#freed from the law of sin

[a-godman]

Enjoy Christ Sufficiently to be Freed from Bondage and have God as our Possession

We need to see that Satan captured us, then came to dwell in us as the instigator of our sins, and he has become our illegal master while we are his captives who cannot but commit sins; but praise the Lord, in the jubilee we can receive and enjoy God sufficiently to be released from the bondage of sin and enjoy God as our portion! Hallelujah! As believers in Christ, we are those who enjoy Christ…

[vesppperoro]

can you do headcanons for Sin of Sloth!reader?

Sin of Sloth! Reader Headcanons

Sloth. This sin is known for the failure to do things that one should do. That’s what you are.

Your system runs off of Medicare/drugs. People from other rings buy your medicine for whatever they think they need it for, even though they don’t need it.

You’re most known for your sleeping pills. They’re drugs that you can buy in any ring, but the proceeds go to you.

Your home is run by other Sloth members since you don’t want to get up and do things yourself.

Your people are very… strange looking. Many sinners and Hellborn resemble their sin, but your people are a little different. Yes, they are sloth-like, but they’re more monstrous compared to others.

You are VERY chill compared to other sins. You don’t have many rules or laws in your ring since your people barely do anything.

How your economy works makes everyone wonder.

Your real name is Belphegor, but you go by Name. Many hospitals in your ring are named things like: “Belphie’s Care”, “Belph Health”, “Belphegor PHD”, etc.

You resemble a goat, of sorts. A satyr and a centaur as well. You have the attributes of a goat, a backside of a goat whenever you turn into your demon form, and hooves in any form. You also have curly horns!

You’re a stoner. Like, you’re sitting in your chair smoking a FAT joint. For what? You don’t know. You like it.

You’re friends with Mammon because he provides you with money in exchange for drugs.

You’re also friends with Beel, but you had to lock up your party drugs since she would break into them..

Despite being lazy, you also like to throw parties!

Anyways. You may sit on your ass almost everyday, but you’re strong.

You hardly ever get into fights. You let Mammon or Beel do that for you. However, when you do, you make sure no one is left.

Similar to Belphegor from Obey Me, you were also locked away for a bit. You were locked away in order to prevent your previous rage.

Why were you in a rage? Nobody but you knew.

You were freed by Charlie Morningstar, who didn’t know why you were locked up.

Once you were freed, you went back to ruling over your ring.

You have the ability to manipulate sound and sleep. Your voice has the power to put anyone to sleep if you lace it with your abilities.

When you HAVE to fight, you use your sound and sleep abilities together. You make everyone on the battlefield hear your voice so they pass out. It’s less work for you.

[10yrsyart]

(alternative music only video)

i've been inspired by this song "Knight on the Moon- John Lordwood" recently. there's just something very melancholy about it, but in a mysterious way that builds into these intense moments of battle or rescue or something (the beginning leading up to 2:50 and also 6:27 onward).

this is the story of the Gospel, but i hope it's in a way that makes you see it with fresh eyes. the God of the universe, the vast cosmos, saw our sin and our suffering, and loved us enough to come down Himself. He was born as a human and experienced the joys and sorrows that we experienced. the devil is the temporary ruler on Earth and everyone is born under his rule, whether they know it or not. but Jesus paid the ransom for us, to move us into His own Kingdom. He gave His life so that we could be freed from those chains forever.

every pain you've experienced, every sadness that feels like it will finally swallow you whole; Jesus experienced that personally. He doesn't watch sympathetically from afar, He stands and cries with you, knowing just what you're feeling. He loved you enough to give His very life to give you hope. strength can be found in Him, and freedom, and joy. He is the ONLY way to be saved, not only from the consequences of your sins, but from the doom of living in a fallen world. the fallen world won't last forever though, He will soon remake it new. decide for yourself what kingdom you want to be part of.

"Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' For sin is the thing that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

[youryurigoddess]

On love and sacrifices

There’s so much more to this scapegoating business and big sacrifices referenced in the Good Omens narrative than the literal goats. And they’re only getting bigger, louder, final.

But let’s take it slow and start with the beginning, quite literally — i.e., with the Good Omens 2 title sequence. As we follow Aziraphale and Crowley on their journey, the universe warps and their usual left and right side positioning switches during the magic show (not accidentally an act of trust and sacrifice required both from the angel and the demon). They stay so throughout the next scene, which is their little dance in the air, and after they seemingly get settled on the A. Z. Fell and Co.’s roof and back to normal, the flipped sky in the background suggests that something’s not quite right yet. In the central part of the shot looms a large, humanlike shadow of the Elephant Trunk Nebula.

The nebula is a part of a constellation called Cepheus, after an Ethiopian king from the Greek mythology who agreed to sacrifice his only daughter in order to appease the gods and end a local calamity started by her mother and his wife, Cassiopeia (talk about generational responsibility). With time and a delightfully ironic twist of fate, the name of said daughter, Andromeda, became more famous than that of her father. Although she was chained up to a rock and offered to the sea serpent Cetus, the girl was spotted by the warrior Perseus, casually flying over the sea — either on the back of the Pegasus or thanks to a pair of winged sandals — after his victory over Medusa. He fell in love on the spot, defeated the serpent (with the help of a magical sword or Medusa’s severed head, depending on the varying sources), and freed the princess. That’s not exactly where their story ends, but we won’t be getting into the rest here.

Not surprisingly, Neil has mentioned two parallel child sacrifice stories from the biblical context back in August. The first is one of the big ones — The Binding of Isaac. God's command to sacrifice Isaac, his only son, was a test of Abraham's faith. The angel of the Lord intervenes and provides a ram to be sacrificed in the boy’s place.

The second one isn’t nearly as popular, but you might have heard a variant of it in fairy tales or as the Law of Surprise invoked in The Witcher saga. In exchange for Israel’s victory over its enemies in battle, Jephthah had rashly promised God to repay the debt with the first thing seen on his return back home. The victorious warrior didn’t suspect to see his only child moving innocently "to meet him with timbrels and with dances" though. In horror, Jephthah covered his eyes with his cloak, but to no avail: ultimately, he was forced to honor his vow to God, and the girl was sacrificed. As grisly as it might look like in the Old Master’s paintings, it’s important to remember that human sacrifices weren’t limited to physical offerings only — Jephthah’s daughter might have been offered to God in the sense of officially shunning her family and dedicating her life to service instead, probably sequestered in a temple somewhere.

Interestingly, the main character of a big chunk of the Bible and the reason for the Second Coming happens to be THE most influential child sacrifice in the modern history. You know, a certain 33-year-old carpenter sent by his Heavenly Father to die on a cross for the sins of the mankind? Someone better call Aubrey Thyme ASAP.

Circling back to Aziraphale, he could be also seen as a representative of the concept of filial piety, since Eden willing to personally take a Fall not only for the humanity’s collective or individual transgressions, but the shortcomings of his Ineffable Parental Figure as well. Our favorite angel angel always fights for what is right and good, sure, but why would that be even a thing if God was truly omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent?

If Aziraphale’s medal is anything to go by, it looks like we might get an answer from the way it’s introducing another mythological narrative into the game, that is the story of Daedalus and Icarus. The most absorbing thing about this is the stark contrast to the recurring child sacrifice references for S3 mentioned in this post — Daedalus isn’t a father who wanted to sacrifice his son, it was his attempt to save him from imprisonment that ultimately drove Icarus to his death. The boy ignored his father’s explicit instructions, committing the grave and culturally universal sin of disobedience to one's parents that simply couldn’t go unpunished, one way or another.

But Icarus’s transgression could be seen both as high-flying ambition and striving for personal accomplishment as well as humanitarian sacrifice for knowledge and humanity’s advancement in general.

Similarly to a certain angel who left everything for what superficially seems like a work promotion, but is the ultimate act of love — both for his demon and the children they have been protecting and nurturing together for six thousand years. From the very Beginning, his white wings have been shielding everything he holds dear in this world.

[passionateseadruid]

Charlastor

CW: Bewitch (1964)/WandaVision references, Older Woman/Younger Man, Friends to lovers, Roommates to lovers, cannibalism, dead dove: do not eat!

Notes: I Might make a part 2 if this one does well and theirs enough demand for it.

It’s a normal family sitcom.

Except whoopsie! Two demons just moved into the neighborhood and they have to hide their identities from their neighbors.

Then double whoopsie! One of them is an ex serial killer cannibal.

And whoopsie number threesie! The other is that daughter of Lucifer herself.

How did this happen? After all the chaos—everyone else at the Hazbin Hotel had been redeemed and sent to heaven, and Alastor was freed from his deal—Alastor used his one favor from Charlie to ask her to live a simple human life with him in New Orleans.

Charlie was admittedly a little nervous to Leave Lucifer, Vaggie and Niffty in charge of the hotel (it was still their home after all, she figured they'd go back to it once Alastor grew bored of Earth). Though that was three years ago today.

"Good morning my dear!" He stands in the kitchen cooking her some breakfast.

"Good morning Al!" She yawns and rubs the sleep out of her eyes. 

Admittedly it was a bit of a rocky start. Charlie couldn't bring Vaggie with and eventually the two drifted apart. Sure they're still good friends but distance makes love fade, and a certain deer was waiting for that exact moment to happen...

"PANCAKES?!" Charlie exclaims in surprise. "But you never make pancakes! You insist that they are "common trash that you wouldn't ever let get near your mouth."" She quotes.

Alastor roles his eyes. His permanent smile still on his face. "Well my dear it's our three year anniversary."

"What?" She blinks rapidly trying to figure out what he was talking about. They weren't together... were they? They were just living together! And it's not like they shares a room or anything! They were just roommates... right?

Before Alastor could respond the doorbell rings. Charlie uses her powers to put on her human disguise and walks towards the door. 

It's their neighbor. "Hi... I'm Izzy... your neighbor to the left..." Her voice's nasally and she draws out her words. "And I just wanted to inform you that your husband has broken the law..." 

Charlie scrambles to respond. "Who Alastor? Oh he's not my husband!" She blushes.

The annoying neighbor scoffed. "Ugh! So you two are living in sin?! How could a man and a woman be living together and not be married! No wonder he's a criminal! Well you're both going to hell!" She responds and Charlie just chuckles. 

Oh if only she knew...

"Are you mocking me?!" The woman yells in Charlie's face. "I will have you know that I am the leader of the HOA and I will be calling the police and the city council to report them of your crimes!"

"What crimes?" Charlie take a step back in confusion.

"Firstly, living together when you're not married! I mean there are children here! You should have a little more decency! And secondly he used the express lane in the grocery store the other day when he had 14 items instead of 12!"

"Okay... good for him?" Charlie shrugs in confusion.

"The cut off is 12! He broke the law!" Izzy puts her hands on her hips.

"Well if the grocery store employees weren't complaining I don't know why you are! You must have a really boring life if you're here worrying about two little items. Now if you'll excuse me I need to get back to my anniversary-"

This rude bitch cuts Charlie off. "What anniversary?" She laughs to herself.

"The anniversary of us moving in together-"

Again Charlie is being cut off. "That's not a real anniversary! Anniversaries are meant for married couples!" 

"Not true! Every couple can have an anniversary for anything they want! Though you wouldn't know that considering that you've probably never been in a relationship before! Now have the day you deserve!" Charlie slams the door in the woman's face.

Her human disguise falls as Alastor comes over to hug her from behind.

"She's worse that Susan!" Charlie turns around and hugs him back.

Alastor chuckles. "Don't be ridiculous! No one is as bad as Susan. But she certainly is close. Now come on! Eat you breakfast!"

She sighs and nods. Alastor leads her back to the kitchen, wrapping his arm around her waist, and sits her down at the table.

"Now eat your breakfast." He hands her the pancakes and bacon. He then hands her the syrup. "Might I relieve some of the tension in your shoulders dear?" He placed his long, boney fingers on her shoulders. 

"Honestly that would be lovely Alastor." She leans into his fingers as he starts to kneed the muscles in her shoulders. He had always been rather touchy with her but ever since they moved in together he seems to take advantage of her closer proximity and their solitude to get even closer with her. She was sure it was just to manipulate her. Alastor has never had feelings for anyone. But oh how lonely the nights had been without Vaggie. And a very small part of her did wish that he liked her, if only so that she could ask for physical affection more often. If only she could ask him to stay with her at nights. His touches being more frequent didn't exactly help when they were so brief as well.

"Hey Al?" Charlie hesitantly started the new conversation after a long pause.

"Yes my dear?" His saccharin smile fixed to his face.

"That horrible lady at the front door actually thought we were dating! Can you imagine? Us? Dating?" She giggles

He smirks. "Why yes, I can."

Charlie blushes softly, her normally red cheeks turning darker... almost as if they were glowing. Something stirs in Alastor... maybe pride... maybe something else... either way he knew the feeling grew when he looked at her. Oh No... Charlie was changing him... changing for the better! He hasn't hurt anyone yet. He hasn't killed and eaten a single pathetic soul. He hates it. He hates what she was doing to him, what she was making him feel. He needs to fix it. And he knows exactly who his first new victim will be...

////////////////////

Alastor set up the perfect little anniversary dinner for them. He set up rose petals and candles and a smally fuzzy blanket for them to sit on as they ate.

"Alastor this is beautiful! And... strangely romantic! Also a fire hazard.

"Sweetheart... I'm dead and you're the daughter of Lucifer... fire can't exactly affect either of us." He took her hand and lead her over to the blanket.

"Okay well... like I said this is romantic."

"I'm glad you noticed!" He smiled widely before it fades into something that seems genuine. "Charlie... I know you're probably homesick... and touch starved so I want you to know that I'd be fine with being an... outlet of sorts for you if you needed a hug... I'm normally not that comfortable with touch but... I did uproot you from your family and home... so as long as you keep it wholesome... you may touch me whenever and however you like."

Her eyes sparkle in hope. "Really?"

"Yes, dear." Was this partially a ploy to debauch her? Undoubtedly. Or at least that's what he told himself. He scoops up a piece of his mothers jambalaya recipe and feeds it to her.

Her eyes light up at the flavor. She chews it up and swallows it all. "MMM! Alastor! This is delicious! But... this doesn't taste like venison... what's the name of this meat?"

"Izzy..." Alastor smirks.

"..."

"Do you like it?" He tilts his head. His tone in teasing as he props his head on his hand.

"...Did you clean up the shed?" She asks monotonously, as she scoops another piece of jambalaya.

"I put down tarps before hand." He took her other hand and intertwined theirs together.

"Then I'll let it slide for tonight..." She ate more of the poor woman once known as Izzy.

...

"Thank you Al..." Charlie smiled at him. 

He smirks... three years ago she was so pure... and now she's leaning into his touch and enabling his bad habits. He was corrupting her day by day, Lucifer's little princess would be no better than him. He'd make sure of it.

[walkswithmyfather]

‭Romans 3:22-27 (NLT‬). [21] “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.”

“The Cross: Grace Displayed” By In Touch Ministries:

“Because Jesus died, we gain abundant life, unconditional love, and a relationship with our heavenly Father.”

“At Calvary, God displayed His grace for the entire world. The cross represents the intersection of His holiness and His love.

Our holy God is without fault—so “perfectly perfect” that no man or woman can look upon Him and live (Exodus 33:20). We, however, are sinners. We were all born with a sin nature, which left us separated from God.

It’s important to understand that the Lord hates sin because it harms the ones He loves. Remember that God is love (1 John 4:8)—He created us to have a relationship with Him and desires that all people spend eternity with Him (2 Peter 3:9). Yet there remains the problem of our sin.

The Lord will not violate His own nature and compromise His holiness. Prompted by His own great love, therefore, He made a way to have a relationship with us: He put the sin of all mankind on Jesus Christ’s shoulders.

The Father sent His holy Son to be a perfect sacrifice on our behalf. Jesus Christ took our sin upon Himself and died on the cross in our place. When we trust Him as our Savior and receive His forgiveness, we are made new—holy, perfect, and welcome in our Father’s presence.”

[Photo thanks to Tomoko Uji at Unsplash]

[eternal-echoes]

“Because of our stubborn pride, we may assume that God created moral laws to make us miserable. Especially in the realm of sexual morality-when the gratification is most immediate-we tend to push Him away. …

God's laws are not burdens to those who wish to love. Rather, they free us to love.

…

There can only be one God. Either we call the shots, or we trust in what He has revealed to us. According to God, you'll know you're ready for sex when you have a ring on your finger. In other words, you should unveil your body to a man only after he has lifted your wedding veil.

Purity is about having the humility to open ourselves to the will of God. Instead of asking how far we can go toward sin, we begin to ask how far we can go toward love. This does not mean that we are freed from temptations. It just means that when they occur, we don't turn inward and ask ourselves, "Am I ready for this? Do I feel comfortable doing this with him?" Rather, we turn our hearts to God, asking Him a very daring question: "What is pure in your eyes, and how do you want me to live?" Instead of seeing purity in the negative—as if it's merely the absence of sexual sin— take a positive approach. See it as the freedom to express God's love through your body. Instead of seeing purity as a list of no's, see purity for what it is: a yes to love.”

-Crystalina Evert, How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul

[hiswordsarekisses]

“What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. For anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires. Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness. What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭23‬

[revolu]

Answering a question on Quora; did the characters own slaves?

Decided to post this here for my own sake lol.

I haven't done any deep digging to find this information, and hopefully it is as accurate as possible. Please correct me + give me the source/evidence if you must!!

Lafayette owned slaves, but he only purchased plantations in order to free them later on. He was very against slavery, and even tried convincing Washington to free his slaves. Unfortunately, Lafayette never managed to really free the slaves. A shame. It's ironic how he became a slave owner in order to execute his plan to abolish slavery.

Washington owned slaves, but he freed the majority of them. He's the only president in America who has enslaved people and freed them. He was a gentleman and a stud, kind and authoritative. Probably had some anger issues, but generally he was quite the man. (doesn't excuse owning slaves tho.)

Now... Did the man himself, Alexander Hamilton, own slaves? There is not enough evidence to support Hamilton owning slaves HIMSELF. He did purchase slaves for his in-laws, however his children and wife did not mention him owning slaves, nor does it say anything in his will about it. So that proves Hamilton not owning slaves >>near his death<<, at least. He was an abolitionist, that's for sure. But we do not know if he actually owned slaves HIMSELF. He surely had SERVANTS, but slaves and servants are different. He did see a fair lot of slavery in the Caribbean where he grew up, I believe, and I do not know if his father owned slaves, but it is not documented that he personally did. And even though his descendent Douglas claims he didn't, it is possible! But as said, he did in fact purchase slaves for his in-laws. (a.k.a. Eliza's family)

Madison owned slaves, yes. I haven't done too much research on him as a person, but he did own slaves.

Jefferson had two sides; either he was kind, socially awkward, a gentleman, or he was a cruel slaveowner. I personally believe, that based on his actions throughout the years, and the fact that he seemed to become more cruel with age, that his wife's death probably caused him to break. However, this does not excuse anything he did. He f*cking r*ped one of his slaves, who is believed to have been around 14 years of age (Sally Hemings, mentioned in the musical). There have been records of slaves being beaten in Monticello, however, there is nothing documented that Jefferson himself hurt his slaves. But when it comes to slavery, it is safe to say that he was rather cruel. Disgusting. Despite originally writing in the Declaration of Independence about slavery, Jefferson wrote that he "suspected black people to be inferior to white people" several years later.

Burr did own some slaves, not many though, at least from what I've read.

King George III, however, is NOT that tyrant that people claim he was. He never owned slaves, and he wasn't as bad as a human as people believe.

Laurens was one of the strongest abolitionist of the time, despite growing up in an environment where slavery was normal. He did not own any slaves himself, nothing recorded (I believe) at least.

Mulligan did own slaves. Haven't done any real research on him, but fairly sure it is true that he owned some slaves.

The Schuyler sisters were members of a wealthy slaveowning family. I am not sure, but I think Angelica owned slaves? I dont know about Peggy, and I dont think there is anything recorded that Eliza HERSELF owned slaves. Her family definitely did tho.

Charles Lee owned slaves, like most military generals.

Samuel Seabury also owned slaves.

Philip Hamilton, obviously, did not own any slaves.

It is important to note that although slavery was wrong and a sin, many people owned slaves or engaged in slavery. Not all slaveowners were cruel, some even treated their slaves as equals. (Which was rare). It was almost like a norm amongst wealthy people, especially people in the south. I think many were influenced by the normalcy, however it is not an excuse. John Laurens grew up in SC, and slavery was very common. Despite that, he was very against it.

Slavery is wrong and disgusting, but in many cases it does NOT define someone as a human. Maybe in Jefferson's case, but people need to remember that not everyone was cruel to their slaves! I do not excuse slavery in any way, and I know I do not have as much as a say in that because I am white. It will always be wrong to degrade someone just because of their race. I mean, slaves were seen as PROPERTY. Which is so incredibly disgusting... Slavery still exists today in some parts of the world, with basically any race being enslaved. White people, black people, asians, etc... Only about 8% of the population is white. (I think?) S3x slaves too. From children to adults. Absolutely disgusting.

But to sum this up, most of the people in the 18th century owned slaves. Not everyone was cruel to them though.

People who have been 'proven' to not have owned slaves:

Philip Hamilton (which speaks for itself)

King George III

John Laurens

(I hope I didn't forget someone)

I am unsure about Maria and James Reynolds. It is possible that James owned some slaves, but I haven't read about it at all, literally have done no research on Reynolds and slaves lmao.

Side note: A slave, James Armistead, later James Armistead Lafayette, who served as a spy under Marquis de Lafayette in the war, supposedly came to own slaves himself. (I am rather unsure if this is actually true or not, so don't take my word for granted lol)

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Daily Light on the Daily Path

by Samuel Bagster

Daily Reading for June 27th

Psalm 143:2 And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is righteous.

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.

Isaiah 27:5 "Or let him rely on My protection, Let him make peace with Me, Let him make peace with Me."

Job 22:21 "Yield now and be at peace with Him; Thereby good will come to you.

Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Galatians 2:16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

Romans 3:20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Acts 13:39 and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

1 Corinthians 15:57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

[prodineonblue]

An Excerpt from My Amon!Red Lotus Fic!!

I sucked in my breath, hoping Amon couldn't register my racing heart. Did bending even work in this place? 

I listened closely. 

"She should be coming anytime soon, Noatak." the man smiled, his thin lips reaching from ear to ear. 

Amon scoffed. "My lieutenant is always punctual." he said, looking straight at me. 

***

Noatak 

The Spirit World was everything I had imagined it to be - ethereal, otherwordly, enchanting, alluring, deceiving. 

Just like the man that was talking to me. Zaheer, he said his name was. 

He had asked me to join his "Red Lotus" organisation. In return, he could organise a place to stay, protection from the government and a very sweet thing - redemption. 

Apparently, they were dedicated to freedom. Apparently, they were going to remove all corrupt leaders from their planet. Apparently, that would be what I want. Apparently, my mission for equality would be achieved in these processes. No more favouritism, no more discriminate laws. 

Zaheer was a non-bender. Yet, he worked side by side with benders to achieve his goal. While he was currently in prison for trying to kidnap the Avatar and raise her as his own, he would soon be freed. He could sense it, and I didn't doubt him. 

I felt a swell of jealousy at this mysterious man. How he could bring benders to justice without being one? He didn't have to lie about who he was? He was purely motivated for good reasons. 

Unlike me, who had gone too far with lies and power. 

And Zaheer knew this. So he offered me a chance to redeem myself. To prove that I was truly striving for equality, not power. 

The only condition was that both my brother and my lieutenant would be enlisted too. 

"My lieutenant would never agree to this!" I exclaimed. "Do you even know who she is?" 

"Of course. I've been keeping tabs on her through my connections." he murmured. "She's promising." 

I sighed. Fear had been welling deep inside of me since our last encounter. A lot of it was remorse, too. I was afraid that she could be more powerful than me. I was afraid at what she was capable of, if the rumours Tarrlok said were true. If she had really killed them all. But I was regretful of the pain I had caused her. Forcing her to bloodbend, bloodbending her myself, betraying her...and what had she really done? Lie to protect herself knowing that I would attack her if she told the truth? Now, that was hardly a sin. And also, a part of me was drawn to her in a way I couldn't explain. 

"I know." I said. "She might even be more powerful than me. But how are you going to meet with her and convince her to join?" 

"I have summoned her. She should be coming anytime soon, Noatak." 

I scoffed. "My lieutenant is always punctual." I turned around, sensing her presence. I locked my eyes with hers. 

[basicsofislam]

THE FEMALE COMPANIONS OF THE PROPHET (PBUH): Part 24

ASMA BINT ABI BAKR (radhiallahu anha): Part 2

Hz. Asma was very chaste and modest.

Chastity and modesty are the best characteristics of a woman. Once, she was carrying dates; she met the Messenger of Allah on the way. There were some Companions with the Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah stopped his camel and offered his sister-in-law a lift. However, Hz. Asma did not get on the camel due to her modesty. She preferred to carry the heavy burden.

Asma was an open-handed, generous person.

She rose to an exceptional level especially after the Prophet addressed her as follows:

“O Asma! Do not tight your fist; otherwise, Allah Almighty will not send His grant to you.”( Musnad, 60: 352. )

She never left anything that she did not need at home; she would always give them away to the poor. She led a plain life. She advised her children to be generous. She said to them,

“Spend your money in the way of Allah. Give sadaqah. When you do not do charity, your money will not increase. Do not think that your money will decrease when you give sadaqah.”

Asma sometimes became ill like everybody else.

However, she never complained about it to people. For, she believed that illnesses came from Allah Almighty and that they eliminated sins. Besides, how would man appreciate health and thank Allah for it if he never got ill? On the other hand, illnesses were a great means of praying to Allah Almighty. Therefore, it was nonsensical to complain about illness and to groan by saying, “Aargh! Ow!” as if opposing qadar.

Hz. Asma was conscious of these facts. She welcomed illnesses with patience and reliance on Allah. Once, she had a terrible headache. She put her hand on her head and prayed as follows relying on Allah:

“My headaches a lot but the sins that I hope Allah will forgive are more.”

This great woman of Islam was also known for her austerity.

She would always be content with what she had, thank for it and would not want more. His husband, Hz. Zubayr, was a poor person. When he got married, he had nothing but a horse. Hz. Asma did her best to help her husband to meet their needs. She would carry dates on her head from a distant date tree that the Messenger of Allah had given her from war booty. She did housework, ground the date seeds to make animal food from them and carried water from distant places. When Hz. Abu Bakr saw that his daughter got really tired, he sent her a servant. Asma became very happy and expressed her gratitude as follows:

“My father pleased me so much by sending the servant that I felt as if I was freed from slavery.”

Hz. Asma paid attention to thriftiness; she avoided unnecessary spending. For, thriftiness was ordered by Allah and it formed the basis of the peace in the family.

Asma and Zubayr led a happy life but they sometimes argued.

However, they would soon make up. They acted as if nothing had happened between them. Once, they argued about something and could not settle it. Asma went to her father to complain about her husband. Hz. Abu Bakr addressed her in the best way and gave her the following glad tiding:

“My daughter! Be patient. If a woman has a good husband and dies and if the woman does not marry anybody else after him, Allah will bring them together in Paradise.” ( Tabaqat, 8: 251. )

Asma was both a good wife and mother.

She had 8 children (5 boys, 3 girls) out of her marriage with Hz. Zubayr. She brought up her children and educated them in the best way. She brought up great Companions like Abdullah bin Zubayr and Tabiun like Urwa bin Zubayr, who served as models for Muslims and who were ready to sacrifice their lives in the way of Allah.

The worst pain for a mother is definitely to see her child die especially if the child has become a young person. In that case, the pain would double and life would be unbearable. However, it was like that for a mother who did not believe in Allah and qadar or who had a weak belief. Would a mother who believed in qadar truly and accepted everything that came from Allah whether good or bad do like that? We see the best example of it in Hz. Asma’s life that it is not so. She encouraged her son, Abdullah, who saw the Messenger of Allah and listened to his talk to die in the way of Allah; when she heard that he was martyred by being killed in a terrible way, she showed great patience. There are a great example and lesson in her act and surrendering for today’s mothers. The incident took place as follows:

Hz. Abdullah was chosen as the caliph in Makkah after the death of Yazid when many Muslims paid allegiance to him. The Muslims of Hejaz, Yemen, Iraq, Egypt, and Khorasan found him appropriate for the caliphate and paid allegiance to him.  Hz. Abdullah ruled Makkah for a few years with justice. However, Abdulmalik bin Marwan, who got hold of the Umayyad government, sent Hajjaj, who was known as “Zalim” (Cruel, Oppressor), against Abdullah in the 72nd year of the Migration. Hajjaj established a big catapult on Mount Abu Qubays and threw stones at the Kaaba.  Against this unjust and merciless act of Hajjaj’s, Hz. Abdullah defended the Kaaba heroically. However, many of his men joined Hajjaj by believing his promises. Thereupon, Hz. Abdullah went to his mother, who was 99 years old then, to consult her. He said,

“Mum! I have very few men and weapons left. It is very difficult for me to resist. The enemy promises to give me as much money as I want. What is your advice?”

Hz. Asma believed that her son was right and that his aim was not to obtain worldly possessions. Therefore, she asked him not to give up his right cause even if he faced death. She gave him the following advice:

“O, my son! If you think that you are right and that you are standing up for the Truth, then persevere and fight on as your companions were killed in this way. Think of your friends who were martyred. Do not be Banu Umayyad’s plaything. If you desire the world, it means you are a miserable wretch. In that case, you will have destroyed yourself and your men. If you say, ‘I am on the right path. My friends have become loose and I have become loose’, it does not fit chivalrous people. How long more you will live in this world? “O, my son! The best cover for you is death. I swear by Allah that a sword blow received in honor is better than living in humility and being whipped. Never accept humiliation because of fear of death in my opinion. I hope I will show patience about you.”

Hz. Abdullah had the same opinion but he wanted to find out about what his mother’s view was. Her words set his mind at rest. He kissed his mother’s hand. His mother kissed him on the forehead and sent him. Then, she opened her hands and prayed to Allah as follows:

“O, Allah! Have mercy on this noble slave of yours! Do not leave him hungry and thirsty in Madinah and Makkah streets. Grant him Your bounties in return for his righteousness to his mother. O, Allah! I surrendered my son to Your order. I show consent to Your qadar. Elevate me to the rank of those who are patient and grateful in return for the misfortunes to hit him.”

There was nothing else to do but to wait for the outcome.

Hz. Abdullah, who fought heroically, was martyred in the end.

When Hz. Asma was given this news, she was looking for a memento from the Messenger of Allah. She listened to the news of her son’s death calmly. When she found the memento she was looking for, it consoled her.

Asma had to show more patience because Hajjaj did not find it enough to martyr Abdullah; he had Abdullah’s dead body hung. Then, he stood opposite this martyr, insulted him and cut his head off. Then, he sent the head to Damascus. They swore that they would not put his dead body down unless his mother came and apologized. It was very difficult for a mother to see her son’s dead body hanging on the gallows. However, Hz. Asma showed patience and did not find it appropriate to apply to those cruel people and ask them about it.

Once, while she was passing by her son’s dead body, she said,

“Will this orator not come down from the chair yet?”

They found this sentence enough and brought him down from the gallows. Then, they buried him.

Hajjaj sent some people to call Hz. Asma many times but Hz. Asma did not go to him. Finally, Hajjaj came to her house. He said to her mockingly,

“How did you find what I did to the enemy of Allah (Abdullah)?”

Hz. Asma was Hz. Abu Bakr’s daughter and Hz. Zubayr’s wife. She would not keep silent in front of this oppressor. She gave the following answer bravely:

“You destroyed my son’s world but he destroyed your hereafter.”

This time, Hajjaj said insolently, “Forget about this munafiq!” Hz. Asma did not keep silent. She said,

“I swear by Allah that he was not a munafiq. He performed fasting a lot. He performed prayers at night a lot. He fulfilled his duties of worshipping and visited his relatives.”

Hajjaj got very angry and shouted,“Get out!” Acting upon the courage she took from her belief, Hz. Asma said,

“The Messenger of Allah said, ‘A liar and a destroyer will come out from the tribe of ath-Thaqif.’ We saw that the liar was Mukhtar ath-Thaqafi. The destroyer can be nobody but you.”

One of the hadiths narrated by Asma is as follows:

“Paradise approached me so much that if dared I would bring one of its clusters you. Hellfire approached me so much that I started to say, ‘O Lord! I am among them. I saw a woman whom a cat kept scratching. I said, ‘What is the matter?’ They said, ‘This woman imprisoned this cat until it died. She did not give it anything to eat; nor did she leave it free to find its own food.’”( Ibn Majah, Iqamatu’s-Salat: 152. )

After her son was martyred, Hz. Asma got weaker. She died in the 73rd year of the Migration when she was 100 years old.

May Allah be pleased with her!

[gabebrodudeman]

Even If He Doesn't... | daily devotional

"we worship God from a place, not for a place" this quote goes hard because I don't worship God in the hopes I can earn a place in heaven, I worship him from my place in heaven.

Romans 3:20 NLT

[20] For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

Romans 3:23-25 NLT

[23] For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. [24] Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. [25] For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,

[gatekeeper-watchman]

Daily Devotionals for November 14, 2024

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living

Devotional Scripture:

Proverbs 28:4-5 (KJV): 4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them. 5 Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things. Proverbs 28:4-5 (AMP): 4 Those who forsake the law (of God and man) praise the wicked, but those who keep the law (of God and man) contend with them. 5 Evil men do not understand justice, but they who crave and seek the Lord understand it fully.

Thought for the Day

Those who are rebellious will applaud the wicked, but law-abiding citizens will contend with them. Evil men cannot understand justice, but whoever seeks the Lord has good understanding. We saw in Day 315 that God's judgment is directly connected to the principle of sowing and reaping and comes upon the wicked because of sin. The Bible reveals that all the troubles in the world are due to either my own sin or someone else's. "...For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "For the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 5:23). What exactly is sin? It is a heart condition, stemming from pride. Pride is referred to as "original sin." The Hebrew and Greek words for sin both convey the meaning "to miss the mark." God created us to be like Him, but our pride and rebellion make us fall far short of that glorious purpose.

We cannot deal with our sin by "cleaning ourselves up" on the outside, when our problem is a heart condition. We need to be cleansed from sin; freed from its penalty, which is death; and restored to fellowship with God. We need a new heart and nature. This is what Jesus Christ meant when He said that we "must be born again" (John 3:7), and that "...except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). When we were physically born the first time, we were made a partaker of the nature of natural man. When we are born again spiritually, we become a partaker of the divine nature according to 2 Peter 1:4 which says, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." God becomes our spiritual Father. Without the experience of the new birth, we have no hope of enjoying the glories of heaven or escaping the terrors of hell.

Have you been born again? The "new birth" is not a religion, a creed, a set of rituals, or joining a church. It is a transformation, the receiving of a new nature. Old things pass away and all things become new in Christ. "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Whoever receives and obeys Jesus will understand God's judgments. They will understand that all He allows (even punishment for sin) is meant for good. Those who rebelliously reject Christ will not understand. They will praise wicked men for their deeds and resist the righteous.

Prayer Devotional for the Day

Dear heavenly Father, thank you for saving me from my sin. I am grateful for what You did on the cross when You took the penalty for my sin. Lord, I pray for the lost who do not understand what You did for them. Lord, draw them by Your love and use me and your other children to witness to those who do not know You. Reveal Your love for them, so that they understand they do not have to go to hell, but can receive Your life and enjoy a future in heaven with You. Give us understanding of Your ways and grace to live a holy life. I ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

[ularkanojo]

SP Fallen God Orochi S-jade Skin 'Finality Incarnate' Bio

The Sun Goddess defined good and evil in her laws, and locked desires away with her so-called love. Yet both evil and desire came from her, from that hypocritical light. What the light feared is what interested me. Even when I was plunged into that dark Rift, void of light, I vowed that one day I would cover the world with the Goddess’ flowers of sin, initiating judgment on the world.

With the help of the God of Lies, I returned to the high heavens of the past. Finally, after countless attempts within endless possibilities, I became the God-Emperor of the new world created from the ashes of that dark, yet beautiful old world. The gods had fallen and the walls had collapsed. I freed everyone from the shackles of love. As I had expected, they shed their disguise and started killing each other for their desires until they had all been assimilated into true evil. But as the benevolent God-Emperor, I didn’t allow them to have regrets. I sat on the throne of the Adjudicator in the very center of the Scales; walls and seats rose up to form the Trial Ground.

“Today, I will pass verdict on everyone using my own divinity to rule, instead of Yata Mirror. I will show the old gods and the world the sins they have committed!”

“Lambs of the gods, you were born on your knees to pray for peace from birth. The gods bestowed blessings upon you, only to make you weak, ignorant, and shackled to your pitiful existence. They claimed this would prevent you from committing evil deeds, and thus keep the world in peace. What the gods didn’t tell you was that sins are born out of weakness, and committed out of ignorance. The shackles were forged for the sinners.”

The first star crashed into the land. Magma spewed out of the ground, creating a sea of fire which burned the grass and trees to ashes. Then, with a gust of wind, the wildfire was pushed further, scorching meadows and forests into the distance.

“With the fall of the old gods, a new Adjudicator came into the world. Thanks to his discerning eyes, no sins could escape. But when he laid his eyes on the world, he saw a place filled with crime, and everyone a sinner. And so, he ascended to his throne and passed his verdict on the world, `Guilty!`”

The burning star crashed into the sea. Burning mountain peaks fell into the sea, and the water boiled causing a steamy mist to rise up. Ships drifted helplessly into turbulent currents then swallowed by huge waves. After the waves had passed, the boiling sea water turned red as hundreds of boiled wrecks emerged from the water; the ocean looked like a graveyard stretching into the horizon.

“`Please forgive me! It was never my intention to commit any crime,` The lambs pleaded.”

The third star struck towards the part of the world where it was night. As it fell, it brought with it a meteor shower, turning the night into day. The meteors burned and disintegrated along its trajectory, transforming into countless meteorite fragments which smashing into the earth like a torrential downpour. Mountains collapsed and rivers were cut off, villages were obliterated in the blinding flare, and forests were consumed by a sea of flames. Magmatic tides surged forwards, engulfing everything in their path.

“`Please correct the unfairness. It was not our intention to wear these shackles.` The lambs pleaded with the Adjudicator.”

The fourth star struck towards the part of the world in daylight. White clouds dissipated then were refused into burning red clouds. Magnificent buildings and towering trees were split in two. Any living being still hiding quickly fled as a chasm appeared in the ground which started to consume all.

“The Lambs lamented, `My body burns in eternal torment, my soul wanders in an endless labyrinth.`”

The fifth star fell towards point in the sky where day and night met, breaking the divide between light and shadow, yin and yang. Darkness consumed the sun, and daylight consumed the stars. The sky was turned into a messy palette where light and shadow intermingled, trying to corrupt each other. Before long, all light was lost; the day ceased to be bright and the night sky lost the glimmer of the stars. Complete darkness shrouded the world where only the echoes of the people’s wailing could be heard.

“`Please give the first light of the world back to this infinite darkness. Please show pity for the hopeless land one last time. Please begin the end and purge the sins. Please grant me a peaceful rest before the new world comes.` The sinners pleaded.”

Aether poured from the crack and engulfed the stars and the world like a dark wave.

I was sure that this was the end of the world, but then I found some humas huddled in dark caves. Some of them still clung to the beliefs of the old gods, and it intrigued me. So I sent the Evil Gods to stir up their desires, and waited for them to show despair when their beliefs collapsed. But no matter how much torture they underwent, those fragile mortals still refused to give in.

When I came back to my senses, I was once again under the cherry tree; unlike before, the surroundings were so silent that it was as if time had stopped. I ended the age of the old gods, salvaged everything from the injustice it had suffered, and liberated everything from bondage. Then a cherry blossom petal fell into my hand.

“The falling cherry blossoms that fade after blooming are so fragile, yet so glorious. The same goes for you, who have remained unchanged for thousands of years.”

[townsenddecades]

1325 – Day 3 – Crawley Residence

It is an important occasion when the eldest daughter of a house, particularly one without brothers, comes of age. So it is in the Crawley household when Annette turns thirteen years old. She is not yet old enough to be married, but there is no denying that she is slowly turning into a lovely young woman.

Once again, the family gathers in their hall to celebrate – Mary and Matthew, George and Anne, young Theodora and of course Annette herself. Anna can hardly believe how grown-up her little girl has become. She still wishes her other children had lived, that she had given George a son to carry on the Crawley name, but they are both proud of their beautiful girl.

If nothing else, Annette and Theodora, as co-heiresses, will have no difficulty in attracting suitors. Which is precisely the topic Mary starts on when Annette leaves the room for a moment to put away some jewellery that her grandparents have gifted her for her birthday.

“I think Anna should take Annette and Theodora for another visit to Elbenhawke Hall”, she says. “I will write to Caroline to have her invite you.”

“Why?”, George asks. “It is the middle of winter. The roads are unsafe.”

“Because”, Mary says clearly, “the young baron is only a year or so younger than Annette, and she is nearing marriageable age.”

It doesn’t take George – or anyone else in the room, save perhaps for ten-year-old Theodora – long to understand her meaning. Even the frequent visits to the hall she had been urging in recent years make more sense now. Anna had thought she wished merely to foster good family relations with the young baron, but Mary has clearly been aiming for a higher target.

George stares at her. “You don’t mean for Annette for marry him?”, he asks.

“Of course I do. Your sister is his stepmother still. She will be able to influence him once he starts looking for a bride.”

“Mary, we’ve talked about this”, Matthew speaks up. He sounds resigned more than anything else. It makes Anna wonder how often they have talked about this particular idea – it seems to be neither the second nor the third time. And still, he holds firm. “Having our daughter marry into that family is all well and good, but if we put forward our granddaughter as well, the nobility will think us grasping. Particularly given Anna’s…ancestry.”

After almost fifteen years of being married into the Crawley family, the comment doesn’t wound Anna anymore. Because Matthew is right: both Mary and Matthew are, if not noble, at least of gentry ancestry. The granddaughter of a peasant, great-granddaughter of a freed serf, becoming a baroness is nearly inconceivable. Even if Richard Pelham were to fall victim to Annette’s beauty and charm, his peers certainly won’t approve.

“I know how difficult it was for me to be accepted”, she says, to support her father-in-law’s argument. “Even if the marriage came to pass, I don’t want my daughter or my grandchildren to suffer a worse version of what I had to bear with.”

Mary waves that off. “None of you are bold enough.”

“And greed is a sin in the Watcher’s eyes”, Matthew responds drily. “We will have our pick of wealthy merchants, maybe even gentry, for Annette. Is that not enough?”

His wife, fire in her eyes, is just about to respond when a voice rings out from the doorway. “And I am not to be included as you debate my future?”

Annette is standing in the entrance to the hall, eyes blazing. “I assume it is for a reason that you started talking about this only when I had gone. Theodora may hear what your plans for my future are, but I don’t?”

“You are a child”, Mary says flatly. “You will marry whom we tell you to.”

“We weren’t discussing offers, child”, George says, far more conciliatory than his imperious mother, and steps towards their daughter. “Merely ideas. You will have to marry, and we want you to marry as well as you can.”

“I don’t disagree with that”, she says, hotly. “But I believe I deserve to at least hear about it.”

“We will take your wishes into consideration, I promise”, Anna says, shooting a sharp glance at her mother-in-law. George is still Annette’s father, so the decision whom she is to marry and how they are going to go about it is with him. Mary would do well to remember that. “But your father has already told you, your grandmother merely put forward an idea, and we were debating its merit.”

“The merit none of you seem to see”, Mary puts in acidly. “Don’t you want your daughter to be a baroness?”

“I want my daughter to have a comfortable life”, Anna replies. “More, I don’t ask for.”

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