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im-captain-egg · 4 years

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Masterlist

Harry Potter

Bedroom Eyes (E, 1.4k, Wolfstar) ”You’ve been giving me bedroom eyes for the past half an hour now, Sirius,” he said. “Wanna show me what you were thinking about?” Remus asked hoarsely, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

Our Friends Are Idiots (E, 2.8k, Wolfstar) James and Peter think that their best friend is in trouble but Sirius thinks that they're idiots. All he wanted was some sexy time with his hot werewolf boyfriend.

i don’t want to be your friend, i want to kiss your lips (E, 3k, Wolfstar) Remus tried to find the right words. He had played this out in his head a thousand times, had imagined how it would be to finally admit his feelings, to tell Sirius. But now, all the words were gone, his thoughts filled with nothing but Sirius.

i’ll make the moon shine just for you (not rated, wip, Wolfstar)

Punny Little Thing Called Love (T, 1.2k, Wolfstar) Three times Sirius gives Remus a stupid nickname and one time he doesn't.

breaking through the atmosphere (E, 2.1k, Wolfstar) Sirius struggles with being locked-up in 12 Grimmauld Place but Remus is there to take care of him.

sit still, look pretty (E, 1.5k, Wolfstar) Remus is a tease but Sirius doesn’t mind.

tell me about last night (M, 1.9k, Wolfstar) In which Remus Lupin drinks too much and hooks up with Sirius Black, captain of the university’s Polo team and Remus’ long-time crush. Awkwardness ensues the next morning.

waves (E, 6.6k, Wolfstar) Hell breaks loose at 12 Grimmauld Place and an injured Sirius Black seeks refuge at the Potters.

A Purrfect Match (G, 1.6k, Wolfstar) When Remus walked into the shelter that day, he expected to leave with a new furry companion and not meet the love of his life.

bewitched you in the moonlight (T, 4k, Wolfstar) Sirius is absolutely smitten by an adorably awkward Remus dressed as a werewolf.

Lightning in a Bottle (M, 11.1k, Wolfstar) 29-year-old businessman Sirius Black finds himself falling in love with 23-year-old art student Remus Lupin, who turns Sirius' life upside down in a matter of seconds.

Red, White & Royal Annoyance (T, 3k, Wolfstar) A royal wedding, two rivals, a kiss in the garden.

The Big Birthday Cake Catastrophe (T, 1.5k, Wolfstar) Sirius and James attempt to bake a birthday cake for Remus when disaster strikes.

Of Sharks, Manatees, and Master Matchmakers (T, 2.1k, Wolfstar) Remus works at an aquarium where he meets Sirius, a guy with a PhD in marine biology who can talk to sharks and thinks that Remus' lanyard is funky.

Red, White & Royal Blue

Paris Nights / New York Mornings (E, 1.7k, Alex/Henry) Henry is stuck in a hot hotel room in Paris and Alex is more than happy to keep him company.

smoke and mirrors (E, 3.1k, Alex/Henry) Henry owns a blue suit that drives Alex crazy and Henry thinks that the baby blue tie just looks too good around Alex's wrists.

Honey and Lemons (G, 668, Alex/Henry) Henry has a cold. Alex is there to take care of him.

Champagne Bubbles (T, 788, Alex/Henry) When Alex comes home from work, Henry has a surprise date planned for them.

David and the Case of Finding Furever Home (G, 1k, Alex/Henry) It's another normal day at the shelter for Alex until Henry walks in.

Night at the Lake House (T, 599, Alex/Henry) Henry goes skinny dipping. Alex thinks his boyfriend is the most beautiful person in the world.

Shower Curtains (E, 2.5k, Alex/Henry) Taking a shower with Henry is never about getting clean. Never.

you take my breath and steal the things i know (E, 56.4k, Alex/Henry) Alex hates Henry and Henry hates Alex—at least that's what Alex likes to tell himself. It all changes though when Henry comes to the States to film a docu-series with Nora and June, and Alex involuntarily gets to know Henry better, finding his world completely turned on its head by the end of it.

baby, it’s cold outside (T, 2.4k, Alex/Henry) A collection of all my drabbles for the RWRB Winterfest 2020!

dogs that bark don’t bite (T, 415) Alex was a weird kid.

notes from David (G, wip) A compilation of David having thoughts.

I will adore you until eternity (E, 4.3k, Alex/Henry) Alex got Henry two sets of lingerie and Henry is eager to try them on.

completely and perfectly and incandescently happy (G, 254, Alex/Henry) “What endearments am I allowed then?” Henry asks with a smile, cupping Alexander’s face with his hand and brushing his thumb across the sun-kissed skin there.

Tidal Wave (E, 4.8k, Alex/Henry) Rivalling captains Alexander and Henry have been neck to neck for years but their relationship takes a different turn when Henry shows up unexpectedly on the Claremont.

your mouth is a hurricane (E, 3.7, Alex/Henry) Drummers hit it the hardest, they say.

like fireflies (E, 5.7k, Alex/Henry) Alex and Henry see each other again. Featuring dark storage rooms, leather gloves, and a weird fuzzy feeling that simply won't leave Alex alone whenever he's around Henry.

to be kissed by you (T, 1k, Alex/Henry) Alex and Henry meet for a quick rendezvous before attending an official event.

like cherries and wine (T, 640, June/Nora) June meets up with Pez for brunch where she, literally, runs into a cute waitress.

she is my all, she is the one, she is (T, 1k, June/Nora) Nora struggles to find a fitting Valentine's present for her girlfriend.

can i call you tonight? (E, 7.8k, Alex/Henry) Falling in love with someone who lives an ocean away is weird. Especially if you are staying at their house and they stay at yours. or Alex and Henry swap houses and fall in love in the process.

shouting curses at ursa major (T, 1.2k, Alex/Henry) Sometimes, forever doesn't last as long as you might want it to.

Shifting Gears (E, 1.7k, Alex/Henry) Henry and Alex plan on taking a short vacation in Wales when a punctured tire ruins their fun. Or does it?

you’re the beat playing in my heart (E, 6.6k, Alex/Henry) Things between Alex and Henry get weird after Pittsburgh but then Henry invites Alex to London.

what is grief, if not love persevering? (T, 423) As suggested by his therapist, Henry writes a letter to his dad.

rosemary & firewood (T, 1.1k, Alex/Henry) When they brew Amortentia for the first time, Alex discovers something new about himself.

i hope you don't mind that i put down in words how wonderful life is while you're in the world (T, 827, Alex/Henry) "What do you love the most about Henry?" - "Does everything count as an answer? Though even that wouldn't be enough." Some of the things Alex loves about Henry.

spell my name with her tongue, like (uh) (E, 2.5k, June/Nora) Stuck at a state dinner, Nora decides to have some fun with June under the table.

i’ll tell you what i like / my wildflower (E, 2.6k, Alex/Henry) Henry takes Alex on a ride on a motorbike which quickly leads to something more heated once they make it back to the garage.

oh, honey, pray to me between the sheets (E, 2.8k, Alex/Henry) Henry comes home after being away for three weeks and Alex is very eager to welcome him home properly.

if they only knew how you talk to me when it’s just us two (E, 5.3k, Alex/Henry) With Henry being gone for a week to take care of things back home, Alex is left in NYC on his own but when he feels needy, Henry is only a text message away.

when he calls me pretty (E, 2.7k, Alex/Henry) Alex is horny and Henry is happy to help out even if they are an ocean apart.

Cherry Bomb (E, 3.1k, June/Nora) June gets a new lingerie set. Nora is more than happy to admire it.

One Last Stop

sugar & spice (E, 1.5k, August/Jane) August can't sleep. Jane offers to help.

Voltron

Birthday Boy (E, 2k, Klance) It's Keith's birthday and the boys are a little drunk and horny and utterly in love.

Song of Achilles

he touched my soul, skin to bone (E, 2.3k, Achilles/Patroclus) It’s Achilles’ birthday and Patroclus brought some figs for them to share.

#masterlist #my tag

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dalyunministry · 3 years

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Pas. Johnraj Lamech

India

🍁

Greetings in the matchless Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Topic: The Birth & Growth of the Church – The First Sermon (Part 3): Imperatives of Salvation.

Rhema Word: Acts 2:38-39 (NKJV) “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Let’s pray. Our Gracious Loving Father, thank you for giving us an opportunity to meditate your Word today along with your children who have been called to live a holy life Father. I commit everyone who are all meditating this message into your mighty hand Father. Bless them and give them the oneness of Spirit and make their heart as a good land to receive each and every Word which is living and active Lord. Thank You Holy Spirit for helping us to understand the in-depth treasure of Your Word and helping us to live a life as per Your Word Lord. We give all the Glory and Honour to You only Father. We pray in the mighty Name of Your beloved Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

In the last two weeks we have meditated first two parts of the First Sermon ever preached in the new church age, after Jesus’ ascension and Pentecost by Apostle Peter. In the first part we learnt about how the Holy Spirit poured out and how the believers were infilled with the Holy Spirit got excited, experienced God’s presence and expressed joy and rejoiced in what God had done besides the work of God in last days and God’s set purpose and foreknowledge concerning His beloved Son Jesus Christ. In the second part of the sermon we learnt about the detailed proofs of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ covering the prophecy of David, Peter’s testimony, the eye-witnesses of disciples and the exaltation and the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven.

Today, we are going to meditate on the Third Part of the First Sermon ever preached in the new church age, after Jesus’ ascension and Pentecost, that is, after the coming of the Holy Spirit as explained in Acts 2:37-40 focussing on the imperatives of salvation.

Apostle Peter preached the first sermon after Pentecost and he focussed on the imperatives of salvation. He makes it clear that what a person must do to be saved. We have come here to the end of Peter’s first sermon that was delivered right after the receiving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. A group of Jews who were in Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks came to the room where the disciples and others were gathered when they heard the rush of the wind that accompanied the coming of the Holy Spirit.

What we have here today is what we might call “the invitation”. It is where the drawing of the people comes about. Some people today might say, why do we have an invitation. I believe the invitation is the most important part of the whole sermon. It is the climatic point when the opportunity to, as we might say, do business with God. The invitation is that time when God has been working in your heart and He draws you to Him. It is where we give an opportunity for someone to come and receive Christ, to come and follow in Baptism, to join the church, to make another decision for Christ, to be prayed with and to be prayed for.

Yes, here today we have Peter’s Imperatives of Salvation. An imperative is another word for a command. So you might look at this as the commands or the orders of salvation.

Let us try to understand the following today, with the help of our Holy Spirit:

1] Conviction:

2] The Imperatives of Salvation:

3] The results of Salvation:

4] Assurance of Salvation : God’s promise and God’s personal Call:

5] Separation from this Corrupt world:

1] Conviction:

The Bible says in Acts 2:37 ”When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Yes, the people were convicted and they cried out, “What shall we do?”. Apostle Peter’s sermon, the proclaimed Word, was driven home to the hearts of the people.

The word “cut” (katenugesan) means to convict, sting, sense pain and hurt. Conviction is an emotional movement of the heart. A person senses sorrow over disappointing God. The person’s heart is touched and moved to some degree of brokenness.

That is why, Apostle Paul while writing to Corinthians says in 2 Corinthians 7:8-10 ”Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

Yes, conviction is being pricked with a tug, a pull, a knowledge, an awareness.

Yes, it is a sense of sin, of doing wrong, of breaking God’s law, of being disobedient.

Yes, it is a sense of failure, of coming short, of not measuring up, of disappointing God.

Yes, it is a sense of needing more and more of the Lord and His righteousness.

Remember, conviction causes people to seek answers, to ask, ”What shall we do?”

When Nathan the prophet went to King David, after David had gone in to Bathsheba, David cried in Psalm 51:1-7 ”Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight— that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Yes, Peter cried bitterly when he denied Lord Jesus in Matthew 26:74-75 ”Then he (Peter) began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.”

Just see how the Holy Spirit spoke to the people forcefully through Peter in Acts 2:22-24 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.” He further said in Verse 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” This resulted into conviction as the verse says ”Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Amen.. Hallelujah!!!

2] The Imperatives of Salvation:

The imperatives are of two folds. A person must repent and be baptized.

(i) Repentance:

Repentance is to change; to turn; to change one’s mind; to turn one’s life. It is turning away from sin and turning toward God. Yes, it is a change of mind, a forsaking of sin. It is putting sin out of one’s thoughts and behaviour. Yes, it is resolving never to think or do a thing again. John the Baptist said in Matthew 3:1-2 ”In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

The change is turning away from lying, stealing, cheating, immorality, cursing, drunkenness, and the other so-called glaring sins of the sinful nature. But the change is also turning away from the silent sins of the spirit such as self-centeredness, selfishness, envy, bitterness, pride, covetousness, anger, evil thoughts, hopelessness, laziness, jealousy and lust.

Please note “Repentance” involves two turns. There is a negative turn away from sin and a positive turn toward God. Yes, it is a turning to God away from sin, whether sins of thought or action.

Paul while addressing Areopagus said about the need for repentance in Acts 17:29-31 ”Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

(ii) Baptism:

Baptism is the outward sign, the immediate sign of repentance. It is the physical sign that a person is identifying with Christ. It is the immediate sign that a person is to show before the world that he is really repenting and is now going to obey and live for God.

Baptism and repentance are both (a) outward signs, (b) signs that have to do with behaviour and (c) signs that show the world that a person is turning his life over to God.

Please note that repentance is a command to change one’s life whereas baptism is a command, the very first command to follow Christ. Baptism is the first command given to those who are repenting. The person who is really repenting must be baptized. He must give testimony to the world and confess to the world that he is repenting by being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Baptism is not an option. It is as much a command as repentance.

While giving the Great Commission, Jesus commanded His disciples in Matthew 28:19-20 ”Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Mark recorded this in Mark 16:15-16 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

That is why Peter replied boldly in Acts 2:38 “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

While preaching to Cornelius’ Household, Peter ordered the Gentiles who assembled in Cornelius’s place in Acts 10:47-48 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.”

Now, note a critical point that is often overlooked and neglected. Just because a person changes his life (repents) and is baptized does not mean he is saved. A person can change his life by the power of his own will, by discipline and self-control, by his own effort and works. And he can very simply request to be baptized. Many people have and will continue to do this. Many live what societies calls a good, upright, and moral life and they have been baptized. But there is more to being saved than merely changing one’s life and being baptized. What is it? It is the very basis, the very essential to true salvation, to being truly forgiven and receiving the Holy Spirit: it is the essential of faith, of believing ”in the name of Jesus Christ.”

Please note that true faith – the inward work within the heart, the inward work of really believing in the name of the Lord Jesus is the one absolute essential for being saved.

Now, note another critical point that is also overlooked and neglected. Remember, just because a person says he believes in Jesus does not mean he is saved. A person can say and claim anything, and that person can be baptized. But profession and baptism do not save a person anymore than a changed life and baptism save a person.

There is more to being saved than professing faith and being baptized. What is it? Again, it is the very basis, the very essential to true salvation, to being truly forgiven and receiving the Holy Spirit. Yes, it is the basis, the essential of repenting and of doing the very first act of repentance, being baptized.

There is no faith without true repentance and there is no forgiveness by God without trusting or committing one’s life to God’s dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And the very first act of following Jesus is that of repenting and being baptized. A person who honestly believes in Jesus Christ will do what He said, repent and be baptized.

That is what Peter was saying in this sermon. He did not mention faith, but he was not omitting faith nor eliminating belief in the Lord Jesus as essential to salvation.

Paul stressed the same point in Romans 6:3-4 ”Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Please note what Paul has said in Romans 6:3-4 : when a person is baptized, he is “baptized into His (Jesus’) death” in the same way he is immersed (identified) into the resurrection of Christ. Baptism is an act by which one identifies with Christ. He counts himself as having died in Christ’s death and as having risen in Christ’s resurrection; as living and moving and having his being in Christ even as Christ lived and moved and had His being in God. Christ’s death and resurrection and life becomes the believer’s death and resurrection and life. The believer treats and judges himself as having been ”crucified with Christ, nevertheless living; yet not himself, but Christ living in Him” (Galatians 2:20).

Please note that the point needs to be stressed and restressed. A person can repent, change is own life and be baptized by his own effort and works without ever trusting Christ, without really believing in Christ. But a person cannot trust, cannot really believe in Christ without repenting and following Christ in the very first act of repentance, that of being baptized. True faith and honest belief always mean that a person repents and is baptized. To believe is to follow Christ and to be baptized.

That is why the author of Hebrews says in Hebrews 5:9-10 ”And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek.”

John the Baptist exalts Jesus in John 3:35-36 ”The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

3] The results of Salvation:

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38). The results of salvation are twofold, “being forgiven of sins” and “receiving the Holy Spirit”.

(i) Remission – Forgiveness of Sins:

Remission – forgiveness of sins means to send off, to send away – the wrong is cut out, sent off, sent away from the wrongdoer. The sin is separated from the sinner.

There are four main ideas in the Biblical concept of forgiveness:

a) There is the idea of why forgiveness is needed.

Forgiveness is needed because of wrong doing and guilt and the penalty arising from both. Apostle Paul says in Romans 3:23 ”For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” He further says in Romans 6:23 ”For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Apostle Paul while explaining about why “Law cannot save a man from sin” says clearly in Romans 7:7-13 ”What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore, the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.”

Paul further says in Romans 7:22-24 ”For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Yes, Paul concluded how we can be free from sins in Romans 8:2-4,1 ”For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Verse 1) “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

b) There is the idea of a once-for-all forgiveness:

A man is forgiven once-for-all when he receives Jesus Christ as his Saviour. Belief in Jesus Christ, true repentance, is the only condition for being forgiven once-for-all.

While instituting the Lord’s Supper Jesus said in Matthew 26:26-28 “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

That is why Paul said in Ephesians 1:7 ” In Him (Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His (God’s) grace.”

Paul further explains in Romans 4:5-8 ”But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

c) There is the idea of forgiveness that maintains fellowship with God:

Fellowship exists between God as Father and the believer as His child. When the child does wrong, the fellowship is disturbed and broken. The condition for restoring the fellowship is confessing and forsaking the sin.

Palmist says in Psalm 66:18 ”If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:13 ”Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”

Apostle John says in 1 John 1:7 ”If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

d) There is the idea of a releasing from guilt:

This is one of the differences between a man forgiving another man and God forgiving a man. A man may forgive a person for wronging him, but he can never remove the resentment he himself feels within his own heart. Only God can remove the guilt and assure the removal of resentment. Yes, God does both. God forgives and erases the guilt and resentment. Apostle John says in 1 John 1:9 ”If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

God says in Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.”

Prophet Micah says in Micah 7:18 ”Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy.”

God assured in Jeremiah 31:34 ”No more shall every man teach his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” and further says in Jeremiah 33:8 ”I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me.”

4] Assurance of Salvation : God’s promise and God’s personal Call:

Peter said to them boldly in Acts 2:39 ”For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

The assurance of salvation to all is God’s promise: (i) “for you” – to Jews; (ii) “to all who are far off”: the Gentiles – any who are away in distant lands; any who are spiritually away from God, no matter how far away.

But please note the one essential condition: the promise is assured to those whom “the Lord our God will call”.

God has to call because man is dead to God and resists the gospel. Man’s deadness and resistance are seen in the very word “call”. The word “call” has both the idea of initiative and deadness and of constraint and resistance. For example, the calling of a person to simply come involves both actions:

(a) of pulling him to come

(b) of being dead (unaware and not knowing or resisting the fact that one was to come)

Man, self-centered and rebellious towards God, likes to feel independent. Consequently, man is dead to God and resistant to the pulling call and quickening power of God.

The person who comes to Christ is a person who has been called by God, a person who has experienced the divine initiative.

A man – does not act alone and come to Christ.

A man – does not come by his own effort and energy,

A man – does not come by his own works.

A man – does not come by his own mind, thoughts, and will.

A man – does not come by his own labour and good deeds.

A man, a dead spirit, can do nothing spiritually just as a dead body can do nothing physically. If a man with a dead spirit is to come to Christ, he has to be acted upon and drawn by God. Yes, both God and man have a part in salvation. Yes, God calls and He attracts, draws, pulls and tugs at the heart of man to come.

Please note here, when a man senses the call and pull of God, he must act then and there. He must believe and make the decision to follow Christ, even if he is all alone in the depths of a jungle someplace. Why? Because God’s Spirit does not always strive or tug at us. We all know this. We have all felt the call of God before – the tug and movement of His Spirit within our hearts. But we quenched the tug and movement. We rejected the call, and the Spirit of God left us. And the more we reject the tug and call, the less often it comes.

That is why Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 ”Do not quench the Spirit.”

The Bible says in Genesis 6:3 ”And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

Therefore, when the call of the Lord our God comes, we must believe and ”repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ”.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 ”Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Paul says in Romans 10:12 ”For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.”

The Bible says in Revelation 22:17 ”And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”

5] Separation from this Corrupt world:

Peter cried in Acts 2:40 “With many other words he (Peter) warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”

The words “save yourselves” (sothete) mean that a person is to act and do exactly what Peter preached: ”Repent and be baptized”

”Corrupt” (skolias) means crooked or bent out of shape. Men are far from being straight and in the shape intended by God. They are crooked and bent, unrighteous and ungodly, sinful and corrupt.

Apostle Paul while writing to Corinthians says in 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 ”What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Prophet Isaiah warned in Isaiah 52:11 ”Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the articles of the Lord’s house.”

Apostle Paul again urged in Romans 12:2 ”Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Let us introspect ourselves.

When God speaks to us pointing our sins, are we being pricked with a tug, a pull and asking Lord for “What shall I do?”

Are we having the sense of needing more and more of the Lord and His righteousness?

Are we listening to the voice of Holy Spirit when we are doing wrong or breaking God’s law or being disobedient?

Whether the real change happened in us from the glaring sins of the sinful nature?

Whether the real change happened in us from the silent sins of the spirit such as self-centeredness, selfishness, envy, bitterness, pride, covetousness, anger, evil thoughts, hopelessness, laziness, jealousy and lust?

Having baptized, are we following our Lord Jesus Christ with full heart and full strength?

Do we have the belief in Jesus Christ that we have been forgiven once-for-all?

Are we believing that in Jesus we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of God’s grace?

Are we walking in the light as Jesus is in the light?

Do we have the belief that God as removed the guilt and resentment?

Are we acting immediately without any delay when we sense the call and pull of God and make a decision to follow Christ without quenching the Spirit?

Shall we save ourselves from this corrupt generation?

Shall we be transformed by the renewing of our mind without conforming to the pattern of this world?

Let us Pray: Our Heavenly Gracious Father, we thank you for helping us to understand about “The First Sermon ever preached in the new church age and imperatives of Salvation” today Father. Please give us a heart to listen to You Father when we hear Your call through Your children, give us a heart to long for more and more of the Lord and Your righteousness, help us to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit when we are tempted Father. Father, please release us completely from the glaring sins and the silent sins such as self-centeredness, selfishness, envy, bitterness, pride, covetousness, anger, evil thoughts, hopelessness, laziness, jealousy and lust, Father. Please help us to follow Your beloved Son Jesus Christ whole heartedly and have the belief that we have been forgiven once-for-all Father. Father, please help us to walk in the light besides removing the guilt and resentment and act immediately when we sense the call from You without quenching the Spirit. Please save us from this corrupt generation and transform us by renewing of our mind Father. Please help us to declare boldly about the happenings of the “Last Days” and help us to be prepared to meet Your beloved Son when He comes as Judge, Father. We give all praise, glory and honour to Your Holy Name. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

God bless you all.

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seanofseancha · 4 years

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You don’t have to listen to these;

Today, my goal is to encourage us not to listen to these discouragements that the enemy, Satan, continually bombards believers around the world.

Personally, it was months ago when I struggled with most of these discouragements I will write in this blog post. Most of them, I battled and lost, and realized that, they are not to be fought, rather they are to be dealt— no matter how many reasons we throw on them and how many justifications we do for ourselves, our enemy have overthrown kingdoms and empires, so dealing them in and with the Lord is the best way to overcome them.

May it remind you as you read that Jesus said,

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” —John 10:10 ESV

The Bible is very clear, the goal of our enemy is to steal, kill and destroy. The goal of the good Shepherd Jesus is to give us life and that we may have it abundantly. We have interpreted this verse too many times , that it has shifted us to focus only to the purpose of the Good Shepherd— a meaningful and significant life, a life not without problems but with purpose and satisfaction. In such a way, that we missed the goal of our enemy, which is the exact opposite of Jesus, to take the life out of us.

Have you felt that? As if life was taken away from you? A joyless, empty, and pointless life. With no meaning, purpose and significance. That is what the enemy wanted. To take the life God has intended for you and me.

In simple words, here’s what the enemy wants.

“The enemy’s main goal is to discourage you.”

Today, I will share three strategies of how the enemy will try to discourage us, and how knowing them and being vigilant about them through the Holy Spirit and reading God’s word, may guide us to be able to guard our hearts and minds from these life-depriving, joy-stealing and peace-destroying discouragements.

Subtle deceptions

If there’s one thing we need to learn, and I learned the hard way in the short years of my Christian life— your mind is a battlefield. It is won and lost in the mind. That is why guarding your minds is necessary in determining the subtle deceptions.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’. And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” —Genesis 3:1-4 ESV

Ever since man’s fall, the enemy’s way is to make us question God. To make us doubt God. To make us believe that God does not take His word and He is hiding something from us. He always tells us, “Did God really said that?” And then deceives us to not believing God. How many times did we believe the enemy with what God has said?

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” —Psalm 139:14 ESV

How have we believed the lie that we aren’t beautiful and handsome and that we must fit the society’s standard to be beautiful and some number of likes to be approved? When God has said, that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Ps 139:14). Why have we believed? Because we have been lied to, and we keep on believing that lie. It has been planted in our minds, a landmine that eveytime we step on basis of our looks and fame, blows us into insecurity and inferiority. Sadly, so subtly, we have been lied.

Deceptions are lies covered with some truth.

They are not easy to notice because they seem right, but altogether wrong. A complete lie you won’t believe, but the truth seasoned with some false information is a strategic way of letting someone believe something. That’s what make it so subtle, deceptions. Unless you know the truth, you will never be able to distinguish what is the lie. You have to know and taste what is real so you can know what’s counterfeit.

The S-Word

Too bad that only a few of us value truth, and how easily we shout we are in pain because of the afflictions these lies bring to us. So knowing that God desires that we may have life and have it abundantly, he personally involved Himself in producing the greatest reminder of all—the Scriptures.

In my own life, I think what deceptions does to a Christian, is to lower his guard. To give up just a little bit his defenses, because there’s seem to be no imminent attack. And when he was already unguarded because he has been deceived, his kingdom was attacked and a great plunder was taken from him. It reminds of the verse about self-control.

“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” —Proverbs 25:28 ESV

God loves you that He desires that you read His word. If ever you have been defeated and overwhelmed with the all the discouragements? Go back to His word. Remind yourself what God has said. Read it, not only when you failed, but so that you may be kept from failing. Love His Word. Marry the Bible. Just as George Muller has said,

“What is the food of the inner man? Not prayer, but the word of God; and . . . not the simple reading of the word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what we read, pondering over it, and applying it to our hearts.”

If you want to be kept from the subtle deceptions of the enemy, then you have to stay with your Bible all-day. Not only scanning it, but thinking about in every moment. I have never seen a Christian so weak, who have so intimate with God’s word. But I have seen how defeated I get when I don’t read His word.

Messy Distractions

Another strategy that the enemy wants us to do is to focus on the wrong things. Just as the mind is where the battle is the lost, where our eyes are gazed is of absolute importance too. Where do you look at? To whom are your gaze fixed on?

For David, his gaze was on the LORD’s;

One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. —Psalms 27:4 ESV

Why do you think David’s gaze is in the LORD? Because he learned that,

“he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent, sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.” —Psalm 27:4-5 ESV

The context of the passage was a terrible time for David, enemies and armies around him to subdue him, too much noise and threats from his enemies to kill him and too much distractions for his life. But all these he has overlooked, why? Because his gaze was on the Lord. Remember when Peter was able to walk in water and then, because he stopped looking at Jesus but focused on the waves that he began to sink? He lost his gaze.

The same way, how our enemies will gives us too much of life’s distraction to lead us to focus on the wrong things or on these distractions.

And here’s the subtle part, sometimes, the enemy’s goal is not so that we may focus on the wrong things, but to simply keep us busy so that we may not do what the God-things are for our lives.

I recall how many times I focus on my own strength and fail to do what God’s will for my life. I confess that sometimes I lose my gaze in the Lord, that I begin to look at myself, at other people. Then I began to pity me, insecurites floats in and I get discouraged to keep on going. Why? Simply because I gazed on the distractions set in this world, instead of looking unto Jesus.

Look unto Jesus

The unknown author of Hebrews encourages us,

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” —Hebrews 12:1-2

The ‘cloud of witnesses’ here does not just specify our fellow believers, but all the saints who have overcame this world through Jesus, those who have departed and lived a godly life through Christ. If they have done it and have persevered, then we could run with endurance too! Look at Jesus, don’t look at yourself, to others and the distractions of this world, look in the finish line! Look at Jesus!

The Disqualifier

No matter how old you are in this Christian life, how many books you have read, and how many conferences you have attended. You will always struggle with sin. Jesus freed us from the penalty of sin, we are justified, and through the Spirit, liberates us from the power of sin over us, and one day in heaven, will be completely liberated from the presence of sin. What a glorious hope and promise!

However, life sometimes kick us the hard way or we kick along the goads. We fail big time, we have been reminded with these regrets, and people got hurt. Then a voice whisper saying, “It’s pointless. I wonder if God has really saved you.”

“How could you do that to someone?”

“Because of what you’ve done, you don’t deserve it anymore.”

“You are disqualified.”

Some time in our lives, we could be legalistic with our standing before the Lord. How easy we put it on ourselves why we are saved when God has clearly said,

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” —Ephesians 2:8-9

With all these discouraging voices in our mind, we begin to disqualify ourselves. We wanted to leave our faith. We have failed God already right? But yes, we have been lied to again. We have began to believe that our salvation is not by grace, but by our works. We get deceived.

That’s why the title of this blog is,

“You don’t have to listen to these”.

Because they are lies, they are not what God wants for us. They are not from God, they are from the enemy who wanted us dead again in our spiritual bankruptcy.

I always had this thought;

“When the enemy disqualifies you, that is because he knew that God has qualified you. Focus on the race. Do not believe him, he only wanted you out of the race.”

You are in the race. You are running a good race, and you have an enemy you can’t defeat apart from God. No matter how much you fight, unless you learn its tricks and how to counter them with the Lord. You will keep falling again and again.

So a final thought. Now that you know all these, and that you don’t have to listen to them.

Then who and what are you to listen? His Word—the Scriptures.

What I told youu, is not a secret. There’s nothing there that makes you overnight an overcomer, but it leads you to be an overcomer in the Lord. A victor and a conqueror.

Jesus said,

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” —John 16:33 ESV

The promise is that he overcome the world. Take heart my friend and,

“Read your Bible. Live in it. Marry it. Satisfy yourself in it. Know God and the truth in it. May you consume it just as you consume food and become a part of you. Meditate on it. Take it to your heart. Ultimately, take God at His Word.”

—All glory to God

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swanqueeneverafter · 7 years

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12. Red-Handed, Pt.1

Storybrooke. Sheriff’s Station. Present. (Emma and David are sitting in Emma’s office at the station. She hands him a mug of tea.) David: “Thank you. I hope Kathryn’s somewhere warm, not out in the cold.” Emma: “David. I think you need to start worrying about yourself a little bit more here. Your wife is missing. You are in love with another woman. There’s this… Unexplained phone call.” David: “I know, I know. I just… I can’t explain why it says that. I didn’t do anything to my wife.” Emma: “I’m pretty good at spotting a liar. And, honestly, liars have better material. Now, go home.” David: “I can go?” Emma: “We don’t even know if there was a crime yet. So, get some sleep.” David: “Thank you.” (David stands up to leave.) Emma: “And, David? Maybe… Get a lawyer.” Granny’s Diner. (Ruby is flirting with August, who is sitting at one of the tables.) Ruby: “You can’t be serious. A whole year without a roof over your head?” August: “Well, you get used to it. Plus, I had the motorcycle. So, if I didn’t like a place after a while…” (Granny calls for Ruby, but Ruby ignores her.) Granny: “Ruby?” Ruby: “I’ve never even been out of Storybrooke. What was your favourite place?” August: “Nepal. Best people. They have these prayer temples carved into mountains that are overrun with lemurs.” Ruby: “What’s a lemur?” Granny: “Ruby!” Ruby: “Just give me a sec!” August: “They’re little animals. And they have these eyes that reflect light. So, at night, it looks like they glow.” (Granny, again, calls Ruby over to the counter.) Granny: “Ruby! Stop flirting and get over here!”

Enchanted Forest. Past. (Peter knocks on the shutter of Red and Granny’s cottage. Red, imitating the voice of an old woman, calls out from inside.) Red: “Who’s there?” Peter: “Let me in.” Red: “I’m just a poor, old widow. Spare me!” Peter: “Let me in, or I’ll…” Red: “Yes?” Peter: “I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow the-” (Red opens the shutters.) Red: (Giggles:) “You’ll huff and puff?” Peter: “I couldn’t think of nothing.” Red: “Oh, so you thought that you’d level the house with the power of your breath? Well, a case could be made…” Peter: “Oh, ho ho-” Red: “Shh! Granny’s in the other room. You know she doesn’t like me opening the shutters.” Peter: “No, she doesn’t like me.” Red: “That’s what I meant.” Peter: “You got to get out of here.” Red: “I know. Anywhere.” Peter: “Well, a blacksmith’s boy can get work all over.” Red: “You’d leave everyone you know? You’d do that for me?” Peter: “I’d do anything for you.” Red: “Peter, watch out. Your air of danger is slipping.” Peter: “Come out – just for a minute.” Red: “It’s already dark. She’d never let me.” (Granny yells for Red. Red tries to go back in, but Peter holds onto her wrist.) Granny: “Red! Where are you? What are you doing?” Red: “Let go.” Peter: “Pay the price. One kiss.” Granny: “Red, get in here!” (Red quickly kisses Peter and shuts the shutters. She goes into the main room, where several men with torches are talking to Granny.) Red: “What’s going on?” Granny: “Nothing that concerns you. Just a bunch of fools trying to get themselves killed over a few dead sheep.” Man: “Wolf took out a dozen last night.” Red: “So, you called me in here to what? Just to keep me in sight?” Man: “Good evening, Red. We’re just forming up a hunting party.” Red: “You’re hunting the wolf? Can I go with them, please? I’ll be safe in a big group.” Granny: “Don’t be ludicrous. You are staying inside and you’re keeping that hood on. You know red repels wolves.” Red: “They’re not wearing red.” Granny: “They’re damn fools, too. There’s only two more nights left in Wolfstime – let it take a few sheep. Now, go home.” (Granny shuts the door in their faces.) Red: “I hope they kill the wolf. Then, we can have lives again.” Granny: “You just want to roam around the woods with that wastrel – Peter.” Red: “He’s not a wastrel. He works hard. He has plans.” Granny: “Oh, I am sure he does. Now, come on. You know what to do.” (Granny and Red prepare the cottage for defense against the wolf. They barricade and lock the doors and windows, as well as barring the fireplace.) Granny: “Now, go to sleep, girl.” Red: “Yes, Granny.” Granny: “I hope I don’t see that boy mooning around here tomorrow. And wear the hood!” Red: “Yes, Granny.” (Red goes into her room, while Granny sits facing the door with a crossbow.) Storybrooke. Granny’s Diner. Present. (At the diner, Ruby finally goes to meet Granny at the counter.) Ruby: “I can’t believe you did that. That was humiliating.” Granny: “I want you to start working Saturday nights.” Ruby: “Come on – we have an agreement about Saturday night.” Granny: “I want to start training you to do the books and the reorders. Business is booming lately, and, with more money comes more paperwork.” Ruby: “Yeah. None of that sounds good.” Granny: “It’s got to be done.” Ruby: “Is this a punishment for talking to that guy?” Granny: “If I wanted to punish you, I’d have better reasons. For one thing, you were late. For another thing, Liza, you dress like a drag queen during Fleet Week.” Ruby: “And you dress like Norman Bates when he dresses like Norman Bates’ mother.” Granny: “Ruby, you’re a grown woman. You can’t keep acting like some kid.” Ruby: “You just want me to act like you until I turn into you. Well, I am not a fossil yet, Granny. I should be out there having adventures with lemurs!” Granny: “Well, as long as you work here, you are going to listen to me.” Ruby: “I didn’t ask to work here.” Granny: “Well, then what’s keeping ya?” Ruby: “Nothing! I quit!” (Ruby storms out of the diner.)

Enchanted Forest. Past. (Ruby exits her room and finds Granny still guarding the front door.) Red: “Did you get any sleep at all last night?” Granny: “I’ll sleep with the trolls in the afterlife. I’ll get the shutters. You go check if that wolf left the chickens alone.” Red: “Yes, Granny.” Granny: “Wear your hood!” Chicken Coop. (Red is collecting eggs in the chicken coop. When she goes to leave, she hears a noise coming from the corner. Snow White, who is holding two eggs, shows herself.) Snow White: “I’m sorry. I can go.” Red: “Are you… stealing our eggs?” Snow White: “No. … (Holds the eggs out:) Not a lot.” Red: “Hey, hey. It’s… It’s all right.” Snow White: “Thank you. It was just that, um, last night… There was something out there. There was howling, and… I heard it. And it was so cold, so…” Red: “Hey. Come on – come with me. Everyone calls me Red.” Snow White: “I’m Sn- Frosty.” Red: “Frosty? Really?” Snow White: “No. It’s just that someone’s looking for me, so…” Red: “You don’t know or trust me yet. Hey, I-I get it. I just need something to call you.” Snow White: “Uh, Margaret. Oh, no. Uh, Mary.” Red: “Well, then, Mary – come on.” (Snow White follows Red out of the chicken coop and into the forest. They head towards a well.) Red: “I just got to bring in some water before we go in. It’ll just take a second.” Snow White: “What was all that howling?” Red: “It’s Wolfstime. Killer wolf out there. As big as a pony, but a lot more bloodthirsty. It’s been stalking the area pretty regular. It kills cattle and… Hang on. (Red grabs the rope of the bucket in the well:) It sticks sometimes. Could you just… (Snow White helps Red pull up the bucket. When she turns around, she seems shocked by what she sees:) Look. Look at that. Mary, look at the water. (The water in the bucket is red:) Mary. Mary. Mary?” (Red turns around and sees what Snow White is staring at. Behind them in the clearing, there are several bloody bodies.)

Storybrooke. Main Street. Present. (Mary Margaret runs to catch up with Emma on the street. The two of them walk together.) Mary Margaret: “Is he okay? David?” Emma: “Oh, yeah. He’s a little shaken up, but he’s headed home. He’s fine.” Mary Margaret: “Any word from Kathryn?” Emma: “Nothing new.” Mary Margaret: “Did you check with Boston again?!” Emma: “She’s not there, Mary Margaret.” Mary Margaret: “So, we have no idea what happened to her?” Emma: “All we know, is that she found out about you two, gave you a well-deserved slap, and then disappeared.” Mary Margaret: “Well-deserved? Do you really believe that? Emma: “No. I’m just preparing you for what everyone else is going to think. You two are going to look bad until we figure the truth out.” Mary Margaret: “You mean David? Th-That people are going to think in order to… Be free with me…” Emma: “Some are. And, he’s not doing himself any favours. So, if there’s anything you could think of to pin down his whereabouts that night-” Mary Margaret: “He wasn’t with me. We really are through.” (The two of them come across Ruby, who is waiting at a bus stop, and Dr. Whale, who is talking to her.) Ruby: “Sorry. No, don’t need a ride.” Dr. Whale: “It’s awfully cold out here.” Ruby: “I’m fine – really.” Dr. Whale: “I can carry your bag. Where are you headed?” Mary Margaret: “Dr. Whale?” Dr. Whale: “Mary Margaret. Emma. Hello there.” Mary Margaret: “Hey.” Dr. Whale: “I was just having a talk with Ruby here. But, I should, um…” Emma: “Yeah. Yeah, you should.” Dr. Whale: “Yeah…” (He leaves.) Mary Margaret: “Was he bothering you?” Ruby: “The day I can’t handle a lech is the day I leave town. Which this is, I guess.” Emma: “You’re leaving?” Ruby: “I had a fight with Granny. Quit my job.” Mary Margaret: “You quit? Where are you going?” Ruby: “I don’t know. Away.” Emma: “Yeah, well, buses out of town don’t really happen. And, you might want a destination first.” Mary Margaret: “Hey, if you need a place to figure things out, you could always come home with us.” Emma: “Yeah, uh. Yeah. Just for a little while.” Mary Margaret: “Come on.”

#Swan Queen #sq #swanqueen

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roman-catholic-mass-readings · 5 years

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8th February >> Mass Readings (USA)

Saturday, Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Saint Jerome Emilian

Saint Josephine Bakhita, Virgin

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Saturday, Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading

1 Kings 3:4-13

Give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people.

Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, because that was the most renowned high place. Upon its altar Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings. In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” Solomon answered: “You have shown great favor to your servant, my father David, because he behaved faithfully toward you, with justice and an upright heart; and you have continued this great favor toward him, even today, seating a son of his on his throne. O Lord, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act. I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”

The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request. So God said to him: “Because you have asked for this– not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right– I do as you requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you. In addition, I give you what you have not asked for, such riches and glory that among kings there is not your like.”

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 119:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14