#i have seen more of god in this church than i did in 11 years of my family's home church. insane

[octagledestroyer]

Good Omens Episode 3

I still don’t know why y’all are interested in this, but it’s more popular than anything I’ve ever posted before (including meticulously crafted DND stories and no im not bitter about that who’s bitter I’m not bitter you’re bitter) so I guess I’ll just...keep going?

Oh, and we’re back to the Garden of Eden. What’s he doing with that rock- oh look it’s God

Ah, this is presumably Noah’s Ark. Ok, but the thing is (here I go on a literary rant)- all civilizations who have recorded history have some sort of a flood myth/story! It’s everywhere- I really do think that at some point there was a massive flood that reached...possibly everywhere, I’m not too familiar with Native American mythology, but presumably Asia and Europe. 

“As a promise not to...do it again.” “How kind” Crowley’s sass is l e g e n d a r y

wOW I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT OK I JUST GOT OUT OF HOLY WEEK 

that was...a lot more graphic than I was expecting. I mean, you hear the hymns, everything, I even cried on Holy Thursday and couldn’t keep singing but I’ve never seen...

“What else am I gonna be, an aardvark?” Ok but does this mean Aziraphel was hoping that Crowley could be redeemed

these boys are SO dramatic- how old are they, 12?

burbage was absoLUTELY flirting with Crowley also why does it feel like Aziraphel knows nothing about plays? I mean “I love all the...talking...” it’s called a MONOLOGUE you silly angel

Hah so this is the Arrangement I’ve heard/read so much about. Ohhh Aziraphel’s so worried about Crowley! How did it take him until the literal end of the world to figure out he liked Crowley?

Ah, Paris. I’ve been waiting for this. Dude is so OBVIOUSLY waiting for Crowley-

Oh, Crowley froze time, didn’t he? Zira’s face just lit up like a candle how is he THIS OBLIVIOUS

I mean...do I feel bad for Jean-Claude or not? How did those soldiers not recognize him?

“I like pears” oh stay on topic Zira. Also, did anyone else get flashbacks to the Doctor’s hate of pears when they were talking about this?

...even though I knew this fight was coming and could practically recite it word-for-word it still h u r t

Ah. 1941. That’s a lot of lit candles for a church with two people in it...and those do NOT look secure. Even if that church didn’t blow up it probably would’ve burned to the ground sooner rather than later.

Whoa- triple crossing

They’re making light conversation while someone points a gun at them- never change, boys. never change. 

his fACE HE- gAH THESE BOYS

Also Crowley sounds so cool and suave but I would bet all the money in my purse that he rehearsed what he was going to say beforehand- probably in front of a mirror

wait, shadwell- shadwell- oh im STUPID ITS

im not even going to finish that sentence

Zira’s so scared and my heart is breaking 

we’re halfway through the episode and NOW the title sequence starts. It still doesn’t make any sense but at this point I’m just here for the music- oh and that epic thing they do at the end where the letters unfold to say “Good Omens”

I’m still in love with Dog. He’s the best thing ever and I want to hug him. 

Ok Adam is also completely precious. His book sounds exactly like something an 11-year-old would write. 

Ooooh Shadwell and Crowley still keep in touch- and Shadwell thinks Crowley’s the son of the man he met in... what was it, 1960? It’s been less than 10 minutes and I already can’t remember

I bet Anathema’s ranting about the world is going to shape what happens in Armageddon 

Adam’s been manipulating the weather in Tadfield for years, hasn’t he. White Christmas...

Are you serious both Crowley and Zira have been sponsoring the Witchfinder’s Army? 

Chow™

b o y s  you cannot do this to my h e a r t

Adam got rid of nuclear power in his sleep and replaced it with a sherbet lemon. wow. 

Well, that’s the end of episode 3- you know, I’m really enjoying this, more than I thought I would. I know the plot, yeah, but there’s so much I didn’t know and can still be surprised by. Next post might come out tomorrow or Sunday, or it might not...I’ve got a lot of editing to do. 

#good omens #aziraphel #crowley #good omens show #rambling post #i don't know what im doing

[lawrenceop]

HOMILY for Beato Angelico

Heb 11:1-7; Ps 144; Mark 9:2-13

A few days ago, the Rosary Shrine welcomed its first group of pilgrims of this year: five women and one Dominican friar had come on pilgrimage to England, and they were devotees of Fr Bede Jarrett OP who had served as Provincial for 16 years; revered as a retreat giver, spiritual writer, and tireless in his work of expanding the Dominican mission in this country. Like all good Catholics, Fr Bede had a great aesthetic sense, a love for beauty, which is inherent in human souls, and also in beautiful things made by the ingenuity and hard work of human hands. He once spoke of beauty being found “not as a secret but as a gospel, not as a thing hidden but as a friend revealed.” 

This love for beauty, which must be both spiritual and material in order for it to reflect the splendour of the incarnation of Christ, a splendour glimpsed in its magnificence by the three disciples on Tabor, is ultimately a love for God, for the Son who is the splendour of the Father, the icon of the unseen God. As such, when Dominicans preach the Word, they don’t only focus on what is spoken, nor even just on what is written, but also on what is seen, expressed artistically through the painter’s brush, the sculptor’s chisel, or the photographer’s lens! 

For the Dominican seeks and preaches beauty, “not as a secret but as a gospel”, as good news in a world darkened by sin and destruction, and in moments when we might be tempted to cast our eyes downwards in the face of so much ugliness and brokenness. In such a world, beauty is needed all the more, to give us faith in God and his goodness and beauty and power to save and redeem. Thus Christ revealed his divine beauty to his disciples, transfigured on the heights, to help them look up and give them hope of the Resurrection in advance of the terrible suffering of his Passion and Cross which was to come. Likewise, the Dominican find and makes manifest beauty “not as a thing hidden but as a friend revealed”. For the One who has befriended us, and who has revealed his glory to us, even when we were made ugly by sin, is Christ, who is Beauty himself and the greatest Friend of humanity. Dominican preaching, therefore, calls us to look and see that God is with us, and his grace fills this world with divine light, to dispel the darkness, and to beautify us. 

Bede Jarrett thus wrote to an aspiring Dominican who did not think he was much of a public speaker that “Fra Angelico used his paint brush” to proclaim the Gospel, and “these [paintings] are effective” and perhaps more so than the voice. For spoken sermons fade and become mere memory but, he implies, paintings live on. Clearly the painted sermons of Fra Angelico (or Blessed John of Fiesole, as he is properly called), this blessed Dominican friar who we commemorate today, and who is the patron saint of artists, have an endurance and an interior beauty that powerfully communicates the Gospel to us even today. Indeed, many, who would not read a sermon or spiritual writing, do still flock to the museums and churches that are blessed with Fra Angelico’s works, and there they can see in his frescoes and paintings a world transfigured by divine light, and a beauty that gives hope and draws us forward in life’s journey, calling us to look up towards heaven. 

In part due to the example of Fra Angelico, who himself was inspired by the preaching of St Antoninus, Dominican bishop of Florence in his lifetime, beauty, then, has been firmly established in our Dominican life, especially in our churches and in every aspect of our liturgical life. So, I want to momentarily pay tribute to our Dominican Sisters of the English Congregation of St Catherine of Siena, who are based in Stone (Staffordshire), and who were renowned for their beautiful and painstakingly embroidered vestments and liturgical furnishings. This past week, a significant part of the Sisters’ beautiful heritage was handed down to us to be used in the Rosary Shrine, for the glory of God. My hope is that we can have an exhibition of these works in October this year. Such things are, unfortunately, regarded these days by many people, even Catholics, as unnecessary luxuries that shouldn’t concern serious Christians. After all, we should be feeding the poor! However, the Sisters who educated the poor (and fed them) knew that Catholics also couldn’t neglect beauty and art. For the human person needs to be fed in body and soul; the human heart longs for beauty, longs for God and so looks for his beauty to be revealed as gospel and as friend. 

Hence, the austere observant Dominicans, of which Fra Angelico was a member, also had paintings in their monastic cells at San Marco in Florence for we pray not just with our lips and in our minds, but also with our eyes, and indeed, our whole bodies. The goal, therefore, was that such external beauty would lead to interior beauty, so that as we look on the face of Christ and Our Lady and the Saints, our lives would be transfigured by the gospel of Jesus Christ, made beautiful by his grace as, through beauty, we befriend Jesus and so we are made beautiful. For as St Thomas Aquinas says the divine communication of beauty is beautifying, ie, the revelation of divine beauty and our recognition of it  produces beauty in things; Beauty himself acts to make us truly beautiful. 

May Blessed Fra Angelico pray for artists today, and for create beautiful things in this world. May God use the work of their hands to reveal himself to us. Amen. 

#beauty #fra angelico #Bede Jarrett

[hatepersonals]

New Age -> Christianity

Regard this as an open letter, a personal testimony, and an invitation.

I recognize that when an individual first starts on the spiritual path, they encounter many bad faith actors, that whether for monetary gain, or misguided intentions, lead people astray onto a path of confusion and deceit. Acknowledging the existence of such bad actors, I lay before you my sole purpose and motive in writing this.

I followed new age spirituality, it constantly confused me, lead me astray with false teachings and because I had such a bad experience with Christianity, I refused to go anywhere near it or believe other people when they pointed me towards it. Finally after being lied to, I came to Christ in the most personal manner I could. I read the bible on my own, because I didn't want my family to "right" I came to my own personal decisions, and asked for God to show me a sign so that I know I'm going in the right direction. He showed me a sign and I didn't believe it, so I asked for another, then he showed me another, then I asked for another sign, and eventually after 7 or 8 signs I finally got the memo. I believed in him, read his word so that I could understand him, and I truly believe it saved my soul. I'm writing this to offer that same thing to you.

And because clarity is my main and only objective goal here I'd like to make something as clear as possible, and answer some super common questions in the most upfront manner possible.

"I've seen hundreds of signs, or my tarot reading/mystic stuff has been spookily correct. How am I supposed to believe that stuff wasn't real?" - I don't deny any of the stuff you're saying, witchcraft isn't denied in the Bible, in fact it's existence is mentioned multiple times. However, none of it, no matter how fascinating or interesting, is going to save your soul.

"I grew up in the church, but it never felt right for me and all this stuff feels like it makes a lot more sense/I've had such a bad experience with "Christians" that I have religious trauma, and this stuff makes me feel much more comfortable." - Was the exact same way, but I'd only come to know Christ through other people, or through long boring church services which I'd rather eat dirt than sit through. Waking up early Sunday morning and forced into a pew to listen to a pastor talk about all the bad ways your living your life and calling you a sinner, when you're just 10 years old and want to go back to bed is a shared experience. It's just as awful for me as an adult as it was then. A quote I heard once goes a long the lines of "I'd rather be in the mountains thinking about God, then in the church thinking about the mountains." and while I don't claim to have God's actual input, I'd imagine he feels the same way about worship, he is the God of love. For the second questions, yes for me it felt much more comfortable, it was fun doing tarot readings and I honestly enjoyed them, but when I came to God I still wanted to do them, and I decided to ask his opinion, because, yknow, he did create me and everything. What I came to realize is all of those practices are actively inviting other spirits besides God into your life, call them demons, call them spiritual entities, regardless, he is a jealous God. Not that he gets mad at you for doing it and punishes you, but more so that he's very protective of those he loves. And none of the spirits you let in through these things have any type of good intentions, no matter how fun and inviting it looks. Here's some scripture that might help you understand that this is nothing new;

2 Corinthians 11: "Does this mean that I do not love you? God knows it doesn’t, but I am determined to maintain this boast, so as to cut the ground from under the feet of those who profess to be God’s messengers on the same terms as I am. God’s messengers? They are counterfeits of the real thing, dishonest practitioners, “God’s messengers” only by their own appointment. Nor do their tactics surprise me when I consider how Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is only to be expected that his agents shall have the appearance of ministers of righteousness—but they will get their deserts one day."

We see that our adversary, or Satan, will masquerade as an angel of light, or imitate the divine in an attempt to mislead you. But I promise you, that path only leads to confusion, doubt, and deceit.

With those out of the way, here is where I'm going to give you some of the hard to digest statements. Whether you've been in spirituality for a long time, or are new to it and just curious about stuff, when coming to Christ, there's a few really hard to digest truth's. I say this because I didn't believe the people who told me these things and had to learn myself the hard way.

Crystals, rocks, tarot cards, spells, talking to spirits, necromancy, familiar spirits (burning sage to cleanse aura's/driveaway bad spirits) are all forms of witchcraft/sorcery/idolization, again not because we hate them but its for your spiritual protection. The same way no matter how upset a dog gets, we still don't feed them chocolate because we love them, God is the same way. Those practices open up doors for spirits with very bad intentions. I love rocks, I love crystals, you can certainly have them, but it's when you belief or through having faith in these things that those doors open.

Now, onto manifestation which is a big question. I'll give you my best opinion on it, and relevant scriptures that helped me come to my conclusion.

"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

As you can see, this is certainly no new concept. Modern day manifestation is sort of a cheap knock off version of Christianity. A reoccurring concept you'll start to notice is the devil loves to do knock-off's or imitations of God's good things. But in the same way you "manifest" something and a lot of times it comes with some price tag or you get it, but it ends up hurting you in the long run. Proverbs 10:22 says, “The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it” so while it may not feel as quick or that it takes longer (which it really doesn't most of the time, God's pretty quick, he's been doing this thing for awhile) when you're gifted it, it has no extra attachments. That is, it's only for your good, and is carefully timed so that it arrives at the very best possible time for you.

And God's not some big snatcher of fun or in any way against being spiritual, in fact he's entirely the opposite;

"But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh."

Also, he gives us spiritual gifts;

"word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, distinguishing spirits, various kinds of tongues, and interpretation of tongues."

Besides just this, he's also known for being very generous with wisdom, and that may sound boring but trust me, a little bit of wisdom from God himself, helps you out more than you could possibly think.

Also, one of the best things that he does is gives you easy access to his word. If you have a question, look around in the bible, no matter how obscure or stupid it might sound, I'm willing to bet he's probably got a neat little solution in there for whatever problem.

One of my personal favorites is "2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" so basically, if you're ever scared, worried, confused, anxious, or any of the above about something or someone, we know that God doesn't give us that spirit, so if it's not from God, then it's more than likely from the devil. And, last I checked, we don't really listen to the devil, he got kicked out of heaven, and he's also after your soul, so don't take advice from someone you wouldn't take criticism from.

Also, just as interesting, is this

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you”

God's no stranger to questions, nor to doubt. If you're ever not sure about something, or have a question feel free to pray and ask. Also, when you're doubting anything, even if it feels silly, just ask him. The devil want's you to feel bad for doubting God's existence or God's goodness, but God won't get upset or mad at you for being not sure. That's when you get closer to him, if you start getting upset or feel like he's not there, or listening, that's some of the best times to let him know how you feel. While he does know all your thoughts, he wants to hear them from you, and how you think about it. Always remember, that God understands whatever situation you're in much better than you even do, no matter how silly or confusing it is, just pray and ask for clarity or a little bit of help. Often times he'll shine a light on something you forgot about, or overlooked, and put a good thought in your head to point you towards the right direction.

If you've been using tarot cards, or any other forms of future telling, you probably have a divination spirit in you, it's through that spirit that you've been "future telling" or other things of that nature. But, it's basically the knock off devil version of the holy spirit, which literally knows everything, can guide you in ways you can't imagine, and all the other gifts as well. It's a piece of God's very own spirit that he puts in you, free of charge, to have direct connection with him.

"Okay, I like all the things you're telling me, but what's the catch? And what's up with Jesus, why haven't you mentioned him?"

One of the most important things Christians believe in, is that our God is a god of love. We consider the entire Bible a love letter from God so that we can know him better. Through the bible we learn his character, how he is, and why certain things are the way they are. The old testament was during a pretty rocky time with our relationship with him. Much more on our part than his. But God doesn't give up and wants his people to know him and for him to be known by them. It's a testament to how much God loves us even at our worst. Throughout it, multiple prophets and people point towards the coming of a messiah, or a savior. That through him, God will be reunited with his people.

Since we recognize all the gifts and miracles the holy spirit gives us, it also performed a miracle in the virgin Mary. Conceiving within her, Jesus. After his birth, he led a perfect life, that is, because of his attachment to the holy spirit, he embodied the closest thing to God in human form. Even with all this power, instead of using it maliciously or to gain anything, he decided to serve instead. In all of his action lowering himself so that he could help other people, and in a society where power was defined through wealth or status, he flipped that entirely on it's head. Instead, he said that true power came through serving other people, and being a living example of that. Through miracles and signs, he showed not his power, but the power of God working through him. He was crucified however, even though he was entirely innocent, but in doing so he bore the weight of all sin. Essentially, giving access to God through all people that believe in him, and that by doing so, he washes us of our sins, and allows God to see us as he saw him, holy and blameless.

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Now the catch? Imagine you're hunting, and you come across a dead deer. You're not going to shoot at it and it's not what you're after. That's how the devil views you. To him, he's already got you. He's pretty upset that he got kicked out, so he's trying to take as many people down with him. Whenever he sees you he gets that kick of satisfaction knowing he already cut you off from your inheritance. But when you accept Jesus Christ as your lord and savior, he hates it. Not that he'll target you super specifically, but he'll mainly start targeting that belief essentially asap. Whether sending doubts and worries or things like that, but like when you see bad guys in a video game and you know you're going the right way, that's one of the best signs that you've done the right thing and use it to strengthen your faith.

Okay, so if you're still with me, you've checked everything out, and you've made a personal decision to come to God, here's the best course of action I can recommend;

Your first step is simply to believe, really think on it though, study as much as you need and come to this decision on your own, don't just believe me, look through the bible and see if it's something that you're interested in, again you don't have to have perfect faith, all it requires is the faith of a mustard seed. If you can give him that much, and open your heart to it, then he's really good at doing the rest.

The moment you believe and accept Jesus Christ as your personal lord and savior, most people say it out loud or to yourself or pray. An easy one goes like this "Dear heavenly father, I accept Jesus Christ as my personal lord and savior. I pray that you gift me your holy spirit, to guide me in my walk with Christ, and show me a (pink rose, elephant, yellow square, etc..) to strengthen my faith it would be greatly appreciated, in Jesus name I pray, amen."

Patience, persistence, and faith are some good things to focus on. Try to read the bible as much as you can and be in a state of gratitude. The holy spirit is given to you essentially the very second you've accepted Jesus as your personal lord and savior, and now you need to give it some room to breathe. Listen to worship music that you might've heard, and honestly, you have to unharden your heart and be willing to look silly. The best way to come to God is not extremely mature and will all your wisdom and stuff, but just open your heart and tell him how you feel. 1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you"

Now, just pray from there. Ask God to help you read the bible and understand certain things, research it and just delve into it. Really, go full in. You have nothing to lose, but also be willing to be convicted by the holy spirit. That is as you read through the bible you might notice some of the words seem to sting a little bit because they apply to you, don't take it personally instead realize that God wouldn't chastise you if he didn't love you. It's basically direct advice from the creator of the universe on things you can be doing better, what better person to get guidance from?

#christianity #jesus christ #thoughts

[whatisonthemoon]

Children of a Lesser God (2001)

Children of a Lesser God / THE MOONIES: Looking to its youth for survival Don Lattin, Chronicle Feb. 11, 2001

Mose Durst sat in the living room of a spectacular church-owned home in one of Berkeley's swankiest neighborhoods, just below the Claremont Hotel. It has an Asian flair, panoramic views of San Francisco Bay and the Rev. Sun Myung Moon looking down from a picture above the hearth.

Since the 1970s, Durst has been at the right hand of Moon, the Korean-born evangelist, conservative political activist and self-proclaimed messiah.

Durst has served as the Northern California leader, and the national president, of the Unification Church. Now he's back in the Bay Area, thinking about his legacy, and the future of his church.

On this afternoon, Durst is feeling contrite. He admits that the Moonies made mistakes in the 1970s, when they sent out an overzealous army of tireless recruiters. But it's time, he says, to give his church another chance.

"People perceive us as a bad religious movement, and they isolate us more," he said. "If you think we're evil, let's sit down and talk. Let's find common ground. Otherwise, you force us into a cul-de-sac, like at Jonestown or Waco."

For years, the Moonies have struggled to make the leap from "cult" to "religion," to win credibility among political and religious leaders in the United States and around the world.

Through such publications as the Washington Times, a church-affiliated, conservative daily newspaper in the nation's capital, and through alliances with priests and pastors across the theological spectrum, Moon and company have spent a fortune courting the opinion-makers of church and state.

Now the church is looking closer to home, at the next generation of Western converts.

Durst confesses that, in the early years of Moon's American mission, church leaders erred in assuming God would provide for the children of devotees. The first kids born into the movement, he concedes, did not always get the parental attention they deserved.

"We were trying to build the church up locally - we were hot to build the kingdom," he said. "There were times in the early years when the hardest thing was building a church, while being responsible for your family. You wanted to be part of a spiritual community. People would put their kids in a nursery. When it was not done well, there were all kinds of shortcomings.

"We made mistakes," he said. "We did dumb things."

Durst says there are about 10,000 members of the Unification Church in the United States. He concedes that the number is much lower than figures the church reported in earlier years.

"That's right," he said with a smile. "I no longer lie."

Worldwide, the Moonies claim 3 million members, with most of them living in Korea and Japan. Some scholars, however, say the actual number of committed adherents may be closer to 250,000.

Nevertheless, Moon has built one of the wealthiest religious movements in the world, with extensive business interests and land holdings in Asia, South America and the United States.

Today, the movement has reorganized into more familiar religious congregations. It has embraced the nuclear family and refocused its efforts on passing its teachings onto the next generation.

The new focus can be seen at the largest Unification Church congregation in Northern California, the Bay Area Family Church, housed in a nondescript building in San Leandro.

At a recent Sunday service, a band with guitar and drums played upbeat music while about 150 worshipers, a mix of Asians and Caucasians, found seats on rows of red padded pews.

There were a lot of children running around the complex, which contains a K- 8 school, the Principled Academy, for 125 children.

The communal days are over. Most Moonies live in their own homes, with their own children, and work outside jobs.

"We still proselytize," said the Rev. Bento Leal, associate minister at the San Leandro church, "but it's different when you have a house full of kids and a full-time job."

Many of the families in this congregation were brought together in a mass marriage ceremony in New York's Madison Square Garden in 1982, when Moon presided over the weddings of 2,075 couples.

Not only does Moon preside over these ceremonies, he picks the spouses for his devotees and advises them as to what sexual positions to assume when they consummate their marriages.

Although these prescribed marriage rites sound strange to the uninitiated, they are a key part of Unification Church theology.

Moon teaches that he and his wife are the "True Parents" of a new spiritual lineage born without original sin. This spiritual status is purportedly passed on to "blessed children" born from Moonie marriages.

According to a church survey released last year, 82 percent of the couples brought together in Madison Square Garden are still married, and still consider themselves members of the Unification Church.

They have had an average of 2.5 children per couple.

Because the oldest kids born from that highly publicized union are still teenagers, the church cannot yet say how many will keep the Moonie faith.

"The real test comes when they are in college and out on their own," Leal said.

Among the tested will be Christopher Barker, born in Manhattan to Moonie parents in 1983.

During the 1970s, his father, Garry, who had grown up in the Catholic Church and attended parochial school, joined the Moonies and started a coffeehouse, Aladdin's, on College Avenue in Oakland. They had great New York cheesecake and served it up with a dose of Unification Church theology.

Barker and Durst were part of "the Oakland family," which produced some of Moon's most zealous proselytizers and fund-raisers.

Recruits harvested from the streets of San Francisco or the University of California at Berkeley campus were whisked up to an isolated church compound in Mendocino County for days of "love-bombing" and alleged "brainwashing."

It was the height of the cult wars of the 1970s, a battle over religious liberty and personal freedom that would see its horrific crescendo in the South American jungle with the murder-suicide in 1978 of 914 followers of the Rev. Jim Jones.

Christopher Barker's mother, Renate, was approached by Moonie missionaries on the street in Munich in 1971, when she was 20 years old. Three days later, Renate joined the Unification Church.

"My mother was very upset," Renate recalled. "She thought I'd been drugged or something. My parents tried to kidnap me, but I was very dedicated."

What attracted her to Moon?

"I was always very religious," she said. "I'd studied the Bible and Oriental philosophy, but I looked at people who went to church, and their lives didn't change. It didn't have an impact on their lives."

Renate came to the United States in 1973 with 70 other European missionaries.

Their mission was simple - to save the world.

"Rev. Moon felt America was so important to the whole world, we thought that if we saved America, we would save the world."

Moon matched Renate and Barker in 1979, but they communicated only through letters for the next three years. They were married in Moon's mass marriage ceremony of 1982. Today, they live in Hayward with their three children, Christopher, 17; Amalia, 15; and John, 11.

During a recent Sunday service, the family stood outside the Moonie church in San Leandro. Christopher was asked what it was like to be a "blessed child."

"My understanding is we were born without original sin, since they were matched by the True Father," he replied. "We are the culmination of all that work, and it's up to us to carry on what they want us to do."

Part of that legacy is no sex before marriage and agreeing to a union arranged by the Rev. Moon.

His sister is saving herself for that day.

"You are waiting for that one person, and not wasting your love on other people," Amalia said. "We believe in total fidelity in your marriage, so you're not comparing them with other boyfriends you've had before."

Her older brother also has vowed to stay chaste until he marries.

"Dating is kind of like practicing for divorce," he said. "When you're done with that person, and when problems come up, you dump them and go on to someone else."

Both teenagers attended the Unification Church's Principled Academy through the eighth grade, and are students at Bishop O'Dowd, a Catholic high school in Oakland.

"I haven't told anyone there that I'm a Unificationist, or a Moonie," Christopher said. "My friends can see I'm not a normal teenager who has girlfriends and everything."

Renate Barker said she and her husband have learned lessons from the child- rearing mistakes of early Moonie parents.

"In those days, the thought was that the children would just automatically turn out good, just by God talking to them or something. We thought we didn't really have to take care of them. It was naive."

Garry says only time will tell if the Unification Church is a forgotten cult, or a "religious movement with legs."

"All religions start out like this," he said. "The proof is going to be three, four, or five generations from now. When Rev. Moon dies, nobody knows what will happen. That will be the big test."

#mose durst #moonies #unification church #unification church in the united states #unification church in the united states of america #unification church in usa #ffwpu #family federation for world peace and unification #principled academy #schools #education #second generation #children #blessed children #bento leal #renate barker

[sluttyhaecceities]

A woman is the image of God, just as a male St. Thomas Aquinas (Commentary on 1 Corinthians 11).

This is true actually the stuff about women being the rib of Adam is a mistranslation into greek of the Hebrew word tsela (צלע) which often was used figuratively to mean a side rather than what we would call a rib. This is the only place in the bible were tsela is translated so literally where 39 other places use it to mean and is translated as side.

Bible was so violently fucked in the council of nicaea, the more I hear of bible translation the more I understand that "Don't trust the council of Nicaea" graffiti

the council of nicea is the vanguard which canonised the Catholic order and determined which sects were heretical in order for the militarised forces of the Church to be able to start doing a counter revolutionary red terror against all Christian forces at the time which were against the seizure of the Roman state and centralisation of power

including putting down feminists and Christian sects explicitly stating that the kingdom of heaven can only be built via class struggle and the abolition of the classes and inciting slave rebellion

hence why the Catholic church since then crushed every "heresy" which dared to question the feudal and imperial orders and resulted in peasant rebellions as well as colonial uprisings

this however did not work in Latin America where too many Catholic priests became guilt ridden for their crimes against humanity and invented liberation theology in order to ease their colonial conscience leading to the last millenarian insurrection the world has seen in Brazil during the late 1800's.

first 300 years after Christ were theological anarchy prophecies were happening all over people formed communes and free federations and began to tear the Roman empire apart at the roots they just didn't call them by these modern terms

a similar revolutionary spring which formed a commune arose in Persia around zoroastrainism as the macedonian and empire began its conquests iirc

I think this all ties into augustinian theology, he went on a tirade against heresies such as gnosticism which did not seek to literally capture the Roman state and change all the liveries to Christian ones. Anything which did not preach a militant seizure of the class system in order to have it regulated by the Church (remember, only the pope could directly communicate with God…) was attacked

hence why Catholicism to this day preaches much charity. Its throwing crumbs to keep the class system going and unite all the classes under god, hence why the church supported every fascist government

look at that dumb eagle on your, money or presidential seals or whatever, shits all the same

the roman republic was about as democratic as the American republic in the sense that it absolutely fucking wasn't, and was backed with about just as much military up force pointed at everyone at all times

Law being the code unifying all power still being dictated in latin…

athens was probably the only remotely "democratic" state back then and even then it was democracy only for a certain class of male property owners who ere dominating the slaves, women and peasantry of the countryside and denying them any participation in social life

I was just thinking about the other day how the Romans made so many cultures and languages go extinct. Like white imperialism trial run, that was Alexander, that's why Greece is the ground of "the west". alexander the great was proto hitler

venice was a also democracy only in name tbh it was rabidly capitalistic nightmare and had multiple prole revolts lol

by capitalistic I mean like people kept trying to commodify land and create factory systems to shove proles in, same in florence

roman empire being empire had nothing to do with a monarch and everything to do with going on rabid conquest against every native tribe and culture and submitting them to the roman Legions

They rationalized most wars around the paranoia of eventually being attacked by its neighbours.

faggotry was born from roman/greek fascism as a way of big dudes claiming the little twinky weaklings and honestly every time I remember that I hate the cis fag assimilationists even more

#rome #catholicism #liberation theology #others ocs #greece

[wowbright]

Fic: Guidance

Klaine Spring Fling: organization

Words: ~1200 words

Rating: Teen and up

Summary: Chandler explains the changes that have been made to the German soundtrack of Disney’s Little Mermaid over the years. Blaine tries to make people feel welcome.

This is part of my Mormon!Klaine universe. It takes place directly after New Friendship and before Love’s Redeeming Work/ Froot Loops & Resurrection.

My Mormon!Klaine Masterpost. (More recent posts are in bold.)

––––

The Wörles showed up, too. Blaine was settling into the pew with Chandler as Elder Hummel lingered at the front of the chapel to make sure the choir’s standing positions were properly marked with masking tape. Herr and Frau Wörle looked cautiously around them is if entering a lion’s den, and although the greeters shook their hands enthusiastically and smiled at their kids, no one rushed to hug them the way Schwester Schönfeld had with Doro.

Blaine wondered exactly how long it had been since the Wörles had last been to church. He hadn't seen them since his first day in Ingolstadt, but he remembered them perfectly. The bitterness of the decaf black tea Frau Wörle had served them was forever etched on his tongue, to be recalled at the most random moments—but no, it wasn’t Frau Wörle. It was Schwester Wörle. She might not come to church much or understand the Word of Wisdom, but she was a member all the same.

“The thing about The Little Mermaid is that there are multiple versions of the soundtrack in German. High German, Austrian … I think there's a Swiss version too,” Chandler was saying animatedly, moving his fingers like fireworks through the air. “But even with High German, there are two different soundtracks. The first one that came out in 1989 wasn't as loyal to the original Howard Ashman lyrics, so they did a big re-release in 1998, and it’s so much wittier, but Stefi—or, sorry, what do you call her? Schwester Schmidt? Anyway, Schwester Schmidt prefers the 1989 one just because that's the one she grew up, even though—”

“Sorry, Chandler. Can you excuse me for a moment?”

“Oh, sure.” Chandler smiled and tilted his head in a way that seemed somehow flirtatious—which of course it wasn’t. Chandler was into Elder Hummel, not him. “I know you’re on the clock.”

“It’s not a job.”

“I didn’t mean—”

“There’s just someone I need to say ‘hello’ to.” Blaine wondered if he had been rude. Usually, he would've been fascinated by the details of Disney musical translations. And part of him did want to know more. But sometimes Chandler was … overwhelming. Still, Chandler was a child of God like everyone else. “You can come with me, if you want. I can introduce you.”

"No, it's fine, really. I want to read the hymnal.”

Blaine felt his eyebrows start to shoot up, but he composed his face. “Back in a minute.”

As he stood up from his seat, he noticed Schwester Schönfeld leaning across Doro to whisper to her twins. They nodded, grabbed something from under their seats, and sprinted over to the Wörles before Blaine was even halfway there. When he reached them, he saw that the twins had presented the Wörle kids—Ute and Eugen, if he remembered right—with a treasure trove of Easter candies wrapped in green cellophane. Eugen, who at 11 years old was several years older than both his sister and the twins, accepted his gift in a slightly condescending manner, but Blaine could see in the way he clung to the cellophane that the charms of sugar were not lost on him.

Blaine reached out to shake hands with Herr—no, Brüder—Wörle. “Nice to see you again,” Blaine said.

Brüder Wörle looked momentarily confused, but then a light of recognition passed through his eyes. “Oh, yes. You're the new missionary. The one who made me throw out all my beer.”

“I— Um.”

Brüder Wörle nudged Blaine with his elbow. “Just teasing you. No one can make me do something I don't want to.”

“So, you didn’t—?” Blaine stopped himself. This maybe wasn't the best topic to be discussing if he wanted to make the Wörles feel welcome at Easter.

“No. Throwing out good beer is a waste. I gave it to my brother. My wife has been bringing home all kinds of non-alcoholic beer for us to try. It takes a bit to get used to it, but some of it's not terrible. I suppose I don't need beer anyway. It’s just a habit. Habits can be changed. Honestly, it was getting to the point that I’m not sure I really even noticed the taste anymore. But with these non-alcoholic beers, every day is a new adventure.”

“Oh,” said Blaine. “I’m glad to hear that.” Sometimes, he felt so presumptuous coming into people’s lives, telling them all the ways they needed to change, but never sticking around long enough to truly help them through those changes. But that’s what mission work was supposed to be like. It was supposed to push you out of your comfort zone—and you, in turn, were supposed to push investigators out of theirs. And that's pretty much where the job of a missionary ended. Nurture—helping converts find their new path, their new way of being comfortable—that was the job of the members in the local branch or ward.

That was the way God’s organization worked. Missions might feel chaotic and superficial times, but there was a good reason that missionary never stayed in one place for too long. It was so conversion was based on belief, not personalities, and so converts didn’t become dependent on the missionaries, but instead on the community where they were planted.

Blaine’s job was to preach. Building disciples was someone else’s job. There would be plenty of time for him to focus on the latter job when he got back from his mission.

“I’m so happy to see you all!” Elder Hummel’s familiar voice sounded just behind Blaine, musical as always. “How are you, Brother and Sister Wörle? And Eugen and Ute, how are—”

But Ute was already dashing off with her new friends before Elder Hummel could complete his question, Eugen coolly trailing behind them.

“I'll assume they’re fine, then. Life is always good when you have candy. I know from personal experience.” He glanced at Blaine, and Blaine felt suddenly giddy, as if he had been the one who had overindulged on Peeps that morning. Blaine cleared his throat and looked back at the Wörles.

“Anyway, there's someone I want to introduce you to,” continued Elder Hummel. “Have you met the Higachis yet? They're preparing to get baptized, and since you guys went through that process a couple of years ago, I thought they might enjoy hearing from you what it’s like. Oh! And you must ask them about tea substitutes, Schwester Wörle, if you’re still looking. Frau Higachi says she’s found some that really hit the mark.”

Elder Hummel was a genius. One of the best ways to get struggling members back to full activity was to get them into service and give them a role that made them remember why they had joined in the first place. Talking about their baptisms with investigators was almost a surefire a way to rekindle the Wörles’ commitment to the gospel. It would make them feel like mentors, like they had something important to give. If you felt like others in the church were depending on you for guidance, you were less likely to slip away.

#mormon!klaine #wowbright writes fic #klaine spring fling #Spring fling 2: Electric Boogaloo #klaine fic #my klaine spring fling #chandler here is me #total self-insert #like idk how many people I have bored with this trivia #except i think he's wrong about a swiss version #at least i couldn't find this substantiated in my quick google search of today #oh and also i am stefi not chandler #i prefer the 1989 one because it's the one i know #the little mermaid

[crayons-cats-chaos]

A trauma-dump about Christianity (TW: Religious Abuse)

I'll be using this place to also trauma dump since Debbie the Therapist wants me to talk about things where people can actually see them to feel less embarrassed like I did things wrong. ANYWHOOOOZLEEEE I was raised in a Southern Baptist Family. My grandparents lived in Kentucky in the mountains and my grandfather was a Pastor. So I got the lovely religion AND the mountain horror stories. But that's a story for another time. My dad, being raised in the church, also made us be an active part. I remember spending every Sunday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday there. I had a lot of "rules" because he wanted us to appear as the perfect God Fearing Family. Some of them are as follows:

1) I could NOT wear pants to church. EVER. Even during youth activities I had to wear squorts. Which doesn't sound too bad until you're playing kickball in a squort and fall.

2) I HAD to ALWAYS have my hair done. A l w a y s. And I had to look presentable even if I was super sick, which brings me to 3

3) Even if I was sick, I still had to show up. Didn't matter if I was feverish and hallucinating, I was going to "at least try" to go to church.

4) Boots are a N O. If you wear boots, you're a whore. Snowboots come off the SECOND you step inside and you have to have a presentable pair of shoes to switch into and carry your boots around with you.

5) I had to read the bible (king james) front to back multiple times a year. I had to be an encyclopedia of religion. I could pull random verses out of my ass at the drop of a hat on command. And that's exactly what my father intended. Because I was to be the perfect little Christian "Girl Next Door" (spoiler alert: the girl next door turns into the Final Girl) 6) I had to be a part of EVERY activity. It didn't matter what it was, if it was for adults I was the entertainment, if it was for kids I was the show off, if it was for community display I was the example. 7) I was not allowed to cut my hair unless it was cut to match my mother's because she knew what was "acceptable". I had a legit mullet with a spiral perm for a while, guys, it was BAAAAAADDDDDDD. 8) I bet you guys saw this one coming: I was NOT allowed to watch or read Harry Potter. Yep. I actually went to a book burning when I was a child. Of course, I didn't know what we were burning at the time. 9) I ALSO was not allowed to watch Pokemon or Digimon when my grandparents were in town. They said they were demons and trying to possess kids. 10) If I was at an adult function, I was to be seen not heard unless I was entertaining. 11) Music was STRICTLY Christian, and further than that I could not listen to/perform anything that had drums. No, I'm not kidding. 12) I was allowed to be in the school choir and sing with them, but otherwise? No. 13) Sex Ed? HAHAHAHAHAHA (Jokes on them I was taught the hard way) 14) No halters, spaghetti straps, two piece bathing suits, shorts/skirts shorter than my fingertips or anything that showed even a miniscule amount of cleave. Even if i was at the pool. I had to wear a T shirt and shorts over my bathing suit anytime I was not in the water. There are so many more, but this is what I can think of off the top of my head. Incoming next post with some situations I've endured. Mind you, my religious abuse spanned from birth to about....15 ish. I started to really rebel around 11-12.

#TW religious trauma #Religious Abuse #traumadump #more to come #ive lived a lot of life #stay tuned

[xnebulastarx]

Saw someone answer all of these in one post so i wanted to do it too :)

Day 1:

HW - 315 lbs

CW - 301 lbs

UGW - 120 lbs (long way to go :()

Height: 5’ 4

Day 2:

5’ 4 - yes i love my height because is means when I finally reach my UGW I will be tiny and small and petite :)

Day 3:

ALL OF THESE. I am obsessed with collarbones and a flat stomach, I also have a very alternative style and it would look way better if I was skinny.

Day 4:

My greatest fears about it are probably not being able to sustain it or gaining the weight back after hitting my ugw.

Day 5:

I really want to lose weight so that I feel pretty for once in my life. I’m doing it for me and I’m also doing it to feel better in my relationship.

Day 6:

I do binge, I’ve had a binge eating disorder since I was 8 years old (my grandma starved me, trauma trauma yada yada) but I’ve been able to control my binges better lately.

Day 7:

They don’t know and if they did they wouldn’t care.

Day 8:

Don’t have one right now lol

Day 9:

I’ve been called fat or “the big girl” my entire life

Day 10:

Pasta and bread and chips 😣 it’s what I used to binge on ALL THE TIME

Day 11:

I don’t have a fav but my favorite type of thinspo is alternative thinspo and relationship thinspo

Day 12:

Broth, hard boiled eggs, and if I eat other things I only do small portions and only eat half of the portion

Day 13:

Unhealthy lol

Day 14:

120 lbs :)

Day 15:

No but I have considered becoming vegetarian because I don’t enjoy meat very much

Day 16:

I’ve been wanting to lose weight since I was 17, I’m 22 now

Day 17:

I would say bulimia more than ana just because I don’t feel tiny enough to call myself Ana at all

Day 18:

Pasta, chips, bread

Day 19:

Last night

Day 20:

I don’t have a specific favorite diet but i personally love fasting

Day 21:

XXL - XXXL 😅

Day 22:

My lw (while eating disordered) was 260 (started at 315 and lost to 260 in 4 months). I gained it all back because of a healthy relationship and i just started eating a bunch again 🤦🏼‍♀️

Day 23:

Absolutely. Seeing the amount of beautiful women in the world and seeing relationships where the girl is so tiny and easily picked up and everything has been a hugely triggering thing for me.

Day 24:

I believe that pro-ana and pro-mia are not acceptable if you’re trying to influence someone else to be ED’d, like I’m pro-ana for my own self but would never push that on someone else if that makes sense.

Day 25:

I have and do quite frequently. My first successful purge was 3 years ago and ever since then I’ve been able to do it anytime successfully

Day 26:

Finally loving what my body looks like, not being seen as the fat girl, being able to fit into anything and being able to be carried and spun around by my husband.

Day 27:

I am very cautious around food and try to be very disciplined. To avoid binging i will sometimes allow myself a SMALL portion of what is around me so that I don’t binge on a ton of it later but I usually just try to not eat in general.

Day 28:

YES YES YES. It looks daintier, no more “chub rub”, no more replacing jeans because it rips in between my thighs. 1000% yes to a thigh gap please.

Day 29:

I believe that people can be beautiful at any size. However my definition of beauty for MYSELF is being skinny and dainty. To feel pure and feminine no matter what I’m wearing or how much makeup I have on because I’m skinny and beautiful is what I want more than anything in this world.

Day 30:

10 facts about me

1. I’m 22 years old but have had an ED since I was 8 years old

2. I have been married for a little over a year

3. I was raised Mormon and left the Mormon church about 3 years ago (thank god) and now am not religious

4. I love all things paranormal

5. I have a domesticated dingo, her name is Gidget :)

6. I have been a loner most of my life, the only friends I’ve ever had are my 2 younger brothers

7. I love getting piercings and am currently trying to map out and style my own ears :)

8. I shaved my head a year ago and am in the process of growing my hair back out

9. My dream pet is either a panther chameleon, a jumping spider, or a ball python

10. I love painting and drawing

#anorexik #disordered eating #i just want to be thin #i just want to be pretty #ana trigger #tw eating things #anamia #4n0r3xia #why am i still alive #anathoughts #ed but not ed sheeran #just ed thoughts

[lindajenni]

aug 28

my second best friend

"a man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."prov 18:24

i don’t remember when i first began to call you "friend." one day, i only know, the vague companionship that i’d seen grow so imperceptibly, turned gold, and ran in tune with all i’d thought, or dared to plan.

A friend is like a star that twinkles and glows Or maybe like the ocean that gently flows. A friend is like gold that you should treasure And take care of forever and ever.

A friend is like a star that twinkles and glows Or maybe like the ocean that gently flows. A friend is like gold that you should treasure And take care of forever and ever.

A friend is like a star that twinkles and glows Or maybe like the ocean that gently flows. A friend is like gold that you should treasure And take care of forever and ever.

A friend is like a star that twinkles and glows Or maybe like the ocean that gently flows. A friend is like gold that you should treasure And take care of forever and ever.

i have been blessed to have many friends during my life and several "best" friends; friends turned gold. i had one growing up. i had one during my school life and others during my work life at various stages. then, even as some wines age, some friends come into your life at an age when needed. such was the case with my last best friend.

she did not bring me to Christ but she certainly grew me in Him. she was my mentor and friend. at my waking this morning she was suddenly in my thoughts again. as i recaptured our times together in my mind, the tears began to flow. you see, i miss my friend for she now lives with my best friend - my Lord and my God.

after years of attending church together, there was a church split as often happens when the Lord sets someone on a different path. the thing is, she went one way while i went another, but we still remained friends.

i still recall the day she came to me and said she felt she was called into the ministry. i happily helped her get the needed things like a tax exemption, website, printed materials, etc., but the vision was hers alone. you see, i always looked upon myself as more of a passenger on the bus rather than the driver. i did all that i could for her but didn't even consent to be on her board for a long time.

she was such a special person, gifted by the Lord in discernment, deliverance and love; a love that helped many enter into their fullness. it was in knowing her that helped me know Jesus better.

we fought through many battles together. when one was up and one was down, we helped each other, as friends should. i can remember once when she was troubled by much and as we helped unburden each other, suddenly the Lord prompted me to get what's necessary and wash her feet. her feet was not dirty but her spirit needed a washing and refreshing. it was one of the most spiritual times of my life and i was so blessed to minister to my mentor.

even as elijah needed to depart to allow elisha to come into his fullness, perhaps it was needed for my mentor to depart to bring me into a deeper fullness. one finishes their race, and even as in a marathon, the torch is passed on to another. i see that happening in many lives. although separation is never a pleasant thing, without growth and change, we would all just park ourselves in our comfort zone.

i dare not think i have done a fraction of what others have, but i hope to have grown into somewhat into whatever the Lord prepared for me to do, or if not, that i will grow further still. we each were called for our own purpose, not the purpose of another. if a river does not flow it can become stagnate and a stench to God - just as a vineyard not producing may be uprooted by it's owner. "behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." rom 11:22

none of us can live in yesterday while tomorrow looms in front of us so largely or we could become that stagnate stench to God. the enemy would place us all there if he could. we must tap into the river of life else our river stops flowing here, producing nothing. this brief space of time is not life, only a precursor to the eternal one awaiting us all.

"for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 cor 5:10

i still miss my friend. i still remember my friend, but i will not let the seed she nourished in me starve because she is no longer here. she has gone to her reward and now is time for me to see if i will have one or not. in a way, i feel she is up there cheering me on. you see, as i write these dailies, there is one reader that consistently chimes in without fail; perhaps just a simple amen or a good job. her name happens to be paula as well. each time i smile and look up as if "my" paula were giving me a nod. i receive it as such anyway - in the spirit.

has your friendship with Jesus turned to gold yet?

#jesus is coming #prayer #faith #rapture

[dailyaudiobible]

8/7/2023 DAB Transcript

Ezra 4:24-6:22, 1 Corinthian 3:5-23, Psalm 29:1-11, Proverbs 20:26-27

Today is the seventh day of August, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it is fantastic to be here with you as we begin our work week, and as we gather to take the next step forward on our journey through the Scriptures this year. And our journey always leads us to where we left off. We left off yesterday in the book of Ezra, the returned exiles are rebuilding but they are facing quite a bit of opposition, and now the opposition is become political in nature and letters are being written to kings and at this point, the work has been commanded to stop. But let's pick up the story, Ezra chapter 4 verse 24 through 6 verse 22 today.

Commentary:

Okay, in Ezra today we continue to watch the rebuilding take place. We went through all of this, we saw how exile happened, we saw the destruction of Jerusalem, and now the exiles are returning to rebuild, an entire generation has passed, and there were people that were moved into that land once the Israelites were cast out of the land, and they’ve been living there all this time. And so, this new group of people, who are like coming back to their homeland, are seen as new people coming into this this situation. So, it causes disruption and intimidation and all kinds of word battles and threats. And then it gets political, and letters are written all the way back to the emperor, until the emperor finally puts his foot down and says leave them alone and let them build. And not only let them build but supply them with what they need. And so now, the children of Israel can build freely, and we can look into this story and see a story of steadfast resoluteness to obey God and to finish what God had tasked them to do, regardless of the opposition. Which isn't to say that the opposition wasn't real. It was very real, the threats were real, the psychological dread that was upon the people because of the intimidation, that was real. The letters being written back and forth to the emperor, they were real. These were real things. But they ultimately did not allow those things to stop their own obedience to God. A lesson for all of us.

And then, we’re in first Corinthians now. And Paul is discussing an issue that's happening in Corinth and that is that, that the congregation of people are dividing themselves into groups of people who swear their loyalty to a certain person. In this case, like one of the more popular preachers or teachers, so like some say, yeah, I follow Paul, other people say, yeah, I follow Apollos, other people say I follow Peter. And so, camps of people within the church are formed. And we should probably pay attention to this because this issue is a pervasive issue that still exists today. In fact, I would wager that the problem is worse now than when Paul is addressing it, and we have had instruction and counsel on this issue for 2000 years. To Paul's way of thinking believers were getting a spiritual identity based on the team that they were on, rather than actually growing in intimacy with Jesus. Paul says it like this, “when one of you says, I follow Paul and another I follow Apollo's, aren’t you acting like worldly people. After all, who is Apollos and who is Paul? We are simply God's servants by whom you were led to believe. Each one of us does the work which the Lord gave him to do. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plant, but it was God who made the plant grow. The one who plants and the one who waters really do not matter. It is God who matters because He makes the plant grow.” Since Paul said these things to the church in Corinth, millennia have passed and faith in Jesus Christ to spread throughout the entire earth, but we have tens of thousands of distinct denominations around ‘how to have faith in Jesus’ and the problem isn't that we are vast and diverse and on all continents and in all cultural contexts, the problem starts to happen when we think that the team we’re on, that the community that we belong to is the one that has the truth that nobody else has. And so, we attempt to gain this spiritual identity through what our team believes, instead of having an always on, never off, ever evolving intimate relationship with Jesus Himself. Paul is trying to tell the Corinthians who were kinda dividing themselves into camps that it's basically just a construct. We are all built on the same foundation, we’re on the same team, we’re in the same family. Paul says it like this, “surely you know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you. No one then, should boast about what human beings can do. Actually, everything belongs to you. Paul, Apollos, and Peter, this world, life and death, the present and the future, all these are yours and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.” And so, this leads us to consider our own spiritual identity. Where do we get that sense of identity? Is it the person or them movements that we follow, the church we attend, the pastor that we sit under? Or does our identity come from a first person relationship with Jesus. In other words, are we trying to have a relationship with God by proxy because of the people that we run with, or are we actually in a relationship with God for ourselves? And may we invite the Holy Spirit into that, as we consider it today.

Prayer:

And so, Holy Spirit, come into, into this. Where are we getting an identity, and when we look at these things, we see all of the interconnectedness, we see the deep need to belong and these are things that you have placed within us. They are good things, until we cultivate pride in that arrangement. Pride that gives us a sense of superiority in our belonging, over and against another brother and sister. And we try to get an identity, contrasting how, what our convictions are, versus theirs. And then divisions begin to happen on small scales and on very, very large scales. When the truth is, none of us deserve to be having the conversation at all. We are all so fortunate to be here at all. It is your grace and your kindness, your love and your mercy, that sustains us. All of us, even those who don't share the exact same set of convictions that we do. We all need You the same. We all need you desperately. So, once again, we are invited to keep our eyes on You and not everybody else. Our identity flows from You and You have called us good, You have called us Your child. What other identity do we need. Open our eyes and we may see our brothers and sisters with the compassion and mercy, that You see them with. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.

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dailyaudiobible.com is home base and that's the website, that's where you find out what's going on around here, so check it out. Check out the Daily Audio Bible app. If you haven't downloaded that yet, it's free and you can download it from the App Store that works with your device. And then yeah, check out the different sections like the Community Section. This is where to get connected and this is where the Prayer Wall lives and is always on and never off. We can always go and pray there, we can always go and ask for prayer there, so check that out.

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And as always if ever prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that's it for today, I'm Brian, I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Prayer and Encouragements:

Hi, God bless you all. I can’t tell you how much I love all of you and I pray for you. I really do. This is a first for me. I haven’t called in and thank you to the Hardin’s, of course. And I pray for them as well. All of you. I’m just really, I’m really struggling. I can’t say this fast enough before the two minutes is up. My brother-in-law had three aneurisms. They were trying to help him and he ended up on life support for three weeks. I’ve lifted him in prayer and asked for prayer and so forth. And my sister, she sent me an email today. She says I’m agnostic and she said I’m agnostic, don’t push your Jesus, don’t talk to me, if you want anything to do with me, if you want to connect with me you lay off. And I haven’t responded yes but I cannot. I will not hide Jesus and if I need to say his name, or speak or whatever, I will. My family is not yet saved. They’re loved ones aren’t saved. I plead it for them. And then I just got the news that another sister is so desperately ill in ICU. She found out she had cancer and I just got the news she died and I’m asking you please pray for my family. Please pray for my son that’s chosen Islam over Christianity that he was raised in and he knew Jesus Christ. He is not a kid, he’s old enough to know better. Please, just pray.

Good morning DAB. This is Virgil in Texas. Cowboy for Christ. I pray for all of you often. I may not call in very much but I’m in the background praying. And today I have a prayer request for my sister, Nikina. She suffers from Parkinson and she’s going in the hospital for blood transfusion. I just pray to the Lord God that He will watch over her, heal her, comfort her, relieve her pain. And Lord, just strengthen her faith in You, that You will carry her through this. And if all of you people out there would please say a prayer for her. And it’s in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Good morning DAB family. This is Be Filled Bridgette from New York City. And I’m hitting you guys up to ask you to please pray for me. I’ve been having a really rough few months in my marriage and just in general. Just please lift me in prayer. My daughter, the second person is going to trial September 5th. His name is Thomas. Please pray for him. Pray that he will be saved. Pray that he will give his life to the Lord. Pray that my daughter would be healed and that that this chapter of our lives would finally be closed and resolved. Pray for my husband who is really emotionally disconnected and doesn’t even recognize it. He doesn’t see his choices are impacting us. And it just kinda feels lonely. My 14-year-old, pray for her, that she would have a zeal for the Lord and for my son, who is sober a week now. Please pray that he would make Christ his all-and-all. And that he would stay sober. I love you guys. I’m praying for you. I thank you. And God bless you.

Hello, this is Linda, His Beloved in North Idaho. I’m calling regarding Brian speaking today on August 3rd regarding gossip, betrayal and a lack of sense of safety. Many people call in, mostly men, regarding their marriages and their wives wanting to divorce them or separate from them. I just want to know, want to say that it’s not just gossip, of course, that makes us feel betrayed and unsafe. Unfortunately, in our marriages to often, husbands do things that crush us as wives and it takes a long time to get over the betrayal and to feel safe. My husband, you have the ability to win your wife back. I want to encourage you to humble yourself in the side of the Lord and when He lifts you up, He will give you the wisdom, the knowledge, and the discernment and the courage to do the right thing in order to redeem your family. So please, humble yourself, be broken before the cross. Win back your beloved wife. Win back your family. Be a redeemed man. Make her and your family feel safe again. You can do it because Christ is in you. Thank you.

[jdgo51]

now

DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR JULY 23, 2023

A Meager Offering

By Eugenia French Shaver (Texas, USA)

READ JOHN 6:1-14

"'[Jesus] said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

JOHN 6:5-6 (NIV)

Many years ago, I assisted a local church with a children’s musical that told the story of the feeding of the five thousand. We used some stage tricks to make this miracle come to life for the audience. But Jesus didn’t need stage tricks!

A young boy who had five loaves of bread and two fish offered his meal, meager as it was for such a large crowd. In the hands of the Son of God, it fed the entire crowd, with 12 baskets of food left over. Jesus transformed that boy’s offering into something much greater! The people immediately recognized Jesus as a prophet.

It is easy to overlook the deep concern that Jesus had for the welfare of his listeners in this story. Jesus knows our needs and through God’s power provides for us. Even in the midst of the seemingly impossible, Jesus cares and provides.

God calls us to be Christ’s hands and feet to transform the world. What can we offer that Jesus can transform? A meal? A hospital visit? A telephone call? A few hours of volunteer service? When we offer what we have, we can trust Jesus to transform it into a gift from God.

TODAY'S PRAYER

"Dear God, thank you for the miracles described in the Bible. Help us to offer what we have, trusting that you will continue to work miracles in the world. In Jesus’ name we pray." Amen.

John 6:1-14

"'1 After this Jesus went across the Galilee Sea (that is, the Tiberias Sea). 2 A large crowd followed him, because they had seen the miraculous signs he had done among the sick. 3 Jesus went up a mountain and sat there with his disciples. 4 It was nearly time for Passover, the Jewish festival. 5 Jesus looked up and saw the large crowd coming toward him. He asked Philip, “Where will we buy food to feed these people?” 6 Jesus said this to test him, for he already knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip replied, “More than a half year’s salary worth of food wouldn’t be enough for each person to have even a little bit.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, 9 “A youth here has five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that for a crowd like this?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass there. They sat down, about five thousand of them. 11 Then Jesus took the bread. When he had given thanks, he distributed it to those who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, each getting as much as they wanted. 12 When they had plenty to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the leftover pieces, so that nothing will be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves that had been left over by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw that he had done a miraculous sign, they said, “This is truly the prophet who is coming into the world.”' Of the miracles that Jesus performed while He was with His people, this one has been read by countless children and adults. It sticks in your mind once you read it. It catches children's attention, because it is based around what a child offered to the situation. We can all assist in God's plan for our world. Blessings come from you via the Lord Jesus. Keep giving those. Joe

[curtklingermanposts]

Signs, Wonders and Jerks

Stamp of Approval?

Is it God’s personal stamp of approval when He does signs, wonders and miracles though individuals? It’s important for people to think critically on this one, because it can lead to self-deception if they miss it. Jesus answers the question for us in Matthew 7, which should probably give everyone pause.

Matthew 7: 21-23 Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.

It’s interesting to note that many who practice unrighteousness have prophesied, cast out demons, and did wonderful works in the name of Jesus. The Lord did not say these are false, or lying signs and wonders. However, these people were still considered transgressors. In fact, He said in He never knew them, which means they were never intimate with Jesus, which does give us a clue.

1 Corinthians 8:3 But if any man love God, the same is known of Him.   

Not everyone’s motives are altruistic, and that is what makes the difference. It does not mean someone actually loves Jesus, just because he or she operates in His name. Of course, one might ask, how is it possible for someone to do that, and yet be a transgressor? We’ll address that one in a moment.

First, let’s deal with the issue at hand. As always, it is important to keep things in context with the chapter, and of course, the entire Bible. Look at the previous verses in Matthew. In them, Jesus addresses the strait (correct spelling) and narrow way, as well as false prophets. Here’s where He emphasizes the importance of differentiating between types of fruit. These ares are all connected.

Matthew 7:16-20 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

God is more concerned with our ways than our works. Works do not always reveal the true character or nature of the individual. We see it all the time. People have a public persona, but their private lives are a mess. Church history has shown this to be true. By the way, this did not mean the message or miracle was not from God.

 Even in more recent times, we’ve seen numerous instances of God using people in mighty ways; only to discover their lifestyles didn’t match the message. Some had the proverbial celebrity status (some still do). Others were lesser known. They were put on pedestals where they did not belong. Unfortunately, many were following personalities, and fell away when their heroes fell. Regardless of what others may or may not do, we need to follow Jesus.

Though it’s not our subject matter, it is noteworthy to say God is moving in such a way where there are no more superstars in the Church. He’s operating in the Body at large, through everyone. Some individuals may stand out to various degrees, but they recognize the importance of always pointing to Jesus.

How is it Possible?

You might be asking, how is it possible for someone to live an ungodly lifestyle, and still be used? The simple answer is the name of Jesus, gifts and His Word work, regardless of the individual. Here’s one biblical example: Caiaphas.

John 11:49-52 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

Notice it says Caiaphas didn’t speak of himself. It was the anointing associated with the office of High Priest that did the work; not Caiaphas, himself. By the way, anointing means a smearing (of oil), or endowment of the Holy Spirit, by which one is able to do something of which they are called. In short, God-given ability. Grace works the same way, as it’s the unmerited favor of God that enables people to do the things of God they cannot do on their own.

On the surface, Caiaphas might look righteous because he prophesied; however, he also cried, “Crucify Him!” As you might recall, Jesus had a lot of negative things to say about the religious leaders of His time on earth. Many fell woefully short. Another quick example would be Sampson. God used him in mighty ways, even though, he was rebellious (see Judges 13-16).

 Here’s a bonus: Read Matthew 10:1-11:1, and you will find Judas went about preaching the Kingdom of Heaven, healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, raising the dead, and casting out demons alongside the other 11 apostles. When Jesus declared one of them would betray Him at the Last Supper, none of the other disciples discerned it would be him, until he was exposed. Outer appearances can be deceiving. Even after ministering alongside the others, it still didn’t end well for him.

Hebrews 2:3-4 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His Own will?

God will always confirm His Word, and that means the gifts, miracles, signs and wonders all point to Him. They are meant to glorify Him; not individuals! In essence, these same things are meant to manifest through disciples of Jesus Christ, who love and walk humbly before Him. It’s important for all of us to consider our ways.

perfectfaith.org

#PerfectFaith #Signs #wonders #miriacles

[e-devotion]

pray for ministry in Cuba

1 Chronicles 16:11  NLT 

Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.

I want to take you on a journey that started February 2019.  Yes, it was four years ago that God did something in my heart that continues to ring in my heart, gets my feet moving and helps me get others in the mix of serving.

The outreach known as back2school is underway for 2023, and it is going to be another great year we believe.  In 2019 we took internationally what we have been doing in Virginia and other places across several states.  A trip to Cuba was organized with our shoe partner, Samaritan’s Feet.  Almost 30 people gathered, prayed, went and several.

That was a great trip.  It had its issues, like the Cuban customs took hundreds of pairs of shoes we had.  That didn’t stop our pursuit of God.  Over that next week we served several hundred kids and lots of adults.  We washed feet.  We told stories.  We shared and prayed and loved and played… we told people and showed people the love of God.

There are so many things that trip did for each of us that was on the trip, but for me it took me to a new level as many of you may know by now.  And it keeps on touching my heart and filling my calendar.

Matthew 19:14  NLT  

But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.”

I sat across the table at what is now my favorite restaurant in Havana, The Lateral in the neighborhood of 10 October, from a young man with a huge heart.  Alexander Martinez left his job with the telephone company a few years before to lead this sports ministry.

Alex leads a team or more than ten people across the country sharing the Gospel through the vehicle of sports.  All of it is tied to the local church and people who are willing to give their time and talents to help young people learn skills, play sports and learn who they are created by God to be.

I can tell you that I have seen God move in wonderful ways over the last four years, and we have only just begun.  I look forward in the weeks ahead to sharing with you the power of this ministry and how God is working.  I look forward to telling you stories of boys and girls, young men and women are giving their lives to Christ.  And you can be part of this incredible this happening.

Monday I will leave on my seventh trip to Cuba.  I am honored to be part of a group of people who serving with, encouraging and supporting the sports ministry staff in Cuba and their families.  It is known as MADEM / FCA, and this is an opportunity to serve others by sharing Christ through the avenue of sports and the church.

Please pray for this trip, and if you would like to know how to get involved, let me know.  Thank you ahead of time for stepping up as God leads you to do.

#e-devotion #devotion #devo #FCA #sports #Cuba #MADEM #michael harrison #pray #mission #The Community Fellowship #God #Jesus

[rcarx]

I posted 1,675 times in 2022

That's 1,670 more posts than 2021!

97 posts created (6%)

1,578 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@myhumbleme

@stayclose--dontgo

@2-the-moon-and-2-saturn

@gleerant

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I tagged 1,525 of my posts in 2022

Only 9% of my posts had no tags

#warrior nun - 440 posts

#avatrice - 253 posts

#personal - 92 posts

#snort - 71 posts

#ava silva - 69 posts

#aloto - 53 posts

#cat - 50 posts

#sister beatrice - 48 posts

#supercorp - 41 posts

#i love it - 30 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#because it's like if people who love kara and lena's relationship put the same energy into a couple who are actually allowed to be together

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

"any funny bloopers you can remember?"

Also the church scene! Kristina and I did not have the easiest time with this wire stunt 🙃 We thought we were falling each time and just burst out laughing out of complete panic - alba baptista (warrior nun q&a 20221127)

389 notes - Posted November 28, 2022

#4

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480 notes - Posted December 13, 2022

#3

i never noticed that here, ava turns around and sees beatrice sitting and watching the movie, and laughs. she's probably never seen beatrice in this state before. god ava is so endeared by a beatrice that is this unrestrained and distracted.

510 notes - Posted December 13, 2022

#2

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612 notes - Posted December 11, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

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1,255 notes - Posted December 11, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #yes i only made 5 posts last year dont look #personal

[donveinot]

[tpanan]

My Saturday Daily Blessings

October 1, 2022

 Be still quiet your heart and mind, the LORD is here, loving you talking to you...........                                                                      

Memorial of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church (Catholic Observance) Lectionary 460, Cycle C

First Reading: Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17

Job answered the LORD and said: I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered. I have dealt with great things that I do not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know. I had heard of you by word of mouth, but now my eye has seen you. Therefore I disown what I have said, and repent in dust and ashes. Thus the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his earlier ones. For he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses. And he had seven sons and three daughters, of whom he called the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Kerenhappuch. In all the land no other women were as beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers. After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; and he saw his children, his grandchildren, and even his great-grandchildren. Then Job died, old and full of years.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130

"Lord, let your face shine on me."

Verse before the Gospel: Matthew 11:25

R: Alleluia, Alleluia

"Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom."

R: Alleluia, Alleluia

**Gospel: Luke 10:17-24

The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven. ”At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

Meditation:

Do you know and experience in your personal life the joy of the Lord? The Scriptures tell us that "the joy of the Lord is our strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). Why does Jesus tell his disciples to not take joy in their own successes, even spiritual ones? Jesus makes clear that the true source of our joy is God himself, and God alone. Regardless of the circumstances, in good times and bad times, in success or loss, God always assures us of victory in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus assures his disciples that he has all power over all evil, including the power of Satan and the evil spirits (demons) - the fallen angels who rebelled against God and who hate men and women who have been created in God's image and likeness (Genesis 1:29). Jesus told his disciples that he came into the world to overthrow the evil one (John 12:31). That is why Jesus gave his disciples power over Satan and his legion of demons (rebellious angels). We, too, as disciples of Jesus have been given spiritual authority and power for overcoming the works of darkness and evil (1 John 2:13-14).

Self-centered pride closes the mind to God's revelation and wisdom Jesus thanks the Father in heaven for revealing to his disciples the wisdom and knowledge of God. What does Jesus' prayer tell us about God and about ourselves? First, it tells us that God is both Father and Lord of earth as well as heaven. He is both Creator and Author of all that he has made, the first origin of everything and transcendent authority, and at the same time, goodness and loving care for all his children. All fatherhood and motherhood is derived from him (Ephesians 3:14-15).

Jesus' prayer also contains a warning that pride can keep us from the love and knowledge of God. What makes us ignorant and blind to the things of God? Sinful pride springs from being self-centered and holding an exaggerated view of oneself. Pride closes the mind to God's truth and wisdom for our lives. Lucifer, who was once the prince of angels, fell into pride because he did not want to serve God but wanted to be equal with God. Through his arrogant pride he led a whole host of angels to rebel against God. That is why the rebellious angels (whom Scripture calls evil spirits, devils, and demons) were cast out of heaven and thrown down to the earth. They seek to lead us away from God through pride and rebellion.

How can we guard our hearts from sinful pride and rebellion? The virtue of humility teaches us to put our trust in God and not in ourselves. God gives strength and help to those who put their trust in him. Humility is the only true remedy against sinful pride. True humility, which is very different from the feelings of inferiority or low self-esteem, leads us to a true recognition of who we are in the sight of God and of our dependence on God.

Humility is the only soil where God's grace and truth can take root Jesus contrasts intellectual pride with child-like simplicity and humility. The simple of heart are like "babes" or "little children" in the sense that they see purely without pretense or falsehood and acknowledge their dependence and trust in one who is greater, wiser, and more trustworthy. They seek one thing - the "summum bonum" or "greatest good" who is God himself. Simplicity of heart is wedded with humility, the queen of virtues, because humility inclines the heart towards grace and truth.

Just as pride is the root of every sin and evil inclination, so humility is the only soil in which the grace of God can take root. It alone takes the right attitude before God and allows him as God to do all. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6). The grace of Christ-like humility inclines us towards God and disposes us to receive God's wisdom and help. Allow the Lord Jesus to heal the wounds of pride in your heart and to fill you with the joy of the Holy Spirit who transforms us into the likeness of Christ himself - who is meek and humble of heart (Matthew 11:29).

Nothing can give us greater joy than the knowledge that we are God's beloved and that our names are written in heaven. The Lord Jesus has ransomed us from slavery to sin, Satan, and death and has adopted us as God's beloved sons and daughters. That is why we no longer belong to ourselves - but to God alone. Do you seek to be like Jesus Christ in humility and simplicity of heart?

The Lord Jesus wants us to know him personally - experientially Jesus makes a claim which no one would have dared to make: He is the perfect revelation of God - he and the Father are perfectly united in a bond of unbreakable love and fidelity. One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we can know the living God. Our knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something about God, but we can know God personally. The essence of Christianity, and what makes it distinct from Judaism and other religions, is the knowledge of God as our Father. Jesus makes it possible for each of us to personally know God as our Father. Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote: "God loves each of us as if there were only one of us to love."

Seek God with expectant faith and trust To see Jesus is to see what God is like. In Jesus we see the perfect love of God - a God who yearns over men and women, who cares intensely for them and who shows them unceasing kindness, mercy, and forgiveness. That is why the Father sent his only begotten Son who laid down his life for us on the cross. Jesus taught his followers to confidently pray to the Father with expectant faith, "Our Father who art in heaven ...give us this day our daily bread." Do you believe in your heavenly Father's care and love for you and do you pray with confident trust and hope that he will give you what you need to live as his son or daughter?

Most High and glorious God, enlighten the darkness of our hearts and give us a true faith, a certain hope and a perfect love. Give us a sense of the divine and knowledge of yourself, so that we may do everything in fulfillment of your holy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Prayer of Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226)

Sources:

Lectionary for Mass for use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, copyright (c) 2001, 1998, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain (c) 1968, 1981, 1997, international committee on english in the liturgy, Inc All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner

**Meditations may be freely reprinted and translated into other languages for non-profit use only. Please cite copyright and original source. Copyright 2021 Daily Scripture Readings and Meditation, dailyscripture.net author Don Schwager