#ecclesia and purpose

[igate777]

LIVING BY DIVINE DESIGN AND INTENT. PAUL, A CASE STUDY. PART 6

LIVING BY DIVINE DESIGN AND INTENT. PAUL, A CASE STUDY. PART 6

LIVING BY DIVINE DESIGN AND INTENT. PART 6 HEBREWS 3:4-5 And every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 Now Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be spoken later.… It is clear that our position of understanding and interpretation of our called assignment needs an update and upgrade to the current apostolic demand of the…

[classicsstudentsunion]

"Lyric itself is fragmentary. Lyric does not assert a thesis, a grand narrative, or a greater purpose; that is the intention of the epic, the essay, or the novel. Rather, the lyric poem is dedicated to that which is decidedly fragmentary; lyric relies on the fleeting nature of its subject matter — emotions and subjectivities — as its object of allure. Present day forms of lyric like the pop song often literally feature fragmentary elements, such as unfinished sentences and repeated words, and they still focus on subject matter that is antithetical to the larger, grander ideas of essays and novels. Present day fragments also frequently talk about the crush. Petty, “less significant” forms of desire have always existed and been depicted in literature, of course, but the terminology of the crush grants it a certain visibility that allows us to reread and reanalyze fragmentary love poetry in ways that were not prioritized in the past."

Read the full article for free here.

Want to write your own post? Ecclesia is currently accepting submissions from all undergraduate students. Click here to learn more, and to submit.

[stelladess]

Was reminiscing a bit about all the decks ive used over the years in yugioh.

Of course in the earlier days I mostly played the game with my brothers or in Kaiba the revenge, so a lot of anime character inspired decks or more of a mix mash of whatever good cards we had.

First set I bought for myself was the zombie world structure deck, because I thought red-eyes was the coolest monster. And zombies have always been a deck type I have come back to every now and then, and does hold a special place in my heart because of the relevant that Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon has to me on a sentimental level.

I remember it was on a big outing to this shopping center with my whole family when me and one of my brothers saw one place was selling yugioh cards, he bought I believe the monarch structure deck and I bought Zombie World (but I do not remember which one he bought, timeline wise and such).

Seeing red-eyes zombie dragon on the cover is a weirdly vivid memory in my mind. I also remember it was the first time I ate different kinds of dried fruit was that day.

Later on when I was getting into playing it more seriously around the time of arc-v I had a few decks I got pretty attached to, DDD, odd-eyes... and the one I stuck with for the longest, Shaddolls.

Because Shaddolls can work in so many fun different variants splashed together with other archetypes and it makes them sort of timeless in a way. I fell of the game for a while after arc-v though and only got back into it with....

The abyss storyline! So Albaz and Ecclesia and stuff, the card storyline. This one I got really into because loving the artworks and the story they depicted, dragging me back into the game and causing me to pick up master duel. So naturally I used archetypes from that, Dogmatika and Tri-brigade were both great and I did play both for a while... but the one I got really attached to was despians, who also worked well with my beloved shaddolls.

I did so many variants of despian decks around this time, but my favorite came with the tearlaments release, doing a weird hybrid shaddoll/despian/tearlament deck which was so much fun to play. It was a tossup between that and despian/bystial with me swapping between them regularly. That was probably one of my favorite formats to play in to be honest (I could not do a proper tearlament hybrid irl because a lot of the needed cards were... pricy).

All in all if I was a yugioh anime character, or I were to make an OC for a roleplay or fanfic or something, id prolly have to pick either a red-eyes zombie dragon variant, the el-shaddolls or one of the albaz fusions for "boss monster".

Probably go for zombies since the other two are connected to card storylines, which is a thing I like with the game but something that can make it a bit awkward for being a specific character´s deck in some sense. Plus I think one could do some neat things with how it is a "corrupted" red-eyes for characterization purposes, not by going for the usual "evil" association of zombies but more in a... this character is someone who has had to claw their way up to where they are, suffering so many "scars" for it. And that reflecting in their scarred and wounded ace monster. A dragon that one can say has lost its majesty but it rises back up determined no matter how many times it is struck down.

Anyway I think Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon and it´s later variants are really cool cards.

[beevean]

Predictions for Season 2 of Nocturne:

A large chunk of time will be devoted to having Alucard be a sarcastic cunt to Richter while also taking pot shots at Trevor post-mortem. Richter will also be reduced to a fanboy of his really wishing to learn more from Alucard

Tera will become Drolta's replacement and will have a sex scene with Erzebeth

Tera will likely try to turn Maria over to the dark side

Tera will probably also have a sex scene with the abbot, probably not fully consensual

Juste will angst a whole lot about his dead friends and the loss of Tera, saying that there's no point in trying anymore, only for Richter to go "fuck you old man Imma try anyway". He will most likely be moved to go back into action at one point, encouraged by Richter's actions. He will die in battle either here or at a later Season. I don't see Juste surviving the show since he basically serves no purpose other than being somewhat of a motivator (barely) for Richter, and the whole "my mentor has died so now I'm more motivated than ever" clichè is older than time.

Annette will have more moments where she fucks up but the plot doesn't recognize it

There will be some stupid explanation about how Dracula died off screen, perhaps killing himself after Lisa's death to join with her once again, pretty much as an excuse so that they can one day use Soma

Here's some off the wall predictions:

They bring back Isaac to destroy the Devil Forging Machine, with the excuse that he's prolonged his life by using magic

Hector will be vaguely mentioned as "a Devil Forgemaster who once fell in love with a vampire"

They bring Shanoa and Albus into the show, much like how the original show's Season 2 brought in Hector and Isaac and the Order of Ecclesia will be presented as some sort of secret organization working for the Church to suppress the Revolution

I vote for the lesbian sex scene, Juste dying "heroically" as he understands how cool his grandson is, and Alucard fully replacing Richter as the main protagonist. (Annette fucking up doesn't even need to be predicted :P)

They'd so be capable of bringing back Isaac for fan points (but I don't think they'll even remember Hector, gotta bully him even centuries after his death, right?). The idea that they might want to "honor" Shanoa and Albus makes me want to cry, though. No one is safe D:

[gladstones-corner]

The Gnostic Creed - A Simple Look

Welcome back! It's been a little bit since my last series of posts, but I'm rested and recharged! So now it's time to get back to the analysis and commentary.

Today, we're going to discuss Crowley's Gnostic Creed, featured in Liber XV (the Gnostic Mass). Crowley originally wrote it in 1913 during a trip to Moscow; a year later, Thelemites performed the Mass publicly for the first time in London. Since then, the Gnostic Mass (and by extension, the Creed) has become the central public ritual and declaration for Thelemites.

While I won't discuss the Mass in its entirety here (That would be a series of posts), I"ll hit the high points and then dig into the Creed.

Without further delay, let's dive in. 

The Mass and the Creed 

As previously stated, Crowley wrote the Gnostic Mass in 1913 for the Ecclesiae Gnosticae Catholicae (E.G.C.), the ecclesiastical arm of the O.T.O.

Aside from the common purposes to religious gatherings (fostering community, tradition, and culture) the Mass was written to facilitate spiritual transformation. Through this transformation, participants commune with the divine and are imparted with mystic wisdom.

Central to the Mass is the Gnostic Creed. It is a collection of beliefs and confessions that elucidates the central values of the E.G.C. and O.T.O. The Gnostic Creed is short enough to reprint here, so before getting into any commentary, here it is:  

"I believe in one secret and ineffable LORD; and in one Star in the company of Stars of whose fire we are created, and to which we shall return; and in one Father of Life, Mystery of Mystery, in His name CHAOS, the sole viceregent of the Sun upon Earth; and in one Air the nourisher of all that breaths.  And I believe in one Earth, the Mother of us all, and in one Womb wherein all men are begotten, and wherein they shall rest, Mystery of Mystery, in Her name BABALON.  And I believe in the Serpent and the Lion, Mystery of Mystery, in His name BAPHOMET.  And I believe in one Gnostic and Catholic Church of Light, Life, Love and Liberty, the Word of whose Law is THELEMA.  And I believe in the communion of Saints.  And, forasmuch as meat and drink are transmuted in us daily into spiritual substance, I believe in the Miracle of the Mass.  And I confess one Baptism of Wisdom whereby we accomplish the Miracle of Incarnation.  And I confess my life one, individual, and eternal that was, and is, and is to come.  AUMGN, AUMGN, AUMGN"

(Crowley, Liber XV) 

Let's break it down, section by section. 

The Effable Names 

CHAOS, BABALON, BAPHOMET: these are the holy names given to the mystic energies that give rise to all. To understand any single one, you must understand them all in context.

CHAOS and BABALON stand at two ends of a spectrum. CHAOS represents the primordial state--unbridled energy and movement. BABALON represents that which gives shape to CHAOS--but more than that, she is the mystery of incarnation that drives existence. BAPHOMET is the unification and transcendence of this polarity--they hold the other two in perfect balance. 

Do What Thou Wilt 

With the fundamental ideas of polarity and balance in mind, we can move to the central statement of the Creed: 

"And I believe in one Gnostic and Catholic Church of Light, Life, Love and Liberty, the Word of whose Law is THELEMA"

(Crowley, Liber XV) 

Let's start at the end. THELEMA is the central concept of Crowley's religious philosophy. It is Greek for divine "Will". To realize one's THELEMA is to discover one's true purpose, whose nature is invariably a path towards spiritual Light and eternal Life, founded upon the principles of universal Love and Liberty.

 Individuals who believe in this statement are considered part of the Gnostic Catholic Church. Let's break that down a little more.

Catholic in this case does not mean Roman Catholic. Crowley uses the archaic form, meaning Universal. Gnostic in this case emphasizes the individual experience and interaction with the divine.

Therefore, to believe in this statement is to be a part of the universalist, individualist Church that follows the law of THELEMA.

 

Other Beliefs 

The other two beliefs of the Gnostic Creed are not nearly as complicated as the first one. They are the beliefs in the Communion of Saints and the Miracle of Mass.

First, the Communion of Saints. This is a declaration of reverence for all individuals whose actions have embodied or irrevocably influenced the Thelemic path. They do not have to be Thelemic themselves, but they do need to have a contribution to humanity's evolution. Note, too, that Gnostic Saints don't need to be deceased (or even born yet) to qualify for sainthood. For a full list of Thelemic Saints, please reference this page on the Hermetic Library. 

Next, the Miracle of Mass. The Creed states this: so far as we can convert subsistence into fuel, so can we also take the grosser aspects of ourselves and convert them into spiritual enlightenment. In fact, it's all one process: 'meat and drink' are converted into energy, which contributes to our well-being, which allows us to grow. This is the secret of alchemy.

 

I Have Confessions to Make 

To round out the Gnostic Creed, there are two confessions. Think about them like this: where beliefs are theorems, confessions are postulates. They are the confessions of the Baptism of Wisdom and the Eternal Life.

The Baptism of Wisdom is heady. Essentially, it is the first realization of one's THELEMA through the activation of the Personal Genius. This doesn't mean you're immediately aware of your entire THELEMA, nor does it mean you'll avoid all struggle and pain. The Baptism of Wisdom means that you acknowledge the transcendent spiritual awareness that allows you to participate as a proactive force in your life.

The confession of Eternal Life is also heady. The Creed implies that life is both eternal and punctuated--interconnected, yet independent. This confession acknowledges the oneness inherent in all things while still recognizing the uniqueness in every individual thing. The goal here is to increase confidence in the self, while decreasing fear of the unknown.

 

The Closing Syllable 

Creeds, like prayers, benefit from a strong closing statement. In the Gnostic Creed, it's a triple AUMGN--which is actually two distinct syllables: AUM and GN.

AUM is a different phonetic spelling of the Sanskrit OM. Crowley chose this spelling because each letter in AUM has a distinct meaning: Creation (A), Sustainment (U), and Destruction (M). Together, they form the totality of existence and experience. 

The final GN is a Gnostic addition that represents Dynamism. Where Creation and Destruction are balanced opposites, Sustainment has none to offset its less savory aspects. However, GN adds the concept of Dynamism to the formula. This provides a counterbalance against the stagnation of Sustainment. As one statement, AUMGN creates an equation for spiritual transformation. 

One final note: I had a lot of trouble figuring out how to pronounce this word. It's roughly phonetic, but I thought it would be helpful to include the pronunciation here. It's OWm-GAN, where GAN makes the "gne" sound in "champagne". It takes some practice, but it's easier than it seems. 

Conclusion 

And that's it for the Gnostic Creed, at least for now! As with all of Crowley's works, there are deeper layers that warrant further discussion—but we'll cover those later. 

For now, and as always, thank you for reading. I look forward to hearing back from you all and learning your thoughts on the Creed and what it means. 

Stay safe, stay tuned; blessed be~ 

[albertfinch]

TOGETHER IN CHRIST

We all need to stay in the House of the Lord. None of us lives unto ourselves alone. We must be together in battle, and continually encouraged, trained, and nurtured in the context of OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST IN God's House.

"It's me and Jesus" has never been God's plan. The Bible uses the word "TOGETHER" 484 times:

"...let us exalt His name TOGETHER." • "Gather My saints TOGETHER unto Me..." • "We took sweet counsel TOGETHER..." • "Break forth into joy, sing TOGETHER..." • "And all that believed were TOGETHER..." • "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled TOGETHER..." • "For we are laborers TOGETHER with God..." • "Wherefore, comfort yourselves TOGETHER..." • "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves TOGETHER..." • "[God] hath raised us up TOGETHER, and made us sit together in heavenly places..."

We learn to live together as anointed servants of God. Then we'll be sitting in heavenly places. If you're not sitting together here, you're not going to be sitting together in heavenly places over there. We are God's legislative Body, the Ecclesia Jesus spoke of in Matthew 16:18, binding and loosing together to amen God's will in Heaven on earth.

One of the primary weapons of God's end-time army is the power of the WATCH.  Jesus told His disciples what to expect in our day, and He also told them what to do: "WATCH AND PRAY."

UNDERSTANDING OUR SPIRITUAL DOMINION AND AUTHORITY

He is calling each of us to corporate prayer, praise, intercession, and coming to understand and carry-out His purpose for our life.  In the Watch, we get His strategies and His intelligence for the battles we wage. We pray in harmony with Heaven to exercise the SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY He has given His Church.

The Church's destiny is to overcome. Jesus promised, "I will build My Church; and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."  We may have imperfections right now, but God's promise is that as darkness gets darker, we will arise and shine with His glory. We will be equipped with the weapon of His Word made real to our spirit and disciple those who have a lack of understanding of their Christ identity.

UNDERSTANDING WHY PRAYER IS NECESSARY

In heaven God's power is limitless, but on earth today the manifestation of His power is dependent on how much the church prays.

"And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found NONE." - Ezekiel 22:30

What is the prayer ministry of the church?  It is God telling the church what He wishes to do, so that the church on earth will pray out its accomplishment.

Whereas we continually proclaim our oneness with Christ, we develop a “Kingdom advancement” consciousness as we bear fruit that remains for His Kingdom through our Christ calling.  

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[godsofhumanity]

SUPERNATURAL 1.11 "Scarecrow" | REVIEW

okayyy!!! i am reviewing select episodes from [tumblr].com's favourite show of all time-- Supernatural!! i've watched SPN 30 trillion times, and i just started rewatching it AGAIN, and as a mythology buff, i thought it would be fun to explore the fact vs fiction of some of the episodes :)))

OVERVIEW: Sam and Dean Winchester must defeat an unnamed Vanir god who resides in an orchard and preys on young couples who have been sent as sacrifices by a creepy town.

RATING: 8/10. i liked it!!!! it wasn't unrealistic (i thought at least), the scarecrow was scary. good plot, good ending!

AVAILABLE AT: idk where u can watch this for free sorry. if you have Prime or Binge, or maybe if u live in the US u can watch it on the CW or something

all episodes // next episode

if you haven't seen spn and intend to watch, do not read below unless you want spoilers!!!!!!

if you know more about what i'm gonna write below, please feel free to share or correct me!! ^-^

THINGS I LIKED / FACTS:

good ending 👍i like that the Vanir god actually takes the old couple when he's unable to get Dean and Emily (the niece who nearly gets sacrificed).. i think it's nice because it's brutal-- the old couple didn't imagine that they would end up being the sacrifices themselves but that's the way it went, and i liked how indiscriminate the scarecrow was. he just took anybody.. it was the blood that counted.

related to this-- when the old lady said to Emily, "that's what sacrifice means... giving up something you love for the greater good." that hit really hard i think. family having to sacrifice someone they love is the MOST COMMON trope in mythical stories ever... the gods are always asking for the sacrifice of people precious; see Agamemnon, Artemis, and Iphigenia for instance.

now, i've seen this episode 5 million times, and for some reason i've always thought that the god specific in this episode was Freyr??? but upon rewatching, Freyr is never explicitly mentioned, only that the god is a Vanir.

given that the townspeople are asking for the town to be fertile and their crops to grow despite the bad weather, i think selecting a Vanir god did make sense-- the Vanir are typically associated with prosperity and wealth. Freyja & Freyr, perhaps the most well known Vanir, together are responsible for good weather, gold, peace, beauty, fertility, etc., so i think that part checked out.

ok so let's talk about sacrifice first.

blood sacrifice was central part of the Norse religion- blót was the practice of killing animals (and sometimes humans) and splattering it over people, buildings, stones, etc. to get blessings.

analysis of animal bones dating back to this time period also suggest that oxen were specifically killed at the neck so that blood could spurt out like a fountain for the purpose of blót, which i thought was pretty interesting.

now. the human sacrifice.

the Vikings didn't really keep written records of their rituals and practices, so most of what we know is gathered from Christian-era writers, and as a result, we have to take some things with a grain of salt because those writings can be biased.

but, one guy who i keep seeing is brought up is Adam of Bremen. Mr. Bremen was a German medieval chronicler in the early 11th century, and in one of his works (Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum), he writes that at the Temple of Uppsala (a large Norse temple dedicated to Thor, Odin, and Freyr):

The sacrifice is of this nature: of every living thing that is male, they offer nine heads, with the blood of which it is customary to placate gods of this sort. The bodies they hang in the sacred grove that adjoins the temple... Even dogs and horses hang there with men. (read more)

now, even though Mr. Bremen wasn't actually there to witness this, lots of people accept his version of events because they're highly detailed.. maybe the most detailed records we have of what went down for the Vikings in terms of ritual practices.

so, as far as accuracy goes so far, there isn't much about sacrificing a man and a woman together annually to appease any of the Vanir, but i don't think the idea is too far-fetched given the existence of the blót as a real tradition.

BUT. i did find something else.

Mr. Bremen also writes about a disturbing practice in which men were thrown down a well to drown alive in the hopes that townsfolk would receive wishes.

a note in Mr. Bremen's writings describes a large tree that was always in season regardless of it being Winter or Summer or Spring.. hmm...... that's a bit eerie.

Near this temple stands a very large tree with wide-spreading branches, always green winter and summer. What kind it is nobody knows. There is also a well at which the pagans are accustomed to make their sacrifices and to plunge a live man into it. If he is not found, the people’s wish will be granted.

i think this tree could be where the SPN got the idea of "if you burn down the central tree, the Vanir god will die too".

AND. there's also this idea of "if you don't make the sacrifice, your wishes won't come true".. which i think is exactly the idea that the townsfolk in this episode were following.

regarding the well sacrifices-- wells in Trelleborg, Sweden was discovered to contain the bones of both animals and children as young as 4 years old which seems to agree with Adam's account of the well ritual.

anyways. to conclude. this episode is not solid in facts, but it's not utterly ridiculous either. i think they did a decent job trying to tie fact with fiction, and of course, at the end of the day, the show intends to entertain not inform.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:

i feel like there could have been more Norse references idk.

there were markings on the central tree that Sam and Dean burned down, and i THINK that the mayor guy (Uncle Harley) had a ring that matched the runes/pattern on the tree?? but the lighting from these early episodes was so gloomy and dark it was difficult to see.

i also wish they had actually named who the scarecrow was :((

PLEASE RELEASE SOME DEVELOPMENT NOTES FROM THIS EPISODE @ SPN WRITING TEAM.

[rafealsamuel]

What America calls "Christianity" and the "Church" has almost nothing to do with what the Bible is ACTUALLY presenting to the reader! The fakeness is so far off track! Which is why we see a church BEING VICTIMIZED, being CONFUSED, being PASSIVE, and LIVING LIVES OF QUIET DESPERATION. Instead we are a force for GOOD AUTHORITY, for GOD'S AUTHORITY to manifest on this Earth.

Does it not say: "THY WILL, Heavenly Father, BE DONE here on Earth, exactly as it is fully done in Heaven" But today's church is money grubbing, sin management pathetic INVERSION of what Jesus called us to operate in. It SNUFFS OUT the real Holy Spirit. It PUTS TO SLEEP the passonate purpose you are here for. It REMOVES GRACE POWER in exchange for an institution of sin management. The devil has been effective, because we have been PASSIVE to its schemes, and mostly NEUTRALIZED the so-called church.

The devil fears the ECCLESIA - the remnant of God's real power - as that operating in a healthy way would DESTROY its Kingdom on Earth. We are here to so KNOW God and LOVE God that we are a WRECKING BALL TO EVERY FORM OF EVIL. But the fake church does not teach authority or spiritual warfare for they don't know the foundation - the FULL Gospel.

American Churchianity is not the CHURCH - the Eccesia - those separated out from the world systems around them, and called to discipleship. American Churchianity was infiltrated by the Luciferian Freemasons from day 1. They turn it into a religious system, a corporation, a system of fake virtue. A control system of sin-management and never the FULL Gospel, and keeping people asleep to their masonic evils.

The FAKE church cannot bless you, only abuse and curse you. So EXPECT treatment like that from a fake churchianity INSTITUTION that has ZERO to do with the Ecclesia. In the real Kingdom of God, you are known, understood, honored, listened to, cherished/valued and given a calling and a purpose. You are treated like BELOVED Son/Daughters of God ! The real church will unleash a vision for the transformation you are here to make. In the fake church, they emasculate men and give them no purpose other than to watch the parking lot.

God made men to KNOW him and to be DANGEROUS... for Good. To WAGE PEACE through ruthless spiritual warfare.

[trumpeterscall]

"HEAR YE, HEAR YE, KNOW  THE LORD IS WARNING THE ECCLESIA!"

8I am reminded by the Holy Spirit to issue this warning so there is no misunderstanding of the purpose of this information going out as a warning to the Ecclesia. Ezekiel 33:9[9]Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. As a Watchman, I am merely a messenger providing…

[eclairmoiselle]

𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝟎𝟑.

"An enigmatic soul, adorned with layers of complexity and whispers of dreams."

　 　 　⸝⸝　　✧ 　　like that . . .

Allow me to introduce myself: I am Ecclesia Nairne, but you can simply call me Eccie. As a Gemini soul with an MBTI classification of ESFP, I'm thrilled to announce that I've reached my legal age and proudly embrace myself using feminine pronouns.

Currently, my fascination lies deeply with vintage fashion and the art of painting. Delving into the world of old-fashioned attire, I find myself captivated by the elegance and timeless charm of bygone eras. Exploring vintage styles allows me to express my creativity and individuality in a way that feels both nostalgic and contemporary. Additionally, my passion for the visual arts extends to the realm of painting, where I am drawn to the intricate techniques and emotive power of brush strokes on canvas. Immersing myself in the world of fine art, particularly the captivating realm of visual art, provides me with endless inspiration and fulfillment as I continue to explore and evolve as an artist.

In the melody of music, my heart belongs to two remarkable artists: Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande. Their melodies and lyrics resonate deeply within me, each song carrying profound significance and touching upon the very essence of life. Taylor Swift's soulful ballads and Ariana Grande's powerful vocals have a profound impact on my emotions, guiding me through moments of joy, heartache, and self-discovery. Their music has become more than just a form of entertainment; it's a source of inspiration, comfort, and understanding, illuminating the path to greater meaning and purpose in life.

While I may not be an avid movie enthusiast, I find myself irresistibly drawn to the genres of romantic comedy and science fiction. There's something undeniably captivating about the whimsical charm and heartwarming humor of romantic comedies, which never fail to bring a smile to my face and warmth to my heart. Additionally, the imaginative worlds and thought-provoking narratives of science fiction films offer a thrilling escape into the realm of possibilities, sparking my curiosity and imagination. Despite my reserved interest in cinema, these two genres have a unique way of capturing my attention and leaving me eagerly anticipating the next cinematic adventure.

　　　﹑　　౨ৎ　　sheesh⠀　　 ∿

'bout Me

͟͟͞☆ Birth Name: Ecclesia Nairne

͟͟͞☆ Call Name : Eccie

͟͟͞☆ Birthday : June 01, 2006

͟͟͞☆ Zodiac Sign : Gemini

͟͟͞☆ Height : 173

͟͟͞☆ Weight : 39

͟͟͞☆ Blood Type : 0

͟͟͞☆ MBTI Type : ENTP

͟͟͞☆ Nationality : Indonesian

͟͟͞☆ Eyes color : Black

͟͟͞☆ Hair Color : Black

͟͟͞☆ Hobby : Spending and enjoying her time alone

͟͟͞☆ Favorite food : Seblak

͟͟͞☆ Favorite drink : Ice tea

͟͟͞☆ Sibling : 1 older brother

͟͟͞☆ Pets : Maya (himalayan cat)

[yhwhrulz]

Days of Heaven on Earth Devotional: March 11th

“But ye are a chosen generation, a peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9)

We have been thinking lately very much of the strange way in which God is calling a people out of a people already called. The word ecclesia, or church, means called out, but God is calling out a still more select body from the church to be His bride—the specially prepared ones for His coming.

We see a fine type of this in the story of Gideon. When first he sounded the trumpet of Abiezer there resorted to him more than thirty thousand men; but these had to be picked, so a first test was applied, appealing to their courage, and all but ten thousand went back; but there must be an election out of the election, and so a second test was applied, appealing to their prudence, caution and singleness of purpose, and all but three hundred were refused; and, with this little picked band, he raised the standard against the Midianites, and through the power of God won his glorious victory. So, again, in our days, the Master is choosing His three hundred, and by them He will yet win the world for Himself. Let us be sure that we belong to the “out and out” people.

Copyright Statement This material is considered in the public domain.

[shammah8]

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL

CALLED OUT TO SERVICE 

Saturday, January 6th .

Pastor Chris

But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).

  The word, “Church” in the New Testament really means “the called out ones”; from the Greek “Ecclesia” (a calling out). And when we say we’re God’s called-out ones, it doesn’t refer to being called out of the world unto God. What actually happens is that we’re called out from home to service.

We find this captured in Hebrews 13:13, which says, “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.” Mark the expression, “without the camp”; it means outside the camp. We’re the called out ones to serve Him outside the camp.

It mirrors what the Bible says, that Jesus Christ was crucified outside the city gates. So He says let us also go forth therefore unto Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. It’s about our work of service, our evangelical work to the whole world. The ensuing verse 14 clarifies it some more; it says, “For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” In other words, get to work, do His work.

When we gather as the Church, it’s for a purpose; we come to praise Him for the purpose of going to do what He told us to do. He said: “...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). The real work is outside the camp. We’ve been sent to spread the news of His saving power to the ends of the earth.

              PRAYER

I’m called out to a purpose, to a mission of service. Therefore, I commit myself to be diligent and faithful in the work of service the Lord has called me to, to reach the unreached and saturate the world with the message of the Gospel. I fulfil it with purpose and passion, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.

[darknightmaretimemachine]

Created: Saturday, December 30, 2023 10:15 PM

Updated: Saturday, December 30, 2023 11:15 PM

I live in an area of the United States that has not been touched as much as many parts of the country has been by the pandemic and by a flood of illegal immigrants. There are many here, but because of the vast area of forests and hard to reach places in the southeast coast of Georgia, they just disappear for the week and on the weekend they all show up at Walmart to buy their weekly groceries.

They are tiny quiet people who seem to avoid the locals and keep to themselves. I can understand why...

I know that most don't see what I'm seeing.

My heart goes out to those people who truly want a better life for their families and the propaganda put out that America is the land of opportunity and that used to be true. Not anymore.

Millions of families have poured into the country and only to die. This is a time for the destruction of Babylon and the powers that be desire to get rid of as many people on planet Earth as possible because less is easier to control. Father Abba is allowing this because it's all part of the plan.

Most don't understand that this is a "Seed" War between the Serpent and the rightful Heir to planet Earth that is of the Seed of a Adam, which is Messiah Yeshua.

Ha satan and his rebellious minion angels believe they can overthrow the Kingdom of God by eliminating all who are Born of the Spirit of God, through Messiah Yeshua and anyone who apposes his agenda. And he carried her on his back for awhile, but now it's time for him to cast her aside in order to rule the entire Earth through his nephilim proxy, the Beast, which is anti Messiah.

And once the USA is out of his way, the Great Deception begins. As the world system goes into panic and chaos mode and a False Alien invasion will come just in time for the Beast to come to the world's rescue. He will produce false miracles and cause fire to come down from the heavens. He will say that he is an incarnation of all of these below:

The God of Abraham

Krishna

Buddha

Jesus

Mohammed

And all religions on Earth since the beginning

He will require fully autonomy over everyone on Earth. And if you resist, you will be eliminated.

You must be marked, like livestock to show you're his.

You must bow down and worship the Beast and his image.

There will be human sacrifices.

Any nation that refuses to come under his domain, will be wiped off the map.

At first people will love him and adore him and then his terror will reveal his true purpose and nature as he makes war against the Saints of the Most High.

We are at the threshold of two opposite warring opponents. One who opposes the Lord and His Kingdom and the Lord Yeshua, who is soon gathering together His Called Out Assembly, His Ecclesia, His Church. And bringing them through the Fire and making them warriors for the Kingdom of God on Earth.

Hopefully, and Lord willing I'll finish this soon.

✨

[zusnetwork]

Control Your Own Data with Züs | Weekly Debrief July 12, 2023

Control Your Own Data with Züs

Cloud Cover AMA:

Happy Wednesday! Our bi-weekly Cloud Cover AMA (Ecclesia #19) is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, July 13th, at 9 AM PST. Join us as Saswata presents the latest updates on the Züs Mainnet and the Active Set. Keep reading today’s post to learn more about blockchain updates and how to control your own data with Züs.

We highly value your participation! Feel free to submit your questions on the Discord channel or via Telegram. Now, let’s dive into this week’s updates!

Calling all Züs Community Members!

We need your help! As we approach the Mainnet launchs, we invite you to test our Apps. Your feedback is invaluable in ensuring a seamless and user-friendly experience. To participate, simply visit https://zus.network/launch-apps/ and select the App you would like to test. We kindly ask you to share your feedback on our Discord Channel.

Storm of the Week: 

Züs Empowers Users to control their own data in a Data-Driven World

In the wake of the recent class-action lawsuit against Google over data privacy concerns, the need to change how we manage, and control data is more apparent than ever. The lawsuit was triggered by Google’s implementation of a new policy that permits data scraping for AI training, with allegations stating that the company extracted data from millions of users without their consent, underscores the risks associated with centralized data storage systems.

Züs aims to fill this need with our decentralized cloud storage solution. Our system empowers users to control and own their data, marking a significant shift away from the risks associated with Centralized Storage systems.

“Publicly available” data does not equate to “free to use for any purpose.” Instead, any utilization of data for purposes such as AI training should require explicit user consent. Leveraging blockchain technology, we can provide transparency, enabling users to verify how their data is accessed and used.

This approach not only preserves user privacy, but also prevents unfair competitive advantages for large entities like Google. No single entity governs vast amounts of data in a decentralized system, precluding such competitive imbalances. The road to decentralized storage comes with challenges, but at Züs, we are committed to overcoming them. Our goal is not just to build a product but to shape the future of secure, transparent, and fair data management. We believe the future of data storage is decentralized and user focused. Join us as we redefine the way we control, store, and protect our data.

Blockchain Updates:

Last week, the blockchain team focused on the Smart Contract (SC) optimization PR and initialized the benchmark tests on large data MPT. However, the performance was not effective enough to be merged, so they decided to postpone the PR and continue the investigation after Mainnet. Here are some assumptions regarding the reasons behind the suboptimal performance of the optimization on large MPT data:

a) The team observed that partitions slow down when one partition becomes full, requiring the packing and generation of a new head partition. Moving the item’s index MPT node results in a significant amount of MPT writing. For example, if a partition size is 10, we would need to access the MPT at least 10 times.

b) It appears that MPT path addressing becomes sluggish when dealing with large MPT nodes. If this assumption holds true, we will need to store information such as the global config and provider nodes in a shorter path to enhance the speed of get and put operations later.

The team moved focus from the SC optimization to closing backend issues.

The following are the main issues and PRs the team closed:

PR #2603 – Closed the issue here. It involved using benchmark tests to ensure that no extra tokens were minted after running SCs. The team added assertions in the smart contract to check for unexpected token minting and burning by examining the before and after balances of each transaction’s from and to addresses. Running these checks directly in the SC would significantly slow it down, so performing them in benchmark tests was a suitable choice. So far, all SCs have been working well.

PR #2604 – Replaced the zcnsc.GlobalNode WZCN nonce with partitions. Previously, the WZCN global nonce was stored in a map within a single MPT map. The size of the map would increase with the number of new zcnsc mint SC calls. The team fixed this issue by replacing it with partitions.

PR #2607 – This PR utilized gosdk to sync the client nonce in the 0chain repository, allowing miners/sharders to retrieve the latest nonce before constructing new transactions. It also gave us the confidence to import other packages from gosdk to avoid duplicate code. However, we kept an eye on the docker image and binary sizes.

PR #2585 – This PR provided a quick fix for the min lock demand. The team discovered a bug where the min lock demand config was loaded with the wrong key, resulting in the min lock demand config always being 0. This led to incorrect allocation and remaining demand calculation.

PR #2575 – Implemented max token supply checking during transaction execution. Further details about the issue can be found here.

PR #2577 – This PR introduced the usage of Data Transfer Objects in Update Provider SmartContract Calls. The update provider smart contract endpoints previously accepted an object as input, which caused an issue in distinguishing between unchanged and default settings. To address this, we modified the input to use omitempty with pointer types. Additional details can be found in the issue here.

PR #2573 – Removed the postgres-post container from the sharder, as it had no effect. Binding the initial script to the postgres container was sufficient.

PR #2552 – Eliminated repeated transaction validation code in miners when accepting new transactions.

PR #2584 – Fixed staked capacity during writeprice update. We checked the total data saved to avoid reducing the allocation size below the used capacity.

PR #2593 – Removed min lock demand updating in the event db.

PR #2574 – Addressed the fix for the block rewards endpoint.

PR #2592 – Resolved the docker compose issue with conductor tests.

PR #2564 – Resurrected useful indexes in the event db.

PR #2580 – Reduced max_read_price and max_write_price to 7 ZCN and added max_charge to sc-config.

PR #2594 – Reduced the offer when finalizing the allocation. This had already been done when canceling the allocation, so it was also implemented in the allocation finalizing SC.

Gosdk repository:

PR #1073 – Refactored downloads in gosdk to use sys.File. It introduced new methods such as DownloadFileToFileHandler, DownloadByBlocksToFileHandler, DownloadThumbnailToFileHandler, DownloadFileToFileHandlerFromAuthTicket, DownloadByBlocksToFileHandlerFromAuthTicket, and DownloadThumbnailToFileHandlerFromAuthTicket to allow the usage of any in-memory implementations of the sys.File interface. Additionally, a new fileHandlerDownloader option was added, utilizing these new methods for sdk.CreateDownloader.

PR #1034 – Exposed multiop winsdk.

PR #1013 – Added the path in the thumbnail hash.

PR #1004 – Refactored repair.

PR #1085 – Changed the contract of Sharder and Miner update settings, which was part of the fix for the issue here.

PR #1084 – Added support for sending chunks.

PR #1090 – Fixed the download file callback panic.

PR #1096 – Resumed download.

PR #1099 – Cleaned up the preferredBlobbers list from the chain config.

PR #1093 – Fixed the excluded path.

PR #1033 – Displayed the correct size.

Blobber:

PR #1114 – Removed the fileID from the fileMetaHash in the blobber.

PR #1140 – Updated the challenge timing submission.

PR #1163 – Fixed the blobber size.

PR #1166 – Prevented redeeming readmarkers for free reads.

PR #1158 – Fixed the concurrent map write.

PR #1141 – Removed the custom nonce.

Control Your Own Data and Have Peace of Mind with Züs.

Data is a huge part of our lives and managing it can be incredibly challenging. Thankfully Züs is here to help. With the right tools, you will be able to control your own data and you can have peace of mind knowing that your data will remain secure and protected at all times. To learn more about Zus updates, join us for our AMA tomorrow.

source https://zus.network/blog/posts/control-your-own-data-with-zus-weekly-debrief-july-12-2023/