#V; Unholy Crusade

[dick-meister]

Lying in his bed, for once in a very long time Adam had gotten such a nice sleep. The man was curled in his bedsheets, unknowing of what he had done just yet, how dangerous of a thing he had done and the gift he was given by the Creator himself. Though, with the sun flooding into the room, past the curtains and hitting his eyes, he began to stir and wake.

His eyes open slowly, gold hues hitting his room interior in almost surprise as memories were starting to set in. He could only hope that what he did stopped all this, but seeing as he was back… No, of course it didn’t. Father must have brought him back, that was the only conclusion as to why he was back in Heaven.

Adam couldn’t think too hard, all he knew was that he was incredibly tired and sore. He flops back into bed and sighs, looking at his ceiling.

“I guess five more minutes couldn’t hurt…”

[themosthatedbeingg]

{Oh Father, oh Father,

Oh Father,

My Father, —-well I am ready, won't you let it begin ;

cause I am here now •

I want to dance

in the mighty palm of your hand}

Your hand.

A star fallen is caught and saved by the father’s bloody and gentle palm, the heavens quiver as all is put to right .. all is as it should be.. a patch up,

Stitching the night sky ,

The dawn grows to see another day, the hands of the elder siblings keep the star in place its wild abandon subdued and its brightness shines anew ~

The star of new chances, the star that shines brightest before Dawn .

The light burning and cold and Glorious, burning away the darkness and those who dare to take it from its place in the sky .

The star of retribution, of redemption, of righteousness .

Father’s forgiveness and anger mixed into one ;

The prodigal son , the first dreamer, the wild warrior of his father’s domain.

The Morningstar appears .

——————

The portal opens in front of the Palace, Holy light spills forth, along with a heavy mist , like the fog in the morning, distorting the shadows as the being makes it entrance at first it looks many headed and winged a swirling of shadows in the fog that makes no sense , to stare at it too long would invite madness , before it condenses into one shape , one person steps out, the form is takes seems to be struggling to contain it all.

The son of the morning , Father’s favorite, youngest of the Archangel but all the more powerful just the same ,

Lucifer Haliel Morningstar stood before them looking down at the disgusting pit before him, He shook his head , yes his reality sadly got destroyed by his beloved and all knowing father but surely his being saved from this mess was better then falling ? { he made the right choice he knew he did}

No matter he was here to give out his father’s wrath and retribution , as a good Loyal ( subdued) Son should .

Golden eyes with cross pupils took in Lilith , all six wings quivering with the urge to take him into the air , his top hat halo glowing brightly against red sky , this should be easy enough perhaps Michale and Him could have a friendly wager on who killed the most heretics and disgusting sinners today .

Opening his mouth in a way that seemed he was Trying not to rip apart his very face with how carefully he moved he spoke— “I denounce you harlot , tempter , betrayer of farther’s most glorious plan and all your ways she-devil~” his voice it was polyphonic with a hint of Enochian, the opposite of the demonic hint in his fallen counterparts voice .

To think some cycle of him actually married this being let alone have children with her .. or well in this case , Had a child~ .

@hells-sirenqueen

[hells-sirenqueen]

[Continued - @themosthatedbeingg ]

"That vile creature dared to touch you, rip away your precious wings.." Lilith sat on her bed, with Lucifer in front of her after removing his armor and shirt off. His back was covered in blood, pieces of his now removed wings were still bleeding. She held a damp cloth with rubbing alcohol in hand as she cleaned off the mess.

The tips of her fingers trailed down his back, leaning forward to kiss the base of his neck.

"You should have called me sooner, darling. I would have spared you the suffering of losing your wings."

[originemesis]

There's a storm on the horizon of hellscape just north of the Manor Ars Goetia, brewing with periodic as they were belligerent blasts of what one could only assume to be heavy winds raging just outside the garden gates if viewed from the creature comforts of a study's shelter against the unholy crusade that raged beyond its rococo rendition of fortified walls. Metal bars rattled with the impatience of a prisoner waiting to be let free of their enclosure- to storm the palace and pluck the haughty out of the hunkered down as if they were truly safe behind a blind eye turned. It wouldn't remain turned for long, of course unless of course every window along the stretch of the manor's upper floors shattering simultaneously was a normal affair for its inhabitants. In a sonic boom of brandished bass that made thunder itself sound like a newborn's mewl, the mansion rattles in its bones.

"When the world has screwed you ~ and crushed you in its fist..." A disembodied musing on high within the electrized billows of black clouds serves as a temporary point of reason without an otherwise unreasonable force of nature. One that wastes little time with the pleasantries of knocking to ask if the heathens within knew their Lord and Savior. No, there were other practical ways in flushing out a chicken coop, and it didn't involve playing petty politics- not this time. "When the way you're treated has got you good and PISSED." Another wave of foundationally dismantling energy wipes out the bottom layer of manor windows as if the source of its fury couldn't fathom the idea of leaving anyone currently within the house divided out of this little bonding experience...in dying together, of course!

"There's been one solution ~ since the world began." And wouldn't he know that better than anyone? He'd been there since the very beginning of fucking Earth, after all. "Don't just SIT AND TAKE IT-" A flap of wings the span of the last supper's table follow him out of the clouds on the tail end of a lightning strike that beelines for the manor, cutting off all light within in an instant.

Panic, little feathery fucks- panic and fly up to fry with the rest of this shithole of a universe.

A crass cackle culminates over the axe clasped within wicked talons and its with a sharp strum downwards does the energy behind the string's vibrations catch the booming of his core for a soul like a spark to a gas leak.

"STICK IT TO THE MANNNNNNN-" Boom.

At least that's what sound he imagines the manor's roof makes when he rips it off the top of the top floor like a rotting scab to fling aside and expose the Goetian lord in his study room- yeah 'studying'... how to take a heaven-sent DICKING.

"Well, well, well! Looks like you hooting whores fucked up your negotiations!" Floating back with several heavy flaps, he positions himself behind the subtle swirl of a newborn twister- its form little more than loose pieces of the manor gathered thus far and the faint stirring of sound waves the incessant pulse of his inner amp emits in time like a metronome of destruction...a ticking time bomb- the very fate that had sealed his own world in the end now championed by a call to cause a similar calamity once more. Only this time, it was the owls' turn to watch everything they knew shred apart piece by piece by the oncoming storm.

"So let's make this CORDIAL, shall we? Hoo, HOO- cloacafuckers! HOOOOOOO'S READY TO DIE?" Punctuating the sentiment with a forceful slam of strings, the angel sends several waves of sound force below to slow any attempts at climbing to his lofty position in the sky, a position he'd already began to spiral up cloud by cloud as he stirred the atmosphere blurry with restless rounds of gritty guitar riffs to feed the speed of sound within the tilt of the the heaven-aimed pillar and all its currently collected debris from the shattered bits of man-handled manor.

Adam - Son of the Red Earth - Phase 1.

[track in play 🎵🎶🎸]

🎸Group Limit - 4 character slots. [@avispatr , @mages-pandoras-box , @a-hell-of-a-time x2] 🎸Win Requirements - 20 landed hits (or neutralization in Phase 3). 🎸Battle Requirements - Unless heavily staggered by multiple hits per round, Adam has a constant field-wide music-based aoe that accompanies his guitar playing. A 4D will be rolled to determine a number 1-4. This is the amount of sound waves from the aoe that will disturb the party (either breaking concentration or potentially injuring). I will then roll a 20D for each number of waves per character involved provided against your AC to see if you're hit (participants will message me with the confirmation of being hit or not via dms/discord). A hit will stagger/interrupt concentration and you will be unable to attack on your turn if this happens. *This does not stop you from performing other actions such as healing, assisting allies, dodging other incoming attacks, or using items. Adam's AC in Phase 1 is different than in Phase 2 and 3. If reached, Phase 2 and Phase 3 AC will be adjusted. After your reply is posted, send me your 20D dice rolls via messages for each attempted attack, and I will compare and align it to Adam's current AC to determine hits in my reply sequence. 🎸Starting Roll for the AOE field-wide energy surge mentioned above is: 2. I will be sending the listed characters above my two D20 rolls for each of you to determine if you're hit/disrupted on this first 'intro' round or not on your reply based on your personal AC.

[fxiled-fxithful]

( Our latest thread is giving me the ship feels. ♡

@mages-pandoras-box

[mages-pandoras-box]

@fxiled-fxithful

//Philza and Angela help a demon fight an enemy. (Singers are together AU)

[hellsirenqueen-moved]

Lucifer takes to looking all over their home until he finds Lilith, or at least gets an idea where she is. He feels relieved on finding her at least, though... he can tell she's stressed at the moment. One might chalk it up to the events and revelations of the past few weeks, but...

"Lily, I'm glad you're.... did you feel that, too?"

He steps closer, pulling her closer in an attempt to offer any possible comfort

Lilith was tense. Perhaps it was her string of Fate, or the connection she had with particular souls. . .or her sense of cosmic danger rising...

But she knew that something had happened. Something...terrible.

Though the hairs on the back of her neck stood up on edge, she relaxed for all of a few seconds, pleased to at least see that Lucifer was okay. Her arms wrapped around Lucifer tightly as if her life depended on it. "I'm glad you are safe too, my love...but yes..I feel it. I fear the worse." She had a gut feeling that someone close needed them. Lilith trusted Alastor to protect Charlie, so she wasn't overly concerned for their daughter. She would check on her soon.

But there was another, one who was also close to her and Lucifer, that tugged at her heart. "I think we need to check on Adam. Something doesn't feel right. Hang on tight, darling." She didn't give him a moment to protest or comment. Within seconds, the pair were in Heaven near Adam's apartment. Hopefully it was just her imagination, but it was best to be safe than sorry.

{ Muse mention : @dick-meister }

[angelmelon]

TERFs and radfems have collaborated with Christo-fascist organizations in the US in order to get transphobic laws passed btw

the same christo-fascist organizations who got Roe V. Wade overturned

please just say your entire belief system is based on hating trans people. It’d be way less embarrassing if you did.

I thought you said you hated men. Why would you rather talk to panels of cisgender fascist men than a single transgender woman??

[liathebookwyrm]

-emerging from the mountains of pillows like an unholy vision in pijamas- May I suggest.... Pray by the unparalleled Amazing Devil as the theme for Crusades Era!Nicky/Joe?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xO5SPRlVDU

[themosthatedbeingg]

No fair … he wants head pats .

[hells-sirenqueen]

Dark! Lilith - Queen of the Damned Hell

Au Lilith for the Unholy Crusade Event

Dark Lilith is the partner of Divine Lucifer (@themosthatedbeingg). In her reality, she rules Hell solo with a number of slaves and contracts with more than half of Hell - contracts signed willingly. She often uses her silver tongue to ensnare beings to bend to her will. This includes, but not limited to, Angels, Demons and mortals. Lilith rules Hell with an iron fist. She delights in torturing those who defy her.

HP:574 (15 Hits)

Lv:94

AC: 18

Str: 20 (+4) Dex: 20 (+4) Con: 20 (+4) Int: 20 (+4) Wis: 20 (+4) Cha: 20 (+4)

Passive Ability

Forbidden Soulmates- Each round, so long both Divine Lucifer and Dark Lilith are both fighting, they each get a + 2 with their damage rolls to hit an AC. Should one or the other fall, the other has to -2 their damage roll for two turns before their rolls go back to normal.

Skills

Firebat Swarm- A swarm of hellish bats covered in flames attacks a target and explodes upon contact. Bats that attack, half of them turn into purple butterflies to heal party half of their lost hp / hit stat.

Living torch - Flammable fishing wire is wrapped around a target before Lilith sets the wire on fire to watch her target burn in front of her.

Demon Swing - Using an enchanted blade, she takes a heavy swing at a target. If a 20 is rolled for an attack and target has four or less hits left, it's an auto decapitation.

Hell Gate- Lilith opens a gate to Hell and a swarm of demonic minions. Roll 10d to see how many demons are summoned and roll 20d per creature for hits.

[ Source ]

[originemesis]

[continued - xxx ]

Though its capability to produce a range of sound ranging from gritty echoes to soul withering rumbles seemed slated in the strings of the hybrid battle-axe, the span of angelic steel that caps its golden polish with a sharpened end sings once swung. Such a sickeningly sweet sound- like the ever present hum of a halo mixed with the shrill acoustics of a hawk's cry hitting a wall of cumulus. It's a far more distinctive noise than the resounding roar that accompanies a severed head still thinking itself attached to protest its 'exorcism' from its body, but shockingly short lived as the angel issues a fierce round of flapping to right himself mid-air and shoot the snarling hell lord a look befitting of the 'impudent' variety. Smug at the very least. False teeth flash in a widespread display of mania as the fallen head dissipates as if the black smoke it spares is an adequate replacement for bloodied water in beckoning a feeding frenzy from a passing shark.

"YEAHEAHH! Just the tip~" He tuts, the axe heavy by his side as he grasps the handle two-handed and wound back as if contemplating another head to accompany his intermittent bursts of rock and roll, but two lively maws darting in prompts his take off with a harsh flap to shoot him into the red sky. The heads aren't exactly as quirky as the last one, so he spends a good several squawking seconds evading the pair of snapping jaws, spiraling up the base of one serpentine neck to avoid its detection only for the second maw to spot and force him back out of its mate's blind spot. He continues this thrashing exchange of weaving in between both drooling sets of jaws, being sure to let both know in turn about how they all were being super cunty about this whole needing to die with their world thing. Until of course the third wheel of the remaining heads showed up once he'd been corralled by the other two. Shit. Shit-balls, even. His talons twitch on the axe, wound up to strike at the intrusion if it darted in, but it opts for a fire blast.

An initial screech is for the heat seeping in through the divine thread count. "Burning in hell- HOW FUCKING ORIGINAL-!!" The temperature detection levels in his mask alerts with a piercing shrill that would likely upset and permanently deafen any passing hellhounds. Golden feathers singe black at the ends until he all at once tucks them tight in favor of a downward dive towards the ground. With the aftermath of the fire still encasing him, he adjusts to a longer rung of air space just shy of where the manor's top floor met its stairway down, patting frantically at his once again unfurled feathers to beat patches of flames out of the lesser cooked bits to a spirited rendition of him calling Paimon a sore slut.

It's then he noticeS the 'congregation' below. And just what were those whores up to? Time to pay them a little visit- and he comes bearing gifts. Partly the flames from their nub necked lord still smoldering around his shoulders. Partly his now flaming axe which he slams into the ground in the middle of the three previous onlookers.

"Peek-a-boo!"

The walkway ruptures under the force of the strike he drops his train like momentum into, spreading fire and jagged chunks of concrete around the trio and the impact zone.

@avispatr , @mages-pandoras-box , @a-hell-of-a-time

hit counter [3+1 from burned/20 ] - phase 1 the music has stopped for this round.

[fxiled-fxithful]

Ship Focus: Angela Blanc x Philza - Angel of Massacre x Angel of Death

[ @mages-pandoras-box ]

[hellsirenqueen-moved]

He was here, wasn't he? For a brief moment, but Adam knew that feeling of power anywhere. Regardless of how feint it was... Father had shown up once again. He felt... Terrible. She had talked about her and Lucy doing things this whole week, would Adam being here disrupt that? Was his presence needed? Or even wanted?

He would let her decide.

No words, not yet, he would just... Join her on the couch and allow a bit of silence to pass until he couldn't allow the silence to go on much longer, not without knowing if he was intruding or not.

"Lilith. I can stay, or I can go. Whatever you decide, I'll accept without question."

Was it a terrible thing for her to be selfish?

Though she was still fuming from God's visit, she was worried about Adam. Honestly, she was surprised Adam hadn't been visited yet - he was likely next on the list, if she knew that bastard well enough.

Letting out a shaky breath, she reached her right hand out to him. "I want you to stay, but I feel like Lute would pose an issue with that. I'm concerned for your safety." She swallowed a dry breath, "I have a gut feeling that says you're next to get a cryptic message from God. I just hope you get something better than what either Lucifer or I received from him."

She closed her eyes for a moment, "But if you..could spare a few minutes, I'd like you to stay before returning to Heaven to Lute."

[updcbc]

January 6, 2019 - “The Path of Godliness” Psalm 1

Click KEEP READING to read the full sermon.

Introduction

Our solitary life is in a balance. Who we are and what we may become is a personal choice. We make desperate measures we think for our good but do much damage to our souls. It is not a dead end when we make a wrong choice. The great lessons in life are painfully discovered in our breaking points. Amidst the maze of life we can be redeemed from our frailties and failures. In the agony of our souls we search our hearts to sort out the noble from the mundane. We come to our own senses and find our home back to God. In solitude we dwell in the presence of the Lord and listen to his still voice. In darkness we nurture our souls in light of the Scriptures. We embrace and cherish the Bible that we have so long taken for granted. In coming back to God and in obedience to his Word, we can learn our lessons well in life and make a fresh start.

I grew up as a religious person. Despite my religiosity, my whole being could be summarized in one word: restless. When I was thirteen years old, my aunt gave me a strange gift. It was a New Testament Bible. I would rather have received any other gift for I wondered what good this book could ever do in my life. Four years in high school, the Bible was a closed book to me. Four years in college, the Bible was a dead book to me. Yet, through all those years I wrestled with the agony of my soul. I knew what was good but was bound with guilt. My motives were defiled expressed in secret misdeeds. In my sinfulness I was restless! In the malady of my soul amidst my utter restlessness I welcomed to end it all by placing my life into my bare hands. In that desperate moment I looked up to heaven and uttered a short prayer, “God if you are real, show yourself to me.” In 1980 during my fourth year in college, I heard of the gospel of Jesus through the ministry of the Campus Crusade for Christ. The core of the gospel truth that spoke to my heart was John 3:16. In response to the great love of God who gave his Son for my behalf, I turned away from my sin and yielded my life to Jesus Christ.

That unexpected crossroad of knowing Jesus Christ defined my life. At last, I found rest for my soul! The first thing I did was to go home to find the book I despised. When I found the Bible, I pressed it hard into my heart with a word of deep gratitude, “This is the best gift I ever received in my life.” Since then I learned and still do to walk with God every day guided by his Word. That was almost forty years ago. To this very day I hold in my hands this Book of Life.  And I have no room for regrets.

The Bible is the final authority of the Christian faith and life. Our knowledge of God and how we conduct our lives rest upon our attitude to the Holy Scriptures. Our destiny, here and now and for eternity, is determined on how we handle the living and enduring Word of God. It is for this reason that we remind ourselves of the historic account when Moses gave his final word to his own Hebrew people.

In the renewal of their covenant to the LORD their God prior to entering the Promised Land, Moses gave this solemn charge to his own people. The essence of his parting word applies to every people of the world.

“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Deut. 30:19-20a)

The covenant of God for Israel is binding for us. A blessed life is governed by the Word of God. To this noble end we are called to “listen to his voice.” This noble call is echoed by the psalmist for all of us.

There is a clear distinction that sets apart those who treasure the Bible from those who do not. The very first chapter of the Book of Psalms is a song of prayer that defines the great contrast between the righteous and the wicked. The righteous are blessed for they live by the Word of God (1:1-3). And the wicked who despise it are unfortunate (1:4-6).

A.  The Righteous (1:1-3)

Who are the righteous in the sight of God? The righteous walk in godliness, delight in the Scriptures and live a fruitful life.  

1. The Path of the Righteous

Those who are right with God walk in the path of godliness.

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.” (1:1)

Blessedness dispels the notion of shallow happiness based on favourable circumstances. Rather, the biblical thought of blessedness speaks of the highest good bestowed by God to whom he extends his sufficient grace. To be blessed is to experience the fullness of life being assured that God works all things together for our ultimate good and for his glory. A blessed man can be poor but remains grateful and generous in life. A blessed woman in the bed of sickness despite her pain enjoys the sweet communion in the abiding presence of God. A blessed person under severe persecution finds his solace in the safekeeping of God and learns to repay good for evil. Blessedness is to have inward stability and restful peace in whatever circumstance in life. Anchored upon this biblical perspective, the psalmist declared a defining stand of blessedness.

First of all, a blessed person does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. In the time of the judges in the Old Testament, this was the awful description of the Hebrew people, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit” (Judg. 21:25). In such condition of lawlessness, every man or woman was right in his or her own perspective. The people disregarded their covenant with God and each one became a law to his or her own self. The same attitude of lawlessness is applied in our own time in the name of human rights. On this premise, each one is entitled to his own opinion and we need to respect our own differences, sad to say, on the ground that everything is relative and there is no such thing as absolute. In a secular world each one is entitled to his own opinion and no one has the right to persuade others of his own convictions. And in a pluralistic society we hear many voices with a common argument, “We can speak about anything under the sun, but leave me alone in my belief about God.” We live in perilous times where we create our own gods and define our own standards on what is true or false and on what is right or wrong. The counsel of the wicked defies and distorts the authority and absoluteness of the Bible as the Word of God. In the New Testament, Apostle Paul gave his final instruction to Pastor Timothy. This prophetic word is true to our day.

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Tim. 4:1-3)

Secondly, a blessed person does not stand in the way of sinners. In the period of the judges, each person was entitled to one’s own opinion and had the freedom to do his or her own thing. What does this mean? Israel broke their covenant with God and disobeyed the Ten Commandments. When we see ourselves in our own generation, we are not better than the Israelites. The way of sinners defies the commandments of God. There is a steady moral breakdown in the land manifested in religious hypocrisy. The solemn warning of Paul to Timothy is staggering.

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5a)

Paul gives us a strong word, “Have nothing to do with them” (v. 5b).

Thirdly, a blessed person does not sit in the seat of mockers. We go back to the days of the judges. There was no law in the land for each one became a law to his or her own self. Their brazen lawlessness was an outright rebellion against God in defiance to his commandments and mockery to his warnings. There was no fear of God in Israel. We, too, need to answer a serious question for ourselves, “Where is the fear of God in our land?” The seat of mockers speaks of those who are in authority who see themselves above the law and untouchables driven in their greed for money and power. Are we not also guilty of making a mockery of God when our conscience becomes dull to entertain the thought that it is alright for us to live in sin as long as we can make it a secret for ourselves? We only wear out ourselves in despair when we wear masks to portray a good image in betrayal of our true selves. No one can play with God without facing its dire consequences. Apostle Paul gives us a stern warning, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Gal. 6:7).

As in the period of the judges, our present world reflects the spirit of lawlessness where every person is entitled to his own opinion and conviction and not bound to the authoritative and absolute Word of God. In this dark and sinful world, we brace ourselves to be maligned and destroyed in our uncompromising stand for what is true, right and just. Blessed are those who do not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. This is the narrow path and less travelled road of the righteous.

 2. The Delight of the Righteous

What sets apart the righteous before God?

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” (1:2)

To delight literally means to rejoice in one thing with inner contentment. Above all things, the great joy of the righteous is the Holy Scriptures. The righteous anchor their whole being in the Word of God. In intimate communion with God they meditate upon the Law of the LORD day and night. The Bible is the daily bread of the righteous to govern their lives.

Throughout the historical revelation of God, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, the LORD upholds the primacy of the Scriptures as the absolute rule of life for his covenant people and the firm foundation of life for all nations. The sovereign LORD, the God of heaven and earth, made this clear to Joshua, the successor of Moses, to lead the Hebrew people. This divine instruction is for all of us.

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Jos. 1:8)

This solemn charge defines our life. It is a command with a promise. We ought to anchor our lives upon the Scriptures and to obey it with all our heart. And we can be assured that God will graciously bless our lives to make a godly difference in this world.

Every Hebrew must treasure the Law of the LORD. Every Christian must live by the Holy Scriptures. And every human being must be governed by the Word of God.

3. The Legacy of the Righteous

Does it really make a difference for us to abide in the Scriptures? Here is a beautiful portrait of a blessed life anchored upon the Word of God.

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” (1:3)

This is a delightful metaphor. Like a tree planted by streams of water, a righteous person is rooted upon the living Word of God and established upon the inexhaustible sufficiency of God. Like a tree which yields its fruit in season, a righteous person bears the fruit of godly character to be a source of joy and channel of blessing for others. And like a tree whose leaf does not wither, likewise, a righteous person receives the gift of eternal life and enjoys the grace of living in its fullness.

In summary, like a living and a fruitful tree, the psalmist described a righteous person with this statement, “Whatever he does prospers.” What does this mean? Anyone who delights in the Scriptures will grow in spiritual discernment to ascertain and do the will of God under divine blessing. We do understand not all things go well with us. Yet, in all our experiences in life, good or bad, nothing will be laid to waste if we learn our lessons well. At times we can have a firmer grasp of the goodness of God and can better appreciate his blessing for our lives when he disciplines us of our sinfulness and affirms his great love for us. Down the road of life we all go through a humbling process so we can learn the redemptive lessons in life. In this way we learn to swallow our pride and walk in the humility of Christ. And so we yield with a humble heart, “Father, not my will, but Thy will be done.”

A.  The Wicked (1:4-6)

The righteous live in godliness and find their delight in the Law of the LORD. The righteous are like a tree which is much alive with bountiful fruitfulness. The works of the righteous are under the blessing of God. On the contrary, the wicked gratify their sinful desires as they defy God and spurn his Word. The psalmist speaks on the irreconcilable contrast of the wicked from the righteous.

1. The Vanity of the Wicked

How did the psalmist portray the wicked? Here is the awful plight of those who turn away from God and disobey his commandments.

“Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.” (1:4)

The chaff or the husk is the seed coverings and other debris separated from the seed in threshing grain. On the outside, the chaff appears to look like a grain. In the inside, it is empty and without a seed in it. The chaff is comparatively a picture of worthlessness.

What does this disheartening imagery has to do with our lives? Unfortunately, there are those who set their hearts on earthly goods and think they can buy anything in life. There are those who embrace a humanistic view of life and perceive they have the freedom to do what they like. And there are those who desire for authority and use their power to influence others for their selfish ends. What does the Bible say into all these? We always need to remind ourselves of the word of God.

“‘This is what the LORD says: Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD.” (Jer. 9:23-24)

The beloved Apostle John wrote a close parallel of this revealing truth.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 Jn. 2:15-17)

We, in our fallen nature, are proud. We are inherently and deceitfully proud. We are inclined to take pride of anything under the sun. Sad to say, we even boast of our knowledge about God. This should not be. Our true knowledge of God should teach us to walk in the innocence of a little child. Such lowly attitude is a despised virtue for those who have no heart for God and who disregard his decrees. The wicked declare their freedom outside of God. They are free, indeed, without a moral compass that leads them to nowhere like chaff blown by the wind.

2. The Judgment of the Wicked

If we rebel against God and treat his Word as garbage, we deserve our own disgraceful and dreadful lot.

“Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.” (1:5)

God hates those who are proud in their heart. The wicked may boast in their wisdom, power and riches. They may see themselves invincible and indestructible for they are in control over the affairs of man. Yet a time is coming when their mockery and laughter will turn into weeping and mourning. In the end, the wicked will stand before God in dread and be cast away from the company of the righteous in disgrace.

 3. The Destruction of the Wicked

We only make fool of ourselves when we think we can play around God.

“For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (1:6)

God holds everyone accountable for he makes a clear distinction between those who fear him and to those who despise him. Here and now, the God of heaven discerns our hearts and watches over the affairs of every human being on earth. The righteous are wise to search their hearts and make things right with God. The wicked are defiant and carefree to go on with their evil ways that lead them to their irreversible destruction. Such was the dreadful path of Cain who murdered his own brother Abel. Cain was restless throughout his life and for all eternity. The path of the wicked is open and wide for men loved darkness instead of light. Indeed, our life is in a balance. We can choose our own eternal destiny with the kind of life we choose. We can delight in the Scriptures and live in godliness. Or we can choose to despise the Bible and live in sin. In this crucial crossroad of life, the final decision is ours.  

Conclusion

Where is our life leading to? It is time for us to watch our steps on what kind of road we trod. Few would dare to walk in the path of the righteous for it involves total submission and sacrificial obedience. The road of the wicked is much more appealing and many would follow it for sin is a pleasure. Now what must we choose? Sin is enjoyable but distasteful. Righteousness is painful but delightful. If we truly care for our souls, we would rather stand for what is righteous for our good than wallow in the mud of sin for our disgrace. In the narrow path of blessedness, how then should we nurture our souls?

Define your moral standards. The psalmist says it well. Do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Do not stand in the way of sinners. And do not sit in the seat of mockers. Our lives are established upon the seat of authority that defines our moral stand on how we conduct ourselves. In our waywardness it is much easier to conform to the allurements of this world and satisfy our carnal desires. In our pursuit for our ultimate good we hate every form of evil. And the best safeguard is intimacy with God.

Deepen your biblical convictions. The psalmist gives a nonconforming stand. Delight in the Law of the LORD and meditate on it day and night. What we feed our mind nourishes our heart and transforms our being. Never take for granted the Word of God. Godliness and greatness anchor upon the authority and power of the Scriptures. The Bible nourishes our souls and refines our character. A righteous and stable life is seasoned through daily meditation of and grateful obedience to the Scriptures.

Influence with godly impact. The psalmist makes a powerful portrait. The righteous are like a tree planted by streams of water bearing fruits in season and whose leaves do not wither and whatever they do prospers. Apart from God and his Word there is nothing we can do that satisfies and lasts. God can do great wonders in our lives if we cherish the Scriptures in our hearts. To this ultimate end we have no greater joy as fathers and mothers but to see our beloved children walking in the truth.

[dick-meister]

The absolute deconstruction of Adam’s mental in UC verse has me feeling a bunch of ways.

Like, he started out hopeful, trying his hardest to work things out with Lucifer and Lilith and actually did! They were having a good bit of fun and at one point Lucifer started to catch the tiniest bit of feelings for Adam. He talked to Roo for the first time in a long time to which he made amends for things between them as well.

Feeling good and having trust in them, Adam was fully prepared to go and talk to Sera and get an audience for all of them to talk about G’s plans but funnily enough, Adam’s own superior wouldn’t hear him out and locked him away for an amount of time he wasn’t even sure of. There he was bombarded by memories of himself and of Eve that tortured him pretty much.

At the time, he was feeling like the people of Hell were a lot better than those in Heaven only on the sheer fact that they listened to him and would listen to him. However after being broken out of the white room, everything changed dramatically. Lilith approaching Adam and trying to get him angry just so he could kill her in said anger, while around Lucifer, messed him up on the inside. He knew she was right on some levels but how it was done was just… wrong and left him literally beaten and half dead. Where else was he supposed to go after that but home?

Home, where he was now a fugitive if spotted by anyone who worked for the council as Sera had never allowed him to leave the White Room and if found, he would have been sentenced to fall. Only to just… lie on the ground for a day, bleeding and being alone up until Charlie was ported to him by G himself as a test to see if Charlie would finish him off right then and there. The sad thing is, looking back on it now, Adam would have preferred her to do so.

There was a bit of regained hope for him at that time, talking to Charlie and taking care of her made him feel a little better in a way that he wasn’t so alone. But there was a growing feeling of abandonment that was quickly getting bigger and bigger.

Eventually, Charlie leaves back to Hell, Lute tells him of Sera wanting to summon him after an accidental slip of the tongue and they ditch to Hell together. At least at the Hotel he got some time to rest, however that wouldn’t take long to be disrupted, learning of Charlie’s death, then having to fight Charbringer and eventually give up fighting her knowing that it was wrong to do so and he died.

Adam still remembers feeling the pain of death, being dead and his soul slipping away. Even though, somehow it was reverted and Lute took his place in his stead to which he had to watch Lute die, and then watch Charlie die in his arms…

After that, he buried Lute and just gave up. Adam went home and felt nothing. He’s lost so much and when looking around himself for who he had, who was he supposed to go to for help? He didn’t view himself as anything but a joke to everyone, someone to pin blame to, someone to leave in the background. Of course Angela tried to console him, but he wanted people who knew him to help him, love him, because those who don’t know him say the wrong things, make assumptions and cause him to feel even more lonely and wrong.

His mentality at this point was so shattered that when Eve, who is absolutely alive, showed up. He thought she was just a figment of his imagination, more White Room BS who helped a little but once he left to see Emily and found out that Sera had passed in battle, he found that he really couldn’t feel anything towards it. He felt bad for Emily, but the feelings of it was all light and on the surface.

Once he got home, that’s when he made the decision, if he was doomed to be nothing more than a after thought then he would just go back to being the villain he once pushed himself past. It’s the only way he knew how to cope and it’s not like anyone was coming around to help him anyways, it was either the mask or lay on the floor until the Cycle ended and he couldn’t sit back and do that.

He’s come full circle, and that’s really sad but also an incredibly interesting character ‘development’ that’s happened over time. I thought Adam would end up being a hero through this story, showing off bravery, selflessness and care but… this has all gone so against him that he just can’t feel those things anymore or much of anything.

UC is…. Not great for Adam lol