#only thing that’s stayed the same since her creation is her becoming apostle and her views being a parallel to a square’s

[presidentcircles-assistant]

looking at the old drafts i wrote down for vincent and equilateris’ story is so funny bc MAN was it different. like the only part of the story that stayed the same was the part about vincent getting stuck in the rural village

[peacefulapostlearchive]

Before i even get into this. i just wanna say how PROUD i am of you all for continue to be true to yourselves. You are persevering through all this chaos in the world right now. trying your best to stay positive when the outlook is bleak is extremely hard and I’M PROUD OF YOU. keep up the amazing work by helping each other out , sending positivity , and overall being the rays of sunshine  i know you can be! no onto this mess. 

I’m sitting at 1100 followers. WOW.  I haven’t made one of these in a super long ass time. but i moved paul in august of last year to get a fresh start. and i couldn’t be more grateful for those that have followed on his path since his creation right after the release of Far Cry 5 in 2018. two years later he’s still developing and i’m still finding ways to make him even more lovable while still keep an air of mystery to him.  people still get conflicted about him and how they feel but that’s specifically the POINT. and i’m just glad that people seem to still love and appreciate him just as much as when i created him. I couldn’t ask for a better reaction to an OC tbh. Cause this number for an OC in such a short amount of time? it floors me and i love you all so much. 

ps. if i forgot you or didn’t include you I’M SORRY. i love all of you so very much and i’m doing this on no coffee. 

@apostleled  / @peletier  / @momentstolen && @hartsiick  /  @wrathincrrnate

get you a couple of friends that you can suck into your fandom and become your main bitches. dixon and katie you are both my absolute world and two of my best friends!! you’re always there for me and always supporting my disaster apostle in every way. i can’t express what you both mean to me. in the very sappy toy story way just remember you’ve got a friend in me. 

@virusfought - Si! my loverly. you have been by my side for over a year now and leave it up us to find a way to rp with any character we have and come up with ALL the verses and still find some way to domesticate them. there will only ever be one chris redfield for me and if only we could sign hemsworth up for that role! i love you dearly. 

@forgottengun - howl! you’re on a damn hiatus right now but i could never forget you. you’re also one of the few i could talk to day in and day out. fit our boys in any verses and then somehow still figure out back stories for gavin and nigel and somehow makes one of the best love stories ever! you mean a heck of a lot to me and i hope you know how much i adore you. 

@horrormaestro - RAE!! you’d fight the world for me and what can i say about that? other than i’d do the same for you. i love you dearly and there will only ever be one Rae && Roe show. no one can be as cool as we are! you’re amazing in every way and you truly are OC goals with jackie and i’m glad i get to be a part of her. 

@inkedsin  / @enigmatii / @wrathabove / @strongnotweak  -  SHARKY MY WIFE. i  love you dearly and i just love and appreciate everything we write together. you are one of the sweetest people i’ve ever met and by now you know you’re stuck with me. so lets write all the things all of the time. and listen i could sit here all day and listen to any headcanons you wanna throw at me

@detpowell  - we haven’t known each other too long but you’ve become a very important part of my every day routine. I love talking and chatting with you and everything we do with malcolm AND paul. and i couldn’t love you more because you accept my oc as he is. you’re such an amazing writer and a beautiful soul and you just GET ME . thank you for being you. 

Far Cry disasters.

@sanctemony  ||  @prophesyr  || @finalvlog  || @blesscdbliss  || @ezerkenegdc  || @whiskydeputy  || @galaxysought  ||  @hellbentwidow  || @horrorempathy  || @survivedempathy  || @dcputyrook  || @strnza  || @mlotov  || @safefromsin  || @suresaint  || @handsigned  || @blooddippedwing || @poisonpicked  || @marcvelli  || @iscariotsdeputy  || @liftedrelics  || @absolveres  ||  @nicknamedrook  ||  @depriveddevotion  || @helenaiism  ||  @baagha  ||  @legendmade  || @badwclv  || @behunted  || @summerxmelodies  || @verrado  || @cephalore  || @andscreams  || @gcdspride  || @augustaean  || @tzdkh  || @fangsprice  || @amorbidcvriosity  || @hopecountychoir  || @victoriousfeeling  ||  @prideburn  ||  @only-we  || @sharky-boshaw  || @griimreaping

All my loves a bunches that i either write with , talk to , or admire from afar 

@afterdeaths  ||  @airherc ||  @altarsburning || @argivebeauty  ||  @artexcore  || @ashesrise  ||  @astcriism  ||  @atrucpatriot  || @bluuxhalcyon  || @boltxnbastard  ||  @bonewoven  || @braincop || @brknlostsouls  || @captainrcgrs  || @celticmagicks  || @clinikill  || @cruciatustm  || @coyotesteeth  || @culthcnt  || @cxpt || @damagedtoysoldier  || @deadlcrd  || @denieddeath  || @dcllparted  ||  @edenwander || @endurcandsurvive  || @eric-raleigh || @etrnty  || @feliciityqxeen  ||  @fidelissimi  || @filthyblade  || @fireadapt  || @firstlycan  || @forgcdasset  ||   @furysname  || @fyrefights  || @gothamsbadge  ||  @gcroinya ||  @griefwoven || @heartlosttravelers  || @herstillness  || @hiddengills ||  @hiddensteel  || @honeyglaze ||  @hopegained  || @idealyst || @idumean  ||  @implausablemoons  || @informaticn || @intelwon || @itsgclden  || @jedishope  ||  @jericholeader  ||  @justyouraveragesuperoperative  ||  @killypool  || @khruseos  || @laughingmagi ||  @legatium || @lessersinned  ||  @lovepersists  ||  @lunaendowment || @martyrdawn  || @mtchstck || @memoryhallowed  || @minastiriiths  || @mindsmade  || @murdcck  || @murderousbitch || @mxthborn  || @mysticandskepticmuses  || @neighborhoodheart  || @nosestealer  || @ofcoldguns  ||  @ofhomeland  || @ofpsalms || @oliverqxeen || @octeiva  || @onlycertainty  || @onlyliberty  ||  @osurvive  ||  @peaceific  ||  @praeludio || @preymend  || @prouddov  || @piraticalwit || @putrifyre  || @pyrowitched  || @rayofsunshinc  ||  @rcprobate  || @redroomfcrged  || @requiescatiinpace  || @revulsicn  || @rgerscap  || @salaciousneeds  || @sanguisfulgur || @saraqxeen  ||  @savedpeople  || @seesgood  || @seizingdays  || @shotbled ||  @sicarea || @sigrvif  ||  @silvertonguesilverdollar  || @sinceiwasfour  || @shellheadtm || @snowbrn  || @snowinabottle || @soldxtbarnes  ||  @solenama  ||  @soulcoded  || @soulstcne || @southsidelover  || @starkarmored  || @starkissedtm  || @stormweathered  || @strigct  || @storymade  ||  @t-chambler  || @thirtnth  ||  @thundaddy  || @timeforgcd  ||  @tinuviele  ||  @tobeblamed ||   @tocxmply  || @toscrve  || @trickshxt  || @truthsecn  ||  @untothisstorm  || @vanderking  ||  @velvetipped || @vigilink  || @voieur  ||  @waywardsignns  || @weaponizedembrace  ||  @westran  ||  @winebleeds  ||  @wontrun || @wxyfxring  || @zagubionywilk || @zcldrizes

[imaginecoderealize]

Hi everyone 😊 have you any headcanons or stories about boy's childhood?(with Hansel and Nemo )

We hope you enjoy this small glimpse into the kids’ lives before they became the heroes we love!

- Mod Apostle and Mod Nautilus

LUPIN:

- Lupin started out smaller and weaker than most of the otherstreet kids, but he proved to also be the cleverest. The other kids began tolook up to him and treat him as a leader, despite his youth and small size.They were so skilled at their work using Lupin’s methods that people began toavoid the popular markets they haunted. The police took notice and the kidsonly grew more talented at playing hide and seek with the police and makingthem look like fools. 

- Lupin’s first brush with being a ‘thief with a heart ofjustice’ was when he saw a frail old woman robbed and thrown down into analley. He always picked the pockets of the rich and considered it poor form topick on ‘easy targets’. He stole back the woman’s purse, only to find it veryheavy with gold. He was tempted to keep it, but recalling the woman’s frailty,he dutifully brought the purse back to its owner. The old woman exulted overhow honorable he was and gave him his first ‘finders fee.’ Which turned out tobe more money than he could steal in a month.

- Lupin was intelligent, but he preferred practical studies tobook learning. (His teacher did make sure he knew how to read and write, etc.Even though he balked about it being boring.)

- He and his fellow urchins often made up their own gameswhich helped them with their thieving.

- Lupin usually had to sleep outdoors, so thefirst time he had a bed of his own he was so happy that he didn’t even want tomess the sheets up. … Of course, about twenty seconds later he jumped right onin and rolled the sheets around himself like a cocoon.

- Lupin was surprisingly nervous the first time he left France, though he would never admit it. He loved the adventure, of course, but there was something a little anxiety-inducing about taking those first steps.

VAN:

- Van was always a dutiful brother and son. His father passedaway when he was still quite young, so he felt it was his duty to care for hismother and little brother. They didn’t have a lot of money, so he learned tomake the things they needed and repair clothing and other things to extend their life. He became quite skilledat woodworking and made his mother a beautiful vase that she kept on herdresser that held three flowers, one for each of his family.

- Van and his brother always went berry picking in the summer.It was the brothers’s favorite time of year when their mothers would make themmagnificent pies. One time Van decided to make a pie for his family… withpredictable results. The mess in the kitchen was extraordinary, but his mothercouldn’t scold him because he tried so hard, and pretended to enjoy hiscreation. It may have been better for his future friends if she had told himthe truth.

-  Van was a smart, serious student. His favorite subject inschool was mathematics. He taught his little brother to read. 

- Vanwas always athletic and participated in many different sports.

- Would always help his mother with the sewing andclothing repair. He learned how to knit when he was eight years old, and becamequite skilled. His family could never leave the house in winter without ascarf. And gloves. And a hat. 

- He was always very open about how he doted over his family. He once had his heart on his sleeve….

FRAN:

- Fran grew up surrounded by beautiful natural wonders. Of ascientific bent since childhood, he found it soothing to walk in the woods andstudy nature. He could often be found reading in the shadow of his favoriterock, or collecting various specimens to study in his little attic laboratoryunder the eaves of his home. 

- Fran had a cute spaniel that always stayed at his side whenhe was a kid. They went on many adventures together. Fran even taught her tosniff out certain plants or other things to use in his experiments.

- Fran helped keep his parents’ gardens. He had his own littlepatch where he grew his own medicinal herbs. 

- Fran’s favorite subject was obviously science, especiallyalchemy and biology. He was equally good at all subjects and was recommended togo to college in the U.K.

- Knew he wanted to be a doctor for as long as hecould remember. He was the greatest teddy bear doctor in all of Switzerland,always performing regular check-ups. Of course, if someone came to him with adoll that needed repairs, he’d have to go to his mother… but he would alwayssupervise the procedure!

IMPEY:

- Impey was alone much of the time as a young child. He neverreally fit in with his peers and always dreamed of leaving his little villageand seeing what the world beyond held. Many vampires hated the cities, but Impeyknew that his future would lie in the cities beyond his claustrophobic littletown even before he saw the train. 

- Impey was an eager student once his imagination was ignited.The Old Man was delighted with how smart he was. He read voraciously once hehad the opportunity, though he found history boring. He hated stories about waror weapons, but he loved the romances. (He cried easily over tragedies.) 

- Impey’s first device was a telescope to look at the moon,made from a cardboard tube, a piece of glass and a broken mirror. He was veryexcited and proud of his creation. 

- Impey never had any sense of a bedtime, and often tinkeredand experimented with machines all night. The old man would often find himslumped over his work bench fast asleep. In that way, not much has changed.

- Impey didn’t change too much from when he was akid, so he would always be running on fumes. All too often, his old man wouldfind him passed out with a wrench in hand and grease stains on his cheeks. Heonly put a stop to it one time after Impey caught a bad cold. “That’ll teachyou to not get proper rest, now you have no choice.” (I think it’s cute we both had the same idea about Impey sleeping on his work bench - Mod Nautilus)

(Because there is so little information about Saint’s youth,this is longer and more… dramatized… than the others… – Mod Apostle)

SAINT:

- Saint doesn’t remember his childhood before he was a slave,erroneously believing he was born into slavery. The trauma of the sack of hisvillage made him block it from his memory. He was born in an ancient isolatedvillage in the eastern foothills of Mesopotamia. Its isolation meant that theever-changing political situations and the rise and fall of cultures passedthem by harmlessly, until an avalanche caused the king’s military to divertcourse and they raided the peaceful village. 

- Saint was a priestess’ son. He was a gentle, fragile child.His task was to read and memorize the holy books, study their rituals, andlearn from his mother how to lead their people. He was a dreamer who loved thestars, the quiet hills at night, and the sound of his mother’s voice singingthe sacred songs. 

- Despite being two years younger, his brother always lookedafter him. They played games, told stories, read every book in the village,especially the tales about a time when they lived in a city overlooking thesea. Neither of them had ever seen a body of water larger than small lakes andrivers. They had never even seen the great Euphrates or Tigris. They promisedeach other to go to the sea someday. To sail away and find their lost city andbecome kings. Saint said he would be the high priest and talk to the gods,while his brother could be king and govern the people. The village elder’sfortune said Saint would suffer much and travel far before he found hisdestiny, but then such things seemed incomprehensible to the children who builtstone forts for castles and tended their goats. 

- Later, after he forgot his past, he still sought out tabletsand and stories of the gods and sacred texts, never wondering how a slavelearned to read. Despite the differences in language, he was able to teachhimself the new alphabets and lettering. He kept a horde of discarded tabletsand broken styluses buried in a hole with his few belongings, including a stonenecklace given him by his only friend, the boy who he no longer recognized ashis brother. 

- Saint sang to himself at night sometimes when he could getaway with it. They soothed him and helped him to sleep. He still remembers thesongs, though the source is lost to him.

- In a life usually filled with misery, Sainttreasured every bit of ‘ordinary happiness’ he could find. Usually, this was inthe form of watching the sun rise. It was such a little thing, but he lovedwatching the light slowly paint the sky different colors. The sun looked like abig bright ball that he wanted to play with, but he was content just to feelits warmth.- Out of all his duties, Saint enjoyed fishing themost. He wasn’t able to do it often, but being near the water always made himfeel at peace. He enjoyed the fact that what he was doing allowed people to befed. He wanted to be a gracious host for many people from a very young age.

HANSEL (AND GRETEL):

- Hansel’s favorite memories are of the summers before the warstarted. His mother would bake cookies and make a picnic lunch and Hansel wouldtake Gretel on forest adventures. Hansel would gather wildflowers and makeflower crowns for Gretel and the siblings would splash around in the brook andlaugh and play until nightfall. 

- Gretel occasionally had trouble sleeping and would visit herbrother’s room. He would let her cuddle with him and told her fairytales untilshe fell asleep. 

- Hansel made friends with the deer of the forest and lovedtaking Gretel out to feed them sometimes.

- Hansel became Omnibus’ precious son, and she knew that treating him as such would tie himfurther to her. She taught him personally about the duties of Idea, somethingthat was usually reserved for a fellow Apostle. Saint would often joke withOmnibus about how he was being spoiled. 

- Omnibus would teach him in the garden, and he wouldoften occupy his hands by tending to her garden. It shone even brighterafter receiving attention from him, and afterwards Omnibus would reward hisobedience with a cookie shaped like a daisy. Those were always his favorites…

NEMO…?:

(FUN TRIVIA! According to Jules Verne, Captain Nemo’s birthname was Dakkar. Mod Nautilus has adopted this into her Code: Realizeheadcanons, so if you see the name “Dakkar” floating around—it’s pre-RevolutionNemo.)

- Dakkarwas a polyglot from a very young age. Languages always came easily to him,among them English, German, and French. (And back then he actually spoke… um…he didn’t sound like… HE DIIIIIDN’T TAAAAAAAAAALK LIKE THIIIIIIIIIIIIS.)

- Dakkar had two little sisters that meant theabsolute world to him. Oftentimes, late at night, he would sneak out of hisquarters to spend time with them. Once he started getting caught, he would slippast by dressing up as a beautiful woman. As long as he kept his mouth shut,nobody noticed.

- … He was always very, very proud of being called “brotherdearest”.

- Dakkar was an accomplished pianist, but he much preferred playing the pipe organ, saying that it stimulated his mind more.

-  He was sixteen years old when he became a lead strategist in the uprising against Britain, though he participated in any way he could long before then. He has always been passionate about the things important to him, and the freedom of his country was the most important thing to him growing up.

*BONUS* SHOLMES:

- Herlock —er, Sherlock as he was known backthen—has an elder brother named Mycroft. Though Mycroft is just as much of agenius as his little brother, the two of them often clashed on a moreclandestine subject: housework. See, much like Sherlock, Mycroft was also arather deplorable housekeeper and they would often compete to see who could getout of the most chores. It became a game for them, one which Sherlockultimately won by devoting his time to a new hobby: the violin.

[pamphletstoinspire]

Readings for Pentecost Sunday

This post picks up from themes discussed in the previous post on the Readings for the Vigil of Pentecost.

For Pentecost Sunday, Mass during the Day, the First Reading is, finally, the account of Pentecost itself, from Acts 2:1-11:

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?

Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”

We have already remarked (in the post on the Vigil readings) on the intimate relationship between this event and Babel (Pentecost is the Un-Babel) and Sinai (Sinai is the giving of the Old Law for the Old Covenant; Pentecost is the giving of the New Law of the New Covenant).

It is important to note that the congregation gathered around the apostles comes not only from a wide variety of nations of the earth, but also consists of “Jews and converts to Judaism.” In other words, there are both ethnic Jews and ethnic Gentiles here: those who hear the apostles are truly a representative cross-section of humanity.

It is unfortunate, though understandable, that the rest of Acts 2 is not read for this Mass. A reading of the rest of the chapter should be obligatory for every homilist or teacher and would allow the following points to be made:

(1) the close association of the giving of the Spirit with the ministry of Peter, the spokesman to and for the Body of Christ. One of the goals of the Church is the reunification of the human family. Denominationalism and nationalism among non-Catholic Christians defeats this goal. Like him or not, the successor of Peter remains the central figure of world Christianity. All Catholics are united in their fidelity to him, and the only thing that unites all non-Catholics is their opposition to him. Thus he is the great unifier. See this article by Protestant theologian Stephen Long.

(2) The close association of the giving of the Spirit with baptism, and by extension the sacramental ministry of the Church: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

(3) The correlation of the worship of the early Church and Mass: “And they devoted themselves to (a) the apostles’ teaching and (b) fellowship, to the (c) breaking of bread and the (d) prayers (Acts 2:42).” This is a perennial description of the life of the Church. We see all these same elements in the Mass, respectively, in (a) the readings and homily, the (b) passing of the peace, (c) the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and (d) the Collect and the Eucharistic Prayer. St. Luke records the life of the early Church in such a way that we can recognize our continuity with them, because we are the same Body extended in time.

The Responsorial Psalm is the same as that for the Vigil. See my comments on the vigil below.

The Second Reading is 1 Cor 12:3-13:

Brothers and sisters:

No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.

As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

This passage raises several interesting points. St. Paul says, “No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.”

What does it mean to say “Jesus is Lord?” Remember that Jews like Paul did not pronounce the divine name (YHWH) but substituted adonai in Hebrew and kurios, “Lord,” in Greek. The fullest sense of proclaiming “Jesus is Lord” is to identify him with the God of Israel who revealed himself to Moses.

Further, Paul’s statement that “No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit,” reminds us that Pentecost, while a extraordinary event, is not the first bestowal of the Spirit on mankind. The Spirit has been active since Creation. Particularly, a careful reading of the infancy narratives of Luke 1-2, to mention just one example, shows how active the Spirit was even before the earthly ministry of Christ. St. Paul’s statement implies that the Spirit was already active upon certain individuals who confessed Jesus as Lord in the Gospel narratives (e.g. Matt 15:22, John 20:18,28). Pentecost is the coming of the Spirit as “power from on high” (cf. Luke 24:49), but by no means is it the debut of the Holy Spirit in salvation history!

St. Paul goes on in this reading to discuss different spiritual gifts, stressing that “to each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” How often that truth is ignored in parish life! We still tend to operate with a “passive” view of the Catholic laity, the view that the laity’s role is to show up to receive the sacraments while the work of the Church is carried out by clergy and religious. Yet the Scripture insists that gifts of the Spirit are given to each, for the purpose of building up the whole body. Yet the typical parish offers little or no guidance for the typical lay person to identify his or her giftedness, and develop it within parish life. Here is a program that offers some suggestions.

The other option for Year C in the Second Reading is Romans 8:8-17:

Brothers and sisters:

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you. Consequently, brothers and sisters, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption, through whom we cry, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

This Reading allows the homilist the opportunity to speak about what St. Paul truly taught about the path of salvation, in contrast to what Protestants have traditionally said about St. Paul.

As a Protestant pastor/evangelist, I used to visit homes and give “Gospel presentations” where I taught “salvation by faith alone” based on the “Roman Road,” a collection of verses from Romans arranged in such a way as to imply a sola fide path to heaven. But St. Paul does not teach salvation by faith alone! Nor does he teach that we “earn” our way to heaven!

St. Paul clearly denies that we can simply “believe in Jesus” and then be saved, no matter how we live. He says above, “If you live according to the flesh, you will die!” By this he means spiritual death! To continue to live in sin will result in eternal separation from God, even if you “believe in Jesus”!

Rather, the Christian life is a process of “putting to death the deeds of the body” (i.e. sin) “by the Spirit” so that we may “live.”

How is this not “works righteousness” or “earning our way to heaven”?

Because it is empowered by the Holy Spirit! St. Paul teaches that we receive the Holy Spirit from God through faith and baptism. Thereafter, the Spirit truly works in our lives, changing our thoughts, feelings, and actions, so that we truly follow God’s Law (summarized as love of God and love of neighbor) and become acceptable in his sight. There is no salvation apart from the transformation of our thoughts, feelings, and actions — who we are — by the Holy Spirit! There are no shortcuts or loopholes!

This transformation is not always pleasant, because it means the killing off of some of our desires, many of which are sinful and unhealthy. Moreover, as we grow in holiness, the world around us doesn’t always appreciate it, and often responds with hostility. Therefore we must “suffer with him, so that we may be glorified with him”! That final verse of this Reading also contradicts any notion of “salvation by faith alone” understood as easy-believism!

The Gospel Reading is John 20:19-23, which is John’s record of the initial bestowal of the Spirit on the Apostles:

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,and whose sins you retain are retained.””

Sometimes this is called the “Johannine Pentecost,” but it would be incorrect to pit these two events against one another, as if John was of the opinion that the Spirit was given at one time, and Luke of the opinion that it was dispensed at another. In the Christian life, there are certainly definitive giftings of the Spirit (for example, in Baptism and Confirmation, and even in every worthy reception of the Eucharist), but the Spirit comes to us continually, not just once.

In fact, Luke does record the same event we find detailed in today’s Gospel Reading, although the fact is frequently missed. In Luke 24:49 Jesus says, “Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you.” The Greek is present tense: Jesus is giving the Spirit as he speaks, which is the event recorded in John 20. The rest of Luke 24:49 says, “But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from high.” So Pentecost is not the first time the Apostles receive the Spirit. Rather, it is a special dispensation, it is a “clothing with power from on high.” We should understand it as an extraordinary empowerment with authority, gifts and charisms that they will need for their apostolic ministry. As the Second Reading emphasized, there are many gifts and forms of ministry inspired by the same Spirit.

Finally, the Gospel Reading emphasizes the coordination of the ministry of the Spirit with the Apostles. John makes the same point as Luke, a point we have remarked on in previous posts. Highlighted here is the essence of what we know as the Sacrament of Reconciliation: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, whose sins you retain are retained.” This emphasizes the purpose for which the Spirit is given: that our sins may be forgiven.

Calvin struggled with this verse and ended up arguing that the “forgiveness of sins” referred to the apostles’ preaching. Through preaching sins were forgiven or retained. One can see that interpretation is certainly not the obvious meaning of the text. Perhaps if the entire Church had always understood the verse that way, one could accept it as its meaning. But of course, the Church hasn’t understood it in Calvin’s sense. Like many other passages of Scripture, this was one in which Calvin could not actually live by the principle of “sola scriptura.” When talking with other Christians, Catholics should remember that it is most certainly not a question of “them” (Protestants) taking the Bible “literally,” and “us” taking the Bible “figuratively.” The differences between Catholics and other Christians revolve around which passages are to be taken one way or the other, literally or figuratively.

As a Protestant pastor I never even noticed John 20:23. Now, I love this verse as an assurance that those vested with the leadership of the Church have been granted by Jesus himself the authority to remit sins. I’m not left to battle with my own subjective judgments on my own behavior, which are invariably self-justifying and biased, but I can state reality before the man on whom hands have been laid, and objectively, tangibly hear the voice of the Spirit: “I absolve you …”

Just as in the first reading, the Gospel reading from John 20 emphasizes the connection of the Spirit with the Apostolic ministry, and by extension, the ministry of those in apostolic succession. There is not a “hierarchical” Church and a “charismatic” Church—there is one Church, and the Spirit moves through her officers. Of course, when her officers resist the Holy Spirit, or don’t manifest the “fruit,” it is a sore trial of faith for the rest of the body, but the answer then is prayer and fasting (Matt 17:21), not schism.

The alternative Gospel for Year C is John 14:15-26:

Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always.

“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Those who do not love me do not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.

“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”

In this passage, part of the Last Supper Discourse (John 13-17), Jesus stresses the connection between love and obedience.

Liberal Christianity loves to talk about the “love of God,” but rarely about obedience to his word. Love of God without obedience is a false love. It’s empty of any content. It means, “I have vague affection in my heart for God, whoever he or she is, however I imagine him-her-it to be, but I have no specific commitment to him.”

How do we tell when I person is “filled with the Spirit”? In some groups I have associated with, being “filled with the Spirit” was identified with raising hands in worship and speaking in tongues. Those are good things in themselves, but this passage from John points to a different sign of the Spirit: “keeping the word” of Jesus. Does a person’s life exemplify “keeping Jesus’ word”? If so, it is a good sign that the “Father and Son” have come to dwell with that person.

The last verses of this Gospel promise that gift of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit that will “teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” Some Christians take this verse as almost a promise of individual infallibility to every believer who will pray for guidance before reading the Bible. The Spirit does guide individual believers, for sure, but let’s remember that the addressees of this promise are, in fact, the Apostles assembled with Peter. We call this the “Apostolic college,” which is still with us, and takes visible shape when the successors of the Apostles gather with the successor of Peter (in a Synod or Council). So gathered, they represent the universal (in Greek, katholikos) Church. And it is to the universal (catholic) Church that Jesus gives this incredible promise that the Spirit will “teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” Thus, in the decisions of the Church’s councils as well as in the teachings of the saints through the ages, who have been recognized for holiness by the whole Church, we have rich testimony to the Spirit’s teaching through the ages. In fact, the Catechism is a great condensation of the Spirit’s voice to the Church, “teaching and reminding,” through history to our present day.

From: www.pamphletstoinspire.com

[dfroza]

even in the face of opposition

the message is to be shared, and conserved.

(A new covenant of grace)

and this is a grace that is only seen in the True illumination of the Son.

for indeed, Hebraic History is of deep significance since this is how our Creator has revealed Himself to us as our heavenly Father. and we are meant to conserve spiritual truth in this world, to guard the heart where the Spirit abides within our own.

Paul points to this in the writing of his Letter with Today’s reading of the Scriptures being chapter #2 of First Thessalonians:

My dear brothers and sisters, it’s obvious that our ministry among you has proven to be fruitful. And though we had already suffered greatly in Philippi, where we were shamefully mistreated, we were emboldened by faith in our God to fearlessly preach his wonderful gospel to you in spite of incredible opposition.

Our coming alongside you to encourage you was not out of some delusion, or impure motive, or an intention to mislead you, but we have been approved by God to be those who preach the gospel. So our motivation to preach is not pleasing people but pleasing God, who thoroughly examines our hearts. God is our witness that when we came to encourage you, we never once used cunning compliments as a pretext for greed, nor did we crave the praises of men, whether you or others. Even though we could have imposed upon you our demands as apostles of Christ, instead we showed you kindness and were gentle among you. We cared for you in the same way a nursing mother cares for her own children. With a mother’s love and affectionate attachment to you, we were very happy to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our lives—because you had become so dear to us.

Beloved brothers and sisters, surely you remember how hard we labored among you. We worked night and day so that we would not become a burden to you while we preached the wonderful gospel of God. With God as our witness you saw how we lived among you—in holiness, in godly relationships, and without fault. And you know how affectionately we treated each one of you, like a loving father cares for his own children. We comforted and encouraged you and challenged you to adopt a lifestyle worthy of God, who invites you into his kingdom and glory.

This is why we continually thank God for your lives, because you received our message wholeheartedly. You embraced it not as the fabrication of men but as the word of God. And the word continues to be an energizing force in you who believe.

My dear brothers and sisters, the same thing happened to you as happened to God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you received the same kind of mistreatment from your fellow countrymen as they did from theirs, the Jews who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and ran us out of town. They are offending God and hostile to everyone else by hindering us from speaking to the unbelievers so that they might be saved. By so doing they are constantly filling up to the brim the measure of their guilt, and punishment has come upon them at last!

Beloved friends, we may have been torn away from you physically for a season, but never in our hearts. For we have had intense longings and have endeavored to come and see in your faces the reflection of this great love. We miss you badly, and I personally wanted to come to you, trying again and again, but our adversary, Satan, blocked our way. For what will be our confident hope, our exhilarating joy, or our wonderful trophy that we will boast in before our Lord Jesus at his appearing? It is you! Yes, you are our glorious pride and joy!

The Letter of 1st Thessalonians, Chapter 2 (The Passion Translation)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 11th chapter of 2nd Kings where we read of a newly anointed young king, only 7 at the time:

[Athaliah of Judah]

Athaliah was the mother of Ahaziah. When she saw that her son was dead, she took over. She began by massacring the entire royal family. But Jehosheba, daughter of King Joram and sister of Ahaziah, took Ahaziah’s son Joash and kidnapped him from among the king’s sons slated for slaughter. She hid him and his nurse in a private room away from Athaliah. He didn’t get killed. He was there with her, hidden away for six years in The Temple of God. Athaliah, oblivious to his existence, ruled the country.

In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the captains of the bodyguards and the Palace Security Force. They met him in The Temple of God. He made a covenant with them, swore them to secrecy, and only then showed them the young prince.

Then he commanded them, “These are your instructions: Those of you who come on duty on the Sabbath and guard the palace, and those of you who go off duty on the Sabbath and guard The Temple of God, are to join forces at the time of the changing of the guard and form a ring around the young king, weapons at the ready. Kill anyone who tries to break through your ranks. Your job is to stay with the king at all times and places, coming and going.”

The captains obeyed the orders of Jehoiada the priest. Each took his men, those who came on duty on the Sabbath and those who went off duty on the Sabbath, and presented them to Jehoiada the priest. The priest armed the officers with spears and shields originally belonging to King David, stored in The Temple of God. Well-armed, the guards took up their assigned positions for protecting the king, from one end of The Temple to the other, surrounding both Altar and Temple.

Then the priest brought the prince into view, crowned him, handed him the scroll of God’s covenant, and made him king. As they anointed him, everyone applauded and shouted, “Long live the king!”

Athaliah heard the shouting of guards and people and came to the crowd gathered at The Temple of God. Astonished, she saw the king standing beside the throne, flanked by the captains and heralds, with everybody beside themselves with joy, trumpets blaring. Athaliah ripped her robes in dismay and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”

Jehoiada the priest ordered the military officers, “Drag her outside and kill anyone who tries to follow her!” (The priest had said, “Don’t kill her inside The Temple of God.”) So they dragged her out to the palace’s horse corral; there they killed her.

Jehoiada now made a covenant between God and the king and the people: They were God’s people. Another covenant was made between the king and the people.

The people poured into the temple of Baal and tore it down, smashing altar and images to smithereens. They killed Mattan the priest in front of the altar.

Jehoiada then stationed sentries in The Temple of God. He arranged for the officers of the bodyguard and the palace security, along with the people themselves, to escort the king down from The Temple of God through the Gate of the Guards and into the palace. There he sat on the royal throne. Everybody celebrated the event. And the city was safe and undisturbed—they had killed Athaliah with the royal sword.

Joash was seven years old when he became king.

The Book of 2nd Kings, Chapter 11 (The Message)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Wednesday, december 16 of 2020 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A post by John Parsons about Light:

Chanukah is important because it stands in decided opposition to the relentless propaganda of humanism and its ongoing attempt to deny the reality of the Divine Presence in our lives... It makes bold the statement that reality is not reducible to merely natural categories, and it repudiates the “Hellenistic” conceit that all religions are true, and it especially rejects the arrogant notion that the LORD God of Israel is just "one more member" of some globalist pantheon... Chanukah adamantly denies the politically correct dogma that despair is the universal condition of humanity and that darkness will finally extinguish the light. Like the gospel message, Chanukah scandalizes human rationalism and the solipsism that affirms that “man is the measure of all things.” “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world (νικᾷ τὸν κόσμον); and this is the victory that has overcome the world- our faith” (1 John 5:4).

Think counterculturally. It is written: Do not let your mind be conformed (lit., “squeezed into the mold”) of this world, but be transformed (μεταμορφόω, i.e., metamorphosized like a caterpillar is changed into a butterfly) by the renewal of your mind (Rom. 12:2). The Greek word translated “renewal” is ἀνακαίνωσις, from ἀνά, meaning “into the midst,” and καινός, meaning “newness.” The idea here is that we are inwardly transfigured as we take hold of the truth of the new covenant and make it central to our lives. For this we must “put on the mind of Messiah” and repudiate the world’s values and vain philosophy (1 Cor. 2:16). "When the devil is called the god of this world, it is not because he made it, but because people serve him with worldliness." The “god of this world” blinds the eyes of those who do not believe so they cannot see the truth of the gospel of Messiah (2 Cor. 4:4). The philosophy of this world is always based on lies, propaganda, fear, lust, pride, anger, appeals to vanity, and so on. We must be vigilant, friends, and use discernment by testing the world’s assumptions against the truth of the Scriptures. [Hebrew for Christians]

https://hebrew4christians.com/

12.16.20 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

December 16, 2020

Shielded by the Word

“I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love. Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.” (Psalm 119:113-114)

The Bible is replete with military imagery. We are told to “wrestle” against the “spiritual wickedness in high places” and to be sure that we put on “the whole armour of God” (Ephesians 6:12-13). As the good soldiers of the King, we are told to “endure hardness” (2 Timothy 2:3) and expected, as His army, to be about the “pulling down of strong holds” (2 Corinthians 10:4).

David was a warrior king, and many of his psalms contain battle terms used both literally and figuratively to show the way God protects and provides for us in spiritual warfare. The “hiding place” David often mentioned was a secret retreat that provided shelter from the enemy (Psalm 32:7). The “shield” can refer to the same sort of retreat but is most often used to describe a soldier’s defensive buckler. Faith is our shield in spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:16).

Thus, in this stanza (Psalm 119:113-120), the psalmist visualized God in the role of Protector and Captain. He looked to God for his life while being upheld “according unto thy word” (v. 116). Safety was no doubt prominent in his thoughts while affirming that he had continual respect for God’s statutes (v. 117).

The psalmist was also fearfully aware of God’s take-no-prisoners attitude toward those who are against Him (vv. 118-119). While our gracious Lord and King is patient toward all sinners, His ultimate plan is to “put down all rule and all authority and power” (1 Corinthians 15:24). Knowing this, the psalmist concluded: “My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments” (Psalm 119:120). Only a fool refuses to fear the Creator’s wrath. HMM III

A tweet by illumiNations about people working Together to translate and share the Scriptures

@IlluminationsBT: Continuing to thank God for Bible translation milestones reached in 2020, today we celebrate that the 10 CEOs of the illumiNations collective impact alliance met for their 100th monthly meeting since 2010! #thankfulthursday

12.10.20 • 5:21pm • Twitter

[godly-habits011497]

What about marriage? Is a civil wedding ceremony required by God?

×What is marriage?

*The Bible definition and description of marriage hasn’t changed in over 3500 years since Moses received revelation and commandment from God. But, mankind has changed many opinions, practices, and traditions about marriage during that time. Sometimes, it’s a good idea to go back to the Bible and see what it says.

*I used to think a signed civil marriage certificate was required for a marriage to be acceptable to God. I used to think anyone living in a “marriage relationship” without a signed civil marriage certificate was living in sin. And, in early 20th century heartland America, maybe that might have been kind of true in a way.

*But, then real life intruded on my naive thinking…

*I know a dear Hindu couple who met each other, fell in love, got engaged, and were married in San Jose. Since they were devout Hindus, they had both a California civil wedding and a traditional Hindu religious wedding. Then they flew to Germany, where they each had dual German/Indian citizenship, for a German civil wedding and a Hindu religious wedding in the Hindu community that had been their home before immigrating to the USA. Then they flew to their native India for a civil wedding ceremony and then they drove to her hometown for a Hindu religious wedding ceremony with her family and drove to his hometown for a Hindu religious wedding ceremony with his family. Seven weddings!

*I feel like the Sadducees, who tempted Jesus Christ with the question about the woman with seven husbands (Matthew 22; Mark 12; Luke 20), when I ask, “Which wedding made them married in God’s eyes?” I’m sure Jesus Christ would answer this question just like he answered their question.

•Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.

-Matthew 22:29

*Which wedding did Jesus describe as “joined together by God”?

•Some Pharisees came to test him. They asked, “Can a husband divorce his wife?” Jesus answered them, “What command did Moses give you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to give his wife a written notice to divorce her.” Jesus said to them, “He wrote this command for you because you’re heartless. But God made them male and female in the beginning, at creation. That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and will remain united with his wife, and the two will be one. So they are no longer two but one. Therefore, don’t let anyone separate what God has joined together.”

-Mark 10:2-9 GWT

*Which wedding did Isaac and Rebekah have?

•Isaac took her into his mother Sarah’s tent. He married Rebekah. She became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

-Genesis 24:67 GWT

*Which wedding was the Apostle Paul describing?

•So I don’t want you to have any concerns. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, [that is,] about how he can please the Lord. But the married man is concerned about earthly things, [that is,] about how he can please his wife. His attention is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the Lord’s things so that she may be holy in body and in spirit. But the married woman is concerned about earthly things, [that is,] about how she can please her husband.

-1 Corinthians 7:32-34 GWT

*Maybe the wedding that God accepts is the one that is used as an allegory for the relationship of the Lord Jesus Christ with his bride…

•Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. He did this to make the church holy by cleansing it, washing it using water along with spoken words. Then he could present it to himself as a glorious church, without any kind of stain or wrinkle-holy and without faults. So husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself. No one ever hated his own body. Instead, he feeds and takes care of it, as Christ takes care of the church. We are parts of his body. That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will be one. This is a great mystery. (I’m talking about Christ’s relationship to the church.) But every husband must love his wife as he loves himself, and wives should respect their husbands.

-Ephesians 5:25-33 GWT

*Christians have always answered to a higher authority on matters of morality, ethics, honesty, charity, and love than the laws of the land. Maybe this is true of marriage. Maybe Christian marriage answers to a higher authority than a civil marriage certificate.

•In the same way let your light shine in front of people. Then they will see the good that you do and praise your Father in heaven.

-Matthew 5:16

•Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

-1 Peter 2:11-12 NLT

*This kind of marriage requires a permanent commitment. It is not to be entered on a whim, it is not to be taken lightly, and it is not to be dissolved at will…

•So the LORD God caused him to fall into a deep sleep. While the man was sleeping, the LORD God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. Then the LORD God formed a woman from the rib that he had taken from the man. He brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She will be named [woman] because she was taken from man.” That is why a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, but they weren’t ashamed of it.

-Genesis 2:21-25 GWT

•Wives, in a similar way, place yourselves under your husbands’ authority. Some husbands may not obey God’s word. Their wives could win these men [for Christ] by the way they live without saying anything. Their husbands would see how pure and reverent their lives are. Wives must not let their beauty be something external. Beauty doesn’t come from hairstyles, gold jewelry, or clothes. Rather, beauty is something internal that can’t be destroyed. Beauty expresses itself in a gentle and quiet attitude which God considers precious. After all, this is how holy women who had confidence in God expressed their beauty in the past. They placed themselves under their husband’s authority as Sarah did. Sarah obeyed Abraham and spoke to him respectfully. You became Sarah’s daughters by not letting anything make you afraid to do good.

-1 Peter 3:1-6 GWT

•Husbands, in a similar way, live with your wives with understanding since they are weaker than you are. Honor your wives as those who share God’s life-giving kindness so that nothing will interfere with your prayers.

-1 Peter 3:7 GWT

•Don’t you realize, brothers and sisters, that laws have power over people only as long as they are alive? (I’m speaking to people who are familiar with Moses’ Teachings.) For example, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he is alive. But if her husband dies, that marriage law is no longer in effect for her. So if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she will be called an adulterer. But if her husband dies, she is free from this law, so she is not committing adultery if she marries another man.

-Romans 7:1-3 GWT

•Marriage is honorable in every way, so husbands and wives should be faithful to each other. God will judge those who commit sexual sins, especially those who commit adultery.

-Hebrews 13:4 GWT

*Disobeying God by trifling with the marriage relationship is serious…

•Someone may say, “I’m allowed to do anything,” but not everything is helpful. I’m allowed to do anything, but I won’t allow anything to gain control over my life. Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food, but God will put an end to both of them. However, the body is not for sexual sin but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. God raised the Lord, and by his power God will also raise us. Don’t you realize that your bodies are parts of Christ’s body? Should I take the parts of Christ’s body and make them parts of a prostitute’s body? That’s unthinkable! Don’t you realize that the person who unites himself with a prostitute becomes one body with her? God says, “The two will be one.” However, the person who unites himself with the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

-1 Corinthians 6:12-17 GWT

•Stay away from sexual sins. Other sins that people commit don’t affect their bodies the same way sexual sins do. People who sin sexually sin against their own bodies. Don’t you know that your body is a temple that belongs to the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit, whom you received from God, lives in you. You don’t belong to yourselves. You were bought for a price. So bring glory to God in the way you use your body.

-1 Corinthians 6:18-20 GWT

•There are many believers, especially converts from Judaism, who are rebellious. They speak nonsense and deceive people. They must be silenced because they are ruining whole families by teaching what they shouldn’t teach. This is the shameful way they make money. Even one of their own prophets said, “Cretans are always liars, savage animals, and lazy gluttons.” That statement is true. For this reason, sharply correct believers so that they continue to have faith that is alive and well. They shouldn’t pay attention to Jewish myths or commands given by people who are always rejecting the truth. Everything is clean to those who are clean. But nothing is clean to corrupt unbelievers. Indeed, their minds and their consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but they deny him by what they do. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit to do anything good.

-Titus 1:10-16 GWT

•If anyone doesn’t take care of his own relatives, especially his immediate family, he has denied the Christian faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

-1 Timothy 5:8 GWT

[revjasielhern-blog]

“Contrasting Expectations” Palm Sunday 2019

Scripture Text: Luke 19:28-40

[this is a transition from the skit. It continues to narrate the events of Palm Sunday from the perspective of one of the disciples] 

I can see the last tiny bit of light coming from the west reflecting on each other faces as we gather outside the house where we will be having supper. I take a deep breath and realize how the serenity of night has finally arrived. Then, I say to myself - how the huge crowd that came to Jerusalem today to celebrate the great passover for the next couple of days have finally gone inside where they are staying tonight, so there’s seems to be this weird feeling of emptiness roaming on the streets. Maybe it’s just me... Or maybe it’s the fact that we were surrounded by many people since this morning; we went to the temple where it was so loud and where we had a big argument; and throughout the day people kept coming to us to ask for things and we had to constantly say no... As I sit down on the floor in the upper room of the house to have a meal, I take a look around and realize the irony of this moment. The contrast between being among many strangers, experiencing loud noises, and walking pushing and pulling to being sitting among friends, experiencing some peacefulness, and simply sitting having bread and wine make this day quite ironical indeed... 

In art and photography, contrast is considered by many to be the golden rule for creation. Contrast is the juxtaposition of difference; it is used to intensify the properties within the work so that a rhythm or focus may come into existence. This technique is employed to catch your eye and move your attention to what the artist really wants you to see. 

Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most famous painters who employed this technique. Most of his art combines various colors that compliment each other, but the focal point was usually created with colors that contrasted the rest of the work. In the painting “The Starry Night”, what is the thing that you remember the most? Aren’t the bright yellow stars and generous moon that reside within the wavy architecture of the sky? 

That bright yellow contrasts the dark black and opaque blue that overwhelm the overall painting. That bright yellow is the focal point of such master-piece. 

It is only through contrast that we are able to see the things that would otherwise be invisible to our eyes. 

But contrast can be employed beyond art and photography. We also encounter this technique in writing. And the apostle Luke knows very well how to use it. At the beginning of Luke’s passion narrative, we read of a triumphal entrance into the city of Jerusalem that resembles a story that took place on a “starry night” 33 years before. What makes this triumphal entry similar to the night in which Jesus was born is how each story is a contrast of the other. 

Instead of shepherds taking care of their sheep, we read of a colt taking care of its master - helping him walk among the crowd in the busy streets of Jerusalem. Instead of a multitude of angels praising God in the skies, we read of a multitude of disciples praising God joyfully as they walk next to Jesus. Instead of proclaiming; “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among all people”, read of a crowd proclaiming: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven!”. Instead of joyful shepherds running through the fields spreading such good news, we read of angry pharisees trying to silent the hosannas of the crowd. 

The apostle Luke knows very well how to implement this technique of contrast in his writing. Both narratives powerfully contrast each other. And the parts that offer such contrast point our attention to one thing in particular: in this passion narrative it is people on earth who joyfully participate in such triumphal event. It is not heaven. Heaven does not celebrate this triumphal entrance. 

The heavens have nothing to celebrate for... 

This is what Luke wants you to concentrate your attention on: The whole celestial kingdom remains quiet as Jesus enters Jerusalem. The heavens know what is about to take place - a suffering that is beyond our imagination. The heavens know that Jesus is about to be betrayed, not only by one, but by all of his disciples. The heavens know that the same crowd who is now proclaiming “Hosanna; save us; glory to God” is the 

same crowd that a few days later will be ferociously yelling “we want Barabbas instead; crucify him”. 

How can the heavens celebrate such contrasting moment? How can the heavens reconcile these “hosannas” with “crucify him”? 

But, the truth is, we are part of that crowd. We are part of those who proclaim: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven!” And yet, we are also part of the crowd that deny the fact that we know Jesus. We ignore and reject any form of relationship with our Savior. We become part of the crowd that yells: “crucify him”. 

Dr. Amy-Jill Levine writes in her book Entering the Passion of Jesus, that we are indeed part of that crowd: we want political reform; we want a meek king; we want compassion rather than conquest; we want to welcome everyone in our churches; we want a balanced budget, affordable health care, clean water, peaceful streets and borders, good jobs and debt-free education, lower taxes and equal opportunities for all people... 

We want all those things. We ask God for all those things. We lift our palm branches and lay down our coats as a symbol of surrender to God and God’s power. 

Yet, we continue to choose war over peace. We continue to act unwelcoming towards those who look and talk different from us. We continue to raise prices on medications and hospital fees. We continue to pollute our rivers and seas. We continue to act with hatred and take action with our own hands. We continue to embrace richness and power. We continue to raise college fees and not pay teachers enough. 

We want a political reform. We want change. We want a better life. We want God to lead us and transform us. But our actions say otherwise. We want one thing, but we do the complete opposite. 

This tension between such contrasting expectations is not completely our fault. The space between the change that we want and the actions that we take is long and extensive. It is in this space and because of time that we become weary, tired, and 

indifferent. Look at young kids or tennegers. They tend to have high expectations about how they are going to change the world. They want to fix issues in various creative ways. They have joy and a drive. 

But as they grow older, they realize how difficult it is to actually generate change. They become adults and abandon such hopes and expectations. Instead, they focus on personal finances, health, educations, food, on and on... 

We forsake our joyful Hosannas not because we are evil, but because we become weary and afraid. 

How can we remain faithful to these hopes and expectations that we lift to God? 

That is what the apostle Luke is pointing our attention to: How can we remain faithful to the hosannas we once proclaimed even if the crowd now says “crucify him”? 

Remaining faithful to our calling as Christians becomes difficult when the world turns its back on the promises that God once gave to us. But we cannot forget such promises - of peace, equality, joy, health, comfortable living, and hope. 

As we welcome Jesus this morning into Jerusalem and into our hearts, let us hold on to the hopes that we have in Jesus Christ and let us above all things remain faithful to the one who is willing to enter a city to face death for our sake. 

Amen. 

[myupdatesystems-blog]

The Abiding Life

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The Abiding Life

Knowing that Jesus did everything for us, as our representative is imperative to our daily Christian walk. This revelation gives us the confidence to rest and abide in Him which makes it possible for the fullness of His divine life to be manifested in us through the Holy Spirit.

It is impossible to live a fruitful Christian life as God has meant it to be without receiving the revelation of this truth. Although every born-again believer is in Christ, he/she may or may not abide in Him. The word “abide” means to “remain, dwell, to stay connected,” and “to be present to.” To abide in Christ is to be one with Him by faith. It is the conscious realization that we are joined in union with Christ, and that all of our life is from Him and because of Him through the Holy Spirit. The essence of this abiding life in Christ is that we live in

Him by faith, and Christ lives in us.

Therefore just as a branch comes from the vine and lives by the vine’s life, we too were brought into being by God through Christ to live in constant union with Him in the dynamics of His divine life. God’s word tells us in Ephesians that “…. we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God has ordained that we walk therein.”(2:10)

When we are abiding in Christ we share all that He is – His life, strength, and ability, and through Him we bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We were created as branches to share in the life of Christ the true vine, and thus manifest the fruit of His divine life. This is the key to a fruitful Christian life – that is to abide in Christ realizing that our lives are lived in union with God who created us (the new creation) in Christ. Our failure to abide in Christ hinders us from experiencing the abundant life of God as He intended for us, and thus leaving us in a constant state of frustration and struggle to live the Christian life.

To echo the words of Jesus, “apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.”

The word “nothing” simply means “not anything,” therefore we can say that everything that we are as Christians, as well as all that we can do is through this vital union that we have with Christ. Philippians 4:13 tells us that, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (NKJV). The Amplified Bible translates this verse this way; “I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].” This means that we should not focus on, or limit certain activities and events in our lives as bearing fruit. The correct position is to realize that all of the Christian life is the fruit of the abiding life in Christ.

All Christians are born of the Spirit – born of God, and made partakers of His divine nature. Therefore we are His children, not just in name, but in truth by virtue of the new birth. God’s word tells us that we were “born again not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible by the word of God,” and thus made partakers of His divine nature. Just as a branch is begotten of the vine for the sole purpose of sharing and expressing its life and nature, we too were born of God to share in His divine life and express His love nature.

It is important that we understand the mystery of this relationship between the branch and the vine as being the same as our relationship with Christ, otherwise we will labor under the false notion that we are sufficient within ourselves – having life of our own (to produce fruit). When in reality, who we are in life and in expression is Christ living in us. For just as a branch abides in the vine and expresses the vine’s life, we abide in Christ, and thus the Holy Spirit expresses Christ in every part of our lives and activities. It is for this reason the apostle Paul could say; “for me to live is Christ.”

Before we were born-again we lived in the condition of death, thus having received our nature from Satan, through which he expressed and fulfilled his desires in us. The idea of us being free moral agents with the right to choose has been so ingrained into our minds that we take it for granted that it was through God sending His son that we have the privilege to choose the god that we will serve. We sometimes forget that we were born helpless slaves of Satan – “born in sin and shaped in iniquity.” Because of this presumption, we often think little of the fact that it was through Jesus’ incarnation, that God gave mankind the right to choose to be free from Satan’s dominion and to become His children.

God created man in the position of innocence and placed him in the Garden. It was there that man was deceived by the devil to disobey God’s command thus resulting in the fall of all mankind. For many years I had put a lot of emphasis on the fact that man disobeyed God’s commandment while over looking a very important point. The point was that the garden was the place of choice for man to choose to be what/who God created him to be.

Let me explain this more clearly. There is the fallacy that man (kind) was meant to be independent – to be free, to be in charge of his/her life, but that is not the case. An important thing to remember is that God is Love, and Love never imposes Himself on others. Therefore God placed mankind in the garden with the privilege to choose (by obeying) to receive His life (thereby He – God being everything to them), and thus they becoming the dependent beings that He intended them to be. God’s desire for man (kind) was that they eat of the tree of Life, which in essence was to receive the life of God, and in doing so, God would live and express His love nature and character in and through them.

Adam and Eve could freely eat of every tree in the garden except one, and that was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Man stood as it were, neutral – in the state of innocence as an empty vessel at the fountain of choice with the need to be filled with the drink that would be his life, and thus determine his destiny. To obey God meant that man was choosing to receive of His (God’s) life and to be dependent on Him, and thus becoming who he was created to be -a vessel of righteousness – a dependent child of God. On the other hand for man to disobey God was to declare his independence from God under the illusion of becoming as God, which in essence meant to be self-sufficient.

The problem with the latter half of this scenario was that it was a “deception.” In fact God’s word calls it in Romans chapter one, “the lie,” and the real truth is that man was never created to be an independent creature; that is to say to be self-sufficient within himself. Man (kind) was created to be filled with the life and nature of God – to share God’s (love) life, and thus to be an expression of His life and character through the Holy Spirit. Instead of trusting God, man chose to believe the lie rather than the truth, and was filled with the life and nature of Satan.

The tragedy of the deception in Adam and Eve declaring their independence from God in the garden was that we all (mankind) became the slaves of Satan who himself forever lives under the same illusion and is the father (source) of it. As a result of their sin, all of mankind came under the dominion of Satan, and thus we expressed his life and character in our humanity. God’s word tells us: “[But] he who commits sin [who practices evildoing] is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one], for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done]” (I John 3:8 AMP).

This verse is not only speaking of the people who commit all sorts of vile and wicked crimes, but all the children of fallen man. Jesus said in John 8; “You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false” (St. John 8:44 AMP).

The truth is that humans were never in charge of their lives, never are in charge of their lives, and never will be in charge of their lives. Just as Jesus compared our relationship with Himself to that of a branch and a vine because we are one with Him, we must also recognize that we shared the same relationship with Satan because we were one with him. Branches are dependent parts of the vine through which the vine expresses its life.

Jesus said that we are branches, and branches have no life or nature of their own. All that the branch is and bears (good or bad) is because of the vine it abides in. Jesus said; “I am the true Vine,” this lets us know that there is also a false vine. The vine, which we abide in, determines the fruit, which we bear. Jesus also said that; “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:16-20 KJV).

So we can see that the fruit (good or bad), is not determined by the branches, but rather by the tree in which the branches abide. Since Jesus said that we are His (the true vine) branches, then all the good (fruit) that is manifested in us is really from Jesus in whom we abide. This point brings us to two particular trees in the Garden of Eden; there was the tree of Life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Many Christians callously neglect the importance of the fact that the tree that Adam and Eve ate of was of the knowledge good as well as evil, and in doing so place themselves at a great disadvantage, and thus Satan takes the opportunity to his advantage. So we must always remember that as long as a person is separated from God (unsaved), he/she is a branch of Satan (the false vine) regardless of how much “good” they do, their righteousness in the sight of God is as filthy rags.

God is so gracious; He can see through the smoke screens of our empty lives and know just what we need. Many well meaning Christians think that they can get things from God based on what they for Him. They have no idea that no amount of work, good intentions, or money could earn one iota of grace from God. Every aspect of God in His dealing with us from the beginning to the end is according to His loving grace, which in essence means that He does everything.

In Ephesians 2:8-9 we read, “For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law’s demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself] (Amplified).

You may ask, “what about witnessing for the Lord? What about working for God? What about praising and worshipping God?” My friend, we cannot do anything for God apart from His grace at work within us. For you see, the source of all our frustrations is that we think that we can. So many Christians like this man think that they are sufficient within themselves to do what is necessary to live, to find true happiness, and/or to please God.

They unknowingly see themselves, as having life of their own, which in essence is as ridiculous as a branch having life without the vine. Just as Jesus told the young man to give to the poor and to follow Him – the source of all true riches, He is saying to you and I “Abide in me – for I am your life.” For all that we do in life is simply the fruit and the out-working of the Holy Spirit within us.

God is glorified when we bear fruit, but in order for us to be fruitful, we must continually remain united to Christ (the true vine) in whom we live. Just as the branch was brought out of the vine with the sole purpose of abiding in the vine and to express its life and nature, we too were brought forth from Christ the true vine to receive His life and to express His life and nature. We are one with Christ as the branch is one with the vine. That is the essence of Christianity – to live in union with Christ. We are His bride, flesh of His flesh, and bone of His bone – His body.

It is important to understand that the branch has no life of its own – it never had any, and never will. It was created to be the dependent fruit bearing part of the vine. So there is no such thing as an independent branch that lives and bears fruit. This same thing is true concerning Christ and us.

The greatest problem in the church is that we have not understood this great truth in St. John 15. There are countless numbers of sincere believers who are living defeated lives because they have not seen themselves as abiding branches living in, and from Christ the true vine. They have failed to realize that the Christian life is living in union with Christ, and that He is the source and the sustainer of all that consists of life. It is only when we are abiding in the vine’s (Christ) abundant life that we (branches) are able through the Holy Spirit to express His life and character in every moment, and in every aspect of life.

This is not imitating or doing what Jesus would do (as some have supposed). However seemingly good and convincing the idea of doing what Jesus would do may appear, it is only an exercise in human effort, which in essence is an illusion of us being self-sufficient which ultimately leads to frustration and burn-out.

Suppose a branch from a grapevine could hang a bunch of grapes around itself and call the process bearing the fruit of the vine. Of course you would say that is ridiculous because the branch has no life of its own, and besides there is no way that it could bear grapes except it abide in the vine. Likewise, it is just as ridiculous for Christians to imitate Christ and call it Christian living.

The problem here is that the adversary still deceives many believers into thinking that they are independent, self-managed persons, instead of realizing that they live because of Christ (from Him) and not just for Him. We must therefore keep in mind that Jesus said; “apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.”

Therefore when we read John 15, we must not make the mistake of taking this illustration of the relationship of the vine and the branches representing Christ and the church lightly. This is how the Christian’s life is made a glorious possibility. There is no other way that we can be fruitful except by abiding in Jesus’ life. So just as the branch abiding in the vine bears the fruit of the vine (not produce fruit), as we abide in Christ we live and bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Just as the branch can not live and bear fruit apart from abiding in the vine because it has no life of its own, neither can we live and bear fruit except we abide in Christ because we have no life of our own.

Jesus said, “If you abide in me you shall bring forth much fruit.” What is the fruit of the abiding Christian life? The answer is simple; “it is the life of Christ being manifested in our humanity.” So let us look closer at the believer’s life in Christ as it is portrayed in relationship to the vine and its branches. When a branch abides in the vine, it receives life-giving sap and nourishment from it, which not only gives life to the branch, but also reproduces the vine’s life in the form of fruit.

Since the branch has no life of its own, it can produce nothing. So we can safely say that everything that comes from the abiding branch is the fruit of the vine. The same thing is true with us (Christians). We have no life of our own, and therefore we can produce nothing. The Christian is simply receiving the life of Christ which gives us life, and thus His life working in us by the Holy Spirit in every aspect of our lives, is the fruit. The focus of the Christian life should not be on bearing fruit, but on Christ. The reason for this is that the fruit is the result of being in union with Him.

In the movie “The Field of Dreams,” the often-quoted phrase was “if you build it they will come.” It will do us all good to remember this phrase as well, “if you abide the fruit will come.” So in essence the real issue for the believer is not the fruit bearing, but whether or not we abide in Christ. Can you imaging a branch fussing and striving to bear fruit? Imagine it saying to the vine, “I want to please you.” Or listen to the branch as it bargains with the vine, “if you give me fruit I will live for you.”

Now hear the response of the vine to the branch; “Oh weak and weary beloved of mine, don’t make me any promises for you are not able to fulfill them. You are part of me – one with me, and it is according to my will and good pleasure that you are. Your life is my life, and it is my responsibility to provide all that you will ever need. Now stop worrying and fretting, and always remember that you are one with me. Remain connected to me so that you can live from me and continually receive of my life and strength. If you do that, then my life will be manifested in you and through you – that is what pleases me.”

This is God’s response to every tired, worn-out and weary Christian. I have often heard the frustration of many sincere believers who are trying to please God, and I also know the agony and despair of having the will to please God, but not being able to perform it. Just as Paul realized that the solution to his dilemma (see Romans 7) was not in his limited self, but in the unlimited love of Christ who dwelt within him who is the life and ability – the all and in all, so every believer must receive the same revelation.

Now to plainly answer the million-dollar question, “How do I abide in Christ?” Before I answer that question, let me first say that the abiding life does not depend upon anything that we can do. No amount of fasting and praying, confessing the scriptures, giving money, or studying the word will cause us to abide in Christ. In other words, “this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” The abiding life in essence is Christians living in vital union with Christ, and thus through the Holy Spirit God effectively works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. That is what makes it so simple.

First the Holy Spirit gives us revelation concerning our union with Christ. Upon our recognizing and accepting what God has revealed, the Holy Spirit Himself undertakes to make this abiding life a glorious experience in us. In this same manner every born-again believer is saved. To sum this up, when God gives revelation, recognition and acceptance follow.

It was for this reason that Paul prayed in Ephesians chapter 1; [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe…” (Ephesians 1:17-19A AMP).

Paul knew that after God had given the church at Ephesus revelation, that they would recognize (know and understand) the reality of what Christ had done for them. Then all that was left for them to do was accept it for God to work His grace in them.

Listen to the comforting words of Jesus; “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good-not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne” (Matthews 11:28-30 AMP).

God never intended for us to struggle to live the Christian life. This of course does not mean that our lives will be free of trouble, but quite the contrary. Jesus said; “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] (John 16:33 AMP). God has made us one with Christ, so since Jesus has overcome, we have overcome in Him.

Therefore in every temptation that we face in life, we don’t have to struggle in trying to overcome them because Jesus has overcome the whole world for us, which includes everything that could cause us to be defeated. The marvel of all of this is that He did it for us, and now He lives victorious in us. As the Holy Spirit open our eyes to see this truth, all that is necessary is that we accept it by faith, and He (God) makes it a reality in our experience.

These scriptures in Matthew and John are in essence pointing us to their fulfillment in our union Christ Jesus. Unless we have recognized our oneness with Christ, scriptures like these will have no reality to us, and thus we will continue struggling to live the Christian life. To abide in Christ means to be one with Him in vital union recognizing that Christ is our all, and in Him we live, move and have our being. Therefore in living from His life we experience rest, because He is bearing life’s burdens. On life’s journey trials and tribulations may come, but we stand courageous, confident and certain in the face of them because He (Jesus) has overcome them all for us, and He lives in us now.

Only through the Holy Spirit can we know the reality of our oneness with Christ, and it is through abiding in Him that we are able to bear fruit. For just as the grapes are the glory of the vine (not the branch), the fruit of the abiding Christian life is the glory of the Father (husbandman-farmer) who planted the true vine (Christ). God joined us (the branches) to Christ to receive of His life and through the Holy Spirit to bear fruit unto God (for he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit). Even though God is in every believer, He is glorified in us to the degree that we are receptive to Him.

To be in vital union with Jesus means to be united with Him in all that He is – His love, strength, joy, and peace etc.. This means that all that he gives us is not independent of or apart from Himself. To have Jesus living in us is to have His will, and desires living in us. It is when we know this that we can ask anything of the Father in prayer with the confidence that He hears and answers us because we are asking according to His word that is abiding in us. Because we are united to Christ, His desires are the desires of our hearts, therefore our asking what we will, in reality is asking that His will be done.

It is worth noting that unless the branch is one with the vine it is not a true branch. By this I mean that unless it abides in the vine, expressing its (the vine’s) life it is not fulfilling the purpose for which it was created. The same is true in regard to Christians, we can not be true branches (Christians) unless we are abiding in and expressing the life of the true vine (Christ). Our one-ness with Christ is not something that is meant only to be read about in the bible, and discussed in our Sunday school classes, but it is such a reality that Jesus said, “apart from [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.”

So how do I abide in Christ? Dear Christian it is so simple because “to abide means to remain,” and the moment that you were born again, the Holy Spirit placed us into Christ. So since you are in Christ, therefore remain there – “know that you are there.” I Corinthians 6:17 tells us that; “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” This means that we don’t have to try to get into, and stay in Christ, God has made us one with Him the moment we accepted Him into our hearts. We are one with Him, “praise God!” I need only to recognize and accept it because it is so to the glory of God.