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#and upon this rock i will build my church
yeslordmyking · 2 years
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Churches God acknowledges as His church
Church of Christ
End of list
Matthew 16:18
[18]And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The church of Christ teaches the one true gospel, unrevised and biblically founded. There's only one faith, one gospel, one baptism, and one truth. If you attend any other church than church of Christ, I encourage you to switch to one. Those looking to join christianity, I also encourage to become a member of the church of Christ.
I hope God guides you down the one true path that leads to salvation. Have a good rest of your Sunday.
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buryustogether · 8 months
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in the lap of the gods
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aziraphale x f!reader x crowley
summary: it’s 1941, and aziraphale is about to perform on the west end stage. he needs an assistant, of course, but you can’t stand the outfit you’re required to wear. your angel and your demon show you just how much they love it.
word count: 3k
warnings/tags: smut and fluff, reader wears a slutty outfit, threesome, thigh riding, semi-public sex, body worship, crowley’s a horny bitch, war violence, bombs, mentions of alcohol, mentions of guns
“I really don’t see why this get-up has got to be so… revealing,” you said. “I look like a harlot.”
“Well,” came a voice from behind the thin paper of the changing screen, “I suppose it’s to entice the strapping young soldiers out there. They do seem to enjoy a bit of… should I say… adultery?”
There came a second voice from further in the room, coiled and slick like a serpent. “Or,” he drawled, “it’s for easy access.”
“Crowley,” chided the first voice, disdain dripping from his tongue.
You gave a silent huff as you adjusted the skimpy little outfit the manager of the West End theater had given you, tugging at the thin material that barely covered your breasts and the thin strap that snaked between your legs. It was a glittery, near-elastic piece of pazazz that was sure to earn you more than a few glances and whistles this evening… something you promised you wouldn’t let get to you. If not for your reputation, for the pair of men on the other side of the changing screen that encased you like a butterfly trapped in a jar.
If you inhaled deep enough, you were still able to smell the smoke that clung to Aziraphale and Crowley’s suits, permeating the air and poisoning their natural musks that you so loved to inhale. You had spent the better part of the evening, as you followed them through London streets and around a magic shop, picking pieces of rubble and dusting traces of the explosion from their backs and shoulders. The bomb had shaken you to your core despite being miles away when it had happened, tucked away safely in the passenger seat of the Bentley.
“Crowley,” you had said as your demon had parked his car between the shadows of two tall, sturdy buildings that still stood against the smoke and destruction of the bombs. “What are we doing here? There’s still planes overhead.”
“Just sit tight for a minute, love,” he’d replied before climbing from the Bentley. “It seems our angel’s got himself in a heap of mess.”
The explosion had rocked the ancient church in the distance like a match igniting a stick of dynamite; fast, and hot, and loud. You waited so long you considered getting out and running to search the site for your lovers before they had come strolling around the corner through the dark, dusting themselves off and murmuring quietly beneath their breaths.
“Aziraphale,” you had said when you climbed from the car to greet them. “What on earth have you done?”
“Good evening to you, as well, my darling,” he had said, then lifted your hand and placed a loving kiss upon your knuckles. “Just got myself a bit caught up. Nothing to worry your head over.”
Crowley had harrumphed slightly as he dropped himself into the driver’s seat once more. “Get in, you two. I’ve got an appointment to keep.”
An appointment had led to forty broken bottles of whiskey. Forty broken bottles of whiskey had led to Aziraphale becoming a magician, and that had led to buying a very real rifle with very real bullets. And the rifle, and the bullets, and the broken bottles of whiskey, and everything else had led to you finding yourself here behind this changing screen, examining the costume of a magician’s assistant who, really, was only there to look pretty and smile when the light panned over her.
Crowley had told you it would be a bit of fun, was all. Aziraphale had assured you no real harm would be done.
Had you not loved them both more than you needed air to breathe, you might have considered saying no, begging your angel to not get up on that stage, dropping to your knees and begging your demon to miracle up a few more bottles of liquor to make up for the whole thing.
But, oh… you loved them far too much.
“Are you about settled, my darling?” came Aziraphale’s voice from deeper in the cramped little dressing room. “It’s ten ‘til, and I would rather not further anger the madame of the theater any more than necessary.”
“She’s a loony old bat,” came Crowley’s quip. “A few minutes won’t hurt her.”
You took one last look down at yourself - at the feathered headband in your grip; the exposed tops of your legs and the plump ‘V’ of your upper thighs that led to their apex just covered by the elastic; the heels that glittered in the dim light; the curves of your breasts, just barely held in place by the haltered neckline of the costume. You looked ridiculous.
With a long, deep breath you felt in your sternum, you placed a hand on the edge of the changing screen. “Don’t you boys poke your fun at me,” you warned them. “I know how I look, I don’t need you both reminding me.”
You pulled back the screen and stepped out, avoiding their eyes as you fiddled with the headband. You expected Crowley to bark out bouts of laughter, for Aziraphale to politely cover his mouth and look away to hide the rosiness of his cheeks as he held back a few giggles. But there came none of that. Instead, you were only met with silence. Hesitantly, you glanced up to meet their gazes.
Crowley and Aziraphale, for once in their eternal lives, looked rather lost for words. You didn’t take too many moments to soak in the way the demon tilted down his shades so he could peer those yellow eyes over the rims, nor how the angel’s back had gone stiff and he clutched his magician’s hat to his chest so tightly his knuckles paled. Instead of entertaining their amusement, you scoffed and clicked over to the vanity illuminated with golden bulbs; funny. Almost all the Watson bulbs had been grinded down for the war efforts. You supposed the West End had a bit of advantage in their supply when it came to things like glass and elastic.
“Yes, yes, gape all you want,” you snipped as you leaned forward to examine your reflection in the mirror; Christ almighty, you looked like a common slut. “Neither of you know how humiliating this is.”
At once, your angel jumped into action. “No, dearest,” he said as he came to stand beside you at the vanity, gently discarding his hat on the countertop. “We’re not poking fun at you, not in the slightest. We’re… well, you simply look…”
You eyed him from the corner of your vision.
“Incredibly doable,” came Crowley’s pitch from where he’d spread himself across the old couch tucked against the wall.
Aziraphale sent him a rather stern glance as you felt your chest drop slightly into your belly. You fixed your reflection with another stare. You looked like a prostitute, all your private planes and surfaces on display for everyone who even glanced in your direction. There was hardly a chance they enjoyed seeing their girl pimped up like this; was there?
“What he’s attempting to say,” said your angel as he reached out a soft, well-manicured hand and rested it respectfully on the middle of your back, “is, well… you do look rather ravishing, is all.”
“Oh, stop it, the both of you. You’re being mean.” Shouldering off his touch, you reached for a bit of the lipstick resting against the vanity and tried to stop your hands from trembling as you pulled off the cap and screwed it up. In all honesty, it still flustered you a bit when they showered you in affection; which they did often. How was it possible that an angel and a demon, in love themselves, who had seen the beginning of the earth and all the beautiful men and women in it, had fallen for you, a mortal, a little bit of soul within this planet full of it?
It didn’t quite make sense to you, but in the moments like these, when you felt yourself growing weak against their words, you cast the thought aside and let sense run rampant.
“After all this time, and you still don’t believe us when we say something nice?” clicked Crowley, reaching up to take the brim of his hat and rest it on the arm of the couch. He tilted his head at you in the reflection of the mirror, his gaze just out of sight behind his shades. “Come here.”
You looked to Aziraphale before blinking a few times, smearing your third layer of lipstick across your mouth. “The show will start soon,” you heard yourself say hesitantly. “I have to go out and announce him to the audience before…”
“Come here.”
Your demon’s sudden drop in tone sent a pang of both anxiety and arousal racing through you like fire dancing along your veins. You set down the tube of lipstick, hearing it clatter slightly from the shaking of your hand, and twisted around on your ridiculous heels to face him. He sat there on the couch, legs spread like he owned the world and arms stretched across the back of the seats like he was waiting for his two favorite people to arrive at his sides. He waited chin held high, finger tapping impatiently on the back. Aziraphale said nothing as you trailed from his side and approached the demon; when he spoke like this, it affected the both of you in the same way.
Crowley adjusted his legs when you came to him, allowing you to tentatively straddle his thighs until your hips were flush against his. A look back in the mirror told you your ass was hanging out of your skimpy little get-up, the leotard-like shape doing nothing to protect your modesty. Aziraphale seemed to be enjoying it quite nicely. You felt long, slender fingers touch your chin and guide your vision back to your demon. With his other hand, he reached up and pulled off his shades so that he could meet your gaze, yellow, slitted eyes boring into yours.
“You really ought to start taking our word for things, love,” Crowley said, and you shivered when his voice retained its deep baritone that only saw the light when there were two things at hand; imminent danger, and the promise of depravity. “‘Cause when we say you look good…” He leaned forward until his thin lips were level with the shell of your ear, his breath fanning across your skin. “We bloody well mean it.”
His hips shallowly bucked up into yours then and the rough material of his trousers rubbed at your clit perfectly through the thin elastic of your costume. You were unable to keep a soft, breathy murmur from escaping your lips at the sudden jolt of feeling, your hands flying up to balance yourself on his broad shoulders.
Behind you, you heard Aziraphale take in a small breath at the sight. He nervously shuffled his weight on his feet, glancing to the door that led to the stage. “Crowley,” he said in what should have been a warning, but it was far too soft to be taken seriously. “Now is… now is certainly not a good time for this.”
Crowley pulled another sound from you, this time a moan, when he held your hips in place and bucked again. “Well, it’s like I said,” he replied, tilting his head so he could look up at you as your hair fell into your face and your eyes began to roll back. “A few minutes won’t hurt them.” The corners of his mouth twitched upwards. “Besides, our girl’s nervous. Come and lend a hand, calm her a bit. You know how she likes it.”
You felt your face flush with heat from embarrassment, but you were slowly losing your will to care as Crowley leaned down to attach his lips to the base of your throat. His forked tongue laved across your skin like he was trying to memorize your taste, teeth nipping and fingers tightening around your waist. You were hardly able to notice when a second weight dipped the couch beside him, and your demon patted your thigh to get you to move. You knew just what to do; you always did. Feeling yourself beginning to grow slick between your legs, most assuredly ruining the gusset of this ridiculous outfit, you swung your legs over to kneel across both Crowley and Aziraphale’s thighs, which were pressed together where they sat so close not an inch of light could have separated them.
Aziraphale’s warm hand reached out to gently cup your chin, his thumb brushing lovingly across your jaw. “Forgive our earlier stutter, my darling,” he said, then leaned forward to press his plump lips to the point where your clavicle dipped. “I assume by now you know the effect you have on us.” He kissed you again, this time upon your bare shoulder. “Especially when you present yourself in such an outfit.”
Just a sigh escaped your lips, Crowley’s finger ran along your side, pulling a short yip from your throat that he quickly swallowed by fitting his mouth over yours. From there, they moved like they shared one mind, like they knew you inside and out because, really, they did.
The couch creaked quietly as Crowley dragged your barely-clothed cunt over their thighs, earning them a drawn-out moan like a symphony to their ears, and Aziraphale’s grip came up to hold the back of your neck steady as he pressed kiss after kiss to anywhere he could reach; your throat; your chest; your shoulder; your arm. They moved you about like their own little doll, so familiar and fine tuned with your reactions they knew they would happen before they did. Sparks erupted like flint on stone within the pit of your belly when, eventually, Crowley pulled you forward at a slightly new angle and your clit caught wonderfully upon a hitch in Aziraphale’s trousers. You tilted your head back and released a long moan, barely able to keep yourself up when you were suddenly worked to hit that spot over and over again.
“Ah…!” you mewled as Aziraphale nipped ever so softly at the exposed skin of your shoulder. Your arms trembled as you struggled to keep your hold on their shoulders. “Oh, right there, boys, right there. Keep going, please don’t stop…!”
Crowley’s lips tilted up into a crooked smirk, slitted eyes drinking you in like a forbidden liquor he’d been dying for since he first heard of it. “I hardly think you need to go out there at all, angel,” he said to Aziraphale beside him. “We’ve got our own show right here.”
You worked your hips along with Crowley’s push and pull, offering more and more of your skin to your angel for him to mark and lavish, feeling yourself approach that cliff they so loved to drag you off again and again. You never feared the fall; you knew they would always be waiting to catch you before you hit the bottom.
Small, whimpered noises escaped your throat as you chased your released upon their thighs, your clit rubbing and catching perfectly against their trousers like this was exactly what they were made for. Lips were showering your skin with love and affection. Hands were anchored securely to your waist. You were held so intensely, so beautifully, that it only took a few words from the tip of Crowley’s tongue to send you reeling toward your end.
“Come on and sin for us, love.”
Your orgasm came hard and fast, racking your body with trembles and twitches you couldn’t control, with bursts of color in your vision like fireworks, like guns firing off beside your ears with smoke that would blind you for days. You felt your release stain the fabric of their pants, and it was the last thing you really minded before all but collapsing against the pair. Hands, arms, mouths caught you securely, rubbing along your back, holding you tight, gently kissing along your face. You felt them pull away for just a moment to meet each other for a deep, passionate kiss before returning to smothering you with adoration.
It was an idyllic few seconds, the quiet that came after an explosion of a moment such as that, before there came a sharp, rattling knock against the dressing room door. “Pick up the pace, Mister Fell,” came the voice of the madame of the theater. “We’ve got an audience waiting, and the war’s not getting any better these days!”
You groaned softly, nestling your face into Aziraphale’s neck as he stroked your hair and called in return, “Ah, yes, of course. We’ll be right out!”
You wanted nothing more than to not go up on the damned West End stage, to smile and twist in your glittery costume and tease the soldiers in the audience like you hadn’t just gotten your world rocked within an inch of your life. And yet… everything came to an end. You whimpered again when your angel gently shifted you off of him, placing you temporarily in Crowley’s hold, before getting to his feet and gently snapping his fingers. You felt the dampness across your demon’s thigh fade into nothingness, along with the slick between your legs. Your hair righted itself to its former do, and the smudged lipstick across your mouth was once more perfected. When you lifted your head, however, you noticed Crowley had elected to keep the messy imprint of your lips across the corner of his mouth.
He noticed you looking and gave you a sly, crooked grin. “I like to wear my trophies,” he said before pulling your head close and pressing a kiss to your forehead. “Come along now, gorgeous. Don’t want to keep the fans waiting.”
Shakily, you got to your feet, struggling momentarily to stand on your heels. While your heart slowed its racing pulse and the heat gently ebbed from your cheeks, Aziraphale lifted your feathered headband from before and tucked it securely over your hair.
“There’s our darling,” he murmured, smiled softly down at you, then tilted up your chin to press a light, though nonetheless loving kiss upon your swollen lips. “Are you ready?”
You took a breath, straightened yourself out, and nodded your head. “I am now, I think,” you replied.
“Perfect,” said your angel. “Because I’ve got a bullet to catch.”
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tomicscomics · 8 months
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08/25/2023
Jesus doesn't take His followers for granite.
JOKE-OGRAPHY: 1. In the full Bible story, Jesus asks His disciples a tough question: "Who am I?"  Simon answers by wholeheartedly declaring that Jesus is the Messiah.  Jesus tells Simon that this perfect answer was a truth revealed to him by God's grace, not by mankind.  Then He renames Simon, saying, "You are Peter (which means "rock"), and upon this rock, I will build My church.  I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.  What you bind and loose on earth shall be bound and loosed in heaven."  Later, in Matthew 18, all the disciples are given the "binding and loosing" power, but the imagery of the keys remains unique to Peter. 2. In this cartoon, Simon-Peter gives his epic answer and Jesus says, "Simon... you rock."  Based on the grammar, this could either mean, "Simon, you are a rock," or, "Simon, you are awesome," (because "you rock" is slang for "you're awesome").  Simon takes it as the latter and is quite elated by Jesus's praise, as anyone ought to be.
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inkybinkyboink · 8 months
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ppl who are like "it's just my first project" or "it's messy but.." NO
SHUT-
its BEAUTIFUL. and i LOVE it
upon this rock you will build your church and I will come to EVERY service.
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devilmen-collector · 2 months
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Solomon/MC - the Pope of Hell
C/W: religious theme, spoilers of the main story up to chapter 5 of the main story.
Note: calling Solomon "Pope of Hell" doesn't mean his dynamic and relationship with the devils are exactly the same with the relationship between the Pope and other Catholics. The same applies in the case of MC, who is Solomon's successor.
To begin, after reading the main story, I started to notice some interesting similarities between the Pope and Solomon, enough to make me write this post from the sentiment of my religious heart.
I. The Keys
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Christ Giving the Keys to Saint Peter, fresco, Pietro Perugino, 1481-82.
Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. Matthew 16:18-19 DRB
So we have Christ giving Peter the keys to the kingdom of Heaven. From this very Scripture verses comes the well-known symbol of the Papacy, two crossed keys, one gold and another silver, under the triple tiara. The silver key symbolizes the power "to bind and loose" on earth, while the golden key symbolizes the power "to bind and loose" on Heaven.
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Now returning to the lore we are given in the game. It's mentioned that Solomon had 2 "Keys". One Lesser Key he left in Hell, and one Greater Key crafted by God.
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Chapter 4, Stage 29 - the Holy Grail of God that Betrayed God
So I began to make a connection between the two images. The Lesser Key with St. Peter's silver key, which symbolizes papal power and authority on earth, which is lesser than Heaven; and the Greater Key with the golden key, which symbolizes papal power and authority on Heaven, which is the greater of the two.
Yes, the devils did mention a "third Key". However, they were only making a hypothesis on Solomon's disappearance. And given the likely reality that Solomon is physical deceased after his disappearance, the third Key probably doesn't exist and there are only two Keys. The fact that there are two key currencies in-game solidifies this theory, at least for now.
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Story 4-29
II. The Power to Crown the Emperor
In the game, we know that at the end, MC has to choose one devil among the Seven Deadly Sins and 72 nobles and makes him the "Emperor of Hell", "the king of kings", "the Final Temptation" who will rule all of Hell.
"With your own hands" make me thing MC has to literally put a crown on the head of the devil whom they chose. But that's just my personal theory.
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Chapter 1, Story 45 - the Contract is Broken
Now return to history, in the Medieval Age, kings were crowned by a bishop/archbishop of a prominent see in his country on their Coronation Day. However, there's one monarch who has to be crowned by the Pope. That's the Holy Roman Emperor.
Before being crowned by the Pope, the Emperor could not style himself as "Emperor", but only a "king", the exact title being "King of the Romans". Only after the Pope put the imperial crown on their head did the Emperor call himself "Holy Roman Emperor". This remained the case until 1508 when Pope Julius II permitted Maximilian I to use the title "Emperor Elect" with coronation by the hands of the Pope. Before that, like his predecessors before coronation, Maximilian I was only styled "King of the Romans". Even Napoleon knew that and had to get the Pope to officiate his coronation as the Emperor of the French, even though he raised the crown on his head himself.
The difference lies in the fact that unlike the Emperor of Hell, who will rule all the 7 nations of Hell, the Holy Roman Emperor in real life didn't have the power to rule other independent kingdoms in Europe, like France or England. However, being the Emperor, he was the most prominent Catholic monarch across Europe. Still, I believe I have proved the similarity here: Pope crowned an Emperor, MC will also crown one.
III. Tongue
The third similarity I see lies in the traditional way of how Catholics received Holy Communion (or the Eucharist), which is receiving on the tongue. And to do that in a correct way, Catholics need to kneel down and stick the tongue out a little bit.
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Maybe it's just me but when I saw the CGs where MC break the contracts with the devils. I immediately thought of this image because I saw some similarities.
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To have their contracts broken, the devils also kneel down and stick their tongues out. And if they stick their tongues out to break the contracts, could it be possible that when they first made contracts with Solomon, they also knelt down and stuck their tongues out to receive the pattern, just similar to how Catholics receive the Eucharist in the traditional way?
IV. Relationships with two powerful sides
In the fourth century, the Roman Empire converted to Christianity and gradually abandoning paganism. The Byzantine Empire was the successor of this great empire. The Byzantine Empire was Christian throughout its history. However, on more than one occasions, this empire showed disrespect and even violence to the Pope, the Head of the Christian Church, whom they were supposed to protect and honor. One Pope, St. Silverius was even murdered by the Byzantine conspiracy. Slowly, the Pope knew he couldn't trust or rely on the Byzantine anymore, so he sought help from the Frankish, whose king was Charlemagne, and Charlemagne's successor was the Holy Roman Emperor.
In a similar way, we have the powerful angels hating Solomon for gaining God's favor. They even tried to kill all of his descendants, including MC. As God's messengers and servants, they should have been the ones to protect Solomon and his descendants, but they did the contrary. Now to survive, MC has to rely on the other powerful faction, the devils.
So,
Solomon and MC mirror St. Peter/the Pope/Papacy
Angels mirrors the unfaithful Byzantine Empire
Devils mirror the Frankish/Holy Roman Empire and other Western European kingdoms, by allusion
Another point is that just like the historical relationship between the Pope with the Holy Roman Empire and other Western kingdoms, the relationship between MC and the devils is not always smooth and well. Mammon once thought he was MC's owner at first, just like how kings and Emperors of the West thought they could keep the Papacy under their control, or Leviathan and his Hades nobles kidnapping and trying to kill MC, just like how the Pope was a prisoner and had his life endangered by a particular Western kingdom for a long time and on more than one occasions.
Well, that's all to my ramble (possibly being delulu like Sitri) but thank you for reading it all to the end :3
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creekfiend · 9 months
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I am feeling much less emotionally volatile now and mostly keep thinking about how funny it is to be like "this stranger made a post about being sad that toads in their yard were killed by a mower. upon this rock I shall build my anti-lawn church" and it's someone who has like ten square feet of weeds that they can't let get too long or it will block their wheelchair ramp.
embarrassing
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8o8o8o8o8 · 2 months
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I can make the Gabriel&Sisyphus even weirder.
AU where Minos died but the insurrectionists won. Gabriel's a prisoner. CW for mention of torture, mild description of serious injuries
It has a good ending, I promise
"Dying already, angel?"
The angel (he refuses to let the fucker's name be included in his story) doesn't get up. The air smells of vomit. Maybe he should stop aiming for the gut.
It isn't as if this will bring Minos back—
"I can't, Hell won't let me. Which is– probably good news to you." He wheezes out between breates. His ribs have not healed, it seems. "But it doesn't matter. I'm not– here for long. Hell needs its Judge."
The nonchalance he shows towards his own fate is impressive, if irritating. Sisyphus picks up one of the angels old swords. It might have been called Justice once. What a joke. "How unfortunate. I'll have to make full use of the time I got, then. Get over here."
The angel only twitches his shoulders slightly with a scoff. "In a few hours, maybe. You broke my damn back."
The sound he makes colliding against the far wall doesn't give Sisyphus as much satisfaction as usual.
///
One day, he got news. According to guards at the scene, the angel simply walked out of his unlocked cell and took off.
He sees him sometimes, streaking across the sky of Heaven as he directs the ferries to their ports.
///
He finds the angel in one of the old churches on the Moon, hours after dark. He sits at the organ, silent. The neons outside (purples and blues) dances across his armor. For the first time, Sisyphus thinks he looks angelic.
He waits. Eventually, the angel speaks up.
"There is no unmaking our history, but there is one thing I can do." Gabriel says. "We're going to Gluttony."
///
Minos, his dear Minos, upon seeing Gabriel, send an entire building falling on top of the angel. By the time he convinced Minos to leave, Gabriel is still lying in the rubble.
"...I didn't expect you to stop him." Gabriel says from the small crater he's in. He sounds...small.
"Punishment is not justice. Have you not been paying attention for the last—" The realization hit him like a rock. Boulder. Damn it all. "You planned to die by his hands."
Gabriel does not say anything.
"No. Absolutely not. What you're going to do is get up here and figure out how keep on living with what you've done." He's forgotten how utterly infuriating Gabriel can be. Goddamn angels and their broken dogma.
"I uh...can't. Get up." Gabriel coughs awkwardly. "He broke my back."
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thewordfortheday · 1 year
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I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” (Psalm 122 : 1)
Some Christians don't want to go anymore and talk about all the things that are wrong with the Church.
Jesus said, "Upon this rock I will build my church and all the powers of hell will not conquer it" (Matthew 16:18).
Some might say, "But there are hypocrites in the church!" Yes, there are, and there were hypocrites in the first-century church too. They had rivalries, heresies, and immorality. There was even a hypocrite among Jesus' disciples (Judas Iscariot), so this is not unique to our times. Don't let that keep you away.
Jesus was committed to the Church, to the point of laying down His life for the Church, and we should be too! The Church is His body, therefore we should never despise it instead be proud to be a Christian and a member of the body of Christ, the Church.
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jeremiah-33-3 · 6 days
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Binding and loosing
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
See Matthew 18:15-18
Jesus demonstrates below
Luke 13:11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.13:12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.13:13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
Also Jesus gives us Authority over Demons.
Mark 6:7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
Luke 9:1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.9:2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
Luke 10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Mark 3:14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,3:15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.6:3 And this will we do, if God permit.
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Saturday Afternoon Session
Conducting Gary E Stevenson
All Glory, Laud, and Honor
David A. Bednar
Be Still and Know that I Am God
Inner Spiritual Stillness of the Soul
Be Still = focusing on the Savior
Truth faith is focused in and on our Lord Jesus Christ
Spiritual stillness = the opposite of inner turmoil
A proper foundation ensures that the structure will remain sturdy and stable over time – requiring an attachment to bedrock.
We build the foundation – the Savior is the rock upon which we build
Faith is built upon the Savior
Sacred time and holy places are the same – focus your time and attention on God and His heavenly Plan
Sometimes being still means on the inside not the outside
Jesus is not the foundation He is the Rock upon which we build.
We may be perplexed by our trials and circumstances, but we will never be in despair.
The gospel doesn’t keep you from trials, but allows you to deal with them with the help of the Lord
Massimo De Feo
My physical sight is not good – what about my spiritual vision? Do I need any treatment there.
Can you see Christ spiritually, not physically? Or are you like the pharaseees?
We keep a clear spiritual vision when we focus on Jesus Christ and stay true to what we know to be true.
What we know to be true: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Don’t listen to the voices in the world that say that loving everyone isn’t reasonable/necessary/possible.
Declare your testimony in its entirety; don’t let anyone silence you
We keep a clear spiritual vision when we hear the voice of the Lord and allow Him to guide us.
Keeping a clear spiritual vision is about focusing my sight always on Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the answer for everyone
God Loved Us So He Sent His Son
Brent H Nielson
Witnesses of Christ
There has never been a better time to be a member of the church than today
335 operating and announced temples!!!
You should leave the bubble
The truth of God will go forth everywhere
You and I are witnesses
Gathering israel has both missionary work and family history work
We are armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory
Jose L Alonso
Where do you find peace?
If we put the Savior at the center of our lives, we can find peace
Feeding 5000 men – plus women and children (Matt 14:21). Jesus gave thanks to his father, he was grateful rather than complaining that was all they had. 
Solutions to our trials often don’t come from ourselves – but in God
“Imagine how much love he has for us if Christ was looking for peace and solitude, and he welcomed everyone to heal and help them”
When we encounter challenges, turn beyond them to Christ, and trust in his help
Even when looking for peace and solitude, Christ focused outside of Himself and welcomed everyone to heal and help them!
Adopting a Christ-centered perspective helps us turn trials into victories
Christ is a Healer, and we are ever-present in His mind and heart
Praise to the Lord the Almighty
Gerritt W Gong
194 years since the restoration of the gospel!
Things will work together for our good
Sometimes we just need to have someone there when we’re upset – and that someone can always be God
Trusting the Lord can include trusting Him with our suffering and anger and misery
When we work together for good, we minister as Jesus Christ would
Spiritual First Responders
Going from neighbors who bring cookies to trusted friends
What happened there and then can bless us here and now
Michael T. Nelson
We can be trustworthy, beloved leaders of youth like Helaman and the stripling warriors: build relationships with them, council them, support them
Parents have a primary responsibility for teaching their children
No one serves in the church alone
Heavenly Father wants us to reach out to others, including the youth
Help them learn who they really are through how you feel about them
Follow promptings, even though we’re not perfect, to build relationships of love and trust
No program can replace the influence of loving, covenant keeping adults
How Great the Wisdom and the Love
Quinten L Cook
My focus should be on the Savior and on the Saviors Atonement
We are all children of a loving Heavenly Father
The Savior is the Keeper of the Gate
And He is the one who also pleads in our behalf
Being one with Christ = loving and building community
Requirements for baptism are uniquely simple – repenting before God
D&C 25 basic doctrine of the restored Church
All are invited to partake of the Lords Goodness and all are alike unto God
None are forbidden
All accountable persons are required to atone for their sins
All have a choice – all have agency
Essential to the plan of salvation
All are able to use their agency and ACT
Exercise our moral agency to choose Christ and keep His commandments
2 Nephi 26:33
Both poor and rich have the same spiritual requirements
Many things occur of which we have little to no control
There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.” - Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Without agency we could not learn, progress, or choose immortal life
We Will Sing of Zion
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heathersdesk · 26 days
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Holy Week: The Sacrament
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Where is the exact moment Jesus Christ stopped being a Jew and became the founder of a new and separate religion?
Was it when the Sanhedrin rejected him? When enough other Jews decided he was a heretic, rather than a teacher? Was it the first time he claimed to be the Son of God? When he called his Twelve Apostles, and called Peter the rock upon which he would build his church?
Personally, I think it was the last time he celebrated Passover with his disciples. I'm switching over to Luke 22 for this one.
The celebration of Passover included the eating of unleavened bread and drinking wine. But what Jesus does with them here is where I think the break between Judaism and Christianity begins:
19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
To have a new testament signifies the formation of a new covenant. This is the moment where Jesus uses the authority he has from God to form a new community with a religious identity separate and distinct from Judaism. While Jesus was a Jew, followed Jewish law, observed Jewish customs and holidays, and worshiped the same God as the Jews, he intended to create a church and a community that would break from Jewish traditions. The institution of the Sacrament (our terminology for Holy Communion or the Eucharist in other traditions) was the initiation of this break.
Because Latter-day Saints haven’t celebrated Holy Week historically, and this is something our currently leadership is inviting us to change, it’s been really special to see what other Christians do to make this time special. It has been a great reminder that Easter is the opportunity for all Christians, including us, to celebrate the relationships we've personally developed with Jesus Christ. We have more in common with other Christians than we might think we do, and it’s because we all have this common belief in how much Jesus Christ and his ministry changed the world.
I’m still contemplating what it means for me to celebrate Holy Week. I’ve thought about the choice I made at Easter time many years ago to be baptized. I went to the temple yesterday. I’ve been studying scriptures for these daily meditations, which I’ve enjoyed very much. And tomorrow, my husband and I are going to an orchestral performance of Rob Gardner's Lamb of God. There isn’t really an established program for any of this for our people now, and we’re each contemplating how to do this and make it personally meaningful.
My favorite part of sharing these has been the ways you all have shared how my thoughts are helping you to develop your own Holy Week messages and traditions with your own families. I’ve deeply enjoyed  those messages, and I think this was the wisdom in having us begin participating in these traditions: the way we would help each other and celebrate our faith in Christ together. It truly doesn’t get better than that. And I hope that becomes a key feature of what Latter-day Saints celebrating Holy Week looks like going forward.
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yeslordmyking · 1 month
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1 Corinthians 3:11 — Today's Verse for Monday, March 11, 2024
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owlmann · 2 months
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"And i say also unto thee, That thou art the first apostle, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
This fight was way easier than i thought it would be tbh
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myremnantarmy · 2 months
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You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church;
the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
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And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
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What is a shepherd without a flock? I shall build my church upon this rock. Cult of the Lamb fanart, I've been playing it recently More art also on my dA :)
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