#Hebrews 4: 14-16; 5: 7-9

[jaguar726]

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need

Daily Verse Second Reading – Hebrews 4: 14-16; 5: 7-9 Hebrews 4:14-16 Jesus the Great High Priest14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[a] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet…

[touchofgoddotworld]

Refuse the Devil's Delivery of Anxious Thoughts and Turn Your Day Around (266) - October 5 2024

Choose your Podcast App to Play this episode According to Proverbs 15:15 (AMPC): ‘All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances].’ This week we focus on guarding our hearts and minds, so that what we think, believe and ponder on remains fixed on that which lines up…

[aestariiwilderness]

Abortion is Murder & Unbiblical

The Bible does not use the word abortion. How could it? The term itself as a procedure wasn't invented yet! However, the Bible does cover: 

Humanity's inherent value and rights as (uniquely among creation) made in the image of God

Murder

Child/infant murder as something abhorrent to God

Life's beginnings, indirectly (although that also has biological support) 

Legal ramifications of killing a child in the womb 

How God sees and interacts with children in the womb 

How we as His followers are meant to treat children 

What He expects us to do for the defenseless and vulnerable (i.e., the most defenseless and vulnerable human imaginable is the one in the womb) 

And how the question of following Him and His Word is what makes or breaks the difference between a Christian and someone who claims the name but is tragically unsaved  Below are some verses and some additional explication (partial credit: @glowsticks-and-jesus)  

Proverbs 31:8 

Luke 1:44 

2nd Kings 17:17 

Jeremiah 19:5 

Genesis 9:6 

Exodus 21:22-25 

Matthew 7:20 - 23 

John 15:14 

1st John 1:5-10, 2:3-6 

Exodus 20:13 

Mark 10:13-15 Leviticus 20:3-5 (https://biblehub.com/hebrew/mizzaro_2233.htm) 

Matthew 18:10, 14

Psalm 22:10

Jacob & Esau, John the Baptist, Samson, etc. 

Judges 16:17  Glowsticks-and-Jesus Collection:

"Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.'"Jeremiah 1:4-5

"The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name."Isaiah 49:1

John the Baptist leaped in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary greeted her cousin (Luke 1:39-45), an example that babies in utero are responsive human beings already aware of the outside world.

The righteous Hebrew midwives at the time of Moses pleased God by saving babies deemed unworthy of life by the authorities of their day (Ex. 1:15-21).

 As an additional note -- these references are included above, but worth a second mention -- it's plain that child sacrifice - child murder - is something that God abhors and explicitly does not command. I'd look here (https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/19-5.htm) and here (https://biblehub.com/2_kings/17-17.htm) and check out the cross-references as well. Likewise, there is direct support for laws against murder and the protection of the unborn (up to capital punishment) in the Bible (Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:22-25  -- an additional reference here included about the common misunderstanding of the latter verses: https://www.str.org/w/what-exodus-21-22-says-about-abortion).

In summary -- it's possible (although, I believe, it does deprive its proponents of a foundational basis for the value of life) to be both secular and anti-abortion. But it is not possible for a Christian who truly understands their faith, their God, and His Word to be pro-abortion.

[girlactionfigure]

1 Nobel Prize in Chemistry - The Development of Multiscale Models for Complex Chemical Systems

2 Nobel Prize in Chemistry - Quasiperiodic Crystals

3 Nobel Prize in Chemistry - Decoding the Structure and The Function of The Ribosome

4 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences - Repeated Games

5 Nobel Prize in Chemistry – Ubiquitin, Deciding the Fate of Defective Proteins in Living Cells

6 Nobel Prize in Economics - Human Judgment and Decision-Making Under Uncertainty

7 Fields Medal Award in Mathematics

8 Turing Award - Machine Reasoning Under Uncertainty

9 Turing Award - Nondeterministic Decision-Making

10 Turing Award - The Development of Interactive Zero-Knowledge Proofs

11 Turing Award - Developing New Tools for Systems Verification

12 Vine Seeds Discovered from The Byzantine Period

13 The World’s Most Ancient Hebrew Inscription

14 Ancient Golden Treasure Found at Foot of Temple Mount

15 Sniffphone - Mobile Disease Diagnostics

16 Discovering the Gene Responsible for Fingerprints Formation

17 Pillcam - For Diagnosing and Monitoring Diseases in The Digestive System

18 Technological Application of The Molecular Recognition and Assembly Mechanisms Behind Degenerative Disorders

19 Exelon – A Drug for The Treatment of Dementia

20 Azilect - Drug for Parkinson’s Disease

21 Nano Ghosts - A “Magic Bullet” For Fighting Cancer

22 Doxil (Caelyx) For Cancer Treatment

23 The Genetics of Hearing

24 Copaxone - Drug for The Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis

25 Preserving the Dead Sea Scrolls

26 Developing the Biotechnologies of Valuable Products from Red Marine Microalgae

27 A New Method for Recruiting Immune Cells to Fight Cancer

28 Study of Bacterial Mechanisms for Coping with Temperature Change

29 Steering with The Bats 30 Transmitting Voice Conversations Via the Internet

31 Rewalk – An Exoskeleton That Enables Paraplegics to Walk Again

32 Intelligent Computer Systems

33 Muon Detectors in The World's Largest Scientific Experiment

34 Renaissance Robot for Spine and Brain Surgery

35 Mobileye Accident Prevention System

36 Firewall for Computer Network Security

37 Waze – Outsmarting Traffic, Together

38 Diskonkey - USB Flash Drive

39 Venμs Environmental Research Satellite

40 Iron Dome – Rocket and Mortar Air Defense System

41 Gridon - Preventing Power Outages in High Voltage Grids

42 The First Israeli Nanosatellite

43 Intel's New Generation Processors

44 Electroink - The World’s First Electronic Ink for Commercial Printing

45 Development of A Commercial Membrane for Desalination

46 Developing Modern Wine from Vines of The Bible

47 New Varieties of Seedless Grapes

48 Long-Keeping Regular and Cherry Tomatoes

49 Adapting Citrus Cultivation to Desert Conditions

50 Rhopalaea Idoneta - A New Ascidian Species from The Gulf of Eilat

51 Life in The Dead Sea - Various Fungi Discovered in The Brine

52 Drip Technology - The Irrigation Method That Revolutionized Agriculture

53 Repair of Heart Tissues from Algae

54 Proof of The Existence of Imaginary Particles, Which Could Be Used in Quantum Computers

55 Flying in Peace with The Birds

56 Self-Organization of Bacteria Colonies Sheds Light on The Behaviour of Cancer Cells

57 The First Israeli Astronaut, Colonel Ilan Ramon

58 Dr. Chaim Weizmann - Scientist and Statesman, The First President of Israel, One of The Founders of The Modern Field of Biotechnology

59 Aaron Aaronsohn Botanist, Agronomist, Entrepreneur, Zionist Leader, and Head of The Nili Underground Organization

60 Albert Einstein - Founding Father of The Theory of Relativity, Co-Founder of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem

61 Maimonides - Doctor and Philosopher

Source

@TheMossadIL

[resplendent-ragamuffin]

Six Months Since

By Shoshana bat-Yehonatan

A poem for the six (Hebrew) month anniversary of the Simchat Torah Massacre. With thanks to the JPS, Koren, Metsudah, and other translations on Sefaria.org. Footnotes link to sources of quotes. Footnotes connect to sources which will be in reblog, because otherwise it's too long to post.

TW: RAPE

Six months has it been

Since the fields turned red without flowers

Now calaniot bloom where once my darlings danced

But still, my precious ones are gone.

I have no prophets to comfort me

No visions from God [1]

My king remains in exile [2]

How can I sing a song of God on alien soil [3]

In an alien tongue?

Yet I have been too long a stranger in a land not mine[4]—

Two thousand years, to a paltry hundred and twenty—

And I forgotten even how to speak the Holy Tongue

Let alone write in it.

I have neither wit nor words to sing my grief.

And so I turn to those before me

As they turned to those before them

And say,

“God, open my lips, and let my mouth declare my grief.” [5]

Oholiva cries [6]

And Ohola wails [7]

This year was pregnant[8] with a second month of joy

Instead she wails in travails unending

“When will my children return?” [9]

Oh wall of Fair Zion [10]

Shed tears like a river [11]

Cry out in the night and pour your heart out like water [12]

Rachel’s eyes are red as her sister’s [13]

As she weeps over the fate of her children [14]

Six months it has been

Since they ravaged women in Zion [15]

Maidens in the towns of Judea [16]

Since their hands tore my princes apart

No deference shown to elders [17]

On this day six months ago

My infants were taken captive before the enemy [18]

The joy of our hearts was seized

And our dancing turned to mourning [19]

For the youths are gone from their music [20].

Now my eyes shed rivers of water [21]

Over the ruin of my people’s daughter [22]

Bitterly I weep in the night [23]

My cheeks wet with tears [24]

There is none to comfort me: my friends have betrayed me [25]

I cry:

Behold my agony! [26]

My priests and my elders have perished in the city [27]

The elders strewn like dust on the ground [28]

Those whom I dandled and reared my foe has consumed [29]

“This is the day we hoped for! We have found it, we have seen it!” [30]

My maidens and youths have gone into captivity! [31]

“It is your doing.” [32]

Blood on her legs, her nakedness seen, [33]

Zion reaches out for comfort [34]--

“Away! Unclean!” [35]

She can only shrink back and sigh [36]

“May it never befall you.” [37]

The nations have resolved “They shall stay here no longer” [38]

We wander and wander [39]

But where are we to go?

How can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred? [40]

“My life as my wish, my people as my request,” [41]

I begged my Husband [42]

“For we have been targeted, my people and I, to be destroyed, massacred, and exterminated.” [43]

But the King turned His face from me.

My dear ones were purer than snow [44]

Ruddier than rubies or coral [45]

Their bodies lovely as sapphire [46]

Now their faces are darkened with ash [47]

Unrecognizable amid the ruin of the streets [48]

See, God, and behold to whom You have done this! [49]

Look at me, answer me, Oh God! [50]

How long will You hide Your face from me? [51]

I have no prophets now to comfort me

And must take my comfort from those before:

You promised “God will restore your captives.” [52]

Return them, God, and let them come back [53]

Renew our days as of old. [54]

[devildomwriter]

Beelzebub Birthday Special 100 Fun Facts

1. Beelzebub makes up elaborate stories about befriending food to try to avoid eating it

2. Before his fall, Beelzebub was a cherub and recommended for Seraph

3. Beelzebub dislikes Mammon’s cooking

4. The only food Beelzebub refuses to eat is Solomon’s cooking

5. As an angel, Beelzebub initially wanted to use his strength to fight but became depressed after Raphael made fun of him. Instead he focused on protecting thanks to Lucifer’s advice

6. Beelzebub used to guard the gates of the celestial realm

7. Beelzebub considers him and Belphegor twins because they were created the same day

8. Beelzebub is usually quiet except when around Belphegor

9. Beelzebub has survivors guilt

10. Beelzebub blames himself for Lilith’s death since he chose to save Belphegor instead and until MC got him to open up to Belphegor, he believed Belphegor blamed him too

11. Beelzebub picks his loyalty based on if he’s offered food

12. Beelzebub will usually follow orders from any of his brothers, especially when it comes to helping restrain another brother

13. Beelzebub claims he never felt insatiable hunger up until the exact moment he fell from grace

14. Beelzebub is completely unaware of his surroundings when he is eating food

15. Beelzebub was the only brother not angered that MC had a plan with Belphegor to make pacts with them all

16. Beelzebub used to be Lucifer’s personal body guard

17. Out of all the brothers, Beelzebub insults Mammon the least

18. Beelzebub is able to feel Belphegor’s feelings and to an extent, read his mind

19. Beelzebub’s name in Hebrew translates to “Lord of the Flies”

20. Beelzebub’s worst subject is potions because he tends to eat the ingredients

21. Beelzebub’s favorite song is the jingle for the ad from Hell’s Burger

22. Beelzebub prefers pop music

23. Beelzebub loves Devilcat and feels he can relate to him

24. Beelzebub mentions his type of person is someone who will make him piles of food

25. Beelzebub prefers dogs because he believes they’re loyal

26. Beelzebub states he loves food from every world equally

27. Beelzebub prefers to work out in silence

28. Beelzebub’s favorite activity is working out

29. Beelzebub hates high heels, they hurt his feet and always snap because of his weight

30. Beel’s motto is “You can’t fight when you’re hungry”

31. Beelzebub usually eats the plates his food is served in alongside the food

32. Diavolo states Beelzebub once ate a pillar at the Demon Lord’s Castle

33. If the Devildom disappeared tomorrow Beelzebub said he’d eat all the food because it’s be a pity

34. Beelzebub states he probably starts his baths washing his head but can’t remember

35. Beelzebub is the active one when it comes to love

36. When asked if he’d bind or be bound by his lover he chose “other” because he wasn’t sure

37. Beelzebub easily forgets special dates of remembrance and anniversaries

38. For a relationship with obstacles his choice is to just give up

39. He won’t have sleepless nights thinking about the person he loves

40. Beelzebub is able to express his feelings frankly

41. Beelzebub can call forth a legendary rock giant

42. Beelzebub is shown to have wind related powers

43. Beelzebub, like all demons with wings, can fly

44. Beelzebub has such a strong sense of smell he can tell if someone is a human, demon, or angel

45. Beelzebub once attempted to diet, it didn’t work out

46. Beelzebub recalls Michael smelling tasty, due to him always eating sweets

47. During dance battles Beelzebub will sometimes shout “here comes my next meal” and “that was a nice feast”

48. Beelzebub sometimes states that MC looks delicious

49. The angrier Beelzebub is the hungrier his gets

50. In exchange for food, Beelzebub will groom and walk Cerberus

51. Beelzebub thinks it’s dumb Mammon likes money, since he can’t eat it

52. According to Beelzebub poison jellyfish don’t sit well in his stomach

53. Beelzebub binged TSL with MC and Mammon specifically for the popcorn

54. Beelzebub chooses his outfits based on if they’re easy to eat in

55. Beelzebub helped choose Mammon’s human world outfit

56. Mammon usually gives Beelzebub treats, he even mentions it on the home screen

57. The first time Beelzebub attempted to attack MC it was because they were convinced by Mammon to eat his custard

58. Beelzebub seems to be the only one who knows Simeon is hiding candy from the celestial realm

59. Beelzebub still considers it his duty to protect Lucifer

60. Beelzebub is a terrible artist but doesn’t seem to realize it

61. Beelzebub believes Solomon wouldn’t taste good

62. Beelzebub loves Luke’s cakes

63. Beelzebub believes Simeon’s pancakes are the best

64. Simeon’s wishes he could clone Barbatos so he’d have him to make him food every day

65. Beelzebub thinks it’s important to work so you have money to buy snacks

66. Beelzebub asks MC if they’re good at cooking, if they are he never wants them to leave his side

67. Beelzebub refers to MC as his angel

68. Beelzebub doesn’t like it when things get mushy and gross

69. Beelzebub will take home random fauna to see what it tastes like, he once brought home a giant black slug that scared Asmodeus

70. Beelzebub mentions on several occasions to love Red Spider Sandwiches

71. When given chocolates (a special item) Beelzebub tells MC he has his eyes and ears out to make sure no drunk people lay a finger on MC

72. Beelzebub thinks trees are delicious

73. When gifted a scarf, Beelzebub initially believes it was a long donut

74. When MC gifts Beelzebub a handmade Devilcat plushie, he isn’t sure what it is

75. Beelzebub says when he was eating a cat shaped pancake that Satan was giving him suspicious looks

76. Beelzebub says he can play the music from the Hell’s Kitchen ad on the Otomatone

77. Beelzebub mistook fireworks for churros

78. Beelzebub reveals to MC he sometimes wishes they were kind only to him

79. Asmodeus would prefer not to say what the most shocking thing he saw Beelzebub eat was

80. Beelzebub often mistakes shaped bath bombs for food

81. Beelzebub was banned from the Devildom botanic gardens for eating all the cherries off the cherry picking trees

82. Beelzebub once ate a tomato meant to make you reveal things, apparently it tasted like nothing to him and Mammon says he’d never seen him look so sad while eating

83. When going out to swim, Beelzebub chose to hunt and grill squid instead

84. Beelzebub always tries to eat all the hidden Easter eggs

85. As I asked Beel for advice on cleanly eating candy apples and was disappointed when Beel recommended just eating them in one bite

86. When Beelzebub expressed interest in a car his brothers were excited and then shocked when they realized Beelzebub only likes the shape as he saw it would be good to dead lift

87. Beelzebub gave MC a Devildom star

88. Beelzebub once tried bribing Mephistopheles into allowing him to help the newspaper club by kidnapping him and trying to force him to eat mountains of food

89. Beelzebub believes a cruise ship anchor is light weight

90. Beelzebub believes he can rely most on Lucifer and Belphegor

91. Beelzebub can run .3 miles (500 meters) in two seconds

92. Beel still enjoys games of tag

93. Beelzebub once put a whole in the RAD building

94. Beelzebub often accidentally breaks through doors and walls

95. Beelzebub is very slow to reply to texts

96. Beelzebub always lifts weights before bed

97. Beelzebub often chews on his pillows in his sleep and frequently sleep walks to the kitchen

98. Beelzebub ate a keychain Barbatos gave Luke and Luke was so angry he scared Beelzebub enough that Beelzebub was running away from him

99. According the Belphegor they once decorated a cake with fireworks but Beelzebub ate them too

100. Beelzebub has been banned from drinking Super Soda water

[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

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Burning Bush

1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the back side of the desert and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

2 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

3 And Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.”

4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses.” And he said, “Here am I.”

5 And He said, “Draw not nigh hither. Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.”

6 Moreover He said, “I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

7 And the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.

8 And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey, unto the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites, and the Amorites and the Perizzites, and the Hivites and the Jebusites.

9 Now therefore behold, the cry of the children of Israel hath come unto Me, and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

11 And Moses said unto God, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

12 And He said, “Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.”

13 And Moses said unto God, “Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them, ‘The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you,’ and they shall say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say unto them?”

14 And God said unto Moses, “I Am That I Am.” And He said, “Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, ‘I Am hath sent me unto you.’”

15 And God said moreover unto Moses, “Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob hath sent me unto you.’ This is My name for ever, and this is My memorial unto all generations.

16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob appeared unto me, saying, “I have surely visited you and seen that which is done to you in Egypt;

17 and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites, and the Amorites and the Perizzites, and the Hivites and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.”’

18 And they shall hearken to thy voice; and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us; and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’

19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.

20 And I will stretch out My hand and smite Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in the midst thereof; and after that he will let you go.

21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. And it shall come to pass that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty,

22 but every woman shall borrow of her neighbor and of her that sojourneth in her house jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment; and ye shall put them upon your sons and upon your daughters, and ye shall despoil the Egyptians.” — Exodus 3 | 21st Century King James Version (KJV21) The Holy Bible; 21st Century King James Version Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc. Cross References: Genesis 11:5; Genesis 14:13; Genesis 15:13-14; Genesis 15:19; Genesis 16:11; Genesis 21:17; Genesis 24:12; Genesis 24:53; Genesis 28:13; Genesis 28:16; Genesis 31:3; Genesis 39:21; Genesis 48:15; Exodus 2:23; Exodus 4:1; Exodus 4:5; Exodus 4:12; Exodus 5:2; Exodus 6:12; Exodus 7:4; Exodus 7:16; Matthew 22:32; Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37; John 8:24; John 8:58; Acts 3:13; Acts 7:6-7; Acts 7:30-31; Acts 7:33; Acts 7:36; Hebrews 11:16

What Was the Burning Bush?

Key Passages in Exodus 3

1. Moses keeps Jethro's flock. 2. God appears to him in a burning bush. 9. He sends him to deliver Israel. 13. The name of God. 15. His message to Israel, and Pharaoh, whose opposition is foretold. 20. He is assured of Israel's deliverance.

[thenightling]

Things we learned about the character Beetlejuice in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Spoilers below: 1. He's actually Italian. 2. His cause of death was poisoning. 3. He told the truth about having lived through the black death. 4. He's six-hundred-years dead. Age at the time of death unknown. 5. He married a soul-sucking succubus cult leader and somehow thought it would be fine. 6. He was a grave robber (and apparently didn't wear shoes). 7. His plan for a "Green card wedding" has now grown into an unhealthy infatuation / obsession with Lydia. 8. He's multi-lingual. 9. He's familiar with Russian literature. 10. He knows how to open a portal to Hell or Hell-like dimension. 11. He now has minion who are apparently all victims of the witch doctor we saw in the waiting room at the end of the first movie. 12. Beetlejuice now canonically loves a good song and dance number in every incarnation of the character from the movies, to the animated series, to the Broadway musical, to his appearance on Teen Titans Go. 13. He is well-versed in the many corridors of The Afterlife Social services office. (Is the Netherworld all one building in the movies? It was an entire dimension in the animated series where it was called Neither World). 14. He's actually really good at dividing his attention. (See the Wedding scene). 15. Beetlejuice has a weirdly romantic side and really wanted MacArthur Park to play at his wedding. 16. Beetlejuice is familiar with the German legend of Faust. (Note the contract signed in blood. (Who would have guessed he actually has some sense of culture???) 17. There's a very high chance Beetlejuice was born Jewish. He says L'chaim at one point in the Beetlejuice Broadway musical and Mazel tov in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

18. Beetlejuice's mortal marriage was definitely not Christian or Hebrew. The ceremony had him and his bride drink each other's blood, bite the heads off chickens, and sacrifice a goat. 20. Beetlejuice has a sense of justice, as twisted as it may be, going out of his way to show Lydia Rory's true nature, and sending the ghost to Hell (or a Hell-like dimension) that tricked Astrid. I'm starting to feel like the version of Beetlejuice from the animated series is the most "accurate" depiction of the character, as weird as that sounds. Since the movie version has shifted to be more like him and the Broadway musical version feels like a prequel to the cartoon.

[tinyladofladdies]

what is the Gospel?

history . .

there is one God in 3 persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

God existed before anything else did; He created all things perfectly, including human beings, who He made in His image (Genesis 1:1, 26-28, John 1:1-3). God is the only holy, perfect Being in existence, and He created us to know Him forever.

God created humanity to partner with Him in ruling His perfect creation, however, humanity quickly fell into rebellion when adam & eve listened to temptation from satan, the serpent. the serpent twisted God's Word and adam & eve trusted in their own judgement rather than God's and listened to their selfish desire to define good and evil for themselves instead of letting God show them what was holy & good (Genesis 3).

adam & eve were cast out from God's perfect garden, severing ALL of humanity's relationship with God and separating us from His presence. because of this original sin (disobeying and distorting God's Word), all of humanity is born in a sinful state. the serpent, too, was cast from the garden and since the original sin, has been influencing the world into more and more evil, temptation, and distance from God. however, God promised that there would be a Descendant from eve Who would crush the serpent's head and defeat him (Genesis 3:14-15).

the sinful state of humanity causes all of us to be separated from God from birth and into eternity; sin cannot coexist with utter purity & holiness (Romans 6:23, 8:7-8).

God stayed faithful in taking care of humanity even despite our separation from Him; He made promises to abraham, isaac, and jacob, and their descendants (the jewish nation israel named after jacob), that they would be God's people and He would be their God (Genesis 22:17, Jeremiah 32: 38). He promised to multiply them, making them a countlessly large nation, to set them apart from the other nations to show the world what God is like (Deuteronomy 7:6), and to send them a Savior who would restore all things and bring justice (Isaiah 9:6). God gave them His Word and fulfilled every promise to them; He rescued His people many times from oppression and the downfall of their own mistakes, yet not even His holy people could stay obedient to God. God gave them His law (found in the 5 books of the Torah) to show His people how to be holy (set apart) and to show them who He is and what He values; in order to be worthy to enter God's presence, there would be animal sacrifices and sanctification rituals (Leviticus 16:21) in order to atone for the sins of Israel (God's people), yet none of His people were perfect and kept rebelling against Him.

God started sending prophets into the world, spoken to by His Holy Spirit who divinely inspired the Word of God (the entire Bible), to warn Israel of the gravity of their sins; soon, if God's people would keep participating in evil and turning away from God, they would be exiled from all of the peace and possessions God had promised them and fulfilled them with.

the prophets spoke of Jesus, who, centuries later, fulfilled every single prophecy spoken of Him . .

The Good News . .

Jesus is God, described as the Son of God and the Word of God become human; Jesus took on human flesh yet stayed completely sinless (Hebrews 4:15). He gave His life in the place of all of humanity, not just Israel, in order to extend God's grace, salvation, and presence, to anyone of any background who would repent and call upon Him (Hebrews 2:17, Galatians 3:8).

"The Gospel" means "the Good news."

to repent, means to completely turn around.

atone, means to make amends.

Jesus became the sacrificial lamb (symbolically) in order to fulfill the law of sacrifice that God's people used to participate in in order to enter God's presence (John 1:29, 1 Peter 1:19); because Jesus is God and was the only One holy enough to perfectly atone, this means that Jesus' sacrifice not only fulfilled every law and prophecy, but humanity finally had the chance to be in right-standing with God (1 Timothy 2:5). this means, that instead of being enemies of God, being estranged or distant from God, we now have the right to become God's children, His people, and His friends (Romans 5:10, John 1:12). to repent of our sins, means to pray to God our Father and confess our sinful nature, our rebellion, and the things we have done that have hurt our relationship with God as well as hurt ourselves & those around us. by confessing, we ask for God's forgiveness, we confess who Jesus is and what He did for us, and through this, we receive the Holy Spirit who testifies that we are God's children and Who seals our salvation in Heaven for eternity (Romans 8:16, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

Jesus came to earth as a human, yet also 100% God; He lived a perfect life, started His ministry at 30 years old, baptised, healed, drove out demons, and taught of God's character, Word, and Kingdom. Jesus was persecuted by the nation of Israel in order to fulfill the prophecies, He died on a cross, was tortured and killed in our place, and after 3 days He rose from the dead, to fulfill every prophecy (Mark 8:31). in Jesus' death and resurrection, He defeated our sins, He defeated the enemy (satan), and He defeated death. setting us free, giving us eternal life and forgiveness from the Father if we repent and believe that this is Who Jesus Is.

in Jesus, there is forgiveness, peace, healing, joy, & hope (Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Peter 1:3). God heals, God saves, God loves, His Spirit guides and reassures every believer and Jesus completely sets us free; no matter what you have said or done, no matter how much seems to hold you back, Jesus breaks every chain and meets us where we are, however, He loves us too much to leave us as we are. Jesus gives us the ability to live the life of righteousness (right-living) that God intended for us that we were not able to fruitfully & fully do without Jesus and without God's active help. for all time, God has kept His promises and His Word, He has kept His covenant with those He chose to be His people, and while those people always failed, Jesus never has and never will; Jesus fulfilled our side of the covenant, He paid the price that had to be paid for our sins, and in doing so, we can now have relationship with God for eternity, we can now partner with God in loving His people and doing the work of His Kingdom. God is always near, always present, and desires to help you, heal you, and save you.

there will be more Bible verses below that specifically address salvation & repentance; if you need more context or have more questions, this is a safe space to do so. <3

Acts 4:12 — Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

John 14:6 — Jesus answered, "I am the way, the Truth, and the life. no one comes to the Father except through Me."

Acts 2:38 — Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

John 3:16-17 — For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

Romans 8:38-39 — For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9-10 — If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Hebrews 7:25 — Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.

Luke 5:31-31 — Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Acts 3:19 — Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

Mark 16:16 — Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Romans 10:13 — for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 3:23 — for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Acts 22:16 — And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

‭‭Romans��� ‭6:23‬ ‭— For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

◌🌊🐚Ꮚ°˳´ creds . .

dividers: roseraris

[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.

[athenaevm]

Ranking my favourite natural writing systems by sexual appeal

1. Burmese: မြန်မာအက္ခရာ

2. Tibetan: བོད་སྐད

3. Mkhedruli (Georgian): მხედრული

4. Baybayin (Tagalog): ᜊᜌ᜔ᜊᜌᜒᜈ᜔

5. Devanagari (Sanskrit and Hindi): देवनागरी

6. Hebrew: אָלֶף־בֵּית עִבְרִי

7. Arabic: كتابة عربية

8. Javanese: ꦧꦱꦗꦮ

9. Thai: ภาษาไทย

10. Bengali: বর্ণমালা

11. Sinhalese (Sri Lankan): සිංහල (yes this is the language with the ඞ character)

12. Greek: ελληνικά

13. Katakana (Japanese): カタカナ

14. Hangeul (Korean): 한글

15. Hiragana (Japanese): ひらがな

16. Amharic (Ethiopian): ኢትዮጵያ

17. Kanji (Japanese): 漢字

18. Syriac (Aramaic): ܫܢܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ

19. Akkadian: 𒀝𒅗𒁺𒌑

20. Mandarin (Sorry, it’s the only Chinese language I’m semi-familiar with, I’m basic): 官话

21. Cyrillic (Slavic): кириллица

I LIKE ALL OF THESE, I JUST LIKE SOME EVEN MORE THAN OTHERS

[bibleversegarden]

Daily Growing in the Lord Our God

He who made us and redeemed us with His precious blood, desires to be formed in us, and have us grow in the knowledge of Him, in whom we live, and move and have our being, the Creator of all things visible and invisible, the Lord God Almighty. He wants us to bud, blossom and fill the whole earth with His fruits, bringing glory and honor to His name. The Lord be glorified, the Lord be magnified, the Lord be exalted!

"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." (Luke 2:52)

"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." (Ephesians 4:11-16)

"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6-7)

"Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." (1 Peter 2:1-3)

"Everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Hebrews 5:13-14)

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase." (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:9-11)

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18) 

"Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen." (2 Peter 3:18)

- A Walk In The Garden Devotions

[greater-than-the-sword]

What is fundamentalism? I’ve gotten answers that range from ‘its sexism masked as Christianity’ to ‘its the opposite of modern liberal Christianity’

The term "fundamentalism" originated in a faith statement made by a Presbyterian denomination in 1910, wherein the "Five Fundamentals" were listed approximately as follows:

1.      The Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1; John 20:28; Hebrews 1:8-9).

2.      The Virgin Birth (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:27).

3.      The Blood Atonement (Acts 20:28; Romans 3:25, 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12-14).

4.      The Bodily Resurrection (Luke 24:36-46; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 15:14-15).

5.      The inerrancy of the scriptures themselves (Psalms 12:6-7; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20).

"Fundamentalist" was then soon after considered a test of Christian orthodoxy and a positive descriptor. However, by the 70's the term was so sought after that it became the subject of sectarian disputes.

Interestingly, in the 1970s, some fundamentalists debated with each other over who had the right to use the term. The “pseudo-fundamentalists” debated the “neo-fundamentalists,” and vice-versa. It also became popular to categorize fundamentalist leaders and ministries as to whether they were militant, or moderate, or modified fundamentalists. I remember writing an article during that time entitled, “Will the Real Fundamentalist Please Stand Up.” (Pettigrew)

Eventually, due to the hot blooded infighting and the narrowing of the meaning and definition of "fundamentalism", the term became synonymous with rigid and sectarian positions, synonymous somewhat with a person who thinks that only those of their specific denomination are true Christians and everybody at every other church is going to hell.

The term caught on with non-Christians and currently is used as a pejorative. Today hardly anybody would identify themselves as a fundamentalist, unless they are able to explain that they hold an originalist position on its meaning, referring back to some older variation of the 5 fundamentals.

Sources: x

x

[orthodoxadventure]

The άνάλαβος (analavos) is the distinctive garment of a monk or a nun tonsured into the highest grade of Orthodox monasticism, the Great Schema, and is adorned with the instruments of the Passion of Christ. It takes its name from the Greek αναλαμβάνω (“to take up”), serving as a constant reminder to the one who wears it that he or she must “take up his cross daily” (Luke 9:23). The ornately-plaited Crosses that cover the analavos, the polystavrion (πολυσταύριον, from πολύς, “many,” and σταυρός, “Cross”) — a name often, though less accurately, also applied to the analavos — reminds the monastic that he or she is “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20).

With regard to each image on the analavos, the rooster represents “the cock [that] crowed” (Matthew 26:74; Mark 14:68 Luke 22:60; John 18:27) after Saint Peter had “denied thrice” His Master and Lord (John 13:38).

The pillar represents the column to which Pilate bound Christ “when he scourged Him” (Mark 15:15) “by Whose stripes we were healed” (Isaiah 53:5; I Peter 2:24).

The wreath garlanding the Cross represents the “crown of thorns” (Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:17; John 19:2) that “the soldiers platted” (John 19:2) and “put upon the head” (Matthew 27:29) of “God our King of old” (Psalm 73:13), Who freed man from having to contend against “thorns and thistles in the sweat of his brow” (Genesis 3:18-19).

The upright post and the traverse beam represent the stipes and the patibulum that formed “the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14), upon which “all day long He stretched forth His hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people” (Isaiah 65:2; Romans 10:21).

The four spikes at the center of the Cross and the hammer beneath its base represent the “nails” (John 20:25) and hammer with which “they pierced” (Psalm 21:16; John 19:37) “His hands and His feet” (Luke 24:40). when they “lifted up from the earth” (John 12:32) Him Who “blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us by nailing it to His Cross” (Colossians 2:14).

The base upon which the Cross stands represents “the place, which is called 'Calvary' (Luke 23:33), or 'Golgotha', that is to say, the Place of the Skull” (Matthew 27:33), “where they crucified Him” (John 19:18) Who “wrought salvation in the midst of the earth” (Psalm 73:13).

The skull and crossbones represent “the first man Adam” (I Corinthians 15:45), who by tradition “returned unto the ground” (Genesis 3:19) at this very spot, the reason that this place of execution, “full of dead men’s bones” (Matthew 23:27) became the place where “the last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (I Corinthians 15:45).

The plaque on top of the Cross represents the titulus, the “title” (John 19:19-20), with “the superscription of His accusation” (Mark 15:26), which “Pilate wrote” (John 19:19) “and set up over His head” (Matthew 27:37); however, instead of “Jesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews” (John 19:19), which “was written over Him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew” (Luke 23:38), the three languages being an allusion to the Three Hypostases “of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19), this titulus reads, “The King of Glory” (Psalm 23:7-10), “for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (I Corinthians 2:8).

The reed represents the “hyssop” (John 19:29) upon which was put “a sponge full of vinegar” (Mark 15:36), which was then “put to His mouth” (John 19:29) when in His “thirst they gave Him vinegar to drink” (Psalm 68:21), Him of Whom it was said that “all wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth” (Luke 4:22).

The lance represents the “spear [that] pierced His side”; “and forthwith came there out blood and water” (John 19:34) from Him Who “took one of Adam's ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof" (Genesis 2:21) and Who “washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5).

The plaque at the bottom of the Cross represents the suppedaneum of Christ, “His footstool” (Psalm 98:5), “the place where His feet have stood” (Psalm 131:7). It is slanted because, according to one tradition, at the moment when “Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit” (Mark 15:37), He allowed a violent death spasm to convulse His legs, dislodging His footrest in such a manner that one end pointed upwards, indicating that the soul of the penitent thief, Saint Dismas, “the one on His right hand” (Mark 15:27) would be “carried up into Heaven” (Luke 24:51), while the other end, pointed downwards, indicated that the soul of the impenitent thief, Gestas, “the other on His left” (Mark 15:27), would “be thrust down to Hell” (Luke 10:15), showing that all of us, “the evil and the good, the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45), “are weighed in the balance” (Ecclesiasticus 21:25) of the Cross of Christ.

The ladder and the pincers beneath the base of the Cross represent the means of deposition by which Saint Joseph of Arimathea, “a rich man” (Matthew 27:57) who “begged for the body of Jesus” (Matthew 27:58; Luke 23:52), “took it down” (Luke 23:53), so that as in body He descended from the Cross, so in soul “He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth” (Ephesians 4:9), “by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison” (I Peter 3:19).

Through these instruments, “the Cross of Christ” (I Corinthians 1:17: Galatians 6:12; Philippians 3:18) became the “Tree of Life” (Genesis 2:9; 3:22, 24; Proverbs 3:18, 11:30; 13:12; 15:4; Revelation 2:7; 22:2,14), by which the Lord Jesus reified His words that, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26).

[source]

[influencingforjohn]

· Unlimited Power: Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18)

· Healing: Jesus healed every disease and sickness (Matthew 4:23, 9:35)

· Lord over all: Jesus is Lord of all, including sickness, disease, and infirmities (Matthew 15:30)

· Spirit World: Jesus has all power over the spirit world (Mark 5:2-13)

· Nature: Jesus has authority over nature (Mark 4:37-39)

· Provision: Jesus will provide for those who love and serve Him (Matthew 14:19-21)

· Creator: Jesus is the Creator of all things (John 1:3, 9; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:15-16)

· Intercession: Jesus continually offers salvation and intercedes for believers (Hebrews 7:25, 13:8)

· Omnipresent: Jesus is present everywhere, and his power is limitless (Psalm 139:7-12; Jeremiah 23:23-24)

· Eternal: Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8)

Jesus is all-powerful, and his power is unlimited, transcending human understanding. According to Philippians 2:10-11 "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."