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burning-up-ao3 · 5 years ago

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Edge of 17 ch 5/10 “Best At Being Stupid”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22297483/chapters/53682697

**NSFW**

Evgeni’s finger traced Sid’s abs, followed the trail of coarse hair from his belly button to the brief’s elastic. Sid breathed a yes. Please. And as Evgeni dipped below the elastic waistband

Sid woke up, drenched in sweat, his heart pounding. Jesus Christ, he was half of a finger away from humping the bed and there would have been no coming back from that mortification. That was the fucking hottest dream he’d ever had, kissing Evgeni’s plush lips, touching his pale skin, being skin to skin, and then he’d—

Shit. No.

Sid sat up quickly with his back to Evgeni so he couldn’t see Sid’s raging wood because that would be—

Since it was close enough to the alarm, Sid grabbed his phone and hurried to the bathroom. He ran the shower and tried not to think about his dream, but it was no use. He carefully shucked his sweatpants and underwear and stepped into the shower, barely yanking the curtain closed before he had his cock in his hand. Soap, some soap. Just the right amount so there was slick and friction. He replayed the dream and expanded it, Evgeni’s lips on his neck, kissing down, stopping to play with his nipples. Slide his tongue over one, return with a flick before sucking on it. Teeth? Just a little, maybe.

With his free hand, Sid scraped his fingernail over his hard nipples, and yeah, that was—yeah. Good. Really good. He thrust into his fist, harder, faster, as he imagined Evgeni sinking to his knees, the water running over his face as he took Sid into his mouth as far as he could, allowed Sid to fuck his face, and Sid had never done anything like this before, but it was amazing, perfect, wet and so hot. A sound escaped, a moan cut off, a shuddered sigh.

With each thrust, Sid felt his orgasm spiraling through his body, ready to spin out, a thousand winter shocks, each a tiny firework. Evgeni would carefully roll Sid’s balls in his hand before reaching further back and dragging his finger over Sid’s hole and—

It’s too much; he can’t hold off any longer, and he breaks, pulsing over his fist and onto the wall, gasping as quietly as he can, if he could even be quiet after the best orgasm he’s ever had.

Sid collapsed against the shower wall, ragged breathing and using willpower to stay upright. Thank God he’d been quiet, because if Evgeni had heard that—total humiliation.

When he’d built up enough energy, Sid slung the shower curtain open and stepped out.

Evgeni burst into the bathroom, fumbling to take his dick out of his underwear.

“What the fuck?!” Sid asked, standing naked and dripping on the small rug.

Evgeni mumbled something in Russian as he flipped open the toilet lid and peed.

“Seriously, what the fuck? You can’t just come in—” Sid scrambled to cover up, clawing at a towel from the linen shelves.

“Pee.”

He was being stupid. Guys saw each other naked all the time in locker rooms. But this was intimate—or yeah. Maybe he was just being stupid.

Sid wrapped the towel around his waist, but he was still half hard, and his dick pushed at the terry cloth. He pressed at it, willing it to go down.

Evgeni flicked and flushed, then washed his hands. When he turned around, Sid felt like he was still naked under Evgeni’s gaze. Like he could see everything, and not just Sid’s body. He could barely breathe under the weight of it.

“Why shower when we practice in little bit?” Evgeni asked, his voice still sleep rough and his accent thicker than it had been the day before.

Which was not helping his erection. At all.

“Just—needed a shower. Long day yesterday,” Sid shrugged and grabbed at the towel that was coming loose. “We should probably get going because, y’know, breakfast and stuff.”

Evgeni nodded like that made sense and left the bathroom, dropping his boxer briefs along the way. Sid struggled to breathe, faced with Evgeni’s ass, which was gorgeous. Thick and muscled, definitely a hockey ass.

Sid stumbled into the end of the bed and almost fell on top of it. Evgeni turned around to see what happened, and Sid smiled awkwardly, pretending to reach for yesterday’s t shirt that had gone flying out of his hand. “I think Mom’s calling. Yeah. Hurry up.”

Sid stepped into his briefs as quickly as he could, then threw on last night’s sweats and a clean t shirt. “Do you want a t shirt or sweats or something?”

Without waiting for an answer, Sid tossed a t shirt and a pair of sweatpants at him. “They’re gonna be too short. Don’t make jokes.”

“Is ok, Sid. You like candy bar. Fun size.”

Sid flipped him off but Evgeni’s tongue poking out from between his lips as he tried not to laugh was too much. “Asshole,” Sid laughed as he left the room.

~*~

“Guys. This is Evgeni. He’s new here. Don’t treat him like one of us. Actually be nice to him, please,” Sid said when the team was gathered at center ice.

“Ev-what?” Flower asked, feigning confusion.

“Evgeni,” Sid repeated slowly. “He’s Russian. He’s living with Coach Gonch.”

Evgeni stood smiling broadly, nodding.

“He needs a nickname. No way I can pronounce that,” Tanger said.

“You can’t pronounce your own name half the time.” Horny elbowed him in the gut, and Tanger nodded as if to say, That’s true.

Evgeni stood smiling broadly, nodding.

“Does he speak English? Can he even understand what we say? Like, if we nicknamed him Asshole, would he even know?” John Marino asked with a glint in his eye.

Evgeni stared him down, his face dark with anger. “Try me.”

Marino held up his palms in apology. “Sorry, my dude.”

“Is okay, but don’t do again.” And in the space of a moment, Evgeni’s face was sunny and smiling again.

“Geno. That’s a good nickname,” Flower decreed, and everyone agreed.

The coaches skated onto the ice. “Malkin! Show us what you got. Dumolin and Letang. Defend him. Flower, don’t let him score.”

Easier said than done. Geno slipped past Dumo, spun around Tanger, and went top shelf on Flower without him even moving.

“It’s okay baby,” Flower said, patting his goal cage. “The bad man didn’t mean it.”

Geno laughed a huge doubled over belly laugh, and Sid patted him on the back. “Great job!”

“Crosby!” Coach Sullivan hollered. “Center Malkin and Hornqvist. Let’s see how it looks.”

It was a thing of beauty.

Sid’s blind pass hit the tape of Geno’s blade as if he’d known it were going to be there, expected it to be there. Geno took another shot that banked off Flower’s pad and popped into the goal.

Again and again puck on tape, whether it was Sid to Geno or Geno to Sid.

“Jesus,” Sid heard Coach Sullivan say. “They’re like a goddamn two headed monster. We might just win it this year.”

~*~

After skate, the guys stripped out of their smelly uniforms and sweaty UnderArmour. They chirped Geno like he’d been part of the team for years, called him and Sid the “Two Headed Monster.”

“What are you guys doing later?” Flower asked, struggling with the buckles on his leg pads.

“Go with Sid,” Geno shrugged. “Sid best.”

“Sid best. Isn’t that cute?” Flower said to no one in particular, but Sid caught his meaning.

He glared at Flower who only grinned. “Are you living with Sid?”

“Flower!” Sid hissed, “Shut up!”

“Live with Coach, stay with Sid.” Geno, who was shirtless wearing only his compression shorts, wrapped his arm around Sid and pulled him in. “Sid best.”

“If my parents go out, we’re having a party at my house tonight.” Tanger barged in and broke up the conversation. “Check the group text.”

The locker room emptied out with the boys heading home or out to lunch. Geno went to find Coach Gonch. Flower, who had taken as long as he possibly could getting out of his pads, was alone with Sid.

Sid packed his bag up with his back to Flower. Maybe, if he couldn’t see Flower, he wouldn’t say anything. Or would go away. Or a hole would open in the floor, and Sid wouldn’t have to have this conversation.

“So—”

Okay, so none of those things…

“Geno’s staying with you, huh?”

Sid decided it was best to just do this. He zipped his bag, dropped it on the bench, and turned to face Flower. “Yes, he did last night.”

“Did he stay in Taylor’s room? Or did you?”

Sid’s silence was answer enough.

Flower shook his head in disbelief. “Sid! Tell me you at least slept on the floor.”

“I—he—he made me share the bed. I mean, it’s big enough for fuck’s sake. It’s not like anything happened.” Nothing had happened. And his dream was probably a one off anyway. Right?

“Sid. He’s, like, your dream guy.”

Please don’t say dream guy.

“He’s tall, built, brown eyes, nice smile. And he’s got a fucking huge dick. It’s actually frightening.”

Sid collapsed on the bench and hid his face in his hands. All he could do was nod his head.

“He can’t stay with you.” Flower rubbed Sid’s back as if it would take some of the future pain away. “This isn’t gonna end well, mon chum.”

“Back! What I miss?” Geno asked, his brow furrowed as he watched Flower and Sid. “Sid, you okay?”

Sid smiled wanly as he looked up at Geno. “Yeah, G. I’m ok.”

“Good. Coach Gonch say I’m stay at your house tonight! We play video games and watch more Friends.”

Against his will, Sid grinned. “Sounds like a plan.”

Geno grabbed his gear bag. “Sid best.”

Yeah. I’m best. Best at being stupid.

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thecomicsnexus · 5 years ago

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SWAMP THING #29-31, ANNUAL #2 OCTOBER 1984 - JANUARY 1985 BY ALAN MOORE, STEVE BISSETTE, RICK VEITCH, JOHN TOTLEBEN, ALFREDO ALCALA AND TATJANA WOOD

SYNOPSIS (FROM DC DATABASE)

Abby Cable reunites with the Swamp Thing, after he had sent her away in a rage weeks before. Despite having yelled at her about it the last time they met, he allows her now to call him Alec. Prior to this, after his revelation about his true identity of not being Alec fundamentally, he feels that he should not be referred to as such. She had been afraid that he hated her, and that she would lose her good friend, but they embrace, as good friends as ever.

Later, she and her husband Matt go for a drive, and he announces that he has three surprises for her. After some playful teasing, he reveals that he has made a down payment on an enormous mansion. As he gives her a tour, she is overwhelmed by how great it looks. However, in the bedroom, she catches a faint odour of burning insects, but it fades.

He takes her for a second surprise, showing that he's found a job at Blackriver Recorporations under a man named Eric Loveday. Inside, she has visions of Matt's coworkers as disgusting, decaying corpses, but a moment later, they appear normal. She doesn't mention what she saw to Matt, nor does she ask what "recorporations" means. Instead, she asks what the third surprise is. Matt opts to save that one for later.

She was happy to go back to the mansion, and was pleased (albeit somewhat suspicious) of the change in Matt's personality. They went to the bedroom, and made love. Afterwards, she went to the library to look up books on autism for her job. In the psychology section, she discovered a book about one of Matt's coworkers suggesting that she was a murderer. She returned home, and read it frantically, discovering that the woman called Sally Parks had killed 15 people for no reason at all, and was finally shot dead by police 22 years ago.

Abby recalls that Matt had been different since the strange events at Elysium Lawns, her workplace. In fact, he had been acting strangely since they were last in West Virginia. Suddenly, she realizes what the significance of Matt's job is, and who he really is. She understands, finally, that for months she has been married to her uncle, Anton Arcane.

After this disturbing revelation, Abby tries to burn her clothes, and uses up all of the soap trying to wash a horrible stink from herself. Finally, she turns to a steel brush used to scrape potatoes, and uses it on her own skin, eventually passing out from pain and blood loss after 20 minutes.

She wakes naked in the kitchen, and searches for her clothes, trying to get out before Matt returns. Unfortunately, he discovers her, and along with all of his 'coworkers'. They drop their facade when Anton Arcane mutters to her, “Just say uncle,” as he grips her by her hair.

Anton Arcane, having possessed the body of Matthew Cable uses his new found reality-warping powers to incite acts of evil and violence all over Louisiana. After thinking on all of the carnage he's causing, his thoughts return to his niece Abigail, who he is holding captive.

Arcane explains to her how his soul was hurled into the region of “bodiless men” after his death in combat with the Swamp Thing. He fought free of that plane, and began his plan to inhabit Matt's body. He explains that Matt was not free of corruption, squandering his reality-warping powers by attempting to satisfy his own insatiable lust. Arcane had then incited a young autistic boy named Paul's late parents to summon the Monkey King, thus luring Abby and Swamp Thing away, and leading Matt Cable into his fateful accident. After the accident, he had easily taken the opportunity to possess Matthew, with the dying man's consent. Finally, he declares to Abby that he is Arcane, as hands drag her down through the floor.

In outer space, the Monitor is notified by his assistant Harbinger to the strange happenings in Louisiana. Rather than intervene, they simply observe. At Arkham Asylum, Jason Woodrue screams in a deranged state about something coming out of the bayou. In his own cell, the Joker has stopped laughing.

In the swamp, Swamp Thing is confused by a sudden snowfall. Suddenly, Arcane attacks. It doesn't take Swamp Thing long to realize that his old adversary has returned. Arcane mocks him, baiting him by stating that he has Abigail. Lured by Arcane to his mansion, Swamp Thing enters and then emerges with Abigail's lifeless body, demanding to know how long she has been dead.

Possessing the body of Matthew Cable, Anton Arcane reveals to Swamp Thing that he has not only killed his friend Abby Cable, but he has also sent her guiltless soul to Hell. He chases Swamp Thing with a plague of abominations, but he is lured back to the swamp by his prey.

From outer space, the events in Louisiana are being observed by Harbinger and The Monitor. Despite Harbinger's concern about the dramatic levels of supernatural activity going on there, The Monitor refuses to intervene. He is, however, unable to tear his eyes away from his viewer.

Arcane believes that his power gives him control over the swamps, but it is there that Swamp Thing reveals to his foe the new power he has gained from communion with the world of flora. Arcane is taken aback, unaware of the fact that Alec Holland and the Swamp Thing were never one and the same. Swamp Things' elemental power is able to hurt Arcane, and weaken his hold over his host's body to the point that he is forced into an internal struggle with Matthew Cable's consciousness.

Matt wrests some of Arcane's control away, and decides that after what happened to Abby, he would give up the extension that his life was given in order to send Arcane to Hell. Arcane's soul is condemned to Hell, leaving only Matthew's battered and broken body - the wounds from his car accident returned to him. He admits to Swamp Thing that it was his own weakness that allowed Arcane to kill Abby.

Swamp Thing suggests that Matthew could use his reality-warping powers to heal himself. Matthew doesn't want to live, however, and instead, decides to help bring Abby back to life. Though he is weary, Matthew is able to regenerate his wife's cells, making her blood flow, her heart beat, and her lungs breathe, but he fails to return her soul before dying. Swamp Thing then gathers Abby into his arms and walks further into the swamp, leaving Matthew's body to be found by police.

Following the death of Anton Arcane, Swamp Thing is left with the living but soulless body of his friend Abby Cable. Knowing that her soul has been condemned to hell, he swears that he would follow her if he could. Suddenly, he realizes that he may be able to do just that, by casting his consciousness into The Green.

He traverses The Green, and finds himself tempted to simply let himself be lost within it. Fortunately, he regains his drive, and moves beyond The Green, and beyond life itself, into a new plane. He finds himself in a strange place, which seems to be empty and constantly changing. A woman appears, wondering where she is, and looking for her son. Before he can say anything, the boy appears, and leads his mother into a bright light, leaving Swamp Thing alone.

Moments later, a voice catches his attention. It is the voice of Boston Brand, also known as Deadman. He explains that Swamp Thing has found his way to the Region of the Just Dead, a place where those who have just died end up before passing on. Swamp Thing inquires after Abby's soul, and Deadman admits that having died the day before, it is likely she has already passed on into the lights.

Deadman can go no further, but they are suddenly startled by the appearance of the Phantom Stranger. The Stranger leads Swamp Thing through the light to a green place that seems like paradise. He explains that it is an aspect of Heaven, one of an infinite number. This aspect belongs, as it turns out, to Alec Holland. Alec thanks Swamp Thing for finally burying his body, and allowing him to pass on to Heaven. He lives there with his wife Linda, and they are discussing reincarnation. Alec invites Swamp Thing to meet Linda, but he declines.

Having explored the two nicer options, the Stranger and Swamp Thing are left with no choice by to go to Hell, and seek out Abby. Before they can gain entry, however, they must ask permission from The Spectre. The Spectre refuses permission, claiming that Abby's consignment to Hell is by the decree of God. The Phantom stranger argues that if she was unjustly condemned, then Hell has no reason. Contrarily, the Spectre responds that being able to return from death would similarly render life meaningless. The Stranger shrewdly asks what that means for Jim Corrigan - the man whose body the Spectre currently inhabits. Bested, the Spectre lets them pass.

At the gates of Hell, the Phantom Stranger states that he cannot enter with Swamp Thing. Fortunately, Etrigan appears, and offers his help since the Swamp Thing helped him defeat the Monkey King. However, he requires a fee: a flower that the Phantom Stranger plucked from the western slope of Heaven. The payment made, Etrigan leads Swamp Thing into hell.

As they wander through hell, they encounter some demons who are using General Sunderland as a slave. When he recognizes Swamp Thing as the one who killed him, the demons rip out his tongue to keep him quiet. Realizing that these demons will be of no help to them, Etrigan leads Swamp Thing deeper.

Next, they encounter Anton Arcane, condemned to have the eggs of insects hatching inside of him for eternity. He mocks Swamp Thing's attempt to retrieve Abby, warning that he won't want her once he sees her. Before Swamp Thing leaves, Arcane demands to know how many years he has been in hell. When Swamp Thing responds that it has only been one day, Arcane screams in horror.

Finally, Swamp Thing and Etrigan discover Abby's soul being tormented by a group of demons. Angrily, he attacks them, pushing them aside. The demons become angry, and Swamp Thing is forced to grab Abby and run. Desperately, Etrigan tries to open an escape route out of Hell, while they evade the demons' attacks. However, Arcane bites into Swamp Thing's ankle, gripping with his jaws. He complains that without Abby's soul still in hell, his revenge is moot, and he suffers without any satisfaction. With time running out, Etrigan loosens Arcane's grip with a kick and sends Abby and Swamp Thing through the exit.

Back in the swamp, Abby awakens with no memory of what happened to her. She is puzzled to see that Swamp Thing is crying.

REVIEW

Sophisticated horror. That is honest advertisement.

Alan Moore was known around this time for his revisionism of whatever was broken. It is strange that he ended up “fixing” Swamp Thing, as it wasn’t really broken (wasn’t a best-seller either). But with this, he made comic-book history.

But he is not alone, as usual, Moore is paired with amazing artists that put something of their own in the art. You can see it all over, culture and pop-culture references, shadows and reflections that tell a different story, sad gazes. This story has all of that.

There are a lot of horrible (in a good way) moments, and a lot of sad ones as well. The sequence where Swamp Thing meets Alec Holland and sees Linda in the distance. There are no thought balloons here, but it is evident that Swamp Thing still has false memories of loving her.

Moore pretty much closed most of the loose ends he received, showing the final fate of the villains souls. Poor Arcane thought he was fighting Alec Holland, that was a great moment.

I couldn’t recommend this story enough. There are many collected editions, but you can also find digital copies on Comixology (I would wait for a bundle sale around the time the tv show comes out).

I give this story a score of 10

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loveofyhwh · 6 years ago

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December 31: Malachi 1–4; John 21; Psalm 150; Proverbs 31:10–31

New Post has been published on https://loveofyhwh.com/december-31-malachi-1-4-john-21-psalm-150-proverbs-3110-31/

December 31: Malachi 1–4; John 21; Psalm 150; Proverbs 31:10–31

Old Testament:

Malachi 1–4

Malachi 1–4 (Listen)

1 The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.Malachi means my messenger‘>1

The Lord‘s Love for Israel

2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the LORD of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.’” 5 Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!”

The Priests’ Polluted Offerings

6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the LORD’s table may be despised. 8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts. 9 And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts. 10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will beOr is (three times in verse 11; also verse 14)‘>2 great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. 12 But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. 13 But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. 14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.

The Lord Rebukes the Priests

2 “And now, O priests, this command is for you. 2 If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. 3 Behold, I will rebuke your offspring,Hebrew seed‘>3 and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it.Or to it‘>4 4 So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts. 5 My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. 6 True instructionOr law; also verses 7, 8, 9‘>5 was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. 7 For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and peopleHebrew they‘>6 should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. 8 But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, 9 and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.”

Judah Profaned the Covenant

10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 May the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendantHebrew any who wakes and answers‘>7 of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the LORD of hosts!

13 And this second thing you do. You cover the LORD’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?Hebrew in it‘>8 And what was the one GodHebrew the one‘>9 seeking?Or And not one has done this who has a portion of the Spirit. And what was that one seeking?‘>10 Godly offspring. So guard yourselvesOr So take care; also verse 16‘>11 in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 16 “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her,Hebrew who hates and divorces‘>12 says the LORD, the God of Israel, coversProbable meaning (compare Septuagint and Deuteronomy 24:1–4); or “The Lord, the God of Israel, says that he hates divorce, and him who covers‘>13 his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”

The Messenger of the Lord

17 You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”

3 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.Or and they will belong to the Lord, bringers of an offering in righteousness‘>14 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.

5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

Robbing God

6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourerProbably a name for some crop-destroying pest or pests‘>15 for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.

13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”

The Book of Remembrance

16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

The Great Day of the Lord

4 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts.

4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rulesOr and just decrees‘>16 that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”The Hebrew term rendered decree of utter destruction refers to things devoted (or set apart) to the Lord (or by the Lord) for destruction‘>17

Footnotes

[1] 1:1 Malachi means my messenger [2] 1:11 Or is (three times in verse 11; also verse 14) [3] 2:3 Hebrew seed [4] 2:3 Or to it [5] 2:6 Or law; also verses 7, 8, 9 [6] 2:7 Hebrew they [7] 2:12 Hebrew any who wakes and answers [8] 2:15 Hebrew in it [9] 2:15 Hebrew the one [10] 2:15 Or And not one has done this who has a portion of the Spirit. And what was that one seeking? [11] 2:15 Or So take care; also verse 16 [12] 2:16 Hebrew who hates and divorces [13] 2:16 Probable meaning (compare Septuagint and Deuteronomy 24:1–4); or “The Lord, the God of Israel, says that he hates divorce, and him who covers [14] 3:3 Or and they will belong to the Lord, bringers of an offering in righteousness [15] 3:11 Probably a name for some crop-destroying pest or pests [16] 4:4 Or and just decrees [17] 4:6 The Hebrew term rendered decree of utter destruction refers to things devoted (or set apart) to the Lord (or by the Lord) for destruction

(ESV)

New Testament:

John 21

John 21 (Listen)

Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

21 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yardsGreek two hundred cubits; a cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters‘>1 off.

9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus and Peter

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Jesus and the Beloved Apostle

20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothersOr brothers and sisters‘>2 that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Footnotes

[1] 21:8 Greek two hundred cubits; a cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [2] 21:23 Or brothers and sisters

(ESV)

Psalm:

Psalm 150

Psalm 150 (Listen)

Let Everything Praise the Lord

150 Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens!Hebrew expanse (compare Genesis 1:6–8)‘>1 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! 3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! 4 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! 5 Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

Footnotes

[1] 150:1 Hebrew expanse (compare Genesis 1:6–8)

(ESV)

Proverb:

Proverbs 31:10–31

Proverbs 31:10–31 (Listen)

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

10 Verses 10–31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet‘>1 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. 13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. 14 She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. 15 She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. 16 She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. 17 She dresses herselfHebrew She girds her loins‘>2 with strength and makes her arms strong. 18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. 19 She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. 20 She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.Or in double thickness‘>3 22 She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. 25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27 She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” 30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

Footnotes

[1] 31:10 Verses 10–31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet [2] 31:17 Hebrew She girds her loins [3] 31:21 Or in double thickness

(ESV)

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dailybiblelessons · 4 years ago

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Thursday: Preparation for the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Revised Common Lectionary Proper 22 Roman Catholic Proper 27

Complementary Hebrew Scripture from the Latter Prophets: Jeremiah 2:14-22

Is Israel a slave? Is he a homeborn servant? Why then has he become plunder? The lions have roared against him, they have roared loudly. They have made his land a waste; his cities are in ruins, without inhabitant. Moreover, the people of Memphis and Tahpanhes have broken the crown of your head. Have you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the Lord your God, while he led you in the way? What then do you gain by going to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Nile? Or what do you gain by going to Assyria, to drink the waters of the Euphrates? Your wickedness will punish you, and your apostasies will convict you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God; the fear of me is not in you, says the Lord God of hosts.

For long ago you broke your yoke and burst your bonds, and you said, “I will not serve!” On every high hill and under every green tree you sprawled and played the whore. Yet I planted you as a choice vine, from the purest stock. How then did you turn degenerate and become a wild vine? Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me, says the Lord God.

Semi-continuous Hebrew Scripture Torah Lesson: Exodus 23:1-9

You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with the wicked to act as a malicious witness. You shall not follow a majority in wrongdoing; when you bear witness in a lawsuit, you shall not side with the majority so as to pervert justice; nor shall you be partial to the poor in a lawsuit.

When you come upon your enemy's ox or donkey going astray, you shall bring it back.

When you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden and you would hold back from setting it free, you must help to set it free.

You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in their lawsuits. Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and those in the right, for I will not acquit the guilty. You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the officials, and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.

You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

Complementary Psalm 80:7-15

Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches; it sent out its branches to the sea, and its shoots to the River. Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it.

Turn again, O God of hosts; look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, the stock that your right hand planted.

Semi-continuous Psalm 19

The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.¹

In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

¹This verse is quoted in Romans 10:18, part of a passage that says salvation is for all.

New Testament Epistle Lesson: Colossians 2:16-23

Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch”? All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings. These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence.

Year A Ordinary 27, RCL Proper 22, Catholic Proper 27 Thursday

Selections are from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings copyright © 1995 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Unless otherwise indicated, Bible text is from New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV) copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Image credit: Earth from Space by NASA, via Wikimedia Commons. This is a public domain image.

#A Ordinary 27 Thursday #circumcision #elemental spirits #turning away from God #forsaking God #vine #acting justly #restoration #God's laws #rock #redeemer #words of my mouth #meditations of my heart

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mystic-messenger-writing · 7 years ago

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Hi, I've spent the past few days reading your headcannons and I'm in LOVE with them! I was wondering what were your headcannons for a weak MC wanting to arm wrestle with the RFA+V/Saeran? Hope it's not too much, Have a good day! (I really love your headcannons. Keep writing!)

You’re so sweet anonny, thank you so much for the kind words and support! Okay so I really liked this idea and ended up making these super long so my bad! But thank you for the request and I hope that you enjoy!! ^^

Yoosung

Yoosung came home from work one day very confused by the odd set-up of his apartment

You removed everything from the kitchen table and had motivational music playing, your eyes perked up when you saw your boyfriend

“Yoosung Kim, I challenge you to an arm wrestling competition! The loser has to wash dishes for the next two weeks!”

This boy had to try and not giggle because of how cute you looked but he suddenly felt nervous, you had terrible arm strength

Of course, Yoosung wasn’t the strongest guy around but he knew he could beat you in arm wrestling

So he made the mental decision to go easy in you and let you win because how could he crush you when you looked so cute and determined

Yoosung got into position and you counted down from three, using all of your strength to try and push his arm down

But you were so weak that it was almost impossible for you to win but Yoosung let his arm go slack and you slammed his hand to the table

“Haha I win! You gotta do dishes now, sorry Yoosungie. Maybe you should try and do some arm strengthen exercises to get on my level!”

Yoosung couldn’t help the giggle that escaped his lips, making you confused but he quickly gave you a kiss and headed to the kitchen to start his punishment

“You’re right, MC. Maybe you can give me some lessons and someday I can maybe beat you! But until then, stop playing that motivational music and help me clean up!”

Zen

Zen woke up one morning to hear you grunting, making him sit straight up in bed and run to you

He feared the worst but stood dumbfounded when he saw you stretching your arms

When you noticed Zen staring at you, you jumped but composed yourself and pointed at his chest, eyes lit with fiery determination

“I, MC, challenge you Zen to an arm wrestling match! Loser has to let the winner do whatever they want with the loser’s hair!”

Oh no, this wasn’t good for Zen at all

He knew that you were seriously lacking in arm strength and that he could easily beat you in a match but he didn’t want to destroy your confidence

On the other hand, his silky silver hair was precious to him and who knows what kind of things you would do to it, it was quite the predicament

But Zen went along with it because maybe you actually had attained some arm strength

When you and Zen were set up, you screamed start and he found out that your arm strength was just as bad as he remembered

He tried to make it seem like he was trying but in actuality he could probably crush your arm if he tried with his strong muscles

So he decided to let you win and when you hit his arm down on the table, you jumped for joy

“I can’t believe that I actual best you, Zen! Alright, now time to make your hair beautiful!”

Zen groaned and nervously brushed his fingers through his hair as thoughts of his perfect hair being ruined filled his mind

“Yeah yeah I know you won but please MC, be careful with my hair. If anything bad happens I’ll make sure to beat you the next time we arm wrestle!”

Jaehee

Jaehee is typically a no-nonsense kind of woman and doesn’t like jokes or pranks

But you’ve helped her lighten up more which she appreciates, except for when she came home one day

You had cleared the dinning room table and wore a sweatband around one of your wrists, you grabbed Jaehee’s arm and led her to the table

“It is time Jaehee Kang, time to have an arm wrestling competition! The loser must give the other a shoulder and neck massage to show for their defeat!”

This was quite the dilemma for Jaehee, that massage sounded heavenly to her since she’s been working her butt off at work all week

But she also knew that your arm strength was awful and she could snap your arm like a twig thanks to her superior arm skills thank to judo

The look of concentration on your face as enough to convince her to let you win

So once the battle commenced, Jaehee tried to act kind she was trying to push against you, even though she used no strength at all

When you smacked her arm down to the table, your eyes widened in excitement as you cheered for yourself

“Wow, I can’t believe that I actually won! Your judo skills must be getting rusty Jaehee, maybe you should practice some more to get muscles like mine.”

Jaehee playfully rolled her eyes as she stood behind you to rub your shoulders, if only you knew the truth but she didn’t mind playing along

“You’re right MC, my skills must be weakening. You’ve proven your strength today with an exciting arm wrestling match, congratulations.”

Jumin

Jumin had always found commoner things and ideas interesting

You would show him a new food or a new store but he was not expecting a new game like the one you’d show him today

He was surprised when he came home to find you lifting weights and doing arm stretches but he just told himself to go along with it

When you noticed him enter, you set down your weights and rushed over to him, dramatically pointing to him

“It’s about time you came home but Jumin Han, I challenge you to an arm wrestling contest! The loser has to bathe Elizabeth the third!”

Jumin cringed at the thought of his precious cat taking a bath, it was never an easy task so he didn’t want to lose

But he also knew how weak your arm strength was so he didn’t want to crush your spirits

He contemplated his options for a moment, you were lifting weights so maybe you were getting stronger

Either way, Jumin didn’t want to lose as he awkwardly set his arm in position and when you said start, he realized that you were just as weak as re remembered

He glanced and saw that your weights were only 2 pounds heavy, that explained to him why you were just as weak as he decided to let you win this silly match

When you hit his arm to the table, you cheered for yourself, you couldn’t believe that you beat Jumin

“I did it, I beat you Jumin! I can always lend you my weights if you need them. Have fun trying to give Elizabeth the third a bath!”

Jumin couldn’t help but smile at your enthusiasm, but he wasn’t looking forward to giving his fussy cat a bath

“That was a fun commoner game, MC. Although I believe that I will make the loser’s punishment since I do not expect myself to lose next time.”

Seven

Seven was always the one to surprise with all kinds of random things but now, it was your turn

One day he was snapped out of his work trance when he heard loud music playing

He walked into the living room to find you decked out from head to toe in sports attire complete with a sweatband with your initials

When you saw Seven, you handed him his own sweatband with his initials as you struck a dramatic pose then pointed to him

“You, Saeyoung Choi, have been challenged by me to an arm wrestling competition. The loser must do whatever the winner demands. No matter what it is.”

Seven was never one to say no to a challenge, especially seeing how much work you put into this

But he also knew that you were the weakest person he knew and he didn’t want to crush your spirits

So he put his sweatband on his head and determinedly prepared himself for the arm wrestling competition of his life

You battled valiantly but your strength was pitiful compared to Seven who’s had agency training

Seven thought that he should let you win just this once and let his arm go slack, making you slam his arm to the table, cheering with boastful pride

“I can’t believe that I won! I, MC, have defeated the great God Seven!”

He smiled at your cute victory chant but dreaded what you were going to make him do, he’s done some pretty awful pranks to you so he prepared himself for the worst

But when you announced that you wanted him to take the day off to rest, Seven happily complied and snuggled with you on the couch

“This is the best punishment I’ve ever had and I’m happy that I was defeated. I should let you win more often, MC!”

V would do absolutely anything to make you happy, although today you were acting a bit off

The second he came home from a photo shoot, you grabbed V and dragged him to the kitchen table

He was very confused, but he went along with it because he knows that you can do some crazy things sometimes

You made him sit down, he tried to hold back his giggles because of how cute you looked when you were determined as you declared your decree

“It’s time that we have a challenge so V, I declare that we have an arm wrestling contest! The loser has to do laundry for the next month!”

V was now at a lose on what to do, both you and himself were never fans of doing laundry so he did want to win

But this boy also knows how weak your arm strength is and he didn’t want you to feel bad

So being the precious angel he is, V made a silent resolve to let you win the match

You were so bad at arm wrestling that V didn’t think his acting would be convincing but it somehow fooled you

V smiled to himself as you smacked his arm to the table, your eyes widened in disbelief at your victory

“Did you see that V?! I actually won! We need to work up your muscles if you ever want to beat me someday!”

Even though he had to do laundry, seeing you so happy made V happy himself

Although V did have some problems with doing the laundry, he accidentally overfilled the washer with fabric soap

“While I am happy that you won MC, I won’t lose in our next arm wrestling match. But it was actually a lot of fun, let’s do it again soon.”

Unknown

Saeran never understood the strange, random games that you would want to play with him

He usually just ignored them and let you win on purpose until you elaborately set up the kitchen table

When you noticed him enter the room, dragged Saeran to the table and set him down as you excitedly explained to him what you were doing

“I have a fun challenge for you Saeran, an arm wrestling match! The loser has to let the winner give them as many kisses as they want!“

There were times when you would attack Saeran with a barrage of kisses which he didn’t usually mind but you always seemed to give them out when he was cranky

So he didn’t want to lose the match but he suddenly remembered how weak you were and reconsidered

When you started the match, Saeran couldn’t believe just how weak your arm strength was

Sighing, he purposely let you win, you couldn’t believe your eyes as you got up from your seat to cheer for yourself

"I did it Saeran, I really beat you! Now come here and let me give you lots of kisses!”

Saeran couldn’t help the laugh that escaped from his lips, your kisses always made him happy and ticklish

Seeing him happy made your heart soar as you kept on giving him kisses until he finally had to hold you back

“Mark my words MC, I don’t plan on losing another arm wrestling match again. Be prepared to get your butt kicked next time.”

#mystic messenger #mystic messenger headcanon #mystic messenger imagines #mystic messenger Yoosung #mystic messenger Zen #mystic messenger Jaehee #mystic messenger Jumin #mystic messenger Seven #mystic messenger V #mystic messenger Unknown

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pamphletstoinspire · 7 years ago

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Saint Martin de Porres - Feast Day: November 3rd - Ordinary Time

Patron Saint of mixed—race people and all those seeking interracial harmony.

Saint Martin de Porres

Dominican Coadjutor Brother

(1579-1639)

Saint Martin de Porres was born in Lima, Peru in 1579, during the days when Spanish noblemen and many adventurers were still in the land, fascinated by the lure of the gold and silver which abounded there. He was the natural son of one of these and a young Indian woman. It was not long before his dark complexion caused his father to be ashamed of him and his mother, and to abandon them. Later the father would regret his too rapid decision, and take Martin under his protection.

The young boy often heard himself referred to as a half-breed, and all his life long, his profound humility saw in himself only the magnanimity of God amid the inadequacy of his origins. When his mother could not support him and his sister, Martin was confided to a primary school for two years, then placed with a surgeon to learn the medical arts. This caused him great joy, though he was only ten years old, for he could exercise charity to his neighbor while earning his living. Already he was spending hours at night in prayer, a practice which increased rather than diminished as he grew older. Until his death he would flagellate himself three times every night, for his own failings and for the conversion of pagans and sinners.

He asked for admission to the Dominican Convent of the Rosary in Lima and was received first as a tertiary. When he was 24, he was given the habit of a Coadjutor Brother and assigned to the infirmary of that convent, where he would remain in service until his death at the age of sixty. His superiors saw in him the virtues necessary to exercise unfailing patience in this difficult role, and he never disappointed them. On the contrary, it was not long before miracles began to happen, and Saint Martin was working also with the sick outside his convent, often bringing them healing with only a simple glass of water. He begged for alms to procure for them necessities the Convent could not provide, and Providence always supplied what he sought.

One day an aged beggar, covered with ulcers and almost naked, stretched out his hand, and Saint Martin, seeing the Divine Mendicant in him, took him to his own bed, paying no heed to the fact that he was not perfectly neat and clean. One of his brethren, considering he had gone too far in his charity, reproved him. Saint Martin replied: Compassion, my dear Brother, is preferable to cleanliness. Reflect that with a little soap I can easily clean my bed covers, but even with a torrent of tears I would never wash from my soul the stain that my harshness toward the unfortunate would create.

When an epidemic struck Lima, there were in this single convent of the Rosary sixty religious who were sick, many of them novices in a distant and locked section of the convent, separated from the professed. Saint Martin is known to have passed through the locked doors to care for them, a phenomenon which was observed in the residence more than once. The professed, too, saw him suddenly beside them without the doors having been opened; and these facts were duly verified by the surprised Superiors. Martin continued to transport the sick to the convent until the provincial Superior, alarmed by the contagion threatening the religious, forbid him to continue to do so. His sister, who lived in the country, offered her house to lodge those whom the residence of the religious could not hold. One day he found on the street a poor Indian, bleeding to death from a dagger wound, and took him to his own room until he could transport him to his sister's hospice. The Superior, when he heard of this, reprimanded his subject for disobedience. He was extremely edified by his reply: Forgive my error, and please instruct me, for I did not know that the precept of obedience took precedence over that of charity. In effect, there are situations where charity must prevail; and instruction is very necessary. The Superior gave him liberty thereafter to follow his inspirations in the exercise of mercy.

In normal times Saint Martin succeeded with his alms to feed 160 poor persons every day, and distributed a remarkable sum of money every week to the indigent — the latter phenomenon hard to explain by ordinary calculations. To Saint Martin the city of Lima owed a famous residence founded for orphans and abandoned children, where they were formed in piety for a creative Christian life. This lay Brother had always wanted to be a missionary, but never left his native city; yet even during his lifetime he was seen elsewhere, in regions as far distant as Africa, China, Algeria, Japan. An African slave who had been in irons said he had known Martin when he came to relieve and console many like himself, telling them of heaven. When later the same slave saw him in Peru, he was very happy to meet him again and asked him if he had had a good voyage; only later did he learn that Saint Martin had never left Lima. A merchant from Lima was in Mexico and fell ill; he said aloud: Oh, Brother Martin, if only you were here to care for me..! and immediately saw him enter his room. And again, this man did not know until later that he had never been in Mexico.

When he died in 1639, Saint Martin was known to the entire city of Lima; word of his miracles had made him known as a Saint to every resident of the region. After his death, the miracles and graces received when he was invoked multiplied in such profusion that his body was exhumed after 25 years and found intact, and exhaling a fine fragrance. Letters to Rome pleaded for his beatification; the decree affirming the heroism of his virtues was issued in 1763 by Clement XIII; Gregory XVI beatified him in 1836, and in 1962 Pope John XXIII canonized him. The poor and the sick will never fail to find in him a friend having great power over the Heart of God.

Click below for story in downloadable pamphlet form:

St. Martin de Pores

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/a84285_16577b6e41424c8d9591a44d71f01670.pdf

#st. martin de porres

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dukeofriven · 7 years ago

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Suuuper gaaaayyyyyy. Anyways, I wanted to say more on why Erina is a festering sack-of-shit garbage person. Firstly, her opinions on food are just objectively wrong. She turns up her nose at ‘common, peasant food’ which is weird on multiple levels: not only can any cook with a modicum of food history be able to explain the extent to which haute cuisine draws upon and is nourished by common peasant traditions (I mean fancy French cuisine itself is nothing but this particular interplay) but there has been a significant trend over the last decade in high cuisine towards rusticism - the locavore movement being perhaps its most visible influence that has bled into the mainstream: the tendency over the last decade-and-change towards deconstructionism of high food culture - both in molecular gastronomy and its diametric opposite in rusticism - is something she seems utterly ignorant of, as though her only experience with food is overpriced French restaurants that cater to the gullible by overloading every plate with a plethora of nonsense. It often seems that she has contempt for simplicity - which seems ridiculous given that her birth culture gave us the elegance of sashimi, a venerable culinary tradition whose masters attempt to perfect the art of serving a single ingredient. Her snobbery towards ‘common’ chefs becomes even more inexplicable given that we are to presume she has some kind of knowledge of great chefs who, as a body, living or dead, come as often from nowhere as from schools if not more so. Redzepi trained as an in-kitchen apprentice. Adrià started as a dishwasher. Keller never went to a school. Massimo trained as a lawyer. Blumenthal worked as a repo man and taught himself cooking at night. THESE ARE SOME OF THE TOP GODDAMN CHEFS IN THE WORLD AND ERINA SHOULD KNOW THIS. Erina’s snobbery is nauseatingly silly - the show needs a Tsundere ice princess because this is fucking anime so Erina is what we get, but contextually it makes no sense. ‘Oh, you cook in a small restaurant?’ SO DID MOST OF THE PEOPLE WITH MICHELIN STARS. I mean her whole goddamn deal is to deny reality based on the fact that this boy from this little kitchen can’t possible cook good food - but the best sushi restaurant in the world, the only one with three Michelin stars, seats ten people and is practically inside a goddamn subway station. If Erina’s argument is that 90s-style haute cuisine was the ne plus ultra of cooking - that any deviation from this was an anathema - then I could accept that as an element of her character, but instead we are given a so-called food ‘expert’ whose mastery is trapped in the 90s and no one else seems to realize this. SECOND: As a writer her otiose critiques make my blood boil. If she was attempting to be the Erik Satie of the culinary world I could give her a pass, but she’s not, so I won’t. We see a couple times that she is more than capable of giving a critique that is actually understandable, but most of the time she would rather speak in pseudo-koans that we’re supposed to take as a really deep understanding of food. But they’re not, because they’re nonsense. Criticism that cannot be comprehended is useless criticism. All Erina does is be cryptically insulting and then act like it’s a public service. Third: Perhaps to a greater degree than any other art form, food is subjective to the consumer. Erina passes judgement as though her word is law - and to be fair, to a certain extent this is true of food critics generally - but Erina’s nonsense of a ‘god tongue’ brings-in a whole new level of absolutism and absurdity. Take salt, for example - there is no way to perfectly salt a meal because everyone’s sodium levels are different. Someone who has spent all day swimming in an ocean is going to have a much higher need of sodium in their food than someone who hasn’t - the body will instinctively respond to the mild sodium deficiency (which is why beach cooks who spent the morning surfing before their shift need to be damn careful while seasoning their dish.) Somewhere around 10% of people find cilantro to taste like soap - always. There is no ‘correct’ amount of cilantro in a dish that won’t taste off to them - they have a fundamentally different palette than other people. Familiarity in youth can breed an appreciation for flavours that might be impossible to learn in adulthood - which is why North American doesn’t do a roaring trade in salmiakki and haute cuisine still hasn’t latched-on to lutefisk (man, what is it with Scandinavia?) That doesn’t even begin to get into shit like allergies - the God Tongue decrees that this is the right amount of peanuts in this dish, enjoy that anaphylactic shock. My point is that, unlike my opinions, there is nothing objectively right with flavours - more-or-less. The whole model of haute cuisine is predicated on certainly truths - quality ingredients, dedication to craft - that I don’t deny, but the idea of a ‘god tongue’ stretches my suspension of disbelief to the breaking point because it doesn’t mean anything. Why would any restaurant give a shit what this haughty supertaster thinks about anything - her gross mutant palette is so hilariously oversensitive it’s pointless to try and satisfy itand- besides: none of their customers will notice the alleged ‘flaws’ because they’re not garbage mutants like her. If she had a ‘God Eye’ and complained that your 100000x100000 pixel image had a single mis-aligned pixel, you probably wouldn’t give a shit because none of your customers are humanly capable of noticing the discrepancy so there’s zero point wasting time and money fixing it. Seeking Erina’s approval would be a waste of any company’s resources: just get a likeable celebrity to sing your praises. Fourth: Erina has fans in the school, which is weird because she’s such a relentless horrible person who is rude and nasty to essentially everyone she meets, and holds shokugeki solely for her own personal enrichment. I would get it is people cheered her as a villain because hey - everyone loves a heel - but instead they hold her in awe... I guess because of her cooking prowess, but prowess didn’t stop people from hating Subaru, another nasty piece of work. People cheer Erina because the narrative needs her to have cachet, but she doesn’t even have ‘mean girl’ charm - the catty queen bee who rules the school even though she’s nasty. She’s not funny, has no sense of humour, no ability to talk to other people - absolutely nothing going for her other than her skills as a chef which, again, didn’t do much for Subaru. Everyone should be showing up to boo Erina - god, it would make her so much more effective if she fed off their hatred and negativity, her ego swelling as she ‘proved’ herself right again and again, spitting in the face of all the haters. Instead we get the super-popular charmless asshat who everyone is gaga for for no discernible reason. In conclusion, Erina Nakiri doesn’t know anything about food and lacks self-awareness of the echo-chamber of her own unjustified snobbery. She’s literal garbage.

#shokugeki no soma #food wars #food wars: shokugeki no souma #erina nakiri #subaru mimasaka #supertaster #cilantro #feran adria #erik satie #massimo bisotti #thomas keller #noma #french laundry #haute cuisine #jiro ono

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higuchimon · 8 years ago

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[fanfic] Answers To Unexpected Questions: 3/3

Because of Tumblr not allowing searches for posts with external links, I decided it would be much easier to just start posting my fics to Tumblr itself. Easier for people to read if they so desire as well

||Pairing: Yubel x Juudai|| ||Word Count: 9,367|| ||Chapter Count: 3/3||

“Juudai!” Yubel knocked him down, wings spread wide, avoiding the battery of crossbow bolts shot through the tent. One of them slammed into the man chained up to a pole, sending him spinning as far as his bonds would allow him.

It wasn’t Johan. Sparkman had been tricked. Either illusion or just making a mistake, which wasn’t that surprising.

It wasn’t a mistake that Juudai or Yubel would’ve made. Both of them knew the difference between Johan and his twin brother Rune on sight alone.

Yubel tried to tell me and I wouldn’t listen.

Juudai had enough time for that alone before he brought himself back to his feet and checked Yubel. The crossbow bolts did nothing at all save force them to step back. Their wings remained spread in front of him.

Ancient Elf stepped into the ruined tent, giving a very disapproving look as he did.

“I truly did not believe you would come for this ruffian,” he said, brushing his coat off as if Juudai’s very presence dirtied him. “Now, his brother, that would’ve been understandable. But why him?”

Juudai wasn’t going to let him know the truth. Instead he just tossed his head.

“You should know that I protect all life. Doesn’t matter who it is.”

“Yes, yes, of course. But this world is going to be destroyed and you will not be able to stop it.”

Juudai drew in a very long and very deep breath. “Could you save your speeches for after I’m dead? I really don’t have the time now.”

Rune was bleeding. Rune was dying, because Juudai’s powers didn’t include healing and Johan’s did, and Johan wasn’t there and they needed to get out as soon as they could.

He made no move at all. He couldn’t find Rune’s shadow, not with all the other light in the room. It had been by great good luck that none of the bolts hit any of the candles or lanterns there and set the tent itself on fire.

Maybe that would’ve been better. There would’ve been shadows there for sure. And the tent would’ve burned down. Maybe all of them would have.

Ancient Elf smiled. It wasn’t the kind of smile that would make other people happy in the slightest.

“If you wish to die, then we can most certainly accommodate you.”

“Not as long as I’m around.” Yubel growled, arms and wings spread to defend Juudai at a moment’s notice. “No harm will come to my Juudai.”

The old sorcerer turned a very disapproving look upon Yubel. “No one asked for your opinion, malformed one. But since you insist upon it as well, we’ve made plans for you.”

Fear coiled itself all around Juudai and he started to back for Rune. Even if he died, Johan wasn’t going to leave him here. Johan would need to know about this. “Yubel, we’re getting out of here.”

“Oh, I think not.” Ancient Elf tsked before raising one finger.

Many things happened at the same time.

A net of glowing green materials dropped down from above, wrapping all around Juudai. No matter how much he strained at it, he could not break it, despite how fragile it looked.

Another bout of crossbow bolts shot, arching over the elf’s head and burying themselves deep into Yubel. Each of them carried a malevolent white sigil written upon them, one Juudai only belatedly recognized as something intended to bind the effects of magic, sealing them off from the user.

Aodh had said that Yubel’s power wasn’t unstoppable. For that matter, neither was Juudai’s. Whatever this web was made out of, Juudai couldn’t so much as get a firm grip on it, let alone get it off of him.

Ancient Elf stepped over and stared down at him, a sadistic tilt to his lips.

“Oh, Herald. You thought it would be so easy, didn’t you? That you would just come in here, rescue this piece of offal, and dance away with your misborn creation before any of us noticed you. We knew you were coming from the beginning. It’s what someone as foolish as you does.”

He nudged Juudai with one foot. Juudai twisted away from it, trying to get hold of Yubel, to do something that wasn’t lay there like a lump.

Yubel lay against the far wide of the tent, a thick dark liquid coming from the half-dozen crossbow bolts still lodged within. Slowly, as if feeling his attention, Yubel opened their eyes and turned toward him.

“Beloved...” Yubel tried to reach for him. Juudai tried to reach back. But warriors in white armor trooped in and one of them wrenched Yubel away, not caring how much more damage was done in the process.

“First we dispose of the misborn. Then we dispose of him,” Ancient Elf decreed. He glanced toward Rune. “Throw that in the deadpile. It can be burned with the others.”

Juudai had time only to see that Rune still breathed, if shallow and unsteadily, before they dragged all three out. Yubel and Juudai were taken to a clearing he’d ignored on the way in, where a white marble altar had been spread out, and the strongest and most skilled of the Army of Light’s warriors awaited them.

The altar had been marked with those sigils that kept Yubel’s power bound, ensuring that there wasn’t anything Yubel could do to protect Juudai or anyone else as they hauled Yubel onto it, wrapping thick chains all around to keep them in place.

They’d bound Juudai tighter with the power-nullifying web, which also carried those marks, he noticed when he had a moment to stop fighting. A full two dozen of them stood guard on him, while Ancient Elf moved over to the altar and Yubel.

“Once you’ve both perished in honor of the Light, your souls will be cleansed by its power, and will nevermore be able to touch the unholy Darkness. Should you return to a mortal form, you will belong to the Light.”

Juudai struggled harder. He knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere, but he didn’t care. As far as he was concerned, if this went through, then he’d be dead forever. Being part of the Light embodied all that he stood against.

Ancient Elf raised a sharp, long-bladed dagger, marked with emblems of the Light. Clearly he wasn’t taking any chances at all.

“In the name of the Light, by the Power of the Light, by the Cleansing of the Light, let you be freed of your misborn form and your foolish vows to the Darkness! Let there be nothing more that binds you, nothing more that keeps you from serving the Light, as all things must!”

He brought the knife down, sharp and deadly and reeking of magic that made Juudai sick.

“I don’t think so.”

A different kind of light filled the clearing, one that Juudai squinted against, but it caused no fear in him. Instead, it drove all fear out, and he found it in himself to hope that this wasn’t the end.

“You!” Ancient Elf spun backwards even as that familiar voice spoke.

Standing on the back of a beautiful winged unicorn stood Johan, in his full power as the incarnate Light of Hope. His arms folded over his chest and he stared down at them like the very wrath of the gods, clad all in armor of white and trimmed in silver.

The rest of his guardians stood near him, a tiger and a great cat, a mammoth and a turtle and an eagle, and on his shoulder, a tiny little squirrel-ish creature that chirruped at the sight of Juudai.

“Johan!”

Johan gave a quick, quiet nod, before gesturing to Amethyst Cat and Topaz Tiger. “Get Rune out of here. I’ll take care of this.”

They didn’t argue, even as Johan turned back to Ancient Elf. “I could ask a lot of questions but I’ll save them for when people aren’t waving knives at my friends. So, let them go.”

He added nothing else. He needed to add nothing else, not with the way the rest of his companions stared down alongside of him.

Ancient Elf moved towards Yubel, knife still in hand. “Of course, of course.” His lip curled in hatred, no matter if he looked at Juudai or Yubel or Johan. “How could we ever disobey you?”

More crossbow bolts, but Emerald Turtle moved in front of them and they clattered harmlessly off of his shell. In the intervening moments, however, Ancient Elf struck down at Yubel, the tip of the blade piercing Yubel’s very center.

Juudai had heard Yubel scream before, but never since becoming his guardian and taking on the form of a dragon. The scream struck into the deepest part of his heart and he could see Yubel’s form shimmering before it shattered altogether, breaking into untold points of light, and then fading away with one last cry.

“Juudai...”

And then Yubel was gone.

Juudai writhed and screamed in rage of his own, rage enough to end the world, and he could see Johan running towards him and he didn’t care, Yubel was gone, destroyed, and it was all his fault, he could blame no one else and wouldn’t have even if he could, if he’d just listened and not rushed off like this, if he’d just so much as waited for a second check…

Yubel was gone.

Yubel was gone and Juudai’s heart bled and power that he’d known he had surged upward, shattering the bonds that held him.

One could hold the Darkness incarnate but only for so long. Darkness always fell and always rose again.

There was a voice that called a name. Then other voices. None of them meant anything to the Darkness.

It rose. The Light was there. It needed to be extinguished.

Yubel needed to be avenged.

The world needed to be saved.

The Darkness reached and all those warriors of the Light fell, screaming, and it was pleasing to the ears of the Darkness.

To the ears of Haou.

He smiled and terror spread among all those who gazed upon him and so would it be.

He would protect that which was his. If that meant to destroy all things, to crush them underneath his heel so that never again would the Light harm them, then so be it. Without Yubel, what did he have?

Juudai. Juudai.

Little more than a whisper on the wind, but it was enough to catch his attention and he turned to where the broken body lay. Standing next to it, transparent as a soap bubble, was… Yubel?

He spoke their name. The world shook at the sound of one word and he heard other voices again, and they still meant nothing at all to him.

I’m … I’m still here. I don’t know what happened. But I’m here.

He tilted his head. Did Yubel wish him to stop, then? He would stop at their will and theirs alone.

No, Juudai. I don’t. Yubel bared their teeth and it was not a smile and he returned it. Destroy it all. Let their folly be known throughout the land. Let the Light know what it threatens and what will happen when it fails.

Haou liked how that sounded. The screaming voices still meant nothing. He turned toward one and tilted his head a bit. The screamer meant nothing but Haou recognized him anyway. He just wasn’t what Haou wanted right now. Nor did he want anyone else to have it.

Hope gave people a promise. The only hope and promise he wanted the people here, the servants of the Light, to know was the chance for a quick death. It was the only promise he would fulfill.

He turned another way to recognize his bodyguards. The ones who weren’t Yubel. They kept on yelling, but nothing they said made any sense to him. Well, no matter. It was time to finish this once and for all anyway.

All the elements lay under his command. Fire rained from the sky with little more than an exercise of will. Water rose up from the river, ten times that of what Bubbleman caused, and the earth underneath their feet rocked and cracked open, sending legion after legion of the Army of Light screaming into the depths.

Winds roared, a tornado touching down in the center of their camp, shredding survivors and tents and all their equipment into useless junk.

“Juudai! Juudai!”

Hope again. Haou flicked a finger and a wave of energy knocked him to the side into one of the few still standing trees. He didn’t move.

Haou moved onward. He had a great deal of work to do and he would like to finish it before sundown.

Pain beyond pain tore into his back, ripping through his armor and sending him crashing to his knees. Haou pulled himself up and around to stare behind himself.

The same blade used to kill Yubel now sank up to the hilt in his own back. Far too close stood Ancient Elf, with another in hand.

“Even if I can’t kill you for the Light, I can still kill you!”

Haou reached for his own last bit of power: he knew what a dying body felt like, and this one was dying. He lashed outward with it, and Ancient Elf was no more, falling backwards with a twisted smirk in the last moments.

Juudai sank back down to his knees, stumbling even then, falling forward. One hand reached for Yubel. The other, for Johan. He spared one breath for the Elemental Heroes, even as he could feel the last of his life fading away.

“I’m sorry.”

He didn’t know who he spoke to, but he meant it to all of them.

All my fault...

Juudai sat up, panting, before he wrenched around and threw himself into Yubel’s arms, holding onto them as if they would vanish if he let go for a single moment. His heart raced, tears spilled down his cheeks, and he whispered two words over and over again.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Yubel wrapped their arms even more tightly around him. “It wasn’t your fault, Juudai.”

“Yes, it was! Just like last time! This time! I’m always too stupid and I never listen and people get hurt because of it! First you and I … I … did I… Johan? Then? Did I...” Juudai didn’t know how much sense he made, but it must’ve been enough for Yubel.

“No. He survived and helped put Kuragari back together again after that.” Yubel tilted Juudai’s head up. “He made a very good King after Aodh and Kaien passed away.”

Juudai swallowed. Somehow, that didn’t surprise him at all. Then he blinked. “How do you know?” He hadn’t known that. He hadn’t been around to see it.

“Because I wasn’t dead. I didn’t know then what was going on. But because of what Ancient Elf did, I haven’t had a physical body since then. I can mimic one now, especially since you and I fused and I’ve learned more about the power I have. It took me over a century to learn just how to communicate with other people.” Yubel’s lip curled for a moment. “Not that I wanted to communicate with anyone but you.”

Juudai nodded, holding onto Yubel still. No matter what they said, he wasn’t going to absolve himself so easily. Then he lifted his head up and turned to where the Elemental Heroes stood.

“You all knew, didn’t you? About me? And about what I did back then?”

Featherman spoke. “Of course we did. We’ve been by your side almost as long as Yubel has. But why would we blame you for something that you did when you were pushed beyond coherent rage?”

“And why do you think that Elemental Heroes can take on so many different fusion forms in the first place?” Sparkman asked. “We resonate to you as much as the Neo-Spacians do, Juudai. Our fusions reflect what’s in your heart. That means we understand what it can be like when things like that happen. And like what happened in Dark World.”

“You don’t need to be afraid of your power or what you can do with it. Control is all you need, and you’ve been working on that,” Burst Lady told him. “You’re much better about it, too.”

Juudai eased back down into Yubel’s arms. “I don’t deserve all of you.” Nor did he deserve Johan, who’d risked so much to try to help him even when Juudai wouldn’t listen to him.

“So, you were different because...”

“Because after a few thousand years of not having a proper body, of not being with you at all, and what Ancient Elf did severing my connection to you in the first place, I… wasn’t entirely sane at the time, even before the Light itself got hold of me.” Yubel’s fingers tightened for a heartbeat. “I think this time it intended that I make certain you couldn’t fight back against it, instead of trying to take us both out at the same time.”

Juudai shuddered at how close the plan had come to working, both times. If it hadn’t been for Johan’s arrival, then they both would’ve been sacrificed to the Light. And this time, if it hadn’t been for him getting his memories back…

“I really should do something nice for Johan,” he murmured, starting to feel weary all over again. That had not been a restful nap.

Then he recalled Rune, and realized that he’d seen him before: in this lifetime.

“Yubel… that guy in Dark World. The one that I met before I fought Zure.” He winced at the thought of all else that happened then, before forging onward. “That was Rune, wasn’t it? The guy who was Johan’s twin the first time.”

“And still is now. He’s in Dark World somewhere, I presume. That’s where I sent him, anyway.”

Juudai whipped his head around to stare at her again. “You saved him?”

“I saved everyone you cared about. You cared about him, even for those few moments, didn’t you?”

He could not say he didn’t. He hadn’t thought of it at the time, but perhaps some vague memory recalled Johan’s twin brother. Then he sat up even more.

“Come on. I’m going to find him and he and Johan are going to get a family reunion!”

He stood up, all weariness falling away, and reached for Yubel’s hand. Then he leaned up and forwards to kiss her. “I really am sorry.” He would spend all of time making it up to Yubel if he had to. And to Johan as well.

Yubel returned the kiss, with interest. “You’re forgiven.” As simple as two words and his heart sang for joy, and he carried them away into the shadows to find a brother.

The End Notes: And that's it. Though there will be other tales that involve Juudai and Yubel and Johan and maybe Rune.

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themaraudingmisfits-blog · 8 years ago

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Advice you probably shouldn’t take

DISCLAIMER: The following decrees are spewed by the mind of a highly unqualified twenty something who has zero knowledge about philosophy and even lesser tact or wisdom to dish out sappy quotes and is totally against self help books and thinks rainy days in her jammies with hot cocoa is what it feels like to be “zen”.

Since I don’t have a fairy Godmother who turns pumpkins into carriages, life sorta continued sucking till I learned these things the hard way and I though hey, why not bug you guys with it and maybe some unhappy soul who is ambling around in this big bad world might actually find it useful but then again since it’s me, it’s advice you probably shouldn’t take...

#1.My first decree to all you humans and non -alike-THOU SHALT BE AWESOME!!

Don’t ever be any less!!

Don’t go down gently!!

Be relentless!!!

Raise hell!!

To all the haters who tell you to be less weird or less loud or to live by the rules or to be part of the flock…tell all of them to fuck off!!

We struggle with the whole of our being to get through each day, with bad coffee and late passes and F’s on pop quizzes and broken hearts , why make it harder than it already is by trying to fit in? Why be a different you? Why must you listen to the dont’s and the cant’s and the shouldnt’s and all those other frownie words?

Take your life by the reins and charge into the world with your oh so special souls coz you have one freaking life and you have to make it count as the sparkly person you are!! Be proud and awesome!

Be confused, be gay, be a lesbian, be emo, be a blob, be anything and want everything because you deserve nothing less and you are enough for yourself!!

#2.QUIT

Whaaat?? What is this crazy chick saying? The whole world tell me to keep going, to keep trying ,quitters never win and all that bull and one fine day she comes along and tells me to quit?

Yes, I just told you to quit.

Quit doing what you don’t like LOVE !!

Don’t do it coz your best friend does it, or it’s been in the family or that’s what your sister majored in. Stop taking those guitar lessons you hate, you don’t have to watch GOT or listen to profane songs or put on make-up. Stop doing all those things unless you absolutely sure as hell love doing it. Coz you’ll have been whiling away your time, missing out on things you love. Do you really want that for yourself?

If you dont’ stop now then soon you’ll be stuck at a desk job typing in numbers and missing out on doing some volunteer work or taking snake charming lessons or gorging on barbeque flavoured bagels in Northern California so quit now and run off , getting the hell away from what was holding you back,

#3.It’s okay to say NO!!

I’m one of those people who cannot CANNOT say a decent NO to anyone even if it means doing something that makes me miserable or if it means having to walk an extra kilometre to go get that person’s favourite kind of popsicle even if she’s been a total bitch to me my whole life,I multi task, I take on stuff, a gazillion things with the complete knowledge that I know I won’t be able to go through with it but I’m going to use my yet to be discovered powers and what happens at the end? I mess up, I’m unhappy and grumpy and I compIain about what was originally my fault because I was a wimp who couldn’t muster up the single syllabic no.

But you know what? You are not super human, most of us are struggling to be barely human, we cannot do everything, that whole “anything is possible if you believe “ is total BULLSHIT!! It’s not, you can’t complete your assignments and study for that test and still have the pulsating energy for that party next door. So don’t go for it unless your brain says HELL YEAH!!LET’S DO IT!!

#4.PEOPLE HAVE EXPIRY DATES!!

Yea you heard me right...I said people not the can of soup that has been growing some sort of suspicious looking green stuff(which by the way you should stop hoarding!!).

Not worth it to-be stuck in a unkind, possessive , abusive, snarly ,jealous ,selfish…basically pick any word from Webster’s which associates itself with a generally unhappy state of mind relationship…those people should be dead to you by now.

IT’S TIME FOLKS!!IT’S TIME TO MOVE ON!!

Move on from friends who treat you like crap, from boyfriends who treat you like crap,from girlfriends who treat you like crap…you are not crap!!

No more abusive words, no more long sleeved sweaters to hide your black and blue skin, no more should you feel unloved, unwanted or undesired, no more lying and tears. Let’s not make our lives into a second production of sad soaps coz grass is definitely greener on this side of life where there’s only love, trust and respect and smiles from the very few who count.

So get off that curvalacious ass of yours, leave all that rotting people baggage behind for good with no guilt stricken conscience and start walking away while humming HAKUNA MATATA!!

#5.Dont strain those emotional brain muscles!!

Overanalysing?

Thinking so hard that you have that constipated vegetable look on your face? Sleepless nights? Heated discussions where you take advise from a gazillion other people who think they know what’s good for you?

Should I say yes to that guy?

Should I order that scrumplicious looking doughnut or go for that equally yummy cupcake?

Pink or blue?

STOP!!

As my dog-loving-only-chicken-eating(coz chickens don’t have brains)friend(after this maybe ex-friend) would say..go with your instincts!!

You’ll screw up! Probably the very next decision you take after this will turn out to be a hot mess and you’ll want to kill me but atleast you’ll know never to do it that way..I now know that I shouldn’t ever wear pink after a horribly etched in my memory photoshoot, prawns make me nauseous after the embarrassing barfing incident at an upscale Chinese restaurant ,I shouldn’t ever have anything to do with technology(I go in like god-freaking-zilla and I step on it or break it or submerge it…)

I’m never a 100% certain about my decisions but they’re mine and I take sole responsibility ,no blame games for me.I stopped overthinking, I go with the flow now, I’m impulsive and rash,I don’t agonize over things anymore and it’s made life SOOOOOO much easier, more time to add the I should never do this list.

I’d be lying if I said that I don’t think and take crappy advice AT ALL ,but I’m better, instead of spending a week now I take like two days.Hey, maybe I’ll get better one day...

#6.Love the hot boiling mess that you turn your life into!

YOU SCREWED UP??? What the hell is wrong with you? How could you mess this up? Weren’t you thinking straight??

Dudes and dudettes, I’d ask those same questions to the ones who don’t screw up and pack them off to the nearest loony bin.

It’s okay to screw up…it’s normal.

Everyone around you telling you to be a proactive fixer upper?

Being asked to take responsibility ?

To stop moping around and take action?

BACK OFF!!Those people are the emotionless Umbridges of life.

You messed up? Big fucking whoop!! You don’t have to pick yourself up, take all the blame, find a solution and make things right and still have the energy to carry on. If that was the case then I’d be able to do impossible things like solve the mystery behind the Bermuda triangle and lift Thor’s hammer, but there’s a reason why I don’t do these things, because they’re impossible!!

You let things go down to shit? Be upset, cry, bawl your eyes out, don’t talk to people, eat that monstrous bucket of chicken, do what you have to, feel better. You feel better now?

Pat yourself on the back and slowly pick yourself up from that slough of despair , surround yourself with friends who back you up no matter what and try to sort things out and if not then have the heart to let go and most importantly, even if you don’t fix things, FORGIVE YOURSELF.

REPEAT THE PROCESS AS AND WHEN NEEDED!!

#7.You feel it? Then show it!

Don’t ever hold back on what you’re feeling, let it all out.

SHOUT OUT AND CELEBRATE!!SQUEAL AND JUMP AROUND AND SMILE LIKE CRAZY AND CRY...

Embrace those happy moments!! Be excited, unreasonably so. Feel ungraciously happy, weak in your knees happy, fist pumping, bursting out of your seams happy. It’s okay to be happy.

CRY. Wring out those tear ducts, let those waves of sadness keep coming, heart breaking sobs, it’s okay to cry.

BE ANGRY.BE FURIOUS.SCREAM if you have to, throw things around, don’t hold back on what you have to say or do.(DO NOT DECAPITATE ANYONE)

Be ANYTHING you want to be, because the right ones who care will understand and they WILL stay.

Cut yourself some slack guys!!You’re worth every bit of love and all the cuddly puppies in the world. Forgive yourself. Hug yourself. Take time off. Stop chasing people and their dreams, start chasing your glittery dream, even if it’s to finally go get some milk from the grocery store or do some late spring cleaning or to land that long dreamt of position as chief editor and love love love and forgive forgive forgive, yourself and everything.

All this might not really unveil answers to the unsolved mysteries of the universe..where do all my pens keep disappearing or who ate the last cookie in the jar..but it helped me through a lot of shit, made me deal with life a lot better than before and made me fall in love with myself all over again, and maybe just maybe you might take up some of this or even smile and THAT my dears, even just a tiny smile will make ALL the difference.

#randomrants #livelovelaugh #loveyourself #forgive and forget #awesome #fearless #letitout

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frederickwiddowson · 5 years ago

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Genesis 41:1-45 comments: the Pharaoh’s dreams of plenty and famine

Genesis 41:1 ¶ And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. 2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow. 3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. 4 And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. 5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. 6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. 7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. 8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

Two complete years have gone by and Pharaoh has this dream. This reminds one of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and his calling of all his wise men together to interpret it for him, although he insisted he couldn’t remember it, so they had to tell him the dream, as well.

Daniel 2:1 ¶ And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. 2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. 3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. 4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation. 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. 6 But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.

Dreams are often disjointed things with actors and events that make no sense and seem like the extra stuff left over from what you thought about the day previous. It is almost as if the mind uses the film that lies on the proverbial cutting room floor in the old movie days and creates something surreal. The kind of sleep that allows you to dream is important for a successful sleep, we are told. But, occasionally, in cases mentioned in the Bible, some dreams are communications. These are communications from God and God also provides the interpreter of the dream. It is like the New Testament speaking in tongues, which are always foreign languages. If there is no one in the assembly who can translate the speech does it serve a purpose from God and can it be from God? Paul says no. It is nothing more than confusion and God is not the author of confusion.

So, we have a dream that means something and we have need of someone to interpret it.

Here we have the definition of well favoured and ill favoured in the text as they are contrasted with fatfleshed and leanfleshed. Kine are cows, as is evident from the twenty or so verses in the Bible where the word is used. Do a word search or use a concordance to see.

And again, for corn, understand that it is a reference to a head of wheat in British English as it can refer to any type of grain. For example, look up the English “Corn Laws.”

John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Genesis 41:9 ¶ Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: 10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker: 11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. 12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. 13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged. 14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. 16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

Now, after two years, the butler remembers Joseph. The Pharaoh is desperate for an answer and ready to call this Hebrew prisoner to be brought before him. Joseph probably didn’t just shave his face in a bowl of water with a razor. There is evidence that Egyptians shaved the hair on their heads and face with razors and even some evidence that, at least the priests, shaving their entire bodies. Lice was something that was disgusting to ancient Egyptians, I have read, and this sanitary practice became a cultural practice for those who were not desperately poor. Wigs were very popular among both men and women and the Ebers Medical Papyrus gives us information about such details as how they made soap.[1]

Joseph’s answer to Pharaoh is significant in that he acknowledges that the interpretation of a dream is not in him but from God. God will put Pharaoh’s heart at rest regarding the meaning of the dream. See 1Chronicles 22:9 and Isaiah 62:1 for peace and rest and quietness as synonyms. Pharaoh’s troubled heart can only be calmed by God and Joseph says God will do it.

Genesis 41:17 ¶ And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river: 18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow: 19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness: 20 And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: 21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good: 23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them: 24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me. 25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. 27 And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. 28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. 29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: 30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; 31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. 32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

Pharaoh recounts his memory of the dream to Joseph. With a little embellishment and adding some emphasis, which is very human, he tells Joseph what was troubling him. There are very few people who do not read back their thoughts into previous experiences. Many Christians embellish upon the day they announced their belief on Christ by reading back into that experience things they think should have happened or wish had happened. We do the same thing with other events and moments in our lives but we are often not honest enough with ourselves to admit it.

These two dreams are actually one dream explaining how God intends to provide Egypt with seven years of plenty and then seven years of famine. The fact that God repeated this theme to Pharaoh twice establishes it as a definite prophecy of the soon-to-be future. This reminds you of how things are emphasized by God and in the Bible generally and established as definite and not merely, ‘if you or they do this then I (God) will do this,’ propositions. An example would be when Jesus says verily, verily from the word we also get amen from when He is telling Peter of Peter’s future martyrdom.

John 21:18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

It is questionable to make a doctrine out of one verse and can lead to error but when many verses comment on a thing you can be sure that God has established it as an eternal decree such as everlasting life, for instance, which is reflected clearly in many verses.

Genesis 41:33 ¶ Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. 35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine. 37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? 39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. 44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

Joseph made a final recommendation to the Pharaoh, not meaning to suggest himself, a lowly prisoner in the king’s dungeon, a foreigner sold into slavery there. Someone wise and discreet should rule under the Pharaoh’s authority. Here is our first example of government being used to serve the needs of the state apart from war. The Pharaoh is to take 20% of the land so that wheat can be stored up during the good years to prepare for the lean years to come. This tax was for the benefit of the people and the security of the state when the famine would come.

Corn is the British reference to a seed of any cereal grass, notably wheat, and expands to be a reference to the plant itself.

John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

See how our Bible is written below in this verse’s parallel phrasing defining corn as wheat.

Amos 8:5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?

Government for the welfare of the people is mentioned in Paul’s letters to the Christian in Rome. In fact, it is the only mandate listed in Paul’s letters for human government, to punish evil-doers. As said before, evil is usually a reference to malice or malicious, violent intent. Again, here in Paul, taxes are mentioned, paying tribute.

Romans 13:1 ¶ Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

Jesus Himself acknowledged that paying taxes to your government is a good testimony.

Matthew 17:24 ¶ And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? 25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? 26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. 27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

I assure you that the Roman government referred to in the previous two passages was not a Christian or a righteous government. But, government has a mandate and, as we know, the power to tax is the power to govern.

Pharaoh acknowledges that the Spirit of God, the very mind of God, is in Joseph. Here, typology implies that Pharaoh is in type God the Father and here Joseph is a type of Christ, or God in the flesh, issuing from God and possessing His authority.

All ability, power, and authority, even that to do evil, comes from God. Nothing can be done without His permissive will or His direct will.

John 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

But, Christ as God in the flesh or the Son of God comes in God the Father’s authority…

John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Philippians 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

…and in fact, to have seen Him is to have seen God the Father.

John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

John 10:30 I and my Father are one. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

John 12:45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

So, in this passage in Genesis we have a picture, a type of God the Father and the Son of God, as Pharaoh gives Joseph his own ring, his own authority and power over Egypt. To see Joseph was to see the Pharaoh and Joseph carried all of the power and authority of Pharaoh. For such a thing to happen this could only have been God’s direct will. Do you see how many things He allowed the men and women of this narrative so far to do and how He molded and shaped those things no matter what their intentions, good or evil, into His plan, His ministry of reconciliation toward mankind?

The priesthood of Egypt was a powerful class whom the Pharaoh would want on his side and having Joseph marry one of their daughters was an astute political move. In this we can speak in type of how God drew Abraham from the Gentiles to create a people for Himself for Joseph’s offspring would be among God’s chosen.

On was a city that became known as Heliopolis, city of the sun. On is said by some authorities to be the birthplace of Egyptian mythology. It was the first capital of Egypt and the place where Egyptian myth said that creation itself took place. It is here that the great sun god, Ra or Atum, self-created god, was to have arisen from the Benben stone in the great temple to light up a dark universe. He was the source of all other gods and people themselves were born from his tears. It is of no little significance that God arranged for a priest’s daughter of this city and this god to be married to Joseph. God drew mankind away from the darkness of paganism and chose Egypt’s greatest god’s priest’s daughter to be the vessel through whom would come two tribes of the Hebrews, Ephraim and Manasseh. We will learn how troublesome they were.

Strong’s dictionary says that Joseph’s Egyptian name means, “treasury of the glorious rest.” We will receive new names from God.

Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

[1] Numerous sources talk about this. Here is one website among other; http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/hair.htm (accessed 4.4.2017).

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dailychapel · 5 years ago

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Father God, many of us need healing. I need healing for past hurts, random physical pains that I allow to waylay my days and Spiritual healing for various reasons. I reach up to You to receive this healing so that I may be whole and that I may be able to then minister to others in a way that brings You fullness of glory. How wonderful to be able to worship You without stain or blemish and to be totally healed. Show others Your healing power so that they may also be healed and walk in wholeness. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen!

Psalm 73:10-28 NLT - 10 And so the people are dismayed and confused, drinking in all their words. 11 "What does God know?" they ask. "Does the Most High even know what's happening?" 12 Look at these wicked people--enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply. 13 Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? 14 I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain. 15 If I had really spoken this way to others, I would have been a traitor to your people. 16 So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is! 17 Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked. 18 Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction. 19 In an instant they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors. 20 When you arise, O Lord, you will laugh at their silly ideas as a person laughs at dreams in the morning. 21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. 22 I was so foolish and ignorant--I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. 23 Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. 26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. 27 Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. 28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

Malachi 3:1-18 NLT - 1 "Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. 2 "But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. 3 He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the LORD. 4 Then once more the LORD will accept the offerings brought to him by the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as he did in the past. 5 "At that time I will put you on trial. I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. 6 "I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. 7 Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "But you ask, 'How can we return when we have never gone away?' 8 "Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! "But you ask, 'What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?' "You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. 12 "Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. 13 "You have said terrible things about me," says the LORD. "But you say, 'What do you mean? What have we said against you?' 14 "You have said, 'What's the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the LORD of Heaven's Armies that we are sorry for our sins? 15 From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.'" 16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name. 17 "They will be my people," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. 18 Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."

Revelation 16:1-11 NLT - 1 Then I heard a mighty voice from the Temple say to the seven angels, "Go your ways and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God's wrath." 2 So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl on the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. 3 Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse. And everything in the sea died. 4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying, "You are just, O Holy One, who is and who always was, because you have sent these judgments. 6 Since they shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, you have given them blood to drink. It is their just reward." 7 And I heard a voice from the altar, saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, your judgments are true and just." 8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, causing it to scorch everyone with its fire. 9 Everyone was burned by this blast of heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over all these plagues. They did not repent of their sins and turn to God and give him glory. 10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. His subjects ground their teeth in anguish, 11 and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God.

Go forth into the world in peace; be of good courage; hold fast that which is good; render to no one evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak; help the afflicted; honour everyone; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

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newagesispage · 5 years ago

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JULY 2019

PAGE RIB

If you care what people think, you’re their prisoner. – Heidi Fleiss

*****

The Stones are back and opened in Chicago on June21. The reviews were great, they mostly stuck to the hits and Mick was in top notch form. Monkey Man and Sweet Virginia are back!!! Woo Hoo!!

*****

Satellite images show the complete deployment of 4 Russian made S-300 missile defense systems.

*****

Comedians in cars getting coffee will start season 11 on July 19. This season will bring us Eddie Murphy, Barry Marder, Bridget Everett, Melissa Villsenor, Sebastian Maniscalco, Seth Rogan, Ricky Gervais, Matthew Broderick, Jamie Foxx, Mario Joyner and Martin Short.

*****

Law and Order: Hate Crimes is coming.

*****

NRATV is no more. Hooray!! The NRA’s second in command Chris Cox has resigned after he was implicated in a plot to oust Wayne La Pierre. Cox calls the charges, “offensive and patently false.” There are also multiple lawsuits from ad firm Ackerman McQueen that claim the NRA is in violation of contracts.

*****

Republican representative Duncan Hunter is headed to court in September for charges that he and his wife illegally spent more than $250,000 in political donations. Prosecutors want to list details of his many affairs.

*****

NBC is bringing back Who Do You Think You Are?

*****

Police in Hong Kong are beating protesters.

*****

Sexual harassment news of the month: George Nader, part of Trump’s transition team, was arrested in New York on child porn charges.**Cuba Gooding Jr. was charged in NY with forcible touching. His lawyer says that the incident is on tape and will prove he is innocent.** Trump has been accused by the 22nd woman, this time of rape, but most of the media seemed to be playing it down. The victim, writer E. Jean Carroll says she will cooperate 100%.

*****

The Supreme Court ruled that the government can’t stop us from running a business with a scandalous name.

*****

Stop the cash bail system. It is costing us money every day.

*****

Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger have wed.

*****

Joe Sestak is running for President.

*****

I always think of Meghan McCain as the Rosie O’Donnell of the right. She seems to have a big heart and her childhood and parents seem to have made a huge influence. Somehow she always brings everything back to her and she freaks on certain talking points.

*****

Let’s keep an eye on U.S. transportation secretary Elaine Chao. The shipping dynasty of her family is benefitting from industrial policies in China.

*****

2 deputies were fired for inaction pertaining to the Parkland shooting.

*****

People were horrified at the image of Scary Clown with graves in the background on foreign soil as he talked of “Nervous Nancy” and called Mueller a fool. We were outraged when he told us that he would want to listen to dirt on others and wouldn’t see why he should tell the FBI before he walked it back. He does not fucking care. When will we all understand that?

*****

The President is being urged to cancel his speech at the Lincoln memorial. Many of his own people think it might appear to be a campaign stop paid for by the American people. He did that already when he made ads for himself while at his golf course in Scotland.** I suppose he will pretend to be all about America again when he gets back from smiling with North Korean and Russian dictators.

*****

New York has banned declawing. Meow!!

*****

It is looking like Sam Little, in prison in California, may turn out to be the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history.

*****

The Tony’s came and went. Big winners were Bryan Cranston, Elaine May and Bob Mackie. Ali Stoker was the first wheelchair bound winner and Hadestown won the most awards.

*****

Some schools are trying out yoga instead of detention. Teaching children how to control their feelings and help it to dissipate seems to be work.

*****

The Catholic Church has stomped on the rights of our Trans brothers and sisters. They decree that people should stay the way they are born.

*****

The movie,’ The Dead Don’t Die’ sounds great with Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Adam Driver, Danny Glover, Tom Waits and Steve Buscemi.

*****

Trump and Pence seem pretty pleased with themselves for not allowing the rainbow flag to fly during pride month. They really hate progress, don’t they? Luckily, some brave souls are finding ways around it.

*****

Scary Clown has signed an executive order to increase transparency of hospital costs and info of medical professionals.

*****

On July 17 Bob Mueller will testify. **A comic book publisher is turning the report into a graphic novel.

*****

JB Pritzker has signed legal weed into Illinois and they will look at releasing low level drug offenders and putting money back into hard hit communities that were affected by the drug war.

*****

Maple Vale is suing because they say big chicken companies have colluded to hike prices.

*****

Absolut has been a proud supporter of the gay community since the 70’s.

*****

Jim Gaffigan is in the new film, ‘Being Frank.’

*****

Sarah Huckabee Sanders is out. Many reporters tell us that she and other WH staff can be very different behind the scenes. They have been known to be very helpful and personable at times. The bluster and the lies are mostly for show for the boss.** Acting US customs and border protection commissioner John Sanders is out.

*****

Scary Clown really put his foot in it with his Stephanopoulus interview. From little wise guy to taking help from foreign powers to the look on his face after ‘the cough’ it was quite the show.** Chuck Todd really soft balled his interview with our Pres. Shame on you.

*****

So, of course Manafort is going to a Federal location instead of Riker’s Island after AG Barr sent a letter to state prosecutors.

*****

One day it is announced that ICE is throwing millions out of the country. Another day they will round up 2,000 illegals that haven’t shown up for court etc. then that is on hold. Iran is going to be hit then it isn’t. It seems like real panic time in the WH. Justice Department attorney Sarah Fabian has explained in her double talk that kids without toothbrushes, soap and proper sleep is fine. Concrete floors in cages seem like a good idea to Trumps WH. Sarah Fabians phone number of 202-532-4824 was released to the public and she got an earful but I am sure she has changed that # by now.** ICE won’t even allow anyone to donate items to the kids in cages except for one in Deming, NM.

*****

Roy Moore is running for senate in 2020. These pompous, narcissistic pigs will not just fade away.

*****

I really hate this way the media lumps all the ‘rest’ of the Dem candidates as interchangeable. At least give everybody a chance to tell us who they are until the debates. All should have an equal chance because there are some good candidates there. Each one is unique and has at least one good idea. Would they all make a good President? Probably not but let’s hear them out!! People wonder why we never have enough choices and then they try to thin the field right away. Andrew Yang wasn’t even included in some of the advertising for the debates and he is polling 8th. ** Seth Macfarlane and Bill Maher suggest that we do away with the audience. Great idea!!

*****

The first night of debate went well. I went in loving Inslee and went out the same way. He didn’t get much chance to talk what with the moderators asking Elizabeth Warren questions about 4 to the others 1. When Jay did get to speak about climate change and calling out CEO’s, I thought he was dynamic. He really puts his money where his mouth is. I wish more people would research him. He had the best answer of what this country’s greatest threat is when he answered ,”Donald Trump.” Colbert made fun of Inslee for interrupting Warren about the rights of women. I must say that as a woman, that never even occurred to me because I was looking at her as a candidate. He has also been raked over for trying to interject with that finger in the air. Hmm.. so polite. DeBlasio got in a great line about not blaming immigrants for their problems but blaming the corporations, otherwise he seemed like a bully. Warren and Booker were competent. Klobachar, Gabbard and Ryan should call it quits. I like O’Rourke but he just seems too sweet. I loved his close because he referenced current events like the kids in cages and student protests which didn’t seem like running for student council Pres. I was impressed with John Delaney who I hadn’t known much about. But Julian Castro won the night. He still wouldn’t be my first choice but he did everything right. He was truly Presidential and seemed to resonate with everybody. He was forceful, down to earth and seemed to know what he was talking about.

*****

Night 2 of the debates was a bit more lively. Hickenlooper will probably impress a few conservatives with his insistence that the Dems shouldn’t identify so much with socialism. Gillibrand seemed like tonight’s bully and it is time for her to go along with Bennet, Swalwell and Williamson. Now, Marianne got a lot of shit but I agree with her on some basics. Preventative medicine and love being the answer is not stupid. These are things we don’t put enough stock in so why laugh it off? She is right about the chemicals and climate and why we are so sick in this world. She is right about state sponsored crimes and child abuse at the border. I thought Gillibrand repeated herself too much but she is right about putting too much money into private prisons. Buttigieg had a great point about the ‘free college for all’ thing by looking at the reality of those who don’t want college, a decent minimum wage and the rich paying for their own schooling. He is also quite perceptive about republicans using religion while separating families which gives them no right to use God’s name. He was a bit sweaty but poised and measured all the way through. I am a big Andrew Yang fan and his money to all every month is something I have thought a solid idea for years but he is not Presidential at this point. He should be in the cabinet because he is an idea person but he sort of nervously choked on his first question about his signature piece. I loved that he didn’t wear a tie and his closing statement was awesome. Bernie gave us no surprises but the red, white and blue reflected in his glasses was fascinating. I did love his line about a hemisphere problem that we have and called out the Yemen crisis. Like the night before, Biden seemed to get more time than the lesser knowns. He started out smooth and easy and ended serious and defensive because of the jabs he received. Kamala Harris stole the night with some of those. She jumped on Williamson’s mention of reparations to explain to Biden why his recent rhetoric of segregationists was so painful. This is why I love debates, it can change everything. I can’t really imagine anyone else taking on Trump at this point. She had some great lines like calming the boys down about no food fights but putting food on the table. Her close was a bit halting but she fired up the crowd as if she was already President.

*****

The after shows zeroed in on the flaws which will unfortunately define some of them. The way we loop ‘Bookers look’ or ‘Williamson’s love not fear for political purposes’ can belittle the progress we can make. I am right in there watching it but it gets old. Trevor Noah said that many try but it was the Right time for Harris to play the race card. Race is already playing a part as some birtherism is erupting eluding to her Indian mother and Jamaican father. Don Jr. got the wheels in motion by retweeting some garbage about Harris not being an “American black.”She raised about 2 mil after the debates.

*****

I will never understand why people always bring up this ‘elite’ business when talking about the Dems. Most of the people I have personally known who had a lot of money and looked down their nose at others have been republicans. Perhaps it is all about where one is from.

*****

Teens are evolving bone spurs on the back of their heads from looking down at their phones so much.

*****

Succession will be back on August 11.

*****

A little political hocus pocus seems to be ok with the Supreme Court. In a 5-4 ruling they have barred challenges to partisan gerrymandering.

*****

G20 countries make about 80% of global CO2 emissions. They had agreed to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels. Reports show that in the years since , they have nearly tripled subsidies to coal plants.

*****

Trump is schmoozing with Kim Jong UN saying, ”I would invite him tight now to the WH.”** There was a brawl with new unofficial WH press secretary Stephanie Grisham and Kim’s people.

*****

The Travers film fest will honor Lily Tomlin with a lifetime achievement award.

*****

The ex- governor of Michigan Rick Snyder, who is responsible for the Flint water crisis, will now have a fellowship at Harvard.

*****

“Trump didn’t actually win the election in 2016. He lost the election and he was put into office because the Russians interfered.”- Jimmy Carter, former President and international expert on election fraud.

Toy Story 4 is big box office.

*****

Mythic Quest is the new series produced and written in part by Charlie Day and Rob Mcelhenney. The show will be about a video game development company and will star F. Murray Abraham and Danny Pudi.

*****

Melissa McCarthy may play Ursula in the live action The Little Mermaid.

A hacker stole the latest music from Radiohead and threatened to release it if they didn’t pony up $150,000 in ransom. The band released a statement declaring. ”We’ve been hacked” , released it themselves for 18 days and the money went to charity. Rock on!!

*****

In Cape Coral, Fla., a parent forced a kid to walk around with a sign of their wrong deeds. Oh bit.. this stuff is back again.

*****

ICS in Springfield, Illinois’ fired Joe Crane from his broadcast for his honesty. Corporate was insisting on using a ‘CODE RED’ alert for weather even when the weather wasn’t so bad to keep the paranoid watching. After numerous complaints and Crane apparently not able to talk corporate out of it, he went to the public and let them know how much he disagreed with the policy but his hands were tied. Of course, corporate let him go.

*****

The FCC is giving the phone company more power to fight robo calls.

*****

Archeologists found some weed in China inside some ceremonial cannabis bowls from 2500 years ago.

*****

Rapper Scarface is running for city council in Houston.

*****

20,000 Christians have petitioned Netflix to cancel Good Omens. I am sure the Amazon show is loving the publicity, they were probably looking for something just like this to happen. Oddly, just before I heard this story I saw the first couple of episodes and thought it was pretty good.

*****

Don’t judge someone because they sin differently than you.

*****

The fight to end robo calls has been named ‘Operation Call it Quits.’

*****

OJ Simpson opened a twitter account on the 25th anniversary of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

*****

The 71st Emmy’s will be held on Sept. 22 and may not have a host. This no host thing seems to be catching on since it saves money and controversy. The noms will be announced July 16.

*****

If you get the chance, read the Vanity Fair article about Col. Jennifer Pritzker. The cousin of Illinois Governor, JB Pritzker is the world’s only known trans billionaire.

*****

Refineries, Chemical plants and plastics are giving our fire fighters cancer and cities are often not compensating them.

*****

Jordan Klepper used his mug shot as the pic to headline his show. He was arrested with pastors for their rally n support of immigrant students.

*****

Do you wonder if the Trump kids and Melania have so much power and money that they don’t mind that Trump is a laughingstock?

*****

I saw that Seth Meyers used the term bummer camp to explain a kid who gets sent to camp because their parents need to work on their divorce. My friends and I always used that term when our summer camp music festival gets ruined by endless rain.

*****

R.I.P. Roky Erickson, Leon Redbone, Dr. John, Franco Zeffirelli, Leah Chase, Zarious Fair, Elliot Roberts, Alan Brinkley , Troy Chisum, Oscar and Valeria Ramirez, Edward Gallardo and Gloria Vanderbilt.

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mylordmyfriend · 8 years ago

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Weekend Inspiration

Easter has passed once again, but Lorraine has wrote ‘ EASTER THOUGHTS’. so enjoy and be inspired by this article written by our creative writer Lorraine

Another Easter reflection and honoring of the sacrifice of Jesus has passed. As Jesus lifted his head to see the three crosses on the hill above him from his blood stained face, he stumbled. Crying out in pain he was pulled up roughly and forced on. He thought, ‘On which one will it be that I die for my God’s decree to be fulfilled?’

Bruised and broken by blows from his captors and nailed to the middle cross, his life blood emptied for the salvation of us all. Above the jeers and ridicule from below a feeble voice echoed,

‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.’

And Jesus’s breath was no more.

This is the echo that our Lord proclaims to all today in 2017. The rejection of his love, the moral indiscretions, lack of truth, justice and honesty, overcomes the world today. Be very aware people, of the decay that has set in to our world because it is subtle and soul destroying. The self- interests and indulgence of humanity and of those in high positions, the corruption in a lot of circles of influence, in contrast to the economically deprived and increasing violence and addictions, cannot be ignored. Are we, as Christians, hearing enough, doing enough, speaking up enough? What are we offering in the face of judgement day? The Lord is biding his time ready to harvest his garden of souls. Today’s attack from Satan is very, very subtle where he divides and destroys family values.

Malachi, Chapter three, verse 2-5. ‘But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he, will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness that will be acceptable to the Lord as in days gone by as in former years.’ So I will come near to you for judgement. I will be quick to testify against sorcerer’s, adulterer’s and perjurer’s, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless and deprive aliens of justice.’ says the Lord.

Are you prepared for your refining toward the ultimate judgement day?

Be Challenged and Get prepared.

Be Blessed

Lorraine

#reflection thoughts inspiration love #redemption forgiveness acceptance new-life compassion witness overcoming doing being

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loveofyhwh · 6 years ago

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October 21: Jeremiah 2–3; 1 Peter 2:11–3:12; Psalm 104; Proverbs 26:13–14

New Post has been published on https://loveofyhwh.com/october-21-jeremiah-2-3-1-peter-211-312-psalm-104-proverbs-2613-14/

October 21: Jeremiah 2–3; 1 Peter 2:11–3:12; Psalm 104; Proverbs 26:13–14

Old Testament:

Jeremiah 2–3

Jeremiah 2–3 (Listen)

Israel Forsakes the Lord

2 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the LORD,

“I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. 3 Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of his harvest. All who ate of it incurred guilt; disaster came upon them, declares the LORD.”

4 Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the LORD:

“What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless? 6 They did not say, ‘Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that none passes through, where no man dwells?’ 7 And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination. 8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD?’ Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherdsOr rulers‘>1 transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit. 9 “Therefore I still contend with you, declares the LORD, and with your children’s children I will contend. 10 For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see, or send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has been such a thing. 11 Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. 12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, 13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. 14 “Is Israel a slave? Is he a homeborn servant? Why then has he become a prey? 15 The lions have roared against him; they have roared loudly. They have made his land a waste; his cities are in ruins, without inhabitant. 16 Moreover, the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shavedHebrew grazed‘>2 the crown of your head. 17 Have you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the LORD your God, when he led you in the way? 18 And now what do you gain by going to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? Or what do you gain by going to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates?Hebrew the River‘>3 19 Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the LORD your God; the fear of me is not in you, declares the Lord GOD of hosts. 20 “For long ago I broke your yoke and burst your bonds; but you said, ‘I will not serve.’ Yes, on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed down like a whore. 21 Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine? 22 Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me, declares the Lord GOD. 23 How can you say, ‘I am not unclean, I have not gone after the Baals’? Look at your way in the valley; know what you have done— a restless young camel running here and there, 24 a wild donkey used to the wilderness, in her heat sniffing the wind! Who can restrain her lust? None who seek her need weary themselves; in her month they will find her. 25 Keep your feet from going unshod and your throat from thirst. But you said, ‘It is hopeless, for I have loved foreigners, and after them I will go.’ 26 “As a thief is shamed when caught, so the house of Israel shall be shamed: they, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets, 27 who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they say, ‘Arise and save us!’ 28 But where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you, in your time of trouble; for as many as your cities are your gods, O Judah. 29 “Why do you contend with me? You have all transgressed against me, declares the LORD. 30 In vain have I struck your children; they took no correction; your own sword devoured your prophets like a ravening lion. 31 And you, O generation, behold the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of thick darkness? Why then do my people say, ‘We are free, we will come no more to you’? 32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number. 33 “How well you direct your course to seek love! So that even to wicked women you have taught your ways. 34 Also on your skirts is found the lifeblood of the guiltless poor; you did not find them breaking in. Yet in spite of all these things 35 you say, ‘I am innocent; surely his anger has turned from me.’ Behold, I will bring you to judgment for saying, ‘I have not sinned.’ 36 How much you go about, changing your way! You shall be put to shame by Egypt as you were put to shame by Assyria. 37 From it too you will come away with your hands on your head, for the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust, and you will not prosper by them. 3 “IfSeptuagint, Syriac; Hebrew Saying, “If‘>4 a man divorces his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man’s wife, will he return to her? Would not that land be greatly polluted? You have played the whore with many lovers; and would you return to me? declares the LORD. 2 Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see! Where have you not been ravished? By the waysides you have sat awaiting lovers like an Arab in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your vile whoredom. 3 Therefore the showers have been withheld, and the spring rain has not come; yet you have the forehead of a whore; you refuse to be ashamed. 4 Have you not just now called to me, ‘My father, you are the friend of my youth— 5 will he be angry forever, will he be indignant to the end?’ Behold, you have spoken, but you have done all the evil that you could.”

Faithless Israel Called to Repentance

6 The LORD said to me in the days of King Josiah: “Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the whore? 7 And I thought, ‘After she has done all this she will return to me,’ but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore. 9 Because she took her whoredom lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree. 10 Yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but in pretense, declares the LORD.”

11 And the LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say,

“‘Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the LORD; I will not be angry forever. 13 Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the LORD. 14 Return, O faithless children, declares the LORD; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

15 “‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16 And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the LORD, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the LORD.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again. 17 At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the LORD, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart. 18 In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage.

19 “‘I said, How I would set you among my sons, and give you a pleasant land, a heritage most beautiful of all nations. And I thought you would call me, My Father, and would not turn from following me. 20 Surely, as a treacherous wife leaves her husband, so have you been treacherous to me, O house of Israel, declares the LORD.’” 21 A voice on the bare heights is heard, the weeping and pleading of Israel’s sons because they have perverted their way; they have forgotten the LORD their God. 22 “Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to you, for you are the LORD our God. 23 Truly the hills are a delusion, the orgiesHebrew commotion‘>5 on the mountains. Truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.

24 “But from our youth the shameful thing has devoured all for which our fathers labored, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our dishonor cover us. For we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”

Footnotes

[1] 2:8 Or rulers [2] 2:16 Hebrew grazed [3] 2:18 Hebrew the River [4] 3:1 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew Saying, “If [5] 3:23 Hebrew commotion

(ESV)

New Testament:

1 Peter 2:11–3:12

1 Peter 2:11–3:12 (Listen)

11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Submission to Authority

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution,Or every institution ordained for people‘>1 whether it be to the emperorOr king; also verse 17‘>2 as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servantsFor the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface‘>3 of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Wives and Husbands

3 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with youSome manuscripts since you are joint heirs‘>4 of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Suffering for Righteousness’ Sake

8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10 For

“Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; 11 let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Footnotes

[1] 2:13 Or every institution ordained for people [2] 2:13 Or king; also verse 17 [3] 2:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface [4] 3:7 Some manuscripts since you are joint heirs

(ESV)

Psalm:

Psalm 104

Psalm 104 (Listen)

O Lord My God, You Are Very Great

104 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, 2 covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. 3 He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind; 4 he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire. 5 He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved. 6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. 7 At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they took to flight. 8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them. 9 You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth. 10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills; 11 they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. 12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches. 13 From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. 14 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth 15 and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart. 16 The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. 17 In them the birds build their nests; the stork has her home in the fir trees. 18 The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers. 19 He made the moon to mark the seasons;Or the appointed times (compare Genesis 1:14)‘>1 the sun knows its time for setting. 20 You make darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep about. 21 The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God. 22 When the sun rises, they steal away and lie down in their dens. 23 Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening. 24 O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. 25 Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. 26 There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.Or you formed to play with‘>2 27 These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. 28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. 30 When you send forth your Spirit,Or breath‘>3 they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. 31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works, 32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke! 33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD. 35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!

Footnotes

[1] 104:19 Or the appointed times (compare Genesis 1:14) [2] 104:26 Or you formed to play with [3] 104:30 Or breath

(ESV)

Proverb:

Proverbs 26:13–14

Proverbs 26:13–14 (Listen)

13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!” 14 As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed.

(ESV)

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dailybiblelessons · 7 years ago

Text

Thursday: Preparation for the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Revised Common Lectionary Proper 22 Roman Catholic Proper 27

Complementary Hebrew Scripture: Jeremiah 2:14-22

Have you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the Lord your God, while he led you in the way? What then do you gain by going to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Nile? Or what do you gain by going to Assyria, to drink the waters of the Euphrates? Your wickedness will punish you, and your apostasies will convict you.

Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God; the fear of me is not in you, says the Lord GOD of hosts. For long ago you broke your yoke and burst your bonds, and you said, “I will not serve!” On every high hill and under every green tree you sprawled and played the whore.

Yet I planted you as a choice vine, from the purest stock. How then did you turn degenerate and become a wild vine? Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me, says the Lord GOD.

Semi-continuous Hebrew Scripture: Exodus 23:1-9

When you come upon your enemy's ox or donkey going astray, you shall bring it back. When you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden and you would hold back from setting it free, you must help to set it free.

You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

Complementary Psalm 80:7-15

Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.

You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.

The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches; it sent out its branches to the sea, and its shoots to the River.

Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it.

Turn again, O God of hosts; look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, the stock that your right hand planted.

Semi-continuous Psalm 19

The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat.

More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.

Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me.

Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

New Testament Epistle Lesson: Colossians 2:16-23

Year A Ordinary 27, RCL Proper 22, Catholic Proper 27 Thursday

Bible verses from The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All right reserved. Selections from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright 1995 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Image credit: Earth from Space by NASA, via Wikimedia Commons. This is a public domain image.

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