#so far has He put our transgressions from us

[justana0kguy]

2024 MAY 17 Friday

"For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is His kindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us."

~ Psalms 103:11-12

[queersatanic]

you should do some research about the legality of transition in algeria before you claim an algerian cis women getting transvestigated at the olympics cant be tme. theres a whole lot of shit that algerian trans women go through that imane khelif simply does not. hell you should question why there are zero trans women competing in the olympics.

You’re responding to this post, and it sounds like you’re claiming that it’s not transmisogyny unless someone experiences every or maybe just the worst aspects of transmisogyny, even if they experience some aspects.

Because literally, news orgs are calling an Algerian cis woman "transgender," and she's receiving hatred from some of the most prominent transmisogynists worldwide on the false basis that she is trans.

Almost definitionally, this is a woman affected by transmisogyny despite being assigned female at birth and living her entire life as a girl and now woman. This is true even, as you point out, though Algerian trans women have a different experience in Algeria than she has and does.

Again, the original post you're replying to did not say that “transmisogyny-exempt” and “transmisogyny-affected” were useless categories, just that they aren’t essentialist, binary categories. They are not fixed. They are categories some people move back and forth between. The explicit point is that there is overlap especially in different contexts that makes it impossible to use TME/TMA as “legitimate trans women” and “everyone else”.

A skinny white trans fem in Los Angeles or London who has been on HRT for years and able to afford surgeries she wants won’t be exempt from every kind of transmisogyny in the world around her, but she likely would be exempt from some of them by virtue of meeting other standards of (white) femininity, so she might be able to more safely use bathrooms in public than a butch woman with a short hair cut, even if that butch woman is cis (or even straight!). That doesn't make the trans woman less trans or the cis woman more trans. It just means "transmisogyny" is a club and not a scalpel.

It's important to recognize that systems of oppression aren't concerned with locating something real or actual and punishing that real, actual thing; they're about enforcing hierarchies with arbitrary boundaries, and they don't bother to use any consistency or rigor because the whole point of having power is that you don't need to appeal to anything superior to exercise that power.

This is going to seem far afield, but about a decade ago, a man from India visited his son in Alabama and a cop put him into a coma by slamming him on his head into the sidewalk because neighbors had reported a “Black man” wandering suspiciously around in their neighborhood. The man "didn’t comply" because he didn't speak English, so naturally cops assumed he was intoxicated or combative. (From memory, the only person actually punished in that was the police chief who said the cop in question had done something wrong; the cop was cleared of all-wrongdoing.) In India, the father may have had a completely different social status, possibly even one that looked down on Black or African people. He certainly didn’t experience all of the worst elements of anti-Black racism in the white South. But in a white neighborhood in Alabama suburbia, he was dark enough to be treated like a Black man, dangerous and transgressive.

White supremacy, like transmisogyny, isn't concerned with whether you are the ultimate version of a thing just if you’re enough of a thing to be punished. Of course we need to recognize when other people have challenges that are different or more intense than we go through, but our coalition ought to be built on unified resistance to shared oppression rather than policing the boundaries of categories people who hate us aren't even bothered to learn or care about while they hurt us.

[tinyshe]

"Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless His Holy Name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.

He pardons all your iniquities, He heals all your ills. He redeems your life from destruction, He crowns you with kindness and compassion.

He will not always chide, nor does he keep His wrath forever. Not according to our sins does He deal with us, nor does He requite us according to our crimes.

For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is His kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He put our transgressions from us."

~ Psalm 103.1-4, 9-12

[sealmonger]

Ephesians 2

Made Alive in Christ

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Footnotes

a. Ephesians 2:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

Love Song for a Vampire Pt.29

Pairing(s): Edward Cullen x Wolf!Reader

Warnings: short chapter

Words:1712

Part 1    Part 2    Part 3    Part 4  Part 5  Part 6  Part 7  Part 8  Part 9  Part 10  Part 11  Part 12  Part 13  Part 14  Part 15  Part 16  Part 17  Part 18  Part 19  Part 20  Part 21  Part 22  Part 23  Part 24  Part 25  Part 26  Part 27 Part 28 Part 30 Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38 Part 39 Part 40(series finale)

Carmen keeps her gaze fixed outside the window, watching Edward's dark gray Volvo leave their driveway and back into the thicket of trees that lined the way up to the house from the main stretch of road. He'd probably still be able to hear their thoughts until he was miles away.

In the living room with her are the rest of the Denali clan, Irina being the only one sitting. Her eyes, which were starting to turn to a black hunger, swivel from her sisters to the other two. While her talk with Carmen went well enough to calm her down, Irina was still opposed to the idea with working with the wolves. To her they were just mindless beasts that had no humanity, even though that was far from the truth. The rest of them knew that the wolves were more human than any of them were.

Irina, already having a feeling of what was to come, was reaffirmed in her suspicions when Kate takes a seat too close to her on the couch. Ready to reach over and deploy her supernatural gift.

Tanya clears her throat, apprehensive of how this would go. “We don’t want to do this, Irina, but we can’t trust you. Not if you’re still thinking about going to the Volturi.”

Her lips purse together, hands that were on her knees curl up into fists as she regards someone she considered a sister. “So you’re putting me under house arrest?”

“Until you can genuinely promise us that you won’t do anything harmful to the Cullens or the wolves of La Push. Right now, we can’t afford to let you run free.”

Traumatized after watching Sasha be decapitated by the Volturi, Irina was obviously under the complete control of the Volturi’s fear mongering. Any transgression against the law of the Volturi should be meted out by punishment. The wolves were one thing. Going against a promise made to the mega coven was on another level. The Cullens, and Bella for that matter should be reported to them since Bella was no longer willing to keep her end of the bargain. She couldn’t step into their world and stay a soft, weak human. And she was the one who couldn’t be trusted. Bella wouldn’t be the first human to blab about the existence of vampires.

“Why are we putting our own lives for people we don’t even know?” Her tone rises to a higher pitch as her desperation and hysteria were beginning to leak out. “What has this Bella girl or even this new girl done for us? We’ll only get the wrath of Aros and the others! Chelsea can easily-“

“No more, Irina.” Tanya snapped, even making Carmen stand a little straighter. Tanya could get truly ugly when she’s at a boiling point. She was the closest to Sasha, related by blood to her and having spent the most time with her, was particularly mortified by Sasha’s execution by the Volturi.

Never verbally agreed upon, Tanya was the leader; the one to make the big decisions due to her seniority.

Irina, acknowledging the hierarchy in their clan, winces in submission and simmers down. But there was resentment brewing in the depths of her gaze.

“We’re doing this because it is the right thing and because the Cullens are our closest allies. How many times have they come to our aid? They helped us get started here. Helped us to get into our vegetarian lifestyle.” Tanya tries to explain to Irina. “And they’re good. Even (y/n) and I’m sure the others in her pack. They alone were the ones to rise up when Victoria was a threat to the safety of Bella and the community of Forks.”

Carmen and Eleazar nod in mutual agreement. “We met them. They just want the best for the people they’re sworn to protect. The wolves aren’t just animals. They have their humanity intact.”

“Even Bella was a truthful and considerate person. She knows what she’s doing but has to stay true to herself. If Edward and (y/n) are fated to be together, then she felt she had to step down. Bella will not tell anyone.” Eleazar adds.

At this point, nothing they said could satisfy Irina. She was stuck in her grief and the thrall of what she deemed injustice.

With Kate planted next to her though there wasn’t much she could do about her situation but stew. Unbeknownst to anyone else in her coven, a war was be waged in Irina’s heart. On one side were those of her coven-mates. The other was a blob of toxic hate, curling it’s tentacles in her belly.

She didn’t know who would win in the end.

**

You were sent home with extra pancakes to eat on the road. Managing to eat all of them within the following two hours, you regret not eating them sparingly to last you the entire trip. So you pry more information about the Volturi from Edward. Apparently last year he’d gone to Italy where the Volturi established the center of their coven. At that point of his life he didn’t want to live anymore thinking that Bella was dead. He knew if he transgressed against Volturi law that they would kill him.

You should have felt uncomfortable when he spoke of her. Maybe you should have even felt jealous. Imprinting possibly had something to do with it. When you couldn’t come up with a concrete answer, you tend to blame it on imprinting.

Bella was his first love.

The Volturi had tried to recruit Edward for many years due to his special powers as well as Alice. Vampires that were in possession of such skills were revered in the Volturi. That was another reason why they were a formidable force and the largest coven in the world.

A reminder that they could wipe out your pack easily if they desire.

Not just your pack, all of Forks.

“Do you really think with enough allies we can win?” Even with Evita’s help, you worry that it won’t be enough. The Volturi sound vast in their power and unstoppable in regard to number of members.

Edward doesn’t pretend like it’s not a possibility that everyone could be slaughtered. Even he finds himself doubting the ability of being able to persuade the Volturi to change their mind let alone defeat them. There were many specially skilled vampires in the Volturi. Excellent trackers and those who specialized in espionage and total carnage.

There were vampires employed with the Volturi who had such unique skills, that it wasn’t a wonder how they had garnered so many members. In particular a female vampire named Chelsea and Marcus were detrimental to ensuring that they remain loyal to the three vampires who ran with an iron fist.

“Chelsea can influence emotional ties that people feel toward one another. Love, loyalty, hate. . . She has the ability to strengthen and break bonds. Many other vampire covens have been destroyed thanks to her power. Her job is made easier with Marcus who can see relationships and connections.” Even Edward was smart enough to fear them. You hear it in the grave tone that sends chills up your arms. Like they could already be watching you.

Unconsciously you toy with the charm Evita had made you. You didn’t know if it worked, but it gave you a soothing placebo. None of the Denali members mention or even noticed it.

“But I wouldn’t give up on our cause just yet.” He shoots you a small smile. “Carlisle and Jasper have been talking about looking up some old friends. There are many others that oppose the rule of the Volturi. I’m sure the Romanian coven would be all too happy to kill a few Volturi members if possible.”

The edges of your eyes round. “Like Transylvania Romania?”

He laughs and it’s such a pure sound that it has your heart aching to hear it again. “Well kind of. Their coven was formed even before Romania was formed. They’re the oldest coven out there but unfortunately it’s just two left now. The others were killed by the Volturi.”

You chew on your bottom lip before asking “Is there really no other coven as big as them?”

Solemnly he shakes his head. “Our kind are mostly nomadic. It really isn’t that often that we find other clans.”

Whether the others in your pack would agree with you or not, you’d started to consider the Cullens and the wolves one large family unit. You and Edward were finally bridging the gap between the two. With time maybe the others would think like you too.

With both wolves and vampires, your mixed coven would potentially be the strongest; even enough to make the Volturi nervous.

”It still feels odd to drive into La Push without worrying about breaking the treaty.” Edward muses as he pulls out of the highway. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it.”

You chuckle and in the distance you catch the long howl of one of your packmates. A welcome as well as alerting the others that their sister was back home where she belongs. Above the treetops and mountains, the sky was already a vibrant array of purples, pinks, and orange. The drive was just as long coming back but due to Edward’s fast driving you still made a record time. You couldn’t wait to stretch your legs and run in your furs.

Edward caught the howl to and hums. “Do you know who that is?”

Your lips curl into a smile as you nod. “Yeah. That was Collin. I can tell by the whiney quality in it.”

While the original plan was to drop you off at your house so that you could reassure your parents that all went well, but there’s a curtain that descends over Edward’s face. Instead he drives the car straight to Sam’s residence.

You sit up straighter. “What’s wrong?”

”Evita still doesn’t know about Jacob, right?”

You didn’t like where this was leading to. “Right. . .”

As the car pulls up into Sam’s driveway you see an unfamiliar car out front beside Sam’s vehicle.

Now you could catch the scent of not just Jacob, but Bella and Evita as well.

——

——

TAGLIST: @saltedcoffeescotch , @dangerouslittlefairy , @burn-crash-rqmance , @casedoina , @avadakadabra93 , @daryldixonstorm , @blue-aconite , @xanniestired666 , @esposadomd, @godinho11 , @arin-swear-rose , @alexizodd , @melaninsugarbaby , @lyeatoalinatoheaven , @ronwownsme , @itsmytimetoodream , @afro-hispwriter , @mutandis-extremis993 , @hxgemxscles , @nightly-polaris , @corrodedcoffins-slut , @ellesalazar , @itgetzweird08​ , @crybabyatthediscooffandoms​ , @sassyandclassyx​ , @scarlet2007 , @theroyalbrownbarbie , @jennyamanda8 , @stevenandmarcslove , @biancaindaeyo , @loversjoy , @turningtoclown , @vixorell , @xxthackerybinxxx , @daredevilonmyheels , @dumbbitch-juice , @southern-bell-give-hell , @nat-the-gemini , @imdoingathingmomgmom , @emmettcullenswife , @yoong1c0re , @daddykylokenobi

[bloodyscarab]

Moon Knight Mystery Swap!!

hey! here's a fic i wrote for @fdelopera for the 2023 moon knight mystery swap! very belated חנוכה שמח!

so grateful to have participated in this, and as a jewish system i felt incredibly lucky to have been able to write about the feeling of being a jewish system around the holiday season for another jewish person! thanks for this prompt and thanks to @tiptapricot for putting this on!

rededications of dedication

word count: 1.1k rating: g prompt: mcu moon knight system celebrating hanukkah, but each alter has a different idea on what to do, but while writing this turned more into the mcu system celebrating hanukkah, showing what each alter did to prepare. oops! final notes: slightly angsty in the middle, but a happy ending! small mentions of struggling with religious identity. generally jewish stuff that i don't aim to explain for the uninitiated. based slightly on my own system experience + how our system engages with religion. cheers!

---

in the system, it was jake that first engaged with the idea of hanukkah.

the concept of celebrating hanukkah had grown into a distant fog in the years since the system had left home. religion itself was not the issue, but the time and space in which hanukkah resided always felt distinctly hollow. the winter holiday season always left them with a bitter burn.

hanukkah wasn’t necessarily about the family. they all knew that. but it wasn’t a transgression to want someone to pray with, to watch the candles’ dancing brightness with, to recount embarrassing memories of hanukkahs past with.

jake had proposed the idea internally because layla that had inspired it externally.

“did you ever celebrate hanukkah, as a kid?” her eyes were scanning her phone as marc laid next to her in bed, back turned and eyes closed. the room was dark aside from her phone screen.

he hummed inquisitively, turning to face her. “why?”

“just looked it up because i was curious. it starts next week. i thought it would be cool if we could do something.”

“i did used to celebrate, but not for years.” marc wanted to expand on the statement, but every memory he tried to reach for felt as though it was only pulling itself further away from his grasping hands.

“do you wanna do something?” her voice softened, like she could witness the mental struggle in his face. “we don’t have to. it was just a thought.”

“i don’t know. i’d have to think about it.” it was such a simple answer that only seemed to hold multitudes of further questions. she nodded with a hum and looked back to her phone.

steven wanted something that he felt he could excel at.

he took to research on the prayers and traditions a part of him thought he ought to know without looking them up. the prayers he found felt clunky on his lips at first, like he was hitting square blocks against circle pegs. he understood only vaguely that the language had once felt circular before, that his mouth had, at one point, not felt square.

it was important for him to get those kinds of things right, and he knew within himself that it felt important only to him. he knew that marc didn’t mind, he knew that jake already knew, he knew layla wouldn’t mind. yet he struggled with each word, getting the pronunciation of the chet just right, letting the spacial vowel between the dalet and the shin hang for just the right amount of time, just for himself. it gave him a purpose for the moment, for his time out.

he was the one that looked for a hanukkiah, in a joint effort with layla. marc had imagined something rather plain and uninspired, while steven and layla pushed against the idea. the pair chatted over layla’s laptop for hours over ideas: surely electronic ones were too cheap and far from the original story, a thick olive wood one seemed too grand, a silver one with long and elegant intertwining strands felt just slightly too ornate. then there was the prices; then again, what was hanukkah but a celebration, an excuse to buy and use something expensive, ornate, heavy with artisanal craftsmanship and centuries of tradition? marc only listened in, intense conversations in the next room over that he could absorb in the louder chunks, but not entirely.

marc had been more interested in the understanding of his own history. asking jake for some kind of exchange of memory felt like walking across a glass bridge under a dark abyss, trusting in one another to not let the other look down.

jake’s stories felt only somewhat familiar to marc. each memory felt fragmented, split into a narrative marc remembered and a narrative jake knew to be true. marc was surprised with the amount of things he thought to be routine that he learned from jake. jake remembered things like the murmuring of marc’s father in his study, reading over the hanukkah halakha. he remembered things like watching marc’s mother taking time to wipe the wax that dripped down the hanukkiah branches just before sunset, the sky’s pink hue bathing her features in a glow that made her look less angry, less tired.

marc had the instinct to hide from the memories, to run across the chasm between him and jake and shatter the transparent bridge. he ached with a feeling of profound loss. he was faced with the seemingly endless times he missed those moments that connected him to deeply to his identity, the moments he now realized were missing in a way he wanted to recapture.

it stung in a way he could not quite place that jake did not just hold the memories he could not bear to carry, but also ones where he had been content, if not still balancing softly on an undercurrent of imminent destruction. the stinging became a quest, a want for versions of the feelings that jake held onto for marc alone.

jake suggested hanukkah because he wanted it. marc was jealous, in some respects, of jake’s assuredness. some of the prayers still hung from his lips, tucked into his cheeks to be used whenever needed. jake knew about hanukkah in a way that was admirable simply for his memory. he remembered their father’s recountings and readings of maccabees, held firmly to the power of the visual of jews with agency, power, self-confidence.

hanukkah was more than just lights on a windowsill, more than simple stories that echoed through bones of generations, and jake knew that best.

before the first sunset, it was jake’s hands that unpackaged the hanukkiah, placed it on a small plate to catch wax like their mother had done. it was marc’s hands that lit the shamash, touched it against the first candle. it was steven’s voice that recited the prayers, slowly, methodically, like he had practiced.

and it was layla that sat the longest at the desk, letting the warmth of the light rest against her as she sat on her laptop until the columns of wax were redistributed into drips and puddles. the light from the flames radiated off of her face and curls in a way that marc felt comforted by.

when she crawled into bed beside him, he hummed at her like he did the week before when she suggested celebrating hanukkah in the first place.

“still a good idea?” she whispered.

“yeah.” she could hear his gentle smile in the dark through his words. “glad you suggested it. you seem to enjoy it, too.”

“of course i do.”

“seven more days,” marc mused, a tone in his voice that held an air of sadness at the transience of the positive feelings of the holiday.

“seven more days. until next year.”

“yeah. until next year.”

[lurkingshan]

Love Mate

When @bengiyo informed me that the creative team behind Our Dating Sim had released another show, I knew immediately I would have to check it out (attn: @troubled-mind). And I’m happy to report that I really loved Love Mate!

The basic premise: Yi Jun doesn’t believe in love and is determined to be single forever. Ha Ram is his new junior at work who has a crush on him and is determined to prove him wrong. Shenanigans ensue!

This is a really classic romance story and the show heavily deploys all your favorite tropes from romance, bl, and kdramas, but in a knowing way that lets you in on the fun. The leads are great and have really solid chemistry. And importantly, like ODS, this show has managed to calibrate its pacing and story ambitions appropriately to fit its short length. The narrative is complete and satisfying and it was a really delightful few hours of a binge.

Getting into spoiler territory here so only read on if you don’t mind!

I’ve seen a bit of chatter in the tags about whether Ha Ram went too far in his aggressive pursuit of Yi Jun and transgressed his boundaries inappropriately. I get why that conversation is happening but I didn’t feel that way and wanted to dig into why.

First, like I mentioned above, this is a really classic romance set up that is using very recognizable tropes, and the character types and dynamic between them is no exception. Yi Jun is claiming not to believe in love, but you can see almost immediately - and the show confirms over time - that he is actually a wounded baby bird who desperately wants love but is trying to protect himself from getting hurt again. Ha Ram is the love interest who sees through him - we find out later why he is so confident this isn’t really who Yi Jun is and why he is so determined about him - and takes it upon himself to give Yi Jun the attention and care he clearly needs. These archetypes are rooted in tradition and if you’re familiar with the genre you know the basic sketch of how this is going to go before the first episode ends.

Second, it was apparent right away that Yi Jun 1) liked Ha Ram; 2) wanted his attention; 3) was enjoying being pursued despite his protestations. In the first few episodes we saw him getting flustered, looking at and thinking about Ha Ram constantly, and intentionally putting himself in Ha Ram’s path even as he verbally claimed he wasn’t into it. Yi Jun even admits all of this explicitly once they’re dating, but to me it was clear just from his body language and reactions. After asking for some time to think before he decides if he wants to date him, Yi Jun cracks after literally one (1) day without Ha Ram’s attention. Once they start being “date mates” Yi Jun blooms right in front of our eyes. He is happy again, finding joy in life, relaxing quite naturally into this relationship even if he won’t call it that yet. And when his ex comes back and sends him back into a spiral and he starts avoiding Ha Ram, we see his spirit dim and the light go out of his eyes. Ha Ram is good for Yi Jun and the show makes it super clear. And it makes perfect sense, because for someone who was harshly dumped the way Yi Jun was in the past, someone pursuing him that relentlessly, and still wanting him even when he makes it difficult, would be a much needed balm for his ego, a boost to his confidence, and the assurance he would need before he’d be willing to risk getting hurt again.

Third, Ha Ram is an emotionally intelligent character that can tell the difference between Yi Jun “playing hard to get” while still seeking his attention, and Yi Jun actually being very upset and wanting time away from him. And when Ha Ram is faced with the latter, he backs off. He knows something is going on with the ex and he is upset about Yi Jun pushing him away, but ultimately he gives him space to wallow and only intervenes when he is being hurt. And in the end, he offers his support and care to bolster Yi Jun, and again gives Yi Jun the space to get the closure he needs on his own.

I could probably ramble on about this show and these characters all day (which is telling given when a short watch it is!) but I would rather just tell you to go watch it. It’s not perfect, but it’s truly a lovely story and worth your time.

[bibleversegarden]

Jesus Christ, Our Great High Priest, Redeemer, Savior and Lord

Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest, has atoned for our sins, once for all, and has reconciled us to God our Maker. 

God's perfect sacrificial Lamb without blemish, offered Himself for our redemption, and is the only Mediator between God and men.

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Hebrews 10:1-7 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.

For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God.' "

Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Hebrews 10:19-23 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (See also Hebrews Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 in its entirety.)

Matthew 27:50-53 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. Ephesians 2:13-18 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

(See Ephesians Chapter 2 in its entirety.) The good news of God's salvation is to be proclaimed in all the earth. Whosoever will may come, both Jew and Gentile; receive God's pardon and walk in newness of life. - A Walk In The Garden Devotions

[laura-de-milf]

I know we don't (yet?) have the full story for the Niles-vs-Laura situation, but so far I feel like there's a suspicious discrepancy between what we've been told vs what we've been shown about their early Bureau days and how that contributed to however their relationship left off. And I am dying for more insight into this.

We're told from the outset that Laura's the villain and the betrayer, and that Niles considers her a danger to the Doom Patrol. We're told that she's a "self-serving cancer to be excised". (And...we're meant to trust him? Because Niles is...good?)

What we're shown is two seasons of drip-fed backstory where Niles elects to stay on at the Bureau in what seems to be a very high-ranking position, despite his awareness of its dubious doings. I think, given his personal connection to the tundra expedition, we're meant to think that he's doing it for subversive reasons, but we're later shown that he initiated and conducted ongoing experiments on Metahumans using Bureau resources for his own personal gain. Sure, he eventually brought four of them to safety--but only after directly and intentionally causing them irreparable physical, psychological and emotional damage thus rendering them dysfunctional as people. We learn from Laura in 4x06 that most of Niles's projects ended up "unceremoniously nipped in the bud" for being "dangerous or foolhardy" (by an institution which considers breeding potentially-apocalyptic carnivorous butts a reasonable pursuit), so we can probably safely assume that Niles has been responsible for even more dangerous and/or harmful efforts which are conveniently not spoken about.

We're shown some moments of guilt from Niles--but given that his experiments eventually produced the desired outcome, and that this outcome directly relates to the safety of his daughter--he's exhibited no active remorse in having conducted them. Certainly nothing like the relentless self-loathing and personal destruction that Laura carries in the form of her own guilt, along with her multiple active attempts to go back (whether physically in time or by operating in the present) to fix her past actions.

Laura was an employee under oath to the bureau to fulfil a very specific--albeit also morally questionable--duty, yet still regularly broke that oath in order to rescue people whenever she could. Being a meta herself, she was putting her own safety and job at risk by doing so in an act of selflessness antithetical to Niles's selfish drive to preserve his own life. Laura was able to relate to those who would become the Sisterhood and did everything in her power to give them as much freedom as she could, given the circumstances, even if it meant distancing herself from these people who she'd come to love when tensions were mounting after WWII. Until, of course, it all went horribly wrong. (I'm still of the belief that the raid was done under coercion or began as a well-intentioned plan that went sideways for reasons beyond her control but that's an essay for a different time.) She absorbed the guilt and blame for this herself, both externally--allowing others the emotional satisfaction of directing their pain towards her in the form of anger--and internally--truly believing herself beyond forgiveness for her moral transgressions. Niles, on the other hand, lied to the Doom Patrol about his true actions and intentions in order to preserve their trust in him.

Further suspiciously, Niles's letter condemning Laura concludes, "For the good of our work [...] it is my strong recommendation that she be terminated immediately." We know objectively that the work the Bureau was doing was inhumane and that Laura has previously (secretly) opposed it. So what evidence could he possibly have had against her which would get her fired from the "good" work of an institution that actively exploits and kills people? Hm? Niles??

What we have so far is essentially a he-said-she-said between Laura and Niles about what really happened at the Bureau. It's Niles's memorandum and "evidence" which eventually got her fired, and for some reason it's Niles's narrative which prevailed--probably for the very simple reason that he was the longer-standing member, grandfathered in from the Bureau of Oddities*, and seemed to be in a more senior position. He gets to be the well-meaning-but-sadly-mistaken fatherly figure while Laura is painted as the villain, dangerous, and expressly instructed to "stay away from [Niles's] people".

But why? What really happened at the Bureau between these two? Because what we've been told from Niles isn't matching up to what we've seen of Niles and what we've been seeing so far from Laura's POV.

I so hope we're going to learn more about this in Part 2 because my brain is running in circles about this.

*Laura mentions in 1949 that she's been working for 35 years, which would have her joining the Bureau around 1914/the start of the war. Niles seems to have established himself during the pre-war Oddities era.

[aredhel-erinti]

Love and Redemption Rewatch: ep. 2

This rewatch could take a little longer than I expected with how time consuming it is, but here we go...

And so we get our first shred of the Mirror... which really should have been better hidden, if they ever hoped thing such as this not to happen.... The Secret Ground isn't all that secure.

From the start, Bai Lin is extremely determined that some things just Must Not Happen!

This whole "we are deciding Xuan Ji's punishment" situation shows very nicely the priorities and motivations of several characters. Ling Long shows up as soon as the whole berating starts, ready to intervene but biding her time. When the punishment is announced, Min Yan reacts immediately and pleads for leniency (on his knees and all). He doesn't think about it at all. I believe his main motivation is (as always) Ling Long, who, he knows, is extremely unhappy by this development and wants to protect her sister. Additionally, Xuan Ji is his friend and he wants to help her, but his main objective is to make Ling Long happy. Ling Long tries her classic crying act but is immediately silenced and quickly realizes that the situation is too dire to save her sister like this (still she tries one more trick - to appeal to aunt Hong - but this also fails). Xuan Ji doesn't fear the cave because she has no point of reference for pain or discomfort (beeing pampered her whole life) and is by far the most chill with the situation. But she also doesn't have any real regard for the rules of her sect and doesn't get the severity of her transgression. And that isn't because of her non-existent emotions, that is herself. She isn't concerned with rules or great ideals, she lives in the moment. Her biggest concern at the moment is Si Feng's wellbeing as she feels a connection with him. (Lets face it - Si Feng is guilty for trespassing in another sect's Secret Ground just because he needed to find his spiritual beast - Xuan Ji isn't protecting an innocent, she protects the boy she had connected with).

Chu Lei's speech to Yuan Lang has strong "who allowed you to go into my bedroom, the door were closed, bitch!" vibe.

So, this happened 16 years ago, approximately when Xuan Ji was born... but what about in her previous lifes, was the Jade Cup always sealed somewhere nearby? Did I just forget this detail?

Such a clever little misdirection and at the same time a hint...

And another clever misdirection: the show keeps showing us Yuan Lang during Xuan Ji's visions (and sometimes even Wu Zhi Qi) giving audience the impression that THIS is Star of Mosha thatwe are battling. My friend was even confused that there seemed to be more of them as the face and the mask keeps changing! Good job confusing the audience! :)

The "Ling Long tries to teach her sister how to cry" scene is very funny... and adorable... I love Ling Long.

The chilli powder plan is genius... :D In my country we use onion - works every time!

Si Feng is getting flogged as a punishment and the justification is that losing the mask puts everyone from Lize palace in danger... and this is probably not untrue...

Also, Si Feng stammers only in the presence of Xuan Ji.

Bai Lin is here for ten (largely uneventful) years already... he must miss his bed...

It's very sweet how sincerely Min Yan cares about Xuan Ji (even if it is a fertile ground for future misconceptions). Actually Xuan Ji is very loved by her sect brothers and sisters...

Is there some hidden meaning to the fact that taste has been the first sense to be recovered?

As expected, Ling Long's cooking is terrible. And as expected, Min Yan eats it all anyway, because she doesn't want her to be sad. I love these two, but Min Yan is the one who truly treasures his beloved person.

Min Yan's reaction to Ling Long's bitching is priceless...

... OR they want to save their own mask (and skin). One of those options. (Just saying. Si Feng isn't motivated by personal feelings just yet.)

Min Yan can be quite sneaky... and his plan actually worked! Good job, even worth Ling Long's slight disappointment.

And... he isn't stammering anymore, yep... That was quick - must have been the shock in the first place.

When you have the luxury of knowing, this is truly heartbreaking... I must look out for the first tears.

The beginning of a beautiful friendship!

[albertfinch]

HIS ULTIMATE PRIZE

"Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself  likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." - Hebrews 2:14,15

At the Cross, Jesus broke the power of sin. When He was resurrected, He destroyed the power of death.

"Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him." - Colossians 2:14,15

He is currently not in either location (the cross or the tomb). Without those two victories we would not have our salvation, but there was something more God was revealing to me. Everything Jesus did in His life, death and resurrection were steps in a journey toward making us available to advance His Kingdom by forgiving all our sins so we would always be in right standing with God,

After His redemptive work was complete, Jesus sat down on His Throne and the Father put all things in submission under His feet. Paul wrote about this position of Christ's authority in his magnificent letter to the Ephesians:

"I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things for the benefit of the Church." -  Ephesians 1:19-22 NLT

WE ARE POSITIONED WITH JESUS

There is another reality we need to understand about Christ's Throne. We are positioned with Jesus on His Throne at this very moment.  This position in Christ on His Throne is our present-tense heavenly reality.

"Even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 2:5,6

DUAL-CITIZENSHIP ROLE

Paul described our dual-citizenship role to the Philippians when he wrote, "But we are citizens of Heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives" (Philippians 3:20).

This finished work of Jesus gave us the authority to conduct His Kingdom business from two realms. We can accomplish Kingdom business on earth because we are able to release the authority of Heaven back to earth from our position in Christ on His Throne.

This understanding can change everything we do, especially how we pray. We can only conduct Heaven's business on earth if we know the heavenly context from which we release our authority in Christ.

This Easter, line up the Cross and Tomb with the target of God's Throne. Like a spiritual sighting system, these two sights will align your faith with the place from which your authority to live a resurrected life on earth originates.

Early Church Believers would greet each other with the phrase, "He is Risen! He is risen, indeed!" Many still use this greeting on Easter morning. That greeting carries a profound message. It is a message that speaks of a greater purpose—a risen reality—that came about because of an empty Cross, an empty Tomb and an occupied Throne.

The reality of our position in Christ seated with Him on His Throne is another reason to celebrate on this special day.

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

17th May >> Mass Readings (USA)

Friday, Seventh Week of Eastertide 

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II))

First Reading Acts of the Apostles 25:13b-21 Jesus was dead, whom Paul claimed to be alive.

King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea on a visit to Festus. Since they spent several days there, Festus referred Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There is a man here left in custody by Felix. When I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and demanded his condemnation. I answered them that it was not Roman practice to hand over an accused person before he has faced his accusers and had the opportunity to defend himself against their charge. So when they came together here, I made no delay; the next day I took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in. His accusers stood around him, but did not charge him with any of the crimes I suspected. Instead they had some issues with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died but who Paul claimed was alive. Since I was at a loss how to investigate this controversy, I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these charges. And when Paul appealed that he be held in custody for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20ab

R/ The Lord has established his throne in heaven. or R/ Alleluia.

Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

R/ The Lord has established his throne in heaven. or R/ Alleluia.

For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us.

R/ The Lord has established his throne in heaven. or R/ Alleluia.

The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the LORD, all you his angels, you mighty in strength, who do his bidding.

R/ The Lord has established his throne in heaven. or R/ Alleluia.

Gospel Acclamation John 14:26

Alleluia, alleluia. The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of all I told you. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel John 21:15-19 Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.

After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them, he said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to Simon Peter a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[justana0kguy]

2023 SEPTEMBER 17 Sunday

"Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.

He pardons all your iniquities, He heals all your ills. He redeems your life from destruction, He crowns you with kindness and compassion.

He will not always chide, nor does he keep His wrath forever. Not according to our sins does He deal with us, nor does He requite us according to our crimes.

For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is His kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He put our transgressions from us."

~ Psalms 103:1-4,9-12

[newman-the-newmanite]

Why Christianity?

Simply put: Christianity is right.

Slightly More-Complexly put: The ideals presented within the Bible, alongside reasoning of many saints and philosophers are seen to be meet and right to concur with, and to follow religiously(in a literal sense, in this case).

However, it is important to note no matter what, faith will be required to believe. Belief ipso facto requires faith(to different extents).

In the words of the great Doctor of the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”

Our Lord was around 33 when He was crucified and died. Upon the third day, He Rose again in accordance with scriptures (Mark 16:5-7).

Around the Year of Our Lord (Anno Domini)70 and 95 would the Gospel According to St. Mark be written down. This is still within the lifetime of many of those within the land of Judea, whereas to descent could easily be made.

In opposition to this was Richard Carrier, stating "There are still people today who believe that in 1947 an alien craft crashed and was recovered, along with alien bodies, by the United States government, and that this was subsequently covered up and kept secret."(Carrier, as seen within Pulliam 2010).

However, there is multiple problems with this association between the lack of Christ within the Tomb, and the Roswell Incident, as so has it been called. Firstly: There is indeed disagreement within such. The Military has been stout in debunking this belief, within the Roswell Morning Dispatch, an article almost immediately after was made titled “Army Debunks Roswell Flying Disk as World Simmers with Excitement.” Furthermore, there was many less people directly seeing the objects, than there was Jesus. If they knew Jesus Christ was false, they would have stated such.

An Important figure to note upon such is Josephus. His accounts of Our Lord's Crucifixion can be found in many apologetic circles from days far gone until hitherto this era we see ourselves in.

Many would argue that such accounts are false or altered. Yet, even with people within anti-Christian apologetics, the Crucifixion isn't directly denied.

in order to clarify who Jesus really was. I have placed the sections possibly inserted by the scribe in brackets: At this time there appeared Jesus, a wise man [if indeed one should call him a man, for] he was a doer of startling deeds, a teacher of people who receive the truth with pleasure. And he gained a following both among many Jews and among many of Greek origin. [He was the Messiah.] And when Pilate, be¬ cause of an accusation made by the leading men among us, condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him previ¬ ously did not cease to do so. [For he appeared to them on the third day, living again, just as the divine prophets had spoken of these and countless other wondrous things about him.] And up until this very day the tribe of Christians, named after him, has not died out. (Antiquities 18.3.3) 2(Ehrman, 2009, 150).

This shows that the crucifixion isn't something to be denied in the words of Josephus. All the doubt would show is that Josephus did not truly believe in Christian Ideals, which is not something I, or many others, would argue.

This, alongside the prophecies of Isiah 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.(Isiah 53:5) there is much connections to be made, regardless of whether or whether not you believe Christianity is inherently true.

This inherently strikes the Islamic belief of Crucifixion being too humiliatingly for a prophet(especially one of the Highest Prophets) as at the very least, questionable, at most, false.

To these points, atheists might ask: "Why do you believe Christianity? there is multiple religions out there" or state "I am as much of an atheist as you, you just believe one more religion than I"

For the latter: that makes no sense. A married man is as much single as I am; they just have one more spouse than I. ( I hope the ignorance in that statement shone fourth)

For the first: all these reasons put together, plus simplistic reasonings for God (CS Lewis and St. Thomas Aquinas are good ones, alongside St. Augustine of Hippo, and others. )

For those who need 100% proof, let me ask this:

Do you believe in reality? If so, why?

I ask this, because, ultimately, there is no reason to believe your surroundings exist(You can prove you exist in some form through the statement Cogito, Ergo Sum, yet to prove your surroundings exist is impossible).

This is where some form of a leap of faith is required. eventually, all statements and beliefs boil down to a leap of faith(some gaps larger than others, I will grant that).

For myself, there is no separation between the statement "My surroundings are real" to "God is real" in distance of belief. Others, will see it differently, stating seeing their surroundings shows more proof than God; that Video, Ergo Est. However this shows an assumption of the surroundings existing wherein such belief can't be proven, wherein such belief in needing absolutes disavows such. Thus, Saint Thomas Aquinas' belief on faith comes into play, Faith is required to believe anything, as formerly mentioned. To what degree one person restricts faith(Absolute faith, partial faith, reasoning, et cetera) , is a personal choice, one wherein each person must decide for themselves. If you are a Christian struggling with faith, read apologetics, and pray. There is absolutely nothing wrong with questioning faith. There is nothing wrong with wondering if you're wrong. There is nothing wrong with changing your mind on beliefs you held, or will hold. Let this also be kept: I am not claiming I am smarter, better, or more righteous in my stature because I am Christian. Many non-Christians do great deeds. Many of them are better people than I. Most are more schooled than I. That is not the point I'm trying to get across. I am a person with many flaws, and many traits both good and bad. I am human. Yet, if one were to ask: "Why are you Christian?" or "Why Christianity?" these would be the reasons.

Much of this is simplistic answers to a complex situation. Eventually these topics will be discussed in greater depth.

May God Hold You and Bless You.

Go Fourth and Do As God Willeth.

[realityhop]

Deckard: You show it to your husband. He likes it so much he hangs it on your bedroom wall. Rachael: I wouldn't let him. Deckard: Why not? Rachael: I should be enough for him.

"Marriage is good."

— Louise Perry, The Case Against the Sexual Revolution: A New Guide to Sex in the 21st Century (2022)

"You cannot just suddenly open a magazine and look at a picture of a nude woman and then free associate, using Lacan. You cannot do that! Because fashion magazines are part of the history of art. These are great photographers, great stylists—and gay men have made enormous contributions to fashion photography."

— Camille Paglia, The MIT Lecture: Crisis in the American Universities (1991)

"As in Japan in the 1930s or 4chan in 2012, fascism arises in places where modern consumerist hedonism has pushed people so far out to sea that they swim desperately to the terra firma of traditional values (mixed in with a great deal of apocryphal past-themed fiction). 4chan often functioned as an object lesson in the limits of liberalism’s invitation to invent one’s own moral compass. Could one really say everyone ought to live any odd way they pleased when the boards filled up, each day, with lifestyles that were so grotesque they, at the very least, nudged up against the bounds of infinite tolerance?"

— Dale Beran, It Came From Something Awful

"Actually, to deny limits has become the rule, thus porn cannot any longer represent a transgression. A very interesting and important point, in this regard, is to acknowledge that the progressive denial of limits in heterosexual porn pertains mainly women, and can be reached only if, when, and how women allow it to happen.”

— Giorgio Tricarico, Lost Goddesses (2018)

"Women set the course of desire. If she doesn’t want it, it ain’t happening. And if she does want it, he will eventually succumb. The turn-on comes from her, not him. It may feel mutual, but it’s not going to happen unless she gives the green light. Yet because we women have believed it to be the other way around for so many thousands of years, it’s really, really difficult for us to see another viewpoint. I mean, how do you teach the sun that she’s the sun? […] Historically, women had to exchange sex for survival. Today, we are perfectly capable of putting food on our own tables and roofs over our own heads. In this way the balance of power has changed between men and women. We no longer need a man in order to live a healthy, happy life. In the process, the purpose of relationship has shifted from “food and shelter” to something else entirely. A new paradigm of relationship is emerging. I like to think of it as radiant relating. ... In a radiant relationship, we are both active participants. Neither one of us can coast."

— Regena Thomashauer, Pussy: A Reclamation ('16)

"In the traditional view a person perceives the world around him and acts upon it to make it known to him. In a sense he reaches out and grasps it. He “takes it in” and possesses it. He “knows” it in the Biblical sense in which a man knows a woman. The action is exactly reversed in an environmental analysis. […] Our perception of the sun depends on what we do with respect to it. Whatever we do, and hence however we perceive it, the fact remains that it is the environment which acts upon the perceiving person, not the perceiving person who acts upon the environment."

— B. F. Skinner, Beyond Freedom & Dignity (1971)

Blade Runner (1982)

(dir. Ridley Scott)

[yhwhrulz]

Charles Spurgeon's "Morning & Evening" Devotional for December 10

Morning

“Brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord.”

Philemon

This has been called “the polite epistle,” for Paul used great courtesy and tact in writing it. Onesimus, a slave, had robbed his master Philemon, and had then run away from him. Hoping to conceal himself best in the metropolis, Onesimus had fled to Rome, where he heard Paul preach and became converted. The apostle sent him back to his Christian master with the following letter of apology. Although its first object was only to restore a runaway slave to his master, it is a weighty letter, and every syllable has substance in it.

Philemon 1:4-6

Paul knew Philemon was a true believer, and therefore prayed that others might feel the power of his piety, by seeing how he acted in the present case.

Philemon 1:9

This is the best of pleading. Philemon’s heart would be sure to yield to it.

Philemon 1:12

who is so dear to me that he carries my heart with him wherever he goes.

Philemon 1:13 , Philemon 1:14

Though he felt sure that Philemon would have been glad to spare his servant to care for his aged friend, yet Paul would not take the liberty of using his services, but gave Philemon the opportunity to do it of his own accord if he thought fit.

Philemon 1:16

Providence suffered him to run away that he might come under Paul’s influence and become a Christian: the gracious purpose of God overrules evil for good.

Philemon 1:17-19

partner or true comrade in Christ

Philemon 1:21

Is not this a graceful way of putting it? Who could have the heart to resist such pleading? Yet every word is gentle and quiet. Mild language is mighty.

Our Father in heaven, we hallow thy name,

O’er earth may thy kingdom establish its claim!

Oh, give to us daily our portion of bread;

It is from thy bounty that all must be fed.

Forgive our transgressions, and teach us to know

The humble compassion that pardons each foe;

Keep us from temptation, from weakness, and sin,

And thine be the glory for ever. Amen.

Evening

“Unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.”

Hebrews 1

We have now reached that wonderful part of Holy Scripture which is found in the epistle to the Hebrews. Fully to understand it we ought to study closely the Book of Leviticus. Diamonds only will cut diamonds; the Word of God is its own expositor; the New Testament is the key of the old.

The epistle opens with the declaration that whatsoever was communicated by the prophets was spoken by God. He spoke whatsoever was uttered by his prophets. The Scriptures are very jealous on this subject; how different from the language of many who seem desirous to exclude God from being the author of his own word!

Hebrews 1:1 , Hebrews 1:2

Ours is the clearest of all revelations. In Jesus we see far more of God than in all the teachings of the prophets.

Hebrews 1:3

The priest stood while he performed service, and only sat down when his work was done. Jesus enthroned in glory enjoys the honours of his finished work.

Hebrews 1:5

But he does say this to Christ in the second Psalm.

Hebrews 1:5

And again speaking to Solomon as the type of Christ in the Second Book of Samuel 12:14

Hebrews 1:6

Or “worship him all ye gods,” Jesus is by nature infinitely superior to the noblest created beings, for he is essentially God, and to be worshipped as Lord of all.

Hebrews 1:7 , Hebrews 1:9

And of the angels in Psalms 104:4

Hebrews 1:7 , Hebrews 1:9

Psalms 45:6, Psalms 45:7

Hebrews 1:7 , Hebrews 1:9

Angels are servants and not kings, they fly upon the divine errands like flames of fire, but they do not sway a sceptre, neither have they a throne existing for ever and ever. Jesus is the anointed king, and though we share in the anointing yet is he far above us. Christ is infinitely greater than Christians. We are right glad to have it so.

Hebrews 1:10-12

again we read in Psalms 102:25-27

Hebrews 1:10-12

Since the Messiah is thus described as immutable and eternal he must be divine, and to deny the Godhead of the Saviour is a deadly error. Dr. Owen most comfortingly remarks: ”Whatever our changes may be, inward or outward, yet Christ changing not, our eternal condition is secured, and relief provided against all present troubles and miseries. The immutability and eternity of Christ are the spring of our consolation and security in every condition. Such is the frailty of the nature of man, and such the perishing condition of all created things, that none can ever obtain the least stable consolation but what ariseth from an interest in the omnipotency, sovereignty, and eternity of Jesus Christ.”

Hebrews 1:13 , Hebrews 1:14

They are servants of God and our willing guardians; but they are not to be worshipped. Jesus is Lord of all, and we are bound to adore him, and him only.

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