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yourlocalcatholic · 3 years

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How do you make the decision to go from pagan to catholic? What was the breaking point that told you it wasn’t right?

I’m no witch, never been comfortable with the use of magic so I never honestly practiced anything. But like I’ve called myself pagan for years and never have I found a community where I didn’t feel like an outsider. I’ve talked to many pagans, introduced my best friend into it and watching him get so into it in a almost obsessed way has made me feel even more so like an outsider. Sometimes I can tell he’s disappointed that I don’t see the beauty in the magic or tarot like he does. I’ve been feeling so lost and my family has never been church goers so it’s not like I have any idea how I’m supposed to go about any of it.

Early on when I was exploring Christianity again, I came to an impasse. I realized that there simply was no way to have a foot in both worlds; there was no way I could be both pagan and Christian. I had a choice: the Christian God or the pagan gods. At first it started out as “well I’ll just take a break from paganism to explore Christianity and see where that takes me”, but that quickly developed into a complete renouncement of my pagan past. What started out as “dipping my toe in the waters” soon became submersion.

What happened between the toe-dip and the submersion was a lot of research and a lot of prayer. I read the Catechism that my RCIA director gave me and buried myself into Scott Hahn’s books. I had a list of topics that I disagreed with the Catholic Church on, and one by one I researched the Church’s teachings on each of those topics. One by one, the teachings of the Church trumped my previously held beliefs. Granted, before my conversion I knew very little about what I actually believed (in regards to topics such as abortion, marriage, sex, etc.). The worldview I once adhered to as a pagan crumbled, and I no longer could defend staying with my pagan gods.

I definitely know where you’re coming from. No matter what pagan community I found myself in, I felt like an outsider. I too felt lost and unfulfilled. Because I lacked connections, it was rather easy for me to disappear from my pagan circles as I explored Christianity. My family was never big about religion or church either, so I was completely alone in my pursuits. I just decided one day to email a local church, show up to Mass one evening, and from there it became a domino effect. I soon signed up for my parish’s RCIA class, found myself a sponsor, and with each passing day I became more and more enveloped into Christianity.

If I had to summarize, the main reasons why I chose Christianity over paganism are as follows:

1. Paganism left me spiritually starved. No matter how many offerings I gave, how many prayers I said, how much devotion I gave to the gods, I was in constant desolation. My mental, emotional, and spiritual health were devoid of life as a pagan. The Bible, on the other hand, answers my emotional needs more so than any other religion or psychologist.

2. The teachings of Christ are infinitely more reliable and truthful than the teachings of the pagan gods that I followed. I realized that the worldview perpetuated by the pagan gods was not the truth. Rather, truth was in Christ alone. Everything that the Bible and the Church teaches has the ring of truth to it. C.S. Lewis perfectly captures how we must approach Christ: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

3. The historical evidence of Christ’s life AND His Resurrection cannot be ignored. There is so much evidence of the Resurrection that any historian would say that it absolutely did happen, but they reject it because it is a supernatural act.

#personal

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christianstevefinnell · 3 years

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THE EXACT TRUTH BY STEVE FINNELL

If you were looking for the exact truth where would you look? Would you look in books written from oral man-made tradition? Would you look in the books of opinions aka, as Bible commentaries? Would you look in man-made creed books that voice their opinions as to the meaning of Scripture? Would look in books written about the Bible? Would you consult extra-Biblical books to learn God's truth?

The exact truth is found in Scripture and Scripture alone.

Luke 1:1-4......3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.

Luke did not write down man-made traditions.

Mark 12:10 Have you not read this Scripture: 'THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDER REJECTED BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER STONE;

Jesus taught from Scripture. He did not teach from made-made tradition, oral nor written.

Matthew 12:5 Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent?

Jesus did not asked the Pharisees if they had read in the man-made traditions of the elders.

Mark 12:24 Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God?

Jesus did not tell the Sadducees that they were mistaken because they did not understand the writings of the early church fathers.

John 5:39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, it is these that testify about Me,

Jesus did not say you search the man-made church catechism.

Matthew 26:54 How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?"

Jesus did not asked Peter how will the words of the Bible commentaries be fulfilled?

John 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water!"

Jesus did not say as the books written about the Scripture said.

John 19:24 So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be"; this was to fulfill the Scripture: "They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots."

This did not happen in order to fulfill what was written in creed books.

Acts 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from the Scripture he preached Jesus to him.

Philip did not open some extra-Biblical book and preach Jesus to the eunuch.

Romans 10:11 For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

It is not the church catechism, the Bible commentary, or any other extra-Biblical book that should be doing the talking. It is the Scripture that says.

Galatians 3:22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

There is no promise given because of man-made writings. It is the Scripture and the Scripture alone.

Acts 17:2 And according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

Paul did not use the man-made church catechisms of the elders as a teaching tool.

1 Timothy 4:13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.

The apostle Paul did not tell Timothy to publicly read from a man-made creed book, Bible commentaries, church statements of faith, writings of the early church fathers, nor the denominational book of the month. Paul said read from the Scripture. Did Paul, simply not understand that the Scriptures were not sufficient to teach the truth about God' plan for mankind?

Acts 18:28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Apollos did not need nor did he use extra-Scriptural references to refute the Jews. He used the Scriptures and the Scriptures alone.

Acts 20:20-27 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable,......27 For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.

The apostle Paul declared the whole purpose of God. The so-called modern day prophets. The ones who contend they are still receiving new revelations from God, and all other extra-Biblical creed book writers are in fact denying that Paul declared the whole purpose of God. Who are you going to believe?

Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

The Scriptures give hope. Extra-Biblical writings give the opinions of men.

2 Peter 3:15-16 .... brother Paul , according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

The words and letters of Paul and the rest of the apostles were Scriptures. The words of man-made creed books, man-made church catechisms, Bible commentaries, books written by the gospel preacher of the month, writings of the early church fathers, Greek dictionaries and all other extra-Biblical writings are not Scriptures.

There has been no new Scripture since A.D 100 nor is there any need for more instruction from God. WE HAVE THE BIBLE.

THE BIBLE AND THE BIBLE ALONE IS WHERE YOU CAN FINED THE EXACT TRUTH!

(Scripture from: NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE)

What's Going On In The World?

GEORGE L. FAULL

Antony Flew, world’s most respected atheist has changed his mind. He is now an admitted deist (one who believes God created the world and went off and left it to run on its own with no revelation of His will to His creatures.). The thing that convinced him was the design of DNA. He reminded journalists that even Darwin required a creator to start it all. He also says that the resurrection of Jesus has more evidential support than any other miracle. His stumblingblock is the problem of evil in the world. He regards Islam with horror and fear due to their desire to conquer the world.

Robert Schuller, of the Glass Cathedral.

Two of Schuller’s students are Bill Hybels and Rick Warren. Schuller says we do wrong in making people aware that they are sinners. He stresses mans value instead of mans unworthiness. The boys have learned well. Hybel, Warren, and Schuller have had more input in our Churches in the last 10 years than Paul or Peter. Incidentally, Schuller said it would not disturb him to come back in 200 years and find his descendants Muslims. That will never happen simply because he isn’t coming back.

Fuller Theological Seminary President speaks to Mormons.

In speaking to them in Salt Lake, Richard Moun apologized that evangelicals “have often misrepresented the faith and beliefs of the Latter Day Saints. We evangelicals have sinned against you.” Better think twice before you send your Preacher to a Fuller Church growth meeting. Our preachers are attending in droves to Rick Warren, Jack Hayford and other such gurus who espouse the Fuller attitude. They invite in every hue of sectarianism to these Church growth meetings including Mormons.

TBN’s Paul CrouchThe charismatic Paul Crouch of TBN attempted to conceal the fact that he was gay by paying $425,000.00 to Laverne Ford who eventually exposed him. Crouch also said, “I have come to the conviction that Martin Luther made a mistake, he should have never left the Catholic Church. I am eradicating the word Protestant from my vocabulary. I am not protesting anything. It’s time for Catholics and Non-Catholics to come together as one in the spirit and one in the Lord.” TBN is an apostate network that some of our men appear on for interviews.

Max Lucado

Max Lucado, the new darling of the North American Christian Convention, used to be a Church of Christ preacher. In October, he changed the name of Oak Hills Church of Christ. He dropped the “Church of Christ” name in an effort to reach people hesitant to attend a Church of Christ. His Church jumped from 3,300 to 4,500 in 6 months. At a Charismatic Promise Keepers rally he said, “It does not matter about your denomination, it’s all about God.” Oak Hills has a booklet called, “

The Purpose of a Teaching Position

”. It says,

“A teaching position serves to articulate the convictions of the Oak Hills leadership on a particular doctrine or practice. This paper on the topic of baptism is useful for:

Those who have never been baptized.

If you want to become a member of Oak Hills and have not been baptized, we ask you to do so.

Those who have been baptized

, but not by immersion. We have many potential members who were baptized by sprinkling, usually as infants. This paper will help you see why we baptize by immersion. It also explains why we don’t baptize infants. We urge you to read the paper and consider adult baptism. If you choose not to be immersed at this time, we still welcome you as a member. We ask only that you respect this position and not be divisive. Members serving in instructional capacities (such as Bible class teachers, small group leaders, and ministry leaders, elders and staff ministers) need to be in agreement and compliance with the teaching position.

Those who have been baptized by immersion.

It is our prayer that this study will give you new insights into the beauty, simplicity, and significance of this demonstration of devotion.

Open membership was the hottest debated issue in the Restoration Movement in the last century. Today, the Brethren heading up our Colleges and conventions and camps have no conscience at all of bringing in apostates like Max Lucado, David Reagan and others of that persuasion.

Tony Compolo

They even bring in Tony Compolo, who even many denominational Churches will not use because of his stating that homosexuals were born that way. He has socialist agendas. He was brought to a heresy trial in 1985 for saying that Christ is in every human being. His wife promotes homosexual marriages. He often uses vulgarisms in the pulpit to shock and shame his listeners. His defense, “what’s worse, is that you’re more upset with the fact that I said [vulgarism] than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night!” This was repeated at one of our schools.

John Hagee

John Hagee of TV fame believes that the spiritual gifts still continues today is getting a larger following. He has raised thousands of dollars to move Jews to the Holy Land, uprooting Palestinian Christians in the process. He believes Christians should have no duty to evangelize Jews since eventually. “All Israel will be saved.” He is a Christian Zionist. He pals around with Benny Hinn and other Charismatic charlatans. He is best known for his pushing of the Jewish agenda, thinking they have a spiritual relationship with God that will bring about their redemption without Christ but by living only in the light of the Torah. He says,

“I’m not out to convert the Jewish people to the Christian faith.” He adds, “In fact, trying to convert Jews is a waste of time. The Jewish person who has his roots in Judaism is not going to convert to Christianity. There is no form of Christian evangelism that has failed so miserably as evangelizing the Jewish people. They (already) have a faith structure. Everyone else, whether Buddhist or Baha’i, needs to believe in Jesus. But not Jews. Jews already have a covenant with God that has never been replaced by Christianity”.

Hagee is renown for taking on anti-Semetics but he is in reality, the true anti-Semetic for he will not evangelize the Jew and give them what they need for eternal salvation.

Rick Warren

Rich Warren, of “The Purpose Driven Church”, and “The Purpose Driven Life” fame has changed the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ more than any fad for the past century due to gullibility of our preachers. He has been fellowshipping with John Templeton of the John Templeton Foundation. Templeton awards a million dollars to different persons who further the cause of harmonizing world religions. These have been awarded Agnostics, Pantheists, Hindu’s, Muslims, Buddhists, Jews as well as Billy Graham, Chuck Colson, Bill Bright, and Mother Teresa.

Is Rick after such?

Who knows? Having sold millions of books, he certainly does not need the money. He is now one of the judges for a written essay contest that Templeton is holding. He will serve as judge in the contest with renowned left-wing radicals.

TV Attention Deficit DisorderPortland (Oregon) Life found that for every hour per day preschoolers watch TV, then chance of developing attention deficit disorders later in life has boosted 10%. This is an alarming fact. You need more than control. Abstinence may be easier than temperance.

Billy GrahamRobert Schuller asked Billy Graham this question, “Tell me, what do you think is the future of Christianity?”

Graham’s reply was:

“Well, Christianity and being a true believer you know, I think there’s the Body of Christ. This comes from all the Christian groups around the world. Outside the Christian groups, I think everybody who knows Christ, whether they are conscious of it or not, they’re members of the Body of Christ. I don’t think that we’re going to see a great sweeping revival that will turn the whole word to Christ at any time. I think James answered that. The Apostle James in the first council in Jerusalem, when he said that God’s purposes for this age is to call out a people for His name whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world, or the Christian world, or the non-believing world, they are members of the Body of Christ, because they’ve been called by God. They may not even know the name of Jesus, but they know in their hearts that they need something that they don’t have, and I think they turn to the only light they have, and I think that they are saved, and that they are going to be in heaven with us” (Billy Graham, televised interview with Robert Schuller, May 13, 1997).

In response to Graham’s totally unscriptural statement, Schuller explained, “What, what I hear you saying is that it’s possible for Jesus Christ to come into human hearts and soul and life even if they’ve been born in darkness and never had an exposure to the Bible. Is that a correct interpretation of what you are saying?”Graham answered, “Yes, it is because I believe that. I’ve met people in various parts of the world in tribal situations, that they have never seen a Bible or heard about a Bible, and never heard of Jesus, but they’ve believed in their hearts that there was a God, and they’ve tried to live a life that was quite apart from the surrounding community in which they lived.” This was 1997. But even as far back as 1961 Graham said of infant baptism,

“ I have some difficulty in accepting the indiscriminate baptism of infants without a careful regard as to whether the parents have any intention of fulfilling the promise they make. But I do believe that something happens at the baptism of an infant, particularly if the parents are Christians and teach their children Christian truths from childhood. We cannot fully understand the miracles of God, but I believe that a miracle can happen in these children so that they are regenerated, that is, made Christians, through infant baptism. If you want to call that baptismal regeneration, that’s all right with me.”

(Lutheran Standard October 10

, 1961)

Graham has for years turned over the names of those who came forward at his rallies to the Churches from which they came. In 1957 Graham said, “Anyone who makes a decision at our meetings is seen later and referred to local clergymen, Protestant, Catholic or Jewish.” (San Francisco news)

Yet many of our top leaders in our own Churches appear with Graham and support his crusades...SHAME!

“KINSEY” Movie,

You need to know that Alfred Kinsey, the hero of the movie, was a pervert, pedophile, wife swapper, bi-sexual and the one who deceived America with his false

Kinsey Report

. He is the one who made up the lie that 10% of Americans are homosexual. He used for his own survey prison inmates and prostitutes. He made his staff perform lewd sex acts on film. He employed no trained statistician. He himself should have been imprisoned as a pedophile. The American Legislative Exchange Council (2400 State Legislators) recently concluded the

Kinsey Report

was “illegal and criminal acts masquerading as science.” See proof of all this in a book by Judith Rusmar and another by Susan Brinkmann or contact the eagleforum.org website.

The above news information has been gleaned from

The Calvary Contender

The Sword of the Lord

O Timothy

Christian News

The Eagle Forum

, and

The Way of Life

magazines. These groups do a great service in marking those who teach contrary to what the Christian has learned from the Holy Apostles.Posted by

INHERITED SIN, SIN NATURE, AND TOTALLY DEPRAVITY? BY STEVE FINNELL

According to those who believe in the doctrine of original sin, because Adam sinned, all men are born guilty of sin, with a sin nature, and totally depraved, and void of free-will to do good or resist evil.

If all men are born guilty of sin, then the 57,000,000 million babies who have been killed by abortion are on their way to hell. Babies are babies before they are born. Unborn babies have no chance to believe and be baptized in order to be saved. The truth is babies are not guilty of Adam's sin. People who sin are guilty of sin. Adam was guilty of his sin. Men are not guilty of sin until they reach an age of accountability. Babies born nor babies unborn do not know right from wrong. They are not sinners.

Are all people born with a sinful nature and totally depraved? Do men have the ability to choose right from wrong?

Can men choose good and resist evil? Do men have free-will?

Luke 1:5-6 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.(NKJV)

If all people are born with a sin nature and are totally depraved, then how could Zacharias and Elizabeth be righteous and blameless before the Lord?

Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.(NKJV)

How was it possible for Job to be blameless, upright, and resist evil, if he was born with a sin nature, totally depraved, and without free-will?

1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him." But the people answered him not a word.(NKJV)

Why did Elijah offer the people a choice to follow God or Baal if the all the people were born with a sin nature, totally depraved, and unable to choose between good and evil?

The truth is men do not inherit the guilt Adam's sin. Men are not born with a sin nature and totally depraved. Men have free-will.

MAN-MADE CLIMATE? BY STEVE FINNELL

Man-made climate control? Really?

Matthew 5:45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; He makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.(NKJV)

Following the logic of man-made climate change and global warming advocates, man-made CO2 emissions sends and prevents the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

Satan is the great deceiver!

PRO-CHOICE CHRISTIAN---REALLY? BY STEVE FINNELL

What is a pro-choice Christian? Their message is, "I am personally opposed to abortion, however, a women should have the right to kill her unborn baby." That is a self-contradiction. You can be against abortion or for abortion, but cannot have it both ways.

Can you imagine a person stating, "I am personally opposed to slavery, however, slave owners should have the right to choose." Who would be pro-choice concerning slavery?

What about being pro-choice on theft? Can you be personally against theft, but support a person's right to steal?

There are absolutes. There is right and wrong. There is no middle ground when it comes to sin.

#read more at steve-finnell.blogspot.com

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queen-scribbles · 6 years

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Common Thread

For @pillarspromptsweekly #31: Inquisitor Kinda short, because I wound up having to revamp part of it. (god the title took forever. It’s not perfect, but seriously, I’ve been sitting on this all. day. trying to title it so I don’t care anymore xD)

They came in the middle of the night, and woke her up, which Tavi was more angry about than the fact they were trying to kill her.

Decades of living on the run, constantly on alert, had made her a very light sleeper, however. She was wide awake at the first creak of her window sill, though she feigned otherwise. Questions like who was brazen(or desperate) enough to come after her in Caed Nua rather than on the road, or why, would have to wait for if she left any of the would-be attackers alive. Tavi curled her hand around the hilt of the dagger she kept under her pillow and waited for one of them to get close enough. The floorboards around her bed creaked--something she refused to let the Steward have fixed for this exact reason--so she wouldn’t be caught unawares.

The telltale creak came only a few seconds later, and Tavi was moving almost before the intruders could worry they were given away. Gripping the dagger tight, she rolled across the bed toward the approaching assassins. The second she made contact, she struck, driving her blade deep into the kith’s chest and using her momentum to knock them to the ground.

There were muffled oaths from two other folk who were less close and saw their friend go down. Still trying for some degree of secrecy, they did not raise their voices as they moved to strike at her.

Tavi raised her arms to deflect the blows, forgetting for a moment that she wasn’t using her sabres. By pure luck, the dagger came free of her first victim in time to block one attack, but the other bit into her forearm. “Fuck!”

She rolled away from the first assailant, trusting she’d done enough damage he wouldn’t be a problem, and narrowly dodged another strike as she made it to her feet. Now better able to see the remaining attackers, Tavi lashed out with the dagger and caught one across the throat as he closed in. He went down with a gurle, one hand futilely grasping at the wound.

The last one growled another oath at the sight of his dying fellows. “Vailian bitch, why’d you have to be so fucking difficult?!” He dodged her next swipe at him and grabbed her wrist, twisting until she was almost forced to drop the dagger.

“Sorry,” Tavi grunted, punching him in the face with her free hand. Something cracked and he instinctively loosened his grip enough she could pull away. “I’ve gotten a lot of practice survivin’ shit people hoped would kill me.” She flipped the dagger in her hand and jammed it in the hollow of the man’s collarbone as he staggered.

Even as he fell, he took a final, desperate swing at Tavi with his short sword. He caught her on the shoulder, cutting in toward the center of her chest.

“Even the best of us make mistakes,” he rasped, and the words seared down to Tavi’s soul, dragging her away as she heard the door to her room open.

oOo

“Even the best of us make mistakes,” she says reassuringly as Derwa stumbles over a portion of catechism that Petrok reeled off easy as breathing. It’s the first time in months the girl hasn’t done better than her brother, and the gleam in Petrok’s eye makes it clear he’s about to tease.

So she rests a comforting hand on Derwa’s shoulder and sends Petrok a warning look. He gets the message and bites his tongue. Derwa tucks her red curls behind her ears and tries again, doing much better this time.

“There, see?” she says, smiling at the young girl. “I knew you’d remember. Excellent job. Now why don’t you two go see if Mabena or Jory need any help?”

It’s as the gangly twins scurry off that she notices she’s being watched. And by the Grand Inquisitor himself, no less. “You are Kayna, are you not? I’ve heard much regarding how you help the youngest of our faith with their memorization.”

She nods in acknowledgement of the praise. “Thank you, Eminence. It is my pleasure to serve the faith, with everything you’ve done for me.”

The Grand Inquisitor purses his lips. “I wonder, Acolyte Kayna, do you truly believe the words you help our children commit to memory? Or has simple duty overtaken devotion?”

Her heart pounds at the thought he doubts her commitment. “My duty is driven by my devotion, Eminence. I owe the gods far too much to ever let that change.”

He smiles, but it is different than the children’s grins, or the slow spread of delight across her sister’s face. More serious, even in his approval. Like a teacher with a pupil who has given the correct answer to a brainteaser. “I am glad to hear it. Tell me, would you be willing to share what the gods have done for you and your gratitude for it in pursuit of bringing more people to our faith?”

She presses her hands to her chest as if to physically quell the risiing tide of delight. “Willing? Eminence, I’d be honored!”

He nods once, a curt but satisfied motion. “We are having commissioning ceremony for new missionaries at the stat of the new week. It would please me greatly if you were among them, Kayna.”

She nods excitedly, already wondering where her service to the gods will send her. “Of course...”

oOo

Coming to her senses after one of those... visions had always been fucking disorienting, but this time was worse than before. Especially given that it was immediately followed by the realization, This isn’t my room.

When she started to push herself up to a sitting position, head buzzing with the lingering tendrils of memory, her shoulder protested sharply. Oh, right. Tavi flopped back at the reminder of what had triggered this episode, feeling the bandages that swathed her injured shoulder with curious fingers. It seemed like a lot, but that wound was in an awkward place to bandage. She was just reaching the point of trying again--this time supporting her weight in her uninjured arm--when there was a relieved sigh from the doorway.

“You’re awake.”

Tavi grinned and carefully but swiftly pushed herself upright. “Worried about me, Corfiser?”

Aloth shrugged, fingers twisting one of his rings. “Shouldn’t I be? You were catatonic when... we found you, and Keya wasn’t sure if that was due to you having another of your... moments, as she put it, or some poison one of the dead assassins had used.” He crossed to sit on the other bed in the room, shifting the disarrayed sheets to be comfortable. “Tavi, do you recall our conversation not too terribly long ago about how you could stand to worry about yourself in combat a little? That extends to assassins infiltrating your bedroom as well.”

“If it had taken more than a minute to deal with, I would’ve,” Tavi retorted defensively. “Didn’t that same conversation involve me sayin’ you could stand to lighten up a little?” She caught the look that flashed across his face and winced. “Sorry, city slick- Aloth. You musta really been worried...” She was fishing a little, but gods forgive her, it was late, she was hurt, and she didn’t really care.

“Yes, well...” He hunched his shoulders and bit his lip briefly before meeting her eyes. “You were unresponsive, Tavi, and neither of your injuries looked severe enough to have caused such a state. I- Keya and I both guessed it might simply be another of your flashbacks, but it seemed to be lasting longer than the previous ones. So, yes, we were- I was worried about you.”

“Sweet of you,” Tavi teased, her heart fluttering. She contemplated swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, so she could better face him, but she was too tired. “Do we know who sent the assholes who were supposed to kill me?”

Aloth nodded, a note of wry sarcasm in his voice as he set a folded piece of parchment on the table between the beds. “You’ll never guess who.”

Normally she would have tried, but she was tired, and her arm hurt. “Fun as it would be to try, why don’t you just tell me?”

“Gathbin.”

Tavi’s eyes widened. “Shit, you’re right, I wouldn’t have guessed that. The Leaden Key or those people who’ve been huntin’ me, yeah, but not him.” She snagged the parchment and folded it open. “His name’s not on this.”

“But his seal is,” Aloth said. “Which I imagine a man like Gathbin guards even more jealously than his name.”

“He must’ve had a lot of faith in these assassins,” Tavi muttered, turning the parchment in her hands. “I mean, there’s gotta be some way to use this against him, right? He tried to have me killed over the fuckin’ keep, there hafta be rules about that.”

“We can talk to Marshal Forwyn in the morning,” Aloth suggested. “In the meantime, Sagani and Edér are retracing the assassins’ steps, to see where they came fom and how they got in, And Keya recruited Kana and Hiravias to go through their effects with her, so maybe they’ll find something more damning.”

“I fuckin’ hope so. This shit is getting annoyin’.” She yawned. “Sorry I worried you.” Exhaustion sat heavy on her, but she didn’t feel like giving in quite yet. She glanced around the room, smirking slightly at the pair of grimoires open on the desk. “Your room?”

It was Aloth’s turn to sound defensive. “Yours is currently covered in blood. And mine was closest.” (It wasn’t; Sagani and Keya’s was, but she wasn’t about to call him on the fib.) Well, closest with an extra bed,” he amended.

“Mm.” Nice save, Corfiser.

He hesitated a moment before asking his next question. “Was it one of your flashbacks?”

Tavi nodded. “Yeah.”

“What did you see this time?”

“I learned what my... her? name was; Kayna. And that that life was a very religious kiss-ass and a wallflower.”

“Nothing like you, then,” Aloth said, teasing glint in his eye.

Tavi squinted at him. “Disappointed?”

He smiled and shook his head. “Never. You should probably get some more sleep. Minimal as your injuries were, you did still lose blood, and Keya said rest will help.”

She nodded. “I will. If you promise to go to sleep, too. I”m fine, these are basically nothing” --she held up her arm with its two bandaged wounds-- “the copperfuckers who tried to kill me are dead, and we have a busy day tomorrow. So since there’s no more danger and I need you functional, the best thing you can do right now is go to sleep with me.” Her cheeks flamed and part of her wanted to hide under the blankets. “I mean, fuck, not with me. At the same time as... You know what I meant.”

Aloth laughed, cheeks slightly pink nevertheless as he settled into bed. “I do. Goodnight, Tavi.”

He blew out the lone candle before rolling over to go to sleep, but Tavi still smiled in the darkness. “Night, city slicker.”

#queens fic #pillars prompts weekly #tavi illani #pillars of eternity

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bibleteachingbyolga · 3 years

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What Christian father lacks the deep desire to see his sons become men who are wise, godly, strong, selfless, mature, and responsible?

I have prayed that my son would become a man consumed by a passion for the supremacy of Christ so that he pours himself out in sacrificial love for others. Ultimately the Lord does this, not us. “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6). God builds. Fathers labor, plant, and water, but God alone gives growth. Even still, God calls Spirit-filled fathers to faithfully bring up their children in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Loving fathers want to do everything in their power to help their sons become mature men.

But our world is confused on adulthood generally, and manhood in particular. The fog of confusion inevitably seeps into churches. The fog clouds our parenting. I tremble at the possibility of failing to give my son the opportunity to realize his potential as a mature and godly man. But the Lord is our Shepherd. By grace, I’m witnessing him build my boy into a man, in part through an approach I have learned from the Scriptures, the church, and other Bible teachers.

Acknowledging that my son (now 15) and I are still very much in the process of launching him well into manhood, and that we cannot be sure now whether his current trajectories will hold over decades, and that the specifics will undoubtedly be different for different families, here are a few principles guiding me in raising a man, under the three broad steps: aim, ready, fire.

Aim: Clarify the Goal

First, we take aim. We clarify the goal. What are we praying and working toward for our boys? For us, that has been mature Christian manhood. Even if God doesn’t save our son under our roof, we can pray that our efforts set him up for responsible manhood in common grace, with seeds planted to bear fruit if the Lord eventually converts him (Matthew 11:25–27).

Define what manhood is and when manhood happens. We have tried to clarify what manhood is so that our son can aim at it. What is manhood? In a two-part series, Albert Mohler gives a clue reflecting on the question, “When does a boy become a man?” Mohler answers that a boy becomes a man when he reaches a level of maturity spiritually, personally, economically, physically, sexually, morally, ethically, relationally, socially, verbally, and in worldview, character, and biblical knowledge.

Much of what Mohler points to, however, is adulthood in general rather than manhood in particular. So, taking Mohler’s reflections with John Piper’s definition of manhood (What’s the Difference? 23–47), we might summarize when a boy becomes a man this way:

A boy becomes a man when he becomes mature enough to embrace and enjoy the sense of responsibility to lead, provide for, and protect women and children in ways appropriate to a man’s differing relationships in order to fulfill humanity’s God-given commission.

As an (important) aside, the definition of womanhood completes this concept of manhood. To build again on Piper’s definition, I would describe mature womanhood this way:

The essence of mature femininity is the freeing disposition to support and strengthen worthy leadership from men (and reject or redirect unworthy leadership) in ways appropriate to a woman’s differing relationships in order to fulfill humanity’s God-given commission.

The definition of manhood above has been my goal as a dad: help my son reach a level of maturity to embrace and enjoy this sense of masculine responsibility. How do I help him get there? Through preparation and commencement.

Ready: Prepare for Parting

To help prepare our boys for manhood, we can communicate the calling, instruct him for it, and lean on the help of others.

First, communicate the goal and a time frame. Communicating the goal has first meant making sure our son understands the definition of mature masculinity. In other words, have we clarified a goal for him?

As time progresses, we have reminded our son that God is growing him up to be a man and that he should aim to be a man when he comes of age. The Bible doesn’t provide a set age for this, and American culture is unclear on when a boy becomes a man. Is it at 21, when he can drink alcohol? At 18, when he can vote? At 16, when he can drive? Earlier does allow for some overlap in the home, in which we have affirmed his manhood but still have immediate influence on his development and decision-making.

Once my wife and I decided on a target age (for us, 13), we reminded him regularly, and especially each birthday, that he only had so much time before he would become a man (and that he had a lot of work to do to get there). If we determined that he wasn’t prepared at 13, we would have slowed the process and delayed entrusting him with more freedom and responsibility. Age 13 may or may not be a wise target for your son. It does seem wise, however, to have some intentional and communicated time frame. Targeting a specific age gives both you and your son a sense of clarity and urgency for cultivating the right maturities.

Teach and train him in knowledge and practice. Having established a target time frame, we instructed and trained our son for this calling. Leaning heavily on counsel from Vern Poythress, we pursued and encouraged specific growth and development in a handful of key areas. For example, we sought to train our son in knowledge of the Bible and the gospel, memorization of Bible verses (Psalm 119:11), and a grasp of our church catechism for basic theology.

We also repeatedly encouraged him to seek God through the disciplines of Bible reading, sermon listening, and repentance and gospel restoration. We exposed and called him to serve others by serving some of our homeless neighbors, helping other kids in the church, and leading in prayers in the home and in smaller group gatherings. We called him to develop physically with running, push-ups, and chin-ups. We studied financial stewardship. We reflected on basic objections to Christianity. We also taught him the goodness of God’s design in human sexuality.

Lean on the community. Another essential piece has been the local church. Our sons need the social skills of interacting with others from all walks of life, so we must lean on our churches to help in raising them.

Furthermore, our sons will learn how to lean on the community as they see their fathers getting help. Our church encourages and prays for adult members to build meaningful friendships with the children of the church for present and future discipleship. There is a wealth of wisdom and grace poured into the lives of our church families. To benefit from the church family, my son came up with several questions to interview some men he admired. He asked them questions like, When did you become a Christian? When did you feel like a man? What prepared you to lead a family? What helped you grow spiritually?

As sons hear the call, receive training in the knowledge and practice of maturity, and spend meaningful time with other men in the church, they will continue (by the grace of God) to mature in masculinity. Once ready for manhood, we now have an opportunity to clearly communicate their arrival.

Fire! His Turn to Step Up

To launch a son into manhood with clarity, we can now affirm his manhood, cut the cord of childhood, and partner with him in ministry.

Verify and affirm his manhood. For a father to clearly affirm his son’s manhood, we must first discern it. In a sense, the testing is going on for a year or so (or even longer) before the formal declaration of manhood.

I watched my son read his Bible and interact with family and friends. We conversed about many topics. I asked him questions about the Bible, basic theology, and personal purity. I observed his disciplines. We tested him physically in running and basic upper-body strength. I asked the other men who met with him how their conversations went and what they observed of my son. Once satisfied, we scheduled a time to declare and celebrate his manhood (again, inspired by Poythress) with our family, the men who invested in him, church family, friends, and neighbors.

Cut the cord of childhood. Once we declared our son to be a man, it has been up to us to live consistent with that reality and calling. Though he is a man, he has still been dependent on us. While he lives in our house, we have let him make as many decisions as possible. We switched our approach definitively from parental control to parental influence and guidance.

Partner in life and ministry. At this point of responsibility, we gave our son the opportunity to publicly profess faith in Christ and join the church. As he joined the church, we reminded him of his responsibilities as a member and of his accountability to church discipline (Matthew 18:15–17). We have encouraged our son to continue to engage the men and members of the church as he did in childhood. The difference now is that he does so as a man in discipling, accountability, and service. Like other members in the church, we share life and Jesus with one another and partner together to love our neighbors.

Sons of Clarity and Confidence

Even though the specific applications will look different for other families, I advise fellow parents to consider intentionally cultivating mature manhood in their boys through a clear aim, persevering and patient preparation, and a definitive declaration and commencement.

If we continue without clear direction, our boys may grow up confused and unprepared for manhood, leaving us disappointed with missed opportunities and untapped potential. But if we move forward deliberately, then our boys can grow up with clarity and confidence. If the Lord graciously saves them, then they will be set up for a life of joy serving our King and his kingdom.

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iprayunceasingly-blog · 5 years

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Iraq’s Chaldean Catholic refugees wait to leave Lebanon

New Post has been published on https://pray-unceasingly.com/catholic-living/catholic-news/iraqs-chaldean-catholic-refugees-wait-to-leave-lebanon/

Iraq’s Chaldean Catholic refugees wait to leave Lebanon

Beirut, Lebanon, Dec 23, 2018 / 02:40 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- On the last Saturday before Christmas, a community of Iraqi refugees living in Lebanon’s capital city of Beirut gathered together for the celebration of Mass.

Like the city they live in, the church building used by the Parish of St. Elias is not their own; It is another Eastern Catholic Church, Melkite Greek, lent to them three days a week for Mass, catechism classes, and other community activities.

And on the evening of Dec. 22nd, the church was also the location of a Christmas choral concert put on by a group of the refugee community’s young people; those who have “a beautiful voice,” as one non-performer described it.

The Chaldean Church, which can trace its roots back to at least the third century, has only been present in Lebanon for about the last 115 years. The first Chaldeans in Lebanon began when one priest and around 25 families from Iraq, Syria, and Iran arrived in the country, the Chaldean Bishop of Beirut, Michel Kassarji, told CNA.

He said that around 1914 another large group arrived in the country, fleeing Christian genocide in Turkey. Today, Lebanese Chaldeans number about 10,000, with most living in the capital city of Beirut. These 10,000 are served by two priests.

Added to these in recent years are around 3,500 Chaldean families, just a small portion of the estimated over 1.5 million refugees who fled to Lebanon from the instability, conflict, and terrorism in their home countries.

“Our duty as a Church is to serve these people as we can,” Kassarji said, which his diocese does in part through two refugee centers, one at the Parish of St. Elias.

—

Saturday’s anticipatory Mass, for the fourth Sunday of Advent, was celebrated in the Chaldean language, a dialect of Aramaic. It was said in a simple manner by Fr. Yousif Mikha who is studying in Beirut and who helps with the refugees. It was attended by a few dozen mothers, fathers, young people, and children.

Afterward, more people began to trickle into the church for the concert, and it was filled with a peaceful, but joyful energy, as people greeted each other, conversing softly over the noise of the choir’s final rehearsal.

People were open and friendly, and readily shared their stories about life in Iraq and in Lebanon.

“I and my husband do not work here, and this is difficult. We don’t like anything. We suffer here,” one woman from Baghdad told CNA. A mother of two school-age girls, she said she and her family have been in Beirut for two years, and that they are waiting to go to any city that is safe. “I don’t want to return to Iraq,” she said. “Life in Iraq is difficult now.”

Wilson Yonan, a husband and father of girls aged six and three, arrived with his family one and a half years ago. He explained that it is not legal for refugees to work because they are undocumented, though some companies will hire them for lower-than-average wages. Or some are paid to work at the church.

He would not return to Iraq, he said. “In my opinion, it won’t be safe in the near future. It needs a long time to be safe again. So that Christians can go back and live there again.”

About life in Lebanon, “what can I say?” he said. “We are going through some bad circumstances here because the living is really expensive.” He added: “We’re waiting to travel to one of the hosting countries, like Australia, Canada, the U.S.”

A 15-year-old boy named Issa said the same thing. His eyes lit up and he smiled as he explained that “soon,” he and his family would be moving to Canada, to rejoin two of his four sisters who were recently granted visas to enter the country.

The disappointment showed in his face as he shared that he had hoped to be celebrating Christmas in Canada this year, not in Lebanon, where he has lived with his parents and five siblings since he was a small child. “But it’s ok,” he said reassuringly, as he looked away.

—

Every single one of the refugees is waiting to leave and to go to Canada, Australia, or the United States, the director of the center, Raphael, told CNA. Visa applications are not something the center helps the Iraqi refugees with directly, but they provide legal support if needed.

Funded by aid given through the Chaldean Diocese in Beirut, the center runs programs to help refugees with rent and medical expenses, leads catechism lessons for children, and offers classes in things like English and IT for adults. The diocese also recently built a new school for over 100 children, overseen by 12 teachers who are also members of the community.

“We try to give them hope in the first place,” Raphael said. “It’s to feel like a family. I’m not just a director, I have this paternal figure [for them].”

Raphael, who is half Iraqi and half Lebanese, works one day a week as a sociology professor at a local university. But the other days he devotes himself completely to the community as a volunteer full-time director.

His dedication to the community is personal, he said. “I feel that these people who are displaced, they need more love than anything else. It’s not only relief work, it’s more giving love, giving tenderness to people that are really in bad conditions [spiritually], before being in bad conditions materially.”

“It’s small things that can make changes,” he noted, pointing to the evening’s Christmas concert as an example. It is about helping them to feel at home, not “displaced or abandoned,” he said.

“Activities like this one make them feel that they are doing something for the community. Especially the young ones that are going to sing today.”

The evening’s performance, of well over an hour, included songs in Arabic and Chaldean. At one particularly beautiful moment, the choir was silent, while Fr. Raphael Traboulsi, vicar general of the diocese, sang a portion of the Gospel of Matthew in Aramaic.

“Christmas,” Yonan said, “is a time of rethinking, rethinking about what God did for us. We were apart from God because of original sin. God wanted to bring us back. That’s why he sent his son Jesus to save us and bring us back home.”

“And,” he added, “it’s a time for party and entertainment, because it’s a happy time.”

CNA Daily News – Middle East – Africa

#Catholic #Chaldean #Iraq’s #leave #Lebanon #refugees #wait #Catholic News

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thetoorebelkidfan-blog · 6 years