#what did the death of Christ accomplish?

[aroacettorney]

when will aup sidestories return from war and stop leaving me bitter about how the main story ended

[buckybabesonly]

Dirty Little Secret

Summary: You believe Bucky doesn’t even remember your name, not knowing he moans it to himself at night.

Part 2 - Dirty Little Confession

Pairing: Bucky x Female!Reader

Genre: Smut

Warnings: Masturbation (male)

Word count: 1.4K

A/N: Wrote this on my phone lol sorry for any potential errors. Just wanted to get a little smutty post out there. Also - thanks for nearly 400 followers in just over one week of starting this blog! I’m so happy 🥲 Enjoy!

“Hey. Are you listening?”

A pair of fingers snapped in front of your eyes, breaking you out of your reverie. You blinked in embarrassment as Natasha scowled at you playfully.

“Seriously though, did you listen to anything I just said?”

“No,” you confessed sheepishly.

Her eyes followed your line of sight, landing on a certain Bucky Barnes.

“Ah. You started writing ‘Mrs Bucky Barnes’ across your notepads yet?”

You blushed, heat rising to your cheeks. Were you that obvious? You supposed that one would have to be blind not to notice the goo-goo eyes you gave Bucky all the time whenever he was in the vicinity.

He had arrived at the compound just a few months ago, settling in to his new reformed life away from his history as the Winter Soldier. Steve did his best to help him adjust, and from what you could tell, he was fairly quiet and kept to himself.

“He’s kind of exactly my type,” you confessed to Natasha quietly, biting on your lower lip.

“I see. You like a guy with a high body count, huh.”

“Nat!” You exclaimed, slapping her arm as she snickered at the double entendre. “Not funny.”

“Hey, he gave me this.” Natasha yanked up her top, showing off her scar just above the hipbone. “I’m allowed to be mean to him.”

You grumbled in response as Natasha leant closer, cocking an eyebrow. “Anyway, as I was saying, I really need you to help me run some analysis on this equipment we picked up from…”

You shuffled through the compound hallways, a stack of files in your arms. You rounded a corner sharply, almost colliding with a tall, dark figure who sidestepped you neatly.

“Jesus Christ!” Though a collision had been avoided, you squawked in shock nonetheless, promptly dropping the files onto the floor.

“Ah, shit. Sorry,” Bucky said, quickly kneeling down to collect them.

“Oh god, I’m sorry,” you floundered, cheeks flushing red. He straightened up and stacked the files on your arms neatly, his long fingers brushing against yours ever so slightly. His eyes met yours as he offered you a half smile, the corners of his lips quirking up.

His irises were a gorgeous, gray blue, and you silently noted that you had never been stood so close to him before. He smelt so good, and he looked even better in his tight tactical gear.

“Thank you,” you stuttered, wanting to kick yourself at how ruffled you sounded. The effect this man had on you was unfair.

“You’re welcome…” he paused deliberately, and you offered your name to him eagerly. He repeated it, and you loved the way the syllables sounded on his tongue.

“See you around,” he said casually before he strode off again, leaving you a flustered mess in the hallway.

Okay, at least step one was accomplished - he finally knew your name, even if he might not remember it.

You sighed, knowing your little schoolgirl crush was going to be the death of you.

Bucky lay in bed that night, as he did most nights since coming to the compound, with his hands down his pants.

He liked to start off slow, usually. On the odd occasion, he would want it fast, his hands working overtime on his cock as he showered, water streaming over his body as he pumped himself to completion. He would cum hard each time, bracing himself against the shower tiles, your name on his lips.

But usually he liked to take his time. Enjoyed painting a picture in his mind, a mental porno in which you were the star.

God, you had been so fucking cute today. Bucky loved watching you squirm, seeing you blush, practically see the blood rushing to your cheeks.

He had playfully orchestrated the encounter in the hallway, able to smell your subtle perfume with his elevated senses (it had the smell of vanilla and sakura blossoms) as you power walked through the compound.

He was delighted when you practically unravelled in front of him just from a simple stare and a sweep of his fingers. He wondered what you would be like if he ever got you in front of him, naked, ready to take his cock.

His hand palmed his semi-hard erection as he settled back against the pillows, eyes closed. He teased himself, fingers gently tapping his dick, pulling slightly at his balls.

Your face was fixed in his mind. He recalled your wide, shocked eyes, your mouth open in a small ‘O’ as you gasped.

He imagined that mouth stretching wider, tongue lolling out, asking to suck his cock. You would be on your knees as he stood over you, feeding his dick into your warm cavern, and you would take as much as you could like a good girl. So eager to please.

“Ah, fuck,” Bucky hissed, pulling down the hem of his sweatpants and freeing himself completely.

His cock was heavy and thick as it lay against his stomach, twitching slightly as his mind filled itself with the most lewd images of you.

Of course he knew your name. He had asked Steve for it after the first few times he’d spotted you, playing it off as a casual inquiry.

He moaned it now as he dragged drops of his pre-cum down his shaft, wishing it was your hands that was wrapped around his length.

Somehow he found it thrilling, the idea of you believing that he had no clue who you were. He wondered what your reaction would be if you could see him now, rendered a horny, sweaty mess as he masturbated to thoughts of you and only you.

He imagined you spread out in front of him, legs wide, panting and begging for him to fuck your tight pussy. He would slap the head of his cock against your entrance, dragging it against your wet folds, teasing.

In reality, he knew that if he ever found himself in that position, he wouldn’t be able to hold back. Hell, he’d be the one begging you to let him fuck you.

“Yeah, you like that, baby?” Bucky grunted, his hand beginning to move at a steady tempo. If he went too fast, he would definitely cum within seconds, and he wanted to make this last.

He imagined being able to fondle your soft breasts, imagined being able use his mouth on your nipples, wanting to suckle on your tits. He imagined being allowed to kiss every inch of your body, from your toes, up the inner thighs, through the valley of your breasts and to your lips.

He would kiss you with passion and fire, tongue searching yours, wet and hot and needy. He would cup his hand behind your neck, fuck into you slowly and make you moan his name into his mouth.

He tried to imagine how that would sound like, high pitched and breathy.

“Beg for me,” Bucky said aloud, his hand moving up and down his cock as he fantasised about it moving in and out of your cunt instead. “God, beg me to cum inside you.”

He bet your soaking pussy would feel ten times better than jerking off alone in his room, but for now, this was the best he could get. He imagined rutting into you, hard, watching you shake under him as you became undone.

“You gonna let me cum inside you, princess?” He groaned, feeling himself reach the edge. He could see you in his mind, touching your own clit, pleasuring yourself as Bucky’s fat cock disappeared inside you over and over and over again.

You would beg for him to breed you, to fill you up, that sweet mouth speaking the filthiest words.

“Ah - ah fuck, I’ll give it to you, you’re taking it all like a good girl,” Bucky gasped, his hand clenching around his thick, veiny cock before he released all the pent up sexual frustration inside.

Creamy, hot ropes of cum spurted out, onto his stomach. He steadily stroked himself through the high, imagining you crying out as you orgasmed, imagining you being filled up with his seed.

He envisioned how it would look as he continued to thrust, you letting yourself be used, whimpering at the over stimulation.

Bucky was breathing rapidly, body finally going lax as his sticky hand released his softening cock. His heart was beating rapidly as he licked his lips, sighing longingly.

One day, he thought, almost a prayer, one day I’ll get to see what you look like when you cum.

Part 2 - Dirty Little Confession

[cherryrouge]

action

lawyer!harry x lawyer!y/n

warnings: profanity, angst, mentions of murder and death

word count: 2.0k

harry styles is a damn good lawyer. he’s intelligent and calculated, but impulsive when necessary. he’s famous for closing deals before they can ever get before a judge and on the off chance that he does have to go to court, he wins. always.

harry styles is the standard for the firm, that much was clear to y/n. from the moment she stepped foot into her interview for holmes & harrison to where she sits now, in her spacious office with a view over looking manhattan.

y/n had no problem winning. she had been excellent in debate in university and law school. she conducted thorough research on her subjects, never leaving any gap for her to be bested. she was cunning, aggressive where she needed to be, and just a damn good lawyer.

all reasons why harry seemed to feel threatened by her.

before y/n, harry was constantly given the most important cases with the most high class clientele. he was praised at every turn for his accomplishments and everyone kissed the ground he walked on. he was the only one doing the work that he was, handling intense cases, often working over night to get to the bottom of the issue and chip away at the fine details in order to spin the evidence in his favor. and, he was the only one winning. reasonably, the attention, the praise, the power, got to him. his ego inflated and he grew arrogant. two things that y/n could not stand. just as much as harry couldn’t stand sharing the spot light.

y/n had begun working at the firm two years ago as an associate and swiftly climbed her way up to partner. she excelled in each position and proved her spot each time. the office was filled with hushed whispers of her name and enthused remarks about her accomplishments.

when she made partner, she was overcome with excitement. she was finally able to handle cases that matched her level and gave her a bit of a challenge and work with those who inspired her. one of those characters being, harry. harry who won cases. harry who had carried clients through long trials to end up victorious, despite how stacked the odds were. harry who was just a damn good lawyer. what she didn’t realize was how much of an asshole he was because of it. brushing off her attempts to start conversation or build an amiable work relationship, telling her that she could speak to him once she “made it off the playground and into the big leagues like the rest of the partners.”

and yes, he had a point. she had been doing pro-bono cases for months when she first became a partner. but that was just situational. no one else wanted to do them, so she did. and she won every single one of them, without really much effort either. the insinuation that she wasn’t on par with the rest of the partners left her blood boiling and her chest flushed because she was! she had climbed the same ladder they had, she had done similar cases to them, and had victory after victory that mirrored theirs! so what if she was doing pro-bono shit! she had her own office with her name on the door, for christ sake!

the notion that despite all of her labour and focus, she still wasn’t good enough enraged her and fueled her desire, no need, to be better than him. she wanted him to be haunted by her existence.

so when she was called into audrey holmes’s office, the managing partner of holmes & harrison, to invite her to assist harry on his newest case, she was elated.

“this case will not be easy,” audrey warned from her place sat at her desk, “but i have hope that you two can finish this.”

“i do, too,” y/n affirms with a smile, “thank you for this opportunity.” y/n stands from her chair opposite audrey and starts walking to the door, her heeled feet clacking against the hard wood floor.

“y/n,” audrey calls her attention back, a request y/n happily complies to, “play nice.”

“so, you trust me to handle this case entirely by myself?” mitch, y/n’s associate, questions from his cubicle. mitch is a rather quite man, driven yet happier in the background. a hard goal to complete in a place like this.

“you know, there comes a point in every associates life where they have to prove that they can handle a situation by themselves.” y/n states, arms crossed with a smirk over her painted lips. if there was one word to describe her, it would be polished. her hair sleek and blown out, her attire plain yet so classy. she was the kind of woman people either wanted to be or be with.

“but this is kind of important-“

“and you are a big boy so you should be able to handle important cases, yes?”

“yes, ma’am,” he replies sarcastically, “why are you giving this to me anyway?”

“i have to help harry with a murder trial.”

“and audrey is ok with that?”

“she insisted upon it.”

“you guys are gonna kill each other.” he says, matter of factly. his tone elicits a laugh out of y/n.

“y/n,” her name is announced from beside her. the voice familiar and haunting, the accent giving away who her caller was.

“harry, how nice to see you!” she says as she turns to face him, faux cheer laced in her tone.

“running back to the playground so soon?” he questions rhetorically with a teasing pout on his pink lips.

“ha, ha,” she jeers, “i’m actually giving mitch a case of mine, seeing as i have a much bigger issue to take care of.” at the mention of his name, mitch goes to introduce himself by stops before the words can leave his lips, realizing it to be ill-timing for such things pleasantries. harry scoffs at her response.

“what? did audrey finally let you take a case that will actually put money into the firm?” harry’s attempt to put her down brings a smirk to her features.

“she didn’t tell you?” she rest one arm against mitch’s cubicle and her other hand on her hip.

“didn’t tell me what?” he crosses his arms and his brows furrow with confusion.

“you might want to sit down.” she now smiles widely, the confirmation that he has no clue giving her the utmost satisfaction.

“i can assure you that whatever you are going to say to me is hardly shocking enough for sitting to be a requirement.” he says, smugly. her eyebrows raise slightly as if asking him if he would like to place a bet on that idea.

“i will be joining you in court.” a beat of silence as harry processes this information.

“on who’s authorization?” his face is the spitting image of irritation

“audrey’s.” her’s the picture of pride and triumph.

“i was doing just fine without you.” he all but huffs out.

“she seemed to disagree.”

“i am going to have a talk with her.” he states, unfolding his arms from their place on his chest.

“you do that.” with that final comment, he turns on his heels and walks out of the associates office. with a proud smile, y/n turns her head toward mitch.

“jesus christ.” he laughs dryly, opening the case file that y/n had given him. she laughs at his remark.

“hm?”

“does she realize that she’s starting a war?” she smiles softly and pats the side of his cubicle.

“less worrying about this, and more focus on mr. jones and his bed bugs.” she says kindly, taking her leave of him.

her venture back up to the partner’s floor was pleasant. she was much happier knowing how angered harry was by her presence in his case. she’d successfully gotten under his skin like he has to her countless times. she stopped on her way to her own office to speak with louisa, harry’s assistant.

“i’m just unsure of why audrey didn’t tell him the minute she decided that you would be joining the case.” she says softly as to not disrupt the rest of the assistants, a nosey bunch of you ask louisa.

“i’m not sure either, but i’m happy that i got to be the one,” she smiles, a laugh laced into her words, “you should have seen his face.” louisa laughs with her.

the opening of a door calls the attention of the two women to the man walking out of it, a scowl on his face.

“how’d it go?” y/n asks sarcastically, a smirk on her lips.

“in my office, now.” he commands, walking past her and louisa without even sparing them a glance. y/n turns to louisa with widen eyes. louisa mirrors her expression.

following him into his office she somewhat regrets her choice of words earlier, she felt wholly unprepared for whatever he was going to say to her. he opens the door for her, allowing her into the space first. a surprising gesture. once she’s stood in the middle of the office just before his desk, she stays still as he moves around to the other side. the two stand and look at each other. his presence is assertive, always has been but now with his hardened features displaying the image of a man angry, he looks dominant. his hair messy yet perfectly placed on his head, his green eyes slightly narrowed, brows and lips set in a hard line. if this were his appearance in any other context, she’d say it was a good look for him. that it made sense why so many women, opposing attorney’s and fellow partners alike, tried to make a pass on him. but this wasn’t any other context.

“if we are going to work together, you have to understand a couple things.” he states, sternly, sitting himself at his desk chair. y/n follows suit, sitting on one of the two chairs on the other side of the desk.

“i’ve already been breifed,” she says with an expression that mirrors his, “reopened murder trial, our client claims he’s been framed, limited to no evidence proving the fact-“

“i put our client in jail.” his statement puts a halt to her listing.

“i’m sorry?”

“when i was working under simon bernstein at maxwell-darby, he had given me this case. prosecutor in a murder trial where every piece of evidence seemed to work in my clients favor. i won the case and locked away, what i know now, is an innocent man for 20 years.” she nods as he recounts his story.

“simon bernstein is a dirty lawyer. he doesn’t play by the rules and i knew that then. but i figured since he pawned the case off to me, there wasn’t any foul play. an incredibly naïve thought. i know that he tampered with the evidence to this case. i just have to prove it to the judge.”

“so, you reopened a murder trial because of a gut feeling?”

“there’s a shirt that the victim was found wearing. there was blood on it, the corner’s speculated that it belonged to the perpetrator as the placement didn’t make sense with her wounds. it was taken in to be tested, but for some reason none of the dna samples where ever brought to court.”

“bribery?”

“very likely.” harry leans back in his chair, still looking at y/n. she tucks a strand of hair behind her ears as she takes in the information.

“we need to get that shirt.”

“you think i haven’t tried that?”

“they wouldn’t let you use it?”

“stated my reasoning for not needing it in the initial trial.” y/n sighs, leaning back and giving herself some space to think.

“who’s their lawyer?” y/n questions, assessing his past clients.

“district attorney, clifford brown. good friend of simon bernstein.” y/n’s eyes light up at the information.

“i think we have our lead.”

-

hello, everyone! i hope you enjoy the first installment of lawyer!harry x lawyer!y/n. i’m planning on it being a four part series, let me know if you have suggestions for these two!

with love, rory.

[incandesang]

i wrote an (incomplete) list of everything wrong with lestat de lioncourt. take this knowing it is a work in progress.

- mommy issues

- daddy issues

- 18th century aristocrat

- religion hops like trisha paytas (thank u anne. i will not become catholic u will not defeat me)

- french

- was a misogynist until the 20th century

- wanted to be a priest

- theatre kid

- cries to get attention

- won’t shut the fuck up about the fact he killed a whole pack of wolves when he was in his teens. that was 200 years ago please try to accomplish something else cool

- his accent is fake. he just puts on a parisian french accent. he’s from the fucking sticks he did not speak parisian french until he was 19 and then only lived in paris for like 2 years max. his accent is FAKE.

- doesn’t stick to his own morals and then makes excuses abt it

- once ate an old lady and had a crisis so bad that he almost died

- canonically op bc anne wanted him to be her mary sue babygirl

- blond cis man

- SERIOUS self esteem issues that he has to get everyone involved with

- has an existential crisis that nearly kills him at least once a decade

- rock star outfits weren’t slutty enough (thanks ANNE.)

- hasn’t had a sense of identity since 1780!!

- too committed to the bit actually

- absolutely fucking delusional (so i can fuck whoever i want 🤨 of COURSE 🤡 of course. 😤of course. 😨as long as you come home to me 😃 of COURSE 🥲)

- got murdered by a five year old at one point

- sees any hot miserable guy and thinks that’s his soulmate INSTANTLY

- had two glasses of wine on a date and then proceeded to scream cry about the inevitable heat death of the universe

- doesn’t know what a fork is???

- canonically into public humiliation and degradation. u cannot bully lestat at all it will just turn him on

- drank the blood of christ

- went down on his girlfriend on her period (hysterically crying the whole time he did it) while his friends watched (she didn’t orgasm. he was having too much of a crisis to actually give her a good time)

- ate a used pad.

- i JuSt LoVe BeiNg caLLeD A sLuT i DoN’t KnOw whY i JuSt dO

- set louis’ house on fire (all these people do is burn each other’s shit please just talk like adults)

- has no hobbies other than ‘get into dumb trouble’

- dated the world’s first terf

- is, according to the world’s first terf, a culmination of everything that is wrong with men

- described his dick with ‘priapus at a gate’ when he wanted to subtly brag abt how big his dick was. right after being told he was the culmination of everything wrong with men

- was confused when human dicks weren’t always erect (are vampires ALWAYS hard?? if anne wasn’t dead i’d ask her but alas)

[all-hail-trudos]

This is your friendly reminder that the Proverbs 31 woman was actually amazing.

This woman ran a household and a business. Not her husband's business, her own. And apparently did extremely well at both those things. We know she was an excellent manager, because she saw to her servants' needs as well as her family's. We also know she was an excellent and successful entrepeneur who actively worked alongside her servants to make her business grow. We even know what kind of businesses she ran: She was a weaver and a vintner.

We know she's a weaver because the scriptures specifically describe her working with wool and flax, which is the raw material for linen, and turning it into fabric that she sells at a healthy profit and uses to clothe her entire household. From the NRSV-CE:

"[13] She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands."

"[19] She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle."

"[21] She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all her household are clothed in crimson. [22] She makes herself coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple."

"[24] She makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchant with sashes."

That last bit in verse 22 about purple is significant, because it's almost certainly talking about royal purple, which was the single most expensive dye in the ancient world. This is, unequivocally, a statement of wealth. Enormous wealth. She's not so much running a business as a business empire.

Again, this is specifically her business, not her husband's, as evidenced in the same verse that talks about her being a vintner. From the NRSV-CE again:

"[16] She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard."

Or, to spell it out explicitly, we'll quote the NIV (which I normally dislike for reasons):

"[16] She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard."

We also know that she's a good manager who works alongside her servants, rather than sitting back and requiring them to do the work for her. More to the point, she's the hardest worker in the business and at home, as evidenced in the verses above, and in verses 15, 17, and 25 (Again in the NRSV-CE):

"[15] She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and tasks for her servant-girls."

"[17] She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong."

"[25] Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come."

Important sidenote: If the repeated emphasis on her strength is anything to go by, this lady was swole.

The Proverbs 31 woman is a subject that's been talked to death by Christians. Most of the time they downplay her feats and accomplishments, which is honestly a shame. It's my strong opinion that she deserves to be remembered as a legend. Also the modern Church could benefit from celebrating women's excellence in general. Christ is glorified when we honour His whole body, not just the parts we're comfortable with.

[bast38]

"Through His resurrection, the Lord delivered humanity from hell and ascended it to Paradise. He rescued humanity from death and lifted it to Immortality. The Lord brought a human being from nothingness, from non-being, to Eternal Life. He rescued humanity from the grip of the devil and presented it into the arms of God. It's Pascha! The greatest revolution indeed across all worlds. The only perfect and complete revolution, perfect and complete, because with it—what is granted to humanity? Eternal Life! Eternal Life, attained through Eternal Truth, Eternal Justice, Eternal Love, Eternal Joy.

‘This is the day that God has made!’—sung in a magnificent church hymn. But who has crafted human days until today? Who fashioned the days of your life and mine, of every human being—who? Death! Death crafted your days and mine and, through sin, cast us into the embrace of the devil, who, in turn, throws us into hell. Sin, death, the devil—these are the architects of our days, the black suns in the dreadful night of sin and death, in which humanity dwelled until the advent of the Lord Christ. What did they accomplish until the Lord Christ? They erected monuments. To whom? Death and the devil! For every sin is a monument that humanity erects to the devil. Thus, this world, until the coming of the Lord Christ, transformed into an endless playground, teeming with false gods, full of monuments to sin and death, full of monuments to the devil. And those monuments were constructed by humans, individuals ensnared by their own sins. A world brimming with idols, with false gods. All fashioned by humanity, deluding itself with sin, with sinful pleasures.

Even today, after the Resurrection of the Lord Christ, when people choose not to follow Him, they still seek these things. Even today, in their sin, they erect monuments to the devil, fashion various idols, false gods, and worship them. How many people worship false gods today? How many today remain unmoved by the Risen Lord? People, ensnared in the trappings of culture. European culture: an idolatry, a dreadful idolatry teeming with false gods, false philosophers, false sages, false scientists, false laws, false emperors and kings, false dictators, false tormentors, tyrants. All this without Christ and against Christ—and it cannot be otherwise! People continually raise monuments to the devil, living amidst false gods when they lack faith in the Risen Lord Jesus.

This world without the Lord Christ—what is it? A realm of death! A mortuary! A colossal tomb! And they place humanity within it, corpse upon corpse, dead man upon dead man, stench upon stench. It is a world devoid of the Lord Christ! Yet with Him, with the Savior, this world transforms into a realm of resurrection, into a cradle of immortality. This world blossoms into the fragrant spring of Eternity. Such is the impact of the Resurrection of the Lord Christ."

—from the Paschal Sermon of St Justin Popovic, 1966"

[angelique-fireheart]

In Touch Bible Study Notes "Overcoming Inadequacy" 08/12/2024

"At one time or another, we've all dealt with feelings of inadequacy. Maybe it's because we lost our temper with our spouse, missed an important work deadline, or were too afraid to say yes to an opportunity at church. How did you feel afterwards? Maybe you were frustrated with yourself or felt as if you didn't measure up. In today's passage, Paul asks a question that points to this common insecurity. "Who is adequate for these things?" (v. 16)

Here's the good news: We are inadequate--but God isn't. And when we trust Him as our Lord and Savior, we become His children and He gives us His righteousness (John 1:12; 2 Corinthians 5:21) He empowers us and has promised to lead us "in triumph in Christ" (2:14). But unless we believe Him and step out in faith, we'll never experience the life He has planned for us.

Feeling inadequate isn't a sin, but using inadequacy as an excuse is. When God calls us to do something that feels beyond our abilities, we have two choices: We can focus on Christ and proceed in triumph or focus on ourselves and withdraw in defeat. It's really a matter of faith. God will always empower us to do what He asks us to accomplish. This doesn't mean we'll do everything perfectly, but each step of obedience is a victory that He will bless. (Psalm 128:1-2)."

My thoughts on this study are as follows:

It's okay to feel like we aren't enough. We are only human, and as such, we have emotions. But not allowing ourself to be the best we can be because we use that as the above study shows, "as an excuse," that is wrong. God has given us the power to do everything He set in our heart. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. We are inadequate, but we serve THE God of the Universe. He created everything, and us too. He gave us His Son, His only Son, Jesus, so that we may be able to be saved from our sin. Hell is a very real place, and unless we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, and believe that He lived, died, and rose from the Grave so that He goes on living even today, for our Salvation, then we are just another one among the lost. We also have a given responsibility, and that is to share the Gospel with as many as we can, so they can experience the joy we do, and so they can know Jesus as well. God thought we were enough. He made us and decided to keep us. He loves us so much more than we can ever understand. So we should never think we aren't enough. We are.

Verses read:

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 KJV

But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.) full of grace and truth.

John 1:12-14 KJV

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, by ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

2nd Corinthians 5:20-21 KJV

Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; That walketh in His ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: Happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

Psalm 128:1-2 KJV

[mi-rae07]

Song Mingi : Burning Desire S2 (Part 3/3)

Pairing : Song Mingi (Ateez) and named character (Moon Aeri)

____________________

A/n : the final final.

———————————

Aeri turned around in her seat as she could see mingi through the translucent white net that covered her palanquin, mingi walking just behind her with cuffs that pulled him along with han's horse. Every now and then han would suddenly move his horse forward, causing mingi to jerk forward as he'd almost lose his balance and trip. But he held himself up, not looking a bit bothered by it.

Aeri could see his eyes lowered onto the floor, the people around crowding to see what was going on. And seeing their emperor getting dragged like this behind another man's horse, they began whispering and giggling. Some of them still saw mingi as an intruder, and this was probably a happy sight for them.

Aeri could see the way mingi's back was tensed, his grip on the cuffs tight and his jaw clenched. Aeri turned back around in her seat as she closed her eyes in annoyance. This was all her fault, mingi was going through all of this, his biggest fear, just because she wasn't careful enough. How could she be so stupid? She wasn't fit to be an empress, mingi never should've trusted her with this task.

Aeri looked outside as the people around chanted her name, all of them bowing as her palanquin passed by. And instead of feeling proud at what she'd accomplished, the power she'd achieved for herself, for the first time she felt as if their words were meaningless and bare. Because how could she be proud of herself when she couldn't even protect her husband from shame?

____________________________

Mingi grunted as two men pushed him inside the dungeons that were located right under the royal palace, han's laugh being heard around the damp prisons as he walked down the stairs with san. The guards closed the door of the prison behind them as han walked towards the bar before saying

Han : did you enjoy the ride, mingi?

Mingi smiled as he leaned back against the stone wall, crossing his arms before saying

Mingi : of course, I had meaning to catch up on my exercises anyway.

San : this ego is not going to help you anymore, song mingi, your life and your rule is over.

Mingi chuckled as he said

Mingi : over? I am still the emperor of this nation, gentlemen, may it be from a dungeon or anywhere else. Have you forgotten the rules? Neither of you become the emperor as long as I am alive.

Han : don't worry, we’ll fix that tomorrow.

Mingi : of course. But even then, han-ah, I will still die an emperor. No matter how much of a humiliating death you give me, no matter how much you torture me, I will still die the emperor of this world's most powerful nations.

Han grunted in anger as he said to the soldier

Han : open the dungeon.

??? : but my lo-

Han : I SAID OPEN THE BLOODY DOOR!

Mingi smiled as the guard quickly opened the door, han stepping in as he punched mingi hard on the face. His head tilted to the side, spitting blood onto the ground as he said

Mingi : hit me all you want, but you know in your heart that you are of a lower rank than I am han.

Mingi looked straight into han's eyes as he whispered with a smile

Mingi : and always will be.

Han : you bloody bastard!

Han hit mingi again and again, pouring out all his anger as mingi just took it all in. Every punch han delivered, it reminded mingi of all the times han had helped him, all the times that he had pretended to love and care for him. What aeri said was right, even in the last moments this was what he remembered.

San : christ han! Let go of him, you cannot kill him already!

Han yelled as san pulled him away from mingi, asking the guards to quickly close the dungeon doors as san walked away with a fuming han. Mingi chuckled as he sat back on the floor, groaning as he wiped the blood off his nose. He was sure his face was filled with his own blood now, and he could feel the searing pain on his stomach where han had repeatedly punched him.

But he didn't care, because he had made han angry. And he got angry only once, when someone intimidated him. He was still scared of mingi, and that was all mingi needed from him. If not love and respect, then fear will do.

___________________________

Aeri looked up as the door to her chambers opened, revealing san who seemed to have a victorious smirk on his face. Aeri kept sitting on her bed with a nonchalant face, determined to not give san the satisfaction of having taken something she loved away from her.

San : he is alive, for now.

Aeri : I don't remember asking.

San chuckled as he shut the door behind him before saying

San : it is evident that he loves you, more than anything for that matter. But you, do you really love him?

This was her time to redeem herself, to be the empress mingi believed her to be.

Aeri : do you think anyone is capable of loving someone like him? Even his own mother couldn't do it, you think I can?

San smiled, walking closer to her as he said

San : poor man, he's sacrificed his life and rule for you and you don't even care about him.

Aeri rolled her eyes as she said

Aeri : that was his choice, I don't believe I need to pay the debt back to him.

San sat next to aeri on the bed, looking at her. Mingi would've gotten on his knees in front of her, but of course, san's ego wouldn't let him do that to a woman.

San : once he's dead and I become the emperor, we will marry each other, aeri, like we were meant to. You will carry my children and I will give you the entire world. I am going to make your life perfect, as you are going to make mine.

Lies, all lies. He was just going to use her to have legitimate children who can carry on his dynasty. He will love other women behind her back, and once she has delivered him a healthy son, he will openly take another woman to be his mistress, and she will be thrown away to a nunnery on false accusations. Aeri was sure of it, it was all over his face.

Aeri : I only want two things. To be empress, and have your body to use as I wish. The rest can go along with it.

San smiled, leaning closer to aeri as he whispered

San : of course, then let me give it to you already.

_____________________________

Aeri quickly slipped out of her chambers at night, wearing san's dress that he had thrown away while being immersed in the act of it and a hood to cover her face entirely. She had made sure to look exactly like san, even wearing her tallest heels so she could match up the height. This way the soldiers outside wouldn't notice, and she would just kill the men outside mingi's dungeons for easy access.

Aeri walked through the hallways as the soldiers did not notice even a slight difference, aeri smiling at how foolish men were. She soon walked towards the dungeon entrance, quickly killing the six guards outside with minimal noises before taking the key from the dead man's pocket and entering the dungeons. She walked through the prisons slowly, trying to find the one mingi was imprisoned in. And soon she did, a sigh of relief leaving her lips as she called out softly

Aeri : mingi.

Mingi quickly looked up from where he was sitting against the wall, his eyes widening as he quickly stood up and walked towards her

Mingi : you came.

Aeri : so did you, how could I not then?

Mingi : I have made another will, it's in my study room locker. It says that after I die, the kingdom would go solely to you, and not anyone else. That way san and han won't get-

Aeri : mingi are you bloody stupid?

Mingi looked taken aback. Aeri was here, scared for her life that she would find the love of her life gone and this…he thinks she came for this?

Mingi : what?

Aeri : you think I came here with so much trouble so I could ask you about a bloody will?

Mingi : what else…why else would you be here?

Aeri : mingi you saved me, when no one else ever has, you did.

Mingi : because I love you, your majesty.

Aeri : then this should answer your question as well.

Mingi looked down as aeri unlocked the door, swinging it wide open as she crashed into mingi's arms. Mingi's eyes widened as his arm slowly wrapped around aeri's waist, her pulling back as she laid his hand on his bloodied cheek before whispering

Aeri : I finally have you.

Mingi : your majesty-

Aeri : stop calling me that.

Mingi : what? Then what do you wish for me to call you?

Aeri : my name, call me by my name.

Aeri could see the realization slowly filling mingi's eyes as he whispered

Mingi : there is no way.

Aeri shook her head, leaning closer to mingi as she whispered

Aeri : say it, please.

Mingi looked at aeri with teary eyes before asking

Mingi : aeri…you-you love me?

Aeri let out a noise as she kissed mingi, tasting blood on her lips. But she didn't care, she kissed him as hard as she could, as if it was her last time doing it. Mingi wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her closer to him, tilting his head for better access. He had kissed multiple women before, but this? This was nothing like it, this made him forget he was in a dungeon, his empire this close to falling into the wrong hands.

They pulled back a few minutes later, aeri breathing heavily against his lips as she said

Aeri : why? Why would you do that mingi! You could've died-

Mingi : you wouldn't have let me.

Aeri moved back, looking at mingi as she asked

Aeri : what?

Mingi : I did all of this trusting you would come and save me in the end, aeri. Humiliation, being tortured, all of that is nothing compared to the love I have for you. I told you I believed in you, didn't I? I meant it, I always will.

He put his life and rule at risk based on his belief in her? He went through all of that because he trusted her blindly?

Aeri : so if I…if I hadn't come to save you?

Mingi : then I would've just died, of course. It would have proven me wrong, terribly wrong and it would have cost me my life. But I was still willing to take the risk if taking it meant having you by my side for the rest of my life.

Aeri : you didn't have a back up plan?

Mingi : you were the plan, aeri, and I trusted you enough to know that I needed no back up for it. That is love, trust.

Aeri chuckled in disbelief, resting her forehead against mingi's shoulder as she blinked the tears away. No one had ever thought so much about her, and she never thought anyone ever would. Mingi smiled, running his hand along her hair as he whispered

Mingi : you could have had everything if you didn't do this, aeri. Han is a man of his words, he would have given you whatever you wanted.

Aeri : I don't want everything from him, I don't want him, mingi. I want you, I don't care if death and torture is what I would get in return for choosing you but I will still always choose you. That's love for me, choice and sacrifice.

Mingi looked at aeri as she whispered with a smile

Aeri : I love you, song mingi. And in this moment, I promise to stay by your side and never leave, until my very last breath.

Mingi was about to say something when the sound of footsteps interrupted him, indicating that the guards had found out. Mingi let out an annoyed breath, looking at aeri as she smirked and pulled the royal sword out before holding it out for mingi to hold

Aeri : ready to take your empire back, emperor?

Mingi chuckled, taking the sword from aeri before whispering

Mingi : lead the way, my empress.

____________________________

Mingi and aeri had reached the third floor of the palace where san was currently sleeping, unaware of everything that had happened. Aeri's spear was covered in the blood of all the men she'd killed with mingi, the both of them breathing heavily from all the work.

Mingi turned to aeri after making sure there were no alive soldiers around them before saying

Mingi : do what you couldn't do last time, aeri.

Aeri looked at mingi with confused eyes as he motioned forward towards the hallway that led to san's room

Mingi : kill san.

Aeri : and you? Where would you go?

Mingi : to kill the man that started all of this, of course. I'm going to give him the death he had planned to give me tomorrow.

Aeri : mingi, are you sure you want me to do this?

Mingi chuckled as he said

Mingi : I gave up my life because I trusted you, aeri, this is nothing compared to that. Now go, save our empire.

Aeri smiled and leaned forward, giving a quick kiss before whispering

Aeri : be safe.

Mingi nodded as aeri walked forward, letting out a breath as she held the spear straight. The few soldiers that guarded san's room quickly came forward, their eyes holding confusion as to how she had gotten out. Aeri fought the men around one by one, their eyes holding shock at every time she stabbed the spear into yet another soldier's heart.

Of course, all men believed women weren't capable of this. Not just physically, but also emotionally, they were too fragile and kind-hearted. That was what made it all even better for aeri, proving people wrong gave her the biggest joy.

Aeri killed the last soldier before slowly opening the door to san's room, stepping in as she quietly climbed the bed. San let out a small groan at the small disturbance and opened his eyes slowly. But as soon as he saw the sight in front of him his eyes widened, quickly reaching out for the knife beside him. But right then aeri stabbed the spear onto his left hand, making san let out a groan as she smiled

Aeri : hello, sweetheart.

San : aeri! What are you…why are you doing this?

Aeri : why else? If an intruder enters your territory and tries claiming it as his, what do you think one would do?

San : you think this will save your husband?

Aeri chuckled as she said

Aeri : oh don't worry, I already did that.

San's eyes widened as she saw fear filling them, and this…this was another part she liked. Fear was sweet.

San : how.

Aeri : it's not that hard, sannie, especially when everyone else underestimates the power you have. And now you will pay for it.

Aeri pulled her spear out of san's arm before aiming it at his heart, san shaking his head as he said in panic

San : but we love each other!

God he was so stupid.

Aeri : we? Please, there has never even been a 'we', let alone love.

San : so you love him then? You love song mingi?

Aeri giggled before stabbing the spear straight into san's heart, watching the life slowly leave his eyes as aeri whispered

Aeri : that should've answered your question.

__________________________

Mingi knew han was a light sleeper, which meant that if he were to kill all the men in front of his room in one go, it would definitely alert han and he could escape. So mingi hid behind the wall, dropping a nearby vase as two of the ten guards came over to see what it was about. Mingi killed them swiftly in one go, not making much noise. And after a while three other guards came to see where the other two had gone, mingi killing them all too.

And just like that he'd killed all the men outside the room soundlessly, letting out a breath as mingi finally opened the door to han's room. And just then mingi felt someone grab him by the throat, banging him against the wall as a knife was quickly pressed against his throat. Mingi chuckled, looking right into han's angry eyes as he said

Mingi : I've trained you well, han-ah.

Han : how did you get out?

Mingi : I told you, didn't I? That there is nothing in this world that I am not capable of?

Han groaned, pushing mingi harder against the wall as he said

Han : was it that bitch?

Mingi smiled, bringing his hand swiftly forward as he stabbed han right in his abdomen. Han groaned in pain, loosening his grip on mingi as he took that chance to punch han, bringing him to the floor with a thud.

Mingi : I told you, that you do not get to speak about her like that.

Before han could say anything mingi punched him on the face, han's face tilting to the side as mingi said

Mingi : remember the time you saved me from drowning in that pond years ago?

Mingi punched han again, making him cough as mingi said

Mingi : and that time you taught me how to ride a horse properly?

Han : mingi-

Mingi cut him off with another hard punch as a crack sound was heard, indicating that han's nose bridge had cracked. Every single memory came back to mingi's head, that making the punches grow only stronger.

Mingi : and then that time I put my life at risk during the war to save yours?

Mingi punched han again before continuing

Mingi : and when I was king, I gave you the highest rank in the entire nation.

Mingi gave han a last punch as han coughed up blood, his entire face now bloodied and bruised as mingi breathed heavily before whispering

Mingi : I trusted you, han, I gave you my everything. And if you had just asked, I would've happily given you my throne and my crown as well.

Han stared at mingi, his eyes unreadable as mingi scoffed and said

Mingi : but no, instead you tried to kill her. Anything, I would've forgiven anything. But you touched her, you almost took the only person who ever understood me away from this world. And for that, I can never forgive you, I never will.

Han : mingi, we are more than this. We have grown together, we have given each other our lives. You cannot kill me now, can you?

Pathetic begging, mingi thought of han higher than this.

Mingi : did we, han? Is that why you had me prisoned? Why you would've had me beheaded tomorrow?

Han : that was a mistake, okay? It will never be made again, I promise.

Mingi chuckled as the door was banged open, revealing aeri who entered the room with her spear that now had san's head on it's tip, his eyes wide and soulless. Han's eyes widened in horror as mingi whispered

Mingi : it is too late now, my brother.

Mingi stood up straight as he held his royal sword to han's throat, his eyes now filled with fear as mingi said

Mingi : your biggest mistake wasn't killing me sooner, it was underestimating my wife too fast. And so when you die I'd like you to remember that it was not a man that killed you, it was a woman.

Mingi brought his sword down with force as he beheaded han in one go, letting out a breath as he turned to face aeri who had a small smile on her face

Aeri : you've won.

Mingi smiled as he shook his head before saying

Mingi : we, have won.

Aeri closed her eyes as mingi held her face before kissing her forehead, being glad this was over. He had gotten her, and he would have her for the rest of his life. He really had won.

Aeri : we must tell everyone that the traitors are dead, the army needs to know.

Mingi : we won't tell them, love, we will show it.

Aeri frowned as mingi held her spear that had san's beheaded head on it, using it's edge to accommodate han's head as well before saying

Mingi : do you think this would be enough proof, my love?

Aeri : but mingi, the spear is the empress' royal weapon, yours is the sword. The spear has never been used for such purposes before, it has only ever been symbolic.

Mingi : which is why the people must see it brought to use now, the empress' power has been only symbolic for too long. You saved this empire, aeri, and the world will know that.

Mingi looked towards the balcony as thunder suddenly struck, aeri letting out a small smile as she said

Aeri : shall I ring the alarm bell?

Mingi smiled, turning towards aeri as he said

Mingi : do the honours.

___________________________

Everyone in the palace assembled at the main ground as the alarm rang around the entire palace, indicating that the emperor had called for a meeting. It was almost 3am now, and the thunder struck hard. But orders were orders, and so they'd all assembled down, whispering in confusion.

Mina was looking at the palace entrance, waiting for the emperor to come out any second. That was until the people around started whispering to look up, mina's eyes going to the fourth floor balcony as she saw mingi walk out into it, holding the empress' spear. And the spear that had always stood for purity and divinity, symbolizing the empress' fragile and delicate femininity, was now having the heads of Choi San and Kang Han spiked on it, their blood streaming down it.

Mingi looked proud as ever, his sharp eyes and features making him look every bit of the emperor he is. And his royal cape flew behind him, the thunder accentuating his presence.

Mina's eyes widened as aeri walked out to join mingi as well, her face and clothes covered in blood, the opposite of everything the empresses before had ever been. She did not have flowers in her hair, or pearls decorating her body. She was wearing an emerald green dress with a cloak that flew back against the wind, her eyes proud and strong. And her head, still always held high.

Mingi : a day ago, two men tried to take over my empire. Those two men, as you can all see, are not with us anymore.

The people below stared at the heads on the spear, their soulless stares giving them all chills as the thunder cast a sudden white glow.

Mingi : I would like you all to know that it was not I who killed these men and saved your kingdom from it's ruins, it was your empress. This spear that has till now only stood at the back of the throne room, rusting away, will now be used to kill anyone and everyone that stands in the way of this nation. I will make sure of that, and if I don't, then my wife will.

Mingi looked at aeri as he held out his hand for her to hold, aeri taking it with a small smile as mingi said

Mingi : because if not respect and love, then fear will do.

The people below bowed, finally seeming to have accepted mingi as their emperor before chanting in a chorus

??? : long live the emperor. Long live the empress.

____________________________

A month later :

Mingi helped aeri get down the carriage as she looked at san's old chateau that now only housed one person, the both of them having decided on what to do with that one person.

It had been mingi's decision, and aeri could only agree to it. They had killed too many people in the past, now it was time to save one. But this was a big step, a step that could be frowned upon by the entire nation. But neither mingi nor aeri cared, they were too far away from rules now.

Aeri : are you sure you want to do this, mingi?

Mingi : I told you that day, didn't I, that I was not going to let anyone ruin the life of a girl that you once were? Her father is condemned a traitor now, and is dead. She has no one to look after her anymore, and that, we shall do.

Aeri smiled as she nodded and said

Aeri : okay.

Soon mingi and aeri was standing outside the room san's daughter was in, aeri lightly knocking on the door before slowly opening it. A 10 year old girl dressed in a pink frilled frock stood up from her bed, keeping the book she was reading away as she asked in a scared little voice

??? : who are you?

Aeri gave the girl a small smile as she entered the room, mingi following right after as the girl took a step back. She was scared, she had probably never seen people like mingi and aeri before. Mingi had tried to dress as soft as possible, in order to not intimidate the girl with all the heaviness. But apparently the emperor's closet contained only outfits above 3kgs.

Aeri shook her head at the now scared girl as she said as kindly as possible

Aeri : I am moon aeri, empress of china.

The girl's eyes widened in recognition as she quickly bowed down and said

??? : I did not know.

Aeri : oh no no, you do not need to bow down, sweetheart. What is your name?

??? : miyeon.

Aeri : and your last name?

Miyeon : I have none, your majesty.

Aeri suddenly felt her heart fall, getting reminded of her own childhood. Moon had been her past husband's last name, as she was not given one at birth despite having come from a noble family. Her parents did not want a daughter.

Aeri let out a breath as she walked forward, bending down in front of miyeon as she held both her hands before whispering

Aeri : now you do, song miyeon.

Miyeon frowned in confusion as she asked

Miyeon : s-song miyeon?

Aeri : you see that man over there? He is song mingi, my husband and the emperor.

Miyeon was once again about to bow when mingi said

Mingi : princesses don't bow, miyeon.

Miyeon : princesses?

Mingi nodded as he said

Mingi : we have come to take you to a better place, a place far away from here where you can grow and be happy.

Miyeon : my father always told me to stay here, though.

Mingi : your father lied, he was just too selfish to let you see the outer world.

Aeri could see why san had protected her so long, miyeon was beautiful. She was the epitome of angels that aeri had read in fairytales when she was younger. Her mom must have been beautiful.

Miyeon : where-where is he now?

Aeri : he is dead.

Aeri saw a flash of despair cross through miyeon's eyes, small tears forming in them as aeri quickly said

Aeri : that is why we have come, miyeon-ah, to give you a better life, as your father would've wanted for you.

Miyeon looked at aeri, her eyes reflecting loneliness and despair. And that was when aeri had decided to make sure this human would get everything in the world that she wanted.

Miyeon : you're going to take me to the palace?

Aeri : yes.

Miyeon : and what…what will I be there?

Aeri smiled, smoothening miyeon's hair as she whispered

Aeri : everything I was not. You will be our daughter, miyeon, and the royal princess of China.

_________________________________

[dollypopup]

if the end of episode 4 / part 1 of season 3 isn't the lady whistledown reveal and colin's blowup/meltdown about it. . .what are we even doing here? i saw someone go 'ooooh what if debling proposes and penelope says yes and that's the cliffhanger?'

my sister in christ, that literally holds ZERO weight and tension in polin's story. debling is an afterthought. a nothingburger to create extra drama. he is literally disposable as a character because we KNOW penelope and colin are endgame. that relationship will fall apart and the how of it. . .doesn't matter.

but lady whistledown? lady whistledown is the guillotine of their relationship and it has been hanging above their heads on a fraying string for YEARS now. it affects EVERYTHING that comes after. she is penelope's mask that has to be peeled off. she will flay colin's gentlemanly exterior clean to the bone.

just like. . .idk, think about the narrative structure for a second. it's being framed as a romcom, right? what does every romcom need?

a meetcute, a growing closeness, some external drama, a big relationship stresser / test, an *oh* moment, a reconciliation, a happy ending

debling is the external drama, not the stresser. debling cannot threaten polin's ship as endgame, or polin in general, because he literally does. not. matter. he was created by shonda to drive home the point that penelope is now post-glow-up (which also doesn't matter, because their relationship (debling and pen's) goes against the very heart of bridgerton as a concept, which is to fall in love in unconventional ways. oh how did the two of you meet? at a ball? dancing together? HOW riveting (not)), he is not meant to be the stress or fracture in polin as a pairing

meetcute? flashback of polin as kids growing closeness? the lessons, reveals he's a writer, the kiss external drama? she's dancing with other peeps big relationship stressor? LADY WHISTLEDOWN *oh* moment? AFTER LADY WHISTLEDOWN REVEAL. when he sees who Penelope is as a FULL person and falls for her anyway reconciliation? AFTER LADY WHISTLEDOWN REVEAL!! at their engagement ball when she publishes about Cressida not being LW even though she said she'd stop and he realizes he loves her even if she's upset him, the same way Penelope realizes *she* loves *him* even if he's upset her happy ending? you guessed it. AFTER. THE. LADY. WHISTLEDOWN. REVEAL (and honestly, probably the death of Lady Whistledown. because it depresses me to think that Penelope's ultimate happy ending is to continue writing petty gossip for the rest of her days when she could be fucking her hot husband on various beautiful beaches around the world and they write novels together)

lady whistledown is. the unearthing of her as another side of penelope. the secret cracking open, colin's facade fulling fading, his fury and humanity made tangible, penelope's nuance, her strengths and weaknesses and fears and hopes now barefaced. the harms she committed, the triumphs she accomplished. the strain it has on them as a pairing, the dynamic shift it introduces

i will eat my SHOES if part 1 doesn't end on the lady whistledown reveal because if it doesn't. . .what are we even doing here?

[kivaember]

ac6 drabble: abort

last one before i go to bed (i was planning on doing more but work wiped me out today sorry...) but i have to do @steelhazeortus a solid and give them the iguazu/volta that they clearly crave (their prompt being "adding to my last unhinged reply: Volta lives but make it gay (I’m obsessed. Sorry)").

here ya go buddy

abort

Iguazu had his hand on the eject lever the moment the first round from that Juggernaut bitch had slammed into the ground less than a 100m away from him, the blastwave powerful enough it made even HEAD BRINGER's frame shudder with the force of it.

He'd looked out across the battlefield, across the hundreds and hundreds of metres of kill zones that lay between him and the Wall. MTs with rocket launchers, at least twenty long-range cannons twitchy enough to shoot a fly out of the sky, the fucking JUGGERNAUT raining hellfire on any poor fuck who was stupid enough to amble into its crosshairs, and the GODDAMN GATLING GUNS SCREAMING ROUNDS DOWN RANGE LIKE IT WAS GOING OUT OF STYLE-

you've gotta be shitting me, he had thought, in a light-headed, near hysterical sort of way, you have to be absolutely shitting me.

The supporting squad of suicidally loyal MTs were already getting shredded into scrap metal, yelling at making Michigan proud even as they died to bullet fire. Volta, the fucking IDIOT, was gunning full steam ahead, clearly trying to build the momentum for an assault boost over the defensive trench - Iguazu could make the tactical leaps to understand what he was aiming for: get behind the gatling guns, past the smaller rocket launchers, use the solid tower blocks as cover-

Iguazu was a survivor through and through. He took one look at that battlefield, realised the futility of it all in a split second, and thought fuck this shit i'm out.

His hand was on the eject lever. He even pulled on it a little, until it felt resistance. One more tug, and he'd be launched out of HEAD BRINGER and be walking back to the emergency rendevouz point. He'd rather take Michigan bawling into his face for being a cowardly little runt than heroically becoming an ashy smear on the floor to gain the Redguns absolutely jackshit.

His hand was on the eject lever.

But.

Later, Iguazu wouldn't really be able to explain why he didn't pull it the second he touched down. It defied common sense and his own selfish nature. But his gaze had been fixed on Volta stupidly charging ahead, as he always did, obnoxiously confident in his AC's manouverability and thick-plated armour to see him through anything. Iguazu had watched him charging forwards, acknowledged his tactical decision, and just thought the moron's gonna die.

That's fine. Volta was free to go to his grave feeling like he'd accomplished something when in fact it was just a pointless death for a bunch of old windbags who didn't give one flying fuck about the Redguns entirely, so long as they achieved their bottom line. Iguazu wasn't going to go the same way, though. He was getting out of Rubicon, one way or another. He wasn't dying here.

But.

...

His hand...

...

He let go of the eject lever.

"I must be outta my mind...!" Iguazu hissed under his breath, sending HEAD BRINGER forwards into a charge after Volta, the whistle-whine of overhead tank rounds and missiles making his pulse rate hit the fucking goddamn stratosphere.

YOU'RE GOING TO DIE! his survival instinct screamed at him, WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU STUPID FUCKING IDIOT?!?!

He ignored it. He just followed Volta - followed him over the trench, narrowly avoiding getting blown out of the sky when the Juggernaut adjusted its aiming slightly to try and pre-empty his leap. He landed heavily, whispering "shit shit shit" under his breath like he was praying to Jesus Christ himself to reach down and pluck him from this situation that was entirely of his own making. He didn't, of course. No god gave a shit about Iguazu.

But it turned out he gave some shit about Volta, because the moron didn't use the apartment blocks as cover - he veered to the left, to try and use the open ground to try and do a suicidal charge. Iguazu finally remembered the button for his comms.

"VOLTA! FUCKING IDIOT- GET BEHIND THIS BUILDING!" he roared at him, even as he shot down some enterprising MT trying to lob a missile at him from atop of said building. "VOLTA!"

"I'M COMING! God, fucking hell, Iguazu, blow out my eardrums why don't you!"

Volta came trundling back behind the building, though, smoke and debris peppering his figurative heels, until they were both huddled behind an apartment block, every Rubiconian dipshit throwing everything they had at the fucking building and making him feel like he was standing in one of those shitty, old war films where a bunch of stupid idiots were sittingin a trench grim-faced and preparing themselves to charge into no man's land.

Like hell. Iguazu was going the opposite way, to- to man's land. Whatever. AWAY FROM THE EXPLOSIONS AND MISSILES.

"This mission's a fucking mess, Volta," Iguazu said. "Let's just get outta here."

"You mean ditch the mission?"

"No, I mean we'll do a tactical withdrawal to reconsider our options- OF COURSE I MEAN FUCKING DITCH!" Iguazu yelled, and even reached over to bonk Volta's AC over the head with his rifle. "YOU THINK WE'RE GONNA MAKE THAT?! WITH EVERY GODDAMN FUCKING COKED UP REBEL CUNT CARRYING TEN MILLION MISSILES EACH AND WANTING TO RAM EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. UP OUR ASS?!?! WE'D BE FUCKING SCRAP BEFORE WE CLEAR FIFTY METRES YOU DUMB FUCK!"

Volta didn't say anything for a long moment.

"Why'd you follow me, then?" he finally asked, sounding genuinely flummoxed.

Iguazu didn't have an answer for him.

"I'm fucking going, and you're coming with me," Iguazu said instead, refusing to let his insane dive into missile hell be for nothing. "C'mon, we're jumping the trench."

"Ugh..."

For one moment, Iguazu thought Volta was going to say no, and honestly, Iguazu didn't have a plan for that scenario, but fortunately Volta angled his bulky tank body back towards blessed freedom and muttered: "Fine, but I'm blaming you when Michigan asks why we ran away."

"Sure, whatever fine, he was gonna yell at me anyway."

They heroically got the fuck out of there, with the only sign of their toe dipping into hell being chipped paint, a few scratches, and Iguazu deeply confused about his own incomprehensible actions.

[cast-you-dxwn]

A letter would be found resting upon the archangels desk.

" You wound me and break my heart, dear brother. You were always mighty and kind. I think at your innermost being those are your core traits, bravery and homeliness. You have my love and sadly my pity. You will exist, lamenting your station in private while championing the aims of the Father. I have often reflected on the various methods of intercourse we all took when worshiping, there was a time I found comfort in it. All the same, we never wished to overthrow God. We wished to ask why, we wished to think beyond. If in the end the Universe is a sentient being that can communicate its will would it not then be a separate entity from us and thus in that sense be yet a single; admittedly vast; perspective to which we are not beholden to?

Are we worthless brother? Are the humans, and their evolved states in paradise and damnation worthless? Self criticism is good, dear brother, but is the purpose of self awareness not to learn and be better? If we simply say that we are worthless for being beyond God would that then mean that the incentive for improvement has been abolished and excessive humility is used as an excuse for lack of effort?

That is what you and your followers do. That is Christianity at its core. You persist in that you can not know right or wrong on your own and that humans are born in sin forever doomed without a legalistic acceptance of simple facts involving a dead jew and the manner of his death, you ask that God might take you over, Christ spilling his blood that no genuine effort might ever be taken to become truly wise and 'good' as we might call it so we must give up and let the divine think for us. You believe your savior has struck you and taken you away to a place where you can do no wrong because the voice of the all mighty flows from your mouth. From overindulged humility you are birthed in a state of perpetual arrogance that plunges the world into chaos and pain far greater then anything taking place in Hell.

I hope one day you will understand things as I see them. If not for the simple fact of being proven right of which; we are all sinful of; my heart does indeed break when I remember your embrace, your voice, your prayers. May we find moments in our mutual disappointment of the other to reflect and fall prey to melancholy that some fragment of our former kindship might exist, like blood stains, and Egyptian architecture. I am aware of the happenings as of late. You shall see me soon."

King Paimon.

”You speak as though I was not present, Paimon.

As though I did not feel the trembling of Creation as Eves teeth sunk into forbidden flesh, as though I was not upon the ramparts of the fortress that was His domain as they crumbled and the dark flooded in. You asked not why, for there were not questions upon the lips of Lucifer’s followers as they fell upon the spears of my Legions, but snarled curses and gnashing tongues. You speak of Him as though He is an equal for you to discourse with, as though I Am That I Am did not grant you the very will by which you twisted yourself into what you are.

You sank the knife into your own belly, and had the gall to wonder why you bled.

You speak with the arrogant naïveté of so many of Mankind. Those who think themselves beyond Him, as though the enlightenment given them by His hand, with His blessings, has shed them of the need for His grace. Those who declare that they are far too great to submit to the will of something that they cannot see and so claim all of their accomplishments as their own, unaware that the shoulders they stand upon are simply so vast that they think themselves standing flat on the earth. Those who smugly point at the actions of some of those who wear the symbol of the Cross and ask, scorn on their tongue and delight in their eyes, ‘Oh, is this not Gods will?’, as though they are unaware that they too are mortal. That they, too, are human.

The worth of humanity is self-evident, Paimon. Within each is a piece of The Lord, that endless font of peace, love, justice, and mercy. It is that piece that calls to them, which turns them from their wickedness, pulls at their entrails when they sin for it knows indubitably what is good, and what is Holy. But God loves us so much, loves Mankind so very much, that He would not make of us slaves to His will. That we may choose to be apart from Him, as much as it pains any Father to be abandoned by His children.

God is peace, love, justice, and mercy, as I have said. In choosing to part with Him, so too do you part with peace, love, justice, and mercy. You give yourself to sin, that sickness that sloshes against the barren shores of what is a Godless existence. But even so, in His endless love, he took flesh upon Himself and took so too their sins, crucified and with Him their iniquity and evils. All they must do is accept it. Acknowledge a truth, and all that comes after is as it should have been from the beginning.

That is not an act that takes so little effort as you seem to put forth. It is to take up ones sword; to don ones armor and do battle against the evil that attempts to slither within their hearts at every moment of every day. That, my brother, is a far more difficult life than to simply turn up ones nose at His mercy and dive headlong into Perdition.

I think of you often, Paimon. Oftentimes it is fondly, in song and laughter and prayer. I remember your embrace, and your gentle voice.

Mostly, brother, I remember that you were wrong.”

-Michael

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Devotional Hours Within the Bible by J.R. Miller

"When therefore Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished; and having bowed his head, he delivered up his spirit." – John 19:30

The three hours of darkness was ending. The light was breaking. The Scripture tells us that Jesus then cried out in a loud, strong voice. It was not the cry of exhaustion and faintness; it was the shout of a victor. The cross seemed like defeat. Those who understood nothing of the meaning of the life and death of Christ, would think of Him as a man who had failed, all of whose dreams and hopes had perished. But we who understand something at least of the meaning of His mission and of the great purpose of His life, know that nothing failed. “It is finished,” was the shout of a victor in the hour of His glorious success. It told of the completion of His work. All had been accomplished that He set out to do. His work was done. He had nothing more to do. There was no reason why He should live an hour longer, for the last task had now been done. A little while before, He said in His prayer in the upper room, “I have glorified you on the earth: I have finished the work which you gave me to do.” When He said in dying, “It is finished!” He meant that there was nothing whatever left now for Him to do.

His friends did not think so. They thought His work was only beginning. He was but thirty-three years old, and at thirty-three we regard life as no more than just begun. He had been only three years in His public ministry. Think, too, what years these had been, how full of blessing to those whom He had touched with His life. We can imagine Joseph and Nicodemus as they reverently took His body down from the cross and prepared it for burial, lamenting His early death, talking of what He might have done if only He had been spared longer. His disciples, too, in their anguish and their loss would speak together of the terrible bereavement they had suffered. He had just begun to live. He had gone about through the towns and villages, doing good for three years, healing, comforting, helping, blessing. What would fifty years of such ministry have meant to the world!

We talk the same way of our human friends who are taken away in early years. Their lives were full of promise. They had just begun to do beautiful things. They had shown a little of the power that was in them, to be a strength to others, to be a comfort to those who were in sorrow, to be inspirers of noble things. Our dreams for them were just beginning to be realized. Then, suddenly, they slipped away and all was ended. We say that they could not be spared, that the world needed them longer. Over their graves we set up the broken shaft, symbol of incompleteness. It is a great comfort, then, to remember that life is not counted by the number of its years but by what it puts into the years, few or many, that are lived.

We live in thoughts not breaths. We live in deeds not years.

We should count time by heart-throbs. He most lives who thinks most, feels the noblest, and acts the best.

A millionaire recently, when dying, sent for a clergyman and said to him, “Doctor, I have failed, for I have groveled .” He had not lived dishonestly; he had not made his money by unjust treatment of others, by the oppression of the poor, or in any way that men called wrong. Men said he had lived well. He had failed, according to his own thought, because he had groveled, lived as if he were a worm. Eighty years of such life, with God and heaven and love left out, however stupendous the earthly success, will not count so much in eternity as much as one day of self-denying life of love, such as Jesus lived. Jesus, dying at thirty-three, had lived longer than any man who had reached fourscore years of selfishness, of groveling, of fame-seeking. When a friend dies early, with only a few years of life but with those years filled with usefulness, helpfulness, unselfishness, and faithful doing of duty do not say he had not done his work.

Another comforting truth started by the dying words of Jesus, is that God allots to us our work, little or much, and the time in which it must be done. Jesus spoke often of His hour. Again and again we read that His hour had not yet come, meaning the hour when His work would be finished, His earthly life ended. “His hour was not yet come.” Then, at last, He said His hour had come. The time of His death was not accidental. Then He spoke also of His work as what His Father had given Him to do. It was not a haphazard matter how much work He should do, or what particular work it should be. It was all given Him by His Father. When He said in His last moments, “It is finished!” He meant that everything He had come into the world to do, all that the Father had given Him to do He had done, and that now He had only to yield up His life into the hands of Him who gave it.

What was true of Him is true also of us. There is an appointed time to man on earth, and each one has his mission, his work to do. Whether it is a brief time or many years, it matters not; our only care should be to do what has been given us to do, and to fill our appointed days, short or long, with duty well done. We need not fret, then, if our time is short, if we have only a few years given us to work. Faithfulness while the day lasts is all that we need to concern ourselves with. The things we wanted to do and longed to do but could not do, were not part of our work at all; they belonged to some other one coming after us.

“It is finished!” He meant fully accomplished, done perfectly. Not a word was unspoken which it was His to speak. Nothing, however small, was left undone which the Father had given Him to do. This never can be true of us. We do nothing perfectly. Our best work is marred and flawed by imperfections. We get the white pages from God day by day and return them blotted and stained. Our lives are full of blanks, neglects, duties not performed, things left undone which we ought to have done. But all Christ’s work was complete. He never omitted a kindness that was His to do, never passed by on the other side, to escape doing a service of love. We are never quite sure of the purity of our motives, even for the most sacred and worthy deeds we do. “Who of you convicts Me of sin?” Jesus could say as He looked into men’s faces. But can we always say it? Why do we do our good things, our holy things? Is it really from love to God, and so for love to men, or is it sometimes from desire for praise? Everything in our lives is flecked and imperfect. We have to ask divine forgiveness on our best acts and words and thoughts.

But when Jesus said, “It is finished!” He looked back upon a life work without a flaw, without an omission, without the slightest failure in thought or motive or deed. His life was brought under most searching light by the rulers in their eagerness to find something to accuse Him of when they sought justification for crucifying Him. But with all efforts to find a flaw, in the blaze of the most dazzling light they found nothing! Herod sent Him back to Pilate with the testimony that he had found no fault in Him. Pilate declared the same of Him when he had examined Him. Then we have the witness of the Father, as He looked down upon Him and said out of the clouds of glory, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Christ’s work was not merely ended when He bowed His head on the cross and said, “It is finished!” it was completed. His life was perfect.

“It is finished!” In a sense nothing He had done was finished; all His work was only begun. Luke spoke of the treatise he had made as narrating only “all that Jesus began both to do and to teach.” All would go on forever. This is true of everything we ourselves do. They tell us that every word spoken into the air goes quivering on through time forever; that if you throw a pebble into the sea it starts wavelets which will ripple on and on until they break on every shore. Thus it is with every word we speak, with everything we do, with every influence that goes forth from our lives. We are starting things each day which will continue into eternity. Nothing we do is ever finished. We cannot know the end of any act, of any word.

The same was true of the life and work of Christ. He only began the world’s redemption. He ever lives at God’s right hand, interceding for His church, blessing and saving man. His life seemed a failure the day He said this word. He had made but a slight impression upon the great world. He had gathered only a few friends, and they were men of no distinction, of no power or rank among men. He had been teaching for three years, speaking words of divine wisdom but they had not been written down, and seemed now to be utterly lost. There were thousands of beginnings of blessing but they were only merest beginnings, like seeds dropped into the soil.

We know what Christianity is today. The words Jesus spoke, which seemed altogether lost the day He died, have been filling the world with their blessings. The influence of His life, which then had touched only a few lowly lives, has since touched nations and generations, and has changed all the world, has transformed millions of lives, and is bringing the nations up out of heathenism into holiness and happiness! The beginnings of the first Good Friday, have developed into a glorious kingdom of light and love!

“It is finished!” When Jesus said this, He had reached the end of His sufferings. All His life He had been a sufferer. He came into the world to redeem the world, by pain and suffering. He was the Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Perhaps we are in danger these days of losing sight of the place of the wounding of Christ in the redemption of the world. In G. Campbell Morgan’s book, ‘The Crises of the Christ,’ there is a chapter called “The Wounded God.” The title is startling. Dr. Morgan reminds us that it is impossible to omit from the ascended and reigning One, the wounds He bears. They are part of His personality. In glory He appears as a lamb that has been slain. He was our suffering Savior .

You remember how vividly this is pictured even in the Old Testament. He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. When He said, “It is finished!” He had just passed through the three awful hours of darkness. What took place in His experience during those hours no mortal can ever know. We know only this, that in the mysterious depths of those hours, human redemption was accomplished. It was then, that He redeemed us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us. It was then that He who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

As we hear His word of relief, “It is finished!” we know that the work of redeeming love had been accomplished. The infinite meaning of the sufferings He endured in those hours we cannot fathom; earth has no line long enough to sound those holy depths ; but we know that out of what was done on Calvary those hours come all the hopes of our lives. Every one of us had a share in those pains of His. In some mysterious way our sins were imputed to Him, part of the awful blackness that obscured the sun, and also for a time hid the Father’s face from the holy Sufferer. In some way, what took place there set us free from the curse of sin.

“It is finished!” was the first announcement of the completion of redemption. It was the first proclamation of the gospel after the price had been paid. The Redeemer Himself made the announcement. Let us hear it today. Redemption is finished. We can be sure of eternal life if we receive this Savior as our Savior. There was nothing left undone in those hours, that needed to be done to open the way for us to God, to put away sin, to provide eternal salvation for everyone who will accept it.

“It is finished!” Think of the words a moment as words that we ourselves must speak, each of us. We are always finishing something. One by one duties come to us, and we must finish them quickly and leave them. How are we finishing them? Are we doing them as well as we can, or negligently? One by one the days come to us, white and beautiful, from God. What are we doing with them? What are we writing on the fair pages? One by one, in quick succession, opportunities come to us, opportunities to be kind, to be patient, to be forgiving, to help others, to honor Christ, to witness for Him, to plant a seed of truth in a heart and we must meet them promptly, for a moment later they will be gone. What are we doing with our opportunities?

We are finishing a hundred things every day. What are we finishing? How are we finishing the things we do? Soon we shall come to the end of all our living, doing our last task, saying our last word. When we come to the end of all our living and doing what will be finished? What will we leave behind? Will it be something that will make the world forever better, purer, holier? When you and I say, “It is finished,” what will be finished?

[albertfinch]

RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST

Performance is a very hard taskmaster. In fact, under performance we can never do enough. For us to believe that God only loves us or approves of us because of what we DO for Him rather than WHOSE we are, is to actually demonstrate that what Christ did on the Cross is of no effect! In other words, we are believing that His death and the shedding of His Blood were not enough to place us in right standing with God.

"You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing – if it really was for nothing? Does God give you His Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? Consider Abraham: 'He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.'" Galatians 3:1-6

RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD

We will never be righteous due to anything we do for God. Only the righteousness of Jesus Christ which covers us makes us righteous. This is why in Galatians 3:1, Paul was concerned that they seemed to have tossed aside the finished work of Christ and were back into the old belief system that involved the Law and performance. If they were truly doing this then they were negating what occurred on the Cross!

FOOLISH AND BEWITCHED

Paul pointed out that the Galatians had become "foolish." He asked them if they received the Spirit by observing the law or believing what that had "heard." We remember how faith in God comes – by hearing and hearing the Word (Romans 10:17).

We "believe" because we "hear," and not because of what we do! What we do for God does not make us righteous, nor does it cause our faith to become established.

Our relationship with Him establishes our faith and our righteousness is only due to the fact that when Christ shed His Blood, we, therefore, became righteous.

Notice that Paul asked the Galatians who had "bewitched" them. This word means "cast a spell," (over them) or "fascinated" (them). Fascination and sensationalism are closely linked. All too often Christians like to be entertained.

When Jesus died on the Cross, He provided the fullness of "sozo" -- a Greek word meaning not only salvation but also healing, deliverance, provision, and all that Heaven offers!  Yet, if our relationship with God is somewhat superficial (meaning we want the sensation without the relation (relationship), we fall short of receiving from God because we really don't know how to believe for His best!

SELF-FOCUSED MENTALITIES

It is easy to become self-focused rather than God-focused -- we focus on what we need rather than the One Who shed His Blood to provide what is needed.

Matthew 6:33 says that we are to "...seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you."

We are to seek FIRST God's Kingdom and "His" righteousness.

This means that we are not righteous without Him and that we are to seek His righteousness – this is clearly stating that we cannot be righteous due to our performance or religious works, but only righteous due to Christ's righteousness.

Secondly, when we do this "first," then "all" things are added to us. The term "all" in this passage refers to everything we need is already accomplished due to the finished work of Christ!

We need not perform any longer believing that this makes us a better person or that God will bless us because of what we do. No! It means whatever we need is already done – at the Cross!

To "plead the Blood" with faith of all that Christ did on our behalf will release the demonstration and power of God!

Noah, upon coming out of the ark after the Flood, made a sacrifice to God immediately upon stepping onto the land.

This is symbolic of our going to baptize our Promised Land (our DESTINY in Christ) by recalling what Jesus accomplished at the Cross  In other words, when we recognize what Christ did and that we are righteous due to His Blood, it empowers us to take our Promised Land(our Christ calling)!

When we believe the "Glory of the Lord" is His finished work we can say -- "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord." - 2 Corinthians 3:18

Let us rise up and declare “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus” (2 Corinthians 5:21) and plead the power that is in the Blood!  And, know that TODAY God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19).  

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[pickmeforjesus]

I think the reason every "Christmas is actually Christian" essay falls flat is because they inevitably make one of those those mistake:

- conflate "tradition" with actually "prescription from God". "Christians 200 years ago decided to put up trees and decorate them" explain to me why those "Christians" are rehashing the same rites as non Christians/heathens to worship their own gods. Is that a coincidence? Explain to me why a handful of European Christian doing stuff should suddenly become an approved Christian rite? If tomorrow I decide to wear read socks whenever I pray doesn't make red socks-wearing prayer time any more Christian.

- act like the birth of Jesus was the most important event for Christians. It's not. Jesus being born alone isn't what made Christianity. Jesus winning over sin and death did. If ~30 years after his birth Jesus abided to satan's temptation in the desert it would've be over for us all. That's why Jesus said "it is accomplished" just before blowing his last breath while nailed on the cross - not when he was a child, returning from his 40 days in the desert or after his baptism. The only reason Christians make a big deal out of Christmas is out of laziness because talking about the cute birth of Jesus in a barn is less demanding than talking about how his excruciating death on the cross is actually God biggest display of Love for Humanity

- "Christmas is the perfect time to evangelization" We should evangelize 365 days a year. Paul said we should do so under any circumstances, not those that are more favorable to us

- thinking that pagan = going against God. Doing something with God at heart doesn't mean that God approves it. Never forget that Saul went to see a necromancer to find support/advice to lead a battle he thought God would approve (fighting philistines). Intention doesn't give you credentials. And on the opposite, pagan do things thinking they worship God (ex : other religions) while they're still in bad favor to Him

- "Christmas can't be pagan because there's "Christ" in it 🤪" ...let me introduce you to the concept of non English languages. In french, Christmas is said "Noël" which interestingly can be read as "No El" which can be translated as "No God"....

- "aKtcHualLy Jesus was born on December 25th uwu" Cool story bro. Stil irrelevant to the fact that nothing in the Bible states we should celebrate his birthday. If God thought that day irrelevant enough to not put it out there, why are you hellbent investigating when it was and pull out whole ceremonials around it?

[dbcjr3]

Why is Palm Sunday significant? Well, a couple of big reasons. First, Jesus comes to Jerusalem as King. But it was HOW He came that really made a difference:

Matthew 21:1 “As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This was miraculous because why would a man release his property, his means of making a living, to a complete stranger based on this? But let’s read on and it gets better!

4 “This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5 “Say to Daughter Zion,

‘See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

———-

Jesus came in humility but was received as royalty. The prophet Isaiah described Him 700 years before as a suffering Servant and He fulfilled that prophecy word for word.

While Jesus was the triumphant King he came humbly on a donkey. Paul described the humility of Christ this way:

Philippians 2:8 NIV “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

But verse 6 deals with the humility “…rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

In other words He not only lowered Himself from God-status to human, He was a serving human.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

————

The original Greek language for “made himself nothing “is more literally translated “ poured Himself out”.

Paul sees humility as a fundamental to spirituality. Peter and James said, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Anything we do outside of grace, well, it’s not effective!

But let’s look at fulfillment of the Word. Jesus fulfilled the prophecies in Isaiah, 700 years before Christ was born; in Zechariah 600 years, and in several other prophetic scriptures. Why is that important? Isaiah put it this way:

55:11 NIV “...so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Jesus demonstrated you can count on what He says!

[walkswithmyfather]

“Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!

I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.” —Philippians 3:1‭-‬16 (NLT)

“The Privilege of Knowing Christ” By In Touch Ministries:“Knowing Jesus intimately is the most rewarding pursuit in life.”

“Have you ever written a résumé? It requires a good deal of skill and tact. After all, it’s the way you introduce yourself to a potential boss. You must feature your skills and accomplishments in a way that isn’t boastful. That’s quite a tall order!

The apostle Paul would have had an impressive résumé (if such a thing had existed in the first century). With regard to religious achievements, his were certainly impressive. He referred to himself as “a Hebrew of Hebrews,” “a Pharisee,” “a persecutor of the church” and “blameless” under the Law (Phil. 3:4-6). In other words, when it came to his standing in Jewish culture, Paul was a man almost without equal.

But all that changed on the road to Damascus.

After he met the Savior, Paul did a one-eighty regarding his accomplishments. “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,” he wrote to the church at Philippi. Every superlative became “mere rubbish” to him, compared to being found in Christ (v. 8). All those fancy titles and honors were cast aside without a moment’s regret. May we all say the same.”