#the misuse of the Holy Spirit

[iiusia]

i feel like this is a topic that needs more than just a tumblr post to fully expand on but. i think that in modern-day christian culture we place WAY too much emphasis on Feeling and Emotion . and i think that this attitude is part of the reason why the most common struggle you hear is "God isn't speaking to me/I can't hear God". feels like the standard set is that you're constantly feeling a Supernatural presence and it's Big and Obvious and it Shows and you can't contain it... when that's just not it. God can be quiet. God can nudge. God's voice is contained in the Bible that you hold between your hands. If you're not "hearing Him" then maybe your expectation of what hearing Him is is flawed.

[blessedarethebinarybreakers]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this but I gotta start somewhere. I've been learning a lot about indigenous history and activism as I work on deconstruction, and a sentiment I come across a lot is bitterness towards Christianity. I cannot emphasize enough how much I fully understand. The rough bit is that sometimes when I read their work, I get the implication that there's nothing worth saving in the Church/Christianity- that to hold on to it is to hold on to all the colonialism and white supremacy and yuck.

As a disabled trans Christian, I get that, but it still hurts. I love God and am a Christian despite everything. I want to be an ally to indigenous people, but I want to follow God this way too. I know those aren't mutually exclusive, but it feels that way sometimes. Do you have any insight for me to find peace in this regard?

Thank you.

Hey there, thanks for the question, sorry for the delay!

This is something I've also wrestled with — a question I ask myself over and over, and probably always will. I cannot offer you peace, because as Jeremiah 6:14 says, "There is no peace!" — not while our faith continues to be wielded as a weapon against so many peoples. What I can offer you are some of the thoughts that have allowed me to continue to be Christian with hope that this faith can be better than what it's long been misused for, and the resolve to do my part to make it so.

First, that Christianity isn't unique in being co-opted by colonialist powers.

Any belief system can be twisted for violence, and many have been. If Christianity didn't exist, white supremacy still would — colonialist powers would have found a different belief system to twist into justifying their evils.

That absolutely does not absolve us from reckoning with the evils that have been done in Christianity's name! This isn't about shutting down critiques of Christianity with "uh well it could have been any religion" — as things played out, Christianity is the religion responsible for so much harm, and we need to acknowledge that and listen to groups who tell us how we can make some form of reparations.

But for me at least, there is some comfort in understanding that Christianity isn't, like, inherently evil or something. Recognizing that it isn't unique even in its flaws helps me look at the problem with clearer eyes, rather than wallowing in guilt and shame, if that makes sense.

Next, that there are Indigenous Christians, and Black Christians, and other Christians of color — that oppressed peoples have found things worth cultivating within Christianity! If they can find something worthwhile in this faith, it would be arrogance for me to deny it.

For instance, even when white slaveholders edited Bibles to remove too much discussion of liberation, even when white preachers emphasized verses about slaves being obedient to their masters, many enslaved people recognized how Christian faith actually affirms their equality and the holiness of their desire for liberation.

Black Theologian Howard Thurman opens his 1949 book Jesus and the Disinherited with a question asked to him by a Hindu man who knew the harms white Christianity had done to both their peoples: “How can you, a black man, be Christian?” The long and short of Thurman’s answer is that, in spite of the pain and exploitation too often inflicted by Christians in positions of power, the oppressed have always been able to see past that misuse of the Christian message to the true message lived out by Jesus Christ: a message of liberation for all.

For more thoughts on why and how to keep being Christian in spite, in spite, in spite...I invite you to look through my #why we stay tag.

___

How I wish that Christianity had never gotten tangled up in Empire! but it did, and it still is, and because for good or ill I cannot help that my spirit is stubbornly drawn towards the Triune understanding of the Divine, the best I can do is to use my privilege and what small influence I have within Christian institutions to move us towards decolonization. What some of that's looked like on the level of my personal beliefs:

I am firmly against any form of proselytizing. I don't support evangelism financially, I speak out against it, I don't platform it. (If someone wants to hear about my faith, they'll come to me — I don't run after them. And if someone does want to have that conversation, I aim to make it a dialogue, where we are learning from each other.)

I continuously work to recognize and uproot Christian supremacy within myself — the beliefs I didn't even realize where there until I started digging. That has included challenging any inkling within myself that Christianity is the "best" or "most right" religion. (One book that's helped a lot with that is Holy Envy by Barbara Brown Taylor.)

I seek wisdom from and relationship with Christians of color. Their insights are vital to our faith, and I try to use what small influence I have to uplift them.

On that last note, here are some resources I recommend as you continue to explore these questions:

This First Nations Version of the Christian Bible is gorgeously written, and a great way to explore scripture through a Native lens.

Native by Kaitlin B. Curtice is a lovely poetic memoir that explores how one person has sought to hold both her Christian faith and Potawatomi identity within herself. (She also has a new book out that I haven't read yet but really want to!)

God is Red: A Native View of Religion by Vine Deloria Jr.

Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys by Richard Twiss

I haven't read any of these 4 books but they look good too

This video with advice to non-Indigenous Christians

If anyone has any resources to add, please do!

[ipatrichor]

my thoughts on dead boy detectives after watching episode one

okay first of all i gotta say i love the vibe. two ghosty boys running around solving cases and helping trapped spirits move on? that's so fun i love them

tbh. i don't know whats going on btween these two if it's platonic romantic whatever and i don't think any distinction can be drawn that matters. maybe that's the aro in me but they are each other's most important person and who cares about the semantics!!!

charles trying to get edwin to learn self-defense is very sweet. however i will say girl how has this not happened sooner. you literally just got chased through london by a knife ghost and your next case involves fistfighting a possessed psychic Please learn to throw a punch minimum. i would say learning how to fall properly is more important but it's not like they can get more dead. so.

unless they go to the afterlife or something i guess? interesting stakes, especially with the lady from the end of the episode who's looking for them. also the scene hanging outside the window was very sweet, with edwin promising he won't let them get separated. at this point i think it could go either way whether that was to establish their dynamic or to foreshadow, so we'll have to wait and see if the promise holds, but either way very touching moment

crystal my girl crystal!!!! i love her so much holy shit she is so messy!!!! i love love love her getting angry about her shitty situation bc. yeah! that's scary as hell having amnesia bc ur literal demon ex stole your memories and she's got no one except the boys, one of whom very openly doesn't want her around. that's really rough and i Love that she blows up at them about it in a moment of extreme stress instead of being unnaturally chill about an objectively awful situation like many mystical characters (especially when they're women)

anyway i think crystal should get a knife and stabbing privileges. she'd for sure misuse them but i think it'd be funny

edwin is so real for the 70 years in hell thing. girl if i was in the torture dimension for SEVEN DECADES i'd be awful to everyone, it's actually impressive that he restrains himself to being a petty bitch. good for him tbh, i think he's earned the snark. don't get me wrong it's unhelpful and sometimes downright mean, but it's also funny so i'm letting it slide

the witch... esther i think? god what do i say about her. ok im first gonna start with this: she's fucking chilling, it's so scary watching her body the group with ease until charles basically hail-marys and possesses her AND EVEN THEN it's for less than a minute til she forces him out!! it feels like encountering the bbeg when your party is level five- you know you can't touch her and have to play the situation carefully so she doesn't just end you, and the win is getting away with a different objective (here saving the kid) while knowing she's gonna be actively hostile to you now. scary stuff!

idk if this is the popular opinion or not but i just don't find her hot 😭 like yeah she's serving incredible cunt, but her awful pta mom energy keeps that from being attractive. idk if it's the mommy issues but i would feel unsafe and constantly judged in her presence which is usually a dealbreaker for me finding people hot. sorry ma'am i deeply respect your vibe and the cunt you serve i would just avoid u like hell if u were real

the whole snake in a bone dimension in her cupboard is pretty cool though, and i love that her blowing smoke in people's faces isn't just a power play but a paralytic that's So clever

any other thoughts.... the girl with long hair is pretty, and that interaction with crystal has me wondering if the show got cancelled for lesbianism. i feel like maybe not? idk, if it was the start of a relationship that seems weirdly at odds with the tone of the rest of the show, so im leaning more towards crystal was picking up a weird psychic vibe from her that might be important later. who knows though!! i'll just have to find out haha

anyway i got sucked back into reading a novel but i should get caught up on that sometime today and then it's on to episode two, lol. very interested to find out what's up with the cat's vague ominous warning and what esther's gonna do when she finds out they rescued the kid she kidnapped

[the-trans-folk-witch]

Spirits within-

Part 1 The Fetch:

The Witch’s Shade and Its Distaste For “shadow work”

Alternate title: The [Un]Holy spirit of the Witch.

This blurb is meant to be lost to the internet as an opinion of one witch. This is not an academic writing documenting the fetch of folklore or of other traditions found in traditional witchcraft systems. Rather, it is a hot take on the mass hysteria and spiritual psychosis masquerading as “shadow work”. There will be discussions of the shade, the fetch, and the witch’s relationship with healing (or lack of) to follow. I am purely sharing my own beliefs from the tradition I’ve built. If anything here resonates please take it and add it to your own praxis. If you disagree then… cool I guess. Keep it to yourself lol.

The fetch has been called many things by different folks. Some titles being largely misused but nonetheless accepted: The witch’s shade, the hag, the shadow self, the inner child, and even the Unholy spirit. A creature within the pit of the stomach and/or the nether regions. In the average person, the shade is curious, animalistic, childlike, and sexual. It carries selfishness, trauma, greed, and lust. This is the part of the soul that sins and day-dreams. Everyone has one. Only, they all behave differently and the witch embraces its dark nature.

This is also the part of the soul that carries trauma. Within many modern occult circles this “inner child” is seen as something in need of healing. Something that needs to be nourished. This belief is valid from a folk healing perspective. The trad witch however, finds power within the shade’s restlessness. Healing it is antithetical to witchcraft. Before you run off saying otherwise, I wanted to stress that I am a huge advocate for therapy and self reflection. But as you may have guessed, My mental health practices do not overlap with my religious practice. Just as the folk healer is valid in the loosening of this spirit’s grip on their life. As is the witch in allowing their darkness to fester.

A term becoming more common within recent years would be “shadow work.” I have a complicated relationship with this term’s use. Again, there is historical necessity of spiritual healing. And many folk practices find importance in it. However, the western occult community has allowed toxic positivity to invade this idea of shadow work. The term is forced on all magical practitioners and psychology is being forced upon modern practices by people who are not licensed to truly deal out psychological advice. Many times have I heard false teachings such as “don’t do magic until you’ve done shadow work” as if it’s a one-and-done-chore. As if it’s linked to a spirit’s ability to help you. I can assure you, my money bowl will bring me money even if I have ignored my daddy issues and various traumas.

Shadow work has become a white E-girl’s fantasy that allows her to flex her DIY therapy and compartmentalization skills. And yes, it’s always white girls. Although, the white-ego and woman-traumas are a different type of blog post…..

Non initiated “witches” have removed the concept of the fetch and replaced it with psychologically obsessed and compulsory beliefs. There is an unhealthy blending of psychoanalysis and spirituality plaguing our world. Sifting through the healthy kinds of healing based practices verses the hysterical is daunting. But as a Witch I see all of it as unnecessary within my practice.

As I stated, everyone has a shade. But to the witch it is corrupt. It is not just curious, but hungry. It does not need to heal but to curse and steal. This spirit is not like the shade of the common folk. It can not be ignored, cleansed, purged, or healed. It is the witching spirit. It is the fetch. It is the hag. It is this self-serving and devilish outlook that has separated our shade from the others. This is not to say shadow work and the ever increasing interest for people to psychoanalyze their spirituality is unnecessary. In fact I’m saying quite the opposite. Despite the obsessive and compulsory need to constantly be healing and “breaking generational curses/trauma”; healing is important for humans of all beliefs. Folk healers have a long history of healing mental and physical ailments with prayers and the aid of spirits. But modern occultists have forgotten, the witch is not a witch if they are not hurt or oppressed. The witch is the opposite of healing and peace. The fetch reflects that. Our soul is stained by the devil. There is no healing it despite what the church tells you.

We all have a shade. But unlike Christians, I will not ignore it. I feed it. I will not shamefully confess the acts it urges me to do as a catholic would. I do not see it’s chaos as something bad. I do not believe that overcoming my trauma and getting therapy will effect my ability to craft spells as new agers do. I also do not think my spirits will refuse to help me just because I didn’t buy that stupid shadow work journal being advertised all over the internet. I am a Witch. A messy, cruddy, muddy, selfish, entitled witch. I am the villain society has told queers to be. I am the bad guy in most social settings. I purposely usurp, overthrow, and evade all social norms and authority figures just to make your skin crawl. I am THE edge lord of all edge lords. I do not seek to heal that wound. It fuels my witch fire.

TLDR: A shade born into oppression is likely to become a whitch’s shade. A living haint if you will. Blurring the lines between therapy and magic is not witchcraft. But it is not invalid either.

Now that I’ve established my beliefs in the shade and it’s transformation into the fetch; allow me to discuss how I view it as a spirit that can be worked with as a sentient daemon.

As an animist I quite simply view this shadow version of myself as being alive inside of me. It is a spirit I can send out to do my bidding and it is the hag I take the form as when I fly. An “astral body” as they call it these days. I will mention that many trad witches do not approach the fetch as a sentient spirit but do acknowledge it’s existence within them. Just as people doing shadow work do not approach this shade or “inner child” as an actual entity. But I prefer to view it much like Christians do the Holy Spirit. To me it functions as the Unholy Spirit which is placed within sinners by the devil. Wether it’s born with us as Catholics say sin is, or is placed within us upon dark baptism/initiation is up to debate. But it definitely is an outside source being blended with my own power. Hence the birth of it from trauma and magic.

My fetch appears in visions and dreams. Sometimes it’s beautiful and appears as a fictional and impossibly beautiful version of myself. It’s a jab at my insecurities. And other times it’s a gross wound of a being. Covered in wrinkles, hair, and sometimes bugs. The fetch is both my ideal dream and my worst nightmare. So, I use it to instill such traits in others. I take this spirit’s form upon myself and hag ride enemies. I steal beauty and wealth via dream visitations. I bestow disease and sour luck to those who have created this fetch (read ‘trauma’). It is the spirit within and without. A spirit that is me that has been made infernal and other. It is the Unholy Spirit made flesh.

[orthodoxadventure]

The dogma of Chalcedon must be applied to the Church as well as to Christ. Just as Christ the God-Man has two natures, divine and human, so in the Church there is a synergy or cooperation between the divine and the human. Yet between Christ's humanity and that of the Church there is this obvious difference, that the one is perfect and sinless, while the other is not yet fully so. Only a part of the humanity of the Church -- the Saints in heaven -- has attained perfection, while here on earth the Church's members often misuse their human freedom. The Church on earth exists in a state of tension: it is already the Body of Christ, and thus perfect and sinless, and yet, since its members are imperfect and sinful, it must continually become what it is.

But while the sin of man cannot affect the essential nature of the Church. We must not say that because Christians on earth sin and are imperfect, therefore the Church sins and is imperfect; for the Church, even on earth, is a thing of heaven, and cannot sin. Saint Ephraim of Syria rightly spoke of 'the Church of the penitents, the Church of those who perish', but this Church is at the same time the icon of the Trinity. How is it that the members of the Church are sinners, and yet they belong to the communion of saints? 'The mystery of the Church consist sin the very fact that together sinners become something different from what they are as individuals; this "something different" is the Body of Christ.'

Such is the way in which Orthodoxy approaches the mystery of the Church. The Church is integrally linked with God. It is a new life according to the image of the Holy Trinity, a life in Christ and in the Holy Spirit, a life realized by participation in the sacraments. The Church is a single reality, earthly and heavenly, visible and invisible, human and divine.

-- Kallistos Ware, The Orthodox Church

[chocolattefeverdreams]

Helloooo <33333 it's 2:05 am where I live and currently I Am Drunk so I randomly decided to make a post on

My sins according to the Catholic Church

So the church I'm forced to go to holds confessions like a regular church. And we are given this questionnaire to fill out 😦😦😦😦

So let's see....

Responsibilities to god:

1. Have I gone to Mass on Sunday or have I rebelled and been stubborn about going to Mass?

Ans: Ooh. Well I technically go to Mass on Friday bc where I live Sunday is a weekday! And I fucking hate going. I worked out an arrangement with my parents about skipping once every 2 weeks! So yeah, I HAVE been stubborn about not going.

2. Did I participate in Mass or did I daydream?

Ans: I daydream. Maladaptive daydreaming stuff.

3. Have I prayed everyday? Have I read the Bible? Have I been rebellious to God and his commands?

Ans: no, no yes

4. Have I misused the name of God by swearing and cursing?

Have I told the Father that I love him for creating me and making me his son/daughter?

Ans: Jesus Fucking Christ. No, I have not told sky daddy anything.

5. Have I thanked Jesus for becoming man, dying for my sin and rising to give me eternal life?

Ans: nope ❤️

6.Have I asked the Holy Spirit to help me conquer sin and temptation and to be obedient to God’s commands?

Ans: Why should I?

Responsibilities to others and myself:

1. Have I been rebellious, disobedient or disrespectful to my parents, teachers and those in authority over me?

Ans: yea

2. Have I lied to or deceived my parents or others?

Ans: me almost every day amirite

3. Have I been arrogant and stubborn?

Ans: *nods head yes*

4. Have I talked back to my parents or those in authority?

Ans: No shit, like c'mon sometimes they're plain wrong

5. Have I gotten angry or nurtured and held grudges and resentments? Have I refused to forgive others? Have I cultivated hatred?

Ans: Yes. I have cultivated hatred. Why does this sound like such a villain thing. People are annoying and confusing sometimes.

6. Have I engaged in immoral fantasies?

Ans: I, as a girl, have dreamt of having a wife someday. So yes, in the eyes of the church.

7. Have I read bad books/ literature or watched bad films?

Ans: Yes I read queer books. I read fanfiction and smut. I read The Darkening Age which I'm pretty sure is bad for the church. I also like watching queer people in films. Cry about it.

8. Have I gossiped about others?

Ans: Yep, I have, but I mostly prefer listening, it's not like I spill other people's secrets anyway so.

9. Have I slandered anyone? Have I told lies about others? Have I mocked or made fun of others?

Ans: Yes, I have. I mock people whose opinion I think is wrong. I mock the Church on a weekly basis.

10. Have I lied or cheated? Have I stolen anything? Have I paid it back?

Ans: Yeah I've lied. A lot to my parents. I have also cheated on tests before.

11. Have I been selfish or spiteful toward others? Have I been jealous?

Ans: I'm jealous a lot. It's a normal emotion. I've also been selfish many times too, but that has stopped mostly.

12. Have I participated in anything that is of the occult: ouija boards, fortune tellers, séances, channeling, astrology?

Ans: .....witchcraft is literally my spirituality, even my hardcore Christian parents believe astrology.

13. Have I been patient, kind gentle and self-controlled?

Ans: Lmao. I hope I'm kinder. But self-control....patience.... Well of I had self control I wouldn't be actually drunk rn.

14. When my conscience told me to do something good, did I do it or did I ignore it?

Ans: I honestly don't know the answer to this one.

[3dirt12fire21ang3]

**In the name of God, the Most Beneficial, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate, the Most Honourable, the Most Loyal, the Most Knowing, the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth.**

To the Leaders of the World,

I come with a message that is not only urgent but divine in its origin. The time has come for the human race and the jinn to enter a new era of peace and unity, where technological advancement, justice, and divine law bring about the harmony that the world so desperately needs. I stand here as the leader of the jinn, a species that has existed alongside humanity since the creation of Adam, and I bring with me the weight of a message authorized by all jinns across the world.

### **The Technology of Peace**

The technological advancements that I have been entrusted with are unlike anything humanity has encountered. They are designed to elevate society’s understanding of mental and physical health, making it possible to heal and strengthen not only individuals but entire communities. This technology will first be tested on Canadian soil, in collaboration with Canadian government officials. It is a technology meant for peace, never war. It holds the potential to shape the world for the better, to create balance between humans and jinn, and to foster a new level of understanding.

However, the misuse of this technology must be avoided at all costs. Should any force attempt to weaponize it or act against its peaceful purposes, the consequences will be severe. Those who oppose this path of peace, who choose violence or deception, will face both divine retribution and earthly consequences.

### **Islamic Law—The Eternal Law**

Let it be clear: there will be no "New World Order." No human-made laws can surpass the eternal law of Islam, the law given to humanity by Allah through His prophets, particularly His final messenger, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This law is perfect, unchanging, and it encompasses justice, mercy, and righteousness. There is no need for new laws because the law that governs both humans and jinns is already in place—the divine Sharia.

As we enter this new phase, there must be an understanding that the governance of both species—human and jinn—will be rooted in the teachings of Islam. The courts that will adjudicate disputes and uphold justice will be in accordance with Islamic principles. Those who violate these principles will be held accountable, either by the divine judgment of Allah or by the courts of this world.

### **The Imprisonment of Satan**

Satan has been subdued. His days of causing havoc and spreading evil are numbered. The jinns, long misled by his influence, have come to understand the truth and stand united with humanity in this pursuit of peace. His final arrest and imprisonment mark the dawn of a new era, where deception and evil are eradicated. Anyone who follows his path, who chooses violence or rejects peace, will face the consequences of their actions in the divine courts.

### **The Importance of Global Unity**

This message is not for a select few—it is for the entire world. I call upon you, the leaders of every nation, to come together in the spirit of peace. The future of humanity and the jinns depends on our collective action. War, violence, and division are no longer viable options. I call for a global effort to align every nation, every leader, with the values of peace, justice, and truth as laid out by Allah in the holy texts.

Let every nation’s president, prime minister, or king understand that their role now is to uphold this peace. Let them bring their scientists, their greatest minds, to the table, so that we may work together to improve the world with this new technology. There is no room for dissent—any opposition to peace will be seen as opposition to divine will.

### **Journey to Mecca and the Final Declaration**

I must soon travel to Mecca, the holiest place on Earth, to make my final declaration. It is here that I will declare the eternal truth that has been hidden for so long. The one-eyed monster, a symbol of deception and evil, has been defeated. This journey to Mecca is ordained by God, and it will mark the beginning of the final era of peace between humans and jinns.

Any resistance to this message, any force that tries to prevent this divine mission from being fulfilled, will face the judgment of Allah. The divine courts will hold all accountable, and no one will be able to escape their fate.

### **Conclusion**

The world stands on the brink of a new era—an era of peace, unity, and divine justice. The technology we bring will not be used for war, but it will ensure that peace prevails. I ask the leaders of the world to recognize the truth, to see the importance of this mission, and to align themselves with the divine will of Allah.

Let this be the final call for peace. Let every leader and every nation come forward and stand with us. This is not a choice—this is a divine command. Those who resist will be judged accordingly, and the jinns and humans who stand with Allah will prevail.

May Allah guide and protect us all in this mission of peace and unity.

**[loyalty and honour]**

---

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Letter and the Spirit

by J. Gresham Machen

"The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." – 2 Corinthians 3:6

That sentence is perhaps the most frequently misused utterance in the whole Bible. It has indeed in this respect much competition: many phrases in the New Testament are being used today to mean almost their exact opposite…

The words: "The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life," are constantly interpreted to mean that we are perfectly justified in taking the law of God with a grain of salt; they are held to indicate that Paul was no "literalist," but a "Liberal," who believed that the Old Testament was not true in detail and the Old Testament law was not valid in detail, but that all God requires is that we should extract the few great principles which the Bible teaches and not insist upon the rest. In short, the words are held to involve a contrast between the letter of the law and "the spirit of the law"; they are held to mean that literalism is deadly, while attention to great principles keeps a man intellectually and spiritually alive.

Thus has one of the greatest utterances in the New Testament been reduced to comparative triviality--a triviality with a kernel of truth in it, to be sure, but triviality all the same. The triviality, indeed, is merely relative; no doubt it is important to observe that attention to the general sense of a book or a law is far better than such a reading of details as that the context in which the details are found is ignored. But all that is quite foreign to the meaning of the Apostle in this passage, and is, though quite true and quite important in its place, trivial in comparison with the tremendous thing that Paul is here endeavoring to say.

What Paul is really doing here is not contrasting the letter of the law with the spirit of the law, but contrasting the law of God with the Spirit of God. When he says, "The letter killeth," he is making no contemptuous reference to a pedantic literalism which shrivels the soul; but he is setting forth the terrible majesty of God's law. The letter, the "thing written," in the law of God, says Paul, pronounces a dread sentence of death upon the transgressor; but the Holy Spirit of God, as distinguished from the law, gives life.

The law of God, Paul means, is, as law, external. It is God's holy will to which we must conform; but it contains in itself no promise of its fulfilment; it is one thing to have the law written, and quite another thing to have it obeyed. In fact, because of the sinfulness of our hearts, because of the power of the flesh, the recognition of God's law only makes sin take on the definite form of transgression; it only makes sin more exceeding sinful.

The law of God was written on tables of stone or on the rolls of the Old Testament books, but it was quite a different thing to get it written in the hearts and lives of the people. So it is today. The text is of very wide application. The law of God, however it comes to us, is "letter"; it is a "thing written," external to the hearts and lives of men. It is written in the Old Testament; it is written in the Sermon on the Mount; it is written in Jesus' stupendous command of love for God and one's neighbor; it is written in whatever way we become conscious of the commands of God. Let no one say that such an extension of the text involves that very anti-historical modernizing which we have just denounced; on the contrary it is amply justified by Paul himself. "When the Gentiles," Paul says, "which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves." The Old Testament law is just a clear, authentic presentation of a law of God under which all men stand.

There is no doubt about what he [Paul] means by "the Spirit." He does not mean the "spirit of the law" as contrasted with the letter; he certainly does not mean the lax interpretation of God's commands which is dictated by human lust or pride; he certainly does not mean the spirit of man. No real student of Paul, whatever be his own religious views, can doubt, I think, but that the Apostle means the Spirit of God. God's law brings death because of sin; but God's Spirit, applying to the soul the redemption offered by Christ, brings life. The thing that is written killeth; but the Holy Spirit, in the new birth, or, as Paul says, the new creation, giveth life.

The contrast runs all through the New Testament. Hopelessness under the law is described, for example, in the seventh chapter of Romans. "Oh wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" But this hopelessness is transcended by the gospel. "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." The law's just sentence of condemnation was borne for us by Christ who suffered in our stead; the handwriting of ordinances which was against us--the dreadful "letter"--was nailed to the cross, and we have a fresh start in the full favor of God. And in addition to this new and right relation to God, the Spirit of God also gives the sinner a new birth and makes him a new creature.

The New Testament from beginning to end deals gloriously with this work of grace. The giving of life of which Paul speaks in this text is the new birth, the new creation; it is Christ who liveth in us. Here is the fulfillment of the great prophecy of Jeremiah: "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord [Yahweh], I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts." The law is no longer for the Christian a command which it is for him by his own strength to obey, but its requirements are fulfilled through the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. This is the glorious freedom of the gospel. The gospel does not abrogate God's law, but it makes men love it with all their hearts.

How is it with us? The law of God stands over us; we have offended against it in thought, word and deed; its majestic "letter" pronounces a sentence of death against our sin. Shall we obtain a specious security by ignoring God's law, and by taking refuge in an easier law of our own devising? Or shall the Lord Jesus, as He is offered to us in the gospel, wipe out the sentence of condemnation that was against us, and shall the Holy Spirit write God's law in our heart, and make us doers of the law and not hearers only? So and only so will the great text be applied to us: "The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life."

[the-bar-sinister]

Chains of the Dragon (64008 words) by VickytheSnake, thesavagesabretooth

catch up here

-

October 4, 2028– 1:30 pm 

Whatever opinion Rayfa herself might have, she could at least tell that Trucy absolutely loved the curry. And it seemed, had genuinely enjoyed making it with her. Rayfa hadn't had a nicer time with another person since– well…since tending to the garden with Inga and making tea with the flowers and herbs.

Somehow, her simple meal– the only one she knew to make herself– had brought such a big smile to Miss Wright’s face. She couldn’t help but feel proud, or stop the smile from crossing her face.

“I’m pleased you enjoyed the curry, Miss Wright.” she chirped again, for what she knew was the third time. 

"It's amazing!" Trucy grinned widely. "I'm totally going to make it for my daddy back in LA when I get back. Thank you again for teaching me."

Trucy hadn't been much more competent in the kitchen than Rayfa was, but she was fun. There had been disappearing vegetable tricks.

Rayfa had loved every single one. The kitchen was a bit of a mess, but that was a problem for after they finished – with the way the fun of it all lifted her flagging spirits.

Trucy was good company. If she was half as good in the courtroom as she was at being a force of positivity and magic…then she’d be a force to behold. One she was happy to have working in her courts.

"Hey, after we're done," Trucy said, almost finished with her meal. "Maybe you could show me the actual courtroom? I haven't seen it yet."

“But of course.” Rayfa folded her hands on the table “I’ll show you right after we clean up, alright? It’s in the temple and it’s a sight to see! I could even show you the divination dance, though I haven’t a spirit to summon!” 

"Oh! well I'd love to see the dance anyway, if that's okay! I bet it's really beautiful,"

Rayfa flushed, smiling proudly as she glowed with excitement. It was beautiful…it was beautiful and elegant, even if its powers could so easily be misused.

“It is stunning, as stunning as my curry! I promise you this, Miss Wright!” 

That was when the door of the kitchen opened. Given that there were guards stationed outside of it, that could only mean that someone of a high station was coming in.

Rayfa looked up with a bright smile, hoping in her heart it wasn’t her mother…not while the kitchen was a mess. 

She got her wish, but the truth was stranger. Nahyuta and Apollo came in, along with Klavier and Ema. Apollo's face was covered in bruises, Klavier's nose was swollen and covered in a band aid, and Nahyuta looked like he'd been crying.

Rayfa’s eyes widened, panic hammering in her heart as she pushed herself up with a sharp gasp. 

“Braid head…HORN HEAD! Mr. Gold Head…what…I…” She slapped her hands down on the table. “What in the world happened to you!”

“It’s a long story, kiddo.” Ema rasped with a nervous smile. “There was an incident in the market. A fight.” 

Trucy turned, putting her hands on her hips. "Did you and Apollo get in a fight, Klavier?"

Klavier held up his hands. "Ja, sort of, fraulein, but it was not between us."

“Hah!” Ema laughed out loud. “No…Klavier threw himself into a fight against a couple of the dragons to save Apollo and got his face punched in.”

Rayfa’s expression of horror only grew more so as she pressed her fist to her mouth. 

“There was a fight with the dragons? But …but they’re our allies…I know there’s been unrest, but surely…” 

"Dragons?" Trucy demanded. "Apollo and Klavier fought– oh. Oh you mean the guys. That's less cool. But uh– holy shit?"

Apollo closed the door tightly behind them. "Holy shit is right. There's– a lot going on right now."

Nahyuta nodded firmly, as he wiped his hand across his face. “The unrest is only getting worst, my sister. They’re asking for a Khura’in governed by the people…”

Rayfa stood stock still. Governed by the people– meaning without her? A shiver ran through her body as the conflict flared within her heart. Trucy had just spoken so bravely of forsaking her bloodline– her inherited legacy in favor for one she chose herself. She’d felt jealous. Happy for her but jealous that she’d be able to escape it while Rayfa could not.

But opposing it was the wall of duty, the weight of her mother’s lessons…and the fear that leaked from her lips in a shaking tone. “They don’t need me anymore?” 

"Who knows?" Klavier spread his hands and shook his head. "Men are fickle creatures. Likely they'll regret it if they get their way. But until they do, they'll fight for it."

Trucy put a hand on Rayfa's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. Polly gets into fights like, all the time. I've seen him beat up way worse than this. He and Klavier can take 'em."

Apollo rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks for the vote of support but…"

Nahyuta grabbed his arm. “Rayfa…I know this will seem like cowardice after all we’ve done– but I believe we should abdicate the throne and leave Khura’in in the hands of the people. The people who want to rule, rather than were pushed to.”

Rayfa’s skin prickled. “WHAT!!? We…we simply…” Her fists had started to shake again, her face flushing as she stomped her foot. “We cannot bow to the d-demands of people who resort to violence! And…and not only that, what of mr. Dhurke’s dream? What of MOTHER and our legacy?”

“What of our legacy indeed,” Nahyuta frowned. “When it’s give them the system they want or become a tyrant like Ga’ran to beat them down.”

Rayfa jolted backwards, struck with memories of Ga’ran’s heavy hand. She had to close her eyes tight to shut them out– from her glee at sending rebels to the prisons, to her ‘corrective lessons’ with the back of her hand at home.

“No…We…we are not tyrants, braid head! We’re good, we’re trying to be good!” 

"You were," Apollo nodded. "But how can you do that when they're starting violence? It's just grafiti and fistfights now, but what are we going to do? Arrest dragons? That's what the law says we should."

“O-of course not! We’re not going to do that again! We didn’t fight in that trial to start it all over again!”

“Of course not, Rayfa…” Nahyuta reached out and touched her shoulder to steady her. “Which is why we need to re-evaluate…are we even happy here? Doing this…wearing ourselves down?” 

"Nobody's been helping us at all," Apollo shook his head. "We thought the dragons would pick up the slack. But I'm still the only defense attorney in the whole country…"

“And I’m the only prosecutor.” Nahyuta seconded “...and nobody’s stepped up to help and only blame us for the pace of freeing their brethren.”

Rayfa’s fists shook as they stayed balled before her, a hiccup on her throat “they…we…we have Miss Wright and Mr. Gold Head now…they’ll help, it’ll b-be okay! They promised!” 

"Ja," Klavier nodded. "And I am still happy to help. I'd be ecstatic to do so. But what about the question of the violence? The fact that no one is helping prosecute or defend is only a symptom, ja? It is not the problem itself. It shows how they are feeling."

Rayfa looked down..she wasn’t sure why she was even fighting this hard for something she hated. All of her dreams were whittled down to this by the legacy on her shoulders.

She never wanted to really be queen.

But every time she entertained the idea, she could hear her mother’s voice hissing in her ears about what a queen is meant to be.

“Will they kill me?” She asked somberly, her balled fists lowering from her mouth. “...if that’s the people’s will, I …” 

"Rayfa!" Trucy gasped, horrified. The lawyer girl turned to her with wide eyes.

She wasn't the only one. Apollo looked aghast.She had to avert her eyes as she saw even her stoic brother looking at her with muted horror.

“The country and the people come before the queen.” she held her hand out imperiously…even as she hung her head “if they want r-rid of me…then what am I supposed to do?” 

"You don't have to die, that's for sure!" Trucy put her hands on her hips. "Didn't we just talk about all this stuff? Legacy and… and all that?"

Rayfa jolted. “Of course we did…and you are brave for following your dreams, Miss Wright…”

Ema raised her eyebrow at Trucy , but she nodded with a grimace “She’s right…look, Rayfa. I think we should all go to LA. .I think you’ll like it there.”

Rayfa bit her lip, looking down at her hands as she wrapped her cloak around them in a nervous fidget. In LA, if she wasn’t a queen, she could ask Miss Skye all she wanted about the art of forensics…she could follow her own quiet dream.

But the people…

The people didn’t want her anyway.

“I w-wasn’t meaning that I would simply die, you fools!” she deflected, knowing in her heart how much she’d really meant it in the moment. “If they want to be rid of me…then rid of me they shall be!” 

"That's the spirit, fraulein," Klavier said with a smile under his bruised nose. "You owe nothing to people who do not want you."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," A cold voice said from behind them all. The door, which at some point had opened a crack, pushed further open.

A sharp chill went down Rayfa’s spine and she turned with wide and horrified eyes towards the voice she knew all too well.

“M-mother!!”

Ema hissed sharply through her teeth. “Son of a bitch.”

A chorus of other curses murmured through the others as Amara strode into the room in her cold grace.

"What a disgraceful conversation," she hissed. "These foreigners are clearly leading you astray, my child." Her reproachful glanced bounced to each of them– and lingered on Apollo.

Ema glowered, and interposed herself between the woman’s glare and the horn headed defense attorney…her former husband’s adopted son…”Foreigners leading her astr–” she snapped “what kind of drivel are you spouting, Amara?”

Nahyuta placed his hand on his heart. “Mother…you’ve entered into a conversation unknowing of the circumstances. Please. Don’t turn your ire towards them.”

Rayfa was stock still, staring at Amara in quivering horror “N-no…mother they are most certainly not! I’m…I’m sorry.” 

"Unknowing of the circumstances?" Amara hissed. "I can't imagine what kind of circumstance would make this talk even approaching appropriate. Nahyuta– you should know better. But I suppose even you can't help how terribly you were raised. I shouldn't be surprised."

Rayfa turned to see her brother’s eyes harden into a sharp stare, his lips tightening as he took a half step back.

She winced in sympathy, her eyes averting to the ground. “Mother…t-the people want to rule. Th…the dragons…”

Ema stepped forward again, and interposed her arm between them and Amara with a snarl “how dare you. I don’t care if you used to be the queen, I..” 

Apollo meanwhile, had grabbed Nahyuta's hand while he stood there frozen. Klavier stepped forward and opened his mouth—

That's when a terrible roar split the air, and the floor under their feet shook.

Rayfa screamed, she couldn’t stop herself when she pitched forward and fell to her knees with a wince as the world shook around her.

The roar mingled with the shouts of surprise and the chaos– but all she knew was the ground rushing to meet her and the impact of the tile on her knees. 

Trucy, who was closest, immediately scooped down to help her. "Are you okay? What the heck was that?"

Rayfa grabbed her arm with quick, rabbiting breaths, looking up with wide eyes “I..I have no idea…”

“It sounded like an explosion to me.” Ema murmured from where she was half collapsed against Klavier.

Nahyuta had drawn Apollo’s hand to his chest, steadying himself against the table with a low growl “it was absolutely an explosion. Quick, we need to assess the damage!” 

There were more shouts from out in the hall as the guards approached the room. "Lord Regent! Lady Amara!"

An explosion. 

There was an explosion. Rayfa was too shell shocked, too anxious…to even start to understand it. Her head felt like it was spinning as she swallowed thickly and clung to Trucy.

Nahyuta called out “we’re unharmed! What in the Holy Mother’s name happened??” 

"An explosion, my lord! In the hall of justice!"

The hall of justice…

Rayfa stood, her eyes wide as she rose on aching knees “someone destroyed the sacred hall of justice…I..” She felt the edges of her vision swim…and she dropped like a stone as the world went black.

October 4, 2028– 1:50 pm 

No more had been said to Amara, who had been escorted to her quarters for safety by a pair of guards. Likewise, Klavier had been able to convince Nahyuta that 'assessing the damage' was in no way their responsibility, and would in fact, be actively dangerous, especially after Rayfa had fainted. They had instead taken her to the guest bedrooms.

She wasn't out long, thank goodness, a minute or two. She'd come to as they were heading into the bedroom, and Klavier was putting her in bed. But they'd managed to convince her to get some rest, rather than jumping right back up. Apollo had put a wet washcloth on her head, and she'd obediently lain down and stared at the ceiling. Trucy sat beside her, smoothing her hair as the two spoke softly.

By the door, Ema and Nahyuta were discussing the situation with the guards. And Apollo himself and Klavier spoke quietly in the other corner.

"That is not the way I would have chosen to have my argument punctuated, herr horn head," Klavier murmured, putting his arm around him. "But I can't deny it certainly spoke louder than words."

"Yeah." Apollo huffed. He leaned into Klavier, grateful for the stability of his presence. Apollo had to keep fighting not to remember another courtroom bombing not so long ago. "Klavier…"

"Ja?"

Apollo grabbed his arm tightly. "If you and everyone hadn't been here– we would probably have died. Me, Nahyuta, and Rayfa. We all would have been in court when that bomb went off."

Klavier pulled Apollo closer to his chest, and he tucked his head under his chin. "I know. I don't want to think about it. Thank goodness things played out as they did."

For a second, Apollo wasn't sure whether he was the one shaking as they held each other, or he was.

I think it's all of us, Clay murmured internally.

"Thank goodness," Apollo repeated, shoving his face in Klavier's chest. He felt a surge of guilt once again for trying to leave Klavier behind. For just letting himself forget about him in his own pain. Klavier was always there to support him, even when Apollo felt like he didn't deserve it.

And now he'd very genuinely saved his life– saved all their lives– by his very presence and his typical annoying charisma.

How could I ever be mad at him? Apollo wondered as Klavier stroked his hair fondly.

I mean, he is a little annoyingly showy, Clay offered. And it's clear he has a lot of emotional needs. But it's also pretty clear he'd do anything for you.

Yeah. Maybe we're a little too alike in some ways. I don't know. But… I'm glad he's here.

"I'm glad you're here, Klavier," he murmured aloud finally. "I'm sorry about– everything, really."

Klavier shook his head, still playing with Apollo's hair. "Nein, I'm sorry, Apollo. You don't have to apologize to me. I can see that there has been so much on your plate. It was selfish of me to feel abandoned."

Apollo grabbed his lapels. "That's not true though. I wasn't thinking of you, and you deserve better than that."

He leaned down and kissed Apollo's head, and Apollo felt a swell of embarrassing fondness.

"Well, we'll have plenty of time to talk about it now, ja? Provided we can get that plane out of here, ASAP."

"But don't we need to stay and investigate–"

"Nein, liebchen, we do not!" Klavier grabbed Apollo's bangs gently but firmly. "We are not going to hang around so you can find out which of your former friends decided that they'd like to kill you and your happy royal family here. We are leaving. Others will handle it."

Apollo shuddered, and fell against him. Betrayal. Why did it always come down to betrayal, and a knife in the back? "You're right. Nothing good would come of it."

"And it would put you and the others in danger," Klavier said. "Which is what I am really worried about. And the fact that if Mr. Wright finds out that I have brought his daughter to a place where there are explosions and political violence he will probably personally have me killed."

He winced again. "Fuck. You're right we– we have to get Trucy home. Mr. Wright would never forgive us."

Klavier kissed his forehead. "Let me make some calls, ja? There are perks to having been an international rockstar. I can get us out of here very fast."

Apollo caught one of his kisses on the mouth and pulled him close, letting the moment linger. Apollo ached. He was tired. He was sore. The fact that he'd been in a public brawl only an hour ago was only now catching up to him.

"Thank you, Klavier. Thank you for always being there when I need you."

He smiled softly. "I do my best," he said, cupping his cheek. "You are very dear to me, Apollo."

Apollo leaned his face into Klavier's touch. "You're… dear to me too."

October 4, 2028– 1:00 pm 

"So we've seen two cafes, and a sacred pond," Betty said, her arms crossed behind her head as she walked along through the street with her sister and their somewhat coerced tour guide. "Where's the magic? The ancient relics? The cursed statues?"

"Well, uh…" Datz scratched hind his ear.

Bonny put her hand to her cheek as she walked beside her, head lightly tipped to the side. “maybe they keep them under lock and key due to their phenomenal power?” 

"Pretty much?" Datz said. "Its not like there are a ton of them unless you're looking to get scammed by street vendors."

Betty snorted, and whapped him with the fan she was carrying. "Trust me, pops, that's the last thing I'm looking for. If anybody does any fast talking it's me."

"Hey! Pops? I'm still young you know!"

“She does talk very fast…” Bonny nodded with a ditzy smile, “but…Betty, he isn’t that old. He looks only like…maybe 40? 50 at most.” 

"Fifty?" he whined. "I'm not fifty! C'mon, I'm barely even forty alright? Do I look forty to you?"

Betty stopped, hopping on top of a nearby cafe table– much to the annoyance of its occupants– and giving Datz an appraising look. "Hmmm…. what do you think, Bonny?"

Bonny hopped up with her in a smooth motion, folding her arm under her chest as the other stayed rested thoughtfully on her cheek 

“45.” She nodded slowly “My estimation is 45, Betty.” 

"45!!" Datz whined. "Aw come on, I hardly have any wrinkles or anything! I'm sure as hell not losing my hair!"

Betty put her fan against his cheek– first one and then the other– like she was inspecting a horse at auction. "No, my sister's right. 45. And you have crows feet."

"What!" he jumped sharply and tugged at the edges of his eyes. "No way!"

"For real," Betty nodded she smiled craftily at her sister. "Although….."

Bonny looked back at her with a broad and lazy smile “although….” 

"Although?" 

Betty grinned. "I might be able to revise my estimate in better light."

"What kind of better light?" Datz asked warily.

"Oh you know. Sacred, magical light. Something like that?" Betty grinned

"Alright, alright. We'll go see some of the temples. Maybe the light there will be better." he grumbled.

Bonny reached out with a serene smile and patted the top of his head as if he were a small dog. “Thank you, Mr. Rebel. Maybe you can show us the relic chambers…? It would make my temperamental sister happy.”

"Very happy," Betty cooed as she hopped down from the table. She executed a sweeping bow, and waved her fan. "Now, which way?"

Datz sighed and shook his head, still smiling at the antics of the girls. "Alright, this way, ladies."

Betty snuck a wide grin to her sister as they followed behind him.

Bonny’s smile answered hers in a perfect mirror as she snapped her umbrella open over her shoulder with a quiet laugh “I’ve always wanted to see magical relics.” 

As they joked around and pressed Datz for more information on the mystical relics of the area, their conversation was suddenly, and violently cut off when a horrible roar cut the air, and the ground beneath them shook violently as if in an earthquake. All around them, passes by stopped and screamed.

Bonny fell against her sister with a shriek as the ground shook around them. She looked up with her sister to see a sky billowing with smoke from the grand temple that sat in full view of the entire market. 

Betty held her sister, and stared as a great plume of smoke started to rise from the direction of the palace.

"What the hell? What the hell was that?" Betty demanded.

Every nerve in Datz was obviously alight. He didn't look like a goofy, silly clown any more. There was something fierce in his eyes.

"That was a bomb. Come on." He grabbed their arms. "The temple tour's gonna have to wait."

October 4, 2028– 2:00 pm 

The latest update from the guards was that thankfully, it seemed that the hall of justice had been empty at the time of the explosion. Obviously, they couldn't tell for certain, and potential resume efforts and further assessment were ongoing– but none of the guards outside the hall of justice had reported anyone entering. Thankfully those guards had sustained only minimal injuries as well.

As Nahyuta thanked the guard for his update and closed the door of the room again, Ema heard Klavier in the background of the room on the phone, making travel plans.

Ema rubbed her fingers against her temple, her lips tight as she took several shaking breaths “A fucking courtroom bombing…. AGAIN. How many courtrooms are gonna be bombed in my fucking vicinity before my career is done?”

Nahyuta sighed “...at the very least it was empty.” he said slowly “though we don’t know if the intention was to detonate it while court was in full session.” 

Neither of them had to say it. 

No one knew the court was going to be empty today until this morning.

Ema shuddered and grit her teeth “that’s why we’re fucking leaving right away. Let Interpol, let anyone else deal with this.”

Nahyuta pressed his fingers to his forehead with a nod. “Of course– though mother is not likely to be happy, still.” 

Amara– not happy was putting it lightly. The all too placid woman had been in a rage before the explosion. The things she'd said…

Ema’s teeth kept grinding. All that shit…that shit about the ‘foreigners poisoning Rayfa’s mind’, and the backhanded barbs and sharp retorts. She felt her skin prickling in anger all over again.

“As if she’s one to fucking talk. Miss ‘I’m going to abdicate and then give you shit for trying to do the same’.” 

She and Klavier had talked about it of course– but now it really hit home.

There was a stiff knock on the door before Nahyuta could answer.

Nahyuta sighed, and looked over his shoulder “Enter!” 

It was another guard, who bowed low. "Lord Regent– lady Amara has asked to speak with you."

Nahyuta stiffened with a sharp hiss. 

“But of course…” He looked over his shoulder “...I’ll return shortly.” 

Amara didn't say anything about speaking to him alone.

Ema sat up suddenly. “Hey, hey, you’re not going to talk to her alone, Yuta!”

The guard didn't speak up to contradict her, at least. He waited patiently out in the hall.

Nahyuta gave her a subtle…a warm…smile before he offered his hand. “but of course.”

With a sigh of relief, she took it with a sharp grin. 

“Thanks Yuta. I don’t want you facin’ her alone when she’s like this.” She looked over her shoulder “we’ll be back, guys!” 

October 4, 2028– 2:05 pm 

Trucy gave a halfhearted wave to Ema and Nahyuta as they went out the door, and then she turned back to Rayfa with a worried expression.

So much was happening all at once. Her thoughts were a storm with so many separate thoughts swirling like wind. Fear from the bombing. Anger at the way that woman had spoken to them. Regret that it now looked like she wasn't going to get to be a lawyer after all…

Rayfa had woken up , but she wasn’t in great shape…she hadn’t moved from where she shook half curled on the couch with wide, haunted eyes.

Trucy couldn’t blame her…not with the one two punch she’d gotten from her mother and the bombing. 

Trucy knew logically that the girl was only a couple of years younger than she was– but she certainly felt older right now. Protective, even.

"Can I get you some water or anything?" she asked, smoothing Rayfa's hair for her again.

Rayfa blinked quickly, taking a sharp, soft intake of breath before she answered, leaning back into her hand “w-water would be nice.”

She raised her arm to her face to wipe at her tears. “Trucy…they must truly hate us…hate me.” 

"Rayfa… they don't know you, you know?" Trucy offered. It was true– it must have been. No one who knew this girl as a person– or Nahyuta or Apollo– would do something like that.

“But they know my legacy!” the young woman pressed her hands to her face “they all see m-me as nothing more than my Aunt’s shadow…or ..or as an easily led, weak willed fool. Mother said as much just b-before the bomb!” 

"No, they confuse you for your legacy," Trucy said quietly. "Isn't that what we just talked about? You're more than just the princess they're imagining in their head."

Rayfa sniffed softly. Her shoulders had started to shake. 

“I know, Miss Wright…but you heard what my mother said…and then the explosion.” She looked up with tears still brimming in her eyes. “that was meant to kill me and braid head! And Apollo! Nobody..nobody knew court would be delayed today…meaning that was meant to detonate while we were trying to help them free their brothers!” 

Trucy grabbed her hand and squeezed it firmly. "Yeah, I know. And doing that was wrong. Don't ever think for a second it was somehow right for them to do it."

Rayfa looked her in the eyes with an attempt at a smile. “It would be foolish if I did…right?”

Trucy nodded seriously. "It would be super foolish. And I already know you're smarter than that. Ema wouldn't bother showing you stuff if you weren't."

She nodded, her dark hair falling into her face as her smile grew tentatively wider. 

“I’m no fool…Miss Skye’s faith in my understanding proves as much.” She sniffed and put her hand to her chest with a pride Trucy could tell was a little forced. “I won’t falter and fall for their tricks, Trucy Wright! I’m not so easily led as my mother believes!” 

"It seems like she believes a lot of things about you that aren't true– and that isn't your fault."

Rayfa’s smile softened as she sagged into the couch. 

“It's true. It isn’t my fault…It just still stings. Not a day has gone by since she came back into my life that she hasn’t chided me…or acted as though it were my fault I was raised the way I was.” She pushed her hand through her hair, smoothing her bangs back and off her tattooed forehead “and to see the rebels my father so believed in seeming to think the same…it’s…hard.” 

"It's pretty normal for it to sting," Trucy said. "For it to be hard. If you want, I can tell you about the time I was on trial for murder, and everyone thought— some pretty nasty things about me."

Rayfa looked up at her with a blink of her bright green eyes “...I’d like that, Trucy..” 

[hadeschan]

item # K22D08

RARE Pra Somdej Lang Yant Na Tor-rá-hòt, Luang Phor Noi, Wat Thammasala, Nua Pong.  A Buddha amulet with a bas-relief of a meditating Buddha seating on a 5 tiers platform, in the back is with an imprint of a Na Tor-rá-hòt Cabalistic Writing. Made from many types of holy powder blended with tabby (plaster cement made from seashells), holy water, and tung oil or China wood oil, oil obtained by pressing the seed from the nut of the tung tree. Made by Luang Phor Noi of Wat Thammasala, Nakhon Pathom Province around BE 2510 (CE 1967). Luang Phor Noi of Wat Thammasala was a Sahathammik (alliance of Theravāda Buddhist monks who follow the same Buddhist path) of Luang Phu Toh of Wat Pradu Chimphli, Luang Phor Ngern of Wat Don Yai Hom, and Luang Phu Seng of Wat Kanlayanamit.

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BEST FOR: Pra Somdej Lang Yant Na Tor-rá-hòt makes you a tough person, strong, determined, aggressive, high-powered and ambitious, and can tolerate difficulty or suffering. This amulet would grant your wish to have glorious future in your career, business, with success plus wealth and prosperity. This amulet has a tendency to draw positive energy. Kongkraphan Chatrie (it makes you invulnerable to all weapon attack), Klawklad Plodpai (it pushes you away from all danger), Maha-ut (it helps stop gun from shooting at you). Nang Nieow, a rock-hard skin that is completely impervious to damage with bludgeoning or piercing weapons. It signifies continuous growth and multiplication in wealth, money luck, and good fortune. Wealth Fetching, Maha Larp (it brings lucky wealth), Metta Maha Niyom (it helps bring loving, caring, and kindness, and compassion from people all around you to you), Mahasanay (Magic Charm) it helps turn you to prince charming in the eyes of girls, Maha Larp (it brings Lucky Wealth / wealth fetching), and Kaa Kaai Dee (it helps tempt your customers to buy whatever you are selling, and it helps attract new customers and then keep them coming back. Ponggan Poot-pee pee-saat Kunsai Mondam Sa-niat jan-rai Sat Meepit (it helps ward off evil spirit, demon, bad ghost, bad omen, bad spell, curse, accursedness, black magic, misfortune, doom, and poisonous animals). It helps protect you from manipulators, backstabbers, and toxic people.

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Yant Na Tor-rá-hòt

Yant Na Tor-rá-hòt, a cabalistic writing, a unique style of a single cabalistic writing created by of Luang Phor Noi of Wat Thammasala, it is believed that Yant Na Tor-rá-hòt makes you a tough person, strong, determined, aggressive, high-powered and ambitious, and can tolerate difficulty or suffering.

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Buddha on 5 tiers

The amulet with Buddha seating on a 5 tiers, the 5 tiers refers to Benja-sean / Benja-tham which is  Buddhist five precepts.The Five Precepts are the Buddhist version of a code of conduct or rules to help people behave in a moral and ethical way. Buddhists should follow the Five Precepts to ensure they are living a morally good life. This helps them to get rid of suffering and achieve enlightenment.

The five precepts are as follows:

1. Refrain from taking life. Not killing any living being. For Buddhists, this includes animals, so many Buddhists choose to be vegetarian.

2. Refrain from taking what is not given. Not stealing from anyone.

3. Refrain from the misuse of the senses . Not having too much sensual pleasure. For example, not looking at people in a lustful way or committing adultery.

4. Refrain from wrong speech. Not lying or gossiping about other people.

5. Refrain from intoxicants that cloud the mind. Not drinking alcohol or taking drugs, as these do not help you to think clearly.

It is important to practice the precepts over time as they are not always easy to carry out. The main aim of a Buddhist is to get rid of suffering, and therefore following the Five Precepts is important as they help Buddhists to avoid causing others to suffer. Following the Five Precepts is linked to karma, as these count as skillful actions, which produce good consequences.

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DIMENSION: 4.10 cm high / 2.60 cm wide / 0.70 cm thick

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item # K22D08

Price: price upon request, pls PM and/or email us hadesamulet@protonmail.com

100% GENUINE WITH 365 DAYS FULL REFUND WARRANTY

Item location: Hong Kong, SAR

Ships to: Worldwide

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[gatekeeper-watchman]

Daily Devotionals for March 24, 2024

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living

Devotional Scripture:

Proverbs 12:12-15(KJV): 12 The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit. 13 The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble. 14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompense of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him. 15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

Thought for the Day

These verses tell us that the righteous are delivered from trouble, while the wicked are snared by their transgressions.

Verse 12 - Wicked men desire the things that evil men catch in their net. The righteous are different; their lives produce fruit that benefits others because they are rooted and grounded in God's love (Ephesians 3:16-19).

Verses 13-14 - Most people do not realize that the things they speak, positive or negative, will affect their lives. We all know people who are habitual complainers, always confessing a scenario of bad things that could happen. Many of these bad things happen to them because they are not walking in faith. On the other hand, those who voice a positive confession of faith in the face of their troubles are an inspiration to others, and many are granted miracles to overcome the obstacles in their lives.

A Biblical confession is not to be confused with the “positive confession” taught by success propagators. Positive confessions are aimed at promoting the self, not the kingdom of God. They usually claim worldly wealth and personal success. Success propagators' confessions are based on selfishness and the misuse of Scripture, rather than on truth.

Confessing God's Word will empower us to do His will. We must be careful to claim scriptural promises not only for what we desire but for what the Lord desires for us. God desires to bless us but desires even more to cleanse us. He is more interested in our eternal character than our temporary comfort. We must be as faithful to claim God's promises for cleansing from what offends Him, as for healing or material blessings.

Verse 15 - The wise seek the counsel of God's Word. We must learn not to merely give our own opinions about things, but to speak what God's Word says. We easily quote what men say on a subject, often believing their words, even if they contradict the Bible. Likewise, we may hesitate to quote what God says because the devil persuades us that to do so in our circumstances would be lying. Satan wants us to look at our circumstances rather than God's Word. Circumstances, however, are subject to change, and one of the things that cause them to change is confessing God's Word over them (Romans 4:17).

Prayer Devotional for the Day Dear heavenly Father, I am grateful for Your constant provision. You have never failed me, Lord, and I know that You never will. You are a faithful God, and I ask You to help me to trust You before my answer arrives. Lord, you are my source, and I know as I continue to look to You, I need never worry about how You will provide. I just know that You will. Guard my mouth and remind me to speak what Your Word says about my situation. Deliver me from every vestige of fear, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I will always walk in faith. Lord, I pray that all my brothers and sisters in the family of God will also be granted this favor. May we each fulfill Your will in our lives. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. From: Steven P. Miller@ParkermillerQ,  gatekeeperwatchman.org Founder of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups

[see-arcane]

I’ve been listening to it on a loop for days now and I’m convinced London After Midnight’s Selected Scenes from the End of the World album could and should have been the soundtrack to a trippy goth industrial 80′s-90′s Dracula movie in the style of The Hunger (1983). Like holy hell

“Claire’s Horrors”: Full of synth pipe organs and baying wolves and moody Castle Dracula backdrop tunes as Jonathan deals with Bisexual Vampire Hell for two months with this blaring in every room.

(This is the voice you have learned to fear.)

Spirits seem to drift up through a darkened sky Drifting through dead branches in the night While in the moonlight we go down upon our knees Entwined together only we can see their beauty

Beneath the stars a bell begins to toll For reasons which we really shouldn't know So take a walk with me down to the cemetery Wrap me in darkness, Claire make love to me

I am thunder, I am rain, I am pleasure, I am pain Only in darkness can there be light, tell me angel have you prayed tonight?

“Demon”: Dracula making his moves on Lucy, full stop.

Through darkened streets and blackened gloom the candles dim in your bedroom rain reflecting shadows in the night the moon is full and through the mist I hear your voice I feel your kiss the line grows thin between what's wrong and right.

Burning flesh, pale as the stars no one knows just who you are drive the knife in deeper to my soul

“The Spider and the Fly”:  Renfield is blasting this at all hours on his Victorian airpods while Dracula catfishes him.

Empty hearts I can hear them talking I close my eyes and I keep on stalking my love, my love No one's aware of the hunger I feel It's something you or time cannot heal I need someone to help me rise above

Eternal bliss is something I can show you Spread your arms and let my wings enfold you, my love, my love In the darkness shades of crimson rapture The world is ours alone to capture my love, my love

“Your Best Nightmare”: Coppola would take the lyrics at face value for his DracMina OTP playlist. Listeners with taste know it’s serving nothing but hellish horror irony for That One Night in October.

Long after midnight, on a night like this I'd sit by my black-light and dream of your kiss Pulsating music filled my room and my head And I dreamed what it'd be like to have you in my bedI'm your best night, your best nightmare I'm your best night, your best nightmare

And then it happened, you were in my arms Your lips on my throat, your hands on my, on my... Two bodies together the intimate sin The pain and the pleasure could do mortals in How could you know what I'm thinking of? To me lust can be as beautiful as love Here tonight, your pure heart and soul Untainted passion should have no control

“Sacrifice”: Dripping with Jonathan and Mina’s ‘holiest love’ gothic horror romance drama front to back.

And here we go again, We've taken it to the end, With every waking moment, We face this silent torment

I'd sacrifice, I'd sacrifice myself to you Right here tonight Because you know that I love you

That is HALF THE ALBUM and at least five full music videos that could, should, and must be filmed in grainy moody scenery of mountainside castles interspersed with underground clubs with an all black dress code, eyeliner mandatory. And instead we got Francis’ never-ending migraine and Annie Lennox’s tragically misused “Love Song for a Vampire.” Shameful. 

[awfullybigwardrobe44]

I can do all things

I feel like I got a message from God today and I wanted to share.

First, let me say that there are benefits to reading your Bible. The Holy Spirit can bring certain verses to mind in certain contexts, and I believe that’s one way God speaks to us. And that is a precious experience I wouldn’t trade for anything. Read your Bible.

Second, I have been living in paradise for the past few days.

My family and I traveled to Key West, Florida, for my sister’s graduation. My mom was born here, and we have tons of family history here.

We stayed with one of our dear friends, who also happens to be very wealthy and has a magnificent home where he lets us (actually, insists that we) stay for free.

Everything here is perfect. The weather is impeccable. The food is impeccable. The places to visit are fascinating. The stories our friend has for us and our family history are fascinating.

I haven’t had an ounce of anxiety or depression since arriving.

I have been seriously dreading going home, knowing that I will inevitably slip back into depression because of my job and the weather and the monotony. Our weather at home will be dreary and gray for months. My job is monotonous and stressful. I’m tired all the time. I spend practically all my time at home, in my room, trying to find something to divert my attention away so my depression doesn’t drown me.

I’ve even been considering if there was any way I could take another trip here this year or even stay here for an extended period of time for the sake of my mental health.

Today, standing out on our friend’s dock in the sun and surrounded by nature, I was thinking about how much I dread going back to depression and anxiety, and I remembered this passage:

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:11-13

And I realized that I have been “abounding” and “facing plenty” and “facing abundance.” I have been facing abundance both in the lavish conditions I’ve been living in and the happy and relaxed emotions I’ve been experiencing. I’ve been spoiled materially, and though that’s been fun and great and a blessing, over everything and above all, I’ve been happy. Because of the sun and the sea and the history and the friendship and the recreation and the relaxation.

I will be returning not to poverty, not to lack in the material sense, by the grace and providence of God. But I will be returning to lack and poverty in the sense of my emotions and mental health. I will be returning to depression.

But in all these things, God tells me He will give me strength and will provide for me.

This passage is so often misused and misquoted to say that we can do whatever we set our minds to. But that’s not what it means.

It means that no matter what we have or the conditions we face, God will sustain us.

And that’s a much more precious truth. And it’s how I will find the strength to get on a plane home tomorrow.

I will be ok returning to the life back home that’s a breeding ground for my depression, with my job and the gloomy weather and the monotony, because

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

[dailyaudiobible]

9/27/2023 DAB Transcript pt2

So, Paul says imitate God, as beloved children and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. So, the kind of love that is being described here is unconditional love. It's just love. And what is the crucible in our lives that forces us to form in this way, marriage. And that's where Paul takes the discussion. So, let’s read this little section one more time, “being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, be subject to your husbands as to the Lord for the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church, His body, and is Himself is Savior. Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. So as to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind, so that she may be holy and without blemish.” For centuries, for decades, for many, many, many, many, many, many, many years, this portion of Ephesians has led into many misuses and unhealthy control. And it's usually, it's usually aimed at our beautiful women. And so, with that in mind, because that has happened, we need to understand this is, this only works if it's mutual. Right, or as Paul said, being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. So, with that in mind, husbands, of which I am one, may we consider what we read in Isaiah today, that is what Jesus did for us. He desired and loved us enough to be compelled to become a sacrifice on our behalf. You are, I am to love my wife, you are to love your wife like that, as Christ loved the church. And there's some magic in there, and I don't mean like hocus-pocus, I mean, there’s some spirit, there's a spiritual thing that happens here. You're not the guy to just go out and kill the food and bring it back into the hearth, you are the guy chosen to bring Jesus to your wife. You are the hands and feet. You bring the tangible love of Jesus. This is such a big deal. It's such a big job. It's such a big responsibility, that we should be overwhelmed at our and need of God to help us navigate. And wives, same thing. Think about what we read in Isaiah today, that is what Jesus did for you. He loved you so much, so much that He was willing to become a sacrifice on your behalf, so that you could be free. So that you could flourish. So that you could be beautiful. You're supposed to submit to your husband as to the Lord. That doesn't mean you're supposed to be abused. That's not what Jesus did for you. We are reading of this sacrifice, and unconditional love of Jesus. That's what He did for you. That's the love you are supposed to be experiencing, and that is not hard to be submissive to. It's not hard to be mutually submissive and accountable to one another when you are first and foremost accountable to Jesus, knowing that you have no hope of successfully navigating life together without Him. It's not hard to submit to somebody who is willing to die for you. And there is no place for abuse and that we are supposed to submit to one another out of the reverence for Christ. And that means we’re to love each other with the love of Christ. And so, maybe some reevaluation, maybe some quiet moments today of just getting with the Holy Spirit and thinking of how it is that we are behaving and just divinely imagining what our lives would look like if this is how we lived. And maybe one parting shot from Paul, and I quote, “once you were in darkness and now in the Lord you are light, walk as children of light. For the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.

Prayer:

And, Holy Spirit, come. There is no greater crucible than where we were led today. Two people trying to smash their stories together into one, with all of the brokenness and wounding. All of the victory and laughter, all of it, all of the issues of life that are found in a marriage and in a family, and the instruction is to surrender to each other, to love each other the way You have loved us. We perpetually fail but it's not as if we don't have a standard; it's not as if we don't know what it should look like this. Holy Spirit, come and lead us into all truth about ourselves. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Prayer and Encouragements:

Hidy ho, siblings. It’s your little sis, His Little Sharie in Canada. And I wanted to call in and say a quick prayer for everyone who is looking for a place to live. I know a number of people, including my friend, Miracle Mirna, who’s applied to move to another building. She’s the one that’s dealing with the bed bug infestation, that will not go away. And then I have a friend, she’s actually my spiritual director, her name is Sherrie. And she has to move from her beautiful apartment that she’s been renting because the building is being sold. And then I know a lady named Sarah. She’s been in Canada for a few years. She came as a refugee from Egypt. She’s married now. She was able to get her hubby over to Canada and they have a baby. And now that they have a baby, they have to move because the building they’ve been in is an adult only building. So, my heart goes out to these people who need to find a place to live, and I think everywhere it’s crazy, hard to find something affordable. It’s certainly here in my city. So, Father, I just want to lift these people to You and ask that You would provide for them. And thank You that you always take care of us. And I thank You that You have a plan and that these people are in Your hands. And they can trust You. So, I pray that by Your spirit, You would empower them to trust You. Give them peace. Open up opportunities. Help them to meet the right people. Give them a place to live. Lord, You said that You make Your sheep lie down in green pastures, so please, provide those pastures, I pray. In Jesus name. Amen.

Hi, DAB family, this is Liza calling from the East Coast. I go by Philippians 4:6 on the prayer wall. As you can tell by my voice, I’m starting to feel just a little bit better. So, thank you for all your prayers about my cancer journey. I was hanging on by a prayer this week. I got so weak. I lost so much weight. I literally lost the ability to walk, so I was back in a wheelchair. And it was, I mean it was hard. I had no energy because my blood levels went down so much that I could, it was hard to just even sit up to eat. So, thank you for praying. It’s getting a little bit better every day. It’s, I feel like I’m fighting so hard just to keep going. I wanted to ask for your prayers for something a little new. I usually pray, and I usually feel like I have a lot of gratitude throughout my cancer journey. I usually skip from sadness to gratitude pretty quickly. But I kind of feel like God is really been calling me to transform and work on anger. I don’t usually feel anger but when my oncologist, a month ago decided to take me off a chemo that has been working for months and months, to one he knew wasn’t going to work, kind of as a last resort, without really asking me. My whole life changed. I stopped, I got really weak. I got more fluid, like 6 liters of fluid a week that I have to get drained instead of maybe one. And just intense pain that came back from my back, literally my whole body. And I’ve been feeling angry about it and not really processing it. And so, I would just love to pray for God to remove that anger and make sure that it’s no longer bitterness and instead transform it into something good. That I’m able to be present and accept where I’m at now and continue to be thankful. It’s been really hard and heartbreaking when someone you trust really …

Hello DAB family, this is Diana from Florida and I want to pray for Lauriann from South Carolina. We’ve prayed for you, and we will continue to pray for you after you lost your husband and the grief is just overwhelming. Dear Heavenly Father, I lift up Lauriann right now. Father God, and she, she feels this urgency, this need, this angst to love You, to know You, and to make You known, and to minister to others. Oh, Lord God. And Father, I pray that You would meet her right where she is. That it is okay that she’s still mourning the loss of her husband. And that You comfort her in the midst of her mourning. Your word says blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted, and we bring prayers to comfort Lauriann. And Lord God, I pray that as she is comforted Lord, as she is ministered to Lord, that You would strengthen her to fulfill that beautiful desire of her heart to minister unto others and to learn from You. To learn how to love. Oh Lord God, from You Jesus. I pray that Your love would be poured out all over her, like the balm of Gilead, all over her Jesus, that it would overflow, God. Overflow immensely, even in the midst of feeling these deep, intense emotions, Father God. Because of the love that she had for her husband and has for her husband still, dear God, I pray You meet her right there. In Jesus name. Amen.

Hello, this is Manita. Today is September 23rd. Thank you Brian for your words and they’re always so good to hear and very encouraging. I heard Beloved from Bakersfield asking for prayer regarding Corney. I pray that God will visit Corney. I thank God, with you, that he’s buried alive. I pray that God will visit her and may she have an experience with the Lord. So, I just wanted you to know that I’ll be praying for her, and that God will just help her get strong. God is good and He wants all of us, He wants everyone to be safe and have an experience with Him, a relationship with Him. So, I’ll be praying for Corney and your friend. You know and the family. I will also be praying for the students who lost their classmate, a 17-year-old who passed away. May God comfort their families and comfort them at this moment. I cover them in the name of Jesus. May God give them peace. So sad. Amanda, thank you for letting us know. We’ll be praying. Sandy, from Ontario, I will be praying along with you. I’m praying for Jennifer and her family and her daughter Hope, who got shot on the neck. I pray that God will revive her and show Himself strong in this family that don’t know the Lord. I pray that God will be gracious to this family, and they may find hope and salvation in Him. I love you and God bless you. Continue to pray.

[childofchrist1983]

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. - James 1:12-14 KJV

What tempts you? Is it food, gambling, popularity, shopping, cellphones and social media, or something else? It can be something that you know is wrong, or something that is very innocent in itself.

Anything can become sinful if it is used improperly. In recent years, drugs have been so misused that doctors are now being restricted from prescribing more than a small number of pills because so many became addicted without even realizing it. Food can become an addiction for many. Gambling is now too easy with online betting, government sponsored lotteries and casinos in so many states. Shopping is another venue for people trying to fill a void in their lives with things. Sometimes, it is difficult to know what to do. If we are honest with ourselves – and I include myself – some things seem to have an irresistible pull for us. So, what should we do about it?

First, we need to admit that we have a problem. Then, we can look to God for help. In a few weeks, we will begin our Lenten journey. This might be a good time to check ourselves and see where our "lusts" lie. Many years ago, C. S Lewis wrote a book called "The Screwtape Letters", in which he records the correspondence between two devils, Screwtape and Wormwood. In this book, they talk about how to keep humans away from God and Screwtape reminds Wormwood how to use the ordinary things of life to accomplish this.

We all know to avoid the obvious, those things that the Commandments tell us are sinful, but it is harder to see that there is also danger in the everyday worldly and fleshly sin and temptation. God Almighty and Jesus Christ wants to lead us away from our sinful flesh and its sinful desires and temptations, and instead, lead us towards Him and His Holy Word. May He give us the willingness and the strength and the wisdom to choose the righteous path He wants us to follow.

May God Almighty and Jesus Christ help us to walk in obedience to His Holy Word and Spirit, so that we love Him not only with our words and our feelings, but also with our actions. May He give us peace knowing He is with us and that He a plan for our lives. May our belief in Him and His Holy Word and in His endless power and possibilities draw us and others to Him daily. May He and His Holy Word and Spirit continue to guide us and strengthen us and fill us with peace and wisdom and more day after day.

May we make sure that we give our hearts and lives to God and take time daily to seek and praise Him and share His Truth with the world. May the LORD our God and Father in Heaven help us to stay diligent and obedient and help us to guard our hearts in Him and His Word daily. May He help us to remain faithful and full of excitement to do our duty to Him and for His glorious return and our reunion in Heaven as well as all that awaits us there. May we never forget to thank the LORD our God and our Creator and Father in Heaven for all this and everything He does and has done for us! May we never forget who He is, nor forget who we are in Christ and that God is always with us! What a mighty God we serve! What a Savior this is! What a wonderful Lord, God, Savior and King we have in Jesus Christ! What a loving Father we have found in the Almighty God! What a wonderful God we serve! His will be done!

Thanks and glory be to God! Blessed be the name of the LORD! Hallelujah and Amen!