#it is truth and law and decree because it must be so

[wilhelminaesque-sideblog]

childhood, boyhood, youth. and brotherhood. | elzer and the ragbros headcanon

i MUST get a confirmation that elzer had a significant role in diluc's and kaeya's life when they were children, less as a helper in the winery, and more as their older brother figure. there must be some events surrounding the 3 of them especially during those days spent in the winery. we know crepus took him in for work when he was a young lad, older than diluc, yes, but not that much older, i dare assume. a good few years between them would make elzer a perfect candidate for the older brother figure diluc never had considering he himself was one after kaeya joined the ragnvindr family. and so, i like to imagine elzer as the favorite target of teasing of the two younger boys, target of silly pranks and random, weird, and sometimes uncomfortable questions, but also as their beacon of maturity and someone worth respecting, someone whose word would inspire awe and would ever so often serve as the only truth. and in truth, i am an older sibling myself, so i can't quite imagine it, but perhaps some of you can, as i heard it was spoken of - the image of an older sibling in the younger's eyes - a god, and idol and a rival all in one. i imagine it was like that with elzer and the ragbros. elzer tells them a story, a scary myth, a legend, to scare them on purpose (because, sometimes, most of the times, it is PURE joy to mess around with youngsters), kaeya says it's bullshit, no such thing exists. diluc agrees, obviously. and yet they find themselves later that day, or more precisely, late in the night, hiding under diluc's blanket and wondering if said legend might be true after all. in any case, neither of them fall asleep that night, nor the ones after, and neither show or speak of their suspicions and fear, especially not in front of elzer.

[queenvhagar]

"'Your Grace,' he said, 'you forget. I am a Snow, not a Stark.'

'It's you who are forgetting,' King Stannis replied.

Melisandre put a warm hand on Jon's arm. 'A king can remove the taint of bastardy with a stroke, Lord Snow'" (p. 1059, A Storm of Swords).

Once again, kings can legitimize bastards. Kings must do this as an official decree. They must recognize someone as a bastard and then name them as legitimate. But this is a relatively easy thing that the king can do within his own power.

So when people try to claim that the Strong boys are legitimate because their mother lied and said they were, and the king wouldn't speak the truth... Viserys could have legitimized Rhaenyra's sons at any point in their lives. He could have said these boys are not Laenor Velaryon's, but they are Rhaenyra Targaryens, and the blood of the dragon, and due to Targaryen exceptionalism, I hereby name them as legitimate inheritors. But that is not what he did. His complacency and willful blindness, coupled with Rhaenyra's sense of entitlement and superiority, meant that Viserys would never broach the issue with Rhaenyra, and Rhaenyra truly believed herself to be the exception to the rules and perfectly able to avoid the consequences of her actions due to her privilege and position.

Bastards can be legitimized, but since the Strong boys are bastards that were never legitimized, they remain bastards in the eyes of the law and society. One of them is set to inherit the highest of thrones in the realm and the other is set to steal the Velaryon seat of power from the Velaryons. It's wild that the show doesn't seem to acknowledge how much of a big deal this actually is.

[ivan-fyodorovich-k]

The partisans of organized violence – those who see catastrophe as the only path to world renewal, and believe that justice, goodness, brotherhood, and equity can and must be imposed by force – declare, with pedantic emphasis, that Christianity has failed. In doing so, they only repeat what everyone – friends and enemies alike – believed when, one tragic morning, three crosses were raised on Calvary, and the Prophet of the New Order, Jesus of Nazareth, died as he hung on one of them. In fact, from a human point of view, Christ’s death put an end to his crazy venture of wanting to transform the world. The agitator is dead – thought the enemies – it is all over. Our leader is dead – thought the friends – it is all over. The disciples themselves returned from Calvary cowed, sorrowful, and disillusioned, the gall of failure eating away at their spirits.

The people most convinced of Christ’s failure were undoubtedly the radical zealots. Some of them had followed the revolutionary carpenter from Nazareth, believing he would lead an armed insurrection which would overthrow the Roman regime, establish the dictatorship of the chosen people, and bring about the advent of the kingdom of peace and justice, under the hegemony and splendor of Israel. When these revolutionaries saw that Jesus, instead of leading an uprising, let himself fall without resistance into the power of his enemies to be crucified ignominiously, they were enraged. What Jesus had done seemed to them the height of stupidity.

This reproach of Christ made by his contemporary advocates of organized violence is the same one that reappears, under a different guise, through the present advocates of violence. They want to see Christ as a sentimental, romantic, low-spirited reformer, who failed because he did not want to impose his authority violently, nor lead the oppressed masses to victory through armed insurrection.

---

What the Gospels describe as forty days of temptation in the desert was simply the period when Christ considered the vital question of what tactic he would employ in the struggle against evil, which roadmap he would use for building his new order. Christ discarded the three methods of human domination which are the essence of various forms of organized violence:

Economic might (producing bread as plentiful as stones and distributing it to the multitudes), under the illusion that a full belly is all that is needed to solve all human problems.

Political power, indissolubly linked to military power (the worship of Satan, in exchange for the kingdoms of the earth, the impérium universalis), trusting that humanity can be reformed by means of laws, decrees, and regulations, imposed by an authority supported by the police and the army.

Ecclesiastical power founded on terror and superstition (to throw oneself from the battlements of the temple and come out unscathed).

In the desert, Jesus chose his tactics, which have seemed true madness and crass folly to desperate people through the ages, to those who do not know the reality of human nature, and to the optimistic believers in evolution, economic progress, or dictatorial statism. In the desert, Christ discovered an eternal and awesome truth: the means determine the ends. A cause can be as noble and great as you want, but if you use means that do not correspond to it, it simply will elude your grasp. Many of his enemies, and more than a few of his friends, would supplant this truth with another, diabolically inverted one: “the ends justify the means.” But Jesus saw that organized violence of any kind, regardless of the end or ideal with which it seeks to justify itself, is always self-defeating, betraying the ends for which it is employed.

---

In other words, Christ discovered that justice, brotherhood, and peace, all deep yearnings of humanity, all ideals of social coexistence, can neither be dictated nor imposed. As a supreme realist and a profound connoisseur of human nature, he neither deluded nor deceived himself with reformist utopias. He believed that a kingdom of justice can only be built by just persons, a new world by new people, “new wine in new wineskins.” He warned that people cannot be reformed by force, nor rehabilitated by violence; they must be born again through the working of vital powers of a higher order, which he came to imbue in us. That is why Christ rejected Spartacism and imperialism as methods of social transformation. A popular insurrection can change regimes, but it cannot change people: neither its opponents, whom it does not change, but destroys, nor its proponents, whom it does not change, but corrupts. Christ – the supreme realist – saw that a simple regime change would only mean substituting one set of exploiters for others. That is why Christ ordered Peter: “Put your sword back in its sheath,” because violence only engenders violence. Spartacism is the father of tyranny. And substituting one tyrant for another does not improve the lot of the oppressed.

The current advocates of violence reproach Jesus for not having decided to use this method and attribute to it what they call the failure of “the two thousand years of Christianity.” They forget that, to a large extent, the reason Christian actions have watered down, delayed, or paralyzed the faith’s transforming power is precisely because the followers of Christ have often succumbed to the temptation of trying to Christianize the world through violence. They have wielded the sword in the name of the one who repudiated the sword. And they have sought to redeem humanity from its evils by means of organized violence, in the name of the one who condemned violence.

When faced with the sword, Jesus erects the cross and climbs up on it. The cross is the love that sacrifices itself, that gives itself for others. He who conquers, dominates, and imposes himself, cannot redeem. He only redeems who denies himself out of love and gives his life for the good of others.

[gayleviticus]

I've been reading A Question of Truth: Christianity and Homosexuality by Gareth Moore - not a book I've ever heard brought up before, probably bc the author died shortly after publication, probably also bc it's a bit more academic than some books on the topic - but he makes a really interesting case re 'God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve'

which is namely that in the Genesis 2 narrative, God doesn't just announce from on high "Men shall marry women, that is the law." What he does first is try to create companions for Adam - beasts of the field and birds of the air. In fact, contra Genesis 1, where humans come last as the pinnacle of creation, here animals are formed after humans as companions for them.

But their companionship is not enough for Adam. We might even conclude God has failed in his attempt at providing Adam friends. Its only after going thru all this rigmarole that God creates a woman from the man's side.

Why this charade then? Surely God knows what Adam wants and needs? Surely God can just make clear his intention for man and woman having sex in gender complementary marriage?

But even after creating Eve God doesn't say "OK, enough games, I am divinely decreeing this is your wife." Rather it's Adam who expresses his approval. Genesis 2 is not God pressuring Adam into an arranged marriage, but playing matchmaker. As Moore says "The fitting partner for the man, then, is the one that he, the man receives with joy, the one whom he himself recognises as a partner fit for him."

So Genesis 2 doesn't present us with a world where God has decreed from on high it's Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve. Rather, it's a world where God works together with Adam to help him figure out the companionship he needs, because "it is not good that the man should be alone."

Obviously we shouldn't over literalise this and be like "if Adam wanted to have sex with the animals bestiality would be OK" lol. But it is interesting that contrary to a rigid vision of marriage and relationships as something human beings must fall into line with, Genesis 2 offers a God who provides relationships as a gift to a lonely human being. Marriage is made for man, not man for marriage.

[catsafarithewriter]

A/N: This is a continuation of this double fake dating au, because apparently my brain hasn’t finished rotating this idea yet. This is a very silly au, and gets sillier by the day. Again, I have no idea how far I’ll continue this, but for now: enjoy! 

x

Baron Humbert von Gikkingen's life was falling apart, and it was all because his sister had decided to get married.

Or, to be exact, she had decided to get married a week before their midsummer family reunion, and not given him a heads up. He hadn't even discovered his apparent newfound status as a brother-in-law from Louise herself; the truth only coming to light from a letter from his Great Aunt Gertrude, proclaiming the 'good' news and wondering why he hadn't settled down yet with a nice lady/gent.

He tried to be happy for his sister. And he almost succeeded. But beneath it all was the immovable truth that where there had once been two eligible von Gikkingen heirs, there was now only one, and so the eyes of all social-climbers would be on him. (And if he was lucky, that's all they'd get on him.)

He had no choice. Time to fake his death and move to the Dog Kingdom.

In a stroke of fate, or luck, or (more accurately) mere procrastination, he decided to clear his head with a walk about town and hope for inspiration to strike. (Or, if inspiration failed, then possibly an anvil.)

"C'mon, Muta, you know you've always been like a father figure to me..."

Baron paused, gloved hand over the door-handle to one of his favourite haunts, a small antique shop.

"Nice try, Chicky," came the gruff tone of the owner, "but you're more the troublesome niece."

"It would only be for a month!"

"Chicky, I ain't adopting you just so you can keep yer job. I'll just wire you the money to the Human World until this all breezes over."

"You can't afford that, Muta."

"Then we'll hide yer here until the decree gets dropped. Don't need to tell the palace you're still working."

"That's illegal, Muta."

"Only for a month."

Deciding to enter the conversation before his eavesdropping was discovered at a less opportune moment, Baron let himself into the antique store. He could have walked on by, but... well, he'd always had a habit of sticking his nose in other people's business. He became the immediate focus of the two occupants, one a large white Cat, and the other a Human woman. Both faces split into grins, as if they hadn't just been discussing legalities.

“Don’t mind me,” Baron greeted cheerfully. “I’m just browsing.” 

 As he turned his attention to the corridor (more reminiscent of an alleyway, really) crowded with old books, he heard the shop’s owner and assistant continue their discussion in carefully muted tones.    

“Well then, Chicky, guess you’d better get used to rainy days, ‘cause I can’t see what other choice you have.”

“There must be something–”

“There is, but you’ve already shot down my idea–”

“Breaking the law is not an idea–”

“But it’s a stupid law and you know it!”      

Baron popped his head back around the bookshelf. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help overhearing. What seems to be amiss?”

The Human assistant, Haru, exchanged glances with Muta. She was currently perched on an old trunk, despite the owner’s previous allegation of an abundance of chairs.  

“The latest royal decree,” Haru said.

Baron passed his mind over the most recent bout of news to make its way from the palace. “No pink on a Monday?” he offered dubiously. 

“No. The, uh” and she motioned weakly to nothing in particular, “the one about only Cats and Cats-through-family being allowed to reside in the Cat Kingdom.”

“Oh,” Baron said. Then after some consideration, he added, “I’m sorry to hear that. Is there nothing to be done?”

“Well, I could get adopted into a Cat family–” she began. 

“Trust me, you don’t want to caught up in my family,” Muta retorted. 

“For one month!”

“I’d have to find my paperwork, and Bastet knows it’ll be a month before I find it–”

“Or,” Haru continued, “get very quickly married.”

“Also out of the picture, for the same reason and then some,” Muta said. 

Baron paused. In the back of his mind, but not so far back as it really should have been, a crazy idea took place. He needed a way to attend his family gathering without multiple social-climbing guests making their presence his problem, and Haru evidently needed a way to stay in the Cat Kingdom. 

“Only for a month, you said?” he asked. 

Haru rolled her eyes. “The palace advisor I spoke to seemed to imply that the decree’ll only last that long. Unfortunately, it’s still too long for me.”

The idea shoved its way to the front of the queue. Somehow, he found himself saying, “I hope this isn’t insultingly forward of me, but I think I might just have a solution...”  

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

15th April >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Monday Third Week of Eastertide 

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

First Reading Acts of the Apostles 6:8-15 They could not get the better of Stephen because the Spirit prompted what he said.

Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people. But then certain people came forward to debate with Stephen, some from Cyrene and Alexandria who were members of the synagogue called the Synagogue of Freedmen, and others from Cilicia and Asia. They found they could not get the better of him because of his wisdom, and because it was the Spirit that prompted what he said. So they procured some men to say, ‘We heard him using blasphemous language against Moses and against God.’ Having in this way turned the people against him as well as the elders and scribes, they took Stephen by surprise, and arrested him and brought him before the Sanhedrin. There they put up false witnesses to say, ‘This man is always making speeches against this Holy Place and the Law. We have heard him say that Jesus the Nazarene is going to destroy this Place and alter the traditions that Moses handed down to us.’ The members of the Sanhedrin all looked intently at Stephen, and his face appeared to them like the face of an angel.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 118(119):23-24,26-27,29-30

R/ They are happy whose life is blameless. or R/ Alleluia!

Though princes sit plotting against me I ponder on your statutes. Your will is my delight; your statutes are my counsellors.

R/ They are happy whose life is blameless. or R/ Alleluia!

I declared my ways and you answered; teach me your statutes. Make me grasp the way of your precepts and I will muse on your wonders.

R/ They are happy whose life is blameless. or R/ Alleluia!

Keep me from the way of error

and teach me your law. I have chosen the way of truth with your decrees before me.

R/ They are happy whose life is blameless. or R/ Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation John 20:29

Alleluia, alleluia!

‘You believe, Thomas, because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.

Alleluia!

Or:

Matthew 4:4

Alleluia, alleluia!

Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Alleluia!

Gospel John 6:22-29 Do not work for food that cannot last, but for food that endures to eternal life.

After Jesus had fed the five thousand, his disciples saw him walking on the water. Next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side saw that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that the disciples had set off by themselves. Other boats, however, had put in from Tiberias, near the place where the bread had been eaten. When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into those boats and crossed to Capernaum to look for Jesus. When they found him on the other side, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’

Jesus answered:

‘I tell you most solemnly, you are not looking for me because you have seen the signs but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat. Do not work for food that cannot last, but work for food that endures to eternal life, the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you, for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal.’

Then they said to him, ‘What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?’ Jesus gave them this answer, ‘This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[catenaaurea]

The Roman Catechism

Part One: The Creed

ARTICLE IV : "Suffered Under Pontius Pilate, Was Crucified, Dead, And Buried”

Importance Of This Article

How necessary is a knowledge of this Article, and how assiduous the pastor should be in stirring up in the minds of the faithful the frequent recollection of our Lord's Passion we learn from the Apostle when he says that he knows nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified. The pastor, therefore, should exercise the greatest care and pains in giving a thorough explanation of this subject in order that the faithful “being moved by the remembrance of so great a benefit" may give themselves entirely to the contemplation of the goodness and love of God towards us.

First Part of this Article: '"Suffered Under Pontius Pilate, was Crucified”,

The first part of this Article (of the second we shall treat hereafter) proposes for our belief that when Pontius Pilate governed the province of Judea under Tiberius Caesar Christ the Lord was nailed to a cross. Having been seized, mocked, outraged and tortured in various forms He was finally crucified.

"Suffered,"

It cannot be a matter of doubt that His soul, as to its inferior part, was sensible of these torments; for as He really assumed human nature, it is a necessary consequence that He really, and in His soul, experienced a most acute sense of pain. Hence these words of the Savior: My soul is sorrowful even unto death.

Although human nature was united to the Divine Person, He felt the bitterness of His Passion as acutely as if no such union had existed, because in the one Person of Jesus Christ were preserved the properties of both natures, human and divine; and therefore what was passible and mortal remained passible and mortal; while what was impassible and immortal, that is, His Divine Nature, continued impassible and immortal.

"Under Pontius Pilate"

Since we find it here so diligently recorded that Jesus Christ suffered when Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea, the pastor should explain the reason. By fixing the time, which we find also done by the Apostle Paul, so important and so necessary an event is rendered more easily ascertainable by all. Furthermore those words show that the Savior's prediction was really verified: They shall deliver him to the Gentiles, to be mocked and scourged and crucified.

"Was Crucified"

The fact that He suffered death precisely on the wood of the cross must also be attributed to a particular counsel of God, which decreed that life should return by the way whence death had arisen The serpent who had triumphed over our first parents by the wood (of a tree) was vanquished by Christ on the wood of the cross.

Many other reasons which the Fathers have discussed in detail might be adduced to show that it was fit that our Redeemer should suffer death on the cross rather than in any other way. But, as the pastor will show, it is enough for the faithful to believe that this kind of death was chosen by the Savior because it appeared better adapted and more appropriate to the redemption of the human race; for there certainly could be none more ignominious and humiliating. Not only among the Gentiles was the punishment of the cross held accursed and full of shame and infamy, but even in the Law of Moses the man is called accursed that hangeth on a tree.

Importance Of The History Of The Passion

Furthermore, the pastor should not omit the historical part of this Article, which has been so carefully set forth by the holy Evangelists; so that the faithful may be acquainted with at least the principal points of this mystery, that is to say, such as seem more necessary to confirm the truth of our faith. For it is on this Article, as on their foundation, that the Christian faith and religion rest; and if this truth be firmly established, all the rest is secure. Indeed, if one thing more than another presents difficulty to the mind and understanding of man, assuredly it is the mystery of the cross, which, beyond all doubt, must be considered the most difficult of all; so much so that only with great difficulty can we grasp the fact that our salvation depends on the cross, and on Him who for us was nailed thereon. In this, however, as the Apostle teaches, we may well admire the wonderful Providence of God; for, seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe. It is no wonder, then, that the Prophets, before the coming of Christ, and the Apostles, after His death and Resurrection, labored so strenuously to convince mankind that He was the Redeemer of the world, and to bring them under the power and obedience of the Crucified.

Figures And Prophecies Of The Passion And Death Of The Savior

Since, therefore, nothing is so far above the reach of human reason as the mystery of the cross, the Lord immediately after the fall ceased not, both by figures and prophecies, to signify the death by which His Son was to die.

To mention a few of these types. First of all, Abel, who fell a victim of the envy of his brother, Isaac who was commanded to be offered in sacrifice, the lamb immolated by the Jews on their departure from Egypt, and also the brazen serpent lifted up by Moses in the desert, were all figures of the Passion and death of Christ the Lord.

As to the Prophets, how many there were who foretold Christ's Passion and death is too well known to require development here. Not to speak of David, whose Psalms embrace all the principal mysteries of Redemption, the oracles of Isaias in particular are so clear and graphic that he might be said rather to have recorded a past than predicted a future event.

[hiswordsarekisses]

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13,14 ESV

The teaching of generational curses is not a new teaching, nor is it exclusive to the charismatic movement. Various beliefs have been perpetuated regarding this belief, ranging from word curses to hereditary spirits or demons attached to one’s family. Some teach that individuals are born with demons, and the only way to be free is to decree, declare, renounce hereditary sins, and even subject oneself to deliverance ministry.

For those who hold to this belief, it is stated that Jesus defeated the power of sin and Satan, but He did not remove the presence of Satan. The logic follows from those who teach this that though the power of a curse is broken, it does not mean the presence of the curse is broken. Individuals are left with the responsibility to break these curses once and for all, in hopes of being free. The reality is there is no freedom or peace in this train of thought. This leaves those who prescribe to such beliefs on a hamster wheel of works and burdens to be the curse breaker while using the name of Jesus to wield perceived personal power.

When we take into consideration the teachings and practices surrounding generational curses, there are some things I would offer for consideration. There is a heavy appeal to personal experiences, elevating them as truth in a person’s life. Leaders affirming this practice have made the statement that a man with an experience is not at the mercy of a man with an argument. The issue with this statement is an unfounded conclusion when Scripture in context is the source of the argument. Scripture is not at the mercy of our experiences. For one who holds to this way of thinking, how are the experiences of other religions, the occult, and the secular world reconciled when also dealing with generational curses and claiming success?

Another area of great concern is what is best termed a “Messiah complex”. The belief taught when dealing with breaking generational curses in the life of a professing believer is a focus on self. The individual declares to be a bloodline breaker and to be the one who will set their family free. This seems to diminish the finished work of Christ on the cross and to inadvertently place oneself as the savior. When I came out of the hyper charismatic/ NAR movement, one of the verses I found so helpful to me regarding this matter was Galatians 3:13. As believers in Christ, we have been freed from the regulations and restrictions of the law because Jesus fulfilled the law. He has freed us from the penalty of sin and given us eternal life. Jesus Christ alone is the Savior, and His work on our behalf is sufficient.

Scripture also does not support this practice or teaching. Numerous passages were used as prooftexts in a recent teaching I listened to on this topic. Deuteronomy 28 was stated to contain the symptoms of a curse in one’s life, and Exodus 34:7, along with Deuteronomy 30:19 and Ezekiel 18:2, was concluded to support the existence of generational curses. When taking time to read these passages in Scripture, it became clear that both Exodus and Deuteronomy pertained to the Mosaic law while Ezekiel 18 entirely disproved the existence of generational sin that must be broken in order for one to be free. We are each accountable for our actions and sins, and the concern is that this teaching encourages a lack of accountability and blame shifting. This is reminiscent of the garden post fall. If I could be so bold as to say, this type of teaching is a doctrine of demons. When individuals are told that they must break curses and do certain things in order to be free, a works-based gospel is perpetuated. It essentially places the law back onto individuals, and it only leads to burdensome bondages.

The teaching of generational curses is legalistic, and law based. It places burdens back onto professing believers, causing them to trust more in their own doing and actions than in what Christ has already done for us. What He did was sufficient. Do we still face consequences because of the curse of sin? Yes, we do. Creation has been subjected to futility and awaits the return of Christ while our bodies also groan, awaiting the redemption of our bodies and our adoption as sons (Romans 8:18-25). We all will physically die, and this is part of the curse of sin (Romans 5:1-5). The hope we have as believers in Christ is the glorious promise of eternal life with God. We are not called to conduct ourselves like pagans who concern themselves with these types of practices. We are to rest in the peace of God and to trust Him who is faithful, and we can be assured that God has supplied all that is needed pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

Listen to this episode from The Lovesick Scribe podcast as I tackle a teaching concerning generational curses: The Lovesick Scribe Podcast: The Curse of Generational Curse Teaching on Apple Podcasts”

[basicsofislam]

ISLAM 101: Belief in Prophets: Part 1

What does belief in prophets mean?

This means firm belief that Allah ﷻ sent a messenger to every nation and community, calling its members to worship Allah alone without any partners, that all Allah’s messengers were truthful, virtuous, trustworthy and rightly-guided servants who strove hard to guide their people to the right path and conveyed Allah’s message to them in full, without concealing, omitting or adding anything to it. The Qur’an says, “Therefore, the messengers’ obligation is no more than to convey the message clearly.” (An-Nahl, 35)

The great people that Allah chose as messengers in order to inform His slaves about His orders and prohibitions are called prophets.

Belief in prophets means to believe that Allah sent messengers called prophets to human beings in order to inform them about His orders and prohibitions, to accept the duty of prophethood and to approve that the people who are mentioned as prophets in the Quran are prophets.

Although prophets are human beings like us, they are distinguished slaves of Allah. A person cannot be a prophet by working and trying hard. Prophethood is an endowment of Allah.

It Is One of the Pillars of Faith

Belief in Allah’s messengers is one of the six pillars of eemaan (faith), as the Qur’an states, “The Messenger believes in that which has been revealed to him from his Lord and so do the believers. Each one believes in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers.” (Al-Baqarah, 285)

This verse makes it abundantly clear that we must believe in all of Allah’s messengers without making a distinction between any of them. We must not, therefore, believe in some of them and reject some others, as did the Jews and the Christians.

Defining eemaan (faith), the Prophet ﷺ also said in this connection, “It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers and the Last Day, and to believe in the divine decree, both good and bad.” (Saheeh Muslim: 8)

What is Prophethood?

Prophets are distinguished people that Allah chooses among people. They inform people about His religion, that is, His commands and prohibitions. They give the glad tidings of reward both in the world and hereafter to those who believe and do good deeds; they warn unbelievers who do bad deeds of torture of hell…

The following is stated in the Quran:

“We send the Messengers only to give good news and to warn: so those who believe and mend (their lives)”. al-An’am, 48

Prophets are distinguished slaves of Allah. A person cannot be a prophet by working, trying hard and asking. Prophethood is an endowment of Allah.

Prophets are the leaders of the humankind. We are ordered in the Quran to accept them as models, to tread in their footsteps and to resemble them since they are in the highest level of servitude to Allah, away from acting in accordance with the desires of their souls and from committing sins:

“Those were the (prophets) who received Allah's guidance: Follow the guidance they received.” al-An’am, 90

“Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the praise of Allah.” al-Ahzab, 21

In this dua (prayer), which Muslims recite in every salah (prayer),

“Show us the straight way. The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace”, ‘prophets’ are in the first place among those that have been bestowed grace. Muslims accept prophets as models and follow their guidance. Prophets were chosen among human beings not among other beings because of being accepted as models. It is clear that the one that can serve as the best model for human beings can only be a human being.

People’s Need for a Divine Message

People need a divine message to show them Allah’s laws and guide them to the right path. Indeed, a divine message is the spirit, light and the very life of the world, without which the world would certainly be lifeless and man would be plunged into the darkness of ignorance and misguidance?

It is for this reason that Almighty Allah calls His message a spirit, for there is no life without a spirit, as the Qur’an says, “We have thus revealed a Spirit to you by Our command. You knew neither the Scripture nor the faith, but We made it a light, guiding with it whomever We will of Our servants. You are indeed guiding to the straight path.” (Ash-Shooraa, 52)

Even though the intellect can generally distinguish between right and wrong, it cannot possibly comprehend the details of such a distinction, nor carry out acts of worship in the right manner without the dictates of revelation and the divine message.

Therefore, success and happiness can only be attained by following the guidance of Allah’s messengers. Similarly, no accurate line of demarcation can be drawn between right and wrong without following in their footsteps. Thus, whoever rejects the divine message will definitely lead a miserable and wretched life depending on the extent of their rejection of it.

[theprayerfulword]

June 12

Psalm 18:2 The Lord is … my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Acts 1:8 Jesus said to his apostles, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth.”

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

2 Timothy 1:7 God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

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

May the Lord hear the prayer and plea you make before Him as you seek to make your heart and mind a suitable dwelling place for His Name so that His eyes and His heart will always be there. 1 Kings 9

May you walk before the Lord in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing all that He commands and observing His decrees and laws, for then He will establish you firmly, forever in His presence and fellowship. 1 Kings 9

When others hear of God's work in your life and come to ask hard questions of you, may you answer in God's Spirit with words of truth and life rather than your own reasoning and understanding, that they may give praise to the Lord, Who has delighted in you and placed His grace and authority on you. 1 Kings 10

May your heart be right before God, without bitterness and free from sin, that you may do your part in His work of the ministry. Acts 8

May the Spirit of God lead you into divine appointments, such as Philip had with the Ethiopian eunuch, that His kingdom may grow and His Name be praised. Acts 8

My child, just as gold and silver are found in the earth, so do I seek in the world for the precious hearts that value Me. Even as the treasure which man seeks for is locked in the rock and must be separated and purified, so the treasure of your soul is combined with the carnality of your flesh. The ore is broken and ground small so that the fire does not have to burn so hot; the breaking I bring into your life is a mercy to bring you through the fiery trials quicker. So often lead is found combined with the silver that is sought; they are similar in appearance, but one is so dangerous and the other is so valuable. It is only the fiery furnace that can separate them, My child, and they go in together, but the lead melts first and runs out to be removed. Then the furnace is heated hotter and the silver is gathered to be kept. It is so precious because it is so useful in the hands of the Master. Think it not strange, My dear one, when the fiery trial comes upon you, for the poisonous elements are being burned away, leaving the purity that the Lord can use. Fret not about all that is lost, for it is not needed; what is left in your life will be more precious than before, for it will be free of the death that it carried, and will bring life and joy to others. As your circumstances shift, you will be able to understand more, for you will see what you could not before. So much of your heart and mind is not known by you until events bring it to the surface. Never feel despair over what is revealed in your thoughts and feelings, for you have the full assurance from My Spirit of the promises in My Word that I know you completely and accept you fully. Allow My work in your life and rejoice as I lead you in the work you are able to do, deeper and richer each time you are refined by My fire and My Word is made life to you, and through you.

May you cry to the Lord when you find yourself in deep, for He will hear your voice and be attentive to your cry for mercy. Psalm 130

May you reverently honor the Lord, for with Him there is forgiveness in which we can stand since He does not keep a record of sins. Psalm 130

May your soul put your hope in His Word, more than watchmen long for the morning, as you wait on the Lord. Psalm 130

May you put your hope in the Lord for with Him is unfailing love and full redemption because He Himself will redeem us from all our sins. Psalm 130

May you serve the Lord in humility and wisdom, dealing prudently in the Father's affairs that you may be honored with authority over a son who behaves disgracefully, bringing shame to the Father and to his brethren. Proverbs 17:2

May you accept, willingly, with understanding of the joy to come, the discipline and testing of your heart, which though it shows weaknesses and demonstrates shortcomings, allows you to separate yourself from them, and being filled with God's Spirit, be transformed more and more into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, just as gold and silver is fired and melted in the crucible to remove dross and slag, becoming purer and more valuable, and able to be shaped by the skillful hand of the Master Artisan. Proverbs 17:3

[shammah8]

"Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them."

Esther 3:8

THE SOURCE OF PERSECUTION

Today we feature the first in a series from a house church pastor’s sermon in China:

 

The Bible is written to persecuted communities, and we must learn from each community the peculiar blessings and dangers of persecution. I would like to draw your attention to some lessons from the persecuted community in the time of Esther.

 

Esther was Queen of Persia sometime after 483 BC. She was a beautiful woman with a secret—no one except her adopted father knew it. It was her racial origin. She was a Jew.

 

There came a great persecution. In Esther 3:8, we read that the king of Persia’s advisor says he should not tolerate a certain group of people. The king agrees, and issues a decree calling for the extermination of all Jews.

 

The Jews are devastated, including Esther. How they got into this situation, how they get out of it, and what happened afterwards all reveal great truths about suffering churches — of which we are one.

 

Where does persecution come from? What is its source? The text shows us clearly. Persecution is the result of pride. Pride on the part of the persecutor.

 

Haman is the culprit. He is humiliated because a Jew called Mordecai refuses to bow low enough to him. We are not given the reason why Mordecai would deliver such a calculated snub, but it makes Haman see red. Instead of just trying to get rid of Mordecai, though, he has to project his personal humiliation into something grand. He won’t admit it’s all just a personal grudge, but concocts an elaborate plan to get rid of all Jews because they are in breach of the king’s laws.

 

His plan is a good one. The Jews are different, he says. True. They are so different, they are not good citizens, he adds. False, but the king is right to be suspicious of any group that seems to have other loyalties than just to him. It’s the same in China. Our government persecutes us because we are different. We are honest, separate, and we have greater loyalties than just to the state. That makes us an object of suspicion.

 

But the root of it all is pride. The cause of the persecution was simply that Haman was angry. I have read that in Russia, the terrible persecutions that were visited upon the churches there came from the fact that Lenin’s brother was shot by the Tsar’s forces, and what galled him in particular was that a Russian Orthodox priest blessed the proceedings. He carried his personal hatred with him…It’s a pride matter. It always is. The source of suffering is always found in human pride.

Response

Today I will check my pride at the door and realize that God is still in control!

Prayer

Pray that prideful leaders will humble themselves to acknowledge the God of the universe.

© 2013 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

[spiritsoulandbody]

#DailyDevotion The Holy Spirit Moves, Guides, Teaches & Wills Us To The Father's Way

#DailyDevotion The Holy Spirit Moves, Guides, Teaches & Wills Us To The Father's Way Psalm 119 33O LORD, teach me the way You prescribe (choq), and I will keep it to the end. 34Give me understanding, and I will keep what You teach (torah) and do it with all my heart. 35Lead me in the path of Your commandments (mitsvah)—I am delighted with it. 36Make me interested in the truths (edah) You wrote and not in greedy profit. 37Turn my eyes away from watching worthless things. Give me a new life in Your way. 38Do what You promised (imrah) Your servant, that I may respect You. 39Take away the scorn I dread, because Your decrees (misphat) are good. 40I long for Your guiding principles (piqqud); by Your righteousness give me life. There are a couple of words used for "to teach" in Hebrew. One has the sense of goad like in Deut. 4:10, 14. The other has the sense of pointing out, which is the one used here. Well who likes to be goaded into doing something? Of course, if we allow ourselves to be taught, we wouldn't need to be goaded. If we are to keep (read treasure, guard) it to the end and ultimately do it, it is the LORD who must be behind that teaching. The Holy Spirit must give me understanding if I am to keep and do all He teaches me. Of my own power and strength I cannot and will not do it. Paul writes however in Gal. 2, "20I was crucified with Christ, and I don't live anymore, but Christ lives in me." In Eph. 2 he writes, "10He has made us what we are, creating us in Christ Jesus to do good works, in which God long ago planned for us to live." Finally he writes in Phil. 2, "13...it is God Who continues to work in you, both to desire as well as to do what is pleasing to Him." Certainly he is speaking of the believer when he writes, "Lead me in the path of Your commandments (mitsvah)—I am delighted with it." Who else can be delighted in the commandments of God but a believer in Jesus Christ who believes for Christ's sake, these commandments condemn and curse him no more. We have a way in Christianity. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Path. Through faith in Him we desire and are delighted in doing His will which is revealed in the commandment. The LORD's eduth/testimonies/truths, He must make us interested in His written truths rather than the lust of our eyes. He needs to turn our eyes from the things of the world to His way and His word. In His ways are life and truth: Jesus is the Way, the Life and the Truth. It is quite a big order for the LORD to turn us to Him but nothing is impossible with God. The psalmist asks the LORD to do what He promised. This was some spoken promise probably from a prophet. When the LORD fulfills His promises it brings us to properly fear, i.e. worship Him. He has fulfilled all that was spoken and written in the Law, the Prophets and the Writings concerning Jesus Christ. Therefore, we worship Him. The decrees of God are good. We are not. We need Him to remove the scorn we dread because we have not kept them. That scorn is rightfully ours. On the cross, Jesus Christ and His righteousness gave us life because He took our scorn upon Himself. He has given us His righteousness in baptism and buried our sin in the tomb from which He was raised. Since He has given us such a great salvation, providing us His light and life, we desire His guiding principles. We want to live according to His will. We pour through the Scriptures looking for His ways so we may walk lives that are pleasing to Him. Merciful God and Father, continually give us Your Holy Spirit, so we may have hearts that desire and do all You have taught us in Your Word. May You, through the Spirit will and do in us all that is pleasing in Your sight so we may properly worship You. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Read the full article

[leadindia011]

Nri Divorce Procedure

Indian men and women are increasingly choosing to marry NRIs. Indians who marry NRI brides and grooms do so out of a desire to relocate abroad and live a better life. According to statistics, every year 225 women from metro areas marry NRIs; of these, nearly 25 either want to dissolve their marriage or have husbands desert them because they are lying to them or withholding information. Given this, Indians marrying NRIs must understand the laws about NRI divorce.

The majority of Indian women are enamored with marrying non-resident Indians. Additionally, their parents hope to marry off their daughters to Indians living abroad who can offer a higher standard of living and a better home. The parents are willing to part with any amount of money for grooms who are based abroad. They lavish a great deal of money on the wedding and provide the boy's family with a dowry.

Causes of nonresidential divorce

The spouse of the non-resident Indian is already wed to someone else and might even have children who reside overseas with him. Rather than taking the bride with him, the groom typically leaves her with her parents. However, the girl's family requests a divorce from their daughter once the truth is revealed.

The spouses of NRIs overstate their possessions in the foreign country, such as their home, vehicle, and well-paying jobs, but they might be unable to support a family once they get married.

The lifestyle of the non-resident Indian spouse is too advanced for the Indian spouse to keep up with. Since they feel they are an inappropriate partner, incompatibility may be the reason for the NRI's divorce.

Which laws address divorce among NRIs?

In line with section 13-B of the Act, if both partners are Indian citizens and were married in line with the Hindu Marriage Act 1955, they may file for divorce by mutual consent.

If both spouses are residents of the United States of America or any other foreign country, they may seek a divorce with mutual consent under the nation's divorce laws about foreign marriages. By Indian law, a divorce can only be recognized with the consent of both parties.

Requirements for a divorce from an NRI

Both parties ask for an Indian NRI divorce decree.

A couple who is living overseas files for divorce in India during the divorce procedure.

One partner lives in India, and the other is an NRI.

Each of them is an NRI.

One is an NRI, and the other is a foreign national.

The NRI divorce procedure

The parties must submit a divorce petition to the court.

The parties must agree upon the maintenance amount and child custody for any children born out of the marriage beforehand.

Six months will elapse after the date of the plea presentation, also referred to as the first motion, in this case.

Following that, the parties must show up in court to formally confirm their mutually consenting divorce. This will verify the information.

The divorce petition may be withdrawn or returned by any party within six months of the second motion.

Options for NRI divorce that are available

NRI Divorce by mutual consent: In an NRI divorce, the petition for mutual consent is filed not under Indian law but under the laws of the foreign country where it is acquired. With the appropriate divorce legal advice, this is easily accomplished. The validity of the decree in an NRI divorce is contingent upon the court that issued it possessing appropriate jurisdiction over the case and fulfilling all necessary prerequisites. Other matters, such as child custody, asset division, and alimony/maintenance, will be settled amicably between the spouses in compliance with the foreign country's legal requirements.

If the divorce decree obtained from a foreign court does not comply with the requirements outlined in Section 13 of the CPC, it may be declared invalid and cannot be enforced in India. The court procedures can be handled by a lawyer using a power of attorney or by mutual consent, so traveling to India is not required. It's also advisable to select an online lawyer who is knowledgeable about Indian divorce laws that apply to non-resident Indians (NRIs), even if the divorce is happening overseas.

Lead Indiaoffers a range of legal services, such as online information and free legal advice. Here, you can ask a legal question and talk to a lawyer.

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nri divorce procedure.

[tasmiq]

Jumu'ah Sohbet: 6 October 2023

My 40th birthday insights were magnified with both Shaykh Taner's third person perspective of myself, and through my other half who is actually my better half, who manages to shut down my ever prevalent nafs (ego / lower-self) with his goofy compassion and wisdom - your Abbu. Shukran Ya Allah (Divine gratitude) for connecting deepest to You, through two invaluable mediums, and please bless them both!

We pray that you kids are blessed with both too; deep spiritual insights and future unions in marriage that enable you to unify your body, mind, and soul dedicated to learning and serving Allah insha'Allah, in this world! Bismillah...

#1. In our local Jumu'ah Sohbet Shaykh Nishaat reminded us that we are in the blessed month of Rabi ul-Awal (the holiest Islamic month which saw the birth of our Prophet Muhammad SAW) and we have been celebrating Mawlid un-Nabi (birthday of the Prophet SAW) 💚 These are all sources of remembrance where Allah speaks of Zikrullahi Akbar (Zikr of Allah is the greatest), and there are other forms of reminders too.

But what are we remembering, he provoked? When we speak about Sufism, what do we know and experience? There must be meaning in everything that we do! In our ilahi group (our "spiritual band"), I referred to this meaning that we gain, in my birthday gratitude message:

I almost missed this! Thank you all for enjoying my zany participation, as I am slowly regaining the function of my vocal chords. I simply love our meaningful praise of Huu 💓 Virtual group hugs!

@⁨Hazmat⁩ @⁨Nargis New⁩ @⁨Tasneem Hoosenmia⁩ @⁨Gussein⁩ @⁨Abi⁩ @⁨Lea Gassab⁩ @⁨Zaffreen⁩ @⁨~Muhammed Ghoor⁩ @⁨Zoulikha⁩ @⁨Aunty Rehana⁩ Poupou @⁨Mariam Goolamhoosen⁩ and @Shameem Goolamhoosen

#2. Shaykh Mohammad of Mexico again had us spellbound on a Saturday Sohbet, particularly when he asked who created this world? Of course everything comes from Allah, but what we see in this world is the creation of the minds and egos of people in the lower level of their development. The superficial world is created by the minds of mankind but underneath that is the reality of Allah, and the soul is the reality of us which is pushing us to search for the truth. The only reason that we are in this body and world, is to see the Divine force and recognise our relationship with it.

Once the soul is exposed by the reduction of the ego, Allah through the worldly manifestation, begins to teach and stimulates the soul's development. The soul is therefore being developed by Allah, but there is something reciprocal going on, where the soul, brain, and physical body and its consciousness increase its desire to work against the ego. It instigates a virtual cycle because the soul is not material, where it cannot work in this world, but it needs the body. Allah sent us to this world to struggle through all of these difficulties here, but the soul needs the body to do the physical work of spiritual practices. We don't really want to, but we are made to do it.

#3. A personally lived haq (truth) was then described by him, about my life as an accident survivor. What is the difference between free will and decree where everything is written, queried Shaykh Mohammad? Allah in the processs is allowing us to enact our free will where we're put in situations continually, or we are removed and placed in other situations where we have to deal with the change. Allah is moving us where we have to make a choice between Allah and the nafs.

In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah says that my servant doesn't cease to grow closer to me in good deeds and service, and when I love him, I become the ears with which he listens, the eyes with which he sees, the tongue with which he speaks and the hands with which he grabs. So worshipping Allah in formal religions are basically rituals and acts of worship. However, that is not complete worship because true worship means harmonising with Allah's laws and His love where it is not an emotion but a vibration / frequency. It is a frequency through which Allah travels and guides us.

Worshipping and loving Allah is uniting with the reality of existence, of our innate reality of our fitrah. It is a reciprocal relationship between us and Allah as we move closer to Him. Allah puts us in positions where we have to react. What is important is how we react to what happens to us as a part of the process. We have to become aware of the process where we can't just remain ignorant of it. We have to observe constantly what is going on and observe ourselves. In the Qur'an, Allah says that He doesn't help anyone until they help themselves. And only then, He says that if you take one step towards Him, He takes ten steps towards you! If you walk towards Him, He runs towards you!

This is a reciprocity in our lives where we are associates of Allah, where we work with Allah! He puts us in positions where we have to react correctly. We have to observe ourselves, where we live in the third person. This means we are watching ourselves as separate beings from our bodies and minds. We have to know the enemy, which is, of course, our nafs at its lowest level! We can only do that by continually observing our reactions to everything around us.

#4. What also resonated with Shaykh Mohammad's Sohbet is how we both dawdled to become mureeds (followers) of Shaykh Taner, and he predicted that we would be his students at the outset of meeting us both! Shaykh Mohammad abashedly related:

... I went to a Masjid close to San Francisco, and an Imam introduced me to Sufi Shaykh Taner who lived 2 hours away! He would do Zikr on Friday nights, and I wasn't impressed, really...

... We had to return to the US from Mexico for legal proceedings, and I felt completely empty because just following religion didn't cut it! I met Shaykh Taner at the Pizzeria and I don't remember the details but I knew that he was my teacher immediately and he said that he was expecting me! I took bay'ah (a Sufi pledge of allegiance), and he said, "The rest is just life!" I was so disappointed because I was expecting steps and miracles. I ended up here where nobody is interested in what I am doing. Eventually, I was permitted to lead a cyber Tariqa where I dealt with the reality of the inner worlds of my Latin American students in a different way. I'm participating in and observing the lives of my students.

#5. I was royally surprised on my birthday where three lots of people of my heart congregated in one place, fittingly a Turkish precinct!

This was my gratitude note:

... To the Sufi Retreat folks, thank you for bringing your invigorated souls to celebrate my birthday so soon after it. I am humbled!

To my high school besties, thank you for remaining so, 23 years down the line!

And to my past professional muse and present soul sister, whom we have only parted paths with now. You may have lost Sudan to dirty politics, but you have gained new families in us all!

All my love,

Tasmi / Tas @ 40

In conclusion, I was left with only gratitude and love for the Source of love:

Ya Shakur Ya Wadud

[crimechannels]

By • Olalekan Fagbade Pope suggests Catholic Church could bless same-s3x Marriages Pope Francis has suggested he would be open to having the Catholic Church bless same-sex unions. In 2021, the Vatican decreed that the Catholic Church would not bless gay marriages because God “cannot bless sin”. But late Monday, the Vatican published a letter by Pope Francis addressed to a group of cardinals who asked him for clarity on the issue. Though the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PSN, chose to maintain a dignified silence on the issue, an official of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, CSN, who chose to remain anonymous, the Pope’s emphasis on ‘pastoral charity’ suggests a willingness to address the pastoral needs of same-sex couples and extend understanding and support to them. However, the Pontiff reiterated that the church only recognised marriage as a union between a man and a woman, but could open the door for blessings of individuals in same-sex unions. The pope said “pastoral charity” required patience and understanding, adding that priests should not become judges “who only deny, reject and exclude”. He said a blessing requested was a plea for God’s help to live a better life, even in situations that were “not morally acceptable”. The religious leader said priests should not only treat people as sinners because they might not fully be at fault for their situations. Pope Francis suggested that blessing gay unions should not become an official rule but should be decided case by case “because the life of the church runs on channels beyond norms”. He wrote: “The Church has a very clear understanding of marriage: an exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to procreation. “Only this union can be called marriage. Other forms of union realise it only in a partial and analogous way so they cannot be strictly called marriage. “For this reason, the Church avoids any type of rite or sacramental that might contradict this conviction and suggest that something that is not marriage is recognised as marriage. “However, in our relationships with people, we must not lose the pastoral charity, which should permeate all our decisions and attitudes. “The defence of objective truth is not the only expression of this charity; it also includes kindness, patience, understanding, tenderness, and encouragement. Therefore, we cannot be judges who only deny, reject, and exclude. “Pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing, requested by one or more persons, that do not convey a mistaken concept of marriage. “For when a blessing is requested, it is expressing a plea to God for help, a supplication to live better. Although there are situations that are not morally acceptable from an objective point of view, the same pastoral charity requires us not to simply treat as sinners other people whose guilt or responsibility may be mitigated by various factors affecting subjective accountability. “Decisions that may be part of pastoral prudence in certain circumstances should not necessarily become a norm. Not everything that is part of practical discernment in particular circumstances can be elevated to the level of a rule. “Canon law should not and cannot cover everything, as the life of the Church flows through many channels other than normative ones.” In 2020, Pope Francis called gay Catholics “children of God” and gave his endorsement to same-sex civil unions. Reacting to the issue last night, an official from the CSN, who chose to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the matter, said: “The Pope’s emphasis on ‘pastoral charity’ suggests a willingness to address the pastoral needs of same-sex couples and extend understanding and support to them.” This, he noted, aligned with Pope Francis’s previous calls for a more merciful and inclusive church. Despite the Pope’s compassionate stance, the official was quick to stress that this did not signify a change in the Church’s traditional teachings on homosexuality.

“Pope Francis also emphasized that the Catholic Church still considers same-sex relationships ‘objectively sinful’ and does not recognize same-sex marriage,” the CSN official clarified. “The Pope’s role is to guide and interpret Church teachings, and any potential changes or developments in the Church’s stance on same-sex relationships would require careful consideration and consultation within the broader framework of Catholic theology and doctrine.” The Pope’s nuanced approach to the issue, as interpreted by the CSN, suggests a shift away from an exclusive focus on denial, rejection, and exclusion. Reacting to the Pope’s remarks on same-sex marriage, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, said it would maintain a dignified silence on the matter. When contacted, the Administrative Secretary of the PFN, Pastor Akinwale Akinola said: “You know he (Pope) is a Catholic and every bloc has its ideology. The PFN will just maintain a dignified silence for now. ”If you remember when the Church of England endorsed same-sex marriage, there were agreements and disagreement among themselves; the Anglican Church in Nigeria refused to comment on it. ”The former Anglican Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Bishop Peter Akinola, was silent on it and did not say anything.”

[yhwhrulz777]

Morning and Evening with A.W. Tozer Devotional for July 13

Tozer in the Morning Man - The Dwelling Place of God - Why People Find the Bible Difficult

THAT MANY PERSONS FIND THE BIBLE HARD to understand will not be denied by those acquainted with the facts. Testimony to the difficulties encountered in Bible reading is too full and too widespread to be dismissed lightly.

In human experience there is usually a complex of causes rather than but one cause for everything, and so it is with the difficulty we run into with the Bible. To the question, Why is the Bible hard to understand? no snap answer can be given; the pert answer is sure to be the wrong one. The problem is multiple instead of singular, and for this reason the effort to find a single solution to it will be disappointing.

In spite of this I venture to give a short answer to the question, and while it is not the whole answer it is a major one and probably contains within itself most of the answers to what must be an involved and highly complex question. 1 believe that we find the Bible difficult because we try to read it as we would read any other book, and it is not the same as any other book.

The Bible is not addressed to just anybody. Its message is directed to a chosen few. Whether these few are chosen by God in a sovereign act of election or are chosen because they meet certain qualifying conditions I leave to each one to decide as he may, knowing full well that his decision will be determined by his basic beliefs about such matters as predestination, free will, the eternal decrees and other related doctrines. But whatever may have taken place in eternity, it is obvious what happens in time: Some believe and some do not; some are morally receptive and some are not; some have spiritual capacity and some have not. It is to those who do and are and have that the Bible is addressed. Those who do not and are not and have not will read it in vain.

Right here I expect some readers to enter strenuous objections, and for reasons not hard to find. Chrisianity today is man-centered, not God-centered. God is made to wait patiently, even respectfully, on the whims of men. The image of God currently popular is that of a distracted Father, struggling in heartbroken desperation to get people to accept a Saviour of whom they feel no need and in whom they have very little interest. To persuade these self-sufficient souls to respond to His generous offers God will do almost anything, even using salesmanship methods and talking down to them in the chummiest way imaginable. This view of things is, of course, a kind of religious romanticism which, while it often uses flattering and sometimes embarassing terms in praise of God, manages nevertheless to make man the star of the show.

The notion that the Bible is addressed to everybody has wrought confusion within and without the church. The effort to apply the teaching of the Sermon

on the Mount to the unregenerate nations of the world is one example of this. Courts of law and the military powers of the earth are urged to follow the teachings of Christ, an obviously impossible thing for them to do. To quote the words of Christ as guides for policemen, judges and generals is to misunderstand those words completely and to reveal a total lack of understanding of the purposes of divine revelation. The gracious words of Christ are for the sons and daughters of grace, not for the Gentile nations whose chosen symbols are the lion, the eagle, the dragon and the bear.

Not only does God address His words of truth to those who are able to receive them, He actually conceals their meaning from those who are not. The preacher uses stories to make truth clear; our Lord often used them to obscure it. The parables of Christ were the exact opposite of the modern "illustration," which is meant to give light; the parables were "dark sayings" and Christ asserted that He sometimes used them so that His disciples could understand and His enemies could not. (See Matthew 13:10-17.) As the pillar of fire gave light to Israel but was cloud and darkness to the Egyptians, so our Lord's words shine in the hearts of His people but leave the self-confident unbeliever in the obscurity of moral night.

The saving power of the Word is reserved for those for whom it is intended. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him. The impenitent heart will find the Bible but a skeleton of facts without flesh or life or breath. Shakespeare may be enjoyed without penitence; we may understand Plato without believing a word he says; but penitence and humility along with faith and obedience are necessary to a right understanding of the Scriptures.

In natural matters faith follows evidence and is impossible without it, but in the realm of the spirit faith precedes understanding; it does not follow it. The natural man must know in order to believe; the spiritual man must believe in order to know. The faith that saves is not a conclusion drawn from evidence; it is a moral thing, a thing of the spirit, a supernatural infusion of confidence in Jesus Christ, a very gift of God.

The faith that saves reposes in the Person of Christ; it leads at once to a committal of the total being to Christ, an act impossible to the natural man. To believe rightly is as much a miracle as was the coming forth of dead Lazarus at the command of Christ.

The Bible is a supernatural book and can be understood only by supernatural aid.

Tozer in the Evening "SOMEONE" IS THERE

Wherever faith has proved itself to be real, it has inevitably had upon it a sense of the "present" God. The holy Scriptures possess in marked degree this feeling of actual encounter with a real Person. The men and women of the Bible talked with God. They spoke to Him and heard Him speak in words they could understand. With Him they held person-to-person converse, and a sense of shining reality is upon their words and deeds. This sense of "Someone there" filled the members of the early Christian church with abiding wonder. The solemn delight which those early disciples knew sprang straight from the conviction that there was One in the midst of them-they were in the very Presence of God! This sense of "Someone" there makes religion invulnerable to critical attack. It secures the mind against collapse under the battering of the enemy. Those who worship the God who is present may ignore the objection of unbelieving men!

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