off with kisses as you hand him his bident. After making sure things are taken care of, you go back to the skybox where your husband’s opponent is walking down an elevated carpet into the arena.

Sitting on the same couch you watch the fight with a sunken stomach and a rapidly beating heart. You have faith in your husband, but you are still a wife. It is your job to worry about Hades’ wellbeing, God or not. It is not until Hades’ spear, Desmos, is destroyed when you stopped watching. Opting to let your bangs hide your eyes. Your heart drops to your stomach as is twists and turns. Your jaw is clenched so tight that you chip a tooth. You can no longer breathe. As your husband’s body begins to vanish to Niflhel, you leave the skybox. Your in-laws look at you with concern and pity. You find an empty hall to process what has just happened. Hearing a loud voice, you follow it as you know who it belongs to. Best to get there before things get out of hand.

“Adamas. That’s enough.”

“But you can’t be serious! They’re hiding the man responsible for killing Hades! Justice must be served!”

“Keep in mind brother that Hades saw Qin Shin as an equal. He acknowledged the human’s strength and in the end, I believe something of a friendship had been established between them. As his wife I ask of you, Adamas, to honor that.”

Adamas and the two Valkyrie sisters can see just how much you are holding in. The deep breaths you are talking tells them everything you need to know. Your brother-in-law huffs in a fit but respects your wishes. He walks off to who knows where and you are about to do the same until the older Valkyrie stops you.

“M’lady, you have my sincerest apologies for your husband’s death. I wish things did not turn out the way they did.”

In your white clothing you turn your head. “I appreciate it Brunhilde.”

“If I may, you have been a long fighter for humanity. Now that humanity is the reason behind Lord Hades’ death, will you turn your back against them?”

You turn around to face the sister who is still kneeling on the ground. Her pink haired sister stands behind her, unsure of what to do or say.

“It is true. Since I became a Demigod, I, like Hercules, have been fighting for humanity. Never once have I voted to exterminate their race. My affections for humanity have remained. I, like before, still have a compassion for them. Truth be told when I heard about Ragnarok, I was happy. Humanity has a chance at survival, but...but the love I have for my husband far exceeds the love I have for humanity. I no longer care for the outcome of this tournament...What happens will happen.”

You take in another deep breath and walk down the hall. “The only thing I care about right now is the fact that I am now a widow, and that my daughter is now fatherless.”

Walking through the building you pass by a couple of nymphs. Each bow to you out of respect and offering their condolences. Without knocking, you enter a somber room. A little girl is in tears as the servants try to console her. In her arms, she has a death grip on a stuffed owl her father gave her. You lay a hand on one of the servant’s shoulders, silently thanking them and asking for them to leave. Bowing, they leave their queen and princess to be alone. You gently caress the top of your ten-year-old daughter’s head before lifting up her head. The little girl looks just like her father. White hair with purple eyes. Only this time, her eyes are as glossy as ever.

Seeing her mother, she thrusts herself to you. Her small hands wrap around your neck, and she wails over the death of her dear papa. The owl still held tightly in her arms, getting soaked with her salty tears. Tightly, you hug the product of yours and Hades’ love. Finally, you let yourself go. Together you both cry over the great loss. You carefully drag her off the couch and place her on your lap. The servants outside the room look down at the floor in sympathy. Eventually, your daughter cries herself to sleep. Your white attire is now wet and stained. Scooping her up you head to where you entered Valhalla from. There you see your in-laws.

“Oh my...how is the little one?”

“She cried herself to sleep Zeus. She kept calling out to Hades…I’m afraid it’ll be like this for the next couple of days. Maybe weeks.”

The girl loved her father as much as he loved her. Despite his duties as king, he would always kiss her goodnight and even squeeze in a story or two. He got her the owl a day after she was born. He said it looked like her with its wide eyes. Hades was a stern but loving father. He always made sure to give his little love attention but would discipline her accordingly when she acted out. Helheim may not be a warm and welcoming place, but inside the palace it was. Just a couple of days ago your family was playing hide-and-seek. You and your daughter would hide as Hades tried to find you. Every time he found you, he would always go after your daughter first. Scooping her up in his arms, her innocent giggles, and his boisterous laugh. The memory starts to create a gloss over your eyes again.

Adamas places a hand on your shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay? Do you want to go back home right now?”

You give your brother a small and sad smile. “I appreciate the worry you all, but I am still Queen of Helheim. I have a job to do as its sole ruler now. Hades would be disappointed if I let things go downhill because of his death.”

“Will you not avenge his death?”

“Do not mock me Hermes. I want to avenge my beloved’s death, but Hades made me promise not to join Ragnarok...I will leave it to you all to avenge my husband. After all...only a Greek can seek retribution for another Greek.”

On your way through the portal to go to Helheim, her family bows to her. Walking, you remember something Hades said to you one night, a few years ago.

“I love my brothers, but loving you has a whole other meaning. Our sweet girl here is proof of that. The both of you are my life’s greatest treasures. She may be the center of my eye, but you my love, you are what my heart beats for. Never forget that.”

#record of ragnarok #shuumatsu no valkyrie #ror hades x reader #snv hades x reader #hades x reader #angst #fanfiction #record of ragnarok hades #shuumatsu no valkyrie hades

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thatlonelycactus · 6 months

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As we all know by now, at its core, Good Omens is a love story. I mean, it is about possibly the first two beings to ever FEEL love. About the first two beings to get be BLINDED by love.

Crowley loves- well he loves life- the potential it has to grow, change, to experience. From the very first moments he loved the stars and the potential each one had to become something of itself and he had a hand in that. To Crowley, the universe wasn’t made to just surround the Earth- to him every part of it was just as important- he loved every part of it. He loved it so much that the very idea of its destruction made him fall. Yet he still loved the universe even when it was beyond his reach. In Eden Crowley did whatever he could to give life and humanity the potential to become more than just a “breeding pair” he gave them the ability to ask, to sin, and most importantly, to do good. When he met the angel who gave up his sword- risking plenty of trouble from Above- so that Adam and Eve could survive, he began to realize he wasn’t the only one who loved creation. He saved the lives of both Job’s children and goats because they didn’t deserve death, they had plenty to live for. He tempted the angel of the Eastern Gate to try food because he deserved to enjoy his existence as well. He deserved to thrive rather than just “live”. An angel who risked falling just to protect the lives of three children. Eventually Crowley came to love this angel who loved creation just as much as he did, who grew and changed along with it. Who, no matter how many decades passed always greeted him with an “Oh! It’s YOU again!” and a smile. Because HE got it. He understood what neither Above nor Below could ever understand- the world didn’t need to suffer- HE didn’t need to suffer for wanting to live. Yet, when Crowley watched Heaven tell his friend to “shut his mouth and die” ( don’t remember the exact line) he realised that there was no “good side” anymore. It was only him and the angel. But then that angel left him to join the same side which would condemn him to death for loving.

Aziraphale loves love. As cringey as it sounds- thats how I see it. He loved the being that loved the stars so passionately that he would risk everything to save them. Who loved goats and humans so much that he would do anything he could to save them from an unjust death. Who showed a young man in a desert all the beauty of the world- not to tempt him- but to let him see the things he would never be able to for the Almighty would let him die early despite claiming to love him. Aziraphale loves literature so much because the speak of love. The love and passion of the author. The love the characters have for each other. But he still loved heaven. Because he believes that it is still the side of love- or atleast has the potential to be. When he has an offer that means that he can make things better he is so excited because he can bring the one being that understands love with him. They can make things better together. His demon does not want to go back to a place that can be the side of good, of love. And that breaks his heart. Yet as much as they both love humanity, life, love, being, whatever. Both Aziraphale and Crowley still love the Almighty. Aziraphale loves them for what he believes they stand for. Good. But Crowley, who has had everything he has ever loved taken from him by them. By their plan. He still loves them. Because how couldn’t he love the one who made the world he loves so much? He loves them because, at the end of the day, it’s because of them that he was able to love in the first place. At the end of the day, love both brought them together and separated them. But that’s just the ineffably of the Almightys plan, is it not? Anyway idk where I’m going with this. Tbh it’s just spam and if you made it this far congrats on getting this far.

#seriously tho like #this is just a glorified shitpost #ineffable husbands #good omens #crowley #aziraphale #go s2 #good omens shitpost #ineffable divorce #I’m sorry this is not easy to understand #So yeah

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imakemywings · 3 months

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After the juicy "Celebrimbor not talking to any of his family" take, you've hit us with another equally juicy (but probably controversial lol) take of Russingon which is something I've been riding for a while now, @spiritofwhitefire spoke nothing but facts. Still, on a serious note (no offense, I really love that ship so much) the constant characterization of Fingon as blindy forgiving, and always siding with Maedhros (or like being desperate to be with him) was probably what made me sour a bit on Russingon. Fingon has other personalities and motivations besides being Maedhros' love interest or being his hype man but seriously, he's Fingolfin's son, and seeing how close and loyal Fingon was to Fingolfin, I am sure, he would be genuinely pissed at Maedhros. I can't imagine him instantly forgiving Mae or something, and even if he did, does his forgiveness mean something to Mae because, at the end of the day, Maedhros is still doggedly loyal to Feanor. Anyway, this is just me being fixated on your tags, "not wanting maedhros to die a miserable death at morgoth's hands doesn't necessarily equate to total instant and complete forgiveness, "honestly a huge fan of their friendship never fully recovering..." please tell me more. I love your headcanons.

I don't mean to be in opposition to so many popular fandom takes 😅I'm usually not this bad about that...

Sure, maybe Fingon is a saint who harbors no resentment...but I'm not particularly interested in that take. #1, Fingon is presumably made a kinslayer in Alqualonde for the sake of the Feanorians, whom he believed were under unjust assault, but who were, in fact, the aggressors. #2, Although Maedhros does not partake in the burning of the ships at Losgar (something it's implied Fingon learns eventually), neither did he make any effort to stop it, and that decision of the Feanorians' helped condemn the rest of the Noldor host to the Helcaraxe, where, among other things, Fingon's sister-in-law dies. I would say he certainly has grounds to be angry with Maedhros and furthermore, to distrust him going forward.

Not to say these specific things are entirely or even primarily Maedhros' fault...but I think it would be very hard not to be angry with a cousin/close friend who had helped to put you in these positions, particularly depending on how Maedhros handles the situation after their reunion (i.e. whether he apologizes or doubles down or tries to pretend nothing is wrong).

This definitely relates to my general feelings on Maedhros becoming the center of everything in this fandom but yes, the way Fingon orbits around him in so much fanon gets quite old. I'll be honest and say I don't ship Russingon even a tiny bit so it's doubly grating to see Fingon reduced to either Maedhros' hype man (if alive) or his angst-generator (if dead) and have that romance be cast as so core to everything Fingon (or Maedhros!) does. And I do think there can be plenty of crunchy drama even without the romance aspect (Anyone who's had a friendship go sour can probably attest to this).

But in terms of actual character motivation and reactions--I think it's just a lot more interesting if there are actual consequences to Maedhros' actions in terms of a relationship that was really important to him, rather than Fingon just completely forgiving Maedhros everything always so that there's no friction in the relationship.

For one, as I talked about here, their relationship already had problems before the rebellion of the Noldor. How bad things got between them in Tirion is really up to our interpretation, but it is very apparent things were not kosher between them even before Losgar happened, and before Alqualonde. I can't imagine that doesn't color later events between them.

For another, Fingon's motivations in seeking Maedhros out in Thangorodorim were political. They were also personal, but the first motivation mentioned in his decision to seek Maedhros as Melkor's prisoner is to reunite the Noldor. And as I mentioned in those tags, just because he didn't want Maedhros to die a miserable death or experience indefinite torment at Melkor's hands doesn't necessarily mean he forgave him, or even still considered him a friend. MOST of us would not want to see someone we know suffer Maedhros' fate, regardless of what they had done to us.

"Then Fingon the valiant, son of Fingolfin, resolved to heal the feud that divided the Noldor, before their Enemy should be ready for war...Fingon had been close in friendship with Maedhros...Therefore he dared a deed which is justly renowned among the feats of the princes of the Noldor." ("Of the Return of the Noldor")

If nothing else, I imagine their relationship was always complicated after this. To your point above, Maedhros is deeply committed to fulfilling the oath of his father, and as the Nolofinweans and Arafinweans were there when the Feanorians swore to deal death on anyone handling a Silmaril, they have to be aware of at least the possibility that that may cause trouble someday (I'm sure they did not anticipate the scale or severity).

So Fingolfin, Fingon's father, is king (thanks to Maedhros)...but Maedhros is loyal to his oath above all else. And Maedhros still holds considerable sway over the Feanorians (I would venture to say it's a common theory if not outright knowledge that, should push come to shove, the Feanorians will obey Maedhros, not Fingolfin). How does Fingon feel about that?

To me, these things, in addition to Maedhros' earlier behavior (being part of the initial kinslaying at Alqualonde, not trying to stop the burning of the swan ships) mean that Fingon can never fully trust Maedhros again. There will always be at least a sliver of doubt and mistrust there, wondering at Maedhros' ulterior motives, at his end-game plans. And I don't think Maedhros is very good at making this not the case because he is always trying to play 5-D chess, and he's not always sneaky about it.

That bit above about how the Feanorians are loyal to Maedhros over Fingolfin? I imagine that goes doubly when Fingon becomes high king. Whatever respect the sons of Feanor might have had for Fingolfin as their elder they almost certainly do not have for their young cousin. And I do love takes where Maedhros (successfully or unsuccessfully) sees Fingon as far more malleable than Fingolfin and is trying to manipulate him from behind the scenes. (Particularly if this interacts with any insecurities Fingon may have about his abilities as king--to think that even Maedhros sees him as a weak ruler/weaker than his father!)

I don't mean to suggest they were never close again after the rebellion (although you could perhaps make the case), but that there was never the same level of trust, ease, and companionship in that friendship that there had been before. Forever after, there was always political calculus involved, because of the kingship, because of the oath, because of Maedhros' refusal to disavow the actions of his family (Admittedly--we don't know what position he took on Alqualonde or Losgar afterwards; it's never stated or even implied, iirc. However, based on his response to Celegorm and Curufin's attempted coup against Finrod [nothing] and the attempted assault of Luthien [nothing] and attempted murder of Beren [nothing], I will extrapolate the headcanon that he was not keen to admit to either of the earlier instances as being a mistake.)

Anyway to me it's sooo tasty if they stayed (sort of) friends and yet there was this unspoken mistrust that was always there after that, perhaps alongside a kind of golden nostalgia for the "old days" of their friendship.

(Also juicy drama to me if Fingon becomes a lot closer with Finrod than he had been in Aman due to Helcaraxe trauma/responsibility bonding and Maedhros has to grind his teeth and live with the fact that Fingon trusts Finrod more than he trusts Maedhros now. And lots of love for fans who also explore Fingon's canonical friendship with Aegnor and Angrod! )

There's also the fact that Fingon bites the dust before the worst of Maedhros' actions. I simply cannot see Fingon justifying the assault on Doriath, or Sirion, or the kidnapping of Elrond and Elros, or the assault on Eonwe's Elven guard. Absolutely, there is grief in seeing someone you loved and valued become someone you cannot support, but I can never buy into post-Mandos takes where Fingon just handwaves everything Maedhros did after Fingon's death.

So yes, there it is. Maedhros and Fingon's political drama charged friendship fallout.

#asks #anonymous #maedhros #fingon #the silmarillion #tolkien tag

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fortifice · 2 months

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The Captain of the Silvermane Guard? He’s young, exceptionally handsome, respected by all those who know him. He comes from a noble, wealthy family, he’s kind hearted and brave, loyal to his people to a fault, and he never wavers in his dedication to protecting them even when he’s on the verge of collapse. By all means, you would think someone like him has everything and more a person could long for in this world. It’s unfortunate that it’s all a mask and nothing more. I don’t see someone’s who has the entire world in the pan of their hand. More like… someone who has been forced to bear the weight of it on his back for as long as he can remember. Has he ever once in his life been asked what he wanted? Does he even know? Can he name to you his closest friends, or the last meaningful relationship he was in without having to stop and mull it over?

I can admire his more impressive qualities, of which their are many, and still feel a vague sense of disgust at a population who would expect someone who hasn’t even had the chance to live yet to lay down his life so they can continue their own uninterrupted. Where is the justice? If someone born into that kind of privilege can be sentenced to a prolonged, inevitable death in the freezing cold, surrounded by monsters and fallen comrades, what the hell is there to hold out hope for? I won’t pretend to understand what happened with the last Supreme Guardian, but all I know is that for a planet that claims to embody Preservation, it’s pretty damned pathetic that no one thought of looking to alternate solutions instead of sending their sons to die every few years. To allow a tyrannical monarch to segregate the population in half and leave the less fortunate side to rot should have been a cal to serve her head on a platter and take control back of their own destiny.

What was done to those guards that they were okay with leaving some of their people for dead instead of standing up for what was right?

What came first, the people of Belobog losing faith in the idea that circumstances could improve if even just a fraction of them stood up and rallied for change? Or the previous generation breaking down their children to the point where complacency and absolute obedience was the only thing they were permitted to do?

But things are improving now. Belobog has outside help, allies, friends. They have options. It’s time to let the guards live instead of expecting them to sacrifice their bodies and souls to death only to raise their children to do the same thing.

If I could ask the Captain two things it would be this: what does he truly want? And would he ever willingly force his own child into the position he is in now? If the answer is no, then somewhere song the way, someone failed the guards.

It was painful to hear the truth so candidly, for they had grown complacent when facing the imminence of death at every dawn and laying their fallen brethren as dusk settled. It was not to say that it was a merciful thing, it was to say that they expected it, it was the way things had always been, would always be. He had seethed with the unjustness of it for so many years, trod the path of his forefathers and accepted that he would die, it was fate, for someone to stand up and ask who wanted this ? who asked for this, there wasn’t an answer he could give that was truthful. No one wanted to die. The men he had marched into battle with that had lost their lives had wanted to live more than anything else, when someone had seen them huddled around a fire laughing heartily, sharing meals together, living together, it became so excruciatingly obvious that none of them had asked for this. He does not take his position as captain lightly, for as much as it is a shackle he has always walked with it with pride. It was an intrinsic part of who he was, but to ask what he wanted, would he be an honest man if he answered that this was all he had ever coveted, that it was not imprisonment, condemning young men to die for the sake of preserving normalcy. Not many were brazen enough to speak up against the Supreme Guardian’s will, it had encompassed belobog for decades, in the wake of her death things were changing but it was like thawing frozen, brittle cogs. Everything would take time, it was an inevitable thing that, because these people had become accustomed to survival, not living. This commanding letter imbued with all that fervent emotion makes his chest ache, because he knows it’s not wrong - he knows he does not have the answers that they might want. But when they ask him, implore him for his own feelings, is this what he wanted ? would he force his children to take up the mantle and die for the people of belobog. He looks haunted by that revelation, because he knows that his truth is not in accordance with the Supreme Guardian’s will that had dictated so much of his life. “ No..” it sounds pained, like he were gritting it out from between his teeth, like every breath in the wake of change was excruciating for him. He was having to learn about himself, about others, when his whole life had been shaped for one thing and now he was left to reel in the aftermath of it, change wasn’t easy - it wasn’t pleasant, it hurt. “ I would not condemn anyone else to walk the path I have, it is far too imbued with suffering and death.” he could envision the other’s hands clenched into fists, grabbing his white livery and shaking him until he realized that he did not need to die for them, no one wanted him dead. “ If I was afforded the opportunity I would leave this place.” it’s such a blasphemous thing to say, that his whole soul keens beneath the weight of it. “ I have spent much of my life protecting it but all I have wanted is to leave.” wouldn’t it make others recoil from him, knowing that the pristine white of the captain’s uniform was stained with the desire to walk away from it all. The death was too much, when someone asked for him to be honest he thought he may be crushed under the corollary of his confession. “ Their words are harsh but they are not wrong, Belobog needs to change.” and this letter he crumples up, he doesn’t throw it away, he thinks if another’s prying eyes were to lay upon it they too might suffer with the revelations he did.

#GOD THIS HAS HIM ACTGUALLY IRREVOCABLY FUCKED UP #i had to reply to this despite myself because he was like #shook #to the core #。 ‧͙*̩̩❆ ✧ in character ‚ ⁱᵗ'ˢ ʷⁱⁿᵗᵉʳ﹐ ʸᵒᵘ ᵃˢᵏ ᵐᵉ ᵃᵇᵒᵘᵗ ˡᵒᵛᵉ ᵃⁿᵈ ᴵ ᵗᵉˡˡ ʸᵒᵘ ᵃᵇᵒᵘᵗ ᵛⁱᵒˡᵉⁿᶜᵉ / ᵃˢᵏˢ

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officialyourdailyinspiration · 1 year

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Mornings and Evenings with Jesus

by William Jay

Morning Devotional for March 9th

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 Corinthians 3:17

Liberty has always been highly prized, and can never be prized too highly. Well, we have civil liberty as Britons and spiritual liberty as Christians,-a liberty “unsung by poets, and by senators unpraised.” Let us endeavour to exemplify our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus. It will be found to include five things: First, Our freedom from the exactions and impositions of men in religion. Now, observe, we say in religion, because we do not here refer to civil things. We are willing to abide always by our Saviour’s distinction:-“Render unto Cæsar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” Where religion is concerned, “The Lord is our King, the Lord is our lawgiver; and, if any require us to believe or do what he has not enjoined us to believe or do, we are to obey God rather than man. The Saviour says, “Call no man master upon earth; for one is your master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren.” When will men distinguish between civil governments and Christianity? The one regards us as citizens, the other as Christians.

Secondly, This liberty includes a freedom from the tyranny of Sin and Satan. As saith the apostle, “What fruit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now, being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”

Thirdly, It includes a freedom from the condemnation of the law. “The soul that sinneth shall die;” and, saith the apostle, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.” And “who has ever done this?” Who has ever continued, from the first hour of reason, in avoiding every thing the law forbids and in doing every thing the law commands? But whose curse is it? The curse of Almighty God: and who knoweth the power of his anger? And the execution of this power is certain, unless-unless what? unless a surety be found; and such a Surety has been found, who has come forward and said, “Deliver them from going down to the pit;” I will give myself a ransom; I will bear their sins in my own body on the tree; I will suffer, “the just for the unjust, to bring them to God.” “There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.” No; he has “redeemed them from the curse of the law, being made a curse for them.” Now, “therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Fourthly, It includes freedom of access unto God. “He is the greatest and best of Beings.” The effect of sin is to separate between us and God. When the angels sinned in heaven, they were immediately banished thence; when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, they were driven out of it; and for sinning, the Jews were expelled from the land flowing with milk and honey. So many instances of actual fact show us-every one of them-what is the effect of sin:-that it is to separate between us and God, and to keep us from God. But now, through Christ Jesus, who is the Mediator between us and God, “we have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” The believer has the liberty of approach unto God at all times, in every place, under all circumstances; they have full liberty to hold communion with him in the fields, by the way, in their ordinary business; they have full liberty to enter his house, to come to his table, to hang upon his arm, to recline upon his bosom, to call him their Lord and their God,-the strength of their heart and their portion forever.

Fifthly, It includes freedom to partake of and enjoy the good things or nature and providence. Unscriptural self-denial and self-imposed severity, with regard to abstinence from the blessings of providence, have never promoted the mortification of sin or sanctification of heart. Here is our charter: the Scripture hath said, “Every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”

#William Jay #Mornings and Evenings with Jesus #devotional #morning #March 9 #2 Corinthians 3:17 #2023

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internet-society · 8 months

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Should Israel roll over and die for you? Would that make you happy? 7 million Jews and 2 million free Arabs just roll over and die?

You know there are Arabs in the IDF that are busy deleting Hamas as we speak?

I'm gonna answer this only because you think you have me in a "gotcha" & you don't think I'm capable of explaining my feelings & posts.

I am an American. I've lived in the United States all my life, but my family is from Mexico. I myself am afro-latina. What that means is, when most people see me, they see a black person. Most don't realize I speak Spanish so I'm constantly subject to discrimination in my face in two languages & two countries.

I try to stay out of protests for the aforementioned reason. Anywhere I go, I am asked to speak up for the actions of other black Americans & other black people in general. The more bigoted the crowd, the more ridiculous questions I get. It's hard for me to blend in. So I get pinpointed, bothered, assaulted, inappropriately touched in different areas of my body just because I was born in "this" skin.

I often reflected on what I learned about black slavery, the Holocaust, bombings, the fact that, because generations of my family had fled persecution from multiple imperialists, I was now able to live in relative ignorance of this harsh reality of life. I saw beheaded people on magazine covers, several of my family & their friends were brutally tortured & murdered by gangs, within America & in Mexico, I myself was shot as a kid, but my family told me to cover my eyes & ears & live a better life.

We're all sick of the bloodshed. The death. The outright murder. The laughing over corpses. We have commodities like fucking iPhones & hoverboards at the cost of human genocide, mutilation, & defilement. This is the same war that has been fought, over & over again. To me, it's not about what group is inherently evil & which group is inherently right. How can you justify holiness through bloodshed? How can anything be sacred when it prefers desecration over assistance?

You know as well as I do we live in an unjust world. I am ignorant because of this privilege, I grant you that. But I am tired & sore of screaming for change. We have all the tools at our disposal, we've had enough celebrities sing about it, we've done the calculations for the costs of global renewal energy, the end of world hunger, & free healthcare & education. We even have charities, large groups of people, entire nations already pushing & begging to make these policies an intrinsic part of reality.

And if this behavior of war, which has been condemned by the United Nations, by several countries, & by a large percentage of the world itself, is not brought to justice, what hope do any of us have? What reason to move forward? What reason to propagate humanity?

I am not pushing for a ceasefire. I am not pushing for the death of Isrealis. I am not pushing for an overthrow by Hamas. I am not pushing for any kind of racial distinction in promotion of either small or full-scale war. I am asking for us to end it. Forever. End this war, end these genocides, end this blatant slaughter, end fighting within this modern twilight zone that has the CAPACITY & the POWER to effect beneficial change for THE GLOBE, but refuses to because they weren't raised well by their own upbringers.

My anger may sound laughable & even silly, but it is the fact that I still have blood coursing through my veins that I continue to scream & yell, albeit on a platform which is probably getting relatively few views. Because I carry the blood of the colonized. Because I am the child of the massacred, the raped, the beaten. Because you are angry enough to send these silly asks on anon because you are either a coward wrapped in your own head or someone who doesn't have the skills necessary to articulate their feelings for the other side.

I don't hate you. I don't even feel sorry for you. You feel alone & cold in this world, as the rest of us do, but you don't have anything to believe in. You don't even believe in yourself. That's why you sent propaganda on anon. Because you like being told what to do.

#israel #support palestine #end war #end genocide #end murder #end cowardice #hold these devils accountable #anon #hate mail

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annabolinas · 1 month

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May 15, 1536 - The Trial of Anne Boleyn

"She made so wise and discreet answers to all things laid against her, excusing herself with her words so clearly, as though she had never been faulty to the same." - Wriothesley's Chronicle (1559)

"I do not wish to say that your verdict is unjust,

Nor presume that my opinion alone is so reasonable

That it must be considered valid

Against all of you; and I believe you know full well

The reason why you have condemned me,

Which is other than the one you have deduced

From this trial, for I am clear of all of it.

And I have no need for God to pardon me for it,

Nor ever to grant me any grace for it:

For I have always been faithful to the king.

I do not say that I have been such as I should have been,

Nor that I bore towards him the humility

That I owed him, given his kindness

And the great tenderness with which he treated me,

And the great honor that he always bestowed on me,

And that I didn't often harbor

Some notion of jealousy towards him:

In this I know that I failed in virtue,

And I truly strayed from my duty.

But as for the rest, may God be my witness

That I have done no more wrong against him ...

I wish that this last speech

Serve only to give solace to my sense of honor,

And that of my brother, and of those men whom you have judged

To die and have estranged from their good reputation,

Such that I wish that I had the ability to defend

And deliver them, and take on for myself

A thousand deaths. But, since it pleases the king,

I shall accept death in this faith,

And I shall keep company in their death

So as, afterwards, in everlasting life,

To live with them in eternal rest,

Where I shall pray to God for the king and for you." - Lancelot de Carle's account of Anne Boleyn's words after her condemnation (1536, trans. Joann Dellaneva)

#tudor era #tudorerasource #perioddramaedit #dailytudors #anne boleyn #the six wives of henry viii #dorothy tutin #the other boleyn girl #natalie portman #anne of the thousand days #genevieve bujold #wolf hall #claire foy #decided to once again highlight TSWOH8 1970 #not only an extremely underrated depiction #but the best and most accurate depiction of Anne's trial I've ever seen!!!#sorry this is a bit late #i've been busy - exams and what not #every other depiction of anne's trial has significant inaccuracies #but TSWOH8 1970 is like 85-90% right and I'm rly happy about that #dorothy tutin acts her ass off in the trial scene asw #also here are some other trial scenes that at least have anne defend herself and make an epic speech #henry viii 2003 and AB 2021 #henry viii 2003 #helena bonham carter #anne boleyn 2021 #jodie turner smith #anneboleynedit

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chawsl · 1 year

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Eternal punishment?

This fiery punishment for sin will vary according to the degree of sins for each individual, but after the punishment, the fire will go out. The unbiblical teaching of eternal torment has done more to drive people to atheism than any other invention of the devil.

Let me explain in a format of questions with answers.

Well? Does God really keep the devil on His payroll as the chief superintendent of hell, measuring out the punishment of the lost? Nearly the entire world holds to a very unbiblical view about hell, and you owe it to yourself to know what the Bible really says about it. Don’t be fooled—because what you think about hell affects what you think about God!

1. How many lost souls are being punished in hell today?

“The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust

under punishment for the day of judgment” (2 Peter 2:9).

Answer: There is not one single soul in hellfire today. The Bible says that God reserves, or holds back, the wicked until the day of judgment to be punished.

2. When will the lost be cast into hellfire?

“So it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire” (Matthew 13:40–42). “The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).

Answer: The lost will be cast into hellfire at the great judgment at the end of the world—not when they die. God would not punish a person in fire until his or her case was tried and decided in court at the end of the world. Does it make sense that God would burn a murderer who died 5,000 years ago 5,000 years longer than a murderer who dies today and deserves the same punishment for the same sin? (See Genesis 18:25.)

3. Where are the unsaved who have already died?

“The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28, 29).

“That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? … Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb” (Job 21:30, 32 KJV).

Answer: The Bible is specific. Both the unsaved and the saved who have died are in their graves “sleeping” until the resurrection day. (If need be we can look into what the Bible says about what really happens at death.)

4. What is the end result of sin?

“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

“Sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:15).

“God … gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Jesus died to save us from our sins. Those who do not accept His gift of salvation will receive death.

Answer: The wages for (or the result of) sin is death, not everlasting life in hellfire. The wicked “perish,” or receive “death.” The righteous receive “everlasting life.”

5. What will happen to the wicked in hellfire?

“The cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).

Answer: The wicked die the second death in hellfire. If the wicked lived forever being tortured in hell, they would be immortal. But this is impossible because the Bible says God “alone has immortality” (1 Timothy 6:16). When Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden of Eden, an angel was posted to guard the tree of life so that sinners would not eat of the tree and “live forever” (Genesis 3:22–24). The teaching that sinners are immortal in hell originated with Satan and is completely untrue. God prevented this when sin entered this earth by guarding the tree of life.

6. When and how will hellfire be kindled?

“So it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will ... cast them into the furnace of fire” (Matthew 13:40–42). “They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them” (Revelation 20:9). “If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner” (Proverbs 11:31).

Answer: The Bible says that God will kindle hellfire. After the holy city comes down out of heaven (Revelation 21:2), the wicked will attempt to capture it. At that time, God will rain down fire from heaven upon the earth, and it will devour the wicked. This fire is Bible hellfire.

7. How big and how hot will hellfire be?

“The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).

Answer: Hellfire will be just as big as this earth because it will be the earth on fire. This fire will be so hot as to melt the earth and burn up all “the works that are in it.” The atmospheric heavens will explode and “pass away with a great noise.”

8. How long will the wicked suffer in the fire?

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).

“He will reward each according to his works” (Matthew 16:27).

“That servant who knew his master’s will, and did not ... do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few” (Luke 12:47, 48).

Answer: The Bible does not tell us how long the wicked will be punished before receiving death in the fire. God does specifically state, however, that all will be punished according to their deeds. This means some will receive longer punishment than others, based upon their works.

9. Will the fire eventually go out?

“Behold, they shall be as stubble, the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame; it shall not be a coal to be warmed by, nor a fire to sit before!” (Isaiah 47:14).

“I saw a new heaven and a new earth. ... And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1, 4).

Answer: Yes. The Bible specifically teaches that hellfire will go out—that there will not be left “a coal to be warmed by, nor a fire to sit before.” The Bible also says that in God’s new kingdom all “former things” will have passed away. Hell, being one of the former things, is included, so we have God’s promise that it will be abolished.

If God tortured His enemies in a fiery horror chamber throughout eternity, He would be more vicious and heartless than men have ever been in the worst of war atrocities. An eternal hell of torment would be hell for God also, who loves even the vilest sinner.

10. What will be left when the fire goes out?

“ ‘Behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up ... that will leave them neither root nor branch. ... You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 4:1, 3).

Answer: Notice the verse does not say the wicked will burn like asbestos, as many today believe, but rather like stubble, which will be burned up. The little word “up” denotes completion. Nothing but ashes will be left when the fire goes out. In Psalm 37:10, 20, the Bible says the wicked will go up in smoke and be completely destroyed.

11. Will the wicked enter hell in bodily form and be destroyed both soul and body?

“It is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell” (Matthew 5:30).

“Rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

“The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20).

Answer: Yes. Real, living people enter hell in bodily form and are destroyed both soul and body. The fire from God out of heaven will fall upon real people and blot them out of existence.

12. Will the devil be in charge of hellfire?

“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:10).

“I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you. … You … shall be no more forever” (Ezekiel 28:18, 19).

Answer: Absolutely not! The devil will be cast into the fire, and it will turn him into ashes.

13. Does the word “hell” as used in the Bible always refer to a place of burning or punishment?

Answer: No. The word “hell” is used 54 times in the Bible (KJV), and in only 12 cases does it refer to “a place of burning.”

The word "hell" is translated from several different words with various meanings, as indicated below:

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

31 times from "Sheol," which means the grave."

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

10 times from "Hades," which means "the grave."

12 times from "Gehenna," which means "the place of burning."

1 time from "Tartarus," which means "a place of darkness."

54 TIMES TOTAL

Note: The word “Gehenna” is a transliteration of the Hebrew “Ge-Hinnom,” which means the “Valley of Hinnom.” This valley, which lies immediately south and west of Jerusalem, was a place where dead animals, garbage, and other refuse were dumped. Fire burned constantly, as it does at modern sanitation dump sites. The Bible uses “Gehenna” or the “Valley of Hinnom” as a symbol of the fire that will destroy the lost at the end of time. The fire of Gehenna was not unending. Otherwise, it would still be burning southwest of Jerusalem today. Neither will the fire of hell be unending.

14. What is God’s real purpose in hellfire?

“Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). “Anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

“For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more. … The enemies of the Lord … shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away” (Psalm 37:10, 20).

Answer: God’s purpose is that hell will destroy the devil, all sin, and the unsaved to make the world safe for eternity. Any vestige of sin left on this planet would be a deadly virus forever threatening the universe. It is God’s plan to blot out sin from existence for all time!

Eternal Hell Would Perpetuate Sin

An eternal hell of torment would perpetuate sin and make its eradication impossible. An eternal hell of torment is not part of God’s great plan at all. Such a theory is slander against the holy name of a loving God. The devil delights to see our loving Creator pictured as a monstrous tyrant.

Eternal Hell Is Not Found in the Bible

The “eternal hell of torment” theory originated not from the Bible, but from misguided people who were, perhaps inadvertently, led of the devil. And while a fear of hell might get our attention, we are not saved by fear but by God’s grace.

God will be deeply saddened when He must destroy those His Son died to save.

15. Isn’t the act of destroying the unsaved foreign to God’s nature?

“ ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die?’ ” (Ezekiel 33:11).

“The Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them” (Luke 9:56). “The Lord will rise up … that He may do His work, His awesome work, and bring to pass His act, His unusual act” (Isaiah 28:21).

Answer: Yes—the work of God has always been to save rather than to destroy. The work of destroying the wicked in hellfire is so foreign to God’s nature that the Bible calls it His “unusual act.” God’s great heart will ache at the destruction of the wicked. Oh, how diligently He works to save every soul! But if one spurns His love and clings to sin, God will have no choice but to destroy the unrepentant sinner when He rids the universe of the horrible, malignant growth called “sin” in the fires of the last day.

16. What are God’s post-hell plans for the earth and His people?

“He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time” (Nahum 1:9). “I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17).

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain” (Revelation 21:3, 4).

Answer: After hellfire goes out, God will create a new earth and restore it to His people—with all the beauties and glories of Eden before sin entered. Pain, death, tragedy, woe, tears, sickness, disappointment, sorrow, and all sin will be banished forever.

Sin Will Not Rise Again

God promises that sin will never rise again. His people will be filled with perfect peace, love, joy, and contentment. Their lives of complete happiness will be far more glorious and thrilling than mere words could ever describe. The real tragedy of hell is in missing heaven. A person who chooses not to enter this magnificent kingdom has made the saddest choice of a lifetime.

17. Are you thankful to learn that God is not punishing the wicked throughout eternity in hellfire?

Answer:

Thought Questions

1. Doesn’t the Bible speak of “eternal torment”?

No—the phrase “eternal torment” does not appear in the Bible.

2. Then why does the Bible say that the wicked will be destroyed with unquenchable fire?

Unquenchable fire is fire that cannot be put out, but which goes out when it has turned everything to ashes. Jeremiah 17:27 says Jerusalem was to be destroyed with unquenchable fire, and in 2 Chronicles 36:19–21 the Bible says this fire burned the city “to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah” and left it desolate. Yet we know this fire went out, because Jerusalem

is not burning today.

3. Doesn’t Matthew 25:46 say the wicked will receive “everlasting punishment”?

Notice the word is punishment, not punishing. Punishing would be continuous, while punishment is one act. The punishment of the wicked is death, and this death is everlasting.

4. Can you explain Matthew 10:28: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul”?

The word “soul” has three meanings in the Bible: (1) a living being, Genesis 2:7—(2) the mind, Psalm 139:14—and (3) life, 1 Samuel 18:1. Also, Matthew 10:28 refers to the soul as the eternal life that God guarantees to all who accept it. No one can take this away.

5. Matthew 25:41 speaks of “everlasting fire” for the wicked. Does it go out?

Yes. According to the Bible, it does. We must let the Bible explain itself. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed with everlasting, or eternal, fire (Jude 1:7), and that fire turned them “into ashes” as a warning to “those who afterward would live ungodly” (2 Peter 2:6). These cities are not burning today. The fire went out after everything was burned up. Likewise, everlasting fire will go out after it has turned the wicked to ashes (Malachi 4:3). The effects of the fire are everlasting, but not the burning itself.

6. Doesn’t the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke16:19-31 teach an eternal hell of torment?

No! It is a parable Jesus used to emphasize a certain spiritual lesson. The point of the story is found in verse 31. Parables should not be taken literally—otherwise, we would believe that trees talk! (See Judges 9:8–15.) Here are some facts making it clear that Luke 16:19–31 is a parable:

A. Abraham’s bosom is not heaven (Hebrews 11:8–10, 16).

B. People in hell can’t talk to those in heaven (Isaiah 65:17).

C. The dead are in their graves (Job 17:13; John 5:28, 29). The rich man was in bodily form with eyes, a tongue, etc., yet we know that the body does not go to hell at death but remains in the grave, as the Bible says.

D. People are rewarded at Christ’s second coming, not at death (Revelation 22:12).

E. The lost are cast into hell at the end of the world, not when they die (Matthew 13:40–42).

7. But the Bible speaks of the wicked being tormented "forever," doesn't it?

The term forever is used 56 times in the King James Bible in connection with things that have already ended.* It is like the word “tall,” which means something different in describing men, trees, or mountains. In Jonah 2:6, “forever” means “three days and nights.” In Deuteronomy 23:3, it means 10 generations. In the case of mankind, it means “as long as he lives” or “until death.” (See 1 Samuel 1:22, 28; Exodus 21:6; Psalm 48:14.) So the wicked will burn in the fire as long as they live, or until death. This fiery punishment for sin will vary according to the degree of sins for each individual, but after the punishment, the fire will go out. The unbiblical teaching of eternal torment has done more to drive people to atheism than any other invention of the devil. It is slander upon the loving character of a gracious heavenly Father and has done untold harm to the Christian cause.

*To check in a concordance, look up the word “ever.”

Quiz Questions

1. Sinners are cast into hellfire (1)

_____ When they die.

_____ At the end of the world.

_____ By the devil.

2. The reward that sinners will receive in hellfire is (1)

_____ Death.

_____ Eternal torment.

_____ Being tortured by the devil, who is in charge.

3. Hellfire (1)

_____ Will be the whole world set on fire by God.

_____ Is burning now.

_____ Burns throughout the endless ages of eternity.

4. Sinners who have died are in (1)

_____ Purgatory.

_____ Hellfire.

_____ Their graves.

5. The population of hell today (1)

_____ Is exactly zero.

_____ Numbers in the millions.

_____ Cannot be determined.

6. Hellfire (1)

_____ Destroys only the body of the wicked.

_____ Tortures the soul of the wicked throughout eternity.

_____ Destroys sinners -both soul and body- turning them to ashes, then goes out.

7. An eternal hell of torment (1)

_____ Is a very important part of God's great plan.

_____ Is the devil's doctrine and is slander upon the holy, loving name of God, who abhors seeing people suffer.

_____ Gives Satan a job throughout eternity.

8. "Hell" in the Bible (1)

_____ Always refers to a place of burning.

_____ Has several meanings, one of them being the grave.

_____ Refers to Satan's subterranean torture chambers.

9. The purpose for hell is to (1)

_____ Pay back and torture God's enemies.

_____ Frighten people into being good.

_____ Completely blot out sin and evil from the universe and make the righteous safe for eternity.

10. Destroying people in hell (1)

_____ Will be a delight to the great God of heaven.

_____ Is called God’s “unusual act,” because it is so foreign to His loving plan of saving people.

_____ Will be the devil's job, in cooperation with God's plan.

11. After hellfire goes out (1)

_____ God will banish Satan to far outer space.

_____ God will make a perfect new earth, where sin will never rise again, and give it to His people.

_____ The righteous will live in fear of sin's rising again.

12. The story of the rich man and Lazarus (1)

_____ Is a parable and should not be taken literally.

_____ Is Bible proof for the teaching of eternal torment.

_____ Proves that souls in hell can converse with souls in heaven.

13. The term "for ever" as used in the Bible in reference to a man's life (1)

_____ Means 'time without end'.

_____ Is mysterious and cannot be understood.

_____ Usually means 'a man's lifetime', or 'until he dies'.

14. I am thankful to learn that God does not punish the wicked eternally in hellfire.

_____ Yes.

_____ No.

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scotlandsladies · 2 years

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The proof in this trial [of Janet Douglas, Lady Glamis on 17 July 1537] is also awanting on record; but a version of the address which the lady is said to have delivered in her own defence is given by some writers as follows:-

“Those who hate the merit of my brother are enraged because he is not in their power, that he might fall a sacrifice to their malice, and they now discharge their spite upon me because of my near relation to him; and, to gratify their revenge with my blood, they accused me of crimes, which, if true, deserved the severest death. But, seeing it is the only prerogative of God to punish men or women for the faults of others, which belongs to no Judge on earth, who are obliged to punish ever one according in their personal crimes, you ought not to punish in me the actions of my brother, how blameable soever. Above all, you ought to consider if those things I am accused of have the least appearance of truth imaginable; for what gives the greatest evidence either of guilt or innocence of an impeached person is their former life. What fault could any hitherto lay to my charge? Did any ever reproach me with anything that is scandalous? Examine, I entreat you, my former conversation; vice hath its degree as well as virtue, and none can attain to a perfection in either, except by long use and practice; and if you can find nothing reprovable in my conduct, how can ye believe that I am arrived all of a sudden to contrive this murder, which is the very height and perfection of impiety? I protest I would not deliberately injure the most despicable wretch alive. Could I then make the murder of my Sovereign, whom I always reverenced, and who never did me any wrong, the first essay of my wickedness? None are capable of such damnable unnatural actions, except two sorts of persons – those of desperate fortunes who are weary of their lives, or those who are hurried into them by revenge. My birth and manner of life put me beyond suspicion of the first kind; and for the latter, seeing I was never injured by the King, how can I be suspected to thirst for any revenge? I am here accused for purposing to kill the King, and to make my pretended crime appear more frightful, it is given out that the way was to be by poison. With what impudence can any accuse me of such wickedness, who never saw any poison, nor know I anything about the preparation of it? Can any say they ever saw me have any of it? Let them tell me where I bought it, or who procured it me. And though I had it, how could I use it, seeing I never came near the King’s person, his table, nor palace? It is well known that since my last marriage with this unfortunate gentleman I had lived in the country at a great distance from the Court. What opportunity could I have, then, to poison the King? “You may see by those circumstances, which give great light in such matters, that I am entirely innocent of those crimes I am charged with. It is the office of you, Judges, to protect injured innocence. But if the malice and power of my enemies be such that, whether innocent or guilty I must needs be condemned, I shall die cheerfully, having the testimony of a good conscience. And assure yourselves that you shall certainly find it more easy to take away my life than to blast my reputation, or to fix any real blot upon my memory. “This is my last desire of you, that I may be the sole object of your severity, and that those other innocent persons may not share in my misfortunes. Seeing that my chief crime is that I am descended of the family of Douglas, there is no reason that they should be involved in my ruin; for my husband, son, and cousin were neither of that name nor family. I shall end my life with more comfort if you absolve them; for the more of us that suffer by your unjust sentence, the greater will be your guilt, and the more terrible your condemnation when you shall be tried at the great day by God, who is the impartial Judge of all flesh, who shall then make you suffer for those torments to which we are unjustly condemned.”

This speech is probably apocryphal, though Lady Glamis may have spoken somewhat in this strain. All defence, however, proved unavailing. Drummond of Hawthornden says that, before a verdict was given, “some of the Judges would have referred her to the King’s clemency till a farther trial of the witnesses might be had, upon whose testimony the process did depend, it being a safer way in judgment to absolve the guilty than condemn the innocent. But the most part gave her over to the Assizers, the better part of which being in voices fewer, the greater, who neither respecting conscience within them, nor shamed with the present age and posterity, nor the supreme justice of Heaven, find this poor lady guilty.” The French authority states that now two of the Judges repaired to the King’s presence and entreated for delay, but he, counselled by the accuser, William Lyon, gave an absolute refusal, telling them that the law must take its course, And so it did. The lady being found guilty of the “treasonable crimes” in the two points of her dittay, sentence was pronounced that she “has forfaulted to our Sovereign Lord her life, her lands, goods moveable and unmoveable; and that she shall be had to the Castlehill of Edinburgh, and there burned in a fire to death as a traitor.” And this the Doomster (the common executioner), as was the custom of the Court, laying his hands on her head, “gave for doom.” We may note that there was no exceptional barbarity in this sentence of burning alive, it being the legal practice in Scotland that women convicted of the higher crimes were burned at the stake, and for lesser offences drowned.

The sentence was carried out on the same day, and the lady was conducted from the bar to the pyre of faggots on the hill without much pause. “A little time after the sentence,” says the French writer, “she was delivered into the hands of the executioner, to be led out to suffer. The constancy and courage of this heroine are almost incredible, which astonished all the spectators. She heard the sentence pronounced against her without the least sign of concern, neither did she cry, groan, or shed a tear, though that kind of death is most frightful to human nature. When she was brought out to suffer, the people who looked on could not conceal their grief and compassion. Some of them who were acquainted with her, and knew her innocence, designed to rescue her; but the presence of the King and his Ministers” – it should be, the presence of the King’s Guards – “restrained them. She seemed to be the only unconcerned person there, and her beauty and charms never appeared with greater advantage than when she was led to the flames; and her soul being fortified with support from Heaven, and the sense of her own innocence, she outbraved death, and her courage was equal in the fire to what it was before her judges. She suffered those torments without the least noise: only she prayed devoutly for Divine assistance to support her under her sufferings. Thus died this famous lady, with a courage not inferior to that of any of the heroes of antiquity.”

— ‘Heroines of Scotland’ by R. S. Fittis (1889)

#this is a long read but thought it was worth sharing #historicalquotes #historical quotes #janet douglas #lady glamis #janet douglas lady glamis #n: janet douglas lady glamis #james v #house of douglas #scottish history #history #16th century #early modern history #*quotes

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lindajenni · 4 months

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mar 4

He took my place "he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself." heb 9:26 one day, a man went to visit a church. he arrived early, parked his car, and got out. another car pulled up near him, and the driver told him, "i always park there. you took my place!" the visitor went inside for sunday school, found an empty seat, and sat down. a young lady from the church approached him and stated, "that's my seat! you took my place!" the visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing. after sunday school, the visitor went into the church sanctuary and sat down. another member walked up to him and said, "that's where i always sit. you took my place!" the visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still said nothing. later, as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood, and his appearance began to change. hHorrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet. someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, "what happened to you?" the visitor replied, "i took your place." it's amazing how possessive and disgruntled we can become over the slightest things. things like OUR pew in church. this ought not to be so. and now, another little story. ------- “He took my place”by ray pritchard the current controversy over “the passion of the Christ” has raised an important point that deserves careful discussion. we know that Jesus died for others. what does that really mean? perhaps an illustration will help. at the time of the civil war, there was a band of organized outlaws in the southwest called the quantrill raiders. they would sweep down upon an unsuspecting community on the frontier, rob, pillage, burn, then ride away before help could come. the situation became so desperate that some people in kansas formed a militia to search out the desperados. they had orders to execute without delay any of the raiders that could be found. not long afterward a group of these men were captured. a long trench was dug; they were lined up, hands and legs tied, and eyes bandaged. suddenly, as the firing squad was forming. a young man rushed out of the underbrush, crying out: “wait! wait!” covered by the guns of the firing squad, he approached the officer in command. he pointed to a man who was waiting to be shot, and said: “let that man go free. hHe has a wife and four children, and is needed at home. let me take his place. i am guilty.” it was an extraordinary appeal, but the stranger insisted that it not be denied. after a long consultation, the officers decided to grant the request. they cut the ropes and released the condemned man. the volunteer was put in his place, and fell dead before the firing squad. later the redeemed man came back to the awful scene of death, uncovered the grave, and found the body of his friend. he put it on the back of a mule and took it to a little cemetery near kansas city, where he was given a proper burial. there he erected a memorial stone upon which was inscribed the words: HE TOOK MY PLACE. HE DIED FOR ME. there is only one thing lacking in that illustration. the young man who offered to die in the place of another was himself guilty of the same crimes. this story is about one guilty man dying in the place of another. but something much greater happened at the cross. there a truly innocent man died, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. when Jesus died, He took your place and suffered the penalty meant for you. He who was innocent paid the price that you might go free. this is truly beyond human understanding. we are all now that soldier, born into condemnation, and Christ is our rescuer. He is willing to be sacrificed as substitute in our place. will you say yea or nay? will you allow Him to step in for the punishment you so worthily deserve? the decision is yours. will you be forever grateful or repentant you were not?

#prayer #faith #rapture #jesus #jesus is coming

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raccoonshinobi · 7 months

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Wednesday, November 15

[Jehovah] is never unjust.—Deut. 32:4.

In the book of Numbers, we read that Jehovah sentenced an Israelite to death for collecting wood on the Sabbath. In the second book of Samuel, we learn that centuries later, Jehovah pardoned King David for committing adultery and murder. (Num. 15:32, 35; 2 Sam. 12:9, 13) We might wonder, ‘Why did Jehovah forgive David for murder and adultery but sentence the other man to death for a seemingly less serious transgression?’ The Bible does not always provide all the details of an account. For example, we know that David was sincerely repentant of his actions. (Ps. 51:2-4) But what kind of person was the man who broke the Sabbath law? Was he sorry for what he had done? Had he disobeyed Jehovah’s laws in the past? Had he ignored or even rejected previous warnings? The Bible does not say. However, we know more than enough about our God to be certain that he “is righteous in all his ways.”—Ps. 145:17. w22.02 2-3 ¶3-4

----- Personal note: There are many things to consider. For one, the Sabbath is the sacred day of resting. It's more than a typical day off of work, it's looking forward to a time of peace and tranquility after the hardships mankind had been forced to face since the defiance of God's sovereignty in Eden and the sins of Man will no longer plague humanity. A day of looking back on the good done in days of toil and turmoil that led to such a moment of resting. Even God rested after making the Earth livable.

As for why it seems like God has acted odd in both instances is a matter of convenience and intent.

The man gathering wood on the Sabbath but paying no heed to the Sabbath when it was made law shows disrespect to God and the sacrifices made by those of the past that led this man to be in such a humble position. Note that this was after the Exodus from Egypt, where every Israelite were enslaved and were on the brink of genocide. The idea of anyone seeing the Sabbath as no big deal was exactly the problem.

God remembers everything that's happened. His trust was betrayed in the Garden of Eden. He's seen what happened the Nephilim. He's witnessed the mistreatment of the Israelites in Egypt. He was then ignored and challenged by some of the Israelites He freed from Egypt into the Wilderness where He made sure their needs were met but still they wanted more. The man working didn't take the Sabbath seriously, so he was condemned.

Meanwhile David was a king with no heir at the time, so killing him would have negative effects on Israel's hierarchy and morale, and above all else the promises Jah made to many of his beloved and devoted (Abram/Abraham, Noah, list goes on) would be under threat of never being fulfilled as He declared it would. Besides David WAS punished in having his firstborn newborn son stemming from said murder die. A son born from infidelity and planned murder would not bode well in a historical, regal, or even a hereditary sense. To have Jesus's lineage tainted at such a degree would ruin the value of the Messiah.

Jehovah seemingly acted harshly in the First Testament because everything He had promised was incredibly necessary for Man to finally be redeemed when the Messiah finally arrived. But many things needed to be in place. Mistakes could not be made at any costs.

And sometimes as minor as it sounds, one man ignoring the Sabbath is all it takes for future generations, whether starting from his own family or influencing another stranger, to not take the Sabbath seriously as well and similar situations has happened too many times. So an example was made.

You can't just read a situation in the scriptures subjectively as a self-contained writ and not see the whole picture it paints when put together - it's but a piece of a puzzle. Everything is written and stored in the Bible for a reason. The context clues ought to be enough.

#daily text #personal #daily scripture #bible canon #scriptural canon

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curtklingermanposts · 1 year

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Dealing With Other People’s Sin (Part Two)

Be Merciful

Everyone wants mercy and understanding when they morally fail, but how many are willing reciprocate when others fail? There probably isn’t a human alive who has not done something wrong in spite of knowing better (excluding infants of course). That’s the nature of fallen man. We can talk about personal responsibility later. We cannot afford to get all sanctimonious when people do fail. “They should get what they have coming, they knew better!” Come on Christian, are you telling us that you haven’t done something wrong, even while knowing better? Even as a Blood-bought, born again Christian? Let’s get real!

Yes, it can be very difficult to be kind and forgiving to someone who might be considered despicable. It is easier to give a nice person a pass, but a jerk who can forebear? What does Jesus say about this?

Matthew 5:44-48 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.

Do you see how our Father extends love and kindness to the unjust? Were you once unjust, yourself? Think about this: Ephesians says we were formerly darkness; not in darkness (see Ephesians 5:8). We don’t want to live in the past; however, we don’t want to forget from whence we came.

Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Keep Your Eye On the Goal

When Jesus came to the earth, what was His mission? To seek and save the lost (see Matthew 18:11; Luke 19:10). In the Great Commission (see Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15;), He pretty well handed us the same mission. Part of making disciples of all nations includes reconciling the lost onto God. Do you desire the lost to be saved or condemned? There is an attitude to maintain when it comes to reconciling others onto God. If we fail to keep it at the forefront of our mind, we start from behind.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 And all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Think Like a Surgeon, and Detach

When a surgeons remove tumors from their patients, do they hold the tumors against them? Generally, they are emotionally detached from the situation, and take care of business. In relation to the patients, they may feel some apprehension, because they do not want to cause further damage, or even death. That’s because they have concern for the patient.

What if we viewed sin and failure from the same standpoint? In other words, are we more concerned about people’s welfare and where they spend eternity, than the sin itself? More importantly, what about being concerned with how it affects God’s heart? They were (and are) important enough to Him to send Jesus to die for their sins. His concern is removing the sin, so they can spend eternity with Him. Love should move us to compassion for the sinner, and believers who stumbled.

Sin and failure do not belong in humans, but it’s there anyway. It is the result of the fall. Nonetheless, sin and failure do not have to remain. People have a choice, and we as disciples can make them aware of it. Apart from Jesus Christ, they are powerless over sin. How can we hold sin against them, especially since we’ve been forgiven of ours?

In the grand scheme of things, our focus should be the salvation of others; not their shortcomings.

James 5:19-20 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

perfectfaith.org

#PerfectFaith #sin #mercy

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