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dailyaudiobible · 1 year

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03/30/2023 DAB Transcript

Deuteronomy 13:1-15:23, Luke 8:40-9:6, Psalms 71:1-24, Proverbs 12:5-7

Today is the 30th day of March welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is wonderful to be here with you today and every day as we gather around the Global Campfire and take the next step forward together in life in this year and in the Scriptures. And, so, our next step forward, as always…always leads us to right where we left off. And, so, that's where we’re going today and that will lead us back into the book of Deuteronomy and all of the last things that Moses has to say. And today we will read chapters 13, 14 and 15.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in the book of Deuteronomy today we read, “if a prophet or an interpreter of dreams arises among you, and he predicts a sign or wonder for you and the sign or wonder that he promised you comes true” Like I'm putting a dot dot dot right there so we pause for a second. Let's imagine that that happens. Typically, we might find ourselves compelled to hear more, and maybe even to…to follow this person who has these gifts. And we might begin to follow them because of the gift, or because of the sign without even considering where the road may be leading us to, where the path will go if we…if we do this. But as we will see, blindly following a sign or wonder or a person who claims to be a prophet, and then following them on a path that leads us away from God, that's not gonna work. And, so, rereading what I just read in its entirety, “f a prophet”, Moses is saying this, “if a prophet or an interpreter of dreams arises among you and he predicts a sign or wonder for you and the sign or wonder that he promised you comes true and then he says let's go after other gods that you do not know, let’s serve them do not listen to the words of that Prophet or that interpreter of dreams because the Lord your God is testing you to see whether you really love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Follow the Lord your God. Fear Him. Keep His commandments. Listen to His voice. Serve Him and cling to Him.” I mean, Moses goes on to say that, even if it's a family member that is enticing us toward idolatry then we should be very intentional about getting them out of our lives. That is…like this is a big deal what's being said here. And, so, if this is such a big deal, then we need to probably understand what idolatry is. We have already seen it in the Scriptures. We will see it throughout the rest of our journey. And, so, it's important for us to understand what we dealing with here. In the time of Moses in the surrounding cultures and nations around the children of Israel, they…well…they literally made images that they indeed bowed down and worshiped and sacrificed and even sacrificing their children to these statues. They performed all kinds of acts of devotion that God hated as we learned from our reading today. And we should remember back at the mountain of God, right? The golden calf that the children of Israel created and bowed down and worshiped and said this is the god who brought you out of Egypt. This was a normal thing at that time. Like, if an enemy attacked the land or the crops didn't come in and famine came the peoples of that day believed that the local gods weren't pleased. And if there was a battle or something then the strongest god was the victorious one. Whoever won the battle, it's that god that's more powerful. And we might think that's weird. That's odd because that's not a normal practice for most of us in the world today. Although idol worship still certainly does exist in the world today. But idolatry is more than kind of creating a piece of art and then deifying the piece of art, and believing the…the craftsmanship is a god and worshiping the god. Idolatry is essentially submitting ourselves and offering our heart and offering our hope to a person or a thing with the expectation that that person or thing will give us life, will give us what we want. And, so, if we take a step back and just think about it in those terms it's not hard to find idolatry, even in a modern western world. An idol can be anything - money, sex, power, stuff, control. You name it. Whatever we turn to and offer ourselves to and place our hope in hoping that this thing will bring us life and that we put our hope in this thing then we have an idol and anything that we offer our hearts devotion to in our allegiance to, our loyalty to, our reverence to and place our hope in that is not God will lead us away from God and toward destruction. And this is why it's such a big deal. Moses is commanding the people specific to his time, specific to the culture that exists and specific to the culture that is being created, a new culture, a new way of being among the Israelites. And idolatry was a huge piece that needed to be absent from this new culture in this new way being formed in the wilderness. In fact it was such a big deal that it carries the death penalty for the children of Israel, But we don't…we don't live in nations now likely, none of us live in nations now where somebody would be executed for their religious beliefs, although believe me, it's in the world today and we all know it. But why is this such a severe threat that it has to carry with it a capital offense in ancient Israel. It's for all the things we just talked about. There is a newly forming culture, one that is intended and designed to reveal the one most-high God to the rest of the world. If they just deviate and begin to worship the local gods of the region, they're not revealing the only most-high God. And if this gets into the people it will become cancer in this new culture that is being formed. It would destroy them from within and would make them forget the message of the wilderness, that they are utterly dependent upon God. It would make them forget what they were, it would make them forget how they got where they are, where they came from, and who their source of life actually is. And that gives us pause and opportunity. What are we giving our life to? What have we placed our hope in expecting that that rescue and life is the result? If…if we have things that begin to bubble up and come to mind and they're not God alone then we may be looking at an idol in our lives and we should pause. We’re not going to get away from idolatry in the Bible. And we’re going to be able to see clearly what the repercussions of idolatry in the Scriptures are. But we already know that anything that will lead us away from God will lead us on the pathway of destruction. We’ll forget who we are. We’ll forget the lessons of the wilderness. We’ll forget our identity. We’ll be seduced into darkness. It was a big deal for God and the children of Israel in the wilderness as they prepared to go into the promised land. It should be a big deal to us as well.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, we invite you into that. It’s unlikely any of us are gonna bow our knee to a statue of some sort today but we are seduced into all kinds of things that promise us relief and release and life and happiness and when we have placed our hope in those things and you have not led us to follow that path then we are willfully walking away from you watching the blinking lights. But behind all that we’ll find ourselves in the darkness once again. So, Holy Spirit come. What are the things that we are elevating in our lives and putting our faith and hope and trust in that are not you. Reveal these things to us we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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And that's it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Coming soon…

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kingedwardvi · 3 years

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“In regards to Edward VI’s kingship and the construction of his reign, author Stephen Alford states the following interpretation:

“Elton explored a ‘machinery government’ that operated on the principle of ‘bureaucratic organization’ in the place of the personal control of the king, and ‘national management’ rather than the ‘management of the king’s estate’. Beneath personal monarchy, Elton argued in 1953, there lay a ‘national foundation’--’a nation at last fully conscious of its nationhood--that expressed itself in administrative of bureaucratic form.

Although Elton subtly revised his position over the course of the next thirty years, the essential features of this constituional model remained unchanged. According to Elton, the Council governed the kingdom on behalf of the crown, and so the interaction between the monarch and his councillors could be read, if necessary, in exclusively administrative terms.

Because the king asked the institutional Council for advice, and the institutional Council enforced policy on his behalf, governance became a bureaucratic exercise that subordinated kingship and politics to a formal, legally, coherent and recognizable ‘Tudor constitution’. Indeed, for Elton, royal counsel-taking--arguably, Tudor politics at its source--was properly limited to the sworn members of the institutional body.(...)”

Furthemore, the author, when turning to analyze King Edward as an individual and as a sovereign, he turns to his education as seen below:

“The ideal was a realm blessed by the government of philosophers or of kings who had given themselves to philosophy. Kings dedicated to philosophy were committed ‘to the due knowledge of God, to the discipline of virtue, and to that upryght execucion of their office towards all people.’

Edward received a formidable education in classical literature and rhetoric. Not all the sources survive--his notes on Aristotle’s Rhetorics and Politics, for example, or his thoughts on Sallust and the other historians his tutors read to him--but a good number do. The course of study Edward pursued mirrored the curriculum of the best contemporary grammar schools and Cheke’s teaching at Cambridge in the 1530′s.

The king was, naturally, grounded in Latin grammar and vocabulary (1544-45), concentrated very closely on Cicero (1548-50), learned Greek (1549-50). read Plato and Demosthenes (1551-52), and began to write on theology (1552).

His work brought him into close contact with the leading humanists of the time. In 1552, Roger Ascham reminded William Cecil that ‘by myn especiall good master Cheekes means, I have bene caulled to teache the king to write in his privie chamber’. Cecil, himself a pupil of Cheke in Cambridge and a former lecturer in Greek at St John’s College, had worked with Edward on a rhetorical exercise on paper only four days earlier.(...)”

Religion too played an important role in mouding Edward’s kingship. According to Alford, this is best explained through the advisors that were part of Edward’s council. In the author’s words:

“Thomas Cranmer addressed his king as ‘a second Josiah’, whose duty it was to promote the true worship of God, banish the tyranny of Rome, and destroy idolatry. For Hugh Latimer, Josiah and his counterparts in the Old Testament proved that ‘a kynge in hys chyldehode is a kynge, as well, as in any other age’.

Boys of eight or twelve years of age had been called to kingship by the Holy Spirit. Latimer argued that ‘Josias & one or two mo though they wer chyldren yet had their realmes well governed and raigned prosperouslye’. Nobility rather than age mattered; and nobility, in turn, depended on counsel and education.

Intimately bound up with the model of Edward as a second Josiah was the Tudor royal supremacy. Cranmer explicitly linked the king’s office as Christ’s vicar within his own dominions to the second Josiah’s reformation of the Church of God.

Edwardv VI inherited from his father three principles of kingship with profound implications for the governance of the polity. First, that a king of England exercised secular imperium. Second, that the English king was vicar of God in his own realm. And third, that the Church in England could separate itself from Rome. Precedent was used in 1530 to argue that the ‘spiritual and temporal power of the papacy had been granted by the emperor and not by God’; similarly the argument ran, the sixth Council of Carthage (A.D. 419) had declared that no bishop could be called the ‘universal bishop’. (...)”

In order words, we may understand that the ideal of a Protestant king embodied in Edward’s regal personna was the on-going product of the elders that surrounded him, preparing him for a more dynamic role concerning the one true leading protestant figure in a world very much marked by the Religious Wars.

Source: Alford, Stephen. “Kingship and Politics in the Reign of Edward VI”

#Edward VI #King Edward VI of England #King Edward VI #Edward Tudor #House of Tudor #Tudor dynasty #Tudors #The Tudors #kingship #Tudor England

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araitsume · 3 years

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The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 231-242: Chapter (23) Berea and Athens

This chapter is based on Acts 17:11-34.

At Berea Paul found Jews who were willing to investigate the truths he taught. Luke's record declares of them: “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.”

The minds of the Bereans were not narrowed by prejudice. They were willing to investigate the truthfulness of the doctrines preached by the apostles. They studied the Bible, not from curiosity, but in order that they might learn what had been written concerning the promised Messiah. Daily they searched the inspired records, and as they compared scripture with scripture, heavenly angels were beside them, enlightening their minds and impressing their hearts.

Wherever the truths of the gospel are proclaimed, those who honestly desire to do right are led to a diligent searching of the Scriptures. If, in the closing scenes of this earth's history, those to whom testing truths are proclaimed would follow the example of the Bereans, searching the Scriptures daily, and comparing with God's word the messages brought them, there would today be a large number loyal to the precepts of God's law, where now there are comparatively few. But when unpopular Bible truths are presented, many refuse to make this investigation. Though unable to controvert the plain teachings of Scripture, they yet manifest the utmost reluctance to study the evidences offered. Some assume that even if these doctrines are indeed true, it matters little whether or not they accept the new light, and they cling to pleasing fables which the enemy uses to lead souls astray. Thus their minds are blinded by error, and they become separated from heaven.

All will be judged according to the light that has been given. The Lord sends forth His ambassadors with a message of salvation, and those who hear He will hold responsible for the way in which they treat the words of His servants. Those who are sincerely seeking for truth will make a careful investigation, in the light of God's word, of the doctrines presented to them.

The unbelieving Jews of Thessalonica, filled with jealousy and hatred of the apostles, and not content with having driven them from their own city, followed them to Berea and aroused against them the excitable passions of the lower class. Fearing that violence would be done to Paul if he remained there, the brethren sent him to Athens, accompanied by some of the Bereans who had newly accepted the faith.

Thus persecution followed the teachers of truth from city to city. The enemies of Christ could not prevent the advancement of the gospel, but they succeeded in making the work of the apostles exceedingly hard. Yet in the face of opposition and conflict, Paul pressed steadily forward, determined to carry out the purpose of God as revealed to him in the vision at Jerusalem: “I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.” Acts 22:21.

Paul's hasty departure from Berea deprived him of the opportunity he had anticipated of visiting the brethren at Thessalonica.

On arriving at Athens, the apostle sent the Berean brethren back with a message to Silas and Timothy to join him immediately. Timothy had come to Berea prior to Paul's departure, and with Silas had remained to carry on the work so well begun there, and to instruct the new converts in the principles of the faith.

The city of Athens was the metropolis of heathendom. Here Paul did not meet with an ignorant, credulous populace, as at Lystra, but with a people famous for their intelligence and culture. Everywhere statues of their gods and of the deified heroes of history and poetry met the eye, while magnificent architecture and paintings represented the national glory and the popular worship of heathen deities. The senses of the people were entranced by the beauty and splendor of art. On every hand sanctuaries and temples, involving untold expense, reared their massive forms. Victories of arms and deeds of celebrated men were commemorated by sculpture, shrines, and tablets. All these made Athens a vast gallery of art.

As Paul looked upon the beauty and grandeur surrounding him, and saw the city wholly given to idolatry, his spirit was stirred with jealousy for God, whom he saw dishonored on every side, and his heart was drawn out in pity for the people of Athens, who, notwithstanding their intellectual culture, were ignorant of the true God.

The apostle was not deceived by that which he saw in this center of learning. His spiritual nature was so alive to the attraction of heavenly things that the joy and glory of the riches which will never perish made valueless in his eyes the pomp and splendor with which he was surrounded. As he saw the magnificence of Athens he realized its seductive power over lovers of art and science, and his mind was deeply impressed with the importance of the work before him.

In this great city, where God was not worshiped, Paul was oppressed by a feeling of solitude, and he longed for the sympathy and aid of his fellow laborers. So far as human friendship was concerned, he felt himself to be utterly alone. In his epistle to the Thessalonians he expresses his feelings in the words, “Left at Athens alone.” 1 Thessalonians 3:1. Obstacles that were apparently insurmountable presented themselves before him, making it seem almost hopeless for him to attempt to reach the hearts of the people.

While waiting for Silas and Timothy, Paul was not idle. He “disputed ... in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.” But his principal work in Athens was to bear the tidings of salvation to those who had no intelligent conception of God and of His purpose in behalf of the fallen race. The apostle was soon to meet paganism in its most subtle, alluring form.

The great men of Athens were not long in learning of the presence in their city of a singular teacher who was setting before the people doctrines new and strange. Some of these men sought Paul out and entered into conversation with him. Soon a crowd of listeners gathered about them. Some were prepared to ridicule the apostle as one who was far beneath them both socially and intellectually, and these said jeeringly among themselves, “What will this babbler say?” Others, “because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection,” said, “He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods.”

Among those who encountered Paul in the market place were “certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics;” but they, and all others who came in contact with him, soon saw that he had a store of knowledge even greater than their own. His intellectual power commanded the respect of the learned; while his earnest, logical reasoning and the power of his oratory held the attention of all in the audience. His hearers recognized the fact that he was no novice, but was able to meet all classes with convincing arguments in support of the doctrines he taught. Thus the apostle stood undaunted, meeting his opposers on their own ground, matching logic with logic, philosophy with philosophy, eloquence with eloquence.

His heathen opponents called his attention to the fate of Socrates, who, because he was a setter forth of strange gods, had been condemned to death, and they counseled Paul not to endanger his life in the same way. But the apostle's discourses riveted the attention of the people, and his unaffected wisdom commanded their respect and admiration. He was not silenced by the science or the irony of the philosophers, and satisfying themselves that he was determined to accomplish his errand among them, and, at all hazards, to tell his story, they decided to give him a fair hearing.

They accordingly conducted him to Mars’ Hill. This was one of the most sacred spots in all Athens, and its recollections and associations were such as to cause it to be regarded with a superstitious reverence that in the minds of some amounted to dread. It was in this place that matters connected with religion were often carefully considered by men who acted as final judges on all the more important moral as well as civil questions.

Here, away from the noise and bustle of crowded thoroughfares, and the tumult of promiscuous discussion, the apostle could be heard without interruption. Around him gathered poets, artists, and philosophers—the scholars and sages of Athens, who thus addressed him: “May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? for thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know thereof what these things mean.”

In that hour of solemn responsibility, the apostle was calm and self-possessed. His heart was burdened with an important message, and the words that fell from his lips convinced his hearers that he was no idle babbler. “Ye men of Athens,” he said, “I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To the Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you.” With all their intelligence and general knowledge, they were ignorant of the God who created the universe. Yet there were some who were longing for greater light. They were reaching out toward the Infinite.

With hand outstretched toward the temple crowded with idols, Paul poured out the burden of his soul, and exposed the fallacies of the religion of the Athenians. The wisest of his hearers were astonished as they listened to his reasoning. He showed himself familiar with their works of art, their literature, and their religion. Pointing to their statuary and idols, he declared that God could not be likened to forms of man's devising. These graven images could not, in the faintest sense, represent the glory of Jehovah. He reminded them that these images had no life, but were controlled by human power, moving only when the hands of men moved them; and therefore those who worshiped them were in every way superior to that which they worshiped.

Paul drew the minds of his idolatrous hearers beyond the limits of their false religion to a true view of the Deity, whom they had styled the “Unknown God.” This Being, whom he now declared unto them, was independent of man, needing nothing from human hands to add to His power and glory.

The people were carried away with admiration for Paul's earnest and logical presentation of the attributes of the true God—of His creative power and the existence of His overruling providence. With earnest and fervid eloquence the apostle declared, “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.” The heavens were not large enough to contain God, how much less were the temples made by human hands!

In that age of caste, when the rights of men were often unrecognized, Paul set forth the great truth of human brotherhood, declaring that God “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth.” In the sight of God all are on an equality, and to the Creator every human being owes supreme allegiance. Then the apostle showed how, through all God's dealings with man, His purpose of grace and mercy runs like a thread of gold. He “hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us.”

Pointing to the noble specimens of manhood about him, with words borrowed from a poet of their own he pictured the infinite God as a Father, whose children they were. “In Him we live, and move, and have our being,” he declared; “as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” In the ages of darkness that had preceded the advent of Christ, the divine Ruler had passed lightly over the idolatry of the heathen; but now, through His Son, He had sent men the light of truth; and He expected from all repentance unto salvation, not only from the poor and humble, but from the proud philosopher and the princes of the earth. “Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.” As Paul spoke of the resurrection from the dead, “some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.”

Thus closed the labors of the apostle at Athens, the center of heathen learning, for the Athenians, clinging persistently to their idolatry, turned from the light of the true religion. When a people are wholly satisfied with their own attainments, little more need be expected of them. Though boasting of learning and refinement, the Athenians were constantly becoming more corrupt and more content with the vague mysteries of idolatry.

Among those who listened to the words of Paul were some to whose minds the truths presented brought conviction, but they would not humble themselves to acknowledge God and to accept the plan of salvation. No eloquence of words, no force of argument, can convert the sinner. The power of God alone can apply the truth to the heart. He who persistently turns from this power cannot be reached. The Greeks sought after wisdom, yet the message of the cross was to them foolishness because they valued their own wisdom more highly than the wisdom that comes from above.

In their pride of intellect and human wisdom may be found the reason why the gospel message met with comparatively little success among the Athenians. The worldly-wise men who come to Christ as poor lost sinners, will become wise unto salvation; but those who come as distinguished men, extolling their own wisdom, will fail of receiving the light and knowledge that He alone can give.

Thus Paul met the paganism of his day. His labors in Athens were not wholly in vain. Dionysius, one of the most prominent citizens, and some others, accepted the gospel message and united themselves fully with the believers.

Inspiration has given us this glance into the life of the Athenians, who, with all their knowledge, refinement, and art, were yet sunken in vice, that it might be seen how God, through His servant, rebuked idolatry and the sins of a proud, self-sufficient people. The words of the apostle, and the description of his attitude and surroundings, as traced by the pen of inspiration, were to be handed down to all coming generations, bearing witness of his unshaken confidence, his courage in loneliness and adversity, and the victory he gained for Christianity in the very heart of paganism.

Paul's words contain a treasure of knowledge for the church. He was in a position where he might easily have said that which would have irritated his proud listeners and brought himself into difficulty. Had his oration been a direct attack upon their gods and the great men of the city, he would have been in danger of meeting the fate of Socrates. But with a tact born of divine love, he carefully drew their minds away from heathen deities, by revealing to them the true God, who was to them unknown.

Today the truths of Scripture are to be brought before the great men of the world in order that they may choose between obedience to God's law and allegiance to the prince of evil. God sets everlasting truth before them—truth that will make them wise unto salvation, but He does not force them to accept it. If they turn from it, He leaves them to themselves, to be filled with the fruit of their own doings.

“The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are.” 1 Corinthians 1:18, 19, 27, 28. Many of the greatest scholars and statesmen, the world's most eminent men, will in these last days turn from the light because the world by wisdom knows not God. Yet God's servants are to improve every opportunity to communicate the truth to these men. Some will acknowledge their ignorance of the things of God and will take their place as humble learners at the feet of Jesus, the Master Teacher.

In every effort to reach the higher classes, the worker for God needs strong faith. Appearances may seem forbidding, but in the darkest hour there is light above. The strength of those who love and serve God will be renewed day by day. The understanding of the Infinite is placed at their service, that in carrying out His purposes they may not err. Let these workers hold the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end, remembering that the light of God's truth is to shine amid the darkness that enshrouds our world. There is to be no despondency in connection with God's service. The faith of the consecrated worker is to stand every test brought to bear upon it. God is able and willing to bestow upon His servants all the strength they need and to give them the wisdom that their varied necessities demand. He will more than fulfill the highest expectations of those who put their trust in Him.

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srbachchan · 5 years

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DAY 4296

TartryKe,Slo Dec 11, 2019 Wed 8:29 PM

.. in the minus and in the feel of no feel on the elements of importance - nose, ears, face, hands, feet ..

yet the dedication of the many others that toil in subservient conditions .. the earnest ethic of work and the disrespect to the winds of exceptional cold .. is beyond compare ..

.. we are subjected odd .. in agreement irrespective of the compulsions of job on hand .. miss it and miss your career .. determined to last and get to the next project , the ethic of work needed is exemplified by the nature of the terrain and the surroundings ..

.. ignore its presence .. feel it no more than loitering in the heat of the Sun .. and there .. before long its done ..

.. and then the vision of extreme .. and the return away .. end of work and the solace of warmer climes in the residence .. and the thoughts of how to and when to come to thee - the Ef ..

.. nature has its own fascination and the one that built it , its own .. we never saw him or her , yet we model ourselves in the thought of determined belief that it was HE/SHE that did it .. and how exceedingly well they did .. both of them .. in their idolatry avatar .. or avatars .. !!

.. strong readings today out of sheer non interest, gave rise to several facts that remained unknown and unspoken, merely on the universal edict, that there is was and shall ever be a veil of acceptance in our nature, irrespective of the ‘other’ walking in into our territory ..

there is now in documentation of the eruptions of civilisation and how the Ved and the tributaries that followed gave rise to the many economic, industrial and social evolutions - copy pasted by the so called ‘inventors’ to bring glory to their land .. and give us the benefit of being the testing ground of the many that have recently taken presence .. the greatest of them that invented, giving the acknowledgement to their source of inspiration guidance and technique, in the ancients of our land .. a land of welcome and acceptance of the visitor the guest and giving the best hospitality ever .. even in the loss of national treasure !

Get back then I say to the times of yore .. of the golden glory so often written and talked about ..

Bring it to practice .. to resolve .. to its vast acceptance and glory as before ..

Amitabh Bachchan

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twitchywitchybxtch · 5 years

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Can Witchcraft Be Biblical? A Christian Witch Weighs in:

I have been following this discourse for the last several days and feel led to weigh in. Here are the definitions of certain terms I will be using throughout this piece:

The Law/Mosaic Law: the 613 commandments found in the Torah (the first 5 books of the Old Testament) that Jews abide by in practicing their religion

The New Covenant: the annulment of Mosaic Law for Christians through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ

Yahweh: one of the names of God; used by the Israelites in the Old Testament

Divination: the art of foretelling future events or gaining supernatural insight through the interpretation of symbols, arrangements, patterns, etc.

Witchcraft: an umbrella term that refers to rituals performed to gain insight, influence the physical & spiritual realm, or commune with deities and other supernatural beings

Abrogate: to abolish, do away with, annul

It is also important to define the scope of this discussion, which is solely concerned with ‘Christian witchcraft,’ that is people who utilize witchcraft as an expression of their faith in God. This post will rebut (dropslikerain)’s claim that a Christian faith and the practice of witchcraft are completely incompatible. I recommend reading through the original post explaining their positions before continuing.

A large portion of their argument is based on Deuteronomy 18:10 & Leviticus 20:6, which are part of the Torah (Mosaic Law). However, in doing so, they neglect to mention that:

The Law is no longer binding under the New Covenant. It was abrogated through Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross.

Consider these verses:

Here, Jesus states that the Law is only binding until “all is accomplished.” What is being accomplished? Christian tradition holds that Jesus Christ fulfilled all of the Messianic prophesies in the Old Testament during his lifetime. And so, Jesus says “it is finished” before his death to mark the fulfillment, and thus, abrogates the Law.

On this topic, the Apostle Paul, stated in his letter to the Romans:

Thus, because we are discharged from the Law, verses from the Torah like Deut. 18:10 & Lev. 20:6 are not a valid basis upon which to condemn witchcraft for non-Jews.

Let’s now address the verses OP cited from the early prophetic portion of the Bible, 1 Chronicles 10:13, 1 Samuel 15:23, and 2 Kings 17:17.

The first thing to remember is that these books were written before Jesus abrogated the Law; worshipers of Yahweh were still bound to the Laws of Moses, including its prohibitions on witchcraft.

Saul, being the king of the Jewish people, was held to a particularly high standard of obedience to the Law, for he was the Jewish representative to the nations. However, he failed to uphold this standard, and naturally, the Jews attributed his death to disobedience.

Because the Jews at that time were still bound by (and subsequently disobedient to) prohibitions on divination in Mosaic Law, it is valid to say that the exile could have been linked to divination. However, I would argue that passages such as Jeremiah 14:14 refer to divination performed as a part of worshiping the Near Eastern deities Baal & Asherah who competed for popularity with Yahweh among the the Jews and their neighbors. Divination in this context would undeniably be a sin, for it also constituted idolatry. However, in Isaiah 3:1-3, the prophet Isaiah makes clear that diviners and enchanters were righteous and necessary parts of the Jewish community by putting them on par with judges, prophets, dignitaries, and warriors.

OP notably failed to address this in their response to previous users who brought it up.

Because Jesus has abrogated the Law, the standards that Saul and the Israelites were held to no longer apply.

This begs the question, however: If we aren’t bound by the Law, what moral code are supposed to live by? Are laws such as the Ten Commandments now invalid?

Of course not! If we as a community determine that parts of the Law are good and righteous, we are free to follow them. However, we are no longer bound specifically to the Mosaic code. Instead, we are called to live out the words of Jesus Christ.

Jesus sets out a simple test in Matthew 7 for us to distinguish between acts of good and evil:

The Ten commandments are generally believed to produce righteous conduct (good fruit), and thus remain a standard that Christians are encouraged to live by.

We are called not to abide specifically by Mosaic Law but simply to live in a manner which produces “good fruit” in accordance with the Will of God.

Now, what about the verses in Galatians where the Apostle Paul condemns sorcery? Or those in Revelations?

It is no coincidence that ‘idolatry’ and ‘sorcery’ are grouped together in these lists, for in this time, witchcraft was synonymous with the Greco-Roman pagan religions. The influence of pagan religions on Christian thought is evident in the word choice of authors in the New Testament. For instance, 2 Peter 2:4 describes angels being cast into Tartarus and Revelation 20:13 states that “Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them.” (NRSV) It is clear that New Testament authors had pagan culture (and thus pagan magic) on their mind when writing.

In the same way that Mosaic Law was given to Israel to promote unity and differentiate their tribe from other Near East cultures so that the Yahwist religion could take hold, Paul advises the early Christian churches against practices associated with pagan worship so that the Christian church could unify and differentiate from the pagan cultures surrounding them.

This advice served its purpose, establishing the Church as a distinct and long-lasting entity. However:

Total separation from mystic practices is no longer necessary to maintain the Christian religion.

Paul disapproved of pagan witchcraft, but numerous passages from the Old Testament indicate that God approves of, (or at the very least, tolerates) practices that fall under the umbrella of witchcraft so long as they are used for discernment and implementation of His will.

Numerous others throughout this discussion have explained the Biblical evidence for this, so I will only restate their points briefly:

Urim and Thummim - a pair of gemstones used as divinatory tools to discern the Will of God

Jacob’s folk ritual to produce more valuable livestock; it doesn’t matter whether the results were produced by the ritual itself or through solely through divine intervention, the importance of this passage is that Jacob performed what he believed to be effective folk magic and was not rebuked by God.

Joseph’s gift of oneiromancy (dream interpretation) and divination through the silver chalice

Priestly rituals utilizing curses, sympathetic magic, and divine invocation to determine guilt or innocence (Numbers 5)

(If you’re interested in learning more, I encourage you to take a look at responses to the original post.)

A close reading of Scripture shows that:

Witchcraft that 1) produces “good fruit;” 2) is used to discern and implement the Will of God; and 3) does not invoke deities other than God, is practiced in accordance with the Scriptures, and thus allows for someone to identify as both a Christian and a witch.

Here are some parting words from the Gospel of John:

We are judged not by adherence to the Law nor by our particular path, but by whether we live our lives according to the teachings of Jesus Christ (who, coincidently says nothing about witchcraft). That means producing “good fruit” --caring for the poor, welcoming the immigrant, living a life of love, joy, and peace. None of those require adherence to a particular creed or church; it is a moral Law written on our hearts simply by virtue of having a conscience (Romans 2:15).

Finally, to the community of witches here on Tumblr, do not be disheartened by those who try to bully you, to put you down in order to raise themselves up. After all, those who spew hateful words in the name of Christ violate His commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

(Tags for blogs who might be interested in adding on: pastorwitch, christowitch, secretcatholicwitch, sweetcreamcoven, marymagdalaa, stained-glass-sins, alligorical-rodeo-clown, @spell-bound-life, @religiousdifferencesdating @witchesforjesus @witchylutheran @witchforgod @a-magic-floofer @episcopagan @the-witch-and-her-rosary @christian-witchy-business @witchpriest @lilelvenwitch @sagewolfsbos @tinychristianwitch @queerjesuswitch @minimalistchristianwitch @thesouthernmystic @secretcatholicwitch @thefeatherwitch @magickalwitchblog @herbs-and-nerds @witchyjesuswalk @eclectic-christian-witch @smolchristianwitch @spell-bound-life @the-holiest-witch)

#christian witch #christian witchblr #christian mystic #christian mysticism #christian witchcraft #christian #christianity #jesuslovesyou #witch #witchcraft #witchblr #divination #tarot #oneiromancy #dream interpretation #dreams #curses #jesus

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pamphletstoinspire · 4 years

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The Solemn Feast of The Most Holy Trinity - June 7, 2020

Every Sunday is dedicated to the worship of the Triune God, and is called accordingly the Lord's day; but the first Sunday after Pentecost is appointed by the Church a special feast of the Most Holy Trinity, because this mystery, as the fundamental doctrine of the Christian religion, began at once to be preached by the apostles, as soon as they had been enlightened and strengthened by the descent of the Holy Ghost.

by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1877

The mystery of all mysteries is presented to us today by the true Church of Christ, namely, the mystery of the Most Holy and undivided Trinity, to which we owe the deepest honor, love and devotion.

Our belief on this subject consists principally in the three following points: there is One true God, who rewards all good deeds and punishes all evil ones, either in this world or in the next; but there are, at the same time, three Persons, who according to Holy Writ, are called, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Each of these three Persons differs from the two others, namely the Father from the Son, the Son from the Father and the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost from Father and Son. This difference of Persons implies, however, no difference in their nature; for they all possess only one divine nature and essence. Each of these Persons is true God. True God is the Father: true God, the Son: true God, the Holy Ghost. But notwithstanding this, they are not three Gods, but One God; because all three Persons possess but one divine nature. In regard to men, we say that there are as many separate and distinct natures as there are persons; but in God, as St. Augustine teaches, we find a most perfect Unity in the Trinity, and a most perfect Trinity in the Unity: this means, there is only one God, but there are three Divine Persons.

The Father is the first Person, the Son, the second, the Holy Ghost, the third. The Father has no beginning nor origin from either of the other Persons. The Son is born from all eternity, in an incomprehensible manner, of the Father, and the Holy Ghost, in an equally incomprehensible manner, proceeds from the Father and Son at the same time. And yet the Father is neither older nor higher than the Son, the Son not younger nor less than the Father, and the Holy Ghost not younger nor less than either the Father or the Son. It is true, Christ has said in the Gospel: “The Father is greater than I am:” but these words must be understood as spoken by Him in His human nature. The Father is greater than Christ as Son of man; for as such, He is not from Eternity: as He took upon Himself human nature in time, that is at His Incarnation, nearly 2000 years ago. As far, however, as His divine nature is concerned, He is equally great and eternal as the Father; and as the Father is from all eternity, so the Son by His divine nature has no beginning. The same we believe and confess of the Holy Ghost: He exists equally from all eternity.

What we believe of the eternal existence of these three divine Persons we must also believe of their other perfections, namely, of the omnipotence, omniscience, infinity and the other attributes of God. Omnipotent is the Father; omnipotent is the Son; omnipotent is the Holy Ghost. Omniscient is the Father; omniscient the Son ; omniscient the Holy Ghost Infinite is the Father; infinite the Son; infinite the Holy Ghost. Not one of these three Persons is above the other in might, wisdom, infinity, or any other perfection. One is immeasurably perfect as the other. But although each of the three Persons possesses the above named attributes, there are, nevertheless not three Gods thus perfect; as although each Person is true God, there are not three Gods, but only one ; because the three Persons possess but one divine nature. The Son of God, the second Person, possesses, besides the divine nature, also the human nature, which He took upon Himself in the virginal body of Mary, and in which He suffered and died for us. He is true God and Man. This is what the true faith teaches us of the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity.

In the Old Testament this mystery was revealed to very few and only to the most beloved friends of God; in order, as the holy Fathers write, that the Jews, who were surrounded by heathens, and who were themselves prone to idolatry, should not have an opportunity to regard the three Persons as three Gods. The Prophets impressed them only with the truth that there was only one true God and that they must worship Him alone and not turn their thoughts to the idols of the heathens. But in the New Testament, the mystery of the Holy Trinity is revealed and announced in clear words. Not to mention many passages which have reference to this, let us only regard what Christ said to His Apostles: “Going therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

In these words, Christ our Lord announced the three divine Persons, namely, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost: and at the same time their unity in one, as He does not speak in the plural, saying, in the names, but, in the name, in order to impress us with the truth, that the three Persons are but one God. To the above cited words of the Saviour, we will add those of St. John: “And there are three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one,” namely, in their nature and essence. (John, v.) After the Gospel had been preached by the Apostles, many thousands of Jews and heathens believed this mystery, and today it is accepted in all parts of the Christian world, as an undoubted truth. It is certain that this mystery is far beyond all human comprehension, and there is no article in our faith which is more inexplicable.

What is told in regard to it of St. Augustine is well known. This holy teacher while occupied in searching into the mystery of the Holy Trinity, took a walk on the seashore, where he found a boy, who having made a small hole in the sand, poured water from the sea into it with a spoon. After watching the boy for a long time, the Saint asked him what he was doing. “I wish,” replied the boy, “to pour the sea into this hole.” “O my child!” said the Saint: “that is a useless attempt. So small a hole cannot contain the immense sea.” “And you,” replied the boy, ” will be still less able to contain and comprehend, with your human understanding, the stupendous mystery of the Holy Trinity!” After these words, the child, who doubtless was an angel, vanished.

Truly this mystery is inconceivable and fathomless; yet we do right, nay more, we are bound under pain of damnation to believe it, as it is taught by Him, who can neither deceive, nor be deceived, as He is Himself eternal and infallible truth. God himself revealed it to us, and this is and must be sufficient for us to cast aside all doubts. Our understanding must, according to the exhortation of St. Paul, submit and become a prisoner in the service of faith. For, the words of God must be true, whether we comprehend them or not. And finally, why do we wonder that we are unable to fathom so great a mystery, when there are so many natural things which our understanding fails to explain? Besides, God does not command us to understand, but to believe it. “Believing is commanded to me,” writes St. Augustine. “To search into the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and to wish to comprehend it,” says St. Bernard, “is presumption; but to believe it is godliness.” Elsewhere, he writes these memorable words: “If any one asks how the Catholic faith in regard to this point can be true, I answer, that it should be enough for any one to believe that it is so. If any one goes further and attempts to explain what he is only expected to believe, he places himself in danger of losing his faith and with it his salvation.”

This was indeed the fate of many who, by their impertinent pondering, came at last so far that they protested against and denied the Most Holy Trinity.

It is unquestionable that there was no article of faith which in the early centuries was so much assailed as this one. The Jews would not admit of Three Persons in the Divinity; the heathens maintained the plurality of Gods. Some heretics professed only one Person; others denied the Divinity of Christ; and again others the Divinity of the Holy Ghost. There were some who said that the three Persons were only different names; while others taught that one Person was greater than the other, &c. The Arians, who contested the divinity of Christ, caused the greatest disturbance, the greatest evil in the Church of God, on account of their inveigling many bishops and several emperors into their false doctrines. They persecuted the Catholics, especially bishops and priests, as cruelly, and in some places, more cruelly than the heathens had done. It is known that many thousands of Catholics confirmed with their blood their faith in the Holy Trinity and in the Divinity of Christ, during the persecution of the Church by the Arians.

We read also of many astonishing miracles which God at that time wrought to confirm the truth of the Catholic Faith. In the last few centuries, almost all the errors of the ancient heretics have been renewed by the followers of Luther and Calvin, both of whom assailed the word ” Trinity,” and would not tolerate it. The old Catholic prayer, “Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy upon us,” both rejected. The bible of Luther does not contain the important text of St. John: “There are three who give testimony, &c.” He left these words out, because they lead to the conclusion that we have to believe in the Holy Trinity. Calvin taught that the words: “These three are one,” were not to be applied to their unity in nature, but only to their conformity of will.

What is to be concluded from this, I leave to others to find out. The more, however, the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity was assailed by the heretics, the more it was protected and defended by the Catholic Church. The Holy Mass begins daily with the sign of the Cross, the use of which is an emphatic confession of the Holy Trinity and an appeal to the same. This sign of the Cross is made several times during the day by all true Catholics, and as often as it is made, so often is the Holy Trinity acknowledged and honored. The same is done in holy Mass by the repeated Kyrie Eleison, and further by the Angelic song of praise: “Glory be to God on high:” by the Credo, or Nicene Creed, and lastly by the Sanctus, three times repeated; Holy, holy, holy! The prayers ordained by the Catholic Church, as well for holy Mass, as for all other occasions, all end with a confession of the Holy Trinity and an invocation to the same. All hymns of praise, used in the daily office of the priests and in other devout exercises end in the same manner. As often as the priest, during holy mass, or on other occasions, blesses the people, or things for the benefit of man, so often he invokes and confesses the only true God in three Persons. Every litany begins with this invocation and acknowledgment. After every Psalm is the Holy Trinity praised and honored with the well known words: “Glory be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, &c.”

All this, and much more, has the Catholic Church ordained to honor the Holy Trinity; and to the same end she instituted today's Festival. She requires that we celebrate it most solemnly, that we not only renew our confession of faith in the most Holy Trinity, praise and worship the only true God in three divine Persons, but also give due thanks for all the benefits granted us. One of the reasons that the first Sunday after Pentecost was chosen for this celebration, lies in the fact that the mystery of the Holy Trinity as the principal article of our faith, was not publicly preached by the Apostles until after the Holy Ghost had descended upon them.

The Lutherans celebrate today's festival with us, although this was instituted by a Pope, John XXII., and is not of such ancient date as many other feasts. Why, therefore, do they not also celebrate other feasts of the Catholic Church instituted by other Popes, and of much older date? They have again admitted into their bible the verse of St. John, which Luther had left out; but what is the reason that they do not eradicate so many errors with which their Bible is filled? The Lutherans also believe in One God and three Persons in the Holy Trinity, although this is an incomprehensible mystery, and it seems impossible to the human understanding that each Person is true God and yet all three only one God. Why, believing this, do they deny other articles of faith, especially that of the presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, and the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ? Why do they say, in regard to it, that it is impossible? Because they are unable to comprehend it. But the same God, who revealed the mystery of the Holy Trinity, has also revealed the other, and has commanded that we should believe the one as well as the other, under pain of eternal damnation. Whoever denies the presence of Our Lord in the blessed Sacrament, or the change of the bread and wine because it is incomprehensible, will surely soon be led to deny the greatest Mystery of them all, that of the Holy Trinity, because it is much more unfathomable! And it is just this which the Evil One tries to accomplish through heresy, in order to overthrow the pillars of the Christian faith.

FEAST OF THE HOLY TRINITY. by Fr. Prosper Gueranger 1870

The very essence of the Christian Faith consists in the knowledge and adoration of One God in Three Persons. This is the Mystery whence all others flow. Our Faith centers in this as in the master-truth of all it knows in this life, and as the infinite object whose vision is to form our eternal happiness; and yet, we only know it, because it has pleased God to reveal Himself thus to our lowly intelligence, which, after all, can never fathom the infinite perfections of that God, who necessarily inhabiteth light inaccessible (1 Tim. vi. 16). Human reason may, of itself, come to the knowledge of the existence of God as Creator of all beings; it may, by its own innate power, form to itself an idea of His perfections by the study of His works; but the knowledge of God's intimate being can only come to us by means of His own gracious revelation.

It was God's good-pleasure to make known to us His essence, in order to bring us into closer union with Himself, and to prepare us, in some way, for that face-to-face vision of Himself which He intends giving us in eternity: but His revelation is gradual; He takes mankind from brightness unto brightness, fitting it for the full knowledge and adoration of Unity in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity. During the period preceding the Incarnation of the eternal Word, God seems intent on inculcating the idea of His Unity, for polytheism was the infectious error of mankind; and every notion of there being a spiritual and sole cause of all things would have been effaced on earth, had not the infinite goodness of that God watched over its preservation.

Not that the Old Testament Books were altogether silent on the Three Divine Persons, Whose ineffable relations are eternal; only, the mysterious passages, which spoke of them, were not understood by the people at large; whereas, in the Christian Church, a child of seven will answer them that ask him, that, in God, the three Divine Persons have but one and the same nature, but one and the same Divinity. “When the Book of Genesis tells us, that God spoke in the plural, and said: Let Us make man to our image and likeness (Gen. i. 26), the Jew bows down and believes, but he understands not the sacred text; the Christian, on the contrary, who has been enlightened by the complete revelation of God, sees, under this expression, the Three Persons acting together in the formation of Man; the light of Faith develops the great truth to him, and tells him that, within himself, there is a likeness to the blessed Three in One. Power, Understanding, and Will, are three faculties within him, and yet he himself is but one being.

In the Books of Proverbs, Wisdom, and Ecclesiasticus, Solomon speaks, in sublime language, of Him Who is eternal Wisdom; he tells us, and he uses every variety of grandest expression to tell us, of the divine essence of this Wisdom, and of His being a distinct Person in the Godhead; but, how few among the people of Israel could see through the veil? Isaias heard the voice of the Seraphim, as they stood around God's throne; he heard them singing, in alternate choirs, and with a joy intense because eternal, this hymn: Holy! Holy! Holy! is the Lord (Is. vi. 3)! but who will explain to men this triple Sanctus, of which the echo is heard here below, when we mortals give praise to our Creator? So, again, in the Psalms, and the prophetic Books, a flash of light will break suddenly upon us; a brightness of some mysterious Three will dazzle us; but, it passes away, and obscurity returns seemingly all the more palpable; we have but the sentiment of the divine Unity deeply impressed on our inmost soul, and we adore the Incomprehensible, the Sovereign Being.

The world had to wait for the fullness of time to be completed; and then, God would send, into this world, His Only Son, Begotten of Him from all eternity. This His most merciful purpose has been carried out, and the Word made Flesh hath dwelt among us (St. John, i. 14). By seeing His glory, the glory of the Only Begotten Son of the Father (Ibid), we have come to know that, in God, there is Father and Son. The Son's Mission to our earth, by the very revelation it gave us of Himself, taught us that God is, eternally, Father, for whatsoever is in God is eternal. But for this merciful revelation, which is an anticipation of the light awaiting us in the next life, our knowledge of God would have been too imperfect. It was fitting that there should be some proportion between the light of Faith, and that of the Vision reserved for the future; it was not enough for man to know that God is One.

So that, we now know the Father, from Whom comes, as the Apostle tells us, all paternity, even on earth (Eph. iii. 15). We know Him not only as the creative power, which has produced every being outside Himself; but, guided as it is by Faith, our soul's eye respectfully penetrates into the very essence of the Godhead, and there beholds the Father begetting a Son like unto Himself. But, in order to teach us the Mystery, that Son came down upon our earth. Himself has told us expressly, that no one knoweth the Father, but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal Him (St. Matth. xi. 27). Glory, then, be to the Son, Who has vouchsafed to show us the Father! and glory to the Father, Whom the Son hath revealed unto us!

The intimate knowledge of God, has come to us by the Son, Whom the Father, in His love, has given to us (St. John, iii. 16). And this Son of God, Who, in order to raise up our minds even to His own Divine Nature, has clad Himself, by His Incarnation, with our Human Nature, has taught us that He and His Father are one (St. John, xvii. 22); that they are one and the same Essence, in distinction of Persons. One begets, the Other is begotten; the One is named Power; the Other, Wisdom, or Intelligence. The Power cannot be without the Intelligence, nor the Intelligence without the Power, in the sovereignly perfect Being: but, both the One and the Other produce a Third term.

The Son, Who had been sent by the Father, had ascended into heaven, with the Human Nature which He had united to Himself for all future eternity; and, lo! the Father and the Son send into this world the Spirit Who proceeds from them both. It was a new Gift, and it taught man that the Lord God was in Three Persons. The Spirit, the eternal link of the first Two, is Will, He is Love, in the divine Essence. In God, then, is the fullness of Being, without beginning, without succession, without increase, for there is nothing which He has not. In these Three eternal terms of His uncreated Substance, is the Act, pure and infinite.

The sacred Liturgy, whose object is the glorification of God and the commemoration of His works, follows, each year, the sublime phases of these manifestations, whereby the Sovereign Lord has made known His whole self to mortals. Under the somber colors of Advent, we commemorated the period of expectation, during which the radiant Trinity sent forth but few of its rays to mankind. The world, during those four thousand years, was praying heaven for a Liberator, a Messiah; and it was God's own Son that was to be this Liberator, this Messiah. That we might have the full knowledge of the prophecies which foretold Him, it was necessary that He himself should actually come: a Child was born unto us (Is. ix. 6), and then we had the key to the Scriptures. When we adored that Son, we adored also the Father, Who sent Him to us in the Flesh, and to whom He is consubstantial. This Word of Life, Whom we have seen, Whom we have heard, Whom our hands have handled (St. John, i. l) in the Humanity which He deigned to assume, has proved Himself to be truly a Person, a Person distinct from the Father, for One sends, and the Other is sent. In this second Divine Person, we have found our Mediator, Who has reunited the creation to its Creator; we have found the Redeemer of our sins, the Light of our souls, the Spouse we had so long desired.

Having passed through the mysteries which He Himself wrought, we next celebrated the descent of the Holy Spirit, Who had been announced as coming to perfect the work of the Son of God. We adored Him, and acknowledged Him to be distinct from the Father and the Son, Who had sent Him to us, with the mission of abiding with us (St. John, xiv. 16). He manifested Himself by divine operations which are especially His own, and were the object of His coming. He is the soul of the Church; He keeps her in the truth taught her by the Son. He is the source, the principle of the sanctification of our souls; and in them He wishes to make His dwelling. In a word the mystery of the Trinity has become to us, not only a dogma made known to our mind by Revelation, but, moreover, a practical truth given to us by the unheard of munificence of the Three Divine Persons; the Father, Who has adopted us; the Son Whose brethren and joint-heirs we are; and the Holy Ghost, Who governs us, and dwells within us.

Let us, then, begin this Day, by giving glory to the one God in Three Persons. For this end, we will unite with holy Church, who, in her Office of Prime, recites on this solemnity, as, also, on every Sunday not taken up by a feast, the magnificent Symbol, known as the Athanasian Creed. It gives us, in a summary of much majesty and precision, the doctrine of the holy Doctor, Saint Athanasius, regarding the mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation (It is a psalm or hymn of praise, of confession, and of profound, self-prostrating homage, parallel to the Canticles of the elect in heaven. It appeals to the imagination quite as much as to the intellect. It is the war-song of faith, with which we warn first ourselves, then each other, and then all those who are within its hearing, and the hearing of the Truth, Who our God is, and how we must worship Him, and how vast our responsibility will be if we know what to believe, and yet believe not.)

We have thus far lived out the drama of Christ's earthly life — His Nativity at Christmas, His revealing Himself as God at the Epiphany, His time in the desert at Lent, His Passion and Resurrection at Good Friday and Easter. We recalled His glorious Ascension, and at last week's Pentecost, the Holy Ghost has descended upon the Church, sent by the Father and the Son.

God's Triune Nature has been fully revealed, and now we celebrate the Most Holy Trinity on this day, hearing in today's Gospel, “All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all the things whatsoever I have commanded you; and behold I am with you all days even to the consummation of the world” (this is known as the “Great Commission”).

And with this Mass, the Time After Pentecost, the season that represents the Church Age, begins. Vestments today will be white.

Symbols for the day are the natural symbols of the Trinity — the shamrock used by St. Patrick to explain the Trinity to the ancient Irish, the pansy — viola tricolor — called the “Trinity Flower,” a candle with 3 flames, the triangle, the trefoil, 3 interlocking circles, etc.

#trinity sunday

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kabane52 · 5 years

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Responding to the Same Old Nonsense about the Identity of the Serpent in Genesis 3

This is a response to: https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/bible-interpretation/how-the-serpent-became-satan/

That the identification of the Serpent of Genesis 3 with Satan in Revelation 12 is "curious" to the author should be an indication that she is missing something- not that the authors of the New Testament were liable to inexplicable curiosities. Paul in Romans says, for example, that "the God of peace shall crush Satan under your feet shortly", a reference to Genesis 3. And the vision of Revelation 12 does not merely link Satan with the serpent in passing, but is itself an explication of the prophecy of Genesis 3- we see a Woman, a Dragon, and the Seed- each of them subjects of Genesis 3. "Satan" is not, of course, a personal name. It is a title meaning "Accuser" as the author points out. But the mistake is in seeing "Satan" as a name more ultimate than the other names we read about in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. There is a single figure- a heavenly being who leads a cosmic war against the Creator- who is variously identified as "the Accuser", "Leviathan", "Dragon", "Serpent", and "Baal/Bel." The New Testament states in multiple texts that idolatry is fundamentally the worship of devils- we read this in 1 Corinthians 10, where the sacrificial altar of the pagan deities is the "table of demons."

The one who understands the Hebrew Bible will hardly be surprised by this, for he or she will know how Moses stated precisely this in Deuteronomy 32:17- "they sacrificed to demons that were no-gods, to gods they had never known." It should be no surprise that we go on to read of these demonic forces that "their wine is the poison of serpents, and the cruel venom of asps." (32:33) When we do encounter the figure identified as "the Satan", we find him given this name in the Heavenly Court. The Divine Council is identical with the Heavenly Court, and understanding that these two concepts are one and the same is essential to a proper reading of the Hebrew Bible's teaching on this subject. When the Lord pronounces His curse on Adam and Eve, He speaks by addressing His council- in seizing the fruit, the man has become "as one of us" in robing himself in the authority to reign as a member of God's council. The "knowledge of good and evil" refers, as it does in 1 Kings 3, to a position of royal authority. The temple is the Palace of the Divine King, who is surrounded by His celestial counselors. "As one of us" refers to those who are members of that Heavenly Council, Palace, and Court.

It is in that Court that we find the "Nachash", as he is called in Genesis 3. As a noun, this indeed means "serpent." But the same is true of the word "seraph" which means nominally "serpent" and adjectivally "burning." So we should already know that heavenly beings are associated with a serpentine appearance. As an adjective, "Nachash" means "Bright", and there are a number of references in the prophetic writings to the "Bright One" who is the enemy of God and man alike. Here, I will mention only Job 41, where we meet "Leviathan", who has eyes bright "as the dawn" and who rounds out a book whose narrative arc began with none other than "the Satan" in the Heavenly Court/Divine Council. I was perplexed that the author even mentioned one of the texts which uses the word "Nachash" to describe a heavenly being whose defeat entails blessing for all nations- the Lord strikes him down with His sword, after which Israel takes root and "fills the whole world with fruit."

It is of course true that "satan" can be used to refer to persons other than the one who by custom has been called by "Satan" as if it were his proper name. But it is analogous to the title "Christ", which is used as a Name by millions of Christians even as its most precise- and biblical- use is as a title meaning "the Messiah/Anointed One." Rather than asking about what the Hebrew Bible means by this particular word, we ought to ask whether the Hebrew Bible conceives of the existence of a heavenly being who is the chief enemy of mankind- whose war against the creation began in the garden of Eden, and whose defeat constitutes a major subject of the prophetic hope. I think that the evidence for this is quite robust and extensive, particularly when one recognizes the connection between "Baal" and this being. Jesus, of course, following Jewish tradition, calls Satan "Baal-Zebub."

This clues us in- the countless references to the "Seed of Belial" are rooted in the prophetic curse in Genesis 3 on the "seed of the Serpent." The curse on the Serpent to "eat dust" is no mundane etiology about how snakes lost their legs, but a prophetic word about the expulsion of this heavenly being from the Council of God- and this is how the text is read by the prophets and New Testament authors who make reference to it. We read of the casting out of Satan from the Heavenly Court in the vision of Revelation 12. Isaiah 14, which is a literary partner to Isaiah 53 (in addition to their holding matched places in the book's chiastic arrangement, they follow precisely opposite narrative-arcs and share a number of close phrases and key words), describes the fall of the "Day Star, Son of the Dawn" by referring to his attempt to exalt himself above all members of the Council of God: "above the stars." He is then cursed to go below the earth- to "eat dust" as it were, where he meets the Rephaim and Nephilim locked away in Sheol. Some object that the figure is identified as "king of Babylon", but I would say a number of things.

First, there is no historical information indicative of a specific king. Second, the "BBL" described is the "Tower of Babylon", which takes on the symbolic role of being the paradigmatic bloody "great city" of man, and whose literary position in Genesis connects it with the cosmic sin of the rebellious heavenly beings in Genesis 6- which is why, after all, the king of Isaiah 14 ends up meeting those who were cursed after their escapade in Genesis 6. Third, he is identified as king of Babylon because his conqueror and opposite- Israel's Messiah- is the king of Zion, whose story is described in Isaiah 53. While the king of Babylon exalted himself above the stars only to be placed in the grave, the Servant of Isaiah 53 freely went to the grave, only to be "high and lifted up, and exalted." If the royal, messianic identity of the Servant in Isaiah 53 were in doubt, one only need look at what happens to those corporately identified with His pattern of life in partaking of the heritage of the plural "Servants of the Lord"- they are the "seed" of Isaiah 53:10, born from the marriage of the Servant and Bridal Zion. Isaiah 55 tells us plainly that this is in fulfillment of the covenant to David's family- one could hardly be more direct about the messianic nature of the work just described.

I could go on. I found it rather silly that the author says that the concept of the devil "begins to appear" in texts like 1 Enoch and the Wisdom of Solomon. Well, this is some of the earlier literature of intertestamental Judaism, so what this ends up meaning is "as soon as a robust literary portrait of Jewish theology becomes available from the postbiblical period, there is a concept of the devil." But this would demonstrate a conclusion quite unlike the conclusion presented above. Besides arguing that the Christian idea of Satan and his supernatural allies (our supernatural enemies) is firmly rooted not only in the New Testament, but in the Torah and Prophets, I have a larger point. That larger point is that the readers of Scripture in Jewish antiquity are far cleverer than contemporary biblical scholars give them credit for. I believe that contemporary biblical scholars- as reflected by the original article- very often prove themselves to be readers of great incompetence, flatly unable to see some of the most basic elements of the authorial portrait, and dismissively waving off traditional exegesis as "midrashic" and "creative" as if those who composed midrash thought that they were doing anything other than drawing out the deep truths in Torah and Prophets. It is tiring to find patronizing and condescending remarks about rabbinic and apostolic "creativity" disguised as praise. I persist in holding that they were exponentially more capable of reading their Scriptures than most modern scholars are.

Please pardon the length.

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orthodoxydaily · 4 years

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Saints&Reading: Wed., May, 13, 2020

Virgin Martyr Glyceria

Saint Glyceria suffered as a martyr for her faith in Christ in the second century, during a persecution against Christians under the emperor Antoninus (138-161). She came from an illustrious family, and her father Macarius was a high-ranking Roman official. Later, the family moved to the Thracian city of Trajanopolis.

Saint Glyceria lost both her father and mother at an early age. Falling in with Christians, she converted to the true Faith, and she visited the church every day. Sabinus, the prefect of Trajanopolis, received the imperial edict ordering Christians to offer sacrifice to the idols, and so he designated a certain day for the inhabitants of the city to worship the idol Zeus.

Saint Glyceria firmly resolved to suffer for Christ. She told the Christians of her intention, and she begged them to pray that the Lord would give her the strength to undergo the sufferings. On the appointed day Saint Glyceria made the Sign of the Cross on her forehead, and went into the pagan temple.

The saint stood on a raised spot in the rays of the sun, and removed the veil from her head, showing the holy Cross traced on her forehead. She prayed fervently to God to bring the pagans to their senses and destroy the stone idol of Zeus. Suddenly thunder was heard, and the statue of Zeus crashed to the floor and smashed into little pieces.

In a rage, the prefect Sabinus and the pagan priests commanded the people to pelt Saint Glyceria with stones, but the stones did not touch the saint. They locked Saint Glyceria in prison, where the Christian priest Philokrates came to her and encouraged the martyr in the struggle before her...keep readin OCA

Martyr Laodicius

Saint Glyceria was tortured at Heraclea in Thrace during a persecution against Christians under the emperor Antoninus (138-161).The martyr was then thrown into prison onto sharp stones. She prayed incessantly, and at midnight an angel appeared in the prison and healed her of her wounds.

When the jailer Laodicius came for the saint in the morning, he did not recognize her. Thinking that the martyr had been taken away, he feared he would be punished for letting her escape. He wanted to kill himself, but Saint Glyceria stopped him. Shaken by the miracle, Laodicius believed in the true God, and he entreated the saint to pray that he might suffer and die for Christ with her.

“Follow Christ and you will be saved,” the holy martyr replied. Laodicius placed upon himself the chains with which the saint was bound, and at the trial he told the prefect and everyone present about the miraculous healing of Saint Glyceria by an angel, then he confessed himself a Christian.

The newly chosen one of God was beheaded by the sword. Christians secretly took up his remains, and reverently buried them.

Source Orthodox Church of America

Righteous Glyceria of Novgorod

Righteous Virgin Glyceria of Novgorod, was the daughter of Panteleimon, a starosta of Legoscha Street in Novgorod. The saint died in the year 1522. Her incorrupt relics, according to the second Novgorod Chronicle, were uncovered on July 14, 1572 near the stone church of Saints Florus and Laurus. Archbishop Leonid of Novgorod, assisted by his clergy, buried the holy relics in this church. During the interment, healings occurred at the relics of the saint.

Acts 14: 6-18 NKJV

6 they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. 7 And they were preaching the gospel there.

Idolatry at Lystra

8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man heard Paul speaking. [c]Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. 11 Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12 And Barnabas they called [d]Zeus, and Paul, [e]Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.

14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out 15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, 16 who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” 18 And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.

John 7:14-30 NKJV

14 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. 15 And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”

16 [a]Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. 19 Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”

20 The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”

21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

Could This Be the Christ?

25 Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? 26 But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is [b]truly the Christ? 27 However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.”

28 Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. 29 [c]But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”

30 Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.

Footnotes:

John 7:16 NU, M So Jesus

John 7:26 NU omits truly

John 7:29 NU, M omit But

Source Biblegateway

#orthodoxy #spirituality #firstchristian #gospel #bible #mysticalchristianity

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nerdygaymormon · 5 years

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People wonder “why do Christians follow some Old Testament Laws and not others?” The answer to that my brother in Christ is the Council of Jerusalem. This Council, written about in Acts 15, determined that we don’t have to follow most old laws, except for 4 things: Blood, meat from strangled animals, idolatry, and sexual immorality. That is why we still hold on to a few things.

I’ve read your analysis of Leviticus 18 and 20 and it does make sense. In my own research, I have some recommended reading: “The Meaning and Continuing Relevance of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13” by Willie E. Honeycutt. Goes over the language and the culture of Israel and surrounding nations. God bless My brother in Christ.

I hope your day gets better. I also have anxiety issues. I’ll pray for you my brother in Christ.

Remember my brother, remember Moses. Moses had a stutter. Jacob was young in a culture that favored the old. Thomas was a doubter. Mary Magdalene was demon possessed. Lazarus was dead. And God all helped them and they glorified him. He will surely do the same for you my beloved brother in Christ. I do not like being around people either, but God put us here for a reason.

By the way the last few asks (about biblical research on sex, biblical interpretation, and anxiety issues) were all by one person, me. I hope my asks don’t upset you or come off as insensitive. I love you brother in Christ. I’ll pray for you and I hope you’ll pray for me too.

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Brother, thanks so much for your several messages.

There are several things that change religious understanding--revelation (later Biblical prophets can change understanding from earlier prophets, my church believes in ongoing revelation), changing circumstances (government, economic models, and other exterior conditions), and science.

Religion often uses the language of certainty when it’s actually a subject that is among the least provable.

Religion provides a set of principles we use to guide our lives, and it does much good. But when science changes humankind’s understanding, religion has to bend. There’s many examples of this. And I propose that homosexuality is another of these topics. Traditionally people viewed this as a choice, but now we have clear and growing evidence this is biological. We’re also beginning to learn the same is true of people who are transgender.

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One of the comforting things about the Bible is seeing how God works with flawed individuals and lifts them up, increases their ability.

I never have thought of my social anxiety disorder as a weakness that would allow God to show his power in my life, I appreciate you drawing that link for me. We’re fortunate to live in the 21st century with the knowledge we have now, including that of mental health.

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Your many asks do not bother me, I sense an underlying kindness in them.

I pray for you to receive blessings and feel peace.

God bless you my brother

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dailyaudiobible · 6 years

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03/20/2019 DAB Transcript

Numbers 30:1-31:54, Luke 4:1-30, Psalms 63:1-11, Proverbs 11:20-21

Today is March 20th. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is a joy, an honor, it is a pleasure to come around the global campfire, come in out of the cold, come in out of the dark and just see the fire glow all around the campfire where we've come to take the next step forward together in community. So, we’re reading from the God's word Translation this week and we will go back out into the wilderness, into the book of Numbers, chapter 30 and 31 today and we will listen to more of the law.

Commentary:

Okay. So, from what we read in the book of Numbers today, we can piece kinda two pieces of a story together that will bring some context for the territory that we’re in and then we'll talk about the gospel of Luke because what we read there today gives us some pretty significant advice for how to conduct ourselves in a specific situation. So, first the book of numbers. God told Moses to attack the Midianites for what they had done to the Israelites and that kinda comes right out of some laws. So, we have to go back a few days. Remember Balak and Moab. Remember Balaam, son of Beor, this Oracle that God spoke to who was supposed to go back to King Balak but only say what God said to say. Remember the angel with the drawn sword, that whole story. He shows back up in Midian today and he is killed in this battle and tying the two pieces of the story together with maybe a little bit of conjecture, what it seems happened is that Balaam could not curse Israel on behalf of Moab. He could not curse Israel on behalf of anyone, but at some point some advice was given on a way maybe that could undermine the Israelites without a curse and that would be to seduce the men with the women. And already we've seen that the intermingling with surrounding nations has already been going on and it has only led the people into idolatry. This is the reason for the battle today and perhaps why the women were named as enemies in the battle today because they had waged a war of their own on Israel through sex. Perhaps a totally different kind of weapon, but no less mortal or harmful in this case. So, that’s what we have going on here. The children of Israel are still trying to get regrouped and get themselves together so that they can actually cross the Jordan River into the promised land. Like, we've been chasing the promised land since January and we're still not there. Like for us, we’re following a story that's leading us toward the promised land but it's taking a while because it took a long time for this promise to come to fruition. So, while the children of Israel are out in the wilderness a million strong, so a formidable society. Yeah, all the surrounding nations are freaked out by them and trying to figure out how to destroy them. And yeah, there are times that they gotta fight back. So, that’s what we see going on in the book of numbers.

Now in the book of Luke, Jesus is baptized, He goes into the wilderness, the Judean wilderness, He is tempted by the devil and then He continues His journey out of the wilderness, north into the Galilee region where He begins his ministry. He eventually makes his way to His hometown. He begins to do the same things He was doing in every other village but He’s not able to because of their lack of faith, because they watched Him grow up, they don't have any respect for what God might be doing. He announces what His mission is from the prophet Isaiah, from the scroll of Isaiah. And then He announces that He in their hearing is fulfilling that prophecy. So, this is happening in His hometown. They are all enraged, like, “no, we saw You grow up, we saw You when You were peeing Your pants, like You're not a prophet. And then they decide…it's so funny…the herd mentality you can kinda see in the Bible and you scratch your head, but the same stuff still happens today. They decide that, even though they watched Him grow up and even though He's announcing that the Spirit of the Lord is upon Him and He has been doing some pretty miraculous things in the region, they're just gonna throw Him off a cliff and be done with it. And, so, they attempted to do that and Jesus walks right through them and goes on His. So listen, in your Christian life there are going to be times when you feel like you're being tempted, tempted of the devil. You may feel like you're in the wilderness when this is happening. It may be confusing to you and you will have to resist the devil because you will have to fight for your life and you may be successful, you may defeat the enemies taunts and temptations and you may move out of the wilderness and into your hometown and you may be called by God to step out and do something only to find out that nobody believes in you at all and are only taunting you. And you may continue to press forward in your calling doing everything that you know to do and staying humble before the Lord as he leads and directs your steps. And the result might be that the people who are closest to you decide to throw you off a cliff. Now that's a metaphor in this situation. I doubt any of your family or friends again actually try to throw you off a cliff, but proverbially you may be written off, you may be abandoned, you may be walked away from, you may feel like you’ve been thrown aside. Here's what you need to do, walk right through the crowd and go on your way. That's what Jesus did. He went somewhere else and healed the sick, healed the brokenhearted, set the captives free, restored site to the blind, brought hearing back to those who were deaf, healed the lame, raised the dead and spoke the good news to anyone with ears to hear or eyes to see. If God has instructed you and invited you into a dance that you and He are to do together and start dancing and stop paying attention to who's watching. Lose yourself in his eyes. Walk through the crowd and go on your way.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, we invite you into that. It can mean many things to many people in many context and yet its central truth rings true for each of us. We get lost and distracted so often and in so many ways that we our often focusing on why something you may have invited us into can't be a reality, can't be You, can't happen. We get distracted by the taunts and it feels like we’re rejected, abandoned, and thrown off a cliff when what we need to do is walk right through it and move on our way. Show us what that looks like in our stories Holy Spirit as we continue to move through this season of Lent, this season where we continue to contemplate what it cost to give us our freedom for free and how our lives should be oriented as an act of worship because of this in everything we do and say. And one of the things we must learn to do is listen to you above all other voices. So, come Holy Spirit, lead us into all truth, lead us forward on the way that we should go. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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And speaking of women, the women's gathering, the More Gathering for women, which will take place April 11th through 14th. It’s coming up, it's right out in front of us and registrations about to close. So, if it has been on your mind, you have been kinda giving it some thought, then don't procrastinate. Check it out, moregathering.com or you go to dailyaudiobible.com and click the Initiatives section and that will take you to the same place.

In the Initiatives section you’ll also see Israel 2020 and registration is open for next year's pilgrimage to the land of the Bible. That'll take place in February and you can get all the details about that in the Initiatives section.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, if we have a mission together and that common mission to bring God's spoken word to anyone who will listen to it anywhere on this planet, anytime of day or night and to build community around that rhythm so that we know were not alone. If that has been life-giving to you, then thank you for your partnership. Thank you for being life-giving back. There is a link on the homepage. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that's it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hey guys this is Bridget from New York and I’m calling for two reasons. One is, I’m not sure you guys remember me I called last year after my son in law was murdered in front of my daughter and he left behind a three-year-old. Recently, I’ve been praying for her and trying to cover, you know, covering my family, my daughter, my son. Praise my son and my daughter, my three-year-old, God has moved them two houses away from where I lived in an apartment. Long story short, God is good. And then my granddaughter, I’ve been praying for her she’s been struggling with anxiety and fear and headaches and the reason I know is because when I lay hands on her pray over her I literally feel everything that she’s feeling. So, I ask you guys to please lift her up if you don’t mind. Also, please just keep my family, my husband in prayer, his name is Andy, and My daughter Felicity and my son my daughter Abel and Bridget, you know, they’re twins. So, they just moved up here and I’m just hoping that they begin to attend church up here and that it would be consistent and that they would formulate a relationship with the Lord and not just, you know, church but just an intimacy with God. I can say that Brian, this ministry has helped me become more intimate with the Lord. And thank you guys I love you and I love this ministry. Thanks. Bye.

Hi Daily Audio Bible. I can’t believe I’m calling in, but just real quickly, my wife Lily recommended me to start listening to Daily Audio Bible and I started listening this year and it has been simply amazing. I worked at the bank in Charlotte North Carolina and I go in and out and do schooling at night and Daily Audio Bible has been absolutely amazing. It’s been filling my commutes, my times alone with a very and a deep and profound way that I can, you know, connect with God. So, I’m super thankful for Lily, my wife, who told me about this and also for the community, for Brian. And I actually tell so many people around me about it just because it blessed me so much. So, I just want to tell it to somebody people. I want to also acknowledge my beautiful wife. We’re almost celebrating five years. I just want to acknowledge her in front of people, in front of the world, just because she’s so amazing. She has been working so hard lately at ICU, she’s been studying so hard, she’s been taking care of me, taking care of the dog, she’s been just grinding day in and day out and not complaining, and I just want to give her a shout out for that. I love her so much and I want to encourage all other couples out there to continue working on their relationship, to pray for their spouses, to bless their spouses. And I’m super excited. My wife doesn’t even know this, but I bought her the More Gathering ticket and I can’t wait to tell her that she’s going because she needs a break. Blessings to everybody. This is Z from Charlotte North Carolina. Love you all and thank you for listening.

Hi, good morning, afternoon, and evening Daily Audio Bible, this is Gabriel again from the UK. I called a few weeks ago in relation to my daughter, my middle daughter, who went through a surgery. I just wanted to say praise report, the surgery was successful. It was to remove her adenoids and tonsils, which a lot of people seem to retain but we were slightly worried about it. There was slightly scary moment when she stopped breathing and the recovery took 40 minutes even though they said it would take 10 minutes. I forgot to mention in my first message that my daughter, my middle daughter, is actually three years old. So, I guess that would’ve given a bit more context, but anyway the other reason for my call is I…myself and my wife run small group for our house for the church and there’s a member of our small group who’s going through some really bad, I guess, kind of chronic fatigue I guess is the way to describe it, which means that she’s not able to work and she’s such a lovely woman. She basically…her physical affliction and weakness has got to the point that she’s not even able to kind of brush her teeth properly or just do normal things and she’s living with her father who increases the stress which then makes her health worse which means she can’t…gets even more fatigued and the cycle continues. So, just wanted to say, for the purpose of confidentiality, we’ll name her A, the letter A, but if you could pray for her that would be absolutely amazing. But thanks very much everybody and I’ll update with you another time. Just let you know we’re praying for you all around the world. And thanks for this platform Brian and Jill and family. Take care. By now.

Hi this is Victoria soldier just calling tonight to pray for some of the DABbers. I wanted to pray for Scott who is dealing with emotional anxiety and mental health. I want to pray for you, I want to pray for Joy from Nashville who’s going through, and I also want to pray for Bridget having to do with their son, the son, the little 11-month-old that passed away. I want to pray for Sheila and I want to pray for Burning Bush and I want to pray for those who are going through emotional strongholds and those who are going through the strongholds of drugs and the stronghold that won’t let ho and won’t let them have their way in Christ. Gracious Father we just praise You today, we magnify You Lord. I thank You for the DABbers. I thank You for those who call because when they say that they call upon the Lord He shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not faint. Oh Lord we just ask You to touch those are who are going through mental health. Lord, You’re a God that can do anything but fail, You’re God that can just touch, You’re a God that can speak to the wind. You can sure speak to mental illness, You can sure deliver Lord, You can deliver from the uttermost __ . Lord there dealing with __ the family that lost that beautiful precious little of 11-month-old. Thank You, Lord for giving them that precious time with him, that he was so precious, that You loved him so much, that You gave them that time. We don’t understand what is happening, but we know that he’s in heaven and that he’s waiting for their parents to come one day and be with them. Lord You encourage them lord. You encourage them and You open doors for them Lord in the name of Jesus. You open doors for healing, You open doors for a greater You in them Lord. Oh Lord we ask You to touch Brian and his family. I ask You to touch…

I walk in circles around the yard and I do it every day sometimes I simply walk and think and sometimes I walk and pray and when I walk am not alone I’m walking with the Lord his Holy Spirit fills me up and his peace is my reward He said He’d keep in perfect peace the mind that’s stayed on Him and perfect peace is what I need when things start looking grim there’s evil present all around I feel like I’m boxed in I know I have to walk away to not get caught in sin help me Lord to boldly walk and know I’m not alone the peace Your Holy Spirit gives surpasses all I’ve known fill me Lord anoint me Lord I long to hear Your voice gently speak into my heart for making You first choice I’m not ashamed to lift You up my life’s an open book when asked if I believe the word You only have to look I try to practice what I preach to hold my lamp up hi so someone else can see God’s love with me just passing by but darkness doesn’t like the light or the clarity that light brings for those of us who love the light will walk like we have wings because truth is light and light is love and love will set You free Jesus is the light of God and all the world to me He said we sometimes have to flee we all have private hells do not stay and tempt Yourself by trying to test Yourselves I’ve been there done that always lost the power of sins to strong I know I’ve when I rely on Him I win and don’t go wrong and so I walk in circles and do it every day as I walk Lord please walk with me and help me not to stray

[email protected]. Like to give a shout out to Sherlock Washington and Kim. Thank you. I love you very much, you’re in my prayers every day. Also like to give a shout out to Walda the Burning Bush that will not be Consumed. Be nice to hear your voice…

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studythewordatalltimes · 6 years

Text

Honoring Women and Children in a World at war

Blessing of the Land & Farming

All of creation groans, waiting eagerly for the time when the effects of weeds, thorns, pestilence, drought, and famine will be broken, and the earth will be as it was in the beginning before sin entered the world. So much has gone wrong in our fulfilling the role You gave us in Eden to care for and protect creation.

May the women in each nation who are followers of Christ repent of any innocent bloodshed, wrongs, idolatries, and abominations. Even more will humble themselves, pray, and seek Your face. Then as each woman prays in the power of the Holy Spirit over the land You have provided, she will experience Your blessing and Your bounty. Bring people and resources into her life to show her how to increase the fertility and usefulness of the land and water. In faith she will come out and shout for joy for Your supernatural provision. Her neighbors will stand in awe of You, Jehovah-Jireh (the LORD our Provider).

Bless the work of those who eke out a meager, subsistent existence. Because of the atoning work of Christ, You are able and willing to make up for the years that the locusts have eaten so there will be plenty to eat. All will see Your merciful hand and praise Your name. Only You can change dry, unfruitful ground into a land flowing with milk and honey. Open the heavens and bring the right amount of rain in its season. The produce of the ground will abound in Your prosperity. You will bless their baskets and their kneading bowls.

For those in war-torn areas where it is difficult or dangerous to work, bring peace and safety. We ask for guardian angels to surround and protect women and children as they travel to and from their gardens.

“By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.”

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭4:2-3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:19-22‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31:12‬ ‭KJV‬‬ “And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah–jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭22:13-14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.”

‭‭Joel‬ ‭2:25-26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways. And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee. And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee. The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭28:4-12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

#honoring women and children in a world at war #day 3 #bible study

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