#like that’s one of the most famous verses in the bible

[cath-lic]

i literally do not understand how prosperity gospel and evangelicals have gotten this far. like have u even LOOKED at the bible??? does luke 18:25 mean nothing to you?????

[miraofhearts2point0]

i can quote Alice in Borderland better than i can quote scripture.

[thebrightestwitchofherage]

Key terms necessary for understanding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict : Part 1- Ancient Israel to the founding of modern Israel, Jewish terms

A/N: Hey! The results are in, and this is the topic my followers chose🫶 Writing this felt very much like retaking my high school history finals lol. Enjoy reading.

*These terms and definitions will be organized by topics, in chronological order. **If I have made a mistake or if you feel like I forgot something important- don’t hesitate to tell me in the comments. It is very hard to summarize thousands of years. *** Be respectful, I am human.

1. Key terms in Judaism and the connection to the land of Israel :

Israel and Judea- Were the two ancient Jewish kingdoms.

Zion ציון- Is one of the 70 biblical names for the city of Jerusalem. In fact, Jerusalem is referenced by this name in the bible over 150 times.

The word Zion is very much embedded into our culture: it is used in many prayers and Jewish texts written throughout Jewish history, songs etc.

Zion and the exile from it:

It is especially used when describing longing and the wanting of return to the land of Israel:

The most famous example that uses the word Zion is the biblical prayer from the book of Psalms, 137:

1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

תהילים פרק קלז א עַל נַהֲרוֹת, בָּבֶל--שָׁם יָשַׁבְנוּ, גַּם-בָּכִינוּ: בְּזָכְרֵנוּ, אֶת-צִיּוֹן.

This verse is an example of the longing for Israel: as it was written after the exile to Babylon.

*Yes, the funky Boney M song is based on this Psalms verse :) Coming full circle- It is also used in the official hymn of the modern state of Israel, Ha'Tikva. התקווה, written by Naftali Herz Imber. This word might sound familiar to you, as it is also the origin of the word "Zionism".

Zionism- is the notion that the Jewish people deserve to have a state of their own.

Semite- is a term for people relating to, or constituting a subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic language family:

Semite languages- are a group of ancient languages, that originated around the same time, in Africa and the Middle East- aka the neighboring countries of Israel.

The Semitic languages are: Hebrew and its other ancient dialects , Arabic, Amharic, Aramaic and more. Unfortunately , most of these are extinct and no longer spoken.

The languages that are still spoken to this very day are : Arabic, Amharic and Hebrew.

Some Hebrew Fun facts :

-While there are only estimated 8 million Hebrew speakers nowadays( most of them Israeli), Hebrew is considered a holy language in is spoken during prayer.

-Ancient Hebrew and modern Hebrew are very similar. So much so that if I were to time travel, I could have a decent conversation with my ancestors😊 (some pronunciations, grammar and words have changed, but it’s essential the same).

-Which cannot be done with Romanic languages or Celtic languages..

Antisemitism A\N: This word is getting its whole section because it simply deserves it. Nowadays, every time a Jewish person says something is antisemitic, they will usually be bombarded with mocking comments about how Jews like to call everything antisemitic. If had a nickel for every time I got those comments or an Arab person tried to troll me in the comment section by saying "I can't be antisemitic if I'm a Semite myself"... Let's make it clear (once again).

As I have explained before, the word Semite refers to a group of ethnicities. However, the word Antisemitic refers to Jewish hatred: "Antisemitism is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews.[2][3][4] This sentiment is a form of racism,[5][6] and a person who harbors it is called an antisemite. Though antisemitism is overwhelmingly perpetrated by non-Jews, it may occasionally be perpetrated by Jews in a phenomenon known as auto-antisemitism ".

TLDR: Don't be a Jerk and use antisemitic rhetoric, blood libels, and stereotypes... You don't get to choose if something is antisemitic or not, Jews do.

2. Modern Israel and its founding

The Knesset- Is the Israeli parliament consisting of 120 members, elected democratically every 4 years. Usually- there have been 5 elections in the last 5 years. It also currently has 36 ministers. Yes, that _IS_ a lot.

Kibbutz- "Kibbutz is a community where people voluntarily live and work together on a noncompetitive basis. The first kibbutzim were organized by idealistic young Zionists in the beginning of the 20th century."

As time moved on, starting in the 80s, many Kibbutzim struggled financially and closed down. Today, there are 265 Kibbutzim left, with approximately 200,000 residents. Less than 20% of them are communal.

Unfortunately today, the word Kibbutz has a different connotation:

British mandate- Yep, they colonized us too lol. After the first world war, Between 1917 and May 1948 (Israel was founded literally as soon as the mandate ended).

Fun fact- Today, there are still a few rules left from the British mandate In Israel (Most of them were updated or changed by Israeli law makers after it's founding, usually by the Knesset and the Supreme court of justice).

“Homa U’migdal” (חומה ומגדל Tower and stockade)- During the British mandate, Jewish settlements were built overnight due to a legal loophole still valid from the Ottoman rule. The loophole prevented the British from destroying the new settlement: "Homa U'Migdal is the name of an operation that the leaders of the Yishuv initiated in Palestine, during which 52 new settlements were founded. This operation was a response of the Yishuv to the 1936-1939 Arab Revolt and the restrictions the Mandatory authorities placed, both on the building of new Jewish settlements, and on the amount of Jewish immigrants allowed into Palestine. The building of each settlement began at night. First, the guard tower and the defense stockade were set up, so the operation was named “Tower and Stockade”. According to an old Ottoman law that was still valid during the Mandate period, the destroying of a building was not allowed after the roof had been erected. For this reason the British did not destroy the "Tower and Stockade" settlements which had not received building permits. "

The 2-state solution - The notion that the solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be two states for two people- one for Arabs and one for Jews.

Balfour's declaration- is the famous letter sent by then-British foreign secretary Lord Balfour to Lord Rothschild in 1917. In the letter, Lord Balfour stated that the British Empire would support the forming of a Jewish Zionist state in the land of Israel.

Peel Commission- was a community created in 1936 by the British rule during their Mandate over Israel. As the name suggests, the head of the Commity was Lord Peel. A suggestion for a Two-state solution was suggested to representatives of both Jews and Arabs. Unfortunately, the Arabs have refused it.

1947 Partition Plan- A partition plan suggested by the UN, that included another draft of the two-state solution, with different borders. The Arabs have refused it once more.

Declaration of Israel's Independence from Britain:

And so, as the British mandate ended on May 14th, 1948, the people's Council (that later served as the initial government of Israel) declared the formation of the modern state of Israel.

The day following the declaration, the Arabs in Israel revolted and with the help of 5 foreign armies that invaded Israel, tried to stop the formation of Israel: Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon.

They failed and Israel was formed.

You can watch David Ben Gurion, head of the council (and Israel's future first prime minister) declare its formation/independence here.

PS- this was the flag of Palestine before the current one:

Sources:

-Semite languages pic: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Semitic-languages

-Kibbutz: * https://kibbutzulpan.org/about_kibbutz/ *https://www.hamichlol.org.il/%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%9D_%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C (Hebrew)

-Homa U'Migdal" : http://www.zionistarchives.org.il/en/Pages/TowerStockade.aspx

[saras-devotionals]

Quiet Time 9/4

What am I feeling today?

I’m feeling pretty encouraged! I got so kind many messages yesterday celebrating my one year as a disciple and I just truly felt loved and cared for. Although, I’m not so much feeling anxious per se, I’m just feeling anticipatory about a few things. There’s a conversation I need to have with someone tonight that I’ve been putting off for months now. Also I just have campus things to do and then I have to prepare to share for communion as well and I’m just feeling a tad overwhelmed but I just keep giving it over to God in prayer.

Bible Plan: Rethinking Love and Romance

Another story that helps us understand true love comes from the book of Ruth. Some see this book as the Hebrew Bible’s famous love story. Girl gleans in a field. Boy sees girl gleaning. Girl uncovers boy’s feet (we’ll have to unpack that one later). Boy marries girl. A baby is born. The end. It’s like a Hallmark movie, right? But what if it’s not like a modern love story at all?

The story begins with an Israelite family in the land of Moab. Naomi and Elimelech have two sons who are married to Moabite women, one named Ruth and the other Orpah. Tragically, Naomi’s husband and two sons die. All Ruth and Orpah have left is their widowed mother-in-law, Naomi, who has nothing to give them. Naomi says she will return to her hometown, Bethlehem, and that Ruth and Orpah should stay in Moab with their own people (Ruth 1:11-13). Naomi has nothing more to give Ruth or Orpah that might “complete them” or satisfy them, and she warns against staying with her because doing so will surely bring more suffering.

Orpah agrees with Naomi’s logic, but Ruth expresses true love toward Naomi through a profound commitment, saying, “Where you go, I will go. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16). Ruth promises to stay by Naomi’s side and take care of her. As the story unfolds and other people see Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi, they call her actions “loyal love,” or in Hebrew, “khesed” (Ruth 3:10-11). Khesed is marked by deep feelings of affection shown through acts of generosity and forgiveness and a commitment to the other’s well-being. It is an outward expression of real love.

Ruth’s khesed is not conditional or based on what Naomi can do for her. Her khesed is a gift—an outpouring of her loving character.

Later in the story, Boaz can’t help but notice Ruth’s loyal love (Ruth 3:11). He blesses her, and she reciprocates with loving generosity, leading to his desire to marry her. The authors parallel his loving commitment to Ruth’s—Boaz embraces the way of loyal love toward their family.

What kind of love is this? Could love between a mother and daughter-in-law teach us what it means to love someone romantically? The Bible gives us a beautiful picture of true love even though it doesn’t fit into modern ideas about romantic love. Wouldn't the best, most intense and fulfilling romantic relationship a person could experience be one where each person in the relationship acts in ways that preserve, protect, and cause flourishing for the other? To give and not take? To consider the other’s needs above their own? To humbly sacrifice for the mutual blessing, shalom (Hebrew for “peace” or “wholeness”), and tov of the other?

In today’s video, explore the story of Ruth, a tale of love, loss, faithfulness, and redemption.

Ruth 1:16-18 NIV

“But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.”

I feel like these verses encapsulate the love that we are meant to be shown by Ruth. She was so incredibly loyal to Naomi and it was truly admirable! Through the video and explanation above you can see that the powerful act of love had a lasting impact and even lead to the birth of Jesus which is so incredible! God’s hand is in everything, His plan is unfolding exactly as it needs to and it’s just so fascinating how everything is connected in a bigger picture that we cannot even begin to fathom.

[bunny-heels]

Tell me about this Fallout ARG you found I am curious. 👀👀👀

YIPPIE YIPPIE YIPPIE YIPPIE

so its on a channel called drb0sch, and its about a SUPPOSEDLY alternate universe where Interplay and Black Isle Studios, the original companies behind the first two Fallout games, didn't sell the rights to Bethesda and got to make their own completely independent version of Fallout New Vegas, and possibly Fallout 3 as well.

in regular Fallout New Vegas, theres a location called the Mojave Outpost. its an area in the game that canonically holds the state line between California and Nevada via a gate that you cannot open or get through at all.

in the videos tho, drb0sch finds a way to parkour to the other side of the gate and explore the outer areas of the main game's entire map. it all goes downhill from there.

i'll place a read more here since this next part will be spoilers for both the ARG AND New Vegas, so if you wanna experience both on your own, you should!!! New Vegas is pretty much the last good Fallout game and the ARG is honestly best experienced on your own

ok so basically it almost instantly takes a dark turn for the worst. once drb0sch gets passed the gate and has explored some of the area, which at first seemed to only consist of some unfinished houses and power lines, he ends up finding odd pieces of loot that seem to relate to the war in 2077, when the bombs dropped. in one particular place, he picks up an item at a campfire that suddenly gives him a quest with a clearly unfinished title. he then goes back to the gate to try and get back into the main map, but the game literally does not let him. the invisible wall thats usually at the gate to prevent players from jumping over suddenly comes back, he cant use his pip-boy to fast travel, console commands dont work, and most people have assumed that the game will just freak out on him if he tries to go back on a save. so hes stuck on the outside of Nevada.

so in defeat that he cant go back, he decides to walk around the area more and see where the quest takes him, and at first it seems like a normal side-quest for world building about stuff that happened Pre-War and during the war, but then it just starts getting so weird. i dont know how else to say this in any other way, but the quest literally takes him to Hell. as in whatever version of Hell that Interplay/Black Isle could put into a Fallout game i guess. but its Hell none-the-less. theres several pieces of evidence scattered around as well, like Bible verses and even the channel name itself. Bosch is the last name of the painter Hieronymus Bosch who was famous for making those scary Hell paintings, the ones cluttered with different scenes of sinners getting tortured by ugly lil demons.

theres SO many other things in it that are really god damn weird and crazy. i have no idea where its going or what the point of it all is but its really interesting and i definitely think you should check it out.

[caputvulpinum]

I don't claim to be any sort of expert, but even using various search terms across different engines seems to return results that support your claim from dubious, homeopathic medicine websites, whereas peer reviewed articles are abundant that refute the claim. Searching for the bottles with the word "bible" tacked on return a single instance, in which the term itself was not used in Psalms, and the verse seems more metaphorical ("should I put my tears in a bottle? Are they not in your book?" is paraphrasing) and there seem to be no bottles attributed to tears that pre-date the first century or so

so as a fellow non-expert would you agree that a turkish art history professor in one of the most prestigious universities in turkey just possibly might be someone you'd consider an authority or what

also maybe the reason you're not finding good sources could be because you're using the exonym rather than the original terminologies; for example, the most famous glass tear-catcher bottles oof the middle east are from Isfahan and are called ashkdan.

so like. forgive me. and with all due respect. don't try and tell me my business

[madamlaydebug]

Alchemy in the Bible.....

In this thy book, such will there nothing see, As in the Bible some can find out alchemy. - John Donne Opened magic book with space for copy text

A few months ago, I had written a popular article about Gnostic Bible Verses that many of you enjoyed. Some of you were not aware that there are many Gnostic teachings in the bible that we modern followers of Gnosis can utilize for our own benefit.

In this article, I would like to list some of the teachings on alchemy that I have found in the bible. Alchemy is the science of mastering the chemical energies of our minds and bodies in order to operate at the most effective optimum level as a human. A science, that can literally transform our entire bodies and energies. A science, that can not only prevent and cure disease, but also improve the quality and prolong our lives.

Alchemy and Jesus An example of alchemy in the bible, would be when Jesus fasted for forty days and nights in the Judaean Desert after being baptized . What Jesus was doing in the desert, was alchemy in the form of solitude, prayer, and fasting. By going into the desert for 40 days and 40 nights, Jesus was tempted by the devil, but he was successfully able to cleanse these impure thoughts, not only in his mind, but also impurities from his body. What this bible passage is describing, is the alchemical transformation of his whole chemical make up, into a new heavenly one made of the stars. The ascension of Jesus to heaven then occurs 40 days after the Resurrection (Acts 1:3). As Jesus had said In Revelation 22:16, he unmistakably identifies Himself as the morning star.

Comparing alchemy and the bible is nothing new, but a revival of the hidden biblical teachings that many people have interpreted since the early beginnings of Christianity and especially during the Renaissance. Much of the alchemical writings of these biblical scholars had went underground during the Renaissance, when the Church of England had banned many of these teachings.

One of the most famous interpreters of the bible during this time was Paracelsus. Paracelsus (born Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, 11 November or 17 December 1493 – 24 September 1541) was a German-Swiss Renaissance physician, botanist, alchemist, astrologer, and general occultist. He founded the discipline of toxicology and modern psychology, that often also credits him for being the first to note that some diseases are rooted in psychological illness. Paracelsus had also used the teachings of the bible and science to help interpret some of his alchemical teachings.

Paracelsus was a true man of God, who was also a Gnostic that walked the walk, and talked the talk. He was known as a paracelsus fiercely independent thinker whose thoughts and teachings went against the status quo of the medical and religious establishments. Paracelsus was openly defiant against mainstream medicine because his ideas were very different from that of his medical colleagues. And we all know what happens when someone goes against the establishment... They are simply taken down and outcast from the mainstream, as it was in the case of Paracelsus.

Here is an example of one of these incidents that Paracelsus had to face after he had actually cured a prominent ecclesiastic of gout; then when he demanded a fee for his services, he was accused of necromancy, sorcery, and drunkenness.

After Paracelsus had been lecturing in the University of Basel for about two years he was called to a prominent ecclesiastic who was suffering from the pangs of gout. Paracelsus agreed to cure the Bible into German. Priests and doctors before his sufferer for 100 florins, and produced immediate relief by the administration of "laudanum pills," probably similar to our laudanum. He then demanded his fee, which was refused by the prudent ecclesiastic, and the matter was finally taken into the courts.

The defendant not only declined to pay the bill, but publicly accused Paracelsus of necromancy, sorcery, and drunkenness. After hearing the case the court decided in favor of the priest, whereupon the professor issued a violent and abusive manifesto against the judge. This did not go well in the little republic of Switzerland, and led to the inauguration of steps to visit upon the offender condign punishment for contempt of court. The professor having got wind of this fled with great precipitation, and thus sacrificed his professorship and his position as city physician.

Isaac Newton had also written occult works that had explored chronology, alchemy, and Biblical interpretation (especially of the Apocalypse). As a Bible scholar, Newton was initially interested in the sacred geometry of Solomon's Temple, such as golden sections, conic sections, spirals, orthographic projection, and other harmonious constructions, but he also believed that the dimensions and proportions represented more. He noted that the temple's measurements given in the Bible are mathematical problems, related to solutions for \pi and the volume of a hemisphere, V = (2/3)\pi r^3, and in a larger sense that they were references to the size of the Earth and man's place and proportion to it. (Issac Newton Sourced from Wikipedia)

In 1675 Newton annotated a copy of Manna - a disquisition of the nature of alchemy, an anonymous treatise which had been given to him by his fellow scholar Ezekiel Foxcroft. In his annotation Newton reflected upon his reasons for examining Solomon's Temple by writing:This philosophy, both speculative and active, is not only to be found in the volume of nature, but also in the sacred scriptures, as in Genesis, Job, Psalms, Isaiah and others. In the knowledge of this philosophy, God made Solomon the greatest philosopher in the world.

Carl Jung Alchemist The infamous Swiss Gnostic, psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Carl Jung had written about these scientific connections between alchemy and Christianity. One such example, is when Jung had demonstrated that the philosopher's stone and the image of Christ had mirror like qualities between alchemy and Christianity themselves. He had said, "Alchemy stands in a compensatory relationship to mainstream Christianity, rather like a dream does to the conscious attitudes of the dreamer. The Stone of alchemy is in many respects the stone rejected by the builders of Christian culture, demanding recognition and reincorporation into the building itself".

Below are some examples of alchemy that can be found in the bible. The interpretation of each verse must be done by each one of us if we are able to tap into these secret mysteries of life.

Psalms 12:6 - The words of the LORD [are] pure words: [as] silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Proverbs 27:21 - [As] the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so [is] a man to his praise.

Revelation 3:18 - I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

1 John 3:1-24 - Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

First Epistle John Chapter 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Timothy Chapter 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: and 6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

Romans 12:1-21 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.

Exodus 4:1-31 - And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.

Genesis 2:22 - And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

Genesis 2:7 - And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Revelation 2:17 - He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth [it].

Matthew 4:1-25 - Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Psalms 106:22 - Wondrous works in the land of Ham, [and] terrible things by the Red sea.

Exodus 32:19-20 - And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

Exodus 7:17 - Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I [am] the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that [is] in mine hand upon the waters which [are] in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

Mark 8:36 - For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

SOURCES:

1. Medical Record, Volume 84 edited by George Frederick Shrady, Thomas Lathrop Stedman

2. Alchemy in the Bible By Thomas Willard

3. Wikipedia

4. King James Bible Online

[feedingtheflockministry]

To love like God

Perhaps one of the most famous verses of the Bible, John 3:16, is a powerful declaration of the gospel message. This refines the definition of love, it is more than an emotion, it is an act, it is a service. To love someone is to serve or to give to them, whether that means giving yourself, your time, your emotions, or your energy. For God so loved the world, that He gave! He gave us His only Son. It is a sacrificial and generous act of love. May we learn to love like God, unconditionally and selflessly, love each other, giving ourselves to each other, regardless of whether it’s returned. 

The Jews of that day believed strongly that God only loved Israel and they believed God was exclusively for the Jews. Yet here, we read of love that transcends race, nationality, language, tribe and - for God so loved the world! A universal offer of salvation, to all, God loves the world, the world of many nations, tribes, and tongues. He is for inclusivity, not just the Jews, not just Israel, but everyone. The love of God is limitless, it clutches all mankind. 

We do not get to receive this benefit or the blessings of His love until we believe in Jesus, God’s gift to mankind. The Father gave us a gift. This gift is the way of salvation, our deliverance, and our way to eternity with Him. This gift is priceless, you cannot buy it, you cannot earn it, but you can receive, only if you believe. To simply believe is not the ask, it is not an agreement or an awareness, it is trusting and clinging onto Jesus. Walking with Him every day. Just as you would value a gift, value Jesus, value your time with Him, prioritise this and make it a lifestyle. 

Prayer:

Let us pray that we may become a people of love. We see here that love is selfless, love is inclusive, and love is a gift. It is so pure and true. The Bible tells us in 1 John 4 that love is from God and whoever loves has been of God and knows God because God is love. Let us be people of love, people like God. Amen

YouVersion Bible plan Fruit Bowl

[exvangelicalrage]

What Is Crooked Cannot Be Straightened

5/29/23

When I started going to therapy for religious trauma, my therapist directed me to Abraham Piper, a rather famous exvangelical and son of John Piper, a famous evangelical fundamentalist. Abraham Piper's TikTok account was interesting, philosophical, and entertaining all at the same time, and many of his ideas hit home with me, as someone who was floundering with the idea of religious trauma, despite it having been nearly 8 years after my Exit. 

One of the tags he used was #abusurdism which I'd never heard of before, and being a curious type of person, I googled it. 

"What is absurdism?"

Of course, as you might expect, I found dozens of articles and reddit threads discussing Albert Camus, existentialism, and meaninglessness.

I was hooked. 

Meaninglessness had been an appealing concept to me since the first time I read Ecclesiastes, the only book of the bible I ever really liked. 

Even now, if you asked me what my favorite book of the bible was, I'd still say Ecclesiastes. When I was young, my reason was that it was beautiful poetry written by a clearly intelligent person who understood the futility of life, and which ended by directing you to trust god. 

Now my reason is because Ecclesiastes breaks christianity. It's like a computer virus. As soon as you run ecclesiastes.exe, blue screen.

In Ecclesiastes, the writer concludes that everything is meaningless, therefore, your best bet is to fear god and follow his commandments (cough *philosophical suicide* cough). The ending offers an easy "skip" button. 

"Fear god!" christian you might think. "Great, that's all I need to know. I was gonna do that anyway."

This answer is good enough until you read that verse in Romans about how you're supposed to study the scriptures. And then you do study them.

As soon as you really begin to look deeply into Ecclesiastes, one key thing leaps out: if everything is meaningless... so is following god and his commandments. That solution the Teacher offers? Just as meaningless as any other solution.

All of christianity centers around one foundational element: the meaning of everything is god.

But if there is no meaning to everything, if god is not the meaning after all... what does that mean for the entirety of the christian religion? 

If you take Ecclesiastes literally, then making the choice to "obey god" is just as meaningless as making a different choice. Even if you choose to "follow god," the method for doing so is meaningless. You could choose to follow the old testament god or the new testament god, you could follow Thor or Allah, you could rename the universe "god" and call it a day—and you get to make up your own "rules" about what following god looks like, and at least philosophically speaking, you're good to go.

Most christians would argue that therefore you must follow the christian scripture, because obviously the bible doesn't contradict itself, because it says so. heh

But this doesn't work. Literally no one follows the scriptures literally. Not even literalists. Because it's impossible. Because the bible doesn't agree with itself about anything.

And even if you find ways to look past all the other contradictions, Ecclesiastes undermines everything else. It puts questions where They don't want questions. It adds flexibility where They don't want flexibility. It adds meaninglessness where They want meaning.

And They can't get rid of Ecclesiastes. Because if They do that, then they're picking and choosing what scripture to follow. And if you can cut and paste Ecclesiastes, then it follows you can cut and paste the rest of the bible, in which case you might as well just throw the whole thing in the trash and start over. 

As far as I can tell, the "best" argument against my interpretation of Ecclesiastes is "no, you're misinterpreting it" which... isn't an argument. The very fact that Ecclesiastes demands interpretation in order to "fit" with the rest of christianity, means that I can interpret it however the hell I want.

And I choose to interpret it as an exploration of the meaninglessness of everything that ultimately undermines the whole of christianity.

When faced with ultimate meaninglessness, some people choose to avail themselves of the pleasures of life. Some people choose to work. Some people choose to find meaning in the mundane. Some people create their own meaning. Some people (like Solomon) choose to follow god and obey the king. And some people simply... accept meaninglessness.

And this is the heart of absurdism: choosing to accept meaninglessness as a fact of life, rather than fighting against it, trying to fix it, or trying to solve it.

Everything is meaningless. Utterly meaningless.

Including Ecclesiastes.

Everything is meaningless and that’s okay. Not only is it okay, it's good. Because acceptance often brings peace, freedom, and joy where there was only cognitive dissonance before.

[shoyustuff]

Malphas

Throughout history, good help has been hard to find. Sometimes, leaders need to contract with demons to complete the construction on a building such as a temple, wall or tower. The demon Malphas has an impressive resume highlighting his proficiency in the construction of public and private structures.

Demons Get A Boost

Known for his public administration and real estate development skills, the biblical rock star, King Solomon (990 BC to 931 BC), was not above hiring temporary laborers from the demon realm. As with many characters from the Bible, what started out as a collection of humble verses has exploded into a historical epic.

Possibly for marketing purposes, book publishers historically have invoked Solomon's name. Malphas gained notoriety in the 1584 book, “Pseudomonarchia Daemonum,” which is available today as “The Discoverie of Witchcraft.” The book lists 69 known demons. Years later, Malphas and many other demons become even more famous in the book “The Lesser Key of Solomon.” That book lists a few more demons.

The book justifies using Solomon's name by crediting him with summoning and controlling 72 demons. According to the ever-growing legend of Solomon, he was a genius, so he should have been qualified to manage that many demons.

Like the spinoffs and fan fiction of today, Solomon's and Malphas' exploits reached an extended universe as years went by.  

Master marketer and book publishing champion, Aleister Crowley (1875 to 1947) produced a retro version of “The Lesser Key of Solomon” that survives today. Crowley added a bunch of ceremonial instructions to the list in the book. Crowely is famous for being an occultist and a magician.

Religious Bedtime Stories

Possibly the most aggressive producer of demon information through the centuries is religion. Through biblical spinoffs, religious organizations have been educating the masses about the back stories and abilities of demons for centuries. A bishop thought up the seven princes of hell in the 1500s.

The New Testament was written before 100 AD, by most accounts. Demon stories are full of interesting details about cool powers and the significance of numbers such as three and seven. Fairy tales use similar devices on more of a PG-13 level.

Religions may have created and spread more mythology about demons than Halloween. In a story for Discovery.com, Benjamin Radford reported that religious leaders are concerned Halloween increases children's interest in supernatural beings.

The irony is the demon stories religions expose children to on a continual basis may have greater effect. The practice is the equivalent to telling someone not to say “Bloody Mary” 13 times in front of a mirror. Telling a person not to do it will make him want to do it.

People are fascinated by numbers and conspiracy theories, today, just as they were in ancient times. The theory claiming the “M” on the Monster Energy Drink can is 666 in Hebrew became popular a couple of years ago. Perhaps the theory was that if someone drinks enough Monster, he will become evil.

When things go wrong in the world, it's easier to blame a demon than take responsibility. The more powerful the demon is, the more havoc he can reek. One interpretation of Malphas states he is a president of hell and can take the form of a crow or an attractive, male human. Some versions of the legend use “prince” instead of “president.”

Another Malphas bio boasts his ability to read minds and bring objects such as rocks to life. In this story, he is the president/prince of hell and has a huge aura. As with most classic fairy tales, stories of demon summoning usually have a negative twist. It's pretty unrealistic to think there is such as thing as an honest and trustworthy demon.

There is a rumor Malphas is second in command to Satan, but according to “Paradise Lost” by John Milton, the second in command is Beelzebub. Both demons made it into “Dictionnaire Infernal” by Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy.

It first came out in 1818, but the 1863 version is the most prized because it has illustrations of the demons. If you see an illustration of Malphas in the internet, it's probably the one from “Dictionnaire Infernal.” The book is in French, and there are plenty of free PDFs of it on the internet. For a short, English print or ebook version, go here. The French 1863 version is 736 pages long.

In Culture

Demons have proven to be great inspiration for artists and have infused themselves into pop culture. Malphas has been successful in many arenas partially because of his cool-sounding name. The crow form seems to have lost out to the human form overall. Malphas has had roles in video games, role-playing games, anime, manga and is the name of a metal band. The human form of Malphas sometimes has characteristics of a vampire in pop culture.

In the video game Castlevania, Malphas is in crow form and his depiction is rumored to be partially influenced by the Shinto goblin, Tengu.

Hieronymus Bosch (1450 to 1516) may be the most influential artist in the demon genre. His depictions of demons and mortals engaged in sinful acts were meant to scare the hell out of viewers.

The paintings possibly had the opposite effect and still inspire artists. Heavy metal album cover art certainly bears a similarity to Bosh's work. It is notable Bosch was alive when “Pseudomonarchia Daemonum” was released to the public.

Demons star in horrors films on a regular basis. One of the most famous is Sam Raimi's “The Evil Dead” released in 1981. The film was low-budget, but it had so many innovative techniques and so much popular appeal, it spawned a franchise.

In novels, demons are huge. Kim Harrison's “Hollows Series” is the high standard for urban fantasy fiction, nowadays. Starting in book one, “Dead Witch Walking,” Harrison builds a mythology for demons and their world. She borrows from many sources of demon lore.

How to Summon

The main reason people summon demons is for help. Solomon supposedly did it at least 72 times. For those confident they will avoid suffering eternal damnation, demon summoning is pretty straightforward.

A few ritualistic tools and a positive attitude are about all you need, according to the Joy of Satan Ministries. One thing conjurers need for sure to have handy is the sigil of the demon they want to contact. Extreme sacrifices are not necessary. Not even Crowley killed anyone during a ritual.

The conundrum of summoning a demon is he eventually will want more than a shout-out for his services. This may be part of the reason people delve into demon summoning. There is a challenge to outsmart the demon or maybe a secret desire to lose.

[quotesfrommyreading]

The Mesha Stele, a three-foot-tall black basalt monument dating to nearly 3,000 years ago, bears a 34-line inscription in Moabite, a language closely related to ancient Hebrew—the longest such engraving ever found in the area of modern-day Israel and Jordan. In 1868, an amateur archaeologist named Charles Clermont-Ganneau was serving as a translator for the French Consulate in Jerusalem when he heard about this mysterious inscribed monument lying exposed in the sands of Dhiban, east of the Jordan River. No one had yet deciphered its inscription, and Clermont-Ganneau dispatched three Arab emissaries to the site with special instructions. They laid wet paper over the stone and tapped it gently into the engraved letters, which created a mirror-image impression of the markings on the paper, what’s known as a “squeeze” copy.

But Clermont-Ganneau had misread the delicate political balance among rival Bedouin clans, sending members of one tribe into the territory of another—and with designs on a valuable relic no less. The Bedouin grew wary of their visitors’ intentions. Angry words turned threatening. Fearing for his life, the party’s leader made a break for it and was stabbed in the leg with a spear. Another man leaped into the hole where the stone lay and yanked up the wet paper copy, accidentally tearing it to pieces. He shoved the torn fragments into his robe and took off on his horse, finally delivering the shredded squeeze to Clermont-Ganneau.

Afterward, the amateur archaeologist, who would become an eminent scholar and a member of the Institut de France, tried to negotiate with the Bedouin to acquire the stone, but his interest, coupled with offers from other international bidders, further irked the tribesmen; they built a bonfire around the stone and repeatedly doused it with cold water until it broke apart. Then they scattered the pieces. Clermont-Ganneau, relying on the tattered squeeze, did his best to transcribe and translate the stele’s inscription. The result had profound implications for our understanding of biblical history.

The stone, Clermont-Ganneau found, held a victory inscription written in the name of King Mesha of Moab, who ruled in the ninth century B.C. in what is now Jordan. The text describes his blood-soaked victory against the neighboring kingdom of Israel, and the story it told turned out to match parts of the Hebrew Bible, in particular events described in the Book of Kings. It was the first contemporaneous account of a biblical story ever discovered outside the Bible itself—evidence that at least some of the Bible’s stories had actually taken place.

In time, Clermont-Ganneau collected 57 shards from the stele and, returning to France, made plaster casts of each—including the one Langlois now held in his hand—rearranging them like puzzle pieces as he worked out where each of the fragments fit. Then, satisfied he’d solved the puzzle, he “rebuilt” the stele with the original pieces he’d collected and a black filler that he inscribed with his transcription. But large sections of the original monument were still missing or in extremely poor condition. Thus certain mysteries about the text persist to this day—and scholars have been trying to produce an authoritative transcription ever since.

The end of line 31 has proved particularly thorny. Paleographers have proposed various readings for this badly damaged verse. Part of the original inscription remains, and part is Clermont-Ganneau’s reconstruction. What’s visible is the letter bet, then a gap about two letters long, where the stone was destroyed, followed by two more letters, a vav and then, less clearly, a dalet.

In 1992, André Lemaire, Langlois’ mentor at the Sorbonne, suggested that the verse mentioned “Beit David,” the House of David—an apparent reference to the Bible’s most famous monarch. If the reading was correct, the Mesha Stele did not just offer corroborating evidence for events described in the Book of Kings; it also provided perhaps the most compelling evidence yet for King David as a historical figure, whose existence would have been recorded by none other than Israel’s Moabite enemies. The following year, a stele uncovered in Israel also seemed to mention the House of David, lending Lemaire’s theory further credence.

Over the next decade, some scholars adopted Lemaire’s reconstruction, but not everyone was convinced. A few years ago, Langlois, along with a group of American biblical scholars and Lemaire, visited the Louvre, where the reconstructed stele has been on display for more than a century. They took dozens of high-resolution digital photographs of the monument while shining light on certain sections from a wide variety of angles, a technique known as Reflectance Transformation Imaging, or RTI. The Americans were working on a project about the development of the Hebrew alphabet; Langlois thought the images might allow him to weigh in on the King David controversy. But watching the photographs on a computer screen in the moments they were taken, Langlois didn’t see anything of note. “I was not very hopeful, frankly—especially regarding the Beit David line. It was so sad. I thought, ‘The stone is definitively broken, and the inscription is gone.’”

It took several weeks to process the digital images. When they arrived, Langlois began playing with the light settings on his computer, then layered the images on top of each other using a texture-mapping software to create a single, interactive, 3D image—probably the most accurate rendering of the Mesha Stele ever made.

And when he turned his attention to line 31, something tiny jumped off the screen: a small dot. “I’d been looking at this specific part of the stone for days, the image was imprinted in my eyes,” he told me. “If you have this mental image, and then something new shows up that wasn’t there before, there’s some kind of shock—it’s like you don’t believe what you see.”

In some ancient Semitic inscriptions, including elsewhere on the Mesha Stele, a small engraved dot signified the end of a word. “So now these missing letters have to end with vav and dalet,” he told me, naming the last two letters of the Hebrew spelling of “David.”

Langlois reread the scholarly literature to see if anyone had written about the dot—but, he said, no one had. Then, using the pencil on his iPad Pro to imitate the monument’s script, he tested every reconstruction previously proposed for line 31. Taking into account the meaning of the sentences that come before and after this line, as well as traces of other letters visible on RTI renderings the group had made of Clermont-Ganneau’s squeeze copy, Langlois concluded that his teacher was right: The damaged line of the Mesha Stele did, almost certainly, refer to King David. “I really tried hard to come up with another reading,” Langlois told me. “But all of the other readings don’t make any sense.”

In the sometimes contentious world of biblical archaeology, the finding was hailed by some scholars and rejected by others. Short of locating the missing pieces of the stele miraculously intact, there may be no way to definitively prove the reading one way or another. For many people, though, Langlois’ evidence was as close as we might get to resolving the debate. But that hasn’t stopped him from inviting competing interpretations. Last year, Matthieu Richelle, an epigrapher who also studied under Lemaire, wrote a paper arguing, among other things, that Langlois’ dot could just be an anomaly in the stone. He presented his findings at a biblical studies conference in a session organized by Langlois himself. “This says something about how open-minded he is,” Richelle told me.

  —  How an Unorthodox Scholar Uses Technology to Expose Biblical Forgeries

[dailyaudiobible]

3/1/2023 DAB Transcript

Leviticus 24:1-25:46, Mark 10:13-31, Psalm 44:9-26, Proverbs 10:20-21

Today is the 1st day of the month of March, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. Here we are, brand new, shiny, sparkly month out in front of us. The 3rd month of the year. The 60th day of the year. And it is a joy and an honor to gather together today, in our little sacred space, our little oasis that we create everyday, all around the Global Campfire. Moving into this month together and continuing our journey through the Scriptures together this year. And so, new month of course, but we will pick up right where we left off. And that will lead us back into the Book of Leviticus. So, we’ve gone through a lot of the priesthood and the requirements of the priesthood and the ordination of the priesthood, and through a lot of the sacrifices and what they were and what they represent. And then we’ve gone through festivals, parties, celebrations that are built into the culture. Times to stop what you’re doing and remember who you are and where you’ve come from and where you’re going and who God is. And so, we pick up the story, Leviticus chapter 24 verse 1, through 25 verse 46 today.

Commentary:

Okay, so really, just a really beautiful scene in the Gospel of Mark today. Jesus was becoming known as a teacher, as a prophet, and some were starting to wonder if He’s the One, the anointed One, the Messiah. And so, crowds are around Jesus. We’ve been reading about this since the beginning of the year. Crowds are around Jesus but parents are bringing their children to Jesus, that He might bless them. And that is, that is really, really beautiful. I think of a picture that I seen as a kid, Jesus sitting on a rock, it’s probably a famous picture, but it was around a lot when I was a kid. Jesus sitting on a rock, holding a little child. Children sitting around Him, standing around Him and then the adults kind of back a little bit. And I remember that, that picture because it kind of went along with Jesus loves the little children all the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in site. Jesus loves the little children of the world. And we see this in the Gospel of Mark today. And it’s more than that He just loves them, He loves how they are. He’s looking at them and they have not lost their innocence to pessimism and cynicism yet. It’s just that Jesus disciples, they’re not tracking at all, so they’re trying to shoo kids away so that the grownups can be fed. And it’s Jesus that like, don’t, don’t do that, run them away from here. Don’t try to shoo them away from me. Truly I tell you, I quote from Mar, truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child, will never enter it. And He took the children in His arms and placed His hands on them and blessed them. We encounter this story, and this point, this sentiment, in other Gospels. And the challenge and often for us, as adults is typically to imagine what it would be like to have the trust and faith of a child. But for those of us who are parents, let’s just think about our own kids. God has given them to us. Like, they’re ours to steward on behalf of the Kind and His Kingdom. They’re put in our care. And to them, we will be the most poignant representation of what God is like, in their lives. And so, how much of our spiritual journey do we withhold from them thinking they’re just too little to understand. When reality may be that they have so much for us to learn. And so, often we find ourselves in positions where it’s like, do what I say but not what I do. When what we do is telling them and instructing them a lot more than what we say. But what we’re learning from Jesus himself is that God’s kingdom is centered around what a child has. The faith of a child is valued in God’s kingdom. And we spend so much times on ourselves, trying to get back to that place while maybe leading our children in a direction, the same way we were led. So that they have to circle back around and figure out what it looks like for them. What if we understood that we are stewarding our kids for God. And it is not a lightweight thing. Like, it is the greatest responsibility in humanity. We can be going for our job promotions, we can be going for our education, we can be going for our career or anything that we can be going for, there isn’t going to be something that is, that carries more weight than in stewarding our children for the kingdom of God and doing everything that we can because the world is set against us, we know it. Doing everything that we can to preserve that spark of wonder that exists in their hearts where anything is possible. The faith of a child. Children who have been nurtured in this way, do believe nothing is impossible. I’ve seen this play out in my own life. I’ve seen this play out in the lives of my children. I’m watching this, like I have a granddaughter and her name is Regan. And I couldn’t love her more. But watching her learn the wonder of it, because she believes he world is a good place. And she’s just a little girl but she lives from that place. And I look at her, I look at Ezekiel, our son, and I think, I mean, for me, there’s nothing that taught me more about God or myself then my children. I had flawed parents. Like, I’m flawed, like everybody’s flawed. But they did show me that, and I’ve tried to pass that because I believe what Jesus is saying here. Because I’ve been in the world long enough to know that there’s every reason to mistrust everything. And everybody has an opinion about everything and there’s a lot of tension in the world and there’s a lot of mistrust in the world. And there’s a lot of divide and conquer going on and I’ve seen this my whole life. So, I’m a cynic by nature, I’m pessimistic by nature. I don’t buy into anything without a long period of discernment. And so, is that how the kingdom of God works? Like, maybe it’s smart to be wise but within us is the spark of wonder even there because there’s a spark that connects us to God, that connects us to the infinite, that connects us to the eternal. That connects us to how it’s supposed to be. If that flame goes out, it’s hard to get it lit again. And when we participate in blowing it out in our children’s lives, through our own brokenness, then that’s, that’s a problem. That’s a problem in the kingdom. And we can say, yeah but I didn’t have, like my parents, if you knew our origin story. If you knew how lucky I felt when I finally got out of there, but that’s really actually what I am talking about. No child of God should need to escape the place that they were placed to be stewarded, unless they weren’t stewarded at all, and instead broken and abused in some sort of way. And so, that leaves a lifelong struggle toward wholeness to try to put the pieces back together again. And I’m not saying to any of us are that kind of people. I’m simply saying, what if we actually paid a little bit more attention with intentionality, to the fact that we’ve been given gifts from God to steward and they are the future of this kingdom. And maybe if we would slow-down and not just offer all of the kinds of instructions that simply make our lives easier. But if we would slow-down and get to know them, we might find that they can remind us what of what wonder and awe feels like. They can teach us what the world has tried to beat out of us. Maybe we can steward and protect them and they can teach us what it looks like to be whole. It’s worth thinking about anyway. 

Prayer:

And so, Jesus, we invite You into that since we’re thinking about it. And we invite Your Holy Spirit into it. There’s, there’s no way to talk about this and make it a blanket thing, that one size fits all. We all have very different stories, very different backgrounds, very different everything. And so, there is no person that can say, here’s how this is done, except You. Except You. And You are here and You are available. And so, come Holy Spirit, into this. Into the relationships that we have with our kids, into the postures that we have toward them and others. Into the places that are young in us and how we treat those places inside of ourselves. May we realize that You have called us Your children, the children of God for a reason. And may we reclaim what has been stolen from us, that we might feel awe and wonder at Your creation and all that is in it and all that awaits us. Come, Holy Spirit, into this, we pray. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home, home base and it is where you can find out what’s going on around here. And the alternative is the Daily Audio Bible app, which you can download free from whatever App Store is connected to your device. And so, check it out. Check out the Community Section, this is where to get connected on social media. This is also where the Prayer Wall that we speak of lives and is always available to us. So be aware of that, you can always reach out, you can always reach back. There’s always room for all us, and we can all participate in praying for one another. And so, check that out. 

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you, humbly, we wouldn’t be here around the Global Campfire if we weren’t in this together. And so, thank you. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right hand corner. Or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

And as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement you can hit the Hotline button in the app or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that’s it for today, I’m Brian, I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here, tomorrow.

Prayer and Encouragements:

Good morning this is Few from Bright Spark, Chicago. I am out on the shores of Lake Michigan near Oakwood Beach. I wanna give a shout out to the evangelists,  Renzo you specifically come to mind. I had an experience this last Tuesday, while praying for people on the streets that has never happened. My discipline is to do this many hours throughout the week but I’ve been doing for 15 years. Specifically, I want us to be praying for those who are on the streets, risking their lives for it. I heard, what I thought were fireworks, this past Tuesday the 21st and realized as the bullets started ricocheting off the street lamps around me that that was not the case or if it was it was more than just fireworks. And I processed this with mentors. And one mentor asked me to reevaluate what I’m doing when it comes to the cost and what that could mean for my family and my kids, to talk with them. So, I have done that. They’re very understanding when it comes to me pursuing what I believe is God’s call on my life. I also had another mentor mention, and just sort of volunteer that she didn’t pray for me regularly and whether or not I should have been hurt by that, I was. And so, I just have asked people to sort of recommit when it comes to just praying for me in general. But yeah, I also just want us to go after those difficult places in our neighborhoods, encourage people around the world to do that. Bring light and life there. I feel, for me personally, that safety is often an idol and an excuse not to do God’s work. But I also don’t want to be stupid. So, just pray for wisdom and guidance. Pray for my relationships. Pray for the conversations that have happened as a result of this. Be courageous …

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family. This is Candace in California. It’s February 22nd and I just need prayer for my marriage. My husband and I are having a hard time. We love each other very much but we’re seniors and it’s been a difficult time. We live in a rural part of Northern California. The storms hit us quite badly. I lost my car in the flood waters. We didn’t have power for seven days in a row and multiple other days. Trees came down, mudslides, floods like you wouldn’t believe, the roads looked like lakes. And it’s just been difficult for my husband. He’s been having a lot of health problems. He’s a bit older than I am, we’re both senior citizens. But he’s been healthy all his life and he’s having a hard time dealing with it. I have my health issues too but not quite as bad as him. We just need your prayers. We love each other, we’ve been together a while. But he’s having a very hard time. I ask for your prayers. I want to thank you, Brian and Jill and China and the entire staff at the DAB and the entire DAB family. I love you all very much and I thank you for all your prayers in the past. God willing, we will work this out. Thank you, thank you all for all you do. I love you. Cam in California. 

Hello, my DAB family. I’m calling in for a couple of our wonderful DABers. And first, Junk to Treasure, oh, I hear it, I hear you, I hear you my sister. You are so overwhelmed. And so, alright, your family, our family, our DAB family, we are lifting you up. We love you. And all the times you call in to pray for us. And so, Junk to Treasure, I’m lifting you up as you are so overwhelmed with your finances and your home and your daughter and your grandkids and health. Oh, and just the constant struggles and so I’m lifting you up and praying that you would be strengthened in the Lord, that He would guide you in every decision to guide your heart, to guide your steps in everything you do and what you need to do and what should be first. Oh, that He would give you a double blessing and help you and for your daughter and for your grandkids and your finances and all these things we lift up to the Lord. We love you so much and keeping you in prayer. And Heavenly Father, we thank You, we thank you that You hear our prayers and that we may lift each other up. And should I have time. I want to lift up another caller. You did not leave your name, but you called, well we heard your call, you called on the 14th of February, we heard it on the 21st of February. You said it’s your first time calling and your friend Christine shared the app with you, asking for prayer for your 80 year old mom. Her name is Maria. Pain in her hips to her feet. So, in Jesus name we pray for healing for Maria. Yes, in the healing name of Jesus. We thank You Heavenly Father when we give our praise to You. Amen and Amen. Thank you DABers. I love you.

Hello, blessed family. Several times women are calling in regarding the looming end of their long-term marriages. Several men are calling in regarding their sexual sins. The word tells us in the last days that men will become lovers of themselves and in the world and culture that we live in, sexual sin is dominating and destroying marriages and families. My husband and I have been married almost 34 years and the last 6 years have been a struggle, straight from the pit of hell, full of lies and infidelity. However, after a lot of prayer, counseling, Christian addiction programs and intensive celebrate recovery support groups and more, it seems my husband has finally turned a corner and is truly saved for the first time in our 35 year Christian life together. He is now a humble servant and follower of Jesus. I say this to give you hope. Men, please take responsibility for the things that hold you in bondage and get the help you need. Conquering intimacy anorexia and addiction is impossible for you to do on your own. That is why God tells us to seek Godly counsel, in addition to counseling from our church family. You need to break free from the chains and you can’t do it alone. Women, hold fast to the Lord. Keep praying. Walk in obedience to His word. Surround yourself with a group of women who will support you. The road to understanding the core trauma issues and how to deal with them is not a journey for the spiritually weak. But even if you are weak, He will strengthen you, to keep your eyes on Him during the storm. There are a multitude of times I gave up and He always gave me a glimpse of hope if I would hold on just a little bit longer. I did, and I’m so grateful. Our God never wastes a hurt. Our God never wastes a tear. Our God never ignores our cries. Our God always turns an ear to our heart and our prayers. Where else would our heart come from? God bless you all.

Hi, Daily Audio Bible, this is Beloved on the Beach and I am calling in another prayer request this week for my daughter Emma. She is 14, a ninth grader and really struggling with this move from the Boston area to Southwest Florida. She’s fought it every step of the way. Definitely see softening here and there, and opening up in some good conversations. But we go from a few fairly good days to a chunk of time of her being in her room and not as responsive and just really in a depressive state. I know that she is lonely. I know that she walked away from her walk with Jesus about a year and a half ago. She’s doing this move without him. And I’m barely standing in this move myself with Jesus. So, I can’t even imagine how dark it must be for her at times. I just ask that you come alongside our family and pray for her. Pray for her to get a fire reignited in her soul. That a fresh pouring of the Spirit will come upon her. That she’ll be open to the kids in youth group. That she will be open to our new church and that God will give her a buddy, a kindred spirit, one who loves You, Jesus. Our daughter Emma, is not like a typical girly girl and very much feels like she doesn’t fit in anywhere. And I just pray for that perfect friendship that helps draws her closer to Jesus but also fills the sadness and lonliness. Thank you. 

[anythingforstories]

Sometimes reading the Bible has the same vibes as analyzing a very long series. Like take the famous Christmas passage of Isaiah 9:1–7.

Verse 1: Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan

This makes so much sense when you understand that Israel had split into two nations; neither of them were particularly good at following God’s laws but the northern kingdom, which included (among others) the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, was particularly not good at it. And in Isaiah’s time, the northern kingdom was conquered by Assyria. The land of Galilee was being humbled.

But you know where Mary and Joseph lived? You know where Jesus spent most of his ministry?

Yup, that’s right, Galilee.

Verse 4:  For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,    you have shattered the yoke that burdens them,    the bar across their shoulders,    the rod of their oppressor.

Midian’s defeat! That’s back hundreds of years in Israel’s history, with the story of Gideon. Midian was not giving Israel an easy time back then; raiding parties stealing crops and all that.

So what does God do? He picks Gideon, this Nobody who was hiding out, and is like, “You’re the warrior who will chase the Midianites away.” And Gideon is like “lol nope I’m a nobody” but God insists, and two times Gideon asks God to give him a sign because he was scared, and two times, God gave him a sign. So Gideon gathered a bunch of troops, and two times, God had him send many of them away so that instead of thousands, it was just a few hundred against their oppressors. And how did they win? Not through a direct attack, but through torches and breaking jars! And God threw their oppressors into confusion, and they fought each other.

It’s an incredible story of a Nobody who was called, and a tiny force defeating a giant army. It’s a story of God being the one to break the rod of the oppressor.

Verse 7a:  He will reign on David’s throne    and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it    with justice and righteousness    from that time on and forever.

David’s throne! David was the second king of Israel, and it had been prophesied for many years that the Promised One would come through his line.

There are so many things in this passage, and all over the place, that you don’t understand until you’ve read the whole thing.

It activates the same parts of me that get excited about One Piece and Naruto and Fairy Tail and My Hero Academia and all these other really long stories with foreshadowing and whatnot. Except I get even more excited about this stuff because (1), the content is longer and there’s more to draw from, and (2), the Bible has the story of redemption that God Almighty has given us. And that’s, y’know, the most important thing in the history of Things.

[internalmyth]

I posted 1,349 times in 2022

That's 1,325 more posts than 2021!

168 posts created (12%)

1,181 posts reblogged (88%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@twilightdark

@teabox

@thecollectibles

@kaatiba

I tagged 1,068 of my posts in 2022

Only 21% of my posts had no tags

#art - 295 posts

#faven.script - 151 posts

#bromide - 108 posts

#beneath wild starlight - 61 posts

#three rivers down - 27 posts

#eoe - 26 posts

#& she writes! - 23 posts

#rilke my beloved - 22 posts

#to the trees my darling - 20 posts

#wind and roses - 17 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#i have a dialogue but it needs a situation and to have a situation you need a problem and to have a problem you need characters who need to

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Orpheus trope my beloved!!!!! I love it more than enemies to lovers. When a character follows their love down into moral hell or a bad situation, so that they can ensure that their love returns alive. The devotion!!! The love!!! The Consequences!!!

4 notes - Posted July 9, 2022

#4

As tagged by @icemaiden, my blurbo list consists of the following:

Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice (2005) and his ability to feel So Much but unable to express himself in a way that is true to what he is feeling. The way he is always so thoughtful but constantly misunderstood.... And Elizabeth, the way she loves her family despite their shortcomings and is willing to bat for them.

Katherine Barlow from Holes and the immense guilt she felt after Sam was murdered. The way she buried her treasure in the place he died and returned there to die as well. The way he was the last man she kissed who was alive, and after that every man she kissed was a corpse.

Ramses from the Prince of Egypt. Specifically the responsibilities placed in him as the eldest to do good be good be strong always.

Roman from One for My Enemy and his parallels to Judas from the Bible. The betrayal he commits in an effort to prove himself and has to suffer for. The way he tries to protect his brothers and make it all better but only succeeds in making it all worse. The unloved one despite being just like his father.

Harold Finch from Person of Interest my pathetic little man but the smartest of them all. The way he took on strays, gave them a purpose, and did not boast of his wealth. The way he taught a machine compassion and when the machine became sentient, it decided to be shaped in his image.

Takehito Kumagami from the Charlotte anime. His selfless nobility always makes me tear up a little.

Eiji Kashii and his speech about righteousness and doing good in Juuni Taisen really stuck with me. His determination to be noble at all times and use his powers for right rather than gain really endeared him to me.

Hector from Castlevania my pathetic and far too trusting man. He's so lame and too tender and I just want him to be happy.

Celty from Durarara my beloved. She's so normal despite being one of the most abnormal individuals in the city and I love her for that. For being the one who remains normal and okay even when everyone else is not.

Hodor from GoT and his simple loyalty to Bran (despite Bran having been the cause of every ill that ever happened to him), the way his name was a foretelling of the sacrifice he would pay.

Dagonet from King Arthur (2004) and his quiet kindness... His gentle strength.

4 notes - Posted March 3, 2022

#3

Really tempted to add EoE to the Faven!verse. I'm already planning to have Blood of Cain as part of the Faven!verse, but as a prequel.

5 notes - Posted November 8, 2022

#2

url change: from womansaints to holykings. cannot believe it wasn't taken.

6 notes - Posted January 3, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

jaime and brienne, my beloved battle couple, you will ALWAYS be famous.

6 notes - Posted May 13, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[drmaqazi]

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

PSALMS OF DAVID (PEACE BE UPON HIM)

WARNING, FROM GOD ALMIGHTY OF PROPHET DAWOOD (‘ALAIH-IS-SALAM) and PROPHET SULAIMAN (‘ALAIH-IS-SALAM), A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF A FATHER AND A SON, THE RICHEST AND THE WISEST PROPHETS ON THIS EARTH SENT BY ALLAH (SUBHANAHU WA TA’ALA).

PSALM CHAPTER 50

But to the wicked Almighty God says: ”What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?” Verse 17

For you hate discipline, and you cast My words behind you. Verse 18

If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers. Verse 19

You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. Verse 20

You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. Verse 21

These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you. Verse 22

Mark this, then, you who forget Almighty God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver! Verse 23

Attached above is a WARNING from Almighty God of Prophet Dawood and Sulaiman (‘Alaihim-us-Salam), the two most famous father and son, the richest and the wisest Prophets of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) sent to this earth to rule as Kings.

I am working as a Muslim Chaplain (Imam) for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. After I retired, I have been preaching to non-Muslims, including but not limited to Jews and Christians since July 1993.

While studying the Holy Bible (New Testament and Holy Torah (Old Testament)), I read Psalms of David (Peace be upon him) and found Psalm Chapter 50 Verse 16-23 very interesting.

It seems quite clear that Almighty God of Dawood and Sulaiman (‘Alaihim-us-Salam) was not happy with Bani Israel and was warning them for dire consequences in case they don’t obey Him, but also with the corrupt politicians of so-called Islamic Republic of Pakistan and warning them, also.

"Mark this, then, you who forget Almighty God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver.” Psalm Chapter 50, Verse 23.

As a Muslim, I tried to shake up and wake up the sleeping poor and rich people of Pakistan from their deep slumber under the order of Amr bil Ma’roof and Nahi ‘an-il-Munkar.

I used the Messages of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) from the Holy Qur’an, Sayings of Prophet Muhammad (SallAllahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam), from Hadith, laws from Islamic Jurisprudence (Shari’ah), and quotes from the Kalam-e-Iqbal (Poetry) of the Poet Phiolosopher of the East, Allamah Sir Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Rahmatullahi ‘alaih, with due apologies.

اٹھو میری دنیا کے سوئے ہوئے غریبوں اور امیروں کو جگا دو

I admit that I could not achieve what I wanted to do in more than thirty (30) years, what all of the above have been unable to do, to change the mindset of these so-called Muslims for more than fourteen hundred years ago.

خدا نے آج تک اس قوم کی حالت نہیں بدلی ، نہ ہو جس کو خیال خود اپنی حالت کے بدلنے کا

As a final resort, I decided to use Psalm Chapter 50, Verses 17-23, hoping and praying that the warning from Almighty God of David and Solomon (Peace be upon them) will tear them apart if they forget Almighty God, may help to shake them up and wake them up from their deep slumber, In shaa Allah!

[mycoffeepanda]

Discover Hidden Gems: Unique Places to Visit in California

California, often associated with bustling cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, has countless lesser-known gems waiting to be explored. For travelers looking for something unique beyond the typical tourist attractions, there are numerous places that offer a glimpse into California's diverse beauty. From breathtaking natural landscapes to quirky historical sites, the state is full of surprises. If you're planning your next trip, these unique places to visit in California should be on your list, providing a blend of adventure, culture, and serenity.

1. Point Reyes National Seashore: A Coastal Escape

Located just an hour north of San Francisco, Point Reyes National Seashore is a stunning natural reserve with a variety of activities for nature lovers. With over 71,000 acres of protected coastline, this gem offers everything from rugged cliffs and sandy beaches to peaceful meadows and forested areas. Visitors can hike to the famous Point Reyes Lighthouse, explore the historic Pierce Ranch, or simply enjoy the scenic vistas. Wildlife enthusiasts may also spot elephant seals, tule elk, and numerous bird species along the coastal trails. It’s a serene getaway from the busy city life and is undoubtedly one of the unique places to visit in California.

2. Salvation Mountain: A Vision in the Desert

Located near the Salton Sea in Southern California, Salvation Mountain is an extraordinary art installation that has captivated visitors for decades. Created by artist Leonard Knight, this colorful man-made mountain is a testament to his message of love and faith. Every inch of the mountain is covered with hand-painted murals, Bible verses, and bright colors, making it a truly unique destination. It’s an unexpected burst of color in the desert and is perfect for those who appreciate art and eccentric creativity. Travelers looking for unique places to visit in California will find Salvation Mountain to be a one-of-a-kind experience

3. Glass Beach: Nature’s Art at Fort Bragg

On the Mendocino Coast, Glass Beach stands as a remarkable example of nature’s resilience. What was once a dumping ground for glass bottles and other debris has been transformed into a beach adorned with smooth, colorful glass pebbles. Years of ocean waves have polished the glass, turning trash into treasure. Walking along the beach, visitors can marvel at the kaleidoscope of colors underfoot, making it one of the most visually striking unique places to visit in California. Not only is it a testament to the power of nature, but it’s also a prime location for eco-conscious travelers who appreciate sustainability.

4. Lassen Volcanic National Park: A Geothermal Wonder

For those seeking a natural wonderland far from the crowds, Lassen Volcanic National Park offers a tranquil retreat. Located in Northern California, this park is home to an impressive array of geothermal features, including bubbling mud pots, steaming fumaroles, and the massive Lassen Peak, an active volcano. The park offers opportunities for hiking, camping, and even snowshoeing in the winter. It’s an ideal destination for those who want to witness the forces of nature up close. The park’s relatively low visitor numbers also make it one of the best unique places to visit in California for those seeking solitude in nature.

5. The Mystery Spot: Defying Gravity in Santa Cruz

Nestled in the redwood forests of Santa Cruz, the Mystery Spot has been perplexing and entertaining visitors since the 1940s. This small, mysterious area appears to defy the laws of gravity, with objects seemingly rolling uphill and people standing at impossible angles. While many believe it’s all an optical illusion, the odd sensation experienced by visitors is undeniably fun and puzzling. The Mystery Spot is a quirky and playful destination, offering a different kind of adventure for those looking for unique places to visit in California. Whether you believe in the mystery or not, it's an unforgettable experience​.

6. Bodie Ghost Town: A Step Back in Time

Bodie, located in the high desert near the Nevada border, is a well-preserved ghost town that transports visitors back to the Gold Rush era. Once a booming mining town, Bodie was abandoned in the early 20th century and is now a state historic park. Walking through the town’s empty streets, you’ll see remnants of the past, including old saloons, general stores, and homes. Unlike typical tourist attractions, Bodie is preserved in a state of “arrested decay,” meaning that while the buildings are maintained, they are left as they were found. Bodie’s eerie and untouched atmosphere makes it one of the most unique places to visit in California.

7. Alabama Hills: A Cinematic Landscape

If you’ve ever watched a Western movie, chances are you’ve seen the Alabama Hills. Located at the base of the Sierra Nevada near Lone Pine, this otherworldly landscape of rounded boulders and arches has been the backdrop for countless films. Beyond its cinematic appeal, the Alabama Hills are a fantastic destination for hikers and rock climbers. The Mobius Arch Trail, in particular, offers a stunning view of Mount Whitney through a natural rock arch. The juxtaposition of the rolling hills and the towering Sierras makes this a visually stunning and unique place to visit in California.

8. Mono Lake: An Ancient and Alien Landscape

Mono Lake, one of the oldest lakes in North America, is a surreal and unique destination in California’s Eastern Sierra. The lake’s high salinity has resulted in the formation of strange limestone towers called tufa, which rise from the water’s surface like eerie sculptures. Visitors can explore these fascinating formations at the South Tufa area or take a kayak tour to see them up close. The lake’s high alkalinity also supports a unique ecosystem, including brine shrimp and migratory birds. Mono Lake’s alien landscape and ecological significance make it one of the most unique places to visit in California​.

California’s hidden gems offer a wealth of experiences for those willing to explore beyond the usual tourist paths. From art in the desert to geothermal wonders and ghost towns, the state’s diversity is reflected in its lesser-known attractions. Whether you’re an adventure seeker, history buff, or simply someone who appreciates the unusual, you’ll find plenty of unique places to visit in California. For more detailed travel tips and insights, be sure to explore b0arding.