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talenlee · 7 months

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Who Rules You

I’m not trying to make every consideration of my fundamentalist history this year focus in some way on The Locked Tomb but it’s just very helpful, and since it’s what put it in my mind, I figure it’s what I’m going to be using as my lens. Particularly because as I engage with that fandom I hear people, totally normal and regular people, react to things in the book that reveal to me more ways in which my upbringing was in fact, completely and utterly horseradished.

Let me talk to you of John Gaius, the Emperor Eternal, God with a soft G, and his part in my upbringing.

John Gaius, Jod for short going forward, is a major character in the story of The Locked Tomb. It may constitute a spoiler to inform you that those books feature a character with that name and that title and that he’s, like, a dude who shows up in those books and is kinda a dick, but I don’t think that’s the kind of spoiler for a book series that merits a serious warning. However, in my effort to be nice to people who are big crybaby wenuses about this kind of thing, I will say, here and now, beyond this point, I’m going to talk about a character in a book. I’m going to imply that the guy who became the God-Emperor of Mankind and the Undying Necrolord may have done some fucked up shit.

You will cope.

When conversation about the world of the Locked Tomb turns to John Gaius, a few things come up pretty quickly. One, that the Emperor fucks, two that the Emperor looks like Taika Watiti and therefore, well, duh, and then three that God was a twitch streamer and how weird it is, how unexpected this is. For this end I’d like to let you know that cults form over communication networks in which you can isolate people, ideally without leaving them feeling like they’re being isolated. Cults have been formed over the radio, cults have been formed via pamphlets and newsletter. Cults have been constructed through every means of interface, and there are already multiple examples of cults being formed, via youtube and twitch.

I completely seriously mean this when I say that one of the major political parties of the United States is functionally, a cult that got its operation happening thanks to twitter.

This led to my first realisation: A lot of people don’t really realise they’ve seen a real bastard before. There’s I think an impetus for people who haven’t dealt with them up close to see the humanity in everyone, to see ways to forgive and be kind to a lot of people. This is usually brought up in the context of prison, as if prison is somehow a reasonable system for finding bad people, and it sort of white-washes together criminals and bad people, two groups that don’t really have that much overlap.

Our cult leader was, well, unremarkable. He was heavy set in the middle, bald, had glasses, a wife, a daughter, and a kinda-adopted daughter, I never got the long and short of that scenario. The dude could quote scripture and espouse ideas and present rhetorical frameworks that were consistently good at making you think he’d answered you, and then build over and over again on that impression such that you could very easily think that maybe you had gotten an answer and just not understood it. It wasn’t the kind of thing that would stand up to an inquisitive, concentrated and confrontational mind, but the good news is that cults select away from that kind of thing. Fundamentalists drive out those to whom critical thinking comes too easily because they can’t be happy under fundamentalism.

Our church signed onto a pledge that specifically stated its goal was to isolate us in our communities. The phrasing was different – it was that to defend our beliefs in the truth of the Bible, we had to do what the Bible said, and quoted a bunch of verses:

1. Separation from doctrinal schismatics and apostates;

a. “Mark them” (Philippians 3:17-18) b. “Avoid them” (Romans 16:1718) c. “Identity them” (I Timothy 1:20; II Timothy 1:15; 4:14) d. “From such turn away” (II Timothy 3:5) e. “Reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11) f. “Have no fellowship with them”(Ephesians 5:11) g. “Be not unequally yoked together with” (II Corinthians 6:14-16) h. “Come out from among them” (II Corinthians 6:17) i. “Reject” (Titus 3:10)

2. Separation from disobedient saints and appeasers;

a. “Note that man” (I Thessalonians 3:14) b. “Withdraw yourself”(II Thessalonians3:6) c. “Have no company with”(II Thessalonians 3:15) d. “Rebuke them sharply” (Titus 1:13) [20] e. “Admonish him as a brother” (II Thessalonians 3:15) f. “Count him not an enemy” (II Thessalonians 3:15) g. “Keep not company” (I Corinthians 5:11) h. “With such an one not to eat” (I Corinthians 5:11)

And while adhering to this separatist position, that we “let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1)

Source

This was an isolation tactic, done to ensure that we in our churches saw any dissent from our fundamentalist worldview as being an attack on our faith. We had to drive away those people, because the Bible said we had to, as stated by our articles of faith that were written and drawn out by men.

Notice though, the framing? Check out there, one of those quotes: “Mark Them.” Phillippians 3:17-18. How the fuck is that one two-word phrase in two verses? Does one end with ‘mark’ and the other begin with ‘them?’

The full quote is this:

17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark those who so walk, as ye have us for an example.

18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often and now tell you even with weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ.

Notice the phrase ‘mark them’ is used to evoke the idea of eschewing contact with the apostate. This is not what these verses present. These verses literally say ‘follow together with me and mark those who so walk.’ It’s talking about who you include, not who you exclude. Adding on verse 18 says that there are people who walk as enemies of the faith, but that’s not saying anything about what to do with them. And this is just one grabbed citation at random, where any of the others are almost certainly just as mis-handled.

Jod is a bad person. You can tell, because of all the bad things he’s done. You can really tell because of how he frames doing the bad things he’s done as inevitable, or necessary, or the responsibility of the people who drove him to do it. This led to a second realisation: People aren’t used to being lied to. Our pastor told families in the church he was approaching them in secret for help with his money problems from his pyramid scheme, and he didn’t call it that, but that’s what it was, and every single one of them wound up signing up and giving him giant chunks of money in the name of the church because he was their pastor.

When he told us that he’d been doing it, and that he couldn’t pay, and he was leaving, he didn’t set up anything. He didn’t apologise. He just… left.

Just fucked off.

The person telling you the story is a person telling you a story. Jod in the Locked Tomb tells an extensive narrative about what he did and why he did it, but you gotta remember he’s the one telling you that story, he is literally giving you a version of events that he gets to shape. There’s stuff he leaves out and stuff that’s inconsistent and such a focus on things that build empathy like his frustration and his sadness and his need for vengeance that all are explicitly trying to manipulate his audience which includes you.

The third realisation, which makes sense to me because Muir has mentioned cult upbringing too, is that even if our experiences differ, cult experiences fuck you up in ways that rhyme because they’re all fundamentally about environments of control. I was not a subject, directly to our pastor. I was a kid a few steps removed; my mother was directly important, my dad secondarily important so me and my sister were tertiarilly important and we could be used to turn those other gears.

Jod is a great character. Really well written. Very authentic, very true to life. He’s not unique. He’s not singular. He’s a shithead of a type that exists, in the world, today, and who is probably just looking for the right way to put people he wants under his control.

Study him and study the ways he thinks he can fool you.

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

#The Locked Tomb #Fundie Stuff

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shammah8 · 7 months

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"Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll — are they not in your record?"

Psalm 56:8

TEARS OF SUFFERING

Somewhere in this world a persecuted Christian might be crying right at this moment. It might seem that their tears are in vain and simply drop to the ground. But ages ago King David was convinced that God was interested in his tears. In the passage noted above, alternate translations for listing tears on a “scroll” include putting tears in a “bottle” or “wineskin.”

Today in the Middle East it is not uncommon to see a collection of oddly-shaped bottles, labelled only as “sprinklers.” But in ancient Middle Eastern times these bottles were known as “tear-catchers.” When a husband went off to war, his wife would collect her tears for him in a bottle. On his return she would hand him the bottle as proof of her love. In times of death or serious trouble, family members would bring their tear-catchers and collect tears from all the people present. Sometimes the tears would be stored in a small round jar with a lid. These tear bottles represented the sorrows of the family; tears serving as a message in a bottle. In those days each person was buried with his or her tear bottle; archaeologists have found many of these bottles in ancient tombs.

In the days of King David of Israel the bottle was more likely made of animal skin. David was a man who went through a lot of suffering and persecution. David had no doubts: his tears were not shed in vain, but were collected by God. The words in Psalm 56 could also be those of our persecuted brothers and sisters. They serve as a reminder for us to “treasure” their tears.

The words of David are still true today. People try to trample on our brothers and sisters; want to harm them; spy on their movements. David put his trust clearly in the Lord. In verses 3 and 4 he says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Watching the moving DVD documentary, A Cry from Iran, you will be brought to tears as you see and hear the story of Iranian Pastor Haik who was martyred for his faith in the mid-1990’s. He worked tirelessly for the release from prison of Christian brother Mehdi Dibaj who was sentenced to death for apostasy. Miraculously Mehdi was released. At Pastor Haik’s funeral, a teary-eyed Mehdi Dibaj said, “I was the one who should have died, not Haik.” Six months later he too was martyred.

Recently our office for the Middle East received an Iranian “tear-catcher” as a present. The bottle helps us to remember the tears of the Iranian Christians, but with them all of the Christians around the world who are being persecuted. It speaks about grief, about tears, about suffering; but also about faith and confidence in the Lord.

Let us remember their tears, knowing that as one member suffers, all members suffer. And let us rejoice that someday God will wipe away all tears from their eyes and our eyes.

Response

Today I will remember those of my extended Christian family around the world who are suffering and shedding tears.

Prayer

Pray for persecuted church believers today who may be shedding sorrowful tears of grief.

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lesfeldickbiblestudy · 1 year

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Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 2 * PART 4 * BOOK 61 ISAIAH 51 - 53 - PART 2 Okay, again, we always like to emphasize for our television viewers, and we know we get new ones every day, that we’re just an informal Bible study. We don’t claim to be highly educated theologians. I don’t have any degrees behind my name. We just teach as the Lord lays it upon our hearts to teach. We just thank the Lord for touching so many hearts through our ministry. Okay, let’s just get right back into where we left off in Isaiah 53. This great chapter was written 700 years before Christ and depicts the crucifixion so graphically. If we have time in this half-hour, we’ll go back and compare some of these verses with Psalms 22 where we have much the same to show again that this is truly the Word of God. How divinely inspired every word has to be! All right, let’s come back again to verse 8 where it was spoken that He was "taken from prison and from judgment." Now, you want to remember, if you understand the night of the arrest and leading up to the crucifixion, they arrested Him in the early hours of the morning. Probably at 3 o’clock and pitch dark. They imprisoned Him for a few hours in a place we usually visit when we go to Jerusalem. Then, He was taken out of there and brought before the judgment hall of Pilate. Isaiah 53:8 "He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: (not for anything He had done, but) for the transgression of my people was he stricken." All right, let’s go to Daniel. We mentioned in our last program that we were going to do this. Let’s jump up to Daniel chapter 9. This is that great chapter of the benchmark of all prophecy. Daniel chapter 9 where we find that He is spoken of in exactly the same kind of language, and where we have this prophecy concerning the Messiah and Israel and the coming of the anti-Christ and the Tribulation and so forth. But in verse 24: Daniel 9:24 "Seventy weeks (That is of years, or 490 years.) are determined upon thy people (the nation of Israel) and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks:…"Or 69 weeks of years or 483 years. Remember that 490 years are promised in this prophecy. Now, verse 26. Daniel 9:26a "And after three score and two weeks (plus the other seven for a total of 69 weeks of years or 483) shall Messiah be (what?) cut off, (All of a sudden His life on earth will be ended.) but not for himself:…" Not for Himself. Again, the emphasis is He didn’t deserve it. He did nothing to deserve death. Daniel 9:26b "…and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;…" This is a reference, of course, to the Romans out of which empire the anti-Christ will come, which is still future. So, here we have Scripture identified with Scripture with the exact same words that "he was cut off from amongst the living." All right, now in Isaiah chapter 53 verse 9, there is another direct prophecy that was fulfilled to the last detail. Isaiah 53:9a "And he made his grave with the wicked, (That is amongst lost humanity.) and with the rich in his death…" His tomb was in a piece of real estate owned by wealthy Joseph of Arimathaea, a wealthy Jew. Isaiah 53:9b "…because he had done no violence, (He had done nothing to precipitate His death.) neither was any deceit in his mouth." That’s why we’re constantly emphasizing He never said a word in rebuttal. He never tried to defend Himself. He stayed silent. Now, verse 10: Isaiah 53:10a "Yet it pleased the LORD (that is God the Father in this case) to bruise

him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin,…" Now, let’s come all the way back. In fact, let’s go all the way back to Genesis chapter 3. There had to be a sin offering to restore the fellowship of mankind with the Creator God. Let’s go back to Genesis chapter 3 or 4. I can use either one. Let’s go to chapter 4 and drop in at verse 4. We’ll skip over Cain for a minute and come down to Abel. Genesis 4:4a "And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock (which indicates, more than likely, a sheep) and of the fat thereof. (In other words, the very best that he had in his flock of sheep.) And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:" Well, what kind of an offering was it? It was a sin offering. Now, let’s compare that all the way up to Hebrews, chapter 11, and drop down to verse 4. This is the New Testament reference to that very same sacrifice that Abel gave. Hebrews 11:4 "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice (What kind of a sacrifice? It was a sin offering to cover his sin.) than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it (That is by his faith.) being dead yet speaketh." All right, come back to Isaiah 53, again. So, Christ became that sin offering, not just for Israel but for the whole human race. All right, let’s see, where was I? Verse 10. Isaiah 53:10a "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin," The sins of the whole world. Now, so many have seen the movie, The Passion. You’ve heard my comments on it as well as others. There was no way humanly possible for anybody to show what Christ really accomplished when He settled the sin debt of the whole human race. That’s beyond our comprehension. He didn’t just die for the few. He died for every one from Adam and Eve to the end of time. Every sin was paid for in that death at the cross. No movie can show that. All we saw was just a little tip of the iceberg. His physical suffering, but in the realm of the spiritual, He had to be God. This is what I tell people when I deal with the cults and some of these false religions that have no plan of redemption. Their so-called prophet or whatever they want to call him can’t die for the sins of the whole human race. They don’t even try to express it. They know better than that, I guess. But this One did. He died for every sin of every human being to bring about our salvation. And all we have to do to appropriate that salvation is to believe in our heart that "Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again" as we saw in the last half-hour. Isaiah 53:10b "…when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand." Well, imagine the suffering that Jesus went through on the way to the cross, going all the way back to the early morning hours and as He hung there in agony and shame. Yet, what was the most glorious aspect of all of God’s dealing with the human race? The resurrection! That was primary. How He arose from the dead victorious over all of His opposition. There was nothing that could take from His power and His glory when He arose from the dead. Isaiah 53:11a "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied:…" Why? What was the next to the last statement on the cross, or is it the last? "It is (what?) finished." What have men been trying to do ever since? They been saying, "No, it wasn’t finished, we’ve got to do this, and we’ve got to do that." No, beloved, it was finished! It’s that finished work plus NOTHING that brings our salvation. And, oh, what a pity that such a finished work of redemption has been besmirched with men trying to "do something." It’s pitiful. But we’ll just keep proclaiming that it’s by faith and faith alone in that finished work, culminating in the power of His resurrection. Isaiah 53:11a "He shall

see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: (Because it was finished, there was nothing more that could be done.) by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify (what?) many;…" Not just Israel, even though Israel is the only one being addressed in this passage. Now, let’s go all the way up to the Apostle Paul. Let’s go up to Romans chapter 3 and see how this same suffering Messiah now becomes the object of faith of not just Israel but of the whole world, Jew and Gentile. Romans 3:9a "What then? are we (Now, remember, Paul can speak as a Jew.) [Jews] better than they?" Those Gentiles? Well, ordinarily the answer would have been what? Well, you’d better believe it! But not after Paul becomes the Apostle. Now, we know they are not better than the Gentiles. Everybody in the whole human race is on the same level playing field, and he tells us that. Romans 3:9b-10 "No, in no wise: for we have before proved (Now, this is the Word of God. This isn’t just one man’s idea. This is inspired just like Isaiah was.) that both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. 10. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" Not even in Israel. Not even amongst the Gentiles. All right, now then, come all the way over to verse 19. This is the Apostle writing in light of everything that God had accomplished through the nation of Israel, who were under the Law and Temple worship. The Messiah came to them as the Shepherd of the sheep of Israel, but now Paul brings us across that great divide and includes the Gentile as well. Romans 3:19a "Now we know (There are no ifs, ands, or buts.) that what things soever the law saith, (Now, the Law here is a reference to the Ten Commandments.) it saith to them who are under the law:" Now, I think you all know who was under the Law. Israel. The Jew. Gentiles weren’t under the Law, ever. But the Law didn’t stop at Israel’s border. It went all around the globe. Romans 3:19b "…that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world (not just Israel) may become guilty before God. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law (or the keeping of the Ten Commandments,) there shall no flesh be justified in his sight:" My goodness, tell this to your fellow church members. Most of them, not all, but most of them think that if they do their best and keep the Commandments, they’ll make it. Hey, nobody’s ever going to get to Glory keeping the commandments, because it’s impossible. Romans 3:20 "…there shall no flesh be justified in his sight:" Why? The Law wasn’t given to save. The Law was given to condemn. It was an instrument of death, II Corinthians 3 tells us. Yet, how many of even Christendom feel that the Ten Commandments are somehow going to be their ticket to eternal bliss. Well, I’ve got news for them; it’s a ticket for the other direction.It’s a condemnation of death. Romans 3:20b "…for by the law is the knowledge of sin." The knowledge that we’re lost. All right, but now, verse 21. You know, I’m still thinking about making a program someday on the ‘but now’s’ in Scripture. I don’t know if I’ll get it done, but we’re going to work on it. Romans 3:21 "But now the righteousness of God without the law (See that? With the Law completely out of the picture) is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;" Of course, that’s why we’re studying Isaiah; to see that all things written back there were building block leading up to our glorious Gospel of Grace. Romans 3:22 "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ (and now look) unto all and upon all them that…" (Them that keep the Commandments? No! To all of them that that repent and are baptized? No! To all them that do good works? No. I could keep going and going and going with what most of Christendom is trying to put in here. That’s not there. But it’s to all of them that what? Romans 3:22 "…believe:…" What is the other word for believe? Faith. By faith. Romans 3:22 "…for there is no difference:" A Jew has to be saved today the same way that we Gentiles are, and a lot of them are being misled.

Fortunately, we are getting a few who are responding; they’re seeing. All right, now then, keep moving in this chapter. We might as well just keep reading verse after verse. Romans 3:23-24 "For all (Jew and Gentile) have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24. Being justified freely (not by works but) by his grace through the redemption (or the process of paying the price) that is in Christ Jesus:" What was the price of redemption? His shed blood. Romans 3:25a "Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his (what?) blood,…" Don’t hear that much anymore do you? Hardly ever. But, you can’t take the blood out of Scripture. Now, some translations are trying, but God won’t have it. We still have to have faith in His shed blood as the price of our redemption. Romans 3:25b-26a "…through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26. (Oh, I love this one.) To declare, I say, at this time…" On this side of the cross, Isaiah 53 couldn’t say this yet. It hadn’t happened. It was prophesied, but it hadn’t happened. But now, at this time, he can declare: Romans 3:26b "…his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." There is no salvation in anything else. We’re justified by faith in Jesus Christ! Not His earthly ministry, but rather, by faith in His death, burial, and resurrection! Romans 3:27a-28 "Where is boasting then? It is excluded…. 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." So, now we can come back to Isaiah 53 and pick up again this whole plan of salvation prophesied in this one chapter. It should appeal to every Jew wherever they are, that an Old Testament prophet depicted the suffering of their Messiah in such distinct language. Isaiah 53:11c-12 "…for he shall bear their iniquities. (Which He did when He hung on that cross.) 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: (Now, that’s speaking again of His death by crucifixion.) and he was numbered with the transgressors; (What does that mean? The two thieves one on either side.) and he bear the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." Now, I’m not going to take you back because I trust you all remember. As they were hanging there and suffering, and none of us can comprehend what crucifixion did, but as they were suffering the one thief turned to Him and said what?"Remember thou me." What was Jesus’ answer? "Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise." Here, it’s prophesied 700 years before it happened. I hope I’ve said that often enough this afternoon that you remember it. Seven hundred years before it all happened, this chapter lays it out detail by detail how "He bear the sin of many." All right, I think we’ll take the last five minutes and come back to Psalms chapter 22. Here we have the same kind of graphic language but written even earlier than Isaiah. David writes, probably around 1000 BC, and look at the language. Remember that this is 1000 years before Christ. Psalms 22:1-2a "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Where did you hear that before? It was one of the statements from the cross.) why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? (As He’s suffering) 2. O my God,…" Now, let’s be careful. When Christ called out to God here on earth, He cried out from His humanity. Whenever He prayed He prayed from His human side. When He used His Deity side He didn’t have to pray, He was God. In other words, when He forgave the sin of the woman taken in adultery, He didn’t have to pray and ask God to forgive her. He forgave her. This is what disturbs the Jew. Well, who was He to forgive that woman’s sin? He was God! That’s why He could forgive her sin. He didn’t have to pray. But you see, whenever He cries out to God, He cries from the human side. That’s, of course, where He suffered, from the human side.

Psalms 22:2 "Oh my God, I cry in the daytime, (Now, we know He was crucified sometime in the forenoon and it was about six hours before He gave up the Spirit.) but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. 3. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. (That is the God of Abraham.) 4. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. 5. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. 6. But I (Now, the God-man, speaking from His humanity) am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people." Now, what’s he speaking of? While he’s being beaten and His beard was being pulled and the crown of thorns was being plaited on His head, He was just simply treated like worse than an animal. But the cry is from His humanity. Psalms 22:7-8 "All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8. He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him." What did they taunt Him with as he hung on the cross? "Well, if thou be God let the angels come down and take you down." They taunted Him. They scoffed at Him. All right, now verse 9: Psalms 22:9 "But thou art he that took me out of the womb: (Now, where do we go? All the way back to Bethlehem) thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts." As a young lad He grew up in humanity. Psalms 22:10 "I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from mother’s belly. 11. Be not far from me; for there is trouble near; for there is none to help. (Nobody came to His defense.) 12. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round." That’s speaking of all of His enemies as they scorned Him and scoffed Him. Now, verse 13: Psalms 22:13-14a "They gaped upon me with their mouth, as a ravening and a roaring lion. 14. I am poured out like water, (What did He cry out from the cross? I thirst.) all my bones are out of joint:…" Why? That’s what crucifixion did. As they were hanging there with arms outstretched it pulled almost every bone from its socket. It was a horrible way to die. Here the Psalmist graphically explains it. Psalms 22:14b-15a "…my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 15. My strength is dried up like a potsherd;" What’s a potsherd? It is a piece of clay. All of these are graphic descriptions of the crucifixion.

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allsoulspriory · 2 years

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Descending And Ascending

He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens to fill all things. — Eph 4:10

This is a fantastic verse! Why did our Lord descend? In the Council-Chamber of Eternity, when the creation and fall of man were foreseen, it was agreed that He should deliver man; but how could this be effected unless He had experienced conditions of human life? The sheer power, though it were that of Omnipotence, would not have availed. Even perfect love might have failed in absolute sympathy for lack of experience. “Forasmuch, then, as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself took part in the same, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest” (Heb 2:14-17).

How low did He descend? He bowed the heavens and came down, and darkness was under his feet. Down to the Virgin Mother and the Manger-bed; down to Joseph’s home in despised Nazareth and the carpenter’s shop; down to hunger and thirst, to agony and bloody sweat, to the Cross and Passion; down to Death and burial even in a borrowed tomb; down to the dim shadow-world of Hades, to the spirits in prison, and if there be any lower depth, thither!

But He ascended from these low depths, with the keys of Death and Hades at His girdle. He ascended on high, leading captivity captive, and as He passed upward, He annexed each province as He went. This same Jesus who descended is now ascended, with no change in His nature, that He may fill all hearts, all lives, and all homes, with the grace and love and help that He exhibited during His earthly ministry. When I saw that only the other day, I said to myself: “Jesus Christ is literally in this room. He is indeed at the right hand of God, but this is only to allow Him more easily to fill my heart, my need, and my life. He is the same as when Martha and Mary welcomed Him to their home in Bethany. I will reread the Gospels, not as a record, but as a mirror of the living present” (Heb 13:8).

Is there one person who reads this page, in loneliness, poverty, sickness, sorrow, and pain, that can fail to get this comfort? Reread the Gospels as the Diary and Day-Book of the Living Saviour! He that descended is the same also ascended, and He ascended that He might fill the lowest depths of human need. Though ascended to the right hand of the Majesty on high, He is the same loving, tender Saviour as when the children flocked around His knees and His tears brimmed over at the grave of His friend.

Prayer

I bless thee, O Son of God, that there is no need for me to go up to Heaven to bring Thee down or into Thy grave to bring Thee up. Thou art here, in this hour, and at this place. Amen.

#allsoulspriory #frjohnkelmy #paxabbey #thefellowshipcorner #dailywalk

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walkswithmyfather · 2 years

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“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” —1 John 5:4 (ESV)

“And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” —1 John 5:5 (NLT)

“He comes to set you free: Bible verses on the Lord's power to break every chain” By Alannah Francis

“Chains are an obvious symbol of imprisonment. In physical terms they restrict us, hold us down and back and signify our captive state. In spiritual terms they do more or less the same. While many of us won't experience physical chains, we're by no means immune to the impact of spiritual chains which harm our spiritual growth. These kinds of shackles are just as unmissable and detrimental to our freedom because they affect our behaviour, our outlook and our faith.

The Bible features numerous accounts of physical chain breaking but it also is full of stories about people who had their spiritual chains broken by the Lord. These types of chains manifested in various ways – demons, sickness, sin. But these biblical stories aren't just documented so that we know what Jesus was able to do for people that followed him in the past, they're also there to show us what he can do for us today. Jesus comes to set us free and destroy the chains that bind us.

The modern day chains that we may experience can come in a variety of forms. It might be an addiction, a lazy attitude or a failure to forgive. We can identify such spiritual shackles by assessing whether whatever it is weakens us, restricts our freedom and prevents us from reaching our potential to become closer to and more like Christ.

If you're aware that there are chains holding you down or you think there's something shackling you but you're yet to determine what it is, appeal to Jesus to set you free.

Here are some Bible verses that will also enable you to see that regardless of the power that chains have, the Lord's power to break them is far greater.

1. Mark 5:8 - “For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God's name don't torture me!" For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you impure spirit!"

2. Acts 12:6-7 - “The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists.”

3. Acts 16:25-26 - “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose.”

4. Psalm 116:16 - “Truly I am your servant, Lord; I serve you just as my mother did; you have freed me from my chains.

5. Psalm 107:13-16 - “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.”

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greenstudies · 3 years

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Movie recommendations

This is a list of movies I’ve seen with scores!. Used to be a part of my To Watch list, but it got too long. If you’re looking for films to watch, welcome!:

Before we start... Movies with rating 9/10 and higher are highlighted. Movies I didn’t finish have 0/10

🎦 Action

Kingsman: Golden circle 2/10

Spy who dumped me 6/10

John Wick 9/10

John Wick 2 8/10

John Wick 3 5/10

Blade Runer 0/10

Central intelligence 6/10

The Hitman’s Bodyguard 7/10

Constantine 9/10

Point Break 9/10

Charlie’s Angels 5/10

Speed 5/10

Mad Max: Fury Road 8/10

Murder on the Orient Express 6/10

The Old Guard 6/10

🎦 Animated

The Fox and the Hound 7/10

Kubo and the two strings 8/10

Sing 8/10

Sinbad 7/10

Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse 10/10

Toy Story 4 8/10

How to Train Your Dragon 3 6/10

Whisper of the Heart 7/10

Castle in the sky 6/10

Ponyo 6/10

Arriety 9/10

From Up on a poppy Hill 5/10

Tales From Earthsea 5/10

Raya and the Last Dragon 7/10

Mitchels and the Machines 7/10

Soul 8/10

Only Yesterday 5/10

Klaus 8/10

🎦 Comedy

Devil wears Prada 5/10

Bad moms 6/10

Clueless 0/10

Ibiza 4/10

Isn’t it romantic 8/10

Crazy Rich Asians 8/10

Dirty 30 couldn’t find it :(

The Perfect Date 5/10

Someone Great 7/10

Unicorn Store 5/10

Tootsie 7/10

Mortdecai 7/10

I Love You Phillip Morris 7/10

Always Be My Maybe 7/10

Knives Out 8/10

9 to 5 7/10

Fried Green Tomatoes 4/10

Love and Monsters 7/10

Bo Burnham: INSIDE 9/10

Little Miss Sunshine 7/10

The Intern 6/10

🎦 Drama

Passengers 6/10

Joy 9/10

Inferno 8/10

Catch me if you can 7/10

Rush 5/10

Leon 7/10

Bohemian Rhapsody 7/10

The Game 8/10

Alpha 3/10

The Breakfast Club 3/10

Burlesque 7/10

The Judge 7/10

The Godfather 5/10

One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest 7/10

To the Bone 8/10

My Own Private Idaho 4/10

Little Women 0/10

1984 6/10

Devil’s Advocate 10/10

Her 5/10

Walk the line 5/10

Lady Bird 4/10

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 0/10

Mindscape 9/10

Seven 10/10

Unbreakable 7/10

Split 7/10

Glass 4/10

Much Ado About Nothing 5/10

47 Ronin 5/10

Bend It Like Beckham 3/10

Brokeback Mountain 8/10

JoJo Rabbit 10/10

The Colour Purple 4/10

Now and Then 5/10

Marriage Story 7/10

The Master 0/10

The Truman Show 9/10

The Yards 0/10

Stay 8/10

The Snowman 4/10

Parasite 7/10

I Care a Lot 4/10

Primal Fear 9/10

🎦 Documentary

Minimalism 6/10

What the Health 0/10

The Social Dilemma 8/10

🎦 Horror

Train to Busan 4/10

The Woman in Black 5/10

Bird Box 7/10

Silent hill 0/10

Doctor Sleep 7/10

Jennifer’s Body 3/10

The Quiet Place 6/10

The Witch 2/10

American Psycho 1/10

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street 2/10

🎦 Thriller

Red Sparrow 0/10 (didn’t even finish it, I’m too pure)

Ocean’s 8 7/10

Bad Times at the El Royale 4/10

A Simple Favour 8/10

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch 9/10

Joker 10/10

Chain Reaction 6/10

Widows 0/10

Prisoners 10/10

Zodiac 8/10

Our Kind of Traitor 6/10

The Girl on the Train 6/10

🎦 Fantasy

The Huntsman: Winter’s War 6/10

Beauty and the Beast (life action) 6/10

Red Riding Hood 5/10

Tomb Rider 2/10

Pete’s Dragon 6/10

Upside Down 2/10

Sleepy Hollow 6/10

The House with a Clock in its Walls 7/10

Fantastic Beasts: Grindenwald’s Crimes 8/10

Mary Popins returns 6/10

Big Fish 6/10

Jack the Giant Slayer 5/10

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 8/10

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe 7/10

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug 8/10

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring 7/10

Christopher Robin 6/10

Into the Woods 3/10

Beetlejuice 6/10

Robin Hood 3/10

Horns 4/10

🎦 Sci-fi

Ghostbusters: Answer the Call 7/10

Fahrenheit 451 0/10

Ex Machina 6/10

Looper 8/10

The X Files: I Want To Believe 4/10

The Island 7/10

The Matrix 6/10

The Butterfly Effect 8/10

Star Wars I: Phantom Menace 7/10

Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones 7/10

Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith 7/10

What Happened to Monday 5/10

🎦 Superhero

Ant-Man and Wasp 5/10

Deadpool 2 9/10

Aquaman 8/10

Captain Marvel 8/10

Spiderman: Far from Home 8/10

Iron man 3 7/10

X-Men: Dark Phoenix 7/10

Birds of Prey (And the Fabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) 8/10

Venom 8/10

Venom: Let There Be Carnage 6/10

🎦 Romance

How to lose a guy in 10 days 6/10

Love Actually 6/10

The Kissing Booth 4/10

The first time 4/10

Pretty Woman 7/10

Dirty Dancing 9/10

The Notebook 5/10

Just Friends 3/10

Moulin Rouge! 8/10

Call Me By Your Name 6/10

The Lake House 5/10

Carol 7/10

Playing by Heart 2/10

Hope you like some of these!

#the-diary-of-a-failure #studyblr #lifestyle blog #studies #film #movie #movie recommendation #movie list #movie rating #film recommendation #scifi #fantasy #action #drama #romance

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drwcn · 4 years

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discordance!verse part 8(2/2): there are consequences to their actions, consequences they can’t avoid.

in which wwx is lxc’s husband through political alliance, and there is an affair.

[8.1] | [7] | [6] | [5] | [4] | [3] | [2] | [1] [synopsis] OR

see [discau tag] or [discordance navigation page] for all installments

Both 8.1 and 8.2 are posted on AO3 Chapter 4

The verdict came at dusk.

Yinzhu, Madam Yu's handmaid and bodyguard, bows to Jiang Yanli, "Da-xiao'jie, Wei-gongzi's presence is requested."

Over at jingshi, a senior Lan disciple does the same. "Zewu-jun, Hanguang-jun's presence is requested."

"Not to worry, A-Xian, we will go together."

"I shall go with you, Wangji."

"Da-xiao'jie -"

"Zewu-jun-"

"- the Elders request that he goes alone."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Wei Wuxian arrives at the Lan family's sacred ancestral hall, Lan Wangji is already there, kneeling alone before the altar, flanked by Gusu and Yunmeng's elders and their stern and silent gaze. He braves it without any signs of distress. His back is straight, his posture unbent and his spirit unbroken. Like him, Lan Zhan is dressed down in a plain white robe, no guan to hold up his hair, only a bare strip of white cloth.

To see him relatively well, Wei Wuxian releases the anxious breath he's been holding high in his chest. The last thing he remembers is passing out in Lan Zhan's arms in front of Songfeng Shuiyue. They were beating Lan Zhan with the whip…they were… And then Zewu-jun had arrived.

Of course Lan Zhan is fine. He is Hanguang-jun, Gusu's Second Jade, the second ranked cultivator of our generation…Lan Zhan is fine… he's fine…

Shijie tells him it's been seven days. Has it really? He wonders. Only just? Why does it feel like a lifetime has passed?

Eyes turn on him as he makes his first step into the abbey, and he's never more thankful for the potion the healers fed him pre-emptively than at that moment. He knows he must look a sight, as much as shijie has tried to clean him and make him proper. It could be so much worse; at least he is walking independently instead of being hoisted by disciples. The mixture of milk of poppy and cannabis extract dulls the fire burning along his back just enough for it to be bearable.

Shijie was none too unhappy that he has to trek all the way to the ancestral hall by himself, but Wei Wuxian is not so bothered. When one decides to bed one's husband's brother, it is only natural that one must prepare for the possibility that one's ass is going to get flayed. The situation as it is, his affair is a thing of public knowledge and his reputation is in tatters. Once, he had boasted to Xue Yang that if he, Wei Wuxian, is the second most shameless person in the cultivation world, then nobody would dare to be first.

It was truthfully a bit of an exaggeration, for he had been a beloved ward of Jiang Fengmian, Head Disciple of Yunmeng Jiang, the son of Cangse Sanren, and the fourth ranking cultivator of his generation.

Now… now he's just a problem. Even His mother would be ashamed.

Wei Wuxian stumbles, and the sound of his shuffling steps has Lan Wangji whipping around, eyes growing wide at the sight of him.

Do I really look so awful?

"Wei Ying!" He pushes to his feet but a single pulse of spiritual energy from an elder strikes him in the leg and forces his back onto his knees again. His porcelain mask crumbles and the raw pain underneath bleeds through.

A tinge of red seeps through the white of his robes, like a plum flower blooming amidst snow.

Wei Wuxian is suddenly acutely aware of the waning of Lan Zhan's cheeks and the pallor of his skin. Lan Zhan seems subdued somehow, almost as if… he's still confined by spiritual locks.

Without his cultivation, his wounds won't heal.

Worry lances Wei Wuxian in the chest, hot and sudden. Beneath his breast-bone, his physical heart aches within its cage. Struggling another three steps, he falls gracelessly onto his knees. His breath shakes, beads of cold sweat breaking across his temple and clinging to his hairline. The potion's numbness is starting to wear off, and the wave of pain rising inside him is almost enough to topple him to the ground. Still he holds on. He squeezes his eyes shut and gathers his breath, but he knows he must appear pathetic like this, half wasted before the Lan and Jiang Elders, Uncle, Madam Yu, and all of Gusu Lan's ancestors. No amount his usual shield of devil-may-care attitude could protect him now from his own sense of embarrassment.

"Wei Ying." Someone whispers his name. A firm grip finds his elbow, pulling him up.

Lan Zhan has shifted closer, so close in fact their thighs are almost touching. Cool, gentle fingers caress his face. He holds Lan Zhan's hand out of need and desperation.

Inexplicably, the elders allow this, but it doesn't bode well. Rather than perceiving it as leniency, Wei Wuxian is seized with dread.

Kindness is something one shows to a prisoner sentenced to die.

~~~

Lan Wangji is terrified.

The fact that the elders of Gusu Lan and Yunmeng Jiang are able to deliberate and come to a consensus within half a day, that Yu Ziyuan and Lan Qiren can peacefully tolerate each other's presence without devolving into a shouting match, that neither xiong’zhang nor Jin-xiao-fu'ren are permitted to attend - are reasons for his frightful premonition.

There are candles and oil lamps lit all along the hall, illuminating the tomb plaques stacked neatly one row above the next up the wall of names.

With a nod from Madam Yu, Uncle rises from his seat and approaches him and Wei Ying. His expression is sullen and sad.

"Wangji, Wuxian. The Elders have discussed at length. Initially we had considered xiu'fu to be the most direct solution, but Yunmeng Jiang Sect has made it clear a divorce is not acceptable. After some convincing, Gusu Lan Sect concedes. Despite the rumours and the gossips, we recognize that you are both equal participants in this affair. Neither one is more guilty than the other…and in any case, Xichen himself is not the least bit bothered by any of this. The dissolution of your marriage, Wuxian, is not why we've summoned you both here today before our family's ancestors."

With a permissive gesture, Uncle beckons a Lan healer to enter the hall.

Lan Wangji's blood grows cold as the healer stops before him and Wei Ying, bows once, hands a tray to Lan Qiren containing two identical jade cups filled with clear liquids, and shuffles out without glancing once at either of them.

He hears Wei Ying inhale sharply, the fingers laced between his own squeeze impossibly harder.

So this is what it shall be.

Two cups of poisons to end the scandal, to wash them of their sins, and to restore honour to its rightful place.

Lan Wangji looks to the man he loves with his entire being, and finds Wei Ying's equally panicked eyes staring back at him.

This can't be real.

"Shufu -" Lan Wangji inches forward on his knees. Wei Ying has already taken three hundred and one lashes for him and nearly lost his life in process. He's never owed Lan Wangji anything, and even if he did, surely the debt's been paid in full and then some. He doesn't deserve this. "Shufu - shufu, forgive Wei Ying! This is my fault - "

Lan Wangji is the instigator. Since that first night at the wedding banquet, he's lost control of himself. Wei Ying annoyed him, yes, but only a little. Even since day one, Lan Wangji was able to recognize that Wei Wuxian from Lotus Pier has wit, spontaneity, and heart. His talent with a sword impress even those that disliked him, and he wields it with a sense of right and wrong that is fluid and innate, and has nothing to do with the rigid precepts carved in stone.

Lan Wangji fell without realizing, without warning, slow and sudden all at once.

He envied Lan Xichen who had all of Wei Ying and didn't know it, didn't treasure it. He envied Jiang Wanyin who held Wei Wuxian's sworn loyalty as brother, as family. He envied Jiang Yanli, who could draw the light to Wei Ying's eyes with a simple well-wishing letter and a smile from his lips that was warmer than the hearth in a winter storm, than the sunrise on a summer day.

He envied them because they had so much of Wei Ying and he had so little and wanted so much, but now he has everything…

…and what a price his desires demand.

"Shufu - Madam Yu -" Lan Wangji turns to the matriarch of Yunmeng Jiang and knocks his forehead to the ground. "Please believe me, this is entirely Wangji's doing. Wei Ying is innocent! If anyone is guilty, it is Wangji!"

"No! Lies!" Wei Ying protests, pushing Lan Wangji out of the way to say, "Don't listen to him, it's my fault- I -"

"That's enough." Lan Zonghui interrupts the youngsters' panicked tirade, always the cold voice of reason. "Perhaps you should allow your uncle to finish."

Lan Qiren grimaces, as though he can't make himself continue. Tightening his grip on the tray, and he says, "This transgression goes beyond the breaking of vows or the marriage of two individuals. The dignity of two great sects are at jeopardy. Since you are the ones who started it, you must be the ones to finish it. You must've known the consequences of your sins when you both chose this insane course of action, so we ask nothing but that you find the decency and courage to face them. Neither Gusu Lan nor Yunmeng Jiang are the deciders of your fates. As you are both equally at fault, to blame one over the other would be unjust. Therefore," He presents them with the cups.

"Only one is laced with poison. Which one you choose to drink is entirely up to you."

Lan Wangji's head is light, and he barely thinks before he asks out right, "Why not both?"

Lan Zonghui tilts his head curiously. "Do you think you deserve to die together?"

Of course not. That would be too kind.

Wei Ying closes his eyes as tears fall.

"What do you intend to do with the other?" ask Lan Wangji, glaring up at Lan Zonghui with mutiny in his eyes.

"Seclusion, to repent for your sins -"

"Wei Ying!"

Lightning fast, Wei Wuxian has already swallowed the content of cup closest to him and is reaching for the second cup.

It did occur to Lan Wangji earlier that if he moves quickly enough, he can grab both and drink both, but while he wrangled with how to best execute his plan, Wei Wuxian is already in motion.

Lan Wangji shouts something incoherent as the others in the room gasp. His powers may be sealed, but Wei Wuxian is carrying the wound of three hundred lashes. Even now, they are evenly matched. Lan Wangji knocks his hand out of the way at the very last second, stealing the second cup right out from under his reach and downs it in one go.

The drink tastes like nothing. Like water.

No…

He stares at the cup in hand then up at Wei Ying, assuming the worst, but Wei Wuxian is staring back at him with equal terror, seemingly not in any kind of danger. He must've tasted water too.

Was it… was it a test?

Lan Wangji dares to hope. He looks to his uncle, "shuf-", but then he feels it.

It's not pain, but he feels it, crawling up from his belly and overtaking him inch by inch. He lurches forward, falling onto his palms, the jade cup clattering to the ground.

"Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying collects him in his arms and shakes him furiously. "Lan Zhan!! Stop fooling around! You can't die, they're not going to let you die, I'm not going to let you die, so - stop it! Stop messing with me!! Stop pretending - Lan Zh- Lan Wangji if you die now I will never forgive you!!"

Lan Wangji tries to say something, but he can't. Death is heavy, like a woolen shroud coiling tighter and tighter around his body. He's already lost sensation of his limbs, and even his vision is starting to blur. Whatever the poison is, it works fast.

Wei Ying is full on sobbing now, all pretenses of composure gone.

Wei Ying… I couldn't protect you when I should have.

He wishes he could speak these words aloud, or to touch that lovely face one more time, but he is relieved nevertheless that fate chose him. It is the intolerance of their world that demands one of their lives, but Lan Wangji finds he cannot regret his actions, despite his life coming to an end. To have met Wei Ying was a gift, to have loved him was a blessing, and to die for him now is an honour. Even when he's gone, he knows Wei Ying will be taken care of; xiong'zhang would ensure that much even if he is powerless to stop the will of the Elders.

It should shock Lan Wangji how quickly he's made his peace with death.

Wei Ying's cries drown out his senses, and he wishes again that he could somehow comfort him. Of all the things that has happened since Su She discovered them in the back mountains, his own demise is one which he willingly accepts. Above all else, he refuses to go with a broken heart, because then it would all have been for naught.

Lan Wangji smiles. To spend the last moment on this earth in Wei Ying's arms is indeed not so bad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wei Wuxian feels it the second Lan Zhan grows still in his arms. Eyes closed, a smile lingers on his peerless face.

"L-Lan Zhan…Lan Zhan!! Lan Zhan!!"

He's still warm, pliant. Soon, soon he won't be. No, no Wei Wuxian refuses to let this be the end. It just can't.

Still holding onto Lan Zhan, he lunges forward and grasps onto Lan Zonghui's robe hem beseechingly. "Elder, elder please help him!" But Zonghui shakes him off.

Wei Wuxian glances frantically back and forth at the stone faces around him, desperation and despair brewing into hysteria inside him. Then, he finds it, the one pair of eyes not glaring at him in cold condemnation but pity.

Gently setting Lan Zhan on the ground, Wei Wuxian tries to get up, but his body does not obey. The back of his thin white robe is already soaked through, the vigor of his earlier movement having undone all of the healer's work. Too far gone to care now, Wei Wuxian crawls forward on his elbows and knees until he reaches Yu Ziyuan.

"Yu-fu'ren, please, please I’m begging you, give Lan Zhan the antidote! There has to be an antidote, right?! There can still be a chance - I'll die- I can die right now if you want me to! But save Lan Zhan, save him please! He is Gusu's Lan-er-gongzi, Gusu's Second Jade, my husband's little brother! I've already ruined my marriage, my reputation, my standing amongst the cultivators! Zewu-jun is kind and magnanimous, but even he won't want me now, especially if Lan Zhan is dead because of me! What is the point of letting me live?!! There is no future for me anywhere, but there still a future for Lan Zhan! Yu-fu'ren - no - shimu, shimu please, A-Xian has never begged you for anything in this life, please, if for nothing else than the fact I have been raised under you wings, help me save Lan Zhan, please…"

Madam Yu slowly bends down, hooking her index finger under Wei Wuxian's chin and lifts it up. "You would die for Lan Wangji?"

His face blotchy and snotty from sobbing, Wei Wuxian hiccups. "I - I would. Right now if you wish it."

There's a beat.

"Wangji isn't dead."

It is Lan Qiren that speaks. Yu Ziyuan releases him. Wei Wuxian twists around to see Uncle's hand pressed against Lan Wangji's left carotid. "Just out cold. You'd know if you thought to check instead of letting appearances fool you."

Disbelieving, Wei Wuxian struggles back to Lan Zhan's side to verify for himself. With trembling hands, he turns Lan Zhan over and gathers him in his arms. Though he knows there is nothing to fear, he still can't help pressing two digits to Lan Zhan's neck, checking to make sure the precious pulse is still there. Sure enough, Lan Zhan's heartbeat is strong and his breathing deep and unlaboured.

Alive.

Wei Wuxian blinks, still reeling from the mental whiplash of the sudden revelation, but the steady thrumming beneath his fingertip coupled with comforting sight of that warm, flushed cheeks give him the courage he needs to face what is to come.

Lan Zonghui steps up to him and says, "You said so yourself. There is no future for you. Now you understand now why it always has to be you." From his qiankun sleeve, he retrieves a small porcelain bottle.

The real poison. Wei Wuxian realizes, sagging in relief. The irony of his emotions is not lost on him.

"What did you actually give us?"

"A strong anesthetic."

"Then… how come I'm not affected."

"The antidote to the anesthetic was laced into your pain medicine, which the healers gave you before you were summoned," Lan Qiren explains.

Sleeping…he's just sleeping. Thank god, oh thank god.

Lan Zhan is alive. He's going to be fine. But…Wei Wuxian grows worried again, imagining how Lan Zhan will react to his death once he comes to.

"What will you tell him? When he wakes up, he's going to realize you've tricked him." Lan Wangji can be the most stubborn when he's fixated on a goal. There's no telling what he would do. "You have to… you have to protect him from himself."

"He won't know. We will tell him that one cup had the poison and the other an anesthetic. The poison is slow acting while the anesthetic is fast."

"He will question it. Why the anesthetic? Why the smoke and mirrors?"

Lan Zonghui looks from him to the boy lying unconscious cradled against him. "Does he really want to be awake to watch his lover die in his arms as you just assumed you did? We will tell him it's mercy, so that the remaining party won't have to watch the process happen. He will be allowed to say goodbye to you at the sect funeral. We will grant him that."

"Sect funeral?" Echoed Wei Wuxian, surprised. "You… Gusu Lan Sect would bury me with honour? Even after…"

"That is the compromise." It is a Jiang Elder - Jiang Liliang, Wei Wuxian believes - who explains to him. "The Lans will recognize you as one of their own. No ceremony will be spared. In death, you will be given all honours and decorum befitting the husband of Sect Master Lan. The action of an individual should not affect the relations of two sects. This is a stance the elders of both our families unanimously share."

Wei Wuxian nods, understanding, finally calm after all that crying.

"I'm still worried about Lan Zhan. You must swear to -"

"Wangji will be under guard at all times until the funeral, after which he will be sent to sealed seclusion for three years. He won't have access to his powers or means to harm himself. Time dulls all pain. So too will Wangji's. Someday, you will just be a mistake of his youth."

A mistake of his youth…

Indeed.

Lan Zonghui picks up the cup Wei Wuxian had discarded on the ground and pours the content of the vial into it.

Wei Wuxian wonders what it actually is.

"Do you have any more questions?" Lan Qiren asks him, sullen but not unkind.

"None."

"Requests?"

Requests? Ah yes. Last rites. At least they let him have that, and if he may, there is in fact something he'd like to do.

"One."

"You may name it."

"Turn around."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'd like to kiss Lan Zhan. One last time. So unless you'd rather watch me do it, turn around."

"Look around you, you insolent scoundrel!" One Lan Elder whose name he can't recall cries out in anger. "You're in the ancestral hall, Wei Wuxian! How dare you?!"

But Wei Wuxian hugs Lan Wangji close and swallows his pride. For what seems like the thousandth time since he arrived, he begs, not for himself, but for Lan Zhan.

"Please."

He expects that even after his death, he would be the smear in Hanguang-jun's otherwise pristine history, but he doesn't want to be just that, not completely. This, he will leave with Lan Zhan. Even if only one kiss out of their thousands is sanctioned, it will still be better than nothing.

One kiss, just one.

Perhaps they understood him, for Lan Qiren and Yu Ziyuan turn away without further protest, and Lan Zonghui too. Grumbling, the rest of the elders follow suit, displeased and somewhat disgusted by his shamelessness, but Wei Wuxian is due to die any second now, so they allow him this one offense.

"Sleep well, Lan-er-gege, I've gotta go now," he whispers for no one to hear.

Their last kiss is slow, chaste, and Wei Wuxian prays.

Lan Zhan, for yourself sake, I hope you can slowly feel less for me. I would hate to know you spent the rest of your very long life sad. But maybe...don't forget me completely? How does that sound? Or else I'd be a very sad ghost…

Lan Zhan... next life, let's not be brothers-in-law, hm? If you want, I'll wait for you, however long it takes I'll wait. When we meet again, I hope it's still at night. I never did tell you how beautiful you were under the moon.

I promised, I would never leave you, so I won't. You have me, as long as you want, you'll have me. As long as you want me with you, I am not gone.

Wei Wuxian says none of those things out loud, but the soft expression on his face as he smiles down at Lan Zhan must've spoken volumes. This is a man close to death, and yet his smile is kind, soft, and sincere.

Lan Qiren makes a low cough in the back of his throat, telling him time is up.

Wei Wuxian presses his lips one last time to Lan Zhan's forehead, and lets him go.

"I'm ready."

The healers on standby transport Lan Wangji's body to the infirmary.

Lan Zonghui stands before him with the solution to this disaster.

Wei Wuxian knows that as long as he dies, all of this can end. A decision unanimously agreed upon by Yunmeng Jiang and Gusu Lan, to all those who hear of his story, his death will not be an unfair sentence. There is no bias. No undeserved blame. It is...it is Wei Ying's lot in life to be the one chosen by fate to die. The gods must've seen that Lan Wangji is good and worthy of redemption. As long as he dies, faith and righteousness will be satisfied.

"What is it?" He asks Elder Zonghui curiously. 鹤顶红? Crane's crimson crown? Probably. That is the most likely.

"天子泪."

Emperor's Tears. Wei Wuxian almost laughs. Of course, of course it is.

"It tastes like Emperor's Smile, but it is not. It is a gentle poison and will take some time to take its effect."

It's funny, Wei Wuxian muses as the jade cup is presented to him, how such a lovely thing is to be the instrument that ends his life. He accepts it with both hands, obediently, bringing it close to his lips. The familiar aroma of the clear liquid makes him smile.

He bows thrice, properly, his forehead meeting the marbled ground with a dull thud each time.

Wei Wuxian takes his last drink with the same vigour as he took his first. Eyes closed, savouring every drop. Then, clasping his hands before his chest, he draws all the energy in his body and rights himself onto his knees, facing the altar.

"I, Wei Wuxian of Gusu Lan, repent before the forefathers. May you forgive my transgressions and release me from my mortal sins."

And protect Lan Zhan. He prays. For I will no longer be able to do it.

Briefly, he wonders if there are Gusu Lan forefathers with a sense of humour. For all this to play out front of them, surely the less uptight ancestors must be thoroughly entertained by the dramatics of it all. Death, he imagines, must get boring after a while. In any case, he'll find out soon for himself.

"I'd like to spend my last moments alone."

Lan Zonghui looks to Yu Ziyuan and then to Lan Qiren. An unspoken agreement passes between them. One after another, elders of the Lan and Jiang clan vacate the ancestral hall. The heavy doors grind against the hinge, a low somber moan, as it is pulled shut, leaving Wei Wuxian kneeling amongst the candlelight.

The slow poison is not so slow. Perhaps in his reduced state, its effect is amplified, for soon after he is left to himself the air in his lungs begins to burn. A gush of blood surges up his throat filling his mouth.

If he's honest…okay, he's a little scared. Just a tad.

Hey demons, it's me. Eighteenth level of hell here I come…

In his last conscious moments, his thoughts linger on the sweet tang of Gusu's Emperor's Tears, and of Lan Zhan that very first night standing alone under the eave, away from the wedding festivities, an ethereal figure basked in the moonlight. There is a force pulling him down, and he collapses under the weight of it, right there in front of the altar.

The world is dark before he even hit the ground.

He does not hear the clash of Shuoyue's energy against the entrance, blasting open the doors, but he does perhaps hear the fainting voice of his sister calling his name.

A-XIAN.

Dusk falls, night arrives, and Wei Wuxian is gone.

---

Note:

[shimu 师母] - shi = teacher, mu = mother. The wife of one's shifu

#the untamed #wangxian #discordance #discau #cql #I'M SORRY #not really #lan xichen blew the door down #just fyi #but erm #too late #jiang cheng is not going to be happy #so this is chapter 4 on AO3 #after this it's gonna be a really really really long flash back from the beginning #the following part will be part 4 the wedding and then chronologically from there onwards

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gemsofgreece · 4 years

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10 Greatest archaeological discoveries in Greece the previous decade (2010 - 2019)

*You can see original Greek article by Pengy Riga here. This is a summary of what I read there translated in English and closer to my personal tone.

10. Possibly the oldest Homo sapiens skull in Europe (2019).

The skull was found in the caves “Apedema” in Mani and it was estimated to be 210.000 years old, five times older than any other Homo sapiens skull found in Europe. According to another research the skull comes from a transitive phase between Neaderthals and Homo erectus. This discovery invites the reexamination of the time the first men left Africa and spread to Europe and Asia as it might have happened way before we thought.

9. Ancient wooden artifacts (2011, 2013, 2014).

These include a wooden statue of a woman found in the Temple of Artemis in Brauron (5th Century BCE), the coffin of a young person from the Archaic Era (610 - 480 BCE), a small statue of Hermes and more than 550 other wooden artifacts and objects from the Hellenistic Era (150 - 86 BCE) in Piraeus. What is so important about all these findings is that they are made of wood, which naturally decomposes easily and quickly, so wooden archeological findings are very rare.

8. Neikó, the possessed lady of Síkinos (2018).

In the remote island of Sikinos there is an impressive mausoleum of the late antiquity. It was turned into a church during the Byzantine Era and remained a functional church till recently, when it closed for the public because it needed extensive restorations. During the restoration project, archaeologists found for the first time the unlooted tomb of a high-class woman, to whom this mausoleum was apparently dedicated. The woman was buried with all her dearest and most precious belongings but the tomb was so well hidden that it escaped all three known invasions throughout the centuries and was found accidentally when a wall collapsed in 2018. The tomb was not in the regular crypts of the mausoleum but hidden in a blind spot between two walls within the building. Her tomb was also sealed tightly, her skeleton was found in an unusual position and sulphur and tar were placed on her chest. It seems that she was believed to be possessed so they had taken precautions to ensure she wouldn’t rise after death. Nevertheless, she was loved by her family, judging from the beauty of her Mausoleum as well as the memorial scripts found in the monument. Her name was Neikó.

7. Ceramic plaque with verses from Homer´s Odyssey (2018)

The plaque was found in Ancient Olympia and has 13 verses from the Odyssey. It is estimated to originate from the Roman Era, before the 3rd Century AD. It might be the oldest Homeric text of that length found in the Greek territory and the only one carved into pottery. It was included in “Archaeology” magazine’s list of the 10 most important discoveries for 2018.

6. Tomb of Casta in Amphipolis (2014)

Easily the discovery that drew the most attention worldwide and a neverending archaeological and political thriller to this day. This is the largest burial monument ever found in Greece, in east Macedonia. It has a perimeter of 500 meters, four underground rooms, sphinxes in the entrance, two big Caryatids that would block the intruder from entering the last room with their arms, a beautiful large mosaic that depicts Hades kidnapping Persephone and finally four skeletons, belonging to two men, one old woman and a child. The excavation drew so much attention that it was abused for political reasons and it basically happened livestream, as the entire nation would watch the progress in the news every day. This inflamed the war between the two leading political parties, it messed up the excavating process itself and it caused unprecedented animosity amongst archeaologists and historians. The greatest reason for the fights was the initial disagreement for the dating of the monument as well as the identity of the dead found in it. Depending on their political affiliations, half the politicians and scientists would jump to wondrous conclusions without evidence while the other half would downgrade the importance of this discovery beyond belief. When the government changed, the Tomb of Casta was inexplicably and mysteriously abandoned. Only the local people kept protesting and pushing the authorities to continue the excavations. Since then, the leading party has changed again and the new government promises to continue the work as quickly and efficiently as possible so that the monument will open to the public until 2022. The scientific community has at least agreed that the tomb dates back to the late 4th - early 3rd Century BCE. There are many extremely optimistic estimations about the identity of the dead and equally many counter-arguments. Hopefully, we’ll eventually get some objective answers as the excavations continue. It’s been realised that excavations should continue in all the area as it is suspected that the Tomb of Casta is not the only monument waiting to be unearthed there.

5. Daskalió of Keros (1963 - 2018)

Daskalió is a settlement on the westmost cape of Keros island. Multiple excavations have taken place there from 1963 to this day by the University of Cambridge and the British School of Athens. The excavations have revealed a prehistoric shrine and settlement, densely and skillfully built. The shrine and the artifacts found in the excavations date to the 3rd millenium BCE, which makes Daskalió according to Cambridge professor Colin Renfrew the oldest known coastal shrine in the world. The findings suggest this was the work of an expert architect and the infrastructure on the location was based on a well planned project. Furthermore, there are indications that Daskalió was an important center of metallurgy. However, they imported the metals they used from other islands which also suggests nautical expertise.

4. The eternal couple of Dirós (2015)

The skeletons of two young adults, a man and a woman, were found in an embrace in a hill in Dirós. Double burials with the dead embracing are extremely rare and this one is one of the most ancient found, if not the oldest, dating back to 6000 - 3800 BC.

3. The Underground of Thessaloniki (1986 2013 till forever)

If Amphipolis is a political thriller, then the underground of Thessaloniki is the national comedy. Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece and thus has a bad need for a subway. The creation of a subway began in the 80s and... it’s still in the process, making the (future) subway of the city a Greek meme and a joke everyone at this point understands. However, there is a solid reason for this delay. Back in 2004 the archaeologists warned that the subway routes that were planned to be dug under the city’s central part should be modified because the area was of extreme archaeological interest. They were ignored and eventually the works were interrupted by the unavoidable discovery of Ancient Thessaloniki. Some of the most impressive findings are the largely intact main roads of the city, such as the Roman built Decanus Maximus and the Byzantine built Middle Avenue, which survived till the 18th century. Crossroads, houses, shops, graveyards and monuments have also been found. Scratches on the roads made by carriages can be seen. More than 300,000 artifacts were discovered, such as statues, jewels and other small objects. Now the fate of the underground has also become a political game as the two leading political parties fight on whether the artifacts should remain on their spot undisturbed which would make the subway’s creation harder and more dangerous or they should be removed until the subway is complete and then returned to their original place with a claimed accuracy of 90%. What’s certain is that when (or if) the subway is complete, the ancient city will be easily accessed via the metro, visible from its windows and there will also be the option to walk on the ancient roads.

2. The Tomb of the Griffin Warrior (2015)

A grand tomb was found next to the Mycenean palace of Nestor in Pylos. A skeleton was discovered in the tomb along with no less than 3500 burial gifts. The gifts were weaponry, jewels and other objects exclusively made of valuable metals and stones. Not a single plain object was found, such as a ceramic amphora for example. Many of the artifacts are made in typical Minoan style which invites a reevaluation of the relations between the Minoans and the Myceneans. The monument took its name from an ivory plaque depicting a griffin, a power symbol for both Pylos and Minoan Crete. The tomb dates back to 1500 BC and it is the best evidence of wealth in prehistoric Greece found in the last 63 years. The most important finding however is that of a tiny seal, which is unique because it’s a masterful work of miniature art that resembles the much later classical Greek art. Archaeologists deem impossible the creation of this gorgeous piece of art without a magnifying glass. The art depicts two warriors, one slitting the other’s throat with his sword. The imagery has elements that suggest an event resembling those from the Iliad - which suggests that this event depicted on this tiny seal in the Griffin Warrior’s tomb was part of the inspiration of the oral lore of the Homeric epics that began in the following centuries. It is obvious that the dead man was a most influential figure of his era.

1. Necropolis of Fáliron (2012-2016)

The most macabre discovery makes it to the first place. The largest part of the necropolis, a mass graveyard, was found already in 1913. Numerous people were executed there with the violent method of Apotymbanismós (Αποτυμπανισμός) that might have inspired the Roman crucification. A century later, in 2012, the excavations expand and unearth thousands of different burials spanning from the 8th - 4th century BCE. The most sensational discovery would happen in 2016 though; a mass burial of no less than 80 prisoners, tied and placed next to each other. All were young men of good health and were not executed with the method of apotymbanismos. Based on the evidence, the mass execution took place in the middle of the 7th Century BCE and these men must have tried to take over the rule of Athens. This was an unstable political era in the Athenian history indeed. This discovery was included in the 10 Greatest Discoveries for 2016 in the magazine Archaeology.

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orthodoxydaily · 4 years

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Saints&Reading: Tue., Aug. 18, 2020

Commemorated on August 5_Julian Calendar

The Martyr Pontius (267)

The Martyr Pontius lived during the III Century, the son of a pagan Roman senator named Marcus and his wife Julia. While with child, Julia had gone with her husband to the pagan temple of Jupiter. The devil, inhabiting the temple, shouted from the lips of the pagan priest that the boy in Julia's womb would destroy Jupiter and his pagan temple. When the boy was born, his mother wanted to kill him out of fear of the prediction, but his father opposed this and the child was left to live. He was named Pontius, and he grew up sharp of mind and keen for study. On his way to the pagan school Pontius happened to go past an house, where Christians were making the morning Divine-services. Hearing the words of the psalm which the Christians were singing: "pagan idols be silver and gold, the works of the hands of men..." (Ps. 113: 12 [115: 4]). Pontius became very interested in this verse and he paused at the gate. Pope Pontian, who was making the service, invited Pontius and his companion Valerian to come in. After the service, the pope talked for a long while with the youths, revealing to them the Gospel teachings, and after a certain while he baptised them. Saint Pontius in turn likewise converted his father to Christ, whom Pope Pontian also baptised, together with his whole household. And after the death of his father, Saint Pontius, then 20 years old, was appointed by the emperor Alexander Severus (222-235) as a senator, to take the place of his deceased father. In the Senate and the surroundings of the emperor, Saint Pontius enjoyed universal esteem for his good nature, sound sense and fairness. Under the successor to the emperor Alexander Severus – Maximian (235-238), Pope Saint Pontian finished his life as a martyr (+ 235). Pope Saint Antherus was elected Bishop of Rome in place of Pope Saint Pontian, and he too soon accepted suffering and death for Christ (+ 236). His successor was Pope Saint Fabian (Fabius), who as a presbyter fearlessly gave burial to the bodies of martyrs. Pope Saint Fabian loved Saint Pontius as though he were his own flesh and blood son. Saint Pontius distributed with Saint Fabian all his substance on the needs of the poor. After the perishing of impious Maximian, the new emperor Gordian (238-244) did not persecute Christians, and thereafter in turn the emperor Philip (244-249) together with his co-regent son Philip was persuaded by the conversations and preaching of Saint Pontius to believe in Christ and to accept Baptism from holy Pope Fabian. With the permission of the emperors, Saints Pontius and Fabian threw down the statue of Jupiter at the pagan temple and on this place built a church. For 4 years the Church of Christ dwelt in peace and tranquility. But then Decius (249-251) ascended the throne, having organised a rebellion and murdered the emperor Philip and his son. And during this time Sainted Fabian, Pope of Rome (+ 250), accepted death for Christ. But Saint Pontius left Rome for the city of Cimelum (on the border of Italy and Gaul-France) and lived there like a stranger. During the time of the emperor Valerian (253-259), cruel torturers were sent out with full authority to all ends to seek out and kill all Christians. And thus Claudius and Anubius arrived in the city of Cimelum for this purpose. Saint Pontius fearlessly confessed himself a Christian and refused to offer sacrifice to idols. They shackled him in irons and threw him in prison. From the very beginning of the torture the saint calmly admonished the torturers, that the Lord would bring to naught the torture and they would see the power of God. And indeed, as soon as the servants attempted to tie Saint Pontius to the rack, it fell apart to pieces, and the torturers fell to the ground as though dead. "Be convinced, O man of little faith, in the power of my Lord", – said Saint Pontius to Claudius, but on the advice of Anubius he gave Saint Pontius over to be devoured by two bears in the circus. The wild beasts, while not touching the saint, fell instead upon their keepers and tore at them. The spectators began to shout: "God only is the Christian God, in Whom believeth Pontius". By order of the torturers a bon-fire was built, but it burnt out, and the saint remained alive, and even his clothes did not burn. The crowd shouted all the more strongly: "Great is the God of the Christians!" Saint Pontius then was sentenced to beheading by the sword, and the execution was made out beyond the city in the year 257. The body of Saint Pontius was given burial at the place of execution by his comrade and friend Valerian.

Martyr Eusignios of Antioch (362)

The Martyr Eusignios was born at Antioch in the mid III Century. Over the course of sixty years he served in the Roman armies of the emperors Diocletian, Maximian Hercules, Constantius Chlorus, Constantine the Great and his sons. Saint Eusignios was a companion of Saint Basiliskos (Comm. 3 March and 22 May), and he provided an account of his deed of martyrdom (+ c. 308). At the beginning of the reign of Saint Constantine the Great, Saint Eusignios was a witness to the appearance in the sky of the starry Cross, a prediction of victory. Saint Eusignios retired in his old age from military service and returned to his own country. There he spent his time in prayer, fasting, and attending the temple of God. And thus he lived until the reign of Julian the Apostate (361-363), who yearned for a return to paganism. Through the denunciation of one of the Antioch citizens, Saint Eusignios stood trial as a Christian before the emperor Julian in the year 362. He fearlessly accused the emperor of apostacy from Christ, and reproached him with the example of his relative, Constantine the Great, and he described in detail how he himself had been an eyewitness to the appearance in the sky of the sign of the Cross. Julian did not spare the quite old Saint Eusignios, then 110 years old, but rather ordered him beheaded.

2 Corinthians 2:14-3:3

14Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.15For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.16To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

1Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? 2You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

Matthew 23:29-39

29Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,30and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'31Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.32Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt.33Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?34Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,35that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.36Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!38See! Your house is left to you desolate;39for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'

#orthodoxy #orthodoxchristianity #ancientfaith #firstchristian #spirituality #sacredtext #gospel #scripture

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careol · 9 months

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@carltongrimes said: please don't judge me. i spend enough time doing that.

brows furrow, confused by his words. why would he think she would judge him? he’s becoming a teenager, it’s normal to have outbursts of anger. in no way does she judge him for snapping at his dad earlier. plus, with all these new people in the prison? all of them are a little out of their comfort zones. the added noise, the extra people, coupled with his growth spurt? it’s not unusual for him to be moody. ❝ no one is judging you for anything. i just came to see if you’re okay. is that alright? ❞

#carltongrimes #* &. into the tombs / verse 4: the prison.

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careol-arc · 2 years

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@merlexxdixon ♡

❝ do you talk just to hear yourself? ❞ carol didn’t even turn around, just continued to focus on cooking the meat. ❝ or do you just keep talking in HOPES that someone will respond and you can have a back and forth? ❞ if that was the case, wasn’t she just FEEDING INTO IT? maybe she’s bored too, and maybe a MICROSCOPIC PART of her feels bad that he has no one to talk to besides daryl. but even then, daryl focuses more on his tasks around the prison than entertaining merle.

#merlexxdixon #* &. into the tombs / verse 4: the prison.

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thehierophage · 4 years

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Holy Day Meditation for April 10, 2020 æ.v., The Feast for the Third Day of the Writing of the Book of the Law

April 10, 2020 æ.v. Dies Solis, Sol 21° Aries, Luna 25° Scorpio An Vvi æ.n.

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

The Feast for the Third Day of the Writing of the Book of the Law, The Greater Feast of Saint Swinburne, The Day of Aleph, The Day of the Fool

Hebrew Letter: Aleph

Numerical Value as Letter: 1

Numerical Value as Word: 111/831 (Aleph+Lamed+Peh / Aleph+Lamed+Peh [fin.]) or 117/837 (Aleph+Lamed+Vav+Peh / Aleph+Lamed+Vav+Peh [fin.])

Meaning: Ox.

Thoth Card: The Fool (Atu 0)

Alternate Title: The Spirit of Aethyr.

Image:

Correspondences:

Tree of Life Path Association: Key 11 - Chokmah to Kether (from Sephira 2-1)

Astrological Sign: -

Element: Air

Egyptian Godforms: Hoor-pa-kraat, Mout, Shu, Tefnut

Geomantic Figure: Those of Airy Triplicity

Gemstones: Topaz, Chalcedony

Perfumes: Galbanum,Pinus, Gum Arabic, Mastic, Anise and all fresh odors.

Plants: Aspen, Peppermint, Lime, Linden, Pennyroyal

Animals: Eagle, Man (Cherub of Air), Ox

Colors:

King Scale – Bright pale yellow

Queen Scale – Sky blue

Prince Scale – Blue emerald green

Princess Scale – Emerald, flecked gold

The Secret Instruction of the Master:

Know Naught! All ways are lawful to Innocence. Pure folly is the Key to Initiation. Silence breaks into Rapture. Be neither man nor woman, but both in one. Be silent, Babe in the Egg of Blue, that thou mayest grow to bear the Lance and Graal! Wander alone, and sing! In the King's Palace his daughter awaits thee.

Mnemonic:

Truth, laughter, lust: Wine's Holy Fool! Veil rent,

Lewd madness is sublime enlightenment.

Liber Arcanorum Verse:

0. A, the heart of IAO, dwelleth in ecstasy in the secret place of the thunders. Between Asar and Asi he abideth in joy.

Genius of the House of Mercury:

Aعu-iao-uعa

Genius of the Prison of the Qliphoth:

Amprodias

Recommended Text for Meditation:

Liber AL vel Legis sub figura CCXX, Cap. 3

The Book of the Law Liber AL vel Legis sub figura CCXX

as delivered by XCIII = 418 to DCLXVI

III

1. Abrahadabra; the reward of Ra Hoor Khut.

2. There is division hither homeward; there is a word not known. Spelling is defunct; all is not aught. Beware! Hold! Raise the spell of Ra-Hoor-Khuit!

3. Now let it be first understood that I am a god of War and of Vengeance. I shall deal hardly with them.

4. Choose ye an island!

5. Fortify it!

6. Dung it about with enginery of war!

7. I will give you a war-engine.

8. With it ye shall smite the peoples; and none shall stand before you.

9. Lurk! Withdraw! Upon them! this is the Law of the Battle of Conquest: thus shall my worship be about my secret house.

10. Get the stele of revealing itself; set it in thy secret temple -- and that temple is already aright disposed -- & it shall be your Kiblah for ever. It shall not fade, but miraculous colour shall come back to it day after day. Close it in locked glass for a proof to the world.

11. This shall be your only proof. I forbid argument. Conquer! That is enough. I will make easy to you the abstruction from the ill-ordered house in the Victorious City. Thou shalt thyself convey it with worship, o prophet, though thou likest it not. Thou shalt have danger & trouble. Ra-Hoor-Khu is with thee. Worship me with fire & blood; worship me with swords & with spears. Let the woman be girt with a sword before me: let blood flow to my name. Trample down the Heathen; be upon them, o warrior, I will give you of their flesh to eat!

12. Sacrifice cattle, little and big: after a child.

13. But not now.

14. Ye shall see that hour, o blessed Beast, and thou the Scarlet Concubine of his desire!

15. Ye shall be sad thereof.

16. Deem not too eagerly to catch the promises; fear not to undergo the curses. Ye, even ye, know not this meaning all.

17. Fear not at all; fear neither men nor Fates, nor gods, nor anything. Money fear not, nor laughter of the folk folly, nor any other power in heaven or upon the earth or under the earth. Nu is your refuge as Hadit your light; and I am the strength, force, vigour, of your arms.

18. Mercy let be off; damn them who pity! Kill and torture; spare not; be upon them!

19. That stele they shall call the Abomination of Desolation; count well its name, & it shall be to you as 718.

20. Why? Because of the fall of Because, that he is not there again.

21. Set up my image in the East: thou shalt buy thee an image which I will show thee, especial, not unlike the one thou knowest. And it shall be suddenly easy for thee to do this.

22. The other images group around me to support me: let all be worshipped, for they shall cluster to exalt me. I am the visible object of worship; the others are secret; for the Beast & his Bride are they: and for the winners of the Ordeal x. What is this? Thou shalt know.

23. For perfume mix meal & honey & thick leavings of red wine: then oil of Abramelin and olive oil, and afterward soften & smooth down with rich fresh blood.

24. The best blood is of the moon, monthly: then the fresh blood of a child, or dropping from the host of heaven: then of enemies; then of the priest or of the worshippers: last of some beast, no matter what.

25. This burn: of this make cakes & eat unto me. This hath also another use; let it be laid before me, and kept thick with perfumes of your orison: it shall become full of beetles as it were and creeping things sacred unto me.

26. These slay, naming your enemies; & they shall fall before you.

27. Also these shall breed lust & power of lust in you at the eating thereof.

28. Also ye shall be strong in war.

29. Moreover, be they long kept, it is better; for they swell with my force. All before me.

30. My altar is of open brass work: burn thereon in silver or gold!

31. There cometh a rich man from the West who shall pour his gold upon thee.

32. From gold forge steel!

33. Be ready to fly or to smite!

34. But your holy place shall be untouched throughout the centuries: though with fire and sword it be burnt down & shattered, yet an invisible house there standeth, and shall stand until the fall of the Great Equinox; when Hrumachis shall arise and the double-wanded one assume my throne and place. Another prophet shall arise, and bring fresh fever from the skies; another woman shall awakethe lust & worship of the Snake; another soul of God and beast shall mingle in the globed priest; another sacrifice shall stain the tomb; another king shall reign; and blessing no longer be poured To the Hawk-headed mystical Lord!

35. The half of the word of Heru-ra-ha, called Hoor-pa-kraat and Ra-Hoor-Khut.

36. Then said the prophet unto the God:

37. I adore thee in the song --

I am the Lord of Thebes, and I

The inspired forth-speaker of Mentu;

For me unveils the veiled sky,

The self-slain Ankh-af-na-khonsu

Whose words are truth. I invoke, I greet

Thy presence, O Ra-Hoor-Khuit!

Unity uttermost showed!

I adore the might of Thy breath,

Supreme and terrible God,

Who makest the gods and death

To tremble before Thee: --

I, I adore thee!

Appear on the throne of Ra!

Open the ways of the Khu!

Lighten the ways of the Ka!

The ways of the Khabs run through

To stir me or still me!

Aum! let it fill me!

38. So that thy light is in me; & its red flame is as a sword in my hand to push thy order. There is a secret door that I shall make to establish thy way in all the quarters, (these are the adorations, as thou hast written), as it is said:

The light is mine; its rays consume

Me: I have made a secret door

Into the House of Ra and Tum,

Of Khephra and of Ahathoor.

I am thy Theban, O Mentu,

The prophet Ankh-af-na-khonsu!

By Bes-na-Maut my breast I beat;

By wise Ta-Nech I weave my spell.

Show thy star-splendour, O Nuit!

Bid me within thine House to dwell,

O winged snake of light, Hadit!

Abide with me, Ra-Hoor-Khuit!

39. All this and a book to say how thou didst come hither and a reproduction of this ink and paper for ever -- for in it is the word secret & not only in the English -- and thy comment upon this the Book of the Law shall be printed beautifully in red ink and black upon beautiful paper made by hand; and to each man and woman that thou meetest, were it but to dine or to drink at them, it is the Law to give. Then they shall chance to abide in this bliss or no; it is no odds. Do this quickly!

40. But the work of the comment? That is easy; and Hadit burning in thy heart shall make swift and secure thy pen.

41. Establish at thy Kaaba a clerk-house: all must be done well and with business way.

42. The ordeals thou shalt oversee thyself, save only the blind ones. Refuse none, but thou shalt know & destroy the traitors. I am Ra-Hoor-Khuit; and I am powerful to protect my servant. Success is thy proof: argue not; convert not; talk not over much! Them that seek to entrap thee, to overthrow thee, them attack without pity or quarter; & destroy them utterly. Swift as a trodden serpent turn and strike! Be thou yet deadlier than he! Drag down their souls to awful torment: laugh at their fear: spit upon them!

43. Let the Scarlet Woman beware! If pity and compassion and tenderness visit her heart; if she leave my work to toy with old sweetnesses; then shall my vengeance be known. I will slay me her child: I will alienate her heart: I will cast her out from men: as a shrinking and despised harlot shall she crawl through dusk wet streets, and die cold and an-hungered.

44. But let her raise herself in pride! Let her follow me in my way! Let her work the work of wickedness! Let her kill her heart! Let her be loud and adulterous! Let her be covered with jewels, and rich garments, and let her be shameless before all men!

45. Then will I lift her to pinnacles of power: then will I breed from her a child mightier than all the kings of the earth. I will fill her with joy: with my force shall she see & strike at the worship of Nu: she shall achieve Hadit.

46. I am the warrior Lord of the Forties: the Eighties cower before me, & are abased. I will bring you to victory & joy: I will be at your arms in battle & ye shall delight to slay. Success is your proof; courage is your armour; go on, go on, in my strength; & ye shall turn not back for any!

47. This book shall be translated into all tongues: but always with the original in the writing of the Beast; for in the chance shape of the letters and their position to one another: in these are mysteries that no Beast shall divine. Let him not seek to try: but one cometh after him, whence I say not, who shall discover the Key of it all. Then this line drawn is a key: then this circle squared in its failure is a key also. And Abrahadabra. It shall be his child & that strangely. Let him not seek after this; for thereby alone can he fall from it.

48. Now this mystery of the letters is done, and I want to go on to the holier place.

49. I am in a secret fourfold word, the blasphemy against all gods of men.

50. Curse them! Curse them! Curse them!

51. With my Hawk's head I peck at the eyes of Jesus as he hangs upon the cross.

52. I flap my wings in the face of Mohammed & blind him.

53. With my claws I tear out the flesh of the Indian and the Buddhist, Mongol and Din.

54. Bahlasti! Ompehda! I spit on your crapulous creeds.

55. Let Mary inviolate be torn upon wheels: for her sake let all chaste women be utterly despised among you!

56. Also for beauty's sake and love's!

57. Despise also all cowards; professional soldiers who dare not fight, but play; all fools despise!

58. But the keen and the proud, the royal and the lofty; ye are brothers!

59. As brothers fight ye!

60. There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt.

61. There is an end of the word of the God enthroned in Ra's seat, lightening the girders of the soul.

62. To Me do ye reverence! to me come ye through tribulation of ordeal, which is bliss.

63. The fool readeth this Book of the Law, and its comment; & he understandeth it not.

64. Let him come through the first ordeal, & it will be to him as silver.

65. Through the second, gold.

66. Through the third, stones of precious water.

67. Through the fourth, ultimate sparks of the intimate fire.

68. Yet to all it shall seem beautiful. Its enemies who say not so, are mere liars.

69. There is success.

70. I am the Hawk-Headed Lord of Silence & of Strength; my nemyss shrouds the night-blue sky.

71. Hail! ye twin warriors about the pillars of the world! for your time is nigh at hand.

72. I am the Lord of the Double Wand of Power; the wand of the Force of Coph Nia--but my left hand is empty, for I have crushed an Universe; & nought remains.

73. Paste the sheets from right to left and from top to bottom: then behold!

74. There is a splendour in my name hidden and glorious, as the sun of midnight is ever the son.

75. The ending of the words is the Word Abrahadabra.

The Book of the Law is Written

and Concealed.

Aum. Ha.

Love is the law, love under will.

#Thelema #Magick #Tarot #Occult

14 notes · View notes

loveofyhwh · 6 years

Text

October 2: Isaiah 13–14; Hebrews 8–9:10; Psalm 86; Proverbs 24:26

New Post has been published on https://loveofyhwh.com/october-2-isaiah-13-14-hebrews-8-910-psalm-86-proverbs-2426/

October 2: Isaiah 13–14; Hebrews 8–9:10; Psalm 86; Proverbs 24:26

Old Testament:

Isaiah 13–14

Isaiah 13–14 (Listen)

The Judgment of Babylon

13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

2 On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles. 3 I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger, my proudly exulting ones.Or those who exult in my majesty‘>1 4 The sound of a tumult is on the mountains as of a great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The LORD of hosts is mustering a host for battle. 5 They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the LORD and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.Or earth; also verse 9‘>2 6 Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the AlmightyThe Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike‘>3 it will come! 7 Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt. 8 They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame. 9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. 10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. 11 I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless. 12 I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of his fierce anger. 14 And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land. 15 Whoever is found will be thrust through, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword. 16 Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished. 17 Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold. 18 Their bows will slaughterHebrew dash in pieces‘>4 the young men; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity children. 19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. 20 It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there. 21 But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostrichesOr owls‘>5 will dwell, and there wild goats will dance. 22 HyenasOr foxes‘>6 will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant palaces; its time is close at hand and its days will not be prolonged.

The Restoration of Jacob

14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD’s land as male and female slaves.Or servants‘>7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them.

Israel’s Remnant Taunts Babylon

3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:

“How the oppressor has ceased, the insolent furyDead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain‘>8 ceased! 5 The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers, 6 that struck the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows, that ruled the nations in anger with unrelenting persecution. 7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet; they break forth into singing. 8 The cypresses rejoice at you, the cedars of Lebanon, saying, ‘Since you were laid low, no woodcutter comes up against us.’ 9 Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you when you come; it rouses the shades to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth; it raises from their thrones all who were kings of the nations. 10 All of them will answer and say to you: ‘You too have become as weak as we! You have become like us!’ 11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, the sound of your harps; maggots are laid as a bed beneath you, and worms are your covers. 12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north;Or in the remote parts of Zaphon‘>9 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. 16 Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, 17 who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?’ 18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb;Hebrew house‘>10 19 but you are cast out, away from your grave, like a loathed branch, clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a dead body trampled underfoot. 20 You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people. “May the offspring of evildoers nevermore be named! 21 Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the guilt of their fathers, lest they rise and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.”

22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,Possibly porcupine, or owl‘>11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts.

An Oracle Concerning Assyria

24 The LORD of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand, 25 that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and on my mountains trample him underfoot; and his yoke shall depart from them, and his burden from their shoulder.” 26 This is the purpose that is purposed concerning the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. 27 For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?

An Oracle Concerning Philistia

28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle:

29 Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you, that the rod that struck you is broken, for from the serpent’s root will come forth an adder, and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent. 30 And the firstborn of the poor will graze, and the needy lie down in safety; but I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant it will slay. 31 Wail, O gate; cry out, O city; melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you! For smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32 What will one answer the messengers of the nation? “The LORD has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.”

Footnotes

[1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty [2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9 [3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces [5] 13:21 Or owls [6] 13:22 Or foxes [7] 14:2 Or servants [8] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [9] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [10] 14:18 Hebrew house [11] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl

(ESV)

New Testament:

Hebrews 8–9:10

Hebrews 8–9:10 (Listen)

Jesus, High Priest of a Better Covenant

8 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tentOr tabernacle; also verse 5‘>1 that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But as it is, ChristGreek he‘>2 has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.

8 For he finds fault with them when he says:Some manuscripts For finding fault with it he says to them‘>3

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

The Earthly Holy Place

9 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. 2 For a tentOr tabernacle; also verses 11, 21‘>4 was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence.Greek the presentation of the loaves‘>5 It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a second sectionGreek tent; also verses 6, 8‘>6 called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age).Or which is symbolic for the age then present‘>7 According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.

Footnotes

[1] 8:2 Or tabernacle; also verse 5 [2] 8:6 Greek he [3] 8:8 Some manuscripts For finding fault with it he says to them [4] 9:2 Or tabernacle; also verses 11, 21 [5] 9:2 Greek the presentation of the loaves [6] 9:3 Greek tent; also verses 6, 8 [7] 9:9 Or which is symbolic for the age then present

(ESV)

Psalm:

Psalm 86

Psalm 86 (Listen)

Great Is Your Steadfast Love

A Prayer of David.

86 Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2 Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God. 3 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day. 4 Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. 6 Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. 7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. 8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. 9 All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. 10 For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. 11 Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. 12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. 13 For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 14 O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, and they do not set you before them. 15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. 16 Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant. 17 Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

(ESV)

Proverb:

Proverbs 24:26

Proverbs 24:26 (Listen)

26 Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips.

(ESV)

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johnhardinsawyer · 3 years

Text

Saved

John Sawyer

Bedford Presbyterian Church

3 / 14 / 21 – Fourth Sunday in Lent

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22

John 3:14-21

“Saved”

(Wondrous Love – Again and Again)

A few years ago, we got a tax refund at our house. It wasn’t a huge amount, but it was enough for us to buy a Roomba. At the time, we had two cats and an infant child, which meant a lot of fur and a lot of mess. So, what could be more convenient than a robot vacuum cleaner that we can set to run while we’re out of the house? Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Roomba runs at 10 AM, bumping into walls and furniture and sucking up everything in its path.

There’s a problem, though. . . When I say that it sucks up everything, this means that if you don’t want it to be sucked up by the Roomba, it needs to be picked up off the floor. Instead of a regular vacuum cleaner, where you can vacuum around piles of stuff on the floor (which used to be a regular practice of mine), the Roomba just charges ahead and eats it all up, sometimes getting stuck in the process. So, we have learned that we do have to pick up before the Roomba runs and then empty out the Roomba’s little dustbin when it is through.

This past week, when I went to empty the Roomba, there was the usual dust, dirt, and cat fur. But there was also a little toy man caught in the dustbin. Thankfully, he was made of a tough plastic and had made it through the Roomba, basically unscathed – though a little dusty. If I hadn’t seen that little man, though, and pulled him out of the dust and dirt, before emptying it all into the trash can, he would have been a goner. In the end, he wasn’t a goner. He’ll live on, in his little toy man way. . .

In today’s reading from the Gospel of John, we can see and hear Jesus saying the very familiar words that are proof and promise that, in the end, when it comes to God, human beings are neither little plastic toys nor goners. Instead, we find Jesus talking about God’s love for us – for the whole world. In the original language, the word Jesus uses, here, is kosmos– the sum total of all that is.[1] And, because God loves all that is – including us human beings – God does not intend our destruction, but our salvation.

As John, Chapter 3, begins, Jesus is visited in the night by a learned and influential man named Nicodemus. Nicodemus is a Pharisee. Now, the Pharisees often get a bad rap in the stories of Jesus, because they are always looking down their noses at him and saying things like, “Jesus, you shouldn’t be healing that guy on the Sabbath or hanging out with ‘those’ sinful people because it goes against the ancient laws of Moses.” And 100% of the time, when the Pharisees say things like this to Jesus, the Pharisees end up being in the wrong.

But Nicodemus is a curious man. Instead of condemning Jesus for breaking the law, he is genuinely interested in what Jesus is up to and why Jesus is doing these things. So, he sits down with Jesus and says, “. . . we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” (John 3:2)

And then Jesus and Nicodemus have a conversation. I must admit that the conversation gets a little heady, here – even for a learned man like Nicodemus. Jesus talks about being “born from above” (3:3) and things that are earthly and heavenly, and ascending and descending. He even makes a strange reference to a bronze serpent that Moses put on a stick long ago.[2] Nicodemus might not understand everything, but he does get the reference about the snake. Just in case you don’t get the reference, let me explain. . . the people of Israel were wandering in the wilderness and grumbling because they were hungry and thirsty. In response, God, who had been providing for them, daily, by feeding them and giving them water every day for years, got a little upset with them because they had forgotten the power of God’s providential care. So, God sent poisonous snakes to teach them a lesson. By the way, remind me not to ever complain that I’m hungry or thirsty! Anyway, the people were suffering because of the snakes and God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and hold it up so that when the people looked at it, they would live. The logic here is that maybe when the people are healed, they will learn to rely on God again.

“So,” Jesus tells Nicodemus, “you have come here, tonight, to ask me why I am here and what I am doing. Well, I am like that bronze serpent that Moses had. . . only better. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness to save people who were dying, so I will be lifted up – lifted up on the cross, lifted up from the tomb, lifted up to reign in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever believes in me will have eternal life.” (3:14-15)[3] “For,” Jesus continues – and you can say it with me, if you happen to know it by heart – “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. . . God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (3:16-17)

John 3:16 is one of those verses that many people just know – whether they know any other verse from scripture or not. Jesus’ promise of God’s love and eternal life is a powerful one. It is as if you and I – and all who have placed their trust and loyalty in Jesus – have been plucked from the dustbin of the Roomba. We may have been through a rough time in life, we may be covered with the dust and dirt of sin, but in Jesus Christ, God has seen us and God is not throwing us away. We are given a new way of life – a way of life that is not limited by death. We are saved. . .

That term “saved” is one that Christians have been using since the time of Jesus. And, very often it is used in some eternal sense, as in, Jesus has saved us and given us the eternal life promised us in John 3:16. For many people, this is quite enough – all the salvation that they (or we) need.

It is interesting, though, just how rich and full of meaning the salvation of God can truly be. You see, in the Bible, Jesus is always talking about how God’s kingdom, salvation, or other blessings are here in the present and not just in some great and glorious future. There is always some kind of understanding that the salvation Jesus offers is a gift to us right now. The salvation that God offers is not limited to some holy and mysterious event that happens at the end of our life. The holy mystery of it all is that God’s salvation is right now. God’s eternal and abundant life is right now because God is present with us right now in all of God’s loving power.

Today’s reading from Psalm 107 captures this in a small way. If you are able to go back and read Psalm 107 in its entirety, you’ll get a bigger picture of what I am talking about. The Psalmist writes about how God is always saving us – again and again – no matter what we may have gotten ourselves into.

There are those who are wandering in desert wastes – alone, hungry, and thirsty. But then they cry to the Lord in their trouble and God saves them, giving them just what they need.[4] There are those who are sitting in darkness and gloom – prisoners in misery and in irons – because they’ve done something wrong. But then they cry to the Lord and God brings them out of darkness and breaks their chains.[5] There are those who are sick with sin – unable to eat, near death. But then they cry to the Lord and God saves them from their distress.[6] Are you sensing a pattern, here? But wait, there’s more. . . There are those who are tossed about by the stormy waters of life – close to losing their courage along with their lunch, because the seas are so rough. But then they cry to the Lord and God calms the waves and saves them from their distress.[7]

Throughout the Psalm, whenever God saves someone, there is this little repeated refrain: “Let them thank the Lord for God’s steadfast love, for God’s wonderful works to humankind.” (Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, and 31)

I don’t know about you, but when I read these ancient words of God’s steadfast love and wonderful works, I see Jesus written all over them. Because when we are lost, and in misery, and sick, and tossed about like a boat on the stormy sea, who is there to save us, but Jesus? As the Psalmist writes, “When they [or we] are diminished and brought low through oppression, trouble, and sorrow. . . [the Lord] raises up the needy out of their distress.” (Psalm 107:39, 41) We are. . . saved.

Now, there are plenty of questions that could be asked, here, especially about why bad things still happen to good people and why there is still suffering in the world if God is supposedly in the business of saving people like us. The Roomba of life – and sin and death – is relentless, after all, eating up everything in its path. . . even us. Believe me, I know it can be hard to see the fruits of God’s wondrous love, especially in trying times – in pandemic times, in cancer times, in war times, in oppressive and unjust times.

But is where I have to remind myself that God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. I have to remind myself that we are saved. . . in this life and the life that is to come. This is the fruit of God’s wondrous love – a love that is so deep and broad and high that it is offered to all that has ever been and to all that is – even to you and me.

For my part, I have placed my trust in this promise above all others – my hope in this promise that offers light in the darkest of times. As the Psalmist sings. . .

O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good.

God’s steadfast love endures forever.

Let all of us say so:

those who have been saved by the Lord,

those who have been redeemed from trouble,

those who have been gathered in from the lands,

from the east and from the west,

from the north and from the south. (Psalm 107:1-3)[8]

We are the ones who have been saved - who have been redeemed from trouble and gathered together by Jesus Christ, our loving shepherd. Jesus is always inviting us to see and know the salvation he freely offers. Who knows? Maybe when we come to know God’s wondrous and steadfast love, we will be able to put our trust and faith and hope in it for the living of these days, even as we watch for the life that is to come.

God’s steadfast love endures forever – right here and now and beyond the end of time. In Jesus Christ, God has seen us and is not throwing us away. We are given a new way of life. We are saved. . . Let us give thanks for God’s steadfast love, for God’s wonderful works to humankind – for Jesus Christ and the light and hope and salvation that he offers us in every moment of our lives.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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[1] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979) 445-446.

[2] See Numbers 21:4-9.

[3] Paraphrased, JHS.

[4] See Psalm 107:4-9.

[5] See Psalm 107:10-16.

[6] See Psalm 107:17-22.

[7] See Psalm 107:23-32.

[8] Paraphrased, JHS.

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