#I corinthians 11:14-15

[msexcelfractal]

They act like progressive is just using progressive vocabulary. It's a whole mindset and mode of analysis. It's not progressive to reason the same way as the Apostle Paul does:

Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

Mistaking a cultural construct for objective reality AND mistaking objective reality for a "how to" instead of a "what is". 0/10

when people who want to be vaguely progressive say 'nature' all secular style but it's painfully obvious they mean 'god' while thinking they don't mean god

[garden-of-thoughts-fruit-of-lips]

Matthew 10:7

As you go, preach, saying: ‘The Kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.

Note the time the Devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world (Luke 4:5) "in an instant of time" saying that the world has been given over to him and he could give it to whomever he chose, and the Devil chose Christ. The Devil said to Christ, "I will give you all this authority and their glory" (Luke 4:5-8).

Who is the ruler of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4), is it not the Devil (Revelation 12:9)? And what are the inhabitants of the earth saying? Are they not saying that Jesus is God, giving Jesus all his authority and their glory? The Devil wanted Jesus to do an act of worship before him by means of the Devil's image of the heavens (Isaiah 14: 12-14) and earth by giving breath of life to it by means of the fruit of his lips (Hebrews 13:15). But note how Jesus replied when being tempted by the Tempter (Matthew 4:1), "Then Jesus said to him: 'Go away, Satan! For it is written: 'It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service' (Matthew 4:10)." Because it was God at the beginning who created the heavens and earth and said let there be light through His Spirit (Genesis 1: 1-3).

Read one Bible verse or read them all! 📖📚

1 John 2:16

because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world

Isaiah 29:13

Jehovah says: “This people approach me with their mouth And they honor me with their lips, But their heart is far removed from me; And their fear of me is based on commands of men that they have been taught.

1 Thessalonians 3:5

is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn of your faithfulness, in case somehow the Tempter might have tempted you, and our labor might have turned out to be in vain.

2 Corinthians 11:14

And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps disguising himself as an angel of light.

Revelation 12:12

On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing that he has a short period of time.”

2 Corinthians 11:3

But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent seduced Eve by its cunning, your minds might be corrupted away from the sincerity and the chastity that are due the Christ.

Revelation 13:13

And it performs great signs, even making fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the sight of mankind.

Luke 10:18

At that he said to them: “I see Satan already fallen like lightning from heaven.

[apilgrimpassingby]

Atheists saying "I don't need religion, I'm a decent person" makes me sad.

You were born to be an immortal (1) priest-king (2) partaking of the divine nature (3) and judging the world (4), and "a decent person" is the ceiling of your ambitions?

Luke 20:36, 1 Corinthians 15:26, Hebrews 2:14, Revelation 20:6

1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:6, Revelation 20:6

Hebrews 2:11-13, 2 Peter 1:4

1 Corinthians 6:2

[the-fo1lower27]

Playing GOD

Sometimes as Christian people, it can feel like it’s our job to “save” people.

The reality is…you can’t.

The only true savior is CHRIST. (1 John 4:14) (John 3:16) (the whole entire Bible)

A biblical example of this can be found in 1 Samuel 16, Samuel is mourning Saul who has been rejected by GOD as the King of Israel because of his disobedience to HIS command.

Despite this, the LORD tells Samuel to stop mourning and go to the house of Jesse to find the man GOD has chosen to be the new King of Israel.

Samuel could not change Saul and he could not save him. Saul made his choice, and although it can feel painful to watch someone you love choose something that will hurt them…ultimately it’s their decision.

Attempting to “save” someone and trying to fit yourself into a role that belongs solely to GOD will only bring more harm.

Through reading 1 Samuel 15-16, this point is made clear from Saul’s example. In “playing GOD” and thinking that he “knew better” than GOD he brought detriment to the people he was supposed to protect and serve.

The ultimate example of this is Satan (Isaiah 14:12-15). His goal was to overthrow GOD and take over Heaven.

In the end, he brought death and destruction to 1/3 of Heaven and after he brought hell to Earth.

The ideology that WE must save people is satanic and goes against the message of GOD.

The more you try to play GOD, the more similar to the devil you become.

Our job is to spread the message of the Bible found in Matthew 3:2. If our words are not received, CHRIST gives us the remedy in Matthew 10:14.

The moral of the story is:

We are not the Savior, CHRIST is the only one who can save people. Our role is to spread his message to others and live our lives in accordance to his word.

“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 11:1

-1:27

[scribeforchrist-blog]

Devoted To God 

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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+ 1 Corinthians 16:14: Let all that you do be done in love.

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VERSE OF THE DAY 

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+ Deuteronomy 7:4, for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you. 

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

I AM RIGHTEOUS

I AM DEVOTED TO GOD

I AM FULL OF PEACE

I AM HUMBLE

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READ TIME: 7 Minutes & 5 Seconds

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THOUGHTS:

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  We don’t realize how things can change our perspective or our ways. We often think that it's our thinking, but sometimes it’s the people we are around that cause us to turn the other way; the Israelites were a very stubborn stiff neck people who loved to do what they wanted and not do what the lord wanted sometimes we can think that making friends with the world is okay. Still, God wants us to know it isn’t. 

    The world has its views on God, and it has its views on what they think of a godly man or woman of God; it has been shown in the word multiple times how being around the wrong people can cause your heart to turn away from God. 

  The Lord gave them a stern warning. He said they will have you serving their gods, my anger will burn against you, and I will destroy you; he told them exactly what would happen, but they wouldn’t listen. Sometimes, we can want something so badly that we don’t see it as a stronghold; we don’t see it as a distraction or a trap of the enemy. 

  1 Kings 11:2 They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 

 

1 Kings 11:4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David, his father, had been.

 

1 Kings 11:6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

 

These verse shows us that he knew that this could happen. He was told not to intermarry, but Solomon's lust became his downfall. He allowed his foreign wives to turn his heart, and he couldn’t be devoted to God any longer because he had given his time to their gods. He couldn’t be what his father was or what he was at one time because he had too much love for the other women and did evil in the sight of the lord. He did not follow the lord. Ultimately, he couldn’t. This shows we can’t serve two masters; the word tells us that, too. 

  Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

      When we fall into sin, we forget about the goodness of God. We forget what he gave and has done for us because we are to focus on the here and now, what has God done for you, what he has done that you can remember; just like the Israelites, we forget because it is easy to do that than to follow God and hear him when he speaks. 

  Deuteronomy 6:15 for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land.

     God is such a jealous God. He doesn’t want our time shared with anyone, and he doesn’t most certainly want us to find love with other things. As we grow in God, we realize he wants us to be devoted to him, and sometimes we might find it hard to be devoted to him, but as we stand on his word and we communicate and build a relationship with him, we start to grow more into Him, and we start to be more dedicated to being around him more, we start to be devoted to God. 

   James 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God

        This verse is telling us we can’t be friends with the world and with God; it creates hostility towards God, and we become an enemy of God as well; we don’t ever want to be an enemy of God; a lot of us don’t understand how great of a weight this place on our friendship with God. We must understand that having friendships or relations with someone who’s of the world can cause you to turn away from God. Look at King Solomon; he let his lust blind him; don’t allow friendship to blind you. 

   *** Today, we learned about how having relations or friendship with the world can cause us to leave God or cause us not to be so devoted to God; it’s so easy to do, to try to have a connection with someone who’s in the world can ultimately cause us to lose or connection with God. Just like King Solomon got his warning, so have we; there’s no way around it; no matter how much you try, one will falter. 

  1 John 2:15-16 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

    We can’t love the things of the world and love God; we must choose; the word is telling us that if we love the world, we don’t love God because the things in this world can only lead us away from God , this world only wants to satisfy their flesh and do things here for the here and now. Still, the things here will fade away and won’t last forever. God wants us to be devoted to him and nothing else. If you feel you have allowed the things in this world to steer you away, ask God to help you return to him, and he will help you, but you must first let go of the world. ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

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Heavenly Father, we thank you for being our shepherd and being our guided lord; we want to let go of the things of this world; please show us how lord gives us strength to be dedicated to you and you alone; lord, we give you our mind body and soul we ask you to forgive us if we have been devoted to things in this world and not you. Lord, every day we want to live a holy life, and we are so grateful for what you have done in our life, in Jesus' Name, Amen 

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REFERENCES 

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+ Luke 16:9 And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.

 

+ Galatians 1:10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

 

+ Joshua 24:19-20 Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins

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FURTHER READINGS 

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Proverbs 2

Luke 10

1 Corinthians 9 

Malachi 1 

Ezekiel 33

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[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom

1 Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt; he took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.

3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father; only, he sacrificed and burnt incense at the high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings upon that altar. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “Thou hast shown great and steadfast love to thy servant David my father, because he walked before thee in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward thee; and thou hast kept for him this great and steadfast love, and hast given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people whom thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give thy servant therefore an understanding mind to govern thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to govern this thy great people?”

10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. 14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”

15 And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants. — 1 Kings 3:1-15 | Revised Standard Version (RSV) Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 15:5; Genesis 22:17; Genesis 28:16; Genesis 41:7; Leviticus 17:3; Numbers 27:17; Deuteronomy 6:5; Deuteronomy 12:2; Deuteronomy 31:2; Joshua 18:21; 1 Samuel 13:9; 2 Samuel 7:8; 1 Kings 1:48; 1 Kings 2:10; 1 Kings 4:31; 1 Kings 7:1; 2 Chronicles 1:11; Psalm 91:16; Proverbs 3:2; Daniel 2:21; Matthew 1:20; Matthew 2:13; Matthew 6:33; 1 Corinthians 8:3; Ephesians 3:20; Hebrews 5:14; James 1:5; James 4:3; 1 John 5:14-15

Read full chapter

Hymns for 1 Kings 3

[lilgreeneyes71]

Persecution

2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

Luke 6:26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

John 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.15:21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

1 Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

2 Corinthians 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

[ireblogthetruth]

I don't have that power. I did not decide that it was wrong. But you know who did? God did. The One who does have that power. The One who created the entire universe.

Of course you would know that if you read the tags.

anyone who sees you irl regardless of whether or not you undergo hrt is going to know you're a woman

hey dude are you alright? i know from past experience that obsessively hating something, be it yourself or someone else, is actually a form of self harm. you're basically forcing yourself to get triggered, which is actually a form of self harm, even if it isn't physical. i know it feels exciting, it releases adrenaline and gets your blood pumping! but at the end of the day, it's more harmful than helpful. You begin seeing the world very negatively and it's not good for you. I'm not even upset you sent this, I'm actually genuinely concerned. if you need help, speak up to someone, okay? it's going to be more helpful than harassing teenagers online, i promise.

[amberlynnmurdock]

Blind Faith (Ch. 13)

Chapter Thirteen: The Devil Has Many Disguises

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Reader

Summary: You take up Zach's offer to have dinner at his apartment.

WARNINGS: attempted assault, getting drugged, losing consciousness, side effects of drugs

A/N: PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION! This was a tough chapter to write because I didn't want to write anything too crazy but also not anything not-crazy... this was always in the plan/outline. PLEASE be aware of what you drink when you go out! It's a crazy world. I know this subject can be sensitive. I KNOW. I took this seriously in school and something I always thought was I wish Daredevil was real so sick people could get the justice they deserve! With that said, I hope you like this update, because I can't wait for the next one!

Tags at the end!

Ao3 Link

2 Corinthians 11:14-15 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

Office of Nelson & Murdock

Rain pattered softly against the windows of Nelson & Murdock. It was a quiet and calm day, completely opposite of what you felt inside. Inside, your heart was racing at the thought of your plans tonight, your mind felt like you were thinking a million different things at the same time, and in the pit of your stomach was an excitement you hadn’t felt since the beginning of summer. 

A week had gone by since the Bar dinner, and Zach was successful in his attempts to ask you out on a date—was it a date? Tonight, you were to go to his apartment just a little uptown to have dinner and discuss all things LSAT and law school. What really won you over was his genuineness, even over the phone. 

Gone was the slightly cocky, sure-of-himself lawyer you met at the dinner. Instead, Zach actually seemed shy and sweet on the phone. He blamed his attitude on the alcohol, which you’ll admit, you blamed yours on that as well. If you were comfortable enough to come to his apartment, he offered to have dinner there and show you his library of law school books and whatnot. 

“Excited for tonight?” Karen asked as she walked past your desk to drop off a few files for you to input into the system. She smiled and sat on the corner of your desk, pushing a strawberry blonde strand behind her ear. 

“I am,” you admitted, feeling your cheeks turn hot. You spoke in a low voice, so Matt or Foggy couldn’t hear. “I mean, a free fancy dinner and LSAT help? It really can’t get that much better for me right now.”

“I’m sure you’ll have a good time,” Karen said. “Text me, though, if you feel uncomfortable at all or if the date seems to be going wrong, or if he just grosses you out. I’ve had my fair share of dipping on dates early.”

You laughed, “Well, let’s hope it doesn’t go down like that.” 

Karen told you more about the files she dropped on your desk—most of them didn’t have to be put in until Monday, and instead you could use most of the day to read and learn them first. Foggy came out of his office, whooshing past you and Karen, and straight into Matt’s office.

Matt locked himself in his office all week, seemingly avoiding any small talk or conversations. He must’ve been busy with his cases—there were a lot more coming in this week—or so you thought. No, Matt’s mind was occupied with something else, something that’s been slowly eating at him since the Bar dinner last week. 

He sits in his office quietly, one earbud connected to his Orbit reader, the other trying not to eavesdrop on your conversation with Karen, but who was he kidding? He knows Zach has been reaching out to you the entire week, trying to invite you to his apartment for dinner… but something wasn’t right. Matt didn’t know what it was, but something didn’t feel right. 

So what did he do? What he does best—investigate that annoying, hard-to-ignore intuition. Earlier this week, he decided to pay a visit to Landman & Zack on his lunch break without telling anyone. Like clockwork, Zach’s been calling you right at 1:00 p.m. 

Matt was able to listen in from the third floor of Landman & Zack’s building, from the inside of a broom closet, all the way up to the 10th floor where Zach’s office was.

“Hello?” 

“Miss __,”

“Is this Zach?”

“It sure is,” he chuckled lightly over the phone. 

“How can I help you, Zach?” 

“Well, I—I haven’t stopped thinking of our meeting at the dinner last week. I was wondering if I could see you again.”

“You were, were you?”

“Yes,” Zach said, with a hint of impatience only Matt could hear. “I was.”

“Hmm.”

“I was serious about the LSAT help, but I was also thinking we could combine dinner with that, at my apartment uptown?”

“I’m not usually one to go to someone’s house on a first date.”

“None of that,” Zach shook his head. “I just want to help, that’s all. And treat you to dinner, of course.”

It wasn’t the way Matt could hear Zach tapping a pencil on his desk, or the way Matt knew the palms of his hands were sweaty that was off-putting, but it was the way Zach’s heart was beating when he spoke those last few lines to you—about wanting to help.

He was lying. 

And since that moment, Matt’s been contemplating what the right thing to do was. So, by locking himself in his office and avoiding your presence, he thought the answer would come to him—well, it was clear, but it was a matter of whether he should ignore it or not. He listens to you as you gush to Karen about your plans with Zach tonight. He doesn’t realize how tightly he’s clenching his jaw until Foggy walks into his office, seemingly picking up on what your plans are. 

“Hey man,” Foggy greets casually, “can we talk?” Matt leans forward on his desk as Foggy shuts his door. 

“What’s up?” Matt asks. 

“I didn’t want to ask to be weird, so I figured I’d come to you. Did—what happened at the Bar dinner last week? We sort of talked about it, but I don’t think I got the full scope,” Foggy explained, gesturing to you and Karen. 

Matt sighed and ran his hand over his cheek in annoyance. “We ran into an old colleague of ours,” Matt said with a forced smile, “Zachary Zack.”

“I gathered that, but—is—don’t tell me that asshole is coming onto her,” Foggy said. He runs his hand through his long blonde locks. “That guy got everything handed to him at that firm because of his father! And now, he thinks he can just cozy up to one of our employees and bribe her to leave us?”

“He’s not bribing her, Fog—he’s trying to win her over, see her—I don’t know,” Matt said exasperated. “You should’ve heard him at the party. He’s the same pompous asshole as he always was.”

“What, you mean like ask her out on a date?” Foggy asked with concern. “He asked her out, and that’s what she and Karen are talking about?” 

Matt nodded his head slowly. Hearing it said out loud caused Matt to feel an uncomfortable rush in his chest. He hands turned to fists as he took a deep breath. 

“He gave her his number at the party. I’m assuming she must’ve messaged him because he’s been calling her every day. Yesterday, he finally asked her to dinner at his apartment and to help her with the LSAT.” 

“Jesus…” Foggy sighed. “I mean, I don’t want to scare her or tell her what to do, but Zack was bad news back then. I wouldn’t want him to hurt her or take advantage—what’s his intention?”

“I don’t know,” Matt said cooly. “But I do know he lied to her about wanting to help.”

“Lied—how do you know?”

Matt sighed and took off his dark red glasses. 

“The other day, I took my lunch and decided to go to Landman & Zack, right before I knew he would call her. I…listened to their conversation and could hear Zach’s heartbeat. He was lying, Foggy,” Matt whispered. “I don’t like that.” 

“What should we do?” Foggy asked. 

“Not we,” Matt shook his head. “What am I going to do.” 

“God Matt,” Foggy shook his head, “you really think it could be that serious?” 

“I don’t know,” Matt answered. “Just to make sure she’s safe, I’ll follow her. That’s all. If he seems fine, then I’ll leave. Maybe his heartbeat was a product of nerves asking her.”

“Maybe,” Foggy said. “Well, be careful. And make sure she’s safe.”

Matt nodded as Foggy left the room. He sat there for a moment, thoughts swimming in his head—he thought of the last night you banished him from his life, as the man in the mask, as Daredevil, as your savior. He thought of the very first night he ever met you, the first night you shared on your rooftop. This wasn’t about his feelings for you anymore, or his heartache, or yours—it was about making sure you were safe. 

⠋⠁⠊⠞⠓

Entering the last case in the system, you nervously watched as the clock finally struck 5:00 p.m. Karen was gathering her bags and jacket and Foggy was almost halfway out the door. He stopped in Matt’s office for something and then wished you a good weekend, and to be safe. 

“You too, Fog,” you smiled. He looked at you with a soft expression before heading out. Karen walked by your desk to wish the same thing. 

“Let me know how it goes,” she said quietly. “Great job today, by the way.”

“Thank you,” you blushed. “Have a good weekend!” 

She said goodbye to Matt and shut the door quietly. You finished typing your last sentence before you began to pack your own things up. 

Zach said to come by his apartment anytime after work, so you weren’t going to put pressure on yourself to get ready in a rush. Though, you did want to get there at around eight o’clock. 

As you were about to head out, you noticed Matt was still sitting at his desk, hunched over a pile of papers, running his fingers over the braille. He was so concentrated, you weren’t sure if you should slip out or wish him a good weekend. He may have felt your presence, you weren’t sure, but he looked up behind his dark red glasses as you stood in the doorway. 

“Heading out?” Matt asked. 

“Yeah,” you nodded. “Just wanted to say goodbye and have a good weekend. Got any plans?” 

Matt chuckled a little as if to say, me, plans? 

“Not really,” Matt answered. “Think I’ll take this weekend to relax, maybe catch up on work.”

“You’re always working,” you smiled and spoke softly. “Why don’t you take a break and actually relax?” 

“I take a break, the cases pile up even more,” Matt said. “Do you have any plans?” 

“Not much going on. I am—I’m going to have dinner with that old colleague of yours, Zach?” You told Matt. “Took him up on his offer to help me with studying. He’s making dinner, too.”

“Hm,” Matt replied, “that’s good. A date?”

“I’m not sure,” you laughed nervously. Telling Matt these things treaded weird territory, but you felt comfortable enough to talk to him like this. You remembered that night outside of Josie’s when you confided in him about your savior. “What was he like? When you worked with him, I mean. How was he?”

Matt shifted in his seat. You wanted to say never mind, but then he started to speak. 

“He was… loud.”

“Don’t hold back now,” you smirked. 

“He was a little pretentious. I don’t know if you know, but his father is the elder Zack. I never worked that closely with him, but everyone knew who he was.”

“Hm,” you answered thoughtfully, “why did you and Foggy leave?”

“We didn’t agree with how they ran their firm,” Matt said. 

“Interesting,” you replied. “Well, I guess I’ll let you know if he’s still pretentious.”

“I’m sure not much has changed,” Matt laughed, “But I hope it goes well. I really, really do.”

With that, you smiled once more at Matt, before leaving him alone in his office. 

⠋⠁⠊⠞⠓ Uptown 8 PM 

Zach’s apartment was a little bit uptown, but not much. Just like you were stunned at the venue of the Bar dinner, your reaction to his apartment was no different. On the 12th floor, his apartment had a beautiful view of Manhattan, especially at night—the building lights twinkled as you looked out his giant living room windows. He had an open floor plan, so when you first walked in you basically saw almost all of his apartment. To the right was a kitchen with a white marble countertop, and to the left was a small dining room with the same countertop. In front was the large living room, and beautiful large windows. 

He was in his kitchen, keeping an eye on the linguine he was boiling. That and the shrimp in the pan smelled delicious. 

“Like the view?” He called from the kitchen. Separating you was his large living space, with a tan suede moon crescent-shaped couch. The ceiling had a diamond chandelier and a glass coffee table. You were happy you opted to wear a white silk shirt and matching skirt. For some reason, you had a feeling his apartment would be minimalistic and classy. 

“I do,” you answered, “but nothing I haven’t seen before.” 

He laughed as he stirred the pasta. “Guess the view of the city all depends on where you stand. Wait til I show you my library.” You looked at him—he wore a white button-down shirt and khakis. His blonde hair looked more warm in the lighting. 

“The library,” you repeated. “Where all your law books are?”

“And even more,” he smiled brightly—his chiseled smile caused goosebumps to form on your arms. “Do you want some chardonnay?” 

“Please,” you accepted his offer. He turned the stove on medium heat before grabbing a brand new bottle from his separate wine cellar. Bringing out two large wine glasses, you watched as he poured you the cold, golden liquid. 

“Say when,” he said, catching your eyes. Your heart leaped. 

“When,” you smiled. 

Zach raised his glass—you mirrored him as the wine glasses clinked. He held your gaze for a moment before you both took a sip of wine. It tasted sweet. You blushed and looked away. 

Suddenly, the pot on the stove overflowed. Zach immediately turned the stove down and took the lid off the pot, scratching the back of his head. 

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly, “I’m not much of a chef. Why don’t I show you the library now?” 

You laughed, sort of caught off guard by how he seemed unsure of himself. Taking another sip of wine, you nodded your head. 

He walked you down a narrow hallway in his apartment. At the end of the hall was a glass door, away from the view of the city. When Zach pressed a light switch on the wall, the room lit up a soft glow and your reaction was similar to the first time you saw the giant blue whale hanging in the middle of the Museum of Natural History. You were in awe.

“The rest of the collection is at my dad’s,” Zach laughed as he watched you gape in the room. Against each wall were bookshelves lined with the most beautiful leather-bound books. Between blank spaces were the scales of justice, or a mini statue of lady justice. At the front of the room was a long mahogany desk with two lamps on either side and a quill and ink bottle for style. You gravitated towards it, running your fingers over the smooth wood. 

“Where are the LSAT books? Could we take a look?”

“When dinner’s over and we have some more drinks in us,” Zach smiled. Part of your heart fell from disappointment, but it made sense to not rush into what you came here for. Plus, you were really hungry. And this wine was delicious. 

By the time you made it back to the kitchen, you finished your wine. You took a seat in a golden chair at the marble table and looked at this side of the room. There was a long mirror against the wall and some house plants in each corner. Zach wasn’t much for decorating, you could tell. 

With his back to you in the kitchen, Zach poured you another glass of chardonnay. He brought you your glass before he went back and prepared two plates of shrimp linguine. You drank from the wine glass and started to feel that familiar buzz wine gave you. 

“Dinner’s served,” Zach smiled as he sat in the seat next to you. It smelled delicious—you wasted no time twisting your fork in the pasta and taking your first bite with a small piece of shrimp. 

“This is amazing,” you breathed, “wow.” 

“Thank you,” Zach nodded, “it's a recipe from my grandmother. It goes perfectly with the chardonnay.”

“It really does,” you said, taking another sip of the wine. “I’m actually not much of a wine drinker, but I do enjoy it occasionally with dinner.”

“I love it,” Zach smiled. 

“So, I have a question,” you began. “What was it like working with my bosses?”

“Nelson and Murdock?” Zach questioned, “I didn’t work with them that closely. They weren’t even there that long. To be honest, they seemed a little too soft for this field.”

“Woah,” you said in defense, “these are my bosses you’re talking about—be careful, Zack,” you squinted your eyes playfully. Zach shrugged his shoulders, seemingly serious about what he was saying. 

“Being a lawyer isn’t all about justice. I learned that the hard way,” Zach said, “it’s more than just lady justice and good vs. evil. It’s a business. You’ll learn that in law school.”

You didn’t agree with what he said. The whole point of the justice system was to serve justice—it’s not all business and it’s not all money. 

“Maybe it’s business for Landman & Zack, but not for Nelson & Murdock,” you gently argued. 

“That’s why our building is on Fifth Ave and yours is off a corner in the Kitchen,” he said rather smugly. Not wanting to push the matter further—clearly, there was some weird tension between Zach and your bosses--you smiled and took another bite of linguine. 

After your next sip of wine, you placed the glass next to your plate, and there was something unsettling about the way the liquid splashed on the glass. You watched curiously as if in slow motion, as the cold wine splashed outside the wine glass and on the back of your hand. You felt an inclination to react, but you sat there, staring in confusion. 

“You okay?” You heard Zach’s voice, which strangely sounded muffled. Were you drunk already, after only one and a half glasses in? You knew wine could have this effect on you—your wine drunk was different from your tequila drunk—but why were you such a lightweight tonight? 

“Yeah,” you said or tried to say—your voice felt like it was a thousand miles away from you, and you were still staring at the glass and your hand covered in the sweet, sticky liquid. Did you even hear your voice? Were you going deaf? Where did this loud ringing sound come from? 

You watched as Zach dabbed your hand with a napkin. You flinched at his touch and tried to bring your hand close to you, but it felt like it weighed a ton. You couldn’t move it. It was like when your arm fell asleep from sleeping on it wrong—not even a pinch you could feel. Your eyes fell to your shrimp linguine, which suddenly was nauseating to look at, even smell. The linguine noodles looked like a bowl of just yellow, with a few orange dots that tried to be shrimp. You shut your eyes, blinked really hard, and opened them to feel even more dizzy. 

“Something’s not right,” you said weakly, so softly you weren’t even sure Zach heard you. Your tongue felt thick. Your heart started to pound, no, hammer in your chest—not a rapid beat from adrenaline, but an agonizingly slow and steady beat—you could hear it in your ears, your pulse, like a hammer was hitting your chest from the inside, telling you that something wasn’t right. An impending feeling of fear washed over you like an ice-cold wave, but at the same time, everything started to feel too hot. 

“Let’s lay you down,” Zach’s muffled voice said. You tried to get up from the seat but even that was too difficult. You could barely hold onto the armchairs. Zach expertly got up and pulled your seat out, lifting you from behind. You stood on your feet but nearly fell over the table. Your glass of wine spilled across the table, the glass shattering into pieces. “Let’s lay you down,” he says again.

“I don’t feel good,” you slurred. It was the strangest thing you’ve ever felt, a mix of terror and confusion. You were still wondering how you ended up so drunk, and why you suddenly felt a strong urge to go home. You could barely walk, let alone stand. Zach was practically dragging you to the long, suede couch. And you’re not sure if you tripped, but you flung onto the couch and landed on your side, feeling your whole body weigh you down like you were made of sand bags. Your heart was still hammering slowly in your chest, and you felt like you were sinking. Sinking into doom, into fear, into an abyss you couldn’t crawl out of. Sinking in a dream you couldn’t wake up from. 

The only way you could describe it was like being in the middle of a terrible, terrible nightmare—the worst you could think of—and just as things were about to get terrifying, just as whatever dream-maker had control over your dreams was going to commence the final act of doom, you think you will wake up to sweet relief and reality—except, the nightmare keeps going, and this is your reality. Tunnel vision now. You can barely see. 

“You said you wanted to lay down,” Zach appeared over your head now, his once-blue eyes now beady as he looked down at you. His fingers felt meaty as they forced you to look up at him. You furrowed your brows—I wanted to lay down? I asked?—you tried to wipe your hair out of your face but an unpleasant grip took your wrist and threw it above your head. You felt heavy, numb, powerless. 

“Shh,” Zach cooed in a sing-song voice, “it’s okay, you wanted this. Remember?” He’s leaning over you now, and you’re watching as he begins to unbutton your white shirt. 

You don’t remember. You don’t remember how you ended up on the couch, and his voice made you turn your face and push into the soft velvet cushion, away from him, an attempt to escape. An attempt to have any kind of control. To hide. 

And then suddenly, his body weight on top of you was gone, like an intense pressure on your chest immediately disappearing. 

You looked at the soft, suede, tan-colored couch. The sort of color that reminds you of old peeling wallpaper in a doctor’s office; uninviting, ugly, yellow and dry. Before, the color of this couch was ordinary—but with your cheek pressed against it and you lying on your side, you see the color for what it is. Boring, ugly, and something you absolutely hate to look at. And you want to hold onto anything familiar in your mind—a familiar feeling, a familiar image, but you can’t. You’re breathing heavily, and your eyes feel like they weigh a ton. You struggle to keep them open but now the room looks like it's spinning from the way you lie—like a washing machine. You see a figure in black moving around before black is simply all you see. 

Hell’s Kitchen 12 AM 

The first thing you wake up to is your uncontrollable shaking. It reminds you of a time when you were in middle school and you came down with the flu. You remembered being wrapped in a hoodie and sweatpants and socks, under thick blankets, and shivering like you were out in the cold. Your mom brought you chicken soup and your dad put on your favorite cartoon. There was a huge difference between then and now. You were shivering, but there wasn’t that familiar feeling of home. Only panic.

Your eyes shoot open and it takes you a moment to realize you’re not in a room you recognize—your eyes first land on dojo-type sliding doors, a soft glow coming behind them. You look around a little more, and there’s not much in the room except for a wooden armoire tucked in the corner and tiny windows in the front. Bright, neon lights shine through them before they disappear again. You shut your eyes once more. It’s then you realize you have an IV in your arm. A strange, tight pinch in the middle of your arm, on your most delicate skin. 

You shoot up in bed, shaking, and your head pounding. The bed you were in must be king-size, covered in dark silk sheets. Black or dark blue, you couldn’t tell. You’ve never slept in silk sheets before. At the edge of the bed are more folded blankets, and you immediately grab them, desperate for some more warmth. Throwing them over yourself, you immediately lay back down, cautious of the IV in your arm. Your teeth started to clatter. 

You’ve been wanting to avoid the only answer that brought you here. You didn’t even want to say his name, think of him, or that God-awful voice he used… 

Tears welled in your eyes—you can’t remember much other than that. You don’t remember how it happened, all you know now was you were in bed, with an IV in your arm. Tears streamed down your face, and the familiar hammering heartbeat started in your chest again. It wasn’t from terror, but sadness. You felt so incredibly sad, and you didn’t know why. Your whole body felt weak and cold. Your chest felt heavy. 

You jumped when you saw the dojo doors slide open slightly. Wiping your tears and holding your breath, you looked around nervously for a weapon to use against whoever stood behind the doors. 

You felt immense relief and confusion when you saw your savior step into the room—his room, you concluded. It had been months since you’d seen him, the lightness that filled your chest was telling you—that you missed him, so much. But what strange circumstances were you in now? 

“M-Mike?” God, even your voice was quivering and hard to mask. “What—you brought me here?” 

He was silent in his movements, his face half covered and in his usual black outfit. You were relieved it was him but confused all the same. Did he know where you were? How? Did he save you? 

Of course, he did. 

“Yes,” he said, slowly walking over to you. You flinched, for some reason, like second nature as he got closer. He stopped in his movements and held up his hands. “It’s me. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“I know,” you said in a shaky voice, pulling your knees to your chest. “I don’t know why I flinched.“

“It’s okay,” he said softly. “Can I sit next to you?”

“Yeah,” you answered weakly, more like a desperate plea. “Yes.” 

“Okay,” he nodded, and you scooted over a little to give him room. The bed dipped when he sat down. You stayed in your fetal position, shaking. You wanted to reach up and touch him, but you were all too weak. “How do you feel?” He asked, even though he knew the answer was obvious. 

“I can’t stop shaking like I have a fever,” you said. “My head is pounding. My throat is dry.”

“You do have a fever, but the IV is helping bring it down,” your savior explained softly. 

“Did you hook me up to it?”

He shook his head. “No. A friend did.” 

“Mike,” you whispered, “what happened to me?” Your voice cracked at your question, and your savior’s throat bobbed, like this was hard for him, too.

“Nothing happened to you,” he said softly. “I didn’t let him.” 

“Did he… I felt like everything was fine and then suddenly I couldn’t walk. Did he slip my drink something?” 

Your savior didn’t speak, he only nodded. “You’re experiencing the side effects now. It’ll be in your system for 12 hours, but the IV is flushing it out.”

“Oh my, God,” you cried, “oh my, God,” you cried into his silk pillow, feeling something tighten in your chest. You felt his warm hand on your shoulder, caressing your skin. You sobbed, hiccuping cries, and your savior stayed there, holding your arm. 

“__,” he said your name after your cries softened. “You’re with me.” 

You opened your eyes and wiped your tears, looking at your savior. Slowly drawing his hand away from you, he reached behind the back of his head and pulled his black mask loose. With his head down, he slowly drew it back and off his face, and you swore you couldn’t tell if you believed who you saw or if the drug's side effects were still in your system because you were looking at Matt Murdock right in his hazel-brown eyes.

_____

TAGS:

@starry-night-20 @sumsytee @queerqueenlynn @mattmurdocksstarlight @marvelcinematiquniverse @hailey-murdock (please let me know if I missed you!)

[geminiagentgreen]

1 Corinthians 7: Concerning Married Life

Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

[bludpudding]

Can you make list of comics where the Corinthian appears?

anon I have heard your call. my people need me.

A List of (Pretty Much) Every Corinthian Comic:

This will include only the issue numbers of comics he’s prominent in, so this is by no means a list of every single time he’s been on the page of a dc comic. If you want a list/pictures of the mini cameos let me know I am absolutely filled with corinthian autism

the original Sandman/core comics (1981): 10, 11, 12, 14, 44, 57, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69

The Dreaming (1996): 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 42, 43, 52, 53, 54, 59, 60

Side note: see now i have my complaints about this spinoff but that’s a completely different conversation. If there’s one message i will die by it’s that Souvenirs (issues 17-19) is a MASTERWORK but everything else is SHIT so i wouldn’t bother unless you’re ready for a good ol’ "what the fuck"

The Sandman Presents: The Corinthian (aka Death in Venice) (2001): 1, 2, 3

The Sandman: Overture (2013): 1

House of Whispers (2018): 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 18, 19

Locke and Key/The Sandman: Hell and Gone (2020): 1, 2

Nightmare Country (2023): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Nightmare Country: The Glass House (2023): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

if i missed anything please for the love of god tell me i am so starved for content of my creature

[artsymumof5]

A LETTER FROM YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER! The following words come from the heart of God. After all God loves you, and He is the Father you have been looking for all your life. This is His Love Letter to you! My Dear Child, You may not know me, but I know everything about you. (Ps 139:1) I know when you sit down and when you rise up. (Psalm 139:2) I am familiar with all your ways. (Psalm 139:3) Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. (Matthew 10:29-30) For you were made in my image. (Genesis 1:27) In me, you live and move and have your being. For you are my offspring. (Acts 17:28) I knew you even before you were conceived. (Jeremiah 1:4-5) I chose you when I planned the creation. (Ephesians 1:11-12) You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. (Psalm 139:15-16) I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. (Acts 17:26) You are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14) I knit you together in your mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13) And brought you forth on the day you were born. (Psalm 71:6) I have been misrepresented by those who don’t know me. (John 8:41-44) I am not distant and angry but am the complete expression of love. (I John 4:16) And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. (I John 3:1) Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. (I John 3:7) I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. (Matthew 7:11) For I am the perfect Father. (Matthew 5:48) Every good gift you receive comes from my hand. (James 1:17) For I am your provider and I meet your needs. (Matthew 6:31-33) My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) Because I love you with an everlasting love. (Jeremiah 31:3) My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. (Psalm 139:17-18) And I rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17) I will never stop doing good to you. (Jeremiah 32:40) For you are my treasured possession. (Exodus 19:5) I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. (Jeremiah 32:41) And I want to show you great and marvelous things. (Jeremiah 33:3) For if you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. (Deuteronomy 4:29) So, Delight in me, and I will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4) For it is I who gave you those desires. (Philippians 2:13) I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. (Ephesians 3:20) For I am your greatest encourager. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17) I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. (Psalm 34:18) As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. (Isaiah 40:11) One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. And I will take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4) I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. (John 17:23) For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. (John 17:26) And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. (2 Corinthians 5;18-19) His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. (I John 4:10) I gave up everything I loved so that I might gain your love. (Romans 8:31-32) If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. (I John 2:23) And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. (Romans 8:38-29) When it’s time for you to Come home I’ll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. (Luke 15:7) I have always been your Father, and will always be your Father. (Ephesians 3:14-15) My question is….Will you be my child? (John 1:12-13) I am waiting for you. (Luke 15:11-32) With Love, Your Father, Almighty God

[awideplace]

Question: “What does it mean to surrender to God?” Answer: This world is a battleground. Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:17-19), the world God created has been in conflict with Him (Romans 8:20-22). Satan is called the "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4), and due to Adam’s sin, we are born on his team (Romans 5:12). John Bunyan pictured this conflict in his allegory The Holy War. Prince Emmanuel besieges the city of Mansoul to wrest it from the power of Diabolus. Unfortunately, the citizens of Mansoul are blindly committed to Diabolus and fight against Emmanuel, to their own detriment.

When we reach the age when we can make moral choices, we must choose whether to follow our own sinful inclinations or to seek God (see Joshua 24:15). God promises that when we seek Him with all our hearts, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). When we find Him, we have a choice to make: do we continue following our own inclinations, or do we surrender to His will?

Surrender is a battle term. It implies giving up all rights to the conqueror. When an opposing army surrenders, they lay down their arms, and the winners take control from then on. Surrendering to God works the same way. God has a plan for our lives, and surrendering to Him means we set aside our own plans and eagerly seek His. The good news is that God’s plan for us is always in our best interest (Jeremiah 29:11), unlike our own plans that often lead to destruction (Proverbs 14:12). Our Lord is a wise and beneficent victor; He conquers us to bless us.

There are different levels of surrender, all of which affect our relationship with God. Initial surrender to the drawing of the Holy Spirit leads to salvation (John 6:44; Acts 2:21). When we let go of our own attempts to earn God’s favor and rely upon the finished work of Jesus Christ on our behalf, we become a child of God (John 1:12; 2 Corinthians 5:21). But there are times of greater surrender during a Christian’s life that bring deeper intimacy with God and greater power in service. The more areas of our lives we surrender to Him, the more room there is for the filling of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we exhibit traits of His character (Galatians 5:22). The more we surrender to God, the more our old self-worshiping nature is replaced with one that resembles Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Romans 6:13 says that God demands that we surrender the totality of our selves; He wants the whole, not a part: “Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.” Jesus said that His followers must deny themselves (Mark 8:34)—another call to surrender.

The goal of the Christian life can be summed up by Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Such a life of surrender is pleasing to God, results in the greatest human fulfillment, and will reap ultimate rewards in heaven (Luke 6:22-23).

Source: Got Questions

[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.

[walkswithmyfather]

“The Armor of God” Sermon by In Touch Ministries:

“Learn the importance of being prepared to stand against the enemy.”

“Every command God gives us in His Word is given for our protection and our good. Dr. Stanley explains the importance of being prepared to stand against the enemy by putting on the full armor of God.

Sermon Outline: Believers need not feel daunted by the enemy, because God has provided everything we need to triumph over him. In this week’s sermon, Dr. Stanley explores how the Lord equips us for victory in every spiritual battle.

Ephesians 6:10-18 (ERV). [10] “To end my letter I tell you, be strong in the Lord and in his great power. [11] Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks. [12] Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. [13] That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing. [14] So stand strong with the belt of truth tied around your waist, and on your chest wear the protection of right living. [15] On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong. [16] And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows that come from the Evil One. [17] Accept God’s salvation as your helmet. And take the sword of the Spirit—that sword is the teaching of God. [18] Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people.”

God is always looking out for our best interests. He gave clear instructions in His Word about how to handle conflict with satanic forces.

“We have to deal with spiritual warfare every single day when our feet hit the pavement.”

There are many components to the armor of God, including the:

1. Belt of truth (Ephesians 6:14).

• Truth is essential for victory in the life of the believer. Without it, we can become fearful and doubt God’s promises.

• It’s essential that we know what the Bible says about our spiritual position, our relationship to God, and our power in Christ.

2. Breastplate of righteousness (v. 14).

• This refers not to our righteousness from Christ but to practical righteousness—living out the truth daily through right action, right thinking, and right relationships.

• A breastplate covers the heart, the symbolic seat of our emotions. We’re not to live on the basis of feelings.

3. Shoes of the gospel of peace (v. 15).

• As God’s children, we are always to stand on the firm foundation—that is, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

• When we know what we believe, we’re stable and ready to move against the enemy.

4. Shield of faith (v. 16).

• Our faith should be “large”—meaning it covers every aspect of our person and life.

• We strengthen it by reading God’s Word, watching what the Lord does, and keeping a diary to record His faithfulness.

5. Helmet of salvation (v. 17).

• A helmet covers the brain and therefore the mind. This protects us from doubting our salvation.

• Before leaving the house, we should pray that God would protect our thoughts and help us bring every one captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

6. Sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word (v. 17).

• God’s Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12).

• We must know how Scripture works and trust that it’s necessary every day and adequate for every circumstance.

“I challenge you: By faith, before you get out of bed, put God’s armor on piece by piece, and see what He does in your life.”

Prayer is essential to securing the victory (Ephesians 6:18). So each morning, verbally dress in the armor of God, using these words:

“I'm putting on the belt of truth; I’ll walk in the truth I know today.

I’m putting on the breastplate of righteousness to protect my emotions. I’m putting on the sandals of peace, to stand firm in the gospel by which I’ve been saved and which I’m willing to defend. I’m taking the shield of faith today to ward off all Satan’s fiery darts of temptation.

I’m putting on the helmet of salvation right now. God, protect my thinking all day long.

I’m wielding the sword of the Spirit—Your Word—as a weapon both defensive and offensive. May I help to bring somebody out of enslavement and to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ today. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

[scribeforchrist-blog]

Everlasting to Everlasting

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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+ Proverbs 16:7 When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

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VERSE OF THE DAY

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+ 1 Chronicles 29:15   For we are aliens and temporary residents in your presence as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow without hope.

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

I AM POWERFUL

I AM FOCUSED ON GOD

I AM NOT FEARFUL

I AM BEAUTIFUL

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READ TIME: 7 Minutes & 11 Seconds

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THOUGHTS:

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  This verse was something the Holy Spirit showed me . Lately, he has been urging me to read 1 Samuel – 2 Chronicles, and if you have time, go through those books and read it honestly once a year. He has me read through those books, and as I read, I always get something different than I did the previous year; I can say that about everything in the Bible, in different seasons of your life, different verses will mean and be interrupted differently because as we grow and learn most scriptures changes, its meaning or we gain something different

   Many times, I can read something this week, and then two months later, I get something different because God wants us to understand and be able to apply the word to our lives. After all, this isn’t our home, and what we go through here isn’t going to last forever, nor will we be here forever. Many people don’t believe that, and I can say I do believe this because the word tells us in so many verses we are but a mist, and this isn’t our home, and as we grow, the Holy Spirit helps us to realize that the world isn’t our home and the things here aren’t for us.

  • 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

•James 4:14 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.

•1 John 5:19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

•Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

  See, these verses are telling us the same thing the Holy Spirit just said: we aren’t from here; our citizenship is in heaven; we can think our life here will last forever, it won't our lives are just a vapor it will vanish; we can’t put all our eggs into one basket, we will learn that the things here won't last and it's not meant for us but God is not saying to not enjoy our life but don’t make life here your final stay a lot of people want to rush their life along, but each moment we need to see as a blessing .

   We all have a purpose and a journey; my purpose and journey won’t look like yours and vice versa, but we must respect one another and know that whatever God has spoken over our life is how our life will be when we follow him. Everything he has for us is proper, and everything he has for us will align according to his riches and glory. The things here only can make us as happy ,but it won't give us joy , but what will last is the joy of God it can and will give us; not every day will be great, but when the bad days come, he will be right there with us.

   Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

  I know living in this world has some cruel moments and then it has the greatest moments, and we can’t help but love and hate it BUT WE MUST ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR EVERY DAY as we know it THE WORLD WE LIVE IN won’t be here forever; we have to decide who we will serve the world or God, the word of God will always be something we need and need to replenish us, we can drink all the water in the world and take every vitamin we can but when we do this it still won’t help us stay on this earth forever.

Isaiah 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth below; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and its people will die like gnats. But My salvation will last forever, and My righteousness will never fail.”

   We won’t ever be able to stay here forever, but what will replenish us and help us live forever is trust in the power of the almighty God and believing that when we die, we are going to a place that doesn’t have pain, we won’t be crying anymore, and the streets are paved with gold! And there’s no need for light because the glory of God will be that bright to us, who wouldn’t want to live there, here on earth, there’s pain, there’s misery, there loneliness, all these factors, remember to place your trust in God, and in God alone

  ***Today, we learned that we won’t be here forever and that this isn’t our home; our home is in heaven, and the world won’t last forever. God wants us to realize that his word is what keeps us fed spiritually; we will starve spiritually if we aren’t careful. We must understand we weren’t meant to be on this earth forever, and while we are here, we are on an assignment; my assignment isn’t going to look like yours nor work like yours, but we all have the same mission to save a soul! To save a life! To walk in his way!

  Life may have it’s an up-and-down in this journey, and it might feel like the things here are important, but it isn’t, having money only lasts for a little while, just like the other things here on earth everything is meaningless, and the quicker we realize this, the quicker we will hold on to God unchanging hand . ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

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Heavenly Father, we thank you for today. We thank you for being with us and showing us your ways. Lord, help us to replenish with you, Father; we realize the things here don’t last forever, but we know your love does. Forgive us if we have done anything wrong; forgive us if we offended the Holy Spirit. Lord, we love you and thank you for everything. Lord, continue to help us through our day. Help us to be strong in you and not to lean on the things here, lord; we also realize our life is nothing but a vapor; help us to hold on to you; in Jesus' Name, Amen

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REFERENCES

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+ 1 Peter 2:24 He bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed.

 

+ 3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

 

+ Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

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FURTHER READINGS

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Proverbs 16

Leviticus 16

Exodus 21

SOS 21

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