#Becoming a true disciple of Christ

[mindfulldsliving]

Insights and Applications from Neal A. Maxwell's 'The Promise of Discipleship': Living Faithfully Today

Available for purchase through my Amazon Affiliate Link: Your Purchase helps support Mindful Latter-day Saint Christian Living and Apologetics Neal A. Maxwell’s writings on discipleship offer steady guidance in a world where faith often feels tested. In the opening chapter of The Promise of Discipleship, he presents timeless lessons on living with integrity, staying anchored in Christ, and…

[katakaluptastrophy]

You know when you're at a dinner party with God and things start to get...weird...? It's Maundy Thursday, and it's time for more Bible study for fans of weird queer necromancers!

It's currently Holy Week, the week where liturgical Christians reenact the events of Jesus' death and resurrection in real time. And today, it's Maundy Thursday, which commemorates the Last Supper, where Jesus ate with his friends before he was crucified.

Before we get to the Locked Tomb, what's so special about the Last Supper?

There are actually a few significant things that happen during the Last Supper, but this is where Jesus introduces the concept of communion:

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood. - Matthew 26:26-28

This isn't actually the first time Jesus has told his followers they will need to literally eat him:

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. - John 6:53-56

If you're thinking that sounds a bit intense, you're not alone - the Bible says that "many" of his disciples left after being told that they were apparently going to have to eat Jesus to be saved and resurrected.

While many Protestant denominations take this symbolically, Catholicism teaches transubstantiation: that when the priest prays over the bread and wine at mass, they really do become Jesus' body and blood.

With this in mind, let's circle back to necromancers:

"Overseas to Corpus. (She likes the word corpus; it sounds nice and fat.)"

This is probably Corpus Christi College, Oxford (named after the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, where the church celebrates the real presence of Jesus in the eucharist). The symbol of the college is a pelican - there's even a fabulously gilded pelican atop the sundial in their main quad.

What do pelicans have to do with the eucharist? Quite a lot, actually... The pelican is a really old symbol for Jesus, because it was believed to feed its young on its own flesh and blood in times of famine. The pelican on the Corpus Christi sundial is pecking at its own chest.

The pelican, like Jesus, was believed to give its own body to save those it loved.

Okay, so we've talked about Jesus, and weird cannibal birds, but why is this relevant to necromancers?

Specifically, the necromancer, the Necrolord Prime. John Gaius styles himself as "the god who became man", echoing Jesus as "the word became flesh". His entire pastiche of divinity is a sort of bootleg Catholicism. But while Catholicism posits Jesus' offering of his own body as foundational to the salvation and resurrection of humanity to eternal life, John's godhood relies the exploitation of other's bodies as the foundation of an empire of eternal death.

I've mentioned before in discussing Lyctorhood, how vampires have been understood to represent a sort of inversion of the eucharist because instead of consuming Christ's blood to receive eternal life in heaven, they consume other people's blood for an cursed eternal life on earth. John, and the Lyctors who followed him, gained power and eternal life from the consumption, body and soul, of another person.

In Catholic theology, Jesus offered his own body to degradation and death for the eternal salvation of humankind, but John forcibly consumes someone else's in service of his own apotheosis and immortality, dooming humanity in the process. He wants to be a Catholic flavoured god, but without the suffering that entails. But he's perfectly willing to outsource that suffering to others.

There's something just achingly awful about Alecto liking the feel of the word "corpus" - "body" - when she so hates the body that John constructed for her. John describing Alecto as "in a very real way" the mother of humanity and the mother pelican on the Corpus sundial rending her own flesh for her children. John forcing the earth into a personification of femininity and playing Jesus on another's sacrifice. His daughter, unwillingly trapped in her own corpse walking around with the wounds of her significant self-sacrifice like the resurrected Christ but yet again another body exploited by John in support of his performance of godhood. It brings to mind a very different fantastical engagement with Catholicism, where in the Lord of the Rings Tolkien - riffing on St Augustine - suggested that evil cannot create, it can only mock and corrupt. The ethics of The Locked Tomb may be messier than that, but there's something indicative in how John shies away from his creative powers - his abilities to grow plants, and manipulate earth and water - in favour of his dominion over death.

The metaphysical world of The Locked Tomb is clearly not intended to be the same as that of Catholicism. But with hindsight, perhaps John was onto something when he was surprised that he didn't "get the Antichrist bit" from the nun too.

John isn't the Antichrist. But he is, thematically, anti-Christ.

If we're talking about John and Jesus, there's also, of course, the question of Resurrection. But we've got to go through Hell and back before we get there on Sunday...

[newjesuschrist]

The Jesus Christ Show!

The Jesus Christ Show! is an all-puppet retelling of the New Testament where Jesus is a weed-smoking hippie who's also bald and green and has claws for hands. Jesus Christ, our polyamorous stoner messiah, is a 31-year-old failure-to launch in the most economically and politically unstable city in post-nuclear Judea. His mother says he's the son of God and she believes he is destined for a life greater than that which he is currently living - at home, smoking weed and living each day dreading his soul-killing, dead-end carpentry job. After pissing off his step-dad Joseph for the last time, he goes on the road with the dream of becoming a folk musician and finding his true purpose.

Meanwhile, fascism has long since taken over Rome and its colonies. Throughout the series, he and his disciples visits many cities with a variety of social, economic, political, and public problems and tries to use his ministry to fix whatever comes his way. On this journey, he learns to prioritize those most in need of help through the means of those with the most ability to help, however his dedication to the ministry repeatedly isolates him and obstructs his relationships to the people closest to him.

The IndieGoGo campaign to fund the pilot episode of the Jesus Christ Show! is now LIVE!!! If you love freaky stoner puppets and COOL MERCH you can donate to receive any of the prizes below!!

[greenqueenhightower]

Alicent's Catharsis, Rebirth, and Baptism in 2x07–Religious Parallels: (Long Post Warning)

"You will be hated by all people on account of my name." (Matthew 10:22) "All my life I've endeavored to serve both my house and the realm, and somehow none of it matters. We are cast aside. Or hated."

In this scene, the sight of her own blood, as Orwyle tends to her wound, brings forth Alicent's realization: all she's ever done was in service to others at the cost of herself, the size of which doesn't seem to matter. Alicent's words contain the belief that her fate was preordained. With the vision of her childhood and married life fresh in her mind, Alicent has many reasons to believe her children and herself were destined to face the hatred of the world. Christ warned his followers of the same fate. Interestingly, Alicent doesn't simply say "my family," but "my house and the realm." Her psyche is torn apart by two opposing forces, her fealty to her Hightower heritage and her role as a wife and mother to Targaryen kings. No matter how much she tried, she hasn't been able to reconcile the two, and her devotion to both has meant disloyalty to herself.

"So I call you to witness this very day that I am clean from the blood of all men." (Acts 20:26) "Nothing is clean here."

Otherwise venerated in the body of Christ, Alicent's sacrifice of the red, hot blood she spilled and the scar that would be "easily hidden" have lost all their purity. That filthy room, that gown, that place, suck all life out of her dry. Alicent sought a witness to her life, one who would acknowledge her sacrifices. A voice to say they were proud of her and all she'd done. The fact that she must once again live in the shadows and hide herself and her wounds, makes the spilled blood feel cheap and Alicent herself feel dirty, body and soul.

"So they came to a spot named Gethsemane." (Mark 14:32) "To the Kingswood, I think."

Alicent asks Ser Rickard to be her sole witness as she seeks to reclaim herself. Her desire to flee to the Kingswood, a place with religious and prophetic significance where some have sought the white stag for guidance and self-confirmation, mirrors Christ's flight to Gethsemane, a place he felt closer to his Father in prayer, in the final moments before his execution. Just like Christ did with his disciples, Alicent takes Ser Rickard along to keep watch while she finds solitude in the Kingswood.

"I saw heaven opened, and look! a white horse. And the one seated on it is called Faithful and True." (Revelation 19:11) "I have to believe, that in the end, honor and decency will prevail."

Alicent challenges the Arthurian stereotypes of chivalry by becoming her own knight on a white horse. Paralleling Christ again, Alicent yearns to become Faithful and True to herself. She has spent her life devotedly faithful to her father's commandments, the principles of the Seven, and the expectations of a Queen. For years she has held fast to the belief that this devotion to honor and decency would be her saving grace. Now, all she had faith in crumbles. Seated on a white horse, grabbing her life by the reins, Alicent must become her own Savior.

"I still have many more things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them now." (John 16:12) "I'm not yet certain I do."

Alicent's mission forms as her first day of withdrawal into the serene landscape around her comes to an end. Her composure and calm demeanor denote that she has found some peace and tranquility in the time she spent with herself and her thoughts. Her mind is made up for something momentous, which she does not yet reveal to Ser Rickard. She knows that he wouldn't understand if she were to tell him. Christ knew he would be equally berated and misunderstood. And neither would her children now be able to bear all her words and actions, so she decides to stay away.

"In grassy pastures he makes me lie down; he leads me to well-watered resting places." (Psalm 23:2) "In all of King's Landing is there no one to take my side?"

On her second day of rediscovery, completely stripped away from delusions, Alicent appreciates the openness of the field before her. Having escaped the prisons of King's Landing and the Red Keep, Alicent embraces her loneliness. As a mysterious, almost divine force pulls her closer to the water, Alicent roams the woods alone again. But for perhaps the first time, Alicent is surrounded solely by trees and flowers. There are no walls, no corsets, no retinue, no handmaidens, no definitions, no boundaries, and no expectations because she wished it. There's just herself, stripped of anything confining, the vast expanse of water before her, and the limitless sky above. She looks so much like the sigil of her mother's house: House Florent. With her red hair and blue dress against the green forest, Alicent is a little Florent fox in the woods. Is she calling her mother's spirit to take her side?

"Purify me from my sin with hyssop, so that I will be clean; wash me so that I will be whiter than snow." (Psalm 51:7) "The gods punish us. They punish me."

Alicent's journey to the water indicates her reclaiming of freedom and agency. Her catharsis is to come, neither by receiving absolution from another person, nor by having faith in the Seven, but by her own hands. She alone can cleanse and baptize herself, and thus bound to a new duty to herself, offer herself a new start.

"They were baptized by [John] in the Jordan River, openly confessing their sins." (Mark 1:5) "I have sinned."

Alicent removes the last articles of definition before she immerses herself in the water. She now stands moments away from her new disillusioned self, rethinking her purpose in life and her own self worth. Like Christ, Alicent wears white. She is leaving everything and everyone behind to be reborn as her own Savior and to wash away memories and mistakes of her past. She is ready to start building a new tower of faith in herself, to replace the one she violently lost.

"The holy spirit in bodily form like a dove came down upon him, and a voice came out of heaven: 'You are my Son, the beloved; I have approved you." (Luke 3:22) "You must do this."

As Alicent surrenders to a new birth, her desire for freedom and escape becomes clearer with the bird's appearance. Finally free, Alicent enjoys simple moments such as this immersion in the lake she gets to experience alone, for the first time. Once again embodying Christ, Alicent stares at the bird flying overhead in awe, as if it were the holy spirit coming down from the heavens to declare its approval. The bird becomes the witness to her new birth and a sign of confirmation and blessing on the course she has chosen to tread. Alicent has made up her mind about the next necessary step. Even if Viserys' words have proved to be fickle, it is indeed she who "must do this" and try to save her family and the realm any way she knows. Will she sacrifice herself (or save herself) for the sake of both?

"Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, a sacred service with your power of reason." (Romans 12:1) "A true queen counts the cost to her people."

Alicent's power of reason compels her to not give up on her life but to readjust it to a much more secure course. As she yearns for freedom, Alicent mimics the bird's movements. How much she would like to fly away from everything, far from all this mess! And yet, her new resolve grounds her in a powerful way. By the end of her baptism ritual, Alicent has moved from the green backdrop to the lake's blue. Just as Christ regained memories of his pre-human existence, Alicent has claimed some lost fragments of her childhood and herself. This experience of retrospection, reclaiming of purpose, and newfound self-worth become a signpost for a new Alicent: the one who values herself more and adds the cost to herself in the tally.

[pagannatural]

2.13 Houses of the Holy

- Religious plot begins in earnest. Sam is Able and Eve and original sin and also Christ dying for those sins. He is Dean’s disciple. Dean is Cain and Adam and the Holy Spirit and God. Their conflict is destiny/blood/family vs free will/choice/love, the pure vs the tainted vs the merely human. The muddy non-dichotomous nature of love and of good and evil.

So far the question of the brothers saving each other and the world has been self-contained: only Dean can save or kill Sam, and in doing so, himself. In other words only Sam can succumb to evil and damn his brother or retain his humanity and his brother. Their struggle is religious by definition. Religion in supernatural is characterized by the trinity of good, evil, and human, and the brothers are twin souls who need each other to stay human. Sam needs to overcome his shame and belief that he isn’t chosen, that he doesn’t belong; Dean needs to overcome his guilt and belief that he can never be enough. The threat of them losing their humanity and free will is literal as they will learn they’re destined to become vessels, but they don’t know that yet.

- Dean is lying on the motel bed listening to “Hair of the Dog”. Right when Sam walks in these lyrics are playing in his ears:

Heartbreaker, soul shaker/I've been told about you/Steamroller, midnight stroller/What they've been saying must be true

These lyrics pertain to Sam and his fate. This song was chosen very intentionally, it’s shown on Dean’s iPod screen. It’s foreshadowing. And Sam is Dean’s heartbreaker soul shaker.

Sam stands there next to a partition decorated with burlesque silhouettes of women, watching Dean’s body being shaken on the bed. It’s kind of a weird image. Dean looks like sleeping beauty the way the bed is lit. Or like a main course.

“You’re enjoying that way too much, it’s kind of making me uncomfortable” Sam says while looking up at the wall behind Dean exactly like he did when he was trying to avoid staring at Dean’s ass in an earlier episode. Very heaven-help-me.

His discomfort seems like attraction. I want to break down this scene because it’s played as a joke, like it’s funny that Dean is so hedonistic, but he’s essentially just using the massage function on the bed. He’s fully clothed and he’s listening to music, just chilling. He’s bored. So the joke is either that this isn’t really that intimate and yet Sam is so uncomfortable for Some Reason that he’s having a hard time looking straight at Dean, or that Sam really has walked in on an intimate moment and he responds by staring and going up to Dean all flustered and asking him to stop. Either way, Sam is watching Dean experience pleasure, and gulping because of it.

It highlights that Sam is uninterested in sex, and food, and pleasure in general, and it bothers him that Dean is. Sam later calls it Dean’s “sick habit” and tells him he’s like one of those lab rats that pushes the pleasure button instead of the food button until it dies.

I noticed recently that even in the pilot, Sam is shown kissing Jessica and acting loving with her, but the shot of them in bed has them apart and Sam facing away from her in his sleep. It’s Dean who ogles her in her underwear. Sam has been shown clinging to Dean, sleeping facing him, checking him out, and chastising him for his womanizing. The one woman he kissed was for Dean’s benefit. Sam’s relationship with his sexuality is consistently shown linked directly to Dean. Maybe exclusively to Dean at this point.

After this exchange, Sam goes into the bathroom and washes his hands for Some Reason. Because he’s feeling unclean?

-interesting how the killers’ houses shake like there’s an earthquake before what they think is an angel appears to them- the second guy is even lying on his bed when it starts shaking. Dean is on his shaking bed when Sam appears to him at the motel, like Sam is his angel.

-Dean says Sam has him on lockdown. So Sam insisted that Dean stay back for his safety. He’s looking out for him, always asking Dean to stay safe.

-Sam believes in angels and god because of the monsters they hunt, Dean doesn’t believe in angels or god because of the monsters they hunt. The difference in the way their beliefs developed is that Dean believed in angels as a small child until his mom burned to death and he learned monsters are real, whereas Sam was certainly never encouraged to believe in religion and had to find something to cling to in the chaos and uncertainty of how he was raised. Sam felt unclean or like something was wrong with him so he tried to separate himself from the monsters. Dean believed he wasn’t good enough so he chose not to believe in a god that was a disappointment and that he believed he would surely disappoint.

- Sam tells Dean he prays every day, which Dean didn’t know. He acts like this is some kind of betrayal. I think the betrayal is literally just that he didn’t know and he wants to know every single thing about Sam.

-Sam collapses after seeing what he thinks is an angel, and Dean gets on his knees to put both hands on him. He keeps touching him when they’re walking out. He hauls Sam to his feet bodily.

This frame is so good because Dean is glaring at the angel statue and Sam is looking up at Dean.

Sam wants to be chosen by an angel. He thinks that would mean he’s good. He felt left behind and second-best by his dad, and felt that Dean would choose hunting and John over him for much of his life. He realizes now that Dean chooses him.

-Dean makes sure the woman he saves is okay and has a cell phone and tells her to call 911 before he runs after her assailant. He cares more about the wellbeing of the victim than he does about catching the bad guy.

-when Sam says “you were right” Dean gives him this look that’s so full of love, it’s plain that Dean doesn’t care about being right. He just sees his little brother in pain and wants to make it better.

-Sam sits down so that he’s looking up at Dean during their conversation. He has tears in his eyes talking about wanting to be saved. Dean tells Sam “I’m watching out for you”

Sam doesn’t doubt Dean’s dedication to him and desire to protect him. But doesn’t think Dean can save him, and more importantly he’s afraid he can’t save himself. He sees Dean as fundamentally good and strong but he also harbors judgment toward Dean for needing him. It’s protective for Sam to not need anyone, which is why his arc deals with the isolation of shame. Religion can’t save him because it doesn’t make him believe he is good, and because ultimately it leaves him alone.

-Dean tells him that he witnessed “God’s will” the way that the perp was just killed in front of him. He’s letting himself hope and giving Sam hope. They’ve both seen so much chaos and evil, they need to believe there’s good and meaning in the world. Dean’s doubt challenges his beliefs about the world and himself, and it’s his words that give Sam the hope he needs.

-episode is about lost souls and purpose. A series of people who the show depicts as lost are given a sense of meaning and belonging to something bigger than themselves, but the problem is that they don’t question it—they simply obey, acting as if without free will. They’re wrong, but they’re happy and full of certainty. Sam and Dean are lost too, but they’re unable to have blind unquestioning faith. The result is that they do good: Dean protects and shows kindness to a woman who was attacked, Sam facilitates a way for a spirit to be put to rest. But they have doubt, which means they also have fear. And they’re left knowing that they have themselves and each other. It’s meant to be complicated and frightening and painful because that’s what it means to be human, and that’s where love and compassion live.

[httpsoftbunni]

Esoteric Christianity

Part 2: Shedding the Ego and Attaching to the Divine

Previously, we looked at the concept of the inner light, which lies at the core of Christianity. This light is not of external force, but rather the reality that is embedded within our own existence. It is the true nature of who we are in Christ, and it is through this inner awakening that we can undergo true spiritual transformation.

Here, we will look at a crucial step in this transformation: shedding the ego and detaching from the material world. These are not just theological concepts; they are practical stages in our spiritual evolution. To embody the light within, we must remove the barriers that prevent its expression - ego and attachments to the temporal world.

The Ego: A False Identity

In esoteric Christianity, the ego isn't an inherent part of the self, but rather a false identity - a constructed sense of "I" that is shaped by worldly desires, fears, and influences. This false sense of self clouds our true nature and keeps us trapped in a cycle of illusion. The ego is driven by pride, fear, selfishness, and desire for control, all which cast shadow on the divine light within.

Christ's teachings challenges us to move beyond the false self and recognise the true identity as beings created in God's image. In Matthew 16, Christ calls His followers to deny themselves and take up their cross, saying, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it."

This is an invitation to let go of the ego-driven need to control our destiny and to align ourselves with God's will. Self-denial in this context is not about punishing the self or diminishing one's worth, but rather surrendering the false ego that perpetuates suffering and separation from the divine.

The Cross: A Symbol Of Transcendence

The cross that Christ speaks of here is symbolic of the ego crucifixion. It is through the cross that Christ invites us into the process of killing off the false self in order to be reborn into the truth. The act of taking up the cross isn't about physical suffering, but rather about the spiritual death of the ego - the complete surrender of the self that constantly resists God's transformative power.

In Galatians 2:20, Paul echoes this concept: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." This passage reflects the esoteric understanding of this specific spiritual journey: the ego must be crucified so that the Christ-self may emerge. This is the paradox of the Christ path - the more we surrender our attachment to ego, the more we fully come to embody the nature of Christ, the light that was always within us.

Detachment from the Material World

Esoteric Christianity teaches that while the material world is not inherently evil, it can become a source of distraction and attachment that pulls us away from our true nature and purpose. The desire for wealth, status, and security can enslave the soul, causing us to seek fulfilment in things that are fleeting, rather than in the eternal, unchanging truth.

Christ's words in Matthew 6:19-21 urge us to reanalyse our priorities: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, your heart will be there also."

This teaching encourages us to shift our focus from external accumulation to internal spiritual wealth. Detachment is not the giving up of the world altogether, but rather the refusal to allow the material world define our worth, our purpose, or our sense of identity. It means that recognising the true treasure is within - that the inner light of Christ is far more valuable than any amount of gold.

The process of detachment involves reordering our relationship with the world, seeing it not as something to possess, control, or compete against, but as a reflection of the divine and a tool for spiritual growth. By letting go of our attachment to the material world, we allow space for God to work in our lives.

The Role of Faith and Surrender

We must also learn to deepen our faith in God's plans for us. The ego constantly seeks to control, where faith surrenders to God's will, trusting that His plan is greater than any temporary desires or fears we may have. In the act of surrender, we open ourselves up to the grace of God, which nourishes the soul and leads us to the path of transformation.

In Romans 12:1-2, Paul urges believers: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

The living sacrifice Paul is talking about here is the willingness to offer our lives to God - not as an external sacrifice, but a spiritual one, where the ego and its attachments are surrendered in love and trust. The renewing of the mind is an ongoing process of aligning our thoughts, emotions, and actions with the divine truth. In doing so, we experience the awakening of the inner light that Christ promised.

The Awakening of the Inner Light

As we surrender the ego and detach from the material world, we create space within ourselves for the inner light of Christ to shine more fully. This process of awakening is not a one-time event, but an ongoing journey of spiritual growth and transformation. It requires continuous faith, self-reflection, and a willingness to let go of the illusions that keep us bound to the false self.

The inner light is the divine spark within each of us, the presence of Christ that dwells in the deepest parts of our being. When we release the ego's grip and allow the light to emerge, we begin to live from a place of authenticity, love, and compassion. Our actions become aligned with the will of God, and we experience a deep sense of peace and unity with all of creation.

This is the ultimate goal of esoteric Christianity: to shed the layers of false identity and attachments that separate us from God, and to embody the divine light that has always been within us. Through this process, we come to understand that we are not separate from God, but rather, we are divine beings who are called to manifest God's love and grace in the world.

Living in the Light

Living in the light means living in accordance with the divine nature that we were created to embody. It means recognizing that we are not defined by the ego or the material world, but by the eternal truth of our being in Christ. As we continue on this path of transformation, we learn to navigate the challenges of life with grace and wisdom, trusting in God's guidance and surrendering our personal will to the divine will.

This does not mean that we are free from difficulties or suffering, but it does mean that we approach life with a deeper sense of purpose and meaning. We understand that every experience, whether joyful or painful, is an opportunity for growth and spiritual evolution. By living in the light, we become vessels of God's love, spreading the light of Christ to those around us and contributing to the healing and transformation of the world.

hedding the ego and detaching from the material world are essential steps in the journey of spiritual awakening in esoteric Christianity. By releasing the false self and its attachments, we open ourselves to the transformative power of the divine and allow the inner light of Christ to shine more fully in our lives.

This process requires faith, surrender, and a willingness to embrace the unknown, trusting that God's plan for us is far greater than anything the ego could imagine. As we walk this path, we experience the profound truth of our identity as divine beings, created in the image of God and called to embody His love and light in the world.

The journey is ongoing, but with each step, we move closer to the ultimate goal: union with the divine, the realisation of our true nature, and the full expression of the light within us.

[birdybirdvillagetown]

More truth..

People please listen Jesus christ is the way and the truth..no one else is,he is the only way to the father. Theres a bible verse that says and we qoute.

John 14:6

6 "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

With that being said no one else comes to the father except through Jesus Christ and only jesus christ. That means all these other false gods that are demons dont come to him at all.

Speaking..of false gods..those are demons pretending to be gods even though they are not gods at all..only pretending..

Please people you need to wake up God is the only one who can save you from damnation. You need to come to the gospel the true gospel that teaches what is true and right by the word of God. God is the only God out there.

There is no one above him at all. He is the only true God. Yaweh is the only true God to ever exist. He is self existing he existed in the beginning and made everything. He is the only one who existed in the way beginning then he made everything. He is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient.

Theres a lie..that is told by the devil..and the lie is..is that we can become gods..but we cant..that is a blasphemous lie..that the devil..and his demons had told..no one can become a god at all..us humans dont have that power or ability..its not possible..

Demons are not gods at all..They are false gods that us humans have worshipped in the past and still are worshipping today..

For example idols/celebrities humans are worshipping them like their gods even though they are not. They are just regular human beings they arent gods at all. They cannot save you at all. They have no power or abilities at all. They are just ordinary people but people today worship them.

Now..not for us to change the subject but heres a bible verse..we wanted to share this verse with you guys..and we qoute

Galatians 1:6-12 New King James Version (NKJV)

"But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed."

Heres another one and we qoute

Mathew 7:15

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves."

With that being said Jesus is warning his disciples and his children to be careful of false teachers and false prophets who teach the wrong gospel the gospel full of blasphemous teaching and lies.

Were..telling all of you guys the truth on here because we care..about you guys..and want you guys to be open to the truth..the real truth about God and christ..not the blasphemous lies that these demons..and false prophets/teachers have said..the real truth about God and christ..

We dont want anyone falling in the hands of the devil and ultimately going to hell. We want you guys to have a eternal peaceful life with christ. So with that being said May God bless you all and have a merry christmas.

[alwaysrememberjesus]

Named, Adopted, Sent

John 20:1-18. Jesus said to her, “Mary.” (v. 16)

In John’s Gospel, Mary sees but cannot see. Mary is stuck in darkness until Jesus opens her eyes to see the true story. When she hears the voice of the risen Jesus calling her, she is named, adopted, and sent. Today, as we celebrate the Resurrection, we celebrate that Jesus is calling each of us, just as He did with Mary.

Jesus called Mary by name. “She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher)” (v. 16). When Jesus calls you, he calls you personally. He knows your name. He calls you by your name.

When Jesus called Mary, she was adopted as a child of God and sister of Christ. Jesus called his Father, our Father; and his God, our God. He called the disciples brothers. (v. 17) When Jesus calls us by name, we become part of the family too. We know God as our loving, gracious Father and Christ as our Lord, Savior and brother.

When Jesus called Mary, she was sent to proclaim him. “Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’—and that he had said these things to her” (v. 18). The resurrection story is not meant to be kept quiet. Named and adopted, Mary was sent and announced the good news: “I have seen the Lord! Jesus Christ is risen.”

Jesus’s journey didn’t end at the cross. If you are a follower of Jesus, your journey doesn’t end with the cross either. How will you respond to Jesus’s call?

As you celebrate our Risen Savior today, thank Jesus for calling you by name, adopting you into his family, and sending you out with good news.

[rucbarthatbowtiesarecooldw]

Saturday Morning Session

Come Ye That Love the Lord

Conducting: Dallin H Oaks

The Morning Breaks

Sustaining vote – in the morning session? Normally afternoon

Church audit report – in the morning session? Normally afternoon

Did You Think to Pray

Jeffrey R. Holland

Awwwww the most fortunate of men!

More concentration, focus on the Savior, hope on His word, etc.

“Thanks are the highest form of thought. Gratitude is Happiness doubled by Wonder.” – Chesterton?

God hears every prayer we offer.

- Prayers are often answered differently than we expect

Our prayers are our sweetest hour, our most sincere desire, our most purest form of worship

Hesitation to pray doesn’t come from God.

Prayers should be spoken out loud. -It is a conversation with God

Listen to the spirit to know how to pray

If you don’t know what to pray for, just pray anyway!

Even the Savior had to pray to be closer to His Father – even He could pray “more earnestly.”

J Anette Dennis

You can look for a deeper meaning in all the things you read – how does this bring you closer to the Savior?

Jesus Christ is the center of ALL covenants we make.

Covenant relationships bless us, but it is out choice as to how,

Everything done in the Temple points to Gods plan for us. -Prayerfully seek the further meanings

Our symbolic outer clothing is only worn in the temple. Other than the garments, although those show that Jesus covers us.

Armor of Light – which is Christ

Choose to have a relationship with God by making and keeping covenants with Him

Alexander Dushku

Restoration began with a boys desperate prayer and a pillar of light

Rather than a pillar of light, the Lord sends us a ray of light – and then another, and then another

How do you experience the rays of light from the Lord? -Peace, impressions, desires, testimonies, hopefulness, prayer, feeling the love of God as you serve others

If we’re believing and repenting, we ARE living in revelation, even if we don’t recognize it or think we are experiencing it.

You cannot always expect big miracles and pillars of light – the Light comes line upon line, precept upon precept, here a ray and there a ray

Experiencing depression and anxiety make it difficult (sometimes impossible) to recognize the Spirit - Sometimes we don’t even know we are feeling the Spirit at all until after the fact!

Perhaps one ray is not enough for a Testimony, but together they can become a Light that will scare away the darkness.

D&C 93:36 “The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.”

D&C 50:24 “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.”

Press Forward Saints

Ulisses Soares

Covenant confidence through Christ

When we enter the Lords house, we embark on a sacred journey to become like Christ

What happens IN the temples is important

Remain Confident in Christ

Confidence in the covenants made with Jesus Christ is something you should pass on to your children

“My disciples shall stand in holy places and not be moved.”

Go to the temple with confidence and humility - Make preparations to go – not just for those going for the first time. We should be perpetually preparing - Will help with anxiety about worthiness

Home centered, Church supported, Temple Bound - Being Temple bound connects us to the Savior

Cast not away your confidence, instead let your confidence wax strong.

Jack N Gerard

Jesus Christ is our exemplar. - Integrity means being true to God, to each other, and to our identity.

Do what is right, let the consequence follow.

Exercise integrity in your choices

Would others see God through my conduct?

A life of integrity is not a life of perfection - Due to the fact that during this life you literally cannot be perfect - Perfection exists but not in me

Christian kindness is not a substitute for integrity - Meaning don’t be fake in your kindness? - Don’t be hypocrites?

I Know that My Savior Loves Me

Henry B Eyring

Story about going to the temple and finding out after the sealing that people have lost houses (teton dam break) and they left their kids at home and had to spend the night in a hotel and couldn’t make it home

“How can you sleep at a time like this?” - Whatever the outcome, all will be well because of the temple. We have made covenants - Apostles at gethsemane

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

God will not abandon His relationship to all those who have covenanted with Him - He will never tire in His efforts to help us, and we will never exhaust His willingness to support us

Light and hope can come from keeping covenants, and they are opportunities to draw closer to God

We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet

[alandemoss]

There's No Hate Like Christian Love: Exposing the Hypocrisy and Bigotry Behind Religious Dogma

Why I Refuse to Watch The Chosen and What It Reveals About Christian Hypocrisy

I refuse to watch The Chosen, a show tainted by Mormon influences, and I find the anticipation of it by several Baptists I know deeply troubling. When I hear about this series, I’m reminded of the repellent concept of “the elect” as twisted by Reformation, Calvinist, and Presbyterian traditions. Predestination in these doctrines is a grotesque, isolationist, and heretical interpretation of selective scripture. It renders much of creation meaningless, all to defend the fearful cultures it infects. Let’s be real—there’s no hate like Christian love when it’s wielded to justify exclusion and marginalization.

The Brutal Reality of Christian Bigotry

I am neurodivergent, a fact that has made me endlessly curious and painfully aware of the injustices faced by those like me. The traits that define me—deep yet detached emotions, intense focus, and an unyielding sense of justice—have isolated me from those who cannot comprehend a life spent in constant pursuit of truth. This isolation is not just a personal struggle but a reflection of a wider, systemic issue within Christianity. It’s not just me—it's the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and anyone who doesn’t conform to their narrow ideals who are cast aside. They cherry-pick verses to justify their hate, dismissing the very essence of Christ's teachings.

The Sin of Cherry-Picking Scripture for Hate

The very essence of Christian love is betrayed when used to marginalize and condemn. Pastor Rick Morrow of Beulah Church in Richland, MO, embodies this hypocrisy with his vile claim that neurodivergent individuals are either demonically afflicted or simply not favored by God. “Either the devil has attacked them, he's brought this infirmity upon them, he's got them where he wants them, and/or God just doesn't like them very much,” Morrow says. This is nothing short of spiritual malpractice, and it makes me question the salvation of those who spew such hatred. Where are the fruits of the Spirit in this? There’s no evidence of grace, love, or goodness in such zealotry.

The Dangerous Pretense of Purity

I am outraged by the far-right "Christian" pundits calling for the elimination of autism, using it as a sick excuse for purification. Such ideologies not only marginalize but endanger the lives of countless individuals. The zealots who hold these beliefs are convinced that God requires them to purify humanity through exclusion and purging. This is a clear perversion of true Christian doctrine and a direct violation of the command to love one another.

Jesus’ True Message Versus Christian Hypocrisy

A search for historical context reveals that even Jesus’ disciples could have had traits that would now be labeled neurodivergent. Thomas’ skepticism and Peter’s intense loyalty suggest that even the earliest followers faced misconceptions and judgment. The portrayal of Matthew as autistic in The Chosen is a step in the right direction but also a stark reminder of how poorly “weirdos” are treated within church walls. I would have fought for my place and for others like me, and I’m disheartened to see such prejudices persist.

A Call to Genuine Christian Conduct

It’s high time Christians remember their true calling—to correct and rebuke one another in love and follow Jesus’ greatest commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. If you cannot exhibit the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—then you are failing at the very core of your faith. The current state of Christianity is deeply troubling. We have strayed so far from the teachings of Christ that it’s become almost unrecognizable.

We must urgently address this crisis within the faith, or we risk losing the essence of what it means to truly follow Jesus. My heart aches for a faith that once stood for unconditional love but is now plagued by hypocrisy and exclusion. We need a return to grace and a recommitment to genuine Christian values before it’s too late.

In Faith, With Christ

[scribeforchrist-blog]

Dealing With It All Through Prayer

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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+ 1 Corinthians 13:3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

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VERSE OF THE DAY

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+ Proverbs 3:27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to do it.

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** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN TRUTHS **

I AM BEAUTIFUL

I AM A PRAYING WARRIOR

I AM GIVING IT ALL TO GOD

I AM RELEASING IT TO GOD

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READ TIME: 8 minutes and 14 Seconds

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THOUGHTS:

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  Sometimes, it's hard to let go of pain; I can say that I have had my fair share of pain, and it's hard to let go of things that have happened because when these things happen, we don’t know how to handle them. Most of the time, we try our way of handling it, and I can say I never handled it too well until I gave my life to Christ.

    I realized how I handled it wasn’t the best way, and he showed me how to handle every piece of bitterness and malice. It can be hard to deal with if it's not dealt with in His way; a lot of us will drink our hurt away, or we will have an intimate relationship with someone to help with the pain, and pain is pain.

    Some people say losing a relationship is the hardest. Some say losing a family member or someone to death is the hardest. I can't say what's the hardest, but I can say that on any level, pain is something we must learn to give to God, and we must believe he can take care of it all.

 Mark 9:17-19 a man in the crowds answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So, I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

  This man one day brought his son to the disciples, and the boy was muted and thrown down, foaming at the mouth and gnashing his teeth. The disciples couldn’t save him. And just a side note: sometimes, what we are dealing with can't be dealt with immediately through prayer. We must fast to help us gain the power from God to remove certain sins.

   These disciples didn’t know how to relieve this boy from his paradox of pain and suffering, but this is just like our lives. We will take the time to go to other people who don’t know us instead of the one who can and know us very well. God can save us through and from anything. We might think he can't, but he can.

    We can spend our days listening to people about our lives and realize that no psychiatrist, therapist, or doctor can heal us like Jesus. Don’t get me wrong, the people out there can help us, but we can't put all our trust in them; we must always put our trust in God and wait upon him. Jesus knows us so well; he knows the very hair on our heads, he knows our thoughts, he knows it all; some of us go to other people and hear their summary of who we are, but Jesus knows us; all we must do is believe he can heal us from our pain.

 See that man went and took his son to the disciples, and the disciples couldn’t do it, then he took his child to the source, which is Jesus; Jesus is the source to everything running from and to our life; pain is something we have to allow him to deal with in our lives because if we deal with it, we won’t ever be free until we say enough is enough, until we say we need true healing we won’t find it in this world.

  Verse 21-23 So, He asked his father, “How long has this happened to him? “And he said, “From childhood. 22 And often he has thrown him into the fire and the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”23 Jesus said to him, you can believe; all things are possible to him who believes.”

     The Father said if you can have compassion on us, Jesus will always see us through our dark problems. It might feel like we are at the end of our rope, and no one cares. Still, Jesus do , all we must do is go to him and be honest with our emotions, and that’s where some of us lack, and we don’t try to be honest with him. If I lie to him or pretend, I'm okay, that wouldn’t be okay that’s not helping my situation . Jesus wants us to be authentic with our emotions; tell him if you're feeling down or angry and full of bitterness. He will handle the rest.

   Yes, he already knows, but it's something about being raw with him and saying how you feel puts you closer to him. And the man said, please have compassion on us, help us, and Jesus said if you believe all things are possible, we might feel now it's not possible, but when we are going through something, it feels this way, but we must know Jesus has our best interest in mind.

 Verse 24 immediately, the child's father cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I do believe; help me with my unbelief!”

    He cried out and said, help me to believe he didn’t and couldn’t believe it, but when he admitted he had a problem, he admitted

he couldn’t believe it but desperately wanted to. It made a world of difference. We have to admit we have a problem; we have to come to terms that something is wrong; we can’t continue to stay in this same mindset for all these years; we can’t stay in this same mindset of being broken because the more we stay in that place, the more we give the enemy a position in our life, we have to start letting go of the mindset that if I stay here, I’m safe & we aren’t we are only safe in God.

  ***Today, we learned about how pain can affect our mind; we learned how when we deal with things, we can only deal with them on a surface level, but God sees our pain; he sees how much we hurt and it hurts him to see us in this way because we are his children but a lot of times we won’t be authentic with God, this man let Jesus know he needed to believe and some of us whether stay in the mindset we are in instead of giving it to God.

  Pain is something we all will face, whether it’s physical or emotional, we must give this to God; we must understand he will help us through it, and if we don’t deal with it while it’s small, our pain can turn to grief, bitterness, and other emotions. When they become this big, they might feel like there’s no way we can overcome them, but God wants us to know we can overcome anything and everything. Many of us think that there's no way God can handle our pain, but God has seen pain before, and even though situations are unique and different, God has seen it all; he’s the expert we need to handle it all. Today, if you're in pain, don’t hesitate to call on the lord's name; he’s a strong tower when we feel isolated, bitter, and in any pain. He can handle it all. ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

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Heavenly Father, we thank you for being everything to us; we thank you for giving us your strength, Father; we are weak right now, and we ask you to come to see about us and hear our humble cry, lord, we need you so much and we thank you for everything. Lord, we don’t believe that we can handle this, but we know you can; we give you everything and all our troubles and worries; in Jesus Name, Amen

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REFERENCES

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+ Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

 

+ Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

 

+ Proverbs 19:1 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.

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FURTHER READINGS

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Proverbs 1

Leviticus 1

1 Samuel 5

2 Kings 25

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[rosaliachristian]

Saturday, January 10, 2025

Bishop Robert Barron

Cycle C

Christmas

Christmas Time

Daily Reading

First Reading

1 John 5:14-21

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that.All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

Psalm

Psalm 149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song,     his praise in the assembly of his faithful people. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;     let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise his name with dancing     and make music to him with timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people;     he crowns the humble with victory. Let them praise his name with dancing     and make music to him with timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people;     he crowns the humble with victory.

Gospel Reading

John 3:22-30

After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized.(This was before John was put in prison.)An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.He must become greater; I must become less.”

Reflection

Friends, in today’s Gospel, John the Baptist explains his role in God’s plan.

John was baptizing by the river Jordan. We associate the Jordan with him, but people in his own time would have associated the Jordan with the Exodus and the conquest of the Promised Land. 

Calling people to pass through the Jordan, John was recapitulating the Exodus. Temple, forgiveness, purification, Exodus, liberation—all of these themes were drawn together in John’s person and preaching. He was summing up much of Israelite history, but stressing that this history was open-ended, unfinished. He was pointing toward the one who would be the definitive Temple, the definitive Exodus, the definitive Liberation.

This is why John says, “He must increase; I must decrease.” In other words, the overture is complete, and now the great opera begins. The preparatory work of Israel is over, and now the Messiah will reign.

[faithfullyfound]

The Power of the Lord

God will use anyone, and I mean anyone to spread His message. I often wonder why God allowed me to find Him, allowed me to accept Him, I often wonder why I am so blessed to belong to this kingdom.

But then I fear that by following Him I am missing out on the world. I fear I'm missing out on experiences that I will never be able to have if I continue walking in faith.

But this is so ridiculously stupid. Sure I might miss out on parties, drinking, etc. but that is nothing compared to the light, joy, and patience God's goodness and grace give me. I also remember what my life looked like when I was a lukewarm Christian. I practiced witchcraft (convincing myself that this was ok), I affirmed sin, I was depressed, I was anxious, but most notably I was so confused. I questioned my existence and if I even mattered. I felt confused in my own body and I did not truly care about myself.

But after I found God, and truly grew with Jesus I felt loved, and accepted. I still struggle with anxiety and intrusive thoughts at times but I am NOT CONFUSED. I have eyes to see the evil present in our world. I have eyes to see TRUE CHRISTIANITY and most notably I have a tongue to proclaim that Jesus is Lord, and He's my Savior. Not only has He saved me from my inevitable death but He's saved me from dying right now. Every time I sin I am digging my own grave but Jesus picks me up when I stumble and He truly loves me.

It is so hard for me to listen to the Lord's voice because I fear I am becoming a "crazy Christian" someone who is doing too much and could potentially push people away from the Gospel. But at the end of the day, I need to remember that my hope is found in Jesus. He is my Savior no one else.

For Luke 14:33 ESV says, "So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." We are called to give everything up. I will be very transparent and say there are habits, shows, and friendships that I haven't given up to the Lord. But I pray that through the power of conviction in the Holy Spirit the Lord leads me and anyone else reading this to live a life where we can renounce everything for our Lord.

Isaiah 42:16-19 CSB says, "I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will turn darkness to light in front of them and fought places into level ground. This is what I will do for them, and I will not abandon them." If the creator of the universe can do this much for me I can give up my fears and worries to Him.

For while my flesh has led me astray and gives me doubt and death and destruction. Following God gives me peace and clarity which I value more than any happiness that things of the world have given me. I remember praying for people to like me, my crushes to be my Valentine, etc. and then feeling betrayed by God when that did not happen. But God sees the bigger picture and He's looking out for me. I do not need to know God's exact plans for me I just need to trust in Him. Even amid my struggles, temptations, etc. I will trust in Him.

*Also side-note but I literally was wondering how to get closer to God and I wanted to feel His presence so I opened my Bible just randomly and turned to Isaiah 42 which in my bible is titled The Servants Mission & A Song of Praise, which both perfectly told me who I am in Christ. Trust me Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit are always with you.

[inkedwingss]

Nothing will ever hurt my bones more than seeing someone who pretends they know God, doesn't show fruit, misrepresent Christ, confuse other people on eternal matters, betray the holiness for the sake of attention, money, whatever; steals from sheep and distracts the little ones, hurt the flock, says things that are not truth, spreading their own vain thoughts through human wisdom, and gets out of it thinking they are doing a good job. They decieve even themselves.

"Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body." (James 3:1-4)

First rule for interpretating scripture: the scripture interprets scripture. Not you. You only discover it. You can't add anything, and you can't take anything. You don't get to decide what it means. It needs to make sense according to all scripture. There is a limit on how much you can stretch the text and play symbolism. It's not an easy task, and like anything that involves more than one human being, people tend to disagree quite a lot. Their faith is still real, but that doesn't mean they are right – anyway, I'm not even addressing this type. It's more about people that use the gospel to profit somehow. To gain respect, money or power over others. This is truly the opposite of how humble and empty of ourselves we should be as disciples. It makes me sick to see so many distorted versions of what is sacred and pure.

People are so tired of fake stuff, yet decievers know how the human heart quite enjoys a little lie. We bite the bait if it looks good enough. But this world hungers for justice, and it cries out to God in silent tears of despair when no one brings the true light into the darkness to rescue them. Yes, you, the hypocrites, here are the words of Jesus: "For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers."

God is gonna come for you.

[hiswordsarekisses]

“Those who patiently endure opposition and suffering find it easier to resist sin and to follow God's plans and purposes for their lives.

This is likely true because they have had no choice but to depend more fully on God. Through this time of focus and pain, the pull of sin becomes insignificant and God's purposes become top priority.

This spiritual principle will work in the lives of all believers.

Obeying God even when it means suffering, ridicule, or rejection, will strengthen us morally and spiritually and bring God's honor and blessing into our lives.

The most significant thing I have found, is that there are things that are spiritually beneficial for our lives that can be developed only through suffering and pain.

For example, it took my stepdad having a terminal illness in order for him to turn to God and to God’s Word.

God knows what it will take for each of us to come to Him and also to be transformed into His likeness, so He does not see suffering as a bad thing always, because not only it is very temporary in light of eternity - but He is able to use it for our good.

We can know that when it’s all over we will look back and praise Him and worship Him and give Him glory when we see how wisely and strategically He was working through our suffering, and we will be so grateful He did it all just exactly the way that He did it.

He actually OFTEN uses suffering to convince his spiritually wayward people to turn from their sins and renew their faith and trust in him (see the book of Judges).

“Child of God, take for your amour the thoughts which filled the sacred heart of Christ - the thought that suffering in the flesh is not, as the world counts it, an unmixed evil, but often a deep blessing; He that suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin. If, when we are called to suffer, we offer up our sufferings to Christ who suffered for us, and unite our sufferings with His, then those sufferings, thus sanctified, destroy the power of sin, and make us cease from sin.”

~ (Pulpit Commentary)

………*Consequently* (because of the growth that suffering brings about) the one suffering does not live out his remaining time on earth for human passions, but for the will of God.” (1Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬)

“Paul wrote, “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” But he doesn’t stop there. Notice the next words: “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” The hope spoken of in Romans 5 is much more than keeping our fingers crossed and wishing for the best. It’s a confident, joyful expectation.

We can’t skip over any part of the process. One of the clearest teachings in the New Testament is that God wants His children to grow up to be strong disciples and not remain spiritual babies. He wants us to be mature, godly people with staying power in our walk with Him.

When a clay pot emerges from the fire, it has beauty, strength, and color not possible without the heat.

As He shapes us into a fit vessel for His use, remember that the heat and pressure He allows will make us strong.”

~ Leroy Eims

[saras-devotionals]

Quiet Time 5/4

What am I feeling today?

I feel rather relaxed today but also guilty. There was a church event I wanted to attend early this morning but my brother and I had gone late to bed and this morning we were both really tired and he didn’t want to make the drive. I wish I was there, spending time with the kingdom but I’ll give myself grace. Either way, I’m looking forward to the rest of my day bc I’ll be heading to the rink twice and teaching ice skating which is always fun! I’m also grateful for how free my time has become now that I’ve finished my semester!

One last thing: I’m sorry I haven’t been posting much. It’s been selfish of me to keep my quiet times to myself when what I’ve been learning can be beneficial to other believers beyond me. I’ll try to be better about posting daily again!

Romans 7 NIV

(v. 4) “So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”

As disciples of Christ, we belong to Him now and everything that He commands of us rather than the laws of the world (that’s not to say to be rebellious on earth, rather to keep the Lord’s word as the priority).

(v. 14-17) “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.”

In all honesty, I’m having a very hard understanding all this. I believe what Paul is trying to express is how people were before Christ. How they regarded the law and then the sin they felt bound to since they did not have their freedom in Jesus (as is stated earlier in Romans about being a new creation and no longer bound).

(v. 18-20) “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”

Again, I had a hard time understanding this so I went to commentary:

This knowledge of what it means to be out of Christ and under the law of Moses is imparted to us, not from the standpoint of the intellectual pagan, but from the viewpoint of the great Christian apostle who saw much more clearly than any unregenerated man could have seen it, just what an awful state of wretchedness and misery must ever pertain to the man who is unredeemed, who is not "in Christ." Apart from Jesus Christ, there is no way by which even the best intentioned of unregenerates could exist in any other state than the one depicted here. That wretchedness, truly considered, is the perfect description of every man who is out of Christ, whether or not he might be less or more aware of it; and it is also a description of the true state of every Christian who for any reason whatever failed to abide "in Christ." The interpretation which would make this marvelous description of every non-Christian to be a description of the true life in our blessed Lord partakes of the genius of the evil one himself, and it should be rejected out of hand. Think what a terrible description of humanity apart from the Saviour this passage presents. It is a picture of humanity unable to do what is approved and desired to be done, and at the same time a humanity condemned to the "practice" (yes, that is the word) of things which are acknowledged to be undesirable and reprehensible even by the victims themselves. If this is not a good description of our own sinful generation which has turned away from God to walk in their own foolish ways, where is there a better one?

(v. 21-25) “So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”

I think what this is trying to say is that before being in Christ, a lot of us wanted to do the right thing but we were bound by our sinful nature because we still took it upon ourselves instead of submitting fully to Christ. Once we have given our life to Jesus, he delivers us from our binding to sin and we are dead to it (we are forgiven fully of our sins but that’s not to say that we don’t struggle, instead we must daily rely on God for the strength to overcome and resist the temptations of the devil).