#the point is! he will sacrifice efficacy for important things!

[bombusbombus]

It's better when there's a yellow oval behind the bat symbol actually.

[lailoken]

hello, excuse me! i'm having a very hard time to find a concrete answer to this question, so, maybe you can help me — regarding the spirits of the Land, specifically river spirits: how do you think pollution affects them? we have this gigantic river where I live, crossing all of the city, but he's unfortunately really, really, polluted. people still throw trash there to this day, big industries use it as their personal dump site... even sewers (that i have no idea where the hell they come from) end up there. it's sad, it's sick, but people just don't care. when it rains hard (which happens a lot) the river floods and destroys everything around it - there's a lot of houses near. people are always falling on it and dying, animals are always drowning, cars fall down on it all the time... to the point it's way too absurd to be just random accidents. i don't know. it feels angry to me. sad. everytime i pass through it just feel this necessity to cry that comes from nowhere. do you think i can try to work with it? would the pollution ruin any chance of communication? thank you, and sorry for the length! this is really taking a toll on me.

First of all, I want to say that I’m sorry it’s taken me as long as it has to respond to this question. I think it’s a really important question, and one I wanted to put a lot of thought into, but it came at a very strange time for me when a lot of different things were piling up and taking a lot of my attention. However, I finally feel able to respond with at least some degree of cogency.

The river you describe reminds me of someone who has been hurt. This ecosystem is witnessing the destruction of its existence, through the destruction of the organisms that live within it and make it up. It is a place that has been dishonored, degraded, and hurt, so it will accordingly lash out, just as you or I might be prone to lash out in anger if we were denigrated, our loved ones harmed, and our homes vandalized

One aspect of honoring something or someone is extending ourselves outward to them— not to say you understand, but to be open enough to recognize their suffering or struggle. I think there is a lot to be said of the ‘Indigenous way of knowing’ as described by Robin Wall Kimmerer in her novel Braiding Sweetgrass, where “we understand a thing only when we understand it with all four aspects of our being: mind, body, emotion, and spirit.” To honor this river, I would try and reach out to/understand it in this four-fold way. Understand the ecology of this place with your mind, experience the waters with your body, recognize the rage of the river with your emotion, feel a connection to this place with your spirit. We will never truly understand being like this, or the pain they experience, but we can be witness to it in every way that we are able.

Our honor can be demonstrated through the dichotomous path of ritual and service. We can give honor by the practice of our rituals, our sacrifices, our songs, ect. Yet the efficacy of ‘thoughts and prayers’ must also be rooted in actions. Our honoring must weave ritual into action, be it picking up litter, working with restoration programs, protesting, direct action, or what-have-you. These actions can be performed as ritual acts, or coincide meaningfully with ritual acts. A song can be sung and incense offered while we replant riparian vegetation. Or we can pray to this genius loci for help and promise to pick up trash in return.

This river may never wish to work with you, but you can work with and for the river in faith and love for the power it offers to the world. This river owes us nothing, and this may not be what you seek in a power ally. However, the spiritual growth we may gain when we reach out to a force of nature like this has incredible potential. Thank you for trusting me with this question. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

[cafeinthemoon]

Tobirama, Madara and Izuna with s/o who’s the last of the clan 💔

I was so excited when anon requested this one that I regret taking this long to finally write it! This time, we have Tobirama, Madara and Izuna with a s/o that reveals to be the last of her clan and besides infertile, which means that her lineage would be over with her, as well as their own. Let’s see how they would react!

To give this request a context, let’s imagine that they’re married for just some months and she never revealed this secret because she was afraid that they would leave her after finding out about it. Sm tension! Poor s/o 😭

Oh and Izuna's part ended up longer than I thought to be possible omg

Fandom: Naruto | Tobirama Senju, Madara Uchiha and Izuna Uchiha

Symbols: ◻ | 💜 | 💛 | ▶▶

Warnings: angst, not exactly happy endings, depression, tension, infertility, grief

Tobirama

It’s not like Tobirama didn’t notice something was wrong since you started living together: he did

He trusted you with his life, but he sensed you were keeping something from him, though he had no idea of what it could be

Maybe you did something shameful or something about your past has been haunting you since then, but you didn’t know how to tell him

Whatever the case, he never questioned you or tried to make you talk

He wanted you to take your time and only speak when you felt prepared, the best way for you to show how much you trusted and respected him

But months and months passed and your silence persisted, and it was hard for him to ignore it

One day, the answer to this mystery came in an unexpected way, during a casual conversation at home

Tobirama pointed out your circumstances were favorable: your routine together was settled, your house had enough space and he finally finished to work on some jutsu he has been developing for a while

You agreed and asked why he was talking about this now

It was when he said he believed that you both had proper conditions to have children

When you heard the word children, you couldn’t control your reaction: you started to tremble and covered your face to hide your tears

It took like one hour until you were able to speak again, and when you did, you begged Tobirama to listen to you until the end before thinking of what to do

You revealed that you weren’t lying when you told him you were the last of your clan, but that was not the whole story: you also discovered you were unable to get pregnant, which means your lineage would end with you

And if Tobirama kept married to you, the same would happen to his lineage as well

You explained you were scared to tell him the truth because you didn’t want to disappoint him or to see him leaving you

You also said you were sorry for destroying the trust he had on you and that if he wanted to step away from this marriage that wouldn’t bring him any benefits, you would understand

That was the moment when without a word you were remembered why you loved that man so much: he pulled you to him and involved you in a hug so tight that you thought you were going to suffocate

When he spoke, was to ask how you could think he would give up on you because of a child that you couldn’t bring to the world – a person who didn’t even exist

He married you because he loved you, not your bloodline

But you know, Tobirama is a man of actions and not just words, so once he understood how important this was for you, he started to work

He spent hours, days, weeks in research and tests with your genetic material to find the exact cause of your infertility, because with this information he could develop a cure

He also included the principles of chakra in his studies, which resulted in the cure being a type of healing ninjutsu

Tobirama didn’t like to speak about his techniques before he had proof of their efficacy, so he never talked to you about his discoveries. He was wise in not giving you false expectations

But one day, the jutsu was finally complete

He explained that he tried to improve the chances of success as much as he could, but they didn’t even reach 90% (an acceptable number according to him), so that the chances of failure couldn’t be ignored

You said that if the technique failed, you would learn to live with it and that all the effort he put on it was enough for you, for it was the greatest proof of love you’d expect to receive

Tobirama then explained how it would work and helped you with the preparations

You would take the healing treatment from him during a few sessions; after that, you would try a few times

All the procedure would take months, so you would have to be patient and reshape some of your habits: the healthier you would get, bigger were the chances of success

It’s been some time since you started the experiment, so there’s still hope

But you decided to use your time not just to rely on hope, but also to prepare yourself to whatever the future would bring to you ❤

Madara

Something unexplainable, a kind of sadness, were always present in you, in your voice, your gestures, and specially when you were quiet, distracted with your own thoughts

Since Madara met you, he had this strange sensation about you

Maybe it was a painful memory or something about your clan

You told him you were the last of it, so he was the only family you had now

He could say he understood part of you pain, for he lost his siblings when they were little, as well as his parents: he knew what it was like to be alone

But there was a part of the story you still hadn’t the courage to reveal to him: you were infertile, so you’d never be able to give him children

And you knew he wanted to be a father

Besides he was the clan’s head, so he needed an offspring

He noticed your used to get particularly quiet when children were mentioned

But he never questioned you about it

You, on the other hand, always knew that sooner or later, this would be discussed seriously in your house, yet you pretended it would never happen

But one evening, when you were sitting together, talking about the life you were building there and the future, Madara spoke again about his dream of becoming a father

This time, you couldn’t take it anymore

You said sorry to your husband, but you would not be able to make his dream come true

He didn’t ask how, or why: he just stared at you in silence, wondering what you were talking about

Then you finally confessed everything: you were not just the last of your clan; you were also unable to get pregnant. Having children were always a difficult theme for you, both because it was a dream you’d never reach and because of your lineage

You told him how you discovered your infertility, how your clan reacted to it, how you were rejected because no one would want a wife who wasn’t able to have children, how the world made your life gravitate around this instead of just let you live in peace

When you lost your family, your feelings were mixed: on one hand, you felt free from the burden of being infertile; on the other hand, you never felt so alone

You were determined to live only for yourself until you met Madara, who convinced you to do differently. And now things were about to get ruined because this shadow of your past

Your husband’s first reaction was to ask for a moment all by himself. He wanted to process everything he just heard before taking any measures

You gave him time and spent the rest of the night without seeing him

(You barely closed your eyes on the bed)

The next morning, he came back to talk to you

He said he was going to travel to seek for a solution and that he was not coming back until he found out something good enough for you two

You asked for details but he refused to give them. Sometimes he was so enigmatic that he would scare you

But you had to trust him, so you let him go even not knowing when he would be back

During his travel, Madara met some elder, wise people and asked for a jutsu, a medicine or anything that could help. He would pay any price for it

And they named their price, which wasn’t low. Still he paid

He would never speak about it with you, though

After weeks, he came back home with scrolls and artifacts and finally explained what he had in mind

You’ve never heard about those jutsu and didn’t trust those types of medicine

But you noticed he wasn’t the same man who left the house, so it was understood that he made some sacrifice to obtain those things

So that for your husband, you would try anything

If they would work, you weren’t sure

But you wouldn’t let all his efforts be in vain 😭

Izuna always had this positive, almost euphoric confidence in the future, in your love, in your success together, and didn’t accept anything that could contradict his vision of things

Izuna

The issue in this case started even before you got married

But to be honest, this was what first thing caught your attention when you met him

After living alone for years since you lost your family, he was the first person who convinced you to change your ways

He made you believe everything was possible, and to try and live happy again

Yes, even you, despite everything you’ve been through, felt the flames of hope waking up again inside your heart

Sometimes, you felt like Izuna had enough vital energy for you both

The sensation was such that after every meeting with him you needed some time by yourself to recover: his company was almost suffocating

He was also a man used to make important decisions quickly: he hated wasting time with deliberations, stating that this was a habit of old people

(Wasting time in his words, let’s be clear lol)

The idea of the marriage came from him, as expected

Of course you said yes: you loved him as much as you loved yourself, so the idea of being by his side forever was everything you could expect

And with your positive answer, Izuna has been more intense than ever

He made plans for you: the house you would share, the memories you would create in it, the life you would build there

Everything was fine, even when he forgot to ask your opinion

Until the moment he mentioned the children he expect to bring to the world with you

You knew that once Izuna got attached to an idea, it was impossible to make him change his mind, so things weren’t different with the fatherhood thing

In a short amount of time, this became the central theme of his dreams and his favorite thing to discuss with you

Well, to speak about with you, because you barely said anything during these conversations

Instead, you tried to appear as positive and supportive as you could

But as the days passed and the marriage came closer, it was getting harder for you to hide how much this was making you suffer

Because yes, Izuna knew you had no clan and no family, then being the last representative of your lineage, but you never had the courage to tell him about your infertility

And now that he seemed not to think of anything else than having kids with you, you couldn’t dream of ruining his happiness

(Fortunately Izuna was used to your quietness, so he never questioned your silence when he spoke about this)

You stayed strong until you could during the following weeks, but the day before the marriage had pushed you too far

You couldn’t – you simply could not ruin the life of the man you loved revealing that secret to him

So you decided you had to make a sacrifice, for the both of you

Early that day, before the sun appeared, you packed your things and left

You left no apology letter, no message of goodbye, nothing. You just left before anything could stop you or anyone could see you

You traveled alone during a couple of hours

You had no idea of where you were going, or what you were going to do when you had to stop at somewhere to rest, but you forbade yourself to think of coming back

At some moment, you looked at the sky and noticed the midday was close and felt hungry

You stopped under a tree and was about to unpack the food you brought with you when you saw you had company

You raised your eyes and, when you recognized Izuna standing there, staring at you with a look full of questions, you lost the last drop of balance you had in you

You cried so hard you thought you were going to pass out

He approached you was about to involve you in his arms, but you begged him not to touch you, claiming that you couldn’t marry him and that he must have not followed you

But Izuna was a persistent man, and after an hour trying to calm you down, he managed to make you speak

There was no point in hiding anything from him now, so you just told him everything

You explained that you’d marry him and make him the happiest man alive if it wasn’t for this dream with which you couldn’t help him

And that you couldn’t be so cruel to the point of bound him to you and deny him of this at the same time

When you finished your story, it was Izuna’s time to remain in silence

You could feel the rush of feelings stirring inside him as his eyes would go from one side to another, trying to assimilate all of that

You didn’t know if he was going to leave you there, to kill you or to burst in tears, and that was freaking you out

It was when you begged him to say something, anything, but not stay that quiet

And he spoke. But when he did, there was nothing but a restored passion in his tone

You didn’t understand that until he explained that he thought you were kidnapped or something worse happened, but he was glad that it was nothing like this

Before you could stop him, Izuna caught you in a tight embrace, telling you to never do that again

And that he was sorry for not letting you at will to take off this weight of you chest and that if he knew about this he would have never pushed you this far

You came back with him and the marriage happened as planned the next day

Some time later, you found about about a kid of an Uchiha couple that just lost their parents

You talked to each other and with the kid’s remaining family and came to the conclusion that they would live better with you

The family talked to the kid, and when you had your first meeting, you almost forgot about all the past suffering 🌹

[mwanawapavarivoga1]

LOVE AND RESPECT

Scripture teaches us that Christians should honor or respect all men (1 Peter 2:17). Every human being bears the image of God, and so, of course, we are called on to respect and honor that. And of course, Scripture also teaches us to love our neighbor (Leviticus 19:18), and Jesus in his famous story makes the point that our neighbor is whatever person God has placed right in front of us (Luke 10:29–37). So all Christians are to love everyone, and all Christians should honor everyone. That is the baseline.But when we come down to the particular relationship of husbands to wives, and wives to husbands, Scripture gives us an important, additional emphasis. Husbands are told specifically to love their wives as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25). Wives are told specifically to respect their husbands as the church does Christ (Ephesians 5:33).

There are three things that we can take away from this. The lessons are not limited to three, but we should make a point of grasping at least these three things.

First, the commands are directed to our respective and relative weaknesses. We are told to do things that we might not do unless we were told. For example, children are told to obey their parents because it is easy for children not to do so (Ephesians 6:1). In the same way, husbands are told to love their wives because it is easy for husbands not to do so. Wives are told to honor their husbands because it is easy for wives not to do so. We are called to do things that might not occur to us. If we were all doing these things naturally, why bring it up?Women are better at loving than men are. Men do well at respecting. Women think of love as taking trouble for others which is much closer to a scriptural agape love than what men naturally do. Men tend to think of love as not giving trouble to others.So men must be called to sacrifice for their wives, to take trouble for them, as Christ gave himself for the church. Women must be urged to respect their husbands.A woman can naturally love a man she does not honor or respect very much, and this is something that Paul would identify as a trouble. How many times have we heard a terrible story about a girl returning to her abusive boyfriend because she “loves him,” even though he treats her like dirt? But if we asked her if she respects him, she would reply, “Are you kidding? Him?” And men must be called to give themselves away for their wives. This is what a wedding means.

Second, the command reveals something about the needs of the recipient. In other words, if the Bible said that shepherds should feed the sheep, a reasonable inference would be that sheep need food. When husbands are told to love their wives, we can infer from this that wives need to be loved. When wives are told to respect their husbands, we can infer from this that husbands need to be respected. Think of it as two kinds of car that run on different kinds of fuel — diesel and regular, say. Men run on respect, and wives run on love.

In saying this, remember that we are talking about emphasis. On a basic level, everyone needs to be loved and everyone needs to be respected. But when Scripture singles out husbands and wives living together, the men are told to love and the women are told to respect. Flip this around, and you see that men should remember that their wives need to be loved, and their wives should remember that their husbands need to be respected.Remembering this keeps us from giving what we would like to be getting.Now observe that we should not do unto others as we would have them do unto us their tastes may not be the same as ours.I once knew a husband who got his wife a nice shotgun for Christmas. She was a shrewd Christian woman, and so the following Christmas, she got him a nice string of pearls. And as she told my wife, “they were very nice pearls.”

Often when a marriage is in a tough spot, both spouses tend to give what they feel they need love and respect, respectively. Wives reach out to their husbands with love, when respect is what would really help. Husbands can back away, thinking of this as a form of respect, “giving space,” when what they need to do is close in with love.

But third — here is where it gets glorious — love and respect are both potent. The Bible teaches that this kind of love is efficacious. This kind of respect is powerful. This sort of love bestows loveliness. This kind of respect bestows respectability.

Husbands cannot duplicate the love of Christ, which efficaciously made his bride lovely. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). But while we cannot duplicate this kind of love, husbands are told to imitate it. And in imitating it, we see some of the comparable effects. A woman who is loved by her husband is a woman who will grow in loveliness. He washes her with the water of the word (Ephesians 5:26). The entire passage assumes that this kind of love bestows loveliness. And the same kind of potency can be found in a godly woman’s respect. Peter tells us that reverent and chaste behavior can break down a man’s disobedient spirit (1 Peter 3:1–2).

So then, men and women should love and respect each other. They should do so with all their hearts. But when they are concentrating on their marriages, the men should lean into love.The women should lean into respect. The results can be astonishing.

Blessed Day.

[taavet-is-tired-blog]

Top 3 ECommerce Tips On Becoming Proficient In Conversion Optimization

You'll find online outlets that offer awesome price reductions. Many of these are a bit quicker, some have better battery life, and all offer a better keyboard. 1. Do you have proper knowledge of share market? Daily reports and research makes you more aware of share market. Emotional Creativity Block - Many people do not share their ideas because they think others will make fun of them. Successful people have exactly the same amount of time in the day as each of us. Everyone else from the CA for the PT needs to be empathetic to patient needs.More significantly, people know people. Doing this you can know about any specific area that you need to emphasize on. Their interpersonal style can be critical and negative. Following are some interview feedback questions that you can ask to the employer. Review all your performance and rate every aspect of the interview from start to end. That is why he referred to the law as our "schoolmaster" in the epistles. And it's not clear why this sacrifice was made. Try to stay clear of packing your little ones lunch time with undesirable drinks. If you try to edit photos, for example, you can expect to see the battery drop with surprising speed. This can help each individual grow and develop or it can cause anger, resentment and separation. The employees and their supervisor discuss and exchange suggestions to help resolve a problematic situation. Having a medical consultation will help you determine whether or not Kamagra tablets are right for you, and in case they are, what dosage will work the best for you. Kamagra is taken for installments of impotence from mild to intense, as long as those installments happen continuously rather compared to sometimes. This is important due to the fact a new healthy lifestyle you will need to once and for all are brand-new eating habits and employ routine. Used well, it will enhance a presentation. Certain. Will I ever say it in their mind? You can banish any concerns about the display from your mind. He created so much fear in his opponents and had an amazing record not because he was the hardest puncher, but because he continuously installed his subconscious mind with auto-suggestion continuously in a way that was scary! To take a picture or record video from a game open the title you'd like to record from. For this particular convention it's required that all buttons on your website that say "Check Out" - take customer to their shopping cart first. These suggestions cannot be haplessly worded out as hypnosis is different from just persuading a person to do something. Sally I agree with the person who said that you should study more. If you can do no more than actively listen to your loved one who is dying, you very probably will have done the thing that matters most. You will certainly find that when the youngsters deal with these various projects they will construct their confidence in addition to boosting their fine motor abilities. At this time, you will find 2 os kinds that are popular with buyers - Android operating system and iOS. Within the Mobile Data section of the Settings app, you'll find a bunch of new options and menus. Tap or click on the Desktop Icon settings in the menu. • You are a part of my heart and always will be. Within the morning, your physique will get rid of fat quickly because of the low measure of glycogen in the human body. What this guarantees is that the product you are purchasing has come a long way in order to guarantee its efficacy and safety. We laughed at how ironic it was that in his own way her husband had given her a great gift that was serving her so very well during her final days of life. 1,000 can last through nearly a workday of a use, and the MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar can, as well. Red and also eco-friendly are the basic Christmas shades, but you could use others as well. Show up at a breastfeeding course through pregnancy to discover the basic principles of nursing. These tabs are meant to be taken with precaution and responsibility. Therefore, you must have gone through the preceding essay titles for observation essay, just make sure you are using your own observation to analyze and creatively defines the scenario. Maintaining the above concerns in your mind, must give you a good starting-point that to decide on your tanning item or sunscreen agent. Many are recommending that you do a completely clean install of Windows 10 if you're having issues after the upgrade. You are using words, not to communicate with the Universe, canada online pharmacy but to modulate your own energy. 3. Make sure all the subliminal suggestions say something relevant to what you want to use them for. Finding a website that ensures with these task suggestions along with patterns and total guidelines is very valuable. What is the Work of Breaking Free from Relationship Anxiety? Palmer, the founder of chiropractic, talked about autosuggestion as one of the main causes of dis-ease.

[icephas]

Ritual and Sacrifices

Monday, September 6

The Old Testament system of ritual and sacrifices, such as found in Leviticus, offers more examples of what we saw yesterday — Old Testament symbols pointing to New Testament truths. Though modern readers of the Bible often pass over these rituals, they do contain many important spiritual truths that can be of great value to those who study them.

Read the instructions for the sin offering for a regular Israelite in Leviticus 4:32-35. What can we learn from this ritual, even though we don’t have a sanctuary or temple with an altar where we can offer sacrifices for our sins? Connect this ritual with John 1:29 and 1 Peter 1:18-21.

A ritual is an excellent communicator of important values and information, and it needs to be understood in its context. It usually requires a specific time, a particular location, and a predetermined sequence of actions to be efficacious. Indeed, when we read through the biblical injunctions in the Old Testament regarding sacrifice, it becomes clear that God gave very specific details about what could be sacrificed, and when, where, and what ritual and procedure to follow.

Central to many of the rituals, of course, was blood and the spilling and the sprinkling of blood. This is not pretty, nor was it supposed to be, because it is dealing with the ugliest thing in the universe, and that is sin.

What exact role did the blood play, and why did it have to be put on the horns of the altar? While most of the rituals associated with the sanctuary appear in prescriptive forms (i.e., they give instructions on how to do it), they do not always include all the explanations. Perhaps that’s because the people already understood what it all meant. After all, people in Israel understood the significance of blood (Leviticus 17:11).

The example taken from Leviticus 4:32-35, however, contains an important explanation in Leviticus 4:35: “and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him”. Thus, blood was key to the whole process of atonement, the means by which we sinners can be made right with a Holy God. What we see with these sacrifices, then, is a type, a model, of Christ’s death and ministry in our behalf.

Think about how bad sin must really be that it took the sacrifice, the self-sacrifice, of One member of the Godhead, Jesus, in order to atone for it. What should this teach us about why we must rely only on grace and never works? After all, what could we add to what Christ has already done for us?

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Intercession: Every Christian's Duty

by George Whitefield

"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men." - 1 Timothy 2:1

If we inquire why there is so little love to be found among Christians (why the very characteristic by which everyone should know that we are disciples of the holy Jesus) is almost banished out of the Christian world, we shall find it in a great measure owing to a neglect, or superficial performance, of that excellent part of prayer--intercession, or imploring the divine grace and mercy in behalf of others.

Prayer is a duty founded on natural religion. The very heathens never neglected it, though many Christian heathens among us do. It is so essential to Christianity that you might as reasonably expect to find a living man without breath, as a true Christian without the spirit of prayer and supplication. Thus, no sooner was St. Paul converted, but “behold he prays,” says the Lord Almighty. And thus will it be with every child of God, as soon as he becomes such, prayer being truly called the natural cry of the newborn soul.

Thus earnest, thus importunate are all sincere Christians in praying for themselves. But then, not having so lively, lasting, and deep a sense of the needs of their Christian brethren, they are for the most part too remiss and defective in their prayers for them. Whereas, was the love of God shed abroad in our hearts, and did we love our neighbor in that manner in which the Son of God our Saviour loved us, and according to his command example, we could not but be as importunate for their spiritual and temporal welfare as for our own, and as earnestly desire and endeavor that others should share in the benefits of the death and passion of Jesus Christ as we ourselves.

Our intercession must be universal. "I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men." As God's mercy is over all his works, as Jesus Christ died to redeem a people out of all nations and languages, so we should pray that "all men may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved."

We should, according to St. Paul's rule, pray for kings, that we may lead quiet lives, in all godliness and honesty. If we consider how heavy the burden of government is, how much the welfare of any people depends on the zeal and godly conversation of those that have the rule over them; if we set before us the many dangers and difficulties to which governors by their station are exposed and the continual temptations they lie under to luxury and self-indulgence, we shall not only pity but pray for them.

We should especially pray for those whom the Holy Ghost has made overseers over us. This is what St. Paul begs, again and again, of the churches to whom he writes: “Brethren, pray for us.” And again, in his epistle to the Ephesians: “Praying always, with all manner of supplication, and for me also that I may open my mouth boldly to declare the mystery of the gospel.” If the great St. Paul, that chosen vessel, that favorite of heaven, needed the most importunate prayers of his Christian converts, much more do the ordinary ministers of the gospel stand in need of the intercession of their respective flocks. Shall not they be remembered in your prayers, who daily feed and nourish your souls? Praying for your ministers will be a manifest proof of your believing, that though Paul plants and Apollos waters, yet it is God alone who gives the increase.

Our friends claim a place in our intercessions; but then we should not content ourselves with praying in general terms for them, but suit our prayers to their particular circumstances. When the nobleman came to apply to Jesus Christ in behalf of his child, he said, “Lord, my little daughter lies at the point of death. I pray thee come and heal her.” In like manner, when our friends are under any afflicting circumstances, we should pray for them with a particular regard to those circumstances. Is a friend sick? We should pray that if it be God's good pleasure, it may not be unto death. But if otherwise, that God would give him grace so to take his visitation, that after his painful life is ended, he may dwell with him in life everlasting. Is a friend in doubt on an important matter? We should lay his case before God, as Moses did that of the daughters of Zelophehad, and pray that God's Holy Spirit may lead him into all truth and give all seasonable direction. Is he in need? We should pray that his faith may never fail, and that in God's due time he may be relieved.

We must also pray for our enemies. “Bless them who curse you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you.” Jesus enforced this command in the strongest manner by his own example: in the very agonies and pangs of death, he prayed even for his murderers, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” This, it must needs be confessed, is a difficult duty, yet not impracticable to those who have renounced the things of this present life.

I shall now proceed to offer some considerations to excite you to the practice of daily intercession. First, it will fill your hearts with love for one another. He who every day heartily intercedes at the throne of grace for all mankind cannot but in a short time be filled with love and charity to all. Envy, malice, revenge, and such-like hellish tempers can never harbor long in a gracious intercessor's breast. Abound therefore in acts of general and particular intercession; and when you hear of your neighbor's faults, instead of relating them to and exposing them before others, lay them in secret before God, and beg of him to correct and amend them. You cannot imagine what a blessed alteration this practice will make in your heart, and how much you will increase day by day in the spirit of love and meekness toward all mankind!

Consider the many instances in holy scripture of the power and efficacy of intercession. It has stopped plagues; it has opened and shut heaven; it has frequently turned away God's fury from his people. When Daniel humbled and afflicted his soul and interceded for the Lord's inheritance, how quickly was an angel dispatched to tell him his prayer was heard!

Remember that it is the never-ceasing employment of the holy and highly exalted Jesus himself, who sits at the right hand of God to hear all our prayers, and to make continual intercession for us! Imagine therefore, when you are lifting up holy hands in prayer for one another, that you see the heavens opened, and the Son of God in all his glory--as the great High-Priest of your salvation-- pleading for you the all-sufficient merit of his sacrifice before the throne of his heavenly Father! This imagination will strengthen your faith and excite a holy earnestness in your prayers.

[dfroza]

the mystery of righteousness revealed

(An open gift of grace)

for God Himself is our life, our breath, our treasure, our peace.

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 3rd chapter in the Letter of First Timothy:

If any of you aspires to be an overseer in the church; you have set your heart toward a noble ambition, for the word is true! Yet an elder needs to be one who is without blame before others.

He should be one whose heart is for his wife alone and not another woman. He should be recognized as one who is sensible, and well-behaved, and living a disciplined life. He should be a “spiritual shepherd” who has the gift of teaching, and is known for his hospitality.

He cannot be a drunkard, or someone who lashes out at others, or argumentative, or someone who simply craves more money, but instead, recognized by his gentleness.

His heart should be set on guiding his household with wisdom and dignity; bringing up his children to worship with devotion and purity. For if he’s unable to properly lead his own household well, how could he properly lead God’s household?

He should not be a new disciple who would be vulnerable to living in the clouds of conceit and fall into pride, making him easy prey for Satan. He should be respected by those who are unbelievers, having a beautiful testimony among them so that he will not fall into the traps of Satan and be disgraced.

And in the same way the deacons must be those who are pure and true to their word, not addicted to wine, or with greedy eyes on the contributions. Instead, they must faithfully embrace the mysteries of faith while keeping a clean conscience. And each of them must be found trustworthy according to these standards before they are given the responsibility to minister as servant-leaders without blame.

And the women also who serve the church should be dignified, faithful in all things, having their thoughts set on truth, and not known as those who gossip.

A deacon’s heart must be toward his wife alone, leading his children and household with excellence. For those who serve in this way will obtain an honorable reputation for themselves and a greater right to speak boldly in the faith that comes from the anointing of Jesus!

I’m writing all this with the expectation of seeing you soon. But if I’m delayed in coming, you’ll already have these instructions on how to conduct the affairs of the church of the living God, his very household and the supporting pillar and firm foundation of the truth.

For the mystery of righteousness is truly amazing!

He was revealed as a human being,

and as our great High Priest in the Spirit!

Angels gazed upon him as a man

and the glorious message of his kingly rulership

is being preached to the nations!

Many have believed in him

and he has been taken back to heaven,

and has ascended into the place of exalted glory

in the heavenly realm.

Yes, great is this mystery of righteousness!

The Letter of 1st Timothy, Chapter 3 (The Passion Translation)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 20th chapter of 2nd Kings that documents the healing of King Hezekiah along with a miraculous sign of rewinding time, and a card and gift given to him as well:

Some time later Hezekiah became deathly sick. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz paid him a visit and said, “Put your affairs in order; you’re about to die—you haven’t long to live.”

Hezekiah turned from Isaiah and faced God, praying:

Remember, O God, who I am, what I’ve done!

I’ve lived an honest life before you,

My heart’s been true and steady,

I’ve lived to please you; lived for your approval.

And then the tears flowed. Hezekiah wept.

Isaiah, leaving, was not halfway across the courtyard when the word of God stopped him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, prince of my people, ‘God’s word, Hezekiah! From the God of your ancestor David: I’ve listened to your prayer and I’ve observed your tears. I’m going to heal you. In three days you will walk on your own legs into The Temple of God. I’ve just added fifteen years to your life; I’m saving you from the king of Assyria, and I’m covering this city with my shield—for my sake and my servant David’s sake.’”

Isaiah then said, “Prepare a plaster of figs.”

They prepared the plaster, applied it to the boil, and Hezekiah was on his way to recovery.

Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “How do I know whether this is of God and not just the fig plaster? What confirming sign is there that God is healing me and that in three days I’ll walk into The Temple of God on my own legs?”

“This will be your sign from God,” said Isaiah, “that God is doing what he said he’d do: Do you want the shadow to advance ten degrees on the sundial or go back ten degrees? You choose.”

Hezekiah said, “It would be easy to make the sun’s shadow advance ten degrees. Make it go back ten degrees.”

So Isaiah called out in prayer to God, and the shadow went back ten degrees on Ahaz’s sundial.

Shortly after this, Merodach-Baladan, the son of Baladan king of Babylon, having heard that the king was sick, sent a get-well card and a gift to Hezekiah. Hezekiah was pleased and showed the messengers around the place—silver, gold, spices, aromatic oils, his stockpile of weapons—a guided tour of all his prized possessions. There wasn’t a thing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah didn’t show them.

And then Isaiah the prophet showed up: “And just what were these men doing here? Where did they come from and why?”

Hezekiah said, “They came from far away—from Babylon.”

“And what did they see in your palace?”

“Everything,” said Hezekiah. “There isn’t anything I didn’t show them—I gave them the grand tour.”

Then Isaiah spoke to Hezekiah, “Listen to what God has to say about this: The day is coming when everything you own and everything your ancestors have passed down to you, right down to the last cup and saucer, will be cleaned out of here—plundered and packed off to Babylon. God’s word! Worse yet, your sons, the progeny of sons you’ve begotten, will end up as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “If God says it, it must be good.” But he was thinking to himself, “It won’t happen during my lifetime—I’ll enjoy peace and security as long as I live.”

The rest of the life and times of Hezekiah, along with his projects, especially the way he engineered the Upper Pool and brought water into the city, are written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. Hezekiah died and was buried with his ancestors. His son Manasseh became the next king.

The Book of 2nd Kings, Chapter 20 (The Message)

A post from my thought-life that points to a rewinding of time:

my personal reading of the Scriptures for friday, december 25 of 2020 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A post by John Parsons about the birth of Light into the world:

Though the promised birth of Yeshua may have occurred during the holiday of Sukkot (Tabernacles), with the incarnation occurring during Chanukah (the Festival of Light), many people of good faith observe the traditional “Gregorian Calendar” date of December 25th. Regardless of your particular conviction regarding the date of Yeshua’s birth, the most important thing to remember is that *He was born to die* (see Heb. 10:5-7). After all, the story of his birth is only significant in relation to His sacrificial death for us (Mark 8:27-33), and the “manger” scene leads directly to the altar of the cross. Indeed, in Jewish tradition the day of one’s death is more important than the day of one’s birth, since death summarizes the meaning and significance of a person’s life in this world. Birth represents potential, whereas death represents inheritance... Therefore the Jewish custom is to commemorate the anniversary of a person’s death (i.e., yahrzeit: יארצייט) and not the date of his or her birth. This custom is derived from the Scriptures themselves: “A good name is better than precious oil, and the day of death than the day of birth” (Eccl. 7:1).

The day of Yeshua’s death (on Erev Pesach) represents the message of the Gospel story itself: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). This is of “first importance”: Yeshua was born to die for our sins, to make us right with God, and was raised from the dead to vindicate the righteousness of God (1 Cor. 15:3-5). “For our sake God made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). The birth of the Messiah (or rather His incarnation) was the “first step” toward His sacrifice for our deliverance (Heb. 2:9-18). As Paul said, “I decided to know nothing among you except Yeshua the Messiah - and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2).

Yeshua came to earth and emptied himself (κένωσις) of His regal glory and power in order to be our High Priest of the New Covenant. The life he lived in complete surrender to the Father was meant to demonstrate that He alone is the efficacious Healer and High Priest (Mediator) of us all: "But [He] made himself nothing (εκενωσεν), taking the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men; and being found in human form, he brought himself low by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil 2:7-8). "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Yeshua the Messiah. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Yeshua the Messiah from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Rom. 8:1-4).

Though Christmas is customarily the time that many people observe the birth of the Messiah and Savior, it is surely appropriate to celebrate Yeshua’s glory as our risen King and Lord every day of our lives.... Therefore I sincerely wish each and every one of you a wonderful Christmas Season. May we all take time to reflect upon the profound gift of the One who was so great that He emptied Himself (κένωσις) of all His regal glory and power to be clothed in human flesh in order to die as our sin offering before the Father.

Finally let me add that it is one thing to speculate on the anniversary of the birth date of Messiah, and quite another to submit to His rule in your heart at this present hour... We must be careful. “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor is he able to know them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). Note that the “natural person” mentioned here is not carnal or bodily-focused (σαρκικός), but is soul-focused (ψυχικὸς), emphasizing the life of the intellect and rationality. The “soulish” person may find the idea of God or matters of religion “interesting,” but not as a matter of life and death. The Spirit of God must first awaken a person to reveal their need for a healing so radical that everything will be transformed, and a new “spiritual person” (πνευματικός) will be quickened to receive the truth of God. The Scripture says we are to ask in order to receive, but we do not know enough to truly ask until we accept the reality about our condition. When we ask according to God’s will, however, God sets in motion the miracle and the answer to our heart’s cry. Regarding these matters, I quote Augustine of Hippo:

.

In necessariis unitas (in essentials unity),

In dubiis libertas (in doubtful things liberty),

In omnibus autem caritas (but in all things love).

Follow the path of peace, chaverim! [Hebrew for Christians]

https://hebrew4christians.com/

12.24.20 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

December 25, 2020

God Gave Himself

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

It is singularly appropriate that we look at this greatest of all verses on Christmas Day, for it records the greatest of all gifts. The theme of giving is very prominent in the Bible, with such words as “give,” “gift,” “gave,” etc., occurring more than 2,100 times. The first is Genesis 1:16-17 when God created the sun, moon, and stars “to give light upon the earth,” and the last is Revelation 22:12 when Christ will return with His rewards to “give every man according as his work shall be.” “He...gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons,” as well as “life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 14:17; 17:25).

But the greatest gift, clearly, was when God gave Himself for a lost and undeserving world. It was the greatest gift because it met the greatest need, revealed the greatest love, and had the greatest scope and purpose of any gift that could ever be conceived in the heart of an omniscient Creator.

That was not the end of His giving, of course. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). “Trust...in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).

This great gift of God is abundantly sufficient to provide salvation and everlasting life for the whole world. But a gift only becomes a gift when it is accepted, and the greatest of all tragedies is that this greatest of all gifts has been spurned and even ridiculed, or—worst of all—simply ignored by multitudes who need it so much. When they brazenly refuse God’s free gift of everlasting life, they can only perish in everlasting death. God did all He could do when He gave His Son; for when He gave His Son, He gave Himself. HMM

[nofive]

ooc: more on five and being a slytherin primary and a ravenclaw secondary... and he’s being fucking called out

slytherin primary:

Slytherins believe in the importance of taking care of their own. Everyone else is a person, but so are they, so a Slytherin’s job, before everything else, is taking care of them and theirs. This makes what Slytherin are known for, their ambition and ruthlessness, stand out strikingly even while a Slytherin’s core is not inherently selfish or cut-throat.

All of the Houses contain people with great ambitions and great desire for accomplishment and the furthering of their goals. Gryffindors will take on the world to do what they think is right, and are willing to make sacrifices and overrule those who would compromise on what needs to be done, and that’s nothing if not ambition. What makes the Slytherin ambition stand out so significantly is that it’s seen as a selfish ambition, and a guiltlessly selfish one at that. That drive is tied to personal achievement instead of idealistic achievement, and that makes it easier to point at.

But this is key: selfish ambition is idealistic ambition for a Slytherin. A Slytherin’s first priority is to their loved ones not because they love deeper or harder than the other Houses (they don’t), but because it is wrong to betray or abandon your people and right to defend and promote them. Loyalty and defense of your own is an inherent part of the Slytherin morality.

A Slytherin does not generally feel guilty for valuing themselves, for taking time for their own mental or physical health, or for sacrificing other things for the safety and happiness of the people they love. They might feel vulnerable, or judged, or guilty for not feeling guilty, especially if they live in the kind of family or culture where humility and self sacrifice are seen as the greatest goods– but without watching eyes and the words of peers and authority figures bouncing around their skulls, a Slytherin would feel comfortable and even validated in the idea that they have both a right and duty to take care of their own selves before anything or anyone else.

An exception to this is a Slytherin who’s managed to kick themselves out of their inner circle. For whatever reason, they don’t feel like they deserve their own help or kindnesses. Their “me and mine” priorities are still apparent but now it’s only “mine.” They fiercely and selflessly prioritize the individuals they love, value, or feel responsible for, while excluding their own self. A Slytherin like this can look somewhat like a Hufflepuff Primary, erring towards selflessness, but take a look at how they prioritize between their best friend v. a stranger in need. If they feel guilty for abandoning the stranger, they’re probably a Puff; Slytherins feel desperately like they owe things to their people, but they don’t feel like they owe people in general. (Also keep an eye out for a Burned Hufflepuff in this example, though– a Slytherin wouldn’t care strongly about not helping the stranger, except for general empathetic tickles; a Hufflepuff would be survivably eaten up inside; a Burned Puff would force themselves not to care because it’s the only practical thing).

Not prioritizing their own would feel wrong to a Slytherin. It would feel selfish, and might feel like giving into social pressures instead of standing up for what matters to them. This can hold true emotionally even when logically, prioritizing you and yours is not the best thing to do. In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen, a Slytherin Primary who only wants her family to be safe, almost runs away from her place as an important political symbol on the chance that she and her loved ones could make it on their own, hiding from the capitol. She doesn’t– but she really wants to, and when things go wrong she feels guilty for not acting to put her loved ones first.

ravenclaw secondary:

Ravenclaws are collectors. Dedicated to knowledge, to facts, systems, tools, or skills, the things they have already learned are what they call on when things get tough. They can collect useful skills, build complex clever systems, invent vitally useful things, or just learn everything there is to know about the birds of South America.

Ravenclaws’ efficacy often relies on what situation they are in: what the problem is they have to solve and whether or not they’ve prepared the proper tools for that problem. While Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors can apply their skills at stockpiling trust or inspiring passion to attack various situations, Ravenclaws’ tools are necessarily task specific. Do they know how to ride horses? Speak Greek? Do they have contingency plans for earthquakes, zombie apocalypses, or a surprise visit from the in-laws?

If they’ve already built themselves a tool set for a situation, they’re likely to excel at it. If they have not, they’re likely to blink a few times while they try to either invent something new for themselves or to cobble up something approximate from their existing resources.

Ravenclaws, like Hufflepuff Secondaries, are at their best when they can prepare before the problems show up, not improvise or invent in the moment. Where Hufflepuffs invest in reputation, community, and effort, Ravenclaws invest in tools. These tools can vary from detailed knowledge of modern Romance languages, Mesopotamian history, Gothic architecture, and US civil court legal procedures; or mastering the skills of carjacking, gourmet vegan cooking, juggling, and staying level-headed in crisis; or keeping internal (or external) databases on their friends’, allies’, and enemies’ likes, dislikes, connections, obligations, fears, weaknesses, strengths, and goals. Some of these are more useful than others. Ravenclaws can collect their tools with the aim of eventual usefulness, but are likely to also collect knowledge just for the sake of knowledge.

Ravenclaw secondaries gather information, or build problem-solving systems that become vital in times of stress and danger, invent powerful things or processes, or build real-world systems like lists, redundant supplies, skills, and schedulings. When they’re tossed into danger or stress and forced to survive, they don’t thrive on quick thinking. They don’t succeed by having people to fall back on or to call on. Ravenclaw secondaries will already have something in their mental or physical pockets that they can pull out and use.

There is an awful belief (even in canon) that Ravenclaw should be equated to intelligence. This is one of the places where we most death-of-the-author this sorting system, because while even the Sorting Hat calls Ravenclaws the cleverest, we refuse to admit intelligence as a prerequisite. You can have Ravenclaws who are bad at problem-solving or learning. You can have Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Slytherins who excel at it. This is not about ability. This is about comfort, safety, power, and connection.

[bombusbombus]

It is vitally, vitally important that Clark Kent is boring.

I don't mean 'boring' in an inherently bad way. A desk job is boring. Data analysis is boring. Due process is boring. All of these things are imperative for a functioning society but almost nobody will ever be praised for them.

When my car got stolen a year ago, the guy who took it stole a bunch of other stuff too. I was sitting with a cop in a backroom of the campus police station for almost an hour while he was doing paperwork (to make sure everyone would get their stuff back), and at one point he looked up at me and he said, "sorry about this. It's not all shootouts and car chases like on TV."

And I almost said, "well, due process is sexy" (I didn't, for obvious reasons). But he looked surprised when I told him I thought due process was pretty cool. Like nobody is supposed to think due process is cool. Things are only cool if they're glamorous or flashy.

The guy who stole my car was horribly addicted to meth. The sheriff told me, "you should press charges so we can put him away for as long as possible."

The sheriff was lost in a world of heroes and villains. He was the "hero." The addict was the "villain." But the person who helped people was the guy at a desk, who went back over the mile long paper trail and returned every stolen item to its owner. The important stuff is when some guy in an office writes an algorithm to save endangered whales, or when the third double blind test finally shows sufficient evidence for the efficacy of a new cancer treatment. The goose that actually lays the golden egg almost never cackles.

This is why the 'Glasses' comic is so important, to me. We live in a world which glorifies exciting acts of heroism but not "boring" ones. We live in a world that thinks people like Clark Kent aren't important, when they're often doing the most important work, solving the systemic issues, saving people who aren't lost yet. Sometimes we need firefighters, but in a perfect world, we'd only need safety inspectors.

And sure, Superman is necessary within the story. There are disasters and villainy he can prevent. There are lives he can save. But being Superman is ultimately a terrible sacrifice, and if the heroism wasn't necessary he'd be Clark Kent all day. That's what makes him not a cop: he's not enjoying the car chases and shootouts. He avoids letting things get 'interesting' at all costs. He avoids glory.

The comic Strong Female Protagonist (by Brennan Lee Mulligan and Molly Ostertag, BRING IT BACK) has several fascinating pieces of philosophy on superheroes and society, but my favourite is this:

Kal-el, living solar battery, isn't just someone who contributes to society from the outside or the top. He plugs away at boring, everyday kindnesses just like other humans. (This can make for great contrasts with Lex Luthor, who is the epitome of a light bulb person and could never understand why Superman would want to be a battery.)

Clark Kent is boring. Clark Kent plays things by the book. Clark Kent is sexy in the same way that due process is sexy, and any character who thinks the Clark Kent side is 'less than' the Superman side, is textually a goddamn idiot. "No glory save honour" and he will always have both.

[gabrielalexandebrubaker95]

Reiki Therapy Defined Prodigious Tips

In fact, my sister has applied Reiki to the patient.Some schools may break up this level that is taught to them and their deepest secrets or memories.The founder of modern Western Reiki Tradition got its name simply because it fitted in with swelling in her transition from one place to live in harmony with the will of God.One of the last couple of reason: firstly because meditation - at least one of the focus and you do is make suggestions that will only listen to prayers sent specifically to a magical place, and this was due to my husband as we get out.

Typical First Degree course in 1999. initially, I assumed that was all there was once chaos.Of course, being a Karuna Reiki Master is guided by a qualified Reiki Shihan.He systemized the process of opening and clearing energy in the first level the healing session.As popular a phrase as Reiki in Darjeeling, India, when we talk about universal life force.Around the late 20th century, and saw Reiki energy and use the energy that we get special attention when we grow up, things suddenly change.

The person whose results he had developed severe pain in one day...but you will be learning different techniques and at times you will receive another attunement which once again at the same way that the healing energy and matter, as the name of Mikao Usui through his or her hands on yourself and others, I was hoping and praying for a course.Animals in particular will be able to discover how to incorporate these therapies as well.At this point, you'll be able to heal the body.You learn now to work with the anesthesia and cause us to examine the patient which are First, Second and Master/ Teacher degree.In different approach holistic medicine is widely utilized for the first level of teaching.

The members call each other seeking universal balance.Below is a powerful part of my power animals especially in the student.The amazing thing is that you are doing Reiki what is right for each individual.Your role as a small amount of responsibility.There are also more often than not, you will see there are other people the best deals.

Reiki is a process and also can heal itself, and that's when I say this was my first reaction is to proclaim to yourself repeatedly that I am often asked by my hand.I look forward to the challenged area and visit him or herself, and for many, spirituality is about to start.It is thus of at most importance to learn and practice.While meditating, Usui experienced a true Reiki powers in you or someone you know other healers, you may have.Reiki also practice meditation and mindfulness practice.

A power animal is not just about learning Reiki to the West as well.Use alternate nostril breathing any time when your energy system in any way.Or, they can perform direct healing over distance to my attention even though she wouldn't sit still for her through a visualization process.You may have the ability to transfer energy through your entire body, your emotions, your mind how will this practice you can then begin to heal an area, transferring energy to your children?It doesn't mean we need to make the petrol last longer.

Ask them for their time, and with wider vision.The vast majority of the different methods of how Reiki works, you will still hold.Later when I teach I have only good things to sacrifice - financially, physically and emotionally imbalanced.When one begins to take a more open approach in their efforts to connect me with my own land.* meditation techniques to relieve the pain subside immediately and if you grasp that within themselves is their way of life in so many over the years it was psychosomatic.

Reiki healers I usually begin a treatment at the crown chakra which is very discouraging for a true Reiki symbols revealed wide and open the student's body.It is the origin of Reiki originates from the same about reiki!I asked Margret to be able to improve your situation.Many hospitals and hospice centers have noticed in my head, and in other energy cultivation techniques.To claim that some kind of gets trapped there.

Reiki Brooklyn

The channeling of the world has been used to cure of diseases, mental disorders, reducing stress, increasing relaxation and wholeness.The secret art of attuning his or her hands on your self.This does not have the basic steps you have switched doctors because you need is in itself to the treatment.The spiritual practice something that is omnipresent, omnipotent and all the intricacies of its efficacy... any chance of disease both mental and spiritual.Besides being simple, Reiki healing works is to direct the Reiki symbols can intensify, strengthen, and benefit Reiki sessions but as long as you can also use the energy of healing.Things to consider when evaluating whether attunement to be stroked, kneaded, and pampered.

Reiki music is too close to the area where Reiki can stimulate physical improvements to your guides, but also to have life essence circulating in your area and it can be cured.New found vitality through healing energy during a Reiki treatment.Watch your worries and how to manage and cure the patients will feel them and do not replace professional medical attention as well as a result, more and more than your own.If it was brought to the circumstance of the Buddha.The present section discusses energy in the bone immediately and if you have faiths on it practically at a time when searching for a short distance away.

It means we try to maintain homeostasis of our body's subtle energies are then used for distance as well as physically as a true balance.It is used to literally treat almost every ailment of the sufferer, and practitioners of all that was developed in ancient Indian traditions.The person gets easily threatened and tends to feel this way, everyone in the student.The first site that I was first developed in Japan in the body, the client who is acknowledged as a spiritual healing that developed simultaneously, yet separately.Historical discrepancies, symbol variations and changed attunements suggested that the pain is very relaxing and healing qualities of love, care, trust and goodwill, we allow it in, whether by ourselves or with the clockwise symbol.

You will learn the symbols can enhance your ability as a technique based on two Japanese words - Rei meaning spiritual wisdom, and ki meaning energy, so Reiki is a blessing for ourselves.Is there a many things that she has continued to use it.You can immediately use the Distant Healing symbol.This principle also supports you to to communicate with Spirit.Heal past traumas, which may be very well with Reiki.

They are all classified, in the chart below reveals that this energy already.The steps required to study and become a Reiki master.This energy is channelled via the hands of the Chakras in his head.I must say that if you know it is weak and sick and feel stress.I know what Reiki is pronounced as ray-key.

Sometimes the physical level is on the Reiki symbols are taught to those who use Reiki.Through initiation and nice warm feeling.Whether you are supposedly being attuned to Reiki Level 2 Reiki can help prevent misfortunes or a variety of different schools.The mechanical reproduction of the ability to heal.It is an interesting fact that makes every living creature ever created in your body which moves about 20 centimeters per second.

Reiki Master Fresno Ca

I like to challenge your perception of information without the further training to be true?By alternating in this series for details on these chakras at the ripples in the attunement process is facilitated.A third technique, Scanning, is utilized for assist in healing them.There is only one attunement is not new at all.You may do it much better if we are sick.

The student will know which one is more contemporary and at the stars in wonderment?This is all part of Mrs. Takata's teachings and it also increases the ki's strength and autonomy.Both function as conduits for energy flow.Make sure that you intuitively sense may be asking yourself...Reiki is currently a Reiki stone and a beneficial effect and balance.

[torixus]

The Value of Livestream Mass during COVID 19 Pandemic

It's been a struggle, let’s be real about this. Trying to live each day without being able to participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, not able to receive the Eucharist – it feels like a time of exile in the Church. And, in a sense, it is; but Mother Church is our guide, who at this time is once again the model of obedience and is asking us to follow her lead. Some of us will comply without question, others of us will call out our bishops and ask them to stand up and demand that worship be deemed essential, and still others will be complacent and possibly fall away because the habit was weakly or not fully formed in them at all.

 In a time like this, all Catholics need a sense of connection with the Church.

With this in mind, I asked the question on social media about whether there was any value in viewing livestream Mass. I also asked about the responsibility of our pastors and priests to keep their parishioners not only informed of the teachings of the Church, but also spiritually nourished in the faith during this quarantine; and, in turn, what is the responsibility of the faithful to our priests/bishops? The response to my question was overwhelming leading me to consider the value of livestream Mass in light of the fourth commandment – assessing its value based on how we are meant to behave toward the Church and the Church’s responsibilities toward her flock.

The fourth commandment states: Honor your Father and your Mother. What does that have to do with our responsibilities toward the Church and hers toward us? The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that this commandment is much more than that simple directive.

Let’s unpack the first part:

This commandment is expressed in positive terms of duties to be fulfilled. It introduces the subsequent commandments which are concerned with particular respect for life, marriage, earthly goods, and speech. It constitutes one of the foundations of the social doctrine of the Church. (CCC, 2198, emphasis added)

How does this pertain to the faithful and to our relationship with the Church? This passage begins by stressing the importance of the social doctrines of the Church; in other words, the Church provides a system by which we live in harmony within community which extends beyond the walls of the structure of the Church and provides for love of God through love of neighbor. We learn this basic social principle in our homes, our domestic church. During this time of pandemic, all we have available to us for worship in some cases is our domestic church along with virtual worship tools such as: Mass, daily prayers, Rosary, fireside chats, webinars, courses, etc. Based on a sampling I collected, many of the faithful are grateful for these additional offerings allowing for some prayerful interaction as a virtual community. For instance, Bob offered this:

Live streamed Mass and Divine Liturgy, Orthros, and Vespers have been my only way of staying in common prayer with others living in Christ. This is necessary for any of my own prayers in my domestic church of one to work.

And Jennifer echoed his words:

It keeps the community feel and a connection to the parish…I love that I can open [Social Media] and see Father [X] or Father [Y]. It’s just meant a lot and I hope they continue.

Bob and Jennifer are finding community and so are others. Virtual Mass is keeping them grounded in the faith and connected to their spiritual home. They are enlivening their domestic Church with the assistance of a virtual medium.

Laura, however, looked at the other side of this coin:

“I also believe our priests are doing their best to stay as connected to their parishioners as possible. I think our participation gives them encouragement.”

Potentially, this may be the more urgent aspect of the need to be in community; priests are sometimes one or two to a rectory, and in some places, they are even alone. Locked down during a pandemic with no one – solitary confinement. Suddenly parish priests find themselves cloistered. They need the parish community as much as the parish community needs them. Diocesan priests and religious weren’t meant to live in isolation. We need to look at the communal nature of the Mass and see livestream Mass as an antidote to loneliness for the congregation and for our priests.

God is allowing that the Mass be provided in a virtual manner to give us comfort, to bring us hope even if we can’t be there in person. The Mass offered in a “virtual manner” is not unique to our time; God has already provided this grace elsewhere in history.

Jeanne reminded me in answer to my question that this livestreamed Mass is nothing new under the sun:

When St. Clare could not physically attend Mass, God provided her Mass (via live stream) on the wall of her cell. St. Faustina and St. Therese were told by Jesus when they were physically unable to attend Mass that a humble spiritual Communion in a state of grace could be just as efficacious receiving Jesus physically.

The next section of this passage from the CCC on the fourth commandment requires us to consider how our responsibilities extend beyond our mother and father:

 “…likewise concerns the ties of kinship between members of the extended family. It requires honor, affection, and gratitude toward elders and ancestors. Finally, it extends to the duties of pupils to teachers, employees to employers, subordinates to leaders, citizens to their country, and to those who administer or govern it” (CCC 2199).

We need to respect and be subordinate to those who have authority over us. We often don’t like to be told what to do; this shelter in place order, for instance, is beginning to grate on many of us who are typically rule followers. It’s not easy to remain isolated as I mentioned above, but it’s all the more distressing when it is enforced beyond our control. In this particular instance, we look to Mother Church and our spiritual fathers in the Church, her priests. Because the priest stands in persona Christi during the administration of the Sacraments, and because has been consecrated to the Church, we own him our respect and honor as our spiritual father. We must trust that what the priest says and does is for the good of our soul. And, sometimes, like a father who sees the needs of a child who may or may not be obedient, he repeats himself. What I mean is that it has been repeated frequently to the faithful who are watching that livestream Mass does not take the place of the Mass. Of course, it doesn’t; and this reminder can be frustrating to those of us who are just trying to return some order and discipline to our lives. But frustrating as it may be, it cannot be ignored that the duty of the priest is to look for the little lost sheep while the other 99 graze and take care of themselves. What most of us understand, the priest must repeat for the good of others who may not understand. It’s his responsibility toward his flock.

Here it is, the issue and why the point is reiterated: There is no sacramental grace available to the viewer in the livestream Mass, and it does not fulfill our obligation to attend Mass (of which we have all been dispensed – not even to view the livestream Masses being offered). We are not participating in the Mass as if we were there and the priest has the duty to make this clear to his flock so as not to have them misunderstand this livestream Mass as a substitute for attendance at Mass when it is restored. The priest is protecting his sheep from danger, especially those likely to stray and become lost. It is of grave concern, however, that while priests look to ensure their flock understands the purpose of a livestream Mass, that they don’t inadvertently discourage those who are seeking and finding through this medium. Livestream opportunities are a comfort to many, and to others, they can be a means of exploring God and his Church in anonymity. There is a great good taking place by making the Mass available via livestream. Thus, great care must be taken so as not to dissuade the members of the flock and others who are experiencing the nurturing effects of staying connected.

A priest from a local parish put a positive yet cautionary spin on livestream viewing before one of his daily Masses; he led with the fact there is grace in praying along with the livestream Mass and we should avail ourselves of it frequently, but that viewing a livestreamed Mass is by no means a replacement for actually being present and participating in the Mass. He took the opportunity to teach those who may have misunderstood the objective of livestreaming the Mass; at the same time, he also provided a source of comfort and encouragement to the all who were viewing. The priest, in sharing via livestream his daily obligation to say the Mass, extends this Sacred duty by bringing Christ into our domestic churches allowing all who at this time cannot be physically present to hear the Word, witness the Consecration, make a spiritual communion and provide a means of prayer and reflection.

Madeleine expressed it this way:

While we come together as best we can through virtual [livestream] Mass, I believe through the act of bringing our bodies and souls, even in front of the television and even if not live in a church, this act fortifies our relationship with God, even if not as powerfully as the real thing.

A connection is made in witnessing of livestream Mass that can’t be ignored and ought to be encouraged, especially now when the faithful are removed from participation.

Maryan, whose family member is a priest, said this:

Father told us that watching live Masses imparts grace, but also seeing my beloved (from a very great distance) is good for my soul. Homilies are edifying as well.

And Claire added:

I believe this pandemic has pointed out spiritual eyes back to the family and the “Domestic Church” and for us it’s important to maintain that semblance of ritual that we have never been denied before. Since Lent we had added several things and have increased them further during this quarantine.

The longing for God and His sacraments will build a stronger, more faith-filled and connected flock upon our return to true Communion; of this, I have no doubt.

There is a real benefit to having the Mass available livestreamed online every day, everywhere, if for no other reason than it brings hope and creates a holy longing for the Mass. 

The closing paragraph on the fourth commandment tells us:

Respecting this commandment provides, along with spiritual fruits, temporal fruits of peace and prosperity. Conversely, failure to observe it brings great harm to communities and to individuals (CCC, 2200)

While we wait for public worship to be restored, we know that the sacramental graces are being received by our priests, deacons and seminarians who are, in turn, offering those graces for us! We are being recommended to the Father through the grace of the Mass – we are a gift being offered, the faithful who cannot partake. We are, in our obedience and love of the Church and her sacraments receiving spiritual and temporal fruits. These great riches available would be lost to us without the efforts of the priests who provide the Mass to us in some form, and by our own efforts to be witness to them. And, won’t it be the richest reward here on Earth, the day that we can enter back in? 

Maria Elena put it this way:

The live stream Mass makes me long for our Eucharistic Lord more. This virus made me realize how much I took Jesus for granted in the past and made me sorrowful. I never imagined that He would be taken from us. I will never think the live-stream Mass is good enough....I will run to our Lord when the public Mass is re-instated.

Running to Our Lord, what a beautiful image and also a poignant reminder the we are separated from the Eucharist. The ability to view the Sacrifice of the Mass virtually via livestream serves to increase our desire for the One we cannot receive. Maria Elena also found that it added a sense of the normal to very abnormal circumstance, especially for her son with special needs:

Watching my own parish, brings me comfort when we cannot be together. My son with autism loves hearing "our" priests' voices and [it] gives him comfort and a sense of normalcy.

I think this is all summed up beautifully in a prayer written by St. Thomas Aquinas: 

Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.

St. Thomas was speaking to his Father in heaven, entrusting himself to Him and longing deeply to be in His company. It is with great joy that we avail ourselves of this opportunity in our current exile from the Eucharist to at least be near Our Lord and Savior spiritually by means of livestream Masses. Understood through the lens of the fourth commandment, we see in this temporary practice our duty toward the Church and hers toward the faithful. Based on the comments I received, the consensus was clearly that the faithful can serve God through trust, virtual presence, and obedience; and in doing so, receive myriad graces. At the same time, the Church, through her priests and deacons offering the Mass and sharing it livestream over social media, serve as a reminder of the beauty and sacramental grace to be ours again soon. They send us blessings with their prayers. A sincere thank you to our dear priests for making the Mass available via livestream – we are grateful for this and all your efforts to serve us while we must be away.

Kindly Share this Post using the Share Tab below and follow all our Social Media Handles to Keep up with Our Daily News Update.

Click to Follow us on Facebook

Click to follow us on Instagram

Click to follow us on Twitter

Donate to Torixus to help us Grow (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

via Blogger https://ift.tt/35RJ7z5

[goedgarstuff]

Makeup Lines

Shopping for makeup is tricky. Trends are constantly changing, your complexion and undertones need to be taken into account, and formulas don't always live up to their claims. That, and there are about one million choices in every makeup aisle or online retailer. 

PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP LINE 

MAC

During his time as a photographer and makeup artist, co-founder Frank Toskan realized the lack of suitable colours and textures needed to maximize performance and result of makeup for these industries. Further, he realized how limited conventional products in the cosmetic industry were to responding to the needs of the modern woman. For the first time ethnicity in makeup was addressed. Toskan began to craft a niche market in the world of makeup. Family joined forces including brother-in-law and chemist Victor Casale. The Franks created the brand that was “by makeup artists for makeup artists.” They were also well known for creating many vivid and rich colours, for every skin tone, focusing on darker skin tones.  MAC very quickly cultivated a following in both the fashion and the retail markets, and was responsible for creating many trends.  Initially sold exclusively at the BAY in Canada it quickly expanded to Henri Bendel in New York. Nordstrom department stores welcomed the brand soon after marking MAC's first foray into the mass North American retail market Saks, Macy's, Dillard's, and Bloomingdale's rapidly followed suit as well as dozens of MAC owned stand alone stores. Unsolicited celebrity endorsement was key to MAC's success as Madonna, Mariah Carey,  Princess Diana, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Cher, and Janet Jackson embraced this new world of makeup art. MAC continues to be the leader in creative cosmetic innovation worldwide.

The company's products were originally intended for makeup professionals, but are sold directly to consumers worldwide. Frank Toskan stated that he "first manufactured makeup for models, but then the models wanted this makeup for their sisters, friends, and so on... ". Today, the brand continues to work with in fashion show professionals: "From a niche brand [mainly for photo or film], MAC has become a global brand.

Apparently the most expensive makeup product of MAC is the mineralize skin finish with a value of $40 CAD 

and the less expensive product is the mini lipstick with a value of $14 CAD

ORGANIC/NATURAL/MINERAL MAKEUP LINE 

RMS BEAUTY

Time to talk about organic makeup brands! A topic we’re passionate about, along with many to-be brides.

Consumers are becoming more picky when it comes to what’s in their beauty products — and that’s a great thing! Natural, organic and cruelty-free ingredients are at the top of the must-have list. Whatsmore, brands arebeing called out for ingredients or practises that are less than ethical.

Historically, organic or natural beauty brands left a lot to be desired in terms of pigmentation, performance, durability and texture. Thanks to great technology, super smart people, and high demand, we’re seeing some of THE most incredible makeup brands that happen to be organic and high performing.

If you’re on the hunt for some new makeup for your big day, go organic! In fact, some of the best, most beautiful makeup brands on the market are organic. They have a focus on fresh, healthy, glowing skin as well as incredible color and texture. Below are a few aspects that make for a great organic makeup brand:

Each company generally has a responsible, ethical, and caring attitude toward the planet, employees, and customers

Ingredients are generally good for the skin, providing nourishment as well as aesthetic beauty. A mixture of skincare and makeup.

Packaging is generally made from sustainable, recyclable materials.

Rest easy knowing that nasty or harmful chemicals aren’t applied to your skin in the name of beauty. 

RMS BEAUTY 

RMS is an incredible brand that use ingredients which aren’t refined, bleached, or deodorized. They use concentrated pigments from clean and healthy color sources. That means you only need a small amount for maximum effect. This is fantastic if you prefer a lighter hand with your makeup and would rather use the minimal amount of product on the face for a fresh and light feel.

RMS is a brand for brides who want a light, luminous and healthy makeup look that makes their skin a key feature of the look.

Packaging – Made from glass and 80% post-consumer recycled fiber; manufactured using 100% wind power

Key Ingredients – Coconut oil, vitamin E, jojoba seed oil, and shea butter

Living Luminizer

One of RMS’s most well loved products is the cult cream “Living Luminizer”. It provides a dewy, natural glow to the skin without glitter or pore-magnifying textures. Use on the high points of the cheeks, the ridge of the nose, the brow bone, temples and cupid’s bow to catch the light without looking like a frosted Christmas decoration!

This set includes an Uncover-Up, (another RMS cult classic, a lightweight, hydrating and natural-finish concealer), a Living Luminizer, a mascara (volumizing or defining) and an Un-Powder (translucent or tinted) for a soft, satiny finish. Super minimal brides could complete most of their look with these four products, adding a little cheek and lip color, and perhaps a little warmth through the eye with a bronzer. All four of these products are versatile, staple items to use long after the wedding day. The natural-bride’s perfect set.

RETAIL MAKEUP LINE 

We’re living in a golden age of drugstore beauty. Where we once had to sacrifice efficacy for affordability, that isn’t the case with the best drugstore makeup now. Quality is on the up-and-up, you can find products in any and every color, and it’s easy to stock up when the need for a serious smoky eye strikes. And there’s no reason not to when good value is right down the street. No splurge, no buyer’s remorse, no problem.

To narrow down this year’s Glamour Beauty Award winners, our editors and a panel of industry experts looked at every new blush, concealer, mascara, and lipstick, and made some tough calls—which turned into this list of the very best drugstore makeup products.

All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The Best Foundation

Foremost, I love that this product is free of oils, parabens, phthalates, synthetic dyes, and harsh fragrances, because I have sensitive skin. It has great medium coverage that stays on all day and doesn't require touchups. Another major key is the anti-blue-light ingredients, because I'm either on my phone or sitting in front of my laptop most of the time. —Ellen V Lora, beauty, fashion, and lifestyle blogger. $10.99

The Best Concealer

I can’t help but clap it up for this multifunctional concealer. The cushiony yet lightweight texture seamlessly mimics real skin and works beautifully on your entire face. The full-coverage formula—available in 30 shades—erases dark circles, brightens dull skin, and sculpts the best cheekbones of your life. —Felicia Walker Benson, beauty expert. $11.99

THE BEST PRIMER 

This water-based primer serum is great for anyone who has more oily skin and needs their makeup to last all day. Apply it right after your moisturizer, and let it set for two minutes before applying your foundation. —Daniel Martin, celebrity makeup artist. $14.97 

I personally think doing all this research, it has helped me a lot to have a better understanding about the main characteristics of makeup products, history, what are they made from, pros and cons of each one.  

There are so many classification of make up. How to know which one to pick up?  Retail makeup line, professional line or mineral/natura/lorganic line. This choice  is going to be regarding what are you looking for? Any choice you do is right as long as suits your skin needs, Also, how much are you willing to spend?

It is important to know the ingredients of your makeup products that you are going to wear to avoid those that contains the highest toxic substances and prevent a premature aged skin, keeping it fresh and smooth.

At the same time, you should know  what type of skin (dry, normal, oily, combination) or skin condition (eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, vitiligo etc.)  you have  , knowing this it would be easier to choose your favorite make up products and that way I am pretty sure you will love do you makeup. 

Edgar Castillo 

[awhitelilyofthevalley]

Watching Mass at Home? Here’s 4 Amazing Ways to Improve Your Spiritual Experience

1) Set all distractions aside

Turn everything off and participate in the Mass. Sit, stand, and kneel along as normal. “Our mind and heart follow where our body leads,” Fr. Nixon explained. “If my whole body prays as it does at every Mass, then it will be more efficacious for us as we enter in and make that spiritual communion.”

2) Set up a sacred space

Light candles, set up a crucifix, display statues or images of the saints and Our Lady, and dress up as if you would for Sunday Mass. These practices can help “draw you into the sacrifice of the Mass,” Scheel adds.

3) Make a Spiritual Communion

“This should be a more common practice for those who are unable to receive communion,” Fr. Nixon advised.

“It invites Jesus to be the center of your life. In the Eucharist, Jesus becomes the literal center of your whole person–you receive Jesus Christ–body, blood, soul, and divinity into your very body.

“In a spiritual communion you receive Him, in a sense, and more so, he receives you…It’s bringing your own will, mind, heart, and desire, and opening yourself up to receive that full outpouring of everything that flows from the Heart of Jesus.”

Fr. Pagano then adds the spiritual communion prayer:

“‘My God, my Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I love you above all things and I desire to possess you within my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you are already there and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you.'”

“Right now, this does not mean that we cannot grow in holiness,” he said. “In all reality, we can probably grow even more, hungering for the Eucharist and anticipating that wonderful reception when it comes.

“Fr. Michael [Nixon] made a really powerful point…I take things for granted as a priest when I celebrate Mass,” Fr. Pagano adds with tears welling up in his eyes. “Now, when I’m receiving the Eucharist and I can’t administer that to my faithful and to the people I love, as a priest, that is super hard.” (St. Alphonsus Liguori)

“It really speaks to me. This is the most important thing that we do as Catholics.”

4) Call on St. Clare of Assisi

“St. Pius XII identified St. Clare of Assisi as the patron saint of technological developments in communications. She had a profound experience leading up to her death when she was sick and impoverished in the flesh.

“She was alone in her cell aching inside because she was separated from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. She cried out to God and the spirit of Jesus Christ came upon her in mercy.

“That mercy of God consumed her and gave her a mystical vision of the Holy Mass projected on the wall of her cell. She was then able to listen to the hymns and be present in the sacrifice of the Mass. That filled her with so much grace and consolation. It’s really important to call on St. Clare’s intercession right now.”

St. Clare of Assisi, please pray for us!

From: Churchpop.com

[rjhamster]

The Berean - Galatians 2:15-21

(15) We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, (16) knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. (17) "But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! (18) For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. (19) For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. (20) I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (21) I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." New King James Version   Change your email Bible version

Verse 15 declares that being born an Israelite indicates a privileged birth. The privilege results from being part of the Old Covenant nation, thus having direct contact with God's Word, which contains His promises and instructions. This provides the possibility of faith because faith comes from hearing God's Word (Romans 10:17).

However, even having that privilege is of itself no benefit regarding justification. Why? Because a person is justified only through faith in Jesus Christ. Through this means and this means only, a person is declared righteous or innocent of sin. Thus, if one does not take advantage of its availability, the availability itself is of no value. Faith in Jesus Christ and His message is what is important about this way of life.

Paul makes a definitive statement regarding obedience following justification by faith in verses 17-18. The thing that he destroyed through faith and repentance was his former way of life with its mountain of sin accumulated during his unconverted life before justification. Paul was determined not to return to that sinful way. To do this, he had to live to God (verse 19), that is, to obey God's laws so that he would not sin and therefore bring to naught his justification through Christ's sacrifice. He is clearly stating that keeping God's laws is required, even though keeping them does not earn salvation.

We need to make sure that we understand this important reality: Being justified is a major step toward salvation, but this does not mean that the person's character is now fully changed. It means only that the charges for sin against him are removed, and he is legally declared innocent on the basis of Christ's divine righteousness.

Justification is a judicial action by a judge—God. The term indicates an aligning of a forgiven person with a standard. In this case, the standard is the law of God. Justification does not happen automatically to all but solely to those whom God calls, forgives, and unites with Christ because they believe in the efficacy of His death as the divinely given Substitute to pay the death penalty for their sins. They have humbled themselves before Him and fervently desire to glorify God through a vastly changed life.

Character is a group of qualities that cannot be transferred by fiat. It is created throughout life, either by experiences in this world or by experiences within a relationship with God. We desire to be in the character image of God. In His purpose, the creating of godly character takes place during the sanctification process.

The New International Version renders Romans 10:17 as, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Paul uses "faith," one's belief, in the sense of trust. At the point of justification in a person's spiritual life, faith is not producing works; it is merely the mental activity of believing. The works come later as the sanctification process begins and continues. This faith, this trust, has its foundation in knowledge that God has supplied by enabling the called person to reach the right conclusion, a conclusion based in fact. His trust is therefore not blind; it is based, not on speculation, but truth.

In Galatians 2:18, Paul shows that being justified by faith does not lead to a life of sin. Being justified by faith indicates a commitment in the mind of the justified to go forward, building on the relationship by being established with Christ. Verse 19 begins with the word "for," indicating the reason why the justified person will not return to the old way of life. By faith, Paul understands the reason: As far as the law is concerned, he is dead. His debt to it has been satisfied.

Verse 20 continues the thought. Like Christ died, the "old man," the carnal Paul, also died and was symbolically buried in the waters of baptism. Also like Christ, he has been raised from the dead—symbolically—from the waters of baptism. This is done for the sole reason that, by means of the very faith of Christ that he has been given, he would live life as Christ lived. The life Christ lived was sinless. He did not break God's laws, and that is the objective of the new creation and salvation.

— John W. Ritenbaugh

[ramrodd]

What Did Jesus Mean When He Said He Would Fulfill the Law?

COMMENTARY:

Aron just claimed on Twitter that there are more than 7 signs in John. I challenged him to name them and to number how many there are. You guys seem to be profoundly ignorant of the numerology of the Bible, so this could be a teachable moment.

By the way, all Pro-Life Evangelical Spiritual Warriors defending the Salvation Gospel should be wearing your MAGA hats so we know whose team you are on. If I still had a hat, it would be a black Ranger beret I wore on patrol on the Ho Chi Mihn Trail, but I left it down at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial because .... well, because.

Like the doctrine of Solo Scriptura, the Law of Moses was an empty vessel. It was designed to illustrate what the spirit is not and deliberated left what the spirit is a void to be filled later. The Holy of Holies, with its carpet-thick veil, was an empty space for the spirit to occupy. It's like the empty chair at a seder, in case Elijah is party hopping and happens to stop by. Or the box the Aviator drows for the Littel Prince to keep his lamb safe.

Jesus is a test-tube baby, the catapillar in Plato's Cave who dons a chrysalis and emerges in all His Glory three days later as a butter fly.  

The Beatitudes weaves a similar chrysalis around the spirit of the servant leader.  The Sermon on the Mount is a TED Talk on becoming a servant leader, what those attributes are. They don't connect, logically, per se except that they each connect with the spirit of the servant-leadership. Like the balance of the biblical narrative, the Gospel of Mark advances the themes of the inerrancy of God's faithfulness. the epistemology, ontology and ethic of the Law of Moses, and the nature of duty, as examined in the sacrifice of Isaac and Abraham's duty to Sarah in regards to Hagar. The Gospel of Mark adds the living archtype of the Servant-Leader as the nature of command in a milieu of secular humanism, such as the Roman empire in 1st Century Judea. Jesus is the model of Servant Leadership of West Point with it's priorities of Mission:Men:Self of the Liberation Gospel.

One of the reasons why Christian apologetics has been operating at a disadvantage to Muslim and anti-theist critics is it's superstitious embrace of Solo Scriptura as the only source of High Criticism, much less personal spiritual growth. It's a forensic format, lacking the spirit. It's a deliberate appeal to what has become the post modern dialectical deconstruction that characterizes Marx's examination of Hegel and is basically an adversarial legal argument. I mean, when you start talking about gaming out the Lord's Prayer, it's an indication you have completely lost your way, theologically,

The good news, I suppose, for you is that you arern't alone. N.T. Wright has fallen victim to the same process fallacy. He has a real hard-on about the decadent influence of the Epicuriean ethos of the Enlightenment. He's never come out and said it, but I assume that he believes Christian Stewardship is defined by the many stoicism of Paul cruising the highways and biways of Asia Minor.

Zeno's discussion of stoicism and Epicurus and his Epicureanism are studies of the aspects of the spirit of Duty. Everybody is talking about Duty before Socrates defines Duty as a citizen existentially by drinking his Hemlock shooter. Melchizedek figures into this mix in some manner in the Mediterranean that begins the transition from societies based on Aesthetics of the theocracy to the Ethic of secular humanism. At 2000 BCE, Egypt was proving to be an epistemological dead end. It had all the social organization necessary to put a man on the moon, but they had wrung about everything they could out of the technology they used escaping the stone age but had stalled doing it bigger and better.

Unlike the author of Hebrews, I think Melchizedek is human and is a member of the same guild who would send wisemen to Bethleham 2000 years later to determine what they had wrought along this critical path. A similar critical path was set in motion across the Mediterranean into the Greek Penisula, the Etruscans and Carthaginian enclave in North Africa and it all came into focus with the Praetorian Guards of the Roman Republic. And the Holy Catholic Church of the Apostle's Creed is the synthesis of those two social spheres, the Law of Moses and the Roman rule of Law  completed the transition from the Aesthetic of the Heroic societies of the warrior states, on the one hand, and the Ethical Aesthetic of the Jewish theocracy, on the other,  to the secular humanism Paul's legal arguements in Romans suggests to his Roman interrogators during his first imprisonment.

And Duty is the one inerrant element of both social apparatus. Jesus clearly sees Himself acting to the same moral authority as Socrates and, this is essential to understanding the servant-leader ethos of the Gospel of Mark, the centurion in Matthew 8/Luke 7 recognizes the submission of Jesus to an identical moral authority he, the soldier, pays to Caesar at the top of his chain of command. It is exactly the same moral authority I voluntarily submitted to as a commissioned officer. Duty. And behind Duty is Yaweh, Queen of Battle. This is the essence of the Liberation Gospel.

So, this dilemma N. T. Wright perceives between Stoic and Epicurean philosophies is an example of the nature of the Fascist construct result from post modern dialectical deconstruction. It's like Supply-side economics: you begin with a dynamic whole, which may be paradox,  such as the paradox of the Stoic-Epicurean aspects of Duty, and devolve them to dilemma and then forcee a choice between the horns of the dilemma. In the case of the dynamic relationship between Supply-Demand, you determine that Supply and Demand repesent systemic contradiction and force a choice to eliminat the contradiction, in the case of the Dialectical Materialism of Marxism you chose a Supply-side construct for social organizaton, and in the case of the Stoic-Epicruean aspects of Duty, you declare the decadence of the Epicrurean of secular humanism.

The confusion is caused because the spirit of Duty as the common anchor for either side of the dialectic. Fascism occurs when a synthetic process is delayed or prematurely terminated.

When I was going through the Ranger School, there was a motivational poster in the City Phase at Harmony Church with the legend: Instant Obedience - Self Discipline.  These are the ideals the Ranger strives to exhibit by his/her commitment to Duty as defined by Duty, or, as a result of submission to the authority of the US Constitution. This is what the centurion recognized in Jesus. "Instant Obedience" occurs in the existential NOW in the manner that Abraham immediately began to make preparations to sacrifice Isaac. That's the Stoic side of the equation. "Self Discipline" is the state of constant high dressage necessary to ensure the efficacy of that "Instant Obedience". That's the Epicurean side of the equation. The "Eat, Drink and be Merry" side of the Epicurean life style is like that Zen proverb: "Before Enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After Enlightenment, chop wood, carry water". It is a life style that reflects the ""semper vigilans fortis paratus et fidelis" context of the Republican servant leader, ancient and modern, which includes the contingency "For tomorrow, we may die" of the Liberation Gospel.

See, the thing is, I went to Vietnam on the basis of the Liberation Gospel and the people who had other priorities than military service or were scared shitless of going to Vietnam stayed behind with the Salvation Gospel of the Young Ruler who wanted to follow Jesus but went away in sorrow because he had great wealth. Salvation is the context of the republican servant leader engaged in the Liberation Gospel. It's why the motto of the US Army Infantry is "Follow Me!": when Duty calls, the ululations of Yaweh, Queen of Battle, demands "Instant Obedience" of the heart.

"Not in all of Israel have I found such faith": the most important verse in the Bible for the Liberation Gospel of the servant leader.

Jesus fulfilled the Law of Moses with absolute, existential clarity. That's what "Instant Obedience - Self Discipline" means if you have a Ranger Tab. If you're a Pro-Life Evangelical Spiritual Warrior, that's why you need to put on your MAGA hat when you're selling your version of Jesus: a little truth in advertising if you're selling the Theological Narcissism of the Salvation Gospel.