#Isaiah 51:1

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Morning and Evening

by Charles Spurgeon

Eventide, June 1st, 2023

He will make her wilderness like Eden. - Isaiah 51:3

Methinks, I see in vision a howling wilderness, a great and terrible desert, like to the Sahara. I perceive nothing in it to relieve the eye, all around I am wearied with a vision of hot and arid sand, strewn with ten thousand bleaching skeletons of wretched men who have expired in anguish, having lost their way in the pitiless waste. What an appalling sight! How horrible! a sea of sand without a bound, and without an oasis, a cheerless graveyard for a race forlorn! But behold and wonder! Upon a sudden, upspringing from the scorching sand I see a plant of renown; and as it grows it buds, the bud expands--it is a rose, and at its side a lily bows its modest head; and, miracle of miracles! as the fragrance of those flowers is diffused the wilderness is transformed into a fruitful field, and all around it blossoms exceedingly, the glory of Lebanon is given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon. Call it not Sahara, call it Paradise. Speak not of it any longer as the valley of deathshade, for where the skeletons lay bleaching in the sun, behold a resurrection is proclaimed, and up spring the dead, a mighty army, full of life immortal. Jesus is that plant of renown, and his presence makes all things new. Nor is the wonder less in each individual's salvation. Yonder I behold you, dear reader, cast out, an infant, unswathed, unwashed, defiled with your own blood, left to be food for beasts of prey. But lo, a jewel has been thrown into your bosom by a divine hand, and for its sake you have been pitied and tended by divine providence, you are washed and cleansed from your defilement, you are adopted into heaven's family, the fair seal of love is upon your forehead, and the ring of faithfulness is on your hand--you are now a prince unto God, though once an orphan, cast away. O prize exceedingly the matchless power and grace which changes deserts into gardens, and makes the barren heart to sing for joy.

[graceandpeacejoanne]

Revelation 21: Template of Eternity

Many see John’s vision as a literal dissolving away of creation as we now know it and the creation of a new universe that is yet to be. #Revelation21 #AlphaandOmega #NewHeavens #NewEarth

John begins his oracle with the same sweeping away of creation he announced previously. Compare the two entries: “Then I saw a throne, immense, white, and the one sitting upon it, from before the face of him flew the earth and the sky, and a place not discovered for them.” “… Then I saw a fresh new sky and a fresh new earth: for the first sky and the first earth went away, and the sea is no…

[doulafaith]

Christ's Breakthrough

“His Abide”  Reading  Reflecting Responding To God’s Word while Walking it Out Context: Matthew 27: 1-66 Focus:  Matthew 27:51-52 “At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split. The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.” Matthew 27: 51-52 Definition: Breakthrough – a military…

[minnesotafollower]

“The Benediction Never Ends” at Westminster Presbyterian Church

On September 17, 2023, Rev. Dr. Tim Hart-Andersen, Senior Pastor at Minneapolis’ Westminster Presbyterian Church, delivered the second of his last seven sermons, “The Benediction Never Ends at Westminster Presbyterian Church,” before he retires at the end of October. Here is the text of that sermon along with a summary of this Sunday’s worship service. Call to Confession and Prayer of…

[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

[lionofthegoldsun]

[Why do you want you be famous?]

Ask yourself this question: Why in heavens name do you want to be famous? Is it because you want to be popular? Is it because you want love and attention? Is it because you want to fit in and feel validated? Is it because you want to show the world how “special” you are? Is it because you want to tell the world: look at me, look at me, look what I can do! Or is it because you want to be idolized like a god?

Well, you are not a god. You are a human being that will wither like grass and disappear (Isaiah 51:12). As the years go by, you will be forgotten.

“For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”

-John -2:43

Look, the reality is your “greatest” accomplishments are insignificant as anthills in the shadow of God’s unfathomable creation.

My friend, all of this is nugatory because you are seeking attention for the wrong reasons. This is self-seeking behavior. It’s all about me, me, me, me.

Do know that all this can lead to pride, boasting, ostentation, narcissism, idolatry, an inflated ego and selfishness, which are all sins in God’s eyes.

There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

-Proverbs 6:16-20

Now, let me tell you this:

The world does not love or care about you. Worldly love is not real love. It’s false love, in fact. Because the moment you turn your back on the world, the world will turn against you.

And you wonder why your life is so miserable. You reap what you sow. (Galatians 6:7)

In the end, you can’t take your wealth or accomplishments with you when you die. Worldly possessions are perishable. But the things of heaven are not.

“For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.”

-1 John 2:16

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.”

-Matthew 6:19-20

When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too.

-Proverbs 11:7

<Other Verses>

“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”

-Matthew 16:26

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.”

-1 John 2:15

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

-Galatians 1:10

“You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.”

-James 4:4

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

-Matthew 4:8-10

[writing-whump]

Fic Masterlist 1-90

1. Sick and hurt Matthew, Isaiah and reluctant Seline help

2. Matthew defends Seline and gets sick

3. Matthew helping sick Isaiah

4. Matthew helping sick Isaiah p.2 (Isaiah's pov)

5. Matthew with stomach flu + caretaker Seline

6. Seline sick with Isaiah on the road

7. Seline sick p.2 + Isaiah and Matthew

8. Food poisoning Matthew + caretaker Isaiah

9. Isaiah poisoned at an event p.1 + Sonny and Matthew

10. Isaiah poisoned p.2 + Seline and Matthew as caretakers

11. Recovering Isaiah, panicked Matthew, moving in together idea

12. Sick Seline with a headache + Isaiah

13. Matthew mixing milk with bubbly drinks + Seline as caretaker

14. Matthew sick from roller coaster ride + Isaiah as caretaker

15. Isaiah stress sick during a movie night + Seline as caretaker

16. Hector with a broken leg + Isaiah reluctantly helps

17. Late night visit with bleeding hand Reuben + Isaiah angsting

18. Caleb sick from fear + Seline + Matthew

19. Seline crying + upset sick Matthew + Isaiah as caretaker

20. Hector sick from Seline's protective wards

21. Isaiah sick from a nightmare + Seline

22. Matthew sick from hiding an infected injury + Seline + worried Isaiah

23. Matthew with a stomach bug calls Isaiah to pick him up + awkward comfort Seline

24. Isaiah catches Matthew's bug + Seline + bellyrubs

25. Seline with a cold + Isaiah + fluff

26. Flashback: upset 18 years old Isaiah can't stop throwing up + crying + reluctant caretaker Sonny

27. Feverish Matthew + backstory reveal + Isaiah and Seline for comfort

28. Arnie with ear infection + Isaiah as caretaker + brotherly reunion

29. Isaiah + heart episode + sick at night + Matthew for help

30. Flashback fic: 17 years old Isaiah, abusive father, Reuben as prisoner

31. Drunk sick emotional Arnie + angry worried Hector

32. Emberassed in denial Isaiah sick from a gory movie + worried angry Matthew

33. Hector with food poisoning + guilty anxious Arnie + calling Isaiah for help

34. Hector recovering from food poisoning + emotional talk with Isaiah

35. Hurt Matt + Hector helps + brings him to Isaiah

36. Seline crying and stressing over trains + Matthew with a concussion for comfort

37. Isaiah comes home to find Seline and Matt huddled together in bed

38. Isaiah with a high fever and a nosebleed + calls Seline to come home to help

39. Hector with bruised ribs + Arnie sick with the flu hiding from he so he doesn't catch it

40. Part 2: Isaiah helping sick Arnie and hurt Hector

41. Seline with upset tummy + Isaiah gives her bellyrubs + fluff

42. Matt sick with heatstroke + Isaiah for comfort

43. Isaiah with heart episode at an event + meeting Matt's sister + Hector trying to help

44. Part 2: Isaiah with heart episode + Hector + Matthew argue

45. Burpy with little indigestion Isaiah + Seline fluff

46. Hector claustrophobic and motion sick on the subway + meeting Olive

47. Flashback: Seline and Isaiah first meeting + magic emeto

48. Hector and Arnie find out the truth about Isaiah + stress sick Hector + Arnie for comfort + angst

49. Feverish Seline cuddling with the boys

50. Stress sick Hector talks with Isaiah about the revelation

51. Arnie with a migraine at night from the revelation + Hector caretaker

52. Isaiah breaks down after the reveal + Matt and Seline for comfort

53. Hector invites Isaiah for breakfast with Arnie + emotional whump + crying + comfort

54. Seline argues with witches + gets attacked by their wolves + Isaiah for rescue

55. Cinema motion sick Matt + Seline + Isaiah

56. Hector gets sick + appendicitis + Arnie for comfort

57. Hector after appendicitis in pain + Isaiah + Arnie

58. Hector with appendicitis part 3

59. Isaiah overeats while visiting Seline's parents + Seline for comfort

60. Isaiah finds Matt coming down with something after the trip

61. Matt gets super sick and emotional during the night + Isaiah for comfort

62. Dylan meets Rip + sick from a hit to the stomach

63. Dylan with a cold + meets Isaiah + caretaker Seline

64. Sick Seline and Isaiah with Dylan's flu + Matthew caretaker

65. Hector + Arnie in a car accident

66. Arnie with stress migraine after the accident + Isaiah

67. Stress sick Isaiah angsting over the accident + Seline

68. Hurt Hector calls Isaiah for help in the middle of the night

69. Hurt Hector part 2: Isaiah, Matthew and Seline help

70. Seline emotional angsting + Isaiah mild food poisoning

71. Isaiah meets with Levi + Rip sick from nearly drowning + Dylan

72. Isaiah hurt hand + sick from pain + Matthew caretaker

73. Matthew with a brutal stomach bug + Isaiah

74. Isaiah violently sick with Arnie part 1

75. Isaiah super sick + Hector part 2

76. Isaiah sick part 3 + stress nauseous Hector + Arnie with a headache + Matt and Seline help out

77. Rip with a silver knife wound to his stomach + Dylan for help

78. Rip silver knife wound part 2: Dylan and Seline for comfort

79. Rip hurt part 3 + Dylan + Isaiah + Rip's backstory

80. Arnie with concussion + Hector and Isaiah angst/fluff

81. Matt sick from his shadow + Isaiah for comfort

82. Seline with period cramps at cinema with Isaiah + Hector and Arnie show up

83. Rip with a stress headache after a fight with Dylan + Isaiah

84. Matt passes out in the park + Hector + Olive

85. Matt fluff and comfort with Seline and Isaiah

86. Fluffy Isaiah and Seline date + slight overeating

87. Isaiah collapses from heart attack + Matt and Seline at the hospital

88. Waiting at the hospital Sel + Matt angst

89. Isaiah wakes up after the operation + nauseous Matt + Seline

90. Isaiah more coherent after surgery + super nausous + Matt

[childofchrist1983]

God loves and cares for us more than we will ever know. He rejoices with us in moments of happiness; His heart breaks with us in times of sorrow. He is present during good times and bad. Our lives are His treasure. He loves us when we are unlovable and forgives us when unforgivable. God is the same from beginning to end. He is consistent, reliable, and loves us unconditionally. He remains devoted to us all the days of our life. And as true and born -again Christians we thank Him for this and for His eternal presence and everlasting love. God is holy and almighty and deserving of all praise honor and glory. We rejoice in Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ, knowing He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 1:8). May our hearts always be filled with thanksgiving and rejoicing. May He help us to praise Him freely and honestly like all believers who came before us. May we live a life that showcases our love and trust in Him and His Holy Word and Spirit as He uses us draw others to Him and His soul-saving Gospel Truth daily. May He continue guide, correct and protect us, so that we continue to grow in Him and not weaken and stray. May we all remain faithful to Him and to this duty and purpose He has called us to. Seek and put your faith and trust in Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ and let Him do the rest. May He humble our hearts and help us focus on following and serving Him daily and helping others with joy and happiness. We lift our voices in praise to Him for His love, mercy, peace, faithfulness and grace. - For EVERYTHING!

It is vital that we remain rooted in Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ through prayer and His Holy Word and Spirit and that we live and walk as a beacon of His light and love and share and spread the Gospel Truth daily, so that the lost souls in this world can come to know Him and be saved. The more we focus on Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ, growing spiritually by building our relationship with Him, leaning on Him and His Holy Word and Spirit, the better off we will be. Thanks to this and our faith in Him, we know that everything will be alright. And we will forever be grateful to Him. As true and born-again Christians, we believe in Him and His Holy Word and we strive daily to walk in His Holy Spirit. We know though our mortal bodies should die, He will raise us up and into new and glorious bodies (The Rapture). We who are truly His and alive at His second coming will never die, and our bodies will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and so shall we ever be with Him in His Kingdom of Heaven forevermore (1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). This is one of many promises given to us by God Himself. Thank God for His strength and guidance when we are faced with sin and temptation. Thank Him for His mercy and grace. Through Bible study and prayer, God reveals His wisdom and guides us to see opportunities to grow closer to Him and grow spiritually. He gives us direction to live our lives daily according to His will.

Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to Heaven (John 3:5, 14:6), the ONLY way to salvation (Acts 4:12, Ephesians 2:8-9) and He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25-26). Jesus Christ the LORD of lords, KING of kings, the GOD of gods (Deuteronomy 10:17, 1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 17:14, Revelation 19:16) - He is the Living, Almighty and Everlasting God (Isaiah 9:6, Revelation 1:8, John 3:16, John 3:36, Jeremiah 10:10). There is no other God besides Him (Isaiah 45:5). We MUST humble ourselves before Him, turning our backs on false teachers, false gods and idols and our sinful ways. We MUST repent and turn back to God and recognize who He is and love Him in return for His great love for us. We MUST make God top priority everyday! May we be motivated to spread God's Holy Word and Gospel Truth to all the Earth, knowing that it is the only hope of all those lost in their sins. Let us not hold out a false hope for men to be saved without the Gospel, but instead, strive to do our part to get the Gospel out to a lost and dying world.

Leaning on Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ through prayer and His Holy Word and Spirit strengthens us and our knowledge and wisdom about God and His Gospel Truth, exposing these imposters. May God help us to seek and lean on Him daily to gain the strength, wisdom and spiritual discernment needed to expose Satan and his imposters who seek to destroy us and God's ultimate Truth. Everyday, we must remember to share Jesus Christ's Gospel Truth with the world and to thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for the grace that He poured out for us on the cross at Calvary. He has freed us from the burdens of sin and from the eternal damnation of Hell. In all we say and do, may all praise, honor and glory always be given to Him and His Kingdom of Heaven.

With renewed minds, hearts and wills, let us serve Him humbly and faithfully out of pure love and grateful rejoicing. May He remind us of His presence and to remain at peace, fully knowing that all will be well because He is always with us. Let us seek Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ today and everyday with all our heart and being, looking for His love, light and will for our lives with each step we take. Let us seek to please Him with our thoughts, words, and deeds and seek to advance His Kingdom of Heaven and His glory with our lives. Let us seek Him from a pure and humble heart, and when we so seek, we believe Him and His promise that we will find. May He help us all to be more sensitive to the teaching ministry of His Holy Word and Spirit, relying on Him and allowing Him to speak to us and guide us every step of our Christian journey.

God gave us the Holy Bible - His living and Holy Word - to let us know of Him and His abiding love and care as well as guide and prepare us for all our lives. May He help us encourage one another as we continue our walk with Him and our duty to Him daily. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for being present for all our new beginnings and all our lives. May He redirect any anxiety we feel as He provides countless opportunities for growth and change. May we humble ourselves before God always, asking Him to forgive our sins and make our hearts and lives anew through His Holy Word and Spirit. May He help us make Him and His Holy Word top priority, so we can grow spiritually and grow in our relationship with Him as we apply it to our daily lives. Thank God that we can focus on Him and everything about Him, for that is what keeps us sane and at peace. May our words and actions always be a reflection of Him and His Holy Word and Spirit and will.

May He help us to always walk in His grace and Holy Spirit, not by our own measure. May He give us the humble humility to know that our freedom and eternal salvation is found only in Him, so that His grace may sustain us, and we may never lose sight of His love and light and mercy. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for calling us to Him and to serve Him. May He equip us to do all that He has called us to do so that as He works through us, He may use us to produce fruit, to reach others, and to encourage all brothers and sisters in Christ. May He work all of these things in us and through us for His Kingdom and His glory. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for all His creation, for His miraculous ways and for everything He does and has done for us! Keep the faith and keep moving forward in your walk with Jesus! He loves us and He knows what is best for us. Seek, follow and trust in Him - Always!

Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Word and for sending His Holy Spirit so that we might have His grace, not only to awaken us and transform our hearts in our spiritual rebirth and guarantee our eternity with Him, but to also call upon Him whenever we are in need. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for all the reminders of His love and mercy and faithfulness within His Holy Word. He is bigger than any challenge or circumstance in our lives. Knowing this within our minds and our hearts, nothing can deter our faith in Him and His Truth. May we all accept Him and His eternal gift of salvation and ask that He would transform our hearts and lives according to His will and ways. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Spirit who saves, seals and leads us. May we always thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His almighty power and saving grace. For He is our strength, and He alone is able to save us, forgive our sins and gift us eternal salvation and entry into His Kingdom of Heaven.

May we make sure that we give our hearts and lives to God and take time to seek and praise Him and share His Truth with the world daily. May the LORD our God and Father in Heaven help us to stay diligent and obedient and help us to guard our hearts in Him and His Holy Word daily. May He help us to remain faithful and full of excitement to do our duty to Him and for His glorious return and our reunion in Heaven as well as all that awaits us there. May we never forget to thank the LORD our God and our Creator and Father in Heaven for all this and everything He does and has done for us! May we never forget who He is, nor forget who we are in Christ and that God is always with us! What a mighty God we serve! What a Savior this is! What a wonderful LORD, God, Savior and King we have in Jesus Christ! What a loving Father we have found in Almighty God! What a wonderful God we serve! His will be done!

Thanks and glory be to God! Blessed be the name of the LORD! Hallelujah and Amen!

[christianhomemaker]

Listen to me, you pursuers of justice,

you who seek Adonai:

consider the rock from which you were cut,

the quarry from which you were dug —

 consider Avraham your father

and Sarah, who gave birth to you;

in that I called him when he was only one person,

then blessed him and made him many.

Isaiah 51:1-2 (CJB)

[freebiblestudies]

The Three Angels Messages Lesson 02: No Sympathy for the Devil

Revelation 14:8 - And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”

The second angel’s message seems very complicated at first.  It definitely deals with a lot of symbols.  In order to understand this Bible verse, let’s take a closer look at the following keywords:

Babylon

Fallen

Wine

Wrath

Fornication

Let’s read together Genesis 9:7-17; Genesis 10:10; Genesis 11:1-4; Isaiah 14:13-14; and Daniel 1:2.

If we are to talk about Babylon, we need to also discuss Babel. Both kingdoms were founded in the land of Shinar.  Babel can be considered the archetype for all the worldly kingdoms that followed it.

The story of the Tower of Babel is one of the most famous stories in the Bible.  Have you ever considered the builders’ motivations for building the tower in the first place?

 The builders did not trust God’s promise to never destroy the world again with a flood.  They wanted to survive another flood on their own power. 

The builders also did not want to follow God’s command to be fruitful and multiply across the earth.  Rather, they wanted to build a tower whose “top is in the heavens”  and make a name for themselves.  The builders seem to be motivated by pride and perhaps to even take the worship of God for themselves.

Let’s read together Exodus 20:2-6; 1 Chronicles 9:1; Jeremiah 16:18; Jeremiah 50:38; and Daniel 3:1-7.

The story of Daniel’s three friends and the fiery furnace is another well-known Bible story.  Have you considered what was Nebuchadnezzar’s motivation for setting up the golden image in the first place?  He wanted everyone in his empire to acknowledge Babylon as supreme, even over any god his subjects might be worshiping.  If anyone refused to bow before Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol, they were to be killed by being tossed into a fiery furnace. 

Nebuchadnezzar had essentially set up a false religious system of worship enforced by civil authority.   This system forced people to choose between dying for their religious faith or to compromise that faith in order to live.

Let’s read together 2 Samuel 1:27; Isaiah 21:9; Jeremiah 51:8-9, 47; Daniel 5:25-30; and Revelation 18:2.

“Babylon is fallen, is fallen.”  God ultimately judged Babylon for its idolatry and persecution of God’s people.  Babylon was conquered by the Medo-Persians in 539 BC.

Let’s read together Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-35; 31:3-5; and Jeremiah 51:7.

Alcoholic wine in the Bible is always viewed in a negative light.  Alcoholic wine clouds and even perverts judgment.   Note that the Bible does talk about unfermented non-alcoholic wine more positively, but that is a Bible study for another time.

Let’s read Psalm 75:8; Jeremiah 23:15; and Hosea 4:11-12

Prophetically speaking, wine also represents God’s judgment against wickedness and  idolatry.  You definitely do not want to drink this wine!

Let’s read together Exodus 15:6-7; 32:9-12; Numbers 11:33; 16:46; Deuteronomy 9:7-8; 2 Kings 22:13-17; Ezra 5:12; Jeremiah 44:7-9; and Romans 1:18.

What is wrath?  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary offers two definitions that are relevant to our Bible study today.  Wrath can be defined as a “strong vengeful anger or indignation (anger aroused by something unjust, unworthy, or mean).”  Wrath can also be defined as “retributory punishment for an offense or a crime; divine punishment.”

God’s wrath is His response to sin.  In the Old Testament, God’s wrath consumed the Egyptian army chasing the children of Israel.  God’s wrath was also aroused when the children of Israel committed sins or fell into idolatry.  God’s wrath led to the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity.

Let’s read together Psalm 21:8-9; Zephaniah 1:1-18; Matthew 3:7; Luke 3:7; Romans 2:5; Ephesians 5:6; and Colossians 3:6.

God’s wrath is also associated with judgment.  God’s wrath will be poured in full on the unrighteous at Judgment Day.

Let’s read together Numbers 16:46; 2 Chronicles 12:6-9; 32:25-26; Psalms 78:32-39: 85:2-4; and 106:23.

Despite what many people believe, God does not want to pour His wrath on people.  In the Old Testament, Aaron and Moses both interceded on behalf of the children of Israel to avert God’s wrath.  God is willing to spare sinners from His wrath when they humble themselves before Him.  Whether it was the people of Israel or a king like Hezekiah, God was willing to grant mercy to all who came to Him earnestly and asked forgiveness of their sins.

Let’s read together Isaiah 53:4-6, 10; John 3:16, 36; Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; and 1 John 4:10.

God has done everything He could to shield us from His wrath.  God loves us so much that He gave His only son Jesus to die for our sins.  Jesus is our ultimate intercessor.  We only have to confess and repent of our sins and call upon Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Let’s read together Ezekiel 23:16-18; Hosea 4:11-12; Isaiah 23:17; and  John 8:41.

What is fornication?  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives the definition as “sexual intercourse between two persons who are not married to each other.” 

The Bible likened God’s people (the church) to a woman (Jeremiah 6:2).  Paul the Apostle described the church as the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33).  Therefore, spiritual fornication would be the church embracing someone or something other than Christ.  In the Old Testament times, the people of Israel strayed from God and worshiped various idols and other false gods.

Let’s read together Matthew 24:24; John 4:24; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-23; Revelation 17:1-6; and Revelation 18:3, 9.

The book of the Bible describes a harlot woman who represents a false worship of Christ. This church outwardly seems Christian, but in actuality, it does not follow Jesus in spirit and truth.  Many people will be deceived and fall into Babylon.

Let’s read together Deuteronomy 31:19 and Revelation 18:1-8.

What does the second angel’s message mean?

All false systems of worship will be judged.  Salvation by works, the idea you can make it to heaven on your own merits, cannot save you.  Salvation in sin, the idea that once you are saved, you are always saved, will lead you to be lost.  All these forms of worship will lead you to Babylon.

Even if you are worshiping at the “right” church the “right” way, you can have Babylon in your heart.  If you harbor pride in your heart or you esteem anything in the world more than God, then you are in spiritual Babylon.

If you find yourself in Babylon, what are you to do?  God wants you to leave Babylon right now!  Jesus is calling you to worship Him in spirit and in truth.  He does not want you to face God’s wrath.  Repent and turn to Christ your Savior!

Friend, will you share the second angel’s message with others?

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

A Golden Treasury for the Children of God

by Carl Heinrich von Bogatzky

Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean, wash me and I shall he whiter than snow. - Psalms 51:7

Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities; - Psalms 51:2

Though your sins, be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. - Isaiah 1:18

I have blotted out as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins. Return unto me, for I have redeemed thee. - Isaiah 44:22

We must not keep away from Christ on account of our stumblings and manifold faults, if we will not come under the law again; but by humbling ourselves directly, we are to crave pardon in his blood, By delaying this, our case will be worse. But the sooner it is done, the sooner we shall be forgiven. The Lord not imputing those sins to us, which are sincerely repented of, our soul returns to its rest again. And instead of falling into carnal security (as some may think) it will rather strengthen our faith and make us more confident. Hasten, therefore, and come as soon and as well as thou canst. He will receive thee, if thou couldst but creep.

O Lord, I fall before thy face My only refuge is thy grace; No bleeding beast, nor flood, nor sea Can wash the dismal stain away.

Jesus, my God, thy blood alone, Has power sufficient to atone: Thy blood can make me white as snow; No Jewish types could cleanse me so.

[graceandpeacejoanne]

Isaiah 25: When Tears Are Wiped Away

Jesus also spoke a number of times of a celebratory feast to be enjoyed with God. #MarriageoftheLamb #Isaiah25 #EveryTearWipedAway

The Lord’s Banquet On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples    a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,    of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. Isaiah 25:6 (NRSV) Isaiah foresaw a rich banquet spread for the people of God on God’s holy mountain, much like the feast Moses and the seventy elders attended, and reminiscent of the Lord’s…

[bijoumikhawal]

The Rebellion of the Waters

On the second day of Creation, God tore the upper waters from the arms of the lower waters amidst great weeping, and the upper waters were suspended in the heavens by word of God. On the third day, when God said, “Let the waters be gathered together” (Gen 1:9), the mountains and hills were raised up and scattered, and deep valleys were dug in the earth, into which the waters rolled. As soon as they had gathered together, the waters be-came rebellious, rising up almost to the Throne of Glory, and covered the face of the earth.But God rebuked the waters and said “Enough!” and subdued them beneath the soles of His feet. He trod down on them so that the air came out of them. When the rest of the waters saw how He had trampled the ocean, and heard its terrible cry, they fled. Even though they were seething, there was nowhere for them to go but to the sea. Therefore God surrounded the sea with sand, and measured it with the hollow of His hand, and made the sea swear that it would not go beyond the boundary He had set, as it is said, Who set the sand as a boundary to the sea (Jer. 5:22). Some say that God not only circled the sea with sand, but caused it to dry up, in accord with the verse He rebukes the sea and dries it up (Nah. 1:4).

This midrash draws a link between God’s separation of the upper and lower waters on the second day (see “The Upper Waters and the Lower Waters,” p. 104) and the gathering of the waters on the third, suggesting that the waters rebelled because of their anger at their recent separation. This midrash also comments on Psalm 93:3: The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods lift up their roaring. God’s quelling the rebellion of the waters clearly echoes the struggle between Marduk, the rain god of Babylon, and Tiamat, the personification of primeval waters in the Babylonian epic, Enuma Elish. This epic struggle (also found in other Near Eastern texts) is hinted at in the Genesis creation narrative, where tehom, the deep, echoes Tiamat. The parallels to the Babylonian myth can be seen in the following passage from Enuma Elish, from Near Eastern Mythology by John Gray, 1969, p. 32:

The Lord trod on the legs of Tiamat With his unsparing mace he crushed her skull. When the arteries of her blood he had severed, He split her like a shell-fish into two parts; Half of her he set up and sealed it as sky, Pulled down the bar and posted guards. He bade them not to allow her waters to escape.

Exodus Rabbah 15:22 makes clear that the ocean was not only trampled by God, but slain: “Then God trampled upon the ocean and slew it.” This text is sometimes intepreted to mean that God slew its prince, Rahab. The reference to the hollow of God’s hand comes from Isaiah 60:12. See the following myth, “The Rebellion of Rahab.”

In Likutei Moharan 1:2, Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav interprets God’s command of “Enough!” to stop the expansion of the world as referring to the creation of the Sabbath. The Sabbath, in effect, stops the work of the six days of the week.

The Rebellion of Rahab

When God desired to create the world, He said to Rahab, the angel of the sea: “Open your mouth and swallow all the waters of the world.” Rahab replied: “Master of the Universe, I already have enough.” God then kicked Rahab with His foot and killed him. And had not the waters covered him, no creature could have stood his foul odor.

The traditions about God slaying Rahab grows out of Isaiah 51:9, Are you not he who cut Rahab in pieces, and wounded the dragon? and Psalms 89:10, You have trampled upon Rahab; you have scattered your enemies with your strong arm. This midrash is also based on Job 26:12: By His power He stilled the sea; by His skill He struck down Rahab. This myth is another version of “The Rebellion of the Waters,” which describes the struggle between God and tehom, the deep, and thus also echoes the battle between Marduk and Tiamat in the Babylonian epic, Enuma Elish. However, Tiamat is a feminine figure, while Rahab is masculine.

In Enuma Elish Marduk uses Tiamat’s body to build a new world, using half to make the heavens and half to make the earth. He uses considerable violence in defeating Tiamat, as does God in defeating Rahab. Marduk crushes her skull with his club, splits her body in two, and scatters her blood in the wind. In the Hebrew myth, the waters are personified in Rahab, the Prince of the Sea, and instead of trampling the waters, God kicks and kills Rahab. There are hints in rabbinic writings that Rahab once had a great, godlike status. For example, it is stated in Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:28: “Rahab placed God in heaven and upon earth.” Although Rahab is killed in this myth, he reappears in later legends as the Prince of the Sea, and performs various deeds at the command of God or one of the rabbis. See, for example, Y. Sanhedrin 7:25d, where Rabbi Joshua ben Haninah calls upon Rahab to recover a lost charm, so that a spell can be broken.

Midrash Tanhuma tries to explain why God kicked Rahab, the angel of the ocean, who represents the ocean itself: “Why did God kill the angel? The rest of the waters, seeing that God kicked the ocean, and hearing its screams, fled without knowing where to flow, until they reached the place that God had prepared for them.” This violent act is thus explained as a way to force the recalcitrant waters to gather in the right places.See “The Rebellion of the Waters,” p. 105.

An alternate version of the Rahab myth found in the Prologue to the Zohar 56 explains that God’s tears, hot as fire, shed over the exile of the Shekhinah, fall into the Great Sea and sustain Rahab. And Rahab sanctifies God’s Name by swallowing all the waters of the days of Creation—the very act that Rahab refused to do in the other version of the myth, for which God killed him in anger. The moral of the two versions is clear: when Rahab refuses an order from God, he is slain; when he accepts the order, his life is sustained.

Pg 105-107, Tree of Souls by Howard Schwartz

[queen-esther]

Putting on anon because it's fairly personal; asking you because you're a fellow Orthodox Christian.

I've been struggling with a certain sin for years now, both back when I was an Evangelical and now. I sometimes feel like I'm damned - I can't give it up, so I'm going to Hell for sure. Baptism, Confession and so on - it's all meaningless because I can't give up my sin. Relatedly, I can't take any comfort in regular prayers, Bible reading and attending church - after all, piety is meaningless if not accompanied by a good life (Isaiah 1:11-17, Psalm 51:16-17, Matthew 23:23, etc.).

What do you suggest I do?

Have you spoken to your priest about this?

[orthodoxadventure]

Today we celebrate the memory of those things that contributed, if only once, to the Incarnation. He Who is God by nature, the Co-unoriginate and Coeternal Word and Son of the Transcendent Father, becomes the Son of Man, the Son of the Ever-Virgin. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8), immutable in His divinity and blameless in His humanity, He alone, as the Prophet Isaiah prophesied, “practiced no iniquity, nor deceit with His lips” (Is. 53: 9). He alone was not brought forth in iniquity, nor was He conceived in sin, in contrast to what the Prophet David says concerning himself and every other man (Ps. 50/51: 5). Even in what He assumes, He is perfectly pure and has no need to be cleansed Himself. But for our sake, He accepted purification, suffering, death and resurrection, that He might transmit them to us.

God is born of the spotless and Holy Virgin, or better to say, of the Most Pure and All-Holy Virgin. She is above every fleshly defilement, and even above every impure thought. Her conceiving resulted not from fleshly lust, but by the overshadowing of the Most Holy Spirit. Such desire being utterly alien to Her, it is through prayer and spiritual readiness that She declared to the angel: “Behold the handmaiden of the Lord; be it unto Me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38), and that She conceived and gave birth. So, in order to render the Virgin worthy of this sublime purpose, God marked this ever-virgin Daughter now praised by us, from before the ages, and from eternity, choosing Her from out of His elect.

-- Saint Gregory Palamas

[fantasyinvader]

I was thinking about something. There's a lot of symbolism around Rhea and the idea of purity/purification.

In the Bible, snow is symbolic of purity and cleanliness. "Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalms 51:7). "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). Winter is also tied to the concept of purification in Shinto belief.

Rhea is associated with snow through two of her attacks, hoarfrost and aurora breath. While we usually think about aurora as in the northern lights, the word itself means dawn which ties into how Houses uses light in association with Rhea. Rhea gets hurt, it's depicted as dusk whereas she dies in night. Her achieving some form of salvation in Silver Snow's ending happens at dawn, and in the case of her survival it would tie into the rebirth meaning of the lillies flying around in that final cutscene. In the Bible, the dawn is used to symbolize the start of a new age or the reign of a new king (Byleth becoming Fodlan's monarch post-Silver Snow) via Psalm 110:3. So even if Rhea dies in Silver Snow, it's the start of a new era for Fodlan.

The white lily also symbolizes purity alongside rebirth. But going back to the idea of cleanliness, Rhea's draconic title is The White One in Japanese, or the Immaculate One. Immaculate can mean clean and tidy, but it can also mean free from flaws or mistakes, or in a Christian view sinless. In Japan, white is considered the sacred color of the gods and represents physical or spiritual purity.

Now, silver also has a meaning. Silver is seen as a color representing protection, and can also be used to disinfect water in an emergency as it prevents the growth of bacteria. The Immaculate One is said to have been Fodlan's protector.

There's a lot of symbolism around Rhea and the idea of purity/purification.

Meanwhile Edelgard is associated with corruption (Devil arcana represented by Amyr's Crest Stone), demons (demonic beasts being war assets, her final form), darkness (her winning leads to the ending without sunlight), attraction (Safflower), and black is seen as an evil color in Japanese culture. Her path is both the path of thorns (scene where the BE's pledge themselves to Edelgard) as well as the path of the beast (Dimitri's battle dialogue against Byleth in Japan), meaning it's a sinful route in both a Christian and Buddhist sense. In the Bible, darkness symbolizes everything that is anti-god, which syncs with how the asuras, the inhabitants of Agartha in Buddhism, are sometimes translated as anti-gods in a Buddhist contexts.

The darkness of Flower's ending shows how in this war for Fodlan's soul, the Agarthans have ultimately won through Edelgard, their greatest creation.