#║ 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.

[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.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

3rd March >> Mass Readings (Except GB & USA)

Monday, Eighth Week in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Colour: Green. Year: C(I))

First Reading Ecclesiasticus 17:20-28 Return to the Lord and leave sin behind.

To those who repent, God permits return, and he encourages those who were losing hope. Return to the Lord and leave sin behind, plead before his face and lessen your offence. Come back to the Most High and turn away from iniquity, and hold in abhorrence all that is foul. Who will praise the Most High in Sheol, if the living do not do so by giving glory to him? To the dead, as to those who do not exist, praise is unknown, only those with life and health can praise the Lord. How great is the mercy of the Lord, his pardon on all those who turn towards him!

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 31(32):1-2,5-7

R/ Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord, exult, you just!

Happy the man whose offence is forgiven, whose sin is remitted. O happy the man to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, in whose spirit is no guile.

R/ Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord, exult, you just!

But now I have acknowledged my sins; my guilt I did not hide. I said: ‘I will confess my offence to the Lord.’ And you, Lord, have forgiven the guilt of my sin.

R/ Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord, exult, you just!

So let every good man pray to you in the time of need. The floods of water may reach high but him they shall not reach.

R/ Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord, exult, you just!

You are my hiding place, O Lord; you save me from distress. You surround me with cries of deliverance.

R/ Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord, exult, you just!

Gospel Acclamation cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:13

Alleluia, alleluia! Accept God’s message for what it really is: God’s message, and not some human thinking. Alleluia!

Or: 2 Corinthians 8:9

Alleluia, alleluia! Jesus Christ was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty. Alleluia!

Gospel Mark 10:17-27 Give everything you own to the poor, and follow me.

Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.’ Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, ‘My children,’ he said to them ‘how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were more astonished than ever. ‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[yhwhrulz]

Today's Daily Encounter Monday, February 3, 2025

Overcoming Fear and Anxiety

Don't worry about thingsâ€"food, drink and clothes … don't be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time.1

It's Monday morning. The weekend is over. The alarm clock beeps loudly and suddenly you are snapped into the world of reality. First comes the struggle to get out of bed, then the rush to get to school or work on time, and then comes the stress of trying to juggle multiple schedules and responsibilities.

Is this how your week starts? And sometimes these pressures only grow as the week progresses!

We live in a world of ever-increasing stress and worry with school, work, and family, financial, social, and relational pressures. Not many people are free from worry of some kind.

Worry and anxiety are major problems in our society. In excessive amounts they can take years off your life. Some people like to think that things don't bother them. "No problem," they say, yet they reach for one of numerous addictions to drown their fears, worries, and anxieties.

However, it isn't possible to deaden inner anxiety. Unresolved, it will reveal itself in many ways. When we fail to talk about our worries, they often build up to the point of displaying themselves in destructive behaviors.

Long ago the Bible pointed out that "a relaxed attitude lengthens a man's life."2 Jesus himself said, "So I tell you, don't worry about everyday lifeâ€"whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes…. Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."3

And the Apostle Paul wrote, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."4

It's one thing to know about God's peace and another thing to experience it. We have to be brave enough to leave it all in God’s hands and trust that He is in control. Will you choose to trust Him today?

Suggested prayer: Dear God, please help me acknowledge my fears, worries and anxieties, and learn how to leave them at your feet and trust more fully in You. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus' name, amen.

Mathew 6:25 and 34 (NIV).

Proverbs 14:30 (NLT).

Matthew 6:25 and 34 (NIV).

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT).

Today's Encounter was written by: Crystal B.

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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Copyright (c) 2016 by ACTS International.

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.

[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.

[pagesandprayers]

"A tree does not fall while bending under its own weight, and this must be attributed to the strength of its support; and in the same way if I have not fallen into every kind of iniquity, it must not be attributed to my own inherent virtue but only to Divine grace, which by its goodness has supported me. Therefore how can I esteem myself more than another whilst we are all equal in human weakness? 'For what is my strength?' [Job vi, 11] I am a son of Adam like every other man, born in sin, inclined to sin, and ever ready to fall into sin. I have no need of the devil to tempt me to sin; my own concupiscence is only too great a temptation; and if God were to withdraw from me His protecting and helping hand, I know that I should be precipitated headlong from bad to worse. When St. Augustine made his examen of conscience, he did not always find sufficient to excite within him sorrow and contrition, so he dwelt on those sins which he might or would have committed had he not been preserved from them by God's infinite mercy; and he grieved and accused himself and humbly implored pardon of God for the evil capacity he had to commit all kinds of heinous and impious sins. In this practice is to be found an exercise of true humility."

Humility of Heart Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo

[yhwhrulz777]

Today's Daily Encounter Wednesday, July 19, 2023

It's Not Fair!

" When those hired at five o'clock were paid, each received a full day's wage. When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day's wage. When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, 'Those people worked only one hour, and yet you've paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.' "He answered one of them, 'Friend, I haven't been unfair! Didn't you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?' "So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last."1

I don't know about you, but my human mind has, at times, struggled with the scripture for today. It doesn't seem to resonate with our understanding of fairness in society today. How could the owner pay all the workers the same wage, when one man came to work just the last portion of the day? Was it fair? I love the owner's response to one of the people who protested against this "unfair" act, "Friend, I haven't been unfair! Didn't you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?"1

Have you ever questioned God's "fairness?" I recently had a conversation with someone about how they thought it was unfair that some people dedicate their lives to God's ministry and others accept Christ as their Savior on their death bed, but yet both go to Heaven. I have also heard others question how people who have practiced violence and hatred all their lives can receive the same forgiveness and grace as a person who has served God and tried to live godly lives. However, Jesus was the one who sacrificed HIS life on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. He can choose who he wants to extend his gift of eternal life and forgiveness to. Fortunately for us, it is free to anyone who chooses to believe regardless of when they choose to accept it.

Let us be careful not to take the role of judge when it is not ours to take. The Bible says, "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged."2 Our job is to be faithful and serve God wholeheartedly. We need not question God, because "He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!"3

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for your goodness and grace that extends beyond our human understanding. Please help me remember that you are always fair and just and keep me from trying to put myself in a place of judge when that place belongs only to you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus' name, amen."

Matthew 20:9-16 (NLT ).

Matthew 7:1-2 (NLT ).

Deuteronomy 32:4 (NLT ).

Today's Encounter was written by: Crystal B.

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

ACTS International P.O. Box 73545 San Clemente, California 92673-0119 U.S.A.

Phone: 949-940-9050 http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2016 by ACTS International.

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

[yhwhrulz]

Today's Daily Encounter Monday, January 20, 2025

Being Fruitful

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.1

A few years ago, the Associated Press released a study done by an agricultural school in Iowa. It reported that production of 100 bushels of corn from one acre of land, in addition to the many hours of the farmer’s labor, required 4,000,000 pounds of water, 6,800 pounds of oxygen, 5,200 pounds of carbon, 160 pounds of nitrogen, 125 pounds of potassium, 75 pounds of yellow sulphur, and other elements too numerous to list. In addition to these things, which no man can produce, rain and sunshine at the right time are critical. It was estimated that only 5 percent of the produce of a farm can be attributed to the efforts of man.2

Whether humanity gives the credit to God or not, it would be impossible to live without Him. And if we are honest, we’d have to admit that the same is true in producing spiritual fruit as well. Many times, it can be easy to fall into the temptation of thinking we can do it on our own, but just as a branch gains all its sustenance and strength from the vine, we too gain our sustenance in Christ. When Jesus walked on earth, He modeled this truth as He lived in dependence upon the Father. He lived in constant communication and submission to God, as He ministered to those around Him. His strength and wisdom for every circumstance was found in God.

In the same way, our lives here on earth can produce much fruit when we remain in the Vine and allow His Spirit to live through us.

Suggested prayer: Dear God, teach me how to abide in Christ and live my life as He would… in total dependence on You. I recognize that apart from you, I can do nothing. You are the Giver of all things, and my source of strength and nourishment. Help my life produce good fruit that will honor You. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.

John 15:5 (NLT).

www.sermoncentral.com

Today's Encounter was written by: Crystal B.

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

ACTS International P.O. Box 73545 San Clemente, California 92673-0119 U.S.A.

Phone: 949-940-9050 http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2016 by ACTS International.

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

[isaiahbie]

Why We Need Jesus

All of us tend to think of ourselves as good persons. This assessment is largely true. All of us are capable of, and often do many good things. But if we’re honest with ourselves, this isn’t the whole story. All of us are equally capable of evil, even if we are unequally guilty of evil. Sure, you and I are not as bad as Joseph Stalin or Adolf Hitler. Compared to them we are saints, relatively speaking. But how do we stack up when compared to God?

God is a morally perfect being. He requires that we be morally perfect as well, and yet we aren’t. Whether our acts of evil are big or small, many or few, they are all violations of God’s moral perfection, and these violations have consequences. Even if you only committed one sin per day between the ages of six and 75, that adds up to more than 25,000 violations of God’s moral law! If you were guilty of breaking that many human laws, no judge could ignore it. How, then, can we expect the God of perfect justice to turn a blind eye to our moral failures? While God is a God of love, He is also a God of justice and cannot ignore these violations. Acts of moral evil are deserving of punishment (death), and no amount of good works we do can negate those acts. That’s bad news for you and me! But Christianity offers a solution, and hope.

While God’s justice demands punishment for sin, His infinite love desires mercy. This presents a problem: How can God pardon us of our moral crimes without sacrificing His justice? Someone needs to pay for the crimes we’ve committed against God. If not us, then who? This is where Jesus comes in. To meet His own demand for justice, God took up a human existence in the person of Jesus Christ, and personally suffered the penalty for sin—death—on our behalf; the innocent suffering on behalf of the guilty. He took on Himself the punishment that was rightly ours, and in exchange gives us the righteousness that is rightly His—if we will entrust our lives to Him. No one else has done this for us. This is why we must trust exclusively in Christ if we wish to receive forgiveness. And this is why Christians proclaim your need for Jesus.

God has offered us a solution to our moral problem, but on His terms, not ours. So now you have a choice. If you accept what Christ did for you, trusting in His good works to save you rather than your own, then God will consider your moral debt as paid in full. If you reject Christ, however, you will be rejecting the only solution to your guilt, and consequently must pay for your own crimes. If you choose to stand before God based on the merits and demerits of your own works, surely you will face the judgment of God. But if you choose to stand before God based on the merits of Christ’s work, however, you can expect mercy and grace.

So do you need Jesus? If you are morally perfect, no. But if you are like us, the answer is an emphatic yes. What will you say to Christ, then? How will you respond to what He has done for you? The choice is simple; the choice is yours.

[phantomyre]

It was true humans had caused the planet a lot of pain and were continuing to slowly destroy the planet. But it was also humans who gave it life and were activity seeking to protect it. It was a vicious cycle of war and peace, pain and comfort, death and life. On the one hand, there was Shinra who knowingly depleted the planet for their own gain. And then you had AVALANCHE and the Cetra who sought to protect the planet. But to Sephiroth, they were all one and the same, with the exception of the Cetra who no longer walked the planet.

“You pity the Cetra,” Vincent began. “And yet you condemn humans. The Cetra are no less human, however.” He recalled some of the books within the library and how a few of them contained information on the Cetra, albeit very minimal. “At one point, there were Cetra who broke away from their old traditions and chose to make homes for themselves instead of wandering as nomads. This was a form of rebellion. And these are the ones who in turn lost their connection to the planet… the ones you call ‘human’.” The gunslinger explained, slowly tightening his grip on the hilt of the gun. “You know this to be true, do you not?” Yet the concept of humans being nothing more than a blight upon earth seemed to stem further than merely their usage of the Lifestream. But if all life were obliterated, what ‘other life’ would remain? The animals? Plants? Who would tend to the planet if all humans were gone? “…The life of a human,” Vincent furrowed his brow as he maintained his focus on Sephiroth. “—it enriches the planet with their memories. Their thoughts, desires, wishes… are they not what makes up the Lifestream? The life of the planet?” Even though there was a high chance Sephiroth would be dismissive of such a concept, Vincent wasn’t about to give in so easily. There was once a time when Vincent might have still considered Sephiroth human as well. But even if Sephiroth had long abandoned his humanity in favor of a demonic alien form, there was always this thought in the back of Vincent’s mind of what Sephiroth could have been. And for that reason, he didn’t see Sephiroth’s life any less than that of a human’s. Somewhere deep within the Lifestream’s memories, there was a boy who sought human affection, a mother’s tender touch, and the bond of family... consumed and corrupted by Jenova's mimetic abilities. Sephiroth’s criticisms heightened, striking Vincent’s mind where he had worked to keep reserved. Those serpentine eyes bore into him like they were the judgements of a god. Vincent’s raven-colored brows furrowed slightly in response to Sephiroth’s words. "Hojo's time would come," Vincent began solemnly promised, knowing the cruel scientist was the source of both Sephiroth's and Vincent's worst nightmares. However, Vincent could have been the end of Sephiroth's nightmares...

Turning his eyes away, Vincent remained silent on the latter, knowing there was nothing he could say to pardon his actions. Sephiroth was not Hojo's puppet. He would be judged according to his own actions, and not Hojo's actions. However, the same could be said for Vincent. And even if it felt hypocritical on Sephiroth's part, Vincent could give no response back. No matter what, it was ultimately Vincent's choice. Not Sephiroth's. And he had failed. Vincent’s grip on his gun tightened, tensing his jaw slightly as Sephiroth continued. “…I know what I’ve done. The sins I’ve committed. And what Hojo and Shinra have done to us both. But...” Vincent’s eyes ended up unlocking with Sephiroth’s to look in another direction as if searching for something internally. It then occurred to him how he too could feel the planet dying. In a sense, it wasn't just Sephiroth condemning them all to death. The planet itself had already numbered their days. Sephiroth was merely the one carrying it out in haste. Killing Sephiroth would only delay the inevitable. Slowly, Vincent looked up to meet Sephiroth's gaze once more, a subtle flame in his eyes at Sephiroth's insinuations. "...'My duty'?" A tinge of anger could be heard in Vincent's voice. He knew what Sephiroth was hinting at, causing his grip to tighten on the gun; his crimson eyes flickering with a small flame. "You would have me kill Cloud and the others on your behalf, wouldn't you?" There was nothing in the world that would convince him to do such a thing.

Unless it somehow linked to sparing their souls for another planet...

Sephiroth’s response didn’t surprise Vincent in the least. A child born without the touch of a mother or the loving words of a father was sure to become one deprived of any knowledge of what kindness was, let alone love, familial or other. Having become fully integrated with Jenova, Sephiroth’s capacity for understanding humanity had become heavily negated. But ever since Sephiroth had drunk deep of the knowledge of the Lifestream, he seemed to have a different mindset, albeit still perhaps a puppet to Jenova’s influence. No one could rightfully tell. But now there were suspicions that the party had been chasing something else that wasn't exactly Sephiroth himself.

Vincent’s brow lifted in confusion per Sephiroth’s statement. But after a few moments of contemplation, Vincent lightly scoffed and shook his head. Sephiroth was undoubtably intelligent, but he lacked social queues at no fault of his own. Sephiroth spoke with an air of a prideful celebrity. It brought to mind the fanclub Hojo had pre-emptively created before Sephiroth was even born. However, he had no idea what became of it until he had met Cloud. The boy had once been a massive fan of Sephiroth, and from the sound of it, he had also been in the Silver Elite fanclub-- one that likely showed Sephiroth just how obsessive fans could become. Perhaps this was the basis of his response.

“And why would’ve my existence mattered to you at all prior to today?” Vincent asked rhetorically. He then went on to explain what he meant by Sephiroth wanting him to turn a blind eye to carnage, presuming that’s where Sephiroth made the assumption.

“Simply put… I knew you would have preferred everyone, myself included, to remain complacent in your endeavors to rid the world of life. But this is also why I joined Cloud and his cohorts." Afterall, it was thanks to them that he realized he was wrong to remain indifferent. "Cloud has something that you refuse to allow into your life. And it will one day be your undoing." It wasn't a threat. It was a promise.

In truth, Vincent might have preferred Sephiroth to not know of his existence at one point. He was one of several reasons why Sephiroth would never live a normal life, after all. However, the fact that Sephiroth was standing before him now was evidence enough that the gunslinger had become some form of nuisance. And rightly so… he had befriended Sephiroth’s sworn enemy. The entire party had become a target for Sephiroth. Aerith was one of his biggest threats, and now she was dead. It was only a matter of time before Sephiroth would strike down each and every meddlesome individual until he could get to the core—Cloud.

Vincent listened to Sephiroth speak, feeling the man’s eyes on his back. Eventually, Vincent stood back up and turned to face Sephiroth once more.

"Am I mistaken, though...?" Vincent queried, slightly tilting his head with nonchalance. Whether Sephiroth was truly immortal or not had yet to be seen. He may have survived the Lifestream, and perhaps Jenova's cells had indeed rendered him immortal. But Cloud was hellbent on proving Sephiroth wrong, especially after Aerith's demise.

"As I've said, I could care less if I am never forgiven. What matters is that I correct the wrongs that I've committed..." His brows furrowed slightly with a short pause. "...No matter the emptiness that might ensue thereafter." His voice slightly faltered, but he didn't remove his eyes from Sephiroth. Though Vincent couldn't rightly tell, the way Sephiroth questioned him made the gunslinger believe he might have picked up on how much it pained Vincent to kill Sephiroth. Sure, he had been resistant since they day they met. But as to the reason and how it truly made Vincent feel, he had never made that known. It was at this point that Vincent strengthened his walls.

"...How it affects me is none of your concern," Vincent stated, slowly reaching into his holster and removing his gun as if to prove a point. "I know my duty, and I will see it through to the end." Be it through his hand or through theirs, it didn't matter to him. He wouldn't fail those who had put their trust in him... not this time. Not again.