#peter: the eternal child who will never grow up

[dragoneyes618]

"Peter," she asked, trying to speak firmly, "what are your exact feelings to me?" "That of a devoted son, Wendy." "I thought so," she said, and went and sat by herself at the extreme end of the room. "You are so queer," he said, faintly puzzled, "and Tiger Lily is just the same. There is something she wants to be to me, but she says it is not my mother." "No, indeed, it is not," Wendy replied with frightful emphasis.

Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie, Chapter 10

[atlantic-riona]

books that remake or take place in another author's work (like Dracula, Peter Pan, Pride and Prejudice, etc.) but betray the original work's themes and message are actually the worst

[bloodandthestars]

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐒.

priest!au suguru geto x fem!reader

tw/tags: mentions of the Bible, Christianity (it is solely picked for plot nothing more, nothing less), etc :: introduction to JUDAS, kinktober drabble series (mdni)

wc: 1.3k :: masterlist. :: next part.

The Geto family was a devout and honorable one. Generations upon generations did the men of the house dedicate their lives to reach the word of the Heavenly Father. Suguru’s route was no different— crooked, but narrow on the holy path.

He’d become the father of the church months ago, to herd the congregation into a fruitful community. Pressure weighed heavy at his shoulders, but in the end, he knew it was for the best. Wasn’t it?

“And while we are tempted by the devil in more ways than one.” His smooth voice went on. “It’s the persistence, the strength, and the true power of the Lord’s light that keeps us on the divine path.”

Suguru takes a glance to his notes, a finger moving from one page to the next. “As Peter 5:10 states: And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

It earns him a few hums in agreement and ‘Amens’ from the crowd. He takes a breath. “So know that the obstacles in your path now, the ones you pray to be vanquished, may be the key to your own glory. For your glory, is His.”

The crowd rumbles in cheers and claps. Suguru gives the room a smile. With a slow glance around the room, he takes in all their excited faces full of hope to hear the Holy word through him. It was these same old faces he had gotten used to seeing in the worn pews of the church. The same ones he’d run around with his best friend as a child when services were over. Everything remained as it was, as it was suppose to be.

So that’s why his breath unconsciously hitched when meeting your gaze.

Your eyes were new. He’s never seen them cry in the name of repentance, never seen them look at him like he was the Messiah himself. Not even now in the mists of a worshiping crowd. Your expression was poise, calm— orbs slender in observation.

You cut the staring short, looking ahead instead. It’s only then when he can hear the clapping back at full volume. Suguru blinks a few times to return, eyes going down to the timeline in his writings. “And with that, we’ll end today’s service with a prayer.”

The congregation bows their heads in unison. He catches how you were much slower in doing so. Keeping his eyes on you cautiously, he speaks a worthy word to his people. “O’ Might One, we thank you for allowing us to celebrate you on this day. Your spirit is poured out onto this place every Sunday morning and we could ask for nothing more...”

With the service finished, church goers socialize amongst one another. Greetings, catchings of last night’s game, news that the youngest born has ridden a bicycle for the first time. Suguru always had an ear to their happenings, not that he had much of a choice. As soon as his dress shoes hit the carpet floor, he’s instantly surrounded by a group of parishioners. As always, they wanted to make their priest happy and see him smile.

A older woman clasps his hand in hers, squeezing it with a pleasant expression. “An excellent sermon, as always Father Geto!”

“Thank you, Mrs. Kasaki-”

“Did I tell you about little Callie’s recital?”

He chuckles. “Yes, last week. She had practice then, correct?”

“Oh yes! It was a dress rehearsal, her big debut was this last Saturday. She was so adorable in her purple tutu! And she only picked that because she’s growing out of that pink phase, little thing. Oh! Let me grab my phone-”

A low quality video later, one handshake leaves for another. “Pastor! Did you see the new restaurant down the street that they’re building up?”

“No? I don’t think I have.”

“Oh yeah, I think it’ll be a new fusion place. Never knew that they had stuff like that!” A hearty laugh comes straight from the man’s belly and Suguru’s obliged to laugh as well.

“We’ll have to see if we can get the church together for its opening.”

“I’ll see if I can put a word in.”

“There you go, Pastor!”

And another. “Father, did you ever get the chance to look at my inquiries on raising funds for the elementary school?”

“The box tops, yes?”

“Mhm! When will you get started?”

“We can have something up by Wednesday.”

Another. “Father Geto! I just have to get your opinion on this recipe for the potluck-”

Another. “Give your parents a big hug for me won’t you! It’s been so long since I’ve seen them-”

And another. “And this is little Devon! He’ll be staying with me for the summer and he’s already enjoying the kids church service-”

Hands come and go within his grasp as he speaks with each one of them as they trail out. His father told him it was a way to build trust and community, and who was he to argue with the face of the church?

As he wishes one of the elderly women goodbye, Suguru keeps a watchful eye on her when she goes down the stairs. He turns back, starting a little when he’s met with your presence incoming. His body straightens up and you stand in front of him. “Father Geto?”

“That it is.”

Your hand extends in his direction. “Beautiful service. You have many who think the same.”

His eyes lower to your hand, glancing up to you when he takes it. The larger one warms your grasp. He lets out a soft breath. “I appreciate the flattery.”

You raise a brow at him. “Can’t be flattery, after all, your admirers would disagree too.”

Your words earn another exhale, this time with a faint laugh behind it. His slender eyes keep to yours, can’t finding himself to look away. Curiosity eats at him to ask. “If you don’t mind my asking, but are you new in town?”

“I am.” You answer politely. “My mother grew up here, wanted me to see her roots.”

“I’ll be the one to tell you that her roots were made in quite a small place.”

You chuckle softly. “Oh I’m quite aware. Still, it was one of the things she wanted us to do together before she passed.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.”

He watches you glance down at each other’s hands. Seeing that they’re still connected, the pastor pulls it away— hoping you wouldn’t notice how quick he did it. His eyes were lowered, so they had no choice but to follow upward. That meant scanning over your body and attire— a turtleneck dress and high boots with stockings. He straightens when his eyes reach your face. “And you are?”

You give him your full name, and he repeats it back to you. “It’s lovely.”

“Thank you.” You repeat.

Eventually, you head to the church doors. He follows behind as you were the last to leave. You turn back to give a final glance and him a final goodbye. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Father.”

“Likewise. I hope you to see your return to the church soon.”

“Perhaps.”

Your gazes never leave each other when he goes to shut the doors. The wooden beings echo with their closed status, knocking the air back into his lungs. His brows furrow. Why did he take notice to your clothing?

You dress nice, that’s all. The father shuts his eyes, shaking his head as he goes to tidy the pews.

[enbysiriusblack]

Euphemia and Fleamont weren't perfect parents. They were never able to give James something he craved so badly, friendship.

Growing up, James never had any friends, no one his age to play with or talk to. His parents did play with all the time, entertaining his intense imagination and energy. But his mind liked to resort to a different sort of company. He craved friendship with another child, someone who wouldn't let him win all the time, or tell him off when he broke a rule.

So he created the friendships in the form of imaginary friends.

There was a boy as competitive and energetic as him, he showed up for broom racing or any sport type game. He was also extremely mischievous and always gave James lots of ideas for pranks or misbehaving.

Another, a boy who would gossip with him, making up stories about the neighbours or distant family members during parties. He was creative, and made lots of things with James which he then excitedly showed his parents.

The third, a clever boy who helped James out with his tutoring and reminded James when he forgot to read a book he was meant to have read. The boy was funny, often unintentionally so, and James recalled the jokes to his parents very often.

The first time Sirius, Peter, and Remus came over to Potter Manor, Euphemia and Fleamont were shocked. They watched James playing and chatting with his real friends. Sirius, arguing with him and whispering mischievous ideas in his ear. Peter, drawing what seemed to be a map as he retold a rumour he heard about Dumbledore's secret child. And Remus, crinkling a sheet of paper into a ball before throwing it at James and telling him to finish his potions essay, every other line of speech spouted in sarcasm.

James' imaginary friends somehow transformed into real children, as if he was meant to be with them; and their son had found his eternal kindred spirits.

[utapri-translations-uuuu]

NEVER AGAIN NEVERLAND - Synopsis, Characters & Glossary

Do not retranslate/repost without permission.

Raws: @yanderetsukis (twitter) 💛

Rediscover the sparkle of lost dreams

Synopsis of the story

Robin is lost in sorrow atop London's Big Ben. Out of the blue comes Peter Pan, a little boy who can fly.

Peter, the child who can never grow up. Robin, the adult who hasn't truly matured.

Drawn to each other's unique spirits, they embark on a journey to the land of dreams and adventure, Neverland.

This is a story of childhood that everyone has experienced, and the wonder of Neverland that adults have forgotten.

Characters

Syo Kurusu as Peter Pan

A resident of Neverland who is eternally young. He loves adventure and is a hero to children.

Natsuki Shinomiya as Robin

He dreams of flying through the skies. He meets Peter at London’s Big Ben and embarks on a journey to Neverland.

Tokiya Ichinose as Tinker Bell

A feisty fairy who worries too much. He travels around with Peter and can use fairy dust to make humans fly.

Cecil Aijima as Tiger Lily

The leader of a warrior tribe who guard the sacred land, he leads the children. He is rivals with Captain Hook.

Ren Jinguji as Captain Hook

A fearsome pirate known for his hook. He despises Peter for causing him to lose his right hand and plots his revenge.

Otoya Ittoki as Kite

Robin’s best friend since childhood. As they grew up, their different perspectives caused them to drift apart.

Masato Hijirikawa as Narrator

A being who connects Neverland and the real world. He advances the story and becomes deeply involved with the characters.

Glossary

Big Ben

A large clock tower that is a well-known landmark in London, England. Its bells chime every 15 minutes.

Neverland

A land of dreams and adventure where only children can go. In this land, there is an absolute rule that states that "adults must be killed".

Fairy dust

Tinker Bell's sparkling magical dust. It's sprinkled by the flapping of his wings, and it allows humans to fly.

Dotchitsukazu - Gray area/Ambiguous/Neither one nor the other/Betwixt and between

Peter Pan is an ambiguous being, being half fairy and half human. Robin says that he's not quite a child and not quite an adult.

Hook

Captain Hook's right hand prosthesis. He's lost his right hand in a battle with Peter Pan, and the hook was installed to replace it.

Man-eating crocodile

The man-eating crocodile who ate Captain Hook's right hand. It inadvertently swallowed an alarm clock, and the ticking of the clock acts as a warning of its approach.

Proof of friendship

A brooch given to Robin by Peter Pan. It is a metal medal with a jewel in the center, found in the human world.

[twistedtummies2]

Top 15 Portrayals of Peter Pan

A while back, in 2021 - in celebration of the 110th anniversary of “Peter Pan” - I posted a list of my favorite portrayals of the villain of the story, Captain Hook. Earlier this year, I updated that same list. I said then that, even as a kid, I always liked Hook more than his nemesis, the titular Peter. While this is true, I do think it’s important to state that, as much as I may love the dastardly pirate Pan battles constantly…this does not mean Peter is a bad character. I think that Peter Pan gets a bad rap a lot nowadays, mostly because, if you read the original book…Peter is kind of a little psychopath. He’s sort of a little tyrant, threatening to kill or banish anybody who doesn’t do what he wants, and refusing to listen to reason when people try to help him or keep him under control. And that’s the entire point: Barrie’s story originally didn’t HAVE Hook. The original idea behind what would become “Peter and Wendy” was that Pan was a representation of both everything good AND everything bad about childhood: he is not necessarily EVIL, but he is stuck perpetually in a state of infantile, underdeveloped youth. He’s brash, cocky, and has a LOT of power that I don’t think even he is fully aware of. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding Peter, which actually makes him more fascinating to adults than I think many might realize. Peter’s arc in the story is one of coming to grips with emotions he’s never experienced before, and taking up a kind of responsibility he’s always tried to deny in the past. He’s much more dynamic and more interesting than many people give him credit. I’ve been in a Peter Pan mood lately, so I decided…what the heck? I might as well give a bit of a spotlight to some of my favorite portrayals of the Boy Who Never Grows Up that have come around over the years. (On that note, there has long been a tradition, particularly in stage shows, of women playing Peter, so there will be some ladies included here. Don’t you dare whine about it, they’re absolutely awesome.) Some of these versions stick to the ambiguity of Barrie’s original, while others make Pan either more heroic or more villainous depending on interpretation. There’s a lot of ways you can go with the idea of an eternal child, both idealistic and cynical. So, think Happy Thoughts, everyone, and don’t forget the pixie dust! Here are My Top 15 Favorite Portrayals of Peter Pan!

15. Sandy Duncan, from the Styne-Charlap Musical. (The most famous stage musical version of the story; Duncan first played Peter in a 1979 Revival of the show on Broadway.)

14. Greg Tannahill, from Peter Pan Goes Wrong.

13. Petermon, from Digimon: Ghost Game. (Yeah. Peter Pan as a Digimon. That weirdness speaks for itself.)

12. Mia Farrow, from the 1976 TV Musical.

11. The Version from “Peter and the Starcatchers.” (I’m referring specifically to the books; there is a stage version based on the first book, but I haven’t seen it for various reasons. I love the original books, though. This is probably one of the “nicest” versions of Peter on the list, for lack of a better description.)

10. Robin Williams, from Hook. (Come now, you all knew he had to be here somewhere.)

9. The Version from “Alias, Hook.” (Without going into detail, this really shows how scary a Barrie-accurate Peter can be without much real change.)

8. Charlie Rowe, from SyFy’s Neverland.

7. Betty Bronson, from the 1924 Film.

6. Robbie Kay, from Once Upon a Time. (By far the most evil version of Peter Pan ever made, at least that I've discovered.)

5. Mary Martin, from the Styne-Charlap Musical. (She originated the part on Broadway, starting in 1954.)

4. Cathy Rigby, ALSO from the Styne-Charlap Musical. (She’s been playing the role off and on since the 1970s - no joke, look it up - with her most recent stint being in 2015. She was in her sixties then! Talk about Never Growing Up!)

3. Jason Marsden, from Peter Pan and the Pirates.

2. Jeremy Sumpter, from the 2003 Film.

1. The Disney Version. (Originally played by Bobby Driscoll; this one wins out mostly just because this is the first version I think of when I think of Peter as a character, and because I think the various spin-offs and such have really helped to make him a more likable protagonist over time, while still keeping him true to his established persona.)

[yeslordmyking]

The Real Captain Hook Disney Movie?

You know what Disney Live Action Remake (ish) we really need: Captain Hook!

Peter Pan was actually a phantom that lured kids to Neverland like the Pied Piper, made them forget about their parents and want to party on Neverland forever, and killed them when they grew up or missed Mommy!

But who wants to go home and get old when Jeremy Sumpter is whispering dreams in your ear?

Captain Hook was a child that escaped and becomes Peter's enemy because his childhood was taken away, and he tried to stop him from kidnapping and murdering more children. And the only portrayal of that story that I’ve seen that even comes close to touching Peter Pan's dark roots was Once Upon a Time! And Peter Pan was Rumpstiltskin’s father in that version! As a diehard OUAT time, the show should hold a huge credit for giving us the closest potrayal to the real Peter Pan that we’ve ever gotten, and even then, there wasn’t a real focus on the rivialry between him and Killian (Hook) since it leaned more into the father-son dynamic the show set up.

Robbie Kay did awesome btw, his Peter was chilling and absolutely none of my fondness for the Disney version carried over, I hated this kid's guts!

(Oh yeah, disclaimer before I go on: no I’ve never seen Robin William’s Hook, I was too young when it came out and I never got around to seeing it, so that one’s probably good, but I’m not sure how it potrays Hook, please don’t kill me hehe)

Disney is probably the biggest influence of making Peter Pan known as a mischievous cutiepatootie that just loves to have fun, and doesn’t want to become an adult because he thinks you can’t have fun anymore as an adult. And I totally adore that version of him. Unfortunately, Disney decided to make Hook into an incometent bumbling baffoon, which I do get in a sense because essentially he was ripped from his family at a young age and never really got to grow up and mature in a conventional sense, get his full education etc, but, man he was no match for Peter at all! If Peter Pan is supposed to be so difficult to best, it should be because he's a clever quick-witted trickster, not because his opponent is so pathetically dim-witted and easily defeated! It takes away from both of their characters a little. We're supposed to believe Hook become a captain of anything by any other means than "the least dumb pirate so captain by default?" Really? This man lives on a *boat* and jumps into his crew's arms when he hears a crocodile or octopus nearby!

Bruh! You're a pirate! 😐

Granted he has clever moments like consoling a dejected Tinkerbell and getting her to reveal the Lost Boys' hideout, and in Return to Neverland he (almost) successfully manipulates Jane into trusting him. But even then, it's doesn't take a ton of sharp wit to use a child's naivety and a recently scorned fairy's notorious jealousy against them. Not that I've tried.

But anyway, if Disney wants a remake idea that isn’t note-for-note from the animation, showing Captain Hook’s side of the story a-la-Maleficent I think would be a good move, showing that Hook really was the good guy all along, give him actual leadership skills, nautical knowledge, swordsman skills, etc, play around with the balance between holding onto your childhood and developing maturity, go into origin stories about Peter having a terrible relationship with his mother and choosing to leave her for eternal youth in Neverland, vs. Hook having a wonderful mother that he misses every day, and his childish tendencies are because he was ripped from his mother's care before he was able to learn how to face fears like losing your hand to a crocodile. Maybe Hook sacrifices his childlike innocence and loses the ability to use pixie dust and escape Neverland because stopping Peter from doing the same to more children is more important than his return home. Let the bitter irony of growing up being both the only way to defeat Peter and reason Hook will never see his mother again callous over his innocent young heart and make him more and more pirate-like out of desperation to escape, and he starts letting things slide that used to keep him awake at night-like nearly leaving Tiger Lilly for dead in a cave filling with water- because the end justifies the means: Hook had to defeat Peter. That boy took his mother away from him, and anyone who stands with Peter-Tinkerbell, mermaids, three Darling children who have trusted him- is the enemy. Fuel Hook's rage towards Peter because they'll never see eye to eye on loving the people who raised you, and the absolute frustration of everyone in Neverland being in love with Peter, and the unintelligent band of swashbuckler thieves are his only aid in bringing Peter Pan down. Hook dances on a line between noble cause and pure revenge, until eventually, the other pirates offer him a leadership position: Captain. This authority will be the death of his youth, ensuring Hook is trapped on Neverland forever, but this way, Hook is the only way there will be no more Lost Boys and no more innocent children crying for their mothers before Peter kills them.

Maybe show children viewers that the world doesn’t always works as Kids vs Adults like they think. There are good adults and bad kids, and a live action Captain Hook that harkens to the orginal folktale could be a great way to be more original with the live action adaptations this time around. I don't know, I'm just tossing ideas around.

I know Disney just dropped Peter Pan and Wendy, so making Peter the villain is probably nowhere near becoming an idea Disney would consider creating, but hey, I can dream. And I really don’t mind seeing Peter as a immature yet lovable scamp at all. I just think Hook’s story would be a good way to give Disney fans something more original. With the exceptions of less popular Peter Pan movies and shows, Hook probably, and what I think 2015′s Pan would’ve tried to do if it wasn’t too bland to get a sequel greenlit (man I would’ve kinda loved to see Garret Hedlund as full fledged Hook and not prequel cowboy Hook or whatever was going on, none of that movie made much sense regardless.)

Many many adaptations have chosen not to stay true to the source material and pander to kids because “Kids Rule!” (sorry that sounds so 90s, I’m a milennial!) so maybe this can give Disney something creative and original to give to fans who don’t feel that’s what they’ve been getting from Disney lately.

[outplacedwriter]

There's a belief that classics are unquestionable when it comes to criticism of their content, but time pass, society and culture change -- sometimes they evolve -- and this is why it is always fair to criticize a book with new perspectives.

I haven't read Coraline, so I won't argue in its favor or against it. All I know is that Coraline is already treated as some kind of horror story, but Peter Pan is treated as a magical wholesome tale when it is not. My focus will be "Peter Pan and Wendy".

Perhaps, the main reason why J. M. Barrie's book is worthy of criticism it's because of narrative framing. Narrative framing is the perspective one gives to a fact, for example:

The underdog team wins the soccer tournament. It's a happy ending if you're looking from the underdogs' POV, but if we told the story from the other team's POV -- a team who has trained for longer, spent bigger money, and had way greater pressure to succeed, maybe this win wouldn't look as joyful or fair.

Children's books can and should contain some darker themes, but it is the way these themes are framed or portrayed that changes everything.

I have seen fantastic books touching upon subjects such as rape, abuse, violence, that are dealt extreme care. JM Barrie had no care whatsoever about anything he presented.

One could argue that's because the book is old -- but I've seen older books more sensible and way more intelligent in their development of dark themes, so the "time period" excuse doesn't hold that well. Then again, I've heard this wasn't supposed to be a kids' book, which is super confusing and a bit ridiculous, but if it wasn't for kids then it's still disturbing for the way it was written.

Now, why is it disturbing?

A problematic protagonist who is treated as a hero and a good person by the narrative, who never learns anything, who never gets his faults even questioned, and sold as a grand example. Not only that, but it is true, and clearly said that Peter kills the kids who 'dare' to grow up. Not a way of saying he expells them, he kills them. In the literal meaning of the word. He doesn't allow the other children to be smarter than him or talk about 'mothers' because he doesn't like it. So fuck everyone else, this is his dictatorship. Peter lets them starve sometimes when he feels like he doesn't want to eat real food, just make-believe food, and no child must dare to question his sound logic and wishes. At no point the narrator -- who seems to love this boy -- gives the reader a solid reason to like him. He just isn't likable, and it is fine to have an unlikeable protagonist, but the book treats him as if he should be loved and cherished. Which is very hard if you're paying attention to what's being presented.

Appalling racism and misogyny. We have natives bowing and treating a white ass jerk boy as their king and hero, and respecting him almost as a god. The narrative also simplifies their existence and cleverness, making them almost ridiculous at times. Wendy is there to be a "mom" and that's it. We have Wendy's lineage becoming Peter's eternal housewives after being ridiculed, ignored, and forgotten by the same little jerk. For no reason, they keep coming back at him and obeying his silliness.

Violence, murder, and children constantly murdering people. All of this treated by the narrator as "an adventure", something cool, something great, and beyond silly dumb things like "going to school". We have an actual MASSACRE SCENE. Where a minority group is wiped out and no one, not a character, barely the narrator, bats an eye at this, and it's all made to be like a fantastic event. Kids constantly talk about how they kill pirates and it doesn't affect them in the slightest. Because, again, this is shown as something awesome and adventurous to do. Every single of their adventures narrated by the book had someone being killed or almost dying. We have the narrator stopping the book to take the reader to see how Hook coldly kills his crew, for no reason, and treats it as "it is what it is".

I have highlighted numerous horrid passages that I'll leave under the readmore so everyone can see I'm not lying about the awfulness of this story's portrayal.

Disney and the 2003's movie had done a FANTASTIC job adapting the horridness of this story. Still, they carry a lot of its faults, but the portrayal is so much more sensible and responsible that I can't help but congratulate them.

So, if you know all of this and still can't see why it isn't appropriate for children, you're just being biased by your attachment to the character/story, or you're being dishonest.

Awful passages ahead with "spoilers" (?)

"Peter never quite knew what twins were, and his band were not allowed to know anything he did not know, so these two were always vague about themselves, and did their best to give satisfaction by keeping close together in an apologetic sort of way."

"All wanted blood except the boys, who liked it as a rule, but to-night were out to greet their captain. The boys on the island vary, of course, in numbers, according as they get killed and so on; and when they seem to be growing up, which is against the rules, Peter thins them out;"

[fanfictionroxs]

Pete-r Pan, that's what they call me and I promise that you'll never be lonely.

I've had this thought for a couple weeks. You all know how Pete is the shortened version of the name Peter? So now I present to you, Pete as Peter Pan and Vegas as his Lost Boy (I feel like both Vegas and Pete share some characteristics of Wendy Darling).

Song used in this post: Lost Boy by Ruth B

I am a Lost Boy from Neverland / Usually hanging out with Peter Pan / And when we're bored, we play in the woods / Always on the run from Captain Hook

Let's start with a bit about Peter Pan. He's a boy who never wanted to grow up. A symbol for eternal youth. Shared consensus is that Peter Pan was afraid of the responsibilities of growing up, but the theories of him and the lost boys being abandoned/abused children who found a safe haven in Neverland, explain so much more.

Pete shows characteristics of still maintaining a childish aura, yet he is clearly a man who has had complex experiences and come out with a sharp view of the world. He has suffered abuse and he's the Peter Pan who grew up. Hence, no longer Peter, but a shortened version to (in a way) show the loss of what Peter Pan always wanted. To stay young forever.

Pete believes that there is no evil and no good in this world. He lives in a world of grey, wheareas Peter Pan is generally seen as the good guy who always defeats Captain Hook. But who would he grow up to be? In a world full of Captain Hooks and lost boys, what would he believe, how will everything seem to him from the eyes of an adult? How would it change him when he realises that his own father is Captain Hook (and what is Peter Pan if not another lost boy?)

Pete has a keen understanding of the behaviour of adults that seems to be in sharp contrast to the young Peter who is more rash and emotional (as expected of a teen) and so his behaviour towards the 'lost boy'/Vegas is understanding and empathy. This is also why I feel like Pete is a lovely representation of Wendy Darling who carries empathy along with a steel resolve in her. Basically, if Peter had chosen to grow up with Wendy, their future child would have been Pete (and oh let me take a break to cry over my heartache for the ship that never happened)

A little theory which could totally be false. Peter Pan will always defeat Captain Hook/Kan/Pete's father. He has already won his battle against his own personal Captain Hook, his father. But will he also kill Kan, thus freeing the lost boy/Vegas? Or will he simply show the lost boy a path to defeat his own Captian Hook? Let's see (no spoilers please).

Now onto our lost boy/Vegas.

He sprinkled me in pixie dust and told me to believe / Believe in him and believe in me / Together, we will fly away in a cloud of green / To your beautiful destiny

The lost boys are children that Peter Pan rescues and brings to Neverland.

While in this case, it is Vegas who has brought Pete to another location, it is Pete who has converted it into their Neverland. Who has turned this little room into a safe haven where Vegas can come and confess that he is hurt, but it somehow hurts less. He doesn't know yet, but it is the effect of Pete/Peter Pan who provides safety and protection to the lost boys.

Neverland is home to Lost Boys like me / And Lost Boys like me are free / Neverland is home to Lost Boys like me / And Lost Boys like me are free

While their fears and traumas might never truly go away, they fade when Peter Pan is with them who encourages them to fight Captain Hook and not be scared of their abusers. Who frees them. In the same way, Pete teaches Vegas about the reality of his abuser's mind, thus releasing him from the guilt of being a bad son. Of feeling like it's always his fault.

Pete 'sprinkles him in pixie dust' (and oh what a beautiful line Ruth B!), he shows him the truth and makes him believe. Believe that the ones who suck are not us, not the kids who will never deserve such treatment, but the adults who takes out the anger of their own failings on a child. And Vegas believes, not just the truth, but he believes Pete whose words are now forever imprinted in his heart.

As for why Vegas reminds me of Wendy Darling. She had a steel resolve. She did like Peter, but that didn't stop her from going back and living the way she wanted. In VegasPete's case, that could allude more to tragedy if Vegas holds on to his hatred for the major family (and god I dont want it for them, but I want Vegas to suffer, but more than that I want peace for my boy Pete).

And that is all for the post! Here's a pic that makes me cry. This family, when?!

As we soared above the town that never loved me

I realized I finally had a family

[halfseoulco]

The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION — TOMORROW X TOGETHER: A review

Published Monday, February 13th, 2023 — The story of Peter Pan has been a beloved children’s fairy tale for many years and has been told and retold in a plethora of ways—but never quite like this.

Introduction

Big Hit Music, formerly known as Big Hit Entertainment, under HYBE Labels (or HYBE Corporation) has a well-established reputation for storytelling through music. There are entire universes contained in the very fabric of their songs, birthing entire books and Webtoon series (see: BTS’s 花樣年華 The NOTES and 7FATES: CHAKHO; TXT’s THE STAR SEEKERS; and ENHYPEN’s DARK MOON: THE BLOOD ALTAR). Elements of these stories are presented through the artists’ music videos and, when watched in a certain order, help the viewer connect the dots and understand what the music and concepts are trying to convey. Because KPOP is an industry that relies heavily on concepts, continuous storylines are not necessarily common, although some groups may try to tell a story within the frame of one music video or a series of music videos released for a particular album. However, Big Hit Music has, much like with their older labelmates, BTS, given TXT a rich and immersive universe that flows from album to album, spanning the eras in a way that especially showcases the group’s growth and maturity into young men.

A Brief History of TXT’s Discography

When TOMORROW X TOGETHER debuted as a group on March 4th, 2019, the members were still young boys—as the oldest, Yeonjun was still months short of twenty; and Hueningkai, the youngest, was sixteen. They began their journey with a fresh and youthful concept highlighted by bright colors and graphics, debuting with “어느 날 머리에서 뿔이 자랐다 (CROWN)” and “Blue Orangeade”, which presented a strong first impression and helped lay the foundation for their spots as leaders of fourth generation KPOP. Now, coming up on the fourth anniversary of their debut date, they have covered a variety of themes along the vein of growing up—the blissful ignorance of youth, isolation from peers, love and heartbreak—and this latest comeback presents the darker, more seductive side of leaving adolescence behind.

The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION ties back to a similar naming convention for their previous series of albums, the first of which includes their debut release The Dream Chapter: STAR (2019), The Dream Chapter: MAGIC (2019), and The Dream Chapter: ETERNITY (2020); and the second of which includes The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE (2021) and The Chaos Chapter: FIGHT OR ESCAPE (2021). minisode 2: Thursday’s Child (2022)—part of another series that also includes minisode1 : Blue Hour (2020)—laid the groundwork for a seamless transition from the sadness and heartbreak explored in The Chaos Chapter series to whatever the next release would have in store. The title track of Thursday’s Child, “Good Boy Gone Bad”, demonstrated how heartbreak can turn into the kind of anger that changes a person for the worst—into someone who they or those around them can no longer recognize—and 2023 brought to light the next sequence of events for our five Lost Boys.

Teasing The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION

With a title like The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION, there is little room to misunderstand what is about to happen next. Currently at age 23 (Yeonjun), 22 (Soobin), 21 (Beomgyu), 21 (Taehyun), and 20 (Hueningkai), TXT is entering the period of young adulthood, where there are plenty of complex emotions, interesting sensations, and new experiences to be had. In the concept trailer released for TEMPTATION prior to the EP’s drop, the visual imagery immediately reminded fans of Peter Pan, showing the five boys moving through a window into a new world. There is a narrator who makes references to Wendy, Peter, and learning how to fly; and the language used made the concept quite clear and easily established expectations for the direction of the quintet’s next release while also showcasing the group’s dancing. The concept trailer was then followed by a preview of the EP’s tracks, which further reinforced the storyline previously presented. I didn’t need to hear the songs in their full capacity to know that this was a darker, more sensual take on the classic Peter Pan tale—which I will delve into deeper later in this review.

“Sugar Rush Ride” MV

Heading the group’s promotions is the title track “Sugar Rush Ride”. Preceded by two teasers (one | two), the music video takes some of the more traditional elements of Peter Pan’s Neverland and twists them into a Garden of Eden-like setting, enhanced by psychedelic effects meant to mimic ecstasy or euphoria, or the sensations of leaving one’s body. The video begins with the five members waking up on a beach before moving onto different locations, including an open field, an enchanting yet slightly sinister forest, a gorgeous waterfall, a cave full of butterflies, and an opulent setting dressed up by a tree with multicolored foliage. They return to the beach at the end, ready to leave this magical world.

On its own, the visuals tell the story quite well: five boys arrive in Neverland, where they stay and play for a while, seduced by the fantasy it offers. Loss of innocence is an archetype typically associated with growing up; and the temptations of Neverland are too great for them to resist. Furthermore, as many fans took notice, it is the most scantily dressed that Big Hit has allowed them to be since their debut, especially for Hueningkai, who as the youngest has a history of being covered up as much as possible when the older members have been in more revealing attire. All visual aspects of this concept point to a clear maturity that hasn’t really been tapped into prior to TEMPTATION—and the members lean into it quite well.

An Analysis of The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION

The EP, consisting of five songs, flows like a story all on its own and for optimal enjoyment should be listened to in its designated order. The reason why I say that no one has really told the story of Peter Pan like this before reveals itself as soon as the first few notes of the record play—because no one has ever stopped to consider that maybe Peter Pan isn’t the hero—maybe he’s the villain.

TEMPTATION opens with “Devil by the Window”, an English track that refers to Peter Pan as not only the “devil by the window” but also “a wolf in sheep clothes”. In the most popular retelling of the story, Disney’s version, Wendy tells her younger brothers stories about Peter Pan’s adventures and heroic deeds; and getting to fly to Neverland with him is viewed as an amazing opportunity. However, “Devil by the Window” describes Peter Pan as a sinister figure in the night waiting to lure TXT away to Neverland, which is less of a paradise for children and more like an awful ride you can’t get off of. The brunt of the message is contained in the chorus: “I met the devil by the window, traded my life/Temptation touched my tongue, spread the wings of desire/He’s whispering, ‘Give up, don’t you put up a fight’/Said the devil by the window, ‘Dream on, dream on, good night”. In fact, the language of the song paints an image of Peter Pan that is quite similar to the serpent in the Garden of Eden.

The soundscape of “Devil by the Window” creates a richly seductive palette that weaves it way throughout the rest of the record. When paired with the gritty bassline and the breathiness with which the members infused their voices, the lyrics help set the scene for our Korean Lost Boys to make their journey to Neverland. The most interesting part is the end, which is rather abrupt after a tempo change that feels like floating right before a sudden drop, which might be interpreted as an indication that the flight from home to Neverland has ended.

TXT chose to perform “Devil by the Window” alongside “Sugar Rush Ride” during their promotional circuit; and the choreography helps further the storytelling aspect of TEMPTATION in a way that would leave the story slightly lacking if it were to have gone without.

There are certain expectations for title tracks in the KPOP industry and most groups choose to perform their most so-called “fun” or general public-friendly songs. “Sugar Rush Ride” is, in some ways, “Devil by the Window” repackaged as a title track with elements of pop music sprinkled on top to disguise the utter debauchery that it really is—and I really don’t mean that in a negative way. Sonically, the structure of the verses are more pop leaning, while the chorus falls back into a soundscape more similar to its predecessor. It incorporates the same kind of breathy singing, as well as some beautiful falsettos adorned throughout that add a beautiful layer of vocal color to the song. The sighs that punctuate the chorus really add to the seduction that they established in “Devil by the Window” and I am truly so obsessed with the hidden vocals, which create some amazing contrast between them and the members’ voices.

Lyrically, “Sugar Rush Ride” describes an experience of heightened sensation— hence the sugar rush, which feels like a euphemism for substance use, supported by Hueningkai’s lines “You’re so addictive/내 혈관은 (translated: my veins) full of sweets”—although sugar is also used as another name for desire. Now that TXT are in Neverland, Peter Pan is trying to convince them to stay, enticing them with whatever he is giving them to produce the sugar rush. They’re still aware that he can’t be trusted; Taehyun’s lines in the refrain, “꿈에 데려가는/침대맡에 liar”, translate to “the liar at [my] bedside who takes me into [the] dream”*, indicating that they know what he’s trying to do but they’re buying into it anyway. They also continue to refer to him as the devil; and during the post-chorus, which moves at a faster pace established in the second iteration of the chorus, there’s an acknowledgement: “You’re a bad liar/What are you doing to me (what did you do to me), sugar?”* Again, much like the story of the Garden of Eden, having previously not known desire, the Lost Boys are finding that they can’t get enough of it and the sensation is overwhelming.

The Kulture Study by Form of Therapy, my favorite KPOP reaction channel, pointed out in their review of the song that after the sugar rush comes a crash, something that I agree with. Exactly when that crash will come and what shape it will take is still yet to be seen at this point in the album—which brings us to the next track.

“Happy Fools” sits right smack dab in the middle of the EP, a brighter, more carefree song that describes wanting to stay in a state of blissful ignorance in spite of what it would mean for them if they did. Coi Leray’s verse adds a fresh-faced playfulness and an additional layer of “not a care in the world” vibes; and the members settle into their short-lived period of contentment before being forced to face the reality of their situation. You shouldn’t let the sound of the song deceive you; the title and the lyrics make it very clear that they know that they’re on borrowed time.

Tinnitus is a condition in which one may experience a ringing or buzzing noise in one or both ears, whether constantly or intermittently. With that in mind, “돌멩이가 되고 싶어 (Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock))” doesn’t carry the kind of unpleasant quality you might expect based on the title; rather, it is a soft, sensual track that takes influence from Latin beats. It’s definitely a tie with “Farewell, Neverland” for my favorite song on the EP, its dreamy instrumentals and vocal colors making it not so much a dance track as it is a song that gets your body moving. It’s short and sweet but describes both a longing for one to be more than they are and an admission that things didn’t happen the way they wanted them to. The lyrics do mention tinnitus both explicitly and implicitly, sometimes as a “deafening empty sound” or a “daze”—and more than the underlying layer of self-deprecation, it carries a more deeply rooted disillusionment. In other words, the enchantment of Neverland has been broken.

Following that train of thought, TEMPTATION ends with “Farewell, Neverland”. The Korean title is “네버랜드를 떠나며”, which translates more closely to “Leaving Neverland”*. Matching up with the title, the song contains plenty of imagery that ties it to the Peter Pan story, including the lines and words used such as “Boys don’t grow up”, “endless flying”, and “my Peter Pan”. If “Devil by the Window” and “Sugar Rush Ride” are more about Peter Pan himself, “Farewell, Neverland” is, obviously, more about Neverland. They call it a “paradise full of lies” and say that it is “no home”, indicating that whatever they came to Neverland searching for, they didn’t find it; and whatever temptation was presented, it ultimately wasn’t enough to make them stay. However, our Lost Boys speak of Neverland more fondly than they spoke of Peter Pan at the beginning of the EP, calling it “my love”. Paired with the acoustic guitar and Latin-influenced instrumentals similar to “Tinnitus”, it certainly does seem like a rather romantic goodbye, if not a little bittersweet.

Conclusion

The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION is, as TXT’s work always is, a solid album. It presents a new side of the five young men that ties in with them growing up. The KPOP industry is often unkind to older groups, placing more favor with groups that maintain a youthful image; and while TXT are by no means old, their decision to fully delve into the processing of maturing into adulthood so explicitly in their music while also embracing sensuality that very carefully toes the line of propriety is to be respected and commended. As I mentioned previously, the EP tells a story and I would not recommend listening to the songs out of order. Interestingly, it splits quite evenly, with “Devil by the Window” and “Sugar Rush Ride” forming a pair and “돌멩이가 되고 싶어 (Tinnitus)” and “ 네버랜드를 떠나며 (Farewell, Neverland)” forming another with “Happy Fools” bridging the gap between them. Now, having gotten a taste of what an older, more grown up TXT is capable of, I can’t wait to see what they show us next.

Genius Lab USA Rating: We go up like the moon, [...] get it poppin’ like balloons. We gon party every day living like some happy fools doing what we wanna do.

The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION Track List:

Devil by the Window

Sugar Rush Ride

Happy Fools (feat. Coi Leray)

돌멩이가 되고 싶어 (Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock))

네버랜드를 떠나며 (Farewell, Neverland)

*These are my translations.

[funkymbtifiction]

I think the eternal child sx7 energy doesn't fit here, actually. 7's don't dwell on their emotions, they chase distractions away from them. They're militant optimists, spinning new dreams to avoid pain. They're the Eleventh Doctor. Peter Pan. Not... Roxanne, wanting the deepest, most emotion-filled (all of them but ESPECIALLY yearning, which is the low side of 4) romantic love. 7s say "no thanks, I'm having another adventure) to that.

And to answer your question, yes, Marianne is like that. She contains the sweet idealism of the 4 as well as its extreme tendency toward romanticism - every step of her relationship with Willoughby is her being entranced with the romance of their relationship, not the sense, which is he's an irresponsible man who has made some whopping mistakes, and breaks her heart. Marianne learns the painful 4 lesson - an image is essentially a construct, a distraction from real connection. Roxanne learns this, too -  the man she has projected as the ideal romantic lover is a sham, and the man who truly loved her was there all along. It is a cowing moment for a 4 -  that people deserve better than to be treated as vessels for your pain and ramped-up emotions, and to not BELIEVE in those emotions as ultimate truth, as alive as they make you feel.

I also find it amusing Cyrano reminds you of Bright Star - an intensely 4 movie if there ever was one.

I get your ambivalence about this. The image types are hard and 4 is one of the most wildly mistyped enneatypes out there. But it has its lessons, patterns, strengths and stories,  same as all the rest.

Also re: withdrawn and assertive, I find the triads are a help to more closely understand a type, but unhelpful when trying to type in the first place. Average 4s do indeed withdraw to maintain their identity as different, but not always and without the correct story beats its very hard to see. I'm not familiar enough with Cyrano to signal when or if this happens with Roxanne.

But as for "assertive" -  4s can and are absolutely forthright. Eleanor says of Marianne that "she doesn't approve of hiding her emotions". She charges straight up to Willoughby at the ball. She demands he answer her. 4s don't shy away from emotional intensity,  they thrive off it.  The Enneagram Institute describes 4 as "emotionally dominant" and describes only the 8 as "physically dominant".

Good argument, thanks. I'll change her Enneagram . She does remind me of Marianne now I think about it. I can be too quick sometimes to assume a character isn't a 4, because there are so many 9s or 2s or 6s out there who get called 4s -- and that means I may not consider it as deeply as I should. That's on me, and something I need to fix.

Bright Star just... makes me sigh. So much melodrama. "Mama, she asks for a knife." "What for, dear?" "So she can slit her wrists!"

I never know whether to be envious of a fictional 4's capacity for romanticized idealism and melodrama or to just sigh and shake my head. I have had so many friends with 4ish traits (not to mention seen so many movies and read so many books with 4ish heroines in them growing up) that I feel emotionally muted by comparison. It's hard for me to wrap my head around them since I see their intense emotional reaction from a 6w7 perspective of "what's the big deal?" I can't dwell in things as long as they can without moving on quickly, and when I do get stuck in an emotional headspace, it's painful to me. There is a wall between me and my feelings and a tendency to rationalize them away and get back to living. I wish the world would stop when I lose the people I love, but it doesn't. And that pains me.

[uhnez]

The provisional life.

Jung speaks of the provisional life most often in reference to the puer aeternus archetype, Latin for the ‘eternal child’. Typically, the archetype is used to describe a neurotic condition whereby the maturational process has been arrested. The puer (or puella aeterna when referencing a female subject) is a man or woman who refuses to grow up and take responsibility for his or her life, thwarting self-realization in favor of childlike fantasies. This complex is often described in popular psychology as ‘peter pan syndrome’.

One of the many qualities of the puer or puella, according to Jung, is that they lead a provisional life. A life not rooted in the present but lost to fantasies, fantasies that never come to fruition but instead serve to keep them removed from life. They imagine that something better is to come but never take the necessary action to change their condition. Thus, they are alienated from the world and from themselves. Jung describes this as:

“[T]he modern European disease of the merely imaginary life”

Carl Jung’s Letter to Count Hermann Keyserling (30 August 1931)

“The provisional life; where one does not exist really, they are only a spectator; so any experience is ghost-like, perfectly abstract, without a trace of realisation.”

Carl Jung, The Visions Seminar

By way of example, he describes a 25-year-old female patient who suffered so greatly from this neurosis that she eventually took her own life. Jung found himself absolutely unable to access her. So removed was she from reality that nothing could touch her, for she had no relation to the world at all. Going through the motions of life but knowing not what life was. Months later, she shot herself. Jung writes:

“I saw the corpse. She had shot herself through the heart in the street and had not lost consciousness for a minute or two. The expression on her face was completely altered. For a long time I stood watching her face and asking myself: “What kind of expression is that?” It was the most extraordinary, the expression of someone who was convinced, say, that a thing was black, and to whom it was very important that it was black, but to whom one had finally proven that it was red; and it was as if she suddenly realised it was red. It was a look full of bewilderment and a sort of pleasant surprise. I saw what happened: at the moment when she shot herself… she understood what life was for the first time.”

C.G. Jung, The Visions Seminar

[reaganrackett]

Task 8: Alternate Universe ⇒ Dungeons and Dragons

Backstory

Reagan is a Halfling, Thief Rogue. Reagan did not know where she came from, or how it was she came to be alone. All she knew were the streets--she was transferred from foster home to foster home, each wanting less to do with her than the last. It was in one particularly bad home where she met Rowan, a fellow halfling child who would become her partner in crime. The two stuck with each other from then on out.

Change came in the form of an elven boy named Peter Pan. He approached them, the “Twins” he called them--telling them that he’d been watching them for some time and he wanted to recruit them for his group, the Lost Boys. According to him, the Lost Boys lived in another world where they never had to suffer and would never grow up. He knew how to get there, but they needed to trust him. With little other choice, they followed him. Peter would take them to a portal--on one side the dark, desaturated world of the Material Plane, on the other was the bright, vibrant, land of the Feywild. There, they made a new home with Peter and the other Lost Boys on an island where they could always have adventures, and time seemed to stand still. They were never want for anything, taken care of by a mysterious fey presence--seemingly the island on which they lived.

Things changed when Wendy and her brothers came into the picture. At first, it was the story of any other Lost Boy--children from the Material Plane brought by Peter to the Feywild to live in eternal bliss. The only difference was, Wendy didn’t want to remain in the Feywild forever. It created a tension within the group that only escalated when the island was attacked by a ship of marauding pirates, who captured Wendy, Reagan, and all of the Lost Boys. An epic battle took place on the pirate ship, culminating in a storm and the opening of a portal, through which the ship fell.

Suddenly, everyone was back in the Material Plane, with the portal closing behind them. On another continent, in a different time, they had no means to return to the place they once called home. In between Wendy’s betrayal, the Lost Boy, Tina, falling for the pirate captain, and the sinking realization that everything was forever changed, the Lost Boys fell apart. Everyone went their separate ways in a world where they were now being forced to grow up faster than ever.

At first, Reagan was devastated by everything that occurred. While she stuck by Rowan, she also fell into terrible habits of drinking, thievery, and debauchery to try and fill the hole in her heart. Eventually, she came to realize that she could create a new life for herself, however she wanted--so she became Reagan, not a scared, lost boy, but a confident woman who could get whatever she wanted. She eventually fell in with the local Thieves Guild, where she used her skills to make a name for herself.

While Reagan stays in touch with some of the Lost Boys and continues to adventure with them, particularly Rowan, she is much more involved and invested in the Thieves Guild and matters on the Material Plane. She knows that Peter in particular is looking to find a way back to the Feywild, but Reagan doesn’t think they’ll ever be able to find another portal. She will often join other adventuring groups, if only to sneak some of the loot.

Stats

Proficiencies: Perception, Stealth, Sleight of Hand, Athletics, Playing Card Set, Thieve’s Tools

Feats:

Piercer (Additional damage with stabbing attacks)

Squat Nimbleness (Faster speed, easier escape from grapples)

Fighting Style: Reagan is small, sneaky, and tremendously fast. She will stab you in the back and you will not see it coming. She’s extremely adept with a dagger, of which she carries many on her person. She rarely likes to fight head on, often finding advantageous places where she can hide and attack from, only to slink back into the shadows. Additionally, she is an excellent climber of both natural and urban areas alike, so she does everything she can to use her environment to her advantage. While she’s not often one to stick out her neck for others, she will try to flank and distract enemies so that her allies can get extra or more damaging hits in. If push comes to shove, however, you’re on your own (with the exception of Rowan).

[theprayerfulword]

April 23

Jude 1:20-21 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

John 4:23-24 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.

1 Peter 4:7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.

Jeremiah 10:23 Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.

John 16:13 Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.

Zechariah 4:6 …Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit', says the LORD of hosts.

May you resist the influences and principalities which inhabit the land God has directed you to cleanse and make ready for His kingdom, the fertile and abundant territory of your thoughts and emotions where God's creativity can abide, and make no agreement with those corrupting powers, refusing to allow them to serve you in any way, lest you end up serving them as they become thorns in your side and a snare to your heart. Judges 2

May you have the eyes to see and the understanding to realize, when you notice these things happening, that the kingdom of God is near, for heaven and earth will pass away, but the Word of God will never pass away. Luke 21

May you take heed to yourself, and constantly be on your guard, aware lest at any time your heart grow cold because it is weighed down and dulled from self-indulgence, excess, and the cares and worries of your life in this world, but always be on watch, alert, and pray constantly that you may be found worthy to receive the strength to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able, in that day, to stand before the Son of Man. Luke 21

May the Lord be your dwelling place throughout all the years of your life, for before the mountains were born or the world was brought forth, from everlasting to everlasting, He is God, to Whom a thousand years are like a day just gone by. Psalm 90

May you learn from the Lord how to number your days aright, so that you may gain a heart of wisdom, for who knows the power of His anger since His wrath is as great as the fear that is due Him. Psalm 90

May you sing for joy and be glad all your days when the Lord has compassion on His servants and satisfies you in the morning with His unfailing love, making you glad for as many days as you have been afflicted, for as many years as you have seen trouble, so that His deeds and splendor may be shown to His servants. Psalm 90

May the favor of the Lord your God rest upon you to establish the work of your hands. Psalm 90

Turn to Me, My child, only to Me, that your testimony may be pure. I am not a concept or a vague, impersonal power - I am your loving Creator, resurrected Savior, living Redeemer, and soon-returning King. You must know Me personally to introduce Me, by your witness and testimony, to those who are seeking Me. Know Me, not as a tradition or as someone else’s benefactor, but personally, individually. Bring Me your needs and receive My abundance. Share your burdens and let Me lighten your load. Pour out your sorrows and know My joy. Confess your sins and receive My forgiveness and acceptance. See My wounds, and receive your healing. View My death, and partake in My life. If you are not changed by My Presence, if you are not convicted by My holiness, if you are not humbled by My majesty, if your world is not turned upside down by My revelation, then it is not Me that you are learning of. Learn truth and wisdom of Me as you study My Word and let it renew your mind. Come into My presence through worshipful praise, and let your times of prayer draw My Spirit to you as He helps you pray those things on My heart for which you have no words. Walk with Me through the marketplace and the byways as I pursue those whose hearts are mine, those who feel the drawing of My love but are held captive by the enemy of their souls, those of My sheep who have lost their way back or been injured. Let your voice speak My words of life to them and proclaim liberty and victory over them. Let your hands and feet find practical expression of My love for them in ways that bring solace to their souls and healing to their hearts. Philosophy reaches the minds of the hearers, but cannot touch their hearts; religion can reach the soul but does not change the spirit. I am the way, the truth and the life, and it is through Me, the Door to the kingdom, that all must enter who come to the Father. Abide in Me in humility and obedience so that I may abide in you in truth and in power, and the will of the Father be done in earth as it is in heaven.

May you dwell in the shelter of the Most High and rest in the shadow of the Almighty, saying of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” He will save you from the fowler's snare and the deadly pestilence, covering you with His feathers so that you will find refuge under His wings and be shielded and protected by His faithfulness. Psalm 91

May you not fear the terror of night nor the arrow flying by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday, for though a thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, it will not come near you, and you will only observe it with your eyes as you see the punishment of the wicked. Psalm 91

May you make the Most High your dwelling, even the Lord, Who is your refuge, for then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your dwelling. He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways, and they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone, even though you will trample the great lion and the serpent. Psalm 91

May you love the Lord, for then He will rescue you and protect you because you acknowledge His name, calling upon Him for He will answer and be with you in trouble, delivering you and honoring you, satisfying you with long life and showing you His salvation. Psalm 91

May you accept the love of the Father as it is demonstrated in His discipline, for those to whom He spares the rod are those whom He hates. Proverbs 13:24

May you dine at the Lord's table and be refreshed to your heart's content, as the righteous do, and never be hungry for lack of the Living Bread as the wicked are. Proverbs 13:25

[dfroza]

“You can depend on this: if you don’t receive the Kingdom as a child would, you won’t enter it at all.”

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 18th chapter of the book of Luke:

He told them a parable, urging them to keep praying and never grow discouraged. The parable went like this:

Jesus: There was a judge living in a certain city. He showed no respect for God or humanity. In that same city there was a widow. Again and again she kept coming to him seeking justice: “Clear my name from my adversary’s false accusations!” He paid no attention to her request for a while, but then he said to himself, “I don’t care about what God thinks of me, much less what any mere human thinks. But this widow is driving me crazy. She’s never going to quit coming to see me unless I hear her case and provide her legal protection.”

Did you catch what this self-assured judge said? If he can be moved to act justly, won’t God bring justice for His chosen people when they cry to Him day and night? Will He be slow to bring them justice? Mark My words: God will intervene fast with vindication. But here’s the question: when the Son of Man comes, will He find anyone who still has faith?

He told another parable—this one addressed to people who were confident in their self-righteousness and looked down on other people with disgust.

Jesus: Imagine two men walking up a road, going to the temple to pray. One of them is a Pharisee and the other is a despised tax collector. Once inside the temple, the Pharisee stands up and prays this prayer in honor of himself: “God, how I thank You that I am not on the same level as other people—crooks, cheaters, the sexually immoral—like this tax collector over here. Just look at me! I fast not once but twice a week, and I faithfully pay my tithes on every penny of income.” Over in the corner, the tax collector begins to pray, but he won’t even lift his eyes to heaven. He pounds on his chest in sorrow and says, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

Now imagine these two men walking back down the road to their homes. Listen, it’s the tax collector who walks home clean before God, and not the Pharisee, because whoever lifts himself up will be put down and whoever takes a humble place will be lifted up.

Some people brought infants to Jesus, hoping He would touch them in blessing. The disciples rebuked them for doing so, but Jesus called to the people.

Jesus: Let the little children come to Me. Never hinder them! Don’t you realize—the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like children? You can depend on this: if you don’t receive the Kingdom as a child would, you won’t enter it at all.

Public Official: Good Teacher, what do I need to do to inherit the life of the age to come?

Jesus: Why did you just call Me good? No one is good but God—only God. You know what the Hebrew Scriptures command: “Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.”

Public Official: I’ve already been doing these things—since I came of age.

Jesus: One thing you still lack—one thing; sell all your possessions and distribute the proceeds to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. Then you can come and follow Me.

The man heard these words and sadness came over his face, for his wealth was considerable.

Jesus: What a hard thing it is for those with much wealth to enter the kingdom of God! In fact, it would be easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than it would be for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God!

Listeners: Then who can be liberated?

Jesus: Remember, what is humanly impossible is possible with God.

Peter: We have left our homes and followed You.

Jesus: I’m telling you the truth: there is nobody who leaves his house or wife or siblings or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not receive more than he has given up—much more—in this age and in the age to come. He will receive eternal life.

He took the twelve aside and spoke privately to them.

Jesus: Look, my friends, we are going up to Jerusalem. Everything the prophets have written about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the outsiders. They will mock Him, disgrace Him, and spit on Him; they will scourge Him, and they will kill Him. And on the third day, He will rise from death.

But they had no comprehension of what He was talking about. The meaning was hidden from them, and they couldn’t grasp it.

Picture this:

Jesus is nearing the city of Jericho. A blind man is sitting there, begging by the roadside. He can hear the sounds of the crowd accompanying Jesus, and he asks what’s going on.

Crowd: Jesus of Nazareth is passing this way.

Then the man starts shouting.

Blind Man: Jesus, Son of King David, show mercy to me!

The people in the front of the crowd reprimand him and tell him to be quiet, but he just shouts louder.

Blind Man: Son of King David, show mercy to me!

Jesus stops and tells the people to bring the man over to Him. The man stands in front of Jesus.

Jesus: What do you want Me to do for you?

Blind Man: Lord, let me receive my sight.

Jesus: Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.

At that very instant, the man is able to see. He begins following Jesus, shouting praises to God; and everyone in the crowd, when they see what has happened, starts praising God too.

The Book of Luke, Chapter 18 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 4th chapter of the musical and poetic book Song of Solomon:

Him (to her): You, my love, are beautiful.

So beautiful!

Your eyes are like doves

nestled behind your veil.

Your hair moves as gracefully as a flock of goats

leaping down the slopes of Mount Gilead.

Your teeth are pearl white like a flock of sheep shorn,

fresh up from a wash.

Each perfect and paired with another;

not one of them is lost.

Your lips are as red as scarlet threads;

your mouth is beautiful.

Your cheeks rosy and round are beneath your veil,

like the halves of a pomegranate.

Your neck is elegant like the tower of David,

perfectly fit stone-by-stone.

There hang a thousand shields,

the shields of mighty men.

Your breasts are like two fawns,

twin gazelles grazing in a meadow of lilies.

As the day breathes its morning breeze

and shadows turn and flee,

I will go up your myrrh mountain

and climb your frankincense hill.

You are so beautiful, my love,

without blemish.

Come with me from Lebanon, my bride;

come with me from Lebanon.

Journey with me from the crest of Amana,

from the top of Senir even the summit of Hermon,

From the lions’ dangerous den,

from the mountain hideouts of leopards.

My heart is your captive, my sister, my bride;

you have stolen it with one glance,

caught it with a single strand of your necklace.

How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!

Your love is more pleasing than the finest wine,

and the fragrance of your perfume brings more delight than any spice!

Your lips taste sweet like honey off the comb, my bride;

milk and honey are beneath your tongue.

The scents of your clothes are like the fresh air of Lebanon.

You are a locked garden, my sister, my bride, open only to me;

a spring closed up tight, a sealed fountain.

Your sprouts are an orchard of pomegranates and exotic fruits—

with henna and nard,

With nard and saffron,

calamus and cinnamon—

With rows of frankincense trees

and myrrh and aloes and all the finest spices.

My bride, you are a fountain in a garden,

a well of life-giving water flowing down from Lebanon.

Him (to the winds): Rise, you north wind;

come, you south wind.

Breathe on my garden,

and let the fragrance of its natural spices fill the air.

Her: Let my love come into his garden

and feast from its choice fruits.

Song of Solomon, Chapter 4 (The Voice)

A note from The Voice translation:

What does he mean by “my sister, my bride”? Is this a sudden revelation of an incestuous relationship? No. He is describing how sexual expression can bring two people intimately together, as close as two people can be; the man and woman are now family. This image would have been particularly meaningful in ancient Israelite society, where life was centered on familial relationships and calling someone “brother” or “sister” was a sign of deep intimacy and care. Blood relatives lived together, worked together, traded with each other, and were buried together. By calling the woman “sister,” he is declaring they are now blood relatives. In the covenant relationship called marriage, blood is drawn during consummation, bonding the two parties together as man and wife, as brother and sister, forever.

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for Thursday, june 22 of 2023 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons about sacred Breath:

A verse from this week’s Torah portion (i.e., Korach) reveals another great Hebrew name for God: Elohei ha-ruchot lekhol basar (אֱלהֵי הָרוּחת לְכָל־בָּשָׂר), which can be translated "the God of the breath of all flesh" (Num. 16:22). The LORD is the Source of your breath, the One who exhales to you nishmat chayim (נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים), the "breath of life" that enables you to live (Job 12:10).

To understand this, the sages use the analogy of a glassblower who creates a glass vessel. Just as the glassblower blows into a tube to form a vessel from molten glass, so the breath (i.e., neshamah: נְשָׁמָה) that comes from the LORD functions as spirit (i.e., ruach: רוּחַ) that forms and fills the human soul (i.e., nefesh: נֶפֶשׁ). Note that the Name YHVH (יהוה) first appears in this connection (Gen. 2:7), a Name that means "God is Present" (Exod. 3:14) and "God is Mercy" (Exod. 34:6-7). Note also that each letter of the Name YHVH represents a vowel sound (i.e., breath), suggesting that God's Spirit is as close as your very next breath. Like the wind that cannot be seen, so is the spirit the essential part of your identity. Yeshua breathed on his followers and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22).

The special Name Elohei ha-ruchot lekhol basar appears only one other place in the Torah. After accepting the fact that he would soon die and therefore be unable to finally lead the people into the promised land, Moses prayed: "Let the LORD (יהוה), “the God of the spirits of all flesh” (אֱלהֵי הָרוּחת לְכָל־בָּשָׂר), appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep that have no shepherd." So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן, lit. "son of life"), a man in whom is the Spirit (רוּח), and lay your hand on him" (Num. 27:16-18).

The Talmud notes that the word Nun (נוּן) means “fish,” a symbol of activity and life. Joshua, the chosen one who succeeded Moses and led the people into the Promised Land, was the “Son of Life” - a clear picture of Yeshua our Messiah, the “spirit-filled good Shepherd” who would lay down His life for the sheep (John 10:11). The LORD is indeed the “God of the breath of all flesh.” When Yeshua cried out, "It is finished" and breathed his last breath as He died for our sins upon the cross, the greatest exhalation of the Spirit occurred, the greatest sigh, the greatest utterance was ever declared. The sacrificial death of Yeshua for our deliverance was God's final word of love breathed out to those who are trusting in Him.

[ Hebrew for Christians ]

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Job 12:10 reading:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/job12-10-jjp.mp3

Hebrew page pdf:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/job12-10-lesson.pdf

6.20.23 • Facebook

from yesterday’s email by Israel 365

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

June 22, 2023

In a Moment

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

This is one of the greatest promises in the Bible, assuring us that “we” (i.e., all believers, whether dead or living when Christ returns) shall suddenly be changed, with our dead or dying bodies instantly transformed into incorruptible, immortal bodies, which can never die again.

This great change, when it finally occurs, will take place “in a moment.” The Greek here is en atomo, “in an atom of time.” This word, implying the smallest entity conceivable by the Greeks, is used only this one time in the New Testament. It is further described by “the twinkling of an eye,” where “twinkling” is the Greek rhipe, also used only this once. Evidently there is nothing else in this present world comparable in rapidity to this miraculous change that will be called forth when “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

The great shout (probably uttered by Christ Himself as at the tomb of Lazarus) will instantly create new bodies for both dead and living believers. “The dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Our new bodies will be like Christ’s resurrection body. He “shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Philippians 3:21).

Christ is able thus to create new bodies for us in a moment, just as when He created all things in the beginning: “He spake, and it was done” (Psalm 33:9). HMM

[gatekeeper-watchman]

Is “Once Saved, Always Saved” Biblical?

Coming from a background that taught eternal security to the degree that “once you are saved, you are always saved,” I am very well versed in all the Scripture that supports this view. However, when I came into the Spirit-filled walk, I began to study and read opposite views on this subject and came to embrace them. However, I could not find peace in the extreme of needing to be saved again every time I sinned, as that certainly had no security in God’s keeping power. Both extremes cause problems in the body of Christ. Let us look to God’s Word and find the balance between these two extremes.

God does not want us to take our salvation lightly, nor does He want us to be constantly insecure with the fear of losing our salvation. Therefore, He gives us Scripture to prevent both of these extremes. First, let us look at Jesus’ words in John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

At first glance, this Scripture does seem to guarantee immunity against spiritual loss. However, if we notice the condition of this promise, we will see that it is only those sheep that are listening to and following the Lord that cannot be plucked away from the Lord’s hand. If they choose to, they may jump out of His hand at any time.

Nowhere in Scripture does God even hint that He will violate the freedom of choice of His followers. Christians can choose to leave God and be lost again, just as surely as sinners can choose to be saved. When we are “born again” we do not lose our power of choice, for God never overrides the will of man as long as he lives. The Lord desires that all grow in Him to become overcomers, ruling and reigning; yet He does not force anyone to make this choice, even if they are a child of His. Freedom is one of the most beautiful gifts He gives to man. The Lord will bring His people along only as far as they are willing.

Many Scriptures show plainly that if a person is not willing to continue to follow the Lord, he can lose the gift God gave him. Just think how useless all the hundreds of Biblical warnings of apostasy would be if it were impossible to fall away.

If this could not happened, the Holy Spirit never would have led Peter, Paul, and others to pen such solemn admonitions against eternal loss. The parable of the sower and the seed is a perfect example of those who believe for a while but fall away in times of temptation.

“Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have not root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away” (Luke 8:12-13).

These people had believed, but they fell away. “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them, that believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:38-39).

Some do cast away their faith and drawback ending up in perdition (hell). To those of us who love God, it is very difficult to understand how anyone could desire to leave the Lord and turn back to the world. Nevertheless, it does happen because the Word declares that some will do this. The Lord is the only one that can set people free from demonic influence. We may not understand how eternal life can be terminated if it is eternal. Certainly, eternal life is eternal, but the Bible declares that eternal life cannot be possessed by men apart from a living union with Christ.“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:11-12). “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abides in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:1-6). “Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spares not thee. Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God can graft them in again” (Romans 11:20-23).

We can see that we must keep our faith in God to maintain our union with Him. We have no life apart from our union with Him. Losing our salvation or falling from grace is not an instantaneous occurrence. It takes time for a branch to wither. We need not fear that if our flesh is weak and we sin we shall instantly lose our salvation. It is difficult for a person to lose his salvation because the Holy Spirit will do all He can to draw that one back to Himself. He will inspire others to pray and will do all within His goodness, mercy, and grace to influence the straying one to return. However, if a man does not respond to His goodness, then severity falls as the judgment of God is automatic against all sin.

God loves the sinner, but hates and judges the sin. If the sinner refuses to part with his sin, then he comes under judgment because of his own choice not to follow God. God does not want anyone to suffer destruction. But if one chooses that path, He will not prevent it.“If any man defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:17). “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us” (2 Timothy 2:12).

Man can walk in rebellion for a season without losing his salvation. But if he continues, eventually he will cross a line where he no longer has the life of Christ in him.

This does not mean that he will be lost forever, for he can repent and come back to the Lord at any time before death.

Making Sure of Our Salvation

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Revelation 3:5-6).

We need to give diligent to make our salvation sure. When we become overcomers we will never need to fear the Lord blotting our name out of His book of life. However, from this scripture, we can see that it is possible to be blotted out of the book of life.“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and virtue knowledge; And knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things are in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give the diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall minister unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:3-11).

If we have spiritual ears we shall hear the Holy Spirit speaking to us to press on and “make our calling and election sure.” We can lose that which we have been given if we do not nurture it and yield to the Holy Spirit so that it might grow. One argument for “once saved, always saved” is based on the analogy of sonship. The reasoning goes, “My child is born into my family and he will always be my child. He cannot be unborn. Whether obedient or disobedient, he will always be my child.” This line of reasoning avoids the central issue. The question is not whether a child can be “unborn,” but whether it can become sick and die. If the baby is not fed it will soon die. Unless the Christian lives by the Word of God, he cannot continue to partake of the spiritual life derived through the Holy Spirit. To disconnect salvation from obedience and its resultant spiritual growth goes against the Word of God. To focus eternal life on a past moment when one once decided for Christ is not consistent with the Scriptures. This would eliminate man’s free will from that point on, which the Lord never does. We can obey or disobey subsequent revelations of truth, and as we do this, it will undoubtedly affect our final destiny. Willful sin shatters the relationship by which eternal life is obtained. There is an eternal “if” in every consideration of eternal security. “But if we walk in the light…the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). “…If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father” (1 John 2:24). “…if any man draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:38). “If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire…” (John 15:6). “…if a man keeps my saying, he shall never see death” (John 8:51). …if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off” (Romans 11:22). “…if ye do these things, ye shall never fall” (2 Peter 1:10). “For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end” (Hebrews 3:14). “ …if we deny him, he also will deny us” (2 Timothy 2:12). “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:26). “…If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). “Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14). “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die” (Romans 8:13).

All of these Scriptures are conditional, if we, as men, take responsibility for the plan of salvation; God’s sovereignty certainly holds no flaws. All of the Scriptures fit in their proper place when we look at them from a balanced perspective. We do not have to throw any of them out to make our doctrine fit. There are Scriptures directed to those who are in danger of falling away, others which are directed to those who have no hope and have sinned unto death; some are for those who have overcome and therefore cannot fall from grace, and still others are directed to those who are striving to reach that place. Looking at the Scriptures in this light, we can see they do not contradict one another.

We should be encouraged not to turn back, as we are only saved through faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour. The Believer’s Security

“…There is none another name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

As Christians, we show our faith through our works. It is a manifestation of our love for Him. Keeping God’s commandments and doing right is merely the result of His Holy Spirit dwelling in the heart. These are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We do these things not to be saved, but because we are saved. As long as we love the Lord with all of our hearts, we are going to be obedient to Him and cling to Him. He will not let go of us unless we cast Him away through our continued sin and indifference and willful disobedience. We cannot lose our salvation, but we can forfeit it.

Satan (Lucifer) lost his estate through willful sin. Adam and Eve lost their estate also because they sinned and fell from God’s original plan. However, Jesus made a way for mankind to be restored simply because man did not have light. Lucifer had full knowledge when he sinned; Adam and Eve were not walking in full knowledge when they sinned, so God made a way for them to be restored to their original place in God through Jesus Christ. Let us not forget what we have in Christ but press on so that we do not end up shipwrecked.“Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck” (1 Timothy 1:19). “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).

Work Out Your Salvation

Salvation is a process. We are saved at the time we give our life to Jesus; we are being saved daily as we walk in the spirit and we will eventually be eternally saved when we get to heaven. We can complete our salvation by seeking God to cleanse us and perfect us to become like Jesus. This is accomplished by learning and obeying the Word of God. For now, we are admonished to “work out our salvation.” We are transformed through our obedience.

“And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:11-13).

There is a possibility that a person can lose their salvation and their name can be “blotted out of the book of life,” so the Lord directs His warnings to those people who are rebelliously walking away from God in an attempt to turn them back to Himself. God will not drag people to heaven, as ultimately, we must desire to go there and come through the Biblical way of getting there; which is to repent of our sins and accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ by faith and receive the salvation that God provided for us by His death on the cross and His burial and resurrection. When we do this and follow and obey Him we can be sure we will go to heaven.

I will share another blog article soon entitled, “The Security of the Believer” so that all who are following Him and have a relationship with Him can know the scriptures that assure us He will never leave us, nor forsake us, and we can know of a certainty that we will go to heaven.

From: Elder Steven P. Miller February 18th, 2023 Founder of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups Jacksonville, Florida., Duval County, USA. https://www.facebook.com/groups/Sparkermiller.JAX.FL.USA https://www.tumblr.com/blog/gatekeeper-watchman https://www.facebook.com/ParkermillerQ/ Twitter: @GatekeeperWatchman1, @ParkermillerQ, @StevenPMiller6; #GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO, #Ephraim1, #IAM, #Sparkermiller, #Eldermiller1981 Instagram: steven_parker_miller_1956