#the 267 leaks got to me

[rikugans]

first meeting.

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 316. brb x oc

a/n: OOP A SHORTY(comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

/267/268/269/270/271/272/273/274/275/276/277/278/279/280/281/282/283/284/285/286/287/288/289/290/291/292/293/294/295/296/297/298/299/300/301

/302/303/304/305/306/307/308/309/310/311/312/313/314/315

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

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-

It was storming hard and Beatrice watched the large droplets hit the bar’s windows as she and Shells fixed the tables. Penny went home for the night and both women just watched as the huge dark clouds danced overhead.

Shells whistled low, “Damn, good thing we drove over here.” she says, leaning against a chair, “You good picking the kids up at your parents?”

Beatrice nodded, securing the last table against the gusts of wind that accompanied the storm. The rain outside lashed against the windows like a frenzied orchestra, "Yeah, I should be good to pick them up. My parents are used to the impromptu weather changes .They won't mind having the kids a bit longer."

Shells chuckled, “Yeah.” her eyes scanning the empty bar. "Kinda weird being here alone and in the rain,though."

“Well,Shells, the bar did close already.”

"True, but there's a certain charm to being in a closed bar during a storm. It's like we've got the whole place to ourselves."

Beatrice smirked, "You just want to raid the snack stash without anyone judging you."

Shells winked, "Guilty as charged. Aunt Penny would lose her shit…Let's grab some snacks and enjoy the storm. Maybe we'll uncover some hidden gems in the snack selection."

“Uh-huh.” But Bea does follow Shells, setting the broom aside, “Sure.”

The two women headed to the back of the bar where Penny kept a stash of snacks for late-night cravings. The dimly lit storage room smelled of aged wood and a faint hint of bourbon. Shells rummaged through the shelves, pulling out an assortment of chips, pretzels, and even a forgotten pack of gummy bears.

"Jackpot!" Shells exclaimed, holding up the gummy bears triumphantly. "How did Penny forget about these?"

Beatrice chuckled, leaning against the wall "Maybe they were hidden treasures, waiting for the right moment to be discovered. Or Penny just has too much on her plate lately."

Shells raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin forming. "Speaking of plates, I also found some of those chocolate-covered almonds. You know, the fancy ones."

Beatrice arched an eyebrow, "Fancy almonds? Penny's stepping up her snack game.”

They grabbed the snacks and headed back to the main area of the bar. The storm outside continued to rattle the windows and the roof, but nothing was leaking.

Shells settled into one of the barstools, popping open the bag of gummy bears. "Alright, let's spill some secrets, Bea. What's the juiciest gossip you've heard lately?"

Beatrice laughed, joining her at the bar. "Well, besides Miranda trying to play mind games, not much. Life has been... eventful."

Shells hums, popping the pretzel bag open and shoving a handful into her mouth, “Nothing else?”

Beatrice considered for a moment, her gaze drifting towards the storm outside. The rhythmic tap of rain on the windows calmed her a bit. "Well, Rooster's still away on his mission as you know. That's a bit unnerving, especially with everything else going on." she pauses “This whole thing is like a soap opera, but with fighter jets."

Shells snorted, "Fighter jet drama. Now that's a show I'd watch. Who needs reality TV when you've got the Navy?"

Beatrice grinned, "True. Lives that are dramatic enough without needing scripted plots. But seriously, Shells, maybe we should make a movie about this whole thing once it is over, can you imagine?”

“Not gonna lie,we'd make millions!"

"We just need to figure out who plays the villain. I vote for Miranda. She's got the whole mysterious antagonist vibe going on."

Shells raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure you want to cast the actual villain? That might be a bit too realistic. We could go for a surprise twist, like... Mav turning out to be a secret mastermind."

Beatrice gasped dramatically, "Mav, the unsuspecting mastermind pulling the strings from behind the scenes. He’d hate that.!"

The rain drummed on the roof with a furious rhythm, and occasional flashes of lightning illuminated the darkened bar. The atmosphere inside was cozy, filled with the warmth of shared laughter and the scent of snacks.

A lot of them.

In the midst of their playful discussion, Shells leaned back in her chair, a more thoughtful expression crossing her face. "On a serious note, Bea, how are you holding up with all of this? I mean, Rooster away, Miranda causing drama…"

Beatrice sighed, her gaze shifting to the storm outside. "Well,” she chuckles “Could be worse, Shells.But I'm getting through it, you know? One day at a time."

Shells nodded, a genuine concern in her eyes. "If this were a movie, you'd be the main character for sure."

Beatrice smiled, touched by Shells' words. "Thanks, Shells. I appreciate that. But hey, let's not forget you're the quirky sidekick in this movie. 

Shells grinned, raising her bag of gummy bears in a mock toast. "To being the best damn sidekick and creating our own blockbuster Navy drama!"

They clinked their imaginary glasses, laughter bubbling between them. The storm outside raged on, but inside the bar, Bea and Shells found a moment of peace and respite amidst the chaos.

“I mean,I’ll be honest.” Bea looks up when Shells said it, “I’m glad you are okay. Truly.”

Bea’s  gaze softened, her eyes reflecting a genuine warmth. "Thanks, Shells. I'm glad you're okay too. We've been through a lot, and I don't know where I'd be without my partner in crime."

“Does that mean we need matching superhero outfits?"

"Absolutely. Capes and everything. We'll be the dynamic duo, fighting off Navy drama and snack shortages."

After a while, as they polished off the snacks, Shells leaned back in her chair, a more serious expression replacing the playful one. "Bea, I know we're joking about this movie idea, but if you ever need someone to talk to about all the... craziness, I'm here. Seriously."

Beatrice appreciated the sincerity in Shells' offer. She nodded, her smile softer. "Thanks, Shells. Same goes for you, you know? If there's anything on your mind, I'm here to listen. We're in this together, movie or not."

Shells grinned, raising an eyebrow. "So, what would our movie be called? 'Fighter Jets and Friendship'? 'Drama in the Danger Zone'?"

Beatrice laughed, her eyes sparkling. "How about 'Wings of Resilience'? It has a nice ring to it."

"Wings of Resilience it is, then," Shells declared, adopting a mock serious tone. "Coming soon to theaters near you."

The streets glistened with rain, reflecting the glow of streetlights. The rain hadn’t stopped and Shells frowned"You sure you're good to pick up the kids, Bea?"

"Yeah, I'll make it in time. And I appreciate the company, Shells. It's been a strangely comforting night."

Shells grinned, "Sometimes you just need snacks, a closed bar, and a storm to make everything feel a bit lighter."

Beatrice nodded, chuckling. "True that. Thanks for being my snack buddy and partner in crime tonight, Shells."

"Anytime, Bea. Wings of Resilience, remember?"

"Wings of Resilience," Beatrice echoed, her eyes dropping to her phone to check if she got any messages before she grabbed her umbrella, “You okay closing the bar?”

Shells nodded, stretching her arms with a yawn. "Yeah, I'll handle closing up. It's just a matter of locking up and making sure everything's secure. Penny does most of the heavy lifting in the morning anyway."

"Alright then," Beatrice said, pushing herself up from the barstool. She checked the time on her phone, realizing she needed to head out to pick up the kids. "I'll leave you to it. Take care, Shells."

"You too, Bea. And tell the kiddos I said hi. I'll catch up with you soon, alright?"

Beatrice smiled, feeling a genuine sense of gratitude for Shells' company during the stormy night. "Sounds good, Shells. I'll catch you later."

With a brief wave, Beatrice stepped out into the rain, opening her umbrella against the relentless downpour. The streets were still wet, the reflections of city lights shimmering on the surface. She walked briskly, the sound of raindrops on her umbrella almost sounding like gunshots.

As she approached her car, Beatrice just looked around to be sure which way would be safer for her to go to her parents.

The rain continued to pour, never ceasing as Beatrice navigated the slick streets inside her car. The city seemed quieter in the storm, the usual hustle and bustle muffled by the downpour. She felt a sense of calm despite the chaos that had unfolded earlier.

She didn’t want to think about it.

Arriving at her parents' house, Beatrice parked the car and rushed to the front door, umbrella in tow. The raindrops clung to her hair and clothes as she entered, greeted by the warmth of her childhood home. Her parents, hearing the door, emerged from the living room with welcoming smiles.

"Hey, Mom, Dad," Beatrice greeted them, shaking off the droplets from her umbrella. "It's pouring out there."

Her mom  reached for Beatrice's umbrella before she could stop it. "Well, you're inside now. Did you have a good night at work, sweetheart?"

Beatrice sighed, a mix of weariness and relief. "It was... something. Lots of people at the bar."

“Are you hungry?”

“N-”

“I’ll make you some cocoa, wait here.”

Her dad, whose head poked out from his office, chimed in, "Well, you know it’s better than to say no. Come here, the kids are with me.”

Beatrice followed her dad into the cozy home office. The room was filled with the familiar scent of old books and a hint of coffee. Gavin and Aurora, were lying on a playmat, engrossed in playing with some of Bea and her siblings’ old toys. Nicole, looked up from her spot on a small desk where she scribbled with crayons.

"Mama!" Nicole exclaimed, a bright smile lighting up her face. "Mama!"

Beatrice grinned, bending down to scoop Nicole into her arms. "Hey, sweetheart. Missed me?"

"Yeaaa!" Nicole nodded enthusiastically, hugging her mom tightly.

Her dad,chuckled. "She's been asking about you all evening. Now that you're here, it's like a party."

As Beatrice settled in with her kids, her mom returned with a tray carrying steaming mugs of cocoa. Beatrice took a sip, the warmth of the cocoa chasing away the residual chill from the rain-soaked night.

“Thanks, Mom. This is perfect.”

Her mom beamed, taking a seat beside her husband. "So, how's everything, dear? Any interesting stories from the bar tonight?"

Beatrice sighed, her gaze momentarily distant. "Oh, you know, the usual chaos. Shells and I had to deal with some rowdy customers, but we handled it. And then the storm hit."

Her dad raised an eyebrow, a glint of curiosity in his eyes. "Storm? You drove through the storm?”

"Yeah, Shells and I were closing the bar when it began.”

"Hmmm.”

“What,papa?”

“Maybe you and the kids should spend the night here, it’s safer than driving home.”

Beatrice considered her dad's suggestion. The storm showed no signs of letting up, and the idea of navigating the wet and slippery streets with the kids in tow was less than appealing. She glanced at her children, who were now engrossed in playing with the toys, seemingly unfazed by the weather outside.

"Yeah, you might be right, Dad," Beatrice admitted. "Staying the night here would be safer."

Her mom smiled, clearly pleased with the decision. "Good. We'll make up the guest room for you and the little ones. It's been a while since we had a spontaneous family sleepover with you involved."

"Sounds like a plan," Beatrice agreed, taking another sip of her cocoa. "I'll text Shells to let her know we're staying here tonight."

As Beatrice sent a quick text to Shells, then paused when she saw Rooster’s text.

Roos (21:30)

Gorgeous, don’t freak out but…if you can avoid Miranda even more these coming days,it’d be better…I can’t explain much now.

Beatrice's heart skipped a beat as she read Rooster's message. She frowned, glancing at her parents, who were engaged in a conversation about the storm.

"Everything okay, dear?" her mom asked, noticing the change in Beatrice's expression.

Beatrice hesitated for a moment, debating whether to share Rooster's message. She decided to keep it vague for now. "Just some squadron stuff. Rooster is busy, nothing more."

She had to get more info later.

[nanathott]

WAIT WHAT ARE THE CH. 267 LEAKS SOMEONE TWLL ME I CAN'T FIND EM

norb is alive!! and sukuna just got knocked, he’s likely gonna be dead in the next chap

[imraespace]

JJK 267 LEAKS!!

they called me crazy for believing.. got made fun of as well but guess whos back.. MY BAE NOBARA OMAGSHHEHEHE

[khattikeri]

You can see the words in the blacked out bubble.

Naturally, scan quality is bad since these are leaks, and they won’t be totally clear until we get the official release, but...

...The most clear character is the one circled. の, or “no”.

If he just said “Todoroki Touya” or something to that effect, there’d be no need for the character の.

But you know what he could say that does require it, and would be more instantly recognizable to Hawks?

エンデバーの息子 / “Endeavor no musuko” / “Endeavor’s son.” 

[shaymcsudonim]

Black Clover as a Deconstruction of the Shonen Heroes Journey

(Readmore break isn’t working for me. Will try to fix later. Press J to skip.)

So, most people have noticed this pattern in Black Clover...

...and, to be fair, so did I, when I first started watching. 

I saw the first five or six episodes, went, ‘tHiS iS wIzArD nArUtO,’ then didn’t watch any more for months, until I finally got bored enough to watch the rest for laughs. 

And then, of course, I got blown away by the genuine bonds of affection and respect between the characters.

(also, I eventually got used to Asta’s yelling, so that helped).

But, until you put in the time investment, you don’t put the dots together that Black Clover is actually a deconstruction of the Shonen Manga Heroes Journey. 

You can see pieces of it in Patri and the Cult of Personality he that built in the Eye of the Midnight Sun. 

Though, admittedly, it’s less obvious in Fana, Rhya, and Vetto, who are all blinded by grief to the point where they’ve all but lost any compassion they originally possessed. 

Indeed, the entire point of them in the first arc is that they’ve been traumatized enough to invert their personalities completely.

No, this extreme devotion to a single figurehead was best demonstrated in the three main humans in the Eye of the Midnight Sun: Sally, Valtos, and Rades. 

The three of them demonstrated fanatical loyalty to Patri: Valtos because he saved him, Sally because he allows her to pursue her passions, and Rades I’m pretty sure it was just because Patri gave him the opportunity to use his magic freely. 

This ‘cult of personality’ tactic, of course, is one very often employed by Shonen Protagonists, because it’s much easier than showing the character development necessary to turn an enemy into a genuine ally. 

And, while I was committed to seeing the show through unless it got really stupid, there was also a sense. of, ‘oh, now the darkness starts’ when Patri sacrificed his three human followers to further his own plans. That this cold-blooded sacrifice was a part of the plan all along. 

Honestly, I think the first place I truly started to have faith in Tabata’s writing was when Rades resurrected himself, Valtos, and Sally. The pieces had all been there from the start. We all knew that his magic was zombie magic. 

But It was also patently obvious that those three were sacrificed to demonstrate Patri’s assholeish nature to the audience, and reduce the number of characters, making the logistics of the upcoming fights simpler. So, while I wasn’t happy about the gratuitous death, I had accepted it.

But then Rades said, ‘no, I am the hero of my own story, and my story is about revenge,’ and I cannot tell you how wide I smiled. It wasn’t just Rades saying that, it was Tabata saying that he values his side characters, even the minor 1st arc villains. 

Then there’s the Zogratis siblings, the fact that they’re siblings, in the truest sense of the word. They fight together, they rule together, they’re more than capable of executing a multi-pronged attack which must have required extensive planning and teamwork. Even Zenon, the coldest of the three, goes to check on Dante, and saves him from the Black Bulls. 

Though we’ve yet to get the full picture, they even seem to have good relationships with their devils. Zenon’s a brick wall, of course, but Dante and Lucifero clearly talk to each other, and Megicula and Vanica openly express affection for one another. From what we’ve seen so far, the Zogratis siblings seem to, at the bare minimum, respect each other and the devils that they host. 

They’re still blood knights who would cause the apocalypse for the sake of finding strong opponents, yeah, but wanting ‘to fight strong opponents and help my friends’ has been the primary motive of many an anime protagonist. It just usually gets tempered by common sense and/or compassion.

So, with the major villains at least, they exemplify many of the virtues often given to anime protagonists. Not to say that they don’t have flaws, but their flaws are not those of the typical villain.

In contrast, many of the Heroes in Black Clover possess attributes normally seen in villains. 

Consider the Black Bulls: Asta, the Freak of Nature; Noelle the Unfavorite Noble Child; Magna, the Thug; Luck, the Blood Knight; Gauche, the Sexual Deviant; Vanessa, the Drunk; Finral, the Womanizer; Grey, the Shapeshifter; Charmy, the Glutton; Gordon, the Creepy Guy; Zora, the Avenger; Henry the Vampire. 

(Also Nacht, the Summoner, though the jury’s still out on him)

Asta’s comrades are all people who easily could have been villains, whether through their powers, their personalities, or simply their trauma.

But they weren’t. And this is at least partly due to another aspect of the series that I admire. 

Everyone is special.

[ID: Emmet from the Lego Move next to a quote reading, “You don’t have to be the bad guy. You are the most TALENTED, most INTERESTING, and most EXTRAORDINARY person in the universe. AND YOU ARE CAPABLE OF AMAZING THINGS. because you are the Special. And so am I. And so is everyone. The prophecy is made up, but it’s also true. It’s about all of us. Right now, it’s about you. And you can still change everything.” end ID]

That is to say, the villains aren’t the only ones to have aspects attributed to the typical shonen protagonist. And neither is Asta, as it turns out. He gets determination, resilience, and compassion, of course, but he’s far from the only one. 

In fact, his journey is made far easier by the ‘compassionate protagonists’ who came before him.

Starting as far back as we can in the timeline, we’re left with the Clover Nobles and their xenocide against the elves. Evil, tragic, and it should have never happened. Not to mention, it allowed the Nobles to hoard resources in the form of stolen mana, which they then passed on to their descendants. 

But, even after the worst had happened, Nero and Lumiere’s sacrifices eventually led to Zagred’s downfall. (And to the survival of one of Licht and Tetia’s children.)

Then, centuries later, came Zara Ideale. A man who worked tirelessly as the first commoner wizard cop, only to be killed by his elitist comrades in the purple orcas.

This could have led his son, Zora Ideale, down a dark path, but instead he devoted his life to protecting the citizens of the kingdom from the same corrupt magic knights that got his father killed.  

And that’s without even mentioning how when Julius Novachrono became Wizard King, he reformed the merit recognition system to mitigate the amount of harm the noble magic knights could do to their commoner comrades’ careers, to prevent what happened to Zara from happening to others. In the present day, multiple magic knight captains (Yami and Jack) are commoners, as are many of the magic knights in general. 

Not to mention Yami, in particular, formed a squad out of outcasts, to provide the support system that he never had as a young man. 

And all of this happened before the main character has even started on his heroes journey.

I could say a lot more words about how this demonstrates Tabata’s recognition of the fact that many of the problems with the Homestuck Quadrant Kingdoms are systemic, and that they won’t be solved with only a few good people working against them, which is why Asta still has a lot to do in his own quest to be Wizard King. 

...but really, what I wanted to do was say that, after reading the 267 leaks, it doesn’t surprise me one bit that AMD may be a better person than previously implied by the manga.

(heck, they did the same thing with Zora, when he was introduced).

Even though AMD seems motivated by a need for vengeance, is undeniably prone to fits of blackout rage, appears altogether too interested in possessing Asta’s body, and these are, indeed, traits that fit more with the aesthetic of a villain... I’m pretty sure AMD’s got the traumatic backstory of a true anime protagonist.

As I’ve said before, simply having an aspect typically attributed to a hero does not automatically mean AMD will be a fully heroic character. But, as was mentioned before, he also has a lot of common villainous traits.

And in Black Clover, a character with a villain archetype will more often than not side with and/or join the Black Bulls. 

[iplaysims4]

Yea So...

Before I get all into this, here is a lil recap...So as in my previous post, I mentioned that my Sim Latrice was suppose to marry for money. She received the phone call and got this message once the call was over...

She hit up her friend Aron...

To see if he would be game to marry for some cash. He was all for it but there was only two days left for her to marry him and get this shmoney!...

So I’ve never had a Sim marry for money in my game but I wanted to see if there was really an inheritance. So BOOM! time was moving fast. Latrice was soon to 17 hours to marry or she could say bye bye to all that shmoney.

So we call up, Aron to have him come over so they could get their flirt on because obviously they can’t just get married as friends right, so she calls him up, they talk and flirt. Listen... it was simply moving too slow for me so I cheated their relationship (but after, it was going to go back to how it was before). So BAM! they’re all in love and what not...

Flirt’n...

Kiss’n...and all that jazz SO! Latrice then got down on one knee...

...And proposed to Aron. Excuse the plumbbob as I was too lazy to enter another cheat. I just wanted to see was there really something involved in this. As you see in the pic, that good ole inheritance would have did some good for Latrice because EVERYTHING was breaking down in her home and not really able to pay her bills. This girl had like 267 Simoleans to her name.

Oh yea some where in the mist, Latrice acquired the strip tease skill! Okaaay because she is going to def end up in somebodies strip club if she can not pay her bills and feed herself. But that’s another story..LOL, where was I...🤔

Ok so Bam!...Latrice proposed...

And I KNOW they fucken lying!...

Beautiful ceremony where!? She is in her kitchen with a broken fridge that is leaking water and sending out electricity AND a toasted stove that is not in view that needs to be replaced from a fire that broke out, and she can only eat sammiches and salads. I’m glad no one was electrocuted and died.

😤

*Takes five*...

So they all taking it in...

Whoopty, whoop, whoooo...

Then we got THIS...

OK PAUSE...

Now I KNEW that it was too good to be true. She was not going to receive no type of inheritance from anyone that called her about her friends family member’s last breath. Why would SHE get anything. But I just wanted to see if what I thought was going to happen... happen. And it did...it did. Her inheritance was of course...

Aron. The man she married. He came with 22 thousand sum simoleans okaaay. And you see she broke as hell with bills starting at 7 thousand sum simoleans and not to mention the morgage that she gotta pay in two weeks!

After he moved in, they were both just standing around looking dumb...LMAO! he had nothing to say and neither did she. She went ahead and cleaned that water up though...Lmao!

[bbq-hawks-wings]

hey! I've seen a bunch of posts on how HPSC is slightly corrupted and all, could you explain if you understand this? They're (die hard villain fans) usually using this as a justification to slam the heroes for raiding the army. I'm quite confused sorry

I’d be more than happy to, friend! I have a strong feeling it’s going to be a key detail in the story moving forward so it’s good to go back in reviewing everything we know now; plus, it gives me the perfect chance to offer up my theory that ropes in Aizawa, Midnight, and Present Mic. Buckle up, though, because this gets a little long.

The HPSC tells heroes what to do.

The Hero Public Safety Commission is a pocket of the Japanese national government in this universe, sort of like how the FDA is in America.

It’s important to note that HPSC is a separate entity from the heroes. They’re the ones giving out licenses, disciplining rouge heroes, overseeing hero training, acting as liaison between heroes and law enforcement, organizing cooperative efforts with multiple heroes across different regions, and managing the general image of heroes with events like the Hero Rankings Billboard.

Heroes have to obey directives given by the HPSC and hero schools have to align with guidelines set by the HPSC, but heroes don’t usually get a say in these decisions and often only get to complain about how things are done and are stuck doing it anyway. If someone is caught heroing without a license or not in hero uniform, you can be fined and/or jailed. If a hero doesn’t keep up with paperwork or runs off and does their own thing they can also be fined and have their license suspended. If a hero goes AWOL or completely flips out they can have their license permanently taken away and be jailed.

It’s actually even more important to note that way heroes are allowed to operate and answer to the government is actually closer in line to a militia than a police force. In fact, while heroes are allowed to make arrests and use their quirks, they are more restricted in what they can and can’t do on their own than the police. If a hero wants to work with other heroes on an investigation, they have to use the private network (administrated by the HPSC) or communicate in person. In the case with the Shie Hassaikai or looking for Kurogiri and the LoV where police cooperation was necessary to carry out the investigation and bring in the gang right away there was no choice but to be transparent with the HPSC.

However, the HPSC doesn’t have to be transparent with the heroes.

They require heroes to give up all their information to keep working as heroes, but they don’t have any accountability for themselves and have notably dodged scrutiny up to this point with public backlash almost always falling on the heroes who have little to no say in how they run things.

Starting back at the beginning of the series with the USJ incident, it understandably garnered massive media attention - it should have. Dozens of unknown, random two-bit villains poured into the most secure, prestigious hero school in all of Japan undetected and resulted in the serious injury of two teachers and could have included the students as well if All Might had not been there to fight and subdue the inhuman monster - the Nomu - who had up to that point had never been seen before.

It’s not unreasonable that UA initially got the blowback from this as it could have been chalked up to complacency causing a lapse in security that the HPSC absolutely wouldn’t have been accountable for. It’s treated like a one-off event and despite investigations going nowhere on it, it’s ultimately downplayed and checked out in the background while continuing with the Sports Festival in high spirits. However, things get worse.

After passing their semester exams the Hero Course first-years head off to do practical training in the mountains with a hero team named the Wild Wild Pussycats. Remember, because this is a hero training initiative between a school and a hero team, the HPSC is likely involved at least on some administrative level in regards to granting permission and securing the patch of mountainside to use even if this detail is not acknowledged in the series. Despite efforts to only include the staff, teachers, and heroes involved word somehow still gets out - resulting in more student, hero, and teacher injuries, and most importantly the kidnapping of one of the students.

This can no longer be swept under the rug. A lot happens in the secret hideout raid revealing lots of stuff with the plot, including All-for-One’s direct involvement, but it doesn’t add anything more to our notes besides the fact UA is once again blamed and heroes are thrown under the bus instead of the organization overseeing them.

Fast forward to the Provisional License Arc. This is the first time we see the HPSC acting explicitly. It’s noted that they passed significantly more students this year than previously. Yokumiru Mera, the tired proctor, is overworked. The HPSC has a reason to urgently pump more students into the “working force” now than it had before, though at the moment it’s written off as a result of All Might’s retirement.

During the Shie Hassaikai arc the only suspect detail we get is the fact that the raid on compound is inexplicably compromised, and somehow the yakuza knew the heroes and police were coming. We’ll come back to this and to the leaks in UA again later.

Skipping the remedial courses and school festival arc, we get to the Pro Hero Arc. Big lights, pomp and circumstance, and a massive powerful Nomu attack that nearly kills the freshly crowned #1 Hero. From this point forward, what we get of the HSPC is mainly through Hawks and his experience with him. After the fight, we get a flashback of the President of the HSPC herself telling him to ignore civilian casualties in his mission to infiltrate the LoV, that he has to do it solo, and that he can’t tell anyone. Briefly in the next chapter he says that despite his objections he can’t actually tell them no.

Hold up!

Did a government agency just tell a hero to secretly get in with the villains no matter what, and when he objects and asks whether he’s just supposed to ignore collateral damage in the process is told, “You can and you will”?! (That’s a verbatim quote from chapter 192.) I thought this agency was supposed to hep people and keep them safe!

We get smatterings of interactions between Hawks and the HPSC, and though we don’t get anything from there side we’re getting that every questionable or deplorable thing Hawks does or needs to get on the LoV’s good side is acknowledged and endorsed by the HPSC. “I’m in contact with the shady guy who loosed that monster in the middle of the city with no warning. He wants me to kill the other top hero who just recovered and to join the definitely-dangerous doomsday cult, and maybe THEN he’ll let me in on what’s going on.” Ok, sure. Nothing morally questionable about any of that...

Jump to chapter 267. Up to this point, this note about Hawks’ past has been hinted at, but is here finally confirmed with a chilling detail. Kids who enter hero work may get special coaching by their families when they’re young, but the threshold for entering formal government-regulated training isn’t until 14/15 years of age in the last few years of their education. Chapter 267 shows a little Keigo Takami no older than about 8, at best, being told by the HPSC that he doesn’t get to call himself by his own name anymore. From now on, he’s going to be a hero, and only a hero, and it’s going to long and hard. Back in 192, two mysterious figures promise the same boy, shown at the same age, that his family will be taken care of.

Whatever circumstances led Keigo’s family to end up in the situation they did, they accepted an offer from a government agency, the HPSC specifically - you can see their headquarters in the flashback - to take away their very young son, take away his identity (and implicitly his family), and groom him to be government tool for the rest of his life - a commitment he had no true say in and that he could not understand at the time.

And it gets worse.

Endeavor works with the HPSC regularly as all heroes have to, but his relationship with them and what they’ll let him get away with gets put into greater question the longer we look at it. He turned to eugenics to create a hero he couldn’t be and surpass All Might for the sole purpose of satisfying his own ego. He bought a girl from her family and forced her to have his kids, then subjected those kids to cruel training - passing over each one until he got to one he felt he could work with -, beat his wife as well, and some kind of action he was involved in lead to the death of his oldest son. While the domestic abuse could be hidden, the death of his child cannot. What’s more, shortly after (very shortly if timelines add up), his youngest son received a permanent burn scar on the heat-resistant side of his face and his wife was locked away in a mental institution for a decade.

And the HPSC never bats an eye. They could take away his license. They could call the police. They could have exposed him to the public or at least ordered an investigation. But they didn’t. On some level they knew, and they did nothing.

But it might be even worse.

I skipped over this detail chronologically, but it’s the linchpin for just how corrupt the HPSC might be if all this lines up. Looking at the Endeavor Agency Arc, we get a seemingly random confrontation with a guy called Starservant (chapter 243) who prattles off a prophecy about the Dark Lord returning and his Dark Stars conspiring against humanity which will bring the world to ruin. He calls out Endeavor specifically as the shining light that beckons the darkness, but this sounds an awful lot like the deranged wailing of some crazy old man, right?

Let’s jump over an entire series now to the spin-off serial Vigilantes. This series takes place in the same universe at an earlier point in the timeline of the main story - and take an extra little note that there’s an underlying subplot about unusual drugs meant to enhance quirks (that often result in mutating the user) and that someone may be using them to clandestinely run experiments on humans from the shadows. 

In chapter 59 we get flashbacked to Eraserhead, Midnight, and Present Mic’s childhood experiences at UA, and we’re also introduced to Oboro Shirakumo - their fellow classmate and dear friend. We get a few chapters establishing their relationships and their goals and dream for the future until chapter 63 where things make a drastic turn in tone. On what should be a routine hero training exercise as third-year seniors a giant, monstrous villain shows up and attacks while the UA kids are escorting a class of preschoolers around town.

In the scuffle, though Aizawa is able to single-handedly come out victorious, in the fight and debris Shirakumo is struck in the head by falling concrete as he tries to lead the children to safety and dies on the scene. Go back to main series, chapter 254-255, the villain Kurogiri is detained but the police are having no luck questioning him. They get a sliver of a lead and call in Present Mic and Eraserhead to interrogate him, and it’s confirmed that Kurogiri was a human experiment of Doctor Ujiko - the mad scientist bio-engineer responsible for the Nomu and outspokenly faithful servant of All-for-One - created from the corpse of their dearly departed Oboro.

Here’s the kicker, though, in Japan they don’t often bury their dead. Funerals next to never include an open casket - the loved one is cremated first, their ashes placed on an funeral shrine with their picture, and the loved ones mourn there. That means Ujiko needed to get to the body before it was cremated - which requires some fast work; but that’s not even the worst of it. Jumping one last time to chapter 270, Ujiko recognizes Mic as a friend of Shirakumo and boldly admits the entire time he was after Aizawa for his quirk.

That attack more than 10 years ago was premeditated. This goes back a long ways. How did he find this information - about their quirks and their movements and where to find them? How did Ujiko get the body out of the morgue without anyone catching him? Could it be the same way his fellow servants of All-for-One were able to get into the USJ? And the Training Camp? And the Yakuza raid? All-for-One has a lot of connections for his faithful servants to move about freely in this world of heroes despite every effort being take to stop them. 

Somehow, these shining lights can never seem to outrun the dark no matter how hard they try, as if there’s a conspiracy against them. But a conspiracy of that level would have to come all the way from the top! If you wanted to get poetic about it, you could even say the stars themselves are conspiring against us. But that old man was crazy, right? If he wasn’t crazy - if he was right at all - then no matter what way you slice it:

This is bad.

[secret-rendezvous1d]

tfln masterlist; #200 - #299.

it’s been a long time coming, i know, but i’ve finally gotten around to creating a mobile masterlist for my text prompts. making things a little easier for you all to access them. a huge, huge thank-you to @life-is-just-better-in-pyjamas for collecting all of the links and sending them to me; you’ve been an absolute sweetheart and i am truly grateful for everything you’ve done in regards to my text prompts.

they’re split into different posts (which i greatly apologise for) because, i think, tumblr gets a little overwhelmed with the amount of links that are in one post - which sucks because it would be a great deal of help to have them all in one place. frustratingly, after spending hours trying to find them, a few of my posted tflns have been deleted unexpectedly (thank you, tumblr!) which sucks hard.

if there are any issues then let me know. requests are always open for these prompts.

#200 - the one where the kids have been asking to see their grandfather.

#201 - the one where harry needs advice for his first time.

#202 - the one with the magazine covers.

#203 - (littlemix!au) the one where yn is asked about him in an interview.

#204 - the one where connor is concerned.

#205 - (singleparent!harry) the one where anne picks up asher from school.

#206 - the one where the missus burns her cakes.

#207 - the one where rose and darcy argue in the group chat.

#208 - the one where harry doesn’t know what to buy alfie.

#209 - the one where the missus stains his sheets.

#210 - the one where they discuss punishments for darcy.

#211 - the one where alfie borrows the car.

#212 - the one where harry argues with darcy.

#213 - (littlemix!au) the one where gemma congratulates yn on ‘glory days’.

#214 - (alternativeuniverse!harry) the one where harry finds out yn is bisexual.

#215 - the one where gemma starts an awkward encounter.

#216 - the one where harry wants the missus to go to la with him.

#217 - the one where the missus gets frustrated with gemma.

#218 - the one where the missus sends photos and harry cuts his meeting short.

#219 - the one where the missus it out with her mother and harry has a raging boner.

#220 - the one where persephone tells her mother about her marital problems.

#221 - the one where the missus is passed her due date.

#222 - (college!harry) the one where they’re worried about their future.

#223 - the one where the missus sends cheeky christmas outfits to harry.

#224 - the one where rose and darcy gossip about their boyfriends.

#225 - the one where harry’s in la and she’s in new york.

#226 - the one where harry doesn’t know what pads to get.

#227 - the one where the missus is overdue and harry is scared.

#228 - (alternativeuniverse!harry) the one where the harry is yn’s first boyfriend.

#229 - the one where the missus surprises harry for christmas.

#230 - the one with the bathing suit photos.

#231 - the one where persephone takes his car and he gets frustrated.

#232 - the one where rose wants to come home from school.

#233 - the one where rose and darcy are in ibiza.

#234 - the one where gemma receives the missus’ naughty texts messages.

#235 - the one where harry lets too much information out.

#236 - the one where lingerie makes harry all hot and bothered.

#237 - (actor!harry) the one where they’re on a break and she sees dunkirk with a friend.

#238 - the one where harry freaks out over his missus being out with another man.

#239 - the one where darcy got drunk.

#240 - the one where things get flirtatious.

#241 - (alternativeuniverse!harry) the one where alfie comes out as gay.

#242 - the one where the missus wants to get a persephone-related tattoo.

#243 - the one where harry has a bad encounter with a fan.

#244 - the one where harry drinks tea with anne.

#245 - the one where they argue about holiday locations.

#246 - the one where the missus is upset with harry.

#247 - the one where hate gets tough.

#248 - the one where harry gets jealous.

#249 - the one where they talk things over.

#250 - the one where harry worries that the missus doesn’t want to be with him anymore.

#251 - the one where persephone won’t stop crying.

#252 - (actor!harry) the one where harry is on tour and the missus is home with a poorly newborn.

#253 - the one where the missus gets manhandled.

#254 - the one where harry and te missus plan a trip away together.

#255 - the one with the knock knock jokes.

#256 - the one where harry is busy so she spends time with louis.

#257 - the one where harry wants the missus to send naughty pictures.

#258 - (littlemix!au) the one with the music video for ‘touch’.

#259 - the one where the missus is drunk and horny.

#260 - the one where the boys hear the missus and harry having sex.

#261 - the one where the boys tease them about how loud they were.

#262 - the one where the missus’ nudes leak.

#263 - the one where reunion sex is interrupted.

#264 - the one where they’re still in the ‘puppy love’ stage.

#265 - the one where she’s in la with their daughter.

#266 - (author!yn) the one where yn has a bestselling book.

#267 - (alternativeuniverse!harry) the one where yn is stressed out.

#268 - the one where the missus is babysitting.

#269 - the one where one of the boys takes his phone.

#270 - the one where they fight and break-up.

#271 - the one where harry drunk texts the missus.

#272 - the one where the missus gets crowded in a store.

#273 - the one where rose becomes ill whilst the missus and harry are away.

#274 - the one where the missus babysits gemma’s daughter.

#275 - (alternativeuniverse!harry) the one where harry wants yn’s number.

#276 - the one where lou puts a snapchat up.

#277 - the one where the missus gets dehydrated.

#278 - the one where harry likes what the missus is wearing.

#279 - the one where harry is away and the missus is staying in holmes chapel with his family.

#280 - the one with the bad cramps.

#281 - the one where the missus is seen with a guy after their break-up.

#282 - the one where they’re craving each other.

#283 - the one where the fans send hate to the missus.

#284 - the one where the missus doesn’t answer him.

#285 - the one where harry meets bear payne.

#286 - (youtuber!missus) the one where yn has her first meet and greet and harry releases ‘sign of the times’ for all the world to hear.

#287 - the one where harry sends flowers home.

#288 - the one where the missus takes persephone out on a girly-day with anne and gemma.

#289 - the one where they can’t say goodbye to one another.

#290 - the one where they’re in difference areas of the house.

#291 - the one where harry forgets a condom.

#292 - the one where harry looks after alfie and persephone on his own.

#293 - (bestfriend!harry) the one where they have a friends with benefits pact and he gets possessive.

#294 - the one with persephone’s stolen top.

#295 - the one where harry looks good in spain.

#296 - the one where alfie and darcy argue.

#297 - the one where the missus sends him naughty photos.

#298 - the one where the missus’ self-esteem is low.

#299 - (teendad/xfactor!harry) the one where harry asks how amelie is.

[iamjephthah]

Lesson 103: Spiritual Failure and Restoration (Luke 22:54-62)

FROM THE SERIES: LUKE PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE Lesson 103: Spiritual Failure and Restoration (Luke 22:54-62) Related Media John Newton was a wild-living sailor and slave-trader who got saved and became a godly pastor and the author of many hymns, including the beloved, “Amazing Grace.” He said late in his life: “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.” Even if your past is not as wicked as John Newton’s, you should be growing in your awareness of those two great facts. The longer I am a Christian, the more acutely I am aware of the exceeding wickedness of my own heart. I can identify with the hymn writer, Robert Robinson, who wrote, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it; prone to leave the God I love.” But, thank God, the more I see my own sinfulness, the more brightly God’s grace shines. As Robinson also wrote, “O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be!” The story of Peter’s denials is recorded in Scripture to underscore these two great facts: the weakness and sinfulness of even the most prominent saints; and, the greatness and abundance of God’s love and grace toward those who fail. For those who are walking with the Lord, this story warns us to take heed lest we fall. For any who have fallen, the story holds out the hope of pardon through God’s abundant grace if you will turn back to Him. Even when we fail the Lord badly, if we will repent God will restore us and use us again in His service. 1. Sometimes we fail the Lord badly. Luke draws a stark contrast between Peter’s failure to confess Christ under pressure and Jesus’ faithful confession under pressure. Jesus confessed that He is the Messiah and Son of God before the powerful Jewish Sanhedrin, but Peter failed to confess Christ before a lowly servant girl. When you place Peter’s earlier confession, “You are the Christ of God” (9:20) next to “I do not know Him,” you wonder how the same words could have come out of the same mouth within the space of a few months. Some might question whether a true Christian could ever do what Peter did on this occasion. But we would be in error to say that Peter was not saved when he committed this terrible sin. He had recognized his own sinfulness in that first great catch of fish, when he fell at Jesus’ feet and implored, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (5:8). Later, when other disciples had turned away because of Jesus’ hard teaching, Jesus asked the twelve if they, too, would turn away. Peter proclaimed, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68, 69). Peter definitely knew Jesus as Savior and Lord. Becoming a Christian is a matter of repentance and faith (Acts 20:21), which are flip sides of the same coin. Repentance means turning to God from sin (1 Thes. 1:9). Faith is trusting what Christ has done to pay for our sins on the cross, rather than trusting our own efforts or good works to save us (Eph. 2:8-10). Just as we cannot turn north without turning our backs on the south, so we cannot turn to a holy God for salvation without turning our backs on any known sin in our lives. We cannot trust in Christ to save us without repudiating trust in our own efforts to save ourselves. But the repentance and faith which save us do not put us in a protective bubble so that we are free from all sin until we get to heaven. The Christian life begins with repentance and faith, but it also continues with repentance and faith on a daily basis whenever we sin or when God’s Word opens our eyes to sin that we previously were not aware of. If a person is not walking in repentance and faith, there is reason to doubt whether he truly knows Christ. Still, we need to ask, “How can a believer who enjoyed the privileges Peter enjoyed—who walked as closely with Jesus as Peter did, who saw the miracles Peter saw, who heard the teaching Peter heard, who professed his commitment as strongly as Peter did—how can a believer like that fall into such terrible sin?” The answer—please note—is, gradually, not suddenly. A. THE COURSE OF SPIRITUAL FAILURE: A SLOW LEAK, NOT A BLOWOUT. We all have had the shocking experience of seeing someone we looked up to spiritually fall into a great sin. At first glance, it looks like he was just cruising along at 75 miles per hour when, BAM! he had a blowout. We think, “Wow, that’s scary! I hope it never happens to me.” But the fact is, there is no such thing as a spiritual blowout; there are only slow leaks. When you examine any spiritual failure, you always discover that there has been a slow spiritual decline. It was probably in secret. He kept up the outer appearances. He continued to look the part of a godly man. But in his heart, he was not judging sin. He was not evaluating himself in light of Scripture. Slowly the air was leaking out of his spiritual tires, but we didn’t see it until they were flat. No man is walking closely with Jesus on Monday and on Tuesday gets seduced by a beautiful woman. Adultery (or any other sin) always starts in the mind (Mark 7:20-23). A man begins tolerating lustful thoughts. He secretly looks at pornography. He discretely checks out the sexy women he sees. On the surface, he may be a pastor or church leader. He may be preaching or teaching God’s Word every week. But his Bible study and prayer life are superficial. He isn’t judging his sin and walking in fellowship with Christ. He justifies it, thinking, “I’m just a normal guy. It’s not hurting anyone. Besides, I’d never be unfaithful to my wife.” But, he likes it when women flirt with him. He enjoys hugging them, as sisters in Christ, of course! Satan bides his time until the opportune moment. Then he drops the bait, the man falls, and everyone is shocked. The precise course of spiritual failure will vary from person to person and from incident to incident. But we may learn how to avoid the slow leaks in our own lives by tracing Peter’s decline. B. THE CAUSES OF SPIRITUAL FAILURE: There are more, but let’s look at six:  We refuse to submit to the hard teachings of Scripture. Just after Peter’s famous confession, Jesus began to teach the disciples that He must suffer many things, be rejected by the Jewish leaders, and be killed. But Peter couldn’t accept that. He actually took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him. Jesus in turn rebuked Peter by saying, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (Mark 8:31-32). We have also seen that, just hours before, when Jesus predicted that Peter would be sifted by Satan, Peter protested that he would follow Jesus to prison and to death (Luke 22:33). He directly contradicted Jesus’ word because it was a hard thing to submit to. We’re all inclined to do exactly what Peter did. There are many difficult things in Scripture, things that run counter to our liking. If we’re not careful, we focus on the Scriptures we like and skip the ones we don’t care for. We like the idea that man is free to choose his own destiny, but we don’t care for a God who has mercy on some and who hardens others according to His will (Rom. 9:18). So we clip Romans 9 and many other Scriptures from our Bibles. We like a loving and tolerant God, but we don’t care for a holy God who lets us reap what we sow and who visits the iniquity of fathers on children to the third and fourth generation. We like a God who heals us and makes us happy, but we don’t like a God who refines us through trials and hardship. The first step to a spiritual fall is when you start picking and choosing the Scriptures that tell you about the kind of God you like and ignoring the Scriptures that tell you what God is really like. A woman in my church in California had earned her degree in counseling from a Christian university. She wrote a letter to our elders complaining about my preaching in which she said, “I’m tired of hearing all the time that I’m a sinner. I want more sermons that tell me that I am a person of worth, made in God’s image.” The elders said to me, “When the Bible says that we’re made in God’s image, you preach it. When it says that we’re sinners, you preach that. It just so happens that the Bible says that we’re sinners far more often than it says that we are made in God’s image!” I advise you to read all of God’s Word. Read it consecutively, not skipping the hard parts. And, submit yourself to the whole thing, not just to the parts you like.  We do not face up to our pride. Peter believed in his own commitment more than he believed the word of the Lord (22:31-33). The other gospels reveal that Peter also believed that he was more committed than the other disciples: “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not” (Mark 14:29). But Peter was blind to his own pride and self-confidence. Alexander Maclaren observes, “Over-reliance on self leads us to put ourselves in the way of temptations which it were wiser to avoid” (Expositions of Holy Scripture [Baker], Luke 13-24, p. 267). Pride is the most common and troublesome sin that we face. Satan fell when he boasted, “I will make myself like the Most High” (Isa. 14:14). He tempted Eve by appealing to her pride, telling her that she could be like God. Ever since, the human race has been plagued with the sin of thinking too highly of ourselves. This is being fed in our day with the false teaching that we need to build our self-esteem. Scripture no where teaches such a thing. In many places it tells us to clothe ourselves with humility and to regard others as more important than ourselves (1 Pet. 5:5; Phil. 2:3). One clue that we are blind to our pride is when we hear of someone who has sinned and we think, “I could never do such a thing!” “Even though others fall away, I will not!” “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12)! “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling” (Prov. 16:18).  We come under satanic attack. Satan had demanded permission to sift Peter like wheat, but Peter was oblivious to the danger, even though Jesus warned him (22:31-33). Later Peter wrote, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). If a real lion were loose on the streets of Flagstaff, we would walk much more carefully than normal! We would be always on the lookout, and probably be armed with a weapon to defend ourselves. And yet we often ignore the adversary of our souls, living as if he did not exist.  We grow spiritually dull and distant. Peter was not only dull with regard to the enemy without, he was dull with regard to the enemy within. Jesus had warned the disciples, “Keep watching and praying, that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38). But not sensing their spiritual danger, they fell asleep when they should have been praying. As a result, when Jesus was arrested, Peter reacted in the flesh, whacking off the servant’s ear, then fled in fear. Now, he came back, following at a distance, and sat down among Christ’s enemies to warm himself by the fire. Whenever I deal with someone who is having serious problems, I ask about his devotional life. Invariably, it has either turned into an occasional routine, or it has ceased altogether. The person has allowed his first love for Jesus to cool. Your private devotional times with the Lord are the roots that sustain the tree. If a tree lacks deep roots, it may look pretty for a while, but invariably, a storm will hit that topples the tree. If you lack deep roots with the Lord, frequent times where you meet alone with Him to read and meditate on His Word and to commune with Him in prayer, you will fall when the storms of temptation hit.  We respond to crises in the flesh, not in the Spirit. When the mob came to arrest Jesus, Peter started swinging his sword, but his response was not what the Lord wanted. I suppose that Peter meant well, but his zeal did more damage than good. He was fighting when he should have been submitting. Then, sitting by the fire, he was submitting to group pressure when he should have fought in the Spirit. Even so, when we have been dodging the hard truths of Scripture, we have not judged our pride, we’re under satanic attack, and we’re spiritually dull and distant, we will respond to crises in the flesh, not in God’s Spirit. Something will happen that demands a godly, spiritual response, but we start swinging the sword or we say and do things to deny our faith in Christ. That’s the last bit of air leaking out of our spiritual tires:  We compromise our witness by our words and behavior. You wouldn’t think that the bold, brash Peter would be toppled by a servant girl, but he was! He was like a mighty tree that has been eaten inside by bugs. Outwardly, it looks tall and strong. Inwardly, it is rotten and weak. One day a small breeze blows on it and it comes crashing down. Although Luke is kind to Peter, the other gospels hint that his three denials began small and grew to horrible proportions. He first said to the girl, “I don’t know what you are talking about” (see Mark 14:68). Perhaps as she kept insisting that he had been with Jesus, he gave the response Luke records, “Woman, I do not know Him.” He changed locations, hoping to avoid any other confrontations. But the girl came again and repeated her charge, and was joined by some of the men. Now Peter had to stick with his story, so again he denied that he was one of the disciples: “Man, I am not!” (Luke 22:58). For about an hour he tried to block out his failure by making small talk around the fire. Then the bystanders began to accuse him of being a disciple because of his Galilean accent. At this point, Peter began to curse and swear, insisting that he did not know “this man” (he wouldn’t even utter Jesus’ name; Mark 14:71). At this point, we can’t believe what we see: Peter, the bold apostle, openly denying that he knew his Savior and Lord! That’s the awful process, how the air leaks out of our tires until we are running on the rims. We would have thought it inconceivable at first, but that’s where we end up when we don’t fix the leaks. Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there. In Peter’s restoration, we see God’s abundant grace: 2. If we will repent of our spiritual failures, God will restore us and use us again in His service. The turning point for Peter involved two things: the crowing of the rooster, which reminded him of Jesus’ prediction; and, the Lord’s turning and looking directly at Peter (which only Luke records). What a look that must have been! I don’t know whether they were moving Jesus from one place to another, and He caught Peter’s eye as He was being pushed along; or, whether He was inside, but within visual range. Normally a guilty person won’t look you in the eye. But the Lord turned, which probably caught Peter’s attention. Then He looked at Peter and Peter looked at the Lord (Luke twice refers to Jesus as “the Lord” to emphasize His deity, v. 61). Peter instantly fell apart in repentance and godly sorrow over what he had done. He went out and wept bitterly. A. THE PATH OF RESTORATION REQUIRES REPENTANCE. I can only briefly comment on several aspects of repentance:  Remembrance of God’s Word. “Peter remembered the word of the Lord” (22:61). All repentance begins when we remember the word of the Lord. What does the Lord say about what I have done? That is the issue. Men may minimize my sin: “Don’t worry about it! Everyone slips up occasionally. Don’t be too hard on yourself.” But God’s Word is the final authority. It tells me that I have sinned.  Conviction of our sin. The Lord’s look penetrated down to Peter’s conscience. Jesus didn’t have to say anything. Peter was deeply convicted in his heart. He didn’t try to paper over it or make excuses or rationalize it away. Conviction acknowledges that God is right and I’m wrong.  Godly sorrow over sin. This will vary with the seriousness of the sin and the personality of the sinner, but when our consciences realize that we have sinned against a Savior who loved us enough to die for us, we will mourn over our sin. We won’t be flippant or shrug it off.  Appropriation of Christ’s sacrifice for our sin. Jesus had already begun to suffer for Peter’s sins as He endured abuse at the hands of sinners. That sacrifice would be completed on the cross, where Jesus cried out, “It is finished” (John 19:30). We cannot atone for our sins by our sorrow or penance. Christ fully paid the penalty that we owe. We can only appropriate Christ’s sacrifice to cover our sins.  Appreciation of God’s abundant grace. Christ’s look not only conveyed the pain He felt at Peter’s failure. It also communicated His great love and grace. Peter remembered the word of the Lord, which included the fact that he would be restored because of Jesus’ prayers for him (22:32). What amazing grace, that Christ chose Peter and us, knowing full well how we would fail Him! His grace saved us and it keeps us unto the day when we shall be with Him forever. If you say, “I’ve sinned too badly; I just can’t accept God’s forgiveness and grace,” you’re not trusting in Him alone. You’re proudly trusting in your own method of atonement. Christians believe in and thank God for His grace as the only basis for forgiveness. If you need to be restored, you must repent of your sin and trust again in God’s grace and mercy. B. THE PATH OF RESTORATION RESULTS IN RENEWED SERVICE. As you know, the Lord personally restored Peter and did not kick him off the apostolic team. When the Day of Pentecost came, it was Peter who stood in Jerusalem, before some of the same people who had heard him deny Christ, and boldly proclaimed Him as Savior and Lord, risen from the dead. If Peter had clung to his pride, he would have said, “I’m never going to show my face in Jerusalem again. Someone else can preach, but I’m going back to fishing.” But thankfully, Peter recovered from the fear of what people thought and was restored to care about what pleases Christ. So he preached and God was pleased to save 3,000 souls. Conclusion The hymn writer I mentioned earlier, Robert Robinson, was a wild young man who lived a debauched life as a teenager. At age 17, he went with some friends to scoff at the famous evangelist, George Whitefield. But Robinson was so impressed by Whitefield’s preaching that he got saved. At 23 he wrote the hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” For many years he served as a Baptist pastor, but later in life he got involved with the doctrines of Unitarianism and strayed from the Lord. One day he was riding in a stagecoach when he struck up a conversation with a woman. When she realized that he was well informed on spiritual matters, she asked him what he thought of a hymn she had just been reading. To his astonishment, he found that it was the hymn, “Come Thou Fount,” which he had written as a young man. He burst into tears and told her, “I’m the poor, unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago. I would give anything to have back the joy I knew then.” The woman assured him that the “streams of mercy” referred to in the song still flowed. Robinson was deeply touched, turned his wandering heart again to the Lord, and experienced His grace and forgiveness. That same grace is available to all who have failed the Lord. If you will turn back to Him, He will abundantly pardon and restore you to fellowship with Him and to service in His cause. You may be a great sinner, but Jesus is a greater Savior! Discussion Questions Is all spiritual failure a slow leak, or are there occasional blowouts? Does the fact that believers can sin badly run counter to so-called “lordship salvation”? Why/why not? Why is it dangerous to camp on favorite passages of Scripture, rather than to read it all? What are some difficult biblical truths which American Christians are ignoring or denying? Have we truly repented if we don’t feel sorry about our sins? Can this turn into an unbiblical system of penance? Is it right to restore to pastoral ministry a man who has fallen into sexual sin? Support your answer from Scripture. Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2000, All Rights Reserved. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation