#forsake this wisdom at your peril

[dfroza]

Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms

for july 4 of 2024 with Proverbs 4 and Psalm 4, accompanied by Psalm 15 for the 15th day of Astronomical Summer, and Psalm 36 for day 186 of the year (with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 2nd revolution this year)

[Proverbs 4]

Gather, children, to hear your father’s instruction.

Pay close attention so you will understand,

For I am passing down to you important precepts.

Do not abandon these valuable life lessons.

Back when I was young—the very image of my father,

and yet from my mother’s view, still her only boy—

My father, with his years of experience, became my teacher.

Father: Son, grab on to every word I say to you—hold them close—

stay true to my instructions as you live, and they will serve you well.

Whatever it takes to gain Wisdom, do it.

To gain understanding, do it! Never forget this!

Never stray from what I am telling you.

If you don’t forsake Lady Wisdom, she will protect you.

Love her, and she will faithfully take care of you.

Gaining sound judgment is key, so first things first: go after Lady Wisdom!

Now, whatever else you do, follow through to understanding.

Cherish her, and she will help you rise above the confusion of life—

your possibilities will open up before you—

embrace her, and she will raise you to a place of honor in return.

She will provide the finishing touch to your character—grace;

she will give you an elegant confidence.

Hear my words, my son, and take them in;

let them soak in so that you will live a long, full life.

I have pointed you in the way of wisdom;

I have steered you down the path to integrity.

So get going. And as you go, know this: with integrity you will overcome all obstacles;

even if you run, you will not stumble.

Tighten your grip around wise advice; don’t let it slip away.

Protect Wisdom, for without her, life isn’t worth living.

Do not start down the road of the wicked—

the first step is easy, but it leads to heartache—

do not go along the way of evildoers.

Stay away from it; don’t even go past it—

and if you find yourself anywhere near it,

turn your back and run as far as you can in the opposite direction.

For evildoers are so twisted they cannot sleep unless they have caused harm;

they’ll lie awake all night until they figure out a way to cause someone to stumble.

For they feed on evil the way most eat bread;

they drink violence the way most guzzle wine.

Yet the way of those who do right is like the early morning sun

that shines brighter and brighter until noon.

Evildoers travel a dark road because they love to hide their deeds in darkness;

they can’t see the perils ahead that cause them to stumble.

My son, pay attention to all the words I am telling you.

Lean in closer so you may hear all I say.

Keep them before you; meditate on them;

set them safely in your heart.

For those who discover them, they are life.

They bring wholeness and healing to their bodies.

Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it

because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life.

Do away with any talk that twists and distorts the truth;

have nothing to do with any verbal trickery.

Keep your head up, your eyes straight ahead,

and your focus fixed on what is in front of you.

Take care you don’t stray from the straight path, the way of truth,

and you will safely reach the end of your road.

Do not veer off course to the right or the left;

step away from evil, and leave it behind.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 4 (The Voice)

A set of notes from The Voice translation:

It’s perfectly natural to envy those who are successful. It’s even natural to want to imitate them. But what about those who’ve gotten ahead by doing the wrong thing? Sometimes it seems crime does pay, the good do die young, and the wicked do have more fun. But it only appears this way; it is not reality. In reality the success of wrongdoers is short-lived. God is against them, and their house is built on the sand. Even if it seems to be a grand house, it will soon come crashing down.

•

Fathers have a crucial role in instructing their sons. It’s easy and natural to teach children about some things: how to take care of a car, how to hit a ball, or how to mow the lawn. But what about deeper things, the kinds of things that make life worth living? These are much harder. They must not be left for someone else to do. Paul wrote, “And, fathers, do not drive your children mad, but nurture them in the discipline and teaching that come from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Instructing children in the ways of God is crucial work.

[Psalm 4]

For the worship leader. A song of David accompanied by strings.

Answer my prayers, O True God, the righteous, who makes me right.

I was hopelessly surrounded, and You rescued me.

Once again hear me; hide me in Your favor;

bring victory in defeat and hope in hopelessness.

How long will you sons of Adam steal my dignity, reduce my glory to shame?

Why pine for the fruitless and dream a delusion?

[pause]

Understand this: The Eternal One treats as special those like Him.

The Eternal will answer my prayers and save me.

Think long; think hard. When you are angry, don’t let it carry you into sin.

When night comes, in calm be silent.

[pause]

From this day forward, offer to God the right sacrifice from a heart made right by God.

Entrust yourself to the Eternal.

Crowds of disheartened people ask, “Who can show us what is good?”

Let Your brilliant face shine upon us, O Eternal One, that we may know the undeniable answer.

You have filled me with joy, and happiness has risen in my heart, great delight and unrivaled joy,

even more than when bread abounds and wine flows freely.

Tonight I will sleep securely on a bed of peace

because I trust You, You alone, O Eternal One, will keep me safe.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 4 (The Voice)

[Psalm 15]

A song of David.

Eternal One, who is invited to stay in Your dwelling?

Who is granted passage to Your holy mountain?

Here is the answer: The one who lives with integrity, does what is right,

and speaks honestly with truth from the heart.

The one who doesn’t speak evil against others

or wrong his neighbor,

or slander his friends.

The one who loathes the loathsome,

honors those who fear the Eternal,

And keeps all promises no matter the cost.

The one who does not lend money with gain in mind

and cannot be bought to harm an innocent name.

If you live this way, you will not be shaken and will live together with the Lord.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 15 (The Voice)

A note from The Voice translation:

A recurring theme in the psalms is the dwelling place of God and its importance in worship. This Davidic psalm considers the moral qualities of the person who wishes to approach God.

[Psalm 36]

For the worship leader. A song of David, the Eternal’s servant.

Sin speaks in the depths of the soul

of those who oppose God; they listen closely to its urgings.

You’ll never see the fear of God

in their eyes,

For they flatter themselves—

convinced their sin will remain secret, undiscovered, and so unhated.

They speak words of evil and deceit.

Wisdom and goodness, they deserted long ago.

Even as they sleep, they are plotting mischief.

They journey along a path far from anything good,

gravitating to trouble, welcoming evil.

Your love, O Eternal One, towers high into the heavens.

Even the skies are lower than Your faithfulness.

Your justice is like the majestic mountains.

Your judgments are as deep as the oceans, and yet in Your greatness,

You, O Eternal, offer life for every person and animal.

Your strong love, O True God, is precious.

All people run for shelter under the shadow of Your wings.

In Your house, they eat and are full at Your table.

They drink from the river of Your overflowing kindness.

You have the fountain of life that quenches our thirst.

Your light has opened our eyes and awakened our souls.

May Your love continue to grow deeply in the lives of all who know You.

May Your salvation reach every heart committed to do right.

Give me shelter from prideful feet that hunt me down

and wicked hands that push me from Your path.

It is there, far away from You, that the wicked will be forced down,

face to the earth, never again returning to their feet.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 36 (The Voice)

[evaemiel]

The Cat-alayst - Week 3 of #aphabetsuperset

Human.

HUMAN. Get up.

I require sustenance, mother. SUSTENANCE.

I see how it is. Sleeping still. Why sleep so long all night, human? Why not stretch your limbs in the early morning? That’s prime time for hunting; all the little tasty morsels come out then. So easy to snatch them up, human, if you got out of your nest before dawn.

Your laziness is frankly unbecoming. I will now lick my behind in front of you to show my disdain.

Hmm? Why not catch something myself if I’m hungry?   Preposterous, the sun is up now. Besides, I already caught so many; they are sure to all be dead. I have to wait for new ones to spawn. Yes, that’s how it is.

Moreover, YOU OWE ME. No forsaking your responsibilities. So where is my brekky?

Oh, you think you can ignore Cat? Ignore cat AT YOUR OWN PERIL ! Lest I remind you of all the reasons you should be grateful to me (and thus should feed me immediately, all the time).

No, I’m not talking about my myriad of excellent qualities, of which I possess so many that it’s hardly fair to mention them. (YOU could stand to mention them more, though.)

No, what I’m alluding to is that I have changed you in so many ways. Admit it, would you be where you are today if it weren’t for me?

No, of course not! You’d lie around all day and expect someone else to take care of you!

And now, because I’m here, you have a purpose in life. Please contemplate how generous I have been and continue to be.   Also, I need some scratches below the chin, human. Yes, rrrrrrrrright therrrrrre.

It’s true, isn’t it? You wouldn’t know what to do with yourself on long, cold winter evenings until I graciously lay on your lap. You wouldn’t know the joys of the hunt or the pleasure of late-night roaming. If I didn’t remind you it was food time, would you even eat? Remember, you would not even live in this house if it weren’t for me; ‘t was I who “needed a garden”.

I herald the times of change, human. There’s a before me, and then there’s me, forever after.

And at any time, I may choose to alter your life again without warning. That is the only true nature of cat — to be the disruptor of things.

I can’t believe there are people who think they should emulate our wisdom, our acceptance of life, our contented living-in-the-moment. Ha, and they call themselves philosophers! Have you ever known me to be content? Pretentious slander. Not that I’m not wise; of course I am, but my wisdom is mine alone. Why would I go around sharing that with humans? Such a wasted effort on creatures so vain they keep reinventing the mirror in whatever metaphorical way they can. Such poor taste. Would never happen to me.

Though — if you so crave an inkling of my insights, I will give you one if you get up?

Ah finally! Let me press my scent against your leg; that seems to motivate you.

Listen. LISTEN; you need to choose to go out there and get the juicy bites, human. They won’t leap into your mouth out of their own accord. (Okay, there was that one time. Luck is sometimes the stupidity of others.)  You need to have patience, focus, fast thinking, and even faster paws. But most of all? You need to feel the moment, human, as it moves through you and guides you. All that is left is to seize it, and then — success! You got that?

Good. Now come and feed me.

Credit Image – Vintage Victorian style cat engraving. Original from the British Library. Used under CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication Font – Bungee font family. Used under SIL Open Font License

[churchtime]

I thank God everyday for his infinite wisdom and love and He continues to teach me everyday and grow stronger every time i fall down.

His love by giving us life, letting life go on for so long, and having his son die on the cross for our sins solidifies how much God loves us.

He doesnt want us to give up on him because he wants us to be in heaven regardless. Just because he may say i never knew you one day during life doesnt mean we cant work to believe that he'll make a way. It doesnt mean we still cant do right by God and obtain salvation.

There are scriptures that speak on that he doesnt give us a spirit of fear, and how we can persevere. The devil wants us to think we cant be saved or we should give up going to heaven. But the word says we should believe.

We need to build a better relationship with God and Jesus. We need to not let anything discourage us from getting to heaven. Repent often, thank him greatly and abundantly, and try to show God obedience and a willing to learn.

For God is slow to anger and shows us mercy and grace when we acknowledge wrongs and work towards change. The bible is filled with the most atrocious people that won God's favor by turning their life to follow him.

And Jesus knows we can be ignorant dumb idiots sometimes that go too far in sin. But as he hung on the cross before his death he told God "Forgive them Father, for they do not know" He wanted mercy on the sinners that had evil in them and hated him. He died on the cross so we could have chances and change. That we could get to heaven and get salvation. Only the devil would put doubt in you and say its not possible.

Jesus did say "Not all people who cry "Lord, Lord" will get into heaven." and that he would claim to never know them. But he doesnt want you to give up hope. God wants us to stay in the faith. Keep in the word.

Talk to him and have a relationship with him. As long as we make an effort to redeem ourselves when we stumble. As long as we have a redemption arc after our villian arc there is hope.

God will make a way. He only hates the sin not the sinner. And just because you feel like you lost him or he rejected you dont stop trying to be the christian he wants you to be. You may mess up, but as long as you repent and get back up and never quit. God will make a way. God loves you. Jesus died for us all so even though the gate to heaven is narrow its not impossible.

We need to believe in God and Jesus. Believe in miracles they can make. Philippians 4:13 says "i can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" and that we had to have the faith of a mustard seed. And that we can pray to move mountains but yet we lack faith. That God provides and that we should want to get to heaven for hell is perilous with torment and fire.

You do have the freedom to choose. But why not choose life? Why not let Jesus get to know us? Why not believe that God wants whats best for us and doesnt want us to suffer?

If he has told you i never knew you or hadnt answered your prayers dont assume he has abandoned you. God said i'll never leave nor forsake you. He also does things in his time so he might say otherwise if you complete what he wants you to complete. He is patient and loving. By that logic he would never contradict himself or be flawed for he is omnipotent.

Make sure you grow good fruit and be diligent in wanting righteousness and what is good. Talk to God when you can and stay in the word. But never give up. You will fall but if you do get back up and keep trying. You came so far not to give up now. And believe in God and that with all your heart. Love God and Jesus with all your heart.

Thank God for everything and thank Jesus for his sacrifice. And show them you are infinitely in debt to them. For He is all powerful, loving, and compassionate. He does not hate you, he doesnt want you in hell, no matter what dont give in. Dont lose hope.

[therosefrontier]

Whumptober Day 5

No. 5 - I’VE GOT RED IN MY LEDGER

betrayal | misunderstanding | broken nose

+++

Genshin Impact | Zhongli and his memories

(crossposted to AO3)

+++

“I met with Azhdaha again yesterday.”

Zhongli started his story while seated on an old stone platform in Guili Plains, a low crumbling stone wall behind him, an ancient tablet the only company by his side. “Virtue grows tall like a tree, though there be shade it will flourish forever,” the dome-shaped tablet read. At times like these, he often wondered at what all the author of those words had in mind when she wrote that.

“I…assumed this would happen, one day. Elemental spirits are nigh immortal beings, and it would be foolishness to assume that a sealed spirit won’t some day find their way out.” Zhongli paused for a moment, his words feeling heavy on his tongue, as if someone really were here that he had to explain this too. “He…left, of his own accord,” he finally said. “His spirit is once again sealed in the mountain. Although, we may very well meet again. I simply might dare to hope that next time, it would be under better circumstances.”

“My life is nigh on eternal. I will go on with the infinite flow of time. And you, Morax... You too will live for many a day to come.”

But Azhdaha would never again be free. This…this was their contract.

Zhongli looked down at his hands and at the ground, the events of many centuries earlier being all too clear in his mind. The events of yesterday were but a brief addendum to what already happened. Azhdaha’s roar of rage and pain, his accusations of treachery, the underlying grim reality of knowing that all of Liyue could be in danger if he didn’t end this here and now…all of that happened, already. Yesterday, Azhdaha was divided, his rage and his benevolence split into two beings. The first time they fought, the benevolent and wise Azhdaha that he once knew was nowhere to be found.

“I never thought I’d be able to speak with him again, like he was. Well, it wasn’t his form necessarily: his consciousness had possessed a random human, but still, once his memories were regained, the words and the voice were most certainly his.” Zhongli smiled weakly. “I must admit, that despite the inherent peril of the situation leading up to this meeting, I was glad. To see him, that is. It…was as if he were still alive.”

 “Rex Lapis, we are at your command,” Moon Carver assured him with great gravity, he and Mountain Shaper and the other watching the approach of the rampaging earth dragon with a steeled gaze, ready to fight.

Rex Lapis hesitated only for a moment. Only for a moment did he allow his heart to twist in pain, did he allow his eyes to lose their vivacity as he looked down from the sky at the dragon who cursed his name through his own unfathomable anguish. There was no solution, he knew. Erosion was something that could not be reversed. But he didn’t want to believe it. Not for Azhdaha. He didn’t want to lose him, too.

“We will lure him into the cave underneath the mountain. Follow my lead.”

 Zhongli found Azhdaha as a spirit sealed deep in the earth, a simple but unique rock without sight or motion. His stirrings had been the cause of many earthquakes and tremblings, so Zhongli thought it fit to draw the spirit of stone up from the earth and grant his wish, to give him a chance to be free in the world outside. They made a contract, then. Zhongli always made a contract, with those he invited to join him. There was only one for him for which such an agreement was delayed…only because at first, he did not know what their partnership was even to be called. It was one of many ways that Guizhong confused him.

But for the great stone dragon, their agreement was clear. If Azhdaha ever endangered Liyue and brought ruin to order, he would once again be sealed in the dark.

Zhongli always kept true to his contracts.

 “Come, I wish to show you something,” Morax beckoned him with a slight smile, bringing his friend up to a ledge overlooking the waters, the sun setting over the mountains in the distance and washing the sky with color.

“What is this?” Azhdaha asked in a deep and booming voice, although its powerful aura was perhaps mitigated by the way he spoke with the curiosity of a child. “I have seen this water before; now it is different?”

Morax chuckled softly. “Take a moment and have a look.”

Azhdaha came up over the ledge with thundering steps. “Your sun looks different. The color has changed. Is it nearing death?”

“No, no, not at all,” Morax explained with a slight touch of amusement. “This is a sunset. The sun will soon disappear over the mountains. You asked last night why the light leaves the sky in such a way. So, I thought I’d bring you here to watch. Of course, the motion of the sun can be observed anywhere, but it carries a different effect, in some locations. The sun will change its color now, but after it disappears, it will come back the next day just as it was before.”

Azhdaha hummed in acknowledgement, then plopping down onto the grass with a shaking of the earth. “So now, we sit and watch?”

“Yes, I say we shall.”

 “Morax, how do I look? Unimposing? Like a true human?”

“You look very well,” Morax agreed with a smile. It was in an elemental spirit’s nature to be able to change shape and form, but this was Azhdaha’s first time doing it on his own. His human form wasn’t exactly all that ‘unimposing,’ being that of a man quite large and broad-shouldered, but he looked enough like a human, at least.

“Mm, that is acceptable.” Azhdaha put his newfound fists on his hips and looked down at the Guili Assembly plaza down below. “It is time to interweave myself with humankind. I wish to first try the foods that people keep telling me about. I do not see the appeal of this ‘Grilled Ticker Fish’ that Pervases speaks of, as it is merely a single fish, but I wish to obtain this first, so that I may give him my full opinion!”

“Sounds like a suitable plan,” Morax agreed with a nod. “Then, let’s not keep our human and adepti friends waiting.”

 Zhongli remembered his form then, strong with a youthful wonder that wizened into ancient wisdom over the passage of time. It was so startingly unlike the form half of him took yesterday, of a child with a bitter glare in her eyes.

“So here lies the wisdom of the gods? Destroy all deemed redundant, enlist tyrants to ravage the wilderness!” Jiu mocked in her (his) fury.

Zhongli had a contract to keep. He had to seal Azhdaha away. There was no choice.

“Is once not enough!? You would forsake me again!?”

It wasn’t what he wanted. But was there…really nothing he could have done? If he had stopped the humans from mining in the Chasm, if he had noticed the change in Azhdaha, if he had just taken the time out of his duties to pay him a visit, then maybe…

“Erosion ground Azhdaha’s consciousness into oblivion. Slowly, he forgot the face of his old friend, and his memories of defending Liyue Harbor disintegrated,” Azhdaha in Kun Jun’s vessel recounted his own story with a faint smile of regret.

Zhongli couldn’t stop erosion.

And yet…he mourned what came to pass.

Zhongli had known, for a very long time, that he would never again be able to mourn as a mortal would. Azhdaha was far from the only one he has lost to time and conflict. The name he called him, “Morax,” was a stark reminder of this, that name which he had walked away from a long time ago but never truly shed. Morax was a god of war, a slayer of thousands. Morax had for a long, long time grown used to the bloodshed that was Liyue’s reality, as god fought against god in the Archon War and sacrificed hoards of soldiers as pawns. Morax felt no disgust or horror when he walked through a battlefield after the fight was over, stepping over bodies and walking through pools of blood and entrails as he coldly assessed the damage done.

In some ways, Rex Lapis was no different. For that matter, neither was Zhongli. Although his thoughts on war had changed—he would avoid it through the employment of contracts and words, if at all possible—he could never feel the same revulsion towards death and bloodshed as a human would.

Rex Lapis saw many scores of yaksha and other adepti swear fealty to him over the millennia. They would give him their loyalty, and he would make a contract with them, and he would know, because of how many times it had happened already, that they might give their lives in his service. They might fall to the evil that plagues the land in battle, or they may be consumed by the very filth they faithfully eradicated. Rex Lapis did not consider their deaths to be meaningless, nor did he ever wish to sacrifice his subjects as a pawn of war, but…he might have accepted, at some point long ago, that such deaths were inevitable and necessary.

He could not mourn as a human would—or rather, as a human without authority might. A war god had to know, lest he be blind, that he was sending his people to possible death.

He bore that weight, and he accepted that responsibility.

But in that responsibility…what did that mean for Azhdaha? Whose soul was crushed not by the many battles they fought together, but by the erosion of the earth itself?

He was sealed forever by Zhongli’s own hands. That was their contract. That was justice.

He always kept his contracts. No matter the price, no matter what he had to do…even if it was a pact paid in blood with Celestia, he did what he must for the sake of Liyue…

But was it true? Did Zhongli, in that near-final meeting, betray Azhdaha?

“I did what I must,” he spoke again to the stone tablet, cold and motionless despite the warm words inscribed upon it. “Virtue grows tall like a tree, though there be shade it will flourish forever.” But how did one define what “virtue” meant? How much of this “shade” was acceptable? This increasing debt, made in blood…

“His anger, however, does seem justified, in a certain way.”

“Guizhong?” He looked up, a small drop forming in his near-human eyes. “Did I do the right thing?”

[arcstral]

❛  𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫  𝐚𝐧𝐝  𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞  ❜   —   Marth  &  Michalis.​

The rain was the heaviest of torrents Michalis had seen yet, and each splatter of the dewy droplets atop his broad shoulders and garnet locks seeped through, trickling atop his now cool flesh. And yet, Michalis welcomed the sensation of coolness that flooded his garb, finding it necessary to stalk to cover only when the thought of forsaking his current attire arose in his mind. But, alas, already was he drenched, and saving what remained of his faculty attire was but a useless hope.

And then it came, the bewilderment of his name upon the tongue of another, another Michalis had come to loathe.

He had not expected his expedition of leisurely trekking in search of peace away from the monastery to bring to him the presence of none other than the man he desired to be rid of most.

"Marth."

Michalis stilled, and atop his boot he turned, a glower set upon his face like stone, even as the rain droplets trickled down. No longer did the Macedonian royal care for the serenity of the rain and the petrichor that would follow, for far were they now from his mind at the sight of the very soul who had pried victory from him.

"I have," Michalis drawled lowly, his head tilted at an inquisitive angle, glowering down at the man with a quirked brow. "And the sentiment will not be returned."

The niceties, oh how Michalis loathed them. Had not he, the great Macedonian King-- and dare others say tyrant-- brought upon the other man great peril and strife? Had not Michalis slaughtered ally upon ally of the king's? And that man dared to extend the frivolities of pleasantries towards Michalis?

A fool.

"Perhaps..."

               —we must move forward; this, the Altean prince took it upon himself to say as often as his own name.

               Uttered during the sorrowful perorations of his eulogies for the soldiers and civilians who lost their lives in an unfair struggle. Then during the newfound age of peace when it came time to look beyond the fresh graves. Rebuild around them the liberated freeholds their blood had bought from Dolhr and its allies, Hardin and imperial Archanea.

               When it truly mattered, there was not a moment where he ever clung to the past when it was the future that would gain him more. That was the sort of boy Marth of Altea was. Naturally, he has casted aside his animosity towards former enemies for far less. The man, and king, is not really changed.

               After their initial battle at Macedon aerie, it had been Marth who shed history for a prolific new coat, but he himself had not borne any expectation that Michalis would do the same. Some men did not ever forget the losses and names they suffered. Within some men burned a pride so fierce that it could not be pried from their fingers unless loosened first by death. The former king of Macedon was no doubt such a man and more; he had escaped his own end and come to Marth nearly the same, after all. 

               —and if Marth has not changed, and Michalis has not changed, then...

               He meets the sullen response with a nod, even a slight smile. He has expected the reaction as much; though in oceanic eyes illuminates a faint flash of pleasure. Perhaps, says Michalis, bespeaking an inch, and Marth sees it for its priceless mile in the making.

              The Altean king leads them into a denser sector of the hurst, clouded nearly black overhead by the overgrown canopy, more wet than dry, but dryer still than the rest of the forest just beyond the monastery. The wisdom in waiting out the downpour is obvious. His eyes snap briefly to a flicker of movement low in the branches, a thrush that has taken with them to the same shade with greater fear for heaven’s violence than man’s. With that, he reclines down across a moldy log across from the other with hands perched over his knees.

               “  That we did not ever meet in Archanea in such a way I find it regretful, Michalis. Even here, I cannot accommodate you in my home with bread and wine as I would like— though even if I could, I imagine your lodgings as a professor are far grander than mine!  “   He laughs, lowers himself because he does not mind it at all, and because he suspects Michalis will be pleased in even the most trivial of victories over Marth. Perhaps this in turn will cleverly open his heart for the questions he intends next.   “  Now, if I may ask. What finds you here?  “

@reverenceofmacedon

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Effectual Prayer

by Charles Spurgeon

"Oh, that I knew where I might find him! That I might come even to his seat! I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments." - Job 23:3-4

In Job's uttermost extremity he cried after the Lord. It appears that his objective was to pray as in God's presence. He would appeal from the lower courts, where his friends had judged unrighteously, to the High Court of heaven. There, said Job, "I would order my cause before him and fill my mouth with arguments." There are two things here set forth as necessary in prayer: ordering of our cause, and filling our mouth with arguments.

Job teaches us how he meant to plead and intercede with God. He does, as it were, reveal the secrets of his closet and unveils the art of prayer. We are admitted into the guild of suppliants; we are shown the art and mystery of pleading; we have taught to us the blessed handicraft and science of prayer.

First, it is needful that our suit be ordered before God. There is a vulgar notion that prayer is a very easy thing, a kind of common business that may be done anyhow, without care or effort. Some think that you have only to pull a book down from the shelf and get through a certain number of very excellent words and you have prayed, and then you may put the book up again. Others suppose that to use a book is superstitious, and that you ought rather to repeat extemporaneous sentences, sentences which come to your mind with a rush, like a herd of swine or a pack of hounds, and that when you have uttered them with some little attention to what you have said, you have prayed.

Now neither of these modes of prayer were adopted by ancient saints. They were accustomed, like Job, to order their cause before God in the manner of a petitioner coming into Court. A petitioner does not come into court unprepared, stating his case on the spur of the moment. Rather, he enters into the chamber with his case well prepared, having learned, moreover, how he ought to behave in the presence of the great One to whom he is appealing. There are times, when in peril and distress, that we may fly to God just as we are, as the dove enters the cleft of the rock even though her plumes are ruffled. But in ordinary times we should not come with an unprepared spirit. See yonder priest? He has a sacrifice to offer. But he does not rush into the court of the priests and hack at the bullock with the first ax upon which he can lay his hand. He washes his feet at the brazen laver, puts on his garments, adorns himself with his priestly vestments, and then he comes to the altar with his victim properly divided according to the law. He is careful to do according to the command and takes the blood in a bowl and pours it in an appropriate place at the foot of the altar, not throwing it any which way. He does not kindle the fire with a common flame but with the sacred fire from off the altar. Now this ritual is all superseded, but the truth which it taught remains the same: our spiritual sacrifices should be offered with holy carefulness. God forbid that our prayer should be a mere leaping out of one's bed and kneeling down and saying anything that comes first to mind.

When I feel that I am in the presence of God and take my rightful position in that presence, the next thing I shall want to recognize will be that I have no right to what I am seeking. I cannot expect to obtain it except as a gift of grace. I must also recognize that the only channel for receiving mercy is through his dear Son. Let me put myself then under the patronage of the great Redeemer. Let me feel that now it is no longer I that speak but Christ who speaks with me, and that while I plead, I plead his wounds, his life, his death, his blood, himself.

The next thing is to consider what I am to ask for. It is most proper to aim at great distinctness in supplication. Do not beat around the bush but come directly to the point. I like that prayer of Abraham's: "Oh that Ishmael might live before thee!" There is the name of the person prayed for and the blessing desired all in a few words. Many persons would have used a roundabout expression of this kind: "Oh that our beloved offspring might be regarded with the favor which thou bearest to those who," etc. Why not be distinct and say what we mean as well as mean what we say? It is not necessary to rehearse the catalog of every desire you may have had, can have, or shall have. Ask for what you now need. Ask for it plainly. Your eloquence and oratory will be less than nothing and vanity. Let your words be few but let your heart be fervent.

You have not quite completed the ordering when you have asked for what you want through Jesus Christ. There should be a searching as to whether it is assuredly a fitting thing to ask, for some prayers would never be offered if men did but think. A little reflection would show us that some things which we desire were better let alone. We may, moreover, have a motive at the bottom of our desire which is not Christ-like, a selfish motive which forgets God's glory and caters only for our own ease and comfort. Now although we may ask for things which are for our profit, yet still we must never let our profit interfere in any way with the glory of God. There must be mingled with acceptable prayer the holy salt of submission to the divine will. When we are sure that what we ask for is for God's glory, then, if we have power in prayer, we may say, "I will not let thee go except thou bless me."

The second part of prayer is filling the mouth with arguments, and the first question is, why are arguments to be used at all? Most certainly it is not because God is slow to give or because we can change the divine purpose or because he needs to be informed of our circumstances. The arguments to be used are for our own benefit. When we bring forth strong reasons, it shows that we feel the value of the mercy. There is no need for prayer at all as far as God is concerned, but what a need there is for it on our own account! The very act of praying is a blessing. To pray is to bathe oneself in a cooling stream, to mount on eagle's wings above the clouds, to enter the treasure house of God. To pray is to grasp heaven in one's arms, to embrace the Deity within one's soul. To pray is to cast off your burdens, to throw away your rags, to shake off your diseases, and to be filled with spiritual vigor. It is to reach the highest point of Christian health.

Now the most interesting part of our subject remains: a rapid summary and catalog of a few of the arguments which have been used with great success with God.

It is well in prayer to plead with Jehovah his attributes. Abraham did so when he laid hold upon God's justice when he pleaded for Sodom. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Here the wrestling begins. It was a powerful argument by which Abraham grasped the Lord's left hand and arrested it just when the thunderbolt was about to fall. But there came a reply to it. It was intimated to him that this would not spare the city, and you notice how the good man, when sorely pressed, retreated by inches; and at last, when he could no longer lay hold upon justice, he grasped God's right hand of mercy, and that gave him a wondrous hold when he asked that if there were but ten righteous there the city might be spared. So you and I may take hold at any time upon the justice, the mercy, the faithfulness, the wisdom, the long-suffering, the tenderness of God, and we shall find every attribute of the Most High to be, as it were, a great battering ram with which we may open the gates of heaven.

Another mighty piece of ordnance in the battle of prayer is God's promise. When Jacob was on the other side of the brook Jabbok and his brother Esau was coming with armed men, he pleaded with God not to suffer Esau to destroy the mother and the children. As a master reasoner he pleaded, "And thou said, Surely I will do thee good." Oh the force of that plea! He was holding God to his word, "Thou said."

A third argument to be used is that employed by Moses, the great name of God. How mightily did he argue with God upon this ground! "What will thou do for thy great name? The Egyptians will say, Because the Lord could not bring them into the land, therefore he slew them in the wilderness." Now, if the Lord should not be as good as his promise, not only is the believer deceived but the wicked world looking on would say, "Aha! Where is your God?"

We may also plead the sorrows of his people. Jeremiah is the great master of this art. "The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!" He talks of all their griefs and trials in the siege. He calls upon the Lord to look upon his suffering Zion, and ere long his plaintive cries are heard.

It is good to plead with God the past. David prays, "Thou hast been my help. Leave me not, neither forsake me." Moses also, speaking with God, says, "Thou did bring this people up out of Egypt." As if he would say, "Do not leave thy work unfinished."

Lastly, the grand Christian argument is the suffering, the death, the merit, the intercession of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I am afraid we do not understand what it is that we have at our command when we are allowed to plead with God for Christ's sake. When we ask God to hear us, pleading Christ's name, we usually mean, "O Lord, thy dear son deserves this of thee; do this unto me because of what he merits." But we might go farther. Supposing you should say to me, you who keep a warehouse in the city, "Sir, call at my office and use my name, and say that they are to give you such a thing." I should go in and use your name and obtain my request as a matter of right and a matter of necessity.

This is virtually what Jesus Christ says to us. "If you need anything of God, all that the Father has belongs to me; go and use my name." When you have Christ's name, to whom the very justice of God has become a debtor and whose merits have claims with the Most High, there is no need to speak with fear and trembling and bated breath. Oh waver not and let not faith stagger. The name of Christ which you plead shakes the gates of hell!

The man who has his mouth full of arguments in prayer shall soon have his mouth full of benedictions in answer to prayer. It is said (I know not how truly) that the explanation of the text, "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it," may be found in a very singular Oriental custom. It is said that not many years ago (I remember the circumstance being reported) the King of Persia ordered the chief of his nobility, who had done something which greatly gratified him, to open his mouth. And when he had done so, he began to put into his mouth pearls, diamonds, rubies, and emeralds until he had filled it as full as it could hold. Then he bade him go his way. This is said to have been occasionally done in Oriental courts toward great favorites. God says, "Open thy mouth with arguments," and then he will fill it with mercies priceless, gems unspeakably valuable. Would not a man open his mouth wide to have it filled in such a style? Surely the most simple-minded among you would be wise enough for that. Let us then open wide our mouths when we have to plead with God. Our needs are great. Let our requests be great, and the supply shall be great too.

[allycryz]

WOL Challenge #4: Outrage

[Prompt List Here]

[Filled Prompt List Here]

Haurchefant-focused so not entering/tagging, spoilers for HW and start of ShB

Pairings:  Mild Estinien x Haurchefant, Background Haurchefant x Nerys and Haurchefant x Urianger

Rating: G

Summary: Snapshots in Haurchefant’s journey from Knight to Emissary 

Mild warnings for other knights taunting him over his parentage

"Next time, I shall fetch our drinks." Haurchefant says, watching Aymeric's slow progress across the floor. Each time he is about to break free and return to their table, someone else hails him. And he cannot help but exchange pleasantries. Darling, infuriating man.

"You are as bad as he," Estinien mutters. "Worse even, because you might abandon us for a pretty smile."

"I would never abandon my friends so!" Haurchefant wears mock indignation to cover his actual indignation. He would never be so rude.

He would at least deliver the drinks before being led away by the pretty smile. 

"Politicians both of you," Estinien says. "I do not understand how you know all these people."

"Me? Perish the thought." Haurchefant waves a hand. "I am simply interested in everyone. That is different."

"Hm." Estinien continues to glower. Irritated that of the two friends he has allowed himself to make, one has abandoned them. Haurchefant has tried to remedy that but Estinien is resistant to more connections. Stubborn, darling man.

"Really," he continues. "Give me a blade and shield over politicking. Besides, they are subject to all sorts of scrutiny and I have had enough of that, thank you."

"Fair. You would not like being so circumspect."

"One of these days..." Haurchefant grins. "You are going to learn how not to insult people so often."

"What? How was that an insult?"

"I’m not offended so never you mind. Is the scrutiny why you haven't seduced Aymeric yet?"

At that, the tips of Estinien's ears turn red. "Never you mind that. It is as likely as you becoming a politician."

"On that you are utterly wrong." Haurchefant shakes his head. "He will end up in your bed by year's end but I will always be a knight."

--

The day he becomes a true knight is the day he swears himself to Ishgard, before Blessed Halone, before the other knights and nobility and his family. To serve his country and The Fury for the rest of his life. To uphold the laws of Ishgard. To protect the weak and defenseless. To serve the Fury’s chosen including the Archbishop and the servants of her church.

For all that they are men now, for all that they all took the same vows, for all that they squired and trained and rose up together; the knights of noble birth treat him as they always have.

“Edmont Oathbreaker,” says one of the Dzemael lordlings. He speaks to three other knights but pitches his voice to be heard across the barracks. “Swore to forsake all others when he took his lady. That lasted until they hired a maid prettier than the Countess.”

Haurchefant continues polishing his armor, keeping the same bland smile upon his face. If he reacts, they will narrow in like wolves scenting blood. And not since he was a boy has he responded to these taunts with fists.

It was this one’s cousin. He thinks, glancing at the lordling with his placid expression. Haurchefant had bloodied Grinnaux’s nose and his father had made him swear never to react so again. But one small victory–Grinnaux treated him with a begrudging respect thereafter.

“Someone should cut his tongue out,” Estinien growls. “And my new dagger needs testing.”

“Peace,” says Haurchefant. “Believe me, I have heard far, far worse.”

“That does not make it right.” And he rises with clear intent in his gaze. Haurchefant clasps his wrist, shaking his head.

“My friend, I am glad to have your loyalty. Will you do me the favor of standing down?”

Estinien looks at him a long moment before sitting down. “Bah! Only nobies care which side of the bed you were born on.”

Darling, fierce man. “I am, despite everything, a noble as well.”

“I don’t hold it against you.” Estinien says in the deadpan way he favors for jokes. And before Haurchefant can laugh, he adds. “You’re twice the knight he is.”

Haurchefant swallows the sudden burst of emotion that forms in his throat. His friend is not given to flattery or platitudes. “That...means more to me than you’ll ever know.”

Estinien grunts and returns to his own armor. This time, Haurchefant’s smile is true and genuine. He will do his best to be worthy of such praise. 

--

Artoirel flicks him an acknowledging glance before returning to his papers, writing something in his perfect hand. Of the three sons, he is the only one who takes after their father in neat penmanship. 

Standing at attention is still a trial. Who knew the body was so interconnected–that the acts of walking and standing could hurt while your shoulder healed? He has been through far worse pain and manages but...would that he could stand without discomfort.

“Emmanellain acquit himself well at the Melee.” Artoirel says at last, looking up. “Please, have a seat.”

Haurchefant nods and tries not to show his relief as he sits. “He did. I’m quite proud of him.”

“So am I.” A rare, soft expression crosses Artoirel’s face. Haurchefant often misses the cheerful, mischievous older brother who collected beetles and smuggled him toys. It is nice to see him again. “And...I had a notion. But I would like your approval first.”

“My approval? Would you like him to serve under my command then?” If he even can command any time in the next few months. Ser Zephirin’s lance was no common weapon, thus the healing takes an uncommon amount of time.

“Ah.” Artoirel sits up straighter. “That is the thing. It hasn’t escaped my notice that you would like to join up with Mistre-with Nerys. And it occurs to me...Emmanellain needs purpose, needs structure.”

He connects the lines and it is at once terrifying, exciting, infuriating, and thrilling. What can he even say to such a proposal? Words fail him.

“Of course, we would have a long talk with Corentiaux about it. I’ve no doubt he would be the true leader until Emmanellain caught up to speed. And there is the matter of your vows.”

“My vows?” Haurchefant repeats. “...you’re right. I swore myself to Ishgard and The Fury. No, as much as I desire to fight at her side, I cannot break my word to join the Scions. Especially not now.”

Haurchefant is all too aware of the fraught threads connecting everyone and everything. He has to navigate them as Commander, as a noble, as one of the famous bastards of Ishgard. And now–as he watches his country rebuild itself–the networks of Ishgardian alliances and feuds resemble powder kegs more than anything.  

Looking up, he continues. “I cannot ask to be released from my vows. Not when Aymeric has just been elected Speaker. We know I support him but we also know some might twist it around. ‘Look, even Greystone thinks the new Ishgard will fail. No wonder he is leaving.’”

“I know. That’s why I have an idea.”

“...Go on.”

Out comes an official document, marked with Artoirel’s own signet ring. Haurchefant reads it over once. Frowns and reads it again. This is...wholly unexpected. 

“Is this a promotion or a demotion?” 

“Call it a promotion.”

A promotion. From Lord Commander to House Fortemps Emissary to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Charged with protecting the interests of the Wards of House Fortemps; overseeing all negotiations between the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and House Fortemps; strengthening inter-Alliance relationships between Ishgard and the rest of Eorzea.

“Oh Fury,” he says. “You’re turning me into a politician.”

When Estinien comes back, he will never let Haurchefant live this down.

--

The Ostall Imperative feels like home. 

 The soldiers take to him and he to them. Captain Lyna is a charming, lovely woman and an excellent training partner. It is far more rewarding than stewing at the Crystarium. Hoping the Exarch brings Nerys soon but also hoping he does not. Would that he had a fraction of her power. Haurchefant might deal with these Lightwardens in her stead.

The Exarch summons him to The Ocular and he dares not hope for...anything, truly. Better to go in with no expectations with this one. He thinks Y’shtola had the right idea, departing as she did.

He is being unkind. He does not like being unkind. 

But he also does not like the idea of these souls in peril–Y’shtola, Thancred, his beloved Urianger–and that he may not see Nerys again. Or that he will, only to send her against horrific creatures of light and terror. And what of her soul? 

When he sees that it’s Alphinaud, he is beyond unkind. He is furious. 

Everything else was bad enough but this is a boy, his family’s ward. One who has wisdom beyond his years and responsibilities equal to those twice his age but still. Alphinaud is just a lad. What if something happens to his soul?

His body may still be in Garlemald!

Haurchefant hugs him fiercely, startling him. Alphinaud makes a faintly strangled noise before returning the embrace. More tightly than he ever has before. Little wonder: when last they saw each other, their ship went down and Haurchefant’s soul left his body.

“You’re...you’re here? But you were…” Alphinaud shakes his head. “Maxima was supposed to bring you home.”

“He did.” He does have the Exarch to thank, for confirming his body made it back to the Rising Stones. “I am in Mor Dhona. And my soul is...here.”

“Of course. My apologies, I am still wrapping my brain about what has happened.”

“If I may interrupt,” the Exarch says. “There are a few things else you should know before we send you to a room and a meal.”

“Before that…” Haurchefant looks up. “Kindly use your powers of sight and tell us how his body fares.”

“It’s alright, friend.” It’s Alphinaud who speaks. Puts a comforting hand on his arm. “The Exarch assures me that my traveling companions are returning my body.”

“Your companions,” he repeats. “Gaius van Baelsar, you mean.”

“You know?”

“The Exarch has kept me informed since my arrival here.” It is one of the constants since his arrival a year prior–asking for updates about his friends and loves still on The Source.

“Yes, I mean Gaius. It’s alright.” Alphinaud walks over to the Exarch. “Pray, continue ser. What else should I know?”

The boy receives the same explanation they all had: what is to come, what they are planning for, where the other Scions are. Haurchefant remains quiet except to add clarifying details here and there. It is far too much for anyone to process but as usual, Alphinaud does admirably. When he is dismissed, the Exarch asks Haurchefant to stay behind.

“How may I be of service?” Haurchefant asks, not quite modulating his tone. Urianger has asked him to trust the Exarch and for him, Haurchefant would do anything. He truly would. But he pictures Alphinaud, collapsed in Garlemald among strangers, and wants to fight through time and space to reach the Source and rescue him. Laws of nature and the universe be damned.

“As I said,” the Exarch says, voice gentle. “Gaius will bring him home.”

“Keep me apprised, if you please. I do not trust the Black Wolf, no matter that he is Ascian Hunter now.” Bending his vows to topple the archbishop had not made Haurchefant love Ishgard any less. Gaius’ alliance is to the Garlean Empire until proven otherwise.

“I have need of you, Lord Haurchefant.” The Exarch inclines his head, one hand over his breast. “You have done great things with my guard. But what I need is to know what type of world we send the Warrior into. We need alliances to ease her way.”

“...Ah.” Haurchefant nods. “You do not need the Knight. You need the Emissary.”

“I need both. You are an honest man because you are a knight. And that is also why you are an excellent emissary–you see people as they are, you discern their motives in order to know if you need to protect your loved ones.”

“You flatter me, ser.”

“I tell the truth,” says the Exarch. “Please, I know this situation is fraught and you want to get home. The more we prepare, the quicker I send you all home safe and sound. She deserves-”

“She deserves everything,” says Haurchefant. “And I would do anything to help her and protect her. If that means playing this role, then yes I will do this for you.”

Beneath the hood, he sees a hint of a smile. “We are in agreement, Lord Haurchefant.”

“If I may...I would like to see to Alphinaud. Shall we discuss this another time?”

“Of course. Tomorrow morning?”

“Tomorrow morning,” Haurchefant agrees. Enough time to see to the boy. And then make his farewells to Lyna and the rest of the guard.  Being with them is the most himself he has felt in a long while.

He hopes he can return soon.

[calendille]

I was tagged by @venwe ! and @zealouswerewolfcollector !

ao3 name: Kalendeer

fandoms: The Silmarillion, formely Asoif (am planning to go back to it after A Feast of Ashes to finish that fic that is only missing it’s last chapter lol).

number of fics: 20 on AO3!

fic i spent the most time on: A Feast of Ashes, soon to be 100k!

fic i spent the least time on: The Singing Man

longest fic: A Feast of Ashes. AO3 says it’s over 100k but in fact it’s just a bit lower (there’s a mid-fic summary inside).

shortest fic: Fight or flight

most hits (3660), most kudos (130), most comment threads (129), A Feast of Ashes

most bookmarks (25): Istaril and the Staff Dancer

total word count:      270367 according to AO3 but I do have some original stories in French that are, of course, not here.

favourite fic i wrote: A Feast of Ashes of course come up high, I don’t think anyone spends so many words on something they don’t like. For shorter stories, the Staff Dancer always.

fic you want to rewrite/expand on: The ward of Casterly Rock. It is actually not 13k like on AO3 but 34k on FF.net, and it’s missing its last chapter and an epilogue, which is ridiculous. So I am planning on finishing it once Feast of Ashes is done.

share a bit of a wip or a story idea you’re planning on: This is from a story called “the Archer and the King”, and I don’t know if I will ever finish it, so here is the beginning under the cut.

Tagging: @arianaofimladris, @amethysttribble, @cycas, @snowflake-sunflower

I have no parents, but I used to have a son.

He was a bright, delightful child, named after the brightness of fire. He laughed like water hitting rocks and lived like any day was worth it.

One day he disappeared, along with Olue’s boys. The Shadows took them while they were harvesting berries north of our camp. We thought them lost forever, cried to the cold stars and buried their belongings.

And then one day, the Bright Rider came, and we listened to his words with hearts singing, for the Rider told us our sons were in Mandos and we would find them back in Valinor. We toiled through the long March, through the abandonment of half our people. I lost my wife to the beauty of Endorë, and Olue his brothers Elue and Elmo to the deep woods. Despite grief and guilt, we crossed the wide sea toward the smiling faces of our sons.

In Valinor we found Light, peace and safety; we did not find our children. The Shadows had twisted their spirits beyond recognition. We visited them once, at the frontiers of Mandos, and never came back, for fear and disgust of what we saw.

I was barely relevant in this land of peace. My name is Tall-Bow, Swift-handed, in the tongue of my people Oruacano Tyelcompar. I am of the Unbegotten, of considerable height compared to my kin, crowned with hair the color of foam and eyes dark as a stormy sea. I am renowned as the best archer of the Lindar and have won most of the friendly competitions held in Valinor since our arrival. I am the head of Olue’s royal guard; not that it is of any use in Valinor. Until the Darkening I was an object to be displayed for ceremonies.

Now, I stand tall and stern behind King Olue’s shoulder, towering over Prince – no, King Fëanaro Curufinwë. His haughty features and burning eyes are carefully controlled, but his policed air is nothing but a fragile mask, barely hiding the churning grief under his skin. Each gesture is studied, each expression mastered, in way more fitting measured, stern Nolofinwë than the usually spontaneous High Prince. He sits with elegant nonchalance, flanked with the standing, rigid, tall body of his first son. Maitimo Nelyafinwë is as unarmed as I am, but we are both intended to look menacing.

“You shall not have our ships,” King Olue (Olwë on Fëanaro’s tongue) pronounces. “Nor shall we ferry your people across the sea.”

“You renounce your friendship in this hour of our need, then,” interjects Fëanaro. The mask cracks into a white, toothy, predatory smile. “Yet you were glad indeed to receive our aid when you came at last to these shores. You were grieved and empty handed. You would be dwelling in huts on the beaches, had my people not carved out your haven and built your walls.”

I cannot see my King’s face, but Olue is a placid and reliable elf. He must be calm and unreadable now, his skin soft and unwrinkled by anger.

“We renounce no friendship”, Olue answers as father would to his son. “Is it not a friend’s duty to warn his companion of his own folly? And when the Noldor welcomed us and gave us aid, your words sounded quite different. In the land of Aman we were to live as brothers and neighbors,” he reminds him with soft, controlled words that doesn’t seem to appease Fëanaro. “But as for our white ships: those are no gifts from your people. We learned that craft from the Lords of the Sea, from Uinen and Ossë and Ulmo, while it is unknown of even the greatest of your masters. The white timbers were shaped by our own hands, and the white sails were woven by our wives and our daughters. Therefore we will neither give them nor sell them, even to a friend. For I say to you, Fëanaro son of Finwë, these are to us as are the jewels of the Noldor: the work of our hearts, whose like we shall not make again.”

At these last words the Noldo’s face twists as if in pain. A dangerous glint seeps through his silvery irises, quickly smothered under the fragile pretense of calm and self-mastery.

“I hear you,” he pronounces, his voice dripping with disdain, and those are the last words Fëanaro and Olue will ever say to each other. The noldorin prince leaves in a flourish of blood-red fabric, his cloak billowing behind him.

Silence fills Olue’s study, disturbed only by the crackles of lamps. The King stands, glides to the windows with measured, slow steps. The song of the sea caresses our ears with the promises of Ulmo’s guidance.

“Fëanaro will come for the ships. He is fey with grief, led by anger, and always lacked moderation. He will come armed and determined to wrench them from our hands.” The winds blows through his pale hair and the sheer curtains. Olue’s words ring colder in such a peaceful night. “When he does, the mariners shall not resist. Fëanaro is to be allowed to occupy the decks. We shall not be accused of violence against he or his kin.”

He turns toward me, indecipherable.

“Once Fëanaro will have taken the ships, you will shoot him.” To my widening eyes and shocked mouth, he answers: “Fëanaro is leading his people toward ruin.  He is leading himself toward ruin. The Lord of the Sea sent me dreams potent with foreboding, whose biding I cannot ignore. Melkor is a Vala. Neither Fëanaro, nor any of his kin are and will ever be able to bring him down. If Fëanaro is sent to Mandos, then Nolofinwë and Arafinwë will be able to convince their people to go back to Tirion and wait for the Valar’s counsel.”

Sent to Mandos. As if killing the new King of the Noldor amounts to sending a child to sit in a corner! And yet… I am deaf to Ulmo’s songs, but Olue is not. Whose orders are those? My King’s or Ulmo’s?

“You speak of murder.”

“With great pain, and thinking only of his own welfare and that of his people. We both know that death is not the greatest peril awaiting them in Middle Earth. What fate shall Fëanaro find there? Shall we let the sons of Finwë meet the same end as our own boys? His people are safer in Valinor. The sacrifice of Fëanaro’s flesh is a necessary evil to save his soul.”

The shade of grief over his son haunts his eyes still. His was silver haired, just like Earwen. I can remember the softness of his golden skin, the pinkish lips and the baby-talk he still used. The memory of Olwë’s child awaken my own, those of a little body with his mother’s dark hair and my turquoise eyes, huge with youth. I see them laughing in my mind, until these laughs turn to cackles, their smiles into mouths like open wounds, their eyes delirious and hungry.

I see what monster Melkor will make of Fëanaro, his beauty twisted and grotesque, his naïve aggressiveness turned into genuine, blind and hateful destructiveness, his brilliant mind broken into slavery. I see monstrous darkness towering over the kneeling sons of Finwë. I see them strangled by chains and their children displayed flayed and disemboweled around their weeping bodies.

I turn in disgust and wrench myself from Olue’s stare. The apparition lingers etched into my retinas.

“The Lord of the Sea sent me these visions. We must act according to his wisdom, as genuine friends to Finwë. Despite Fëanaro’s clamors I do not deny our friendship. I do not forsake Finwë, he who welcomed us with open arms when we came here wracked by grief over my brother and plead with the Valar to allow us to see our sons. I do not forget our last conversation either. Before he exiled himself to Formenos, Finwë took time to explain his reasoning for abandoning his people for the sake of his firstborn. He had faith in Nolofinwë’s abilities to rule and none in Fëanaro’s chances to withstand the storm. He considered his firstborn a child, unable to live without his firm guidance, emotionally crippled by Queen Miriel’s death. Can we let a child lead the Noldor in these times? As brilliant as Fëanaro is, he is no King. He has no grasp of diplomacy and does not hold the heart of his people. His place is at Finwë’s side and in the caring arms of his mother.”

[ataboolife]

“Wolverine, Batman, and Spider-Man: The Holy Trinity of Masculinity” - Why Superheroes Help Celebrate the Nature of Masculinity While also Addressing its Perils.

I’ve come to believe the reason why superheroes play a large part in culture is due to the symbolism they represent of humanity. Since the dawn of storytelling, we have always made wisdom palatable and entertaining through fiction — a truth hidden in an elaborate tale. Superhero comics, movies and video games have become the next step in the evolution of story telling. I also believe there is a subconscious attraction for men to be drawn to superhero tales. Not only because it would be cool fly or stick to walls, but they’re communicating a wisdom about the nature of masculinity. We all wish we had the strength and the gadgets to take on great feats, but do we need to be a superhero to be the best parts of ourselves?

  Wolverine: The Indestructible Protector

I often fanaticized as a child that I had the ability to heal immediately from any mortal wound and have adamantium claws extend out of my hand whenever I needed to fight; hell, I still do it as an adult. Despite my childish delusions, there is an understandable allure to Logan which all men can feel whenever they see him in the comics or watch Hugh Jackman fiercely bring him to life. He speaks to a profoundly animalistic and noble part of masculinity: the protector.

Despite the profoundly skewed current views on sexual roles, there is an intrinsic duty to protect that all men have to fulfill because it is in our nature. We must have the ability to protect the ones we love. We’ve done so ever since we first protected them from the ferocious beasts outside the cave during the dawn of man. Today’s threats may not be as primal in modern culture but they still exist, and we’re sometimes powerless to stop them. It may be a burglar, a random street mugging or predatory bankers whose greed caused a recession.  But there are times when we can face these threats and engage them. Meet them head on and subdue them. But to do so comes at a physical price through injuries or even death. Wolverine can face any threat without paying that price.

Wolverine speaks to the protector side of masculinity because he is what we wish all can be for the ones we love. Even without his adamantium-laced skeleton and claws, Logan is a skilled warrior and his unyielding will in the face of adversity, and god-like enemies represent a real aspect of the masculine spirit. But it is the combination of his skill, will, and powers which make him a deity of the protectors. We wish that we can take on danger and challenge without being scathed. To lose a battle without the scars such as Wolverine does, even when he fights the Hulk. Some men seem to embody this, such as your tough as nails Uncle or a Medal of Honor recipient. They are men who protect, fight and live to tell the tale.

Even though we wish to be indestructible and have our “claws” ready at any moment, we are still vulnerable from the things we fight for. Logan has survived brutal punishment over the centuries, but he is haunted by the women he loved and lost, notably Jean Grey. He’s even tried to settle down and raise a family, i.e. “Old Man Logan,” but danger always looms wherever he goes, and it’s the ones he loves who pay the price. Through drinking, limiting his intimate relationships and being a solitary Ronin, Wolverine tries to make his heart indestructible. Which is the problem all men share: the more powerful we become as protectors, the more vulnerable our hearts are from the ones we finally love.

Wolverine is best of what he does, and what he does isn’t really nice. Embracing the protector side of masculinity is an ugly task because we as men have to face our shortcomings and become better so we can protect the ones we love. It also means facing both failure and death. We wish we can be a living weapon and indestructible, but this is reality and not the comics. Wolverine only died once and was resurrected; we don’t get to be so lucky, which is why men are fascinated with Wolverine.

  Batman: Gotham’s Father

He is vengeance. He is the night. He is the paternal figure of Gotham. Batman may be the most revered fictional character ever created. The boy Bruce Wayne was made a man through tragedy, using his resources to fulfill the full potential of his body and mind, he has devoted himself to protecting Gotham from the evil that borne the Batman. Bruce Wayne has three personalities/identities, with two being a mask. There is the playboy-industrialist-philanthropist Bruce Wayne which the public sees, which is an elaborate decoy. There’s the Batman which strikes fear into the monsters of Gotham. Then there’s the real Bruce Wayne, the one that exists between both worlds. The one that only Alfred knows.

Batman is in many respects is a selfless father figure for Gotham. He even has adopted surrogate sons such as Dick Grayson and Jason Todd (the prodigal son), who were orphans also. Like many fathers, he provides his family with resources, discipline, and knowledge; even if it’s on the extreme side. Bruce was born into wealth but he uses it and his influence to create new technologies to help humanity or invest resources into Gotham so the city his love can grow. Then there’s the Batman who uses his body and mind to protect Gotham, like any true father who would do anything to protect his family.

Like Batman, father’s wear a mask or show different personalities depending who they are in front of. A father will show a different personality to his friends, to his coworkers, and a different one to his family. When there is tragedy or hardship, he puts on a mask to hide his fears and sorrow so he can lead his family. And sometimes these masks or personalities maybe even be used to hide lost dreams or quiet desperation.

Why does Batman only show his true self to Alfred? Alfred represents absolute trust. A surrogate father to the young Bruce Wayne, he has never forsaken him and never judged him the lunacy of dressing up as a bat. But he understood the pain and the goodness in Bruce Wayne and fostered and guided him as any loved one could. In reality, Alfred symbolizes the one person a father can be vulnerable to and doesn’t have to be afraid to show their fears and dreams. This person could be a parent, mentor, a best friend or a wife.

Despite the heroic paternalism Batman displays, he is deeply flawed because he can never truly be honest to another person, besides Alfred. If you live a life of wearing a mask, then you will alienate the people you love. Dick Grayson, his first son, left Bruce because he was afraid to become like Batman, a man obsessed with vengeance and is afraid to live without his mask.

  Spider-Man: The Realistic One

Out of all the superheroes, Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider-Man is the most realistic. Realistic because he represents the truth of becoming a man. Spider-Man was just a teenage boy when he received his amazing powers. And like many of us, he makes poor choices when given new freedom or ability. We would use ours to get attention or to impress a girl, such as when I rear-ended my first car because I was too busy trying to get the attention of the pretty girl driving next to me... Sometimes we get lucky but other times unintended consequences are created by our actions, and we have to reap the costs of them. Such as Spider-Man letting the robber go who would later kill Uncle Ben.

Spider-Man is every boy who has ever had a crush on a girl who's out of his league, whoever had a dream, and who has ever been bullied. But it wasn’t the powers that made him a hero; those were just a means. It was the call of responsibility that Uncle Ben has instilled into him, which his death had fortified. Every person has the potential to become something much more. And it’s in our youth when we are bitten by the symbolic “radioactive spider” of inspiration that we learn that we have a calling. We sometimes squander our calling because of the fear of rejection or the fear of failing to live up to our potential. It’s responsibility that gives us great power. We take responsibility for ourselves, our mistakes, our shortcomings. Then we do something good with them.

Unlike Batman and Wolverine, Spider-Man’s beauty is that he is vulnerable. He wears a mask not only to protect Aunt May but so his greatest foes can’t see him afraid. His smartass remarks are a way of coping with the bloody fights he goes on. He feels pain and sadness when his relationship with Mary Jane is on the rocks. He worries about paying the bills and getting good grades. He is every man who has been given a great responsibility and must find a way to balance it with a healthy, normal life.

 The Hero in Us All

Men play an essential role in existence, as do women. Though the sexes may not be equal biologically or in societal expectations, both sexes are equally crucial for humanity. One sex can’t live nor enjoy the beauty of life without the other. It’s hard on both sexes; neither one has it easy. We both have roles to play, and sometimes those roles are unfair. Women are expected to be beautiful, caring and nurturing no matter what. Men are expected to be stoic protectors and providers.

An excellent superhero example for women is Gal Gadot’s version of Wonder Woman. She isn’t just a mighty warrior, but a strong maternal figure who uses compassion and grace as a superpower.  She doesn’t treat the men fighting with her as inferiors but fellow soldiers on a mission. She even shows a wonderful excitement over seeing a baby with its mother. Wonder Woman represents an icon who can be both feminine, intelligent and a warrior without forsaking her natural role or the opposite sex.

We all have roles to play and different ways to play them. We can never be indestructible like Wolverine, resourceful like Batman or acrobatic like Spider-Man. These heroes are based in fiction, but they were borne out of the best qualities of men. What men innately have. We can train ourselves to be the best physically and mentally. We can face terrifying situations for the ones we love. And we can become heroes if we take responsibility in doing so.

[dfroza]

Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms

for june 4 of 2024 with Proverbs 4 and Psalm 4, accompanied by Psalm 78 for the 78th day of Astronomical Spring, and Psalm 6 for day 156 of the year (with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 2nd revolution this year)

[Proverbs 4]

Gather, children, to hear your father’s instruction.

Pay close attention so you will understand,

For I am passing down to you important precepts.

Do not abandon these valuable life lessons.

Back when I was young—the very image of my father,

and yet from my mother’s view, still her only boy—

My father, with his years of experience, became my teacher.

Father: Son, grab on to every word I say to you—hold them close—

stay true to my instructions as you live, and they will serve you well.

Whatever it takes to gain Wisdom, do it.

To gain understanding, do it! Never forget this!

Never stray from what I am telling you.

If you don’t forsake Lady Wisdom, she will protect you.

Love her, and she will faithfully take care of you.

Gaining sound judgment is key, so first things first: go after Lady Wisdom!

Now, whatever else you do, follow through to understanding.

Cherish her, and she will help you rise above the confusion of life—

your possibilities will open up before you—

embrace her, and she will raise you to a place of honor in return.

She will provide the finishing touch to your character—grace;

she will give you an elegant confidence.

Hear my words, my son, and take them in;

let them soak in so that you will live a long, full life.

I have pointed you in the way of wisdom;

I have steered you down the path to integrity.

So get going. And as you go, know this: with integrity you will overcome all obstacles;

even if you run, you will not stumble.

Tighten your grip around wise advice; don’t let it slip away.

Protect Wisdom, for without her, life isn’t worth living.

Do not start down the road of the wicked—

the first step is easy, but it leads to heartache—

do not go along the way of evildoers.

Stay away from it; don’t even go past it—

and if you find yourself anywhere near it,

turn your back and run as far as you can in the opposite direction.

For evildoers are so twisted they cannot sleep unless they have caused harm;

they’ll lie awake all night until they figure out a way to cause someone to stumble.

For they feed on evil the way most eat bread;

they drink violence the way most guzzle wine.

Yet the way of those who do right is like the early morning sun

that shines brighter and brighter until noon.

Evildoers travel a dark road because they love to hide their deeds in darkness;

they can’t see the perils ahead that cause them to stumble.

My son, pay attention to all the words I am telling you.

Lean in closer so you may hear all I say.

Keep them before you; meditate on them;

set them safely in your heart.

For those who discover them, they are life.

They bring wholeness and healing to their bodies.

Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it

because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life.

Do away with any talk that twists and distorts the truth;

have nothing to do with any verbal trickery.

Keep your head up, your eyes straight ahead,

and your focus fixed on what is in front of you.

Take care you don’t stray from the straight path, the way of truth,

and you will safely reach the end of your road.

Do not veer off course to the right or the left;

step away from evil, and leave it behind.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 4 (The Voice)

A set of notes from The Voice translation:

It’s perfectly natural to envy those who are successful. It’s even natural to want to imitate them. But what about those who’ve gotten ahead by doing the wrong thing? Sometimes it seems crime does pay, the good do die young, and the wicked do have more fun. But it only appears this way; it is not reality. In reality the success of wrongdoers is short-lived. God is against them, and their house is built on the sand. Even if it seems to be a grand house, it will soon come crashing down.

•

Fathers have a crucial role in instructing their sons. It’s easy and natural to teach children about some things: how to take care of a car, how to hit a ball, or how to mow the lawn. But what about deeper things, the kinds of things that make life worth living? These are much harder. They must not be left for someone else to do. Paul wrote, “And, fathers, do not drive your children mad, but nurture them in the discipline and teaching that come from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Instructing children in the ways of God is crucial work.

[Psalm 4]

For the worship leader. A song of David accompanied by strings.

Answer my prayers, O True God, the righteous, who makes me right.

I was hopelessly surrounded, and You rescued me.

Once again hear me; hide me in Your favor;

bring victory in defeat and hope in hopelessness.

How long will you sons of Adam steal my dignity, reduce my glory to shame?

Why pine for the fruitless and dream a delusion?

[pause]

Understand this: The Eternal One treats as special those like Him.

The Eternal will answer my prayers and save me.

Think long; think hard. When you are angry, don’t let it carry you into sin.

When night comes, in calm be silent.

[pause]

From this day forward, offer to God the right sacrifice from a heart made right by God.

Entrust yourself to the Eternal.

Crowds of disheartened people ask, “Who can show us what is good?”

Let Your brilliant face shine upon us, O Eternal One, that we may know the undeniable answer.

You have filled me with joy, and happiness has risen in my heart, great delight and unrivaled joy,

even more than when bread abounds and wine flows freely.

Tonight I will sleep securely on a bed of peace

because I trust You, You alone, O Eternal One, will keep me safe.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 4 (The Voice)

[Psalm 78]

A contemplative song of Asaph.

O my people, listen to me!

Hear my instruction; soak up every word of what I am about to tell you.

I will open my mouth in parables;

I will speak of ancient mysteries—

Things that we have heard about, things that we have known,

things which our ancestors declared to us again and again.

We will not keep these things secret from their children;

rather, we will tell the coming generation

All about the praise that is due to the Eternal One.

We will tell them all about His strength, power, and wonders.

He gave His holy law to Jacob,

His teaching to the people of Israel,

Which He instructed our fathers

to pass down to their children

So that the coming generation would know them by heart,

even the children who are not yet born,

So that they might one day stand up and teach them to their children,

tell them to put their confidence and hope in God,

And never forget the wondrous things He has done.

They should obey His commandments always

And avoid following in the footsteps of their parents,

a hard-headed and rebellious generation—

A generation of uncultivated hearts,

whose spirits were unfaithful to God.

The sons of Ephraim were master archers, armed with all the necessary equipment,

yet when the battle hour arrived, they ran away.

They were not loyal to their covenant with God;

they turned away and refused to walk in it;

They did not remember all the wondrous things He had done,

even the great miracles He had revealed to them.

He did miraculous things in the presence of their ancestors

as they made their way out of Egypt, through the fields of Zoan.

He split the sea and made them pass through it;

He made the waters to rise, forming a wall of water.

Every day He led them with a cloud;

every night, with a fiery light.

He cracked open rocks in the wilderness

and provided them with all the water they needed, as plentiful as the depths of the ocean.

He caused streams to burst forth from the rock,

waters to rush in like a river.

Even after witnessing all of these miracles, they still chose to sin against God,

to act against the will of the Most High in the desert!

They tested God in their stubborn hearts

by demanding whatever food they happened to be craving.

Then they challenged God:

“Can God fill a table with food in the middle of the desert?

He split open the rock, and water gushed out;

streams and rivers were overflowing!

But can He also provide us with bread?

Can He supply meat to His sons and daughters?”

When the Eternal heard these words, He was furious;

His fiery anger erupted against Jacob;

His wrath grew against Israel.

This all happened because they did not trust God;

they did not have faith in His power to save them.

Nevertheless, He gave instructions to the clouds in the sky

and swung open heaven’s doors;

He showered them with manna to soothe their hungry bellies

and provided them with the bread of heaven.

(In that day mortals ate the bread of heavenly messengers.)

God provided them with plenty of food.

He stirred up the east wind and blew it through the sky.

With His might, He whipped the south wind into a storm;

Like dust from the sky, He caused meat to fall on them.

Birds, like sand on the seashore, fell to the earth.

They landed all about the camp,

all around their tents.

God’s people feasted on the food-blessings, and their stomachs were filled;

He gave them exactly what they desired.

But before their bellies were soothed,

while their mouths were still full of food,

God’s wrath came at them like a tidal wave

and swallowed some of the bravest, strongest among them

and quieted the youth of Israel.

Even after all this, they continued to sin

and still did not trust in Him

or in the incredible things He did.

So He abruptly ended their time; they vanished like a breath;

He ended their years suddenly, with terror.

After He took some of their lives,

those left turned back and sought God wholeheartedly.

After all they had endured, they remembered that God, the Most High,

was their Rock, their Redeemer,

But even then they tried to deceive Him with their words

and fool Him with a web of lies.

They were not consistently faithful to Him,

and they were untrue to their covenant with Him.

Yet by His great compassion,

He forgave them

and decided not to put an end to them.

Most of the time, He held back His anger

and did not unleash His wrath against them.

He was mindful that they were human, frail and fleeting,

like a wind that touches one’s skin for a moment, then vanishes.

Oh, how often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness

and frustrated Him during their time in the desert!

Over and over again, they tested God’s patience

and caused great pain for Israel’s Holy One.

They failed to be mindful of His great strength.

They forgot all about the day He saved them from the enemy,

When He displayed all sorts of signs and wonders in Egypt,

and all the amazing things He did in the region of Zoan

When He transformed their rivers into blood

so that they could not drink from their streams.

He sent armies of flies to bite and torment them

and hordes of frogs to ruin and devastate them;

He handed over all of their crops to grasshoppers

and the fruit of all their labor to locusts;

He sent violent hailstorms, which smashed all their vines,

and ruined their sycamore-fig trees with biting frost.

He handed over all of their cattle to the hailstorms as well

and struck all their herds with lightning.

He poured His burning wrath upon them—

anger, resentment, and trouble—

sending a company of heavenly warriors to destroy them.

He carved out a road for His wrath;

He did not spare any from the sting of death

but handed them over to the fangs of the plague.

He killed all the firstborn of Egypt,

the first products of their manhood in the tents of Ham, the Egyptians’ ancestor.

But then He guided His people like sheep to safety

and led them like a flock into the desert to freedom;

He took them on a safe route so that they would not be afraid,

and He allowed the hungry sea to swallow all of their enemies.

He led them to His sacred land—

to this holy hill, which He had won by the power of His right hand.

He forced out the other nations which were living there before them,

and He redistributed the lands as an inheritance to His people;

He settled the tribes and families of Israel peaceably in their tents.

Even after all this, they disobeyed the Most High God

and tested His patience

and did not live by His commands.

Rather, they regressed to their fathers’ ways and lived faithlessly—disloyal traitors!

They were as undependable and untrustworthy as a defective bow,

For they triggered His wrath by setting up high places,

altars to strange gods in His land;

they aroused His jealousy by bowing down to idols in the shadow of His presence.

God boiled with wrath when He witnessed what they were doing;

He totally rejected Israel.

He deserted His own sanctuary at Shiloh,

the tent where He had lived in the midst of His people.

He handed His strength over to captivity;

He put His splendor under the enemy’s control.

He handed His people over to the sword,

and He was filled with anger toward His chosen ones;

He was burning with wrath!

A great fire consumed all the young men,

and the virgin girls were without the joy of their wedding songs.

Priests met their doom by the blade of a sword,

and widows had no tears to cry;

they could not weep.

Then the Lord awoke like a man who has been asleep,

like a warrior who has been overcome with wine.

He forced all His enemies back;

He defeated them, weighing them down with everlasting disgrace.

He even rejected the tent of Joseph as His home

and showed no favor toward the tribe of Ephraim.

Instead, He favored the tribe of Judah—

Mount Zion, the place He adored.

He built His sanctuary like the mountain heights;

like the earth, He created it to last forever.

He chose His servant David,

and called Him out of the sheep pastures.

From caring for the ewes, who gently nurse their young,

He called him to shepherd His people Jacob

and to look after Israel, His inheritance.

David shepherded them with the honor and integrity of his heart;

he led them in wisdom with strong and skillful hands.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 78 (The Voice)

[Psalm 6]

For the worship leader. A song of David accompanied by the lyre.

O Eternal One, don’t punish me in Your anger

or harshly correct me.

Show me grace, Eternal God. I am completely undone.

Bring me back together, Eternal One. Mend my shattered bones.

My soul is drowning in darkness.

How long can You, the Eternal, let things go on like this?

Come back, Eternal One, and lead me to Your saving light.

Rescue me because I know You are truly compassionate.

I’m alive for a reason—I can’t worship You if I’m dead.

If I’m six feet under, how can I thank You?

I’m exhausted. I cannot even speak, my voice fading as sighs.

Every day ends in the same place—lying in bed, covered in tears,

my pillow wet with sorrow.

My eyes burn, devoured with grief;

they grow weak as I constantly watch for my enemies.

All who are evil, stay away from me

because the Eternal hears my voice, listens as I cry.

The Eternal God hears my simple prayers;

He receives my request.

All who seek to destroy me will be humiliated;

they will turn away and suddenly crumble in shame.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 6 (The Voice)

[kingdomofthelogos]

Defenders of Light & Truth

Read Nehemiah 10

Imagine the world you desire for your family, friends, neighbors, and even enemies. Do we desire for them a world where good and evil are fashioned and formed by the personalities and trends of our age? Do we desire a world where our courage is outsourced to fiends who would prefer approval by the God-haters over doing the good work of freeing the lost with the true Gospel of Christ? We are not graced with an excess of leaders who will be like Nehemiah and stand firm on the wall with a trowel and a sword. Instead, we are afflicted with too many leaders who gladly descend from the wall, ceasing the good work, to converse with the darkness as if it is an alternative light which needs compromise. A world of such descension is a world without truth, goodness, or anything noble or beautiful. For such is a world where one can neither love their enemy nor their neighbor, for here none can even tell which is which. This is not a mere question of something so ordinary as the American dream, but the fundamental question of whether we desire to live in a world where good is truly understood to be good, where God is God. The only antidote to such a calamitous world is the Gospel of Christ Jesus, and revival through the Covenant of Christ begins between each of our hearts and God. Restoration is only possible through this Covenant.

Anything set up as moral authority outside of God is an idol. Without a healthy fear of God and His eternal sovereignty we will find that a society cannot maintain an appreciation for truth. Moreover, there cannot even be appreciation for the common good in a society of idolatry. For such a nation will not even be able to agree on what is true or good. America is discovering that we had lived in a luxurious delusion where we believed that people were naturally good and reasonable, that all would pursue truth and liberty given the opportunity. However, this is not so. For all sons of Adam and daughters of Eve are born with the curse of sin in their hearts. Whether we fall for the idols of our own making or we bow in exhaustion before the idols forced on us by the world, idolatry always leads to chaos. America is discovering that without belief in the absolute sovereignty of God, one cannot even believe in basic math.

The antidote to such calamity is revival, and only through the Gospel of Christ Jesus can we find such a greatly needed restoration. The formula for restoration is as singular as it has ever been across the annals of history. Going to 1 Samuel 7:3 we find this truth illustrated. Samuel declared to the assembly of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Astartes from among you. Direct your heart to the Lord, and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” Samuel’s message was of God, and it is as true today as it was then. If you want restoration then you must turn away from service to all idols and alternate moral authorities and return to the liberating service of God. 

Yet, despite this unfailing communication to prosperity and joy, the people could not peel their hearts away from the love of idolatry. Whether it was to the strange idols stumbled upon while in unfamiliar lands, or to the idols fashioned by the hunger of their hearts, the Israelites could not resist. The idolatry ravaged Israel, doing what it always does: making crude beasts and fools out of both the learned and laborers alike. Idolatry always makes people behave ignorantly and crudely, like primitive pagans who will kill their own children.

When we turn to 1 Samuel 8:4-7, we can see just how idolatry reshaped Israelite society. 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5 and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 

What the people desired in a king was to be ruled by their own desires, and to forsake their liberating status as direct subjects of God. How sad it is when people neglect the precious gifts of God in favor of something miserable. People always think idolatry will be better, but it is always more miserable. Even more sad is the truth that many will love their misery. They will let their nails grow long so that they might dig into the pits of despair, for there are many who make a home in the pit of despair and desire not to leave.

Hebrews 2:3 reminds us of the perils of willful idolatry in asking, “how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” As with much of the wisdom of God, this is both a teaching and a logical observation. If one chooses to walk in the darkness, then they live with the consequences of the darkness. If one chooses to be indistinct from the world, so shall they live indistinctly, devoid of the fruits of God’s Kingdom and lacking in hope and liberty. The hope and liberty of God cannot be counterfeited or manufactured, for it is only found through the Covenant.

Inasmuch as there arose over Egypt a Pharaoh who knew not Joseph, a generation has arisen in America that knows not liberty. As Pharaoh hated Joseph’s house in ignorance of the good deeds done for Egypt by the Hebrew, we have many who hate liberty and her family of virtues out of ignorance of their beauty. Rather than desiring the providential liberty loved by our forebearers, many have desired to be ruled by their hearts' own desires, just as the ancient Israelites did when they wanted a king.

This story always ends in the same tragedy, for outside of God all is of the world is chaos.  Outside of God is the void, the land of entropy, where everything spirals towards Gehenna, the meaningless hell of eternal torment. Whether by crawl or by sprint, everything outside of God will decay. 1 John 2:16-17 remind us that 16 for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.

Today we are surrounded by wholehearted evil, evil that consummates its wretched ways by ignoring all that is true and good. Its tactic of deception is to ignore what is good and true rather than bother to defy it. Such evil knows it can only maintain its terrible deception through instilled ignorance of all that is true, noble, just, pure, beautiful, good and virtuous. This breed of wickedness knows that truth and light are so powerful, that if we were to even acknowledge truth on the debate floor then it would be exposed for the fraud that it is. It cannot afford for our world to even suspect the existence of truth. Therefore, it must ignore the truth to the point of annihilation in order to maintain its terrible siege. 

Insomuch as there is great assurance in the perfect order of God’s creation, we also have assurance that God’s perfect judgment will ring into fruition. Just as the laws of mathematics and physical bind together our terrestrial domain, so will the judgement of God restore creation to her noble beauty. Despite the frustrations of our world that wicked deeds go unpunished and deceitful hearts stir without accountability, we know there will be an hour when Christ judges the living and the dead. Do we love our neighbors and enemies enough to wish for them to be graced with life on the day of judgement rather than be ended in final calamity? If so, then we must witness to them of the love of Christ, even as they are increasingly given over to idolatry and paganism.  

In the church we are commanded to work so that as many names as possible will be recorded in the Lamb's book of life when the angel descends from midheaven announcing the hour of judgement. The mortal folly of beast worship looms near, and perhaps it is always near, for there is no arresting its blasphemy. There comes a time when even Christ, whose love and dedication is infinitely greater than our own, says it is time to shake the dust from one’s sandals. It is disturbing to know that such a time exists; therefore, let us appreciate the time we have and do the good work while we can. If we desire to bring people into the faith, then we must draw the line and defend it, standing against evil as a testimony of all that is good and true. It is only through maintaining the holiness of the church that we can offer people a real alternative to the wiles of the world. If we love people, we must show them the true Gospel. 

The idols of today demand we see the world through the lenses of power and oppression, but the God of all creation will look into your soul and ask if you loved Him. Matthew 25:14-30 gives us insight into God’s judgment. Scripture does not indicate that God will judge us based on our circumstances, on how we were treated fairly or not, but on how we loved Him and followed His commandments. The parable of the talents is not a parable of how each slave was treated, but of how each slave treated the gift their master gave them.

It is here that we read Nehemiah 10. Nehemiah draws the line for His people, and they submit to the Covenant of God. This is necessary for the revival and restoration they have experienced to endure. If they desire to have meaning in life, then they must walk in God’s Law. The Law is not a restraint against joy, but a restraint against sin and chaos. It is armor against all that rots a society and foments decay. It is a structure for meaning in life, a framework for liberty that holds life together in the way that studs, beams, and rafters hold together a building. Nehemiah has fought a good fight, defending against enemies without and enemies within. He has stepped up to the plate to be a man in a world filled with complacent servants who would rather live in shame and despair than rise to excellence. Now, he sets up his people to endure in their achievement by holding them accountable to God’s Covenant. 

Nehemiah 10 is more a solidification of everything thus far in the memoir than it is anything new. Revival and restoration must come through the covenant if it is to be achieved and maintained. If one wants to be a part of this unique society which is set apart for God's purpose, then they must enter into it through the front doors of the Covenant. If one wants to live in liberty without shame, then they must bind their name with the unchanging Covenant of God. It is not through debate, compromise, or negotiation with the disloyal skeptics that hate God and His virtues, but only through the firm foundation of the Covenant.

Restoration of a nation and liberty from idolatry can only be found through the Covenant. We are graced to live under the New Covenant of Christ, and it is a lion that can slay the vilest darkness and a lamb that can bring peace to all. We are graced by the New Covenant, which is bound by the blood of Jesus. This did not abolish the old, but fulfilled it. Revival begins between your heart and God, and we must be so moved by the Gospel of our Lord to rise up as righteous men and women who defend all that is good, true, and beautiful. We must love our neighbors and enemies enough to tell them truths they do not want to hear. There is no lasting meaning in idolatry and paganism, and so many have been consumed by such a hollow existence.

Our nation has been demoralized, but the Gospel can restore it. Do not be deceived by the popular thinking of today. Revival does not begin with top down policies, but with men and women who rise up in honor of their God. Living in contrast to the world means the devil does not sit on the throne of heaven, and service to our enemies and neighbors does not mean we are motivated by their approval. People are not brought into the Kingdom by compromising with them, but by showing them the aspirational beauty of the Gospel. We must unleash the full power of the Gospel which radiates with freedom. In this Kingdom we can aspire towards common good because we put our faith in the One who is eternally sovereign, the One who is the Truth and the Life. If we want to show people an alternative, then we must hold the line on what makes it an alternative. A pathway for all has been made to God’s Kingdom, but they must come in through the Covenant and be born again through Christ. Are we prepared to love people, even our enemies, enough to draw the line against evil and witness to the world as defenders of light and truth?

[dailyofficereadings]

Daily Office Readings April 07, 2020

Psalm 6

Psalm 6

Prayer for Recovery from Grave Illness

To the leader: with stringed instruments; according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, or discipline me in your wrath. 2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror. 3 My soul also is struck with terror, while you, O Lord—how long?

4 Turn, O Lord, save my life; deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love. 5 For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who can give you praise?

6 I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. 7 My eyes waste away because of grief; they grow weak because of all my foes.

8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. 9 The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord accepts my prayer. 10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and struck with terror; they shall turn back, and in a moment be put to shame.

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Psalm 12

Psalm 12

Plea for Help in Evil Times

To the leader: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.

1 Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; the faithful have disappeared from humankind. 2 They utter lies to each other; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, 4 those who say, “With our tongues we will prevail; our lips are our own—who is our master?”

5 “Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan, I will now rise up,” says the Lord; “I will place them in the safety for which they long.” 6 The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.

7 You, O Lord, will protect us; you will guard us from this generation forever. 8 On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among humankind.

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Psalm 94

Psalm 94

God the Avenger of the Righteous

1 O Lord, you God of vengeance, you God of vengeance, shine forth! 2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; give to the proud what they deserve! 3 O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?

4 They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. 5 They crush your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage. 6 They kill the widow and the stranger, they murder the orphan, 7 and they say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.”

8 Understand, O dullest of the people; fools, when will you be wise? 9 He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? 10 He who disciplines the nations, he who teaches knowledge to humankind, does he not chastise? 11 The Lord knows our thoughts,[a] that they are but an empty breath.

12 Happy are those whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law, 13 giving them respite from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked. 14 For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; 15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers? 17 If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. 18 When I thought, “My foot is slipping,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. 19 When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. 20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who contrive mischief by statute? 21 They band together against the life of the righteous, and condemn the innocent to death. 22 But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. 23 He will repay them for their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the Lord our God will wipe them out.

Footnotes:

Psalm 94:11 Heb the thoughts of humankind

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Lamentations 1:17-22

17 Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her; the Lord has commanded against Jacob that his neighbors should become his foes; Jerusalem has become a filthy thing among them.

18 The Lord is in the right, for I have rebelled against his word; but hear, all you peoples, and behold my suffering; my young women and young men have gone into captivity.

19 I called to my lovers but they deceived me; my priests and elders perished in the city while seeking food to revive their strength.

20 See, O Lord, how distressed I am; my stomach churns, my heart is wrung within me, because I have been very rebellious. In the street the sword bereaves; in the house it is like death.

21 They heard how I was groaning, with no one to comfort me. All my enemies heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it. Bring on the day you have announced, and let them be as I am.

22 Let all their evil doing come before you; and deal with them as you have dealt with me because of all my transgressions; for my groans are many and my heart is faint.

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

2 Corinthians 1:8-22

8 We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,[a] of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again, 11 as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our[b] behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

The Postponement of Paul’s Visit

12 Indeed, this is our boast, the testimony of our conscience: we have behaved in the world with frankness[c] and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God—and all the more toward you. 13 For we write you nothing other than what you can read and also understand; I hope you will understand until the end— 14 as you have already understood us in part—that on the day of the Lord Jesus we are your boast even as you are our boast.

15 Since I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a double favor;[d] 16 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on to Judea. 17 Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to ordinary human standards,[e] ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18 As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been “Yes and No.” 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not “Yes and No”; but in him it is always “Yes.” 20 For in him every one of God’s promises is a “Yes.” For this reason it is through him that we say the “Amen,” to the glory of God. 21 But it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us, 22 by putting his seal on us and giving us his Spirit in our hearts as a first installment.

Footnotes:

2 Corinthians 1:8 Gk brothers

2 Corinthians 1:11 Other ancient authorities read your

2 Corinthians 1:12 Other ancient authorities read holiness

2 Corinthians 1:15 Other ancient authorities read pleasure

2 Corinthians 1:17 Gk according to the flesh

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Mark 11:27-33

Jesus’ Authority Is Questioned

27 Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him 28 and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.” 31 They argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”—they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[dailybiblelessons]

Thursday: Preparation for the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Revised Common Lectionary Proper 26 Roman Catholic Proper 31

Complementary Hebrew Scripture from The Writings: Proverbs 15:8-11, 24-33

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,  but the prayer of the upright is his delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,  but he loves the one who pursues righteousness. There is severe discipline for one who forsakes the way,  but one who hates a rebuke will die. Sheol and Abaddon¹ lie open before the Lord,  how much more human hearts! For the wise the path of life leads upward,  in order to avoid Sheol below. The Lord tears down the house of the proud,  but maintains the widow's boundaries. Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord,  but gracious words are pure. Those who are greedy for unjust gain make trouble for their households,  but those who hate bribes will live. The mind of the righteous ponders how to answer,  but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil. The Lord is far from the wicked,  but he hears the prayer of the righteous. The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,  and good news refreshes the body. The ear that heeds wholesome admonition  will lodge among the wise. Those who ignore instruction despise themselves,  but those who heed admonition gain understanding. The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,  and humility goes before honor.

¹Sheol is the realm of the dead. Abaddon is a bottomless pit along side it. More: Wikipedia Abaddon

Semi-continuous Hebrew Scripture from the Latter Prophets: Jeremiah 33:14-26

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, and the levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to make grain offerings, and to make sacrifices for all time. The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: Thus says the Lord: If any of you could break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night would not come at their appointed time, only then could my covenant with my servant David be broken, so that he would not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with my ministers the Levites. Just as the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will increase the offspring of my servant David, and the Levites who minister to me. The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: Have you not observed how these people say, “The two families that the Lord chose have been rejected by him,” and how they hold my people in such contempt that they no longer regard them as a nation? Thus says the Lord: Only if I had not established my covenant with day and night and the ordinances of heaven and earth, would I reject the offspring of Jacob and of my servant David and not choose any of his descendants as rulers over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes, and will have mercy upon them.

Complementary Psalm 32:1-7

Happy are those whose disobedience is forgiven,  whose sin is pardoned. Happy are those to whose record God has cleared of guilt  and in whose spirit there is no deceit.¹

While I refused to confess my sin,  my body wasted away and I groaned all day long. For day and night your hand of discipline was heavy upon me;  my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

Then I acknowledged my sin  and did not hide my wrong-doing; I said, “I will confess my rebellious acts to the Lord,”  and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Therefore let the godly pray to you  while there is still time; the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them. You are a hiding place for me;  you preserve me from trouble;  you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.

¹Paul quotes these verses in Romans 4 when he holds up Abraham as an example of faith.

Semi-continuous Psalm 119:137-144

You are righteous, O Lord,  and your judgments are right. You have appointed your decrees in righteousness  and in all faithfulness. My zeal consumes me because my foes forget your words. Your promise is well tried,  and your servant loves it. I am small and despised,  yet I do not forget your precepts. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,  and your law is the truth. Trouble and anguish have come upon me,  but your commandments are my delight. Your decrees are righteous forever;  give me understanding that I may live.

New Testament Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God that is in Corinth, including all the saints throughout Achaia:¹

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again, as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

¹There is a map of Achaia here.

Year C Ordinary 31, RCL Proper 26, Catholic Proper 31: Thursday

Bible verses from The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All right reserved. Selections from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright 1985 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Image Credit: Wordle created on Wordle.net October 21, 2016 by Michael Gilbertson. This image may be used under the Creative Commons 3.0 Share Alike license. Please credit The Lectionary Company.

[saleshoesggdb-blog]

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[sonofyahuwah1234]

Matthew 19:26 King James Version (KJV) 26 But yahuwshuwa beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with alahym all things are possible. https://youtu.be/ajU5gc-JGb0https://youtu.be/8twBed1WkDE 1 Corinthians 13:5-7 King James Version (KJV) 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. https://youtu.be/Yvx7sWWN7YM 1 Thessalonians 5:17 King James Version (KJV) 17 Pray without ceasing. King James Version (KJV) https://youtu.be/jC1ebJ6zv9ohttps://youtu.be/wxkDms9kQKEhttps://youtu.be/gvLA5eqNrEQ https://youtu.be/xXyEF7tSvho https://youtu.be/LDgntd8RrkU 2 Timothy 3:1-5 King James Version (KJV) 3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unqadosh, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of alahym; 5 Having a form of alahymliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. https://youtu.be/bD1c_WXOilwm https://youtu.be/kUk_QZiIcOc https://youtu.be/AA7hdRcsIc4 https://youtu.be/05fIeg2GT-4https://youtu.be/05fIeg2GT-4 https://youtu.be/sW3Wv9yE7BU https://youtu.be/sW3Wv9yE7B Yashayahuw 56:10-12 King James Version (KJV) 10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. 11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. 12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant. https://youtu.be/PC8Wq0AH9qE https://youtu.be/zdv0hNqw8Qw https://youtu.be/rxARIHjmEqM 2 Chronicles 15:2 “And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all yahuwdah and Benjamin; yahuwah is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.” King James Version (KJV) 1 Corinthians 2:11-13 King James Version (KJV) 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of alahym knoweth no man, but the Spirit of alahym. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of alahym; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of alahym. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the ruwach haqadosh teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Mark 5:15 King James Version (KJV) 15 And they come to yahuwshuwa, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. https://youtu.be/q25qgt2fBts https://youtu.be/bD1c_WXOilw https://youtu.be/VNOJOdctTnE Psalm 28:7 Yahuwah is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” King James Version (KJV https://youtu.be/YHfVxKoTOD https://youtu.be/serYmDfU2RIm https://youtu.be/mShITnNimYI https://youtu.be/IybIOOshwuk https://youtu.be/rxARIHjmEqM https://youtu.be/USHQ_2Lq5GY https://youtu.be/9GOcjESdyYI https://youtu.be/9GOcjESdy https://youtu.be/xHFBaDnntG https://youtu.be/nKVanHvL https://youtu.be/ZyKt5M01ov https://youtu.be/ozYLIo7-xdo https://youtu.be/WysBK7sCP John 14:13-14 King James Version (KJV) 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. King James Version (KJV) https://youtu.be/-lnbUzXIMEIm Matthew 5:11 King James Version (KJV) 11 Baraked are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. https://youtu.be/L-XD7cXza9g https://youtu.be/jVLbnw1ugpo https://youtu.be/LdMEnCedl5g https://youtu.be/H-kNzb1k_L0 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10King James Version (KJV) 8 For from you sounded out the word of yahuwah not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to alahym-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. 9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to alahym from idols to serve the living and true alahym; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even yahuwshuwa, which delivered us from the wrath to come. King James Version (KJV)https://youtu.be/VNOJOdctTnE Romans 8:37King James Version (KJV) 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 1 Thessalonians 1King James Version (KJV) 1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in alahym the Father and in the master yahuwshuwa hamashiyach: Grace be unto you, and peace, from alahym our Father, and the master yahuwshuwa mashiyach. 2 We give thanks to alahym always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our master yahuwshuwa mashiyach, in the sight of alahym and our Father;Mark 1:11 King James Version (KJV) 11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. sonofyahuwah1234 https://youtu.be/VNOJOdctTnE Psalm 28:7 Yahuwah is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” King James Version (KJV https://youtu.be/YHfVxKoTOD https://youtu.be/serYmDfU2RIm https://youtu.be/mShITnNimYI https://youtu.be/IybIOOshwuk https://youtu.be/rxARIHjmEqM https://youtu.be/USHQ_2Lq5GY https://youtu.be/9GOcjESdyYI https://youtu.be/9GOcjESdy https://youtu.be/xHFBaDnntG https://youtu.be/nKVanHvL https://youtu.be/ZyKt5M01ov https://youtu.be/ozYLIo7-xdo https://youtu.be/WysBK7sCP John 14:13-14 King James Version (KJV) 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. King James Version (KJV) https://youtu.be/-lnbUzXIMEIm Matthew 5:11 King James Version (KJV) 11 Baraked are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. https://youtu.be/L-XD7cXza9g https://youtu.be/jVLbnw1ugpo https://youtu.be/LdMEnCedl5g https://youtu.be/H-kNzb1k_L0 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10King James Version (KJV) 8 For from you sounded out the word of yahuwah not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to alahym-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. 9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to alahym from idols to serve the living and true alahym; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even yahuwshuwa, which delivered us from the wrath to come. King James Version (KJV)https://youtu.be/VNOJOdctTnE Romans 8:37King James Version (KJV) 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 1 Thessalonians 1King James Version (KJV) 1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in alahym the Father and in the master yahuwshuwa hamashiyach: Grace be unto you, and peace, from alahym our Father, and the master yahuwshuwa mashiyach. 2 We give thanks to alahym always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our master yahuwshuwa mashiyach, in the sight of alahym and our Father; 4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of alahym. 5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the ruwach haqadosh, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.1 John 4:1King James Version (KJV) 4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of alahym: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. https://youtu.be/_KWoq84GwCI Ecclesiastes 3:1King James Version (KJV) 3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:1 Timothy 1:18-19King James Version (KJV) 18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; 19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck2 Corinthians 1 King James Version (KJV) 1 Paul, an apostle of yahuwshuwa hamashiyach by the will of alahym, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of alahym which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: 2 Grace be to you and peace from alahym our Father, and from the master yahuwshuwa hamashiyach. 3 Baracked be alahym, even the Father of our master yahuwshuwa hamashiyach, the Father of mercies, and the alahym of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of alahym. 5 For as the sufferings of mashiyach abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by mashiyach 4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of alahym. 5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the ruwach haqadosh, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.1 John 4:1King James Version (KJV) 4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of alahym: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. https://youtu.be/_KWoq84GwCI Ecclesiastes 3:1King James Version (KJV) 3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:1 Timothy 1:18-19King James Version (KJV) 18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; 19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck2 Corinthians 1 King James Version (KJV) 1 Paul, an apostle of yahuwshuwa hamashiyach by the will of alahym, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of alahym which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: 2 Grace be to you and peace from alahym our Father, and from the master yahuwshuwa hamashiyach. 3 Baracked be alahym, even the Father of our master yahuwshuwa hamashiyach, the Father of mercies, and the alahym of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of alahym. 5 For as the sufferings of mashiyach abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by mashiyach

[mercyfulgrace]

Who you are?

I am the beginning of nations and the end of wars. I am the truth you seek yet you ignore. I am the cure to your lovelessness you hate.  I am the beginning of wisdom, your foundation. I am Lord, your Lord heart and soul. I will leave you not nor forsake in peril, famine, thunder or plague.  I victimize you to train your thoughts.…