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christian-perspectives · 1 year ago

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Pray And Believe For Anything?

I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. Mark 11:24 Mark 11 records the triumphant entry of Jesus entering the city of Jerusalem. This began His final week before He gave His life on the cross for us. And it turned out to be very eventful. As He entered, the crowd welcomed Him by laying their garments and palm branches before Him. Then they shouted praises to Him as He passed by. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!” Mark 11:9-10 The Lord entered the Temple, looked around at everything, and left because it was late afternoon. Then, He and His twelve disciples returned to Bethany. The next day, on the way back to Jerusalem, Jesus stopped at a fig tree to pick some figs. The tree, however, was filled with leaves, but it bore no fruit.

The Fig Tree

Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it. Mark 11:14

You may be asking at this point what this has to do with our subject to pray and believe for anything. This particular event leads up to His teaching on today's topic. When they got to Jerusalem, Jesus again went into the Temple. This time, He went in with a mission. Mark continued by saying He drove out those buying and selling animals for sacrifices. When people came to the city to celebrate a feast, many traveled long distances to get there. So, instead of bringing an animal to sacrifice, they bought one after getting there. It also stated that He knocked over the tables of the money changers. People could only use temple currency to purchase the sacrificial animals, thus the need for money changers. He stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” Mark 11:16-17 Then He and His disciples left Jerusalem again that evening, but they returned the next morning. When they passed the fig tree that Jesus cursed, His disciples noticed it had withered and died. Jesus used the fig tree as an illustration to teach them to have faith in God. In other words, He told them that when they pray, they must believe. Then, He expanded on this point. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. Mark 11:23

Pray and Believe to Move a Mountain?

He followed that statement with our verse for today. He said we can pray for anything; it will be ours if we believe we’ve received it. That’s how the New Living Translation worded it. It seems like a simple enough verse that says what it means. It contains an “if” and a “then.” If you believe, then it will be yours. Let’s look at how the Amplified Bible translated this verse. For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer , believe that you have received them, and they will be given to you. Mark 11:24 (AMP) The words in brackets are words they consider as implied. So, this version also says whatever you ask for, but only “if” they are in accordance with God’s will. No other translations I checked say “in accordance with God’s will.” I personally like that phrase because when we live for God, don’t we want to pray in His will? I think we would want to know what God means in this verse. What If I pray for a mountain to be cast into the sea, and it doesn’t happen? Does that mean I lack faith? All of Christianity is built upon faith. Without a shadow of a doubt, I believe that Jesus died and rose again for me. And because I have received Him into my life, I will spend eternity with Him. But if I pray, could I believe the mountain would end up in the sea? Probably not! I can give you a hundred reasons why it won’t end up in the sea. So, for that, I would lack faith.

The Concept of Faith

Faith, though, isn’t built around an “always or never” concept. Just because we might lack faith in one area, it doesn’t mean we lack faith in others. Jesus, though, wants us to trust God and believe Him for everything we pray for. The Lord then added another layer to His teaching. He said we must not only pray and believe but also forgive. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. Mark 11:25 The Amplified Bible explains what it means to forgive someone. After the word forgive, it includes in brackets, “drop the issue, let it go,” That’s precisely what God did for us. God is in the forgiving business. Why? Because He wants a relationship with us, not only for now but for all eternity. Look at the following verses from Psalm 103 and 1 John. - He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12 - But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9 Lord, I believe that when we pray, you answer and will supply our needs. Help me to believe if I ever need to pray for a mountain to be cast into the sea. Check out these related posts about prayer. - The Necessity Of Powerful Intercessory Prayer - Seek Forgiveness Of Sins Through Prayer - Jesus Prayed For Us! Did You Know That? - The Altar Of The Lord - Moses Interceded For Israel With Great Results Read the full article

#BibleStudy #Devotions #Discipleship #Prayer

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orthodoxydaily · 5 years ago

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Saints&Reading: Thu,. Aug. 22, 2019

Martyr Agathonicus and his Companions

The Martyrs Agathonicus, Zoticus, Theoprepius, Acindynus, Severian, Zeno and others accepted death for Christ during the reign of the emperor Maximian (284-305). The Martyr Agathonicus was descended from the illustrious lineage of the Hypasians, and he lived at Nicomedia. Well versed in Holy Scripture, he converted many pagans to Christ, including the most eminent member of the Senate (its “princeps” or leader). Comitus Eutolmius was sent to the Pontine (lower Black Sea) region, where he crucified the followers of the Christian Zoticus, who had refused to offer sacrifice to idols. He took Zoticus with him. In Nicomedia, Eutolmius arrested the Martyr Agathonicus (together with the princeps), and also Theoprepius, Acindynus and Severian. After tortures, Eutolmius ordered that the martyrs be taken to Thrace for trial by the emperor...continue reading OCA

Virgin-Martyr Eulalia

The Martyr Eulalia lived in Spain, near the city of Barcionum (now Barcelona), and she was raised by her parents in piety and the Christian Faith. Already at fourteen years of age, the maiden spent a solitary life in her parental home with others of her own age, occupied in prayer, the reading of Holy Scripture, and handicrafts. During the time of a persecution against Christians under the emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (305-311), the governor Dacian arrived in the city of Barcionum to rid it of Christians. Hearing of this, the maiden secretly left her home at night, and by morning had made her way into the city. Pushing her way through the throng of people, the girl made a bold denunciation of the judge for forcing people to renounce the True God in order to offer sacrifice to devils instead...continue reading OCA

2 cor 1:1-7

Greeting

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Comfort in Suffering

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any [a]trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our [b]consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

Footnotes:

2 Corinthians 1:4 tribulation

2 Corinthians 1:5 comfort

Matt 21:13-46

13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were [a]indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”

And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,

‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?”

17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

The Fig Tree Withered

18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree

20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Jesus’ Authority Questioned

23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

24 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: 25 Thebaptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?”

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.”

And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said to Him, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward [b]relent and believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. 37 Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir.Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and cast himout of the vineyard and killed him.

40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

41 They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease hisvineyard to other vinedressers who will [c]render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. 44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they [d]perceived that He was speaking of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

Footnotes:

Matthew 21:15 angry

Matthew 21:32 regret it

Matthew 21:41 give

Matthew 21:45 knew

New King James Version

#orthodoxy #orthodox #spirituality #ancientchristianity #bible #origin of christianity

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lethesomething · 5 years ago

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Campaign resources: Torotuga, the pirate den

After three days of sailing, land finally came into view. A large island, with a small fortified city on one end, cut off from the rest of the island by steep mountains and dense jungles. To my dismay, however, the captain curved away from that crest of civilization, turning the ship in a large arc towards the back of the island, where nothing but dense forests and swamp greeted us.

“Hoist the flag” the captain shouted, and one of the crew came out with a piece of black cloth, which he unfurled to show a white painted, rather crude depiction of a turtle. With that, a hush fell over the deck and the ship veered into a large mangrove forest, a maze of brakkish water, low fog and bleached trees. I swear I saw movement in those trees. Little flickers of light, be they lanterns or will o’ wisps, and the occasional glint of steel. It was clear to everyone traveling with me, that we were being watched. (from ‘The Sea-Faring Adventures of Milton Hornswaddle’)

Torotuga is your prototypical Pirate’s Den. It lies on the swampy half of Rhea Island, in the middle of a heavily contested region in the ocean. The island itself ‘belongs’ to the sea-faring and conquering nation of Pardoba, and it holds an outpost in the form of the military fort town of Santa Gasso. However, most of it is densely forested and if not unexplored, then at the least uncontrollable, blocked off as it is from the fort by a sheer mountain range and dense jungles. It is here, deep in a mangrove maze called the Forest of Skeleton Fingers, that you can find the bustling city of Torotuga.

The ship continued on through these treacherous waters, narrowly avoiding collisions with trees and rocks, until we finally reached what I had feared all along, a dead end. It was then that the captain came out and marched up to the bow. “Oy! Open the facking gate, ya crusty cumstain!” To my wonderment, I heard a voice coming from the nearby trees. “State your name and business, cuntwaddle” “Marston ya old pissdog, you know damn well who I am.” There was a moment of silence, and I held my breath at such signs of incivility, praying for the gods to save me from the arrows that were sure to befall us, when the ship’s captain sighed. “I am Captain Orsric Graverobber Bones, of the Drunken Elephant. Me and my crew kindly request entry,” he said, in a tone that suggested ennui to a point i would not be able to muster. “Good enough for ya, ya vomit covered sea slug?” And with a creaking sound, a wall that had appeared to only be dead trees blocking our path, was lifted, revealing a hitherto unseen waterway further into the forest. (from ‘The Sea-Faring Adventures of Milton Hornswaddle’)

A Safe Harbor

The town of Torotuga holds about 500 semi-permanent residents, a number that can be boosted up to 2.000 by visitors.

The populace holds a few notorious criminals that have settled down far away from the law, as well as travelers and actual colonists that have stuck around. About a third of the permanent residency, however, consists of escaped slaves, either native to neighboring islands or brought here from far-off places to work on the plantations and farms of Pardoba and a few other nations.

Trade

It is clear almost immediately to any somewhat intelligent adventurer, that the economy of Torotuga is mostly illicid, and largely circular. This is a trade hub and stock-up place for privateers and pirates, though adventuring parties, specialized traders and even certain military groups (of the underground variety) also frequent the place.

The largest trade here is ‘entertainment’. The economy of Torotuga consists for about 60 percent out of brothels and bars. Coming off a boat in the bustling harbor part of the town means weaving your way through runners and trade deals, to be met by a veritable row of… very friendly people. Men and women beckon you, wearing bright clothes, some quite revealing, and made up with red lips and dark eyes.

Another large trade here are pawn shops or, if they try to be fancy, ‘antiques stores’. On the outskirts of the town you’ll find fishermen and a few farming communities, eking out a living on the edges of the jungle.

Architecture and craft

Torotuga gets most of its supplies from passing ships, and it shows. Most of its buildings are made out of scavenged wood and smelted or otherwise repurposed parts. Newer buildings use a mixture of ancient techniques, such as woven vines, and parts made out of metal or imported bricks.

Everything about this town has a distinct improvisational feel. The furniture and decorations are either made out of barrels, stolen off of ships or built new, with themes that remind you of the cultures native to the islands here. The whole town is a mishmash of styles, techniques and bits and bobs. True master craftsmen, however, are few in number.

There are a few carpenters, mostly specialized in boats. Apart from that you can find some relatively skilled weavers, leather workers and woodworkers, as well as smiths. Any mastercraft weaponry or armor found here is probably found or plundered, though.

It is, however, important to know that you can find Anything here, if you search hard enough. The people of Torotuga are good at finding ways, certainly if there’s coin in it. If you let them know you need a seamstress, for instance, they will absolutely find someone, even if it is the cook’s old nan, to do your thing for a pretty price.

Safety

Torotuga runs on ‘pirate’s honor’, which is to say, controlled anarchy. The place does not have a single point of authority, but instead had several factions who look out for their own. Some of the most feared of these are the Whores Patrol, a group of vigilantes that see to it that the prostitutes of the island can do their jobs safely. The artisans also have a neighbourhood watch of sorts, which is Extremely Protective of its members and most shops and bars will employ a very ostentatious group of guards.

Since there is no justice system, those caught committing a crime against someone in Torotuga will need to appeal to one of the factions or lose their hand and/or life.

Food

Torotuga has a mixture of different cuisines from the islands, mixed with the kind of stuff the pirates would know from home, in so far as this can be found. The different inns and bars serve mostly beer, but will whip you up some soup or bread and cheese, or grilled meat, when asked. Notable delicacies can be found in The Temple Bar, which serves a special stew, made of rice, wheat, sharp spices and seafood. There’s a bunch of not particularly identifiable stuff in there, but it’s very tasty. From food stalls, you can buy a simple type of taco, made of flatbread folded around a mixture of meat or poulty, mixed with random vegetables and spices. Most of the best and cheapest food can be procured from the smaller sellers, such as The Baked Potato and Kulita’s.

Notable shops

The largest pawn shop in town is The Hoard, run by a steel dragonborn, Dimitri Helfdal and his mate, a sapphire dragonborn named Irin. This shop stands in the very center of town and has carved stone walls, seemingly built out of the ruins of some ancient structure that stood here before. It is a fairly large building, with a stone and wood front and a large shop sign bearing a carved wooden dragon head, apparently an old masthead. Inside is a quite literal hoard. Dimitri and Irin tend to get the pick of any treasure troves that come to Torotuga, so you can find the best and most expensive stuff here.

Sulejman Sirk runs the apothecary, the Glass Shoal. It’s meticulously clean and organized, seemingly made out of the hull of a downed ship that was outfitted with a brick and windowed front and plated with iron shales. The centerpiece in this store is a large chandelier, a mobile of glasswork fish surrounding a steel brazier that lights up the place. He has your basic health potions and a Very Expensive set of water breathing things (like, super overpriced, guys). Also stocks an impressive amount of poisons.

Davy Jones Locker is a thrift shop of sorts. The proprietor, Antanen ‘David’ Jonesin, is a halfling that collects the mundane and the useful. The interior of this classic brickwork building is made with a number of treasure chests that have been stacked and arranged along the floor and on tables and sideboards. These things are not what typical pirates care for, but he does good business because they do tend to be things sailors Need. His store has stuff like barrels of rope, caltrops, a few smoke bombs found on drowned assassins. He has oil skin bags to keep books and letters safe from the water, sealing wax, forgery and climbing kits, a few block and tackles, fire stones, that sort of thing. Nothing magical, nothing glamorous, but exactly the kind of thing you need to survive.

The Silt Reader is a very small book shop that specializes in literature and poetry. Mostly second hand, a lot of them waterlogged. This store is owned by a half-elven woman, Runa Pavalur, who keeps it very organized, with tomes neatly stacked on shelves and arranged by category. Each book has been outfitted with a bookmark made of thin rope, with a little card attached to it that gives a short summary of what the book is about. Most of the books in The Silt Reader are travel diaries and novels, a fair amount of those of a ‘popular’ variety. This is why, apart from categories like Studies, Travel, Political etc, the shop has shelves named things like the Rose section (hetero romance), the Heather section (mlm romance), the Calla section (wlw romance) and the Orchid section (straight up porn).

For maps, it is best to go is the Crow’s Nest Cartographer. This is a very small house that has one entire wall made up of shelves holding a large amount of rolled maps. It is owned by two gnomish brothers: Illilniss and Omulnis. They will also pay for coordinates of places that have been discovered, or were hitherto unknown.

Lavar’s Smelter: Lavar is a fire genasi, who isn’t too crafty, but is very good at, well, smelting. He’s the one that melts down all the anchors and random steel and iron that is hauled here, something that should not be possible with a smithy as small as his. Is smithy doubles as a blacksmith for basic tools. When asked, he can shoe a horse and provide stables overnight.

Shell and Shield: The only somewhat skilled smith in town. The Shell and Shield is owned by a tortle named Perrahar, whose main trade is tools. She sells non-magic weapons and some simple armor as well but mostly she’s very interested in learning new things. Bring her some new metal that she’s never seen before and she’ll happily craft new things out of it.

Other establishments

There is a church, The Temple Bar, dedicated to Dionysus, the god of wine. It’s not clear if this is a sanctioned church or not. Mostly it appears to be one of the largest bars in Torotuga. Its purveyor is a dwarf and beer connoisseur named Mazzoum Hornmail. The interior is decorated with fake grape vines and filled with assorted furniture. This one is fairly fancy, with a little orchestra playing, and a dance floor. The rooms upstairs can be rented by the hour. The bigger ones are outfitted as meeting rooms, serving the purpose of neutral ground for pirates to strike deals or talk strategy. The smaller ones tend to just have a bed and a washing tub.

Despite the name, The Baked Potato does not sell potatoes. It does sell yams and sweet potatoes, stuffed with a variety of fillings and baked in an oven.

Kulita’s sells a lot of fried things, including fried fish and fried chicken, combined with dumplings, corn bread and pickled vegetables or stewed beans

The local bath house is called the White Whale. It rents out large, round tubs in private rooms to interested parties. These are pretty nice and use, important, ground water, so any visitor can finally get all that salt out. Rooms are outfitted with scented oils and soaps and come with one complimentary towel. The rooms are priced fairly reasonably, but the rate goes up quite a bit if you opt for one of the companions or masseuses that are offered.

The Sickly Shrew: A Very Seedy bar and one of the cheaper establishments to acquire a room for the night. Also a great place to find, like, a specialist to kill someone for you.

The Foghorn Inn: The most boring and basic of inns that Torotuga has to offer, if you’re into that kinda thing.

Assorted locations

Thaba’s Hut

Take the road out of town, past the farm fields that have been planted here, and into the swamp. Follow the set of foot bridges and walkways, till you reach an island, a clearing in the dense foliage. Standing here is an ancient looking hut, built on stilts. It has a thatched roof and a porch, with stairs leading up. The railing of the porch and the stairs looks solid from afar, but upon closer inspection, they are laden with offerings of a sort. Little dolls hang from string tied to the wood, shells, glass vials, trinkets and shiny objects, all tied to the outside of this house. In front of the hut, a small crackling fire burns in a fire pit, tended to by a tall, broad-shouldered man. This is Thaba’s hut, and if you are in need of special magical services, this is where you go.

You pay Thaba for entry, and for the privilege to see the wisewoman inside. Should you enter, you’ll find that the entire place is overstuffed with jars and more dolls and trinkets. A bunch of objects, too, are suspended from the ceiling, much like they were wrapped around the railings. Some tools hanging from twine off a crossbeam, glass and brass pitchers, something that you very much hope is a wig. There’s dried herbs, ham, but also bones, something that looks like a dead snake. There’s… a lot. The hut is where Iyabo, sitting in the middle of the floor in a magic circle, performs magical services. Most likely this will be along the lines of identifying items, removing or placing curses etc. Nahin’s fighting pit

Walking around town, you may hear a number of shouts and just general noise, originating to a dirt square just on the outskirts. Here, you’ll find a small mound of dirt that serves as a brawling ring. Two figures are squaring off here. One is an apparent halfling in monk clothes, fairly lean build, the other, on this day, is a goliath, a large, looming tank of a man, in somewhat soiled sailor’s clothing. They’ve drawn quite the crowd. On one end you see what seems to be the rest of the goliath’s crew, a number of sailors jeering and egging him on. On the side of the smaller figure are also supporters of a kind, albeit a bit more demure. You see a number of humanoids, all in fairly ratty clothing, most of them dark skinned and weathered looking. They’ll occasionally clap but they’re mostly looking. Bets are being made by the crowd, with bookies walking around trying to get any visitors to have a little go. But as soon as the fight starts, a heavy groan goes through the crowd and it becomes apparent just how skewed this match-up is. Within the first second, the goliath has already been kicked in the face. The smaller figure jumps up onto his chest, kicks him in the chin and backflips off, down to the ground. The goliath swings and the smaller figure leans back easily to avoid it, jumping up over a second swing, before turning in mid air and swiping at the shoulder, following that up with two swift kicks. This goes on for a little while, before the goliath says ‘You little shit’, and he pulls out a crossbow. The crowd starts booing. You hear the people behind the smaller figure yell ‘unarmed only!’ but the fighter themselves holds up their hand. “Learn’, they say, and sinks into a defensive stance. The goliath shoots once, twice, point blank, and you watch as the smaller fighter plucks both out of the air before they reach. As the goliath starts reloading, angry now, the other fighter moves. They jump up onto the crossbow and run up their opponent’s arm, before leaning down and kicking the goliath in the sternum. The giant goes rigid, for a moment, their eyes at this point confused and fearful, as the other fighter jumps down, dashes around and swipes at a spot right behind the knee. The goliath. Topples. The crowd erupts in shouts and you can see a well dressed man, apparently the goliath’s captain, walk up to the smaller figure and hand them a pouch. “Sorry about that,” he says. “Temper, that one. But you won fair and square.” The smaller figure bows and returns to their friends, as the crew, with some trouble, pull up the goliath and the crowd slowly disperses.

Kobinahin, or Nahin for short, is a higher level monk that fights for coin and has a little outdoor dojo going. Nahin is always itching to learn new tricks and will gladly match or teach adventurers.

Characters

Merchants and assorted service people

Thaba: A tall, broad-shouldered dark-skinned man, clean shaven and wearing modest but well-kept clothes. He has milky white eyes and a deep voice. He serves as a guardian or manager of sorts to Iyabo. He can usually be found sitting in front of the fire pit by his house.

Iyabo: This wise woman is a multiclass druid – bard with some wizard thrown in there. She is a tiny woman, potentially gnomish in nature, but it’s hard to tell. Her hair is quite a bit longer than her body, a mass of tiny braids, embellished with rope, ribbons, glass beads and brass rings that obscures her shape almost completely. From what you can tell, the hair may have been dark in color once, but it’s been painted with clay. Individual strands are red, ochre, green or a chalky white, the whole thing giving the impression of a gloomy, if colorful, bead curtain. The hair makes it almost impossible to see her face, but when her arms emerge from the curtain, her skin appears to be greyish blue, mostly because that, too, is rubbed with some kind of dust. Her hands are studded with different rings, her wrists covered in bracers and rows of bangles. Iyabo jingles when she walks, and you can discern the rustle of fabric, as well as the sound of many, many necklaces or chains clinking together. She doesn’t so much talk as whisper harshly , also with vague southern accent.

Dimitri Helfdal: A man of smallish stature, stocky and broad, with medium gray skin. Mid forties and fairly jovial, incredibly curious about new treasures and things. He wears a monocle and light linen, embroidered pants, with a sleeveless shirt. Dark grey scales line his shoulders, hands and head, glinting with a brushed steel look that makes him seem , in a weird way, armored. He does not have a tail.

Irin: A dragonborn woman of dark olive skin, fairly tall and with a long tail that whips back and forth between the folds of her long skirt. She wears a beautiful silk tunic, with cropped pants lines in copper thread and a long skirt consisting of four almost see-through loose panels. On her head, and down her back and tail are long crystalline dark blue spikes and the scales that adorn her skin are strangely see through, giving the impression of dark blue gems. It also seems like she has filed some of them to resemble jewelry, the ones around her throat and down her chest looking like a very elaborate necklace.

Sulejman Sirk: A black man in his late thirties, with corn rows tied into his hair, and a cropped full beard. He tends to smile widely and has a prominent gold tooth. He has several gold earrings in one ear and wears a dark grey v-neck kaftan of sorts, with embroidery on the shoulders.

Runa Pavalur: A red haired half-elven woman, fairly young looking, very pale with freckles. Basic hippie attitude, she wears what appear to be several crocheted tablecloths stitched together, and her hair falls down her back in two long braids. Speaks in a gentle, slow tone and has very obviously read every single book in the store.

Illilniss and Omulnis: Gnome brothers, both with heavy mustaches, kindof tanned skin and an almost inky blue hair. They finish each others sentences and then get grumpy about it.

Antanen ‘David’ Jonesin: An elderly halfling with salt-and-peper hair that poofs up around his head like a cotton ball. Wears tiny round glasses and looks rather clerical, but very businessy attitude. His voice is clear and fast, like an american radio dj.

Mazzoum Hornmail: A very serious dwarven man who looks jovial and fat and jolly. He gets quite stern when people don’t treat him with the right amount of respect. It is said Mazzoum has spent years sailing the oceans, and kinda just settled down here because he got tired of the floor moving.

Kobinahin: A dark skinned halfling monk of indeterminate gender. Dark, golden ochre skin, long black hair usually tied in a ponytail. Fairly elegant features. They wear a dark grey jumpsuit with cropped pants and sleeves tied with cloth strips. It is cinched in at the waist with a large strip of cloth. Kobinahin fights for coin and essentially teaches the prostitutes and the escaped slaves self-defense. It’s not clear why they left home to travel the world and fight. (the reason is this DM needed to introduce the Monk class). Speaks in serious, shortish sentences. Very no-nonsense.

Lavar: A fire genasi with tanned skin and flame red hair who serves as a smith. A practical sort who, despite his fiery nature, doesn’t really get upset easily. Always looking for find new ways to make coin.

Perrahar: A seemingly young tortle, though her shield is quite damaged with little black spots. Very curious in nature but extremely chill in attitude. Speaks Very Slowly and pretty damn deadpan. Very little gets to her.

Back-up NPC’s

Loughlin Nic Cadhla: An older woman, lots of scars, with frizzy brown curls in almost an afro, and pale freckles skin. Hard of hearing, from standing next to cannons most of her life. Retired pirate.

Tran Phu Nguyen: A forty-something man who is immaculately dressed and must have been utterly gorgeous when younger, still quite handsome. Ex-prostitute.

Hamisi: A slender, dark skinned man, bald with a short beard. He’s missing an eye and has some horrific scarring, mostly on his wrists that you can see. Missing two fingers on his left hand. Wearing a loose shirt and simple cropped pants, no shoes.

#oh look another one #i like world building ok #don't judge me #campaign resources #dnd #dungeons and dragons #dm stuff

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theimaginesyouneveraskedfor · 6 years ago

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Dead of Night

A continuation of:

Ring of Fire

Heart of Gold

Chain of Fools

Sky Full of Stars

Out of the Blue

You stood in the kitchen that Thorin had built you. It was nicer than you deserved. He was nicer than you deserved. A king now that Thrain was gone. Yet despite his claims, you did not feel a queen. You barely felt like a wife in this empty house.

Well, not exactly then. Your nephew Ralin was awaiting you in his high chair, pounding his small fist impatiently for the meal you had promised him. You set the bowl of berries before him and he grunted hungrily. He smushed one into his mouth messily and grabbed another. Like his father, Dwalin, he was ravenous in his appetites. He also preferred your apple tart to anything else. He focused on his food, his blue eyes just as bright as Raina's. The child also shared her impetuous nature; as demanding and stubborn as both parents.

Your womb had yet to quicken. It was not an uncommon struggle for dams but you were not only letting down your husband but his people. Why, he had married outside his own people, choosing a lowly and thus far barren dam from the Blue Mountains. Since his father had departed, his status had become all the more obvious. Hushed conversations with Dwalin and his brother, Balin. Midnight messages from dwarves far away but hailing from the same stolen mountain.

You smiled at Ralin, red and blue smears across his lips and cheeks. Raina would have been having a fit, endlessly tending to his mess though he would only only make more before he was done. You had volunteered to watch your nephew so that your mother could attend to the stall with her youngest daughter. You were left with the dwarfling as Thorin and Dwalin shared their weekly, almost ritualistic ale.

When Ralin finished his berries, you wiped his hands and face clean as he resisted and giggled. He was a cheerful dwarfling despite his father’s innate demeanour. You lifted him from the high chair which sat empty and forgotten in the corner when he was not visiting. The door opened behind you, steps unheard on the back steps. Thorin entered and paused as you held your nephew, resting him on your hip and he touched your nose playfully.

“Hmmm,” Thorin chuckled as he kicked the dust from his boots, “Having fun?”

“Not just yet but maybe if you take him for a few minutes, I just might,” You teased.

“Come on,” He neared you, kissing your forehead as you kept Ralin from squirming, “You’re the best aunt he could ask for. I could only imagine--”

“Don’t.” You ordered before he could finish. You knew what he was going to say. He always said it. You hated it. It reminded you of how you were disappointing him. Of the helplessness you felt every month when your time came; uninterrupted and unchanged.

You turned and passed through into the living room, setting Ralin in the small pen Thorin had fashioned for him. You knew he wished it could be used for his own young one. Just like the high chair and the crib he thought you didn’t know about. Hidden in Dis’ shed beneath a sheet, waiting for a day which was not likely to come.

“I’m sorry,” He said quietly as he came up behind you. His hand rested on your hips as his nose brushed the top of your head. “You know I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I’m sorry I can’t make you happy.” You whispered.

“Y/N,” He hissed, grabbing your elbow and forcing you to turn to face him. His blue eyes burned yours and his hand found your chin as he cradled your face. “You make me happy. There hasn’t been a day since I’ve known you that I haven’t been entirely content.”

“It took Dis what? Months? And my sister, she was with child before she even had a betrothal,” You took his hand from your chin and held it, “I can’t help but feel unworthy.”

“Never,” Thorin breathed.

“I’m not a queen,” You rasped, “This is no palace.”

“It is because I built it for you,” He pulled you against him, embracing you warmly, “You are my queen and all I’ll ever need. I will never doubt you so please, have faith in me in kind.”

“I do,” You assured him, basking in his warmth, “It’s...hard.”

Ralin babbled and a wooden block clattered against the side of his pen. You looked to him and smiled despite the tightness in your throat. “I think he’s jealous,” Thorin mused.

Dis had arrived unexpectedly, you and Thorin having only just returned from your father's forge. You smelled of sweat and metal. She had knocked not long after your own entrance. Thorin had already fallen into the dark blue armchair he called his own. He did not rise so you were the one to receive his sister and her son.

Despite everything, you often found yourself keeping company with a child or two. If it wasn't Ralin, it was Fili. The youngest Durin and current heir to the bloodline took after his father. His blonde hair and green eyes marked him as peculiar among most dwarves. You were already certain he'd grow into a handsome prince. He was already clever, too.

Fili raced across the floor the moment Dis set him down. Ever since he had gained his legs, he had not ceased to cause trouble. You followed him and pulled out the chest of toys kept for your nephew's visits. He took a block eagerly and began his childish games, making noises as his imagination carried him away.

“A most unexpected visit, sister,” Thorin grumbled, chin in his hand lazily.

“Vinor should be along soon,” She placated. “Then you can share an ale and forget your troublesome wives.”

“He's always like this after work,” You rebuked. “Especially when he tried to show me how to do my work.”

“I was merely trying to help my dear wife,” He smirked.

“By getting in the way?” You countered.

“Helping you refine your practice,” He teased.

“Really?” You put your hand on your hip as you stared him down, “I’ve been forging since I could hold a hammer. What, my father cursed with two daughters, he had to make due with me.”

“Blessed, is what I’d say,” Thorin sat up, “Me, too, in that I can bask in the pleasures of his creation.”

“Quiet,” You chided and turned back to Dis, “Tea?”

“Might as well. Vinor’s never been particularly timely.” She accepted as she sat on the sofa a bit more heavily than you would expect.

“Thorin?” You asked over your shoulder as you headed to the kitchen.

“I’ll take that ale,” He called after you.

“Then you’ll pour it yourself,” You sang back.

You went about heating up the kettle and pouring two cups for your and your sister-in-law. By the time the scent of steamed herbs rose in your nostrils, your fatigue had made itself known. The day caught up with you as you passed back into the den, setting Dis’ brew beside her on the table as she watched her son and brother on the floor.

Thorin had moved from his presumed throne, laying across the carpet as he held his nephew over him, the dwarfling giggling as he was maneuvered through the air. Your husband tossed him and caught him with ease, his own deep chuckles mingling with the delighted squeals of Fili. You smiled at the scene, a knock keeping it from fully blooming.

You set down your cup on the mantle above the hearth and disappeared into the small hallway. Vinor greeted you with a peck on your cheek and a mumbled hello. He was always soft-spoken, at least without ale in his veins, and a humble dwarf to boot. He was not much like his brother-in-law. Thorin was outspoken, sometimes too much, whereas Vinor spoke only when he thought needed.

“My wife,” You followed him back into the den as he crossed to his wife, sitting beside her carefully as he stretched his arms over her shoulders and pulled Dis to him. He kissed her forehead before relaxing against the sofa and turning to watch Thorin and his son in their wrestling match.

“Well, Thorin,” Vinor shared a knowing look with Dis before he began. She gave a small nod, for once letting him do the talking. A strong tongue ran in her family. “I hope he’s not tiring you out too much.”

“Not at all,” Thorin replied as Fili leaped onto his back, “He keeps me sharp.”

“Then another wouldn’t be any trouble to fend off then, eh?” Vinor’s cheeks turned rosy and he grinned as he took his wife’s hand and squeezed it. “Another nephew to keep you young?”

“Another?” Thorin held Fili at bay as his mouth fell open. He looked up at Dis, his haired hanging messily around his face from his struggle. Her hand touched the stomach of her gown. You had only just recognized the garment. It was one which she had worn when she had first begun to ground round with her first child. “Why, I think that would be more to my advantage than Fili’s. I could use an ally.”

You swallowed and took your tea quickly, hiding your dismay behind it as you sipped. You weren’t unhappy, only, well you weren’t sure how to explain it. You were happy for Dis and yet that pit inside your chest deepened. You felt even more empty as you watch Fili reached out for his uncle once more. You held back the snapping jealousy and forced a smile across your lips, clearing your throat. It all came so easily for the true princess.

“What lovely news,” You chimed, “Ralin would loved yet another playmate. Why the three of them together might just knock some sense into my husband.”

“Ralin?” Thorin exclaimed dramatically, “I forgot about that little monster. Already as fearsome as his father…and mother.”

“Indeed,” Dis agreed, “A trio of royal cousins.”

“A strong future for our people,” Thorin said, “Durin and Fundin will rule once again.”

You kept silent as you eyes burned and your throat tightened. You were suddenly overwhelmed and the tea was bitter on your tongue. You set aside your cup again and forced away the bile rising within. “I should begin dinner before we get to distracted,” You intoned, “We can celebrate over some roast beef. My mother’s own recipe.”

“And some maple tart, my love,” Thorin added.

“If there is any left,” You returned as you neared the doorway, “After your midnight snacking.”

“There is another in the pantry. I know you always make extra.” He bantered, “And I always find that one, too.”

You shook your head at his last jape and left them behind. Entering the kitchen, you crossed to the counter and gripped its edge, bracing yourself as you forced the breath from your lungs slowly. You should be happy for Dis, you should feel this way. You were still young; still able. You just had to be patient.

Even so, you felt so inadequate. What was king without an heir?

Kili was born in the summer. He was his mother’s son; with dark hair and a demanding nature, but sweet. Ralin and Fili were happy for another friend though it made days when you minded them all the more hectic. But those times grew few and far between. You had retreated to your father’s forge for fear of yourself. You hated the way you felt towards your own kin. The resent you harboured despite your best efforts.

It was early, sky was still dark. Thorin was snoring beside you. You sat up and admired his profile in the dim light. You forced yourself away from him and dressed without a lamp. You crept out, lacing your boots on the front steps before departing. It was supposed to be your day off but it had been a restless night and you need a hammer in hand to settle yourself. Dis was to visit, Raina too and the house would be full of dwarflings. You just needed a break.

Your mother was awake as early as ever. When you entered, she kept her voice low and beckoned you to sit at the table as she cooked. The house felt emptier these days; both her daughters married and with homes of their own.

“Your father’s sleeping still,” She said, “I figured I’d let him.”

“Thorin, too,” You replied, “I...need a day to myself.”

“Oh?” She set a mug of coffee before you, “And I suppose you intend to spend it at the anvil?”

“I need the distraction,” You sipped from the dark brew.

“You need to slow down,” You mother admonished, “My dear, you’ve been working yourself ragged.”

“I’m fine,” You insisted, “I can handle the work.”

“Daughter,” Your mother rounded the table, placing her hand gently on your shoulder, “You cannot hate yourself as such. The day will come but you must be patient.”

“Maamr,” You rasped, relinquishing your cup, “It...I don’t think--”

Your voice caught as you heard the familiar distant creak of your parents’ bed. You shook your head, not wanting your father to overheard. You waited for him to emerge from his chamber, listening as he rose and took a few steps. They stopped suddenly and thick silence filled the house, time seeming to stop before a crash broke the eerie lull.

A groan followed and you rose, toppling your chair as you rushed past your mother. She followed and you found your father across the floor. You recalled the last you had found him thus. Years ago. You fell to your knees and turned him over in your lap, feeling for pulse beneath his whitening beard. It had been silver when last he had fallen.

“Maamr,” You looked up at her as you cradled your father, “Fetch a medic, please. He still breathes.”

Her eyes were crystalline as tears sparkled along them, waiting to fall. She grasped her throat and nodded, turning back as she made for the door. She moved more quickly than you thought her capable. Your hands were shaking as you looked back to your father. His breathing was wheezy, his palour drained. His naturally ruddy cheeks were gaunt.

Your lip trembled as you stood and lifted him with a grunt. He wasn’t so heavy as before. You angled him back onto his bed, his head on the pillow as you spread him out. You gripped his hand as you sat beside him and waited for help. This was no time for patience.

You kept hold of your father’s hand even as the medic had worked on him. The sweat on the blond brow of the healer gave you little hope. His name was Oskin and he was stern dwarf, but skilled. He worked around you, sighs escaping his lips as he tended to the fallen smith. Finally, he backed away, shaking his head sullenly as he unrolled his sleeves.

“Frita,” He approached your mother. Her arms were crossed and her face sullen. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t,” She raised her hands, “I knew the time was close.”

You gulped and looked back to your father. You couldn’t turn away from him; couldn’t let go of him as he remained inert. “A day or two,” You heard Oskin say before he left. Your mother said your name but you didn’t hear the rest of her words. You felt her hand on your arm but your shrugged her off. She sat in the chair next to the bed as you stayed beside your father. You were numb, so much so that you couldn’t move; you could barely think.

Thorin’s voice came later. He touched your shoulder and kissed your cheek but you did not flinch. He knelt beside you and spoke to you and then your father. But he couldn’t hear Thorin, the same he couldn’t feel your hand around his. Raina showed next, Dwalin and Ralin with her. The dwarfling tugged at your leg but you didn’t move.

“She won’t talk,” You heard your mother whisper. “She hasn’t moved and she’s not even cried.” He voice was weepy and full of tears.

“Y/N,” Thorin called to you, taking your other hand. He tried to force you away but you tugged your hand from his. “Please, you must eat. You must sleep.”

You shook your head, almost imperceptibly. He stood over you, you could feel his eyes on you, but he stepped away without further argument. The night came and you heard muffled voices in the kitchen. Your mother laid down beside your father, nestling into him as if he were still alive. She whispered in his ear and kissed his cheek on last time. She kissed yours before she finally left you alone and you clenched your jaw.

The house was suddenly silent. Everyone else was sleeping. You lifted your father’s hand and traced it with your thumbs. “I’m sorry,” You said quietly, “I’m sorry I never gave you a grandchild. I’m sorry you had to wait so long.” You leaned over him, resting your head on his chest. His heartbeat was faint.

“I’m sorry it has to be like this. That you have to go.” You continued, “Why do you have to leave me when I’m so alone?” You closed your eyes, “I love you, Ada.” You listened, holding your breath as the beat came slower and quieter. And then, it stopped. “No,” You whispered, “No, no, no,” You repeated over and over.

Your voice came louder and louder until tears spilled forth and you began to choke. You wrapped your arms around your father’s lifeless form one last time and sat up, letting loose a wail; so sharp it scared even you. You crumbled over your father’s chest and sobbed, you body wracked. The door opened behind you as you began to slip to the floor. Thick arms caught you, Thorin holding you in his lap as you dissembled; rocking you like a child.

“He’s gone,” You said, burying your face in his neck, “Thorin...he’s gone.”

#i'm sorry #fic #series #part 6 #ring of fire #sequel #thorin oakenshield #the hobbit #dis #fili #dwalin #oc

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tanach-929 · 5 years ago

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#217: Shoftim/Judges Chapter 6

929 chapter link: http://www.929.org.il/lang/en/page/217

Mechon Mamre link: https://www.mechon-mamre.org/e/et/et0706.htm

1 And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds. 3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them; 4 and they encamped against them, and destroyed the produce of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. 5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came in as locusts for multitude; both they and their camels were without number; and they came into the land to destroy it. 6 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD. {P}

7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of Midian, 8 that the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel; and he said unto them: 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; 9 and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land. 10 And I said unto you: I am the LORD your God; ye shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; but ye have not hearkened unto My voice.' {P}

11 And the angel of the LORD came, and sat under the terebinth which was in Ophrah, that belonged unto Joash the Abiezrite; and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him: 'The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.' 13 And Gideon said unto him: 'Oh, my lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all His wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying: Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.' 14 And the LORD turned towards him, and said: 'Go in this thy might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian; have not I sent thee?' 15 And he said unto him: 'Oh, my lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.' 16 And the LORD said unto him: 'Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.' 17 And he said unto him: 'If now I have found favour in thy sight, then show me a sign that it is thou that talkest with me. 18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and lay it before thee.' And he said: 'I will tarry until thou come back.' 19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal; the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the terebinth, and presented it. {P}

20 And the angel of God said unto him: 'Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth.' And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight. 22 And Gideon saw that he was the angel of the LORD; and Gideon said: 'Alas, O Lord GOD! forasmuch as I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.' 23 And the LORD said unto him: 'Peace be unto thee; fear not; thou shalt not die.' 24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it 'Adonai-shalom'; unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. {S} 25 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him: 'Take thy father's bullock, and the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the Asherah that is by it; 26 and build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this stronghold, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt-offering with the wood of the Asherah which thou shalt cut down.' 27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had spoken unto him; and it came to pass, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, so that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night. 28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built. 29 And they said one to another: 'Who hath done this thing?' And when they inquired and asked, they said: 'Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.' 30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash: 'Bring out thy son, that he may die; because he hath broken down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the Asherah that was by it.' 31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him: 'Will ye contend for Baal? or will ye save him? he that will contend for him, shall be put to death before morning; if he be a god, let him contend for himself, because one hath broken down his altar.' 32 Therefore on that day he was called Jerubbaal, saying: 'Let Baal contend against him, because he hath broken down his altar.' {S} 33 Now all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel. 34 But the spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon; and he blew a horn; and Abiezer was gathered together after him. 35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; and they also were gathered together after him; and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them. 36 And Gideon said unto God: 'If Thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as Thou hast spoken, 37 behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor; if there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the ground, then shall I know that Thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as Thou hast spoken.' 38 And it was so; for he rose up early on the morrow, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water. 39 And Gideon said unto God: 'Let not Thine anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once: let me make trial, I pray Thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.' 40 And God did so that night; for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. {P}

Have any thoughts, opinions, feelings or insights on this chapter? Please share!

#tanach #bible #shoftim #judges #neviim #prophets #929

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tonightinthewasteland · 6 years ago

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Journal Entries 3- Casey Loomis aka Preacher

Part 1 Part 2

Jan 1, 2103

I woke up on the second floor of Sweetwater's home with a blinding headache and Nate handing me my glasses. They sat crooked on my face and I realized they were held together by wraps of duct tape. Nate took them back immediately saying he'd fix them a little more. Ignoring my questions about the night before, he readjusted my glasses then offered them back. They fit better that time and when I asked after the night before he busied himself with gathering up things. I resolved to sit in a cloud of fragmented memories.

It took some confused blinking and the lingering taste of bourbon in my teeth to finally remember. When the evening came back to me I smiled and I could tell by the way Nate avoided my eye that he wasn't too proud. He escaped down the stairs before I could say anything and now I'm worried.

Is he embarrassed? Was I too hasty? I thought it was pretty clear what he had wanted but maybe I got ahead of myself...again.

If he hadn't wanted to kiss me then what did he want?

Jan 6, 2103

The awkwardness has pushed Nate away. Now I am back in my old haunts in the eastern forests, trying not to think too much, and spending more time at my C.A.M.P. The garden now has more corn plants and I planted mutfruit bushes beneath the western window. What I wouldn't give for a decent cook station. I’d like to see someone else make a Starlight cobbler on the ground.

While at the stove at Arronholdt Farm, I heard a commotion behind the center house. Instead of a wild dog, a person came barreling out of the woods! I was so stunned, my fight or flight brain almost shot her in excitement. Yikes!

She said my name before I could remember hers. It was Siddhi! Ten years my junior but sometimes our cliques' co-mingled at Vault events. I never thought I’d see a familiar face ever again! Too bad Nate isn't around to meet her. I’m beginning to think he could use some more human contact also. His “neighbors” don’t count. I think those stiffs are starting to get to me also because I swear I saw the same mannequins a mile away from my C.A.M.P.

Keep it together, Casey.

Jan 9, 2103

I'm a fuckin idiot. Complete dumb shit. I would embarrass the Elder if he met me. The Overseer wouldn't even claim me right now. I was heading back to Camp Venture to stow away some technical documents when a Sierra Bravo came out of the trees tops. It was a stroke of luck it didn't see me but who needs Scorched beasts when my dumb ass trips over his own boots? I went down the side the mountain at a full tumble and over the edge. I must have had another life left because instead of landing straight in the mouth of hell I dropped heavy on to a rocky outcropping instead. Dazed and breathless, I couldn't tell what was fucked and what still worked. My bag with all its stimpaks was stuck underneath me and the pain made my limbs worthless. The sky was an ugly cheery blue, the sun was out and all I could think about was how Nate would find me C.A.M.P empty every time he came back.

I don’t know how much time passed but woke up with an achingly dry mouth and no pain. The world was still warm and bright. Looking back, I’m surprised by how easily I accepted that I was dying once the pain went away. Then, a smiling face with eyes as green as spring formed out of the sunshine.

Jan 14, 2103

Nate came back for a while and I am glad for that. He looks me in the face just as any other time. I’ve felt like a spring ready to spit loose. The lingering symptoms of my fall have sore ankles and stiffness when it gets cold at night but I have this persistent nervous energy that has nowhere to go but to my head. The nightmares are bizarre, fluctuating between flashes of sex with, uh, Raiders(?), and monsters tearing me apart. I can’t figure how these things match and I don't want to try. My thoughts have not been right since the fall. Wandering is what my mind needs, I think.

I directed us south towards an especially unwelcoming black spot on the horizon, a town called Welch. There wasn't much left of the Overseer’s ancestral home and the surrounding area has fallen to ashy landslides and heavy gases that made the air uninhabitable. The lingering striker bots, skeletons, picket signs, and long forgotten equipment still sit grimly on my mind. Perhaps it wasn't the best place to wander into.

It’s sick to see that machinery, the Rockhound, still functioning. Built to outwork humans, it outlived us instead. Watching the beast eat earth borders on cosmic horror. I’m being...too much...I need to lay down. I don’t feel good.

Jan 18 2103

I uprooted all my plants and used the C.A.M.P to dismantled everything. Fresh start. I moved a few yards farther down the hill to flatter ground near a stout tree. The new home is brighter with more room for growth and much-desired bedroom privacy. Never hurts to be ambitious, I hope.

Things need changing. A man can only ride stupidity so far before he has to accept it as a flaw and not a silly quirk. Always runny ahead to oogle at the new shiny things, tramping over land mines, waltzing into a ghoul den and Mutant territory...I’m a danger to myself and anyone that's with me. Here I am, changing the interior of my home but not myself. What new disaster will it take to become a man Nate might respect?

There might not be a Joshua loaded down with stimpaks next time. His generosity leaves a ghostly shame. I can’t recall his angelic eyes and genuine kindness without feeling guilty.

Perhaps my contribution can be as an example to these younger Reclaimers, Siddhi...Joshua...of what voluntary ignorance will get you.

Joshua belongs to @lamorellenoire6

Nate and Siddhi belong to @avaleon

#fallout oc #casey loomis #natan cortez #Joshua blackwell #siddhi

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woman-of-destiny · 3 years ago

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Word for Today

Isaiah 56: 5-7

To them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever.

And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants.

All who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.

In chapter 55, prophet Isaiah focuses on God’s invitation to experience redemption. He was saying, “Listen up! God’s deliverance is about to be revealed.”

And then, in chapter 56, he makes it abundantly clear that the invitation will extend far beyond just the chosen people of Israel.

When the Messiah comes, people from every nation on the earth will be welcome to taste the goodness of God’s salvation. Even to those who were currently excluded, God said, “These I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer.

Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations”. The temple was called the “house of God” (Ezra 5:2) because God chose that place to be His “dwelling” where He would meet with His people.

In our livers, prayer is an important part of worship which is closely associated with the temple ( Acts 3:1). In Isaiah 56 God looks forward to a coming day of blessing: “My salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed”.

God wants those excluded from His house to know that, on that blessed day, they would be welcome to enter His temple, which would be a house of prayer for all people, of all nations and backgrounds.

In Mark 11:17, when Jesus drove out the buyers and sellers in the temple, He repeated these words from the book of Isaiah:

“Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:13). The house of God, the place where He dwells is a holy place reserved for prayer and worship.

After Christ resurrected and ascended into heaven, all believers in Jesus Christ are now called the house of God: “But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory” (1 Timothy 3:15).

We, “like living stones, we are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ,”

1 Peter 2:5. God no longer lives in tents or buildings made by human hands but in the lives of all those who receive Jesus Christ as Savior. We are God’s house of prayer.

Prayer is a significant part of our relationship as this is where we talk to God. Prayer is also worship. God’s house is a “house of prayer” because now we can approach the Lord’s presence through a one-on-one speaking relationship with God.

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need”. God delights in fellowship with His children.

When Jesus came to earth and sacrificed His life on the cross, He opened the way of salvation to people of every nation.

And now all who accept Christ’s invitation to come are welcome in God’s house of prayer.

Today we are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.

And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (Eph 2:19–22). If you are part of the family of God, not only are you His household, but you are also His house of prayer.

Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and the house of prayer. Are you taking care of God's house?

Have a Breakthrough Monday

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owlsshadows · 6 years ago

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Garden Time (Izanayuki, part3)

1. Tea Time | 2. Study Time

Izana introduces her to the garden two weeks into their meetings – her garden. A bit of land behind what her study will be, with trees and bushes and a large mass of thicket; an old, untended labyrinth maybe. A small area by the castle walls is covered with building materials – soon a greenhouse will be erected there, close to the entrance of her study.

She walks along a row of freshly planted yura shigure, watering each seedling with caring attention. She couldn’t wait for the greenhouse to be built, she had to somehow mark this land of hers – and what better way than to choose the flower she can thank her court pharmacist career to. The slowly warming days benefit the sprouts, while the mild spring sun won’t burn their leaves yet. It is the perfect time for planting and Shirayuki is full of plans and inspiration to do so. She started with the yura shigure, but soon she will add the medicinal herbs she uses for Izana’s blend too – so her future husband can drink the tea she has grown in her garden.

The thought makes her itchy under her skin.

Initially she took it as a game Izana wanted to play. To ease his frustration, she went along with it. She didn’t believe him one bit – not when he dropped his first hint, nor when he refuted her arguments. She went along with him, raising the stakes and stating her conditions.

Never in her right mind she would have thought that their little banter could have a continuation. The official invitation the next day to the engagement talks, delivered by a slightly startled Lord Zakura took her off guard – to such extent that she has accepted them thoughtlessly.

And now she diriges a group of craftsmen every morning on how to renovate and remodel the old fencing room into her very own den, while she spends her late afternoons with her new garden. She still spends most of her time at the pharmacy – but for a substantial amount of time she is the fiancée of the king.

She is still Shirayuki, the court pharmacist to the Wistalia house.

But also the Young Lady of the Lion Mountains

A Tanbarunian noblewoman.

The future queen consort.

She cuts her hand with the edge of a leaf, shrieking shortly in surprise and yanking her finger in her mouth to suck on it before it starts bleeding – not the most flattering situation to be found in, especially by the one who insists on marrying her.

“Does it hurt?” Izana asks.

Shirayuki, finger between lips, shakes her head. Izana nods, crossing the entrance to examine her little plantation. He seems unfazed by her unwomanliness – practicality, as Kiki would phrase it. But this is not a countryside inn, and she is not with a female knight. She is in the royal gardens, in the audience of the king himself.

Shirayuki can’t help but wonder how Prince Raji or Prince Zen – royalty who has once claimed to love her – would have reacted. She pictures a dumbfounded Raji, an overprotective Zen… somehow they both seem ridiculous, like caricatures next to the reality of Izana walking right into her personal space.

“Lucky you are wearing boots,” he says, looking at her feet.

“Well, I was gardening,” Shirayuki says, extracting her finger from her mouth with a quiet pop. “But why is it exactly lucky?”

“My brother has returned from Wilant.”

“And so?”

“Well, you see, I told him about my engagement and that I gifted father’s room to my fiancée, but I kind of forgot to tell him about just whom I got engaged to.”

“Oh,” Shirayuki says. She did not write about it either. “So?”

“So we run,” Izana replies. “Preferably before he realizes.”

“Why?”

“Because…” Izana starts with a huge breath, but comes to a sudden halt. His eyes wonder off of her face, glancing at something by her shoulder, blinking rapidly and looking further away before they return to her. “Because he for sure will be a pain.”

“It’s not like…” Shirayuki starts only to stop abruptly.

Izana is right. No matter how her relationship to Zen was a figment of rumor-thirsty nobles, Zen is her friend. And as so, he is one very protective friend.

She still remembers vividly of the anger Zen felt early on when Izana was still not convinced of her pure intentions and tried to test her. She remembers the clashes they had, with words as well and swords. She could imagine a better evening program than pacifying two stubborn brothers.

“It’s all your fault, you know,” she concludes with a grimace.

“This I have to admit,” Izana says.

“So? Where do we run where I need my boots?”

“I thought we sneak in the stables and steal his horse for a ride.”

“Why must you be like this?”

“Do you have any better ideas?”

“More decent, less entertaining.”

“Such as? I’m listening.”

“Your Majesty, you hide. If Zen comes around, I pretend I have never heard about our engagement.”

“While standing in the garden I gave to you as an engagement present,” Izana points out.

“Okay, then we hide together,” Shirayuki huffs, stifling a laugh. “And if he finds us we pretend we never heard about our engagement.”

“Genius, very convincing,” Izana says, trying his best to hide his smile. “And where should we hide, My Lady?”

“Well,” Shirayuki looks around, contented. “In my garden, of course.”

Finally, Izana laughs, as if he was to admit defeat – which, knowing him well, Shirayuki highly doubt. And indeed as their eyes meet, his is full of mischief.

“That’s a wonderful idea, My Lady,” he says. “Do you mind taking the lead?”

Shirayuki squints judgingly. If it was anyone else but Izana, she would probably bump into them or knock on the top of their head playfully. With Izana she finds it hard to recognize her boundaries – she keeps her quips sharp and he seems to appreciate it, but would he be appalled by her touch? Would he be surprised or alarmed? Would he let her do it?

She is a handsy one, she has always been; as a pharmacist it might be occupational hazard. But touching Izana is a land unknown and one that raises precaution.

So she silences her urge to jab him in the shoulder and instead settles for a muted death glare.

“So, are you not willing to face the consequences of your actions, Your Majesty?”

“Careful, My Lady,” Izana continues his act. “Using my title in connection with such accusations may warrant a trial for treason.”

“Lucky me, I’m a foreigner,” Shirayuki responds, but her tone and face stays serious. “I mean my words, Your Majesty. While admitting my oversight in not informing Zen earlier myself, I honestly can’t believe you did not tell him either. He deserves to know.”

“I know,” Izana moves to step closer, offering his arm for her. “But what Zen deserves is the truth, in its entirety. And I just couldn’t bring myself to tell him that…”

“Is it because I rejected him?” Shirayuki asks, letting Izana lead her deeper into the garden.

“It’s because he won’t believe you accepting my proposal based on ‘mutual benefits’. You don’t do things for the merit.”

“True,” she admits.

“Right. Even I can’t believe that I managed to convince you, so how would my brother do?”

“Well… I’m still not very convinced,” Shirayuki says, her fingers digging into the velvet of Izana’s jacket. “I kind of went with the flow, and look at this?” Her free hand gestures around vaguely.

“This was the easiest to fulfil,” Izana replies. “Out of all your demands.”

“I already feel that it’s too much.”

“You don’t quite know your own value.”

“I think you may overestimate my worth.”

“How could I?” Izana asks, stopping by the entrance to the maze. “I am a king, and kings don’t make mistakes.”

Shirayuki can’t help but giggle. Her laugh, however, gets caught in her throat as Izana pulls her closer to him. The shine in his eyes contradicts his playful tone; it is vibrant, sincere, determined.

“In order for me to truly win your hand though, I still have to work hard,” he says.

His gaze ties a knot in the pit of her stomach, reminding her of the last item on her demand list. Her lids shut firm, closing out Izana’s earnest face from her view. The thought still lingers, just as his scent wafting around her.

She wouldn’t marry but for love.

Izana told her that she has her guards up high to taunt her, he said she would not let anyone close enough to fall for them, but was it really the case?

She opens her eyes, gaze wandering off to the side. The sight of the unkempt labyrinth twists the knot in her stomach in a painful, yet deliciously curious way.

“So… hiding, was it?” she tears herself away from his closeness, marching towards the bushes.

“I’m afraid this is our best solution for now,” Izana says, following her steps. “Unless you wish to disclose our deal in its entirety immediately.”

“No, I agree with you,” she shakes her head. “Zen would never believe it, and he may start suspecting that you threaten me with something…”

“In a way, he is not mistaken,” Izana snorts.

“You frighten me, Your Majesty. I took you for an almost decent man.”

“Almost decent?” he laughs. “Good, I like this. I shall live up to this image then.”

“Izana,” she pries. “Just what are your plans? What do you mean by he is not mistaken?”

“I did proclaim that I will make you fall for me. With you guarded as you are, you may have taken it as a threat.”

“May I ask if this is some roundabout insult?”

“I would never dare to insult the woman I try to court.”

“Yet you imply, over and over again, that I am afraid of love.”

“Are you not?” Izana asks. Shirayuki spins on her heels to stare at him, only to find herself standing right in front of him. His height she finds annoying now, unable to give him a proper death glare. “Then do tell, how come that such a brilliant woman is still single? You must have had a suitor or two.”

“Believe it or not, I didn’t,” she says.

“Maybe you didn’t notice the signs,” Izana suggests. “Maybe there were men enamored with you but you didn’t take their approach as it is, a form of romantic attitude.”

It hurts – being reminded of Obi, of her utter failure to recognize his feelings, of her complete defeat of realizing her own only after he has moved on. It hurts and she puts up her guard and hides in her invisible shell, turning away from Izana and stomping deeper into the maze.

“Might be,” she says then, several steps away, in a voice so meek that she knows Izana cannot hear it anymore. She knows, her message still comes across bright as daylight.

“I hope you notice when it’s my turn,” she hears, loud and clear. “I don’t intend to be subtle.”

“Izana!” she turns embarrassed towards the king.

He shrugs, sending her an almost decent smile.

“In my defense, I have never had to court anyone,” he says.

“Not even your wife?” Shirayuki asks, regretting her question the moment it leaves her lips – Izana on the other hand does not seem to be bothered by it.

“With Haki we have been betrothed since age 5. There has never been a question whether we marry or not.”

“She has always seemed quite charmed by you.”

“We were in love,” Izana says matter-of-factly. “But it doesn’t mean that I courted her.”

“I’m sorry if I asked something I was not supposed to.”

“Likewise,” he replies, walking up to her. “It was insensitive of me, asking about your past suitors.”

“No, please don’t. It’s just that I might really be oblivious to people’s feelings and as a scientist admitting any form of ignorance, it…”

“Hurts your pride?”

“Somehow.”

“Understandable,” he says.

“What hurts yours?” she asks out of curiosity.

“Oh no, I’m not willing to give any weapons to your hands. You are well-equipped already. I can only hope that you won’t poison me if you find me courting you insufferable.”

Shirayuki ponders whether to react to his comment on poisons – there is absolutely no way she could or would poison him, ever – then decides that Izana must know it, hence he dares to make a joke out of it. She tilts her head to the side, as if looking at him from a different angle would help her understand the king better.

“There has been something I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while,” she starts.

“Yes?”

“How do you plan to court me?”

Izana blinks at her surprised for a second before his well-trained mask of composure falls into place.

“If only I knew,” he says with a small smile, admitting defeat.

“You must have a plan. I doubt that you would ever do anything without planning well ahead.”

“Well, I had a plan, you see,” Izana sighs. “I thought of stealing you away from your garden and taking you out on a small excursion today. We would have gone to the seaside, taking a light lunch with us. We would have had the entire afternoon, only for us.”

“Oh.”

“I was going to the stables to have our horses ready when I saw Zen arriving.”

“Maybe we really should have stolen his horse.”

“So… would it be an acceptable act of courting?” he asks, stifling a laugh. “For future reference.”

“Yes.”

#akagami no shirayukihime #izanayuki #izana wistalia #shirayuki #hilsstuff #ans fanfiction #tea time

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mikaltom53 · 3 years ago

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When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“Say to the daughter of Zion,

‘Behold your King is coming to you,

Gentle, and mounted on a donkey,

Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,

“Hosanna to the Son of David;

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;

Hosanna in the highest!”

When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.” And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there. Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered. Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’

— Matthew 21:1-25

And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went. The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him. “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.”

Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,

‘The stone which the builders rejected,

This became the chief corner stone;

This came about from the Lord,

And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.

— Matthew 21:27-46

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pamphletstoinspire · 6 years ago

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THE CANTICLE OF CANTICLES - SOLOMON'S CANTICLE OF CANTICLES - From The Douay-Rheims Bible - Latin Vulgate

Chapter 4

INTRODUCTION.

This book is called the Canticle of Canticles, that is to say, the most excellent of all canticles: because it is full of high mysteries, relating to the happy union of Christ and his spouse; which is here begun by love; and is to be eternal in heaven. The spouse of Christ is the Church: more especially as to the happiest part of it, viz. perfect souls, every one of which is his beloved; but above all others, the immaculate and ever blessed Virgin mother. Ch. --- The bridegroom is Christ, as God and man. His praises and those of his spouse are recorded by various speakers. Solomon has given us three works; for beginners, the more advanced, and the perfect; as the philosophers teach ethics, physics, and metaphysics. All the holy Scriptures contain spiritual food, but they are not all fit for every person. Heb. v. 13. With what humility ought we not, therefore, to read this most perfect and mystical canticle, as the sentiments of spiritual love are expressed in the same words as that of worldlings, and we are more inclined to follow our own judgment and carnal notions! W. --- None, therefore, should dare to peruse this work, who has not mastered his passions, having his conversation in heaven. H. --- The Jews would not allow any ot read it before the age of thirty. Orig. and S. Jer. --- Some of the fathers and commentators have even asserted that the mystical sense is the only one which pertains to this book, (Theod. Durham. T.) and it is certainly the true and principal one, though allusion may be made to the marriage of Solomon with Pharao's daughter, (C. Bossuet. D.) or with a Tyrian princess, (c. iv. 8. and 3 K. xiii. 5.) or with Abisag. Rabbins. --- Grotius shews the corruption of his own heart in his impure comments, as Theodorus, of Mopsuestra, is blamed by the second Council of Const. iv. a. 68. The name of God never, indeed, occurs; as he is represented under the idea of the bridegroom, &c. and the piece is allegorical. It might be divided into seven scenes, or nights, as the marriage feast lasted so long. Gen. xxix. 22. During this time the bridegroom saw his spouse seldom, and with great reserve, (C.) as was the custom with the Lacedemonians. Plut. in Lyc. --- We might also refer all to six nights, or to the six ages of the Church, conformably to the system of De la Chetardie and Bishop Walmesley on the Apocalypse. --- I. Age. C. i. 2. marks the ascension of Christ, and the propagation of Christianity; v. 4. 5. persecutions; v. 6. 7. vocation of the Gentiles; v. 12. protection granted by Christ. II. C. ii. 3. peace under Constantine; v. 11. 17. troubles excited by Arius. III. C. iii. 1. irruption of barbarians; v. 4. does not overturn the Church; v. 6. they are converted; v. 11. and Christ is more glorified, as Apoc. xix. IV. C. iv. 5. the Latin and Greek Churches; v. 8. the Chaldees, lions, and Greeks, leopards, (Dan.) are converted; the Turks obtain dominion; v. 12. the Greek schismatics cut off: v. 16. the Church is persecuted, but protected. V. C. v. 2. Dew marks the cooling of charity, (S. Aug.) when Luther appeared; c. vi. 3. yet the Church triumphs, particularly after the Council of Trent. VI. C. vi. 9. after the sounding of the sixth trumpet, the Jews are converted, and adorn the Church, in spite of antichrist's power; v. 11. she addresses the synagogue, v. 12. C. viii. 2. obtains leave to go into the house of her mother, as the apostles were of Jewish extraction; v. 7. the constancy of the martyrs appears; (see Rondet.) v. 8-14. the Church pants for her speedy union with her beloved. We may justly admire her authority, in preserving this and the former work of the canon, notwithstanding the internal and external evidence, and the ill use made of them by infidels, which seemed to militate against them. The Prot. Chateillon styles this "a wicked book." Several passages may, no doubt, be abused by a corrupt heart: but what is there so holy, which may not be perverted? When we meditate on this canticle, we ought to remember the admonition given by the Church in the Mass: "Let hearts be on high;" and Oh! that all might answer with truth: "We have them to the Lord!"

The additional Notes in this Edition of the New Testament will be marked with the letter A. Such as are taken from various Interpreters and Commentators, will be marked as in the Old Testament. B. Bristow, C. Calmet, Ch. Challoner, D. Du Hamel, E. Estius, J. Jansenius, M. Menochius, Po. Polus, P. Pastorini, T. Tirinus, V. Bible de Vence, W. Worthington, Wi. Witham. — The names of other authors, who may be occasionally consulted, will be given at full length.

Verses are in English and Latin. HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY

This Catholic commentary on the Old Testament, following the Douay-Rheims Bible text, was originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). This transcription is based on Haydock's notes as they appear in the 1859 edition of Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary printed by Edward Dunigan and Brother, New York, New York.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

Changes made to the original text for this transcription include the following:

Greek letters. The original text sometimes includes Greek expressions spelled out in Greek letters. In this transcription, those expressions have been transliterated from Greek letters to English letters, put in italics, and underlined. The following substitution scheme has been used: A for Alpha; B for Beta; G for Gamma; D for Delta; E for Epsilon; Z for Zeta; E for Eta; Th for Theta; I for Iota; K for Kappa; L for Lamda; M for Mu; N for Nu; X for Xi; O for Omicron; P for Pi; R for Rho; S for Sigma; T for Tau; U for Upsilon; Ph for Phi; Ch for Chi; Ps for Psi; O for Omega. For example, where the name, Jesus, is spelled out in the original text in Greek letters, Iota-eta-sigma-omicron-upsilon-sigma, it is transliterated in this transcription as, Iesous. Greek diacritical marks have not been represented in this transcription.

Footnotes. The original text indicates footnotes with special characters, including the astrisk (*) and printers' marks, such as the dagger mark, the double dagger mark, the section mark, the parallels mark, and the paragraph mark. In this transcription all these special characters have been replaced by numbers in square brackets, such as [1], [2], [3], etc.

Accent marks. The original text contains some English letters represented with accent marks. In this transcription, those letters have been rendered in this transcription without their accent marks.

Other special characters.

Solid horizontal lines of various lengths that appear in the original text have been represented as a series of consecutive hyphens of approximately the same length, such as ---.

Ligatures, single characters containing two letters united, in the original text in some Latin expressions have been represented in this transcription as separate letters. The ligature formed by uniting A and E is represented as Ae, that of a and e as ae, that of O and E as Oe, and that of o and e as oe.

Monetary sums in the original text represented with a preceding British pound sterling symbol (a stylized L, transected by a short horizontal line) are represented in this transcription with a following pound symbol, l.

The half symbol (1/2) and three-quarters symbol (3/4) in the original text have been represented in this transcription with their decimal equivalent, (.5) and (.75) respectively.

Unreadable text. Places where the transcriber's copy of the original text is unreadable have been indicated in this transcription by an empty set of square brackets, [].

Chapter 4

Christ sets forth the graces of his spouse: and declares his love for her.

[1] How beautiful art thou, my love, how beautiful art thou! thy eyes are doves' eyes, besides what is hid within. Thy hair is as flocks of goats, which Come up from mount Galaad.

SPONSUS. Quam pulchra es, amica mea! quam pulchra es! Oculi tui columbarum, absque eo quod intrinsecus latet. Capilli tui sicut greges caprarum quae ascenderunt de monte Galaad.

[2] Thy teeth as flocks of sheep, that are shorn which come up from the washing, all with twins, and there is none barren among them.

Dentes tui sicut greges tonsarum quae ascenderunt de lavacro; omnes gemellis foetibus, et sterilis non est inter eas.

[3] Thy lips are as a scarlet lace: and thy speech sweet. Thy cheeks are as a piece of a pomegranate, besides that which lieth hid within.

Sicut vitta coccinea labia tua, et eloquium tuum dulce. Sicut fragmen mali punici, ita genae tuae, absque eo quod intrinsecus latet.

[4] Thy neck, is as the tower of David, which is built with bulwarks: a thousand bucklers hang upon it, all the armour of valiant men.

Sicut turris David collum tuum, quae aedificata est cum propugnaculis; mille clypei pendant ex ea, omnis armatura fortium.

[5] Thy two breasts like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.

Duo ubera tua sicut duo hinnuli, capreae gemelli, qui pascuntur in liliis.

[6] Till the day break, and the shadows retire, I will go to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.

Donec aspiret dies, et inclinentur umbrae, vadam ad montem myrrhae, et ad collem thuris.

[7] Thou art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in thee.

Tota pulchra es, amica mea, et macula non est in te.

[8] Come from Libanus, my spouse, come from Libanus, come: thou shalt be crowned from the top of Amana, from the top of Sanir and Hermon, from the dens of the lions, from the mountains of the leopards.

Veni de Libano, sponsa mea : veni de Libano, veni, coronaberis : de capite Amana, de vertice Sanir et Hermon, de cubilibus leonum, de montibus pardorum.

[9] Thou hast wounded my heart, my sister, my spouse, thou hast wounded my heart with one of thy eyes, and with one hair of thy neck.

Vulnerasti cor meum, soror mea, sponsa; vulnerasti cor meum in uno oculorum tuorum, et in uno crine colli tui.

[10] How beautiful are thy breasts, my sister, my spouse! thy breasts are more beautiful than wine, and the sweet smell of thy ointments above all aromatical spices.

Quam pulchrae sunt mammae tuae, soror mea sponsa! pulchriora sunt ubera tua vino, et odor unguentorum tuorum super omnia aromata.

[11] Thy lips, my spouse, are as a dropping honeycomb, honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments, as the smell of frankincense.

Favus distillans labia tua, sponsa; mel et lac sub lingua tua : et odor vestimentorum tuorum sicut odor thuris.

[12] My sister, my spouse, is a garden enclosed, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed up.

Hortus conclusus soror mea, sponsa, hortus conclusus, fons signatus.

[13] Thy plants are a paradise of pomegranates with the fruits of the orchard. Cypress with spikenard.

Emissiones tuae paradisus malorum punicorum, cum pomorum fructibus, cypri cum nardo.

[14] Spikenard and saffron, sweet cane and cinnamon, with all the trees of Libanus, myrrh and aloes with all the chief perfumes.

Nardus et crocus, fistula et cinnamomum, cum universis lignis Libani; myrrha et aloe, cum omnibus primis unguentis.

[15] The fountain of gardens: the well of living waters, which run with a strong stream from Libanus.

Fons hortorum, puteus aquarum viventium, quae fluunt impetu de Libano.

[16] Arise, O north wind, and come, O south wind, blow through my garden, and let the aromatical spices thereof flow.

SPONSA. Surge, aquilo, et veni, auster : perfla hortum meum, et fluant aromata illius.

Commentary:

Ver. 1. How. Christ again praises the beauty of his Church. W. --- The dialogue takes place in the country. H. --- From corporal beauty, which is often dangerous, and the portion of the most dissolute, we must raise our minds to spiritual advantages, which the Holy Ghost has here in view. --- Within. S. Amb. "besides thy taciturnity." Sept. "silence." Rabbins, &c. "hair." Prot. "within thy locks." But what renders this version of tsammathec (H.) suspicious is, that none of the ancients knew of it, and the hair is afterwards specified. C. vi. 4. Moreover, Isaias, (xlvii. 2.) uses it for (C.) "turpitude," (S. Jer.) or the parts which are usually "covered." Sept. H. --- Si qua latent, meliora putat. Met. 1500. --- All the glory of the king's daughter is within. Ps. xliv. 14. Modesty and silence are the best encomium. C. --- The Lord praises the intention, occupations and doctrine of the Church, the twins of faith and good works; the preaching of Christ's passion without shame, (v. 3.) and the administration of the sacraments, which, like the neck, unite the members to their head; so that they become invincible, (v. 4.) whether they be of Jewish or Gentile extraction, v. 5. W. --- Up. Heb. and Sept. "appear." Jerusalem was the highest part of the country; (H.) and coming up and down often means no more than coming or going. Jug. xi. 3. and xv. 11. C. --- The hair of goats in Lycia was beautifully curled. Ælian xvi. 30. --- Women used such false hair. Mart. xii. 45. --- Though the hair be only an ornament, it is not to be neglected; so the pious Christian will always treat with respect the ceremonies established chiefly for the instruction of the ignorant. C. --- Those simple and fervent souls, by their numbers, adorn the Church, as hair does the body. S. Greg. --- The external and internal perfections of the spouse deserve commendation. M.

Ver. 2. Them. Those who lay aside the old man, and receive baptism, are filled with grace, to bring forth the fruits of virtue. S. Aug. Doct. ii. 6. --- Pastors in particular, must lay aside worldly cares, and attend to their flocks. M.

Ver. 3. Scarlet. Preachers of the gospel (S. Greg.) must speak with elegance, and have their lips dyed with the blood of Christ, and purified with coals from the altar. C. --- So, if we may use the words of a living critic, who is sometimes accurate, "a commentator ought to study at the foot of his crucifix, and write with ink drawn from the heart of Jesus." H. --- Pomegranate. Plump and ruddy, representing the purity of the Church, and of virgins, who are its "flower," (S. Cyp.) and bring forth fruits of good works. S. Aug. de Virg.

Ver. 4. Bulwarks. Heb. Thalpiyoth, "at the height of the defiles," probably in Libanus, when David conquered Syria. Thalassar, Thelmela, &c. were such "heights." Bucklers, to be used in case of need, or for ornament. Thus the neck of the spouse was adorned with chains and pearls. The Church is this tower, the pillar of truth, 1 Tim. iii. Matt. xvi. 18. Apostles and prelates are her bucklers.

Ver. 5. Roes. This comparison does not seem happy: but exactitude is not required. C. --- Indeed if we were to take all in the literal sense, a very grotesque figure would arise, with a head like Carmel, a nose like a tower, &c. which shews that the tropological or allegorical sense must be adopted. D. --- The two Testaments given for our instruction, (c. i. 2.) or the charity towards God and our neighbour, may be meant. Theod.

Ver. 6. Retire. In the morning, (Sanct.) or rather the bridegroom takes his leave early, promising to return in the evening. C. ii. 17. C. --- Myrrh. To Calvary, where the fervent will pour forth their prayers, and learn mortification. C. --- Christ dwells in mortified and devout minds.

Ver. 7. Thee. All must be pure before they enter heaven, as the blessed Virgin was on earth, (W.) and the Church is still. Eph. v. 27. C. --- Before his departure, Christ heaps praises on her.

Ver. 8. Thou. Heb. "look from." --- Libanus. So Jerusalem is called, Zac. xi. 3. Ribera. M. --- Amana. Sept. "faith." By it and charity, we must do good. S. Aug. Ps. lxvii. Amanus separates Cilicia from Syria. --- Sanir is the name given by the Phenicians to Hermon, (Eusebius) beyond the Jordan. 1 Par. v. 23. --- Leopards. It is not fit for women to hunt such beasts. Ovid (Met. x. 10.) thus speaks of Venus: Nuda genu, vestemque ritu succincta Dianæ, &c. The Church leaves Jerusalem to preach the gospel without fear. M.

Ver. 9. Wounded. Symmachus, "given." Sept. Prot. "ravished." Mystic writers suppose, that the spouse had been guilty of some negligence; or, on the contrary, that her deportment was most enchanting, bent on God, and on good works. C. --- Sister. So Assuerus styles himself brother of Esther. xv. 12. Christ died for the unity of his Church. M.

Ver. 10. Spices. He returns her compliment. C. i. 2.

Ver. 11. Lips. Teachers who accommodate their instructions to the capacity of their audience, (C.) giving milk to children. Heb. v. 13. H. 1 Cor. iii. 2. --- In allusion, perhaps, to this passage, (C.) it was customary to give milk and honey to the new baptized. Tert. coron. --- Garments. Which were perfumed, (Gen. xxvii. 17. Ps. xliv. 9.) and imply good works, (2 Cor. v. 3. Rom. xiii. 14. C.) and the external service and prayers of the Church, which ascend like incense. Ps. cxl. 2. M.

Ver. 12. Up. She is perfectly chaste. Prov. v. 14. The Church excludes from her society all unbelievers and schismatics. The wicked serve to exercise the virtuous. Her pastors explain the Scriptures, the fountains of saving knowledge. C. --- Christ is also a fountain. Zac. xiii. 1. and Jo. vii. 37. M.

Ver. 13. Plants. The various orders of clergy and laity. --- Cyprus, (c. i. 13. C.) whence a healing oil is extracted. Theod. --- Prot. "camphire." H. --- Spikenard is twice mentioned, as it may be well mixed with cyprus and saffron. M.

Ver. 14. Cinnamon. Very rare. Ex. xxx. 23. --- Libanus, or "incense." Heb.

Ver. 15. Libanus. The law of the gospel was proclaimed by the apostles, who were Jews. They explained the pure doctrine of the Scriptures, and converted many.

Ver. 16. Wind. At different times. Let all nations be convinced of thy beauty. C. --- The holy Spirit enabled the apostles to convert the world. Nys. Rupert. - All temptations, whether proceeding from cruelty or deceit, "make constant souls more grateful to God." W.

#the canticle of canticles

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hauntedtacotreetrash · 4 years ago

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(via Morning Sabbath Devotional Service)

2/1/2020 Mission Reading

From Russia

- Many people in Russia don't know about Jesus -330.4millioon in 13 countries in this region -138,000 Adventist in this region - Lesson Study

- It was about the Prophet Isaiah -We are all commissioned to tell people about Jesus ---- in Isaiah, there is talk about the sin problem

+ In 722BC the Israelites were divided between the Israel( North)and Judah( South) - The children of Israel had a Covenantp relationship with God - Coming to Church alone does not mean that you are a Christian Isa.1:0

Main Service

Topic. Not our numbers but His power

And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, mine own hand hath saved me. Judges.7:2

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments: His praise endureth for ever. Ps.111:10

Judges Chapter 6 1And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.2And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.3And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;4And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.5For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.6And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.7And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,8That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;9And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;10And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.11And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.12And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.13And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.14And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?15And he said unto Him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.16And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.17And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.18Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.19And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.20And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.21Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.22And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.23And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.24Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.25And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:26And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.27Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.28And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.29And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.30Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.31And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.32Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.33Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.34But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.35And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.36And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,37Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.38And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.39And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.40And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

Judges Chapter 7 1Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.2And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.3Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.4And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.5So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.6And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.7And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.8So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.9And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.10But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:11And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.12And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.13And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.14And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.15And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.16And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.17And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.18When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.19So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.20And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.21And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.22And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.23And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.24And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.25And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan

Judges.,6 and 7

14And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?15And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. Judges.6:14,15

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Rom.,8:31

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Rom.,8:37

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Rom.8:35

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. Isa.54:17

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frederickwiddowson · 4 years ago

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The writings of Luke the physician starting with his version of the gospel - Luke 23:26-31 comments: Christ led away to execution

Luke 23:26 ¶ And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. 28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. 30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. 31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

Simon, who is forced to carry at least part of the cross that Jesus was to be crucified on as writers often talk about the execution victim having to carry the crossbar to the place where it would be nailed to the stake that went into the ground, is a Cyrenian. Cyrene’ was an ancient Greek then Roman city in modern day Libya on North Africa’s Mediterranean coast. Likely a Jew and not a Roman citizen and there at Jerusalem for the feast he is noted as being the father of Alexander and Rufus in Mark 15:21. This suggests that the two youngsters may have become notable Christians as did, perhaps, their father after this experience.

The name Alexander is mentioned later but there is no indication that it ever refers to this Alexander. However, Paul salutes a Rufus who may or may not be this one. It is important not to do too much arguing when the Bible is silent on something in spite of traditions and extrabiblical references in writings of questionable authenticity.

Romans 16:13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.

From verse 28 it seems clear that Jesus is talking about the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple that has figured so prominently in His prophecies previous to this. Read my comments on 19:41-48 & 21:5-19 where I repeat them in part.

Luke 19:41 ¶ And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. 45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; 46 Saying untothem, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. 47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, 48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

Here is a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD70. Josephus, a Jewish general who went over to the Romans, gave us the history of that event if we can believe what he wrote. The siege and destruction of Jerusalem was the main event of the First Jewish-Roman War that ended not only in the disaster to the city but the destruction of the Temple, as well.

What was called Herod’s Temple, the Second Temple with the first destroyed by the Babylonians hundreds of years previously, will be destroyed. The Jews will suffer for rejecting their Messiah and for fabricating a false religion, a house of cards built on the Mosaic Law, not too different from what many Christians have done. It seems to be a character trait of mankind, making it up as they go along. But, some historical writers say that the destruction of Jerusalem marked the great shift away of Christianity from its Jewish roots.”

It is certainly understandable to play this forward to the events of the end of human history in Revelation but it is also important to keep in mind the immediate context of prophecy. There is a context the first readers would have understood and then there is a future context which we are constantly debating about. One of the problems with the Preterist philosophy, those who believe that this defines even all of the events of Revelation, is that Christ did not return to assume control of all of the kingdoms of the earth as Revelation 11:15 declares.

Again, let’s review my comments previously about this singularly great disaster in Jewish history.

Luke 21:20 ¶ And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. 22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Here is a clear distinction between the Fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple versus the end of history. Read 20-24 to the comma before until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. There is a couple thousand-year gap in that comma.

Paul wrote about the period of Israel’s blindness over the last two thousand years;

Romans 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Notice Paul’s until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. Notice also that God is not done with the Jews but their apostasy turned to our salvation and we are to be witnesses for them, not their persecutors.

Now, back to the comma and the two thousand plus year gap. Here is another example of that type of handling of time in the Bible. Read this prophecy in Isaiah.

Isaiah 61:1 ¶ The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Now, read up to the comma after to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD. Jesus refers to this passage in His early ministry.

Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

He stopped where that comma is for us. Before that comma is His first advent and after that comma the day of vengeance of our God holds the second advent as related in the Book of the Revelation. There is a long time in between, two thousand years so far.

From the point at the end of Luke 21:24 and onward we have the events of the end foretold. There was some question about how long that gap might be. If the council had, as related in Acts 7, when they were addressed by Stephen, acknowledged, as he said in verse 52, that they had had the Messiah killed by the Romans, like David killed Uriah by the Ammonites (2Samuel 12:9), that gap may have been much smaller than two thousand years.

Acts 7:52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

Christ was ready, perhaps, to receive the repentant Jews. In Mark 16:19; Colossians 3:1; and Hebrews 10:12 He is said to be seated on the right hand of God but in the following He might have been prepared, as an example to us, to receive the Jews if they had been repentant and acknowledged who He is and what they did.

Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

They had used the sword of Roman justice to murder the Innocent One (Psalm 94:21; Matthew 27:4) but Peter said they did it out of ignorance.

Acts 3:17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

Confirming what Jesus said from the Cross.

Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

And the Law provided a way to deal with the rulers’ sin from ignorance as per Leviticus, chapter 4. But, it was not to be. The Jews had rebellion against God on their spiritual hearts.

Matthew 27:25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

John 19:15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

And so, we have the age of the Church until the times of the Gentile domination are over. Israel still has to deal with the Gentiles and their very existence, from a temporal and strictly earthly point of view, depends on the support of powerful nations, the holding back of their enemies, and a very, very shaky geopolitical situation with another holocaust from the Beast and Satan’s fury coming. But, when Christ returns to rule Gentile domination is over.

Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Verses 25-27 of the verses I just read from chapter 21 summarize the events of the Book of Revelation. For 27 see;

Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Finally, as in verse 28 of the passage in chapter 21, we are told to be expectant of Christ’s return, of His calling us out as the church, His body on earth being removed or translated from here to Heaven.

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

1Thessalonians 4:13 ¶ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Luke 21:29 ¶ And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. 33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. 37 And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives. 38 And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.

See here in Jesus’ closing statements how with the age of the Christian church not revealed that the two prophecies of events at least two thousand years apart appear to be conflated. This confuses the Preterist who say the events of Revelation were fulfilled in 70AD, which is nonsense.

First, it must be understood that the events of the Fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple will happen so close in time that the generation hearing Christ will have many who will witness them. With the First Jewish-Roman War less than four decades away this generation will experience it.

But, He includes in His closing remarks in chapter 21 something more, that the whole earth will experience, the coming of the kingdom of God physically on earth at Christ’s return. Without the two thousand years of the Church Age in between it appears confusing to some. But, look at the disaster the Jews faced in 70AD as a type and a portent of what the end of human history will look like. The signs of Jerusalem’s fall and the signs of the time before Christ’s return will be similar and Christians will be delivered from both sets of horrors involved in those signs.”

Think of it, if the Jews do these things when Christ is present with them what shall be done when He is not. From another perspective Josephus would write about how even the old and feeble were slaughtered by the Romans in the siege of Jerusalem. So, there are probably several ways to compare a green tree with a dry.

It is tempting to think of all of the sermons that could come from this passage. As an example, if American Christianity is so weak as a moral force when there is very little oppression of faith in the country what shall become of it when in a future time our faith is outlawed? I am sure you can think of many ways of looking at this prophecy and relating it to us today.

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orthodoxydaily · 7 years ago

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Saints&Reading: Tue., Jan. 16, 2018

Veneration of chains of Holy Apostle Peter

The Veneration of the Honorable Chains of the Holy and All-Praised Apostle Peter: In about the year 42, on the orders of Herod Agrippa, the Apostle Peter was thrown into prison for preaching about Christ the Savior. In prison he was held secure by two iron chains. During the night before his trial, an angel of the Lord removed these chains from the Apostle Peter and led him out from the prison (Acts 12:1-11).

Christians who learned of the miracle took the chains and kept them as precious keepsakes. For three centuries the chains were kept in Jerusalem, and those who were afflicted with illness and approached them with faith received healing. Patriarch Juvenal (July 2) presented the chains to Eudokia, wife of the emperor Theodosius the Younger, and she in turn transferred them from Jerusalem to Constantinople in either the year 437 or 439.

Eudokia sent one chain to Rome to her daughter Eudoxia (the wife of Valentinian), who built a church on the Esquiline hill dedicated to the Apostle Peter and placed the chain in it. There were other chains in Rome, with which the Apostle Peter was shackled before his martyrdom under the emperor Nero. These were also placed in the church.

On January 16, the chains of Saint Peter are brought out for public veneration.

St Honoratus of Arles

Saint Honoratus was born in Gaul (modern France) about 350, and came from a distinguished Roman family. After a pilgrimage to Greece and Rome, he became a hermit on the isle of Lerins, where he was joined by Saints Lupus of Troyes (July 29), Eucherius of Lyons (November 16), and Hilary of Arles (May 5), among others.

The saint depleted his youthful vigor through fasting and asceticism, and so “the powers of the body made way for the power of the spirit.” Though in poor health, he managed to follow the same rule of fasting and keeping vigil as those who were younger and stronger than he. He would visit the sick when he was even sicker than they were, offering consolation for body and soul. Then, fearing he had not done enough for them, he would review each case in his mind to determine how he could ease their suffering.

Adorned with virtues, Saint Honoratus treated a variety of spiritual diseases, freeing many from their enslavement to vice. His insight into each person’s character enabled him to apply the appropriate remedies for restoring souls to spiritual health.

Saint Honoratus died in 429 shortly after being consecrated as Bishop of Arles. Saint Hilary, his relative and successor, delivered a eulogy which still survives.

James 3:1-10

3 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Indeed,[a] we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.

See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

Footnotes:

James 3:3 NU-Text reads Now if.

Mark 11:11-29

1 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

The Fig Tree Withered

12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”

And His disciples heard it.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’?[a] But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”[b]

18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. 19 When evening had come, He went out of the city.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree

20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Forgiveness and Prayer

25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”[c]

Jesus’ Authority Questioned

27 Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. 28 And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

29 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: 30 The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

Footnotes:

Mark 11:17 Isaiah 56:7

Mark 11:17 Jeremiah 7:11

Mark 11:26 NU-Text omits this verse.

#orthodoxy #ancientchristianity #spirituality #faith #christian

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ferrybaker0-blog · 6 years ago

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The musical heyday of Laurel Canyon

It was summer 1968 in Laurel Canyon. “Mama” Cass Elliot, the big-hearted den mother of the LA music scene, was having a picnic at her rambling estate on Woodrow Wilson Drive, a not uncommon occurrence. “My house is a very free house,” Elliot told Rolling Stone. “It’s not a crash pad and people don’t come without calling. But on an afternoon, especially on weekends, I always get a lot of delicatessen food in because I know David [Crosby] is going to come over for a swim and things are going to happen.”

That afternoon, Crosby had indeed come calling, bringing with him his newest find, Joni Mitchell. The ethereal Canadian singer-songwriter played song after song on Elliot’s lawn, as picnic-goers, including Elliot’s neighbor Micky Dolenz (The Monkees), frolicked on the grass. One guest, a virtuoso British guitarist named Eric Clapton, simply sat transfixed by Mitchell’s musicianship. “Music happens in my house, and that pleases me,” Elliot explained.

During the ’60s and ’70s, music happened with frequency throughout Laurel Canyon, once described by director and writer Lisa Cholodenko as “kind of lazy and kind of dirty and kind of earthy and sort of reckless.”

Countless famous musicians of the era would live or crash in the canyon. They included Neil Young, Carole King, J.D. Souther, Leon Russell, Chris Hillman, Alice Cooper, Stephen Stills, John Mayall, Nico, Leonard Cohen, Judy Collins, Peter Tork, Pamela Des Barres and her band Girls Together Outrageously, John and Michelle Phillips, Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Jimmy Webb, and members of The Animals, and The Turtles.

“There was amazing tribal life,” recalled Jackson Browne, who lived in the laundry room of the house of talent scout Billy James.

These young, wild artists were drawn to the canyon’s winding roads, country-like setting, and its plethora of secluded homes with mysterious, bohemian histories that stretched back decades. The musicians found what generations of Laurel Canyon residents have also found—a refuge, where they had the space to form their own counterculture family, and create their own kind of music.

Laurel Canyon was “a place in the middle of this big city that people escaped to,” As the artist Gary Burden explained to Michael Walker, author of Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll’s Legendary Neighborhood. “Many of these people didn’t really have family scenes of their own... I think people found in those early days the family they always wanted.”

Mick Jagger lies in a hammock and strums a guitar at Stephen Stills’ house in Laurel Canyon in 1969.

Getty Images

According to Michael Walker, in the nineteen-teens an eccentric developer named Charles Spencer Mann began to shape the neighborhood into the rustic oasis that would draw rock’s hippie gods to it. Walker writes:

Mann christened his subdivision Bungalow Land…To lure desirables to a canyon largely populated by coyotes and rattlesnakes, Mann commissioned a trolley from Sunset Boulevard whose cars ran on roads instead of rails. The nation’s first “trackless trolley” was soon depositing prospective Babbitts at the intersection of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and a rugged trail that leaped up a cut in the canyon’s west wall to the top of Lookout Mountain, a twelve-hundred-foot peak with comely views to the Pacific Ocean and the nascent downtown Los Angeles.

A cluster of rustic bungalows and hunting cabins were built. The original Canyon Country Store opened in 1919 (though it burned in 1929). By the 1930s, it was rumored that Mann’s aging bungalows were home to popular brothels and speakeasies. Wild movie stars like Mary Astor, Orson Welles, Clara Bow, and Errol Flynn lived in rambling estates in the secluded canyon, which always had a whiff of danger about it.

When movie star Robert Mitchum was busted for possession of pot in 1948, it was at a home in Laurel Canyon, which the LAPD told the Los Angeles Times was “ideally situated to be a ‘reefer resort.’ It is perched on a hillside, with no near neighbors, and well-screened by shrubbery.”

Soon the whole canyon would be a “reefer resort” of sorts. Beatniks and artists were drawn to the canyon throughout the ’40s and ’50s. According to Walker, one of the first boomer musicians to move to the canyon was The Byrd’s Chris Hillman, a 19-year-old guitarist in the first bloom of success. In 1964, he went to Laurel Canyon, looking for a place to live. He told Walker:

This guy drives up and he says, ‘You looking for a place to rent? I said yeah, and he said, ‘Well, follow me up.’ It was this young guy who was a dentist. It was his parents’ house, a beautiful old wood house down a dirt road—and he lived on the top, and he was renting out the bottom part. I just went, ‘Wow, perfect.’

Others soon joined Hillman, including an effervescent Valley teenager, Pamela Des Barres, who was just beginning her career as a legendary groupie. She would often go up to his home on Magnolia Lane.

“I used to go there even when he was on the road and just hang out,” she told Walker. “He had a hammock on the porch, so when he was on the road, I would sleep there at night. I was psycho.”

As the folk, psychedelic and country rock scene exploded, more and more newly famous and soon-to-be-famous musicians moved into Laurel Canyon homes both big and small, bringing their egalitarian lifestyle of peace, drugs, and counter-culture abandon with them.

“All the California rock stars lived up there, and you could hear music from every window,” Des Barres wrote in her memoir, I’m with the Band. “Parties everywhere. You just never knew what was going to happen.”

“It had a smell of eucalyptus, and in the spring, which was the rainy season then, a lot of wildflowers would spring up. Laurel Canyon had a wonderful distinctive smell to it.”

Cass Elliot, flush with cash from her band, The Mamas and the Papas, reigned as the “Gertrude Stein of Laurel Canyon.”

She most famously introduced Graham Nash to David Crosby and Stephen Stills, correctly convinced that their voices would blend magically together. On her living room wall, she had her guests write whatever they liked, and soon it was filled with the witty words of her famous friends.

Joni Mitchell moved into a tiny house on Lookout Mountain.

“My friend [photographer] Joel Bernstein found an old book in a flea market that said: Ask anyone in America where the craziest people live and they’ll tell you California,” she recalled to Vanity Fair. “Ask anyone in Hollywood where the craziest people live and they’ll say Laurel Canyon. And ask anyone in Laurel Canyon where the craziest people live and they’ll say Lookout Mountain. So, I bought a house on Lookout Mountain.”

Laurel Canyon did not disappoint. “That was hippie heaven, with a little rustic fireplace and a good feeling,” Mitchell told Vanity Fair. “There would be nights when everybody sat up and played acoustic music and swapped songs.”

She recalled hearing a cacophony of young bands rehearsing in the afternoon. “At night it was quiet except for cats and mockingbirds,” she remembered. “It had a smell of eucalyptus, and in the spring, which was the rainy season then, a lot of wildflowers would spring up. Laurel Canyon had a wonderful distinctive smell to it.”

Mitchell began a relationship with Graham Nash, who soon moved into the cluttered little house. “It was a small house,” Nash recalled to Walker, “and it was a thing of, who got to the piano first? She was in the middle of a record and was writing daily; and I was in the middle of a record with David and Stephen and I was writing daily. It just got to be crazy, y’know. Okay, she’s playing, and then: ‘Shall we have some lunch?’ And then we’d have lunch. And then maybe I’d get to the piano.”

One day, the couple went for a long walk, buying a flower vase along the way. When the got back to the house, filled with knickknacks and cats, Nash went to the piano. “I thought, I love this woman, and this moment is a very grounded moment in our relationship,” he remembered. “And I sat down at the piano and an hour later ‘Our House’ was done. It was kind of amazing.”

This ode to “countercultural domestic bliss” would become a hit for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in 1970. Numerous feel good songs, inspired by the friendly familial feeling the canyon inspired in once rootless artists and musicians, dotted the charts in the late 1960s and early ’70s.

John Phillips, who lived with his young wife Michelle in a house near their bandmate Mama Cass, wrote the 1967 hit “Twelve Thirty” (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon) about the young groupies, like Des Barres, who flooded the canyon every day:

Young girls are coming to the canyon

And in the mornings I can see them walking

I can no longer keep my blinds drawn

And I can’t keep myself from talking

At first so strange to feel so friendly

To say good morning and really mean it.

The heart of the community was at the rustic Canyon Country Store, where groupies and wannabe musicians would hang out, drinking apple wine, smoking weed, and waving to the “squares” driving their daily commute from the Valley to Beverly Hills.

Jim Morrison, not quiet yet the iconic “Lizard King” front man of The Doors, lived behind the store in a rundown house with his girlfriend Pamela Courson. The couple would often watch as the hippies hung out in front of the store, inspiring The Doors 1968 song “Love Street,” which includes the line:

I see you live on Love Street. There’s this store where the creatures meet.

In the egalitarian spirit of the late 1960s, not only wannabes hung out at the Canyon Store.

“My very first day in California, I drove up La Cienega to Sunset Boulevard, turned right, drove to Laurel Canyon, and the first person I saw standing on the porch at the Canyon Store was David Crosby,” Glenn Frey, future Laurel Canyon resident and Eagles front man, told Vanity Fair. “He was dressed exactly the way he was on the second Byrds album—that cape, and the flat wide-brimmed hat. He was standing there like a statue.”

But a kind of cynicism was forming in canyon residents and visitors alike. As Walker notes, even Mitchell, on her seminal 1970 album “Ladies of the Canyon,” sang of her fellow affected hippies with something approaching eagle-eyed satire:

Trina wears her wampum beads

She fills her drawing book with line

Sewing lace on widows’ weeds

And filigree on leaf and vine…

Trimmed with antique luxury

She is a lady of the canyon.

“Laurel Canyon was kind of a refuge for people who were incapable of eyeball-to-eyeball hustling on Sunset Boulevard,” music producer Kim Fowley told Walker. “You’d look out the window and write songs in a flannel shirt about timber and chrome… you retreated to the country charm of your little ticky-tack place.”

“If you took away their tumbleweeds and eucalyptus, they [the residents of Laurel Canyon] were fucking boring,” he concluded.

For those looking for a more hardcore scene, there was the home, studio, and commune of counter-culture rock impresario Frank Zappa.

For a few months in 1968, he lived in the sprawling Lookout Mountain log cabin once owned by the cowboy star Tom Mix. Already inhabited by a group of transient “hippies” and “freaks,” the cabin became a non-stop party scene.

“The place was huge and vault-like and cavernous—the living room was like seventy feet long and thirty feet across,” Gail Zappa remembered. “It was so dark. I think the oldest eucalyptus tree in Southern California overshadowed the whole property. There was no floor in the kitchen, just this sort of platform in one corner that had the stove sitting on it. It was infested constantly with bus groups of rock-and-roll bands looking for a place to crash.”

The Zappas soon moved to a more secluded part of the Canyon, where Frank would make music in his sprawling studio known as “Zappa’s Grubby Chamber” until his death.

As the 1970s dawned, many of Laurel Canyon’s most celebrated residents became more and more famous and begin to leave the canyon in droves for more expensive, exclusive homes.

The Manson murders in nearby Benedict Canyon in August of 1969 had put an end to the open-door, free love policy that had allowed the magical intermingling of the mid-to-late ’60s. In 1970, long-term residents of Laurel Canyon complained about the “skippies” they claimed were ruining their property values in the Los Angeles Times:

Shoddy, makeshift dwellings dot the hillside landscape…Many of the buildings are occupied by youths the hillsiders call “skippies” because they skip out on everything- rent, jobs, education…they say they are a harder, tougher hippie element than the flower children who flocked to the hills before them. Property owners link the nomadic youths with the downward trend in the canyon and with the rash of brush fires and burglaries that swept the hillside last summer. Many residents who once boasted they never locked their doors now say they are fearful.

“You can’t sell or get financing for lower Laurel Canyon” realtor Bob Crane told the Times. “I haven’t been able to get a loan there for a year and a half. It’s even hard to get a buyer past the Country Canyon Store.”

Many of the problems in Laurel Canyon and other hippie communities were made infinitely worse by the soaring popularity of cocaine, which became the go-to drug in the music industry and therefore the neighborhood.

“You could always go to the Canyon Store and just stand in the parking lot for a while, say to somebody: ‘Hey, I’m looking for some blow, you know anybody?’” a former resident told Walker. “But nobody had to do that. It was just rampant; it was everywhere.”

The whole scene got edgier and more masculine, as alpha-male corporate rock stars like Glenn Frey and Don Henley moved into the canyon, hosting legendary poker and football nights attended by the likes of their neighbor and boss David Geffen, founder of Asylum Records.

By the late 1970s, Laurel Canyon was “where drug dealers had valet parking,” remembered musician Michael Des Barres. Seedy coke dens were everywhere, and fire repeatedly decimated the area.

Tom Mix’s famed log cabin burned in 1981. That same year, the infamous drug-infused murders at 8763 Wonderland Avenue seemed to signal an end to the decadence left over from Laurel Canyon’s heyday.

Today, Laurel Canyon is still a rustic if high-end community that embraces its legendary rock roots. But as the Los Angeles Times noted in 2007, it’s difficult to find the exact homes the rock gods lived in decades ago. Fires, remolding, landslides and landscaping have changed the canyons geography, but not its home grown, friendly feel.

“Laurel Canyon today is a tight-knit collection of neighborhoods, colorful characters…protecting and preserving the Canyon’s character and traditions,” says resident Kristen Stavola, executive director of the nonprofit We Are Laurel Canyon.

Every year, Canyon residents gather together to take a picture in front of the Canyon Country Store, a stone’s throw away from the historical marker that now commemorates Jim Morrison’s “Love Street.”

“We Are Laurel Canyon is pulling together a story teller series, ‘Loaded in Laurel Canyon,’” Stavola says. “It will feature stories told by colorful people who have lived in the area through the decades. I’d love to track down Keith Richards and ask him about the night he burned my next-door neighbor’s house to the ground. Does he even remember it?”

Source: https://la.curbed.com/2019/1/10/18169234/laurel-canyon-road-country-store-history

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