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ftpthemovement · 4 years

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Don’t let the deception of some Christians perceptions fool you, In scripture it says “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.” Hebrews 5:8

Christ himself, God in a body, learned obedience through what he suffered. Many times when Christians are suffering it’s written off as unresolved sin, needing prayer, more works needing to be done such as: Fasting, sozo, counseling, generational curses, etc etc. The list could literally be endless. It’s seems the western world has some sort of answer for all of it, often times ending with the individual focusing on short coming instead of their savior. This can turn into an endless loop of condemnation, leaving the person worse off than ever before. Lacking confidence and assurance of their salvation through Christ’s finished works.

Sadly, most people give the enemy way too much credit over every aspect of their lives. Forgetting the enemy is a defeated foe, that sin and death has lost its sting, and that the spirit within them is stronger than the one in this world. This lack of confidence can become deep rooted and often time is a result of poor leadership, and a lack of personal intimacy (relationship) with God.

Scripture tells us, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter‬ ‭4:12-13‬ ‭

The issue is, most of us have never been taught rejoice in sufferings, especially the ones related to Christ. Instead, we search for the answers of what’s going wrong, and where we messed up, instead of realizing that we should be rejoicing in Christ’s finished works on the cross, especially when the suffering we endure in life is Christ related. James 1:2-3 says to, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

Joy facing trials? Who has joy in facing trials?

Who was taught growing up that we should consider it joy because the testing of our faith will produce steadfastness? When is the last time you were taught that what you were going through was ok? When the last time you rejoiced and we’re encouraged that God was refining you, and building you up, and that, “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Phi ‭1:6‬ ‭

Often times I’ve heard the opposite. Often times I’ve heard the opinions of man, especially in leadership point out peoples short comings instead of the finished works of their savior. I’ve heard several times you need to increase your walk with God, not to rest in his completed works. Though, “We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

So why is it that some of the people that we believe to be closest to God aren’t teaching that before Christ in us that in the flesh, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”Isaiah 64:6 But now through His finished works, “He has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.” 1 Col 1:22

Without a single fault? Meditate that for forever lol. Gods word said it not me. If God himself looks at you and doesn’t see a single fault, what is man doing trying to convince you otherwise? Is this not the very works that would be produced in vain, the very reason why Christ came and laid his life down, that through his grace, mercy, and sacrifice, alone we would be saved. So that no man, by his works, would have anything to ever boast about? That all things have been made level at the foot of the cross, that all fall short of the glory of God, that all stand condemned without Christ in us the hope of glory!?(Rhetorical)

Don’t allow anyone to cause you to stray from the confidence and assurance that you have found through Christ sacrifice. Rather, look to the ones who came before you, those who walked with Christ to set the example of what you might expect out of life. Here’s what scripture has to say about a few of them:

“Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” Hebrews‬ ‭11:35-38‬

They were, mocked, flogged, chained, in prison, stoned, sawn into, killed by the sword. This sound familiar to your life?

If you don’t find that to suit your needs, since those people are nameless in scripture and might be hard to relate to, what about Christ himself? We could use Christ, but being he was faultless and sinless, you might find it hard to relate, yet in scripture it says in Hebrews 4:15 that, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin.”

Isn’t Christ life and what he endured the greatest indication of what we should look forward to in this Christian life? If it’s true that the same spirit that lives in Him, lives in us, and allows us to do the world he has done and far greater, then wouldn’t it be Christ who would lead by the best example? But again, for the sake of argument, let’s look at someone who is human, has sinned, and was completely sold out for the gospel. Let’s look at Paul! Let’s see what Paul’s life looked like when Ananias was sent to him.

The words spoken in prophecy to him through Ananias where this, “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. -Acts 22:14-15

Knowing this, here are just a few examples of what Christ servant of the gospel endured on his walk with Christ:

Paul wrote most of the New Testament (4 or more epistles) from in prison.

He was stoned by the Jews who came from Antioch and Iconium. Then they drug him out of the city. -Acts 14:19

He was bitten by a very poisonous snake while building a fire-Acts 28.

By his own words, here is a small account of what he endured.

“Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.”‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭11:22-33‬ ‭

Does this sound like your life?

Why then if Christ and Paul’s examples are good indicators of what are a possibility of the Christian walk, if we know that 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. John 15:20

That in Christ time when, “John came neither eating nor drinking, they say, 'He has a demon.' And when “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' 1 Matt 11:18-19

If Christ himself and those who came before were spoken of like this, why are we so quick to assume that there is something wrong instead of something right going on?

Notice, the ones who choose to follow God throughout all of the history of scripture all endured extreme hardships in their walk with God. Most of which the world thought they were crazy, or demon possessed. Christ own family thought he was out of his mind. I could go on and list a ton of examples, but it would be almost every individual who God used through scripture.

Does anyone not find it odd that every time a man of God is near to the father, operating in the boldness of the spirit, that he is considered to be hearing from demons and not God himself? The religious of Christ day and age said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons." Matt 12:24

If this is how Christ himself was treated, why are we so quick to fall under the judgment of man, especially when we have been freed from the judgment of God, by passing from death into life from Christ sacrifice. This sacrifice allows us to have the Holy Spirit as a deposit guarantee of our internal inheritance. Why would we listen to the judgment of man over the finished works of Christ?

Do you feel like what you endure for the sake of the gospel is comparable to what those who came before you had endured? Is what you are enduring centered around Gods interest, or self interest? Are you pursuing Gods will for your life, or your own will? Are you concerned with the will of God, or are you concerned with your personal will and comfort?

Instead of allowing ourselves to be under a yoke of oppression, and being entangled in sin once again by focusing on our short coming instead of our savior; what if we choose to look at your hearts desires are when it comes to your own relationship with God?

What are your prayers?

Let me pass this test, let me make more money, let my wife be nicer, let me be able to handle the stress at this high paying job.

Please bless my American wage that is higher than what 90% of other countries will ever make. Please help me family clean up the mess of the abundance we have. Watch over the dogs, the cats and my bird, and let my team win this weekend.

I’m not saying this to be condemning, it’s not that these aren’t genuine concerns, but are the concerns of the Father for your life, or for personal gain and self interest?

What do they look like compared to the servants that came before you, though our generations are always different, the message and the mission has never changed. What do these prayers look like in comparisons to these?

Lord let your will be done no matter the circumstances let your mercy, grace, and power reign supreme in all aspects of my life. I completely surrender all things to you, i am in complete and full submission to your will. Allow your gospel to be spoken through me at all times in all ways, no matter the circumstances. Lord you reign supreme in every aspect of my life and in all things that I do. Always be the meditation of my mind. All that I am belongs to you, all that I will ever want is you to complete your works in me and through me, your portion is enough for me. My focus is on you and your mission alone. Allow me to die to self daily and have the courage to pick up my cross and follow you.

Both believers, but one seems to be running from suffering, while the other is willing to endure hardship for the sake of the gospel. But, before we start passing judgment on who needs to repent, is dealing with generational curses, needs to fast, etc etc. Maybe instead of looking at works, we should look in the mirror first at our own walk with Christ before trying to set the tone for how others should walk.

When Christ said “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” Matthew‬ ‭7:1-5‬ ‭

What if the speck you saw in your brothers eye, was simply the reflection of your own log. Then once you removed the log from your own eye, if there was still a small speck to be removed, you could remove it clearly through gentle correction instead of judgment.

Don’t allow Christian judgment of man, no matter how Holy they may seem, corrupt the faith and assurance you have through Christ finished works. When Paul was faced with similar issues he said, “I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭4:3-5‬

So go in confidence and assurance that “He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—” Ephesians‬ ‭1:4-5‬. With this assurance as the foundation of our faith through Christ finished works you will stand strong against the trials and tribulations of life and the adversity of men. You will reign in supremes confidence in Christ finished works that no matter what the judgment of man in this world holds for you. Believe that you are firmly rooted in the finished works of Christ, righteous and blameless in his sight, because you are the ambassador of Christ’s love through action and in truth. What is that love is that confidence rooted in?

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” 1 John‬ ‭3:16-24‬ ‭

From the front lines- ES December 12th, 4:19pm

#eliasstrategos #ftpthemovement #christianity #ftpclothingco #blessed

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restorerjourney · 3 years

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Week 4: Knowing God’s character and nature

Aloha!

Last week was such an emotional and spiritual rollercoaster as we learned how to hear God’s voice and what a huge breakthrough it was for me. I would say this week felt more intellectual compared to last week which meant less crying lol but it was still such a wonderful session. We had our speaker, Derek Schoenhoff, come all the way from Dallas, Texas. He also did his DTS in YWAM Kona where he met his wife and was also a pastor here at Kona, for several years.

He was such a gifted speaker who really shed light to God’s true character. It’s amazing growing up into a Christian home and going to church all the time how there was still so much more to know about God. This session brought to light still the subtle lies that I believed that if I wasn’t disciplined in my walk that there was this sense of guilt before the Lord for not being in the worldly sense “faithful”. Being in my 30s and just having experienced the reality of life and what the world defines as being worthy of love and accepted seeped into my walk with God. I knew in my heart that I am saved not by anything I’ve done but purely by God’s grace and Jesus’s life and resurrection, yet I came to realize that I still bought into the lies at times that it wasn’t enough to please Him. That’s when I came to realize how much I’ve let the voices of the world really drown out God’s voice and now knowing this truth, how much more I need to protect it. I am reminded of my previous women’s bible study back at NOVA with my home church where we studied Hebrews, particularly chapter 2:1 where it says

“ Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.”.

Paul wasn’t kidding. And this drifting experience is not a slow and peaceful boat that drifts away, it’s a strong unseeing force that really can put your boat in the middle of nowhere within minutes. I know this because when we went snorkeling this past weekend with our team at Two Step, we didn’t realize the current was pretty strong. If you are not careful enough the current can take you in and push you towards a reef full of prickly sea urchins or sharp coral! That’s how easily we can drift when we allow God’s voice to be drowned out by the world. We can drift so far that we think we can’t hear God’s voice or if we don’t fight hard against the current, it can smash us towards a prickly reef of a life of fear and worries of this world.

One of the biggest breakthroughs for me during this session was to see God as someone who is so excited and happy when I turn to him, so excited that he runs towards me with open arms and picks me up like I’m His most favorite daughter in the world. I no longer see God as someone who is not present, disappointed, annoyed, or angry. This was difficult for a lot of us to experience due to our own past hurts from our own parents. There was a session on forgiveness where we wrote a letter of forgiveness to all those who hurt us and we would burn it in the fire. Although it sounded cheesy I highly encourage it because more than the act of writing and burning it, it’s the work of the Holy spirit and your faith that allows you to have power to break free from the chains of bitterness so you can experience freedom and healing. I’m a believer. I wrote my letter of forgiveness towards my father and mother, previous intimate relationships that I’ve been, and some friends that have let go of our friendship. As I was writing this letter my heart not only healed but God allowed me to see through His eyes. I was able to see how much my parents are also broken sinners like me who loved me the best they could and sacrificed so much so that I would have a better life, that my past relationships although were painful God used it for good, and that it isn’t my fault for relationships to drift apart. The speaker came up to me and shared that God was so proud of me and I replied that it may take time, but he encouraged to believe in faith that it was done.

This was really profound to me because I never realized God uses my faith to reveal His promises. From the past sermon that I attended at Livingstone church here in Kona, the pastor spoke how faith in our heart without action is not faith but hope. Faith requires action and God loves to see our faith in order for Him to reveal His promises to us ( He loves doing that too). It makes sense right? If Moses didn’t obey in faith to return to Egypt to set his people free, he wouldn’t have witnessed such intimacy with God, seeing miracles before his eyes, seeing the red sea split, and the pillar of fire guiding the Israelites at night. It’s different from being legalistic because our worth is always secured in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ but more than just having eternal life, God wants so much more intimacy with us because He loves us so much more than we can phantom. So I said a “yes and amen” to this forgiveness letter. That I truly am free from bitterness and to see those who hurt me through God’s lens.

We also learned that God is love and the opposite of love is fear.

” There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. “ (1John 4:18 )

I would say I am a pretty anxious person and I have the tendency to worry a lot. It stems from my distrust from God and my past wounds. Also my parents tend to be anxious too and I grew up always being overly prepared so that I wouldn’t have any regret. This however made me beat myself up when I failed or if things didn’t go my way and become more anxious which can become a viscous cycle. I realized God never wanted me to live like this. Yes God doesn’t call us to live life recklessly and never prepare but he also doesn’t call us to fear or worry about things to the point we are over controlling and because we don’t trust Him. Whenever I go before God in prayer and I feel afraid to approach Him, I instantly recognize that I already have the wrong view of God and either go to scripture or remember the precious moments when I was fearless before God, running into my daddy’s arms.

One practice that I really felt blessed by was when we were told to close our eyes and imagine us being 3-years-old and God taps our shoulder asking what game we wanted to play. I said “hide and seek” because it was a game that I remember my dad and I used to play when I was little. I remember he would say “ I’m gonna get you!” and I giggled and screamed out of control because I was full excitement that my dad was so happy to see me and play with me. This is how our God sees us too. Our God is present, he just loves playing with us and spending time with us. He enjoys us playing with him like a 3-year old more than coming to him with our good works trying to earn his approval just like any father is fully of joy when he plays with his 3-year-old kid.

Yes we do have to remember God is the King of Kings. This protocol helps us to remember God is God and we are not. The amazing thing about God is that we don’t have to stay in our protocol, but God responds with grace and as a Father. That although we approach Him with reverence and holiness, God from His throne embraces us shamelessly.

Some great thinking points that I would like to share that challenged me...

Some other great points:

-The Cross answer two questions for usWhy the cross?

1) If God is sovereign, why did he choose the worst kind of death? Why did he endure physical, verbal, emotional, sexual abuse? Why did he endure gossip? Because if he didn’t, we could say, Jesus you don’t know what it’s like to endure what I did. Not only does he know, but he endure much more worse than we ever did.God where were you when we endured the darkest time?

2) God was there when we were abused, when Jesus was abused.. It says God was present and grieving. Genesis 6:6. We don’t often think of the broken heart of God. God is also working. Planning the resurrection- the process for restoration and if you make the right decision you will discover life.

-Ephesians 3:17: I have my roots and foundations in Love. Our beginning was not when we were conceived, it STARTED ON THE MIND OF GOD.

Three things you can do with the feeling/desire for vengeance against someone:

Act it out

Deny it

Surrender it to God, Give it to Him. Let it all out before God. He can handle it. Depression is unresolved or unexpressed anger. We should be able to express all of our anger to Him.

-The goodness of God does not change with your circumstances

-Spoken lies, when believed, are curses.

-Forgiveness is not excusing, minimizing, justifying, or tolerating the sin. It’s not about getting even, it’s not conditional ( if you change then I forgive..), it’s not an obligation . It is not a feeling, or a process (not staying committed), it’s not forgetting. It’s not a one-time event...every time it comes to mind, we need to forgive otherwise the old feelings will send you down an unhealthy rabbit hole. What forgiveness is a choice based on faith and obedience to God. Doing to others as God has done for you. Forgiveness is a healing agent for your relationship with God. It’s letting go of your rights to justice and anger. Forgiveness is choosing not to hold someone’s sin against them. This is what God does.

-Apologizing is not a biblical concept, it’s about feeling bad about something.Biblical concept is repentance..it’s asking for forgiveness with a commitment to change.

There is so much more so if anyone is interested, please feel free to reach out to me and I would love to share more.

This past Saturday I planned our first outing for team only to go to Two step. It’s called two step because literally as you are taking two steps down rocks to the ocean you are in the deep with coral beneath you. Like I mentioned before the current was strong and only one other team member was a good swimmer. We foolishly encouraged those who couldn’t swim to try since they had their snorkeling gear and we could hold them up but that was a dumb mistake. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt except one girl who got scraped by sea urchin which you need to pee on...yes memories wahoo~ but all in all we had a great time together making memories. We went to Magic sand after and watched some of the biggest waves there that almost destroyed 3 of our team members while they were playing on the shore. This wave came out of nowhere and I will never forget the unrelenting power of the sea. We then went to Costco and got pizza with ice-cream for dinner!

Prayer requests:

1) Healing for my neck and shoulder. I pulled my right shoulder while working at the farm and it wasn’t even doing something that strenuous but i was really discouraged because I wanted to believe in faith that God could heal. It’s 80% better already but I am cautious and I don’t want to live in fear because of it. I’m mostly symptomatic in the morning because the arthritis is worse then and I am really stiff. I’m committed to getting back into shape and doing physical therapy while I am here.

2) Outreach: We are going to Mazaltan, Mexico for outreach for 2 months! Then we will return the last month to the YWAM base in Honolulu to do our remix session which is unique with the Restorer’s DTS and allows us to debrief and process all that has happened. Please pray for clarity to what ministry God wants us to do, unity in our team, grace and direction for our leaders, and safety.

Mahalo for our prayers and supports,

Alicia

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henlobeautiful · 4 years

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New Moon in Leo Ritual

Description:

The New Moon is associated with new beginnings and new projects. This is amplified with the Leo focus, which is good for creative activities and risk taking. For this ritual, we will be combining these aspects into a manifestation powerhouse! We will do so using the idea of a vision board, so be ready to get crafty!

Materials:

Any tools you may want for cleansing/security

Paper or a notes app

Items to make a vision board (either old magazines or even just access to the internet and Microsoft Word will do! Or if you aren’t a visual person, maybe items to write a song about your goals or something similar).

Part 1: Cleanse/Secure

As with any ritual, begin by cleansing and securing your space in whatever way works for you.

Cleanse your space of anything that may distract you. This could even be mundane in cleaning your space to make you more focused or perhaps turning off electronics to give the universe/your spirit guides/the Moon/etc your full attention. Some popular methods include using cleansing herbs (not White Sage or Palo Santo please), sound cleansing, or “sweeping” unwanted energies out.

Create a circle of protection/safety by whatever method is preferred by you. Some ways to do this if you don’t already have one can be by tracing a circle using herbs, crystals, salts, or something similar or by simply visualizing a ring around you that grows with each breath. Now would be the time to invoke any spirits, deities, or other forces that you would like to help guide you during the ritual. If you would like to provide any offerings to these guides, now would also be the time to do so.

Part 2: Set your Intention

Alright now let's set our intention. Here's some music to guide you if you want a little boost for tonight!

Since this New Moon in Leo involves risk taking and new creative activities, try to think of a new activity you’d like to try. This could also include an activity that isn’t entirely new, but something you haven’t fully committed to. Personally, I’d prefer a somewhat short-term goal when doing lunar planning in the hopes that my goal comes to fruition with/before the Full Moon, but you can choose any goal length you wish. Write down this intention either in your notes on your phone or on a piece of paper that you can reference during your goal duration.

Part 3: The Basics of Manifesting

So now we will begin with some of the basic principles of manifestation. For those that already know the basics, feel free to skip this section as it’s mostly informational.

You may have heard a version of this in witchy communities as ~manifestation~ like a glamorous concept as well as a term called the Law of Attraction. In reality, it is a method for success largely inspired by Hermetic, Hindu, and (mostly in the original Hebrew) Christian beliefs, although most religions have some minor concept of this. Even non-witchy people practice this as a form of attaining success, especially in the business world. There are a lot of thought processes on this, but this is the method that makes the most sense to me as an amalgamation of a few takes on it.

Most everyone can agree that there are three essential parts to the Law of Attraction in terms of manifestation:

Identify what you want (aka your intention)

Put your will into what you want with your whole person

Allow it to happen to you and believe that it will

There are a lot of tips, tricks, and methods for the Law of Attraction that you can find online that I could spend hours diving into, but to keep it short I’ll provide some of the most important tips here.

✨Start changing your outlook towards a more

positive mindset. Even moreso, try to be the best

person you can be each day by doing what you

believe is the morally right thing to do. Even if

you struggle with mental health as many of us

do, these can be done by just simply

acknowledging that your feelings are only

temporary and will soon pass to make way for

new and brighter moods. Try to be high on life! ✨To bring things to you, try acting in the present.

By this I mean try phrasing your intention in the

present as well as acting like you’ve already

achieved it. Phrase your intention like “I am

getting rewarded with a raise” instead of “I want a

raise”, which both keeps you from “needing” the

universe and promotes a healthy level of

determination. As for acting like you’ve already

achieved it, the idea behind it is similar to “fake it

till you make it”. If you act like you’ve achieved

your goals already, it makes it easier to achieve

them while you work on them. ✨Work hard towards your goals, don’t expect them

to happen. However to balance this, remember to

go with the flow and allow the universe to reward

you with your successes. ✨Try to focus on your intention as much as

possible. Just like the last tip though, there is a

balance to this since one shouldn’t obsess over

their goals/intentions or become desperate for

these to happen. ✨While working on your goals, Shadow Work or

Energy Work may help you through ruts since the

universe all flows on the same energy, even that

which flows through you! The idea is that by

working on the flow of energy and betterment

within yourself, you could allow the energy of the

universe to reach you more easily and reward you

with what you’re asking for.

Part 4: Visualization Exercise

For those that already knew the basics, now is a good time to jump back in.

So now that we have the basics out of the way, let’s work on visualizing our goals. Imagine you are walking along a calming place in your mind where you can be your most you. Allow yourself to relax in this space and get into a mindset where you can explore yourself as well as your goals and creativity without judgment. Picture a creature or entity entering your space in a form of something or someone you would consider empowering. It can be any creature that most suits you. What is your creature? Feel free to write down any descriptions of them that you have. Mine, for example is a lion (sort of coincidental with the New Moon in Leo theme but shhhhh lol).

The being asks you about your intention. Why is this what you desire? How will this benefit you on your way to being your best self? If so, why do you consider this the best version of yourself? Will this goal impact any other goals (perhaps long term goals)? There are no wrong answers here. The being doesn’t judge you, but moreso asks out of curiosity. Write down your answers for you to refer to later.

The being nods, trying to understand your intention. They offer you their hand. When you take it, you see clearly everything you need to accomplish to achieve your goal. Write down what you see.

The being offers to allow you to achieve your goal immediately. If you were to accept this proposal, what are the first things you would feel, see, hear, or otherwise experience? Write down any sensations that would occur right after you would achieve your goal/manifestation.

Thank the being for showing you what you need to do. Let your experience with them guide you to envision your goals more clearly to inspire you.

Part 5: Vision Board

Now we reach the fun part of the ritual! Here’s where you can do whatever method of creativity you’d like to create a vision board of sorts that reflects your intention. For a physical board, you can cut up old magazines or print pictures from the internet and glue them to a piece of construction paper or cardboard. You can create a digital vision board using a collage/moodboard program, a Pinterest board, or even something as simple as a PowerPoint slide or Word document turned into a collage. You could even use a nontraditional “vision board”, like writing a song, painting a picture, or some other creative outlet that reflects the future you want to manifest. As long as the method makes sense to you, the world is your oyster!

Spend as much time as you need on this step. You can reference the internet for inspiration if you get stuck. Try to incorporate elements that you wrote down while visualizing your interaction with your creature/entity. Incorporate elements of your past (why are you pursuing this goal?), present (what do you need to do right now?), and future (what will you experience when you achieve it?) into your vision board. If you have noticed the pattern for this and would like to supplement a divination method or use it in addition to the experience with the creature/entity, then that is also perfectly fine!

Part 6: Close

Start to examine any excess energy you may have. You can use this to make some moon water charged with your intention from tonight, or proceed straight to grounding. There are many methods for this which may work better for you. Some examples are visualizing roots coming out where you touch the Earth that pull the extra/unneeded energy through your body downwards to be absorbed by the Earth, going outside and walking around barefoot to connect to the Earth and again absorb excess energy, or even mundanely become more aware of your surroundings by doing the 5-4-3-2-1 method (noticing 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste).

Now also be sure to center the remaining energy. This can generally be done by visualizing the leftover energy in your fingers, arms, legs, head, and toes flowing into the middle of your body, where it can be easily accessed by all parts of you.

Thank any deities you may have invoked for working with you and close your circle by however method you prefer (visualization, walking counterclockwise, etc). Thank yourself for giving yourself this time and think of ways to appreciate your surroundings/stage in life going forward.

Thanks for participating if you did! I will be sharing my vision board on this blog once it is complete.

Sources:

Example Vision Board 7 Laws of Attraction 7 Laws of Attraction Blueprint 7 Laws of Attraction from a Hypnotherapist Manifestation Tips New Moon in Cancer Associations Vision Board Tips What Phase is the Moon in?

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worddonor · 7 years

Text

Lucky Luke

Watching an episode of the latest season of Rosewood this evening brought back some memories of my sister and I’s kidney transplant operation.

SPOILER ALERT: If you intend watching it wherever you are (season 2 episode 19) then read no further. Anyway, the police captain – Capt. Ryan Slade (Eddie Cibrian) - had decided to donate one of his kidneys to Dr. Beaumont Rosewood Jr., effortlessly played by Morris Chestnut. This of course was the culmination of their solid relationship built up throughout the brief time he’s been captain of the East Miami Police Department (from episode 1 of this second season). Right before the show ends, panic ensues as one of the operating doctors informs Detective Annalise Villa (Jaina Lee Ortiz) that there were complications during the transplant operation. The scene shows flashes of hurried activity and closes with Rosewood waking up to Det. Villa by his side, she looking quite distraught. They then cut to the final image of Capt. Slade lying lifeless on the operating table with the familiar flat-line beep playing in the background alluding to his demise.

Without a whiff of an explanation, the episode ends there.

I suppose we’ll get more next week.

It’s hectic to think that the captain is gone. I was just beginning to like the bra, sherbet man. That’s a bietjie sad. It’s a bit ominous that ending and frightening to those possibly thinking of donating an organ or who are in the final stages about to donate. That could very well have happened to my sister or myself, something could easily have gone wrong, but to those thinking of donating: there are thousands of successful operations that go buttery smooth every day in South Africa and around the globe. My elder sister and I are living examples of this. Also: the fact that we were both in our 20s with pretty decent health otherwise, the excellent nephrologists, urologists, doctors and nurses working on us, the hands of our Father in heaven under us and the support of a flood of prayers backing us up: we were blessed indeed.

We are blessed and still strong and healthy 5 years down the line.

This was supposed to be a sad post (supposed to be?), but I feel like it’s gone the other way which is good, right?

I was going to talk of how I secretly hoped I wouldn’t make it and would die on that operating table, but no such luck – I wouldn’t get to be a hero so easy, lol. The man upstairs clearly wants to teach me a few hard lessons first, I know he loves me though. My flesh was even weaker then, I even wrote some flow (as in ‘not concentrated’ relating to a diluted cordial drink that consists of more water than flavour or ‘lame’ in layman’s terms, for those not familiar with the taal) poetry before the time to make sense of this hectic experience I was going to go through. A part of me was excited that I might die – which is messed up I know. Another part of me was genuinely nervous because, guess what: I might die! Or worse was that my sister was at risk too! It was a hectic time, but I must say there was a peace that came over me after praying about the decision to donate initially - and all the way leading up to the day - that things would turn out great. I don’t recall debilitating nerves at all (striking up a conversation with strangers or attending work meetings is WAY MORE STRESSFUL) – it just felt all along like the right way to go and the timing was excellent: the minimum age to donate is 25, I had done all the tests and was good to go and turned 25 in June of that year – we had the operation on the 6th of July. The preparation for the operation and the op itself was stressful, more so for our family than anything, my sister’s op took a few hours longer than mine, naturally as they had to connect my goodie up to her thing-a-ma-bobs (insert astute technical terms here), but we both came out strong. She is taking her meds diligently every day to keep her body from kicking out my organ and I’m making sure she remembers whose turn it is to make coffee…indefinitely. Haha, nah just joking, but there are days when I just don’t have the energy to flip that translucent switch and pull out those ceramic happiness containers out from their resting nooks: those days I have to call in the VIP pass. Forgive me Lord. But no, truthfully dear reader: I am treated like a king even when I feel like a fool, which is most days.

I suppose my job is not done, Jeremiah 29:11 again. Ai, I want to complain, but deep down inside I know I’m pretty darn lucky. I hope to be more useful than what I am right now, my head says it’s impossible for someone with as little drive and ambition as what I possess, someone who is so terrible at planning and believing in himself to succeed at anything. For someone who is so incredibly afraid of being open and honest with other human beings in the flesh, for someone who is so afraid of asking dumb questions and of the embarrassment of feeling uninformed or ignorant even though it would be beneficial in the long run, for someone who stubbornly holds on to the foolish pride of appearing to know better by remaining silent even when truthfully knowing very little: for someone like this, doing anything right seems impossible…possessing any inherent value to society seems like a fairy tale to me, a probable reality only for the real hustlers of this world – the gritty brawlers who never stay down despite mud flung in their faces countless times, the movers and shakers who don’t have time to overthink things.

Despite the overwhelming evidence: there’s a tittle of hope. A little sliver and a slice, a glimpse of joy and confidence every so often finds me…a kind word here: unexpected, a feeling of peace and unexplained joy over there: unsolicited, a specific scripture or Bible story popping up more than once in a day, seeking me out: unscripted.

The true evidence points to hope: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:13-14), “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them,” (Genesis 1:27). “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23) “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) I’ll take whatever I can right now and give back wherever I’m called to, I cannot argue with truth even when it seems contrary to reality – albeit the ‘reality’ that’s in my head.

Thank you Lord for never letting go no matter what. Your mercy endures forever.

#rosewood #kidney donation #kidney transplant #operation #sibling love #faith #hope #jesus loves you #musing #scripture #you are loved

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matttowndrow · 6 years

Text

Talking to a Christian.

Stranger: hi

You: hi there

You: religious?

Stranger: yes

You: nice, what religion?

Stranger: christianity

You: protestant or catholic or?

Stranger: non-denominational for the most part

You: wow whats that exactly?

Stranger: i don't go to a particular church, i haven't found the one that truly clicks with me. although i do have an interest in catholicsm and orthodoxy

You: okay interesting

You: Im personally agnostic, just interested in religion and why people believe or don't believe etc

You: so my question to you is why do you think that christianity is the right religion?

Stranger: ahh thats cool. i can feel that lol

You: or in other words why are you christian and not another religion?

Stranger: well, i've had an interest with all sorts of religions, but in my opinion, christianity is one of the richest, both culturally and theologically; i don't necessarily think that christianity is the ONLY religion with "truth" because, as a rule, all religions or people who seek truth and goodness participate in christ

Stranger: but i feel like christianity is a full expression of it

Stranger: even though, i'll be the first to admit, a lot of christians make christianity look awful or childish lol

You: were you born in to religion ?

Stranger: reading about the history of the church and it's roots in judaic religions helped me appreciate the uniqueness, but also universality of christian belief

Stranger: i was raised in a vaguely protestant christian home

Stranger: not very observant, strictly, but still god was important to us

Stranger: still is, i should say

You: okay, nice, would you say perhaps that if you were born in iran you would be a muslim or do you think you would still be christian ?

You: and also how do you mean other religions participate in christ?

Stranger: it depends, if i had the ability to learn about christianity in an unbiased way, i think i would become one. especially since twelver shia is good at straining credulity lol

Stranger: well, christ is the logos, the universal reason that everything that exists was made through and within, any one who looks for truth and virtue will find the logos, even if they do not know of the person of jesus as he lived upon the earth, or the traditions handed down by him

You: so even if you're family were muslim for example you still believe you would convert to christianity?

Stranger: there's a saying from the gospel of thomas, which isn't considered canon by christians, but it still has some very correct things to say. one is "Jesus said, "I am the light that is over all things. I am all: from me all came forth, and to me all attained.

Split a piece of wood; I am there.

Lift up the stone, and you will find me there."

Stranger: yes, like i said, if i was able to learn about it. but it would be very difficult, considering islam makes it hard for anyone to convert to another religion. especially a theocracy like iran

You: okay what is your point by that though, that jesus is everything almost?

You: okay fair enough

You: I don't personally agree that you would but we'll never know I guess ahaha

You: don't agree*

Stranger: yeah, by the grace of god i was born into a country with religious freedom lol

Stranger: for better and worse, at times

You: so for people like myself who perhaps don't believe or are part of another religion

You: will they go to hell when they die

Stranger: alright, this is a very complex question, and there's many christians who will say i'm wrong, but this isn't an alien idea, or novelty, my understanding is similar to orthodox belief. there is no "hell" as in a pit of torture for non-christians and immoral christians. hell is a state of being (or non-being if you prefer). god doesn't send people to hell, they choose it for themselves by rejecting the truth; and truth is christ, whom, like i have said is the pre-existent universal logos. jesus says "i am the way, the truth and the life" and also "those who do not believe are already condemned". people think of hell as a fiery place, but the book of hebrews says "our god is a consuming fire", and the letter of john says "our god is love". so, hell itself is a person experiencing god, that is, his love, but they turned themselves away from it, so they feel it as pain

Stranger: being a non-christian doesn't mean you will "go to hell", no one knows who will. but if you choose evil over good, and lies over truth, just in general, you're not living in accordance with god's will and purpose, and so you're making yourself unlike god

Stranger: i dunno if i'm explaining it well, lol

You: yeah no I understand that

You: my philosophy teacher said a simiar thing about how some christians see "hell"

Stranger: mankind is made as the image and likeness of god, and our purpose is to mirror his glory, as christ said to the pharisees when they said he was claiming to be equal with god "isn't it in your scriptures, that you are all gods, sons of the most high?"

You: I don't fully understand what you mean by that last bit

Stranger: yeah, i definitely don't think you can go up into the sky and find "heaven" or under the earth and see a hell. that is a childish sort of view, in my opinion

Stranger: well, one very old idea in christianity is that our purpose to become "gods", st. athanasius, who lived in the 4th century said that we're like a piece of metal put into a furnace, it takes on all qualities of light and heat, but doesn't become "fire", that is what salvation is like, it's becoming a child of god and a brother of christ, we all share in his inheritance, which is all that the father has

You: okay, okay so what I dont personally like about christianity especially catholic christianity is this dogma of faith in which you can't ever question god or in particular the religion and its scripture.

You: also when you think of the bible, do you believe in things like creationism?

Stranger: catholic's enjoy making dogmata far more than they should. that's one thing i dislike. in orthodoxy they have less dogmatic opinions, but dogma are important to a degree, since they help separate truth from error, and there's been a lot of error spread that is contrary to what the traditions of the apostles say, which would make them against the words of christ

Stranger: no, i'm not a creationist

You: okay interesting

You: so what parts of the bible do you disagree with?

Stranger: i don't disagree with any of it. i just don't take everything in it as being a science or history textbook. thats not it's purpose

Stranger: st. augustine has a FANTASTIC quote on taking the bible literally

Stranger: lemme find it

You: so when the bible says god created the earth and the heavens in 6 days, thats not supposed to be taken literally?

Stranger: Usually, even a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other elements of this world, about the motion and orbit of the stars and even their size and relative positions, about the predictable eclipses of the sun and moon, the cycles of the years and the seasons, about the kinds of animals, shrubs, stones, and so forth, and this knowledge he holds to as being certain from reason and experience.

Now, it is a disgraceful and dangerous thing for an infidel to hear a Christian, presumably giving the meaning of Holy Scripture, talking non-sense on these topics; and we should take all means to prevent such an embarrassing situation, in which people show up vast ignorance in a Christian and laugh it to scorn.

The shame is not so much that an ignorant individual is derided, but that people outside the household of the faith think our sacred writers held such opinions, and, to the great loss of those for whose salvation we toil, the writers of our Scripture are criticized and rejected as unlearned men.

If they find a Christian mistaken in a field which they themselves know well and hear him maintaining his foolish opinions about our books, how are they going to believe those books in matters concerning the resurrection of the dead, the hope of eternal life, and the kingdom of heaven, when they think their pages are full of falsehoods on facts which they themselves have learnt from experience and the light of reason?

Reckless and incompetent expounders of holy Scripture bring untold trouble and sorrow on their wiser brethren when they are caught in one of their mischievous false opinions and are taken to task by those who are not bound by the authority of our sacred books. For then, to defend their utterly foolish and obviously untrue statements, they will try to call upon Holy Scripture for proof and even recite from memory many passages which they think support their position, although “they understand neither what they say nor the things about which they make assertion.”

Stranger: it's not a history book, it's purpose is to show that god is responsible for the world, and give a spiritual meaning behind it

Stranger: this is also from augustine, before the above passage

Stranger: In matters that are obscure and far beyond our vision, even in such as we may find treated in Holy Scripture, different Interpretations are sometimes possible without prejudice to the faith we have received. In such a case, we should not rush in headlong and so firmly take our stand on one side that, if further progress in the search of truth justly undermines this position, we too fall with it. That would be to battle not for the teaching of Holy Scripture but for our own, wishing its teaching to conform to ours, whereas we ought to wish ours to conform to that of Sacred Scripture.

Stranger: i'd like young earth creationists to read that bit lol

You: I might take sometime to read this give me a few minutes ahaha

Stranger: no problem, i bombarded you a bit lol

You: okay yeah I get that

You: so tell me how was the bible written ?

Stranger: by putting pen to paper :p

You: yeah i mean who wrote it

You: and did god tell them what to write or speak to them how did it happen

You: sorry im not familiar ahaha

Stranger: the old testament is a collection of books that were penned down and compiled by scribes in the kingdom of judah, and the new testament is mostly letters, and a couple of books written by early christians and were eventually collected together

Stranger: well the bible is not the quran, christians don't (or at least shouldn't) see it as being the literal words of god to some person who simply records the words

You: okay but how did they know this stuff?

You: did god speak to them

Stranger: the bible has an extremely complex history. some parts of it are sacred histories, some parts are collections of oracles spoken by prophets, and others are books that focus on a story or person. the old testament was born out of the priests of the temple, who served the god of israel

Stranger: and even then, a lot of the bible isn't written by a single person. but countless scribes who worked material together until it reached it's final form. there was never a book that fell out of the sky and told everyone what to do (unless you're a muslim lol)

Stranger: it's also wrong to think of the bible as a single book

Stranger: we tend to think of that since we have it in a book format, but that was only possible until around 1800 years ago

Stranger: before then, they were collections of scrolls used by the temple and synagogues

You: yeah okay thanks that makes more sense

You: but say they have all this knowledge about god and christianity and about the origins of the universe

You: why when you trace back to adam and eve was it only around 6 thousand years ago

You: when the earth supposedly began

You: when ofcourse we know that not to be true

Stranger: the bible itself never mentions how old the earth is, per se. the idea of the earth being 7 thousandish years old is something people have done by counting genealogies and ages. but it's irrelevant, since the purpose of adam and eve is to show that humans are the image of god. but we've become separated from him through sin. it doesn't matter how it happened in a literal, physical sense, because in a way, we're all adam, because in our daily lives we choose to do bad, rather than good

Stranger: some church fathers even said that if adam never sinned, christ would've still been born into the flesh

Stranger: so the literal sense of what happened isn't very important, because it's message is a spiritual one. not a biological one

Stranger: and thats hard for us, since we value "objectivity"

Stranger: when there's multiple meanings behind something, for many, it lessens it's truthfulnes

You: do you not find it strange that previously though only a few hundred years ago they believed that to be true and with new scientifical knowledge christians change there mind and say its not meant to be taken literally or it was only a message

You: when previously that was the religion and all it stood for

You: not all it stood for sorry

Stranger: many people believed it to be true, but most people aren't very learned. even in the medieval era most educated christians knew the earth was spherical, when the church objected to marco polo's journey to india, it wasn't because they thought he'd fall off the end of the world, it's because they thought he was a fool and would get himself killed

Stranger: if christ is the logos, and christians believe he is, nothing discovered by science, by it's definition can conflict with it, since all reason is ultimately from the logos

Stranger: we only have to adjust our opinions on certain things

You: sorry what is the logos?

Stranger: the scriptures never say that you have to believe that the flood literally covered the earth, etc

Stranger: the logos is a greek word for the fundamental principle that undergirds everything in existence. nothing is apart from it. it's usually translated as "word" but it's sense is broader than that

Stranger: it also means "reason, discourse" so on

Stranger: it's also important to not mistake scientific theories for reality. i'm not rejecting science, but science is not a fool proof concept that is unassailable. it's a process for learning about the universe's laws and interactions

You: but so you're saying because christ is the logos, you can't conflict science with christianity

You: because he is the fundamental principle that undergirds everything in existence you can't question it

You: why was nothing written in either the new or old testament about the big bang ?

You: or evolution ?

You: god created man

Stranger: because those are theories we've come up with in the past 200 years. the man who came up with the big bang theory was a catholic priest. the bible was written in a time before we had our modern idea of "science", which isn't to say they were stupid, but it wasn't the purpose of their writing

Stranger: the purpose is sacral

Stranger: to illustrate a spiritual reality, which, by it's nature is immaterial, something science cannot speak of, since for something to be scientific it must be subject to testability

You: but surely god didn't create man

You: because man evolved

You: we certainly know this to be true

You: there is too much evidence to support it

Stranger: again, this sort of idea doesn't sit well with the modern mind, since we want clear-cut facts and logic

Stranger: of course, but everything was created through the will of god

You: it's almost like your moulding your reasoning around it all though

You: okay another question why were we around for almost 40,000 years and only 38,000 years later did god decide to speak to us then

You: I think that we are simply intelligent beings with a want for something more than ourselves

Stranger: well, anatomically modern humans have been around for about 150,000 years or so. and god is always speaking to us, even neanderthals buried their dead and had some seemed to be a religious spirit. when you look at humans religion is hardwired into us, when you look at cave paintings, they are not simple representations, but they're an attempt for humans to transcend every day experience

You: okay so why is christianity the only right religion then

You: if you believe its hard wired in to us why is it not just a need for something bigger than ourselves

You: why aren't we just scared to die and there be nothing else afterwards

Stranger: it's not the "only right" it's the fullness of truth, since the church has borne witness to god becoming man, and making man into god

Stranger: well, saying there is nothing is just as much as an assertion as saying there's something. we cannot know scientifically speaking. how does one test that? lol

You: no I think maybe there is something higher than me

Stranger: not to mention the importance the dead have had for humans throughout all of history. it's not merely a vain hope, always. people didn't have any trouble thinking about the dead returning to interact with the living in various ways

You: but I don't think its christianity or any other religion for that matter

Stranger: and thats okay, i don't think any one should force themselves to believe something if it conflicts with their reason or conscience

You: yeah I know sorry im not trying to force my beliefs on you

You: or anything

You: just very curious about it all

Stranger: no worries, i know you're not, i'm not either

You: like stuff about homosexuals for example

You: do you agree with that or ?

Stranger: agree with them how

You: as in its a sin to be homosexual

Stranger: i don't think it's a sin to be homosexual, but i do believe that homosexuality is a misuse of our bodies and isn't a part of the natural order god intends. so having sex with a member of your own sex is a "sin" a missing of the mark, that mark being proper order and goodness

You: okay so essentially it is a sin, and I get that because yeah it would make sense especially if it says it in the bible, I mean I don't agree with it but yeah

Stranger: the act is a sin, but the inclination to it itself isn't one. everyone has a temptation towards misusing the things god provides us, whether it's sex, emotions, strength, etc. there's always a way to turn a good into a bad, or disordered thing

You: I think that in modern times we have moved on for secular reasons, for example we've abolished slavery (something that the bible condoned) , we now give equal rights to woman and the vote etc and I think thats nothing to do with scripture that's actually come about in spite of the bible and then people go back to the bible and say oh we'll leave out that bit, and cherry pick parts that suit their own moral code

Stranger: the bible never condones slavery. slavery was a fact of life for most of human history. and the people who championed anti-slavery were christians almost always

Stranger: slavery was essential for most ancient economies in various ways

Stranger: something like 20% of the roman empire were slaves in the imperial era

You: doesn't make it wrong though

You: doesn't make it okay though sorry ahaha

Stranger: LOL

Stranger: you wanna know one of my favorite odd laws from deuteronomy is

You: sure

Stranger: if two men are fighting and the wife of one of the women grabs one of the men's testicles to stop them from fighting, her hand has to be chopped off

Stranger: i always wondered when that situation would arise lol

You: yeah I have heard that one ahaha

You: I mean is that technically a rule by god

You: is that what its saying

Stranger: it's part of the law handed to moses

Stranger: according to deuteronomy

You: do you never just look at it all though and just think about how outdated it all is and thats all there is to the christian faith

You: is a 2700 year old book

Stranger: not really. i think modernism is self-destructive

You: that has a lot of errors and contradictions in it

Stranger: like what?

You: I mean I don't know exactly what ones but there are lots all you have to do is look them up

Stranger: and most of them are irrelevant to the truth of christ

Stranger: such as how many animals god ordered moses to put on the ark

You: for a holy book to have contradictions and errors in, surely thats not ideal though

You: I don't know

Stranger: as i have said, the bible isn't a history or physics text book. and it was compiled from various sacred writings by priests and scribes. it's not the particulars that effect it, because it's purpose is to be a witness and testament to the person of christ, and even then, most apparent contradictions have simple explanations. like the two different genealogies of jesus given in matthew and luke

You: I understand that its man made and therefore it does have errors and contradiction and even plagiarism if I'm correct

Stranger: plagiarism is a modern idea lol

You: and therefore I just think there is nothing divine about it and the apeal to saying I can trump anything you say because heres gods word on the page is a contemptible way of arguing

You: what do you mean its a modern Idea

You: copying something

Stranger: no one in the ancient world had the same concept of plagiarism as we understand it. the author as a creator of a mental world or ideas was a non-existent, all that mattered was the authority of the knowledge they used

You: earlier you said you were interested in catholicism

You: why is that

Stranger: i'm a big fan of tradition, and my father's family was catholic, i even got a nice collection of saints in my family tree lol. but i can't stand how catholicism is trying to modernize itself and francis makes me wanna puke

You: what sort of traditions?

Stranger: just tradition in general, the fact that catholicism doesn't ignore christianity after the last books of the NT were written, like some protestants do

You: what do you mean by that

You: they don't ignore the history of christianity ?

Stranger: well, a lot of protestants, due to the reformation, reject most writings from the early church that aren't considered canon proper, so if anything isn't explicitly in the bible, it must be a pagan innovation that sneaked into the church. for instance, ignatius of antioch who was a student of the apostle john uses the phrase "catholic church" and teaches about the hierarchy

You: ah okay

Stranger: but, i'm not as big of a fan of catholicism compared to orthodoxy, since catholicism has had some "developments" that aren't necessarily rooted in early christianity, but at the same time, there's decent arguments for certain catholic dogma that the orthodox don't share

Stranger: you have to remember that they were the same church, officially until 1054

You: have you seen the debate on is the catholic church a force for good in the world ?

Stranger: hmm, i don't think i have

You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZRcYaAYWg4

You: give it a watch sometimes

You: its very long

You: anywho It was lovely speaking to you

You: my brain is so dead now, im so tired ahaha, had so many other points to make and ive forgotten them all

You: but oh well

Stranger: no worries, i feel that way all the time :p

Stranger: it was a great convo

You: yeah was very interesting

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