#be Christ in the flesh

[ankhmeanswombman]

God is an intricate designer who’s art is often misunderstood and misinterpreted by small-picture thinkers who are confused at the outcome of their lives, confused by the mission they’re graciously given and confused about the fact that some peoples karmic mission is to be cycle-breakers, no it’s not always easy but it can certainly be easier when you lay your burdened heart down on God’s eternal shoulder and find comfort and healing within. When I say God is everywhere I’m not being facetious, and by no means am I being wishy washy, perhaps this is the best kept secret, and that’s why the nefarious elites are capitalising on those staring at the sky and waiting while God’s all seeing eye within their very cells is crying amidst the calamities they have spurned for themselves. You are a face of God and that is a fortunate truth, which means you have some power to act when the 3D walls begin to fall, but you can only do so individually. You cannot force change but you can be the thread that unravels the spiral of inspiration for others who feel a heavy heart. Happiness is just around the bend. Those who feel stuck catering to faux friendship groups and fearing political motives set out by wolves in sheep’s clothing will always find it difficult to envision themselves in their divine purpose as a cycle-breaker because they have become invested in the realm of the infested just as much as the next decaying person. The good news is that the process of decay can be halted and even reversed with a clean mind and constant contemplation on the Divine Within and Without. Karma can appear ruthless and militant but it is fair nonetheless because it doles out retributions in accordance with prior actions, the result of which isn’t always seen immediately but is acted upon immediately, triggering a chain of events leading up to karmic happenings that, to the uninitiated, seemed to have “come out of nowhere”. Every action has a reaction and that’s the cold hard fact. Regain your focus and see the big picture, and suddenly every small-picture jigsaw piece will reveal itself to you as a karmic tidbit, and only then will clarity dawn upon you as to why the world is as it is. You are the world and the world is you, so be a cosmic beacon of light to those drowning in endless sea of darkness, shine independently and be so luminous and light-filled that they cannot help but be drawn into you like a black hole that sucks in all objects in its path. Influence the Earth by being the living embodiment of righteousness, innocence and purity and watch your magnetism radiate, churning positives out of negatives.

[stump-not-found]

Communion.

[nhura]

Life is too short.

[ my art ] [ twitter ]

(detail + ratio rambling under the cut >_>)

This is one of those "I need a break between my ten other illustrations, let me do a lil sketchy sketch :D" that got too ambitious etc. etc. I never want to see the color red again" moments. BUT!

I really, really like to explore Ratio's viscerality and what's happening between his brain and his nerves, like... all of this thorough control and discipline and he still has to breathe and react to himself and his surroundings, you know? His accomplishments are insane for "his age"* but he's going to run out of "age" at some point! His ambitions are so far reaching that he's not worried about getting doctorate degree Number Nine! Rather, his efforts are pointed outwards, into the universe, for the universe. As you know.

Speaking of his degrees, I had a half thought a while ago that we've seen him with two types of laurel pins.

One is him in his suuuuuper cute mother goose avatar (three leaves) and the other is the hat he's wearing everywhere else (eight leaves).

The thought was, "Aww, what if they're like commemorative pins counting the number of his degrees or whatever :)". Literally only because there's eight in the current one. This is kind of silly because then you'd HAVE to have an obscene number of degrees even for a normal person for your leaf pin to start looking like a laurel in the first place so scratch that BUT it's cute to think that it's still academic regalia. Something something I work in higher ed myself and it's like... it's like that.

The university goldsmith appreciates the job security.

I REMEMBER WHY I BROUGHT THAT UP. FOLLOWING the fantasy where more leaves = more knowledge!, in summary, even though Ratio seems to be a little beyond trying to get a prize every time he learns something now. But he does want to Keep Going. He can only Keep Going.

So I drew him in a bathtub full of an uncountable amount of gold leaves looking at the camera with an indescribable expression born from a hunger that will never be satiated lol DETAIL SHOT!

*Referenced only vaguely in a comment in the context of astonishment, but it could have easily have been "woah he's accomplished so much for his age (young)" as it could be "woah he looks good for his age (older)". There is no canon age and even then, reconciling standardized system time versus planetary time versus "does his particular breed of lizard human have the same lifespan as tumblr user nhura?" is a losing game for everyone involved! Here's what I think: I think he started going grey in his early twenties, whatever that means in spacefantasygame, and that that's very cute on him.

Do YOU think Ratio would be tempted by immortality???? Or would he MIND HIS BUSINESS

[silentagecinema]

beauty in the 1920s

[pangur-and-grim]

I’m glad I sat on the book for a bit, because now I’m like 👀 parts of this worldbuilding exist in my head, but are never explicitly stated, and so will seem like massive glaring holes to anyone reading. I’m going full geek now and making a map with all the divided territories etc, so I can go through in one last juicy editing spree and solidify this world.

people like opening a book and immediately seeing a map, right? what kind of half assed fantasy doesnt have a map?

[cowboythewizard726]

WELCOME BACK TO LAIOS POSTING today everything went wrong for my beautiful baby princess and but its oaky because the way he experience all the misery was so appealing and attractive oh him IM GAY AND I ADMIT IT IM GAY IM GAY IIM GA

[ymoon01]

The fear of God is what this world needs.

[wooftphr]

DNI IF YOU THINK BIRDS ARE LAME. THIS IS A POST FOR BIRD LIKERS ONLY.

JAMES D’AMATO SELL ME THE BIRD RIDING SYSTEM. PLEASE.

[thelordismylightandmysalvation]

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.

Via Verse of the Day - Galatians 2:20 ESV

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

“because he never accepts that it's never been about righteousness--it's about repentance.” except javert killing himself IS repentance.

well, it’s like 12 different things, because bro had gone days without sleeping and very little food and water and he already had low self-worth and kept asking the amis to kill him and just assumed he was going to die AND THEN valjean upended his understanding of the world and morality. he was really going through it & there are a lot of overlapping reasons for why he jumps into the seine.

but javert is like Number One Most Responsible guy in the whole story. taking responsibility is his Thing (forever bitter the musical doesn’t include the punish me monsieur le maire scene). how else, in his derailment, could he atone for his conceived misdeeds other than by handing in his resignation to god? in the brick he had already left a note urging his superiors to treat convicts at toulon better, which is another step in his repentance (and another crime the musical commits by not including it). jumping into the seine was another step.

honestly a lot of ppl who like the book think the musical was dead wrong to exclude him from the big heaven group sing, because it COMPLETELY undermines the themes of forgiveness and compassion threaded throughout les mis. like the musical was simply wrong lol.

This is helpful context! I am still finishing the brick, although I have fully read the abridged version, and that detail about the letter wasn't included, so I didn't know that occurred! (And thank you for the message--this is a long response but I'd love to hear more of your thoughts!)

I agree that Javert is certainly deeply distraught and remorseful; like you mentioned, his worldview is literally falling apart, and his actions reflect his mental state. But his death isn't really repentance--in the sense that it's not what God would have wanted. To me it reads like a Judas situation: a desperate realization of a huge mistake, and doing the only thing you think can make it right, namely, ending it all. That's the just punishment for someone so wrong, isn't it?

But true repentance, meaning the repentance that the Lord desires, is about changing your ways, not "paying a price." Had Javert really understood the beauty of Valjean's mercy (an image of Christ's, just as the bishop's undeserved mercy was to Valjean himself), rather than killing himself, he would have lived to also become "an honest man"--in heart. One who could forgive and understand forgiveness, for himself as well as others. One who could recognize that he is not The Law, that he can fall, but that he can also be "brought to the light." One who could accept that men like Valjean, and men like himself, CAN change, and be changed.

It's tragic to me because so much of "Stars," and his character in the book as well as the musical, is about wanting to be righteous, to rise above his birth and the sinfulness he associates it with. It's about wanting to please the Lord by his actions. But in his end, he shows he never understood what God really wanted from him, and that's where my original phrase comes in: not righteousness, but repentance. To live, and face the man you were, knowing it's no longer the man you are. That it's never been about what you've done or can do, but about what's been done for you. That's the Gospel that he could never fully accept.

To use another example you mentioned, that misunderstanding drives why he asks the Mayor (Valjean) to punish him--in his worldview, mercy is unjust, or at the very least, unfair. Evil must be punished; "those who fall like Lucifer fell" receive "the sword." But "as it is written," God "desires mercy, not sacrifice" (Matthew 9:13). God would have wanted Javert to live, and Javert couldn't see that, and that's why it's devastating to me. In his misunderstanding of the heart of God, he misses what would have set him free from the chains of sin he's always been trying to escape.

That's why he's contrasted with Valjean, who (though he carries guilt about his past till the end of his life) is eventually able to face it and confess what he had done to those he loves. He knew there was mercy to be found, if only it was asked for. Javert was too blinded by pride and shame to realize it, and so, while broken, he never was able to truly repent.

For that, you must go on.

[myremnantarmy]

"𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘴𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵."

[ricksanchezbignaturals]

i love flesh curtains era rick because i swear it's like they said "what, you think we can't make this guy any sexier? fuck you" *punk rockifies your mad scientist*

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Our War Against Spiritual Darkness

For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. — Ephesians 6:12 | 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: Matthew 16:17; Mark 4:19; John 12:31; Acts 26:18; 1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Corinthians 11:14; Ephesians 1:3

Read full chapter

What does it mean that we do not fight against flesh and blood?

[angelstrawbabie420]

changed my bandages today and this whole time ive been fooling myself like wow it was so stupid it wasnt that bad i shouldnt have gone to the er. HOLY SHIT NO IT WASNT

[arrayed-in-purple]

𝐎𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝐖 𝐃 𝐄𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐥. 𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐀. 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟔.

[rt-arts]

my previous nightshade post got WAY more traction than i thought it would so here’s more food 4 thought