#but jesus christ 'they betrayed us' do you hear yourselves

[aflirtingaccident]

life is strange fans once again prove themselves to be children

[virginburial]

could you do a blurb about having to be quiet somewhere with Eddie so you don’t get caught in a compromising position? Either reader or Eddie is loud and has to stay quiet with some flirting/teasing involved

didn’t have much in mind but it popped into my head and I thought it would maybe be fun? honestly this for Eddie or Chad bc I also love scream

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ okay, let's talk about Eddie because I have some things to say.

Eddie Munson CD mix!            .·:*¨༺♱༻¨*:·.

Eddie always sneaks away to this dealer's home, because he is a family friend. the only place he could catch his breath was Reefer Rick's dock home for his poor excuse of a boat-says Steve. Reefer Rick does not know how often Eddie comes around and how often he brings you. the amount of times you've guys fucked in his boat is uncountable. so the first place Eddie and you hide, when Dustin comes around looking for Eddie, is in the boat, under the tarp.

of course, on top of each other.

Eddie is such a dick about it too, you knew his hiding spot and hijacked his run with the law, now he was going to make sure you learned your lesson by being in such a compromising position. "I told you not to come find me-" "-shut up they might hear us." you scold him a bit, earning a mumble from him that, despite being so close to each other, you didn't clearly hear. you just laid his head on his chest and heard his heart beat faster and faster the closer the voices got. you then felt something hard pressed up against your stomach.

"do you seriously have a boner right now?"

Eddie huffs out in frustration. "sorry..." he mumbles. "it's just that my body knows we did it in the boat before and your tits look so good right now-" Eddie was such a tits guy, which is what you found out one time you were hanging out in Family video with Robin and Steve since Robin is also a 'self-claimed tits girl' and Steve 'loves ass and tits equally.' a rather stupid conversation but it was more than relevant now. "jesus christ Eddie-" "-I'd fucking love to stuff my cock in between them, sweetheart." he teases softly, wrapping his arms around you and having your abdomen press down on his bulge, letting out a soft groan.

then the door swings open.

you cover Eddie's mouth, your eyes widening as you silently begged him to keep it in his pants for once. the tension of getting caught though, ruined the moment because once Eddie realized that it was Dustin and multiple other people looking for him; his dick went limp. of course, you made it up to him later.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ but we can also talk about Chad, we have to talk about Chad.

Chad Meeks Martin CD mix!            .·:*¨༺♱༻¨*:·.

mainly Chad and you hiding in a closet while Ghostface is somewhere nearby. you knew Chad had horrible luck but he would protect you first before letting you get hurt. it's why running off with him was ideal. you and he stuffed yourselves into the closet, it was probably the most cliche hiding place but it was all you guys had. the space was quite tiny, so you were pressed up against Chad; ass-to-lap and all.

the thing you were not expecting was to feel Chad shift his hips around slowly, and to feel Chad's cock twitch and grow right up against your thigh and ass crack; it didn't help that you were wearing the tightest leggings and a thong that perfectly outlines your ass. you could hear himself trying to stay silent, trying not to move up against you or let the adrenaline in him take over. yet it was like his body was betraying his wishes and gravitating itself to you.

you tried to ignore it, having your breathing get shallow as you focused on the door. good thing you barricaded the door before entering the closet, it gave you time to prepare for anything that was about to come; besides Chad, whose cock was starting to get so hard it was impossible to ignore. of course, you liked the way it feels, your body can't help it either, but seriously, right now? why now?

a small whimper left your body as your hips jerked, and Chad's big hand claps over your mouth. he knew you felt good, he knew you wanted more, but your safety was his number one priority. the lust you both had couldn't be a distraction right now. his breath shakes as he pulls you closer. "shhh..." he whispers softly in your ear. "if we make it out...i'll give it to you all night." he muttered as his hot breath hit your ear.

blushing furiously, you nod, holding onto him as the doorknob rattles, both of your bodies tense up as you guys stare through the metal blinds of the closet. Ghostface was after multiple people in the house, he could've been looking for anyone else, just as long as the killer didn't see you. Ghostface might've wanted a specific target, so after barely trying to open the door, the killer went elsewhere, Chad uncovers your mouth and sighs out in relief as you turn to him.

"Maybe I can take you now?" you tease.

           .·:*¨༺♱༻¨*:·.

buy me a coffee ૮⸝⸝> ̫ >⸝ ა

[pamphletstoinspire]

Commentary on the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to St. Mark – Chapter 13

St. Mark, the disciple and interpreter of St. Peter (as noted by St. Jerome.) according to what he heard from St. Peter himself, wrote at Rome a brief Gospel at the request of the Brethren (fellow Christians), about ten years after our Lord's Ascension; which when St. Peter had heard, he approved of it, and with his authority he published it to the Church to be read. Baronius and others maintain, that the original was written in Latin: but the more general opinion is that the Evangelist wrote it in Greek.

Christ announces the signs that shall precede the destruction of the city (Jerusalem) and of the world; of the city — the abomination of desolation (v. 14); of the world — the preaching of the gospel throughout the world (v. 10), as well as the darkening of the sun and the moon, and the falling of the stars from the sky (v. 24). Finally (v. 32), He teaches that this day is known to no one, and, therefore, each one must be watchful and prepare diligently for it.

And as he was going out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him: Master, behold what manner of stones and what buildings are here. 2 And Jesus answering, said to him: Seest thou all these great buildings? There shall not be left a stone upon a stone, that shall not be thrown down. 3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olivet over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him apart: 4 Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign when all these things shall begin to be fulfilled? 5 And Jesus answering, began to say to them, Take heed lest any man deceive you. 6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am he; and they shall deceive many. 7 And when you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, fear ye not. For such things must needs be, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and famines. These things are the beginning of sorrows. 9 But look to yourselves. For they shall deliver you up to councils, and in the synagogues you shall be beaten, and you shall stand before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony unto them. 10 And unto all nations the gospel must first be preached. 11 And when they shall lead you and deliver you up, be not thoughtful beforehand what you shall speak; but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye. For it is not you that speak, but the Holy Ghost. 12 And the brother shall betray his brother unto death, and the father his son; and children shall rise up against the parents, and shall work their death. 13 And you shall be hated by all men for my name’s sake. But he that shall endure unto the end, he shall be saved. 14 And when you shall see the abomination of desolation, standing where it ought not: he that readeth let him understand: then let them that are in Judea, flee unto the mountains: 15 And let him that is on the housetop, not go down into the house, nor enter therein to take any thing out of the house: 16 And let him that shall be in the field, not turn back to take up his garment. 17 And woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days. 18 But pray ye, that these things happen not in winter. 19 For in those days shall be such tribulations, as were not from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, neither shall be. 20 And unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect which he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; lo, he is here: do not believe. 22 For there will rise up false Christs and false prophets, and they shall show signs and wonders, to seduce (if it were possible) even the elect. 23 Take you heed therefore; behold I have foretold you all things. 24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light. 25 And the stars of heaven shall be falling down, and the powers that are in heaven, shall be moved. 26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds, with great power and glory. 27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. 28 Now of the fig tree learn ye a parable. When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves are come forth, you know that summer is very near. 29 So you also when you shall see these things come to pass, know ye that it is very nigh, even at the doors. 30 Amen I say to you, that this generation shall not pass, until all these things be done. 31 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away. 32 But of that day or hour no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father. 33 Take ye heed, watch and pray. For ye know not when the time is. 34 Even as a man who going into a far country, left his house; and gave authority to his servants over every work, and commanded the porter to watch. 35 Watch ye therefore, (for you know not when the lord of the house cometh: at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning): 36 Lest coming on a sudden, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch.

Commentary: Saint Mark - Chapter 13

Verse 1. What buildings. How magnificent was the structure of the temple and of its columns you may read in Josephus (libr. 15 Antiq. cap. 14) and Bede, Ribera, and Vilalpandus (de Templo).

Verse 6. Saying, (that) I am . That is, “I am the Messias, or Christ,” as it says in Matthew 24:5.

Verse 11. Be not thoughtful beforehand what you shall speak. Greek µὴ προµεριµνᾶτε, i.e., do not worry or be anxious in advance, do not think anxiously beforehand. The Greek and Syriac add, “neither do ye meditate,” with what skill or in what manner or arrangement ye shall speak and answer governors and tyrants. But whatsoever shall be given you (suggested by the Holy Spirit) in that hour, that speak ye. The Arabic has, “because ye shall be endowed in that hour with what ye shall speak,” for the Holy Spirit will provide you with both the courage and candor, the arguments and the manner of speaking, which no one will be able to resist or contradict.

Verse 32. But of that day and hour no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father. How this is to be understood I have explained in Matthew 24:36.

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[pugzman3]

Mark 13:3-37 KJV

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,

4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:

6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.

8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

15 And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:

16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.

17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.

19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:

22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:

29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

[mjilightworker]

Idle Living-Vanity

Idle Living-Vanity

Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Pro 19:15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

See Also; (Proverbs 19:24, 6:9-10, 20:13, 23:21, 24:33, Isa 56:10, Rom 13:11-12, Eph 5:14)

Idle in the Hebrew: H7423 רְמִיָּה From H7411; remissness, treachery: - deceit. H7411 רָמָה A primitive root; to hurl; specifically to shoot; figuratively to delude or betray (as if causing to fall).

(Remissness is the quality of being lax and neglectful. Treachery is a betrayal of trust; deceptive action or nature.)

Ecc 10:18  By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

Proverbs 19:15  Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

Idleness in the Hebrew; H8220 שִׁפְלוּת From H8213; remissness: - idleness. H8213 שָׁפֵל A primitive root; to depress or sink (especially figuratively to humiliate, intransitively or transitively): - abase.

Slothfulness in the Greek; H6103 עַצְלָה Feminine of H6102; (as abstraction) indolence: - slothfulness. (Indolence is an inclination to laziness: sloth.)

If your not hungry for the truth and not searching, your simply hurting yourself but God as well as your soul has an eternity to figure out how to eliminate evils from one’s life.

If your not moving forward in all aspects of your life, life that revolves around love, your actually regressing and supressing your own growth which is ultimately living with your evils and living your hells and not your heaven.

2Co 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 

2Tim 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Vanity

Ecc 1:2  Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

All is vanity as we can see in these verses;

Ecc 1:14 - Works under the sun; all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecc 2:1 - Pleasure is vanity.

Ecc 2:11 - Works and labour, vexation of spirit, all was vanity.

Ecc 2:15 & Ecc 2:19 - Wisdom is vanity.

Ecc 2:26 – God giveth to man that is good in his sight wisdom, knowledge, joy, but the sinner, travail. To gather up and to heap up to give before God. All vanity and vexation of the spirit.

(Vexation in the Hebrew; meaning a sense of desire or feeding upon, grasping after.)

Ecc 3:19 - All have ONE BREATH so man has NO preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

Ecc 4:4 - No end of all his labour, eye satisfied with riches, also vanity and is a sore travail.

Ecc 5:10 – The love for silver, vanity.

Ecc 6:2 – Riches, wealth, honour, wanting nothing for his soul but yet a stranger eateth, this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

Ecc 6:9 – Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire.

Ecc 7:15 – All things vanity: a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and the wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

Ecc 9:9 – Live joyfully with the wife, lovest all the days of life, vanity.

Ecc 11:8 – A man living many years, rejoice in them all; remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

Ecc 11:10 – Remove sorrow from thy heart, put away evil from thy flesh: childhood and youth are vanity.

Works, pleasure, labour, wisdom, knowledge, joy, riches, desires, righteousness, wickedness, days of darkness, sorrows. All vanity. Everything is vanity.

Why?

John 5:30  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

1Co 6:14  And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. 

Our Lord himself said he can do nothing from his own self and judged himself according to will of the Father. If his Father had to raise him up, and we are talking about Jesus Christ here, how can it be where any individual soul is responsible for a judgement against evils and only God can raise you up!

John 15:19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 

Everyone will be chosen at their appointed time in their eternal life. Vanity now makes sense. This is the mystery spoken of in Romans 11:25.

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 

The mystery? “Until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” (See Romans 2:12-29)

Rom 14:4  Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 

Again, it is God that is able to make him stand, not himself. And if God is the only one to make him stand, then why would God destroy a soul or commit a soul to some hell? We create and judge our own evils.

The only thing humankind can do is have the willingness and drive to shun evils and follow the path of righteousness which is truths and obedience to goodness and love for every aspect of life regardless of what your eyes see and your mind thinks.

If you see and think from your spirit, understanding unfolds right in front of you. The “trick” is to have the awareness of knowing who is in charge of your soul. Your flesh brain-mind, or your spirit-soul?

Psa 37:31  The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. 

Heb 8:10  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 

MJI (LightWorker)

[biblenewsprophecy]

More persecution of Christians is coming

COGwriter

Is persecution for Christians over?

Well, obviously not.

And, of course, it is not just Christians that are being persecuted. Various people around the world are being persecuted for their religious beliefs.

Even in the USA, many political leaders and courts are going against religious beliefs.

In addition to persecution for those who profess Christ in various Islamic lands, losing religious rights and freedoms in certain Western lands, false statements made against biblical beliefs in the media (including alternative media over the internet), and the promotion of immoral behavior by nations around the world, severe persecution will be coming specifically to true Christians.

Jesus foretold persecution:

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:10-12, NKJV throughout unless otherwise specified).

43 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you (Matthew 5:43-44).

23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes (Matthew 10:23).

35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. (Mark 8:35)

29��� Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time–houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions–and in the age to come, eternal life (Mark 10:29-30).

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, 4 Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”

5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 6 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. 7 But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. 9 But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11 But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all men for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved…” (Mark 13:3-13).

12… they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake (Luke 21:12).

20 If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you (John 15:20).

2… yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. 3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. 4 But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you (John 16:2-4).

Many are aware of some of the early persecutions, but few understand what teachings true Christians were persecuted for in the fourth century and beyond–some may seem shocking. At least two major persecutions are prophesied to come. Which doctrines are expected to be causes for the coming persecutions? Are the Greco-Roman churches planning on persecuting Sabbath-keepers, those who do not accept a non-biblical Mary, and those who do not wear crosses?

All the faithful will be subject to persecution and being betrayed by professing believers (Matthew 24:9-13, Mark 13:12-13; Luke 21:16-18; Daniel 11:32-35).

In the past (for details see Persecutions by Church and State), Christians in the Church of God were persecuted because they:

Kept Passover on the 14th

Refused to eat unclean meat

Would work on Sunday

Had false accusations railed against them

Were binitarian

Kept the Sabbath

Kept the Fall Holy Days

Were not trinitarian

Taught that the pope was an Antichrist and precursor of the final Antichrist

Having and teaching from the Bible

Rejected papal authority

Did not accept idols

Had different teachings than the Church of Rome

Had writings Rome did not like

Rejected Roman sacraments

Objected to the dress of the Roman ministry

Considered Rome to be the prophesied Babylon

Taught that in the time of the final Antichrist that some would fall away

Had practices that Rome considered Jewish

Refused to baptize infants

Did not participate in carnal warfare

Teaching the millennium

Taught the Kingdom of God

Baptized adults

Almost all the above were beliefs of original first century Christians. Some of the others did not come on the scene until they were adopted by the Greco-Romans and then later denounced by the faithful.

In the future, according to Greco-Roman Catholic teachings, they ALSO will be persecuted for:

Not accepting non-biblical teachings about Mary

Not accepting the Great Monarch (Beast, King of the North)

Teaching that the Kingdom of God will come soon

Not wearing crosses

Keeping the biblical Sabbath in accordance with the commandments

Possessing/advocating writings that disagree with the Church of Rome

Teaching after the Great Tribulation begins that Jesus will return within a few years

Christians have been persecuted for holding doctrines that we in the Continuing Church of God hold and are clearly expected to be persecuted in the future for holding Continuing Church of God doctrines.

Sadly, in the 21st century, holding to many biblical positions is considered extremist and even dangerous by various government officials.

The Book of Daniel shows a two-part persecution coming from a European leader (I added the a and b below for emphasis):

25 a He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand b For a time and times and half a time. (Daniel 7:25)

First of all (a), he shall persecute certain of the saints, which is consistent with what Jesus said was coming:

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:9-14)

Much of the above will affect the Philadelphian Christians (cf. Revelation 12:13), but they will later be protected (Revelation 3:8-10) in the wilderness for a time, times, and half a time (Revelation 12:14-16; see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra). Part of why they will be persecuted is for proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and probably also for identifying the coming King of the North, who will not wish to be identified that way. This will likely result in internet and other restrictions on getting the truth of God out to the world (cf. Amos 8:11-12).

Second of all (b), the remaining saints will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. This is the portion of the COG, the non-Philadelphians, who are NOT protected in the wilderness as Revelation 12:17 shows this separation:

17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:17)

While many in the Church of God have experienced economic and social persecution in their walk with Christ, future severe persecution, beginning first with the Philadelphia remnant of Christians, is expected.

Persecution is a fact of history. It has happened before and we should be prepared for the fact that it will happen again. And during the time of the final persecutions, the Bible records:

12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12).

Thus, though the Philadelphian Christians will be subject to intense persecution first, before this, even the Laodiceans (The Laodicean Church Era) and other Christians will receive some praise if they endure the persecutions that will then come during the time of “the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world” (Revelation 3:10).

While many seem to not wish to pay attention to this subject, the reality is that persecution has existed throughout history against those with Church of God doctrines. Jesus predicted that as well as more persecution to come. Some may be shocked by certain doctrines that Christians have been persecuted for (and often persecuted by others who profess to be Christian).

Those in the true Church of God have always been on the side being persecuted and have never been on the side of the persecutors. And this will be true again in the future.

Furthermore, in modern times persecution takes various forms such as the cancel culture of Big Tech and various governments censoring and removing biblically-appropriate content. That will worsen too (cf. Amos 8:11-12).

Related Items:

Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There is also a YouTube video sermon you can watch: The Coming Persecution of the Church.

The Spanish Inquisition and Early Protestant Persecutions Was the Church of Rome really responsible for this? What happened? A video of related interest is titled: The Past and Future Inquisition.

Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.

Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Will Philadelphian Christians instruct many in the end times? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work. Here is a link to another: Preparing to Instruct Many.

The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.

The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. These are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG.

There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. There is also a video on the subject: Might Petra be the Place of Safety? Here is something related in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra?

This is PETRA! This is a 1962 Good News article by the late Dr. Hoeh.

Is There A Secret Rapture for the Church? When and Where is the Church Protected? What does the Bible really teach? Does the Church flee or is it taken up just prior to the great tribulation? Who really is left behind? There is also a YouTube video with information Did Jesus Teach a Pre-tribulation Rapture?

Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?

Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L Histoire Continue de l Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church. Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs.

Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences. These sermons also cover materials not in the book.

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[peakyblindersxx]

whiskey business - john shelby x reader (part 6 of ?)

gif by my queen @michaelgreys, i'm basically her fanblog now but im not mad about it :) i mean just look at him!!1! i almost fainted

a/n: first of all, if you stuck around to this point, tysm for reading!!! this has been one of the most amazing fics ive ever been a part of and it's all thanks to the gorgeous @stxdyblr-2k, who generously took control of the next few parts. her brain is beautiful and we all owe her flowers or something. when i read what she sent me i couldn't bring myself to change much except for some small edits, so pls give her lots of love if you like it!!!! i'm still working on requests as well :)

love, abi xxx

read part one two three four five | my masterlist

tagging: @datewithgianni, @mayaslifeinabox, @deepdonutkid, @springsoulofengland, @lilymurphy03

prompt: nothing this good can last forever. john doesn't know how to feel, and neither do you.

warnings: nsfw! a teensy bit of smut, angsty as fuck prepare yourselves accordingly, a lil fluff if u squint, yeah this fucked me up

Obviously, it wasn't the last time.

Over the coming months you had many last times; his mouth pressed against your neck said as much. As his responsibility at work increased, you'd find yourself heading to his office after your lectures and night classes more often, perched on his lap, smoking, while he finished up his numbers under your critical gaze.

Thomas was more than aware; his snarky comments made it obvious he had his ways of monitoring your actions. You'd seen the dark car lurking outside your rallies and lectures, and no matter how you'd try to throw him off, not even telling Ada where you were going and even, in a moment of desperation, through your neighbours back window, somehow, his silent shadow was still looming. He was practically begging you to make a mistake, to give everyone an easy out. You just couldn't give him the satisfaction. You knew Tommy saw the world as a chess board, always several moves ahead of his opponent. Even when you played him in chess club all those years ago, you could outflank him if you thought on your feet and kept him thinking he was winning until you obliterated him in the end game. It was brutal, sure. But as he told you, there were bigger games at play. You had your own. Thomas could read your mail, intercept your phone calls and have you followed, but he couldn't hear what you said out of earshot. Your lot could smell an interceptor in your ranks, so spying at that close of a proximity was out of the question.

That's why he'd decided to let you have John. You knew his silent approval and his constant management of the narrative meant he saw a tactical gain. There was only so much information he could get from Ada, but John? He just had to agitate him in the right way and all your secrets would come tumbling out. It was difficult hiding your world from John; of what he knew of, he was supportive, quizzing you over current affairs and political discourse, listening intently. Yet, you had to watch your mouth. You had to keep a barrier up and you knew John sensed the distance. Fundamentally, there was nothing either of you could do.

So here you were, in a comfortable limbo. Your days were filled with work, evenings were for lectures and reading groups at the city's university, Ada and you often stopped for a drink or three; you'd go by your flat to freshen up, and then to John's office. Sometimes, you wouldn't visit for a week or so when the guilt sent you over the edge, it was draining to be living so many lives and knowing you were betraying the person you loved most on earth. Ada was oblivious, taking you on her nightly adventures filled with men, dancing and waiting while she was busy kissing in dark corners. Sometimes a young blinder would ask if you wanted to be walked home. The first occurrence you thought was sweet, but as the nights it occurred coincided with nights John seemed extra pent up, you'd decided to ask. The boy, who couldn't be older than twelve but who you knew was trained in using firearms and had a revolver pinned to his hip and a razor in his cap, looked confused.

"Mate, it's not a tough question. Why do you come and ask?"

"There's a phone call." He shrugs, "Isaiah or Michael tells us to go and get you."

Isaiah and Michael were somewhat aware? Fucking hell. Your fling was basically a military campaign at this point, so many of your friends were complicit. The little lads who ran as messengers around Birmingham were complicit. You had to just end it.

But when you sat on his thigh, his chin hooked over your shoulder, it felt so worth it. He never turned you away when you came crawling back. He never mentioned it until after you were finished, hooked under his arm.

"Fucking missed you, gorgeous."

Sometimes he'd remind you not to be a stranger with a wink, but you could tell it was tearing him apart too. He never once came to you. That's how he could justify it in his mind; obviously, the bare minimum was not having sex with his sister's best friend, but in failing that, waiting for you to initiate it was somewhat better. He barely talked to Ada now, citing work as an excuse, but truly the guilt sickened him. He couldn't believe he was prepared to continuously hurt his little sister and betray her. But every time you turned up at his door, he couldn't find it in himself to turn you away. In his mind, every single time you came to visit him was the last time he'd let it happen, yet he was always waiting for you to come back, his blind closed to signal he was prepared. He never would call, it had to be your choice.

You'd been off and on for over five months now. It was so difficult to hide in plain sight, but you just couldn't stop yourself. Neither of you purposefully meant for this to be happen but fuck, was it fun.

For your birthday he'd gifted you a fur coat from the same shop his sister, aunt and the fashionable crowd of Birmingham had purchased theirs. He joked that you looked like a "proper razor chaser", kissing you when you pouted at his teasing, begging you to wear only the coat when you fucked him next. It was a practice for blinders to buy a coat for their wives and girlfriends as a status symbol. You were neither, but John claimed that being his "favourite lass" also counted.

John was a laugh, but you knew at any time he could close his door to you. Until he decided he couldn't be bothered with you, you weren't going to get caught. You just had to be careful until he got bored.

***

You did end up putting a foot wrong. It was a Thursday night; you were sitting on the edge of John's desk while he was ridding you of your blouse. It was past midnight, Birmingham was asleep. You almost didn't bother coming out tonight, but you knew John had lost a deal and you wanted to be there for him. Your skirt and stockings were strewn across the desk with his shirt, vest and waistcoat, muddled into the files and papers which were once neatly stacked.

His fingers were pumping in and out of you, his mouth lapping at your breast, your head tipped back in euphoria, groaning. The stress made him more affectionate and tender with you, and it was nights like these that made you wonder. Wonder if this could ever be something more, something real.

John's body suddenly pulled away from yours, quickly turning the light off.

"John, what-" You were cut off by John’s hand over your mouth, muffling your words.

"Shut up and get behind the desk." He hissed. "Someone's coming upstairs."

You quickly grabbed your clothes from the shiny oak surface and crouched, hiding yourself from view, quickly making yourself decent. You weren't going to get shot through the head with your tits out. You listened to the stairs creek, and it sounded like a group. You two were easily outnumbered. They were talking, but the thick panels of wood muffled their voices.

As your eyes adjusted to the darkness, the cracks in the door giving the room a dulled glow, you could make out the figure of John. He was free of his shirt, toned body on display, standing with his back flat to the wall, revolver produced from a discreet notch in the door frame, gaze fixed on where they'd enter. He was tense, ready. The door was unlocked from the outside, the door handle twisting.

John's lip shifted in confusion yet still he kept his trigger finger ready, not a single shake from your general.

The light flicked on and a shriek rang out. It was blinding, and you stood up slightly dazed. Finn was in the doorway, John next to him clutching his chest, panting and lowering the gun.

"Jesus Christ, Finn, can't you knock like a normal person? Scared the shit out of us." John bellowed, shaking as the adrenaline coursed through his body, resting his hands on the edge of the desk as he regained his breath.

"You're the one who pointed a gun at me! I didn't even know you were in 'ere!" Finn yelped.

The commotion had attracted the attention of Ada and Isaiah, who had come running and stopped in their tracks upon seeing you standing behind John's desk in the middle of the night. They weren't stupid. John was topless, your clothes obviously rumpled, both with matching tousled hair and practically stinking of guilt. You'd been caught red handed. Ada's eyes flicked between both you and John, and you could practically see the pieces of the puzzle clicking together in her mind, all the moments she found questionable since you'd returned suddenly making sense, realising she had been deceived by the two people who she was meant to trust most in life. Finn looked absolutely crushed, he'd never been able to conceal his emotions as well as his older brothers and sister, linking his fingers through Ada's, squeezing her hand.

"I forgot to drop this off earlier." Finn stated, holding up a money box, "Ada had keys so we thought we'd sneak in so I wouldn't get done by Tommy. We did call round yours, Y/N. We thought you were in bed."

"I'm sorry." You said. It was not enough but you just didn't know what else to say. You couldn't make it right, you'd really fucked up this time. Tears pricked at your eyes, as Ada examined you in silence.

John stepped in front of you defensively. "Look, Ada-"

"How long has this been going on?" She asked, her voice shaking with rage. You and John exchanged a glance. "I said, how fucking long?"

"Five months, six in a fortnight." He answered.

Isaiah whistled lowly. "That's fucked. I thought it was only a few times, that it'd finished."

"Never really over when it's John is it." Finn interjects, you glance to him, were you just one in a long string? You shouldn't be surprised but it was easy to pretend he may actually care about you.

"You've been fucking around for six months behind my back?" Ada yelped, Finn trying to comfort her but she pulled away from him. "And you fucking knew Iz."

"I'd expect this from you, yeah? Wouldn't put anything past you these days.." she sneered at John, "But you? You?! You're meant to be my best mate, but here you are sneaking about fucking my brother?"

"Ada-" you began, eyes welling with tears.

"I thought I could trust you. You're just another fucking razor chaser, aren't you?" She spits. "That's why you came back."

"No it wasn't, Ada-"

Her eyes flashed with anger, but this time John was on the receiving end. "You bought her that fucking coat ,didn't you? The fur one. You did! Fuck's sake!" Her fists were clenched, shoulders squared. For the first time in your life, you understood why crowds parted for Ada Shelby. Understood all the free drinks and cab rides, the nervous serving staff declaring your meal on the house (always acknowledged by Ada with a hefty tip), understood why the men of Birmingham didn't last long with her.

"Did it feel good to swan about town in that fucking coat, while acting as though you cared about me? It's so fucking embarrassing. All trussed up because my knobhead big brother makes you feel special? Thanks for rubbing it in my face."

"Ada, I love you. I never meant to hurt you, I got caught up and that's on me. It's my fault."

"You're not acting like you love me. This isn’t what love is, Y/N." She retorted.

You couldn’t do anything but nod. She was right.

John opened his mouth to speak, Ada silencing him, a scowl darkening her features.

"I don't care what you have to say. Any of you. Who else knows?"

"Thomas, Michael, Arthur-" John listed off slowly, each name prompting Ada to break down a little bit more in front of you.

"I didn't know Arthur knew." You said pointedly, John sending you an exasperated glance. He was planning on dealing with that later, but right now was about his sister. Fuck him if he thought you were going to stick around much longer. You didn't want to hear him justify everyone else knowing about your fling with your best friend being left completely in the dark.

"That all you have to say for yourself?" Ada snaps at you.

"I have fucking no defense, do I Ada? I should've walked away." You pushed your hair back, frustrated at yourself, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. You begged yourself not to cry. Tears wouldn't help anything.

"Why didn't you?"

You didn't know. Your silence only riled her up.

"Why didn't you fucking walk away?" Ada yelled, slamming her hands on the desk.

You felt hot tears run down your face, quickly moving your hands to dab at your tears.

"Don't you dare fucking cry. After all you've done, you don't get to cry in front of me." Ada growled at you, John going to shush her, obviously wanting to comfort you. "You can all fuck off. You've all lied to me and gone behind my back. Fuck’s sake, you could've just told me. You could've just told me."

"We didn't want to hurt you." John said, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder but she flinches away.

"This hurts so much more. You get that you all lying to me is so much worse, don't you?"

"We weren't thinking."

"You really fucking weren't." Ada laughs bitterly, shaking her head, blinking away tears. "Fuck you lot."

She stormed out, tailed by Finn, begging her to slow down and talk to him, protesting his innocence in the situation. Isaiah hesitated in the doorway, his eyes flickering between you and John.

"I had no idea you two've been at it for so long."

"Iz, fuck off yeah? I've had enough today." John shot back, sliding across the desk towards you. "You alright, lass?"

"We're done here, John."

He slid off the table, his hand cupping your face, "Hey, gorgeous, I get it but don't go breaking my heart tonight. Can we just leave this for tomorrow? Sleep on it."

The idea of getting any sleep at all tonight was laughable, you'd be up all night replaying these moments and torturing yourself. Tonight couldn't get any worse so you had to finally end it. Now was the right time.

"John, it should've never happened."

"But it did."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. It's over."

"Y/N. You know for me it was never just about-"

"You're making it difficult. Stop making it difficult. Whatever you say isn't going to change that right now we have to do the right thing."

"I know you're right, but I don't want to let go. Is it so wrong to want you? I adore you, you know that."

You wouldn't meet his eyes. Sighing, John pressed his forehead to the side of your head, chin brushing your shoulder, eyes closing. He was begging you to stay with him. There had to be a solution, you'd figure it out together. His voice was cracking, eyes glassy. He looked so much younger when he was pleading. The tall bloke who terrorised the Midlands with his razor rimmed cap, a revolver in his hand, and a ruthless trigger finger had vanished. You wanted to stay, burning to curl up with him and for him to kiss it better.

"I should go." You told him. He rested his forehead on your shoulder, letting out a shaky sigh before pulling away, nodding.

"I'd drive you home but obviously-"

"Obviously."

John suddenly turned from you, eyes narrowing at Isaiah who was still hovering at the door. "Thought I told you to fuck off. Make yourself useful and get Y/N home safely." His tone was ice cold once again.

Isaiah nodded, offering his arm to you. You reached the door and instinctively looked back at John. His eyes met yours, staring at you from his desk, just as you knew he would. He prepared himself to watch you leave every night, but this time was different. That was it with you two.

Isaiah strode down the street with you in silence. You were tucked into his side as was customary with the upcoming blinders who were particularly ambitious, but there was no relaxed chat.

"Isaiah. What’re you thinking?" You asked, voice tinged with nervousness.

He sighed, running his free hand across his jaw, "That was intense in there."

"Just how he is." You shrugged.

"Does he love you or sommet?"

"Fuck knows… does it matter?"

"Of course it does. Do you love him?"

"Drop it. None of that matters, it shouldn't have happened in the first place so it can’t," You snapped, the anger at the situation you'd created suddenly overwhelming.

Isaiah whistled, raising his brow at your obvious turmoil. "You're in fucking deeper than you want to admit."

He walked you up your path, watching you turn the key to the side door leading to your bedsit. You paused, turning to him.

"Iz… I don't know what to do next."

It was so dark, you could see his face only by the lit cigarette burning to embers between his fingers. He inhaled deeply, pausing before delivering his carefully laid out plan of avoidance. Obviously the event of him crossing the Shelbys and losing their good graces weighed heavily on his mind. You nodded, listening intently, noting his ideas of relocation but he explained they were a final resort. The best thing to do was try to regain their trust; in the long run, he had calculated, it was the only option that didn't result in your life being haunted by the Shelbys. Even if they left you alone, their enemies would make a point to go after you, seeing you as an easy target. The other option was to leave the country.

"Good luck, Y/N. I mean it." He muttered as you turned the handle to the temporary safety of your home. You nodded, offering you cheek for the polite good night kiss you'd become accustomed to. He rolled his eyes and obliged, pressing an affectionate kiss to your cheek and ruffling your hair. "I'm serious. Watch your back."

***

John broke down when he finally heard the lock click shut. His eyes had been prickling with boiling tears, his jaw tensed to hold them back. He yelled out in anger, flipping his desk with force, a loud crash as the wood splintered against the stone flooring, glass shattering from the photo frames. His hands went to his head, unable to stop the gasping breaths escaping from his trembling lips, his face reddening.

"Fuck’s sake." He growled. He'd fucked everything up. He had nothing, just as he'd told you the first night you returned. The consequence was no surprise, he'd anticipated the fall out for a while, but he couldn't resist you. He was completely guilty and had no defense; his only justification being that you made him think with his cock, not his brain.

Fuck’s sake. Polly was going to murder him. She'd always had a soft spot for Ada, as the only girl in the family, and was no stranger to lecturing him over his flirtatious behaviour around Ada's friends. She'd murder him. He had a half mind to never go home. He rubbed at his eyes with his knuckles. Polly had no use for tears. That's what she'd tell him when he was a boy coming home with a skinned knee. This was far worse.

He was also sure that he was a worse brother than Tommy, perhaps the worst in the world. His baby sister, who he'd helped to toddle, carry proudly on his shoulders after school and race with her on his back through the fields on the outskirts of Small Heath, had walked in on him obviously in the midst of fucking her best mate. If he had swallowed his pride and actually talked to her, he wouldn't be in this mess. He could've told her that things changed, that for the same reasons Ada loved Y/N he had fallen for her, that he was truly sorry but she had to know before it got too far and someone got hurt. He couldn't go back.

He should've never approached you that night.

He should never approach you again.

He looked over the mess of his office, the splintered wood and shards of glass, a confetti of paperwork. Now nothing mattered. None of this mattered. He'd lost everything and he had only himself to blame.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

1 And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!

2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,

4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:

6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.

8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. — Mark 13:1-13 | King James Version (KJV) The King James Version Bible is in the public domain. Cross References: Exodus 4:12; Isaiah 29:6; Daniel 9:26; Daniel 12:6; Matthew 2:3; Matthew 5:22; Matthew 10:17; Matthew 10:19; Matthew 10:21-22; Matthew 12:41; Matthew 17:1; Matthew 21:1; Matthew 24:1; Matthew 24:4; Matthew 24:6; Matthew 24:8; Matthew 24:14; Luke 19:44; Luke 21:5; John 8:24; John 8:28; John 15:21

[dearlittlefandom-stalker]

Mark 13:1-37 (KJV)

1 And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings [are here]!

2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,

4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any [man] deceive you:

6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am [Christ]; and shall deceive many.

7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for [such things] must needs be; but the end [shall] not [be] yet.

8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these [are] the beginnings of sorrows.

9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

11 But when they shall lead [you], and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against [their] parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

13 And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

15 And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter [therein], to take any thing out of his house:

16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.

17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.

19 For [in] those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here [is] Christ; or, lo, [he is] there; believe [him] not:

22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if [it were] possible, even the elect.

23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:

29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, [even] at the doors.

30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

32 But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

34 [For the Son of man is] as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

[albertfinch]

COMING INTO ALIGNMENT

Jeremiah 29:11-14  "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord.  thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me,  when you search for Me with all your heart."

John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."

It is important to know where we are called to be, who we are called to be with, and what we are called to do (our DESTINY) and how we are to implement the things that God is calling us to.  We can fast, pray, strive and do all kinds of spiritual works, but if we are out of alignment, all these things may not have the full impact on our lives that we desire.

Sometimes we just need to find out what that one thing is that God is requiring of us. It is usually one thing, not many.

God will bring us into a place of utter contentment in His Presence as we come close to the Comforter, Holy Spirit.  This implies a life-style of "Walking In The Spirit";

THREE REQUIREMENTS TO WALKING IN THE SPIRIT:

Romans 6:11 -  "Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus."

(1.  Consider myself dead to sin.)

Ephesians 4:23-24�� -  "And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

(2.  I have to "PUT ON" walking in the Spirit.) ie. I make the decision each day to be led by my spirit rather than my soul (mind, will, and emotions).

I walk with my spirit being led by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 12:2  -  "And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

(3.  I have to renew my mind to the word of God.)

BREAKING THROUGH TO THE NEXT LEVEL

2 Peter 1:4 "By which we have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

We are called to be sons and daughters of God.  As we grow we learn the truth of our inheritance and walk in His promises as mature sons of God.  There are SPIRITUAL IMPEDIMENTS that arise in our lives that come to lie, steal and betray us.  God is going to eliminate these impediments out of our thinking  as we lay hold of the inheritance (affirming, meditating on, and visualizing the precious promises that are ours in Christ) that He paid the price for us to walk in.  It is as if we are stuck at a certain level and cannot break through into the next until these impediments are removed.

If we tolerate these impediments we become partakers of the nature of the enemy.  It is part of the process that our soul goes through in that we must be cleansed of the nature of evil and embrace the nature and life of the Holy Spirit.

UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

Example:  There are relationships that steal and have only selfish intent -- these will leech the life and anointing off of you.  The Lord is going to help us remove these impediments out of our lives as we yield to His heart's desires and ways;  He will give us wisdom to know the difference.

When we are in proper alignment there is much more ease and grace to accomplish what God calls us to.  Sometimes God is speaking and showing us what we need to do, but we just keep doing our spiritual routines rather than the one thing He desires from us.  We will find much more grace when we simply yield to that one thing and silence the noise of all the activities.

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

http://afministry.ning.com/

📷

[moral-turpitudes]

Deal with the Devil: Ch. 8

Trigger Warnings: Swearing, Blood, Knives, Angst, Mentions of Death, Fluff, etc.

Characters: Thomas Shelby x Isla Maxwell (OC)

Word Count: 4,493

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | *7* | 8 | 9 | 10

The next morning, Isla lied there enveloped in the sheets as she slept soundly. It was the first night in years that she’d slept decently, the screams from her family not plaguing her mind for once.

Thomas had woken up an hour before, silently staring at her for a while as she slept. She was menacing yet delicate, and he couldn’t quite put his finger on why she was growing on him. Maybe it was their shared motives? Or the way her eyes sparkled in the moonlight like when they’d first met. Or maybe, just maybe, it was because he’d finally met his match. Someone who would call him out on his bullshit without fear. Someone who made him work for what he wanted. Someone who found it hard to navigate life but figured they’d try anyway. These were all things that ran through his mind as he walked aimlessly around her small room while getting dressed.

While fastening his belt closed, his gaze landed on a picture attached to her mirror, a man and his wife, and two older children sitting under a tree. Their once small wooden house in the distance as their smiles graced the photograph. He gently plucked it from the mirror, running his finger over the dark, burnt edges, and flipped it over to find faint handwriting scribbled on the back that read: “Maxwell Family Photo, Spring of 1919. William (55), Jane (50), Isla (20), and Isaac (15).”

The year 1919 threw him back, as he remembered adjusting to civilian life again after the war. The nightmares of France still fresh in his mind as he battled between them and the business that had been left in his hands. Knowing that in only a couple years his life would change for better, and for far worse. He had been around 29 when all the responsibilities fell on his shoulders, and at that same time Isla had been only 20 as her family burned before her. The scars of both their pasts a painful reminder of what they’d gone through.

But it was now-a whole 10 years later-that he’d finally realized that it hadn’t all been in vain. Maybe he was meant to shake hands with devils and walk past them, just to get to this point. To hold out long enough just to see if he could finally end the one man who harbored so much destruction in him. And to finally meet someone who didn’t need him, even though he needed her.

While lost in thought, Isla’s voice pierced the silence as he rubbed a hand over his face.

“What’d you say love?” He asked, putting the photo back as he walked towards the door.

“I said I couldn’t believe you stayed. Usually any man I’ve brought here leaves by dawn.” She said, putting her robe around her bare body and securing it tightly. Her hair was tousled and her eyes strained from the light in the window.

“Why would I leave?” He asked.

“I don’t know. It’s just something I’ve noticed with others.” She said, getting up and going into her kitchen. She got out two cups and got to work on making tea, mentally slapping herself for even voicing any insecurities.

“Do you not have someone to do that?” He asked, lighting a cigarette.

“Do you not have someone to wipe your own ass?” She quipped back. He smirked and blew out a cloud of smoke in her direction.

“No. I do that myself thank you.” He said.

“Exactly.” She said, smirking while swatting away the smoke.

“Are you always this cranky in the morning?” He asked.

“Are you always this annoying?” She asked back.

After a moment she spoke, waiting for the tea kettle to go off. The awkward tension hanging in the air.

“I don’t particularly like mornings, unless I’ve had tea first.” She said, quickly taking the kettle off the stove as it whistled, and pouring some of the tea in the cups. The steam rising up and filling the air with a sweet aroma.

“Here you go. Now if you’re going to stay here, don’t fuck with anything. I have work to do.” She said, taking her cup into her room while she got dressed. Thomas finished his cup and sat it on the counter, his eyes gazing into her room only to be cut off by her giving him the middle finger and shutting the door. With a smirk, he headed towards her office where his things were, deciding to make himself somewhat presentable. After a few moments he heard her footsteps as they padded along the floor.

“So I’m trapped here till you’re off work aye?” He asked, following her with his eyes as she walked, her emerald green dress getting his attention.

“Yes.” She said, sitting her cup at her desk and looking at the bloodied paper work from the past couple of weeks.

Thomas wandered around the office looking at the books and chain smoking as she flipped through the papers and her journal. Growing antsy at the fact that he couldn’t be at his own office discussing politics or planning missions.

“Is this how you treat all your victims?” He asked, sitting in a chair in front of her desk. He waited for her response, hearing a small sigh escape her lips as she looked up at him from her paperwork.

“My victims don’t make it this far. You’d be tied to a chair naked with your throat slit if you were one, love.” She said, quickly writing something down and closing her journal. She could hear him let out a small laugh at her answer.

“Why do you keep everything in there?” He asked pointing to it. It’s edges worn from the last 10 years.

“I keep track of every letter or important interaction with my connections. It’s just in case I need it to prove something. You never know when this lifestyle will catch up to you.” She said, lighting a cigarette and checking the clock on the wall.

“You’ll get to meet Nick and John by the way. They’ll be here soon.” She said.

“Hmm” he mumbled, reading over the newspaper on her desk. The mention of the name John causing a dull pain in his chest.

“So you killed all these men aye?” He asked, pointing to the papers in a desperate attempt to hide the pain.

“Yes.” She said, getting up to grab her knife.

“You going to kill me now? After all we’ve been through...” He said jokingly.

“No. I was going to practice throwing. Have you tried it?” She asked, twirling the knife as she walked towards him.

“I’m better with guns.” He said.

“Oh, well this is more fun. Watch.” She said, sitting in her chair and aiming for the dartboard on her wall in the distance.

“Normally you’d be standing but I’ve learned to do it sitting over the years. Helps me think while I’m working.” She said, aiming and hurling it towards the bullseye.

“Almost knocked Jays head off the other day. It’s shame I didn’t.” She said, retrieving it from the board.

He smirked as he observed her, mentally noting how she threw it with good form while sitting but even better form while standing, thinking of how she could come in handy when he needed to take down various people at a distance.

“Have you ever hit a moving target with them?” He asked as she picked up another knife.

As if on cue, Nick and John walked in, neglecting to announce themselves once again.

She quickly hit Nick in the shoulder as he walked in and John in the leg, both hits making them yell out in pain.

“To answer your question, yes.” She said walking over to them with hand towels as they struggled.

“Jesus fucking christ boss why’d you fucking knife us?” John yelled.

“I’ve told you both a thousand times to knock before coming in. I have a guest here.” She said, the men followed her gaze to Thomas who was standing with his hands resting behind his back.

“Where’s Jay? He should’ve been here by now.” John asked, shoving the towel onto his leg.

“He betrayed me.” She said. Their faces paled as she looked down at their wounds, getting up to retrieve a sewing kit.

“Drink this cuz it will hurt.” She said, as she stitched their wounds closed. Thomas watched silently from afar as she went about her business.

“If you want to see for yourselves, you can go to his apartment. Me hitting you both was a warning.” She said, her eyes boring into theirs as she lowered her tone.

“Have you both been going behind my back?” She asked.

“N-no...we would never. We’ve just been keeping an eye on things like you told us to.” Nick said, looking nervously at her when she touched his arm, his heart rate increasing as she came closer.

“Next time anyone decides to betray me I’ll do more than just throw a knife at you. Is that understood?” She asked, getting up and throwing the towels in the fire, Nick gazing at her as she walked away.

“Yes ma’am.” They both answered as they composed themselves. Thomas on the other hand was quietly dealing with the noise in his head as her voice snapped him out of his daze.

“Now, I want you to meet Mr. Shelby. He’s the one I’ve assigned you to, as you both know.”

Isla retreated back to her desk as Thomas introduced himself, her mind racing as well but instead of noise, it was over the plans she’d slept on for weeks.

“I’ve called you all here because usually I’d tell you where our next hit was. But today I wanted to discuss our protections in place and the plans for the rally. You see...Jay outed me to a member of Mosley’s party. Therefore, one of his men followed me to Small Heath and tried to attack me all because Jay tipped him off and got a little too acquainted at Mr. Shelby’s shop. For protections sake, I’m going to need both of your all’s full cooperation for this to go smoothly, because I only have you two and our small band of connections left. Is that clear?” She asked, as they sat down at her desk, Thomas standing near her as she stared them down. His gaze settling on Nick as he’d noticed him staring at her.

“Yes.” John said, and Nick nodded along, avoiding her gaze.

“Very well. So, the plan is for you two to continue keeping watch, not so much for information but for protection now. Mr. Shelby and his family may as well be in the same amount of danger as we are so we have to do all we can to keep each other safe. If you suspect something, I want you to contact one of us. I don’t care if it’s by phone this time, just use the payphones around town. Our plan is to then have some of the blinders stand guard here and around where we usually go for business with our clients. This way we can all have someone near at all times. Do you have a problem with that gentlemen?” She asked, lighting another cigarette.

They shook their heads no as she gathered a map and various pages and spread them out on her desk. Thomas quirked an eyebrow as he examined it, wondering how she came in possession of such a thing.

“Good. Now before I let you both go, I wanted to get a plan set in motion for the big rally. What have you both found out so far?” She asked.

“Well uh, it’s been confirmed that he’s having it at Cheltenham. Heard a bunch of those bastards talking about it when we snuck into a meeting the other day. He’s expecting a big turn out, bigger than the previous rally.” Nick said.

“You’re essentially working with him Mr. Shelby, do you think we’d be able to take him out?” John asked.

“We’ll have to. He’ll help bring us into another war if he’s not stopped soon.” He said bluntly, remembering that night when he felt the world crash around his shoulders as he watched men he cared about get stabbed and shot to death amongst the crowd of people, the screams of everyone filling the room as he watched his brother Arthur almost bleed out from behind the stage. The cool metal of his gun grazing his temple as he yelled into the moonlit fields, thinking his only way to end the madness, the heartache, and this insatiable power struggle would be to end it all at once. Luckily, for him and his family he didn’t pull the trigger though, as he realized his time on earth wasn’t quite finished yet.

Isla’s voice pulled him back to reality as she spoke, pointing at the map.

“You worked in the tunnels right?” She asked, her eyes going from cold and calculated to a slight bit concerned as he stood there staring where she pointed.

“I did. Why?” He asked.

“I was telling them that we may need men down below. There’s tunnels used for moving equipment and things so you don’t have to worry about digging. But they lead straight to where the back of the stage is.” She said, pointing to the light outline on the drawing.

“Alright. I’ll have a couple of my men in the tunnels. What about you aye where are you going to be?” He asked.

“Wherever you are.” She said. It pained him to hear her answer, knowing last time he had people following his lead, he watched them die or come remarkably close to it.

“Alright, well what’s the tracks security looking like? Can we get in through the back?” He asked.

“I wouldn’t. They’ll have security there too, we’ve seen it.” Nick said.

“I could work around that...” Isla said, twirling her pen as she cringed at the thoughts flashing in her mind. Remembering a few perilous nights spent trying to get information.

“You don’t have to seduce them.” Nick said, looking down at his hands. His eyes avoiding hers as he swallowed hard.

“I was going to have to resort to it at some point...why not go out with a bang?” She asked smirking.

“Jesus...” Thomas said, rubbing a hand over his tired face.

“What? I know it’s not the best part of the plan but it may be our only shot considering how things went last time.” She said looking at Thomas, never failing to mention how he came just short of killing Mosley himself.

“You don’t know what he’ll do.” Thomas said, putting the last of his cigarette out.

“He doesn’t look like the nicest person boss, I-I wouldn’t risk it. You don’t have to do that.” Nick said softly, his eyes sheepishly looking down as she looked at him.

“I’m doing what I can, don’t worry about me. I’ll use that as my last resort alright? We can’t afford to have anyone slip away. Mosley has around 30 members left here, unless he somehow gains a massive following in the next few days.” She said, her eyes scanning the map and floor plan of the racetrack.

Meanwhile, Nick stole a glance at her, quietly admiring her intelligence. He never told her how he felt, knowing she’d probably chop his head off all the same, but he kept his attraction hidden as he watched with sad eyes as Thomas stood by her, knowing they’d been doing more than writing letters back and forth.

“So...say we actually make it in through the back. What’s the next steps then? Do we just bloody shoot him and resort to her plan if it doesn’t work? It’ll cause chaos if we go in there on a killing spree.” John remarked, breaking the silence.

“Some of the blinders will be in the tunnels, and some will be in the two corners where his followers will enter. The area where his party members will be is the tricky part though because that’s around where all our main targets are. In these documents, they noted where they’ll sit just in case an attempt on Mosley’s life is made again. For this reason, I’m hiring some of my connections to stand in as fascists in the crowd, here.” She said pointing to a slew of seats near the front of the stage.

“When and if things get tense, we’ll have snipers in various areas ready to go. They’ll be setting up the night before to avoid any of his men seeing them. If all goes according to plan, Mr. Shelby will enter with me through the back and you two will follow. After that, it would be wise to wait him out.” She said.

“Why would we wait him out?” Nick asked.

“Because he may be running late.” She said, pulling out his pocket watch from her desk.

“Where the hell did you get that?” Thomas asked.

“Turns out, not only was the man who followed me to the Garrison trying to kill me, he apparently was Mosley’s little errand boy. After rummaging through his pockets I found his watch and a crumpled receipt in Mosley’s name from a repair shop. He’ll probably realize it’s gone and go mad looking for it. In the off-chance that he leaves his room to look for it, this would probably be our best shot at taking him out before it starts....You got rid of that mans body though didn’t you?” She asked, looking up at Thomas.

“Yes. They won’t find a thing.” He said, sitting down on the edge of her sofa.

The men looked at her with bewildered expressions. She herself even doubted her plan slightly, but she was never one for doing things according to plan anyways.

“Look...I’m not saying it’s foolproof, but this could cause a distraction and every second counts. We’ll all be in the same area as Mosley if we get there early. If we can take down some of the members before it starts, we can pick off the lot at random times to avoid suspicion. If we can’t get him before it starts, we’ll wait him out and continue with everyone else. If he starts getting suspicious, I’ll resort to seducing the bastard, but if that fails...we’ll just have to resort to chaos.” She said.

“Did they mention how many of his members will be in the stands watching?” Thomas asked.

“10, that leaves 20 of his other members elsewhere, so that’s where our people come in.” She said, circling Mosley’s dressing room and their point of entry, along with the areas where everyone will be on the paper.

“What if this doesn’t work?” Nick asked.

“Then we’ll die. Just keep an eye out and do your job. If you can take his men out in broad daylight you can surely take some out at night aye?” Thomas said, remembering how he had to reassure people before running through trenches and digging tunnels, the scraping of shovels still playing on loop in the back of his mind.

“Alright...what’s the pay then? We may not even come back from this so it better be good.” John said, crossing his arms in his seat.

“Double what I paid you last time, you’ll also receive a part of Jays last paycheck since he won’t be needing it where he’s going.” She said, putting everything except her map away.

“Really?” Nick asked.

“Does it look like I would lie to you?” She asked, looking him in the eye softly, glancing at both of the puncture wounds on their bodies.

“No ma’am. When are we to meet that day?” Nick asked, getting up from his chair and wincing as he moved his arm.

“It won’t be until evening but I’ll brief everyone around 5 and then we’ll head out at 7.” She said before waving them off. Once the door was shut she sighed in relief.

“Jesus fucking christ this better work...Do you think it’s a stupid plan?” She asked, pouring herself a glass of whiskey.

“Not entirely. I just can’t lose more people.” He said.

“When did you ever care about losing people?” She asked, pointedly.

His eyes met hers in a quick glance, with his jaw clenching as he got up.

“I never wanted them to die you know.” He said, pouring himself a shot.

“Who? Aberama?” She asked, remembering his demise.

“No. All of them. The ones I cared about. If you’d like me to go in order...” He trailed off, taking a swig of the whiskey.

“Please do.” She said, not realizing she signed up for a lecture.

“It started off with my mother, whom I still see in the mirror everyday when I look at myself. Then a woman named Greta whom I loved before the war. And then there were the men in France whom I’d seen blown in half by grenades and buried alive in tunnels...” He said, walking towards her.

“Is that-“ She started to say as he took her hand in his and placed it on his chest. His heart was beating firmly against her palm as he continued.

“After that, my friends who’d served and came back with me passed, then my first wife Grace was killed. Not long after that my brother John was shot, and recently there was our beloved hitman and his son...and almost myself.” He said, his eyes looking at the brown liquid in his glass as he stepped away from her. The reflection of himself reminding him of a monster.

“Thomas...” She said walking over to him and taking his hand slowly.

“I have blood on my hands that I can’t wash off Isla. I can only be of so much use until someone I love dies because of me.” He said, walking over to the window, the daylight streaming in and illuminating the room in a yellow glow.

“You didn’t pull the trigger on them Thomas. You may have planned something for them to do, but you didn’t take their life. You may have been there for some of them when they needed you, but you didn’t kill them, love. You can’t hold yourself to that.” She said, walking up behind him and taking his hand once more.

“I almost shot myself in the fields at my own fucking house. Good thing I didn’t do that aye?” He asked, wiping a stray tear from his face as he turned around.

“I’m glad you didn’t. Who else would I have gone to for help? Who else would I have here with me?” She asked.

“You don’t need me though. You have everything under control here. You don’t need me...” He said, looking into her eyes.

“I may not need you here...but I want you here. There’s a difference.” She said, cupping the side of his face with her hand and gently pulling him to her, planting a soft kiss on his lips.

“What?” She asked, as she saw him smirk as they pulled away from each other.

“I can think of one person who wouldn’t mind having you.” He said.

“Who?” She asked.

“You’re own little errand boy. Nick...if that’s even his real name.” He said.

She smirked and shook her head gently, never noticing until now that he’d been more agreeable than John since she’d hired them, and how he’d never failed her, not once.

“He should’ve said something then. I would’ve had two lovers aye?” She said, giggling as Thomas pulled her closer.

“I’m just joking, he’s great for business, but I only have my eyes on one man...besides Mosley of course.” She said, cringing internally.

“Who’s that?” He said, his hands snaking their way onto her hips.

“You.” She said, kissing him once more before breaking away.

“What are you doing?” Thomas asked as she pulled away, watching her gather things at her desk.

“I’m putting this stuff away because we have to get going. I have to get you back. Your family will think I’ve kidnapped you.” She said, locking her drawer and grabbing her coat and purse.

“I thought I was trapped here.” He said, crossing his arms.

“I’ve changed my mind now that I’ve met you.” She joked, thinking back to their first real conversation.

“I’ll drive you back to your shop. Besides someone like me wanting you, I can only imagine how wanted you are back at home by now.” She said.

“Alright. You know I’ll be back though.” He said, following her out the door.

“I wouldn’t doubt it.” She said, walking hand in hand with him out to her car. The busy street bustling with people as they quickly got in.

As she drove, there was a comfortable silence, the sun streaming in as she coasted along various roads. Both of them lost in thought as she neared his shop.

“Does your family really know what we’re doing?” She asked, before he got out.

“Yes. My family is what makes up this business so they have to know. I’ll be bringing it up tonight, I’ll let you know how it goes.” He said before getting out of the car and walking quickly into the shop. She scanned the road behind her and observed the people milling around the dark muddy streets, hoping none of them were Mosley’s party members. She slowly drove away, her eyes looking through the rear view mirror every couple of minutes as her paranoia grew.

When she neared her apartment, she looked around once more, parking by a pay phone to call her various connections. Knowing one man in particular would love nothing more than to aide in taking out fascists.

“Alfie? It’s “I.” I know you never get calls from me but it’s urgent. I have a plan.” She said, her heart racing as she waited for his gravely voice to roar over the phone.

“Right, so you want me to almost get killed again? To help you and little Tommy out aye? Well...he’s a bit dumb ya know. He’s taken lots of hits to the head over the years. I’ll help you...but I can’t give you all me men, love.” He said.

“I know. I’ll pay you back for taking all those flower sacks last month how about that? I’ll give you the same pay as I would Tommy for all your efforts though, it’s a lot of money.” She said.

“It’s a damn shame he didn’t kill the fucker the first time innit? I guess I’ll accept, but after this I’m going back to Margate, love.” He said, she could hear Cyril barking in the background.

“It’ll work out, I promise. Give Cyril some kisses for me aye?” She asked.

“Alright, say....if Tommy gives you trouble you know where to find me. He’s always been bad with women.” He said.

“Goodbye Alfie.” She said, rolling her eyes as she hung up and made her way home.

As the day gradually came to a close, she sat in her office, racking her brain for how she’d take down his men. She had her gun and a plethora of knives, but as the gears in her mind shifted, she felt she was lacking something bigger. Something that could really make a statement if need be. Something...explosive.

“Shelby Company Limited, this is Polly speaking.” She heard his aunts voice say over the phone.

“I’d like to speak to Mr. Shelby, please.” She said hesitantly, not wanting to reveal her name.

“Who’s calling?” She asked.

“I.” She said quickly, fumbling with the mail in her hand.

“Oh...one moment.” She said, hearing the line buzzing.

At the shop, Polly set the phone down and marched to his office, knocking harshly.

“Come in.” He said, noticing the disapproving look on her face.

“You have a call. I don’t know if it’s some whore you’ve been with or that writer but she said her name is “I.” Sounds awfully suspicious to me.” She said, her patience wearing thin with Thomas ever since her fiancé’s death.

“Put her through, I’ll take care of it.” He said, flicking his hand at her so she’d leave.

“Hello? Isla?” He asked, the phone shaking in his hand as his tremors set in slightly.

“I didn’t tell her anything. Wasn’t sure who to call though. I have a question.” She said.

“Alright? What is it?” He asked, frustrated that he’d been tore away from his work.

“Do you have any machine guns or hand grenades by any chance?” She asked.

“Why in the hell would you need those?” He asked.

“Just in case.” She said, hanging up quickly.

Thomas put the phone down and sighed, knowing he’d have to go to the warehouse instead of straight home.

“Oi! Where are you going?” Arthur asked, walking in just as Thomas prepared to leave.

“I’m going to need your help. Come with me.” He said, taking Arthur by the arm and dragging him out the door.

The two of them walked out of the office, leaving Polly and Michael to their own devices amongst the plethora of workers. Finn had been rarely seen at the shop, constantly running off with girls or doing Johns old tasks when he wasn’t snorting cocaine with Isiah.

“She’s insane Tom. Are you really bringing her machine guns and grenades?” He asked.

“Yes. She’s our only chance at ending this whole thing. I haven’t done all this for nothing Arthur. Tonight I’m holding a family meeting about all of this.” He said as they parked near the warehouse. Charlie and Curly greeted them as they made their way through the piles of dirt and scrap metal to the locked doors.

“About what Tom? Killing Mosley?” He asked, as he picked the lock.

“Mhmm. We have a plan.” He said, shoving the doors open as Arthur sighed, looking around the room they hadn’t been to in months.

[fandom-necromancer]

1302. I thought we were friends.

This was prompted by an amazing anon! Don’t worry, it sounds like an AU at first but it isn’t! Enjoy!

Fandom: Detroit become human | Ship: Reed900

‘Yeah, yeah, of course you got the smug face right!’, Gavin laughed, sitting legs crossed on Elijah’s desk. The boy stood proudly next to the android, who consisted mostly of skeletal metal. Only the face and hands were moulded with plastic, as they were working on the gestures at the moment. The walk and run cycle had been finished by now, as well as a rudimentary software for analysing situations, emotions and reacting to them. The most recent one had been learning, but Elijah had restricted that to simple tasks for now. At Gavin’s comment, he frowned and scratched his stubble he had grown ever since it didn’t look like total shit. Gavin never stopped to tease him about it. ‘Oh, come on, I worked hours on that, Gav!’ ‘Yeah, I know! And it looks really good. But it’s so you to get the smug expression right and fail with a smile.’ ‘Okay, fine, point taken.’ ‘Maybe if you didn’t pull all-nighters all the time, you would actually smile and practise it yourselves!’ ‘Ugh, Gavin, if you build an android I’m sure he could curse like a sailor and all he could do is complain.’ ‘Yeah, maybe. You gonna drive me to school or no?’ ‘Of course. Gat your things, I’ll just send him to sleep real quick.’ Gavin nodded and ran upstairs to gather his things. Five minutes later they were in the car. ‘Promise me, you get some sleep yourselves, Eli?’, he asked. His brother laughed. ‘Other than a Reed, a Kamski never sleeps.’ ‘It would do you some good, though. You are no robot. Besides, I want to be there when you continue working on him.’ ‘Fine, I’ll try to get some sleep too. You know it’s a bit more difficult for me to enter stasis than it is for RA900, right?’ ‘Just try, a few hours are better than nothing.’ ‘Hey, you already had me at I’ll try!’, Elijah laughed, ruffling his hair. ‘But only if you try to talk to at least one person! Ask for a pen or something, I don’t know.’ Gavin deflated. ‘I knew there was a hidden cost. Okay, you sleep more than three hours, I’ll talk to someone. Deal.’ ‘Good’, Elijah nodded, squeezing his brother’s arm. I’ll be home waiting for you and then we can work on him together! Have a nice day.’

-

As Gavin sat in the bus to drive home again, he was excited. He hoped Elijah had kept his promise, because he had talked to someone and it was awkward as hell, but at least didn’t end in a fight. It was a win for him and he could finally focus on what he hadn’t stopped thinking about all day: Their android project. ‘Hi Gavin, your meal is in the fridge! You’ll just need to reheat it and you’re good to go!’, his mom called from the living room. The boy left his bag at the door and went to the kitchen. ‘I’ll go eat with Elijah, okay?’, he screamed back, knowing they normally wanted him to eat with them. ‘Oh, your brother isn’t home at the moment’, his mother told him, having come to the kitchen too. ‘Amanda visited and wanted to show him something at the lab. I’m sure he’ll be back in the evening. Why don’t you come sit with us?’ Gavin was deeply disappointed but didn’t want to show too much. He loved his mother and it would make her sad to see him like that. ‘Oh, yeah sure, I’m coming.’

-

After he had finished eating, he went down to the cellar to do his homework and wait for Eli. He had promised to wait for him. Gavin knew he was learning a lot of new things with Mrs. Stern, but lately he seemed to be gone far more than he was home. He missed his brother, missed playing with him. Building his robots together was something Gavin used to stay connected, faring the day he would inevitably leave. Gavin didn’t have a lot of friends. Or any at all. He felt like he didn’t need them, not when he had his brother, but now he was alone. And he didn’t like that.

‘This is for you’, a robotic voice spoke up next to him. Gavin looked up from where he had sat staring at a closed chemistry book. The robot showed his weird smile, not the real thing and yet still close enough. They were still working on it, after all, and smiles are difficult. He held up a flower made from copper wire. Eli would without doubt curse later he left the creative learning program online and lost most of his material to it. ‘Why?’, Gavin asked, not taking it. ‘You look sad.’ Gavin sighed, turning around. He wasn’t really up for company, still mad at Eli. ‘RA900, please go back to your station’, he said sounding tired. The android retracted his hand, scanning the wire-flower. ‘You don’t like it? I can make another one.’ ‘What? No, I… Just go.’ ‘Did I do something wrong, Gavin?’, the android asked. ‘Jesus Christ, just go, you stupid tin-can!’, Gavin shouted, frustrated at the day that had started so well. The android staggered back. A reaction Gavin had influenced Elijah with. ‘I thought we were friends’, he said, and Gavin could practically hear the social module speaking to him. ‘Just phck off!’

It was around eight o’clock as the front door opened. It was distant, but Gavin had sharp ears and the cellar was quiet. It didn’t took much more time for Elijah to come down to the cellar. ‘Gavin, I’m so sorry, but Amanda came and I didn’t want to call you as you were in class at the moment and then I had no time and-‘ ‘It’s fine’, Gavin said, not wanting to look at his brother. ‘But you have to stop.’ ‘What?’ ‘You have to stop with these androids.’ ‘The hell are you talking about, Gavin?’ ‘Eli, you are constantly out, you sleep far too little and you are putting all your time into these machines. That can’t be the life you wish for! What happened to us? Also, they are getting too real! You are not trying to build robots; you are trying to replace people!’ Elijah shook his head, not really following Gavin’s train of thought. He had just gotten here; Gavin had a whole day to think it over. His only option was to get defensive: ‘What the hell do you mean? I worked hard for this. I certainly won’t stop now. What happened?’ Gavin stood; his anger now evident. ‘Your dumb robot came to me. You know we planned working together on them, but no, you decided to phck off to play chess with your nerds or something and guess what, the machine came up to me because I was lonely!’ Eli frowned, then grinned. ‘Brilliant! Then the code works!’ ‘The wha- Of course it works, but that’s beside the point, I-‘ ‘You were lonely and he offered company. Gavin that is a breakthrough!’ ‘Eli, yes it worked. But I was lonely because real people, the people that matter weren’t there. You can make them as human as you want, but you’ll never replace the real thing. Humanity is lonely enough with constant competition instead of companionship and all the hate in the world. We don’t need puppets to give us the love we want. We need humanity to change!’ Elijah shook his head. ‘Gavin what the hell are you talking about? Hate in the world? Since when do you care for that? I thought you out of all people were smarter than that. You are one of these lonely people. You don’t have any friends at school, and you fail to get to know new people. You are so dependent on me as your brother being there for you you forget that I’ll be gone someday. I’m giving people like you the chance to not live their miserable life sad and alone. Let the real people out there find happiness with each other and I give your kind the love and companionship they need with my machines. I’m doing good out there. I don’t know why you can’t understand this!’

Gavin stared at his brother, letting the words set in in the total silence. He shook his head close to tears and in the end he turned and ran away to hide them. ‘Gavin, wait, what-‘ He couldn’t run to his room because his parents would see him and there would without doubt be another fight he didn’t need on top of this. So, he tried to keep quiet and wait next to the stairs leading up from the cellar. Elijah didn’t come out of his room to follow him and apologize. In fact Gavin could hear the music being turned up.

He hadn’t thought Eli had the ability to be so cruel. Had this been what he had thought since the beginning? That he was broken, just because he couldn’t read expressions and was too scared to misstep to even try? Had his brother, the one person he had always trusted and knew he could tell anything, betrayed him? He couldn’t take it. He had done so much, his brother had been his idol. He studied forever to understand math and physics and chemistry, subjects that were so difficult to him. But he wanted to help his brother and understand what he told him, wanted to be useful. For what? To be told he was a lesser being? No. Phck all of this. Phck Eli, phck his studies, phck school and phck life. He would suffer through school and be out of this household the first chance. Maybe there really was a difference being a Kamski or being a Reed.

His breathing had calmed down and he was ready to wipe his tears away with the cold determination he felt at heart. Only to hear the damned plastic talk in the distance: ‘That was cruel. Your brother is in distress, Elijah. You caused this reaction. You should apologise.’ ‘Shut up, I won’t do anything like that. He shouldn’t doubt my creation.’ ‘His thought process, though subjective, is reasonable.’ ‘Shut up!’ ‘Your relationship could suffer greatly if no measures are taken.’ ‘Listen, RA900, if you don’t obey my commands immediately, I will take measures to force you to.’ ‘I am only following protocol to ensure the humans around me are  happy. Your brother was unhappy the whole day since discovering you left without notice.’ ‘Okay, that’s it. No more free will for you, you damn know-it-all!’

-

Gavin rarely thought about his brother now. But the precinct was calm and silent and there was not a lot to do for him. After the revolution the army had taken over, bringing order to chaos and now that the police were back in charge people still were too afraid to go out much. The pictures of androids being shot in the streets and transported to camps were still ingrained in their minds.

The androids on the other hand had gotten their rights as equals, using that new freedom now to full extend. Goddamn rotten idiotic machines, fakes, gotten rights as human beings. Connor, the people-pleasing phck that had less personality than a navigation system was officially a human now. And everyone loved him. Gavin eyed the machine standing in a crowd of people congratulating him for being back and encouraging him he would have their help if he needed anything. They were laughing and smiling and grinning and there was friendly physical contact and… When was the last time he had been smiled at? When was the last time he had been touched deliberately and with care? His frequent one-night stands didn’t count, they were just there to satiate a need, nothing more.

‘Reed! To my office!’ The damn party crowd didn’t even hear Fowler. No one turned their head to neither the Captain nor him. Gavin couldn’t be bothered being ignored. At least that he knew how to react to. He quickly evaded the people gathering in the bullpen and made a beeline to the glass office. He hoped for some case to keep him out of the building. Hell, he would gladly look at a dead, decaying body instead of the smiling faces of these people.

‘What do you have for me Captain?’, he asked, deliberately ignoring the invitation to sit down on the chairs in front of him. ‘Bad news for you: A partner.’ ‘Oh, please, no. Anything but that.’ ‘An android partner.’ ‘Good to know fate still hates me’, he mumbled. ‘A RK900, prototype, soldier model. It is deviant, but don’t expect too much of a personality.’ Gavin groaned, cursing every decision he ever made to get to this point. ‘Don’t worry’, Fowler tried to appease him. ‘You’ll only have it for a few days, then I’ll transfer it to someone better suited with…  people.’ Gavin swallowed his feelings and the comment that laid on his tongue, just like he always did. Just ignore it, if everyone decides you behave a certain way, own it and rock it. ‘Quick thinking, Captain. Can’t wait till I get rid of this thing already.’ He nodded and only then realised there had been another presence in the office. A tall, heavy looking Connor. White jacket instead of grey and tiny differences in facial structure.

Well shit.

The reason he hadn’t noticed it any earlier had been that the huge form somehow excellently huddled into a dark corner as if it wasn’t the tallest person in the room. Now it stepped up to him, but kept its hands tightly clutched in front of it. No handshake then. Fine with Gavin. ‘Get a move on’, he sighed, sounding deliberately disinterested. He walked down the row of desks, sat down at his own, knocked on the one opposite of his for the android and started up his terminal. A few days with a robot by his side would be okay, he knew how to ignore people. Had been his talent from the very beginning.

‘I… I…’ Gavin looked up. Was this the android? It looked down on his hands having sat down on the other chair, refusing to make eye contact. ‘I… I… I…’ It started over and over again, making Gavin think whether this was a malfunction of some sort. ‘You?’ The android flinched. Hard. Why was that even possible? The android pressed his eyes close, LED red. Then he blurted out: ‘Fowler is wrong!’ Gavin chuckled, leaning back in his chair. ‘Little boot-licker, or why’s that so difficult to say?’ ‘N-No!’ The android nodded when the word finally left his mouth. ‘I… I… I…’ ‘Would you phcking hurry up, tin-can, I don’t have all day.’ ‘I have personality!’ He looked up, watching out for any reaction. Gavin just shrugged. ‘I don’t care.’ ‘Y… You don’t understand! People say that all the time, that I’m fake or not deviant or weird or that I don’t have a personality, but I have!’ ‘Good for you’, Gavin said bored to shit. ‘But I really don’t care.’ ‘I was never designed to stand up for myself, but I will, if someone diminishes me like that!’ ‘Didn’t see that up there.’ He pointed his finger to the glass cube. ‘Just saying.’ ‘Be-Because he’s authority! I can’t get on his bad side!’ ‘Listen, tin-can’, Gavin sighed, leaning forwards, acknowledging the android once and planning to never again do this again. ‘I really don’t care what your personality is, who you are and what problems you have. To me all of you are fake because I saw you being invented with my own two eyes. I know exactly you run on code and learn from it. You may look and sound human, maybe even act human, but you are not human. You are machines. And I don’t care what conflict your directives order on you, but I. Don’t. Care. You’ll be gone soon anyways, so tell that to someone who wants to hear it and baby you up about it as if you were real.’ ‘That was cruel. You should apologise.’

That was cruel. You should apologise. How on earth…

‘Excuse me, what?!’, Gavin spat, not sure if he should be mortified or furious. ‘What you said wasn’t nice. You should apologise.’ ‘Of course it wasn’t nice, that’s the entire reason I said it!’, he spat at the android. ‘Humans…’ ‘What did you just say to me?’ ‘You humans are all the same. Before the revolution, afterwards, you are all the same. You never change. You are cruel, you never accept someone different. As long as someone is human made of flesh and bone you stand together. But as soon as someone is different, you look down on them and think less of them. Maybe I am fake. Maybe I am built and invented and maybe my thoughts are just code. I’m still a person who demands respect. Because maybe I’m not human, but I’m definitely human enough!’

Gavin sat there, painfully reminded that that were exactly his thoughts all these years ago. When Elijah had called him broken. Was he really that different from his brother? Seeing someone who had more difficulties than himself and deciding they were weaker because of that? Less worth? It couldn’t be, right? He would never be like Elijah, because he could never be this cruel. He was right with his thinking, wasn’t he? An android couldn’t be equal to a human. Never. They were too different. He was right, this was just another fake pretending to be human and there was no such thing as being cruel as there were no real feelings to be hurt. He looked at the android, who had gone back to looking at his hands and did something he hadn’t done in a long time: Read the person in front of him. He took his time to really look at him and piece together what he had learned from experience, because he had never been as good at that as any other person he met. And what he saw made him feel guilty. Maybe fake feelings could be hurt just as much as real feelings could. Maybe it was just as painful.

‘I’m sorry.’ The android looked up, surprised. ‘What?’ ‘I’m sorry for what I’ve said’, he repeated. ‘Whatever I think of you should not have been a reason to hurt you by saying it. We can’t stop our thoughts, but we can correct our actions.’ Silence followed. Uncomfortable Silence. A silence Gavin wanted to ignore by simply turning to his terminal and getting to work. The android would be gone soon anyways, so why care about what he said and why and how much it would have an impact on the thing? This would just be another reason for others to get at him again. He already regretted saying his mind and showing his self he had successfully buried so deep even he forgot it existed at times.

‘Thank you.’ There was a small smile, lopsided and imperfect, looking much like RA900s all these years ago. ‘You are the first to ever apologize.’ ‘That shouldn’t be so surprising’, Gavin mumbled, really wanting to end this conversation. ‘Maybe not. But people rarely do that.’ ‘Yeah, well, phck people’, he said with too much emotion than he would have liked. The android chuckled. ‘Well at least we can agree on that.’ ‘You should get to work, tin-can.’

[orthodoxydaily]

Saint&Reading: Tue., Nov. 3, 2020

Commemorated on October 21_Julian Calendar

The Monk  Hilarion the Great

     The Monk Ilarion the Great was born in the year 291 in the Palestinian village of Tabath. He was sent for study to Alexandria, where he became acquainted with Christianity and accepted holy Baptism. Hearing an account of the angelic life of the Monk Anthony the Great (Comm. 17 January), Ilarion set out to him, in order to study that which is pleasing to God. Ilarion soon returned to his native-land. His parents had already died. Having distributed his familial inheritance to the poor, Ilarion set out into the wilderness surrounding he city of Maium. The monk struggled intensely with impure thoughts, vexations of the mind and the burning of the flesh, defeating them with heavy toil, fasting and fervent prayer. The devil sought to terrorise the saint with phantoms and apparitions. During times of prayer Saint Ilarion heard children crying, women wailing, and the growling of lions and other wild beasts. The monk perceived that it was the demons causing these terrors, in order to drive him away from the wilderness, and therefore he overcame his fear with the help of fervent prayer.

     One time robbers fell upon the Monk Ilarion, and he by the power of his words persuaded them to forsake the life of crime.

     Soon all Palestine learned about the holy ascetic. The Lord vouchsafed to the Monk Ilarion the power to cast out unclean spirits. With this graced gift he loosed the bounds of many of the afflicted. The sick came for healing, and the monk cured them free of charge, saying, that the grace of God is not for sale. By means of smell the saint learned with which passion this or that man was afflicted. And they came to the Monk Ilarion wanting to save their soul under his guidance. With the blessing of the Monk Ilarion, monasteries began to spring up throughout all of Palestine. Going from one monastery to another, he set in them a strict ascetic manner of life. About seven years before his death (+ 371-372) the Monk Ilarion resettled to Cyprus, where he asceticised in a solitary place, until the Lord summoned him to Himself.

© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Jano

Luke 9:44-50

44 Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying. 46 Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him,48 and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great."49 Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."50But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

Colossians 2:20-3:3

20Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why,as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations- 21 Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle, 22 which all concern things which perish with the using-according to the commandments and doctrines of men?23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

1st April >> Mass Readings (USA)

Maundy Thursday - Evening Mass

   and

Chrism Mass.

Maundy Thursday - Evening Mass

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Here are the readings for the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper):

First Reading

Exodus 12:1–8, 11–14

The law regarding the Passover meal.

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall stand at the head of your calendar; you shall reckon it the first month of the year. Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this month every one of your families must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household. If a family is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join the nearest household in procuring one and shall share in the lamb in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it. The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish. You may take it from either the sheep or the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present, it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight. They shall take some of its blood and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel of every house in which they partake of the lamb. That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

   “This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, you shall eat like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the LORD. For on this same night I will go through Egypt, striking down every firstborn of the land, both man and beast, and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD! But the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thus, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you.

   “This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.”

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 116:12–13, 15–16bc, 17–18

R/ Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.

How shall I make a return to the LORD    for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up,    and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

R/ Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.

Precious in the eyes of the LORD    is the death of his faithful ones. I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;    you have loosed my bonds.

R/ Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.

To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,    and I will call upon the name of the LORD. My vows to the LORD I will pay    in the presence of all his people.

R/ Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 11:23–26

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters: I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation

John 13:34

I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you.

Gospel

John 13:1–15

Jesus loved them to the end.

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Master, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.” Jesus said to him, “Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all.” For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

   So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Maundy Thursday - Chrism Mass

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Here are the readings for the morning Chrism Mass):

First Reading

Isaiah 61:1–3a, 6a, 8b–9

The Lord has anointed me and sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, and to give them oil of gladness.

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,    because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,    to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives    and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the LORD    and a day of vindication by our God,    to comfort all who mourn; to place on those who mourn in Zion    a diadem instead of ashes, to give them oil of gladness in place of mourning,    a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit.

You yourselves shall be named priests of the LORD,    ministers of our God you shall be called.

I will give them their recompense faithfully,    a lasting covenant I will make with them. Their descendants shall be renowned among the nations,    and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them    as a race the LORD has blessed.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 89:21–22, 25 and 27

R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

“I have found David, my servant;    with my holy oil I have anointed him. That my hand may always be with him;    and that my arm may make him strong.”

R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

“My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him;    and through my name shall his horn be exalted. He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,    my God, the Rock, my savior!’”

R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Second Reading

Revelation 1:5–8

Christ has made us into a Kingdom, priests for his God and Father.

[Grace to you and peace] from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his Blood, who has made us into a Kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

Behold, he is coming amid the clouds,    and every eye will see him,    even those who pierced him. All the peoples of the earth will lament him.    Yes. Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation

Isaiah 61:1 (cited in Luke 4:18)

The Spirit of the LORD is upon me; for he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor.

Gospel

Luke 4:16–21

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because of which he has anointed me.

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.  Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[dailychapel]

Oh Lord, sometimes my insides feel like a battle zone, where missiles are falling too close to home. Other times I'm caught in an endless storm, with thoughts flying out of control. Confusion reigns and defeat creeps in to steal my joy. I need your peace—the deep-down-in-your-heart kind that stays with me day and night and speaks confidently into the wind. Calm my anxious spirit, Lord; all the attacking "if-only's" and "what-ifs" fill me with needless worry.

I know that trust is a big part of experiencing peace and that fear has no place in my life. Most of the things I worry about or dread don't even happen. So I'm declaring my trust in you. I'm releasing the reins of my life again and asking you to take control. I may need to pray this same prayer daily, but I'm tired of the frenzy of life that leaves my schedule and my thoughts without any margin. I need more of you, Lord, and less of me.

[Pro 30:1-9 NKJV] 1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, [his] utterance. This man declared to Ithiel--to Ithiel and Ucal: 2 Surely I [am] more stupid than [any] man, And do not have the understanding of a man. 3 I neither learned wisdom Nor have knowledge of the Holy One. 4 Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What [is] His name, and what [is] His Son's name, If you know? 5 Every word of God [is] pure; He [is] a shield to those who put their trust in Him. 6 Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. 7 Two [things] I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): 8 Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches--Feed me with the food allotted to me; 9 Lest I be full and deny [You], And say, "Who [is] the LORD?" Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.

[1Sa 30:1-31 NKJV] 1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the women and those who [were] there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried [them] away and went their way. 3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who [were] with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David's two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. 6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. 7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, "Please bring the ephod here to me." And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?" And He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake [them] and without fail recover [all]." 9 So David went, he and the six hundred men who [were] with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed [behind], who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor. 11 Then they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water. 12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 Then David said to him, "To whom do you [belong], and where [are] you from?" And he said, "I [am] a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind, because three days ago I fell sick. 14 "We made an invasion of the southern [area] of the Cherethites, in the [territory] which [belongs] to Judah, and of the southern [area] of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire." 15 And David said to him, "Can you take me down to this troop?" So he said, "Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this troop." 16 And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. 18 So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. 19 And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all. 20 Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those [other] livestock, and said, "This [is] David's spoil." 21 Now David came to the two hundred men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor. So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who [were] with him. And when David came near the people, he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, "Because they did not go with us, we will not give them [any] of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man's wife and children, that they may lead [them] away and depart." 23 But David said, "My brethren, you shall not do so with what the LORD has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us. 24 "For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part [is] who goes down to the battle, so [shall] his part [be] who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike." 25 So it was, from that day forward; he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day. 26 Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent [some] of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, "Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD"-- 27 to [those] who [were] in Bethel, [those] who [were] in Ramoth of the South, [those] who [were] in Jattir, 28 [those] who [were] in Aroer, [those] who [were] in Siphmoth, [those] who [were] in Eshtemoa, 29 [those] who [were] in Rachal, [those] who [were] in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, [those] who [were] in the cities of the Kenites, 30 [those] who [were] in Hormah, [those] who [were] in Chorashan, [those] who [were] in Athach, 31 [those] who [were] in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to rove.

[Mar 13:1-23 NKJV] 1 Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings [are here]!" 2 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not [one] stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down." 3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, 4 "Tell us, when will these things be? And what [will be] the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?" 5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 6 "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am [He],' and will deceive many. 7 "But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for [such things] must happen, but the end [is] not yet. 8 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These [are] the beginnings of sorrows. 9 "But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. 10 "And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11 "But when they arrest [you] and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 "Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father [his] child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 13 "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 "Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. 16 "And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 17 "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 18 "And pray that your flight may not be in winter. 19 "For [in] those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. 20 "And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. 21 "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here [is] the Christ!' or, 'Look, [He is] there!' do not believe it. 22 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 "But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

[dailybiblelessons]

The Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Revised Common Lectionary Proper 6 Roman Catholic Proper 11

Here is an explanation of the calendar of Bible lessons.

Complementary Hebrew Scripture Torah Lesson: Exodus 19:2-8a

On the third new moon after the Israelites had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day, they came into the wilderness of Sinai. They had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.¹ These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”

So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. The people all answered as one: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.”

¹Peter uses these phrases in 1 Peter 2:9, a passage about a living stone and a chosen people.

Semi-continuous Hebrew Scripture from the Torah: Genesis 18:1-15, 21:1-7

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on–since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.” Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” Then one said, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.”¹ And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?” The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, and say, ‘shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. He said, “Oh yes, you did laugh.”

The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Now Sarah said, “God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.” And she said, “Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

¹Paul quotes this verse in Galatians 4:30, part of an allegory of Hagar and Sarah. Paul quotes this verse in Romans 9:7, where he asserts that God has elected Israel. In the recounting of the near sacrifice of Isaac in Hebrews 11:17-22 this is used to show Abraham's faith.

Complementary Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness;  come into his presence with singing.

Know that the Lord is God.  It is he that made us, and we are his;  we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,  and his courts with praise.  Give thanks to him, bless his name. For the Lord is good;  his steadfast love endures forever,  and his faithfulness to all generations.

Semi-continuous Psalm 116:1-2,12-19

I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice  and my supplications. Because he inclined his ear to me,  therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

What shall I return to the Lord  for all his bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation  and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord  in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord  is the death of his faithful ones. O Lord, I am your servant;  I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.  You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice  and call on the name of the Lord¹. I will pay my vows to the Lord  in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord,  in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!

¹This verse is nearly quoted in Hebrews 13:1-16 (specifically in verse 15), which concerns service well-pleasing to God.

New Testament Epistle Lesson: Romans 5:1-8

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person–though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

New Testament Gospel Lesson: Matthew 9:35-10:8

There are parallel passages at Mark 3:13-19 and Luke 6:12-16.

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of God has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.”

Year A Ordinary 11, RCL Proper 6, Catholic Proper 11 Sunday

Selections are from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings copyright © 1995 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Unless otherwise indicated, Bible text is from New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV) copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Image Credit: The Sending of the Twelve. According to this web site, this is a fourteenth century painting, which means it is in the public domain.