#when I die let david shore lower me in the ground so he can let me down one last time

[coldasyou]

Happy Birthday, Penny!!! I hope this day is wonder and this year brings you more joy x

Thank you! Fingers crossed for shaire canon this year

[dfroza]

our Creator chose and entrusted the Jews with spiritual truth

which led up to the clear revelation of the Son.

this is what Paul illuminated in the New Testament (New Covenant) seen in Today’s reading of the Scriptures with the 3rd chapter of his Letter of Romans:

So what difference does it make who’s a Jew and who isn’t, who has been trained in God’s ways and who hasn’t? As it turns out, it makes a lot of difference—but not the difference so many have assumed.

First, there’s the matter of being put in charge of writing down and caring for God’s revelation, these Holy Scriptures. So, what if, in the course of doing that, some of those Jews abandoned their post? God didn’t abandon them. Do you think their faithlessness cancels out his faithfulness? Not on your life! Depend on it: God keeps his word even when the whole world is lying through its teeth. Scripture says the same:

Your words stand fast and true;

Rejection doesn’t faze you.

But if our wrongdoing only underlines and confirms God’s rightdoing, shouldn’t we be commended for helping out? Since our lies don’t even make a dent in his truth, isn’t it wrong of God to back us to the wall and hold us to our word? These questions come up. The answer to such questions is no, a most emphatic No! How else would things ever get straightened out if God didn’t do the straightening?

It’s simply perverse to say, “If my lies serve to show off God’s truth all the more gloriously, why blame me? I’m doing God a favor.” Some people are actually trying to put such words in our mouths, claiming that we go around saying, “The more evil we do, the more good God does, so let’s just do it!” That’s pure slander, as I’m sure you’ll agree.

So where does that put us? Do we Jews get a better break than the others? Not really. Basically, all of us, whether insiders or outsiders, start out in identical conditions, which is to say that we all start out as sinners. Scripture leaves no doubt about it:

There’s nobody living right, not even one,

nobody who knows the score, nobody alert for God.

They’ve all taken the wrong turn;

they’ve all wandered down blind alleys.

No one’s living right;

I can’t find a single one.

Their throats are gaping graves,

their tongues slick as mudslides.

Every word they speak is tinged with poison.

They open their mouths and pollute the air.

They race for the honor of sinner-of-the-year,

litter the land with heartbreak and ruin,

Don’t know the first thing about living with others.

They never give God the time of day.

This makes it clear, doesn’t it, that whatever is written in these Scriptures is not what God says about others but to us to whom these Scriptures were addressed in the first place! And it’s clear enough, isn’t it, that we’re sinners, every one of us, in the same sinking boat with everybody else? Our involvement with God’s revelation doesn’t put us right with God. What it does is force us to face our complicity in everyone else’s sin.

But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.

God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it’s now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.

So where does that leave our proud Jewish insider claims and counterclaims? Canceled? Yes, canceled. What we’ve learned is this: God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. We’ve finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade.

And where does that leave our proud Jewish claim of having a corner on God? Also canceled. God is the God of outsider non-Jews as well as insider Jews. How could it be otherwise since there is only one God? God sets right all who welcome his action and enter into it, both those who follow our religious system and those who have never heard of our religion.

But by shifting our focus from what we do to what God does, don’t we cancel out all our careful keeping of the rules and ways God commanded? Not at all. What happens, in fact, is that by putting that entire way of life in its proper place, we confirm it.

The Letter of Romans, Chapter 3 (The Message)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 22nd chapter of the book (scroll) of Isaiah that points to God establishing righteousness and the humbling of arrogance:

A message about the valley of Vision:

What in the world is wrong with you?

Why have you climbed on your housetops and started celebrating?

What noise! The whole city is in an uproar.

Don’t you realize that your fallen comrades didn’t actually die fighting,

That your leaders turned tail together and ran,

only to be captured without a fight, without even drawing their weapons?

The rest of you tried to run far away

but were still captured.

This is why I said, “Just leave me alone;

let me weep bitterly over this travesty.

Don’t tell me it’s not that bad, or that everything will be all right.

We’re talking about the destruction of my cherished people!”

The Lord, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies,

determined that this would be the time for destruction—

Smashing and crashing, wreaking havoc and chaos in the valley of Vision,

battering down walls and crying out to the mountains.

You tried, but how could you hold off Elam’s skilled archers

with chariots and horsemen and Kir’s soldiers—shields held high.

The invader’s chariots overran your pristine valleys,

and their horsemen made their stand at the city gates.

But God simply did away with Judah’s defenses.

In that day you put your trust in weapons stored in the armory.

You began to fix the many breaks in the walls of the city of David.

You stocked up on water from the lower pool.

You took stock of the houses in Jerusalem,

and began to dismantle them stone-by-stone to shore up the city wall.

You built a reservoir between two walls to hold the water of the old pool.

But in all this you neglected the One who could really save you;

You failed to consider the One who actually made this place

and established it so long ago.

Consequently, the Lord, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies,

determined that day would be a time of weeping and regret,

A time of shaved heads and donning sackcloth

and a time for mourning.

Yet you missed the point and made merry,

slaughtering cattle and sheep for a giant celebration,

Eating and drinking your fill of wine!

People (to each other): Eat up, drink up, for tomorrow we die.

Eternal One (to Isaiah): This sin will not be forgiven.

It will stay with you until your dying day.

That’s what the Lord, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, said.

Eternal One: Come on. Go to Shebna, the caretaker of the royal household,

and confront him saying,

“Why are you here, anyway? Do you really belong here?

What right do you have to build yourself an elegant tomb

And stone monument here out of the rock on this hill?

Look, strong man! The Eternal is about to throw you out,

wildly, violently. With a firm grasp

He will crush you like a ball—hurl you deep into a land

far, far away where you go to die.

You will be known as the shame of your master’s house

and your splendid chariots will lie empty.

I will see to it that you’re driven from your post, toppled from your position,

with all the disgrace and shame that you deserve.

When that day comes, I will summon My faithful servant;

Eliakim the son of Hilkiah will be called

To take over and assume your authority and office.

I will clothe him in your royal robes and fasten your sash securely around him.

He will be a father to the people:

He will have authority over Jerusalem and Judah.

I will grant him the key to David’s royal house and

no one can shut what he opens;

no one can open what he shuts.

I will attach him securely like a peg to that house,

and he will bring honor to his father and his family.

On him will hang all the riches,

all the honor, of his family’s future.

On the appointed day, the peg that was attached so securely to that house

will become weak, break off, and fall to the ground.

And everything that had been hung on it will fall down and shatter.

The Eternal One, Commander of heavenly armies, has declared it to be so.

The Book (Scroll) of Isaiah, Chapter 22 (The Voice)

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for Wednesday, june 30 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons that looks at faith and suffering in this world:

Regarding the "language of pain," the Talmud discusses how the bleeding of a stubbed toe corrects the relationship between man and God as if it were an "olah sacrifice" (whole burnt offering). They elaborate that this is the case if it was the second time the toe was injured before recovering from its first injury, and that it had occurred on the right toe when the person was on a mission to perform a mitzvah.

The reference to the right toe recalls the anointing of the priest for service (Exod. 29:20) as well as the healing of a leper (Lev. 14:25). The sages note that this signification of the blood is not the result of a punitive measure but instead indicates a wound that brings the heart closer to God. In the case of an injury to the toe while doing a mitzvah, the sufferer is brought to teshuvah (repentance), not because of disobedience, but in order to learn compassion, and to affirm that everything comes only from the Lord (Psalm 136:25-26). "Let this suffering be for atonement," by which is meant, may this too bring my heart closer to God's love... The sages brought this case up as a counterexample to the notion that all suffering or pain is some form of punishment from heaven, and argue that on the contrary, some suffering is the result of God's decree. This is the message of the Book of Job as well.

A pain-free life is not necessarily a sign of blessing, of course, since it might indicate that the person is no longer being "educated for eternity," and therefore that God no longer talks to him anymore. This is one way to understand the irony of why the wicked prosper in this world, for they shall have received their reward here, but nothing in the world to come (Matt. 6:5; Job 27:8). On the other hand, pain can “goad” the soul to draw near to God for healing, which is the essential and consummate blessing, after all... Pain also teaches us to be humble, to consider our own frailty and need, and to learn compassion by extending that consciousness to people as well. The greatest example of this is found in our Savior, who emptied himself and suffered in wholehearted service to his heavenly Father (see Isa. 50:6; Phil. 2:7-8; Heb. 2:10, 4:15; 5:8-9. 7:25, etc.).

The focus of spirituality is not about finding comfort through fulfilling our desires as much as it is devotion to the truth by exercising faith in the divine ideal. We come to God to conform to his will, not because religion is a form of therapy or another self-improvement project. Stoicism has made a come-back in the “postmodern” world, offering people a variety of philosophical diversions meant to diminish the significance of what happens in this world and to direct the mind to a "nirvana-like" equanimity (ataraxia), as if the final reconciliation has already taken place. Such detachment from the world, however, is incompatible with faith in God's omnipotence and love, since it assumes that this age is not meaningful or offers no blessing. Genuine faith in God allows us to mourn when sorrow is called for and to rejoice in times of joy; it does not negate the reality of history nor deny God's providential love in the temporal realm. This is part of the tension we have in a “two-tiered” reality, which requires us to both affirm the reality of life in this world - the mixed bag of sorrows and joys we experience in our sojourn - and the promise of the substance to come, when all tears will be wiped from our eyes and our love will be unhindered by sin... The tension is dialectical and complex: we stand in relation to God not only when we are confronted by his truth, but in our seeking and in the ordinary ups and downs of our everyday existence. As C.S. Lewis said, those who choose a life of truth over happiness often acquire both, whereas those who seek happiness over truth often acquire neither... Therefore as we walk with God, whether in the high places or in the shadow of death, we experience blessing and grace in our lives.

The temptation behind suffering is to regard it as a sign of divine rejection or abandonment. Even when suffering is interpreted to be an invitation to do teshuvah, however, it does not unambiguously indicate where we stand in relation to God... This is true even in light of the work of salvation secured in Yeshua at the cross. Is our suffering a means of correction or "chastening" (Psalm 94; 119:71)? Or is it the result of the common affliction our fallen human nature (Gen. 3:17-19; Job 5:7; 14:1; Rom. 8:20)? Or is our suffering somehow for the sake of the glory of God (John 9:1-3, Matt. 5:11-12)? The writers of the New Testament repeatedly mention fiery trials and tests that would befall God's children (1 Pet. 4:12-13; Rom. 8:17; Phil. 3:10; Matt. 5:11-12; Col. 1:24; 2 Tim. 2:12).

Some have said that this ambiguity makes teshuvah impossible, for you can't repent unless you know what you have done wrong... This raises the question of how much we are able to know of ourselves and our "secret sins," and how these affect us spiritually. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and incurably sick-- who can know it" (Jer. 17:9). The heart is the source of the problem (Mark 7:21) and yet how is it possible to overcome itself? In other words, how can a person be saved from himself, after all? If we are incurably sick, healing must come from a source outside of ourselves... by means of the miracle of regeneration. [Hebrew for Christians]

For more on this topic see the link under this post!

Post continues here:

and another post about surrender:

If we refuse to surrender to God, we will be at war within ourselves... To be inwardly healed we have to first of all *want it; and that means being willing to give up *everything* - including our sickness of heart. For many people, this is too much, and therefore they cling to what makes them sick as a child might cling to a pacifier. This is because to the natural man, the cure is regarded as worse than the sickness itself. As Kierkegaard astutely noted, “When a man is sick or indisposed, the first thing he does is to send for a physician, and medication is what he wants; spiritually, however, it is just the opposite - when a man has sinned, the last thing he wants is the physician and medicine."

.

"Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed;

save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise."

- Jeremiah 17:14

.

Note that the healing mentioned in this verse is primarily spiritual (יְשׁוּעָה) rather than physical, since physical illness is a natural consequence of living in a fallen world. The Apostle wrote that while the “outer man is wasting away, the inner man is renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). There is a divinely appointed “light and momentary affliction” that we all must carry in this life, and it is callous to suggest that every believer should live miraculously immune from any physical illness or suffering whatsoever. “By His stripes we are healed” does not necessarily mean that we are guaranteed physical healing in this life, though it does mean that we are given true and everlasting healing from the plague of death, that is, we are given spiritual healing that far outweighs concern for the present moment and its temporary afflictions. Of course there are miracles of healing that come through prayer (Psalm 6:2; James 5:15; 1 Cor. 12:9), though even then the focus must first be directed to the spirit and then to the flesh...

A person of faith will use the good eye (העין הטובה) to see the good - even in occasions of misfortune, whereas one disposed to despair will use the evil eye (העין הרעה) to see the bad - even in occasions of good. And even in cases where the facts are entirely the same, for one there is hope, but for another there is fear... Therefore, a person's whole view of life is actually a confession of the state of his inner being. As Yeshua said, "according to your faith be it done unto you," which underscores the importance of believing in the good, taking hold of hope, and trusting in the ongoing love and care of the Lord, despite affliction and trouble in this world. True healing means coming out of the nightmare of fear...

People sometimes seek healing for that which needs to be slain. You don't need a cure -- you need let go and allow yourself to die.... The carnal life may indeed be scandalized, but the point of life is not how to find healing, strength, sustenance, happiness, and so on, but rather how to give up and die. Flesh and blood can never inherit the kingdom of God.

Again, God's way of healing is entirely different than man's way. Man tries to suppress the flesh, to cover it up, to justify its failings, or to enlist its power in the battle against sin, but God's way is to remove the flesh from the equation. The goal is not to make us stronger and stronger, but rather weaker and weaker, until the flesh is crucified and only the sufficiency of the Messiah remains. Then we can truly say, " I have been crucified with Messiah. It is no longer I who live, but the Messiah who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal 2:20). The word “Hebrew” (עִבְרִי) means one who has “crossed over” (עָבַר) to the other side, as our father Abraham did (Gen. 14:13). Again, it is on the other side of the cross that we experience the very power that created the universe "out of nothing" (i.e., yesh me'ayin: יֵשׁ מֵאַיִן) and that raised Yeshua the Messiah from the dead. Ask the Lord for the miracle... [Hebrew for Christians]

6.29.21 • Facebook

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

June 30, 2021

Behavior Checklist

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.” (Philippians 2:14-15)

The Holy Spirit makes sure that we do not take lightly the obligation to live godly lives. This “list” contains both warnings and promises.

Everything is to be done without “murmurings” and “disputings.” Both words are very interesting synonyms of heart attitudes that produce ungodly behavior. The Greek word translated “murmur” is goggusmos, and it is almost an onomatopoeia (sounds like what it actually is)—a secret debate, muttering to oneself. The “dispute” (Greek dialogismos) suggests a logical debate with oneself.

We are commanded to excise that kind of behavior from ourselves so that we may well be blameless and harmless as the “sons of God,” living “without rebuke.” These words are powerful in their description of God’s expectations for us.

The blameless condition is first an eternal promise that comes with salvation: “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God” (1 Thessalonians 3:13). That condition “works out” in this life as a faultless reputation that is harmless. Paul uses the term this way: “I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil” (Romans 16:19).

Finally, if we eliminate “murmuring and disputings” from our inner thoughts and actively seek to be “blameless and harmless” with our external behavior, we will be “without rebuke” in the middle of this sadly sinful world. “Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (2 Peter 3:14). HMM III

A tweet by illumiNations:

@IlluminationsBT: The largest Least-Reached group in the Middle East / North Africa without Scripture, Jesus film, or audio recordings are the Omani Arabs of Oman, with 2,108,000 people. #iwtkbible

6.30.21 • 12:00pm • Twitter

[juleshawke]

Chapters: 82/? Fandom: Mass Effect Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Female Shepard/James Vega Characters: Female Shepard (Mass Effect), James Vega, Jeff "Joker" Moreau, Kaidan Alenko, Garrus Vakarian, David Anderson, Steven Hackett Additional Tags: Romance, Sexual Tension, Science Fiction, War Summary:

He'd worshiped her from afar, always wanted the chance to say hello, maybe to serve under her. Then his mission had gone horribly wrong and he blamed her, resented her for it. Or did he. James Vega finds himself in a position he never expected and has to come to terms with his own pain and doubt. Bioware owns all thing Mass Effect, I'm just playing in their sandbox.

Have a snippet -

The enemy numbers dwindled until only the clone and Brooks remained. Time stopped and so did his heart as Shepard charged at the clone and they both rolled over the edge of the cargo ramp.

'Shepard.' He and Kaidan yelled at the same time, both running to where she'd disappeared.

A fall from this height would kill her and James expected the worst as they reached the opening. His eyes stung at the thought of losing her, the idea of following her over the edge at the top of his options because he didn't want to live without her. He almost sobbed aloud when he saw her hanging on, arguing with the clone.

Dropping flat he slid down the ramp while Kaidan hung on to his feet. Hooking his fingers under her armour he heaved and pulled her to safety. The Normandy stabilised and he guessed that EDI had taken control. He watched through wide eyes as Shepard literally kicked the clone off her ship. Some part of him had expected her to save her doppelganger but, like she said, they made this personal. And yet as they turned to walk back into the ship he saw the way she squeezed her eyes shut, how her hands dropped to her sides and her shoulders slumped.

He wanted to hold her, to comfort her because watching yourself die had to be the most bizarre and confusing experience he could ever imagine. Having something you were afraid of appear before you would send you reeling. But she walked ahead of them, distancing herself from her actions and them. Kaidan glanced at him and he saw the worry in his eyes. Trotting to catch up he moved beside her.

'You okay, Lola?'

'I'm fine.'

'Really, because - .'

'Not now, James.' Her voice cracked and she pursed her lips.

'Okay, but we will talk about this.'

She stopped and glared at him and for a moment he thought she would take her anger, grief, regret or whatever she felt out on him. He could handle it, and he would for her. But she gave a slight nod of her head and turned to meet Joker, all signs of her distress pushed into a hole for later as she became the strong, dependable woman everyone expected her to be.

James hated that she did that, that she couldn't let anyone see she suffered. He knew the crew wouldn't see it as weakness but she did. Joker reported on the results of their fight, making special mention of how Steve did some awesome flying and it reminded him that they weren't the only ones who could have been killed today. The ship, the crew and the future had been under threat. Another responsibility Shepard would carry on her shoulders.

'What about the mercs? Any of them left?' Shepard walked with Joker as they spoke.

Joker stopped. 'Just her.'

The rest of Joker's sentence disappeared beneath the pounding in James' ears. His skin burned and his fingers curled as he rolled his neck and bared his teeth. Palming his pistol he watched as Shepard spoke to Brooks, wanting nothing more than to put a bullet in her head.

'Admit it Shepard, you'll miss me.'

Brooks broke free, turned and ran. A single shot rang out and she dropped to the ground.

'I don't think so.' James lowered his gun.

'Ah, maintenance to the shuttle bay.' Joker spoke into his com but James didn't miss the grin on his face.

'Nice.' Kaidan said softly.

'Guess there's no getting through to some people.' Shepard sighed.

They walked off the Normandy, meeting the rest of the team on the dock. Conversation went on around him but James only half listened. His concern for Shepard outweighed everything else. As Bailey approached Shepard sucked in a breath and visibly tensed.

'Maybe now we can have some actual shore leave,' Kaidan said as he walked beside James.

'That would be nice.' Shepard scoffed.

'Shepard,' Bailey stood in her path, 'want to explain why you and your crew are shooting up my docks and the archives.'

James put his hand on her shoulder as she went to speak. 'I've got this Commander. I can give C-Sec a report.' He met her eyes and waited for her to argue with him, silently pleading that that she would hear his unspoken message. Go home, take a shower, relax. Don't fight me, Andy, let me take care of you.

@vorchagirl this is the one you’ve been waiting on ;)