#Ezekiel 29:20

[tom4jc]

Ezekiel 29:20 What Could God Give you?

“I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor, because they have worked for Me”, says the Lord God. Ezekiel 29:20 Businesses all over the world have workers that work for them. As a result of a person’s work, the business owners will pay the worker a set amount of wages. Occasionally many businesses will also give bonus pay for the work being done or for extra quality of work. Along with the…

[ask-the-demi-primarchs]

Lore List I Should Have Made Sooner

I promised to post a list of the Primarchs families multiple days ago, so here it is. These characters have their age listed as right before the events of the first book of the Horus Heresy (so the year is 004.M31, to my knowledge):

Lion El’Jonson:

Wife: Mathilde El’Jonson (36)

Children: Peregrine (11), Cædmon (8)

Fulgrim:

Wife: Queen Shivan Al-Ibroumat (35)

Children: Ophelia Al-Ibroumat (7), Camilla Al-Ibroumat (3), Hugo Al-Ibroumat (6 months)

Perturabo:

Wife: Pandora of Olympia (33)

Children: Theseus of Olympia (6)

Jaghatai Khan:

Wife: Khulan Khan (40)

Children: Alakhai (10), Tolui (6)

Leman Russ:

Wife: Ingrid Russ (28, divorced from Leman)

Children: Ashina and Amarok Russ (twins, 10)

Rogal Dorn:

Wife: Fabricator-General Shaela Dorn (43)

Children: Aliya Dorn (6)

Konrad Curze:

Wife: Lady Penelope Astor (34; the bastard daughter of a powerful Nostraman family who backed Konrad’s leadership)

Children: Marlowe Curze (11)

Sanguinius:

Wife: Aisha Fulenn (29)

Children: Miriam Fulenn (7)

Ferrus Manus:

Wife: Hecate Manus (39)

Children: Aeren Manus (10)

Angron Thal’kr:

Wife: N/A

Children: Ezekiel Thal’kr (12)

Roboute Guilliman:

Wife: Lady Maeve Guilliman

Children: Athena Guilliman (11)

Mortarion:

Wife: Perdita Ragana (33)

Children: Orestes Ragana (11)

Magnus the Red:

Wife: Meritamon Aibna-Aleaqrab (43)

Children: Berenice Aibna-Aleaqrab (6)

Horus Lupercal:

Wife: Vida Lupercal (38)

Children: Khonsu Lupercal (8)

Lorgar Aurelian:

Wife: Elena Mercurine (82)

Children: Delphi Aurelian (52), Helios Aurelian (deceased)

Grandchildren: Phoebus Aurelian (20), Circe Aurelian (16), Medea Aurelian (12), Telemus Aurelian (7)

Corvus Corax:

Spouse: Ramona Kane (deceased), Ambrose Corax (34)

Children: Chaya Corax (12), Oscar Corax (6), Ruth Corax (5)

Vulkan:

Wife: Ariadne Énkavma (48)

Children: Pyrrha Énkavma (9)

So far, the ones I know will be important are Chaya, Khonsu, Miriam and Delphi, but I hope I’ll be able to feature all of the listed characters. Ask whatever you want about them! And hopefully some in-character asks, too 🙏 (/lh).

[girlbloggercher]

how to read the Bible

this is in order!

1. John

2. Mark

3. Matthew

4. Luke

5. Genesis

6. Exodus

7. Leviticus

8. Numbers

9. Dueteronomy

10. Romans

11. Galatians

12. Colossians

13. Proverbs

14. Ecclesiastes

15. Job

16. 1 Peter

17. 1 Corinthians

18. 2 Corinthians

19. Ephesians

20. Philippians

21. 1 Thessalonians

22. 2 Thessalonians

23. 1 Timothy

24. 2 Timothy

25. James

26. 2 Peter

27. 1 John

28. 2 John

29. 3 John

30. Jude

31. Psalms

32. Joshua

33. Judges

34. 1 Samuel

35. 2 Samuel

36. 1 Kings

37. 2 Kings

38. 1 Chronicles

39. 2 Chronicles

40. Ezra

41. Nehemiah

42. Jeremiah

43. Lamentations

44. Ezekiel

45. Joel

46. Amos

47. Obadiah

48. Nahum

49. Habakkuk

50. Zephaniah

51. Haggai

52. Zechariah

53. Malachi

54. Micah

55. Hosea

56. Luke

57. Esther

58. Jonah

59. Song of Solomon

60. Acts

61. Titus

62. Philemon

63. Hebrew

64. Isaiah

65. Daniel

66. Revelation

[lilgreeneyes71]

Love warns but sadly we are being accused of passing judgment on people while attempting to warning them.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Psalm 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.19:11(Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward).

Paul warned them about false teachers over a space of three years with tears

Acts 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.20:31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Paul warned here weeping also

Philippians 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

The Lord tells us to warn sinners there is  punishment for those who disobey Him and don't warn others. We obey God and not man. I will  make no apologies for obeying the Lord and disobeying man.

Ezekiel 33:8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.33:9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

[eretzyisrael]

A UNIQUE MISSION  

On his way home to the Land of Israel to reunite with his brother Esau, our patriarch Jacob wrestles a mysterious “man.” Our Sages teach that this was not a human but the ministering angel of Esau. Jacob and the angel grapple until dawn, and before parting the celestial being asks Jacob his name, then tells him, “Your name will no longer be said to be Jacob, but Israel. You have become great (sar) before God and man. You have won.” (Gen. 32:29, Aryeh Kaplan translation). After this heavenly-decreed name change, the Torah surprisingly continues to call him Jacob. When Abram’s name is changed to Abraham, he is no longer referred to by his previous name. So why is Jacob still called Jacob?

The word “Jacob” comes from the Hebrew word for “heel.” Jacob gets his name because he is born grasping the heel of his elder brother Esau. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks points out that at key moments of Jacob’s early life, he metaphorically holds on to his brother’s heel. He purchases Esau’s birthright; he puts on Esau’s clothes; he claims to be Esau to get the firstborn blessing. Rabbi Sacks says, “Jacob was the man who wanted to be Esau. Why so? Because Esau had one thing he did not have: his father’s love.” "Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebecca loved Jacob. (Gen. 25:28)

The wrestling angel’s explanation of Jacob’s new name uses the Hebrew root “sar,” which connotes greatness. Rabbi Sacks sees the new name as a challenge from God: Do not long to be someone else. Be great by being yourself. “The fact that the Torah and tradition still use the word Jacob, not just Israel, tells us that the problem has not disappeared.” Throughout Jewish history and still today, many Jews are uncomfortable with being different, instead thinking “We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands…” (Ezekiel 20:32.) In Rabbi Sacks’ words: “the challenge issued by the angel still echoes today. Are we Jacob, embarrassed by who we are? Or are we Israel, with the courage to stand upright and walk tall in the path of faith?” Jews have a unique mission in this world to be God’s representatives. Let us not try to blend in and be like everybody else, but instead embrace our own unique heritage and destiny! 

Image: “Jacob Fighting the Angel” by Jurgen Ovens, 17th cent.

[armandyke]

Would love to hear about the books u read in 2024, surprise bests, biggest disappointments?

I think I will do a multi part post over the coming weeks with reviews of all the books I read since I have about half of them written up already. For now I'll just say my two absolute favourite reads of the year were Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock and Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova. Two very different books but both of them permanently altered my brain chemistry.

Below are my ratings for all the books I read and as I say, I'll try to post more in depth reviews over the next few weeks. My aim this year is to try and do proper reviews of the books I read as I'm reading them instead of having to go back several months later lmao.

Oh, and because it's something I'm always looking for specific recs for, I've highlighted the books with queer rep (that I remember) in pink, and the extreme horrors/books I advise checking trigger warnings for are marked with a lil skull.

1) Gone to see the River Man by Kristopher Triana (4⭐) 💀

2) Skeleton Crew by Stephen King (4⭐)

3) The Butcher by Laura Kat Young (5⭐)

4) The Hollow Places by T.Kingfisher (5⭐)

5) Salem’s Lot by Stephen King (4.5⭐)

6) The Shuddering by Ania Ahiborn (3.5⭐)

7) Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt (5⭐)

8) Nothing but Blackened Teeth by Cassandraw Khaw (3.5⭐)

9) Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z Brite (4⭐) 💀

10) Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry (1⭐)

11) The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino (3.5⭐)

12) Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley (4⭐)

13) The Dead of Winter curated by Cecily Grayford (3⭐)

14) Off Season by Jack Ketchum (3⭐) 💀

15) Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt (3.5⭐) 💀

16) Dead Inside by Chandler Morrison (4⭐) 💀

17) The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum (5⭐) 💀

18) Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (4⭐)

19) Caraval by Stephanie Garber (2⭐)

20) The Grip of It by Jac Jemc (4⭐)

21) Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims (5⭐)

22) Nod by Adrian Barnes (4⭐)

23) How to sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (5⭐)

24) Among the Living by Tim Lebbon (2⭐)

25) 19 Claws and a Black Bird by Augustina Bazterrica (3⭐)

26) House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson (4.5⭐)

27) Song of Kali by Dan Simmons (DNF)

28) The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Perry (DNF)

29) A House with Good Bones by T.Kingfisher (5⭐)

30) A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock (5⭐)

31) Cujo by Stephen King (5⭐)

32) The Dark Net by Benjamin Percy (3.5⭐)

33) The Dinner Guest by B P Walter (4.5⭐)

34) The Cloisters by Katy Hays (1⭐)

35) Diavola by Jennifer Thorne (5⭐)

36) Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (4.5⭐)

37) Nettle and Bone by T.Kingfisher (3.5⭐)

38) The Hatching (3.5⭐) Skitter (1⭐) and Zero Day (1⭐) by Ezekiel Boone

39) Come Closer by Sara Gran (4⭐)

40) Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison (5⭐)

41) The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (DNF)

42) Wranglestone by Darren Charlton (3.5⭐)

43) Piñata by Leopoldo Gout (4⭐)

44) Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca (1⭐) 💀

45) Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle (5⭐)

46) The Vampire Armand by Anne Rice (I didn't rate this because this was less like reading a book and more like studying for an exam)

47) The Ghost Woods by C.J Cooke (4.5⭐)

48) Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (3.5⭐)

49) Too Late by Colleen Hoover (DNF)

50) Alice by Christina Henry (1⭐)

51) The House of a Hundred Whispers by Graham Masterton (3.5⭐)

52) All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes (4.5⭐)

53) Violent Faculties by Charlene Elsby (4⭐) 💀

54) Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin (3.5⭐) 💀

55) Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison (4.5⭐)

56) My Throat an Open Grave by Tori Bovalino (3.5⭐)

57) Bloom by Delilah S Dawson (4⭐)

58) Bored Gay Werewolf by Tony Santorella (DNF)

59) Out There Screaming curated by Jordan Peele (3.5⭐)

60) The Watchers by A.M Shine (4⭐)

61) Whalefall by Daniel Kraus (4.5⭐)

62) My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham (3.5⭐)

63) Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix (4.5⭐)

64) Incarcerat by Garth Marenghi (4⭐)

65) Feast While You Can by Onjuly Datta and Mikaella Clements (5⭐)

66) The Whistling by Rebecca Netley (4⭐)

67) Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield (4⭐)

68) Scuttle by Barnaby Walter (DNF)

69) Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova (5⭐)

70) Revival by Stephen King (4⭐)

71) Blight by Tom Carlisle (3.5⭐)

72) The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw (5⭐)

[apilgrimpassingby]

Demons of the Hebrew Bible

Since today is also the day for Lord of Spiritsposting, I've decided to make a post I considered yesterday - the demons of the Hebrew Bible. This will be a long post, so I'm inserting a "Keep Reading".

Azazel: Appears only once in Leviticus 16, as the being in the wilderness to whom the goat with the people's sins laid on it in the Day of Atonement ritual is given (this isn't sacrifice, because the animal isn't killed or offered on an altar, among other things). Becomes a Devil figure in some later Jewish literature like the Book of Enoch, and is associated with deserts, sin and goats - the name literally means "the goat that goes away" (an archaic translation gives us the word "scapegoat"), and the seemingly-random reference to goat demons in Leviticus 17:7 comes just after Azazel's appearance.

Deber: The most prominent of the gang, appearing (usually in conjunction with other figures on this list) in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, Habakkuk and the Pentateuch a total of 49 times, usually unleashed as punishment for some sin by Israel (compare "handing people over to Satan" in St. Paul's letters - 1 Corinthians 5:5, 1 Timothy 1:20). A nocturnal demon of pestilence and destruction associated with the underworld in Canaanite mythology.

Hereb: Rendered as "the sword" in English; the next most prominent one, appearing 29 times and, like Deber, in conjunction with the others. A demon of violence and destruction associated with blood-drinking (Isaiah 34:5, Jeremiah 46:10) and flesh-eating (Deuteronomy 32:42, Jeremiah 12:12) and probably the rider on a red horse from Revelation 6:3-4.

Lilit: Appears just once, Isaiah 34:14, where she's dwelling in some ruins. Usually translated as "screech owl" or "night bird", but some use "Lilith". In Mesopotamian mythology, the lili are a class of nocturnal female demons associated who kill babies and are associated with owls, so the translation as "screech owl" is acceptable. The Songs of the Sage from the Dead Sea Scrolls refer to liliyot (feminine plural) as a class of demons: "And I, the Instructor, proclaim His glorious splendour so as to frighten and to te[rrify] all the spirits of the destroying angels, spirits of the bastards, demons, liliths, howlers...

Livyatan: Usually anglicised as Leviathan, and appears five times: Job 3:8 and chapter 41, Psalms 74:12-14 and 104:26 and Isaiah 27:1. Based on those appearances, he's a multi-headed fire-breathing sea serpent immune to weapons who battles with Yahweh and (of course) always loses. The myth of a god fighting a sea serpent is a staple of world mythology. Likely correlates to the beast from the sea of Revelation 13:1-10, since Leviathan is paired with a beast from the earth (Behemoth; Job 40:15-24) - also compare Revelation 13:4 ("Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”) to Job 41:33-34 ("On earth there is not his like, a creature without fear. He sees everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride").

Nephilim: Famously appear in Genesis 6:1-4 as the warriors born of the sons of God and the daughters of men, understood in Second Temple Jewish texts such as the Book of Enoch and the Septuagint to be giants born of fallen angels and human women. They appear by the name Anakim or Rephaim in Genesis 14:5, 15:20, Deuteronomy 1:28, 2:10-11, 2:20-21, 3:11, 3;13, 9:2 and Joshua 11:21-22, 12:4, 13:12, 14:12, 14:15 and 15:8 and war with giants appears in 2 Samuel 21:16-22, 1 Chronicles 20:4-8 and, of course, 1 Samuel 17 (the David and Goliath story).

Qeteb: Appears just 4 times (Deuteronomy 32:24; Psalm 91:6; Isaiah 28:2; Hosea 13:14), together with Deber in the Psalms and Hosea appearances and together with Resheph in Deuteronomy; if there's any lesson from this post so far, it's that plague demons hunt in packs. A diurnal plague demon whose name is rendered in English as "destruction"; nothing more to be said.

Ra'av: The third most prominent one, appearing 35 times; a famine demon whose name is rendered in English as "famine" or "hunger" who is unleashed on Israel as punishment together with (surprise!) Hereb and either Deber or Resheph. Probably the rider on a black horse from Revelation 6:5-6.

Rephaim: The spirits of dead kings who dwell in the underworld not doing much, translated in the ESV as shades and appearing in Isaiah 14:9 and 26:14; the same imagery and concept is being used by Ezekiel 32:20-30.

Resheph: A demon of plague and conquest worshipped as a god in Canaanite and Egyptian culture, depicted as a bearded archer on a white horse. Appears just 6 times in the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 32:24; Habakkuk 3:5 Psalm 78:48; Job 5:7, Song of Songs 8:6); the name is rendered as "plague" or "pestilence" or occasionally "fire" or "sparks" because the name literally means "burning". Probably the rider on a white horse from Revelation 6:2.

Sources and Further Reading

"Before Him Went Pestilence (Hab. 3:5) - Biblical Lexis and Semantic Field of Epidemics" by Jozef Jankovic for The Old Testament Society of South Africa

"A Land of Giants" by Frs. Andrew Stephen Damick and Stephen DeYoung on The Lord of Spirits

"War, Famine, Disease, Death and Hades" by Fr. Stephen DeYoung on The Whole Counsel of God

"Who is Azazel?" by Fr. Stephen DeYoung on The Whole Counsel of God

Who is Lilith - Ancient Development and Origins of the Demon Queen by Dr. Justin Sledge on ESOTERICA

Or in short - stop making it all about Lilith. Use some other Hebrew Bible demons.

[roseinyoursaltwater]

Age Headcannons (MCD)

Any characters you don’t recognize are my ocs. If anyone is interested I can post them. :3 because I love them and they’re my babies :3

SEASON ONE

Phoenix Drop

Aphmau: 25

Garroth: 26

Laurance: 26

Lucinda: 26

Nana: 20

Dante: 20

Dale: 40

Molly: 38

Emmalyn: 27

Brian: 18

Donna: 28

Logan: 30

Zoey: ancient

Zenix: 17

Levin: 4/5

Malachi: 6/7 (appearance wise) ancient other wise

Alexis: 3

O'Khasis

Katherine: 24

Zane: 25

Vylad: 16/17 (appearance/when transformed) 22 currently

Katelyn: 26

Jeffory: 30

Lillian: 26

Ezekiel: 28

Sam: 27

Roshni: 40

Ivy: 26

Janus: 29

Quynh: 20

Garte: 46

Zianna: 42

Talia: 60

Nigel: 58

Abby: 6

Meteli

Cadenza: 28

Hayden: 50

Kenmur: 26

Castor: 46

Scaleswind

Nichole: 24

Lord of Scaleswind: 50

Misc

Gene: 18 (appearance wise) 24 currently

Sasha: 20 (appearance wise) 26 currently

Aaron: 34

[thecreaturecodex]

Archon, Wheel

Image © Paizo Publishing

[Sponsored by @razzelmire. I really like how fleshy the eyes of the wheel archon look, and the weird sinewy tissues in the hub/mouth. It's interesting that they are inflexible paladin types explicitly in the flavor text, more so than other archons. Is it because they're less humanoid? Is it a reference to the Book of Ezekiel, and how its depiction of God (in the first two thirds, anyway) is judgemental and destructive? Or was it an author trying to differentiate different flavors of Good for different celestials in the same product? It could be all of these, or none of them.]

Archon, Wheel CR 16 LG Outsider This being is a wheel the size of an elephant, seemingly made of fire and golden plates. It has a staring eye on each spoke, and its hub is a mouth-like orifice.

The wheel archons are among the least humanoid of the archons, and among the least forgiving. Wheel archons are stubborn and indomitable, and rarely go on missions requiring tact or diplomacy. They are often sent to deliver a message to a prophet, or as a herald of the armies of Heaven. A wheel archon’s view of good and evil is rigid to the point of inflexibility. They are excellent at following orders, but eschew moderation and forgiveness for righteous wrath. They view themselves as the arbiters of Heaven’s laws, and are willing to be judge jury and executioner all at once if need be. They do not tolerate dishonesty in any form, and respond to lies with violent retribution.

A wheel archon’s strategy is as direct and forthright as everything they do. They fly into the thick of battle, spraying flames and slamming into enemies with their spiked rims. Their stern gaze can dispel illusions and force shapechangers to resume their natural shapes, and if they suspect that they are fighting disguised enemies, use this ability liberally mixed with attacks. Fires created by a wheel archon, whether by its spells or sprayed from its fiery spokes, burn through fiends despite any fire resistance they might have. Wheel archons do not accept surrender or surrender themselves unless they are explicitly ordered to do so by a superior.

Wheel Archon CR 16 XP 76,800 LG Huge outsider (archon, extraplanar, good, law) Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +39, true seeing Aura all knowing eyes (30 ft., Will DC 24),menace (20 ft., Will DC 24)

Defense AC 30, touch 18, flat-footed 20 (-2 size, +1 dodge, +9 Dex, +12 natural) hp 253 (22d10+132) Fort +15, Ref +21, Will +18; +4 vs. poison DR 15/evil; Immune electricity, fire, petrifaction, sleep; SR 27

Offense Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (good) Melee slam +26 (3d12+9/19-20 plus 1d6 fire) Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks fiery spokes, focus gaze Spell-like Abilities CL 16th, concentration +19 Constant—true seeing At will—discern lies (DC 17), greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. objects), scorching ray 3/day—flame strike (DC 18), empowered holy smite (DC 17) 1/day—antimagic aura, heroic invocation, holy word (DC 19), prying eyes

Statistics Str 23, Dex 29, Con 22, Int 21, Wis 22, Cha 16 Base Atk +22; CMB +30; CMD 40 (cannot be tripped) Feats Combat Expertise,Dodge, Empower SLA (holy smite), Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (slam), Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack Skills Acrobatics +34,Fly +34, Intimidate +28, Knowledge (arcana, history, local) +27, Knowledge (planes, religion) +30, Perception +39, Sense Motive +39, Spellcraft +27; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception, +8 Sense Motive Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, truespeech SQ holy flames, spiked rims

Ecology Environment any land and sky (Heaven) Organization solitary or procession (2-5) Treasure incidental

Special Abilities All Seeing Eyes (Su) All creatures within 30 feet of a wheel archon take a -5 penalty on all Bluff checks. Any creature in disguise or in an alternate form in the area must succeed a DC 24 Will save or be sickened as long as it remains in the aura and for 1d4+1 rounds thereafter. Fiery Spokes (Su) As a standard action, a wheel archon can spray fire in a 60 foot radius. All creatures in the area take 16d6 points of fire damage (Ref DC 27 half). A wheel archon can use this ability once every 1d4 rounds. Focus Gaze (Su) A wheel archon can focus its gaze on a creature within 30 feet as a move action. The creature must succeed a DC 24 Will save or return to its original form, dispelling spells and negating supernatural abilities. Whether the creature succeeds or fails its save, it is immune to that wheel archon’s focused gaze until the end of the archon’s next turn. Holy Flames (Su) Fire damage dealt by a wheel archon’s spells and effects ignores the fire resistance of creatures with the evil subtype, and deals half damage to creatures with the good subtype. Creatures with the evil subtype and fire immunity, such as devils, are treated as having fire resistance 20 against a wheel archon’s fire spells and effects. Spiked Rims (Ex) A wheel archon’s slam attack deals bludgeoning and piercing damage.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

A Call to Repentance

1 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, you nation that has no shame,

2 before the appointed time when the day passes as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD comes on you, before the day of the LORD's anger comes on you.

3 Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who have kept his ordinances. Seek righteousness. Seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD's anger.

4 For Gaza will be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation. They will drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron will be rooted up.

5 Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites. The word of the LORD is against you, Canaan, the land of the Philistines. I will destroy you, that there will be no inhabitant.

6 The sea coast will be pastures, with cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks.

7 The coast will be for the remnant of the house of Judah. They will find pasture. In the houses of Ashkelon, they will lie down in the evening, for the LORD, their God, will visit them, and restore them.

8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults of the people of Ammon, with which they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.

9 Therefore as I live, says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, surely Moab will be as Sodom, and the people of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them.

10 This they will have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.

11 The LORD will be awesome to them, for he will famish all the gods of the land. Men will worship him, everyone from his place, even all the shores of the nations.

12 You Cushites also, you will be killed by my sword.

13 He will stretch out his hand against the north, destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as the wilderness.

14 Herds will lie down in the midst of her, all the animals of the nations. Both the pelican and the porcupine will lodge in its capitals. Their calls will echo through the windows. Desolation will be in the thresholds, for he has laid bare the cedar beams.

15 This is the joyous city that lived carelessly, that said in her heart, "I am, and there is none besides me." How she has become a desolation, a place for animals to lie down in. Everyone who passes by her will hiss, and shake their fists. — Zephaniah 2 | New Heart English Bible (NHEB) The New Heart English Bible is in the public domain. Cross References: Genesis 19:24; Exodus 4:31; Deuteronomy 29:23; Joshua 5:9; Ruth 1:6; 1 Samuel 30:14; 2 Chronicles 20:4; Job 16:4; Psalm 22:26; Psalm 45:4; Psalm 72:8; Psalm 72:10; Psalm 102:6; Isaiah 5:17; Isaiah 7:25; Isaiah 10:5; Isaiah 10:16; Isaiah 14:29-30; Isaiah 15:1; Isaiah 16:6; Isaiah 17:13; Isaiah 18:1; Isaiah 20:4; Jeremiah 3:3; Jeremiah 4:4; Jeremiah 6:4; Lamentations 1:9; Ezekiel 25:16; Revelation 18:2; Revelation 18:7

Zephaniah 2 - Smith's Bible Commentary

[3fc0eb]

Clay Puppington, A Brief Overview

Clay is a complex character that takes a very influential role in the series, but because of that complexity, his character might require a small breakdown to fully appreciate the story being told. 

Many facets of Clay are seen throughout the story. Most often, we see him through the lens of his son, Orel. Orel's perspective of Clay is arguably the most vital, because as the series continues, we see Orel's view of his father shift from a childish perception of a paragon for what's good and right™, into a realistic understanding of the man he truly is.

In Orel's own hand-written script, he likens his father to a puppy, because he is “loyal and good”. We as the audience, however, are given a different perspective. We are given the chance to see Clay without Orel's perception. 

Thus, we see a wolf. 

To see a wolf among sheep is no accident on the writers’ part. The Bible uses the wolf to symbolize cruelty, treachery, greed, and destructiveness. (Zephaniah 3:3, Luke 10:3, Acts 20:29, Ezekiel 22:27)

These traits are readily seen in Clay and, in Orel's innocence, he is blind to those flaws. 

Beyond Orel's view, however, we are given key insight into Clay's character and the situation he's in from the ending of season one.

Here we see Clay and his wife, Bloberta, having an argument about the sermon they'd sat through that day. It quickly devolves into her pointing out his drinking habits, where he replies “All I do is try to forget.”

Bloberta has her reasons for this argument, but what's important is that we are given a perspective devoid of Orel's vision. 

We see that he is unhappy with his marriage and suspicious of his wife's fidelity. Tellingly, he doesn't even deny that he never wanted a second child. 

So why does he stay in this situation if he's so miserable?

The next time he sees his son, he actually spells out the answer to that question.

“You and Shapey are still young, needy, impressionable children. So your mother and I have decided to stay together. If only for appearances. The last thing we want people to think is that we don't care about our own kids. That's one fact that is none of their business.”

Importantly, in the entirety of his monologue to Orel, he paints himself as the knowledgeable, correct one. Yet, he is painfully clear that the only thing that matters to him is what others see and think. 

Immediately afterwards we see that he's left Bloberta and Shapey to wait alone in the car outside the restaurant, punctuating precisely how little he cares for both of them. 

Then why does Clay single out Orel as being worthy to explain what's happening to? Does he genuinely care for and love Orel as a son, in his own misguided and twisted way?

No. No, he doesn't. His first reaction to his son coming to him with any issue or concern is to immediately reach for his belt for correcting his son into whatever wisdom he believes he possesses. 

He doesn't even react to his son's bloodied clothes until his wife tells him it will cost him more money in laundry detergent.

He refuses to accept responsibility for properly teaching his son.

And any revelation that would otherwise be seen as important milestones for personal growth in his son are forcibly stamped down.

All so that his son will be more like him. Because he believes he is living life correctly. How it is meant to be lived. 

He says as much in the most pivotal moment in the series: Nature.

First, taking place directly after disciplining Orel after the events of Grounded, we see Clay inviting Orel to go for a hunting trip. 

At first, Orel is elated at spending time with his father. But once Clay explains his intent to have Orel kill something, Orel insists that he'd rather just watch. He'd rather just spend time with his father. But Clay pushes aside that “nonsense” immediately, instead thrusting a Puppington tradition onto Orel. 

Passing on Ol’ Gunny. But we'll come to that later. For now, Nature.

“I gotta tell you, Orel... Your cup is always half empty. Now look at me. You should be more like your old man and look on the blight side of life.”

Clay is speaking honestly here, but not entirely the truth he wants to be telling. He confuses “blight” and “bright” here, effectively telling Orel that he needs to be brought down to Clay's level. Seen to a greater degree in Sacrifice, Clay’s mentality is solidly rooted in “misery loves company”, and he is nothing if not miserable. 

He continues, “I didn't say "bright". I said "blight". My life is sunny and blight. 'Bright' means the opposite - it means sudden withering death. And that's... not... Oh, who am I kidding? My life is full of bright…”

Concerned, Orel asks, “You mean blight?”

“Oh God…”, He mutters.

“What's the matter?”

And here, Clay reveals the deep-seated turmoil within him:

“I hate myself... WHY DO YOU QUIT WORKING ON ME?! She always fools me, Orel. "I'll make things better, dear! Drink me! Put me inside you! I'm great!" And she chokes me just like every other whore out there! They're all worthless, kid. Every woman. Don't let 'em get ya! All of 'em wanna get ya! They just grab you and pull you into 'em! And you're forced to stay in, pull out, stay in, pull out! And then they cut ya and they grip ya by the... right where it counts! And then they start squeezing things out, things that are like weights around your head! You're stuck there for the rest of your life with nowhere to go and no one to be!”

His increasing delirium is broken as a gunshot rings out.

“Dad! Are you okay?!”, Even still, Orel remains concerned for his father.

“Okay?! Am I okay?! You shoot one thing this whole trip! Count 'em - one thing! And it's two of my last bottles of liquor?!

“Sorry, Dad, it was an accident!”

“There are no accidents! You've done nothing but whine like a lady in a flowery sissy skirt and attractive high heels about my drinking since we got here!”

“It's because you become a bad person when you drink!” 

Finally, Orel's illusion of his father has cracked, and he points out what we could see. And Clay's response to his son's cry?

He reaches for his belt once again. Too inebriated for even that, he instead grabs his rifle, to instruct Orel on how to “be a man” again. Remember that phrase. 

Instead, however, he accidently fires the rifle and hits Orel in the leg.

And still his only words are that Orel has to be more careful. He is spiteful of Orel bringing a first aid kit, and instead of helping his son, he downs the rubbing alcohol himself and sleeps.

While he sleeps, a bear finds the two of them. Orel apologizes to the bear before having to shoot it in order to save his father and himself.

For the first time, Orel takes a personal stand against his father and lies to him. Lies in order to purposefully spoil his father's pride. This is important to Orel's development but before that, let's go back to Clay's rant. 

Like much of late-season Clay's speeches, there's a lot to unpack, so let's take it piece by piece.

First, Clay is aware of the low opinion he holds of himself, but for now, we the audience are left to assume why that is. We only know how much he hates his life. 

He then laments the poor job alcohol has done for him. We've seen before that he drinks to forget, in Best Christmas Ever. But drinking to forget isn't the sole reason. Clay pins many of his misgivings on a particular person. 

There is a reason Clay believes drinking is better for him, the same reason his despair about alcohol quickly transitions to his opinion on women. In reality, its one particular woman he's screaming about, who's tainted his view so dramatically.

“Still hate her.”

“I'm setting your couch alarm so you're not late again for work tomorrow.”

“You have never been on my side!”

Bloberta.

Clay believes her to be the linchpin to his misery. She certainly doesn't do anything to alleviate that impression either. 

That's not to say there aren't moments when they get along. Notably, they share in a kind of joy by tearing someone else down. Again, misery loves company.

This can be seen in the first episode, Grounded, and Help.

Mocking Reverend Putty's sermon,

Rubbing salt in Orel's wound when he was grounded from going to church,

And telling off Figurelli at the wedding reception the day they'd met. 

Let's take a moment to focus on Help. 

This episode can be easily seen as the beginning of Clay's downfall. 

When Clay is first seen in Help, he is very unlike the man we've come to know until then. 

He is careful, withdrawn, and perilously pious; suggesting that even drinking was a sin when asked why he didn't drink drinks. 

His delicate persona falters easily, however, as Bloberta's encouragement shows him the possibilities that alcohol can provide.

It is this moment that Clay becomes more recognizable to the audience. His first exposure to alcohol helps him “out of his shell”, and his initial action is to tear down someone else to raise himself up.

“...That dummy had no idea until I told them the score.”

He becomes a bad person when he's drunk.

But that shared intimacy over a common enemy was enough to keep Bloberta happy at first, until he reveals he has no interest in marriage and instead begins to show her who he is.

Cruel.

“I think he forgot yours.”

Treacherous.

“Yeah, could be…”

Greedy.

“They're mine!”

“Filthy.”

Even so, Clay gave her a reason to believe she had value by saying she was helpful. So her mind was set, and he was just as easily swayed to marry her as he was to start drinking.

And with that, we know why he drinks. He regrets his marriage to Bloberta, and his day to day life with her, but needs to maintain face with the people of Moralton. His determination is touched on in another rant he has toward the end of the series, but let's wait to talk about that.

First, it's important to ask “why is Clay like this? What makes him behave the way he does when he drinks?”

This is answered in the next episode: Passing.

(Part 2)

[tmarshconnors]

Scripture on Hearing God's Voice 2/2

Romans 8:16 - "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."

James 1:5 - "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

Galatians 3:5 - "Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?"

Isaiah 55:3 - "Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David."

John 14:21 - "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."

John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Habakkuk 2:1-2 - "I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. And the Lord answered me: 'Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.'"

Psalms 29:1-11 - "Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength... The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters."

Psalms 23:1-6 - "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want... Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

Psalms 85:8 - "Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly."

Proverbs 3:30-32 - "Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm. Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways, for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord, but the upright are in his confidence."

Revelation 3:20 - "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."

1 Corinthians 14:1-5 - "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy... The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation."

Psalms 91:15 - "When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him."

Hebrews 2:1-3 - "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?"

Acts 22:14 - "And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth.'"

Job 36:22 - "Behold, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him?"

Hebrews 1:1-3 - "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son... He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature."

Ezekiel 37:1-28 - "The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones... Then he said to me, 'Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.'"

Job 35:10-11 - "But none says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?'"

Mark 9:1-50 - "And he said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.'"

Revelation 1:3 - "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near."

Hebrews 3:7-8 - "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness.'"

John 14:15 - "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

Matthew 4:1 - "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."

Psalms 46:10 - "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

1 Samuel 9:1-27 - (The story of Saul being anointed as king and listening to God's guidance through Samuel.)

1 Samuel 3:1-10 - "Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision... And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel said, 'Speak, for your servant hears.'"

James 1:22 - "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

[breaniebree]

Kismet Characters & Family Trees Part Four:

Liam Kane (1926) HUFFLEPUFF m. Reagan O'Connell (1926) RAVENCLAW (1947): 1. Spencer Liam Kane (1950) GRYFFINDOR m. Sadira Amari Kane (1948) NA (1968): a) Selene Sadira Kane (9 May 1968) NA m. Beaumont DeRose (1967) NA (1991) i) Piper DeRose (9 June 1994) ii) Amara DeRose (6 March 1996) iii) Felix Sebastian DeRose (1 August 1999) b) Soraya Zoya Kane (17 July 1972) c) Sebastian Christopher Kane (1 August 1977) m. Theodore Nott (21 October 1979) SLYTHERIN (2005): aa) Benjamin Christopher Kane-Nott (20 May 2008) GRYFFINDOR m. Nicki Zabini (14 March 2014) HUFFLEPUFF (2033): ai) Torin Theodore Kane-Nott (29 October 2036) SLYTHERIN  aii) Quaid Sebastian Kane-Nott (14 August 2038) GRYFFINDOR  aiii) Sabrina Aspen Kane-Nott (17 March 2042) HUFFLEPUFF aiv) Briella Katherine Kane-Nott (6 July 2045) SLYTHERIN bb) Spencer Thelonius Kane-Nott (3 July 2010) SLYTHERIN m. Cedrella Potter (21 October 2010) SLYTHERIN (2036): ai) Logan Theodore Kane-Nott (23 March 2040) GRYFFINDOR aii) Zeke Harry Kane-Nott (21 January 2042) SLYTHERIN aiii) Nolan Everett Kane-Nott (11 November 2044) RAVENCLAW aiv) Westley Sebastian Kane-Nott (9 December 2046) GRYFFINDOR cc) Sadira “Sadie” Aster Soraya Kane-Nott (10 September 2013) RAVENCLAW m. Rowan Wood (14 March 2009) GRYFFINDOR (2037): ai) Sebastian “Bash” Oliver Wood (22 Mary 2040) GRYFFINDOR aii) Soren Rowan Wood (30 July 2043) RAVENCLAW aiii) Soraya Theodora Wood (10 June 2046) SLYTHERIN

Cantankerous Nott (1902) SLYTHERIN m. Céline Volant (1908) RAVENCLAW (1933): 1. Tabitha Nott (1936) SLYTHERIN m. Titus Avery Senior (1927) SLYTHERIN (1954): a) Titus Avery Junior (1956) SLYTHERIN m. Scarlett Lympsham (1982) SLYTHERIN) (1996): i) Charlotte Rose Avery (9 October 1997) adopted by Emmeline and Mona Vance in 1999 becoming Charlotte Rose Avery Vance RAVENCLAW b) Aurelius Avery (1959) SLYTHERIN m. Anna Kama (1959) SLYTHERIN (1975): i) Aelius Avery (1976) SLYTHERIN m. Dasha Dolohov (1974) SLYTHERIN (1996): aa) Dmitri Aelius Avery (3 March 1997) SLYTHERIN ii) Aeliana Avery (1978) GRYFFINDOR m. Holden Ledbury (1979) GRYFFINDOR (1996): aa) Evelynn Aeliana Avery (3 October 1997) adopted by Emmeline and Mona Vance in 1998 as Evelynn Aeliana Avery Vance SLYTHERIN 2. Thaddeus Cantankerous Nott (1939) SLYTHERIN m. Aster Rosier (1961) SLYTHERIN (1978): i) Theodore Thaddeus Nott (21 October 1979) - secret son of Thelonius Nott - SLYTHERIN m. Sebastian Kane (1 August 1977) NA (2005): aa) Benjamin Christopher Kane-Nott (20 May 2008) GRYFFINDOR m. Nicki Zabini (14 March 2014) HUFFLEPUFF (2033): ai) Torin Theodore Kane-Nott (29 October 2036) SLYTHERIN  aii) Quaid Sebastian Kane-Nott (14 August 2038) GRYFFINDOR  aiii) Sabrina Aspen Kane-Nott (17 March 2042) HUFFLEPUFF aiv) Briella Katherine Kane-Nott (6 July 2045) SLYTHERIN bb) Spencer Thelonius Kane-Nott (3 July 2010) SLYTHERIN m. Cedrella Potter (21 October 2010) SLYTHERIN (2036): ai) Logan Theodore Kane-Nott (23 March 2040) GRYFFINDOR aii) Zeke Harry Kane-Nott (21 January 2042) SLYTHERIN aiii) Nolan Everett Kane-Nott (11 November 2044) RAVENCLAW aiv) Westley Sebastian Kane-Nott (9 December 2046) GRYFFINDOR cc) Sadira “Sadie” Aster Soraya Kane-Nott (10 September 2013) RAVENCLAW m. Rowan Wood (14 March 2009) GRYFFINDOR (2037): ai) Sebastian “Bash” Oliver Wood (22 Mary 2040) GRYFFINDOR aii) Soren Rowan Wood (30 July 2043) RAVENCLAW aiii) Soraya Theodora Wood (10 June 2046) SLYTHERIN 3. Thelonius Rodrigo Nott (1960) - secret affair with Reigna Rodríguez - raised by Cantankerous and Céline; has affair with Thad's wife Aster and produces Theo secretly (d. 1984)

Emerson Rosier (1886) SLYTHERIN m. Drusilla Rosier (1888) SLYTHERIN (1909): 1. Enzo Rosier (1910) SLYTHERIN m. Alma Burke (1913) SLYTHERIN (1929): a) Ezekiel Rosier (1930) SLYTHERIN m. Wanda Black (1930) SLYTHERIN (1955): i) Evan Rosier (1959) SLYTHERIN ii) Aster Rosier (1961) SLYTHERIN m. Thaddeus Cantankerous Nott (1939) SLYTHERIN (1978): i) Theodore Thaddeus Nott (21 October 1979) - secret son of Thelonius Nott - SLYTHERIN m. Sebastian Kane (1 August 1977) NA (2005): aa) Benjamin Christopher Kane-Nott (20 May 2008) GRYFFINDOR m. Nicki Zabini (14 March 2014) HUFFLEPUFF (2033): ai) Torin Theodore Kane-Nott (29 October 2036) SLYTHERIN  aii) Quaid Sebastian Kane-Nott (14 August 2038) GRYFFINDOR  aiii) Sabrina Aspen Kane-Nott (17 March 2042) HUFFLEPUFF aiv) Briella Katherine Kane-Nott (6 July 2045) SLYTHERIN bb) Spencer Thelonius Kane-Nott (3 July 2010) SLYTHERIN m. Cedrella Potter (21 October 2010) SLYTHERIN (2036): ai) Logan Theodore Kane-Nott (23 March 2040) GRYFFINDOR aii) Zeke Harry Kane-Nott (21 January 2042) SLYTHERIN aiii) Nolan Everett Kane-Nott (11 November 2044) RAVENCLAW aiv) Westley Sebastian Kane-Nott (9 December 2046) GRYFFINDOR cc) Sadira “Sadie” Aster Soraya Kane-Nott (10 September 2013) RAVENCLAW m. Rowan Wood (14 March 2009) GRYFFINDOR (2037): ai) Sebastian “Bash” Oliver Wood (22 Mary 2040) GRYFFINDOR aii) Soren Rowan Wood (30 July 2043) RAVENCLAW aiii) Soraya Theodora Wood (10 June 2046) SLYTHERIN 2) Druella Rosier (1928) SLYTHERIN m. Cygnus Black (1928) SLYTHERIN (1946): a) Bellatrix Black (1951) SLYTHERIN m. Rodolphus Lestrange (1951) SLYTHERIN (1969) b) Andromeda Black (1953) SLYTHERIN m. Edward Tonks (1953) Hufflepuff (1971): i) Nymphadora Andromeda Mary-Ellen Tonks (18 May 1973) HUFFLEPUFF m. Remus Lupin (10 March 1960) GRYFFINDOR (1995): aa) Edward "Teddy" Remus Lupin (11 April 1998) m. Victoire Gabrielle Weasley (2 May 1999) RAVENCLAW m. Teddy Lupin (11 April 1998) HUFFLEPUFF (2020):ai) Liam Remus Lupin (6 February 2022) GRYFFINDOR m. Naomi Winston (2024) HUFFLEPUFF (2048): 1a) Andromeda Lupin (2050) HUFFLEPUFF 1b) Hope Lupin (2054) RAVENCLAW 1c) Lyla Lupin (2058) SLYTHERIN aii) Charlotte “Charlie” Dora Lupin (9 June 2024) RAVENCLAW m. Luke Logan (2024) SLYTHERIN (2050): 1a) John Logan (2054) SLYTHERIN 1b) Declan Logan (2059) RAVENCLAW aiii) Kingston Harry Lupin (17 April 2027) GRYFFINDOR m. Lorelai Robards (2030) GRYFFINDOR (2057): 1a) Thomas James “TJ” Lupin (2060) GRYFFINOR c) Narcissa Black (1955) SLYTHERIN m. Lucius Malfoy (1953) SLYTHERIN (1974): i) Draco Lucius Malfoy (5 June 1980) SLYTHERIN m. Astoria Greengrass (7 December 1981) SLYTHERIN 2004) m. Circe Castellanos (4 August 1990) RAVENCLAW (2040): aa) Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy (6 January 2006) SLYTHERIN m. Albus Potter (1 June 2006) SLYTHERIN  (2031): 1a) Lyra Astoria Malfoy (1 June 2037) RAVENCLAW 1b) Celeste Ginevra Malfoy (5 March 2039) RAVENCLAW 1c) Archer Kai Malfoy (6 July 2044) SLYTHERIN

Thanks to @ellieoryan7447 for taking the time and effort to create these.

[versebyverse]

2025 Bible Read Through:

Green weeks are larger, blue are shorter, chapter wise.

Prophets

Week 1

Joshua

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Week 2

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Week 3

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

Week 4

Judges

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Week 5

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Week 6

17

18

19

20

21

1 Samuel

1

2

Week 7

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Week 8

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Week 9

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

Week 10

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

Week 11

31

2 Samuel

1

2

3

4

5

6

Week 12

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

Week 13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Week 14

21

22

23

24

1 Kings

1

2

3

Week 15

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Week 16

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

Week 17

18

19

20

21

22

2 Kings

1

2

Week 18

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Week 19

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Week 20

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

Week 21

24

25

Isaiah

1

2

3

4

5

Week 22

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Week 23

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

Week 24

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

Week 25

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

Week 26

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

Week 27

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

Week 28

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

Jeremiah

1

2

Week 29

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Week 30

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

Week 31

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

Week 32

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

Week 33

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

Week 34

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

Week 35

52

Ezekiel

1

2

3

4

5

6

Week 36

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

Week37

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Week 38

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

Week 39

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

Week 40

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

Week 41

Hosea

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Week 42

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Week 43

Joel

1

2

3

Amos

1

2

3

4

Week 44

5

6

7

8

9

Obadiah

1

Jonah

1

Week45

2

3

4

Micah

1

2

3

4

Week 46

5

6

7

8

9

10

Nahum

1

Week 47

2

3

Habakkuk

1

2

3

Zephaniah

1

2

Week 48

3

Haggai

1

2

Zechariah

1

2

3

4

Week 49

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Week 50

12

13

14

Malachi

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[freebiblestudies]

Lesson 046: The Promise Reiterated

Genesis 46:3-4 - So He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.  I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.”

“I will make of you a great nation.”  God made this promise to Jacob, now named Israel.  Does this promise seem familiar to you?”

Let’s read together Genesis 12:2; Genesis 21:18; and Genesis 26:2-4.

God made the same promise to Israel’s grandfather Abraham and Israel’s father Isaac.  Why did God reiterate this promise to Isaac?

Let’s read together Ezekiel 14:20; Ezekiel 18:20-24; Jeremiah 31:33-34; John 3:16; and Galatians 3:29.

God had a personal relationship with Abraham and made a covenant with him.  God also had a personal relationship with Isaac and made a covenant with him.  God had a personal relationship with Joseph and made a covenant with him.

We cannot be saved on the strength of someone else’s relation with Jesus.  We have to choose to follow Jesus of our own volition.  

We are not automatically part of Abraham’s, Isaac’s, and Israel’s covenant with God.  We have to opt in. 

Will you choose Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

[hell-aint-half-full]

(Artwork by Amelia Wray)

Godless Wolves: The Wolves of Blood Meridian and Their Relationship with the Violence of Man

In Blood Meridian, a camaraderie of sorts is established between the Glanton gang and the vicious, scavenging wolves, or lobos, of the plains. This may be as a result of a sense of mutually assured destruction between the two groups. However, McCarthy’s reverence towards wolves, arguably, runs much deeper than this. The kid explains that even though the gang had eaten little of any sustenance for many days, “[he] would never shoot a wolf and [he] know[s] other men of the same sentiments” (McCarthy, 2001: p.129). This suggests a kind of unwritten reverence towards the beasts. The wolves seem to uphold this relationship through their restraint from attacking and feeding on the gang themselves, but rather following them on their treks, “wink[ing] out there on the edge of the firelight” when the gang make camp, “and in the morning when the riders rose out in the cool dark they could hear the snarling and the pop of their mouths behind them as they sacked the camp for meatscraps” (McCarthy, 2001: p.41). As Gary Marvin puts forward in his book Wolf, in this location and time period, wolves were shot by everyone who could shoot. There even existed a profession known as ‘Wolfer’. In this, a ranger would hunt down wolves for their pelts and eliminate them due to their threat to crops, livestock, and humans alike. These Wolfers were treated as law enforcement (Marvin, 2012: p:98). This reverence, this mutualistic relationship, shown in Blood Meridian is not one shared throughout history. This forces a reader to question why such a peaceful relationship should exist in an otherwise brutally violent novel. The answer to this question, as I argue, is multifaceted.

It borders on impossible, in a presentation of wolves in media, to avoid conjuring up biblical connotations. In Ezekiel, menacing princes are likened to “wolves tearing their pray, shedding blood, destroying lives” (ESVB, 2001: Ezekiel. 22:27). Wolves are portrayed as being the manifestation of evil, savagery, and the corrupters of innocence; their ravaging of innocent sheep is referenced frequently throughout as a metaphor for this (ESVB, 2001: Acts 20:29). An image of a pack of wolves savaging the pure white lamb is one with which almost every person in Christian dominated nations is familiar. In this, the gang are much more like wolves than men. Both travel in packs, wandering, hunting others down for personal gain, culling their own weakest links, and butchering those in their paths. Their camaraderie must therefore be rooted in a sense of kinship. However, to push this idea further, the biblicality of the wolves and the gang, through their lack of godliness yet continued praying, deepens their bond. They are both God’s forgotten. Rejected. The Fall of Man, interpreted from the first three chapters of the book of Genesis, shows man falling intro depravity through their disobedience and sin. This creates a world tainted with sin which nobody may be free of, not even new-born babies (ESBV, 2001: Genesis). The gang, and the wolves, do anything but repent this original sin, and thus, God abandons them. Even when Hayward prays for rain and his prayer is seemingly answered, the rain is short-lived and lands like bullets (McCarthy, 2001: p.46). The Christian God may exist somewhere in the world, but there is “no God in Mexico” (McCarthy, 2001: p.33) or its borderlands. There is only violence and, as the Judge theorises, where God has abandoned his subjects, War will remain to rule over them in His stead. In this, the wolves of Blood Meridian and the Glanton gang are fundamentally linked through their existence as subjects of War, the God of the borderlands, and they behave accordingly.

English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online

Marvin, G. (2012). Wolf. Reaktion Books.

McCarthy, C. (2001). Blood Meridian or The Evening Redness in the West. Picador.