#the lord is my shepherd and he know what i want...have mercy

[agapeeternal]

Joe Burrow at Cincinnati Bengals training camp

[agapeeternal]

Last time I checked he still hot 🔥

[kittywillcutyou-illustration]

SHEEESH!✨️

[thinkingofausername]

cw: rant, don't read if you're religious and easily offended

The older I get, the more I'm fascinated and avidly repulsed by religion.

I'm fascinated with the fact that so many people view religious texts as the objective truth. They don't even question it, it just is what it is. A virgin gave birth, a man made everything and is watching us all the time and knows everything about us and has a plan for us, a man turned water to wine and cured blindness and came back from the dead, another man parted the sea, etc. Somehow mermaids and vampires aren't believable.

I'm fascinated with the fact that religion holds so much power. It's put its hand on politics, education, healthcare. It dictates things it never should've. It's spoken of as a personal choice and belief which is to be respected and yet it's an all around force involved in things it should've stayed out of.

I'm fascinated with the fact that we never outgrew it, never evolved past it. It's such a backwards and rigid thing that I honestly can't believe we haven't left it behind. I can imagine centuries and centuries ago people needed to be told killing was bad because you will die and burn forever but how does that apply to this day and age? Shouldn't it be the most reasonable thing that our actions be controlled by morals, guilt, rationality, law, etc. If someone has to threaten you with eternal damnation in order for you to be good, than how good are you?

I'm repulsed by the mindlessness of it. It reads as nothing but mass control and simultaneously giving up control. It reads as controlling mindless masses who need to blindly follow something and never question it. I believe "the Lord is my shepherd" is very much on point. It reads as avoiding taking accountability. It reads as avoiding the fact that our lives are in our control. We have no inherent purpose and no one but us is guiding our lives. Our actions have direct consequences. God didn't save that person's life, it was the surgeon who performed the surgery for fifteen fucking hours. We are conscious creatures and we should be exercising critical thinking and not giving up control of our lives because "someone has a plan for us and all will be as he has imagined it".

I'm repulsed by the fact that it's spoken of as something that revolves around loving and forgiving and yet fear is at the center of it. We should believe in God because if we don't we are forever doomed? Religion gives you permission to meddle in other people's lives an question them and judge them? Religion gives you permission to look at a person with piercings/tattoos/skull accessories/black eyeshadow and feel free to tell them they will burn in hell? Religion gives you permission to look at two people who love each other in a way your beliefs don't align with and tell them they will be eternally punished for it?

I'm repulsed by the fact that it's based on lies and a superiority complex. Religion is apparently virtue and purity and mercy and yet it's caused and justified more suffering than anything else in the world. Religion painted women as silent servants in servitude of men and for the obvious reason men liked that and used it as much as possible and they still do. Countless women were burned for being "witches", people were tortured so they would accept a religion, countless other crimes were committed because it was "in the Lord's name".

I'm repulsed by the fact that nothing stands in the face of delusion. Religion is seen as the objective truth and whoever doesn't believe it is wrong, in denial, lost, has to be saved, waiting for God to be speak to them, etc.

I'm fascinated by the fact that the world is led by a cult and no one wants to admit it.

[agapeeternal]

🏈

JOE BURROW [20230925] LAR @ CIN

[princelylove]

Synopsis: In which Enrico Pucci has some thoughts on his situation.

Warnings: Directly quoting the bible, general yandere content, spoilers for part three + six

Enrico tapped his finger on his own arm, unsure of what to do.

Ever since he met you, he’s been distracted.

Two.

He thought of what was written for him- what could only be written with the intent for him to see- and only grew more frustrated with himself. What was he doing here? What was his plan? What was his goal?

“He must be someone who can control his desires. Someone without a lust for power, honor, wealth, or sexual gratification. He must be someone who puts the laws of God before the laws of humans. Will I, DIO, meet someone like this one day?”

‘What a disgusting display,’ he thought to himself. Everything he was doing in this moment, every single one of his feelings, was a plague. It was a disease upon his very nature, the man he must be, yet he persisted. His mind turned traitor. 

Three.

Enrico often wondered what you were doing instead of handling the task at hand. He never understood Perla in his youth, despite supporting and loving most of her decisions. He had never been in love before. It seemed… silly. Frivolous. Like it was just something to pass the time, or something to keep humans from going extinct.

He would just say his feelings are fond. Affection is different from love. So is adoration, so is admiration. Enrico doesn’t know how to place his feelings for you. 

Perhaps it was best to leave them unspoken.

Five.

He made a promise, once. A vow. His feelings on the matter are insignificant. He was to continue DIO’s plan- at all costs. He wasn’t feeling love, he was feeling lust- and he is no sinner. 

Oh, if only he were that type of man. That isn’t the truth. Truthfully, he’s fine with sinning. Using the argument of sin against his wants was futile. It’s all just a means to an end. He would sin if he truly needed to- he has and Enrico will, again. His morals aren’t a part of this equation and, to be honest, they never will be.

He would have to find something else to discourage his thoughts of you.

Seven.

He thought of Psalm 23. 

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

DIO was all he needed. It’s asinine to think otherwise. 

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

Perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps this is what DIO wanted- to test him.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

DIO has never led him astray. DIO has never failed him. Even in death. 

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

Or perhaps this is exactly what his lord wanted for him. Something for good behavior- a reward for his loyalty. For his continuous struggle. 

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” 

Yes- that’s exactly it. Of course it is. This is the little bit of indulgence Enrico will ever get in his entire life. It’s just puppy love. It’ll go away. Surely he just needs to embrace it, and it’ll leave him. His obsession-, no, his infatuation would eventually pass, as all infatuations do. He’s merely fixated on your beauty like any other would be. You’re like something in the Louvre- something to be admired from afar and never to really touch. 

Eleven.

Love is not an option for Enrico Pucci. He only has one calling, and he loves Him like he loves God.

He will not have another- he cannot have another, regardless of the type of love, and the intensity. He has no family, as far as he’s concerned. He’s too old to have a crush.

He’s a failure to his Lord if he cannot meet the prerequisites set by Him. It was right there DIO’s diary- DIO needed someone who wouldn’t succumb to foolish urges such as love. 

With DIO’s death, it’s too late for Him to bet on another player. Enrico must do what he has to do. In Heaven, he’ll find love. He’ll find you again in eternal paradise. 

But admiration is not a hindrance. Appreciation isn’t going to get in his way. 

Thirteen.

“Do you believe that I am able to do this?” He mutters, to no one in particular. The person it’s intended for has long since passed, but it’s almost as if the universe laughs in His place.

The thought does not comfort Enrico in the slightest.

Seventeen.

The sound of a disc being ejected from a cd player is the only sound you can make sense of. Your head feels as if it’s splitting in two, and your vision is getting blurry. 

Enrico shushes you, both of his hands firm on your shoulders, slowly trailing down to your upper arms.

“Be not afraid.”

The whirr of the disc being ejected plays again, and you feel yourself losing consciousness. 

“The thought to harm you hasn’t even crossed my mind.”

Nineteen.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

God’s Judgment on the Ungodly

1 This letter comes from Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and James' brother. I am writing to those who are called and loved by God the Father, and who are kept safe by Jesus Christ: 2 May God's mercy, peace, and love increase in your experience!

3 My friends, I was already looking forward to writing to you about the salvation that we share. But now I need to write urgently to you and encourage you to vigorously defend the truth about God, given once and for all time to God's holy people. 4 For some people have quietly crept in among you. They were written about and condemned a long time ago, for they are wicked people who pervert God's grace, turning it into a license to immorality, while also denying our Lord and master Jesus Christ.

5 Even though you already know this, I want to remind you that though the Lord saved his people out of the land of Egypt, later he still destroyed those who disbelieved. 6 Even those angels that were not content with their God-given positions but abandoned their rightful places—he has placed them in eternal chains of darkness until the great Day of Judgment. 7 In just the same way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns nearby that pursued immorality and perverted sex are provided as an example of those that experience the punishment of eternal fire.

8 Likewise these dreamers pollute their bodies, disregard authority, and insult heavenly beings. 9 Even the archangel Michael, when he was arguing with the devil over Moses' body, didn't dare to condemn him with a slanderous insult, but said, “May the Lord rebuke you.” 10 But these people ridicule whatever they don't understand; and what they do understand they instinctively follow like unthinking animals—this is what destroys them. 11 They're in terrible trouble! For they have followed Cain's way. Like Balaam and his delusion, they have abandoned themselves to the profit motive. Like Korah and his rebellion, they have destroyed themselves. 12 These people spoil your fellowship meals, for they are selfish shepherds that don't have the slightest sense of shame—they only take care of themselves. They're clouds blown along by the wind that bring no rain. They're bare trees without fruit—twice dead, pulled out by the roots. 13 They're violent ocean waves, foaming in their own disgrace. They're false stars, doomed forever to utter darkness.

14 Enoch, seven generations on from Adam, spoke prophetically about these people: “Look! The Lord is coming, together with thousands and thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, to reveal all the wicked things people have done, and all the terrible things hostile sinners have said against him.” 16 Such people are grumblers, always complaining. They follow their own evil desires, speaking boastfully about themselves, and flattering others to get what they want.

17 But you, my dear friends, please remember what you were told by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They explained to you that in the last times mockers would come, following their own wicked desires. 19 They cause divisions; they are worldly people who don't have the Spirit. 20 But you, my friends, are to build yourselves up through your trust in God. Pray in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves safe in God's love, and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ who brings eternal life. 22 Show kindness to those who doubt. 23 Save those you can by snatching them out of the fire. Show mercy—but with great care, hating even the “clothing” that is contaminated by sinful human nature.

24 Now to him who can keep you from falling, and who can bring you into his glorious presence without fault, and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time, now, and forever. Amen. — Jude 1 | Free Bible Version (FBV) The Free Bible Version is a project of Free Bible Ministry; Copyright © 2018, Free Bible Ministry. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 4:3; Genesis 5:18; Genesis 19:24; Exodus 12:51; Numbers 16:11; Deuteronomy 34:6; Psalm 31:18; Proverbs 25:14; Amos 4:11; Matthew 13:55; Luke 1:47; John 5:44; Acts 6:7; Acts 11:23; Acts 20:29; Romans 2:5; Romans 2:14; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 4:14; Galatians 6:6; Ephesians 6:18; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 2:3; 2 Peter 2:10; 2 Peter 2:17

[renee-writer]

God wrote the Christmas story perfectly.

Every detail is important and can teach us something.

I’m always in awe of how I can read the same story each year and find a new message that my heart needed.

This year I have been so amazed at how I can learn from everyone involved in the accounts.

Like the shepherds who were just doing their work in the fields, and were met by an angel and a “great company of heavenly host”, who as soon as they heard the news about Jesus hurried off to find Him. And once they did.. they couldn’t keep their mouths closed about it. They shared about Jesus to everyone they could.

I want to seek Jesus like that. I want to be so excited about the good news of the Gospel that I can’t help but share it with everyone and anyone.

Mary is given probably the strangest and most important task basically ever- to be the mother of Jesus. Instead of questioning and doubting she says, “I am the Lord’s servant, May your word to me be fulfilled.”

I want to be obedient and courageous like Mary. God’s call on our lives don’t need to make sense all the time.. that’s what faith is. Trusting Him when we can’t see what He is doing.

Joseph learns the woman He is supposed to marry is pregnant and not pregnant by him. It’d be really easy to expose her. To shame her. Yet, Joseph is a “righteous” man and didn’t want to hurt her.

I want to have grace and mercy like Joseph.

Then the angel of the Lord confirmed to Joseph in a dream, “do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” Joseph woke up and did what the angel said. He married Mary and named the baby Jesus, and raised Him as his own.

I want to be selfless like that. I want to see beyond what’s convenient for me and live in the plan God has established for me.

The magi, who were told by Herod to go find Jesus, find Him and are overjoyed. They bring Him gifts and worship Him. They know instantly there is something special about this baby.

They then go against Herod’s orders and do not return to Herod. They do this to protect Jesus, even though it easily could have gotten them in huge trouble (or worse).

I want to be brave in my faith like that. I want to stand for Jesus at all costs.

All the people in these accounts are just normal humans, but the thing that sets them apart is that they really listen to God. They follow where He leads.

I want to be like that.

And finally, that sweet baby born in the manger.

The one who left the glorious place He so rightly belonged- heaven- and came into this dark world.

The one who suffered in ways I’ll never understand so that the people He so unconditionally loves could spend eternity with Him.

Light of the world.

Wonderful counselor.

Mighty God.

Eternal Father.

Prince of Peace.

I will never even come close to being just like Jesus. Not even close.

But I sure hope I can shine His love into this world, too.

God’s story and His plan is so perfect.

He knows exactly who to use, and we get to learn from them.

And the beautiful thing?

His story isn’t over yet.

He wants to use you and I, too.

~Kelli Bachara

[agapeeternal]

Glen Powell attending THR's Power Stylist Dinner

[hiswordsarekisses]

Micah‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬‬

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭1‬

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”

Psalm‬ ‭23‬

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalm‬ ‭91‬

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.””

Psalm‬ ‭121‬

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”

Psalm‬ ‭127‬

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬

~ Paul’s Love Song ~

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

Psalm‬ ‭37‬:‭1‬-‭40‬

~ Read Often ~

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming. The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance. But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away. The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives; for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off. The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip. The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial. Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off. I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree. But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found. Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.”

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

19th July >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Friday, Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time 

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

First Reading Isaiah 38:1-6,21-22,7-8 The Lord hears Hezekiah's prayer and heals him.

Hezekiah fell ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, ‘The Lord says this, “Put your affairs in order, for you are going to die, you will not live.”’ Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and addressed this prayer to the Lord, ‘Ah, Lord, remember, I beg you, how I have behaved faithfully and with sincerity of heart in your presence and done what is right in your eyes.’ And Hezekiah shed many tears. Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, ‘Go and say to Hezekiah, “The Lord, the God of David your ancestor, says this: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will cure you: in three days’ time you shall go up to the Temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. I will save you from the hands of the king of Assyria, I will protect this city.”’ ‘Bring a fig poultice,’ Isaiah said, ‘apply it to the ulcer and he will recover.’ Hezekiah said, ‘What is the sign to tell me that I shall be going up to the Temple of the Lord?’ ‘Here’ Isaiah replied ‘is the sign from the Lord that he will do what he has said. Look, I shall make the shadow cast by the declining sun go back ten steps on the steps of Ahaz.’ And the sun went back the ten steps by which it had declined.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Isaiah 38:10-12,16 The canticle of Hezekiah

R/ You have held back my life, O Lord, from the pit of doom.

I said, ‘So I must go away, my life half spent, assigned to the world below for the rest of my years.’

R/ You have held back my life, O Lord, from the pit of doom.

I said, ‘No more shall I see the Lord in the land of the living, no more shall I look upon men within this world.

R/ You have held back my life, O Lord, from the pit of doom.

‘My home is pulled up and removed like a shepherd’s tent. Like a weaver you have rolled up my life, you cut it from the loom.

R/ You have held back my life, O Lord, from the pit of doom.

‘For you, Lord, my heart will live, you gave me back my spirit; you cured me, kept me alive, changed my sickness into health.’

R/ You have held back my life, O Lord, from the pit of doom.

Gospel Acclamation cf. Psalm 26:11

Alleluia, alleluia! Instruct me, Lord, in your way; on an even path lead me. Alleluia!

Or: John 10:27

Alleluia, alleluia! The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, says the Lord, I know them and they follow me. Alleluia!

Gospel Matthew 12:1-8 The Son of Man is master of the sabbath.

Jesus took a walk one sabbath day through the cornfields. His disciples were hungry and began to pick ears of corn and eat them. The Pharisees noticed it and said to him, ‘Look, your disciples are doing something that is forbidden on the sabbath.’ But he said to them, ‘Have you not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry – how he went into the house of God and how they ate the loaves of offering which neither he nor his followers were allowed to eat, but which were for the priests alone? Or again, have you not read in the Law that on the sabbath day the Temple priests break the sabbath without being blamed for it? Now here, I tell you, is something greater than the Temple. And if you had understood the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the blameless. For the Son of Man is master of the sabbath.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[scribeforchrist-blog]

Stalemate

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

=========================

+ Jeremiah 17:7: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.

=========================

VERSE OF THE DAY

========================

+ Genesis 4:7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

=========================

SUBJECT: Stalemate

=========================

** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN TRUTHS **

I AM NOT IN A STALEMATE

I AM TAKING ACCOUNTABILITY

I AM HEARING

I AM SEEING

********************************

THOUGHTS:

=======================

  We all feel guilty when we say something or do something wrong. When this happens, it's generally out of character or maybe in a heated discussion, but wherever the guilt comes from, we must understand what we have to forgive ourselves; we have to let go of what we did so that we can be free from it, as long as we are blaming ourselves over and overthinking the situation we will forever feel the guilt of what we have done.

   I can remember one time I said something ugly to someone , and immediately when I said it, I heard the Holy Spirit say to me, you have to apologize, and I was so embarrassed about it. I was so uncomfortable about what I said that I couldn’t move past it. A few moments later, I went to that person and apologized. Did the guilt leave? No, I kept reliving and reliving everything.

Later that night, the Holy Spirit told me I must forgive myself. It took me a couple of hours before I could do that, but what we must understand is that guilt is felt when we have done something that we know isn’t right, and when we feel this, we must immediately go to the Holy Spirit and ask him to help us overcome this feeling of guilt. We can only achieve this by going to the Holy Spirit and allowing him to show us what we must do.

 Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

 When we conceal our transgressions or ignore what we did, we will not prosper, but when we confess our sins and ask God to lead us. We ask him to show us mercy for what we did. He will always show us the way, but we must go to him because we won't be shown mercy if we don’t ask God for forgiveness for whatever we have done.

  2 Samuel 24:17  When David saw the angel striking down the people, he said to the Lord, “I have sinned; I, the shepherd, have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.”

    Look at what David did. He went to the lord and said I have sinned; I, the shepherd, have done wrong this is what we have to do when we sin: we must take accountability for what we said to someone, or if we sin, we must ask the lord for mercy, a lot of times some people after sinning or offending someone they will say oh well I'm not apologizing.

   Still, when we don’t apologize, we do not feel remorseful, we do not feel guilt, and we don’t take accountability, most of all. Have you confessed the sins you have done? Have you asked someone to forgive you that you offended? We have to understand that sometimes when we apologize with the right heart, the guilt will go away when we go to someone we hurt, and we apologize, we feel a weight off our shoulders because, as believers of Christ, we have to treat others the way we want to be treated.

  Nowadays , it's hard; a lot of people don’t treat us that way, and they don’t care what they do or say; they do whatever they like, and they don’t seek God; they seek the pleasures of the flesh, but as we look over our ways and we stop apologizing and confessing we become so numb so cold because we have allowed our flesh to speak then for the Holy Spirit to speak.

  We talked about this just yesterday, and we must listen to the Holy Spirit when he speaks to us and not ignore his voice. Do you remember the story of Cain and Abel? Cain was so angry that God didn’t accept his offering; he didn’t take what God had corrected him on and try to change no; he took his anger and pointed it the wrong way; sometimes we are wrong; we don’t see what we do, we don’t hear what the spirit is saying we immediately go into defense we have to start taking the corrections of God and changing what he’s trying to show us it could be an apology it could be something we did. Still, until we take accountability and forgive others and ourselves, we will be in this state of stalemate.

  Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities and remember their sins no more.”

  But when we confess our sins to God ANY SIN ,we don’t have to carry that burden. We don’t have to beat ourselves up. He doesn’t remember it now. People will sometimes remember what they did wrong, what they said, and how they used to be, but God is forgiving, loving, and kind. He has all these things that man isn’t. God will love and redirect you, but we must be ready to accept guidance.

  ***Today, we learned about guilt and how it affects us and how we have to be ready to forgive others and ourselves; a lot of times, we don’t like to look at what we do just at what others do because we feel that we did nothing wrong but every day we must learn from the moments we have and change by hearing the Holy Spirit and then taking accountability for our actions.

  We also talked about how accepting guidance from the Holy Spirit will help us improve on this road to Christ and that treating others how we want to be treated is the best and only way. Life sometimes isn’t fair, and what happens to us isn’t fair, but what we must know is that through it all, we have Jesus, and when we don’t hear him and we ignore him, we will be placed in a state of stalemate, and that’s when no progress can be made, and we can’t make progress without confessing and apologizing. If you think you’re in this stale state today, go to God and see what you have done so he can guide you. ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

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Heavenly Father, we come to you today asking for forgiveness; please show us how, we are sorry for what we have done, and please give us strength to go to anyone we have offended and ask for forgiveness. Lord, help us treat others how we want to be treated; lord, have your way with our lives. Be our shepherd and our guide. Lord, if we are dealing with guilt right now, show us how to fix it. Show us what you want from us, and we will follow , lord every day we thank you for mercy and grace; in Jesus' Name, Amen

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REFERENCES

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+ James 1:15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

 

+ Isaiah 3:10-11 Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him.

 

+ Romans 6:16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

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FURTHER READINGS

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Proverbs 3

Zechariah 3

Jonah 2

Genesis 4

=========================

[ghoul-bunny]

Because @sm-baby is a bad influence and made me pick up my priest tadc au again

It's based on those early 90s weird christian games

It's all within a church and any area surrounding it

Pomni is not a real angel, she is a tree decoration angel so she looks kinda tacky, the halo around her head is tied with wire which became crooked as she fell into the church, she tends to put it back straight but it will always go crooked again seconds later.

Caine is obssessed with her to an unhealthy degree (she's kinda into it tbh) he just constantly wants her around and to be able to touch 'his angel'

He was at one point sane and a normal priest but after a spefic incedent he started losing it.

Able is Caine's brother who 'died' he did not really die, he has an apple for a head and caine has teeth, you can do the math here.

Able was a sheperd that was favoured by the other NPCS (Jax espically) Caine grew jealous of this and removed him.

Able isn't dead and just kinda stays out of the way now, the others and Caine thinks he is dead so Caine's sanity started to slip when he would 'see' Able.

Jax is a sheep/lamb and was close to Able, were they lovers? besties? idk but I thought about them to hard once so u can make the connection.

Ragatha is the new shepherd, having entered just a little after Able's 'death'

Jax does not get on with her and in fact does a lot to put himself into danger (thus a sacrfical lamb) just because he finds it funny how much she panics.

Zooble is basically a demon to Caine, the idea was based on one claymation I watched a longggg time ago of something where the satan character kept changing shapes and such.

Caine prolly takes a lot out on Zooble so they tend to just keep to themselves in there room.

Bubble is to be a snake that is often around Caine's neck, I think there colourings would shimmer and change like water in oil (or like a bubble)

Kinger and Queenie are adam and eve. Queenie abstracted shortly after some kind of event that got the both of them in trouble, Caine calls the abstraction her punishment.

Kinger used to be of sane mind and would prolly cause some mischief with queenie, often breaking the games 'rules' I think in the real world the two them were prolly similar to activists for w/e orgnization, rule breakers, this line of work somehow got them in the game.

After Queenie abstracted tho kinger's mind snapped, he often forgets days, months or even where he is. He keeps a notebook on hand with Queenie's notes but if you asked him who wrote them he couldn't give you an answer.

Gangle was orignally going to be the satan type character but I think I'd like to do something with her that gives her more of a prophet type status. She's overly cautious and is quick to point out dangers of shit happening and caine like "nah it's fine" and then shit happens so Caine now straight up just thinks the word of God is being spoken to her.

I think she'd be hyper aware of when someone is about to abstract, she can tell the changes and Caine is seeking her advice to know often, she's scared of what he'll do if she dosn't tell him.

Abstractions are demons basically, when Caine is informed that someone is going to abstract he acutally then proceeds to pin them to a cross. He does this because he truly believes doing so will help them, he thinks the lord will have mercy on them as they did Jesus and will return them to there prior state, this has yet to work and in fact seems to make the abstraction happen faster.

Once abstracted Caine just claims they didn't repent enough and were made into a demon.

Pov ur Pomni falling into the church for the first time

[freezerbnuuy]

Act 2:2 - Something to Tell You (Page 4)

LORE | CHARACTERS | ABOUT / CHAPTERS / WARNINGS

← PREVIOUS | BEGINNING | NEXT →

 Clementia

Shepherd Julian has picked the perfect timing to go spreading the Jacoban word…it's freezing outside. Still, it means the cathedral hall is packed, so it works out. He says that things are quiet towards Withernham at the moment, though I tell him doing all that in a predominantly-Peteran town isn't the greatest of ideas.

I don't know if anyone is listening to me. Jacobans are generally still stuck in the past, not to mention I'm not the High Shepherd- but I do what I can. Shepherd Julian's manner is a lot more fearful and, whether he wants to admit it or not, panicked. Every one of his reiterations of the Eve of Retribution is more horrifying than the last, to the point where his last one almost read like a horror story. My general style is moreso encouraging everyone to do good to avoid the wrath of the Watcher- taking Jacobism back to its roots.

After a longer sermon than usual, everyone reluctantly leaves, not wanting to head out into the heavy snow. One woman stays behind, a lady who's fairly new to the Jacoban church, and as far as I'm aware, a recent convert from Peterism. Alice, I think her name is. 

"Shepherdess Clementia? Is Shepherd Julian around?"

"No. He's out at the moment-"

"Good. I don't know where else to turn and, well, you seem less terrifying than Shepherd Julian..." She takes a breath before pouring her heart out. 

"Lord Volpe's witchfinders threatened me the other evening. They accused me of being a witch. They said that a witchfinder hadn't come back from a hunt, and that he was after a woman with black hair and green eyes. I begged and begged that I wasn't a witch, and luckily, he had mercy that time...but I'm not a witch. I don't have magic. I don't know anything about-"

Goodness. Volpe's witchfinders were like wolves; I dread to think how many people were killed...how many women especially. It was a secret to no-one that Eduardo Volpe only valued a woman for one thing, and it certainly wasn't her intellect or wit. For a witchfinder to come for a Jacoban was bad news. As far as most Jacobans were concerned, witches were evil- a punishment from the Watcher, to be destroyed. If word were to get out about Alice...

On top of that- black hair, green eyes...If that was all they needed to secure their target...

"Alice, please, calm yourself-"

Alice breaks down in tears. She drops to the floor, leaning against my leg.

"I don't know what to do. They can't come back for me. I have children. But I know what Jacobism is like about witchcraft. It won't matter that I'm not a-"

"Alice, pull yourself together!"

I drag her up from the floor and grab her by the shoulders. 

"I'm going to tell you something none of the Jacoban men are going to tell you- Jacobism never used to be like this. Jacobism was knowing that the Watcher's wrath would rain down upon you if you weren't the best person you can be. Jacobism even used to have respect for us, but all it takes is the worst kind of man to turn years of progress around in seconds. Now it's all driven by fear- that's what keeps them in power."

"But that's it, isn't it? Fear of the Watcher driving us to be the best we can be has always been-"

For all I know, she could be a test thrown at me by Shepherd Julian or the Great Convincer, but at this point, I don't care. "You know what Jacobans are like about witchcraft-"

"But I'm not a-"

"Even if you're not, you don't need magic to be a witch in their eyes, Alice. All you need to do is be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The witch-hunts have never been a triumph over evil, Alice. They've been a way to silence a 'threat'. Don't let the people at the top tell you who is and isn't at fault." 

In the revised Book of Jacob, there's a chapter about the legendary magpie that stole Jacob's just-as-legendary ornate mask. A young poor woman managed to take a single gemstone from the mask when the magpie had dropped it by mistake, in the hopes of selling it to feed her family. Stood atop its mountain of stolen jewels as tall as the sky, the magpie convinced Jacob that the young woman had stolen from him, and Jacob ran his sword through her.

Alice gives me this bug-eyed look, like she thinks I'm going to hand her in to Shepherd Julian or something.

"I'm not going to tell anyone, Alice. I promise." - and I say that with my hand over the Eye of Jacob, and as such, the Eye of the Watcher. It was what you did as High Shepherdess when you absolutely promised to never tell a soul.

"I know I haven't been here long, Shepherdess Clementia...but I look forward to you becoming Eye of Jacob. I know not everyone thinks that way, but I do. I want you to know that. I think you mean a lot to the other women here too, but it might take some of the older ones some time to come around...They've spent their entire lives thinking less of themselves than their brothers and fathers."

"That means a lot to me, Alice. I hope you will stick around- and may the Watcher spare your kind heart on the Eve of Retribution. If you ever need to talk to me about anything away from Shepherd Julian, let me know. I can always pretend I'm absolving you."

Shepherd Julian was respectful of women- surprisingly so- but I don't know if that respect would change if he were to know that Alice had been suspected of witchcraft. Acceptance seems such a special thing until you realise how conditional it is.

[yhwhrulz]

Morning and Evening with A.W. Tozer Devotional for February 24

Tozer in the Morning Man - The Dwelling Place of God - How to Try the Spirits

THESE ARE THE TIMES that try men's souls. The Spirit has spoken expressly that in the latter times some should depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron. Those days are upon us and we cannot escape them; we must triumph in the midst of them, for such is the will of God concerning us.

Strange as it may seem, the danger today is greater for the fervent Christian than for the lukewarm and the self-satisfied. The seeker after God's best things is eager to hear anyone who offers a way by which he can obtain them. He longs for some new experience, some elevated view of truth, some operation of the Spirit that will raise him above the dead level of religious mediocrity he sees all around him, and for this reason he is ready to give a sympathetic ear to the new and the wonderful in religion, particularly if it is presented by someone with an attractive personality and a reputation for superior godliness.

Now our Lord Jesus. that great Shepherd of the sheep, has not left His flock to the mercy of the wolves. He has given us the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit and natural powers of observation, and He expects us to avail ourselves of their help constantly. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good," said Paul (1 Thessalonians 5:21) . "Beloved, believe not every spirit," wrote John, "but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1) . "Beware of false prophets," our Lord warned, "which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matthew 7:15). Then He added the word by which they may be tested, "Ye shall know them by their fruits."

From this it is plain not only that there shall be false spirits abroad, endangering our Christian lives, but that they may be identified and known for what they are. And of course once we become aware of their identity and learn their tricks their power to harm us is gone. "Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird" (Proverbs 1:17)

It is my intention to set forth here a method by which we may test the spirits and prove all things religious and moral that come to us or are brought or offered to us by anyone. And while dealing with these matters we should keep in mind that not all religious vagaries are the work of Satan. The human mind is capable of plenty of mischief without any help from the devil. Some persons have a positive genius for getting confused, and will mistake illusion for reality in broad daylight with the Bible open before them. Peter had such in mind when he wrote, "Our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction" (2 Pete r 3:15,16).

It is unlikely that the confirmed apostles of confusion will read what is written here or that they would profit much if they did; but there are many sensible Christians who have been led astray but are humble enough to admit their mistakes and are now ready to return unto the Shepherd and Bishop of their souls. These may be rescued from false paths. More important still, there are undoubtedly large numbers of persons who have not left the true way but who want a rule by which they can test everything and by which they may prove the quality of Christian teaching and experience as they come in contact with them day after day throughout their busy lives. For such as these I make available here a little secret by which I have tested my own spiritual experiences and religious impulses for many years.

Briefly stated the test is this: This new doctrine, this new religious habit, this new view of truth, this new spiritual experience how has it affected my attitude toward and my relation to God, Christ, the Holy Scriptures, self, other Christians, the world and sin. By this sevenfold test we may prove everything religious and know beyond a doubt whether it is of God or not. By the fruit of the tree we know the kind of tree it is. So we have but to ask about any doctrine or experience, What is this doing to me? and we know immediately whether it is from above or from below.

1) One vital test of all religious experience is how it affects our relation to God, our concept of God and our attitude toward Him. God being who He is must always be the supreme arbiter of all things religious. The universe came into existence as a medium through which the Creator might show forth His perfections to all moral and intellectual beings: "I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another" (Isaiah 42: 8) . "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created" (Revelation 4:11).

The health and balance of the universe require that in all things God should be magnified. "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable." God acts only for His glory and whatever comes from Him must be to His own high honor. Any doctrine, any experience that serves to magnify Him is likely to be inspired by Him. Conversely, anything that veils His glory or makes Him appear less wonderful is sure to be of the flesh or the devil.

The heart of man is like a musical instrument and may be played upon by the Holy Spirit, by an evil spirit or by the spirit of man himself. Religious emotions are very much the same, no matter who the player may be. Many enjoyable feelings may be aroused within the soul by low or even idolatrous worship. The nun who kneels "breathless with adoration" before an image of the Virgin is having a genuine religious experience. She feels love, awe and reverence, all enjoyable emotions, as certainly as if she were adoring God. The mystical experiences of Hindus and Sufis cannot be brushed aside as mere pretense. Neither dare we dismiss the high religious flights of spiritists and other occultists as imagination. These may have and sometimes do have genuine encounters with something or someone beyond themselves. In the same manner Christians are sometimes led into emotional experiences that are beyond their power to comprehend. I have met such and they have inquired eage rly whether or not their experience was of God.

The big test is, What has this done to my relationship to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? If this new view of truth-this new encounter with spiritual things-has made me love God more, if it has magnified Him in my eyes, if it has purified my concept of His being and caused Him to appear more wonderful than before, then I may conclude that I have not wandered astray into the pleasant but dangerous and forbidden paths of error.

The next test is: How has this new experience affected my attitude toward the Lord Jesus Christ? Whatever place present-day religion may give to Christ, God gives Him top place in earth and in heaven. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," spoke the voice of God from heaven concerning our Lord Jesus. Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, declared: "God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36). Jesus said of Himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Again Peter said of Him, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12) . The whole book of Hebrews is devoted to the idea that Christ is above all others. He is shown to be above Aaron and Moses, and even the angels are called to fall down and worship Him. Paul says that He is the image of the invisible God, that in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily and that in all things He must have the preeminence. But time would fail me to tell of the glory accorded Him by prophets, patriarchs, apostles, saints, elders, psalmists, kings and seraphim. He is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. He is our hope, our life, our all and all, now and forevermore.

All this being true, it is clear that He must stand at the center of all true doctrine, all acceptable practice and all genuine Christian experience. Anything that makes Him less than God has declared Him to be is delusion pure and simple and must be rejected, no matter how delightful or how satisfying it may for the time seem to be.

Christless Christianity sounds contradictory but it exists as a real phenomenon in our day. Much that is being done in Christ's name is false to Christ in that it is conceived by the flesh, incorporates fleshly methods, and seeks fleshly ends. Christ is mentioned from time to time in the same way and for the same reason that a self-seeking politician mentions Lincoln and the flag, to provide a sacred front for carnal activities and to deceive the simplehearted listeners. This giveaway is that Christ is not central: He is not all and in all.

Again, there are psychic experiences that thrill the seeker and lead him to believe that he has indeed met the Lord and been carried to the third heaven; but the true nature of the phenomenon is discovered later when the face of Christ begins to fade from the victim's consciousness and he comes to depend more and more upon emotional jags as a proof of his spirituality.

If on the other hand the new experience tends to make Christ indispensable, if it takes our interest off our feeling and places it in Christ, we are on the right track. Whatever makes Christ dear to us is pretty sure to be from God.

Another revealing test of the soundness of religious experience is, How does it affect my attitude toward the Holy Scriptures? Did this new experience, this new view of truth, spring out of the Word of God itself or was it the result of some stimulus that lay outside the Bible? Tender-hearted Christians often become victims of strong psychological pressure applied intentionally or innocently by someone's personal testimony, or by a colorful story told by a fervent preacher who may speak with prophetic finality but who has not checked his story with the facts nor tested the soundness of his conclusions by the Word of God.

Whatever originates outside the Scriptures should for that very reason be suspect until it can be shown to be in accord with them. If it should be found to be contrary to the Word of revealed truth no true Christian will accept it as being from God. However high the emotional content, no experience can be proved to be genuine unless we can find chapter and verse authority for it in the Scriptures. "To the word and to the testimony" must always be the last and final proof.

Whatever is new or singular should also be viewed with a lot of caution until it can furnish scriptural proof of its validity. Over the last half-century quite a number of unscriptural notions have gained acceptance among Christians by claiming that they were among the truths that were to be revealed in the last days. To be sure, say the advocates of this latter-daylight theory, Augustine did not know, Luther did not, John Knox, Wesley, Finney and Spurgeon did not understand this; but greater light has now shined upon God's people and we of these last days have the advantage of fuller revelation. We should not question the new doctrine nor draw back from this advanced experience. The Lord is getting His Bride ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb. We should all yield to this new movement of the Spirit. So they tell us.

The truth is that the Bible does not teach that there will be new light and advanced spiritual experiences in the latter days; it teaches the exact opposite. Nothing in Daniel or the New Testament epistles can be tortured into advocating the idea that we of the end of the Christian era shall enjoy light that was not known at its beginning. Beware of any man who claims to be wiser than the apostles or holier than the martyrs of the Early Church. The best way to deal with him is to rise and leave his presence. You cannot help him and he surely cannot help you.

Granted, however, that the Scriptures may not always be clear and that there are differences of interpretation among equally sincere men, this test will furnish all the proof needed of anything religious, viz., What does it do to my love for and appreciation of the Scriptures?

While true power lies not in the letter of the text but in the Spirit that inspired it, we should never underestimate the value of the letter. The text of truth has the same relation to truth as the honeycomb has to honey. One serves as a receptacle for the other. But there the analogy ends. The honey can be removed from the comb, but the Spirit of truth cannot and does not operate apart from the letter of the Holy Scriptures.

For this reason a growing acquaintance with the Holy Spirit will always mean an increasing love for the Bible. The Scriptures are in print what Christ is in person. The inspired Word is like a faithful portrait of Christ. But again the figure breaks down. Christ is in the Bible as no one can be in a mere portrait, for the Bible is a book of holy ideas and the eternal Word of the Father can and does dwell in the thought He has Himself inspired. Thoughts are things, and the thoughts of the Holy Scriptures form a lofty temple for the dwelling place of God.

From this it follows naturally that a true lover of God will be also a lover of His Word. Anything that comes to us from the God of the Word will deepen our love for the Word of God. This follows logically, but we have confirmation by a witness vastly more trustworthy than logic, viz., the concerted testimony of a great army of witnesses living and dead. These declare with one voice that their love for the Scriptures intensified as their faith mounted and their obedience became consistent and joyous.

If the new doctrine, the influence of that new teacher, the new emotional experience fills my heart with an avid hunger to meditate in the Scriptures day and night. I have every reason to believe that God has spoken to my soul and that my experience is genuine. Conversely, if my love for the Scriptures has cooled even a little, if my eagerness to eat and drink of the inspired Word has abated by as much as one degree, I should humbly admit that I have missed God's signal somewhere and frankly backtrack until I find the true way once more.

Again, we can prove the quality of religious experience by its effect on the self-life.

The Holy Spirit and the fallen human self are diametrically opposed to each other. "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would" (Galatians 5:17). "They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit . . . . Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Romans 8: 5,7).

Before the Spirit of God can work creatively in our hearts He must condemn and slay the "flesh" within us; that is, He must have our full consent to displace our natural self with the Person of Christ. This displacement is carefully explained in Romans 6,7,and 8. When the seeking Christian has gone through the crucifying experience described in chapters 6,7 he enters into the broad, free regions of chapter 8. There self is dethroned and Christ is enthroned forever.

In the light of this it is not hard to see why the Christian's attitude toward self is such an excellent test of the validity of his religious experiences. Most of the great masters of the deeper life, such as Fenelon. Molinos, John of the Cross, Madame Guyon and a host, of others, have warned against pseudoreligious experiences that provide much carnal enjoyment but feel the flesh and puff up the heart with self-love.

A good rule is this: If this experience has served to humble me and make me little and vile in my own eyes it is of God; but if it has given me a feeling of self-satisfaction it is false and should be dismissed as emanating from self or the devil. Nothing that comes from God will minister to my pride or self-congratulation. If I am tempted to be complacent and to feel superior because I have had a remarkable vision or an advanced spiritual experience, I should go at once to my knees and repent of the whole thing. I have fallen a victim to the enemy.

Our relation to and our attitude toward our fellow Christians is another accurate test of religious experience.

Sometimes an earnest Christian will, after some remarkable spiritual encounter, withdraw himself from his fellow believers and develop a spirit of faultfinding. He may be honestly convinced that his experience is superior, that he is now in an advanced state of grace, and that the hoi polloi in the church where he attends are but a mixed multitude and he alone a true son of Israel. He may struggle to be patient with these religious worldlings, but his soft language and condescending smile reveal his true opinion of them-and of himself. This is a dangerous state of mind, and the more dangerous because it can justify itself by the facts. The brother has had a remarkable experience; he has received some wonderful light on the Scriptures; he has entered into a joyous land unknown to him before. And it may easily be true that the professed Christians with whom he is acquainted are worldly and dull and without spiritual enthusiasm. It is not that he is mistaken in his facts tha t proves him to be in error, but that his reaction to the facts is of the flesh. His new spirituality has made him less charitable.

The Lady Julian tells us in her quaint English how true Christian grace affects our attitude toward others: "For of all things the beholding and loving of the Maker maketh the soul to seem less in his own sight, and most filleth him with reverent dread and true meekness; with plenty of charity to his fellow Christians." Any religious experience that fails to deepen our love for our fellow Christians may safely be written off as spurious.

The Apostle John makes love for our fellow Christians to be a test of true faith. "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him" (1 John 3:18,19). Again he says, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love" (1 John 4:7,8).

As we grow in grace we grow in love toward all God's people. "Every one that loveth him that begot loveth him also that is begotten of him" (1 John 5:1) . This means simply that if we love God we will love His children. All true Christian experience will deepen our love for other Christians.

Therefore we conclude that whatever tends to separate us in person or in heart from our fellow Christians is not of God, but is of the flesh or of the devil. And conversely, whatever causes us to love the children of God is likely to be of God. "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35).

Another certain test of the source of religious experience is this: Note how it affects our relation to and our attitude toward the world.

By "the world" I do not mean, of course, the beautiful order of nature which God has created for the enjoyment of mankind. Neither do I mean the world of lost men in the sense used by our Lord when He said, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:16,17). Certainly any true touch of God in the soul will deepen our appreciation of the beauties of nature and intensify our love for the lost. I refer here to something else altogether.

Let an apostle say it for us: "All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever" (1 John 2:16,17) .

This is the world by which we may test the spirits. It is the world of carnal enjoyments, of godless pleasures, of the pursuit of earthly riches and reputation and sinful happiness. It carries on without Christ, following the counsel of the ungodly and being animated by the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that works in the children of disobedience (Ephesians 2: 2) . Its religion is a form of godliness, without power, which has a name to live but is dead. It is, in short, unregenerate human society romping on its way to hell, the exact opposite of the true Church of God, which is a society of regenerate souls going soberly but joyfully on their way to heaven.

Any real work of God in our heart will tend to unfit us for the world's fellowship. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15). "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:140. It may be stated unequivocally that any spirit that permits compromise with the world is a false spirit. Any religious movement that imitates the world in any of its manifestations is false to the cross of Christ and on the side of the devil and this regardless of how much purring its leaders may do about "accepting Christ" or "letting God run your business.& quot;

The last test of the genuineness of Christian experience is what it does to our attitude toward sin.

The operations of grace within the heart of a believing man will turn that heart away from sin and toward holiness. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:11-13) .

I do not see how it could be plainer. The same grace that saves teaches that saved man inwardly, and its teaching is both negative and positive. Negatively it teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. Positively it teaches us to live soberly, righteously and godly right in this present world.

The man of honest heart will find no difficulty here. He has but to check his own bent to discover whether he is concerned about sin in his life more or less since the supposed work of grace was done. Anything that weakens his hatred of sin may be identified immediately as false to the Scriptures, to the Saviour and to his own soul. Whatever makes holiness more attractive and sin more intolerable may be accepted as genuine. "For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity" (Psalms 5: 4,5).

Jesus warned, "There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they should deceive the very elect." These words describe our day too well to be coincidental. In the hope that the "elect" may profit by them I have set forth these tests. The result is in the hand of God.

Tozer in the Evening The Root Appears

Now everyone knows that moisture is necessary to the germination of seeds, to the swelling of buds and to the sprouting of the root buried there in the ground. Where there is no water, life lies suspended in sleepy inaction. Even the desert plant must have a minimal quantity of moisture before there can be any growth at all. No slip of vegetable life has yet pushed up out of soil that was totally arid. No root has yet sprung out of the dry ground.

Yet Isaiah saw a tender plant grow out of ground where no moisture was; that is, he saw it in prophetic vision, and he knew a miracle was at work. Nature could not have wrought this wonder by herself. The arm of the Lord had done this, and let all the world marvel and be still. As certainly as the dry soil must remain barren, so must apostate Israel be fruitless, so must a virgin maid be childless. No root could grow out of a dry ground.

The prophet had said before that His name should be called Wonderful; and His very first wonder was to be born above nature. We do not wish to read into Isaiah's strangely beautiful words meanings that are not there; but the believing heart that sees the Bible an organic spiritual unit will have no trouble finding here the truth long held sacred by all Christians, the truth of the virgin birth.

Copyright Statement This material is considered in the public domain.

[faithhopeandlove]

Aricka and “Rad Thad”/Thaddeus: music

(He’s the one on the left!)

*once again, a direct continuation from Aricka and Little James’ conversation, only now Aricka is walking with Thaddeus*

Thaddeus and Aricka were walking, mostly in silence, but then he asked her to sing. “Oh,” she says a bit shyly. “If it wouldn’t bother you…”

He laughs softly, a warm sound that makes Aricka feel like she’s in front of a roaring fire. “I asked, why would it bother me?”

She shrugs. “My music is a bit different than what I assume you’re used to hearing.” He tilts his head.

“If we were all the same it would be very boring, don’t you think?” A bright laugh escapes her; drawing the attention of several of the disciples around them. She blushes, mumbles an apology. They all nod, smiling as if to reassure her, and return to what they were doing previously. “Please?” He asks once more. She finally relented, a shy smile on her face.

“Great Aunt Maurine said at a hundred and three

Write scripture on your heart for when you need it

'Cause anxiety hates Psalm 23

So just say it to yourself 'til you believe it

And I'm feeling like I'm needing it right now

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want

He leads me by still waters 'til my fears are gone

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

Oh, I know You are with me, my Father, my friend

Your goodness and mercy will follow me all of my days

I know by Your still waters, I'm safe..” she trails off, and Thaddeus is looking at her with a smile, an unreadable expression in his eyes. “What?” She laughs.

“We need to get you and James to sing together some time,” he says. “You have… such a gift. He was right- Adonai has blessed you. And me, by allowing me to hear you sing.”

Aricka’s face is positively crimson at this point, but before she can say anything, a hand grips her shoulder carefully, and a familiar voice fills her ears.

“Alright, alright,” it says. “My turn with the new girl. Thaddeus, Andrew is at the back wanting to talk about something with you.” He nods, and with a parting smile for Aricka, vanishes into the crowd of disciples following Jesus.

And then Aricka was left alone with the disciple she’d looked up to since she was able to read the Bible.

Peter.