#║ i. PARDONER. ( it is only human to commit a sin )

[confessthysiins]

♱ indie & selective  OSWALD of CARIM of Dark Souls. some personal lore & canon divergence. sideblog to @henosiis. strictly 18+. written by kat!

EXPLORING sin, devotion, redemption, forgiveness, self-reflection, and loving what can never die.

♱ est. 2014 resurrected oct. 2021 ♱ affiliated with @sunmad

[dragonmonstermilk]

Caught by the big bad wolf

Charcaters: Hoolay x guard!Reader

tw: (implied) fem!reader, (very much) size difference, degrading and praising, knot, pet names (human), (implied) semi-public sex, Hoolay is chained up, (kinda) corruption kink, belly bulge, (lot of) porn with plot, Hoolay's past (mentions of violence, abuse and death), manipulation, (slightly) dubcon, (if you squint) overstimulation, squirt

OK....idk if any of y'all have played the new patch of honkai:star rail but there are these new enemies (Borisins) who are werewolf and they are so hot, esp Hoolay (HE SO DAMN BIG SO..HOW COULDN'T I WRITE ABOUT HIM) !!

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧*ੈ✩‧₊˚༘⋆࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ

It passed a week since you were transferred to patrol the lower level of the Shackiling Prison. To be honest you were scared, and you had all the right to be it. The last floor was very dangerous, not because it was so dark you could barely see your shadow, even if there where a few lamps scattered here and there on the wall. You were scared because locked up there are the most dangerous individuals who committed serious crimes. These were forced to be imprisoned for all eternity while being muzzled, chained up, tortured and, if the sins they committed where more than gravious to be where they where, they would be starved. Of course, whoever received this punishment would be dead in a few weeks. Or, at least, that's what the superiors said to the novice guards.

As you reached down, taking a bit of time, you finally arrived. Before starting to patrol you take a deep breath, clutching your weapon. Steps echoed through the big hallways, locking everywhere to make sure that everything was good. You arrived at the most perilous zone: the right side of the cells. Here there was only a monster, the most dangerous in all Xianzhou, Hoolay. Your general advised you to be very careful around him, since he was quite hungry from all of the decades who passed without eating.

You reminisce the story of Hoolay, told you and to your fellow companions from your general. Hoolay is an abomination of Abundace and Lord of Borisins. He was held accountable for numerous acts of invasions, associated war crimes, and for long-term enslavement of Foxians and utilizing their blood for alchemical purposes. Hoolay, after being sentenced was transferred to the Shackiling Prison. The terms of his imprisonment was that he was to be subjected to the punishment of the Forest of Swords and never be pardoned. While the punishment was meant to be fatal and Hoolay was not given any food, he was somehow able to survive for hundreds of years without sustenance while the wounds inflicted by the Forest of Swords would simply restore themselves.

You take a few big breaths before opening the cell and going inside.There he is. Luckily he's all chained up, but better to keep a safe distance. As you try to keep yourself as far away as possible you look at Hoolay, who didn't seem to have noticed your presence. As a borisin, Hoolay is broad and lean, with powerful jaws and neck muscles. He has well-developed canine teeth, beast-like ears on top of his heads, and sharp claws on his hands and feet. Seeying his stance you are affascinated and intrigued. You squeal in surpirese as a sudden low voice speaks to you.

"Are you new here, human?" the chains jingles as Hoolay looks down at you. His very big figure towering over your much smaller one.

"Y-yes, but why would you ask" your voice trembling as you fear he could snap free from the chains (totally impossible, but you never know, no?).

Hoolay scoffs. His chains moving again.

"Come closer, human" his deep voice makes you feel something inside. Not wanting to make him angry than he could be possibly be, you do as he says, still being some metres away from him. He scoffs again, this time almost as if he is satisfied and amused. "Are you that afraid of me, human?" his voice roaring in the big cell. What could you answer him? Of course you were scared of him! He's so big, towering all over you. He could kill you just with his hand!

Hoolay didn't really expect an answer for you, but something was moving inside his head. He smirked, the scarce lighting reveling his big and sharp teeths. "Human" Hoolay stops before continuing "You don't need to be afraid of me. Come closer and I'll shall answer every question you have for me". You were confused. Why some big prisoner monster would ask you to make him some questions?

You ponder for a few moments. Hoolay waiting for an answer. "I don't want to ask you any questions", your tone firm and, again, Hoolay smirks. Suddenly a puppy like cry, like someone stepped on a puppy's tail. You look at Hoolay, panicked.

"Are you alright?! What happened?" you try to check if something is gone into his leg paws, but you could barely see. As panicked as you are, Hoolay smirks again, everything going according to his plan. "My hand! My hand hurt!" he cries out again, holding back a laugh. You are so naive.

You nod, and mumbling a few sorries you climb up is toned body, feeling his muscles under you. You slighty blush and brush off whatever you feeling with a coff. As you're on Hoolay biceps, he licks his face, your good smell making him hard, as well as the view of your back. You reach for the hanging chain, loosen it enough to free Hoolay's hand. As soon as his hand is free he laughs. Before you could even ask, he takes you in his hand, gently squeezing you.

"W-what" a puzzle look on your face.

"Foolish human. How could you believe that me, Hoolay Lord of Borisins, could get easily hurt?" his voice echoing in the cell, gently squeezing your tiny body. "You don't imagine how I'm so hungry"

His tone was lower than before and you where squirming in his hand as every now and then he squeezed your little body. You wanted to scream but your voice was blocked in your throat. Tears were forming in your eyes as you thought that was your end. What didn't you expect tho was that Hoolay wasn't hungry for food, but he was hungry for sex. It's been decades since he had a mate and he was so pent up that your scent drove him crazy.

With one of his long and sharp claws, he cut off your clothes. His big face sniffing your body. He groaned and opened his hand. His longue and big tongue licking all over you and then arriving at your sensitive spot. You arched your back, your body trembling from the pleasure he was giving you. "N-no, please" you cried out as his tongue was already overstimulating you. What made you come so soon was that he sucked your little bud mixing it with his tongue. His groans? Making so many vibrations that had you coming on him quickly.

"You taste so good, human. I can't wait to fuck you with my cock and knot you. You're going to be my mate, forever"

"Forever?!" You were shocked. A borisin, the LORD of borising wanting YOU to be his mate?! That is crazy, that's absolutely no sense. You pinch yourself a dew times, believing you are dreaming. Hoolay chuckled.

"Poor little human, can't believe I'm serious? Then I'll show it right now". His laugh echoed in the cell, the weak lighting making in evidence the most dangerous traits of him. As Hoolay put you on his (enourmous) cock you squealed as you clenched. Hoolay looked down at you, amused by every reaction you had. Without thinking you began to grind your hips on him, muffling your moans. You could feel his leaky tip under you, how his cock throbbed more and more as you moved your hips. "That's it, yes", Hoolay groaned as his large paw grabbed your hips, moving you faster. "What a greedy human you are". You whined at his words as you came on him for the second time. But you wanted more, even if you're were feeling all dizzy and overstimulated but your hole wanted more, wanted to feel that enormous cock inside you.

You looked up at Hoolay with puppy eyes, that smirk reappiring once again in his face. No words needed that Hoolay entered your hole, the stretch made your hips jerks away from his but, keeping his hand on you, he made you come back to his cock. The pain of stretch was giving you pleasure and your brain was completely turned off as you felt him inside you, forming a visible belly bulge. Hoolay sighed of relief, finally his cock could feel some warm walls after decades of not touching it and not having someone to help him with his heat.

"Such a good human" he groaned as his hips move forth and back, your walls sucking him deeper and deeper as you moaned like the little slut you are. "Good, taking my big cock so good for your lord" you panted and whined while nodding, your hand moving on the belly bulge. As Hoolay used his hand to stimulate more your already sensitive area, you felt a strange sensation, one you never proved even while masturbating. "A-ah, nhhgg, Hoolay! Cumming, I'm cumming!". Squirt gushed all over you and Hoolay. As you squirted you felt something stretching you even more.

"Be good a good slutty human and take my knot".

It was so big! You couldn't help but cream around his cock, your back arching as his seed spurted inside you, making your belly all swollen. The pleasure and pain mixed together so good that for a moment you saw black before coming to your senses. At that time, Hoolay was still inside you, waiting for his knot to be gone (that would take a while, though). You didn't heard anything from him so you just assumed he fell asleep. Well, certainly you would have come more often to visit Hoolay and keep him company.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧*ੈ✩‧₊˚༘⋆࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ

[ethicalgnome]

Flesh and Christianity

Someone asked me to make a video about the intersection between the Flesh and the Eucharist a while back, and I will, but I also want to scream my broader thoughts about Flesh and religion into the void for a moment. Pardon any rambling, I find this very interesting but there is also a LOT to cover and I’m frantically writing this at 1am. Everything I say about theology is, for the most part, a generalisation or simplification, because there is no way in hell that I’m fitting the entirety of the Catholic theology on the body into a tumblr post.

Disclaimers over.

In episode 130, we hear Lucia Wright describe the ‘hole filled with meat’. We later learn that this was the Flesh ritual, something that Gertrude calls ‘The Last Feast.’ The connection to the Last Supper may be a bit obvious, but I do think it establishes that the Flesh does tie into Christianity, both symbolically (‘this bread is my body’), and perhaps more spiritually. I’ll get to that in a bit, but there’s a more to say about Episode 130 first.

Gnosticism is a lesser known branch of Christianity, mostly by design (persecution on grounds of heresy will do that to you). The relevant part is that Gnostics believed in an entity that oversaw and shaped the physical word; an entity known as the Demiurge. Some Gnostics believed the Demiurge to be malevolent, and possibly the entity known as Yahweh/Jehovah (heresy indeed), which is an incredibly contentious can of worms for another day. As Lucia Wright puts it, as it’s the overseer of the physical, the Demiurge could be referred to as ‘The God of the Flesh’. Therefore, an old Gnostic temple being chosen as the location for the Last Feast seems to be more than just a coincidence, or a connection in name only, but something more spiritual. Therefore, its my opinion that the Flesh is not just connected to Christianity, but is integral to it - at least in the TMA universe. 

The human body is so topical in Christianity that it has its own branch of theology. The body was created in God’s own image (and isn’t that a Fleshy concept in and of itself? Our bodies aren’t “ours” - they have been created and shaped by some entity beyond our understanding). Humans, in Christian theology, are broadly divided into body and soul. Our souls are what make us divine - our bodies hold us back, and are generally considered to be what carries our sins. ‘The flesh is weak.’ The body is what tempts us towards our whims; food and sex, gluttony and lust. Without our useless sinful flesh, we would be far closer to God (incidentally, this was also the thinking in several early neo-Platonic Islamic schools of thought, but that’s not really relevant and is just the philosophy nerd in me speaking). Our bodies are but vessels; for our souls, and for the weight of human sin, always tempting us to keep sinning. This leaves a door for the Flesh wide open; because the idea of our bodies being evil, or even of being designed by another entity entirely (the Demiurge for Gnostics, Yahweh/God for most other branches of Christianity) is objectively horrifying, and ties very neatly into what can make the Flesh so scary. It’s not just freaky meat - it’s freaky evil meat that’s outside of our control. The flesh is sinful, the flesh is transformed - this bread is the body of Jesus, this wine is his blood.

If you’re in a branch of Christianity that follows Communion and believes it to be a case of transubstantiation (bread and wine turning into the body and blood of Christ), you essentially commit religious cannibalism every Sunday during the Eucharist. If you deconstruct the Eucharist, it’s a veritable horror flick - a group of people enter a room, eat bread that is really the flesh of a human body that died two millennia ago, and drink wine that is really the blood of that same body. More than that, it’s transformed; regular food and drink turn into meat, and everyone present seems to accept that. The transmutation of the flesh, and the consumption of a human body, especially in such a holy and revered setting, feels very Fleshlike to me. This is why I consider the Flesh to have been one of the entities present in Episode 20 - Father Burroughs unwittingly committing cannibalism during Holy Communion is such a powerful image of the intersection between the Flesh and Christianity, that it made me go down this spiraling rabbit-hole of thoughts.

To be clear, there are huge discrepancies between various Christian groups on how they interpret both the Eucharist and the human body; what I describe here is mostly the Catholic interpretation  (though it applies to quite a few groups), because Father Burroughs was Catholic and it makes all my theorising more plot-relevant. 

Anyways, that’s it for now. Thank you, void, for listening.

[crystalrainfall]

Dear fma fans, would you defend a nazi?

A common thing that annoys me in post Canon brotherhood fics is the fact that the authors try to pass on the message that all is well with the government and that everyone can live happily ever after because they all got pardoned.

Excuse me what?

Now, alot of people say that the characters were forced by the shadow government

(convinient right? Because that was only revealed later, at the time the characters didn't know that, but they still committed all those crimes willingly. Can't blame it now. You still did it.)

And that they helped so much, because they saved the country and what not...

So that coupled with the fact that they were forced to anyway should be enough to forgive them right?

Now most would realize that this is a common defense used to defend literal nazis. That's why this exists : "The defense of superior orders is no defense if the accused knows the act is illegal"

They damn well knew what they were doing.

No amount of making up will ever compensate for anything.

That's what brotherhood preached too right?

That there's nothing of equal value for a soul?

That human life is precious because once it's gone, it's gone?

So why? Why do this stupid thing of making them "make up" by rebuilding ishval. Which pause. Why the fuck would the ishvalans let that guy help him? And be hailed as a hero? For helping them??? He killed thousands, and now wants to sweep in as some tortured soul who wants to play hero and make up for all his sins..? Now he takes all the credit making headlines for being oh so generous for showing common human decency.

Like wow the military isn't all bad! See? They're saving them!

Let's continue boot licking the military, Hey, Maybe we should all stop being racist, because, See! Our military overlords changed their mind!

(I highly doubt that the ishvalans didn't receive any racism from the general public and only the military. Their lives aren't getting better, because an entire crowd doesn't change their minds after their leader is dead. Don't ignore reality.)

And I think I ranted about it before but post Canon fics that still refer to the current leader as Führer and doesn't seem to really strip the military of any power, aren't fucking fixing the problem!

See the problem wasn't that the wrong guy was in charge, it was that fucking system to begin with!

Because, if it was, say democratic, pulling something like that (ethnic cleansing) would've been a tad bit harder wouldn't it??

That's why it pisses me off to no end whenever Mustang or Olivier say that they want to be Führer... Like , I know that you can't really announce proudly you want democracy within a military dictatorship, but at least privately clarify exactly what the hell you mean by, "I want to be Führer."

I'm not telling you that liking your favorite character makes you evil or some shit I'm saying that you should still be able to acknowledge their faults and that they're a horrible person that deserves every bad thing moving forward. And I get it, I like some of these characters too, and it's the ugly truth that nags you when you draw them or like a post with them, but don't look away.

[blackcat419]

If Mirri tricks Daenerys into accepting a dark trade based on blood magic, where she sends drogo into a brain dead state <b>which involves sacrificing Dany’s unborn baby</b>, and she <b>doesn’t inform dany of the correct price, Mirri purposely causes dany to think that the horse is the sacrifice</b> so that <b>Dany’s child dies</b> , <b>Drogo may as well be doomed for the things he caused, but an unborn child is punished for his father’s sins</b> what is dany supposed to do if it is wrong to burn Mirri?

If it is wrong for Dany to burn Mirri, what way can she bring justice for Rhaego, or is it simply fine for Dany to do anything at all, if there isn’t any revenge needed for Rhaego’s death, is Mirri truly justified in killed an unborn child?

(A formal, polite and detailed answer with logical points and a little constructive criticism is most preferred)

First off, the last part of your message is unneeded. I will respond politely and concisely if I believe a person has come to me with curiosity and not malice. Having that last paragraph comes off as condescending. For the future, if you ever feel you must include a paragraph dictating the person’s response, your message is either not coming off the way you won’t or you want to control how a person reacts. I will answer your question this one time, but don’t do it again.

For this post, I will only be using the books and not the show as I have not fully watched the show and the books are the original source on how this story and characters are meant to be read.s

There are a few parts to your question that I would like to break down.

Is it justified for a slave to rebel against their master?

Is it justified for a slave to rebel against their master and harm a child who has not harmed them?

Did Mirri mislead Dany?

Does Dany think Mirri killed Rhaego?

Is it justified for a slave master to punish or kill their slave?

Is it justified for dany to punish or kill Mirri?

For each of these questions I’ll be answering with my own personal beliefs and what I believe George is communicating through the text.

Is it justified for a slave to rebel against their master?

My answer is yes, an unjust system does not need a non violent revolution.

But what does George say? Or more specifically, what does Dany say?

A boy came, younger than Dany, slight and scarred, dressed up in a frayed grey tokar trailing silver fringe. His voice broke when he told of how two of his father's household slaves had risen up the night the gate broke. One had slain his father, the other his elder brother. Both had raped his mother before killing her as well. The boy had escaped with no more than the scar upon his face, but one of the murderers was still living in his father's house, and the other had joined the queen's soldiers as one of the Mother's Men. He wanted them both hanged. I am queen over a city built on dust and death. Dany had no choice but to deny him. She had declared a blanket pardon for all crimes committed during the sack. Nor would she punish slaves for rising up against their masters.

ADWD Daenerys I

We see from this quote that Daenerys give two reasons for why she will not punish the former slaves, she has already pardoned crimes committed that night and she will not punish a slave for rising up against their master.

Is what the slaves did horrible and obviously traumatic to the living son? Yes. But a slaver cannot seek justice against those they’ve already stripped of humanity.

So we see that Daenerys sees it as justifiable for a slave to rebel against their master.

Is it justifiable for a slave to rebel against their master and harm a child who has not harmed them?

Personally, I’m less inclined to fully agree with this statement outright as it’s a messy matter that requires a case by case judgment.

But from the previous quote, we see that Dany has decided that violence done by slaves against the children of their masters is still justifiable. The boy harmed during the siege of Meereen is a child even by Dany’s standards as she states he is younger than her. She doesn’t force the former slave living within the boy’s house out or offer some kind of compensation to the boy.

You might argue that the boy was old enough to perpetuate the institution of slavery and thus could not be considered innocent, but Dany doesn’t see young children as guilty of the crime of slavery.

Slay the Good Masters, slay the soldiers, slay every man who wears a tokar or holds a whip, but harm no child under twelve, and strike the chains off every slave you see

ASOS Daenery III

I think it’s very telling that this boy is not harmed by the Unsullied because he is under the age of 12, he’s only harmed by the former slaves.

Dany doesn’t prosecute slaves for crimes committed against children.

Did Mirri Mislead Dany?

I’ll be sticking to the books solely, as I do for all of this post. The tv show does make it seem that Mirri misleads Dany while the books are much more ambiguous.

When Mirri is asked to heal Drogo, she gives very clear instructions which he does not follow. Once Drogo is on death’s door, Dany comes to Mirri and gives her one last order.

“There is a price,” the godswife warned her. “Do it,” Dany blurted. She must not be afraid, she was the blood of the dragon. “Save him.” “There is a price,” the godswife warned her. “You’ll have gold, horses, whatever you like.” “It is not a matter of gold or horses. This is blood-magic, lady. Only death may pay for life” AGOT Daenerys VIII

As we see here, Mirri makes it clear that death is the price of this spell and by excluding horses from the price, it would lead one to believe that a horse’s death is not enough. And we see that Dany understands that Mirri is saying a human life is needed.

“Death?” Dany wrapped her arms around herself protectively, rocked back and forth on her heels. “My death?” She told herself she would die for him, if she must. She was the blood of the dragon, she would not be afraid. Her brother Rhaegar had died for the woman he loved. “No,” Mirri Maz Duur promised. “Not your death, Khalessi.” Dany trembled with relief. “Do it.” AGOT Daenerys VIII

Once Dany knows that her own life is not on the line, she is fine offering up someone else’s. So Dany knows that a human life is needed and is okay as long as it isn’t hers.

So why does Dany think the price is just a horse when Mirri said it wasn’t and Dany knows the price is a human life? Because she’s lying to herself. We see from her perspective her deciding that the price is too high.

"No," she wept, "no, please, stop it, it's too high, the price is too high." More stones were flying. She tried to crawl over towards the tent, but Cohollo caught her. Fingers in her hair, he pulled her head back and she felt the cold touch of his knife to her throat. "My baby," she screamed, and perhaps the gods heard, for as quick as that Cohollo was dead. AGOT Daenerys VIII

The price of one horse’s life is too much for Dany to save Drogo? No, she knows the price is her son, that’s why it’s too much. She's not referring to the battle going on around her, otherwise, she'd be talking about them fighting, not the price itself.

No, Dany is not misled to believe a horse is what is needed to bring back Drogo. She decides to not ask any more questions once she knows it won't cost her her own life. She knows a human life is needed.

Does Dany think Mirri killed Rhaego?

I think Dany is conflicted on whether or not she thinks Mirri killed Rhaego. Dany blames Jhora for killing Rhaego by bringing her into the tent and questions herself if she knew that Rhaego was the price for Drogo.

"No," Mirri Maz Duur said. "That was a lie you told yourself. You knew the price." Had she? Had she? If I look back I am lost. AGOT Daenerys IX

Ser Jorah had killed her son, Dany knew. He had done what he did for love and loyalty, yet he had carried her into a place no living man should go and fed her baby to the darkness.  AGOT Daenarys IX

But no matter what Dany thinks, she can't prove that Mirri intended to kill Rhaego. If Mirri did intend to kill Rhaego, then it was because Dany gave her the order to bring Drogo back. If Mirri did not intend to kill Rhaego, then he died because Jhora disobeyed the rules that Mirri set out.

Is it justifiable for a slave master to punish or kill their slave?

I don't think a slave master can be in anyway justified in punishment of killing a slave. There is not justice in a slave/master relation and thus all punishment is unjust.

Even Dany thinks this way. She does not give justice to the Meereen boy who lost his family and his home. She does not let the Harpies murder former slaves who killed their masters.

So why is it now justifiable when Dany kills Mirri?

I have a few reasons why I think people see Dany killing Mirri as justice.

The first is the POV trap of Dany's chapters. We see how strong the POV trap is with characters like Tyrion. Tyrion thinks himself very clever and playing the game of thrones at the same level of Varys and Little Finger, but he never was. The POV trap allows readers to side with Dany without questioning her. The reader sides with her reasoning and defense mechanisms even when whats going on around her doesn't line up with that idea.

The second is the TV show offering a biased framing of Dany where her violence is celebrated as a girl boss moment and not making the audience question anything. Unlike in the books, the show makes it easier for people to think Mirri misled Dany with the horse.

Third is that it sucks to think Daenerys is going to go from an abused homeless childbride to someone who kills a slave because said slave couldn’t please her. It’s sucks. It’s not going to be a happy road to Dany getting the iron throne. Nothing in A game of thrones is a happy story, people trying to do good fail. We see this with Ned trying to do the noble and honorable thing and hand the throne over to a legitimate heir only to be killed and for his whole family to be scattered across Westeros.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you interpreting Dany as being in the right for killing Mirri is valid. You can read the story however you want. This is just my opinion and how I’ve come to that opinion. I don’t see anyone who likes Dany as a bad person just because I view her actions as wrong. She is an interesting character to follow and I’m excited to see where her story goes, though I feel it will be a tragedy instead of a victorious home coming.

[questionsonislam]

What should I do to keep my sins hidden?

It is possible for your sins to remain hidden in the hereafter even if people know about it. It is Allah who will reveal our mistakes or who will hide them and not show to anyone in the Hereafter.

From this point of view, - If we fulfill the conditions of repentance, if we do not commit those sins again, - If we ask forgiveness from those whose rights we have violated and if we make up with them, - If we do not search people’s mistakes and if we do not tell anyone about the mistakes we see, - If we forgive the wrong deeds done to us, do not tell anyone about them, and keep them hidden,

Allah, who hides every mistake and who is Ghafur (Forgiver) and forgives our mistakes without even blaming us, will never remind them us of our sins that we have told others if He is pleased with us and if He wills. We expect this benevolence, grant and grace from His endless mercy, forgiveness and pardoning.

Man Can Make Mistakes

Our Lord forbids all kinds of secret and open sins. (al-Anam, 6/151) However, he also states that we can sin. (an-Nisa, 4/17)

We are humans; we can make mistakes. However, we should not announce those mistakes and sins. We should not make people witness our sins. Our only witness should be our Lord. We must turn to him. There is nothing that can be hidden from Him. Pain may be reduced by sharing it with others but sins are not forgiven by sharing. Speaking openly about sins breaks the resistance to sin. Therefore, sins should remain hidden. A person should not lift the veil of secrecy unless Allah lifts it. If a person boasts about his sins, the punishment for his sins will be increased many times more.

Regret and Repentance of Sins

It is the most important condition and sufficient for the servant to embrace regret and repentance in the face of his sins in his own conscience, that is, in his inner world to be considered repentant. There is no need to list and confess his sins in front of another person or institution; such a deed is incompatible with the belief of tawhid (oneness) because no one other than Allah has the authority to accept or reject repentance of sins or to impose penalties for sins.

Unless sins involve violation of the rights of others, they are personal and are between a person and his Lord. If it includes the violation of the rights of others, the sin is an issue only between the person whose right has been violated and the person who has violated; it is still regarded as a secret for third parties.

Concealment of Sins for Forgiveness

The principle of “secrecy” is in question for sins and this principle should be preserved. Allah’s name “Sattarul-Uyub (Concealer of Faults)” wants to hide sins. Sins must be kept secret so that the path of forgiveness will remain open.

The Names of Sattar and Ghaffar of God Almighty

Stating that that man has a nature capable of committing faults and sins, Nursi says that the names of Sattar (Concealer) and Ghaffar (Forgiving) of God Almighty function as a bulwark against faults and sins, and that God Almighty covers, hides and forgives sins only when one takes refuge in Him.

The confession of guilt by a criminal in judicial courts is considered repentance. If a sin or crime has been committed in an area related to the rights and laws of one or more people, the courts will definitely take action to judge the criminal and protect the innocent people. It is necessary to ensure justice, and it is a separate issue. In this regard, it is a virtue for a person to confess his guilt at the court, and it is like repentance in a sense.

However, a person should hide his sins that do not concern others, avoid spreading his sins and repent of his sins in his own conscience. It is haram to boast about one’s sins.

We should not tell others about our sins

It is essential not to commit sins; we need to take all kinds of material and spiritual measures to ensure it.

However, when some people commit a sin either due to their souls, the devil or other factors, they cannot help telling others about it.

They think that if they do not tell someone about their sins, they will be full of stress and that they will be relieved when they share it with someone. However, they do not take into account what it will cost them to spread their sins.

One should repent instead of telling others about his mistakes

One should not tell anyone about his mistakes so as not to be criticized and mentioned by some people who know nothing but to blame. Instead of telling his mistake to someone, one should open his hands and beg God Almighty, ask for forgiveness, and repent of his sins. He should know that God Almighty will forgive him when he sincerely repents and fulfills his duties of worship.

Exposing one’s sins makes him shameless

It should not be forgotten that exposing one’s sins makes him shameless and gives him the courage to sin again.

Hearing someone’s sins makes some people with weak character view those sins with sympathy and commit them when they have the opportunity.

What is worse, a sin that is exposed has less chance of being forgiven.

We should not forget that Allah Is forgiving

A sinner should not tell anyone about his sin as if he had done a heroic act. Thinking that his Lord knows the sin he committed, he should feel ashamed and should hope that God Almighty will forgive him, as it is indicated in the hadith below:

Once, while the Prophet was sitting in the Masjid an-Nabawi, a man came to him and said:

“O Messenger of Allah! I have committed a sin that must be punished. Punish me!”

The Prophet did not say anything to that man. However, the man repeated his request soon:

“O Messenger of Allah! I have committed a sin that must be punished. Punish me!”

The Messenger of Allah did not answer him again. Then the time for prayer came and the prayer was performed. That Companion, who was overwhelmed by the burden of sin, followed the Messenger of Allah after the prayer and repeated his request:

“O Messenger of Allah! I have committed a sin that must be punished. Punish me!”

The Prophet turned to the man and asked:

“Did you not make wudu properly when you left your house to come to the mosque?”

“Yes, I did, O Messenger of Allah!”

“Did you not come to the mosque and pray with us?”

“Yes, I did, O Messenger of Allah!”

“Then, Allah has forgiven your sin.” (Bukhari, Hudud 27; Muslim, Tawba 44)

With this good news, the Prophet informed us that worship would not only bring thawabs to people but they would also atone for sins.

Let’s cover and conceal the faults of others

“If a person hides the mistakes and faults of his Muslim brother, what others have not seen and what that person does not want anyone else to see, Allah will cover his faults on the Day of Judgment. If a person reveals something that his Muslim brother does not want to be heard, Allah will reveal his faults and what he does not want to be known. Thus, He will disgrace him even if he is in his own house. He who covers the faults of his Muslim brother is as if he has revived a dead person.”(Bukhari, Mazalim, 3; Muslim, Birr, 58; Tirmidhi, Birr, wa Sila, 85) “If a person covers the faults of a Muslim, Allah will cover his fault on the Day of Judgment.”(Abu Dawud, Adab, 39)

“If a person sees a fault and covers it, it is as if he has given life to a baby buried alive in the grave.” (Abu Dawud, Adab, 38)

“Allah Almighty states the following in a sacred hadith: ‘I am so generous and forgiving that I will not expose in the Hereafter a Muslim servant’s fault that I covered in this world and will not disgrace him.’“ (Jamius-Saghir, 2893)

We should not investigate others’ faults and mistakes

And spy not on each other behind their backs...” (al-Hujurat, 49/12)

“Do not investigate one another’s private live.” (Muslim, Birr wa Sila, 30)

We should pray

“Ask Allah to cover your faults and make you safe from what you fear.”(Jamius-Saghir, 638)

We should try to be treated by Allah’s name Ghafur

Al-Ghafur: It means the one who forgives a lot, covers sins a lot and forgives faults a lot. God Almighty is Ghafur. He forgives sins, covers faults and forgives His servant.

[imsailorpluto]

Island finale + ... this one isn't for the weak

Pardon my french in advance. Of course there are spoilers in here. The blog is called "I love spoilers".

One last memory of Won Miho, a smart, intelligent woman, who went to Jeju island by her father's orders to teach ethics. I loved that awesome hair and fashion sense and self-confidence, determination, strength and cool temper. And drifting demon race in pt1. It's good they brought her back in those last few minutes, at least.

Shall we do this for the old times sake? Here goes.

Island Finale, what the hell did I watch?!

Ok, let's be graceful. The series got me exhausted. Being emotionally involved isn't the best option with this one... If you haven't watched it already and love the genre, expect mess, confusion and cognitive dissonance. Or not, it's fine.

My heart goes to two greatly significant characters. I can't stop thinking about them and I'm so grateful neither of them died by the other's hand . Putting aside both actors' charm, these two characters grew on me. One of them being a deeply misunderstood vengeful killer machine. And the other, adorable goofy exorcist.

Since this two parts story finally ended, it made me think about half-demon brothers and why is it that one of them is utterly evil and beyond redemption in the eyes of our little Island community while the other one is practically absolved of all of his "sins".

Both brothers are trained killers (to be correct, abused since early childhood by Jijangjong Temple’s clan) and that's exactly what they've been doing their entire lives - committing murders. The only difference is:

One of them was lucky enough to turn into what he was supposed to become, according to plan - emotionless killer. Knife accepted him easily.

The other brother's transformation didn't go according to the plan. His feelings somehow never disappeared, pain and suffering destroyed him - he cracked under the pressure just as anyone would

First one believed that Wonjeong can give them their human lives back, his bloodthirst was ulterior motive (and I'll get to that a bit later)

The other was hypersensitive one and could see through the clan's lies. Even as broken as he was. His humanity made him trust Yeomji later on, making them both susceptable to Baek's clan manipulation

Were those two brothers really that different to begin with? Pan brought wounded Wonjeong back to the temple. After hurting her. Because he believed she could save them. By doing so he turned his back on his brother. Gungtan followed him knowing he'd get punished for it, his loyalty unmatched. While Wonjeong was living her life being trained to fulfill her destiny yet having a sense of freedom, boys were chained and starved. She would bring them food, but she never gained Gungtan's trust again - and his hunch was right. She was the end of both brothers.

If there's God in this story, then the moment Pan stabbed Wonjeong and a piece of divine crystal entered him was that God's doing. Pan gained a piece of humanity, by ending a life of a living person, accidentally or not. It never suffocated his urge to kill, but it made him more aware of all the lives taken by the lust demon and then by his own half-demon hands. That didn't make him less of a killer, but it did clear his mind of fog (which made him realise both he and Gungtan have to die in order to set themselves free), he gained control over himself and his impulse to kill - even though his yearning for Miho still made him want to kill her, let's not forget that. He is a lust demon, afterall, which does sound awfully like a vampire, but I'll let it slide.

Vampires, however, often end up killing their loved ones, unless they learn how to control their bloodthirst. I can't help but consider both of them vampires, in a way.

Boy got therapy and it (partially) worked. And everybody fell for him as if he's an angel sent from heavens and his past has been erased. That's not how it works, but fine. Fine. I'm fine with people being there for him. But something is not adding up here, there's still no sympathy for Gungtan. Why?

Ah, Gungtan, the villain. Once a boy who loved his brother so much that he gave up his own freedom/life for him. Took the beatings for bringing Wonjeong back. And turned his back on the whole human race for good. His love was the purest love they showed us, but it's not in the focus, so it's easy to run it over like it never existed. He ended up chained in the dark for years. No therapy. No nothing. Left to rot. Oh but he can't die, because he's not human. Torture lasted and lasted. Then he was set free only to be used again. Was mercy ever given to him in any way? Was he ever given any chance to become something different from what he became? Is there anything this demon-slayer knows of, other than abuse, punishment, betrayal and smell of blood? He is as self-destructive as it gets, there's no turning back from his path of soul torture. Character development inconsistencies are out there on the surface, so let's not go into that any further.

He's a hyperviligant killing tool but he can't stay indifferent towards a little girl covering his feet with her jacket. That was it for me. I couldn't care less about any other character at that point. I fell for the deeply wounded devil that he is. Completely. Why? Because I'm Bob the builder, duh. Because in the real world, where real and often horrible things happen, anyone can become a target of abuse and turn into someone like Gungtan. Often completely unaware of it. Leave out the killing and you have a very realistic character. Psychologically, it's a hell of a ride to get back up on tracks afterwards. And people think it takes a lot to become a villain, they don't have the potential, something like that can never happen to them, so why not wish death upon a fictional character who suffered more than enough for a thousand lifetimes.

I'm not buying any of the moralist-on-duty shit. Leave. Him. Alone.

I wish he could have run away that instant, somewhere, anywhere, before the Baek clan put their magic manipulation skills to work. I wish he was safe and in peace. I can't put any blame on him for what he became. And what he did. Especially since it is strongly suggested he was used like a puppet after they woke him up. His anger was used for a "greater" evil purpose. I can't help but wanting to reach out and get him the hell out of there.

Despite general opinion of the Island community and Mr. Gungtan himself, he isn't that different from his brother Pan at all. He cracked under the pressure, yet he didn't need a magical crystal fragment to sober up and help another abused child, which he wouldn't do if he had no feelings left in him. Pan believed in Wonjeong, Gungtan believed in Yeomji, but neither of those girls could help the brothers. And no matter how much they wanted to live, death was the only escape from the constant hellfire brought upon them. Gungtan needed to escape his untameable urge for revenge which led him to madness, Pan needed to escape the burden of his heavy dirty bloodthirsty soul.

May I add, Miho never sold out Pan, like Yeomji, who switched sides like a spineless creature. Yes, she's a kid and could never measure up to Miho. Her influence, if there ever was any, ended once Baek clan took over Gungtan. The same clan known for their magical manipulation skills. Gungtan's misery just doesn't stop. Once again he's nothing but a killing tool.

The brothers escaped their personal hell by ending their own lives - which is why I'm not mad about the ending. Their suffering stopped, at last. Finally. Their inner demons were swallowed by the underworld. Gungtan's little smile at the end, that sigh of relief as lust demon left his body and he was finally free, that moment was e v e r y t h i n g

But you know what else was everything? Seeing my favourite Island manhwa character coming to life on screen. Finally! Well done, cgi team, well done!

In previous life or death battle, my boy Gio almost died. Ahh, how many times I yelled at the screen for him to just stay out of other people's business but thankfully he survived it all. He is my favourite goofy guy who makes people write witty texts about him. The only priest, real or fictional, I've ever liked and will ever like. Look at this fluffball. Must. Protect. Him. (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)

Thankfully, Johan survived all the battles, which weren't even his own to begin with and which lead me to believe he'd meet a tragic end sooner or later. Ah but that's the part of his charm - sticking his nose in other people's business so we never know if he'll live or not. There would be some ugly crying if something tragic actually happened to him. And just like in pt1, he was left on hold while bleeding to death. This time it was even more horrible than before.

Pan, seriously? Like "brb, let me just-". I swear, at some point this thing turned into such a grotesque show. Plot has twisted so hard it was unbearable to watch at times. But, Johan picked himself up from the brink of death, thanks to his badass powers. Amen!

Despite the fact that finale brought so much sadness to entire audience, either for the main villain's death or PanxMiho not happening in a million years (which I'll forever be grateful for), that final fight was amazing. Writers finally gave us a large portion of enjoyable action. Plus, Gungtan wasn't the end of Johan and vice versa. Honestly, that's more than generous from their part, since Gungtan's downfall was imminent and it all went downhill long time ago, anyways.

Hope they don't bring us pt3. Sorry. I'm done with the massacre of manhwa plotlines and characters. Starred actors were amazing. Talent and looks, you know, everything. Especially absolutely stunning Lee Da-hee. Craaaazy talented and amazing Sung Joon♡ But. Please. No. More. Island.

Well, with too pure for this world cutie, I conclude my thoughts. It's been fun.

Sailor Pluto wishes you a great day and more enjoyable kdrama,

Till next time, xx

P.S. If you've made it this far, wow, congratulations. It must not have been easy navigating that pile of chaos. Also, there are so many things I edited out of the "original" text, trying to keep my cool. Also, if for any reason you (dis)liked my interpretation of fictional characters of Island, my ask box is always open. (⁠◠⁠‿⁠◕⁠)

P.P.S. Dear gifmakers, if you want me to remove any of your GIFs from my posts, please feel free to contact me, it will be done immediately. Thank you for all your work for our little community (⁠✿⁠ ⁠♡⁠‿⁠♡⁠)

[loverandservantoftheahlulbayt]

🍃🕊🍃 Fellow Muslims Rights 🍃🕊🍃

One may have this impression that the only duty of man is to take care of himself, his wife, his children and his relatives and that he has no responsibility towards other people. That is not so, although one’s duties towards himself, his wife, and children is heavier and more serious than towards others.

No human being can ignore his fellow human beings or be indifferent to them. Imam Sadiq (as) has reported the Messenger of Allah (S) as saying: “Whoever spends a day without doing anything for the fellow Muslims is not considered as a Muslim.”1

The Holy Prophet (S) has also said: “Whoever hears a man calling ‘O Muslims (asking for help)’ and does not respond to him is not considered as a Muslim.”2

Imam Sajjad (as) has been reported as saying to az-Zuhri: “It is incumbent on you to consider other fellow Muslims as members of your family. Take the elder one as your father and the younger one as your son and those of your age as brothers. In that case, which one of them would you like to harm?” Speaking about good opinion of them, Imam Sajjad (as) further says: “When you see someone older than you, say to yourself: ‘he has preceded me in faith and good deeds. Therefore, he is better than I am.’ If he is younger than you are, say to yourself: ‘I have preceded him in sins. Therefore, he is better than I am.’ If he is of your age, say to yourself: ‘my sins are certain, but I doubt whether he has committed sins or not. Therefore, I have no right to change my certainty into doubt.’ If you see Muslims bow to you and honor you, say to yourself: ‘this is a favor from them, that is, they are good and not me.’ If they ignore you, say to yourself: ‘this is the result of the sin I have committed.’ Then, if you adopt such a policy, God will make life easy for you; you will have a lot of friends, your enemies will be few, you will be happy with their benevolence, and you will not become sad for their wrongdoings.”3

Imam Ali (as) has been reported as saying: “There are thirty rights that every Muslim has to observe towards his Muslim brother. These rights cannot be quitted unless by compensation or being pardoned. These rights are the following:

• To overlook his mistakes (Muslims towards each other)

• To have pity on him when he is distressed

• To cover his faults

• To forgive his lapses

• To accept his excuses

• To reject his backbiting (by others)

• To keep on advising him

• To observe his friendship

• To observe his duties

• To accept his invitation

• To attend his funeral

• To accept his gift

• To reciprocate his visit

• To thank him for any favor

• To help him

• To safeguard his wife

• To grant his requests

• To intervene for him

• To pray for him when sneezing

• To guide him when he goes astray

• To answer his greeting

• To talk kindly to him

• To appreciate his favors

• To accept his witnesses

• To make friends with his friends and avoid bearing enmity against them

• To help him, to prevent him from oppressing, and support him when he is oppressed

• To avoid humiliating him

• Not to betray him

• To wish for him what he wishes for himself and hate for him what he hates for himself.” 4

Abdullah ibn Sinan has reported: “I heard Imam Sadiq (as) say: ‘observe piety and do not let people ride on your shoulders (that makes you low and servile). Nevertheless, God says: “Speak kindly to mankind.”5 Visit Muslims of other sects when they are sick, attend their funerals and perform prayer with them in their mosques until you breathe your last…’”6

Being asked for advice, Imam Sadiq (as) said: “It is incumbent on you to observe piety, speak truthfully, give back the trusts to their owners, keep good companionship with your companions, greet loudly, feed the poor, offer prayer in their7 mosques, to visit their sick people and to attend their funerals. My father told me a tradition that our Shia (followers), we the Ahlulbayt (pbbut), are the best of people; if one of them was a jurisprudent, he would be the best of them (jurisprudents), if he was a muezzin, he would be the best of them (muezzins), if he was an imam, he would be the best of them, if he was a man of trust, he would be the best of them and if he was a man of deposit, he would be the best of them. And so you must be; try to make us beloved to people and do not make us hated by them!”8

Concerning the obedience to the Imams and the true leaders, Abu Basir has reported: “I heard Imam Sadiq (as) say: ‘Fear Allah, and it is incumbent on you to obey your Imams in whatever they say and keep silent about what they keep silent.’”

Imam Ali (as) has said: “Associate with people in a way that if you die, they will weep for you and if you live, they are eager to see you.”9

***************************************

🍃 Reference’s 🍃

1. Wasa’il al-Shiah (vol. 11, p. 559)

2. Ibid (p. 560)

3. Bihar al-Anwar (vol. 71, p. 156)

4. Bihar al-Anwar (vol. 71, p. 236)

5. Qur'an (2:83)

6. Bihar al-Anwar (vol. 71, p. 161)

7. It may refer to people of other creeds.

8. Ibid (p. 162)

9. Nahjal Balagha (vol. 2, p. 1092)

***************************************

[basicsofislam]

ISLAM 101: Your New Life.Part1

How to Convert to Islam

To enter the fold of Islam, all one needs to do is to pronounce the testimony of faith (shahaadah) with sincere conviction, being fully aware of its meaning. The shahaadah is the first and most important of the five pillars of Islam and consists of two parts, namely:

1) Ashhadu an laailaaha illallaah:

This means: I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah; I worship Him alone without associating any partners with Him in worship.

2) Wa ash hadu anna Muhammad an rasool-ullaah:

This means: And I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah whom Allah has sent to all mankind; I will obey his commands and avoid anything he has forbidden and worship Allah according to His law and the teachings of His Messenger May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.

Taking a Bath:

The very moment a person embraces Islam is doubtless the greatest moment in his life, for it signifies his real birth through which he has come to understand the real reason behind his existence in this life. Now that he has entered the fold of Islam, he is recommended to take a bath (ghusl), washing his entire body with water. Just as he has cleansed his soul of such things as associating partners with Allah in worship (shirk) and committing sins, he is recommended to cleanse his body by taking a bath. When one of the Arab notables embraced Islam, the Prophet May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him directed him to take a bath. (Al-Bayhaqee’s As-Sunan As-Sughraa: 837)

Sincere Repentance:

Repentance (tawbah) means “sincerely turning to Allah”, and a repentant person is one who gives up sins and unbelief and turns to Allah in repentance. A Muslim needs to repent and seek Allah’s forgiveness at practically all stages of his life; because it is only human to err, a Muslim is required to repent and beg Allah’s pardon every time he commits a sin.

What Are the Conditions of Sincere Repentance?

For repentance of all sins, including the sin of unbelief and shirk, to be valid and acceptable to Allah, a number of conditions must be met, including the following:

1) To give up the sin immediately:

Sincere repentance from sin with the deliberate desire to continue to commit it is not valid and will not possibly take place; if, however, a person commits the sin again after sincerely repenting from it, his earlier repentance will still be valid but he will need fresh repentance, and so on.

2) To feel deep sorrow and regret for having committed it:

True repentance cannot possibly take place without feeling deep remorse for having committed the sin. A person who talks about his past sins and brags about committing them is in no way considered penitent. As the Prophet May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him once stated, “Remorse is repentance.” (Sunan Ibn Maajah: 4252)

3) To sincerely resolve not to commit it again:

Sincere repentance cannot possibly take place if a penitent person intends to repeat the sin.

Steps towards Acquiring Determination

-Pledging oneself not to repeat the sin under any circumstances and obstacles, not even for an instant, for the Prophet May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him said, “Whoever possesses the following three qualities will relish the sweetness of faith.” Of these three characteristics, he mentioned “to hate to return to unbelief (kufr) after Allah has saved him from it, as much as he would hate to be thrown into the Fire.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree: 21; Saheeh Muslim: 43)

-Keeping away from people and places that are bound to decrease his faith and tempt him to commit sins.

-Repeatedly begging Allah May He be glorified and exalted to keep him on the right path and adhere firmly to Islam until death, in any language or form. Examples from the Qur’an and the Prophet’s Sunnah include the following:

“Rabbanaa laa tuzigh quloobanaa ba‛da idh hadaytanaa” (Our Lord, do not make our hearts deviate after You have guided us) (SooratAal-‛Imraan, 3:8)

“Yaa muqallibal-quloob, Thabbit qalbee ‛alaa deenik” (O Allah, Controller of hearts, make my heart adhere firmly to Your religion) (Sunan At-Tirmidhee: 2140)

What Happens after Repentance?

If a person turns to Allah in repentance, Allah May He be glorified and exalted will definitely forgive his sins, no matter how serious they may be, for His mercy “extends to all things” (Soorat Al-A‛raaf, 7:156). The Qur’an says, “Say: ‘My slaves, you who have transgressed against yourselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Truly Allah forgives all wrong actions. He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.’” (Soorat Az-Zumar, 39:53) After a person sincerely repents to Allah, Allah May He be glorified and exalted will definitely pardon him and forgive his sins; in addition, He will reward him; immensely: He will change his bad deeds into good ones, as the Qur’an states, “Except for those who repent, believe and act rightly: Allah will transform the wrong actions of such people into good — Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Soorat Al-Furqaan,25:70) As this a reward is immense indeed, a sensible person ought to maintain such repentance and spare no effort to avoid falling into Satan’s trap which will negatively affect his faith.

Sweetness of Faith

Those who will most certainly taste the sweetness of faith, experience deep tranquillity and take great delight in experiencing closeness to Allah are those who love Allah May He be glorified and exalted and His Messenger May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him more than anyone or anything else, love others, commensurate with their closeness to Allah and dedication to Islam, and hate to convert to unbelief just as they hate to be punished in Hellfire. The Prophet May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him said, “Any person who combines these three qualities will certainly experience the sweetness of faith: (1) that Allah and His Messenger are dearer to him than anything else; (2) that his love of others is purely for Allah’s sake; and (3) that he hates to relapse into unbelief as much as he hates to be cast into the Fire.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree: 21; Saheeh Muslim: 43)

A Muslim relishes the sweetness of faith when he hates to relapse into unbelief just as much as he hates to be thrown into the Fire.

[yhwhrulz]

Today's Daily Encounter Tuesday, December 3, 2024

A Soft Heart

Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.1

When we spend time with God in His Word, His presence will saturate our hearts, making us docile and sensitive. But just as a human relationship can grow cold unless we nurture it, the heart can slowly harden when we're not looking to spend time with God. In order for our hearts to remain soft and receptive, we must respond obediently, and promptly, to what the Lord tells us to do.

If you believe that God is leading you in a certain direction, take the time to seriously look for what He says on the matter, and listen to His answer. Then avoid engaging in something that was not what He originally called you to do. It would be tragic to work hard doing what you and others consider good, only to find that you accomplished something that was not God's intention.

Resisting the Lord is often equivalent to archiving His purposes for our lives. Which will make us feel that we are missing something. There is no substitute for God's will, even when His plan seems difficult or impossible. But when you confidently approach God with a heart willing to serve, there is no limit to what He can accomplish. So, step into obedience today and say, "Lord, I want to do Your will, no matter what."

Suggested Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I want to be obedient to You alone. Help me to submit my desires to Your will. May everything I do be guided by your Holy Spirit. May your Word be my compass and direct my steps. I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

Psalms 25:4-5 (NIV).

Today's Encounter was written by: Rosina N.

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ, please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

Daily Encounter is published at no charge by ACTS International, a non-profit organization, and made possible through the donations of interested friends. Donations can be sent at: http://www.actscom.com

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When copying or forwarding include the following: "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2005-2023 ACTS International

[steveezekiel]

THE NEW COVENANT

26 AND as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “TAKE, EAT; THIS IS MY BODY.” 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 FOR THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE NEW COVENANT, WHICH IS SHED FOR MANY FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS." Mathew 26:26-28 (NKJV)

"SO YOU SHALL OBSERVE THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. THEREFORE YOU SHALL OBSERVE THIS DAY THROUGHOUT YOUR GENERATIONS AS AN EVERLASTING ORDINANCE." Exodus 12:17 (NKJV)

God established a covenant with the Israelites through the feast of unleavened bread—passover.

The old covenant needed the blood of animals to be sustained. For someone's life to be preserved, be forgiven or pardoned of sins, the blood of animals is needed.

The old testament or covenant was allowed to prepare the way for the New covenant (Galatians 3:22-25). Since the old covenant was faulty, there is a need for the new covenant (Hebrews 7:18,22; 8:7). The blood of bulls and goats cannot not take away sins (Hebrews 10:3,4).

If the old testament or covenant was not faulty there would not be need for the new one—the new covenant: 7 FOR IF THAT FIRST COVENANT HAD BEEN FAULTLESS, THEN NO PLACE WOULD HAVE BEEN SOUGHT FOR A SECOND. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: “BEHOLD, THE DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL MAKE A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH" (Hebrews 8:7,8 NKJV). READ: Hebrews 8:7-13

Jesus mediated the new covenant because the old covenant is faulty: "BUT AS IT IS, CHRIST HAS ACQUIRED A [priestly] MINISTRY WHICH IS MORE EXCELLENT [than the old Levitical priestly ministry], FOR HE IS THE MEDIATOR (Arbiter) OF A BETTER COVENANT [uniting God and man], WHICH HAS BEEN ENACTED AND RESTS ON BETTER PROMISES (Hebrews 8:6 Amps.).

Through the law, the old covenant, no one can be justified or be made right with God.

Without the law there was no Sin (Romans 7:7). Man, a human, would not know that he or she is a sinner, but through the law, our sins are made known to us (Romans 5:13; 7:7).

That said, the law was powerless, It cannot transform, thus, no one can be justified or made right with God through the practice of the law (Galatians 2:16; 3:11). The law would show you the problem but had no power to deliver you or set you free (Romans 8:2,3).

The law was to keep us until faith would come. Now that faith through Christ Jesus has come, the law is no longer needed: 22 But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, SO WE RECEIVE GOD'S PROMISE OF FREEDOM ONLY BY BELIEVING IN JESUS CHRIST. 23 Before the way of FAITH IN CHRIST was available to us, WE WERE PLACED UNDER GUARD BY THE LAW. WE WERE KEPT IN PROTECTIVE CUSTODY, SO TO SPEAK, UNTIL THE WAY OF FAITH WAS REVEALED. 24 Let me put it another way. THE LAW WAS OUR GUARDIAN [tutor] UNTIL CHRIST CAME; IT PROTECTED US UNTIL WE COULD BE MADE RIGHT WITH GOD THROUGH FAITH. 25 And NOW THAT THE WAY OF FAITH HAS COME, WE NO LONGER NEED THE LAW AS OUR GUARDIAN [tutor]" (Galatians 3:22-25 NLT).

Under the old covenant, If you discovered your Sin, you get to know that you are a sinner or you have committed a Sin, your can be atoned or covered or overlooked through the blood of animals—bulls and goats (Leviticus 16:5,6,11; Hebrews 7:27; 9:7,13)

The blood of animals, bulls and goats could only sanctify for the purifying of the flesh or the body (Hebrews 9:13). But the blood of animals cannot change or purge or transform the conscience or the spirit or the inward Man of any human Being: "FOR IT IS NOT POSSIBLE THAT THE BLOOD OF BULLS AND GOATS COULD TAKE AWAY SINS" (Hebrews 10:4 NKJV). READ: Hebrews 9:9-11

The blood of animals was meant to placate or pacify or appease; to lessen the anger or agitation for punishment. It cannot completely redeem or transform or change the heart or conscience of whoever committed the Sin. a. The blood of animals cannot redeem; extricate from or help to overcome Sin which is detrimental. b. It cannot change for the better; reform or transform the conscience or human spirit. c. It cannot free from the consequences of Sin. d. It cannot release from the blame or the debt of Sin—clear from the guilt of Sin.

The old testament or covenant of cleansing was a type, a shadow, of the reality; in preparation for the sacrifice of Christ Jesus meant for the redemption of mankind: 9 THIS IS AN ILLUSTRATION [symbolic] POINTING TO THE PRESENT TIME. FOR THE GIFTS AND SACRIFICES THAT THE PRIESTS OFFER ARE NOT ABLE TO CLEANSE THE CONSCIENCES OF THE PEOPLE WHO BRING [offer] THEM. 10 For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established. 11 SO CHRIST HAS NOW BECOME THE HIGH PRIEST OVER ALL THE GOOD THINGS THAT HAVE COME. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12 WITH HIS OWN BLOOD—NOT THE BLOOD OF GOATS AND CALVES—HE ENTERED THE MOST HOLY PLACE ONCE FOR ALL TIME AND SECURED OUR REDEMPTION FOREVER" (Hebrews 9:9-12 NLT).

What are the things that happened under the new covenant (Hebrews 8:7-13):

You know the Word of God. Your eyes of understanding is enlightened—you had the understanding of the Word of God (Ephesians 1:18; Hebrews 8:10).

God is now your God. You are reconciled to Him and become a member of His family (2 Corinthians 5:18; Ephesians 2:12,13; Hebrews 8:10).

Willingness to serve God. In other words, the longing for God and the heart to serve Him would be on the inside of you—because the stony heart would have been removed (Ezekiel 11:19; Hebrews 8:11).

Forgiveness and cleansing of sins and the lawless deeds, the unrighteousness would be remembered no more (Hebrews 8:12).

The New covenant will nullify or replace the old covenant. Make it of no value or consequence again. put an end to it by formal action—the shedding of Christ Jesus' blood, His death and resurrection (Hebrews 8:13).

What are the benefits of the new covenant:

Redemption of the human spirit—the reborn or rebirth or regeneration of human spirit (John 1:29; 3:3-6; Hebrews 9:12).

Divine healing (Matthew 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24).

Fruitfulness, that is, abundance (John 15:4,5).

Blessings (Romans 8:32).

Favour (Luke 4:19; Acts 2:46,47).

Dominion (Luke 10:19; Revelation 5:6,12,13).

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has given us Dominion or rulership; divine health, fruitfulness, blessings, favour, and whatever.

What could not be found in Jesus should not be found in your life.

You will not fail in Jesus' name.

That protracted ailment in your body is cursed and completely uprooted in Jesus' name.

The hold is totally broken and an end comes to the Affliction today, never to rise again, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Peace!

STEPS TO SALVATION

Take notice of this: IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15). a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20). b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10). c. Ask that He will write your name in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

If you took the steps As highlighted above, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!

[evigtlivihimlen]

Crucified God - The Gospel!

CRUCIFIED GOD - the message of Easter!

God dies on a bloody cross to reconcile man with himself, can it be more dramatic than that? It is love that drives this astonishing event, as it says "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life". Here we trace the reason why Jesus voluntarily walked the path of suffering on the tree of the Cross, so that man should not "be lost but have eternal life".

Let's look back to the beginning. Man was created for spiritual and familial fellowship with God. She rebelled and wanted to be her own god; a poison of selfishness, sin and evil polluted human nature, something the world and its history clearly shows. A look in any newspaper becomes compelling. Sin is a crime against God's commandments and will, and who has not, for example, lied, slandered, stolen, treated someone badly, been unloving or selfish. This poison gives an inner emptiness and dissatisfaction as man now came outside of what she was created for, contact and fellowship with the source of life was simply broken.

But, Jesus came to us. The Son of God painfully stretched out his hands on the Cross, as if he wanted to embrace the hole world, but rough nails pierced the hands and feet of the Savior, our sins Jesus took on like a giant magnet, yes, our sins was the whipping of the Romans that beat the Master's back bloody and the hammer blow that fixed the Lord with nails on the Cross. God the Father let this happen, because the punishment was laid on Him. Jesus would deal with the "sin problem" and its terrible consequences once and for all so that every man could be forgiven of his sins and be reconciled with God.

Jesus himself took the penalty for our sins instead of us. It is, now as in a parable, if you committed a lot of serious crimes in the community and you stand in a court and are sentenced to be tortured and killed to atone your crimes, but, then someone steps forward in front of the judge and says “I take his punishment on me instead of him", and you go completely free. Jesus did this for us so that we can be acquitted and pardoned on the day of reckoning and judgment, and have eternal life in Heaven.

We can not earn this salvation, by for example bargaining with God, it is impossible to erase our evil, selfish living with good deeds. Sin must be reconciled, the price paid in full and the punishment suffered in order for eternal justice to take place; This Jesus did with love for us on the Cross. Salvation is a free gift of God's grace. We turn to God, acknowledge our need for Jesus and His salvation, and believe. Then, in this choice of faith and confession, the miracle occurs, man is born again spiritually with a restored relationship with God, a spiritual fellowship that fills us with peace and joy, a blanket of love over our frozen soul. And a crucified God, Jesus on the Cross, who rose from the dead on the third day and lives says to us: “Welcome home my dear child…

P.S! Now you can Choose forgivness of your sins. Now you can Choose eternal life in Heaven instead of eternal damnation…If you Seriously want to Turn to God and Receive Jesus and His salvation…You can pray out loud this Salvationpray from your heart to God: "God, Heavenly Father…I Confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior… I Believe that Jesus suffered and died for my sins…I Believe that Jesus is Risen from the dead … Lord Jesus, come into my heart…Forgive me of all my sins…Thank You for forgivness of my sins…Thank You for everlasting life in Heaven…I also receive your Spirit, The Holy Spirit…Fill me with your peace and joy…with your presence, power and love…I pray in Jesus name, Amen".

[shammah8]

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

Colossians 3:13

WHAT FORGIVENESS IS AND IS NOT

To understand forgiveness we must realize what forgiveness is NOT:

 

Forgiveness is not forgetting. Deep hurts can rarely be wiped out of one’s awareness.

 

Forgiveness is not reconciliation. Reconciliation takes two persons, but an injured party can forgive an offender without reconciliation.

 

Forgiveness is not condoning. Forgiveness does not necessarily excuse bad or hurtful behaviour.

 

Forgiveness is not dismissing. It involves taking the offense seriously, not passing it off as inconsequential or insignificant.

 

 Forgiveness is not a vague notion of ‘tolerance’. This is, at best, a low-grade parody of forgiveness. At worst, it’s a way of sweeping the real issues in life under the carpet.

 

Forgiveness is not pardoning. A pardon is a legal transaction that releases an offender from the consequences of an action, such as a penalty.

Throughout the Old Testament we read that only God can forgive sins. We hear David exclaim, “He forgives all my sins…” (Psalm 103:3). We also see examples of human forgiveness—even in pain—like Joseph forgiving his brothers for selling him into slavery. Joseph gains true freedom. He then names his son Manasseh, “one who causes to be forgotten.”

 

In the New Testament we see Jesus, the Lamb of God, come into to the world to die for our sins. Through His shed blood we can once and for all receive ultimate forgiveness. This is the pure “gospel of grace.” This forgiveness is a gift. We do not deserve it but God, in His grace, reached out to provide forgiveness to a dying world.

 

Then we read in the verse above the impact of this on those of us who have received that forgiveness. Its ethical challenge parallels “love your enemies” and “pray for your persecutors.”

 

In the final analysis, forgiveness is an act of faith. By forgiving another, I am trusting that God is a better justice-maker than I am. By forgiving, I release my own right to get even and leave all issues of fairness for God to work out. I leave in God’s hands the scales that must balance justice and mercy. I simply forgive others and leave them to God.

Response

Today I will leave fairness and justice in God’s hands. I will obediently forgive others just as the Lord forgave me.

Prayer

Lord, grant me the faith to trust You with the offenses committed against me. I will forgive.

© 2013 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

[adventism-atheism-orthodoxy-me]

The Last Heroic Journey

As the wall between my personal life and my online persona continues to erode, I feel compelled to meditate on the Heroic Journey all of us must make as we live this life.

And what Heroic Journey is that?

That we must ultimately face our greatest foe - Death. No human escapes the eventual end of their time on this earth. At times we can avoid and avert death. Many of us have probably been close to death without even knowing it, or knowing how close we were, have been able to skirt it - however temporarily. But even Lazarus faced an eventual death from which he never arose.

It is the last journey we all make.

I mentioned to someone earlier today that in battling death, in clinging to life, all men become heros as they face their battle for it - whether it be for a few minutes, hours, days, or even years.

I've chosen to euthanize pets. I was told that it was for their own good, and yet, I can't help but think I stole something from those whom I claimed to love; something that they can never get back, and something of which they were never given a choice about. I can't but help thinking that I've got blood on my hands.

I know we can trust in the goodness of God, to be sure, but behind the veil, as great as the experience might be, from the perspective of this side where only bodily decay and lost memories remain, where the agony of the transition wracks the bodies of those making that transition in more then just a few cases, the experience seems horrible.

And yet, we are all called to make that journey.

Life is a "Hero's Journey". Make the best of it. You don't get a second chance.

Die Well.

For a Christian ending to our life: painless, blameless, peaceful, and a good defense before the dread Judgment Seat of the Lord, let us pray... - From the Orthodox Christian Litany of supplication

O God of spirits and of all flesh, Who hast trampled down death and overthrown the Devil, and given life to Thy world, do Thou, the same Lord, give rest to the souls of Thy departed servants in a place of brightness, a place of refreshment, a place of repose, where all sickness, sighing, and sorrow have fled away. Pardon every transgression which they have committed, whether by word or deed or thought. For Thou art a good God and lovest mankind; because there is no man who lives yet does not sin, for Thou only art without sin, Thy righteousness is to all eternity, and Thy word is truth. For Thou are the Resurrection, the Life, and the Repose of Thy servants who have fallen asleep, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thy Father, who is from everlasting, and Thine all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever unto ages of ages. Amen. - Orthodox Christian Prayer For the Departed

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy upon me, A sinner.

[hotmessexpress2023]

God Pardons Us

Micah 7:18-20

Forgiveness is not easy it is very difficult. Jesus says to forgive 70x70= forever forgiveness. We must forgive the sinner. God allows all of us to start over, the person who sinned against us should not have to prove himself worthy of trust. To forgive doesn't mean you have to allow or be put in same sinful situation again. Remove the forgive and forget. The situation should not be forgotten it should be remembered. Unforgiveness bounds us in ways that can kill and destroy us physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Grudges cause high blood pressure and stomach issues, and it keeps us from enjoying life.

Your generosity can reach millions.

Hope- is possible but uncertain desire (world) and eager expectation of some longed future event(bible)

Christian experiences strengthen out hope, for God's love is still in us working powerfully through all that we go through as Christians.

God's law is Universal- Exodus 20:1-2

We know in our hearts what is right and what is wrong. Noone likes to be insulted, be lied to, to have their possessions stolen or defaced. God's law is imprinted on our hearts, defined by the ten commandments and even more so by Jesus law of love. If you wouldn't want it done to yourself don't do it to others. I f you feel the need to justify their actions, its probably wrong. The first sin is not outdated since we all have a tendency to put ourselves first, God and everyone else placed second or third.

Baptism is a verb not a noun/ It is not something we get it is something we do. Moses says do not add or subtract from the law. Jesus told the pharisee and scribes they were hypocrites due to them caring more about human precepts than God's law.

The world operates at the lowest level of morality- if it gives pleasure, it is good. If uncomfortable and causes pain it is bad. Gods law operates on the highest-level making choices on the basis of universal good. We are called to be like Christ not Christ.

Legalism is helpless in bringing this about. It only gets in the way among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good- Crucified.

Our flesh longs for the things of the world. Chech who you belong to and quit comparing yourself. God gave you enough. When in groups and you begin to think you are not enough and think less of yourself. Please be reminded and think about whose you are and then remember you belong to something bigger than yourself. It is through you not to you. You have a purpose for someone else. You can belong to Jesus by- studying God's word, letting scripture inform you of your actions, and by asking God his will for your life.

Cultivate what matters!

Cultivating a good seed takes time and consistent attention. You must water!

Two types of fruit. Fruit of the Spirit and Fruit of the Flesh.

Flesh desires- pulls us from God's Holy Spirit and these desires produce:

hate

impatience

bitterness

selfishness

rudeness

chaos

anxiety

self-indulgence

God has no association with such things as these.

Commit your life. He will give you His Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit helps us "Crucify" the desires of our flesh and puts them to death. Once these desires are crucified, we create room for the Holy Spirit to produce fruit in us that leads to positive life change.

Fruit of the Spirit:

love

joy

peace

forbearance

kindness

gentleness

self-control

Our flesh wants to get even but the spirit calls us to extend kindness. Our flesh wants to entertain sinful thoughts, but the spirit wants to walk in self-control.

Our flesh wants to dictate our emotional response, but spirit calls us to walk in joy and peace. The spirit reveals that we are actively seeking God and rejecting disobedience.

Allow the spirit to show you what all you need to remove then allow the spirit to transform your attitude, actions, and desires.

[reedreadsgreek]

John 8, Reed's Version

⟦ So everybody went home.

But Jesus went up the mountain of olive groves. The next morning he went into the temple courts, as he was accustomed. The people all flocked to him so he sat down and taught them. But then some of the religious experts and Pharisees walked up with a woman who had been caught committing adultery, and they made her stand in front of everyone. “Teacher,” they said, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says that the penalty is to be stoned to death. Do you agree?” But they only asked this in an attempt to trap him, so they could bring official charges against him. Jesus, however, just knelt down and drew in the dirt with his finger. But they stood there waiting for an answer, so Jesus finally stood up and said, “If there’s one of you who has never sinned, he may throw a stone first.” And he knelt down again to write in the dirt. At this, they all slowly walked away, beginning with the older ones, until Jesus was left there alone with the woman in front of him. So Jesus stood up and asked, “Is there no one left to accuse you?” “No one, sir,” she replied. Jesus said, “I don’t, either. Now go on your way, and don’t sin any more.”⟧

Another time Jesus was speaking to the crowds, and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me you’ll no longer have to walk through spiritual darkness because you’ll have my life-giving light.” But the Pharisees objected, “No witness can testify about himself! Your testimony’s not valid.” But Jesus replied, “I am testifying about myself, but it’s still valid because it’s no human testimony. I came from heaven, and I will return there. But you won’t accept this truth. You Pharisees judge superficially; I haven’t come to judge anybody. And when I do judge it’s a legitimate evaluation because it’s not only from me but also from the Father, who sent me. Doesn’t your own law state that if two people agree then their testimony is valid? I am one witness about myself, and my Father, who sent me, is the second.” But the Pharisees retorted, “Well, where is this father of yours? He must be present to testify!” Jesus answered, “You don’t know me at all, or my Father. If you knew me, you’d know who my Father was.” This conversation took place by the temple treasury, where he was teaching. But no one tried to arrest him, because it wasn’t his time.

Another time Jesus told the religious leaders, “I’m going away soon. And even though you’ll expect a pardon, you’ll die under the penalty for your sin. Where I’m going you can’t follow.” So they asked one another, “He’s not going to commit suicide, is he? Is that why he says, ‘Where I’m going you can’t follow’?” But Jesus responded, “You belong to the lower realm; I to the upper. You belong to this world; I do not. That’s why I said you will die from your sins. Unless you believe that I am who I say I am, you’ll die from your sins.” Again they mocked him, “Tell us, who do you claim to be?” Jesus replied, “I’ve told you many times already. And I have a lot to say about you, too. It’s condemning, but I must. I only speak in the world what I hear from my Master, and He doesn’t lie.” But they didn’t realize that he was referring to the Father. So Jesus told them, “Soon you’ll put me up on a cross, and on that day Israel will know that I am the Son of Man. I don’t speak on my own authority, but only as the Father has taught me to speak. Although He sent me here, He’s also here with me. He’s never left my side because He’s happy with everything I do.” And as he spoke, many people there believed in him.

So Jesus turned to address those people. “If you do not stray from my teaching then you are truly my apprentices. Then you will know truth and the truth will set you free.” But some objected, “Set us free? What do you mean? We’re descendents of Abraham! Freedom is our birthright. We’ve never been in slavery to anybody.” Jesus responded, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now, a slave isn’t part of the household; they can be dismissed at any time. But a son is always part of the family. Now if the son frees you, you are truly free! You’re technically Abraham’s descendants, and yet you’re trying to kill me! It’s because you’ve impervious to my teaching. I’m only speaking what I’ve received from the Father; you also must do what He’s told you to do.”

In reply they told him, “Our father is Abraham!” But Jesus said, “If you were Abraham’s children, you’d behave like he did. But instead, you’re trying to kill me, an innocent man! My only crime is speaking to you what I learned from God. Abraham was no murderer! No, you’re behaving like your real father.” But they objected, “Are you calling us illegitimate children!? No, God is our one father!” So Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love His Son, because God is the source of my being and I came here from His side. I’m not here for my own purposes; I’m doing His work. Why don’t you understand what I’m telling you? It’s because you’re deaf to my message. You belong to your real father, the devil, and you aim to imitate his cravings. He was a murderer from the beginning, and he shuns God’s truth; there is nothing true in him. So when he speaks lies he’s speaking his native language; he is a liar and the father of lies. But I tell you the truth, and yet you won’t believe me. Can any of you show me to be guilty of sin? No? So why won’t you believe that I speak the truth? Those who belong to God will listen to His words. And that’s why you won’t listen to God; you don’t belong to Him.”

Then the Jewish leaders replied, “You’re insane and a heretic! How are we wrong?” But Jesus answered, “If I were insane, my goal wouldn’t be to honor my Father. Yet you insult Him by insulting me. Not that I care if you insult me, but God cares — and He will judge you. You can be sure of this: if you obey my teaching, in eternity you will never undergo death.” But they retorted, “Now we’re sure you’re insane! Keeping God’s teaching didn’t stop our ancestor Abraham or all the prophets from dying. How can you say, ‘Obey my teaching and you will never die’? Do you think you’re greater than Abraham? He died, and all the prophets died. Just who do you think you are?” Jesus replied, “I’m not praising myself. If I were, that praise would mean nothing. It’s my Father who praises me, the same one you claim as your God. You think you know Him, but you don’t. But I do know him. If I said I didn’t, I’d be a liar, much like yourselves! I know him and I obey His commands. Your ancestor Abraham was excited for the Messiah to come, and he was permitted to see it, to his joy.” But the Jewish leaders retorted, “You’re only a middle-aged man, and yet you say you have seen Abraham?” Jesus said, “This is true: before Abraham was born, I am.” At this, they picked up stones to hurl at him, but Jesus disappeared into the crowd and left the temple courts.