#everlasting dominion

[justana0kguy]

2023 SEPTEMBER 29 Friday

"His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, His kingship shall not be destroyed."

~ Daniel 7:14b

[osmerharris]

The Magi, what did they want, and why were they demanding answers from Herod?

The next thing we encounter in Matthew’s gospel is, The Visit of the Wise Men “Now, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod, the king, magi from the east, arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:1-2 NASB) The Magi, what did they want, and why were they demanding…

[jadedaegis]

genuinely I wanna learn C nintendo 64 coding SO BAD to make a take on "TotK/BotW Era Termina" where TotK!Zelda is exploring with Link and finds a broken Mask deep in the Depths; unkowingly puts it on (not thinking this would be The Majora's Mask) and getting pulled into a... Termina so far into it's reincarnation cycle that Majora, in all of it's Greed, morphs and sculpts the Moon into a "seed" of sorts. Over the span of seven days you get to see the OPEN MOUTH OF THE MOON SPROUT A WARPING AND TWISTED TREE that acts as the Final Dungeon. I also want to take the parallels that can be observed for the stages of grief and make similar parallels with the seven deadly sins. I have also thought up ideas that incorporate every arrow type from Beta OoT! I was; at first; confused on what to do with Spirit- until it hit me! How else is Spirit manifested but by the electrical impulses that occur inside us and animate us?! I also have a lot of Twilight Princess references, such as Ikana Canyon being the place you interface with the Twili, and the Ooccoo being an ancient presence. Link would be the "dude in distress," obviously, since Majora wants to use his body as the "Fierce Deity" and reintroduce it's influence over Hyrule at large. ..if you can't tell there are a lot of details I can't really fuckin show people until I get off my ass and just try to make it LOL

TOTK/BOTW era Hyrule: post apocalyptic world, people have died in the Calamity and the land still hasn't recovered after 100 years, they are only just starting to rebuild with all the Zonai/Sheikah tech, Ganondorf keeps screwing things up

TOTK/BOTW era Termina: flourishing! Combination of masks being inherently magical and clock style mechanics powering the land's technology plus whatever tf they got going on in the temples, they probably discovered how to harness electricity and invented the light bulb already, Ganondorf literally does nothing but sell potions and run a fishing pond

[hoyotournament]

Semifinals: Nahida vs Kiana Kaslana

(Propaganda under the cut)

Kiana:

TLDR: she's kiana kaslana what do you MEAN!!!! kiana is a beautifully written character who fully encapsulates what hi3 is about and she's so full of love and guilt and (most importantly) hope. she's a clone who struggles with her own identity/inhumanity and traumas extending from when she was a young child and her guilt but is so so resilient and so so so so compassionate which ultimately reinforces her humanity :)

kiana's character IS the honkai impact thesis statement. i don't even mean it as in she's the literal main character and face of honkai i genuinely mean it when i say she just IS honkai impact. she reflects every single theme that they portray [hope over nihilism (chapter 25 || the flame chasers and just. the previous era in general), having agency over your identity and your own story (himeko, her being k423 and being so linked to sirin, everlasting flames || the kaslana household name honestly, bronya, fu hua, mei, sirin), believing in the humanity's inherent worth (chapter 25, arc city || elysia <- important since as a current era herrscher, she is a successor to elysia AND as kiana kaslana, she is a narrative parallel of elysia), having faith in the youth (himeko, kevin || the other flame chasers! notably su), etc.] her character being so reflective is also sooooo OUGH to think about when you view it as a reflection of honkai's 50,000 year samsara because kiana is a representation of these themes coming full circle (especially since many of these stretch back to the previous era and elysia).

SHE FEELS SO MUCH. she's so full of love and guilt. she clearly prioritizes others over herself and part of her arc is her learning to value and love herself as well!!! she would give herself for the world ten times over because she holds so much affection for humanity!! (WHILE FEELING DEHUMANIZED BECAUSE OF HER IDENTITY AS BOTH A HERRSCHER AND K423) and it's actively apart of her character's growth :'')

dear god her growth… okok. so i think first you have to understand that a lot of kiana's growth obviously coincides w general maturity as she grows from a teenager to a young adult. but aside from that i think people often forget that younger kiana is incredibly self sufficient since her father literally left her with little to no explanation when she was like. what 8? the insecurity she feels at that! the anger she has to navigate while also balancing it with her own feelings of missing and loving him. basically: kiana has struggled a lot w instability and is thus kinda good at navigating it. ex: she isnt shaken by nagazora and literally tries again and again and again to save mei and convince mei to let her help. the thing is this fucks w her a bit though because a big thing that she does as a means to cope w instability is avoiding them (not reflective of real life of course, but in the fictional hi3 this is partially represented in kiana's repressed memories about her actual origins as k423). she can not stand the realization that she killed himeko that she's so deep in denial and doesnt truly realize it until more than 10 chapters after himeko dies! she's so horrified with her being a herrscher she actively tries to not use her powers out of fear, even when it puts her in harms way (the chapter XI-EX CG!!!!!! her literally trying to kill herself!!) she literally runs away from her friends and loved ones because she's so scared of hurting them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! which is why her promise to himeko to not run away is so important!! because it addresses one of kiana's biggest flaws!!!!! this is especially important bc her refusal to continue her avoidance feeds into her arc during the herrscher of dominion chapters where she both faces her own guilt/identity and deliberately chooses perseverance and hope over nihilism!! she is hope!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[prolifeproliberty]

”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.“

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

”Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.“

‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭25‬-‭30‬ ‭KJV‬‬

”For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.“

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

”Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.“

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭44‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

”Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 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.“

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

”In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.“

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

”And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.“

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭KJV‬‬

”He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God. And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.“

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭20‬-‭22‬ ‭KJV‬‬

”Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: and they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.“

‭‭Luke‬ ‭18‬:‭31‬-‭33‬ ‭KJV‬‬

”Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.“

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭3‬-‭11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The doctrine of the Trinity is in the Bible. Jesus’ divinity is in the Bible. Jesus’ atonement for sins on the cross is in the Bible. If you believe the Bible but think you can “follow Jesus” while rejecting what He says about Himself, you are not actually following Jesus.

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried; and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the Prophets. And I believe one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church; I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

[unicyclehippo]

New Year's prompt: glitter!

eat and be eaten is the way of the world. laudna knows that better than most. there is nothing that escapes it; if there is something that she believes in, it is that.

every person, every creature, good and bad, is meat sinew blood bone. death will lick her way into sweet marrow and she, giantess, will grind bone to bonemeal, to dust, to the finest vanishing filaments in the blowing wind. she will do that for everyone—pauper and puppet and queen. she kills moles in their molehills and boulders dreams of mountaindom. drags her pale hands through the farmlands and rots seeds in their bed, then farmers, then towns. she drapes a dark cloak across all faces, her shroud, takes their breath and leaves only memory behind, that small and tarnished token. hers is the dominion of death everlasting and it is steady and voracious in its generosity.

when the last of the aliens have landed in the desert, the bridge brightens to a burning red. it pierces into the rubble moon until it finds glass, crystal, that throws the red in a hundred thousand beams, each line a knife to the net, the cage.

glass melts, rock melts. the prison door cracks—and death sighs. she is free. she unhinges her jaw and opens wide her hands and reaches for the gods. it is the easiest thing to pass through the weave; she grabs the magic by the fistful and gorges herself on it, finally, licks every shred of magic from the chains and swallows it down link after link and when she is done with it she takes the first domain, the closest, and sinks her teeth into it rotsoft and sweet, an overripe plum, the frantic beating of a heart. it bursts in her mouth. holy! red! she drinks it down, licks her lips clean, licks her hands, until there is no trace left of the paltry god and its domain its stagnant cup. she is so hungry still. she reaches for the next.

far below, light spills like blood across the sky of exandria. divinity flares, fights, dies and is devoured; it glitters as it goes, explosions like all the rest of the far and distant stars, dead and dying.

the feast—the sky full of fire—lasts a year. there are no gods remaining when it is done; death has eaten them all, and herself too, in a great slow writhe, a snake and its tail, death and its endless end.

//

bells hells waits a year. stationed at the edge of the world, a red column of light drifting up into the distance of the astral sea. there is no ruidus anymore. only a line of red dust and rock smeared across the sky.

laudna has taken to travelling between the towers. there are twenty-five of them, so far, in groups of two or three. each new cluster rises up a little further from the bridge as the builders grow more daring, more hopeful. the red-stone roads creep between each settlement like a network of roots or splintering canyons. a reminder of ruidus, she thinks.

there is something to it that makes her heart ache—their world and city had been so full of dreams of exandria and, now that they were here, it was dreams of ruidus that guided their hands.

‘copper for your thoughts?’ miraani asks, sharp teeth grinding over the words.

laudna is resting, which is still strange to her. the sun is high and blisteringly hot and her caravan has stopped at one of the nexus; everywhere where the splintering roads met, the builders had fashioned great domes. way points of water and shade in the desert, wind tunnels whistling as the heat is dragged up and out, flags and awnings stirring in a lazy breeze. she is searching the interior—carved and painted with directions (and some amusing graffiti) for the way to the seventeenth cluster. stood in the archway, laudna eyes the next waypoint—a little lump in the distance—and the cluster beyond it. the twenty-sixth tower nearly complete.

‘do you miss kreveris, miraani?’

they step up beside her. tall, the sloping crest of their head nearly brushing the seven-foot curve of the arch. for a time, they are silent.

‘it was a place of great misery for many.’ miraani touched two fingers to the spot at the base of their neck where the flesh was warped, lumpy with a long-healed scar. a pink membrane closed over their black eyes—a sign, laudna had come to learn, of discomfort. emotional or physical. no one liked getting sand in their eyes. ‘we were corralled and leashed, our will lashed to that of the weave mind. there was never enough and it spurred cruelty in all. our city was a hollow thing built in honour of your world.’ miraani tilted their head upwards. beneath the membrane, their eyes swivelled. searching for that red trail across the sky. ‘and even so… yes, my guide. my mind overflows with thoughts of it.’

‘i am sorry. that we could not save it.’

miraani shook her head. ‘you saved us. and soon, i will be your guide through new kreveris.’

‘is that what has been settled on?’

‘i do not know what the Chorus intends but yes, many among us are calling it this.’

laudna nods. rubs at the line of her sternum. ‘i look forward to seeing it,’ she murmurs.

miraani waits. when laudna says nothing else, they clear their throat. ‘if we leave now, my guide, we will make it to the cluster before night.’

‘what? oh, yes. yes, of course.’

the caravan is ready to move, wuukor watered and drivers back from a road-rough lunch and stretching their legs. miraani swings up into the first caravan and pulls laudna up with them; together, they lead the six-cart caravan forward into the desert.

‘why are you thinking of kreveris?’ miraani asks later, voice lifting over the creak of wood and leather, the clatter of hooves and wheels on the road.

laudna shakes her head. ‘i was not. i was thinking of…death, i suppose. and what it leaves behind.‘

‘bodies,’ miraani nods.

it is not what laudna had in mind but she nods. thinks of her own body. creaking joints. scars. hollow burned out rooms in her mind that she cannot tread, cannot recall what they once held.

there was once a city on the moon; now, pieces of a city and pieces of a moon. it will take decades to rebuild and the work is at hand but it is painful and slow and sand fills every pair of boots she has.

there was once a woman in her mind; now, no woman and, it feels, only pieces of a mind. it is frightening and terribly lonely to hear only herself; it is more frightening, when she hears her thoughts echo, that old remembered whisper a sigh through the corridors of her mind. but the emptiness, the splintered roads and canyons, make it so very easy to tell when the red weight of a beloved mind brushes into hers and sinks deep.

hello, my love, laudna sings, and hears the redoubled echo. my love, my love, my love.

they are in range of the cluster and laudna lifts her eyes to the glinting cap of the twenty-sixth tower. it takes a moment, and a teasing brush of a mind to coax her close, but finally she spots a figure floating near the peak. massive bricks of stone rising effortlessly into place around her as teams of builders set them into beds of beam and mortar.

you are incandescent, my love, laudna whispers to her.

you are still too far away, imogen says. her mind bristles—irritation and exhaustion and that needling anxiety. you’re not allowed to sweet talk me until i can kiss you about it.

then come and kiss me, laudna tells her simply. her love, her wife, her life wavers in the air. the blocks shiver and, one by one, lower to the ground. then like a comet, imogen burns across the sky, closing the distance until she is here. with laudna once more. she hovers by the side of the caravan. it has been a year since she had to touch the ground and she rarely does; her eyes crackle with lightning, forks of red and purple leaping from her hands, her feet, the frizzing ends of her hair. she is the most beautiful creature laudna has ever seen.

she is frowning.

‘you’re two days late.’

‘hello,’ laudna says, pointedly. ‘there was a sandstorm.’

imogen scowls—up at the sky, as if in reprimand for keeping them apart—and then darts forward. ducks her head beneath the top of the caravan to alight within. purple lights flare and fill the space; purple paints the distance between them, and laudna’s hands and skin and when imogen kisses her, she closes her eyes and sees no black, no green, only purple.

[trustfallwithgod]

Via Steward & Son

Psalm 103 - David’s psalm of God’s Divine Goodness

1 Praise the Lord, my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the Lord, my soul,

and forget not all his benefits—

3 who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6 The Lord works righteousness

and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,

his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,

so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

14 for he knows how we are formed,

he remembers that we are dust.

15 The life of mortals is like grass,

they flourish like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,

and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting

the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,

and his righteousness with their children’s children—

18 with those who keep his covenant

and remember to obey his precepts.

19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,

and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the Lord, you his angels,

you mighty ones who do his bidding,

who obey his word.

21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,

you his servants who do his will.

22 Praise the Lord, all his works

everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

[justana0kguy]

2023 DECEMBER 01 Friday

"His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, His kingship shall not be destroyed."

~ Daniel 7:14b

[avispatr]

𝕸𝖎𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖗𝖊𝖌𝖆𝖗𝖉𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖙𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝕴𝖒𝖕𝖘 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖑𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖔𝖗 𝖉𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖓𝖘.

Many of our subjects in divers segments of our Rings and estates across Hell, misled by dangerous and ill designing men, have forgotten the allegiance which they owe to the powers who have protected and enabled the good nature of their commerce and brotherhood amongst their persons. It is thus that in an effort to suppress the ill dealings and misguided calls for liberation from our loving care we call upon the service of Earl Raum, our most honorable and steadfast son to levy a great host. When the unhappy and lively multitude, of which this force shall be directed, have come to see the good nature and the good humor of our everlasting harmony we shall show unto them mercy and care for them with love, tenderness, and compassion. For those who persist in their treason the punishment shall be death by hanging, and/or torment that serves the purpose of a quick and precise end to the disparity brought on by such. All rings shall henceforth be cut off from the foremost nature of the dominion of Pride, to contain the threat of disorder that seeks to turn brother on brother and strip agency thereof the individual for the whole lot of their plight of which ours is the province they have labored to press to us, this condition shall persist until such a time those Hell born natives are able to find themselves in the good company of their brothers and sisters in bulk. The Earl will bring about a most decisive and destructive of responses until those stubborn and miserable forces shall be spent, from Pride onward if there is in need for such an act as to do so. All those who have sought for themselves this betrayal, who have birthed the babe of riot and rebellion from the womb of ignorance and wickedness are hear by sentenced to death, including those amongst the goetia who have fanned the flames of these abominations as an effort to liberate themselves of all duty and responsibility to our Master, Emperor, Lucifer Morningstar. So it is written by Paimon, King of the Goetia in the name of the one true King of Hell, King of Pride, Emperor and destructor, Lucifer Morningstar.

@helluvaoutlaw @second-wife-playbook @holyfurnace

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

A Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

by William Mason

"As sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord." – Romans 5:21

Sin, like some mighty conqueror, hath obtained a victory and reigns over the whole human race. All men are naturally under, and well pleased with its reign and government; but sovereign, almighty grace dethrones this usurping monarch in the hearts of the elect; triumphs over its spoils and conquests, delivers their captive souls from its dominion, and reverseth the sentence of death they were under: and all this is effected in a just and righteous way. For though salvation is all of grace to poor sinners, yet eternal life is a just debt due to the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ: he hath a right to challenge it from the hands of justice; and he doth so by promise, "Father, I WILL that they whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am." (John 17:24).

To think of doing something to procure the favor of God and entitle ourselves to eternal life; this we are prompted to from the pride of our natures and unbelief of our hearts. But such notions ever oppose the gospel of grace, resist the Spirit of truth, degrade the glory of Jesus, depreciate the perfection of his finished work, and make the God of truth a liar. But thou, O believer, art not saved without a perfect righteousness, in perfect obedience to the law of God; and through faith in Jesus thou hast a just challenge, an humble claim founded upon his righteousness, to eternal life! O, the rich triumphs of abounding love! how glorious is the victory of sovereign grace! Soul, thou must sink into nothing at its discovery, yet rise into a glorious subject, from the knowledge and experience of it. Grace reigns over all the aboundings of sin; here is our hope, through the righteousness of Christ, over all our unrighteousness; here is our justification in God’s sight unto eternal life; here is our triumph over the wages of sin and death. O sinner! destitute of righteousness in thyself, GRACE demands the daily study and those of thy heart; GRACE demands the whole devotion of thy life. Give all the glory where only it is justly due; to the Father, for everlasting love; to the Son, for everlasting righteousness; and to the Spirit, for everlasting consolation and good hope through grace. The more thou art enabled to live upon the divine truth and faithfulness of the covenant, as revealed in the word, and shining with full lustre in the person of Jesus, thou wilt become dead to every hope but him; out of conceit with all righteousness but his, and thou wilt be singing in triumph with the church, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; MY soul shall be joyful in MY God; for he hath clothed ME with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness." (Isaiah 61:10).

[myremnantarmy]

One like a son of man coming,

on the clouds of heaven;

When he reached the Ancient One

and was presented before him,

He received dominion, glory, and kingship;

nations and peoples of every language serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

that shall not be taken away,

his kingship shall not be destroyed.

[x-heesy]

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In my dominion I control the weak

And in vain in pain they turn the other cheek

I'm soulless 🤘🏾

In my dominion I tear their soul apart

Pure eternal hate run through my soulless heart

I'm soulless to the core 😈

I'm 666

I am your death

I am the crucifix

On which you are nailed ✝️

Their pain makes me strong

I breathe from their fear

I am the one man call wrong

I laugh at their tears

I live where angels cry

I make them suffer my sin

Screams released in agony

As I undress them from skin

In my dominion blood will always reign

I damn your soul to everlasting pain

I'm soulless 🤘🏾

I'm soulless to the core 😈

I am your death ☠️

So̵̳̞̖̖̩̻̩̎̍̓́ư̵̛̞̙̩͔̭̠̅̈́̊͆͝l̵̡̬̹̙͕͍͙̜̂͌̾l̵̡̬̹̙͕͍͙̜̂͌̾e̵̯̞̎̈́̀͑̂̓̽̕͝s̶̢͎̮̝̭̫̞̏̒͛͗͜s̶̢͎̮̝̭̫̞̏̒͛͗͜ b̵̧̙̮̰̜̳̟͈̞̓̀͋̅̓̔ͅy̵̛͑͋͌͂̓͌̉��̧̝͙̪̘ Gr̵̠͖̂̀̄́́̕ǎ̸̅̈́��̹͔v̷̛̼̣͍͈̮̉̾͗̄̋̉̄̀̄e̵̯̞̎̈́̀͑̂̓̽̕͝ 💀

[boundlss]

IMIRAY LORE : PART 1 !

to be honest i've wanted to make a post like this for a while now for my mutuals who aren't involved in my campaign !! if you have looked at my ocs page, you might have seen a HUGE list of characters under the umbrella of the world of imiray, which is the name for my homebrew d&d setting!

imiray exists as a universe created by "champions" from the infinitely-leveled abyss (the d&d version of this with some variance to fit my lore). though it's now ruled over by a pantheon of gods, it carries magical and abyssal echoes from when it was a nascent world born from darkness.

much like in wuwa, the gathering of people in a place manifests the spirit of the population in the form of a dragon, except i swear i made this lore before i knew it was a thing in wuwa please just trust me.

the current landscape of imiray is controlled by six major powers with their own unique political relationships!

currently, the relationships between nations are as follows:

aiva and ephelion are engaged in something of a cold war following an attack on aiva that devastated its lands nearly a century ago, which ephelion has threatened to repeat should the upper areas of aiva become habitable again.

aiva, hanazira, and vaskal are allied with eachother.

ephelion and oskolda are allied with eachother.

miri has neither allies nor enemies; most people in the world are content to pretend it doesn't exist outside of its occasional exports.

each region will hopefully get its own post in the future but i'll elaborate a little bit on them here too.

slightly more detailed lore under the cut !

001 . OSKOLDA

The largest of the regions. Most of the land is covered by a sprawling desert, though the east side of the mountain range makes way for a hot but temperate environment. People in Oskolda are considered to be very wealthy in material possessions and mostly live in sprawling cities to escape the unnaturally scorching desert heat.

The population of Oskolda is twofold, as it is home to not only the surface-dwellers who view themselves as blessed and fortunate to be able to withstand the desert sun, but also vast and numerous civilizations located deep underground. The rulers of Oskolda claim dominion over these cavern-dwelling neighbors, but the people of the caverns reject Oskolda unilaterally.

CAPITAL CITY: Glima - Home to the dragon "Ziemon", who manifests as either a Gold or Red ancient dragon.

MAJOR RELIGIONS: Worship of the Wealth-Keeper. Worship of the Blinding Light. Worship of the Stoneshaper. Worship of the Darkness Everlasting.

LOCAL ANOMALY: The Three Mounds. Formations wider and more sprawling than ordinary mountains who cause mass confusion, pain, and nausea to all who step close. Said by some to be ancient hoards from past civilizations warded against interlopers, though nobody living aside from the Gods knows what they are actually protecting.

NOTABLE EXPORTS: Gold, diamond, art & music, glassware.

002 . VASKAL

An ancient nation that used to occupy much of Oskolda's land before a wide rebellion and conquering left it the smallest of the current nations. It is forested and temperate, and considered a secretive safe-haven against magical scrying.

Most civilizations in Vaskal are formed in or around the large "Kalmarin Crystal forests" that occupy a large portion of its land, as these crystals have a quality that repels all forms of magic. Otherwise, small groups of people exist near the coast or the colder southwestern plains.

CAPITAL CITY: Wyr - Home to the Steel and Green dragon, called Palia in its steel form or Molzyny in its Green form.

MAJOR RELIGIONS: Worship of the Darkness Everlasting. Worship of the Earnest Infatuation. Worship of the All-knowing.

LOCAL ANOMALY: A large mountain which rests on the Vaskali-Hanaziran border. The Vaskali call it "Naylas"; it is constantly shrouded in a thick fog, and all who have attempted to navigate it have ended up missing, dead, or mad.

NOTABLE EXPORTS: Books, weapons.

003. HANAZIRA

A large, sprawling plain home to a number of large and small civilizations that collectively refer to themselves as "The Free Peoples of Hanazira". Those in Hanazira are considered to be free-spirited and determined, but generally looked down upon by nations of conquerors such as Oskolda for their strange alliances.

Most settlements in Hanazira are nomadic and travel with food and weather, though there are many exceptions to this. They adapt around advancing technology, integrating it seamlessly into their lives but not changing their way of living to bend to its whims.

CAPITAL CITY: Tawzi - Home to the Silver dragon Daro, who lacks a chromatic counterpart. To be noted that Tawzi itself is an independent civilization that was elected leader of the council of Hanazira, and four other major civilizations (Meyin, Paoma, Senka, Lozani) govern the people alongside it.

MAJOR RELIGIONS: Worship of the Heart of the Old Forest. Worship of the Blinding Light. Worship of the Ever-flowing Blood. Worship of the Vagabond.

LOCAL ANOMALY: A large chasm known locally as the Home of the Beast. It inflicts debilitating nightmares on those who roam near it, and its area of effect spreads more every year. The mountain "Naylas" is also partly in Hanazira, though Hanazirans call it "Shiranako" in the common language of Hanazira.

NOTABLE EXPORTS: Grain, fruits, vegetables, game animals, cloth, furs.

004. MIRI

A strange place that behaves like a contained bubble of the Feywild. Nothing particularly makes much sense here, and travel into it is entirely forbidden because of the danger that is posed by entering its borders. Thankfully, the fey magic seems to have been completely contained within a set perimeter, but many people in Miri are trapped inside.

Most of Miri's population inhabits a city built into the structure of an unnaturally large dormant volcano, which erupts a strange, boiling pink liquid rather than Lava. Other civilizations exist largely unaffiliated to the capital of Miri known collectively as the Smugglers, though dissent is made difficult by the fact that Miri is ruled over by a God.

CAPITAL CITY: Lavanna - home to the Copper or Black dragon known as Riyva, who has been mutated to suit the environment around it.

MAJOR RELIGIONS: Worship of the Mischief-Maker. Worship of the Heart of the Old Forest.

LOCAL ANOMALY: Just about everything, but most prevalent is the liquid produced by the volcano which bleeds out into surrounding areas, which bolsters strength and removes inhibitions. It's a popular liquor, but drinking it too much or frequently can render a person essentially braindead, though they still move and walk aimlessly.

NOTABLE EXPORTS: None.

005. EPHELION

A desolate tundra. Its people are primarily seen as scholars, and it is known to have a high rate of technological and magical advancement among the nations, causing much unrest. Its people are considered very erudite, but generally about as cold as its climate. It has a notably strict regime, second only to Miri, though it doesn't have a monarchy.

Ephelion's population exists mostly in efficient, consolidated cities that are refined and minimal. Each city possesses multiple universities and reconstruction for better buildings is extremely common.

CAPITAL CITY: Olobel - home to the White dragon Blanca, whose metallic form has not been observed.

MAJOR RELIGIONS: Worship of Death. Worship of the All-knowing.

LOCAL ANOMALY: The Five Spires. Large obelisks that emit a faint humming and cause vertigo, dizziness, and memory loss to those working near them. A century ago, scholars in Ephelion unveiled the secret of the spires and unleashed a devastating attack that wiped out most of Aiva's population from the southernmost one.

NOTABLE EXPORTS: Magic items, marble, quartz, machinery.

006. AIVA

A temperate and tropical nation. Following a devastating attack from Ephelion, most of its population lives at the southern peninsula. Its people are generally seen as diverse explorers who rival Hanazira's sense of freedom, though this is largely only public perception.

Aiva's only thriving civilization is the crowded city of Aerath, which is split into three districts---the floating islands to the west, the land in the center, and the underwater civilization to the east. The rest of the country is still largely inhabitable.

CAPITAL CITY: Aerath - Home to the Blue and Brass dragon, called either Emiran or Sylna.

MAJOR RELIGIONS: Worship of the Watcher from the Waves, Worship of the Heart of the Old Forest (formerly), Worship of the Vagabond (formerly).

LOCAL ANOMALY: The blue wasteland. Caused by Hanazira's attack; all life was turned an unnatural glowing blue and summarily decimated. Anyone who enters the wasteland is afflicted with Fading, which progresses with contact. Fading causes memory loss both of the afflicted person and of the afflicted's memories in other people's minds, eventually causing the afflicted to be forgotten entirely, turning into a hostile wandering "ghost" with semi-permeability. Fading is contagious through wounds. A great act of sacrifice by the Vagabond saved a majority of those afflicted by way of the creation of Changelings.

NOTABLE EXPORTS: Fish, salt.

[albertfinch]

DEMONSTRATION OF HIS POWER 

Psalm 145:4b, "and shall declare Your mighty acts."

It says in 2 Chronicles 16:9 that He looks to and fro to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal towards Him. What would it look like for God to show Himself strong on your behalf? Wouldn't you like to find out?

In Isaiah 52:10 it says, "The Lord has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God."   The word there for "holy arm" in the Hebrew symbolizes strength or power.

God wants us to do mighty things through our lives. We need to break off this negative thinking through which we disqualify ourselves from being used by God based upon what we can or can't do.

God doesn't want us to do what we can do by ourselves. He wants to begin to do things through our lives that only HE can do, where only He gets the glory.

GOD WORKING THROUGH US

1 Corinthians 2:4-5, "And my speech and preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."

The word "demonstration" there means "to confirm, make public, make known." The Lord wants to do something through our life that confirms who He is to the world; He wants to make known through your Christ calling His mighty acts. We need to quit asking for just a little. We need to ask for "MIGHTY" things.

Psalm 145:13 "Your Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations."

From generation to generation He's going to show Himself strong. Right now God is looking for a people who will say, "Okay, Lord. Show Your deeds now in our generation." He wants to demonstrate who He is THROUGH our life. We don't disqualify ourselves because of our present position.

SEEING GOD AS HE IS IN US

Daniel 11:32 - It says, "But those who know their God will be strong and do great exploits."

The word "know" there means to "to perceive and see." The Lord wants a people who will perceive, see and understand Him, and they will be strong and do exploits. He wants His people to be strong in His might and power. As you begin to see God as a mighty God, it does something in you, and you won't be so easily tossed to and fro. You won't easily give the devil so much credit.

Are you ready to know God as Mighty God through your life?

This authority comes through the vastness of knowing and understanding our Christ identity.

Ephesians 1:17-19 - "[I pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power"

Before we can receive this realm, we must have a hunger to know Him and who we are in Him like never before. We must shake off complacency.

Jesus never just taught; He taught and did(action). He always had a message, but the message was carried with weight by demonstration of the Kingdom, and God wants to increase the demonstration of His power in His people, His Body, now as well as then.

WISDOM AND REVELATION -- A GIFT

Paul goes on to pray, "that He may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him." It is for the purpose of knowing Him. Remember that it says, "Those who know their God will do great exploits." (Daniel 11:32)l

Let us pray that the Spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17) grants us understanding into a deeper realm of knowing Him and our identity in Christ as we affirm and meditate on the scriptures in the epistles of Paul.

Are you are tired of shallow-water Christianity?  Are you ready for the deep, deep things of God?

God wants His people to walk in such a realm of knowing Him that as soon as we walk into a place, we can discern what is God or what is not of God. He wants us to come to the point that we are living according to the promise of 1 John 2:27, that we have an "anointing within to teach you as you abide in Him."

He wants to DEMONSTRATE MIGHTY ACTS through our lives. One of the things that the Lord wants to begin to manifest through the church is a people who are living by KNOWING God and advancing God's Kingdom through their calling in Christ, who aren't bouncing off every wall but are guided by the Holy Spirit into seeking and pursuing God's purpose for their lives.  Unbelievers around us will start saying, "How do you do this? There's something different about you; what is it? You're anchored and not tossed about. There's a confidence about you." And our answer will be, "I KNOW Him."

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[lightthewaybackhome]

What's your favourite thing about Reformed theology and why?

Asking as someone who doesn't like Reformed theology much who wants to know what its followers like about it.

Thank you for this question. I'm going to do my best to answer it while saying up front that I'm not discussing doctrine. I'm not a good debater. I'm taking your kind question as a subjective question, not one that wishes a doctrinal answer or a compare and contrast with other denominations answer.

For me personally, two things that I love about Reformed theology are this:

A High View of God. Reformed Baptists hold and teach a high view of God, His goodness, transcendence, simplicity, and attributes. The higher my view of God, the greater and more wonderful my salvation is. I also deeply appreciate the focus being on God and not on me and my feelings. This equips me to view myself correctly and not be overwhelmed by my feelings which are many and a bit all over the place.

I love the truth of Christian liberty expounded in our Confession: (I also love our confessionalism because it provides clarity and safety.) The liberty which Christ has purchased for believers under the gospel, consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the severity and curse of the law, and in their being delivered from this present evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin, from the evil of afflictions, the fear and sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation: as also in their free access to God, and their yielding obedience unto Him, not out of slavish fear, but a child-like love and willing mind. All which were common also to believers under the law for the substance of them; but under the New Testament the liberty of Christians is further enlarged, in their freedom from the yoke of a ceremonial law, to which the Jewish church was subjected, and in greater boldness of access to the throne of grace, and in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God, than believers under the law did ordinarily partake of. (2LBCF 21.1)

I think that might be one of the most beautiful lists ever penned by man.

I'm going to tag @walkingthroughthisworld who can check me if I put anything wrong or unclearly.

These are two of my favorite things about Reformed Theology. I love its boldness and clarity, but mostly I love its high view of the Lord and I love the liberty in Christ that it brings.