#signs of life from matthews is the most important observation actually

[eyes-above--the-waves]

Love that Aus and Willy heard I was missing Mitch and said, "Don't worry girl, we gotchu."

[dailyaudiobible]

02/17/2021 DAB Transcript

Leviticus 4:1-5:19, Mark 2:13-3:6, Psalms 36:1-12, Proverbs 10:1-2

Today is the 17th day of February welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s great to be here with you, hump day, as we move to the center of one of the 52 weeks that we have. I guess there’s 52 hump days, 52 centers of every week and here we are at another one crossing through the middle, heading into the back half. It's wonderful to be able to share some time together around this Global Campfire to just step in, step in and out of all the other stuff that's going on, and just take our place, relax, exhale, allow God's word to speak into our lives. And, so, let's continue the journey. We began the book of Leviticus yesterday. We will continue that journey today. Leviticus 4 and 5 and we’re reading from the Common English Bible this week.

Commentary:

Okay. Well…I got a great idea. Let's talk…let's talk about something we like to talk about. Let's talk about sin. Let's talk about sin, our probably favorite, one of our top favorite subjects to talk about, right? Sin. It’s like a confusing word. We know when we've done but it but it's unclear like exactly what the parameters are. So, let's begin by just trying to come to some sort of maybe common understanding about what we’re even talking about because there’s plenty of definitions for sin and…but…but it seems like from a biblical perspective sin is basically doing what we know we’re not supposed to do before God. And maybe even a better way of understanding that is simply asking ourselves, “could I have done that in the name of Jesus? Like, could I have done that representing the king and the kingdom?” And that makes it stark enough for us to go, “okay, now I know what we’re talkn’ about. Now I have some handholds here to understand what we’re talking about.” God has an order to things. We see it in the Scriptures, but we see it in the natural rhythms of life itself. And this perfect order, like if we were to say, “the way things were supposed to be” or “the way things that…the way things are supposed to be”, like perfectly in order according to the Lord's will, then that would be called shalom. So, in effect. Sin is willingly interrupting shalom, whether in our own lives or whether in the lives of others, but sin is destructive, it leads to destruction because it separates us from God. And, so, if we want to perpetually live separated from God, then we are talking about the worst possible scenario that could ever happen. So, it actually is a big deal, it will kill us and separate us from God. So, kind of like a very, very toxic poison. If you have children you probably…like if they’re young children, like toddlers, you probably don't let them play under the kitchen sink, right? Probably because there's some toxic poison under there of some sort that is to be used for different purposes besides ingesting. And, so, we would want to impress upon our toddler that that's off limits, that opening those cabinets is not allowed and if they persist we might even spank their hands, or we might even put them in a timeout, like we might punish them in some way so that they get clear because if they get into that cabinet and we don't catch it, and they drink that poison it's gonna destroy them. So, hopefully we’re kind of on the same page here. This is largely what we’re talking about in the book of Leviticus today. It just comes in the form of sacrifice, and we just have no way really to relate to animal sacrifice in most of the cultures that we live in. And, so, we come to this point in the Bible, this kind of notorious point in the Bible we’re you’re like, “what is going on here? I don’ relate any of this. What does this have to do with my life? This is so boring. This is like laws and rules and customs that nobody lives by anymore. What's the big deal here?” And, so, this is where a lot of checking out happens and so we miss what's actually going on, a discussion about the results of sin. And as God is weaving this into the culture it's tedious, it's a tedious thing. So, we can just glaze over, yawn, and go, “I don't…we don't have to sacrifice animals. Thank God. Jesus is the last sacrifice” and just brush the whole thing off not understanding that there’s something really really deep going on here. Imagine that you did discover that you were…you were sinning whether unintentionally or whether you absolutely in rebellion did something that you knew you were not supposed to do and that you definitely could not do in the name of God. If…I…I mean I was gonna use like our…our…our pets as an example because that would be the closest example, we can get to to bring context, but let's just skip that. Let’s just say we had goats or we had sheep or whatever and we fed them every day and we talked to them every day and we brushed them and we knew them and they were kind of part of the fabric of our family culture and they were…they were part of the story, like we got milk for our children or we made cheese whatever…whatever…whatever. Imagine that you have to go select one and that you…you have to select the perfect one, like your favorite one, like the best one, the most perfect thing of them all, and you have to take that and you have to put your hand on it before the priest, you have to put your hand on its head, and you gotta take a big blade and you have to slice its throat, right? And you have to bleed the blood out and the life leaves them and then…then it's brought before the altar. Like if you had to do that it would be a stark reminder that sin is costing something. It's costing something beautiful and perfect. It's costing because it's…because it's destroying. And, so, this animal serves as a stand in for what is deserved. So, I don't know how to make this more clear other than like that would be hard to do right? Sin is the blade at your own throat. We’re not beginning to read the story of the bloodthirsty, angry, vengeful God. We’re reading the story of a God who wants us to starkly, clearly understand what will destroy us and separate us from Him, which is the last thing that either one of us wants. It's a deterrent. It's a…it's like a road closed sign - don't go down this path that leads to destruction. And let's remember, nobody had to sacrifice anything if there wasn't sin. And let's remember that that is the work of Christ. And we can think about animal sacrifices as barbaric, but didn’t we just read the crucifixion a couple days ago in the book of Matthew for the first time this year? How much more barbaric can we get? And what we are observing is the last sacrifice for sin once and for all. So, as we continue this journey let's…let’s do…let’s stay rooted to the story. Like, I know we’re reading the law in the book of Leviticus and I know that the law is like I said, it’s not riveting reading, but it is not purposeless reading either. So, let's stay rooted to where the journey is taking us and where God is leading us.

And I use that as a dovetail. Can we talk about something else for a quick minute? I know we’ve been talking already for a few minutes but today…today is a very important day that ties in with all of this, a very important day on the Christian calendar. Today is known as Ash Wednesday and this inaugurates a season known as Lent, a season that leads us right up to the day before Easter, 40 days from now. And most years I point this out and I say generally the same story, which is I didn't grow up knowing anything other than the name Lent. And Ash Wednesday, I mean, I grew up seeing people with black smudges on their foreheads, occasionally moving around a city or a store or whatever, but not really even understanding what the point was. Maybe you have that smudge on your forehead today because you’ve gone to an Ash Wednesday service somewhere or maybe you're familiar with the fact that this day inaugurates a season of repentance and lamentation of considering deeply what sin cost and where it leads. Everything that we just talked about. Jesus becoming that final sacrifice, that it cost the life of the precious beloved Savior is something that we should contemplate and meditate upon because it's our sin. So, for centuries and centuries and centuries brothers and sisters all over the world have entered into this time of lamentation of fasting of repentance. And we may…you know…if we’ve never observed Lent or ever even understood really what the…what's going on, then we may consider…well…it's when you fast something, right? You decide you’re…you’re not gonna eat chocolate. That was like the most popular thing that…that I had I ever heard…like I’m not gonna eat a candy bar, I’m not gonna eat sugar for Lent. Or fasting social media for Lent. Or I'm going to fast certain foods for Lent or certain behaviors for Lent. That's great, that's fine, it's important even. When we fast something that we crave then every time we crave what we are fasting it is an inherent reminder of why we are fasting, and we can press in to that. But I have to tell you, it's maybe even less about fasting candy bars and more about understanding that this is a season in the year that is leading us to resurrection day. And resurrection day represents all things being made new within us again, that the resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead, restored us to God, but sin separates us from God. And, so, really, to embrace Lent is to put everything on the table, not just candy bars. It’s to put everything on the table with open hands and say, “God I embrace this season that is leading me to all things being made new, but a season that reminds me that sin leads to death. And, so, I'm opening my hands and I'm loosening control over my life and saying what is here that is separating me from you? Identify that and show me how to walk away from it. Even things that I think, or thought were good habits and behaviors. Like Anything that is distracting me in some sort of way. I'm…I'm allowing you to take out of my life whatever needs to take…be taken and I'm allowing you to put into my life what needs to be there. And I'm allowing you to rearrange the things that are in my life so that they are aligned with the way that you would have me go in this next season of life.” So, this is a season to slow some things down and not be so frantic, to give some space to contemplation, some space to consideration, quiet consideration about what it took to give us the freedoms that we take for granted and still understanding that sin only leads one place and that is death. So, that's a little about Lent. Maybe you've never observed Lent in any way before, it was a little weird or whatever. Maybe it's not so weird. Maybe that the trajectory that the Christian calendar gives us, to contemplate the…the important parts of our lives helps us after the same fashion that the law that we’re reading the book of Leviticus, where everything that these people do reminds them of something deeper. Lent actually does this. And, so, maybe something to consider as we move through the next weeks toward new life toward resurrection through the end of the winter and moving into the springtime here in the northern hemisphere. Lent let's us sit with where we are and hope for where were going.

Prayer:

Jesus, we thank You. We thank You in advance, we thank You continually for Your sacrifice, for Your love that is so profound that it is really impossible to articulate. We’ve been trying to find the right words for thousands of years and we've said many many beautiful things, but it's still beyond us, Your beautiful life sacrificed in exchange for our rebellion. And as we enter into this season, we want to sit with it. We…we ask Your Holy Spirit to make it stark and clear to us what's happening when we when…when we participate in sin, because when we participate in sin against our brothers and sisters, against You, we are perpetuating darkness, we are bringing the darkness and allowing it to have its way with us. Your sacrifice informs us that that is not how it has to be. So, come Holy Spirit. Show us where we are. Show us what's going on inside. Show us the things that are drawing us away from You and toward destruction. Help us to own these things instead of blaming somebody else or some other set of circumstances. Help us to own our lives, own our sin and repent because we know that we are ashes to ashes and dust to dust. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Song:

Worlds Apart - Jars of Clay

I am the only one to blame for this Somehow it all ends up the same Soaring on the wings of selfish pride I flew too high and like Icarus I collide With a world I try so hard to leave behind To rid myself of all but love, to give and die To turn away and not become Another nail to pierce the skin of One who loves More deeply than the oceans More abundant than the tears Of a world embracing every heartache Can I be the one to sacrifice Or grip the spear and watch the blood and water flow To love you - Take my world apart To need you - I am on my knees To love you - Take my world apart To need you - Broken on my knees All said and done I stand alone Amongst remains of a life I should not own It takes all I am to believe In the mercy that covers me

Did You really have to die for me All I am for all You are What I need and what I believe are worlds apart And I pray To love you - Take my world apart To need you - I am on my knees To love you - Take my world apart To need you - Broken on my knees On my knees I look beyond the empty cross Forgetting what my life has cost Wipe away the crimson stains Dull the nails that still remain More and more I need you now I owe you more each passing hour Battles between grace and pride I gave up not so long ago So steal my heart and take the pain And wash the feet and cleanse my pride Take the selfish, take the weak And all the things I cannot hide Take the beauty, take my tears Sin-soaked heart, make it yours Take my world all apart Take it now, take it now And serve the ones that I despise Speak the words I can't deny Watch the world I used to love Fall to dust and blow away

I look beyond the empty cross Forgetting what my life has cost Wipe away the crimson stains Dull the nails that still remain So steal my heart and take the pain Take the selfish, take the weak And all the things i cannot hide Take the beauty, take my tears Take my world apart, take my world apart I pray, and I pray, and I pray Take my world apart Worlds apart

[dulcetcries-blog]

hello ! i’m really on brand with the whole posting a day and a half later ! below the cut in no particular order are a collection of four people who populate autumn valley ! they’re not very long because i’m still fleshing them out but i’ve added a couple of wanted connections below all of them that will hopefully be some good jumping off points for deeper connections & help build out their stories a little bit !

TRIGGER WARNINGS: mentions of death ( maeve harrow, jack ellis ) 

★.⁙⁓ kat mcnamara, cis female, she/her, pansexual. ★.⁙⁓ introducing autumn valley’s very own maeve harrow ! she is a twenty five year old manager and a taurus. maeve can be found at hecate’s fire and their favorite autumn activity is going apple picking.

maeve has always believed in the occult, since she was just a little girl. 

her father claimed to know the warrens ( who the conjuring is based on ) and she’s always wanted to know more about the things that exist beyond this world.

little girls with wide imaginations oft have a tendency to explore what should be left alone, and mae knows all this quite well.

her dad passed when she was about six and she tried to use spirit boards to contact him. 

she was seven when she convinced herself that the board had actually worked, but it was also broken and shoved in the trash when she’d come home after school and had told her entire grade that she’d gotten it to work. 

she was a relatively mediocre student throughout school but mae always understood the importance of a good hustle and has always had at least two side hustles running. 

when she was a sophomore in high school, she got in trouble for selling canned soda a dollar cheaper than the vending machines. when she was a junior she had graduated to selling whatever fad pyramid scheme her mother had gotten involved in. 

they were never particularly wealthy, which might also contribute to why mae always wanted to have some kind of money making scheme going. 

funny thing, that feeling of desire; hunger grows deeply in one’s soul long after its been placated in the stomach.

she moved into her own apartment after her mother died about three years ago. mae was the only one who attended her funeral and it’s put some fear in her that she, too, will one day die alone.

she took to hecate’s hearth the moment it opened, always pestering zephyr for a job until they gave her one. 

she always desired a place to belong and the readings that they did for her meant the world and what was once considered a stepping stone now a secondary home, one she hopes to be as permanent as possible. 

wanted connections:

roommate ⋅ of any gender, this person more than likely responded to an ad mae had placed online and in the town newsletter. it wasn’t a particular long process from the time she met this person to the time they moved in, they clicked well and had a good enough understanding before signing the lease with her. 

platonic soulmate since high school ⋅ this is someone that mae was friends with in high school and has maintained an extremely tight relationship with. though they’re not living together ( they tried that once fresh out of high school and it’s safe to say they’ll never do that again ), they are the person that mae considers they’re rock and would fight to the death for. 

★.⁙⁓ phoebe tonkin, demi female, she/her & they/them, pansexual. ★.⁙⁓ introducing autumn valley’s very own charlotte james ! they are a twenty seven year old tattoo artist and a libra. charlie can be found at indelible ink and their favorite autumn activity is pumpkin carving. { written by hannah }

charlie comes from a family with deadbeat parents and seven children and if you don’t think that toughens up somebody then you’re damn wrong. 

they’ve been working two jobs ever since they could remember, early mornings before school and well into the evenings after. after they left high school, they began an apprenticeship at indelible ink here in town and that’s been their primary source of income for the last seven-ish years.

they still keep up a season job at the briarpatch farms, helping out with all of their fall related activities so if they seem like a chicken with their head cut off some days, that would be why. 

while chris takes some care of their parents, charlie wants Nothing to do with them and only really cares about their siblings. 

they are their world and charlie will fight for them and their happiness until the day that they die. and if you think that’s some melodrama you are damn well wrong.

they honestly live in a lowkey shitty apartment but they’d rather save their money and scraping by for now is better than living in a nice place and then suddenly having it taken away from you with no warning.

charlie is ,,, extremely scared of stability and permanence, even though they crave it. they’re scared that they’re going to have something nice and all of a sudden it’s going to be gone, like they’ve put all of this work towards a happiness that they can’t eventually have.

wanted connections:

roommates ⋅ whether or not they actually see charlie often is something to be questioned, charlie is a courteous roommate. no major loud noises, especially not past ten pm or before eight am, no wild parties, no drugs, nothing. granted, charlie doesn’t give a fuck what their roommate does so long as they don’t lose the security deposit on the apartment. 

friends with benefits ⋅ charlie is terrified of permanence and keeping this person at an arm’s length away is something that tracks for that kind of mentality. 

★.⁙⁓ chris hemsworth, cis male, he/him, bisexual. ★.⁙⁓ introducing autumn valley’s very own jackson ellis ! he is a forty one year old mayor and a leo. jack can be found at crichton’s manor and their favorite autumn activity is throwing a halloween party at the mayoral manor. { written by hannah } * business subject to change !

jack has been mayor for the last three and a quarter-ish years and has lived in autumn valley his whole life.

before he was mayor he was the owner and primary manager for red’s tavern, now he just owns the place and stops by for a drink of his own every once in a while. 

he’s placed the business in the capable hands of his sister, the second oldest ellis child after jack himself.

the tavern has been in the family for generations and jack was always proud to own it. he was conscious to get to know a lot of people that way and even though it maintains a dive bar aesthetic, you’ll be hard pressed to find a cleaner bathroom or better junk food.

when he was setting up his mayoral campaign, he got a lot of votes because of his proximity to the people of the town through the bar, which is something he’s been conscious to make especially family friendly. 

lots of people had known him since he was little and even though he ran nearly unopposed, he was a fine breath of fresh air.

he’s ,,, disgustingly warm, honestly. he’s a single father of three children ( ages 16, 19, and 21 -- the eldest two are playable ! ) and he has five younger siblings of his own. 

big families are something that he’s always known and adored. the holiday season means the world to him and he always starts preparing for halloween in september ( though he is incredibly conscious about making sure he doesn’t skip thanksgiving in his excitement for christmas ).

wanted connections:

personal assistant ⋅ this is the person who helps jack find his head every morning. they know the ins and outs of his personal life and help him with just about everything he need, from making sure he gets his coffee in the morning to picking up his kids from school. they’re treated like a member of the ellis family and jack trusts them with his life. 

his flirtationship ⋅ this is someone that jack is progressively warming up to ( for as much warmer as a man like jack can get ). whether or not this grows into something more is something that we can plot out, but he’s extremely hesitant to start anything serious given that he’s concerned about his kids, his dedication to the town, and not actually being able to make time for the person he gets romantically involved with. preferably filled by someone 27+ and can be any gender. 

★.⁙⁓ sarah jeffery, cis female, she/her, sexuality. ★.⁙⁓ introducing autumn valley’s very own belinda matthews ! she is a twenty five year old tour guide and a cancer. belle can be found at crichton manor and their favorite autumn activity is getting lost in a corn maze. { written by hannah }

belinda matthews is the daughter of a pair of lawyers, cecelia and andrew matthews. 

the matthews were well into their thirties by the time they’d had their first child, both of them on their second marriage, but neither one lacking in love for their daughter.

belle always knew she was loved and for that kind of home she will always be thankful. the relationship that she has with her parents is built on a deep foundation of trust and respect, something that she’s observed is not true for most of her friends her age. 

given this extremely tight relationship, she’s always been a rather confident kid and that translated to her schoolwork, too. 

her parents were lawyers and she wanted to follow in their footsteps as best as she could. 

it was at school that belle was reminded of how sincerely she loved history and she switched relatively early on from any kind of criminal justice or pre-law track to a history track.

she’s currently in her final year of her master’s degree, though she’s not totally sure what she’s going to do with it. 

she took up a job at crichton manor about two years ago to put a little extra cash in her pocket while she was working on her degrees and she absolutely loves giving tours around town.

wanted connections:

i’m lowkey a little burnt out but fuck me up, belle makes close connections easily !

[snowyfrostshadows]

Easier Said

“I wouldn’t call your bet stupid…”

“Oh yeah?” Matthews shot him a look that was half glare, half resignation. “What would you call getting Captain Grif to give me an honest to god compliment within the next twenty four hours?”

Bitters couldn’t help wincing slightly at his friend’s phrasing.

“….hopeless.”

“-And when I win, you have to not only admit how lazy your Captain is, but you have to tell my Captain how awesome and cool he is to his face.”

Matthews’ face darkened as he actually stood up to lean over the still sitting Palamo. “Fine.” He practically snarled, ‘But when I win, you have to tell your Captain that you’ll be taking relationship advice from mine since he gets more action in a week than yours has in his entire life.“

Palomo stared slack-jawed up at Matthews, reply clearly lost at the normally reserved and polite private’s ruthless terms. To be fair, the only one not staring at Matthews was Bitters, who was taking advantage of his friend’s glare fest at the other lieutenant to swipe his drink and downing it. If Matthews was at the point of picking fights, then any more alcohol in his system would probably kill him.

“I-you-Fine!” Palomo sputtered out. “Not that it matters, cuz the chances of you winning are slim to none!”

Matthews’ expression somehow managed to darken even more. “We’ll see about that.”

And with that, Matthews spun on his heel and left the mess hall, not even bothering to wait for a response from Palamo.

Bitters sighed. He should have known better than letting Palamo sit anywhere near them. Green Team’s lieutenant had a habit of annoying just about everyone around him. It really had been too much to hope that Matthews would somehow be immune to him.

“We win, I get your dessert rations for a month.”

“Wha-?”

Not bothering to wait for a full reply, Bitters also got up and left. Like a true maverick.

By the time he caught up to Matthews in their shared room, his friend was already passed out in his bed.

The responsible thing would be to wake him up and make sure that Matthews was actually aware of what exactly he’d gotten himself entangled in this time and figure out some way of fixing or undoing it. But, Bitters was not in a responsible mood tonight nor did he want to hear Palomo bragging over a ‘easy win’ so soon.

Deciding to just let Matthews wake him up for training in the morning and dealing with it then, Bitters headed for his own bed.

With as early a riser Matthews was, he figured they’d have enough time to figure something out.

                                                          …

Matthews did not wake him up.

In fact, for the first time that he could remember, Bitters got up first.

At least, that’s what he thought until he took a closer look at Matthews and realized the blonde was awake and just staring at the ceiling.

“…Kyle?”

“Mm?”

“…You doing okay?”

“Depends. Did I really get into a shouting match with Palamo that ended in a stupid bet or was that just a nightmare from too much alcohol?”

“No, that bout sums it up.”

Matthews groaned as he covered his face.

“…you could take it back?”

Matthews shot him a dirty look. “And listen to Palamo go on about how great his Captain is and that he feels sooooo bad mine can never measure up?” He snorted. “I’d rather go one on one with Locus than that.”

Bitters gave a small grunt of agreement. Compared to sitting through a three hour spiel from Palamo, anything seemed like a cakewalk.

“So. Any idea on what you’re going to do next?”

“Maybe stay here. Never leave the room. Can’t lose a bet if the other party never sees you again.”

Bitters gave his friend a long look.

“That’s it? That’s your plan?”

Matthews shrugged. 

“Christ Kyle! You can’t be hung-over enough to think that’d actually work?”

“What else am I supposed to do?!” Matthews wailed “I made a stupid bet because Palamo wouldn’t shut the fuck up and drunk me forgot that Captain Grif would rather run laps than give me an actual compliment! I’m not you!”

“He doesn’t exactly compliment me either Kyle.”

“But he made you his lieutenant! That might as well be a compliment!”

Bitters snorted. “He’s also kind of nuts. I can walk right out of training and he’d give me a thumbs up or something.”

“Exactly! He likes you and nothing I do is right! Palamo is never going to let me live this stupid bet down.”

“I wouldn’t call your bet stupid…”

“Oh yeah? And what would you call getting Captain Grif to give me an honest to god compliment within twenty four hours?”

“…hopeless.”

Matthews made a strangled angry sound before turning to face the wall.

Normally that would be the end of the conversation as Bitters waited for his friend to get over himself and bounce back to being his usual annoying, optimistic self but something Matthews had said wouldn’t leave him alone.

'I’m not you’

Which, yeah. Was obvious. Matthews was bit of a kissass to Grif. Bitters couldn’t care less what their Captain thought of him. Matthews was physically incapable of not following an order while Bitters had yet to follow one without dragging his feet first.

But, they weren’t complete opposites.

They both enjoyed the less than strenuous training Gold Team offered. Matthews could be amazingly (and even terrifyingly) protective of his food and even Bitters had some small fraction of respect towards Grif.

The longer Bitters mulled over these facts, the less The Idea seemed absurd. Heck, if they could pull this off, the amount of obnoxious rubbing in Palamo’s face it’d provide was almost (almost) worth more than the other lieutenant’s desserts and hurt pride.

“Hey Kyle.”

“Mrrgh.”

“I know how you can win that bet.”

A small squeak on Matthews’ bed was the only indication Bitters had his friend was listening.

“You can be me.”

Silence, then “The fuck is that supposed to mean Antoine?!”

Bitters released a long suffering sigh. “And to think, everyone thinks you’re the smart one. Simple. We trade armor for the day.”

“……that couldn’t possibly work…could it?”

Bitters shrugged. “I don’t see why not. It’s not like Grif’s ever seen us out of armor before and I think we know one another well enough to impersonate each other for at least a day.”

Matthews frowned. “…what about talking? I’m pretty sure this whole thing would be over once one of us opens our mouths.”

“Easy. You don’t talk, I’ll tell everyone you’ve got a cold or something and I” Bitters shot Matthews a smug grin as he lowered his voice into a rough approximation of his friend’s voice. “Imitate you.”

While not perfect, it was a good enough imitation to pass if you’d only heard Matthews once or twice in passing or if you didn’t care enough to investigate further. Instead of being impressed by this rather amazing secret ability of Bitters’, Matthews looked furious.

“You told me that wasn’t you!”

Oh. Right. He had used that skill before to 'volunteer’ Matthews for extra watches and other boring tasks. Whoops.

“Eh. You would have done that stuff anyway.”

“Well yeah, but only if was actually me volunteering in the first place and not my so called friend setting me up for MORE work!”

Bitters held his hands up in a placating gesture.

“And that was wrong of me and I feel just horrible about that.” Aside from a disbelieving snort, Matthews didn’t interrupt him. Bitters chose to take that as a good sign. “Now, we could either spend the next week arguing over it or put my impressive impersonation skills to good use and go with the plan most likely to end with you rubbing in Palamo’s face how much better our Captain is than his.”

Matthews’ pissed off expression shifted towards a more thoughtful one. Good. He was wavering. Time to pull in the ultimate trump card.

“Think about it Kyle. Compliments from Captain Grif. All. Day.”

And with that, the last of his friend’s resolve crumbled.

“Fine. But if we’re going to pull this off, we have to be at the top of our game. No slacking, Bitters.” Matthews couldn’t help the smug glee that crept into his voice “As everyone knows, I don’t slack off.”

Maybe. Just maybe, they could win this.

                                                          ….

Grif raised an eyebrow as he watched the last two members of his squad come into training nearly an hour late. Which, wasn’t much of a surprise in Bitters’ case. The lieutenant was a maverick after all. Matthews being late on the other hand was much more shocking. Usually the kissass in training was the first one here, setting things up so Grif wouldn’t have to.

Until today apparently.

“About time you two showed up. I’m actually a little disappointed in you Matthews. Expected more from you.”

Instead of blubbering apologies right then and there like normal, the kid just stared. To be fair, both kids were staring at him, but coming from Bitters, that wasn’t much of a surprise. His lieutenant wasn’t exactly the chatty type in the mornings. But Matthews…

Suddenly, Bitters elbowed Matthews in the side causing him to cough a little.

“Sorry Sir. We uh had a late night drinking. Well I did, Bitters wasn’t feeling well so he retired early and I uuuuh…overslept? But once I realized how late it was, I rushed both of us out here because I’d hate to ever disappoint you Sir!”

Grif glanced over at Bitters for confirmation only to find his lieutenant staring up at the sky, clearly wishing to be anywhere but next to Matthews. Which, Grif could absolutely agree with.

“Aside from the fact that you apparently drink, fine. I’ll forgive your lateness this one time if you promise to never repeat this grave transgression again.”

“Oh of course Sir! Consider this an important lesson learned!”

Cripes. The kid actually saluted at that. Even Bitters thought it was overkill judging by the embarrassed flinch of his shoulders. Normally Bitters had his reactions hidden to a T.

“Whatever Matthews. Bitters, I want you to direct drills while I observe from ov-”

“Aaactually Sir.” Matthews interrupted. Actually interrupted. The hell???? “Bitters can’t talk today. His throat’s super sore from coughing all night.”

Grif stared at the two of them. Between Bitters looking as if he was wishing the ground would open up and swallow him (a fair feeling considering how closely he was standing next to Matthews to be honest) and Matthews rocking on the balls of his feet, something seemed…off.

It was probably nothing, but it couldn’t hurt to keep an eye out for whatever they (most likely just Bitters) were planning.

“…fine. Let everyone know they’ll be doing laps in ten minutes or so.”

Matthews gave him another salute. “Ab-so-lutely Sir! You can count on me!”

As the two of them walked off, Grif could have sworn he heard a groan from Bitters. And while it was good to see some things never changed, Grif couldn’t help wonder if it was proof of Matthews’ claims of the lieutenant being sick. The maybe groan he heard was a tad deeper than he normally heard from Bitters.

                                                           …..

“What the fuck was that Bitters!?” Matthews hissed at him over their private com.

“Uh, me being you? Duh.”

“I do not sound like that!”

“Overly peppy? Practically falling over yourself to please Captain Grif? Saying 'Sir’ every other word? That’s you dude.”

“Is not! I am not that obnoxious sounding!”

“HEY REEDS!”

“What are you doing?!”

“Proving my point.” Bitters muttered before raising his voice to the other solider who looked way too confused at being addressed by 'Matthews’ for Bitters’ liking. For God’s sake, Matthews wasn’t that much of a recluse.

“…yeah?”

“Bitters and I are having a little debate and need help resolving it. Impersonate me.”

Reeds just stared at them. “You want me to…what?”

“Impersonate. Me. God’s sake Reeds, pretend you’re me, it’s not that hard. A fucking Fed could probably do it.”

Beside him, Matthews shook slightly as he held back a laugh. How the nerd wasn’t more popular in their little squad boggled Bitters’ mind sometimes as he actually had a pretty good sense of humor. Ah well, it was their squadron’s loss.

“…I uh. Okay. Um….'Oh wow Captain Grif! You’re sooooooo amazing! I wish I was half as cool as you! Do you want me to draw you up some battle plans? Steal, I mean fetch food for you? I can do both!’ …..do you erm, want me to keep going?”

Bitters snuck a look at Matthews. If they weren’t currently wearing helmets, Bitters was ninety percent positive there’d be an extremely pissed off look on his friend’s face. Making sure he was on their private channel first, he couldn’t resist the urge to rub salt in the wound.  

“What do you think Kyle? Should he keep going?”

“Fuck. Off. Antonine.”

“Hey, be happy I didn’t throw actual money into this thing. You’d be so broke right now.”

Switching his external mic back on, Bitters couldn’t keep a smug tone from leaking into his voice. “Nope, that’ll do it. Thanks a lot Reeds. You were a big help.”

“Uh huh….I’m just….going to finish warming up for training. Over there.” And without another word, Reeds ran off as far as he could from Matthews and Bitters short of actually leaving the training area.  Weirdo.

“…that actually reminds me.”

Bitters did not like how suddenly light Matthews’ voice just got. Considering how pissed he’d sounded ten seconds ago, the easy going-ness he heard now did not promise anything good.

“You should do some warm ups too. The more the better.”

“.. the fuck I am.”

“Oh yes you are~!” God fucking dammit. Matthews was practically singing with glee now. He only did that when he knew he’d just about won an argument.

“Warming up before training is very important so you don’t sprain anything. And well, I just wouldn’t be 'me’ if I didn’t do more than the required amount to make up for being late.”

“…”

“Chop Chop Bitters. Time’s a-wasting.”

“….God I fucking hate you.”

Matthews shrugged. “Your idea man.”

“I should have just left you to mope to death in our room.”

Matthews only reply to that was giving him the finger and walking away.

“Where do you think you’re going?! Matthews? Get the fuck back here!”

“I’m just doing what you do during warm ups. Ditching 'me’ and moving suuuuuper slow. Better pick up the pace Bitters. I think Captain Grif’s heading over.”

                                                        …..

Nearly a half an hour later, Bitters was certain he’d made a huge mistake.

Palamo’s wounded pride and desserts were sooooo not worth giving a 110% percent towards training.

It wasn’t as if Bitters was out of shape or anything. Being in a war and training for it your entire life tended to keep a person relatively fit.

The only exception to that rule being one Captain Grif apparently.

No. What was quickly wearing him out was doing the regular training while ALSO keeping Matthews from being well, Matthews.

To be fair, Matthews was doing a pretty good job at not being his usual kissass self. Mostly.

There had been a few close calls that had required Bitters to 'accidentally’ tackle him. Like now for example.

“OW! I wasn’t even jogging Bitters what the fuck?!”

“My bad. Toootally thought you were there. Would hate it if the whole thing fell apart because Grif accused you, I mean me of suddenly giving a shit about running drills.”

“And you running into me every five seconds won’t!? I do not pay that much attention to you during training!”

“Mmhm. So you do admit you pay attention when I do follow the day’s regime huh?”

Matthews shoved him. Actually shoved him.

“That is not what I meant and you know it!” Matthews shrieked.

“Hey!”

“Shit.” Both teens said at nearly the same time as they watched their commanding officer march towards them.

“I don’t know what you two think you’re doing today, but knock it off or so help me, I will actually expend the effort it takes to separate you!”

For whatever reason, Matthews chose that moment to act like himself. The nerd actually had the audacity to flinch and stiffen his posture at Grif’s threat.

Bitters was going to murder him.

“Matthews.” Bitters said slowly over their private com. “What. The fuck. Was that?”

“Shit.”

“No kidding Sherlock! What were you thinking?! Don’t tell me you honestly can’t bear the thought of us being separated!”

“Oh for God’s sake-Being on opposite sides of the training field would be a god damn blessing! Get over yourself Antoine!” Matthews hissed over the line.

Blitters blinked at that and tried not to acknowledge whatever…feelings…that stirred up. He could do that later, when he didn’t have an image to maintain.

“…okay. What was up with you freezing just now?”

“Palamo’s heading this way.”

“Fuck.”

                                                       ….

Grif was no stranger to being ignored. In fact, being ignored had worked out fairly well for him for the bulk of his military career.

This, however was pushing it.

Aside from a weirdass reaction from Bitters earlier, both kids were ignoring him in favor of a private conversation between the two of them. And he only knew that because Matthews was visibly reacting (albight slightly) to whatever Bitters had said.

Suddenly, Matthews turned to face him.

“Looks like Palamo’s joining us today, Sir.” There was a couple second delay before the 'Sir’. Almost as if Matthews had just tacked on the word last minute. Unsure whether to be concerned or suspicious over that, Grif turned to watch Palamo join his squad for (presumably) the day

Ever since the entirety of Green Team save Palamo died during a mission, Tucker had been shoving the kid off on the other Captains under the guise of 'it’s not fair to just train one kid, how can the poor guy learn the value of teamwork if he doesn’t have a team?’.  

On one hand, Grif was impressed at Tucker’s dedication to skipping out on his one job at the rebel base. On the other hand, however, he was getting real tired of being stuck with the kid whenever Tucker wanted to bother Kimball and Felix for the thousandth time.

Simmons may have set up a very strict 'No-Palamo-Is-Not-Allowed-On-My-Team-Ever-Again-Or-I-Swear-To-God-Tucker-I-Will-Run-You-Over-With-A-Fucking-Tank’ policy, but Caboose was still an option. Amazingly, unlike Tucker, no one had died on his team. And Caboose liked literally everyone. Grif should not have to watch more kids than he already had to.

Grif sighed; heavily regretting putting on his helmet this morning. Visors had a horrible habit of blocking his fingers from rubbing his face in exasperation over the stupid nonsense that was his life.

“Matthews, go greet Palamo and I dunno, run laps with him.”

“Do I have to? Palamo fucking su-”

A hard smack interrupted the rest of the sentence but it was already too late. Grif was staring at them again, suddenly very glad for his helmet. He was 90% sure he’d just lost his usual blank poker face.

Matthews was rubbing the side of his helmet where Bitters had smacked it while (presumably) glaring daggers at the lieutenant. As soon as he realized Grif was staring at him, Matthews’ posture instantly straightened.

“I mean…of course Sir! I would love to…do what you just said! Hanging out with Palamo is just…the…greatest…thing ever…”

“….Are you feeling alright Matthews?”

“Never better Sir!”

“…Uh huh. Just. Go greet Palamo already.”

Matthews gave him the absolute quickest salute he’d ever seen before booking it towards Green Team’s sole member. Grif waited a couple minutes for Matthews to be out of earshot before glancing at Bitters.

“If Matthews shows any more signs of snapping, throw him at Palamo. Maybe then Tucker will quit dumping the kid on me.”

Bitters gave him a stiff nod before following after Matthews.

Grif watched him go. Either something most definitely was going on and both kids were in on it or Matthews was a whole lot more capable of a Simmons level breakdown than first thought.

Either way, today was turning out to be more headache inducing than first thought.

                                                           …..

“ 'I’d mess this up? I’d mess this up?!’ Bitters, what the hell was that just now?!”

Bitters flinched slightly at Matthews’ near hysterical voice over their private com.

"I uh. Forgot to turn my external mic off.”

“…Okaaaay. Why. The fuck. Did you say that in your impersonation of my voice if you thought no one would be able to hear you?!”

“…Force of habit?”

“Bitters!”

“You try yo-yoing between voices and not get mixed up!”

Matthews groaned as he ran a hand over his helmet’s visor. “Fiiiiiine. Thanks to you, Captain Grif thinks I’m like, three seconds away from 'snapping’ and I dunno, murdering Palamo.”

Bitters’ pace slowed as he mulled that comment over in his head. “That…could be considered a compliment if he thinks you could beat Palamo in a fight.”

Matthews snorted. “A well placed rock could take Palamo out.”

Bitters gave a small hum of agreement at that. Palamo was utterly useless in a fight; well, anywhere out in the field to be honest. How he’d lasted this long truly had to be one of life’s great mysteries.

“…-do about Palamo?”

“….What?”

Matthews sighed. “I said, what are we going to do about Palamo? I mean, don’t you think he’s going to notice something’s up?”

“Nah. Palamo’s an idiot. I bet I could speak normally to him and he wouldn’t question it in the slightest.”

“…You’re kidding.”

“Nope. I say we continue as planned and not stress over Palamo being here. Heck, if he’s tagging in on today’s training, we won’t have to track him down later to prove you winning the bet since he’ll be able to witness it first-hand. Win-Win.”

“Mhm. You’re being suspiciously optimistic about this.”

Bitters shrugged. “As much as it pains me, I know Palamo more than I’d ever willingly want to. Which means, I know for a fact we’re fine.”

“If you say so.”

Bitters decided against responding to that as they were within speaking distance with Palamo. Before he could call out to the other lieutenant, Palamo spotted them and quickly closed what little distance had remained between them.

“Heeeey Matthews! I’ve been thinking about our bet and-”

“You’re ready to throw in the towel? Smart.” Bitters quickly interrupted. Granted, that wasn’t something Matthews would ever do, but the sooner he shut down whatever 'idea’ Palamo had about their bet, the better.

Unfortunately, Palamo didn’t seem thrown off by 'Matthews’ being rude. “Haha no. I was thinking since Bitters threw in another demand if you won, I should add another thing too! To keep it fair, you know? So, after a lot of thought, I decided. I win, in addition to telling Captain Tucker how great he is, you’d join Green Team!”

Matthews and Bitters both stared in silent disbelief at Palomo’s, quite frankly, stupid idea.

”…that seems a bit much in exchange for some desserts Palamo.“

Green Team’s sole member shifted slightly. "Not really….I heard from Jenson who heard from Captain Simmons that some ice cream was recently found and it’s supposed to be allotted into our upcoming dessert rations and I’d really like to have some without getting a brain freeze a minute into eating it. Like erm, y'know, last time?”

Bitters blinked behind his visor. Well fuck, how was he supposed to talk them out of that if the New Republic really was getting ice cream again?

“Oh. Is that all?”

Bitters snapped his head to stare at Matthews who was actually speaking through his external mic in the absolute worst impression Bitters had ever heard in his life of his own voice what the fuck?!

“If we get ice cream, you can keep it.”

“Really?”

Matthews shrugged. “Sure. I mean, this’ll be what, the second time in years the New Republic gets that treat?”

Palamo was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Aww thanks Bitters! I knew you were ni-” he froze, suddenly suspicious, probably finally picking up on Matthews’ god awful impersonation of Bitters. “…What’s the catch?”

“No catch. Matthews stays on Gold Team and you keep your ice cream ration. Aaaaand, as a show of good faith that I’m not tricking you, you can have Matthews’ share, regardless of the outcome of the bet.”

Bitters stared at his friend, certain that Matthews maybe had just actually lost his mind. “Are you uh sure about that Bitters? That seems a bit much.”

“I"m sure. Palamo really missed out last time with as big of a brain freeze he had then. I figure, this time should be better.”

“Yeah Matthews. Bitters knows what he’s talking about.”

Matthews gave a small nod. “I do. Sides, everyone knows it’s impossible to get a second brain freeze in your lifetime. Especially if you double the ice cream intake and eat it faster than the first time you had it. Matthews can back me up on this fact right Matthews?”

Bitters smirked as realization at what Matthews was doing finally hit him. The guy could be downright diabolical when the mood struck him to be. “Oh absolutely Bitters! It’s a well documented fact proven by numerous studies!”

'Matthews’ confirming his friend’s claims seemed to be enough to convince Palamo. Bitters couldn’t help thanking whatever God existed that the other lieutenant was such an idiot. It made him annoying as fuck, but it did have its’ perks.

Now that their pre-emptive petty revenge had been taken care, Bitters eyed Palamo curiously.

“Why would you even want Ma-me on Green Team anyway?”

Palamo anxiously rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh. No reason.”

Bitters gave him the flattest, most pointed look he could while wearing a helmet. Palamo, for once in his life, got the hint.

“Fine. I was just trying to rebuild Green Team.”

“…Starting with Matthews.”

Matthews’ impersonation skills were utter garbage but the way he deadpaned that statement so flawlessly gave Bitters some hope that his friend might one day stop giving a shit about every little thing.

Palamo shrugged. “Sorta. I figured he’d be the easiest to convince to join Green Team.”

“….You do realize that’s never going to happen right?”

“Well, not with Matthews obviously but-”

“No one is going to join a team where ninety percent of its members died during their first and only mission.”

Bitters quickly stifled a snort under some fake coughs. “Sorry,” he threw in another fake cough at Palamo’s suspicious look. “Helmet’s been acting up today.”

Instead of dropping it and moving on to say a different topic like any normal, rational person would, Palamo, the weirdo, perked up.

“Oh! I can probably fix it! I used to help Rodgers with his helmet all the time!”

Bitters took a step back. “No it’s uh fine. I can do it later.”

“Don’t be stupid. It’ll only take me like a minute to figure out.”

To Matthews’ credit, he didn’t just stand around to watch their whole plan fall apart. He put in a valiant effort in trying to hold Palamo back from getting anywhere close to Bitters or at the very least focusing his attention elsewhere.

Unfortunately for both of them, Green Team’s lieutenant could be fairly single-minded on things. One minute Matthews had a decent grasp on Palamo’s shoulder and was pulling him away and the next, he got a rather painful jab in the gut from one of his captive’s elbows.

Taking full advantage of the sudden momentum no longer being held provided, Palamo basically tackled Bitters and took off his helmet.

“God Matthews, was that so ha…” Palamo trailed off as the realization of Bitters being in Matthews’ armor and not Matthews settled over him.

Slowly, as if in a daze, Palamo looked between the two Gold Team members.

“…You dirty fucking cheaters.”

Bitters gave him a small shrug. “We were just stacking our odds to better our chances.”

“That is the literal definition of cheating!”

“It absolutely is not! Matthews, back me up here.”

Matthews hesitated just long enough for Palamo to take full advantage of and turn things back in his favor. “Ha! Told you!”

Bitters rolled his eyes. “Whatever. What are you going to do? Consider the bet forfeit?”

"When I’m basically winning? Hahahahaha No. I’m thinking letting your Captain know you two switched places for the day. Can’t imagine he’d be too happy with that fact you know? He might even have you guys removed from his team!”

Bitters snorted at that. He highly doubted Grif would even be slightly annoyed at his and Matthews’ failed gambit let alone mad enough to kick them off Gold Team. That shit required paperwork, and Grif did not do paperwork.

Unfortunately, Matthews, the idiot, fell for Palamo’s bluff hook, line, and sinker and panicked. And, as Matthews often did when panicked, he did something stupid. Which, in this case, was 'tackle Palamo with no follow-up plan or thought to possible future consequences’.

Bitters sighed as he moved to pull his dumbass friend out of what was quickly turning into an actual fight. Well, he would have if Palamo didn’t punch his still unhelmeted face because SOMEONE thought it’d be a fantastic idea to just toss the thing after stealing it.

Bitters stumbled back rubbing his sore jaw, thankful nothing seemed broken.

The responsible and Matthews-esque thing to do would be to suck it up and go right back in there and break up the fight. But metal on flesh really fucking hurt and honestly, fuck Palamo,

Just as Bitters was really about to get into the fight himself, somebody grabbed him by the back of his armor and pulled him back with enough force that he nearly landed flat on his ass. Bitters just barely managed to get his bearings back in order in time to witness Captain Grif of all people pull Matthews and Palamo apart.

“What. The fuck. Is going on here?”

Silence met him. If Bitters had to guess why, it’d be because all three of them were having trouble processing the fact of Grif doing anything remotely solider-y.

Grif sighed as he turned to face Bitters. “Matthews. Tell me what happened.”

“Nothing Sir. Just a uh, small disagreement but nothing major. We were actually on our way back to training.”

“Training’s over.”

Whatever retort Bitters thought he could use died on his lips at Grif’s nonchalant tone. Surprisingly, Palamo was the first to pull himself together enough to continue the conversation.

“I just got here! Training can’t be over already!”

Grif shrugged. “Funny thing. When two lieutenants and Matthews of all people start ducking it out in the middle of the training field, it turns out no one wants to run laps and would rather watch the fight.” Grif’s voice hardened. “So again. What happened?”

Again, none of them answered him. Grif sighed. “Alright. We’ll take this elsewhere then. I am not standing around in the sun in full body armor while you three play the quiet game. Follow me.”

Grif led them to the main building on base and the first room with chairs.

“Sit down; helmets off.”

Bitters took the seat between Matthews and Palamo. It didn’t take a genius to figure out Grif wanted their helmets off so they couldn’t talk privately with each other to figure out a plausible story and to make them crack faster.

Honestly though, Bitters wasn’t too worried about Matthews. As long as he didn’t look at or make direct eye contact with anyone, the guy actually had a pretty decent poker face. Add in the fact of Grif thinking he was Bitters, who wasn’t known for sharing anything if he didn’t want to share; chances were good he’d be ignored.

Which just left Palamo. Who was probably two minutes away from ruining everything unless Bitters could somehow discreetly knock him out without Grif noticing.

“Uuuuuh Captain Grif Sir?”

Or Palamo could just ruin everything now.

“Yes, Palamo?”

Green Team’s lieutenant eyed the members of Gold Team curiously.  

“Aren’t you going to say anything about Matthews and Bitters wearing each other’s armor?”

“….They’re what?”

For one glorious moment, there was pure, utter silence. And then, unsurprisingly, Palamo broke it. Laughing so hard Bitters was surprised he didn’t fall out of his chair.

“Seriously?” Palamo leaned forward to get a better look at Matthews. “Captain Grif doesn’t know what you look like? My Captain does.”

Bitters shot a look at Matthews. He was just barely holding his poker face together, but judging by the tenseness of his jaw, he was about one word away from doing something stupid. Again.

Bitters jabbed Palamo in the side hard enough to turn the other teen’s snickers into wheezes for air. “Excuse us for not wanting a stray bullet to catch us unaware or did you forget what happened to General Stone?”

“…huh.”

Belatedly, Bitters realized he’d just used his regular voice, effectively outing himself and Matthews. He might have been more upset over that if not for the fact of the current rate on how badly things were going, it was going to come out eventually. Better now than Palamo somehow twisting everything later.

Grif’s gaze bounced between his two soldiers.  "….mind telling my why you two switched armor?“

Before Bitters could even attempt a bullshit excuse, Matthews surprisingly spoke up first.

"It was a bet Sir.”

“…a bet.”

Matthews nodded. “Yes Sir. Bitters bet I couldn’t be lazy and I bet he couldn’t keep up with training.”

“Uh huh. And that made you trade armor why?”

Matthews paused for a second at that. “We…decided that you’d be the best impartial judge and thought if we wore our regular armor, you’d…end our bet before it could even begin?”

Grif nodded like that made sense. “And Palamo?”

Matthews’ voice hardened slightly “He was sticking his nose where it didn’t belong.”

Palamo made to object to that, but Bitters quickly stomped on his foot, amazingly without Grif noticing.

“Huh. Alright. Nice job Matthews. Didn’t think you had it in you to be lazy, so color me impressed. Try to apply that to training more. Bitters, I’m disappointed in you man. Thought you’d be better at faking effort. Palamo. Mind your own fucking business next time. I think that covers everything. You’re all dismissed or whatever. Do not bother me for the rest of the day.”

As soon as Grif was out of the room, Bitters threw a smug look at Palamo, who short of being sick, couldn’t possibly look any paler than he did now.

“Did you hear that Palamo? Captain Grif just complimented Matthews twice.”

Palamo gave him a shaky nod. “I did.”

Bitters’ voice turned smug. “Which means Matthews won the bet. Hey Matthews! When do you want-shit.”

While Palamo looked sick from nerves, Matthews was slumped in his chair like he’d just been shot.

Bitters shot the other lieutenant another look. “I’ll contact you later over the helmet radio to let you know when you can fulfill your end of the bet.” He couldn’t resist a smirk. “Enjoy the rest of your day Pal.”

Palamo groaned, something Bitters elected to ignore in favor of helping his friend to his feet.

“C'mon Kyle. This is just sad.” He muttered low enough that Palamo wouldn’t be able to overhear.

“Captain Grif complimented me. Me!”

“Mmhm. He sure did. Good going there buddy.”

Matthews’ awestruck smile was contagious, it wasn’t long before Bitters was wearing a small, genuine smile as well

“….You wanna know what could have made this better? If I could I have recorded him saying that.”

“Maybe. But not having a recording makes it more…I dunno, special?”

Matthews’ expression softened a little. “Yeah…”

“You know, we could probably record Palamo making a idiot of himself tomorrow in front of Captain Tucker.”

Matthews snorted. “We could.” An excited look crossed his face. “Hey Antoine. When we get back to our room, want to crack into my Victory Food Stash with me?”

Bitters’ grin widened. “Fuck yeah! Don’t even have to ask.”

                                                 ……

The next morning, Grif took his usual seat by Simmons at the Captain’s Table in the mess hall.

He listens juuust long enough to register that Simmons and Tucker are arguing about training stuff before tuning them right the fuck out. It was way too early to be thinking about being a real actual solider in a real actual war and all that entailed in his humble opinion.

Instead. he spent his time scanning the mess hall. Unsurprisingly, it’s still fairly empty as most of the rebels are either getting some much needed rest or out doing more soldierly things like patrols or some crap.

He just barely registers Bitters and Matthews leaning against a nearby wall talking to each other before he notices Palamo making his way towards their table.

Grif can’t help internally groan. The kid might not be on his team or even be looking to talk to him but usually, just the sight of the his lieutenant tends to put Tucker in a bad mood. If Palamo’s starting his kiss-up-ery shtick this early, it’s going to be a looooong day of listening to Tucker’s bitching.

“Uh. Captain Tucker Sir? Can I, uh, talk to you?”

Tucker heaved an overly dramatic sigh. “You already are.”

Palamo squirmed slightly, looking (in Grif’s slightly confused opinion) as if he was as eager to talk to his Captain as Tucker normally was to him. “…right.” The kid took a deep breath, almost as if he was bracing himself. “I. I can no l-longer take relationship advice from you Sir.”

“Fucking finally” Simmons muttered beside him as Tucker stared at his lieutenant as if Palamo had suddenly grown a second head. “Not going to-? Who the hell else around here are you going to get dating advice from!?”

Palamo looked ill. “From C-Captain Grif sin-since he gets more a-action in a-a week than you have i-in your entire life.”

Simmons choked on his coffee while Tucker gave Grif the biggest look of surly betrayal as if he’d been the one to insult him and not a dumbass kid.

Before Grif could even attempt to deny or defect any more accusations, Palamo was talking again.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean it! I still want your advice!”

“Then why the fuck did you say that!?”

“I lost a beeeet!” Palamo wailed.

“To who?”

“…Matthews…”

Tucker stared at Palamo. “You lost. A bet. To Matthews.” Palamo nodded miserably. “How? Matthews should be like, the easiest person to win anything against!”

Grif frowned at that, oddly insulted on the kid’s behalf. Sure, Matthews was an annoying suck up but he wasn’t the worst person on base.

“He uh. He said he could get Captain Grif to compliment him.”

Correction. Matthews was the absolute worst person on base because apparently, the kid had perfected the fine art of bullshitting his way past every single one of his emotional defenses.

Resolutely not meeting Tucker or Simmons’ twin looks of shock, Grif grabbed his glass of orange juice and started downing it in an attempt to buy himself some time.

Thankfully, he didn’t need much time to figure a decent enough-ish comment to get the others to leave him alone. Heck, it might even be good enough to make Tucker actually do his job for at least a day if he was lucky.

With far more nonchalance than he had when he first grabbed it, Grif placed the glass back on the table and gave Tucker his best 'I-couldn’t-care-less’ look.

“Nothing wrong with a little positive reinforcement here and there. You should try it sometime.”

With more ease than he currently felt, Grif got up from the table, grabbed his (mostly) empty tray and disposed of the contents as he left the room; noting that Bitters and Matthews who, no doubt had known exactly what was going to happen earlier were no where to be found. Likely booking it the second Palamo starting crying and taking his (probably) dared comments back.

He was honestly torn.

On one hand, he should probably punish the two of them for making him part of the butt of a joke, even if, Tucker by far had gotten the bigger hit from it. On the other hand though, he couldn’t help being mildly impressed.

Matthews had taken a pretty big gamble and somehow managed to come up on top, Via a lot of overcomplicated work no doubt, but still. It was fairly impressive for the little kissup.

Eh.

He could take his time on this. He was a Captain after all and hell. It might be hilarious to watch the two of them worry over a punishment that might never come.

The day was looking to be off to a good start.

[ramrodd]

Newt Gingrich, the Son of Man and the Rape of Congress.

COMMENTARY:

It turns out, your corespondent was correct; Donald J; Trump has emerged as the Anti-Christ, constitutionally. He's actually not the Anti-Christ, but the more like King Saul: he is jealous of the actual contituntional Philosper-King, We, the People. He along with the Movement Conservatives who consider themselve the original Reananaucs, have been led astray by Newt Gingrich since he bagan his agenda to become Speaker of the House.Gringrich has been running an Trotsky-inspired political scam on America based on the formula for creating a domestic, internal insurgence leading to polarization, tribal confrontation, violent revolution and regime change by political coup.

As I recall, your correspondent referred to Daniel 3, Daniel 6 and Daniel 9. Daniel 7:12 is, or course, the Son of Man and the numerological triangulation of this guy's prophecy revolves around Obama when it started and Trump. The GOP has been engaged in a domestic insurgency since William F. Buckley, Jr, published his Sharon Statement and established Movement Conservatives like Rick WIlson, Nicole Wallace, Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham through his farm system for engaging and developing people with the same crypto-Nazi cogintive organization as Mike Pompeo, Mick Malverny and Tom Cotton and give them a lucrative career advancing a Newty's program of insurgency as useful idiots.

Now, we have had an election where that prophecy is being played out in real time on Twitter until the Rape of Congress by Trump's followers, who are almost entirely useful idiots who add mass to the demonstration, but at the tip of that lynch mob, the Proud Boys,/white supremacists/ Q-ANON conspiracy to inspire a race war, Virtually all of them are Pro-Life.

Pro-Life is the Anti-Christ.

Now, the people around Obama/Biden were engaged in the Democratic Socialsm of Jefferson Deomocracy as reformed by the 13th Amendment. The numerology of the 13th Amendment, is the same numerology as the Son of God in Daniel 7:13,  That is, Jesus is very often attached to the number 13 in some way as either the finger of God, Himself (which Jesus most certainly was) or it was the finger of God, Itself. It is just a consitent figure of speack in the entire narrative of the Bible, from "In the Beginning" to Amen in Revelation. Numerology is a signpost installed by God from the very first and over the centuries. In that regard, it is perfectly inerrant.

And I couldn't explaing this to you in this manner if the Arabs hadn't invented the numerological symbot for "nothing" Zero/0. Zero doesn't exist, numerologically, in the narrative of the Bible (or anywhere in the Judeo-Christian literature, codified and uncodified,  as a concept, until the Romans showed up. Everbody used alphabets that had originated out of number after Melchezidek came along. He was part of the guild associated with the Magi of Matthew.  This guild apparently  spread out across the Mediterrean and planted some seeds of wisdom gleaned from the systematic application of process theology to the universe as it unfolds out infront of us. The big change they made was to introduce 9 base numerology to replace the 8 base numerology of the Egyptian priests, which had produced the social economic structues based on building pyramids as important scientific observations of the firmament. Intellectually, 8 base numerology is a cul-de-sac and becomes decadent. It's a closed system economics, zero-sum/engineering/gold-based banking that was preventing the globalization of the capitalism the Roman empire brought to the world. I mean, there was stuff that began to occur at that moment, when the seed of 9 base numerology began to grow in Abraham's imagination, to Bretton Woods. This is the thing about Elizabeth Warren: she is hooked into that righteous banking model.

But it really became jet propelled when Islam inventing Zero/0 as a useful symbol of accounting. And the only thing that has prevented this rigtheous banking system to take mankind to Space is everything connected with William F. Buckley's Sharon Statement of 1960 but creating the Tsusamie of the Rape of Congress on 7 January 2021.  

Remember Daniel, Chapter 7, where the Finger of God designates the Son of God. 7 very often is used as a lightening rod where the lightening from the Finger of God will enter into history as a Sign. So, Daniel 7:13 is the place where the Finger of God sets the process in motion to produce The Cross and Daniel 7:13 the Finger of God has touch America with divine intent and produce the Rape of Congress that can be traced from 1960 through Speaker Gingrich to Steve Bannon to 7 January 2021, God created a lightening rod to expose the working of Satan in the American body politic and that agency is Newt Gingrich. Trump just happened to be his marionnette.

Trump didn't become a crime boss until he won the election with intellectual property his Moscow partners in the 2013 Miss Universe Contest stole from the DNC and Clinton campaign by committing treason with a transnational crime consortium.. They've had him by the balls the whole time and Putin has nothing to do with it.

Now, the only question in my mind was how much coordination went on between Gingrich, Bannon and this transnation criminal consortius which is currently has America under seige with a Nory based cyber-attach trying to look like it's coming out of the Kremlin. This is the reason for the structural polarization Newty's political strategy creates, to overthrow Congress and the federal government.  I mean, if you've read Atlas Shrugged, she describes exactly what Newt Gingrich has been doing since he got into politics: Newty is the answer to "Who is John Galt".

Virutally all Libertarians have been useful idiots for this insurgency since they began attending YAF meetings and the C-PAC convention annually. It's like Comic-Con or a Trekkie or AmWay convention only focused on reinforcing the Virtue of Selfishness, Public Choice economics and narcissism the new righteousness. The basic Pro-Life Evangelical community family values.

All the Pro-Life Evangelical warriors who participated in the Rape of Congress pretty well define the right-wing useful idiot, while the people who Trump launched down Pennsylvania Avenue as a shot below the warterline of The Constitutional Ship of State, the basic cannon foder led by peoole being financed by the transnationa criminal constortium with Euro-dollar black mone being laundered through PayPal and Patreon.

How can you tell the difference between the cash flows of the Koch brothers to the Prouc Boy insurgency and Vory drug money?

You can't. That is one of the functions of Citizens United: it's all green. It goes into Meta Chruchs like First Presbyterian and, from my perspective, shouldn't be stopped. The fact is, we need to repartriate these black eurodollars to repair the damage done by the pandemic and whatever damage the Trump administration has done to the US Economy, which scares me in connection with the connection between John Galt and the potential collapse of American finances that was avoided in 2008.

And your coorespondent intuited the Finger of God in contemporary American politics by a using a narrative 2500 years old employing the numerology of the Bible. My biggest complaint about Christian apologetics is that it is just another version of the Marxist dialectic historic deconstruction that became the dominant paradigm in the 60s cultural wars (and continuing). History is a forensic science, like the practice of law, and in, Christian apologetics, history is superior to narrative/literature as a social construct.  And, as a literature major, that pisses me off.  Before history could congeal to abstract reconstruction, narrative IS. In the Beignning was the Word and history emerged from one of the ribs of the Word by way of narrative.

And before the Word was in the mind of God, Number IS. I Am that I Am: number the stars if you can.

And, again, Islam provides an essential validation of number in the mind of The One (as is presented in Revelation 4.2) in Sura 74:30 "And above it is 19" employing symbols I can employ to explain how number works as a figure of speach and a jewel in the fabric of Scripture. All that tapestry is lost in historical reconstruction because it doesn't seem to be evidence that can be defended in a court of law or a PhD defense.

But there it is. You have been praying all your life of a sign from God and now you have one: the Rape of Congress on 7 January 2021, as I write this 7 days and a wake-up from a constitutionally processed peaceful Change of Command.

[antoine-roquentin]

Despair pervaded American newsrooms following the 2016 election. It wasn’t just that most of the media had failed to foresee the outcome of the vote; it was the realization, as one colleague put it, that “nothing we do matters.” Out of this despair, a new resolve and many a subscription drive were born, based on the widely shared belief that if more people consume more-accurate stories, American democracy may be saved.

In the popular imagination, the public is divided into two segments of roughly equal size: the “liberal bubble” and the “right-wing bubble.” In fact, there has never been much evidence that this picture was true, and two recent data points contribute to disproving it. One is a large study of the reach and impact of fake news; the other is opinion-poll data on the tax-reform bill that Congress passed and President Trump signed into law in December. Together, they burst the two-bubble theory by showing that most Americans are better informed and less gullible than you might think. That, in turn, suggests that fighting “fake news” is not the solution, or perhaps even a solution, to our current political problems.

For the fake-news study, three political scientists from three different universities—Andrew Guess, from Princeton, Brendan Nyhan, from Dartmouth, and Jason Reifler, from the University of Exeter—combined data on Web traffic in the month before and one week after the election with responses to an online public-opinion survey by 2,525 Americans to determine who consumed fake news, and how much. For their definition of “fake news,” the authors relied on an earlier study by the economists Hunt Alcott and Matthew Gentzkow, who looked at stories that are “intentionally and verifiably false and could mislead readers.” The economists’ study suggested that every American adult had been exposed to at least one fake news story in the leadup to the 2016 election, but relatively few people—roughly eight per cent—actually believed them.

The economists’ study was based on what people recalled seeing; the new study by the political scientists uses more and harder data. The conclusions, however, are fairly similar. First, they found that Trump supporters read fake pro-Trump stories while Clinton supporters read fake pro-Clinton stories, but the latter group consumed a lot less fake news than did the former. The study did not directly address the question of how far in advance of reading the fake stories these voting preferences had been cemented; the authors concluded that “the ‘echo chamber’ is deep . . . but narrow.” The biggest news, in other words, is that while many people were exposed to fake news stories, few were taken in by them as measured by how many similar articles they went on to read. About ten per cent of news consumers sought out more fake news, and they read an average of 33.16 fake stories, according to the political scientists.

An earlier study that used a different approach to data collection—combining social-media sharing, hyperlinking patterns, and language use—yielded similar results. In an article published in the Columbia Journalism Review last March, scholars and researchers from Harvard, Ritsumeikan, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology argued that, in media consumption, “polarization was asymmetric.” In other words, rather than two bubbles, there was one, positioned far to the right of the political spectrum. A majority of Americans, the study showed, get their news from a variety of different media. They are routinely exposed to opinions they don’t share; they do not live in an echo chamber.

A second important observation in the study by Guess, Nyhan, and Reifler concerns the effectiveness, or, rather, the ineffectiveness, of fact-checking as a genre of article or Web site unto itself, such as the Washington Post’s Fact Checker or PolitiFact. “Not only was consumption of fact-checks concentrated among non-fake news consumers,” the authors wrote, “but we almost never observe respondents reading a fact-check of a specific claim in a fake news article that they read.” The study published in CJR, on the other hand, observed that while audiences of right-wing-bubble media and the rest of the media hardly overlapped, language had a way of migrating from Breitbart into the mainstream media. The authors identified the two topics that dominated false conspiratorial narratives—Hillary Clinton’s e-mails and the threat posed by immigration—and traced the mainstream media’s disproportionate focus on these topics to the fake-news sites’ obsession with them. Together, these observations suggest that those ineffectual fact-checking pieces might have been a primary vehicle of that migration—such as, for example, when the Post fact-checked Trump’s claim, made in an interview with the conspiracy-theory purveyor Sean Hannity, that Clinton’s e-mails caused the death of an Iranian defector.

Still, the most salient, consistent, and counterintuitive result of these studies is that the image of the American public as divided into two equal partisan bubbles is wrong. Opinion data on Trumpian tax reform is real-life proof that most Americans share a fact-based view of reality. Poll after poll showed that voters opposed the tax bill, and that they did so on the basis of accurate information: they believed that it would benefit the rich. If there were indeed two equal-sized information bubbles in this country, one might reasonably expect half the population to buy Trump’s incessantly repeated line that the bill constituted a tax cut for the middle class. One would also expect roughly half the voters to support repealing the Affordable Care Act. That a majority of Americans support Obamacare and do not support the tax law is proof that accurate reporting still matters—sort of.

Members of Congress who voted for the tax bill, which will disproportionately benefit the very wealthy and will gut Obamacare, may be justified in assuming that they can afford to make their donors happy at the expense of their voters: partisanship and gerrymandering, they reckon, will keep their seats safe. In other words, an informed public is a necessary condition of democracy, but not a sufficient one. Democracy may indeed die in darkness, but light is no guarantee that it will survive.

[theathenianschool]

How does climate change connect to the California wildfires? https://ift.tt/2TxiIBj

By Noelle Woodward

In the last few months, thirty-one people have been killed and over four  million acres have been burned all over California, resulting in deadly smoke, ash, and apocalyptic orange skies across the west coast. 

The California wildfires have been burning since August, with little signs of letting up soon. What started as record heat waves and an unusual lightning storm has grown into the most devastating wildfire season California has seen in many years. Worsened by global warming, these fires are likely to return next year, resulting in even more destruction.

“Experts agree that human behavior, land management, arson, and the effects of climate change caused by human industrial activity helped spur these massive fires, worse than any in recent memory,” wrote science journalist Matthew Rozsa in Salon. 

The fires, which mainly started from a major lightning storm in late August, have escalated due to a lack of rain, record high temperatures, and fierce winds. They are now releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, exacerbating the already dangerous heat waves in California.  

“One thing [heat] does, it causes the ground [and] plant life to dry out, which makes it a lot easier once things do catch fire, for things to spread and burn very quickly,” said Environmental Science Teacher Brittany SchlaeGuada. “The warm air also causes weird things to happen like the lightning surges we had which isn’t typical for this area. The actual temperature effects are due to global warming and climate change, and the fires are a subsequent repercussion of that.”

Beyond identifying the numerous factors that contribute to the escalation of wildfires, it is also important to note the key differences between climate and weather in order to understand the causes behind them.

“Climate is essentially the long-term average weather,” wrote Dean L. Urban, Professor of Environmental Sciences and Policy at Duke University in an email to Salon. “So in the west now we’re seeing a warming climate, plus a long-term drought, plus freakish short-term weather (for example, the lightning storms in [California], and the crazier than usual winds). Climate change and weather are linked, of course, in that under climate change we expect warmer weather but we also expect more extreme events.”

The widespread impact of wildfires this year has caused many Californians to seriously consider the influences and effects of climate change.

“[When] people think about climate change, they think [about how] the weather gets hotter or ice caps are melting,” said SchlaeGuada. “[They think about these effects of climate change] that are far away, not really measurable, and that don’t usually come into contact with our lives, but the truth is that climate change and its effects are kind of everywhere and people are starting to realize that with the seriousness of fires this year.”  

Although the denial of climate change has decreased as people start to personally experience it’s effects, it still makes a difference when public leaders recognize and respond to it’s presence. 

California’s governor, Gavin Newsom acknowledged this influence of climate change in a September interview: “The debate is over around climate change. Just come to the state of California. Observe it with your own eyes. It’s not an intellectual debate. It’s not even debatable.”

However, Newsom hasn’t just accepted the reality of climate change. He has begun taking much-needed action on behalf of California to reduce it’s impacts. 

“One thing that [Governor Newsom] just signed recently was an executive order in the next 15 years to make California’s car market 100% emission free.” said SchlaeGuada. “So that all new vehicles sold in the state of California 15 years from now will all be electric vehicles or some other type of renewable source. He’s taking strides to try and push California in a better direction when it comes to climate change.” 

Newsom isn’t alone as he combats our climate crisis. Many Californians have been coming up with their own proposed solutions over the last few years. Some popular suggestions include forest management and stronger fire regulations, which although easier to implement, will only provide temporary relief. 

“If we do not address the climate change issue, no amount of forest management is going to avoid this sort of situation in the future,” said Professor Francis E. Putz, botanist at the University of Florida in an interview with Matthew Rozsa.

It is clear that we need a long-term plan set in motion—and soon—as many climate scientists have predicted the wildfires to continue in the coming years, likely getting worse over time. 

This article was published in The Athenian Pillar, Athenian’s student-run publication, on October 24, 2020.

[dailyaudiobible]

02/01/2019 DAB Transcript

Exodus 13:17-15:18, Matthew 21:23-46, Psalms 26:1-12, Proverbs 6:16-19

Today is the 1st day of the 2nd month of the year, also known as February. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. Welcome to a brand-new month. And, I guess, you know, you get this far and we’re starting to really settle in. If you make it another couple week’s till Valentine's Day then the chances are that you’ll make it the whole way. So, well done. Well done on the first full month of the year. It’s, you know, we've sailed outside of shore and we’re out into the deep now as we journey through the year together and head toward the end of the year and the next year. So, happy February. We’re still in the same week so, we’ll obviously be reading from the Common English Bible, which is what we've been reading from this week and we’ll still be picking up the story where we left off with the children of Israel newly set free and trying to figure out what comes next. And quite a bit of opposition still out in front of them. Exodus chapter 13 verse 17 to 15 verse 18.

Commentary:

Okay. So, paying attention that proverb would be important since it outlines seven things that God hates. So, it would be good to know the things that God hates and to look and see if we’re doing any of the things that God hates because I mean, if we’re gonna do things God hates that's probably a nonstarter and probably not on the narrow path that leads to life. So, reviewing these things that God hates would be helpful to go back to today.

In the book of Matthew though, we have interesting conversation, but also confrontation happening between Jesus and the Pharisees. So, between Jesus, who is God made flesh, and the religion that had formed around God. And, so, we have to at least acknowledge what we're seeing here. Jesus greatest confrontations and conflict were with what had become of the religion that grew out of the Mosaic law. So, there's this law in place and there are the keepers of the traditions, right, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Sanhedrin collectively. And then there's Jesus, almost a self-styled rabbi who hasn't come up through the system. And yet He is more compelling and signs and wonders are following Him. And, so, they're coming to Jesus and saying essentially, “who gave you the right to do this.” And, so, quoting from Scripture, “what kind of authority do you have for doing these things? Who gave you this authority?” Of course, Jesus knows what's going on here. Like, they're essentially telling Him, “you didn't come up through the system. Like, you know, right, you’re an outsider. What do you think you're doing?” But they can't argue with the fact that the hearts of the people are turning toward Jesus and this is bringing up a lot of jealousy but also a lot of paranoia because there is a very, very tenuous power share going on between the Romans and the leaders of the Jewish religion and if they can't control Jesus and the hearts of the people are beginning to turn toward Jesus and He's gaining momentum then Jesus could be a problem. So, from the perspective of where we sit 2000 years in the future and being able to look back at the story, it's sad and comical in a way that these people would be trying to defend their power, defend their power share, defend their control over the people and the hearts of the people against God. Oh, but my friends, we do it too. In all kinds of big and small ways we do it too. We’ll look at anyone who doesn't believe the way that we do even though they may be believers in Jesus and love the Lord. Maybe they this see some things nuanced in ways that we don't. And, so, we go after them defending the traditions, defending what we think the truth is. This is what the Pharisees were doing and basically what they had done over the millennia is build an infrastructure, a religious infrastructure, that would not allow God to do a new thing at all. Of course, that didn't stop God from doing a new thing. In fact, He came in person to make all things new and do a new thing and in the process blew up a bunch of stuff. Let's not think that He wouldn't do that again. Let's not think that He's ever stopped doing that. We will never run a circle around God with our theology that He can't escape or that he even really cares about. So, Jesus told a couple of stories and its…this is really a beautiful moment where we see how Jesus uses stories because He uses the stories to confront situations where everybody knows what's being talked about and yet He's simply telling a story. He’s not directly confronting a person but rather critiquing a situation that involves a lot of people. So, He says a man had two sons and he went to his first son and said, “son I need you to go work in the vineyard today.” And the first son said, “I don’t want to do that.” But then later he thought it through and obeyed his father. And then he went to the to the second son and said, “son I need you to go work in the vineyard today.” And the son said, “yes”, but he didn't go. And Jesus question is, “who did the will of father?”. And the answer, of course, is the one who obeyed the father. Even though he said, “no, I don't want to do that”, he changed his mind and he went and obeyed, whereas the other kid said that he would go and he didn't. So, in this scenario the son that said, “no, I don't want to, I don't want to obey you” but then and later changed his mind, these are the people that Jesus is ministering to and He brings even tax collectors and prostitutes into  His conversation as an example, people who might have heard the call of God, who might have been raised up to understand an awareness of God. And God comes and compels them to move forward but they’re like, “no”. They’re like living in rebellion, they’re living in sin but later change their mind and go and obey. Then ultimately they went and obeyed the father, whereas the person who gave lip service to what the father invited them to do and then didn't do it, well that kinda represents for Jesus what the Pharisees, what the religious system has become, had become. And then He tells a famous story about the tenant farmers, right? So, a landowner leases the farm to tenant farmers who raise a harvest and then the landowner sends for his share and then there's all kinds of this drama, people getting killed and all this kind of stuff until the farmer sends his son thinking, like, this is the heir, like, this is the owner of this property, they’ll respect him but they don't, they kill him. And Jesus is asking the question, “what will the landowner do?” And, of course, they’re like, he’ll destroy those wicked farmers. But the thing is, those wicked farmers in that story were religious leaders, were the Pharisees. Like, they’re the keepers of the law, they’re the keepers of the traditions of God that God handed down through Moses, all the weight going back to Abraham. And then God comes and says, “okay, now it’s time to open this up, it’s time to…give me my share.” And they’re more interested in trying to take over the field. So, to try to take over the religious system and own and control it and be the de facto judge about who is right and who is wrong, who needs to be judged, and who needs to receive mercy, and the keepers of all the recipes for how to worship the Lord. So, in this story God sends His son and they kill the son, which is a bit of prophetic utterance about the future for Jesus ministry. But to properly think this through we have to wonder how much more success Jesus would have if He came today. No really, if somebody came claiming to be the son of God with signs and wonders…I mean…it would be kind of the same scenario. And, so, what becomes compelling is when we read the stories that Jesus used as illustrations during this confrontation and try to find out who we would be in those stories. And we can very easily go, like, “I wouldn't even be in that story. That’s not like…if I'm in that story…I'm one of the disciples of Jesus” until we actually begin looking at our actions and our biases and the way that we treat one another, the way that we judge each other, which is something we’ve been talking about out pretty poignantly as we've wandered this far into the Scriptures. So, the work for today is really to do that, to revisit these particular parables and understanding their context trying to locate where we would be because we’re probably more like the Pharisees than we would like to admit. And, so, as we go through the Gospels we’re gonna keep observing the Pharisees and we’re gonna keep observing the way that Jesus interacts with them and, you know, we’re gonna continually be invited to decide or to observe what we’re most closely like and what might need to change, what might need to be repented of.

Prayer:

Jesus, this is where we are, this is what has come up in the Scriptures today. And, so, this is where we are and we open ourselves to Your counsel and we invite Your Holy Spirit to speak, to show us all these little subtle things that actually create our character in the way that we look at the world. And the truth is in each of us there’s far more judgmentalism then we’re ever really aware of or admit to and often this comes from our fear of just getting it wrong about You. So, we get together and we really really try to nail down every aspect of what it might be like to walk with You and be in a relationship with You and be doing it right. And yet it just won't…it won't distilled down into that kind of a formula. And, so, we keep those efforts to get it right and become more and more like the Pharisees just trying to define every eventuality when relationships…just…they don't work that way and You've invited us into a relationship, an adventure, an intertwining, that we get to be on this earth as You intended us to be because we die to ourselves and allow You to live through us. So, come Holy Spirit into all of the Pharisees and that might be found in our lives. We reject that and renounce that. We want to follow the path that You are leading. And, so, as we see the stories unfolding in the Gospels we’re continually given an opportunity to examine ourselves. So, come Holy Spirit into that examination. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hello, this is a word for my dear sister Margo the missionary. I want to thank you Margo for answering the call the Lord’s put on your life and I am so greatly encouraged by your courage and especially your honesty and the transparency of your heart. It sounds like this is a mountaintop experience. So, I’d really ask the Lord to give me his words to speak to you. So, I pray that you are blessed by this. My dearest daughter Margo, fear not, neither be discouraged for this pain will pass. I promise to uphold the words to you which I’ve spoken into your heart. This road you have chosen is not easy and I ask it only of my greatest saints because it requires great faith and courage. And these gifts I have and will continue to pour into your heart. Everything you grieve for today you will receive double even an abundance of joy in the days to come. The longings the of your heart will not be replaced, they will be upheld. I go before you, I travel with you, I will allow you to see the great harvest of souls for my kingdom for the work which I have called you to do, therefore be comforted. Your pain will be to their deliverance. Your sorrow will become our joy. Receive My love and My praise. You are My beloved daughter in whom I am well pleased. And I want you to know Margo that I will be praying for you and your husband and lifting you up to the Lord in just praising Him and thanking Him. Love your sister in Christ, Treasured Possession. Bye.

Hi Daily Audio Bible family, this is Shelley. I’ve been listening for a few years and I’m checking out Chronological this year. I’m calling it for the first time because I felt the Spirit prompting me to take that step now, so it wouldn’t be harder to do if I wanted to do it in the future. I’ve been really ministered to by the time spent in Job and realize that this touches on some of my fears. I know God is faithful and that He’s with me but I’m also afraid of going through painful things. I think part of my personality is being prepared for worst-case scenarios but that can easily give way to fear and in trying to stand against that I tend to block off part of my heart. It’s easy to distract myself with what people around me need or with serving others or with work or household responsibilities. So, my prayer is that I will take God’s hand and walk with Him through whatever things He wants to do in me or situations that I may face. By the way, the word He gave me for this year is courageous. So, that seems to fit. I really have come to value this community even though we don’t see each other. Thanks Brian, China, for all the others there, for your ministry. And thanks for the way all of you support each other in prayer. Blessings to you today.

Hello, my name is Stephanie and I’m calling from Virginia and I was just calling because I’ve noticed that quite a few people have called in to talk about their own mental health concerns or the mental health concerns of others and I just wanted to share a testimony of someone who has struggled with mental illness for about 15 years. I’m 35 now and I’ve gone through some pretty dark periods. Depression that was so bad that I needed to be hospitalized. I’ve actually been hospitalized four times and I share that just to say that I know what it’s like to be just really, really sick in terms of my mental and emotional health. And God has been really faithful to me. He’s taught me a lot through His word about freedom and His love. And I just want to tell you if you’re struggling and you can hear my voice right now, just remember that your body is subject to this world, this fallen world that we live in, and your mind is as well, but your Spirit man is strong, and you can overcome. You know, currently I take medication and that helps me every day to go overcome. And whatever it takes for you to overcome, counseling and fellowship with other believers and medication and therapy, whatever it takes, you know, don’t be ashamed. Just like if you had kidney failure or migraines or…

Hi Daily Audio Bible family this is Laura in San Diego. I am calling...I just heard some people calling in at the end of the day, the 26th. My heart is sad. My heart is happy when I hear your calls but on a daily basis in my own life my heart is sad that I don’t have a community or even a few close friends of people such as I hear on the Daily Audio Bible that are just about Jesus and real about their life and, you know, supportive of each other. And I’ve been on a long journey in my life. I moved from Ohio to California several years ago but ever since I’ve been here it’s a different environment and people are just not as willing to be genuine or maybe I just don’t know the right people. So…so yeah, I guess my heart is sad but I would like your prayers, that I would be able to find a few close friends that love Jesus and love me and my family and that we can do this walk together. Appreciate it. Thank you.

Hi, my name is Sophie and I’m a first-time caller. I’ve been listening for a full year and before that and maybe a couple of months. My very best friend, Karen in Pennsylvania, told me about this app and when I first started listening I...I was so moved and so touched at the sound of Brian’s voice. I’m legally blind, and so voices mean a lot. And whenever I would feel alone or whenever I just couldn’t handle it I would turn to this app and listen to Brian and the Scriptures and I still tell people that, but Brian was the voice of love. I wept __ years and I didn’t know love…I did know I had to pray, but I kept trying, I kept turning to Him and eventually I found Him or He found me, He got through to me. I now…I feel like this is my family. I love you guys. I just wanted to thank you guys and I just wanted to make my place known.

Hi, this is Chaz from New York. This message is for the girl with the lumpy dog, I believe that’s what she refers to herself as. I was listening to you, I think it’s maybe the first time I’ve heard you and I just wanted to say that I love you very much and I empathize with your…with your…ordeal? I don’t know if I mean ordeal, but I empathize with the process that you are undergoing having brought my parents through cancer treatment and I just want to say a word of prayer for you, just a word of comfort and encouragement. Father, I just bring before You my precious sister. I thank You for creating her. I thank You for her life. I thank You for how for You have created her Lord God. And Lord I thank You that You know every cell in her body, You know every organ system. Lord God, You know her heart, You know her mind. Father, I place her at the foot of Your cross Lord and I pray that Your healing would take over her life. Lord God I pray that she would be a miracle Lord God amidst the physicians that are in charge of her care. Lord God that You would normalize every cell cycle Lord God of every cell in her body Lord God. Bring her body to homeostasis Lord God. Bring healing.

[zionites-blog]

UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS

  Good intention is as bad of as lack of it. Show me one act of kindness, and it will suffice. Put in another man’s words, “The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention”. No word is as vague and empty as the phrase, “I intend to…” Intention is like a wish, but we all know that, “If wishes were horses, beggars too will ride”. Walt Kelly says. “It’s not good enough for things to be planned - they still have to be done; for the intention to become a reality, energy has to be launched into operation”. Not until the intention is converted to an action, however good it is, it is still an intention. For the America National Football League (NFL) players, in spite of the accompanying penalty, the act of unnecessary roughness can be a lifesaving and a goal-oriented scheme. But when it comes to the proven principles and issues of life, the penalty for not going by the rules can be horrendous. “Drinking acid, thinks it is water is an unforgivable act” (anon). The thief and the abettor are birds of the same feather- they are not different in any way. Likewise, the alcoholic and the man who pay for it are two sides of the same coin – they are in the same shoe. If you do not feel disgusted at the sight of indecency, you are likely in the same train with them. “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers” (Psalm 1 vs. 1). Good observers said, “The world best sermon is preached by the road sign: keep right”. Which will you rather have, a big house or a good home?  A big house is never equal to a good home. More than likely, you find tall men, but men with short tempers in a big house. Grouchy, intolerant, and nagging women are not likely going to occupy a good home either. The book of proverbs 22 vs. 1 says, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold”. “When what she really wants is time to talk - sending flowers will not make up for it. When the man actually needs a home-cooked meal - a hug is not the answer” (Gary Chapman). In our pursuit to become recognized in the society, we multiply possessions while our values are greatly reduced. Derogating virtues and elevating vices is a cancer to the society. The issue of morality remains the same across generations. In our quest to finding independence, and also in our effort to letting our children be who they are, it should be made clear that the subject of morality remains the same for them as it is for us. Among other things bequeathed on our children, good virtues should be more emphasized. Of what use is it if the youngster ends up being a fugitive or a vagabond? Consider this as a rhetoric question, “If you don’t have time to do it right, and right now, when will you have time to do it right over”? (Anon). Unlike any other generations, we have been to the moon back and forth on several occasions. As well, this generation has literally taken a walk in the star. However, often we find it difficult to say ‘hi’ to our neighbors living across the street. The Chinese says, “Anyone can buy a house, but good neighbors are priceless”. A good neighbor quote puts it this way, “When your acquaintances are thousands of miles away, your neighbor remains the closest associate”. Money can buy a sleeping bed, but it cannot buy sleep; it can pay hospital bills, but it cannot buy good health. Why then do we run after money as though it is the most important thing? Often, we live in poverty in the land of plenty. We have many people around us, and yet we feel lonely. The late Steve Jobs, founder of Apple computer Inc. said, “The most compelling reason for most people to buy a computer for the home will be to link it to a worldwide communication network”. But, most of our intimate relationships lack communication.  Opportunity for greatness abounds, and yet we do not recognize it – probably because “It’s dressed in overall and looks like work”, according to Thomas Edison. The most chronic illnesses thrive in the land where we have the top physicians. Wretchedness in the land of the greatest philanthropists is not uncharacteristic! Dale Carnegie advises, “Do not fire the employee who made mistakes 10 times only to hire another person”. “As long as it’s not the same set of mistake”, he said, “He has only learnt 10 times of how not to do it wrong.” Remember what the elders say, “New brooms may sweep clean, but only the old broom knows the corners”. “Keep your mind open to ideas, as long as they are not the same old ones” (John Mason). The story of TJ will help substantiate our subject of discussion. TJ was a son of a very rich father. But his father was someone who imbibed the principles of the Bible to the core. Unlike his father, TJ wanted to have things his own way, and still have full access to the things of his father. But his father would have none of such - his intention was to bring up his son in the best possible moralistic standard.  The elders say, “The sheep that made a companion of dogs will certainly eat human feces”. TJ -like the prodigal son- lived a rebellious and meager life against the wish of his father. He was not interested in going to college and was also not interested in learning a trade either. On every occasion, he made a request to his father to set up a business empire for him, so that he could be as rich as his father. “A wise father knows his child, but a foolish son does not take time to know his father”, says the aged. TJ’s father was more than willing to honor his son’s request. He made provision for all that was needed for his son to be like him. Any man can be a Father, but it takes someone special to be a Dad. A wise Dad also knows that, “If a child is given enough rope, he will hang himself”.  What TJ’s father did each time the request was made by his son was to present him a Bible. But TJ would rather live a lowly and wretched live than to take the Bible from his father. In his final will, TJ’s father had made it clear that the only conditions given to TJ concerning his inheritance was for him to pick up the Bible that he had rejected over the years. TJ had waited too long for the demise of his father, but when the old man finally passed on, it was more than gladness for TJ to come home with the hope of controlling his father business empire.  “By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong” (Charles Wadsworth). To his disappointment, on arrival TJ learnt that he had no access to his father’s inheritance. With a troubled mind, he searched furiously through his father’s papers until he found the little Bible that his father used to present to him. Unwillingly, he grabbed and opened it, only to discover a copy of the living-will inside the Bible. The most pathetic aspect was to know that the living-will was dated as far back as when the Bible was first presented to him. The living-will states that he should take over the business empire the very first day his request was made!  This one too might interest someone. It was about a man who lived as a pauper when he could have lived in luxury. An elderly lady once left a $20,000 inside the Bible and gave it to him. He simply collects it and drop it on the shelf. From there, he headed for Las Vegas. Soon his money was gone, he lived the next 60 years as a pauper, scraping for every meal and barely having clothes to cover his body. As he was moving to a convalescent home, he reached to grab that old Bible, thinking it might be of use at that point of his life. As he did, the Bible accidentally fell to the floor and opened, revealing $100 bills between every other page.  Anxiety is a killer, do not be trapped into it. Jesus asked, “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his life? What you worried about yesterday is most likely no longer in vogue today. The coolest way to be uncertain is to own two clocks. Do not shoulder your troubles all by yourself when you have those who are willing to help you. “Perhaps, what you are looking for in the upper shelf is staring at you in the lower shelf” (African proverb).  The ultimate question was asked by Jesus Christ when he said, “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loose his soul” (Matthew 16 vs. 26).  This is exactly what Fredrick Warren meant when he said, “You never know God is all you need until God is all you have.” Read the full article

[ramrodd]

33. The Blind Man of Bethsaida (8:14 – 26)

COMMENTARY:

It turns out, your corespondent was correct; Donald J; Trump has emerged as the Anti-Christ, constitutionally. He's actually not the Anti-Christ, but the more like King Saul: he is jealous of the actual contituntional Philosper-King, We, the People. He along with the Movement Conservatives who consider themselve the original Reananaucs, have been led astray by Newt Gingrich since he bagan his agenda to become Speaker of the House.Gringrich has been running an Trotsky-inspired political scam on America based on the formula for creating a domestic, internal insurgence leading to polarization, tribal confrontation, violent revolution and regime change by political coup.

As I recall, your correspondent referred to Daniel 3, Daniel 6 and Daniel 9. Daniel 7:12 is, or course, the Son of Man and the numerological triangulation of this guy's prophecy revolves around Obama when it started and Trump. The GOP has been engaged in a domestic insurgency since William F. Buckley, Jr, published his Sharon Statement and established Movement Conservatives like Rick WIlson, Nicole Wallace, Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham through his farm system for engaging and developing people with the same crypto-Nazi cogintive organization as Mike Pompeo, Mick Malverny and Tom Cotton and give them a lucrative career advancing a Newty's program of insurgency as useful idiots.

Now, we have had an election where that prophecy is being played out in real time on Twitter until the Rape of Congress by Trump's followers, who are almost entirely useful idiots who add mass to the demonstration, but at the tip of that lynch mob, the Proud Boys,/white supremacists/ Q-ANON conspiracy to inspire a race war, Virtually all of them are Pro-Life.

Pro-Life is the Anti-Christ.

Now, the people around Obama/Biden were engaged in the Democratic Socialsm of Jefferson Deomocracy as reformed by the 13th Amendment. The numerology of the 13th Amendment, is the same numerology as the Son of God in Daniel 7:13,  That is, Jesus is very often attached to the number 13 in some way as either the finger of God, Himself (which Jesus most certainly was) or it was the finger of God, Itself. It is just a consitent figure of speack in the entire narrative of the Bible, from "In the Beginning" to Amen in Revelation. Numerology is a signpost installed by God from the very first and over the centuries. In that regard, it is perfectly inerrant.

And I couldn't explaing this to you in this manner if the Arabs hadn't invented the numerological symbot for "nothing" Zero/0. Zero doesn't exist, numerologically, in the narrative of the Bible (or anywhere in the Judeo-Christian literature, codified and uncodified,  as a concept, until the Romans showed up. Everbody used alphabets that had originated out of number after Melchezidek came along. He was part of the guild associated with the Magi of Matthew.  This guild apparently  spread out across the Mediterrean and planted some seeds of wisdom gleaned from the systematic application of process theology to the universe as it unfolds out infront of us. The big change they made was to introduce 9 base numerology to replace the 8 base numerology of the Egyptian priests, which had produced the social economic structues based on building pyramids as important scientific observations of the firmament. Intellectually, 8 base numerology is a cul-de-sac and becomes decadent. It's a closed system economics, zero-sum/engineering/gold-based banking that was preventing the globalization of the capitalism the Roman empire brought to the world. I mean, there was stuff that began to occur at that moment, when the seed of 9 base numerology began to grow in Abraham's imagination, to Bretton Woods. This is the thing about Elizabeth Warren: she is hooked into that righteous banking model.

But it really became jet propelled when Islam inventing Zero/0 as a useful symbol of accounting. And the only thing that has prevented this rigtheous banking system to take mankind to Space is everything connected with William F. Buckley's Sharon Statement of 1960 but creating the Tsusamie of the Rape of Congress on 7 January 2021.  

Remember Daniel, Chapter 7, where the Finger of God designates the Son of God. 7 very often is used as a lightening rod where the lightening from the Finger of God will enter into history as a Sign. So, Daniel 7:13 is the place where the Finger of God sets the process in motion to produce The Cross and Daniel 7:13 the Finger of God has touch America with divine intent and produce the Rape of Congress that can be traced from 1960 through Speaker Gingrich to Steve Bannon to 7 January 2021, God created a lightening rod to expose the working of Satan in the American body politic and that agency is Newt Gingrich. Trump just happened to be his marionnette.

Trump didn't become a crime boss until he won the election with intellectual property his Moscow partners in the 2013 Miss Universe Contest stole from the DNC and Clinton campaign by committing treason with a transnational crime consortium.. They've had him by the balls the whole time and Putin has nothing to do with it.

Now, the only question in my mind was how much coordination went on between Gingrich, Bannon and this transnation criminal consortius which is currently has America under seige with a Nory based cyber-attach trying to look like it's coming out of the Kremlin. This is the reason for the structural polarization Newty's political strategy creates, to overthrow Congress and the federal government.  I mean, if you've read Atlas Shrugged, she describes exactly what Newt Gingrich has been doing since he got into politics: Newty is the answer to "Who is John Galt".

Virutally all Libertarians have been useful idiots for this insurgency since they began attending YAF meetings and the C-PAC convention annually. It's like Comic-Con or a Trekkie or AmWay convention only focused on reinforcing the Virtue of Selfishness, Public Choice economics and narcissism the new righteousness. The basic Pro-Life Evangelical community family values.

All the Pro-Life Evangelical warriors who participated in the Rape of Congress pretty well define the right-wing useful idiot, while the people who Trump launched down Pennsylvania Avenue as a shot below the warterline of The Constitutional Ship of State, the basic cannon foder led by peoole being financed by the transnationa criminal constortium with Euro-dollar black mone being laundered through PayPal and Patreon.

How can you tell the difference between the cash flows of the Koch brothers to the Prouc Boy insurgency and Vory drug money?

You can't. That is one of the functions of Citizens United: it's all green. It goes into Meta Chruchs like First Presbyterian and, from my perspective, shouldn't be stopped. The fact is, we need to repartriate these black eurodollars to repair the damage done by the pandemic and whatever damage the Trump administration has done to the US Economy, which scares me in connection with the connection between John Galt and the potential collapse of American finances that was avoided in 2008.

And your coorespondent intuited the Finger of God in contemporary American politics by a using a narrative 2500 years old employing the numerology of the Bible. My biggest complaint about Christian apologetics is that it is just another version of the Marxist dialectic historic deconstruction that became the dominant paradigm in the 60s cultural wars (and continuing). History is a forensic science, like the practice of law, and in, Christian apologetics, history is superior to narrative/literature as a social construct.  And, as a literature major, that pisses me off.  Before history could congeal to abstract reconstruction, narrative IS. In the Beignning was the Word and history emerged from one of the ribs of the Word by way of narrative.

And before the Word was in the mind of God, Number IS. I Am that I Am: number the stars if you can.

And, again, Islam provides an essential validation of number in the mind of The One (as is presented in Revelation 4.2) in Sura 74:30 "And above it is 19" employing symbols I can employ to explain how number works as a figure of speach and a jewel in the fabric of Scripture. All that tapestry is lost in historical reconstruction because it doesn't seem to be evidence that can be defended in a court of law or a PhD defense.

But there it is. You have been praying all your life of a sign from God and now you have one: the Rape of Congress on 7 January 2021, as I write this 7 days and a wake-up from a constitutionally processed peaceful Change of Command.

[agape-philo-sophia]

Christmas & It’s Esoteric Significance. Santa Claus, an Esoteric interpretation.

Christmas & It’s Esoteric Significance

The exact date of Jesus’s birth is a matter of debate, but it is generally acknowledged that it was not December 25. That date was adopted most likely in the fourth century CE (Christian or Common Era). That date was chosen, according to Gibbon (Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire), by early Christians because it coincided with the culmination of the Roman festival of Brumalia, celebrating the birth of Bacchus (Dionysus). Bruma is an ancient Latin name for the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, which the Julian calendar fixed on December 25. It was also the traditional date of the birth of Mithra, the Invincible Sun. In either case, it enabled Christians to avoid attracting unwanted attention to themselves and consequently persecution. Not all early Christian communities adopted that date; one historian is quoted by Annie Besant (Esoteric Christianity, p. 110) as re¬porting that “one hundred and thirty-six different dates” were “fixed on by different Christian sects”. Leadbeater suggests that the actual date may have been “sometime in the spring” (Inner Side, p. 9).

Whatever the reason for choosing December 25, that date is esoterically appropriate. For one thing, associating the birth of a world teacher with the rebirth of the Sun (symbolic of our spiritual Self) relates Christianity to the esoteric doctrine of the descent of the second person of the Trinity into matter to begin the long evolutionary journey of unfolding consciousness in ever more sophisticated forms. It is also claimed by some psychics, such as Dora van Gelder [Kunz] (The Christmas of the Angels) that there is a special outpouring of energy upon the world at this time.

Leadbeater further states that the story of wise men being guided to the birthplace by a star is symbolic of an event in the expansion of consciousness called the First Initiation, when humans begin to develop their inherent spiritual powers. It is said that a star appears in the psychic realm over the initiate’s head at that time. The Magi may represent either the acknowledgment of the new initiate by other initiates or, considering the traditional gifts of the Magi, the purification of the vehicles of the initiate’s personal consciousness: myrrh for physical, frankincense for emotional, gold for mental. Many people experience Christmas as a greater feeling of brotherhood, peace, and love (Leadbeater, Inner Side, pp. 27-32).

Sir James George Frazer, in his Golden Bough, suggests that Christmas was borrowed directly from Mithraism and points out that many pagan cultures in the northern hemisphere celebrated festivals at this time of year. It was close to the longest night of the year, and for agrarian societies the approaching lengthening of daylight was important for growing crops, thus for sustaining life. Various tribes then engaged in rituals to ensure fecundity. The association of the rebirth of the sun with the astrological sign of Capricorn at that time of year reinforces the association with fecundity.

The traditional Christmas story of the Nativity derives mostly from Matthew’s Gospel; only Luke makes any other mention of it, adding some extra events, such as the Magnificat, Mary’s song about her soul praising the Lord. Because the account in Matthew is very dramatic, one would expect the other Gospels to have included it, especially the slaughter of all new-born Jewish males. Since no contemporary historian, such as Josephus, mentions that event, it must be of esoteric, not historical, significance. A possible interpretation is that Herod represents our habitual consciousness, which seeks to retain its control over the expanded consciousness of the initiate by trying to destroy the new spiritual influences.

According to some Theosophical writers, the historical Jesus was born by the normal means of conception about 105 years BCE (before the Common Era). His parents, poor, but well-born and spiritually developed, belonged to one of the mystery schools of the time. His Jewish name would have been Jeshua, later Romanized as Jesus. A somewhat different account of his birth is given in Talmudic sources, especially the medieval Toledot Yeshu, quoted as historically accurate by H. P. Blavatsky in her various writings, although seriously questioned by some noted scholars. This account is also repeated by G. R. S. Mead in his book Did Jesus Live 100 B.C.? (1903). HPB gives Jesus’ name variously as Jehoshua ben Pandira (CW 8:189, 204, 380) or Jeshu ben-Panthera (CW 4:361), his birthplace as Lud or Lydda (CW 8:189), his mother’s name as “Stada (alias Miriam),” and his father’s name as Panthera, “a Roman soldier” (CW 4:362). Hence, she states, he “was not of pure Jewish blood, and thus recognized no Jehovah” (SD 1:578). HPB states that he lived from 120 to 70 BCE (CW 4:362) and was a disciple of Rabbi Jehoshua ben Perahiah, his granduncle and fifth president of the Jewish Sanhedrin after Ezra, with whom he fled to Alexandria, Egypt, during the persecution of Jews under Alexander Janneaus (the Maccabean King 106-79 BCE). She adds that it was there that Jesus was initiated into the mystery school which caused him to be charged with “heresy and sorcery” upon his return to Palestine (CW 4:362), stoned to death (CW 8:189), and his body hung upon a tree outside the city of Lud (CW 4:362).

There are, then, inconsistencies both within and between the two main Theosophical accounts of the birth and life of Jesus. But however one attempts to reconcile them, it is evident that both the historical account and the esoteric interpretation of the Biblical story of Christmas in Theosophical writings, are at considerable variance with orthodox Christian theology. And whatever the actual facts may have been, they do not minimize the importance of that story both as wonderfully inspiring, as full of rich symbolism, and as a model for our own spiritual development, the awakening to the power of universal love in our hearts.

Santa Claus, an Esoteric interpretation.

All down the ages there have been stories of fairies, gnomes, mermaids, naiads and fabled characters galore.

The ancient Norsemen, Dutch, Huns and all the oriental races possess literature prolific with allegories, parables and fables built around the wonders and physical and chemical operations of the human body.

The birth of the monthly seed is the basis of the Mother Goose Stories and similar tales in all lands.

Santa Claus, or Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of seafarers, virgins and children, is the bearer of gifts to children on Christmas eve.

Of all festivals celebrated all over the known world, that held in honor of Santa Claus ranks as first in the hearts of all humanity, old as well as young. This in itself is a most significant fact.

It is time that the truth in regard to this age long custom be made known to the world, time that its real and true significance be understood. Then will it be truly celebrated, for it will have become an inward process, as well as an outward observation.

Parents, from time immemorial, have explained to their children that the presents which they found in their stockings, when they jumped eagerly from their beds in the morning, were placed there by a mysterious person called “Santa Claus.” No one saw him come, no one saw him leave, but he left unmistakable evidence of his visit.

Some children ask many questions in regard to this mysterious “person,” and when they become too insistent the ingenuity of parents is sorely taxed to give satisfactory answers. There comes a time, however, when they must have the Santa Claus “myth” explained to them, and it is then that their deep childlike trust and confidence in their parents receives its first shock. Thereafter they commence to doubt their parents, to question their veracity, and many tears have been shed, because, after all Santa was not a “really, truly person.”

THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS, IT IS A PHYSIOLOGICAL FACT, and IT does “SECRETE” the most “holy and wonderful gift” or substance in the body of every individual. Those who understand it who receive it in the right spirit have “Become as little children.”

“As above, so below.” As in the Macrocosm the universe, so in the microcosm-man.

Can anyone think for one moment that the parables, fables, allegories and myths that have come down to us through the ages have no basic foundation? They, as well as the fast days and feast days are founded on great esoteric truths. Otherwise they would have ceased to be.

The Great Hierarchy that rules the Universe see to it that nothing is forgotten that needs to be remembered.

Santa Claus, or Saint Claus, is derived from the same root word as “claustrum,” from which “cloister” is also derived. Claustrum means a barrier, a covered place, seclusion. Cloister is referred to as a place of seclusion, and more especially as a place of seclusion for something holy, something dedicated to divinity.

There is a Saint Claus, or Claustrum within the cerebrum, and whoever gave it that name knew why they did so.

The suture of the skull is the point where the bones meet. We can very easily see this place on the head of infants, as the sections are not then drawn closely together, and the vibrations of the brain can be both seen and felt.

In Sanscrit this is called “The Door of Brahm,” for it is the apperture through which the Ego, or Spirit leaves the body. It is also the chimney of Santa Claus. The vertebrae as a whole is called the “stick of Brahm.”

Directly underneath the “door of Brahm” is a triangular shaped body named in physiology the “Island of Reil.” This is the place where “John” was when “he” looked back and saw the wonderful vision of the regenerated man in the “Isle of Patmos” This island is the central lobe of the cerebrum, and is also called the Pole; hence, the Island of Reil is the North Pole of the body, and is, as we well know, the imperishable, sacred land.

In Santee’s anatomy of the brain and spinal cord, we find that this island is “situated in the medial wall of the lateral fissure of the cerebrum, between the frontal, parietal and temporal lobes, whose growth, after the fifth month in utero, gradually covers it over. At the end of the first year of extrauterine life, it is entirely concealed by temporal, parietal and frontal parts of the operculum” cover or lid. Thus we see that Mother Nature has taken great pains to conceal this sacred center.

Underneath this island, and directly in a line with the Optic Thalamus lies the Claustrum, but separated from it by yet three other bodies.

The claustrum is a thin sheet of isolated gray matter, found just medial to the Island of Reil. Santee says it “is a sheet of peculiar gray substance, and is made up of fusiform (spindle shaped) cell-bodies.” It is from this claustrum that contains yellow substance within its outer grayish exterior, that the wonderful, priceless OIL is formed that flows down into the olivary fasciculus, “descending with the rubrospinal tract through the reticular formation in the pons and medulla to the lateral column of the spinal cord. It terminates in the gray matter of the spinal cord, probably giving off collaterals to corresponding nuclei in the brain stem.” Santee. This is the OIL, the precious gift of which the Bible speaks, “Thou anointest my head with oil.”

And not only is there oil manufactured within this special laboratory of the brain, but there is actually an olive tree, which bears actual olives so named in any anatomy. The two olives are two infinitesimal eminences on either side of the medulla, with the Pyramid between.

They are one-half inch in length. It is found well developed only in the higher mammals. They are RELAY (Santee) stations between the cerebrum and the cerebellum and between the spinal cord and the cerebellum.

This oil is the most sacred substance in the body it is the quintessence of gold the “Gold of Ophir” most truly a rare gift. Globules of oil are found in the vital fluid, the semen, and when the prodigal son has wasted his substance, he finds that it takes a long time to replace the deficiency and make good the looted bank account.

This wonderful oil is the secret work of the immaculate Virgin, Mary (or Mare) “represented by the sign Virgo. In chemistry we find that sulphate of potassium is the mineral salt, which, uniting with sulphur and oxygen, manufactures the oil. We find that this salt also crystallizes out from the mother-liquors of sea water and salt springs. People born under the sign Virgo, if they have become deficient in this salt suffer from dryness of the skin, and baldness. We can also understand why draining of the vital fluid - living in excesses, will also produce baldness. If there were no oil in the body, the skin would become harsh and dry.

The story of the wise virgins who had their lamps trimmed and filled with oil is given to emphasize the necessity for the presence of oil in the body, for they cannot go out to meet the "bridegroom” unless their lamps are burning. “The lamb is the lamp thereof.”

The olives, which contain the oil, are the reservoirs the relay stations, of course, which furnish the oil for the lamp, the pineal gland, at the top of which is the flame or eye. When the Kundalini, the serpent fire that lies concealed within the sacral plexus is awakened, burns up the dross within the spinal cord, and reaches the conarium, it sets fire to this oil and thus lights the “perpetual lamp,” which “Gives the light to the whole house.”

Santa Claus is thus the giver of the supreme gift in the human body, the oil for the perpetual lamp the gold of Ophir, the quintessence of richness.

A total lack of oil in the body will, in itself, cause death.

Santa Claus brings his gifts when the Christ-mass is celebrated.

The Greek characters that stand for Christ are X P I, and the word itself (Christ) means oil, in Greek. The seed is the bread of life, and when anointed with oil (Christed and crucified) become the Christ-mass the bread, eaten in the Father’s Kingdom.

Thus we now clearly understand the meaning of Santa Claus and his Christmas visit with gifts to the children.

[ask-the-german-commander]

Haunted by a previous fate

Alright, I’ve finally written that angst piece I promised you all. At least I think it’s angst. Anyway, it’s a thought I’ve been wanting to share. I’ve put a little GerFra in there but that’s not the focus of the story. 

Word count: 3109, a bit longer than expected.

Enjoy! 

“Ludwig.” Francis walked over to me after the meting. He invited me for some coffee as usual. I accepted. It was always very delightful to have some coffee with him after such long, tiresome meetings. These meetings, yes, such chaotic and unstructured things, always drained me of all my energy. I cannot stand things that aren’t organized well. And of course since nobody else will, I end up being the one who tries to give the entire mess some form of structure, because that’s the German I am. However, it costs a lot of effort and I swear some day my voice will leave me for good if I have to continue screaming. Don’t even get me started about the patience it takes to deal with this bunch. Even if I told Francis and Arthur a million times to stop fighting, they never keep it. Of course both of them apologize to me afterwards. Alfred is loud and full of unrealistic ideas, but at least he doesn’t start a fight with others, even tho he was very close to get in a fight with Ivan more than once. I keep worrying about Feliciano who made falling asleep a habit during these meetings. I wonder if he never gets enough sleep or if he’s just always tired (the same goes for his brother). I keep waking him during the meetings, because I think it’s important that he knows what’s going on. But a few minutes later he already got distracted. As per usual, I brief him about the important things after the meeting is done. I can’t just leave him clueless, that would be very irresponsible. Amongst all this chaos, I am very grateful for Kiku’s calming presence and also Matthew’s. I must admit, sometimes I keep forgetting about him, which makes me feel bad. But I’m glad he’s there, at least it gives me someone normal to talk to. Having said this, it’s always such a relief when we end the meeting, but I never have a satisfying feeling. We never get everything done that’s on the agenda.

Francis and I went to our usual place and I treated him on his favourite kind of coffee. Just like every time, we sat down at a table near the window. I loosened my tie and my shirt a bit. Having the upper button closed, it always felt as if I was suffocating but I needed to look presentable, right? Francis observed me as I did so and had a little smirk on his face. Ah yes, he always liked it when it looked like I was undressing myself. What a silly man but who could blame him. If he’d do the same I couldn’t look away either. “Mon cher, how do you manage to look handsome in everything you do?” He asked teasingly before he took a sip of his coffee. I was silent for a second but had to smile as I grabbed my cup of coffee. “You tell me.” I said softly and took a sip. Hm, this was excellent coffee and just what I needed after such a day. Francis smiled charming at me after I had made my comment. His smile, it was one of the greatest things I’ve seen honestly. It was so sweet and charming and I loved seeing it on him. But of course I didn’t admit that on that day. No we had something more urgent to talk about. Or, well, Francis asked about it, because his curiosity knows no limits. 

 “Say Ludwig, you’re such a strong, and handsome, man. You’ve been through so much in your life that it seems you aren’t afraid of anything. You face all the complications and crises of the world as if it’s the most normal thing to you. You don’t lose focus or panic, like, I regret to admit, me. How do you do that? Do you even fear anything?” I was quiet. I had not expected this at all, it really came out of the blue. It was true, that I didn’t panic, because I am disciplined enough to keep my cool in a crisis. Panic just makes you inefficient and leads to nothing. But of course I worry a lot, way too much actually. Feliciano warned me not to worry too much but it hasn’t worked so far. I was sipping my coffee as I thought about Francis’ question. Honestly I had no idea how I should reply to this. But that probably wouldn’t satisfy Francis. Then I started to think back on what had caused me to be like this. 

 I know that I am very young for a nation, barely 200 years old. But yet I have matured much faster than the rest. Gilbert once told me that it has to do with the fact that I had to grow up fast. Since the day I became a nation in 1871 I had no time for playing around. It was serious from the start. From that day I could immediately feel my body getting stronger but I wasn’t growing yet. At first I wasn’t too concerned about that. But then I heard from my siblings what had happened to my predecessor, Holy Rome. They told me I reminded them of him a lot, not just in my appearance but also in my character, I suppose. I wasn’t sure how I should feel about the rest of my siblings. They were all quite sceptical at first when I became a nation. Obviously most weren’t very fond of the unity I had brought upon them. Many were happy being autonomous kingdoms and states, so they really weren’t waiting for some sort of unity, which would take that away. Luckily not all my siblings were sceptical. But still those first few years were a hard time for me. I tried so hard to resolve fights between them and strengthen my personal relationship with them, but the attitude of some just made it impossible. For example Bavaria wanted to have nothing to do with me at first and Saxony didn’t exactly like me either. I tried not to take it too personal, as Gilbert told me, but I couldn’t exactly shut it out either. 

But back to Holy Rome. I never really knew what happened to him before I started asking my siblings some questions. I knew he reigned for almost a 1000 years and that was truly admirable. But when I heard that he never physically grew out to be an adult, because there was no sense of unity among my other siblings, my perception of the Empire changed a bit. Here I thought he has always been strong but he wasn’t, at least not always. He’s been slowly dying since the 17th century, so I heard. In the 19th the French made a definite end to him. Then he vanished. Gilbert told me, that the unity wasn’t strong enough to keep him alive. Over the years the states and kingdoms all wanted power to themselves and eventually that killed him. I wasn’t an idiot. The states finally had autonomous power to themselves after Holy Rome was gone, of course they didn’t like me coming by and taking it from them with a unified Germany. And at this point the fact that I wasn’t physically growing started to scare me and stress me out greatly. Why, you might think. It takes time for a body to grow. No you don’t understand. I was scared to death that my fate would be the same as Holy Rome’s. 

 My siblings might have treated me well when I first appeared, but wasn’t a country yet. But I could see they didn’t really want me around when I became a nation. They tried to cling onto that individuality and the fact that Gilbert, Prussia, had the lead in this unified Germany didn’t please many of them either. I’ve always looked up to Gilbert and I’ve learnt many things from him. But I also had to learn that my siblings not always liked him and thought very different about him. So when I wasn’t growing and my scars from the unification weren’t healing I lived with the fear that I might vanish like my predecessor did, because the unification didn’t work. It didn’t help that I was still a child. It was a nightmare. The worst part was that I never told Gilbert about it. No I didn’t want to appear weak in front of him. He was so strong and I really wanted to be like him when I grew older, if I grew that was. These things were really stressing me out and I had legit nightmares about it. Sometimes I wasn’t able to sleep at all. The fate of Holy Rome haunted me. 

 Luckily after the first 10 years or so of being a nation, I finally started to grow. Slowly. but I did and I felt so relieved! I knew that the unification would work over time and I started to get less haunted by Holy Rome’s fate and the fear of vanishing. At that point I said to myself, that I would grow out to be stronger than him even, I would make it to adulthood and be the strongest country in Europe. How naïve I was. I was too blinded by what my brother Gilbert had learnt and told me. His militarism had made its way deep into my mind. So of course when 1914 arrived, I was enthusiastic about the war! It was my first war after all. We, the German Empire, were the strongest and we’d win this war swiftly! Nobody was a match for us. We were so sure of ourselves. It of course helped a lot that I was already full grown and that was just another sign of the German Empire’s strength. I remember tat Gilbert was so proud of who I had become to be. And I was so happy he said that. But as you all know the war was a disaster. In 1918 I was weakened greatly, much of my territory was taken away. Well, much of Gilbert’s territory actually. But that wasn’t what concerned me the most. I was physically feeling weak too, also because the political system of the time, the Weimar Republic, was just a big failure too. It was the most instable system I had ever experienced, the hyperinflation didn’t help obviously. I felt ashamed of the state I was in. And here again, the fate of Holy Rome started to haunt me. It was ridiculous, but those first few years after the war I had troubles to get my country back into an organized state and I’ve already explained that I don’t like unorganized things. My nights were sleepless. Unlike now I couldn’t keep my cool and I was worried where this chaos would lead me. To a dictatorship I regrettably must admit. You all know how that ended. But I want to mention here that in 1933 my strength was returning and when 1939 was upon us, I was ready to face another war. I hate to admit, but I wanted revenge for what the world had done to me and my brother, Gilbert. Little did I know it would only end even worse. So much worse. 

My country was in ruins after the war had finally ended. My people were starving, most of my men went missing or were dead. Almost half my territory was taken away. Don’t get me wrong, I probably deserved this punishment after the horrible things my country had done. At least I thought so. Gilbert was even in a worse state than me. As if this wasn’t enough, the allies decided to dissolve Prussia. My brother was going to vanish. My brother, to whom I’ve looked up to all these years, who had raised me and protected me, wasn’t going to be there anymore. I couldn’t believe it and I tried to plead for him but I was in no position to do so. It had been decided. And here again, the fate of my predecessor started to come back to me. Just like him, I was weakened by war. But at least the unity wasn’t falling apart. That wasn’t enough to keep me from worrying. The future at the time was uncertain for me. I had no idea what was going to happen and I didn’t have my fate in my own hands either. The Allies were deciding things for me. I was scared of the future. I had no idea how I was going to cope with everything. Not with the future and not with the past either. And the fact that Holy Rome was haunting me again didn’t help. I felt so weak and helpless; I really thought I wasn’t going to exist anymore either and that I, just like the ones before me, would vanish. Maybe it is just something very German to be in an existential crisis so often. When I look back it certainly is something I have experienced a lot since the day I became a country. I didn’t really have a childhood, not the one other nations had. There was just no time. The historical circumstance required me to mature much faster than others. I had to learn to adapt and cope with lots of problems and crises. These things were important and needed to be taken serious. There was no room to fool around. Nowadays it surprises me that I’ve managed to do so in a time span of 50 years, which is nothing in terms of nation age. 

The last existential crisis I had to face was the building of the wall, which had torn my country in half. As you might imagine my childhood fear came back but I managed to live with it for 40 years. By then I had gotten used to this fear returning every time I was divided and - it didn’t bother me too much from functioning properly anymore. But you could imagine my joy when the wall fell and once again I was unified. However, there is still a division between east and west, from which I’ve gotten one scar left. It’s been slowly healing but who knows when it will fully be gone.

“Ludwig?” I was ripped out of my thoughts by a familiar voice. Oh right, I was still in that café with Francis who asked me something. The question, that triggered all of this. I opened my mouth to say something but closed it again. No I couldn’t possibly tell him all this. I couldn’t bring up Holy Rome in his presence, I know he’d feel guilty about it again. Still, I should be honest with him. Nobody knows about my childhood trauma, maybe he as my best and closest friend should be the first one to know. Enough time had passed now anyway. 

“Were you lost in thought?” Francis said with a smile. I just nodded and took another sip of my coffee. Luckily it wasn’t cold yet. 

 “You ask me how I cope with this current situation of crisis?” I paused. He nodded. “That’s easy actually, I’ve never known much different. As long as I can remember I’ve always lived in a state of crisis.” I looked at my cup on the table, not wanting to see the expression on Francis’ face change. 

“Mon cher, that can’t be true… right?” He asked a little uncertain. I managed to look up and as I thought Francis’ expression had changed from joy to something concerned and sad. “You know I had to go through four different stages of political systems in not even a 100 years.” I said softly and tried to sound as neutral as I could. “That leaves its mark on you.” I added before taking another sip. For a moment nobody said something and I tried to analyse Francis’ behaviour. “But of course I had my moments of joy.” I finally added with a weak smile. It wasn’t a lie, it were just not so many moments. The most enjoyable moments and the time I was most carefree was before I became a nation. But I wasn’t going to tell him that. It seemed to cheer him up a little as I noticed the smile appearing back on his face. 

 “But does that also make you fearless?” He asked after another few moments of silence. Of course he wouldn’t let that go. I put my cup back down on the table. It was almost empty. I drink too fast when I’m lost in thought. 

 “Every nation got its fears.” I just said and hoped to put and end to this topic. “That is true yes. But it seems you have none Ludwig. You’ve faced the great quarrels of the past and you grew out to be even stronger afterwards. I couldn’t possibly imagine that you would be afraid of something at this stage.” He said rather careful. Well, there wasn’t really a way I could get out of this now, was there? The thought of confessing my fears to him made me uncomfortable. In the past I’ve always hid my emotions and fears in order to appear stronger, just like Gilbert had taught me. But since I’m with Francis I’ve learnt to open up more. I know he would never tell anyone, I trust him. 

 “It would seem so indeed.” I agreed on his previous comment. “But it’s not the truth.” I hesitated and noticed Francis’ expression was filled with expectation. “I…. “ I tried to get the words out of my mouth but it was much harder than I thought. My muscles tensed up and my hand was shaking a little. The other wasn’t an idiot and of course noticed. Suddenly I felt his hand take mine. “Don’t be nervous Ludwig. You know you can tell me.” His voice was so soft and soothing, it calmed me down. How did he do this? How could he always be so caring? 

 “Will you promise me not to think different of me?” 

 “Of course not Ludwig.” 

I nodded and took a deep breath. Alright, he had the right to know. Maybe it was best if we as close associates and friends knew each other’s weaknesses as well. Besides, the fear wasn’t that alive anymore these days. I am certain that I will be stronger than Holy Rome. I already am. And so I started to explain it all to him. But while I was talking, I couldn’t stop thinking, when it would be my turn to vanish like my predecessors did.

[focusontheeasternlightning-blog]

Unfathomable Mystery of Jesus Christ Fasting 40 Days

Brothers and sisters of Spiritual Q&A:

Hello everyone!

I have already had faith in the Lord for over ten years, but I still cannot understand some of the scriptures. For example, recently, I felt puzzled when I read the scriptures about Satan tempting the Lord Jesus, “Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If you be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:1-4). I thought: When we Christians fast and pray, we do so to show our sincerity in asking the Lord to help us solve all difficulties and problems that we encounter. But the Lord Jesus is the incarnate God, and He has the ability to do everything, so why did He fast for forty days? What mysteries does it contain? Lately I’ve been bothered by this issue. Please share fellowship on this. Thanks!

Brother Chen Simin

Brother Chen Simin:

Hello! In the past, we also didn’t understand the issue that you’ve raised. But later, through praying to God, reading God’s words, and seeking fellowship with brothers and sisters, we came to have a shallow knowledge of it. The following is some understanding shared by several of our brothers and sisters of Spiritual Q&A. We’d like to share it with you.

Brother Chengshi: That the Lord Jesus fasted for forty days contains far-reaching significance and unfathomable mysteries. Since our understanding is limited, we can only talk about some shallow understanding. Just like you, I used to think: “The Lord Jesus is God Himself and He can accomplish everything, so why did He have to fast?” Afterward, I saw the words of God say, “Prior to performing His ministry, Jesus too was only an ordinary man who acted in accordance with whatever the Holy Spirit did. Regardless of whether He was aware of His own identity at the time, He obeyed all that came from God. The Holy Spirit never revealed His identity before His ministry commenced.” God’s words made me understand that after the Lord Jesus became flesh as the Son of man and came to earth, He always submitted to the will of the heavenly Father in the position of a man of creation. In particular, before the Lord Jesus performed His ministry, that is, before He formally launched the work of redemption in the Age of Grace, He was an ordinary, normal man, and all that He did was done under the guidance and leadership of the Holy Spirit. This reminded me of the scene in the Bible when the Lord Jesus was baptized by John: At that time, John tried to stop Jesus, but Jesus said, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). It was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit that Jesus went to be baptized by John. Besides, in the Age of Law, fasting was a regulation that the Israelites should observe. The Lord Jesus obeyed all that the Holy Spirit arranged, and then was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to fast for forty days and forty nights. From this we can see the Lord Jesus’ humility and hiddenness; He can absolutely obey the work of the Holy Spirit, for there is no arrogance or rebellion in His essence. That is to say, the substance of God’s incarnation is obedience to the will of the heavenly Father.

Additionally, God’s work always contains His wisdom and good intentions. As God’s words say, “The forty days of temptation that Jesus underwent is a miraculous sign, one that an ordinary man would be incapable of achieving. His forty days of temptation was in the nature of the Holy Spirit’s working….” It can be seen: That the Lord Jesus fasted for forty days and nights and overcame the various temptations of Satan in the midst of the fast cannot be achieved by any ordinary men, and can be called an enormous miracle. This miracle tells us: By outward appearance the Lord Jesus is an ordinary, normal person, but His power is extraordinary and great, and comes from God.

Sister Shen Fang: Right! I remember there’s a passage in the word of God that says: “The Lord Jesus saw the hardship in people’s lives, He saw the hardship, the wretchedness, and the sadness of people under the corruption of Satan, living under the domain of Satan, and living in sin. … He felt more and more grief, and became more and more anxious to save mankind from sin. No matter what kind of difficulties He would face or what kind of pain He would suffer, He became more and more resolute to redeem mankind living in sin.” This passage of God’s word shows the Lord Jesus’ intention to us, and allows us to truly feel God’s love and salvation for us, as well as His essence of holiness and kindness. From this passage we can see that, in order to soon save mankind—who lived amid pain and suffering—from the domain of Satan, the Lord Jesus was willing to suffer all kinds of pains to perform His work of redemption as soon as possible. The Lord Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness and there He fasted for forty days and was tempted by Satan. During the period of fasting, with the identity of the Son of man, the Lord Jesus opened His heart and prayed to God the Father, sought the will of the heavenly Father, and obeyed the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When encountering the temptation of Satan, the Lord Jesus used His powerful words to give a strong counterattack against Satan, overcoming the temptation of Satan. After the forty days of fasting and prayer, the Lord Jesus started to formally perform His ministry, bear the important responsibility given by the heavenly Father, and preach the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. In the end, He was nailed to the cross, completing His work of redeeming mankind and thoroughly defeating Satan. From this we can understand that the forty days of fasting that the Lord Jesus underwent was actually a spiritual battle taking place between God and Satan, and was also a contest between justice and evil. Satan is the embodiment of everything evil and ugly; it has ever trailed along behind God interrupting and disturbing God’s work. So it took the opportunity to tempt the Lord Jesus, attempting in vain to cause Him to fall for its tricks and thus achieving its purpose of destroying God’s work. When faced with the arrogance of Satan, however, the Lord Jesus defeated it in only three sentences, after which it fled in panic. This allows us to see that God’s word is the most powerful weapon for and the secret to triumphing over Satan. As the words of God say, “Does everything that the Lord Jesus said and did in this situation carry some practical meaning for everyone if it is applied now? … If you ever experience Satan’s temptations in your own life, and if you are able to see through to Satan’s evil nature, will you be able to defeat it?” “The truth that man needs to possess is found in the word of God, a truth that is the most beneficial and helpful to mankind. … As you grow in stature, you will see things of the spiritual world more clearly, and you will be more powerful to triumph over Satan.” God’s words are the truth, and they have authority, and power; the truth spoken by the Lord Jesus is able to triumph over all the temptations, attacks, and enticements of Satan. The word of God also points out to us the path of practice: As long as we properly equip ourselves with truths, it is entirely possible to rely on God’s word to triumph over every temptation and attack of Satan, and bear witness for God.

Brother Wang Qiang: Thanks be to the Lord! I’ll also share a bit of my understanding of this issue. The reason why the Lord Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness was not because He had no food to eat. Instead, He wanted to use His personal experience to tell us a fact: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). We humans all believe we must live by bread; we do not understand that we live not only by relying on food, but most importantly, we cannot leave God’s words. This is the greatest weakness of us corrupt mankind, and is also where Satan tempts and attacks us. The Lord Jesus fasted for forty days, really and truly suffering torment and paying the price. On the one hand, it shows us that the words of God have authority and power, that so long as we live by God’s words, we will triumph over Satan and stand testimony for God when encountering Satan’s temptations. On the other hand, it also tells us the eternal truth that God’s words can be man’s life and only God’s words are the root of our existence. For example, as recorded in the Bible, in order to carry out the will of God, Moses received the commandments and laws God promulgated on Mount Sinai, and did not eat or drink anything for forty days and forty nights (See Exodus 34:28). Elijah the prophet is another example. When God wished to use Elijah, he went to Horeb without eating or drinking anything for forty days and forty nights (See 1 Kings 19:8). So it can be seen that man does not live by bread alone, and as long as man has God’s presence and the leadership of God’s words, he can overcome his flesh and death. We can also see that God’s life force is extraordinary and can prevail over any power. It is God’s life that supports the survival of man, gives us faith and strength, and makes our resolve to march forward firm. Today although we live in a physical body, what allows us to go on living is not food, but all the words expressed by God; only God’s words are what we need in life. Therefore, no matter what hardships or trials are to come upon us in the future, we should always remember: God is our staunch support and the One we can depend upon. So long as we live by God’s words, we will be able to walk out from adversity, stand witness for God, and shame Satan!

Brother Chen, the above are some of our understanding and comprehension of why the Lord Jesus fasted for forty days. We hope that they can bring you some help. We also hope that you can understand God’s will from His words and comprehend the truth within them.

Sincerely yours,

Brothers and sisters of Spiritual Q&A

[comebeforegod]

Unfathomable Mystery of Jesus Christ Fasting 40 Days

Brothers and sisters of Spiritual Q&A:

Hello everyone!

I have already had faith in the Lord for over ten years, but I still cannot understand some of the scriptures. For example, recently, I felt puzzled when I read the scriptures about Satan tempting the Lord Jesus, “Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If you be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:1-4). I thought: When we Christians fast and pray, we do so to show our sincerity in asking the Lord to help us solve all difficulties and problems that we encounter. But the Lord Jesus is the incarnate God, and He has the ability to do everything, so why did He fast for forty days? What mysteries does it contain? Lately I’ve been bothered by this issue. Please share fellowship on this. Thanks!

Brother Chen Simin

Brother Chen Simin:

Hello! In the past, we also didn’t understand the issue that you’ve raised. But later, through praying to God, reading God’s words, and seeking fellowship with brothers and sisters, we came to have a shallow knowledge of it. The following is some understanding shared by several of our brothers and sisters of Spiritual Q&A. We’d like to share it with you.

Brother Chengshi: That the Lord Jesus fasted for forty days contains far-reaching significance and unfathomable mysteries. Since our understanding is limited, we can only talk about some shallow understanding. Just like you, I used to think: “The Lord Jesus is God Himself and He can accomplish everything, so why did He have to fast?” Afterward, I saw the words of God say, “Prior to performing His ministry, Jesus too was only an ordinary man who acted in accordance with whatever the Holy Spirit did. Regardless of whether He was aware of His own identity at the time, He obeyed all that came from God. The Holy Spirit never revealed His identity before His ministry commenced.” God’s words made me understand that after the Lord Jesus became flesh as the Son of man and came to earth, He always submitted to the will of the heavenly Father in the position of a man of creation. In particular, before the Lord Jesus performed His ministry, that is, before He formally launched the work of redemption in the Age of Grace, He was an ordinary, normal man, and all that He did was done under the guidance and leadership of the Holy Spirit. This reminded me of the scene in the Bible when the Lord Jesus was baptized by John: At that time, John tried to stop Jesus, but Jesus said, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). It was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit that Jesus went to be baptized by John. Besides, in the Age of Law, fasting was a regulation that the Israelites should observe. The Lord Jesus obeyed all that the Holy Spirit arranged, and then was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to fast for forty days and forty nights. From this we can see the Lord Jesus’ humility and hiddenness; He can absolutely obey the work of the Holy Spirit, for there is no arrogance or rebellion in His essence. That is to say, the substance of God’s incarnation is obedience to the will of the heavenly Father.

Additionally, God’s work always contains His wisdom and good intentions. As God’s words say, “The forty days of temptation that Jesus underwent is a miraculous sign, one that an ordinary man would be incapable of achieving. His forty days of temptation was in the nature of the Holy Spirit’s working….” It can be seen: That the Lord Jesus fasted for forty days and nights and overcame the various temptations of Satan in the midst of the fast cannot be achieved by any ordinary men, and can be called an enormous miracle. This miracle tells us: By outward appearance the Lord Jesus is an ordinary, normal person, but His power is extraordinary and great, and comes from God.

Sister Shen Fang: Right! I remember there’s a passage in the word of God that says: “The Lord Jesus saw the hardship in people’s lives, He saw the hardship, the wretchedness, and the sadness of people under the corruption of Satan, living under the domain of Satan, and living in sin. … He felt more and more grief, and became more and more anxious to save mankind from sin. No matter what kind of difficulties He would face or what kind of pain He would suffer, He became more and more resolute to redeem mankind living in sin.” This passage of God’s word shows the Lord Jesus’ intention to us, and allows us to truly feel God’s love and salvation for us, as well as His essence of holiness and kindness. From this passage we can see that, in order to soon save mankind—who lived amid pain and suffering—from the domain of Satan, the Lord Jesus was willing to suffer all kinds of pains to perform His work of redemption as soon as possible. The Lord Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness and there He fasted for forty days and was tempted by Satan. During the period of fasting, with the identity of the Son of man, the Lord Jesus opened His heart and prayed to God the Father, sought the will of the heavenly Father, and obeyed the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When encountering the temptation of Satan, the Lord Jesus used His powerful words to give a strong counterattack against Satan, overcoming the temptation of Satan. After the forty days of fasting and prayer, the Lord Jesus started to formally perform His ministry, bear the important responsibility given by the heavenly Father, and preach the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. In the end, He was nailed to the cross, completing His work of redeeming mankind and thoroughly defeating Satan. From this we can understand that the forty days of fasting that the Lord Jesus underwent was actually a spiritual battle taking place between God and Satan, and was also a contest between justice and evil. Satan is the embodiment of everything evil and ugly; it has ever trailed along behind God interrupting and disturbing God’s work. So it took the opportunity to tempt the Lord Jesus, attempting in vain to cause Him to fall for its tricks and thus achieving its purpose of destroying God’s work. When faced with the arrogance of Satan, however, the Lord Jesus defeated it in only three sentences, after which it fled in panic. This allows us to see that God’s word is the most powerful weapon for and the secret to triumphing over Satan. As the words of God say, “Does everything that the Lord Jesus said and did in this situation carry some practical meaning for everyone if it is applied now? … If you ever experience Satan’s temptations in your own life, and if you are able to see through to Satan’s evil nature, will you be able to defeat it?” “The truth that man needs to possess is found in the word of God, a truth that is the most beneficial and helpful to mankind. … As you grow in stature, you will see things of the spiritual world more clearly, and you will be more powerful to triumph over Satan.” God’s words are the truth, and they have authority, and power; the truth spoken by the Lord Jesus is able to triumph over all the temptations, attacks, and enticements of Satan. The word of God also points out to us the path of practice: As long as we properly equip ourselves with truths, it is entirely possible to rely on God’s word to triumph over every temptation and attack of Satan, and bear witness for God.

Brother Wang Qiang: Thanks be to the Lord! I’ll also share a bit of my understanding of this issue. The reason why the Lord Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness was not because He had no food to eat. Instead, He wanted to use His personal experience to tell us a fact: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). We humans all believe we must live by bread; we do not understand that we live not only by relying on food, but most importantly, we cannot leave God’s words. This is the greatest weakness of us corrupt mankind, and is also where Satan tempts and attacks us. The Lord Jesus fasted for forty days, really and truly suffering torment and paying the price. On the one hand, it shows us that the words of God have authority and power, that so long as we live by God’s words, we will triumph over Satan and stand testimony for God when encountering Satan’s temptations. On the other hand, it also tells us the eternal truth that God’s words can be man’s life and only God’s words are the root of our existence. For example, as recorded in the Bible, in order to carry out the will of God, Moses received the commandments and laws God promulgated on Mount Sinai, and did not eat or drink anything for forty days and forty nights (See Exodus 34:28). Elijah the prophet is another example. When God wished to use Elijah, he went to Horeb without eating or drinking anything for forty days and forty nights (See 1 Kings 19:8). So it can be seen that man does not live by bread alone, and as long as man has God’s presence and the leadership of God’s words, he can overcome his flesh and death. We can also see that God’s life force is extraordinary and can prevail over any power. It is God’s life that supports the survival of man, gives us faith and strength, and makes our resolve to march forward firm. Today although we live in a physical body, what allows us to go on living is not food, but all the words expressed by God; only God’s words are what we need in life. Therefore, no matter what hardships or trials are to come upon us in the future, we should always remember: God is our staunch support and the One we can depend upon. So long as we live by God’s words, we will be able to walk out from adversity, stand witness for God, and shame Satan!

Brother Chen, the above are some of our understanding and comprehension of why the Lord Jesus fasted for forty days. We hope that they can bring you some help. We also hope that you can understand God’s will from His words and comprehend the truth within them.

Sincerely yours,

Brothers and sisters of Spiritual Q&A

[alleyblack2-blog]

The Linc - Eagles “really like Josh Jacobs”

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

Report: Eagles ‘really like’ Alabama RB Josh Jacobs - CBS Sports Geoff Mosher: “I’ve been hearing that...don’t be shocked if the Eagles take a running back in the first round. They really like Josh Jacobs.” Adam Caplan: “I talked to Greg Cosell from NFL Films. He likes (Jacobs) a lot. An offensive coordinator who I ran into at the combine said Jacobs is his top graded back in the draft. He’s a three-down back.” Geoff Mosher: “I think we need to adjust our philosophy. The people that said Howie Roseman would never take a running back in the first round. Do remember, two years ago...if Christian McCaffery was there at No. 14, he would have been an Eagle.”

Why The Eagles Brought Ronald Darby Back - BGN All things considered, Darby’s transitional quickness gives him route-mirroring ability that is starting-caliber in the NFL; his click-and-close explosiveness and catch-point skills are in the upper echelon of NFL starters altogether. Darby hasn’t finished a season since 2016, but he has Pro Bowl ability on the field, and if he can stay healthy (and return to health without losing his athletic ability), Eagles fans should be excited about his starting role in 2019.

NFC East free agency grades: Dallas Cowboys edition - PhillyVoice Without knowing exactly what Lawrence is looking for, contract-wise, the clock is ticking on a resolution there. The Cowboys can ill-afford to mess up that situation, because their defense is in deep trouble without him. Otherwise, predictably, the Cowboys were not players in the first wave of free agency. They’ll hunt bargains the rest of the way. Their grade is probably better saved until we see what these contract extensions for their current players look like, but they might not happen until much later this offseason. For now, we’ll give them an arbitrary C+.

Lawlor: Players show they want to come to Philly - PE.com I think you have to give Howie Roseman a lot of credit for adding an impact player to the offense and defense. Too often people think of teams that make the most moves as being those who win in the offseason. That’s wrong. You want to make smart, selective moves. The Eagles have done just that. One thing that really stood out to me is that players wanted to be here. Graham didn’t even talk to other teams. He wanted to stay with the Eagles. Malik Jackson wants to play in an attacking scheme and for a winning team. DeSean Jackson has talked a lot over the years about wanting a chance to return to Philly.

2019 NFL Free Agency winners and losers: PFF WAR - PFF While getting back a first- and a third-round pick for Odell Beckham Jr. may seem like a strong return, the truth of the matter is this: OBJ was one of the most valuable non-quarterbacks in recent memory and his nearly two full wins above replacement are going to be hard to come by. Combine that with their loss of Landon Collins, who was worth three-quarters of a win, on the defensive side of the ball, and the Giants have done more harm than good to a roster depleted of playmakers outside of Saquon Barkley.

A Giant Mess - Rotoworld There’s no denying Barkley’s remarkable skill set, but when a foundation piece at the most important position is staring you square in the face, you don’t dare look that gift horse in the mouth. To say Barkley had a superior rookie year to Darnold is both a statement of fact and a short-sighted, ludicrously flawed rationale for Gettleman’s poor use of draft capital. Even if Barkley continues on this path and becomes the next LaDainian Tomlinson—a distinct possibility after leading the league in yards from scrimmage last year—the Giants still got it wrong from a team-building philosophy. It’s not just that running backs have a significantly shorter shelf life than QBs (the continued dominance of Drew Brees and Tom Brady would point to that fact). It’s a simple matter of supply and demand. Compared to elite quarterbacks, star running backs practically grow on trees. Chris Carson was four picks away from being Mr. Irrelevant two years ago. Phillip “who lives at home” Lindsay wasn’t even drafted last year. Both rushed for over 1,000 yards last season.

Eagles’ offseason is going much better than rest of NFC East - NBCSP Collins got a mega-deal, the kind the Giants were never going to pay him. The ‘Skins got a great player, but they clearly had to overpay to do it. He’s getting $14M a year. The Keenum deal isn’t awful given their circumstances, but Keenum vs. Colt McCoy in training camp kind of tells you about the ceiling the Redskins have in 2019. They actually signed Flowers, the failed Giants draft pick, and plan to play him at guard. The Eagles have to be thrilled about that decision. The worst part of the ‘Skins’ offseason is that we’re apparently finding out about all these moves at the same time as head coach Jay Gruden. According to a report from 106.7, Gruden learned about the Collins signing only when a media member texted him. That’s not great.

Passing-game role makes Ezekiel Elliott even more valuable - PFT Also, there are two contracts that control the relationship: The contract between the player and the team, and the contract between the union and the league. Elliott has rights under the broader contract that are independent of his individual contract, and that allow him to technically violate the terms of his own deal. By taking advantage of those rights, he can try to leverage the Cowboys into doing the right thing, before he ends up being the next guy who finally makes it to free agency with bald tires and far less money in the bank than he deserves.

Teams Readying for Rosen, Peppers’s Fit for the Giants, Adrian Peterson’s Other Suitors - MMQB It’s hard to find a better way to announce a retirement than what Haloti Ngata pulled off on Monday morning: posting a picture of himself holding a flag atop Mount Kilimanjaro. I’m not a Hall of Fame voter, and I try to be sparing with calling guys future Hall of Famers, but Ngata should be a serious consideration in five years. Really, he helped anchor a generation of great defenses in Baltimore, along with Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, 2019 inductee Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs, another potential HOFer. If all four get in, by the way, that would be more than the ’86 Bears defense had inducted (Dan Hampton, Richard Dent and Mike Singeltary are the three from that group), which says a lot about the job Ozzie Newsome did building those teams.

Redskins Sign Offensive Lineman Ereck Flowers to a One-Year Deal - Hogs Haven The Redskins just received some help on the offensive line, and it comes in the form of a 6’6” 335 pound 24 year old player. Former Giants first round pick Ereck Flowers has signed a one-year, $4 million dollar contract to join the Washington Redskins.

Jets re-sign Eric Tomlinson and Brent Qvale - Gang Green Nation [BLG Note: The Eagles originally signed Tomlinson as an undrafted free agent back in 2015 and he’s still hanging on in the league.]

Slot size matters - Niners Nation You just need to scheme for it, and add downfield blocking to your mix. This is what Chip Kelly did at Oregon, but was never quite able to achieve in the NFL. And he picked Jordan Matthews in the second round of his second draft as part of his attempt to make it happen. Kelly’s Philly teams had great WR blocking, once DeSean Jackson was gone, and one of the best blocking receivers was a veteran named Miles Austin, now an offensive quality control coach for the Niners. He mentored Matthews in Philly and recruited him to the team this offseason, Matthews told team reporter Keiana Martin.

The completely risk free nature of Mychal Kendricks’ contract with the Seahawks - Field Gulls It has been less than a week since the Seattle Seahawks inked Mychal Kendricks to a one year contract, and that has led many observers to believe that it was an extremely good sign for his prospects for freedom. Terms of the contract have now been released, and it shows that the signing carries effectively no financial risk for the Hawks, as there is no guaranteed money.

If the Giants pass on Haskins the Jaguars’ decision may not be easy - Big Cat Country The question the Jaguars need to answer is how close they think this team is to competing without upgrading the offensive line or receiving corps with their present draft slot. As Oehser further noted, if the Jaguars believe Foles is the answer then they should not expect to be sitting high in in the first round for a few years to come. Your opportunity to grab a premier quarterback may be a present truth. Oehser makes a compelling point, one that mirrors what the Green Bay Packers did years ago when you still had Brett Favre on the roster but Aaron Rodgers fell to them. If you believe Haskins has the head for the NFL, but needs some bench time to transition considering his limited playing time at Ohio State, sitting behind Foles seems like an optimal scenario for the Jaguars.

How the NFL can save the onside kick - ESPN The NFL’s onside kick might be responsible for more drama than any other single strategy in football. The mere possibility that a team can steal an extra possession has preserved hope and extended the attention of fans for generations. So it’s no wonder that the competition committee and coaches around the league are scouring for ways to restore the onside kick this offseason after it faded as a viable option in 2018. Restricted by rule changes designed to make the kickoff safer, teams recovered only four of 52 attempts last season for a 7.7 conversion rate -- a sharp drop from 2017 (21.1) and well below the long-term average between 2001 and 2017 (19.7 percent).

What Does All That Cap Space Really Mean for NFL Teams, and How Should They Use It? - The Ringer The Colts came into free agency with over $100 million in room and big expectations. But as they’ve played things conservatively, Indy has illustrated the value in using that financial flexibility with patience and creativity.

Ledyard: 2019 NFL Draft Edge Defender Rankings - The Draft Network Nick Bosa or Josh Allen? Montez Sweat or Brian Burns? Rashan Gary or Chase Winovich? These are the questions that will invade our pre-draft conversations from now until April 25th. While the draft world likely remains unsettled on anything close to a strong consensus on the 2019 edge defender class, my grade on the position group have been finalized. I went trait-by-trait to break down how each of my top nine prospects grade out.

Is DeSean Jackson actually a good fit for the Eagles? - SB Nation The Eagles brought back a fan favorite in DeSean Jackson, but is he right player to help Philadelphia’s offense take off? [BLG Note: Yes, he is.]

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[woodworkingpastor]

Into all the world... Matthew 28:16-20 Second Sunday of Easter April 28, 2019

Prayer of Invocation

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,

for you meet us in our doubts and fill us with life and peace.

You are the one who was and is and is to come—the beginning and the end—who breathed life into the earth and its creatures.

Our ancestors put their trust in you and celebrated your mighty acts of salvation.

You sent your child, Jesus, as a faithful witness to your goodness and love.

He was killed by the powerful, but you raised him, as the firstborn from the dead.

Appearing behind the locked doors of our fear he breathed Holy Spirit into us and commissioned us to carry his words of peace and mercy to the world.

Seated at your right hand as Leader and Savior, he frees us from sin and makes us a kingdom of priests to serve you forever.

We live in a day where culture can quickly be influenced by new concepts, behaviors, or phrases. Most of us remember how quickly phrases from the TV show Seinfeld worked their way from the show into common speech.  Phrases like “yada yada yada,” “no soup for you,” and “not that there’s anything wrong with that” are still heard in common conversation, all courtesy of Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer.  

With social media, memes became even more common, as catchy phrases can now be attached to a photo and transmitted quickly.  Some of my favorites memes are those who show the results of an embarrassing mistake with the phrase, “You had one job.”

I hope you noticed the header above our order of worship this morning.  It’s the Second Sunday of Easter.  That’s an important designation to keep in mind, because the church has historically recognized holidays differently than our culture recognizes them.  Our Hallmark culture puts all the emphasis on the days leading up to the holiday—so we get Christmas songs at Thanksgiving and chocolate bunnies and marshmallow Peeps just past Valentine’s Day.  But the church recognizes holidays after the actual day.  Following that logic, the Great Commission is an Easter text; the resurrection of Jesus reminding us the church has one job:  make disciples.

Making disciples was not so easily accomplished for the disciples and those who would follow them in those first years after the resurrection.  The significant problem those Christians faced was that no one knew anything about what they were talking about.  The Jesus movement portrayed in the book of Acts typically began with outreach in the Jewish community—where there was common spiritual ground—but quickly spread to non-Jewish persons, reaching all the way to Rome within a generation and a half of the resurrection.  

The question these Christians wrestled with was “how do we make disciples?” Starting from scratch, the church had to work out things like how do we baptize? What is the proper way to celebrate the Lord’s Supper?  How do we teach others to follow Jesus—to do the things that Jesus did?

It didn’t take long for those believers to write down an instruction manual in Christian discipleship.  It’s called the Didache, meaning “The Teaching.”  In it, the writers cover basic Christian ethics before moving on to give instructions on how to baptize (running water is preferred but pouring is acceptable if you don’t have access to a river); how to serve communion; how to pray; and how to fast.  What I find absolutely fascinating is how it begins.  Of all the points of Christian doctrine the authors might have chosen to emphasize by placing first in the text, they chose these words:

Two ways there are, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between the two ways.  Now the way of life is this: first, love the God who made you; secondly, your neighbor as yourself: do not do to another what you do not wish to be done to yourself.

The writers then continue in a way that might lead us to believe that the first Christians were Church of the Brethren:

The lesson of these words is as follows: bless those that curse you, and pray for your enemies; besides, fast for those that persecute you. For what thanks do you deserve when you love those who love you…when anyone gives you a blow on the right cheek, turn to him the other as well, and be perfect…

They then move on to things to avoid: murder, violence, improper sexual relations, stealing, honest speech.  Pretty much everything we might think to include on such a list.

It’s a fascinating read, for it solidly establishes that those who are Jesus’ disciples—that’s all of us—simply make different value judgments on who and what is valuable, and what things Christians can and cannot do because we have surrendered our lives to Jesus.  Even though the document is well over 1800 years old, it has a contemporary feel because these Christian leaders were instructing their new members and their entire congregations on:

telling the truth

not seeking revenge when wronged

keeping sex within the boundaries of marriage

not being envious, not coveting what our neighbors have

seeking the best for those who make our lives difficult.

It describes these Christian qualities in the midst of a culture where doing things differently than these was normal and acceptable.  It’s not just that these behaviors honor God and reflect our transformation; it’s that living this way was different. Being a disciple of Jesus was fundamentally different from the world around them.  

This is something we need to realize today, because signs that our culture is rapidly moving away from anything that resembles Christianity are all around us. We recognize this, but we want to make sure we recognize the correct signs.

David Brooks wrote a very helpful opinion piece in a column entitled Five Lies our Culture Tells, published by the New York Times on April 15.  He begins by observing the amount of despair that is all around us:  college mental health facilities are swamped; suicide rates are spiking; opioid addiction is rampant; our political leaders tell lies daily and we shrug it off.  His thesis is that our current distress is based on lies we tell ourselves about how to be happy: Lies like:

Career success is fulfilling. Work hard in school, get into a good college, make good grades, and find the career of your dreams.  

I can make myself happy. Just win one more game; lose those 15 pounds; or be more faithful at church. Happiness is something to be gained with one more achievement or acquisition.  

Life is an individual journey. Whoever dies with the most interesting experiences wins.

You have to find your own truth. Choose what values and traditions work for you and go with them.  As long as no one is getting hurt, it’s ok.

Rich and successful people are worth more than poorer and less successful people. This one might just be a variation of the first one.  The more you have, the happier you’ll be.

It would be easy to look at the despair around us and throw our hands up in frustration at the prospects of impacting the culture for Christ and the church. We might be sorely tempted to retreat into the safe walls of our congregation and focus on our own lives.  Or we could remember something significant: today is the second Sunday of Easter; Jesus is raised from the dead and has commissioned us exactly for times like these. The fact that it might be more difficult to get people to take an honest look at Christianity these days does not excuse us from the fact that “we have one job: to make disciples.”

It might look like Matthew 28:19-20 is actually giving us four things to do: go, make disciples, baptize, and teach. It’s a bit clearer in the Greek: the primary verb in this sentence is make disciples.  The other verbs, go, baptize, and teach all describe how we make disciples.  And what is remarkable to me in the New Testament is how often disciples are made in living rooms. Not in church sanctuaries or even in Sunday School rooms—although the Spirit moves in those places, too.  The disciple-making energy of New Testament churches was directed toward people gathered in homes, the exact places where people have traditionally formed deep relationships with one another, where traditions and rituals are passed down through the generations, and where people’s value is based on the fact that they are members of a valuable community, each one contributing to the strength of the entire group.

In other words, the church became the place where cultural lies like those David Brooks describes of our day were shown to be false through the manner of our living.  It could do this because of one theological lie of our day of individualism. In the New Testament church, people are not called to become individual believers but are to be enlisted as disciples within the Christian community, whose reception of the Christian message in faith must be actualized in their lives.

The church has one job: make disciples. Taking this job seriously makes us realize that a faithful church is more focused on transformed lives, not Sunday morning attendance. So how do we get there?  One way might be to figure out how to free people up to have more dinners with our neighbors.  Spending more time at home gathered around the dining room table with our families and our friends, not having so many church activities and meetings that we’re always rushing back here after work for another meeting.  We are surrounded by people who might not be interested in coming to church, but might be curious about someone who has found that joy is found in things like

long-standing deep friendships;

friends who love us enough to tell us when we’re acting like jerks—and whom we love enough to believe them when they say it;

satisfaction found in things other than our career, or our car, or our latest purchase or vacation;

I’ve met a lot of people who aren’t all that interested in church.  But I’ve hardly met anyone who wouldn’t let me pray for them when things were going badly in their lives. That says something.  

What can we do to meet more people like this? Brothers and sisters, we have one job!