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skvaderarts · 4 years

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Chapter Ten: Amalgamation

You can check out the Masterlist Here for more links to places to read!

SORRY I’M LATE AGAIN. I KNOW, I SUCK!

Chapter Ten: Amalgamation

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Notes: I genuinely can’t believe we’ve made it to chapter ten. It’s been nearly six years since I’ve written a fic this long, and the number of people who consistently come back twice every week to read what I’ve been working on is genuinely astonishing. Somehow after several years of no ideas and a dwindling interest in creating new content, we’ve arrived at 40k words and 1k readers! I can’t believe that we’re here. I’d like to thank HunterJamie, RubixaSeraph, SkylarMorgan1899, and Mallovarwen for commenting again with very enjoyable and helpful feedback, and thank first-time commentator Random Reader nothing special for their wonderful comment. It really warmed my heart. Thank you to everyone for their patience with my late releases this week. I’ve just been terrible at getting things done lately. Now, on to the chapter!

By all accounts, this was going to be the worst storm to hit the region in their current lifetime. The spokesperson on the portable radio that sat in the living room spoke of pitch-black clouds that hummed with dangerously high amounts of energy, abnormally large and concerningly frequent lightning strikes that almost seemed to be aiming towards objects on the planet’s surface, and torrential rains carried by winds just over fifty miles per hour. The streets had turned into rivers and the rivers were bursting at the seams while intermittent power failures plagued every building for miles to come. Reports of fires and car accidents came pouring into the station in droves as meteorologists combed through every piece of data they had, trying to form some sort of hypnosis as to where this freak act of nature had suddenly come from. Their analysis of the weather that day had been completely different. The prognosis was mass hysteria and paranoia across the board. And that was before the possibility of demons had been brought into the picture.

If this had been just a few months before the Redgrave City Disaster, the general public would have been quick to dismiss the notion that something supernatural might be going on, but things had decidedly taken a turn for the worst since then. People jumped at shadows, fearing and feeling the presence of denizens of oblivion at every turn. There was a fanatical talk show host at the end over every dial turn, and twice as many made for TV religious figureheads peddling disaster and armageddon into the open ears and closed minds of their eager listeners. The atmosphere was ripe with dread and superstition, and that was to say nothing about the rumors going around about some shadowy cabal that seemed to be investigating things around town, making a consorted effort to get the locals of the town of Enamel to divulge anything they knew about something dubious that most of the citizens couldn’t make sense of. Reports were scarce and inconsistent as to what this shadowy group wanted, but records of them were coming in from every corner of the region. It was unclear if they should be considered a threat to the general public since they had yet to harm anyone, but authorities were advising people to exercise caution.

Nero stepped into the room and found Kyrie listening to the broadcast, her normally serene demeanor showing slight signs of worry. He leaned over the back of the couch and wrapped his arms around her, eliciting a startled sound and an embarrassed smile from the young brunette woman. She gripped his hands for a moment, hugging his arm gently with the side of her face as closing her eyes and let out a melancholy sigh. The young devil hunter couldn’t help but notice her change in demeanor.

“You shouldn’t listen to that, Kyrie. It’s just going to make you worry.” Nero said using the top of his head to nuzzle her hair. He didn’t like to see her like this, as infrequent as it may be.

The normally chipper woman pulled away timidly and stood up, glancing in the direction of the stairs. The children were in their bedroom playing at the moment and she was glad for it. Not so much because she didn’t want to keep up with them (although she did need a break if she was being honest) but because she didn’t need them hearing this. After all the things that they had been through in their short lives; surviving the Savior incident, being displaced and rehomed, and then nearly losing Nero such a short while ago, the last thing she wanted to do was frighten them again.

“Your right, I should probably turn that off,” She said as she turned her attention to the hallway, her eyes seemingly fixated on something behind her domestic partner,” There isn’t anything I can do about the weather, and the power keeps going in and out anyway. I should save the battery in case there’s an emergency. it’s just… all this talk about a cult... ”

Nero put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her close, understanding now why she seemed so disconcerted. They had all lost so much during the attack a few years back. She didn’t need to explain to him why she would be worried about something like that. After all, it seemed like most residents of Fortuna were questioning key facets of their lives these days. The formerly devout community didn't show up to prayer as often as they once did if they showed up at all. Their faith had been totally and undeniably undermined. There were open debates about the merits and legitimacy of the Order of the Sword and its actions everywhere they went and no small number of turned heads whenever Nero or any other member of the Holy Knights went. It seemed that the entire city was united in shame and grief.

“Hey… don’t worry about it. You know I’m not going to let anything happen to any of you…” Nero hugged her and released her, allowing her to regain her.

Kyrie fixed her clothing and hair, taking a deep breath before exhaling and shaking herself as if doing so would somehow snap her out of her current state. She sighed and nodded, turning her head in the direction of the staircase again. The children had suddenly gotten significantly louder. After a moment, she stepped towards the stairs, turning back towards him as she went.

“Thank you, Nero… I… I don’t want you to worry. I know,” She smiled tenderly as she headed up the stairs, pointing at something behind him,” I’ll go check on the children. I think someone wants to talk to you.

With that, she disappeared up the stairs. Nero’s brow furrowed in perplexment as he turned around to see that V was in the room with him. Wrapped in the grey blanket that Kyrie had left him and leaning against the doorway to the room for support, he now looked more alert and healthy than he just had an hour or so ago. He had presumably heard and seen their entire conversation, but had chosen not to interject. Nero looked at him quietly for a moment before turning and going to sit on the couch.

He flopped down on the soft cushion and exhaled audibly, not sure how he felt at the moment. Although he hadn’t come to any sort of conclusion regarding this mysterious group that had been plaguing the area, he was willing to entertain the idea that something weird was going on. The odds of this otherworldly inclement weather starting the very same day that they brought V back from the great beyond was far too covenant to be a coincidence. True, it had been a foggy day, but the storm had started to roll in mere minutes after his resurrection and had intensified about a half-hour after they made port. And the intensity of the storm was questionable as well. It just seemed… aggressive, as though it served some other purpose and they were just missing something.

As Nero sat thinking, V approached the window nearest to him. It looked out over the street and down the block, showing a wonderful view of the distant shoreline during more ideal weather. He slowly walked over to it, staying decidedly close to the wall despite the fact that there was plenty of room for him to walk. When he reached his destination, he leaned back against the wall and pulled the mostly sheer curtains aside to get a better view of the outside world. He gazed outside quietly, half-turned away from Nero. Despite the deafening boom of thunder and the blistering speeds the wind was traveling at as it rattled the building slightly, V still found the sight of rain dripping off the overhead exterior window seal and then running down the window soothing.

“... Something isn’t right,” V said, not so much asking as he was stating a fact,” This storm is… unnatural, to say the least.”

Nero nodded two or three times as V turned to face him slightly more than he had been before. The taller man was most certainly fairing better now that Nero got a better look at him. He looked less pale now and closer to his normal skin tone, which was admittedly still pretty pale, and his balance seemed to be more steady. The shivering and clamminess that had plagued him seemed to be gone, and he was coherent.

“Yea, I kinda guessed that,” Nero said with a sarcastic tinge to his voice,” It started right after we brought you back. How’d you guess that something was going on?”

V turned his attention away from the window and turned to look at his brother again. He stepped forward and slid between the armchair and the side table that sat across from the couch and came to a stop in front of the couch. After taking a moment to regain his balance, he sat down on the other end of the couch and turned his attention back to his younger brother. “I can’t say. It’s just something I know.”

It was a sentiment they both shared for the same reasons, but there wasn’t a coherent explanation as to why this was between the two of them. The younger of the two deduced that maybe this was somehow connected to the spell they had performed earlier that day, but he couldn’t be sure. He was willing to believe that Magnolia was far more knowledgeable about these sorts of things than he was. Hell, everyone in his family probably knew more about this than he did. All this talk of realms of reality, contracts, and familiars went right over his head, despite the fact that he was not opposed to learning about any of it.

In an attempt to break the now marginally uncomfortable silence that was forming between them, Nero stood up and walked over to the fireplace across from the couch. He lit the gas fire, relishing in the fact that their home had one and that it wasn’t wood burning considering the age of the place. The cozy warmth started to spread throughout the available space in the room as Nero sat back down on the couch and stretched his arms out, trying to make himself more comfortable and seem more amicable. V wrapped himself in the blanket and curled up into the corner of the couch, giving a casual glance toward the window before shifting his focus towards the warm fire. Anyone with eyes could see that he felt more comfortable now that it was on.

“You turned on the fireplace,” V said casually as he adjusted himself under the blanket in order to be closer to the inviting warmth produced by the flickering flame. Nero nodded, taking a moment to realize that the very obvious statement was more of a question than anything else.

“Yea, well you were under a blanket so I figured…” Nero trailed off, scratching the back of his neck in discomfort. He was just now realizing that he hadn’t quite reached the stage with V where he felt comfortable explaining things like this, and he didn’t know for the life of him why he suddenly felt so uncomfortable. There was just something about V that unnerved him and made him unable to communicate the most basic things. He had never worked well with quiet people, but this was something else entirely. Hopefully, he would get better at communicating with him as time passed.

V looked at him thoughtfully, that devilish smirk that Nero was all too familiar with making an appearance for the first time since V’s untimely death. Nero gave him an incredulous look, unsure of what to do or say about his reaction. He wasn’t entirely sure why he looked so pleased with himself and that somehow made him even more uncomfortable.

Several sets of footsteps could be heard from behind them as they both turned to see Kyrie descending the stairs with the children in tow. She was carrying the once that V recognized; the littlest child named Carlo who had introduced himself earlier that day. But the other two boys who looked like they were probably biologically related to one another were unfamiliar to him, and he to them. Upon seeing him, the tallest child stopped and yanked the middle child to a stop, pointing at him with an excited look on his face. As Kyrie sat Carlo down in one of the living room chairs, the other children filed into the living room, their giant excited eyes fixed on V.

Nero stood up to go help Kyrie in the kitchen. Just as he did, the tallest child tugged on his shirt and pointed at V. “Hey, who’s that,” He inquired with interest and excitement evident in his voice,” You both have that cool white hair! Are you family?”

For reasons that he couldn’t quite place, his entire brain snagged like a rusted clock gear with a rope stuck in it at that question. Yes. Obviously, that was the answer. But for some unknown reason, he just couldn’t make that come out of his mouth. Maybe he just hadn’t truly grasped that concept yet. It was an irrefutable fact by this point, but somehow he just still couldn’t believe it in a way.

After a moment, Nero reached down and fluffed the inquisitive child’s head, nodding to him. “Yea. Were related.”

Before the wide-eyed child could ask him to elaborate, V chimed in from his comfortable position on the couch under his blanket by the fire. “It would appear that I’m his older brother.”

The little child giggled as Nero stared at V in surprise. He wasn’t expecting him to pick up on his burgeoning mental breakdown and come to his rescue. The middle child groaned, shaking his head. “Julio is my older brother! So you're both bigger than me!”

Julio placed his hands up to the sides of his head and wiggled them, taunting his little brother playfully. “Yea! Kyle and Carlo are my little brothers! I’m almost seven!”

V nodded quietly, honestly mildly entertained by the children’s antics. There was something about watching them tease and poke fun at one another that he found genuinely humorous. While his brothers terrorized each other, Carlo climbed down out of his seat and up onto the couch, sitting down surprisingly close to V. Considering the fact that he was around three, it wasn’t too shocking that he hadn’t figured out the concept of personal space yet. But that didn’t stop V from scooting back slightly to give himself more room, pulling his legs into himself closer. The little child didn’t take the hint and instead opted to climb over his legs and plop himself square in V’s lap, wrapping his arms as far around him as they would go to give him a hug.

“I love you, Nero’s brother! You're nice.” He giggled as he continued to squeeze, not really managing to do anything impactful to V’s ability to breathe. Well, at least not with his arms.

The taller man with the white hair stared at him, his eyes considerably wider than they normally were. V pressed the back of his hand to his mouth, his breath catching in absolute shock. The tiny child’s head was buried in his shirt, so he couldn’t see the look of absolute disbelief on the object of his affections face. No, he hadn’t just heard that. There was no way. He must’ve misheard him. After all, Carlo had just met him! But he had. And he was the first person to say that to him in… well…

… Oh...

Kyrie was in the dining room placing down the plates, so she couldn’t see what had transpired, but Nero did. And for the first time ever, he could actually tell what V was thinking because it was written all over his face. He’d never seen him look so startled in the entire time he knew him, but that wasn’t the only thing. He seemed… Almost hurt by the comment, clearly indicating that it had some sort of profound effect on him. And despite the fact that he didn’t know even the slightest thing about V’s personal life (if he even had one) he had an idea why the child’s words might have affected him so deeply. He’s had a rough time growing up. Little things like that meant the world, especially when the person saying them truly meant them. And Carlo wasn’t lying. He wouldn’t lie about something like that.

V sat up and wrapped his left arm around him gently, giving him a careful squeeze before letting him go and hesitantly running his fingers through his hair. He rested his head atop of Carlo’s head for a moment, giving him one last gentle squeeze, eliciting a giggle from the little boy before releasing him. He gave him a thoughtful but melancholy look before accompanying it with one last head pat. He honestly didn’t know what to do with himself. Reciprocating affection wasn’t something he had much experience with.

“... Thank you, Carlo...” V swallowed, trying to repress the emotions he refused to let speak for him,” That is very… kind of you.”

Carlo may have not picked up on V’s tone, but Nero had. The little boy had struck a nerve of some sort, and Nero was genuinely concerned as to how dark of a turn V’s emotional state had taken. He seemed deeply troubled by the comment.

As Carlo hopped down from his lap and ran into the dining room after his brothers, V sat breathlessly on the couch, clearly trying to compose himself. He ran his hands down his face and formed a cup, covering his face up to his nose with them. He leaned forward on his knees, shuttering slightly, and exhaled a shaky breath. Nero watched him quietly, unsure of what to do or say. He took a step forward and put his hand on the back of the couch, acutely aware that touching him right now might not go over the way he intended. V stole a glance at him, silently acknowledging his gesture but now speaking or moving.

“... V…” Nero said quietly as if speaking loudly would do him some form of harm,” You okay?”

He didn’t answer, at least verbally. He looked at him quietly and lowered his hands, exhaling and blinking rapidly as if he had something caught in his eye. After a moment, he nodded once and glanced in the direction of the entryway. Kyrie stood there with a curious look on her face but didn’t ask, clueing into the cat that this might not be a good time. “... I just wanted to say that dinner is ready,” she said as she looked at V, smiling sympathetically despite having no idea what had reduced him to this state,” I made extra in case you were hungry. Feel free to join us.”

She stepped back into the kitchen when she finished speaking. Nero turned back to V and inched his hand just close enough to where his fingertips touched the back of his shoulder but he didn’t grab him. He seemed to have composed himself for the most part. Nero leaned over to get a better look at him and they made eye contact. V shrugged away, uncomfortable. He wasn’t fond of direct eye contact any more than he was of them staring at him.

Nero glanced in the direction of the dining room and then back to his brother, now more settled on what he wanted to say. “You know, I’m pretty sure we have an extra chair around her. You wanna come with me?”

V looked over at him, a thoughtful look on his face. A light smirk that didn’t reach his eyes spread across his face and he nodded. “Yes. I think I would like that.”

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I am so beyond done with myself over how late this chapter is. Like, I’m actually angry. But at least I got the chapters for next week done early so that I don’t have to worry about this happening again. So sorry guys. I suck, but I hope the chapter was good, at least! I’d love to hear your comments. I’ve updated the masterlist on Tumblr since it seems I’ll be having plenty more time to write due to the pandemic.

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tarotdeckshuffle · 5 years

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Could I request a S/O who is surprisingly graceful and strong in battle despite seeming to be so soft and delicate with Chocobos, Ravus, Aranea, Luna and Ardyn?

Thanks for the request! This was pretty fun to write! I added a few bonuses just for kicks. Enjoy! ❤

Taglist: @idiotflowerex, @laststory1013, @sayaoqueen, @jophinabean

If you like what you read, please consider supporting me on Patreon or buying me a Ko-fi!

Noctis

Always wanted to protect you in battle.

You’re his little star; shining bright with a soft touch.

So cuddly, so sweet.

But a stormy rage comes to life within your body in battle.

You’re quick, light on your feet, with deadly accuracy.

Striking like lightning.

So powerful, you only need to strike an enemy once for them to go down.

Honestly, it’s terrifying and hot.

Noctis wants to match your grace, he wants to keep up with you.

He’s only able to do so by warping.

Sometimes, he finds himself staring, in awe of your skills.

He has total respect for you.

But is also a wee bit utterly terrified if you get mad at him.

He knows to keep out of your way on the field.

Prompto

You’re his little chocobo.

So soft, so cute!

He has all sorts of funny pet names for you.

Your laugh is his favorite thing in the whole world.

You always know just what to compliment to make him feel good.

But holy kupos captain!

When you’re on the battlefield, you’re a magician!

Do you ever hit the ground?

You’re above the enemy, landing with grace and striking with power.

Spinning, flipping in the air,

Only to bring wrath down upon your enemy.

Sometimes, Prompto forgets what he’s doing, stopping just to watch you.

Wow…just wow.

He’s entranced by how you move.

Getting dreamy eyed.

It takes the other men yelling at him to wake him from his daydream.

He gets childishly excited if you land in front of him.

Clapping, yelling, it’s adorable.

“YOU’RE SO COOL!”

Sure, Noctis is cool, too, but you do what you do without magic!

He loves everything about you and he wants you to know that.

Ignis

You take this man’s breath away.

Both on and off the battlefield.

You’re always helping him cook, asking questions about what he’s doing and why.

He loves teaching you.

You’re always saying the cutest things, too.

But your softness disappears in battle.

You have a dancer’s grace.

His breath is taken away,

Watching you glide effortlessly through the enemies,

Moving so fast that your feet are a blur.

Every movement is calculated and flowing,

Every strike hits with deadly force.

Where the men fight with bursts of power,

You seem to sweep,

Slicing through the battlefield, always in motion.

He always knows where you are,

But he truly wishes he could just stop and watch you.

He embarrassed you once in training,

By actually applauding you when the fight was over.

“Bravo!” He shouted.

You merely blushed.

Sure, maybe you claim you can’t dance,

But Ignis has seen you dance the most intricate and deadly performance of all.

Gladio

Gladio was trained with weapons and shields for his duties.

Sure, he can knock someone out cold with a single punch,

But he’s never mastered hand to hand combat like you.

Your gauntlets flash over the battlefield,

Moving so fast they seem to cover an enemy like flames.

Your whole body is a weapon.

Kicks mix with punches.

Harmonizing like the sounds of an orchestra.

He is so turned on by you.

Watching your every muscle work,

Your calculating eyes,

And your lightning fast movements.

It terrifies him how close you are to your enemies,

But not as much as it should terrify them.

When you’re alone, you’re his little bird.

So sweet, all giggles, and always getting lost.

You love to pepper him with kisses.

It’s such a stark difference to your grace and precision on the battlefield.

Gladio loves just watching you train.

He thinks that you are a complete work of art.

Ravus

Ravus has a presence that is both beautiful and terrifying.

And he knows it.

But you…you baffle him.

You are graceful and adorable, an odd combination.

Ever at his side, you are quiet, kind, gentle with him.

He would do anything to protect you.

But he truly doesn’t need to.

You have an acrobat’s grace and coordination on the battlefield.

Avoiding attacks in new and surprising ways.

Every battle is like a performance.

If Ravus were not so focused, he’d find your antics enjoyable.

Somehow, you know when danger approaches,

Avoiding it at the last minute in the most unexpected way.

Yet, you never seem to see how spectacular you are!

Once, just once, Ravus complimented your fighting technique.

You seemed flustered and just said that you could never compare to him.

Ravus strikes to end the fight quickly, but he finds your technique darkly seductive.

You dance with your enemies, tease them, seemingly disappear, only to come back to strike their weakest point.

He wishes he had your patience.

You are his beloved, graceful saint.

Luna

You are her everything.

Her sweet comfort.

Stealing kisses, making her laugh, holding back her fears.

But you become an image of divine retribution on the battlefield.

You fight from a distance, never leaving her side.

But your eyes are sharp and your aim is true.

Striking down whatever you gaze upon with incredible speed.

Your whole body takes on a perfect form,

Putting your very soul into ever shot.

You look absolutely sublime to Luna.

She could never match your speed or accuracy.

You have mastered the ancient and graceful technique of archers.

You’ve offered to teach her, but she’d rather watch you practice.

It amazes her that those eyes she can get lost in could be so sharp.

She is in awe of your skills.

She loves to brag about you.

Also, has utter faith in you, regardless of what you may think.

You are a being of divine justice to her.

Ardyn

Absolutely loves to watch you work.

Would totally just sit back and watch you.

“Are you going to help?”

“No, you look like you’ve got it handled.”

A seductive smile while he rests his head on his hand.

Sure, he can use magic to his liking,

But seem to be made of it!

It’s as though magic just flows from you on it’s own volition.

“You, my love, are absolutely breathtaking.” He kicks at a dead body. “And there’s the proof! There’s no breath left in them!”

He’s cheesy with you because he can be.

You roll your eyes at him, but pull him close for a kiss.

Your touch is soft and warm.

And compliments come readily.

But he loves to watch you gracefully slay all who stand in your way.

Aranea

She loves to tease you off the battlefield.

You blush easily and giggle often.

It’s so cute.

And you simply spoil her with such loving touches.

You’re sweet and readily accepted by her troops.

But on the battlefield…

“Damn…”

Aranea finds you undeniably seductive.

You move with the fury and grace of a blizzard.

Destroying all in your path.

Dancing with the danger before you.

You use whatever weapon at your disposal with expert hands and a calculating mind.

Aranea wants those hands on her, NOW.

There is something so sexy about seeing such grace and power.

Aranea will let you know where you screwed up,

But she’s also ready for much more.

Bonus:

Nyx

Finds grace on the battlefield to be utterly spectacular.

It’s not easy to be graceful and deadly.

So he’ll always compliment you on your technique.

And always try to coordinate with you.

But, man, it’s fun to watch you train.

He loves placing bets on you in training.

He knows his love can kick anyone’s butt.

Cor

Is also quite graceful in combat.

But doesn’t encounter such grace often.

So he loves fighting beside you.

It’d be utterly breathtaking to watch the two of you from the outside.

It’s a hurricane of blades and strength.

Won’t say much to compliment or criticize you,

But you know he respects you because he always chooses you to hunt with.

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fear-god-shun-evil · 6 years

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4 Ways to Tell True Church From False Ones

By Xiaozhen

Brothers and Sisters of Loving Stage:

Thanks for your last fellowship, and it has resolved my perplexities. Your communication was very illuminating and I really got a lot from it. This time, I’d like to ask another question and I hope to get some help.

I haven’t felt the Lord’s presence for a long time. The pastors and elders drily preach without light; the faith and love of brothers and sisters have grown cold; there is no previous patience but jealousy and strife between co-workers. They always fight and complete with one another in order to preach on the pulpit and misappropriate church offerings. … In such a church, I can’t feel the presence, blessing and leading of the Lord. For that reason, I feel depressed and even begin to think whether our church has been abandoned by the Lord. If so, am I not going to die of thirst and hardship keeping staying here? Therefore, I am very worried and want to seek how to differentiate between true churches and false churches. Hope to hear from you.

Sister Helen:

I’m glad to receive your letter. Our communication can help you resolve your perplexities, which is the Lord’s guidance. All the glory be to our Father in heaven. Amen!

With regard to your question, we got some enlightenments and guidance from the Lord through praying and seeking. Here we will commune with you about our knowledge of this question and we hope that this can be helpful to you:

1. It is based on whether or not there is the work of the Holy Spirit in the church, whether or not believers truly fellowship about the truth during meetings and whether or not their lives grow gradually.

If a church has the work of the Holy Spirit, then the believers of this church will often fellowship about the word of God when attending meetings, and focus on the search for the truth in God’s words to solve their problems and gaining enlightenments and light from the Holy Spirit, so that they can understand God’s intentions and requirements, and know their own corruption and what they lack. Additionally, they can not only have the knowledge of God’s work, but can speak of their testimonies of experience about practicing God’s word in reality. And brothers and sisters complement each other. Thus, in this kind of church, their faith in God will become deeper and deeper and their lives grow and grow. But, if, instead, in a church most believers are weak in faith, can’t practice God’s word but just keep some rules outwardly, have little true knowledge and reverence of God, have no enlightenment from the Holy Spirit and no spiritual enjoyment when gathering together in fellowship and feel no interest and no way of practice but just go through the motions as a religious ceremony without any growth and change in life, then we can confirm that there is no work of the Holy Spirit in this church. Just as when the Lord Jesus came to do His work, the temple didn’t have the Holy Spirit’s work, becoming a wasteland. Those chief priests and scribes and Pharisees, the so-called servants of God, couldn’t receive God’s work. The lawlessness grew endlessly. They even had no discipline and reprimand of God, much less enjoyed His care and protection. They just treated the laws as dogma and even failed to adhere to it. At last, they made the temple a den of thieves. Just as Jehovah God said: “And also I have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain on one city, and caused it not to rain on another city: one piece was rained on, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered” (Amos 4:7). A church that has no work of the Holy Spirit is just a gathering of men, not a true church.

2. It is based on whether or not the pastors, elders and preachers love and pursue the truth and have the work of the Holy Spirit and whether or not they truly understand and practice the truth.

A good church must be led by those who truly follow God, experience His work and are relatively humane. Such people love the truth, have true faith in God and can truly obey God’s work. If having transgressions or corruption that is revealed, they can truly know and regret themselves and have a true repentance. Such people are responsible for their church and the growth of the lives of the brothers and sisters. If finding someone reveals some corruption, they will provide assistance and supply; if finding someone has some difficulties and deviations, they will help him at any time and communicate the truth of God’s words with him to resolve problems. So if being watered, supplied, supported and led by such people, the brothers and sisters in the church will have full confidence in following God and enter into the reality of the truth through experiencing God’s work. As you can see, whether a church is true or false is based on whether or not the church’s leaders love and pursue the truth, have the Holy Spirit’s work and truly understand and practice the truth. If they, who lead and shepherd others, don’t have the Holy Spirit’s work and don’t pursue the truth, then the church where they are will be in trouble. Thus this church may be a false church. As the Lord Jesus said: “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Matthew 15:14). If a church’s pastors, elders and preachers don’t love or pursue the truth, when encountering issues, they won’t lead brothers and sisters to pray to or rely on God. They also won’t lead others to magnify God or to practice in line with His words, much less will they lift up or testify to God to bring others before God and let them understand God’s intentions. They only solve problems relying on their own will and conceptions and imaginations. And they even bring others before them. It is quite similar to the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees of Judaism: Though they labeled themselves servants of God to interpret scriptural laws, they never exalted God or bore witness to God, nor did they practice God’s words or walk in God’s way. All they did was just ask people to hold on ancestral traditions instead of God’s commandments. They used their hypocritical external actions to confuse and deceive people, to make people look up to them and worship them, while behind people’s backs, they did evil things that resisted God like murdering the prophets and devouring widows’ property. When the Lord Jesus began to do His work, they obstinately and arrogantly adhered to the preposterous view “we don’t accept and recognize Him unless He is called Messiah,” with which they resisted and condemned the Lord Jesus’ work. They tried and trapped the Lord Jesus any chance they got. Finally, they even incited the people together with them to nail the Lord Jesus to the cross. Isn’t it that the blind lead the blind and all will fall into the pit? If the believers of the denominational churches are cultivated and shepherded by those hypocritical pastors and elders, the modern Pharisees, then the lives of these believers will be ruined in the hands of those false shepherds and evil servants sooner or later. Thus without doubt such a church is a false church.

3. It is based on whether the truth or the evil hold the power and whether the people who pursue the truth or the people who are evil and play around hold the power.

The church is a place where the people who seek the truth have the church life and pray to and worship God. A true church consists of all those who truly believe in God and have the Holy Spirit’s work. In a true church, the truth wields the power. In case someone goes against the truth and God’s words and runs wild within the church, he will be driven out of the church. If there are two or three people who have the Holy Spirit’s work getting together in the church and other brothers and sisters revolve around them, putting them first, this is a church. But if those two or three people are suppressed and rejected by others and have no right to speak, then this is not a church for the Holy Spirit has no way to work. The people who have the Holy Spirit’s work are at the center of the church. They can stand and speak up and lead and support brothers and sisters. Besides, the church work is decided by them and everyone listens to them. This is a church. But if it’s not the people who have the Holy Spirit’s work that support and take care of the church, and if it’s not the truth but the antichrists and evil servants, who have no work of the Holy Spirit at all, that wield the power, then this kind of church cannot be called a church and it is actually a false one, a religious place. For the antichrists and evil servants resist God; the Holy Spirit won’t work on them at all. God says, “Those who practice the truth within the church are abandoned and are unable to achieve their potential, while those who disturb the church and spread death run wild within the church. What is more, the majority of people follow them. This kind of church is simply under Satan’s control and the devil is their king. If the people of the church do not rise up and cast out those head demons, then they will also come to ruin sooner or later. From now on measures must be taken against this kind of church. If those who are capable of practicing a little truth are not engaging in seeking, then that church will be banned” (“A Warning to Those Who Do Not Practice the Truth”). Let us look back at the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees. They didn’t have the Holy Spirit’s work but only followed the rules and performed religious ceremonies. They didn’t obey God’s way but always spoke the words and doctrines of the Bible to constrain and deceive believers. They usurped the temple, not allowing the Lord Jesus to preach in it. Besides, they colluded with the Roman government to condemn and resist the new work done by the Lord Jesus as well as arrest His disciples. The Lord Jesus denounced and condemned them saying: “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer you them that are entering to go in” (Matthew 23:13). According to the words the Lord Jesus spoke to denounce and condemn the Pharisees, we can see the actual fact that the temple at that time was controlled by the Pharisees, the antichrists. The temple had been made a den of thieves by them instead of a place where people worshipped God. If the pastors and elders can’t say anything about the true understanding of God or the real experience of life, but usually exalt the Bible and explain the words and doctrines of the Bible to us as well, to constrain and control people for others to admire and worship them, then such a church isn’t held by the truth but the antichrists. And this church is a false church.

4. A gathering of those who truly seek the truth and have the Holy Spirit’s work is a church. The place where the evil and the ignorant gather is a religious place but not a church.

The Lord Jesus once said: “Again I say to you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the middle of them” (Matthew 18:19-20). It shows that so long as people who pursue the truth, that is, people who love and bear witness to God, can gather together to pray to God, read God’s words and gain the Holy Spirit’s work, then such a gathering can be called a true church. On the contrary, if a church is not a gathering of the people who pursue the truth, no matter how solemn it is on the surface, how many believers it has, how it performs the religious ceremonies, it’s just a religious place but not a true church. The church is not where some people simply gather together. We must find the people who have God in their hearts, have the Holy Spirit’s work, truly love God and pursue the truth and especially have knowledge of God to get together. This is a church. Within this church, there is the work of the Holy Spirit and God’s guidance, commission and testimony. If the people in the church are a bunch of bums, who play around and don’t love the truth, when getting together to fellowship about the truth, they will speak nonsense, gossip about the external things and complain about the hardship. At last, they won’t have the Holy Spirit’s work at all. Such a church isn’t a church but the stronghold, haunt and den of Satan having been abandoned by God for long. Just as when the Lord Jesus was at work on the earth, those who thirsted for the truth and followed the Lord gathered together, which exactly was a church. Yet those Jews who followed the Pharisees were unable to discern the way of truth and didn’t seek the truth either. Although being in the temple, they didn’t have a God-revering heart in the slightest and traded in the temple. Hence the Lord Jesus taught them saying: “Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but you have made it a den of thieves” (Mark 11:17). It shows that if in the denominational churches they all talk about the words and doctrines and there is no Holy Spirit’s work in their meetings, then those churches exactly are false churches. When gathering together, if they always discuss how to keep healthy, how to follow the worldly trend, how to build wealth instead of focusing on pursing and knowing the truth and practicing the Lord’s words, then such a place is a religious place, in which are a bunch of bums. It is exactly not a church. We must reject and stay away from it.

In short, a true church is a gathering of the brothers and sisters who truly believe in God and pursue the truth. These people have the enlightenment and illumination of the Holy Spirit when reading God’s words. Through what they fellowship on the truth, people can receive benefit and enjoyment and understand the truth. In this kind of church, brothers and sisters can gain the provision of life and the truth in meetings and their corrupt disposition can be purified gradually. As a result, their disposition will change and their transgressions will be fewer. They all will truly obey and worship God. In addition, their faith and love will increase gradually and all of them can perform their duties faithfully for reciprocating the Lord’s love. Only a church such as this is a true church. Rather, what are the characteristics of a false church? Firstly, there must be no Holy Spirit’s work when people fellowship in this church. Everybody says they get no enjoyment during meetings. All they fellowship is doctrinal words and a vast misinterpretation of God’s words but not true knowledge of God; secondly, the church’s pastors, elders and preachers don’t pursue the truth and don’t have the Holy Spirit’s work. The church become the stagnant water in that no people who truly understand the truth can fellowship about the truth to water and supply the believers’ lives; thirdly, some people in the church, who pursue the truth, are constrained and suppressed so that they can’t normally work nor perform their duties as a creature. The entire church is basically controlled by the evil people and false shepherds, who don’t have the Holy Spirit’s work. A church such as this is a false church.

Sister Helen, these elements above are what we summarize concerning the principle of confirming whether a church is a false one. We hope it will be helpful to you. Also, we hope you will be clear on your church early and then actively seek for the true church which has the Holy Spirit’s work, early returning to the Lord’s family! May the glory be to our Father in heaven!

#Church #Christian #true church #Lord

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dfroza · 3 years

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Today’s reading from the ancient book of Proverbs and book of Psalms

for june 19 of 2021 with Proverbs 19 and Psalm 19, accompanied by Psalm 92 for the 92nd and final day of Spring and Psalm 20 for day 170 of the year (now with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 2nd revolution this year)

[Proverbs 19]

[Wisdom Exalted]

It’s better to be honest, even if it leads to poverty,

than to live as a dishonest fool.

The best way to live is with revelation-knowledge,

for without it, you’ll grow impatient and run right into error.

There are some people who ruin their own lives

and then blame it all on God.

Being wealthy means having lots of “friends,”

but the poor can’t keep the ones they have.

Perjury won’t go unpunished,

and liars will get all that they deserve.

Everyone wants to be close to the rich and famous,

but a generous person has all the friends he wants!

When a man is poor, even his family has no use for him.

How much more will his “friends” avoid him—

for though he begs for help, they won’t respond.

Do yourself a favor and love wisdom.

Learn all you can,

then watch your life flourish and prosper!

Tell lies and you’re going to get caught,

and the habitual liar is doomed.

It doesn’t seem right when you see a fool

living in the lap of luxury

or a prideful servant ruling over princes.

An understanding person demonstrates patience,

for mercy means holding your tongue.

When you are insulted,

be quick to forgive and forget it,

for you are virtuous when you overlook an offense.

The rage of a king is like the roar of a lion,

but his sweet favor is like a gentle, refreshing rain.

A rebellious son breaks a father’s heart,

and a nagging wife can drive you crazy!

You can inherit houses and land from your parents,

but a good wife only comes as a gracious gift from God!

Go ahead—be lazy and passive.

But you’ll go hungry if you live that way.

Honor God’s holy instructions

and life will go well for you.

But if you despise his ways and choose your own plans,

you will die.

Every time you give to the poor you make a loan to the Lord.

Don’t worry—you’ll be repaid in full for all the good you’ve done.

Don’t be afraid to discipline your children

while they’re still young enough to learn.

Don’t indulge your children or be swayed by their protests.

A hot-tempered man has to pay the price for his anger.

If you bail him out once,

you’ll do it a dozen times.

Listen well to wise counsel

and be willing to learn from correction

so that by the end of your life

you’ll be known for your wisdom.

A person may have many ideas concerning God’s plan for his life,

but only the designs of God’s purpose will succeed in the end.

A man is charming when he displays tender mercies to others.

And a lover of God who is poor and promises nothing

is better than a rich liar who never keeps his promises.

When you live a life of abandoned love,

surrendered before the awe of God,

here’s what you’ll experience:

Abundant life. Continual protection.

And complete satisfaction!

There are some people who pretend they’re hurt—

deadbeats who won’t even work to feed themselves.

If you punish the insolent who don’t know any better,

they will learn not to mock.

But if you correct a wise man,

he will grow even wiser.

Children who mistreat their parents

are an embarrassment to their family and a public disgrace.

So listen, my child.

Don’t reject correction

or you will certainly wander from the ways of truth.

A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice,

for the wicked never play by the rules.

Judgment is waiting for those who mock the truth,

and foolish living invites a beating.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 19 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 19]

God’s Witnesses

For the Pure and Shining One

A poem of praise by King David, his loving servant

[God’s Story in the Skies]

God’s splendor is a tale that is told,

written in the stars.

Space itself speaks his story

through the marvels of the heavens.

His truth is on tour in the starry vault of the sky,

showing his skill in creation’s craftsmanship.

Each day gushes out its message to the next,

night by night whispering its knowledge to all—

without a sound, without a word, without a voice being heard,

yet all the world can hear its echo.

Everywhere its message goes out.

What a heavenly home God has set for the sun,

shining in the superdome of the sky!

See how he leaves his celestial chamber each morning,

radiant as a bridegroom ready for his wedding,

like a day-breaking champion eager to run his course.

He rises on one horizon, completing his circuit on the other,

warming lives and lands with his heat.

[God’s Story in the Scriptures]

Yahweh’s Word is perfect in every way;

how it revives our souls!

Yahweh’s laws lead us to truth,

and his ways change the simple into wise.

Yahweh’s teachings are right and make us joyful;

his precepts are so pure!

Yahweh’s commands challenge us to keep close to his heart!

The revelation-light of his Word makes my spirit shine radiant.

Yahweh’s decrees are trustworthy.

The fear of Yahweh is pure, enduring forever.

The rarest treasures of life are found in his truth.

That’s why God’s Word is prized like others prize the finest gold.

Sweeter also than honey are his living words—

sweet words dripping from the honeycomb!

For they warn us, your servants,

and keep us from following the wicked way,

giving a lifetime guarantee:

great success to every obedient soul!

How would I discern the waywardness of my heart?

Lord, forgive my hidden flaws whenever you find them.

Keep cleansing me, God,

and keep me from my secret, selfish sins;

may they never rule over me!

For only then will I be free from fault

and remain innocent of rebellion.

So may the words of my mouth, my meditation-thoughts,

and every movement of my heart be always pure and pleasing,

acceptable before your eyes, Yahweh,

my only Redeemer, my Protector.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 19 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 92]

A Song of Praise

A song for the day of worship

It’s so enjoyable to come before you

with uncontainable praises spilling from our hearts!

How we love to sing our praises over and over to you,

to the matchless God, high and exalted over all!

At each and every sunrise we will be thanking you

for your kindness and your love.

As the sun sets and all through the night,

we will keep proclaiming, “You are so faithful!”

Melodies of praise will fill the air as every musical instrument,

joined with every heart, overflows with worship.

No wonder I’m so glad; I can’t keep it in!

Lord, I’m shouting with glee over all you’ve done,

for all you’ve done for me:

what mighty miracles and your power at work—just to name a few!

Depths of purpose and layers of meaning

saturate everything you do.

Such amazing mysteries are found within every miracle

that nearly everyone seems to miss.

Those with no discernment can never really discover

the deep and glorious secrets hidden in your ways.

It’s true the wicked flourish, but only for a moment;

they foolishly forget their destiny with death,

that they will all one day be destroyed forevermore.

But you, O Lord, are exalted forever

in the highest place of endless glory,

while your opponents, the workers of wickedness,

will all perish, forever separated from you.

Your anointing has made me strong and mighty.

You’ve empowered my life for triumph

by pouring fresh oil over me.

You’ve said that those lying in wait to pounce on me

would be defeated,

and now it’s happened right in front of my eyes,

and I’ve heard their cries of surrender!

Yes! Look how you’ve made all your devoted lovers

to flourish like palm trees,

each one growing in victory, standing with strength!

You’ve transplanted them into your heavenly courtyard,

where they are thriving before you,

for in your presence they will still overflow and be anointed.

Even in their old age they will stay fresh,

bearing luscious fruit and abiding faithfully.

Listen to them! With pleasure they still proclaim:

“You’re so good! You’re my beautiful strength!

You’ve never made a mistake with me.”

The Book of Psalms, Poem 92 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 20]

For the worship leader. A song of David.

May the Eternal’s answer find you, come to rescue you,

when you desperately cling to the end of your rope.

May the name of the True God of Jacob be your shelter.

May He extend hope and help to you from His holy sanctuary

and support you from His sacred city of Zion.

May He remember all that you have offered Him;

may your burnt sacrifices serve as a prelude to His mercy.

[pause]

May He grant the dreams of your heart

and see your plans through to the end.

When you win, we will not be silent! We will shout

and raise high our banners in the great name of our God!

May the Eternal say yes to all your requests.

I don’t fear; I’m confident that help will come to the one anointed by the Eternal:

heaven will respond to his plea;

His mighty right hand will win the battle.

Many put their hope in chariots, others in horses,

but we place our trust in the name of the Eternal One, our True God.

Soon our enemies will collapse and fall, never to return home;

all the while, we will rise and stand firm.

Eternal One, grant victory to our king!

Answer our plea for help.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 20 (The Voice)

to be accompanied by these lines:

That clinches it—help’s coming,

an answer’s on the way,

everything’s going to work out.

See those people polishing their chariots,

and those others grooming their horses?

But we’re making garlands for God our God.

The chariots will rust,

those horses pull up lame—

and we’ll be on our feet, standing tall.

Make the king a winner, God;

the day we call, give us your answer.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 20:6-9 (The Message)

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dalyunministry · 4 years

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TOPIC: HOW TO OVERCOME THE WORLD

By. Sister. Savita Manwani

💥

Let us Pray: Lord we thank you for the very breath of life and this precious opportunity to share your living word. I pray Lord, that you guide us and teach us to hear your voice so that we may be the doers of your word and not just hearers. Glory and honor be to your Holy name. Amen.

TOPIC: HOW TO OVERCOME THE WORLD

The world represents everything that displeases God, opposes His teaching, and is under Satan’s dominion. (1 John 5:19).

Many philosophies, ideas and doctrines distort or degrade Christ and His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. These offer a salvation not found in the Word of God, and are all manifestations of the world.

The Apostle John points out 3 aspects that mark the love of this world: The desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and the pride of life. John 2:15- 17 says “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever.

¶ Lust of the flesh:

These are those desires that are in us by nature and impel us to do the wrong things. They incite us, even from childhood, to yield to what the flesh desires. They can be described as the satisfaction, passion or enjoyment that is felt by doing wrong things. In doing these things, we give room to sin in our lives.

Galatians 5:17 says, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” This shows the conflict found in every Christian life. The flesh wants one thing while the spirit wants another. That is why it is important to nourish our spiritual man.

Galatians 5:19 - 21 gives us a long list of the sins of the flesh. These include sexual sins, sins involving pagan religions such as witchcraft or idolatry and other sins relating to temperament and character. The fruit of the Spirit is everything that is opposite to the flesh.

• In relation to God: love, joy and peace

• In relation to others: patience, kindness and goodness

• In relation to ourselves: faith, kindness and self-control

Our goal should be that our spirit wins the battle against the flesh.>If we want to conquer the desires of the flesh, we have to pay special attention to our spirit. We must feed it and care for it in such a way that in the face of temptation, the spirit prevails.

¶ Lust of the Eyes:

The eyes can be a fountain of life, purity and inspiration, or they can be an instrument of evil, perversion, and bad desires. Dr. W. E Vine describes them as being, “the principal avenue to temptation. “The desires of the eyes” can be described as perversions, bad intentions and selfish delights that include not only the sight, but also the mind and imagination. The Bible teaches in 2 Peter 2:14 “having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease to sin, …” And in Matthew 5:27 – 29; “You have heard

that it was said to those of old, “You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

The word “look” refers to the desires of the eyes, a look laden with lust, which wakens impure images and desires in our minds.

Someone once said, “the first look isn’t sinful but the second look is.” This second look aims to satisfy the mind's own desires.

Beacon's commentary says that this type of lust is “the tendency to be captivated by the exterior appearance of things without looking into its real worth.” The lust of the eyes include not only sight but also the mind and imagination. They seek to satisfy themselves through pornography or unedifying books, magazines or movies. They create an addiction that can only be quenched by giving in to the pleasures of the flesh. Generally, these desires are fed by thoughts convincing us that sin is something pleasant, pleasurable and desirable.

We justify the sinful thought as being acceptable as something harmless and insignificant. And since we haven’t actually done anything we are convinced it is not sin.

What's more, it keeps us from seeing the consequences that our behavior may bring to our lives and to those that we love.

When the mind delights itself with memories of past sexual experience, drunkenness, parties, or gambling. The enemy shows you the fun you experienced, the pleasures you felt, and how wonderful it would be to experience them again. These memories are accompanied by thoughts like, “there’s nothing wrong with that,” or, “everyone is doing it”, or, “I can’t become a fanatic.” The mind does not concentrate on the consequences that will come sooner or later, but on the desire and pleasures it wants to feel again. The influence the lust of the eye has on us is acute. They manipulate our mind and cause us to forget what Christ did for us.

That is why it is good to follow the Apostle Paul's counsel, when he exhorts us to walk in the Spirit and do not satisfy the desires of the flesh.

¶ Pride of life: This refers to the belief that the reason for life is found in the worldly appearance and worth of things, and not in how God values them. Pride is the illusion that leads people into superficiality, inflates their egos, and makes them believe that their worth is based on position, money and friends.

These vanities turn into strongholds for people who open the door to them. Vanities lead them to believe that their own ability has given them positions of importance with their peers. For this reason, some people climb over others in life, violating biblical principles and the will of God. Behind their appearances they hide their insecurity.

An example of this is when you spend more than you earn and live in debt even though it steals your peace. You don't change because you want to pretend that you are rich. You buy designer clothes, expensive mobile phone or hang out at the most popular places. You have been led to think these things win people’s respect.

God wants us to be prosperous. When we love Him, He lifts us to a better position. God, not His blessings, gives us our value.

¶ How the world affects me: The young person's world is not a secret to anyone. It is one that offers parties, vices, sinful passions and a worthless and empty life. The media, radio press and television, along with society push us towards this type of lifestyle. They trick us into believing that to have fun you must become part of their activities. If we refuse, we are labelled as boring and bitter people. These words boring and bitter are the most commonly used words by non-Christians to pressure the believer into doing what they want or say. The world may affect me when I give into its ways. It affects me when I take part in its dirty jokes and perverted comments or accept its invitation to drink and party. It affects me when these activities stop being fun and become addictive when I end up caught in circumstances that I want to be free from but cannot.

For example, an ungodly relationship ends in frustration and deception; an excess of alcohol produces sicknesses such as cirrhosis and venereal diseases are a result of a degenerate and promiscuous life.

The life the world offers us is a mirror that makes us believe that it is true and fulfilling. However, it doesn't let us see the deception and true consequences of its ways. Jesus does not want to remove us from the world he wants us to shine and be a light wherever we are. Jesus said: “I do not pray that you should take them out of the world but that you should keep them from the evil one” John 17:15

¶ How to face the world now that I am Christian?

A. Not participating in what the world has to offer.

Ephesians 5:11 says, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them”. Right from the start you need to learn how to be radical in dealing with sin. Don't ever cloud the real issues. For example, if they offer you a drink, don't lie by saying, “No thank you, I am on medication and drinking could be harmful.” That is not true. You are not on medication. It is rather a matter of faith, but you are too embarrassed to tell the truth.

B. Be radical in your stand as a Christian.

Job 22:28 says, “You will also declare a thing. And it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways”. Decide beforehand what things you are not going to yield to. For example, decide not to go to parties with nonbelievers or social events where drinking and other vices are predominant. By deciding ahead of time you will avoid facing temptation and prevent yourself from falling into sin. The main thing is to decide, “No matter what happens, I will not leave the path that I have chosen.” This is determination. When I do my part, God does His. He brings His light to reveal what we should say or do.

C. Avoid spending too much time with unbelievers.

They will constantly encourage you to do wrong, inciting you to turn back.

D. Look for friends that share the same purpose and goals.

Spend time with those people who challenge you and strengthen your relationship with God.

E. Strengthen your relationship with God.

Spend time with Him daily in prayer and live in such a way that you will not leave His side. When you are facing situations that you are uncertain and doubtful about, it will help to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do if He were in my place?. I will no longer talk much with you for the ruler of this world is coming and he has nothing in me. John 14:30

Allow me to end here. May God bless you all.

Let us Pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you for speaking to us today. Lord, I pray that you empower us with your spirit and enable us also to feed our spirit being so that we will be able to overcome the flesh and the world in Jesus Name. Amen.

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robininthelabyrinth · 7 years

Text

Coldflashwave Tortall AU 1/8

Fic: The Swiftest Course (Ao3) (Chapter 1/8)

Fandom: Flash, DC's Legends Pairing: Barry Allen/Leonard Snart/Mick Rory, Eddie Thawne/Iris West Summary:

Barry of Allen is on his way to the capital of Tortall for the final part of his knight training, hiding a secret that could threaten his career there. He's determined to keep his head down and not get into trouble.

He isn't expecting to meet Len, Corus' Rogue, or his right-hand man, Mick. Or meet Princess Iris and his new friends, Cisco and Caitlin.

He certainly wasn't expecting to be roped into adventure.

(It's the Gods' fault, really.)

A/N: For joyous-lee, who purchased one of my stories for the FandomTrumpsHate event. She requested a Tortall AU, with Barry as Alanna. Thank you so much for your patience, and I hope you enjoy it!

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There were three of them, and they were arguing.

One said, “We have reached a crossroad of fate once more. I have selected a champion to stand up for this country: a boy with a strong heart, a boy with faith and trust and love –”

“And what’s that going to get you?” cackled the second one. “A dead boy, that’s what! Lured to his death by a smile and a wink, I’m sure – no, for the country to be saved, we'll need stronger medicine than that, m’dear, and I’ve found myself a demigod, with power aplenty –”

The third rolled his eyes but remained silent – though perhaps with the hint of a smile.

“I will not send my champion unaided,” the first said coldly. “I will grant him great gifts to aid him – the swiftness of my heels, the strength of the great lightning –”

“Oh, well, that’s going to do it, I’m sure,” the second snapped. “My demi-god has power enough in himself and needs no more; I’ll send him an ally and advisor to catch him should things go ill –”

The third one makes a face that scarcely hides the amusement beneath.

“It is my boy that will save them,” the first one argued.

“It is my boy that will save them,” the second one claimed.

“I’m going to choose myself a champion,” the third one put in abruptly. “And he’ll be the one to save the world.”

The first two turned to stare at him in disbelief.

“You?” they chorused. “Don’t be absurd.”

“I’ll wager you on it,” the third one said, crossing his arms.

“I’ll take that bet,” the second one snapped.

“As will I,” murmured the first. “How could any chosen of yours ever compare to ours?”

“Oh, you'll see. I’ll find someone,” the third says with a smirk, “someone with cleverness, and wit, and luck – and I’ll have him win over both of your boys, and use them to save the country!”

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Len yawns and rolls out of bed before he’s even entirely awake, because you never know when someone is going to be trying to stab you.

Not that it would help him all that much. His bed has far finer protections than Len's clumsy maneuvers: Mick possesses that amazing ability to fall asleep at the drop of a hat and stay asleep no matter how loud it is, but also to wake up fully and totally the second he’s actually needed.

Unless, of course, he’s aware that they’re both perfectly safe, in which case he’s as unmoveable as a stone.

Like, say, now.

“Get up,” Len calls over his shoulder, making a beeline towards the coffee and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Mick grumbles and curses Len’s parentage on his father’s side.

Len has no objections.

Still, by the time Len’s finished his coffee and gotten ready – washed up, clothing on, knives packed away and ready to be pulled out for convenient stabbing – Mick’s waiting for him by the door, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and Len wants to punch him because the coffee hasn’t kicked in yet. Accursed Carthaki import and its beguiling properties. Who was it that first let the merchants bring it in, anyway?

“C’mon, Lenny,” Mick says, opening the door for him. “We’ve got a nice, full day of stealing shit ahead of us. Can’t be late to work.”

Len can’t help but crack a smile. “You think you’re so funny,” he says, aiming for sarcasm but mostly coming out fond. Deciding to take Mick on as a partner was the best decision of his life to date. Back when they'd met, Mick – just a kid, back then, not the looming giant he’d grown into – was hanging around the city gates like he wasn’t sure if he should come in or not, but not gawking like most of the other country folk coming to the capital were.

Len has what is widely considered the world’s crappiest version of the Sight, which helps him identify things that will be relevant to him without any context (Enemy? Lover? Best friend? Person who will one day murder him?). He doesn’t get any of the useful versions, like lie-spotting or poison-detection, oh no, he just gets a feeling. Back then, he hadn’t even recognized that it was the Sight, just a tendency for hunches that served him well, but he’d taken one look at Mick with his cheap wool clothing and the boots that were falling apart on his feet and bee-lined over to make Mick’s acquaintance.

Turned out that Mick had walked all the way to Corus from who-knows-where he lived, which is just plain old ridiculous, and Len told him so, then bought him lunch with the wallet he’d just lifted.

Mick hasn’t left his side since.

Mick just smirks back. “Nah,” he says. “I ain’t funny, but you’re easy to please. Now get your ass moving, the Dancing Dove isn’t going to open itself, and the gangs are gonna want to know their boundary lines for the week.”

“I should have thought about all the administrative work before becoming the Rogue,” Len pretends to whine. “Never would’ve taken it on if I’d thought about it.”

“Sure, you would’ve,” Mick says peaceably. “You killed that man because of what he was doing to lil’ Sammy and you didn’t care or know who he was, and you were damn surprised when someone told you that you were the Rogue now.”

“Pity the only way to quit is to die…”

They’re about halfway to the Dove when Len runs straight into someone.

Unintentionally, for once; he’s so surprised by it that he doesn’t even lift the guy’s wallet.

“Sorry!” the kid chirps. He’s wearing some decent hose, but he’s got that wide-eyed "holy shit the city" look in his eyes – backcountry nobility of some sort, if Len’s got to guess. “Really sorry. I’m just – not the best with looking where I’m going. Which I’m going to have to work on. Plus directions. God, directions. Uh. Do you happen to know where the courts are?”

Asking for directions is a city-born’s one true weakness, the magic spell that causes every single one of them to stop whatever business they’re on and answer.

“Sure thing,” Len says, as susceptible as the rest of his kindred. “But which court are you looking for?”

“There’s more than one?”

Len laughs. “Yeah, kid,” he says. “There’s the courthouse, where the lawmen sit; the court proper, where you’ll find the king and his court; the court-adjacent, where they train the knights; and the court-university, where they train the Gifted. They’re all called the Courts.”

“And those are just the official courts,” Mick offers. “There are also the tennis courts, and the gaming courts –”

“Court Theatre,” Len says, smirking.

“Oh, man,” the kid groans, but he’s grinning, his eyes sparkling with enjoyment. “I’m going to get so lost, I can just tell! I need the one where the knights train.”

Len points him in the right direction. “Okay, so listen closely,” he instructs. “You go straight down this street to the big fountain, cut off left to the small street with all the curtains – you can’t miss it – go down the hill until you see the steps, next to the tavern with the horrifyingly red rooster on it – you really can’t miss that.”

“Street, fountain, left, hill,” the kid nods.

“You go up the steps until you hit the place with all the colorful houses – one of the nicest parts of the city, actually, can you believe that they’d been planning on mowing it down to make a big boulevard like they did with the center of town?”

“Rogue of that time stopped the bastards,” Mick agrees. “Good on him. We’d have lost three full neighborhoods to that nonsense. Who needs open roads in the middle of a city?”

“Tourists, that’s who, but we don’t run this city for ‘em. Anyway, once you see all the colorful houses, keep going straight until you get to the park. All the trees and whatnot. Right by the trees, there’s the first of said big boulevards in the middle of the way. Just plopped right into the middle of it all, tearing down perfectly good houses – it doesn’t fit at all with the rest of the area, so you really –”

“Can’t miss it?” the kid asks, because he’s apparently a bit of a smart ass. “Got it. Thanks!”

“Happy to help,” Len says, and then, entirely without his volition, says, “If you want someone to show you the city, you can find me anytime at the Dancing Dove – it’s an inn down four streets west of here, on Nipcopper Road. Have someone direct you there. Just come by any time.”

“I will!” the kid says, smiling right at Len. He’s got bright brown eyes, a mop of brown hair and a cheerful expression, and he’s basically the exact opposite of the sort of person that Len ought to be inviting down to the Dove. “My name’s Barry of Allen – well, it’s Bartholomew, technically, but who in their right mind would want to go by Bartholomew – uh, unless that’s your name –”

“Leonard,” Len says. “Call me Len – it’s better than Leonard – and this here’s Mick. Just ask for one of us by name.”

“I will! Thanks!”

With a wave, the kid disappears into the crowd.

“That was awful nice of you,” Mick observes, giving Len a slightly confused expression.

“Yeah,” Len says, blinking a little. “Awful nice.”

“Sight telling you he’ll be important?”

“I guess,” Len says, shrugging. “Could be just a whim. Whatever; if he’s headed for the court-adjacent, he’s to be a knight, and he’s not going to have time to come visit us anytime soon, so it’s not like it matters.”

“Whatever you say, boss,” Mick says, rolling his eyes and pulling a cheap fire-stone out of his pocket, the sort that are enchanted to light up in flame when you trace the rune on them – they’re mostly sold to help women start their kitchen fires, products of the university’s Gifted practicing their craft, but Mick’s always had a liking for them.

Then again, he likes anything when it comes to fire.

Len shakes his head and starts up again, nimbly avoiding the crowd. “You feeling hot tonight?” he asks. “I could set up something to need burning.”

“Nah, not yet,” Mick says. “But if there was a heist coming up that needed a fire…”

“There will be,” Len says, putting the whole business with the stranger – with Barry – out of his mind.

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Barry’s pleased to find that the directions the handsome man in blue had given him were both accurate and easy to follow (he was definitely not lying about the horrific shade of red of that rooster, gods above) and Barry makes it to the Court – uh, the Knight’s Court – in no time.

The court-adjacent, Len called it.

Man, if Barry had known that Corus had such pretty people, he would have…done exactly what he had done and waited until he’d completed basic knighthood training at the local training center near home before coming to the city at age eighteen.

It hadn’t been easy. Barry wasn’t particularly strong, particularly agile, particularly…anything, honestly.

Well.

He was fast.

But no one could ever know about that.

Barry sighs a little, remembering those terrible first few weeks when he was younger when it had first manifested, where he had to inch along because going faster than a crawl would result in a burst of super-speed, the experience of having to lie to his father for the first time, the agony of teaching himself how to slow back down…

If only the Gift didn’t automatically mean mandatory admittance to the mages university!

Apparently, back in Good King Jonathan and Queen Thayet’s day, you could be a knight and Gifted, like the Lioness - but that was nearly two centuries ago. Tortall’s mage universities had just been founded, for that matter, as a place for people to go to refine their Gifts; that was before the Gift had started specializing. People’s Gifts – just one type each, nowadays, rather than all-purpose – manifested in puberty, a reflection of how incredibly strong they were, and as soon as they manifested, they were shipped off to the City of the Gods for basic mage training, and mages weren’t allowed to become knights at all. Ever since Tortall had nearly been taken over in that awful war with the Magekiller that had decimated both their mages and their knights, knights were knights and mages were mages and that was that.

No. Barry was heading to Corus to become a knight, and that was final. Even if it meant hiding his speed for the rest of his life. Seven years of knighthood training at home, and the final year of intensive training in the capital, then appointment to the right position, maybe make a few good alliances with people who could stand up for him – then, and only then, would Barry consider revealing himself.

Honestly, Barry’s just happy that he hadn’t been shipped off to learn basic training in Corus the way it used to be when there were only a few dozen knights each year instead of an army of several thousands. He’d never have been able to hide it, and then zip, over to the City of the Gods he'd have gone.

But he decided very young that he was going to be a knight because as a knight, he gets to go to live in Corus.

He knows it’s a childish reason, but – he misses his mom.

Oh, sure, she writes often, every two weeks like clockwork. She visits once a season, if she can.

But the life of the King’s Spymaster isn’t an easy one – it’s not just spying but also diplomacy and foreign policy, and that means living in Corus. And though she loves her husband, Henry of Allen, very dearly, and her son no less dearly, that means she can’t live with them.

If Barry went to the City of Gods, he wouldn’t have even seen her the few seasons she went home. Mage training takes a lot longer than knighthood training: he wouldn’t have been sent to Corus, if ever, until he was halfway through his twenties, and that was assuming he was good enough to get into the mage university of Corus, the finest of the mage universities in all the land.

No, Barry’s going to become a knight, and make his family proud that way. Not as a Gifted mage, locked away in some room with a pile of books.

But first he needs to survive becoming a knight.

Correction: first he needs to find the right room and not be late.

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He’s late.

“I am so sorry,” Barry says apologetically.

The man in black at the head of the room sniffs. “I hope you won’t be making this a habit, Allen,” he says, and sweeps out.

“Did I miss the entire introduction?” Barry asks a pretty black girl plaintively.

She snickers. “Don’t mind old Darhk,” she says. “He’s the head of the mage university at Corus; he comes in just to sneer at us at the start of it.”

“Do we even do anything with the mage university? I thought it was a pretty strict segregation.”

“It is! The only thing we learn is magic theory so we know enough to recognize a problem on patrol, so we can call in a mage of the appropriate level to deal with it,” she says confidently.

“I guess they got tired of getting reports that said, ‘there’s a magic thingy, I think’ and it turns out to be swamp gas,” a boy about Barry’s age puts in. He’s short, with dark skin – though not as dark as the girl’s – and long dark hair that falls to his shoulders.

A third girl, sitting next to the boy, laughs. She’s pale and blond. “That happened in my district once,” she says, smiling a little, though she still seems nervous. “The magic thingy turned out to be a bullfrog.”

“That’s even better,” the boy exclaims.

Barry shakes his head. “I’m Barry of Allen,” he says. “You’re all here for knighthood training, right?”

“Yep,” the boy says. “I’m Cisco. Uh, short for Francisco. I’m one of the Ramons, from the coast.”

“Caitlin Snow,” the blonde girl says.

“Oh, are you from near the Scanran states?” the black girl asks.

Caitlin laughs. “What gave it away?” she jokes. “The blond or the name?”

“What’s your name?” Barry asks the black girl.

Cisco makes a small choking noise.

“What?” Barry asks, blinking.

“Ignore him,” the girl says, but she’s grinning. “It’s just been a while since anyone’s asked, that’s all. My name’s Iris.”

“Oh, cool,” Barry says. “Like the princess.”

“Uh, Barry,” Caitlin says. “This is the princess.”

Barry blinks, then twists to stare at her. “You are?”

She grins. “Yep. And I’m in your class, too.”

“Huh. Wow. Cool. Well, it’s nice to meet you. Is that why you know so much about how the training works?”

Iris starts laughing. “I like you,” she says, lightly punching his arm. “You didn’t make one stupid princess joke or start being all weird.”

Barry shrugs, grinning a bit. “My mom’s a courtier,” he tells her. “I ask her about court and she just goes on and on about how state dinners are the worst thing in existence, and everyone still has to attend them, so I think the shine’s sort of worn off.”

“They are the worst things in existence,” Iris says. “No lie. Which one’s your mom?”

“Nora of Allen –”

“The spymaster?” Cisco says, delighted.

“She’s awesome,” Iris gushes. “Like, amazing.”

“Yeah,” Barry says, beaming. “I know, right? I’m going to go see her when the introductory week is over; she’s out on tour till then. Well, I’m hoping to, anyway. I hope I didn’t miss anything important by being late today…”

“You definitely should,” Iris says. “And you didn’t; nothing’s happened yet. Besides, I can tell you most of what you’re going to hear, anyway; the knights division is run by a three-part system. Lord Wells is the overall head of the knights, but he's mostly involved in court stuff, or when we go to war. Captain Singh, the Lord Provost, manages the local patrols, inner-city and city vicinity, and that includes both the regular Guard and the knights that are assigned to the area. Lord Merlyn leads the outside patrols - missions to other countries, more unfamiliar areas, that sort of thing. His strike forces are very prestigious, since there’s so few chosen." She sighs. “Unfortunately, the system’s a bit lopsided at present – Singh’s internal patrols don’t have enough recruits, because Wells and Merlyn take them to the border, and as a result there’s more and more reliance on the informal patrols of the Rogue, and the quality of that can change rapidly, to say the least. It’d be better if we had more knights here in Corus.”

"Can't you do something?" Cisco asks. "If you're, well, the princess?"

Iris sighs. "My dad doesn't exactly listen to me," she says wryly. "He gave me the silent treatment for a month when I explained that I was going for my knighthood for real instead of just using all that training for self-defense I'll never use."

"Ouch," Caitlin says sympathetically. Barry can't even imagine his dad refusing to talk to him; usually, his dad is all about talking issues out for ungodly lengths of time.

"But our classes will be split between physical training - much more intense than what we're used to, or so people tell me - and our studies. And just a teensy portion of free time to keep us from going totally spare.”

"Can't wait," Barry says enthusiastically.

They all look at him.

"What?" he asks, only a little defensively. "We're one step closer to fighting the good fight, helping people. That's why we're here, right?"

Smiles spread on all of their faces. "Yeah," Cisco says, sitting up straight in his chair. "Yeah, you're right about that."

There's an awful screech of metal on stone, making Barry's shoulders shoot up to his ears. He turn to see what it was.

A frankly massive man, not too much older than Barry but something like twice the width, has turn his seat around to face them.

"You're naive, squirt," he says. "That fairy tale bullshit's centuries out of date. What do you think you are, the next Lioness?" He laughs nastily.

"Oh, shut up, Tony," Iris says. "Nobody asked for you input."

"No, I don't think I will," Tony says. "Not even for you, pretty princess." He blows a kiss at her.

Iris glares death at him and makes what even Barry can tell is a very rude gesture.

Tony smirks and leans back in his chair, smug and confident. “Where you from, little lion cub? Trebond?” he asks Barry.

“I’m from Allen,” Barry says stiffly. “Not that it’s important.”

“Oh, sure it is,” Tony says. “Explains it all, really. Allen’s backwater country. Infested with desert rats, I hear.”

“What in the world is wrong with you,” Iris snarls. “My dad and I are both Bazhir, you asshole! Your king, let me remind you!”

“I didn’t say anything about the Bazhir,” Tony says smugly. “You did.”

Iris fumes.

“You used a well-known slur,” Barry says. “It’s not our job to prove what you meant; it was clear enough what you said. Even someone from the backwater knows that.”

“Now listen here, you pipsqueak –”

There’s a loud throat-clearing from the front of the room and they all settle back into their seats, abashed.

"Don't worry," Tony hisses to Barry, and Barry really doesn't like the mean but satisfied look on his face. "I'm sure we'll have an opportunity to discuss it again soon."

Barry only has a day to wonder what Tony - apparently Tony Woodward, a courtier’s son - meant, since what he meant is that he'd volunteer to be Barry's partner in the physical training and then spend all day, every day, using his bulk and strength to beat Barry up and down the yard.

Great.

#coldflashwave #dccoldwave #westhawne #leonard snart #barry allen #mick rory #iris west #eddie thawne #cisco ramon #Caitlin snow #tony woodward #my fic #tortall

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joshyen · 7 years

Text

A true love song

Song of Solomon 1

Behold, you are beautiful my love; behold, you are beautiful. Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful.

Song of Solomon 2

As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women. As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me! Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. Let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. My beloved is mine, and I am his.

Song of Solomon 3

I will seek him who my soul loves. “Have you seen him whom my soul loves? ” I found him, I held him and would not let him go.

Song of Solomon 4

You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes. Your lips drip nectar, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue.

Song of Solomon 5

I came to my garden, my sister, my bride, I gathered my myrrh with my spice, I ate my honeycomb with my honey, I drank my wine with my milk. His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, bathed in milk, sitting beside a full pool. This is my beloved and this is my friend.

Song of Solomon 6

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine. Who is this who looks down like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awesome as an army with banners?

Song of Solomon 7

I am my beloved’s and his desire is for me.

Song of Solomon 8

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.

I feel blessed by the Lord that he included this love song in his holy Word for us. I collected some of my favorite verses from it, verses that contain shimmering, silky imagery, verses that capture the sense of longing and intimacy of love, true love.

Though not all verses of this near-3000 year old song are quite so poetic to our modern and particular cultural sensibilities (4:2 - Your teeth are a flock of shorn ewes), I have found the words to be beautiful, encouraging, enlightening, and redeeming.

Song of Solomon reclaims what is rightfully God’s- his beautiful design of romantic love, of sex, and of our good and godly desires for them. The song shouts in defiance to the world. Sex and our desire for it isn’t shameful, dirty, or sinful. The world wants to steal for itself what God designed for his own people. Sex is the Lord’s, it was made to be pure, wonderful, beautiful, enjoyable. The sensual language of SoS is natural and good! Sex is something holy for a husband and wife, not something depraved or degrading. It is backwards that sexual intimacy is championed and twisted by the non-believer while spoken of in embarrassed, hushed tones by the God-fearing when it should be the Christian that is the most pro-sex.

Song of Solomon shows us how refreshingly attractive it is to know the true God and to enjoy his creation in the right way. It is a celebration of love’s longing, ecstasy, joy, beauty, and exclusivity. While our society says that sex is for casual fun, Song of Solomon reminds Christians that while, yes, it was made to be a lot of fun, it was also made to be exclusive. Repeatedly, the book’s heroine reminds herself and her friends not to “awaken love until it so desires”- until the time is right, that is, within the context of matrimonial union. Sex was made to be enjoyed and shared within the commitment and loyalty of marriage. In this way, God also reminds us of the exclusive love relationship that he has with us. Do you think that the love of the God of all love, the source of any possible notion or shadow of intimacy that we could have, do you think his love which is wide and long and high and deep for us is not also romantic? God’s people, his church, he calls us his bride. The language that he uses towards us is tender and the relationship he desires to have with us is close and intimate.

But the truth is, it is hard to wait. It’s really hard. I know it is for me. Though God created my desires for sex and intimacy and though they are in themselves good and natural, right now they are often a stumbling block for me. Everyday I struggle with a burning desire to satisfy the longing of my flesh and ignore God’s purpose for his creation. It is hard to wait, to have patience to submit to his timing. I long to have a partner. Someone who will love and value me and help me love and value myself. Someone who will see the good in me and make me feel worthwhile when I can only see the dirtiness and worthlessness in myself. Someone who can encourage me and build me up. Someone I can just talk with. Someone who knows me, my strengths and weaknesses, my fairness and my flaws, and still wants me. Someone who loves God and will follow after him with me. Someone who will fortify my faith and, when I fall, who will pick me up. I want to pray with her and learn from her. Through her love for me and my love for her, I will be able to better understand God and his love for us. And I want to be that someone and do all those things for her too.

I want to show her how much I adore her and tell her how precious she is to me. I want to show her strengths that she didn’t know she had and reassure her when she’s feeling self-conscious about her weaknesses. I want to be there for her when she needs a hug, I want to encourage her when she’s deflated, make her laugh when she’s sad, pick her up and carry her when she’s down. I want to randomly surprise her with something that makes her happy. I want to cook her favorite food and give her a massage when she’s had a long day. I want to make her feel good and make her feel wanted. I want to have her back when she takes a stand and comfort her when she’s anxious. I want to understand her, including her wants and her needs, and, as much as I can and to the best of my ability, I want to be the vessel through which God satisfies them for her.

But I don’t have any of that right now. I had it once, but I was too dumb, too weak; I wasn't good enough and it was taken from me. And it’s scary not knowing when or if I’ll ever have another chance to have that someone again. God willing, there will be a day when I find my beloved. And if not, I’ll have to submit to his will that my portion is him and that his grace is sufficient. God, give me the strength to do this! The thought of that painful loneliness makes my heart ache.

But one day, I pray, I will be able to read Song of Solomon with her. And on that day, together we will better understand and experience God’s beautiful love song. On that day, I will thank the Lord for his wonderful blessing through her. On that day, I will be able to say: I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.

2/6/17

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miriamscorneroftheuniverse-blog · 5 years

Text

Carrying Joy

Hello dear readers!

I know it’s been a bit since I last posted; Life has been wild. I have officially finished my Freshman year of college, and summer has arrived! It is now time for me to read and write and rest. Ah, glory!

This is my first piece of summer writing and I hope you will find it enjoyable and encouraging.

(I started writing this piece a few days ago and just finished it today. I am not actually in Yellowstone, or even in Wyoming anymore, but the knowledge I gained there will be applicable for the rest of my life.)

And so, without further ado, please enjoy my Yellowstone Park ponderings:

May 13th, 2019

Guess where I am? If you mentally said, “Wyoming, baby!” then you’re correct. Yep, my family is currently on vacation, visiting Yellowstone National Park. Amazing, right?

Well, I’ll make a confession: Today, I’ve been a grouchy bum. There are several factors that contribute to my susceptibility to frustration today, including but not limited to grouchy family, no alone time, and three days spent almost entirely in the car. Perhaps the most challenging factor is the small amount of control I have over my current state of being.

Because I’m in a vehicle with 5 other people, I don’t have authoritative say over much. I’m not in charge of how fast we go, in what direction we travel, when we stop for bathroom breaks, what music we listen to, or where we eat dinner. I can make requests, but compromise is a big part of a family road trip. After a year of college - of being independent and daily making innumerable choices on my own - this lack of control makes me a little crazy. I’m not going to lie; it’s been a rough day.

As I sit here and think about this, a realization hits me: despite all these aggravations, grouchiness is still very much my own choice. Though my circumstances may make me more prone to a bad attitude, I am the one who chooses to dwell on the irritations.

With this realization come two options:

For the rest of this trip, I can be grouchy and annoyed at all the hard, frustrating things, such as the squabbling of my siblings, late meal times, or long hours in the car. Option number one is choosing to focus on the unpleasant things.

On the other hand, I can look for the joy, for the silly, for the beauty. For goodness sake, I am, for the first time in my life, exploring the beauty of the original National Park. The lakes, the mountains, the trees, the snow and the wildlife, the geysers and brilliantly colored pools; it’s all enchanting. Yes, there are discomforts, but there are so many precious gifts to be thankful for. Option number two is to choose contentment and joy.

It takes effort, surely, to answer a sharp word with a gentle one. It requires even more energy to truly mean it. I will fail to always answer gently, to look for beauty, to carry joy; I already know this. Yet, does the possibility of failure mean I should never try? No. As Christians, we are commanded to practice love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness, gentleness and self control, in order to glorify and reflect our Father (Galatians 5:22-23). Do you see grouchiness or irritability on that list? Okay, good, me neither.

Perhaps grouchiness is more a sin of omission than of commission; grouchiness is the result of an unthankful heart. Where grouchiness and irritability reside, graciousness, joy and kindness do not make their home. On the other hand, a thankful heart has much difficulty being grouchy. When your soul is overflowing with gratitude about the blessings of life, the nuisances seem much smaller.

On this trip, my family and I have started playing a game that we call, “Say What You Are Thankful For.” Usually it’s played during a time of waiting for something, such as the waiter coming back with our order. Going in a circle, we take turns verbalizing what we are grateful for in our lives. It’s almost magical, to see how quickly snappish spirits become genial.

God is teaching me joy in many circumstances; in solitude, in company with other people, in my friendships, in school and work, on hilltops and in valleys. What I find over and over again is that it only comes from Him. I know this - have read it countless times in the Bible - but my sin nature still tries to look for it in sensuous pleasures - food, music, possessions, etc. The Holy Spirit has repeatedly been making clear to me that, though these things may contribute to my happiness, they can never replace Him as the source of my joy. God is more devoted to me than any other being ever will be. For this, I can never give Him enough thanks, nor can I ever carry enough joy. Yet, in the face of such impossibilities, I am not discouraged, but rather spurred on to love my Savior more. Impossibilities such as these are the best sort a girl can be up against. 😉

All the love in the world,

Miriam

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NLT).

#CarryingJoy INdieJesusBlogger BeKindToOneAnother

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certainheartrunaway · 5 years

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2019 BBC Midwinter Broadcast: Comparing the Panasonic RF-B65 and GE 7-2990A

The GE 7-2990A (left) and Panasonic RF-B65 (right)

This has been a very crazy and radio-active weekend!

It started with a busy Friday that was capped off with the BBC Midwinter Broadcast and then continued into Saturday with a Parks On The Air activation and Field Day at Mount Mitchell State Park.

In short: it’s been a lot of fun!

I’ll plan to give a short report of Field Day later–it was one to remember–but first let’s talk about the 2019 BBC Midwinter Broadcast to Antarctica…

To the field!

The Midwinter Broadcast has never been an easy catch here in North America–after all, the BBC aim their signals to Antarctica–but I always manage to receive the program with only a portable and I’m almost always travelling on the day of the broadcast.

This year, I was actually at home and could have used one of my SDRs at home to snag the broadcast, but it’s become a bit of a tradition to listen in the field, so that’s what I did.

Knowing how difficult it would be to receive the broadcast–especially given the poor propagation–I reached for one of my “Holy Grail” portables: the Panasonic RF-B65.

The Panny RF-B65 is a portable DX hound!

I never take only one radio to the field, though, so I decided it was time to give the hefty GE 7-2990A a little outdoor time on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The GE 7-2990A

I’ve only had the GE 7-2990A for a few months. It came from the estate of my dear friend Michael Pool (The Professor) who passed away earlier this year.

This particular radio has quite an amazing history–remind me to share the story someday–but I’ll always cherish the 7-2990A because it was one of Michael’s favorites.

I knew the GE was one of Michael’s favorite mediumwave receivers, but I wasn’t sure how well it would perform on the shortwaves. Turns out, it’s quite an amazing HF receiver!

Out of the the three Midwinter Broadcast frequencies (5875, 7360, and 9455 kHz), I could receive the 7,360 kHz signal from Ascension Island best.

Here’s a short (informal) comparison video:

youtube

Click here to view on YouTube.

I was quite surprised with the 7-2990A’s ability to pluck this weak signal from the ether. Although the video doesn’t do it justice, the GE’s excellent audio fidelity made listening more enjoyable compared with the much smaller RF-B65.

youtube

Click here to view on YouTube.

And, yes, that’s my faithful brown and white listening companion, Hazel, in the background. In truth, she was less interested in the broadcast and more interested in finding squirrels!

Your Midwinter recordings–stay tuned!

Halley VI Research Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica (Source: British Antarctic Survey)

I’ve already received about twenty emails from SWLing Post readers with audio and video recordings of the Midwinter Broadcast. Thank you!

If you would like to submit your recording, and you haven’t yet, please do so by email (thomas *at* swling.com) so I don’t overlook it. Remember to link to your video so that I can easily embed it on the upcoming post. Please don’t send me duplicate emails as it makes the sorting process more difficult.

I’ll try to find recordings linked via Twitter and Facebook, but it’s much more difficult to sort those in comments and know for sure that I’ve discovered them all.

Please note that, due to my schedule, it will likely be two weeks before the final post is published. I appreciate your patience and understanding!

Do you enjoy the SWLing Post?

Please consider supporting us via Patreon or our Coffee Fund!

Your support makes articles like this one possible. Thank you!

from DXER ham radio news http://bit.ly/2Xu16K6 via IFTTT

#IFTTT #DXER ham radio news

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love-god-forever · 6 years

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4 Ways to Distinguish True and False Churches

By Xiaozhen, China

Brothers and Sisters of Loving Stage:

Sincerely yours,

Helen

January 9, 2018

Sister Helen:

I’m glad to receive your letter. Our communication can help you resolve your perplexities, which is the Lord’s guidance. All the glory be to our Father in heaven. Amen!

2. It is based on whether or not the pastors, elders and preachers love and pursue the truth and have the work of the Holy Spirit and whether or not they truly understand and practice the truth.

Good News Productions International and College Press Publishing

3. It is based on whether the truth or the evil hold the power and whether the people who pursue the truth or the people who are evil and play around hold the power.

4. A gathering of those who truly seek the truth and have the Holy Spirit’s work is a church. The place where the evil and the ignorant gather is a religious place but not a church.

Loving Stage

January 12, 2018

#church #Lord Jesus #gospel #prayer #Holy Spirit

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matthewtwelveministry-blog · 7 years

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1. There are two Ways, one of Life and one of Death, and there is a great difference between the two Ways. 2. The way of life is this:" First, you shalt love the God who made thee, secondly, thy neighbor as thyself; and whatsoever thou wouldst not have done to thyself, do not thou to another." 3. Now, the teaching of these words is this: "Bless those that curse you, and pray for your enemies, and fast for those that persecute you. For what credit is it to you if you love those that love you? Do not even the heathen do the same?" But, for your part, "love those that hate you," and you will have no enemy. 4. "Abstain from carnal" and bodily "lusts." "If any man smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek also," and thou wilt be perfect. "If any man impress thee to go with him one mile, go with him two. If any man take thy coat, give him thy shirt also. If any man will take from thee what is thine, refuse it not," not even if thou canst. 5. Give to everyone that asks thee, and do not refuse, for the Father's will is that we give to all from the gifts we have received. Blessed is he that gives according to the mandate; for he is innocent; but he who receives it without need shall be tried as to why he took and for what, and being in prison he shall be examined as to his deeds, and "he shall not come out thence until he pay the last farthing." 6. But concerning this it was also said, "Let thine alms sweat into thine hands until thou knowest to whom thou art giving." II 1. But the second commandment of the teaching is this: 2. "Thou shalt do no murder; thou shalt not commit adultery"; thou shalt not commit sodomy; thou shalt not commit fornication; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not use magic; thou shalt not use philtres; thou shalt not procure abortion, nor commit infanticide; "thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods"; 3. Thou shalt not commit perjury, "thou shall not bear false witness"; thou shalt not speak evil; thou shalt not bear malice. 4. Thou shalt not be double-minded nor double-tongued, for to be double-tongued is the snare of death. 5. Thy speech shall not be false nor vain, but completed in action. 6. Thou shalt not be covetous nor extortionate, nor a hypocrite, nor malignant, nor proud, thou shalt make no evil plan against thy neighbor. 7. Thou shalt hate no man; but some thou shalt reprove, and for some shalt thou pray, and some thou shalt love more then thine own life. III 1. My child, flee from every evil man and from all like him. 2. Be not proud, for pride leads to murder, nor jealous, nor contentious, nor passionate, for from all these murders are engendered. 3. My child, be not lustful, for lust leads to fornication, nor a speaker of base words, nor a lifter up of the eyes, for from all these is adultery engendered. 4. My child, regard not omens, for this leads to idolatry; neither be an enchanter, nor an astrologer, nor a magician, neither wish to see these things, for from them all is idolatry engendered. 5. My child, be not a liar, for lying leads to theft, nor a lover of money, nor vain-glorious, for from all these things are thefts engendered. 6. My child, be not a grumbler, for this leads to blasphemy, nor stubborn, nor a thinker of evil, for from all these are blasphemies engendered. 7. But be thou "meek, for the meek shall inherit the earth;" 8. Be thou long-suffering, and merciful and guileless, and quiet, and good, and ever fearing the words which thou hast heard. 9. Thou shalt not exalt thyself, nor let thy soul be presumptuous. Thy soul shall not consort with the lofty, but thou shalt walk with righteous and humble men. 10. Receive the accidents that befall to thee as good, knowing that nothing happens without God. IV 1. My child, thou shalt remember, day and night, him who speaks the word of God to thee, and thou shalt honor him as the Lord, for where the Lord's nature is spoken of, there is he present. 2. And thou shalt seek daily the presence of the saints, that thou mayest find rest in their words. 3. Thou shalt not desire a schism, but shalt reconcile those that strive. Thou shalt give righteous judgement; thou shalt favor no mans person in reproving transgression. 4. Thou shalt not be of two minds whether it shall be or not. 5. Be not one who stretches out his hands to receive, but shuts them when it comes to giving. 6. Of whatsoever thou hast gained by thy hands thou shalt give a ransom for thy sins. 7. Thou shalt not hesitate to give, nor shalt thou grumble when thou givest, for thou shalt know who is the good Paymaster of the reward. 8. Thou shalt not turn away the needy, but shalt share everything with thy brother, and shalt not say it is thine own, for if you are sharers in the imperishable, how much more in the things which perish? 9. Thou shalt not withhold thine hand from thy son or from thy daughter, but thou shalt teach them the fear of God from their youth up. 10. Thou shalt not command in thy bitterness thy slave or thine handmaid, who hope in the same God, lest they cease to fear the God who is over you both; for he comes not to call men with respect of persons, but those whom the Spirit has prepared. 11. But do you who are slaves be subject to your master, as to God's representative, in reverence and fear. 12. Thou shalt hate all hypocrisy, and everything that is not pleasing to the Lord. 13. Thou shalt not forsake the commandments of the Lord, but thou shalt keep what thou didst receive, "Adding nothing to it and taking nothing away." 14. In the congregation thou shalt confess thy transgressions, and thou shalt not betake thyself to prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life. V 1. But the Way of Death is this: First of all, it is wicked and full of cursing, murders, adulteries, lusts, fornications, thefts, idolatries, witchcrafts, charms, robberies, false witness, hypocrisies, a double heart, fraud, pride, malice, stubbornness, covetousness, foul speech, jealousy, impudence, haughtiness, boastfulness. 2. Persecutors of the good, haters of truth, lovers of lies, knowing not the reward of righteousness, not cleaving to the good nor to righteous judgment, spending wakeful nights not for good but for wickedness, from whom meekness and patience is far, lovers of vanity, following after reward, unmerciful to the poor, not working for him who is oppressed with toil, without knowledge of him who made them, murderers of children, corrupters of God's creatures, turning away the needy, oppressing the distressed, advocates of the rich, unjust judges of the poor, altogether sinful; may ye be delivered, my children, from all these. VI 1. See "that no one make thee to err" from this Way of the teaching, for he teaches thee without God. 2. For if thou canst bear the whole yoke of the Lord, thou wilt be perfect, but if thou canst not, do what thou canst. 3. And concerning food, bear what thou canst, but keep strictly from that which is offered to idols, for it is the worship of dead gods. VII 1. Concerning baptism, baptise thus: Having first rehearsed all these things, "baptise, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost," in running water; 2. But if thou hast no running water, baptise in other water, and if thou canst not in cold, then in warm. 3. But if thou hast neither, pour water three times on the head "in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost." 4. And before the baptism let the baptiser and him who is to be baptised fast, and any others who are able. And thou shalt bid him who is to be baptised to fast one or two days before. VIII 1. Let not your fasts be with the hypocrites, for they fast on Mondays and Thursdays, but do you fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. 2. And do not pray as the hypocrites, but as the Lord commanded in his Gospel, pray thus: "Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, as in Heaven so also upon earth; give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debt as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into trial, but deliver us from the Evil One, for thine is the power and the glory for ever." 3. Pray thus three times a day. IX 1. And concerning the Eucharist, hold Eucharist thus: 2. First concerning the Cup, "We give thanks to thee, our Father, for the Holy Vine of David thy child, which, thou didst make known to us through Jesus thy Child; to thee be glory for ever." 3. And concerning the broken Bread: "We give thee thanks, our Father, for the life and knowledge which thou didst make known to us through Jesus thy Child. To thee be glory for ever. 4. As this broken bread was scattered upon the mountains, but was brought together and became one, so let thy Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into thy kingdom, for thine is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ for ever." 5. But let none eat or drink of your Eucharist except those who have been baptised in the Lord's Name. For concerning this also did the Lord say, "Give not that which is holy to the dogs." X 1. But after you are satisfied with food, thus give thanks: 2. "We give thanks to thee, O Holy Father, for thy Holy Name which thou didst make to tabernacle in out hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality which thou didst make known to us through Jesus thy Child. To thee be glory for ever. 3. Thou, Lord Almighty, didst create all things for thy Name's sake, and didst give food and drink to men for their enjoyment, that they might give thanks to thee, but us hast thou blessed with spiritual food and drink and eternal light through thy Child. 4. Above all we give thanks to thee for that thou art mighty. To thee be glory for ever. 5. Remember, Lord, thy Church, to deliver it from all evil and to make it perfect in thy love, and gather it together in its holiness from the four winds to thy kingdom which thou hast prepared for it. For thine is the power and the glory for ever. 6. Let grace come and let this world pass away. Hosannah to the God of David. If any man be holy, let him come! if any man be not, let him repent: Maranatha ("Our Lord! Come!"), Amen." 7. But suffer the prophets to hold Eucharist as they will. XI 1. Whosoever then comes and teaches you all these things aforesaid, receive him. 2. But if the teacher himself be perverted and teach another doctrine to destroy these things, do not listen to him, but if his teaching be for the increase of righteousness and knowledge of the Lord, receive him as the Lord. 3. And concerning the Apostles and Prophets, act thus according to the ordinance of the Gospel. 4. Let every Apostle who comes to you be received as the Lord, 5. But let him not stay more than one day, or if need be a second as well; but if he stay three days, he is a false prophet. 6. And when an Apostle goes forth let him accept nothing but bread till he reach his night's lodging; but if he ask for money, he is a false prophet. 7. Do not test or examine any prophet who is speaking in a spirit, "for every sin shall be forgiven, but this sin shall not be forgiven." 8. But not everyone who speaks in a spirit is a prophet, except he have the behaviour of the Lord. From his behaviour, then, the false prophet and the true prophet shall be known. 9. And no prophet who orders a meal in a spirit shall eat of it: otherwise he is a false prophet. 10. And every prophet who teaches truth, if he do not what he teaches, is a false prophet. 11. But no prophet who has been tried and is genuine, though he enact a worldly mystery of the Church, if he teach not others to do what he does himself, shall be judged by you: for he has his judgment with God, for so also did the prophets of old. 12. But whosoever shall say in a spirit "Give me money, or something else," you shall not listen to him; but if he tell you to give on behalf of others in want, let none judge him. XII 1. Let everyone who "comes in the Name of the Lord" be received; but when you have tested him you shall know him, for you shall have understanding of true and false. 2. If he who comes is a traveller, help him as much as you can, but he shall not remain with you more than two days, or, if need be, three. 3. And if he wishes to settle among you and has a craft, let him work for his bread. 4. But if he has no craft provide for him according to your understanding, so that no man shall live among you in idleness because he is a Christian. 5. But if he will not do so, he is making traffic of Christ; beware of such. XIII 1. But every true prophet who wishes to settle among you is "worthy of his food." 2. Likewise a true teacher is himself worthy, like the workman, of his food. 3. Therefore thou shalt take the firstfruit of the produce of the winepress and of the threshingfloor and of oxen and sheep, and shalt give them as the firstfruits to the prophets, for they are your high priests. 4. But if you have not a prophet, give to the poor. 5. If thou makest bread, take the firstfruits, and give it according to the commandment. 6. Likewise when thou openest a jar of wine or oil, give the firstfruits to the prophets. 7. Of money also and clothes, and of all your possessions, take the firstfruits, as it seem best to you, and give according to the commandment. XIV 1. On the Lord's Day of the Lord come together, break bread and hold Eucharist, after confessing your transgressions that your offering may be pure; 2. But let none who has a quarrel with his fellow join in your meeting until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice be not defiled. 3. For this is that which was spoken by the Lord, "In every place and time offer me a pure sacrifice, for I am a great king," saith the Lord, "and my name is wonderful among the heathen." XV 1. Appoint therefore for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, meek men, and not lovers of money, and truthful and approved, for they also minister to you the ministry of the prophets and teachers. 2. Therefore do not despise them, for they are your honourable men together with the prophets and teachers. 3. And reprove one another not in wrath but in peace as you find in the Gospel, and let none speak with any who has done wrong to his neighbour, nor let him hear a word from you until he repents. 4. But your prayers and alms and all your acts perform as ye find in the Gospel of our Lord. XVI 1. "Watch" over your life "let your lamps" be not quenched "and your loins" be not ungirded, but be "ready," for ye know not "the hour in which our Lord cometh." 2. But be frequently gathered together seeking the things which are profitable for your souls, for the whole time of your faith shall not profit you except ye be found perfect at the last time; 3. For in the last days the false prophets and the corruptors shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall change to hate; 4. For as lawlessness increaseth they shall hate one another and persecute and betray, and then shall appear the deceiver of the world as a Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders and the earth shall be given over into his hands and he shall commit iniquities which have never been since the world began. 5. Then shall the creation of mankind come to the fiery trial and "many shall be offended" and be lost, but "they who endure" in their faith "shall be saved" by the curse itself. 6. And "then shall appear the signs" of the truth. First the sign spread out in Heaven, then the sign of the sound of the trumpet, and thirdly the resurrection of the dead: 7. But not of all the dead, but as it was said, "The Lord shall come and all his saints with him." 8. Then shall the world "see the Lord coming on the clouds of Heaven."

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fear-god-shun-evil · 6 years

Link

Brothers and Sisters of Loving Stage:

Sincerely yours,

Helen

January 9, 2018

Sister Helen:

I’m glad to receive your letter. Our communication can help you resolve your perplexities, which is the Lord’s guidance. All the glory be to our Father in heaven. Amen!

2. It is based on whether or not the pastors, elders and preachers love and pursue the truth and have the work of the Holy Spirit and whether or not they truly understand and practice the truth.

3. It is based on whether the truth or the evil hold the power and whether the people who pursue the truth or the people who are evil and play around hold the power.

4. A gathering of those who truly seek the truth and have the Holy Spirit’s work is a church. The place where the evil and the ignorant gather is a religious place but not a church.

Loving Stage

#Church #Jesus #God #Pray #kingdom of heaven #Lord

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