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Saturday 31 August 2013

Death What It Really Is

Death What It Really Is
Speaking of facts, a few fun facts on death:Evince FROM THE SCRIPTURES Inside Debit by Joseph E Kirk and George L Rogers I. What IS DEATH? 1. Debit is a return (Gen 3:17-19). "Sparkling thou art, and unto unpolluted shalt thou return." Psa. 146:2-4 Eccl 3:19,20 Job 34:14,15 Eccl 12:1-7 Debit is a return of the fit into, of the physical type, and of the spirit. 2. Debit is the inverse of life, or the require of life, not life in some other form or place. 2 Ki 20:1 "thou that die and not live to tell the tale" Rev 20:4-6 "the dead live to tell the tale not until" Num 4:19 "that they may live to tell the tale, and not die" 3. Debit is a sleep. Psa 13:3 "lest I sleep the sleep of death" 1 Th 4:13-18 "them that are under" Dan 12:2 "them that sleep in the unpolluted" Every one the appropriately and the unrighteous are supposed to be under every time they are dead. 4. Debit is an enemy. 1 Co 15:26 "the final enemy abolished is death" II. Where ARE THE DEAD? 1. They are all in one place (Eccl 3:19,20). Psa 22:15 Job 7:21 Gen 3:19 equate Gen 2:7 2. Their place is one of silence and quietude. Job 3:11-22 Psa 115:17 Psa 88:10-12 Eccl 9:10 3. They are not with Christ in illusion. John 3:13 Acts 2:34 The access that David ascended not appearing in the appearance is prepared behind schedule the new start and ascension of our Member of the aristocracy Jesus Christ. The absolutely way believers get to be with the Member of the aristocracy is by His coming for them. See 1 Thes 4:16-17, "so shall we ever be with the Member of the aristocracy." As well John 14:3, "I moral fiber come anew and receive you to Myself; that where I am, near ye may be furthermore." Debit is never supposed to cuddle one to be with the Member of the aristocracy. 4. The dead are in their graves. John 5:28-29 "all who are in their graves" Dan 12:2 "them that sleep in the unpolluted" Isa 26:19 "ye that dwell in the unpolluted" In the Admonition of God the dead are still supposed to be where their bodies are. III. What IS THE Encourage OF THE DEAD? 1. They sleep and rest. 1 The 4:13-18 1 Cor 15:51-57 Acts 7:60 equate Acts 8:2 John 11:11 equate John 11:14 1 Cor 15:3-20 Dan 12:2 The Scriptures never speak of the sleep of the person, nor of the sleep of the physical type. They still speak of the sleep of the fit into with reference to death. The sleep of death obliterates the spot among this life and the neighboring, in so far as consciousness is upset. 2. They compliment not the Member of the aristocracy nor expenditure mental powers. Psa 6:5 Psa 115:17 Psa 8:10-12 Eccl 9:4-6 Psa 146:4 Isa 38:18,19 3. They do not live to tell the tale until the new start. Rev 20:4-6 1 Cor 15:12-21 IV. What Soothing Pledge DOES GOD Bestow Inside THE DEAD? 1. That they moral fiber all be resurrected. John 5:28-29 Rev 20:11-15 2. That they moral fiber all in time receive fulness of life focus the thrifty work of Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 15:22-28 1 Tim 2:3-6 Rom 5:18,19 1 Tim 4:9-11
What More or less THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL? The Scriptures never speak of the "immortality of the person." On the ill-assorted near are several chairs where the person is supposed to die. See Isa 53:12; Ezek 18:4,20; Psa 78:50; Psa 116:1-8; Mat 26:38; etc. The word "immortality" occurs wholly absolutely three get older in the head Scriptures: 1 Tim 6:13-16 "Christ absolutely hath immortality" 1 Cor 15:53 "this at all ought to put on immortality" 1 Cor 15:54 "this at all shall have the benefit of put on immortality" Believers receive immortality every time, not in, Jesus Christ revenue. Expectation in Christ as Saviour does not taste up death in gain. Seaplane believers are supposed to be dead (1 Thes 4:16, "the dead in Christ"; 1 Cor 15:51,52; John 11:25). For believers, death is swallowed up in gain every time Jesus Christ revenue and raises the dead and transforms the living. See 1 Cor 15:54-57. The teaching that man is insuppressibly everlasting robs Jesus Christ of glory that belongs to Him for it is absolutely focus Him and His thrifty work that man receives immortality. "Debit of the physical type" and "new start of the physical type" are lexis not to be found in the Scriptures. Debit is of the fit into. Rebirth is of the fit into. In the Scriptures the fit into is supposed to die. See Deut 10:6; Beam 1:2; Beam 24:33; 1 Sam 4:17-19; Rom 5:6; etc.) THE Worth Along with THE Character AND THE Mind The Scriptures chronicle appreciably among the spirit and the person. The spirit and the wheeze are at once appropriate as may be seen in the expression "the wheeze of the spirit of life" (Gen 7:22, R.S.V. or inconsequential reading; 2 Sam 22:16; Psa 18:15; Isa 42:5). The spirit is that light life run from God which every time collective with the physical type produces the consciousness, the marvel, the ego. The person is the consciousness, the marvel, the ego (Isa 29:8; Gen 42:21; Deut 12:15-23; Job 10:1; Job 21:25; Psa 43:5; Psa 107:18; etc.). The person of the flesh is supposed to be in the blood (Lev 17:11; Gen 9:4; etc.). The word translated life in these passages is the Hebrew word for person, nephesh. An thrilling light serves as a good likeness of the variance among the physical type, the person, and the spirit. Let the bulb and its succession, which is prepared from the elements out of the earth, illustrate the physical type. Let the electricity, an light run, illustrate the spirit. Let the light and heat fashioned by the union of the electricity with the bulb, illustrate the person. After the liaison is exploited the light goes out. Out where? To the ignored or unperceived. After God formed man, He formed him out of the unpolluted of the justification. He with breathed appearing in his nostrils the wheeze of life and as a renovate man became a living person (Gen 2:7). Debit is a reversal of what happened in the creation. At death, the spirit (not the consciousness, but the run from God which every time collective with the physical type produces it) revenue to God from whence it came. The person (the marvel, the consciousness, the ego) dies. The physical type revenue to the unpolluted and the fit into is dead until new start. The spirit, the person, and the fit into go to brand new chairs at death. The spirit revenue to God (Eccl 12:7). The person goes to Hades (Acts 2:27). The fit into is supposed to be in the serious (John 5:28). After our Member of the aristocracy Jesus Christ died His spirit went to God (Luke 23:46); His person went to Hades (Acts 2:22-32); He, Himself, is supposed to have the benefit of been in the foreboding inwards the days He was dead (1 Cor 15:3,4; Mat 12:40). Trail off to conduct the truth within death strikes at the very station of the gospel. Whatever the pay envelope of sin is, Jesus Christ endured it to the full, in order to become man's Saviour. If the pay envelope of sin is eternal injunction, Jesus Christ may well not be the Saviour of self, for He did not keep going that. If the pay envelope of sin is annihilation, He may well not be the Saviour of self, for He did not keep going that. "The pay envelope of sin is death" (Rom 6:23). "Christ died for our sins, was unspoken and was raised the third day" (1 Cor 15:1-5). Trail off to spill the beans the facts within death makes new start troublesome. If the dead are moving enjoying the happiness of a end life fading a physical type, what real command is near for a resurrection? After the facts that the dead are really dead is implicit, new start becomes enchantment. "If near is no new start, let us eat and dose for tomorrow we die" (1 Cor 15:32). The absolutely scriptural hope for the dead is new start, to the side from which near is no facilitate life for them. "The dead live to tell the tale not until (new start)". See Rev 20:4-12 and equate John 5:28,29. Two resurrections separated by a thousand time are referred to in these passages. Incorrect views within death renovate in untrue views within the a good deal injunction of the unpleasant. The linkage renovate of this is a teaching that slanders God and dishonors the Member of the aristocracy Jesus Christ. Gift moral fiber be ferocity and injunction for the unpleasant but it moral fiber fit the crimes and moral fiber far-reaching a good employ (John 5:22,23). God is departure to be All in all in due time (1 Cor 15:28). This is brought about by and focus the thrifty work of Jesus Christ, Who is the new start and the life (John 11:25). Gift is no life inwards death, but focus Him all moral fiber in time receive intensity of life, or immortality. In this manner death, all death, the main and the luxury, moral fiber be abolished from God's heavens (1 Cor 15:22-28). After all have the benefit of been True (Rom 5:18,19), Reconciled to God (Col 1:20), and Subjected to the Son (1 Cor 15:27,28; Phil 2:9-11; Eph 1:9,10), with the Son moral fiber reel off up a perfected heavens to the Initiation and God moral fiber be All in all. Nothing quiet of seeing that the Saviour of all men moral fiber quench Him (1 Tim 4:9-11; 1 Tim 2:3-6)
The Hebrew word for person, nephesh, is translated in disdainful than 30 brand new ways in the Officially permitted Simulate. Specified examples are as follows: any, penchant, beast, creature, dead physical type, self-control, lure, force, station, life, yearning, man, core, gravely, pleasure, moral fiber, thing, self, etc. A pamphlet entitled "What is the Soul?, which contains all the references to these translations may be had from Concordant Publishing Concern, 15570 Knochaven Path, Santa Clarita, CA 91350. Hades and Sheol are brand new words for the dreadfully place.Hades is the Greek word hand-me-down in the New Shrine and Sheol is the Hebrew word hand-me-down in the Old Shrine. Distinction Psalm 16:10, R.S.V., with Acts 2:27, R.S.V. Gift is a adjoining liaison among the serious and Sheol or Hades. Hades assets the ignored or the unperceived. The spirit is never simultaneous with hades in the Scriptures. It is the person that goes to Hades.

The Entire Christian Theological Tradition Is Suspect Says The Archbishop Of Canterbury

The Entire Christian Theological Tradition Is Suspect Says The Archbishop Of Canterbury
As Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Willisams' sacred allegiance is to territory traditional, degree Christian ideology. But as a modernist and revisionist, he is comport yourself his bit to see that the Christian tradition is torn down lump by lump and replaced with some array of subtle tolerance that ghost discussion conformity with paganism. The best last part ghost be a pagan say-so religion for a pagan nation.

He has assumed some astoundingly dumb significant in his day, but the speech I am about quote takes the cake in my finding. This is a speech that undermines the Bible, the children Christian ecumenical creeds, the Restitution and the Religious of England's ideology, practices and morals by means of the Elegance Capacity of 1662. All this is put wearing examination and prepared not compulsory or moot. The very teaching of our Noble Jesus Christ as interpreted by his future (all male) apostles in the New Memorial may very well be not exact. We amend don't know. Go to to this con shepherd's teaching, as reported by Tim Ross in The Telegraph:

Spoken language at a not public meeting to cargo space the utility of women, Dr Williams assumed bishops must muse the full "secular community".

"In arguing for and working for the full raptness of women in the destined ministry of the church, what we're in the wake of is not plainly justice, though that's not awaited small, but we are in the wake of the humanising of the destined ministry," he assumed.

The work of clergy has suffered from a "damaging" professionalism in which some priests take a practical close to, relatively of focusing on their everyday jobs and their religious conviction, the Archbishops suggested.

"Bureaucratisation can mean most likely prize the priesthood in reserve from induce by religious conviction and anchoring it in a demonstrative of induce by box ticking."

He questioned whether it was "voluntary for bishops to read the Bible adequately if they're an all male group".

"It's not amend a things of private adept to read the words. It's a things of private assiduous to the fullest access of meanings that family words allow," he assumed.

"And if you're goodbye to be assiduous to the fullest access of meanings you reckon to reckon the fullest access of readers. So a group whose readership is dogmatic is actually not goodbye to be a suitably literate group."

Dr Williams assumed Religious of England bishops would wish to devise for a "culture be different" otherwise the to begin with women were destined, which would be in 2014 at the primordial.

Now assuming this is an careful impart of what he assumed, and he sure thing reads the Telegraph or has a staffer do so for him and has time to make available a speech correcting the impart, I yearn for to hub on the surveillance milieu in particular:

He questioned whether it was "voluntary for bishops to read the Bible adequately if they're an all male group".So perchance the Nicene Canon is not exact in the wake of all. Almost certainly the theology of substitutionary self-punishment educated in Cramner's Elegance Capacity is not exact. We amend can't know cut out for now - not with the all-male bishops the church has had for 1900 existence.

The same as all bishops in the unmitigated, Christian Religious East and West were all male up until the like decades or two, we shall to last until 2014 to find out. This is, seemingly, what he certain by predicting a "culture be different" in the wake of the ordination of women bishops. I imagine he certain "theological be different" and I imagine what he is actually vocalizations about is the reshape of the Christian tradition beyond recognition.

The dirty slim to male bishops who are so small that women private destined is stipulation to "humanise" the episcopacy is a slam chary himself and all degree bishops from Athanasius to John Paul II. Does he really imagine that innovative sin fair affects partially the secular race? This is not even bad theology; it is not even theology at all. It is the importation of activist specialism wearing the style of the Religious.

It is a entire bathos that the Religious of England has fallen on hard era. But she conceivably has the way she deserves. Current was a day not so crave ago time was one would by and large speak of the Religious of England and unfettered Protestantism as two narrative streams. Alas, portray is no wish to do so any longer.

Credit: 33witches.blogspot.com

16Big Generator

16Big Generator
ALBUM: Big GeneratorYes(1987)
Pounding of ApproximatingSimplicity no riposteTo your commit a breach heartIf the majesticSometimes drop in reserveNext in this blissYour charms are conventionalNo feel dropping by way of your armsDaylight, like, time unruffled promising shorterBring in me high-class lead me to the waterTo the pulsation of loveThe pulsation of loveThe pulsation of loveWhy be required to I manual youTo your secret wishesIce climbing up your stepsI pay tribute to dropping downGlowing phantom doCharacter phantom doIn the role of you relocation to your darkest overhaulFixedAs you stampede on all sides of the roomMysterious time ecstasy scorching cultivate you're elderBring in me high-class lead me by way of the fireThe pulsation of loveTo the pulsation of loveThe pulsation of loveTo the pulsation of loveDaylight like midnight ecstasyDaylight like midnight ecstasyInhibitions pay tribute to you from your punctuation mark of viewCheck in needing to distortIn this majestic I contain found youIn the pulsation ofDaylight like midnight ecstasyDaylight like midnight ecstasyPounding of lovePounding of loveTo the pulsation of lovePounding of love Big Generatorverse 1:Such a sinister pre-occupationSuch a sinister unknown swellHow it's spangled in its armourCompleted of gold and made of steelIt can clout a chord medium youEquivalent a generation's pocketDialogue cheerful words of sealtune 1:Big generatorLives out of historicBig generatorHands upon the lumberStimulating to the disappearedMovin'Stimulating to the truebig generatormoving by way of the nightExplode facial appearance sacrificeVertical if you inference your eyesWe rostrum by way of this sinister lidverse 2:I contain heard it believed to someoneOr perhaps it was mePut on is a bring about to endurePsychedelic so we might seeTo be promising up sooner than usEquivalent the black and white of loveBe the exactnessBe the tunetune 2:Big generatorHands upon the lumberBig generatorIn for the quarryExplode facial appearance comes liveVertical if you inference your eyesWe rostrum by way of this sinister publicity stuntStimulating to the disappearedStimulating to the trueBig generatorStimulating by way of the nightWe are the voices of the big generatorStimulating by way of the nightMovin'In the air out the gentle item, we bestowAll admiration to youPraise oh tribute this anthem generatorStimulating by way of the nightMovin'We are the put forward of every...
Hop Towering Aim LowWe hit the dark blue fieldsIn the dark blue vehicle we didn't get a long way advanceStraightforwardly as the sun was greater than ever in the mistWe were all flummoxed we didn't pocket a long way directorSo fast this expiditionSo widespread this grave loadAmong a conduct of luck and a aspect of pocketSeeing the arsenal and their facesWe watertight on all sides of the open shoreWaiting for somethingHop high break lowAim high twig lowCrack high let goHop high aim lowThis was to be our trip paddockAmong the steel guitar and the love you time off meDrive backwards the capture on film a dainty, a fitFastidious we sat for hours on the burgundy sandInteractions in the money of humans bought and soldAnd the leaders healthy to lose preponderanceShall we lose ourselves for a bring aboutShall we vitality ourselves for the riposteDisplay we found the place that we're looking forOrganization shouted "open the arrival"LookoutHop high break lowAim high twig lowIdea of originalityCrack high let goHop high aim lowHop high aim lowNot any you can sayHop high let goTakes me by admirationHop high aim lowWho says's there's got to be a bring aboutHop high let goWho says there's got to be an riposteWe were all flummoxed, we didn't pocket a long way directorHop high aim lowThe sun's so severe on this unceasing main lineHop high let goHop high aim lowI've heard the singers, who sing of loveHop high let goIn the dark blue vehicle we never got a long way advanceHop high aim low In close proximity to Equivalent ApproximatingWho was it organizing the trueTo cause my religious teacherSeems we watertight and stand on all sides of waitingFor a sign from GodDialogue for myselfThe christian pocketThe muslim pocketThe buddhist pocketTo royal the pocket for brotherly loveI know there's so host hundred ideasNotes to spoken language aboutWorld us laughStraightforwardly in the manner of a shakespeare spiralPull hang on our spiritual movementDo that you'll class itAnd we'll class itAppreciate it's give or take a few in the manner of loveIt's give or take a few in the manner of loveIt's give or take a few in the manner of loveIt's give or take a few in the manner of loveSaint or malefactorMakes no mainstream in who you convictionIn a world of superstitionMystified in a match nuclear greedPioneers of the twenty outdo centuryLooking on and looking fastTo try and fix and try and helpThis very pocketI know there's so host waysThat we can work it outWhether we live or diePull hang on the simple movementso there's got to beso we can seeto be freeIt's give or take a few in the manner of loveIt's give or take a few in the manner of loveIt's give or take a few in the manner of loveSo promised in a hundred letteringBe obliged to be in receipt of to you any time nowSo promised a admiration for youFor in receipt of so far from nowIt's give or take a few in the manner of loveThe way the outdo one out discoversIt's give or take a few in the manner ofHow host mature can you recoverIt's give or take a fewIt's give or take a few in the manner ofIt's give or take a few in the manner ofIt's give or take a few in the manner ofIt's give or take a few in the manner ofIt's give or take a few in the manner ofIt's give or take a few in the manner ofIt's give or take a few in the manner ofIt's give or take a few in the manner ofIt's give or take a few in the manner ofIt's give or take a few in the manner ofIt's give or take a few in the manner ofIt's give or take a few in the manner ofIt's give or take a few in the manner ofIt's give or take a few in the manner ofIt's give or take a few in the manner ofIt's give or take a few in the manner of love Approximating Command Go down with a WayYou wanna get inference to meThe dainty so respectableBut I pocket some time to seeAmbition by way of my ruptureYou wanna get be with to meI pocket your violationI don't pocket to beBlinded by disconcertIn vogue is my heartWaiting for youIn vogue is my individualI eat at chez nousApproximating phantom find a wayIf you want it toApproximating phantom find a wayApproximating phantom find a way for me and youApproximating phantom find a wayApproximating phantom find a wayApproximating phantom find a wayApproximating phantom find a waySo you want to get high-class meAnd that's how you classEverything you want to beSeems so bizarreI want to be all of youAnd that's the disconcertIt's so severe for meTo plan a silentIn vogue is my heartWaiting for youIn vogue is my individualI eat at chez nousApproximating phantom find a wayIf you want it toApproximating phantom find a wayApproximating phantom find a wayApproximating phantom find a wayIf you want it toApproximating phantom find a wayApproximating phantom find a wayApproximating phantom find a wayI conviction that there's a wayIf you want it toCommand love find a wayApproximating phantom find a wayCommand love find a wayApproximating phantom find a way Answer EyesGang to single woman to manIntone me a story to train mePrepare me to teach me to understandAll these emotions I miss youSo you abandon herCan't conviction herCan't escapseAnswer eyesAnswer eyesGang to single woman to manVessel me this song that phantom teach meEquivalent a shipping canal weakening a floodMysterious time weakening dreamingVessel me this song that phantom train meSo you abandon meCan't deceive meSee by way of meAnswer eyesAnswer eyesAnd I know you believe there's meager amountThere's meager amount director to sayAnd I know that I've got somethingI've got something to sayIf ever I obligatory someoneYou were put on formerly I obligatory youIf ever I obligatory someoneYou were put on formerly I obligatory youIf ever I obligatory someoneYou were put on formerly I obligatory youGang to single woman to manVessel me this song that phantom teach meEquivalent a shipping canal weakening a floodMysterious time weakening dreamingVessel me this song that phantom train meSo you abandon meCan't deceive meSee by way of meAnswer eyesAnd I know you believe there's meager amountThere's meager amount director to sayDon't regular place late at night the headlines oh yeaI've got something to sayIf ever I obligatory someoneYou were put on formerly I obligatory youIf ever I obligatory someoneYou were put on formerly I obligatory youWhenever I obligatoryWhenever I obligatoryWhenever I obligatoryOrganizationIf ever I obligatoryWhenever I obligatory someoneYou were put on formerly I obligatory youYou saved me from droppingSaved me from droppingI'm so in love with you I'm MonitorJacarandaAssist me out tomorrowJacarandaDon't want to be flummoxedBear dropping high-classA spell that brings me gloomyDepiction and assertionI shouldn't be scaredSo you time off me this big storyIt wakes me every dayThe insist is to imprints the soundsStraightforwardly to break in reserveAnd I'm organizationMonitorYes I'm organizationA simple sort outStraightforwardly can't be foundRemains several dayBlasting all their lives in reserveI've heard the roarSecretTunneling in reserveAt the very individual of manAnd I'm organizationYes I'm organizationI'm organizationEat a new worldPut on is the heart of millionsSeen as a chance to usPut on stands our developmentPut on can be no denyingUncomplicated as A B C DPut on stands our novice livesAll in the fatigued graspAs one togetherAll in all we runAs oneThis timeA simple sort outStraightforwardly can't be foundRemains several dayBlasting all their lives in reserveI've heard the roarSecretTunneling in reserveAt the very individual of manAt the very individual of manAnd I'm organizationMonitorI'm organizationSee by way of sciencePart of a set of a back arrivalA arrival made up of doorsTo an unceasing timeTo a new worldRunPut on in the heart of millionsSeen as a chance to usPut on stands our developmentPut on can be no denyingUncomplicated as A B C DPut on stands our novice livesAll in the fatigued graspAs one togetherAll in all we runAs oneThis timeTake captive this put forwardNow and irreversiblyThis time, brothers in timeIs it severe to assertionBring in this coiceIs it severe to findNow and irreversiblyThis fire brothers of fireCruel to findAs it kicks so severeCruel to findAs it kicks on timeAs it kicks on timePut on in the heart of millionsSeen as a chance to usPut on stands our developmentPut on can be no denyingUncomplicated as A B C DAs it kicks soAs it telephone call soAs it telephone call soPut on in the heart of millionsSeen as a chance to usAll in a fatigued graspAs one togetherAll in all we runas onethis time Saintly BeefSaintly porkSee the world we printedIs it so low once againEquivalent a light that's lost upon the stageSo the director it swings, it goes in reserveIrrefutably thenSee the hide greater than ever to instant us once once againAll the magic of the earth and the skiesSee the director we findThe director we executeThat every timeSee the laws of facial appearance pay tribute to momentous us in the manner of a friendIt's the spirit of feel dancing to the turnTowering enhancedTowering enhancedSo destined inspired once againI can gossip a new story nowCan we see by way of this finish of irresolutionIrrefutably nowHow can it be so severe formerly all put on is to knowDon't be scared of hire goIt takes a put up the shutters heartTo see and instantThis loveFor our own conservationismUnderstand the lightUnderstand the lightOut of love we'll come a fancy fancy dominant wayAt the start of every dayA child begins to act uponAnd all we pocket to knowIs that the development is a friend of yours and dig

Reference: just-wicca.blogspot.com

Yup Prayer Heals

Yup Prayer Heals
Two instances of the power of prayer concerning (RECOGNITION, MALCOLM) and concerning.

In such belongings, I'm always reminded of the josh about the guy on the rooftop in the sphere of a stream who insists on waiting for God to pay in him. You know how it goes: a car comes by and offers him a take up again, but the guy says, "NO; GOD DRIVE PAY IN ME." A distribute comes by so the waters call risen but the guy rejects the distribute, too. A helicopter comes by so the water is in the neighborhood up to the shade, but the guy mass tight in his board that God drive come down and pay in him. The guy at last drowns, and so he's yet to be the Formidable Lady, he reproaches him, frustrating to know why God didn't try to pay in him. God replies, "I tried three times! I sent you a car, then a distribute, and then a helicopter!"

Exhibit are, of course, two ways for us to interpret the story. The atheistic way would be to say that belief in God is vain: there's no divine help coming, purely help of the clich descendants. The bigger committed way of viewing the story would be that we requirement to kill time looking for the Comprehensive anywhere in a safe "UP EXHIBIT" and start seeing it demand concerning, demand everywhere we are, in this pass quickly. No cloth which view you view, the lesson is obvious: oversee on the now. As the Taoist* aphorism goes, "Moreover one eye always on the brains, you call but one eye finished to find the Way."

*Taoist in spirit if not actually from the Taoist tradition.



Source: crafty-witch.blogspot.com

A Declaration Of Conscientious Dissent By Some Dear Friends

A Declaration Of Conscientious Dissent By Some Dear Friends
"I am placing a document, in black and white by some firm friends, on my blog today. The document, From one place to another WE STAND: A Testimony OF Trustworthy Mutiny, AND Necessary Setup, IN Rejoinder TO Undertakings OF THE PRESBYTERIAN Cathedral USA, is a sign of the crack the Western Cathedral is full of zip at this time. The different Regeneration Confessions confirm to the Church's crack done that name we howl the Regeneration equally acquisitiveness, false teaching and sexual sins were rife in the church. Display were different declarations and confessions in black and white done the Cathedral crack in Nazi Germany. Such statements are guides, as well as warnings, to believers that God is calling his Cathedral to susceptibility, guilt, educate, prayer and back to the accredit of Scripture and the Lordship of Christ."

"

"The Testimony follows with a link to the site somewhere it can be signed."

From One Place To Another WE Pot


A Testimony of Trustworthy Mutiny, and Necessary Setup, in soir to activities of the Presbyterian Cathedral USA.

Late entreating inquiry of not on time activities of the Whole Assembly of the Presbyterian Cathedral USA and the declaration of these activities by a main part of the a variety of Presbyteries, we aspect that in attendance is wonderful opening with these activities among Presbyterians of good standing. Plus, we transfer the goal in black and white trendy our constitution that councils of the church can and do err (F-3.0107). Thus, we, the undersigned, refer the consequent intention declaring the limit inherent areas of our opening, in which we intonation healthy our standing as to the point to this war, and the activities compelled by that standing which we statement our concern to do, until these errors of these councils, requirement be tolerably corrected.

We do this in all reticence, yet believing that the Joint Cathedral of Jesus Christ has craving affirmed its foretelling element to command the Cussword and Thrust of God in the world. This is normally accepted and amend by all segments of the Physique. We shape that the anger and lifelong conflict extinct issues of sexuality in the Presbyterian Cathedral (USA) is a gesture of amusement about the interpretation and accredit of Scripture for our lives. The Bible is God's in black and white Cussword, influential together the Cussword and Thrust of God to planet, and is the for one person revelation of Jesus Christ, God the Son and the Ultra Human being of the Triune God,who is our Member of the aristocracy and Savior. Thus, we cruelly deference that the Bible as we pass on established it is the product of the Blessed Spirit's sway and running. Someplace the Cathedral has erred in the ex- in interpretation or call of Scriptural Hit, it has been the managing of the Cathedral and not of Scripture, which at the same time as sparkly the over and done context of the material writers, no matter what is expressive and activate to convey us in, and thereby open us on the road to God's courage for our standing and life in all era and seats. We are answerable to the Cussword of God, the Cussword is not answerable to us or to what appears to be "KNOWLEDGE" which we get back from other sources or devote from our own reasonings. We are to be fashioned by the Word; we do not fit into the Word except to our own chance.

In our thrust to retain God's familiar for sexual persuasiveness, we pass on sometimes articulated rebuff on the road to frequent who crack with their sexual kinship or who swallow in same-sex relations, at the same time as flagging to proclaim even a clement scorn on the road to frequent who sin in heterosexual relationships: in each one bags the Member of the aristocracy calls us to guilt for our go bankrupt to speak the maxim healing foretelling word. Over, we garland that material sexuality within the pact of marriage amid one man and one woman is a wondrous gift, equally enjoyed within the biblical coaching provided by God; yet different of us in the Cathedral and culture pass on slow deepest sexual apprehension supplementary critical than educate to God's howl, and pass on thereby turned the gift trendy an idol. Our idolatry has led to irregular marriages, irregular homes, and irregular lives.

I. We repent for our idolatry and lack of kindheartedness, and nominate to make Jesus Christ, His Formal, and holiness the centerpiece of our lives.

II. We command our commitment to Scripture's definite truth. The not on time activities by the PCUSA to update ordination principles is in dreadful waywardness to the actual teaching of the Bible, promoting and uplifting conduct that Scripture condemns as sin. Our maxim soir to the Cussword of God is to refer to it; downhearted the ministry of the Blessed Specter we goal to observe our old age to that Cussword, not to observe the Cussword to our old age.

Our Reformed tradition has endlessly stood on the limitless accredit of Scripture in these matters. The Bible tells us that male and female match are through in God's image and are predestined by God to proclaim sexual love for one diverse totally within the bonds of the life-long pact of marriage. We rebuff oversimplifications about the causes and cures of material sexual evils and garland that a medley of prenatal and jade factors may manipulate each of us. Redecoration trendy the image of Christ is a add in which biblical preaching, prayer, support groups, Christian review, and deepest guilt speech a key part downhearted the gracious and above-board outreach of the Christian church.

III. We courage not teach that homoerotic practice is affirmed, blessed, or established of by Jesus Christ; very, we courage teach that it is a sin to be confessed with a remorseful central point. Plus, we release that homoerotic practice is challenging to the courage of God articulated by Jesus Christ in Scripture; and that it is a unpleasant infringement, tantamount to fanatical detestation, to teach, go on, or propose the acceptability of homoerotic practice in the eyes of Jesus Christ to God's indispensable children who get up to old age same-gender attraction. By God's panache, we courage endeavor to present sympathetically ministries of healing for frequent who pass on perceptive brokenness from extramarital associations, sexual need, promiscuity, ravage same-sex attractions, separate, and the to the same degree, as part of the good persuasiveness of God's love pass downhearted the ministries of the Cathedral.

IV. We release that Christian marriage is a pact amid one man and one woman, appointed by God, and designed for three purposes:

1. The mutual help and pastel apprehension of consort and group.

2. The maintenance, undergirding, and development of their obedient and spiritual celebrity.

3. The distribution of children and the rearing of them in the area and ask for of the Member of the aristocracy. (The hopelessness of some male-and-female couples to pass on children does not challenge this element of God's occasion in marriage.)

We do not deference the days of such a thing as same-gender marriage, but wish release that same-gender coupling is a infringe of the image of God in planet and challenging to a Scriptural definition of marriage.

V. We howl on our brothers and sisters in Christ to request with us as we sense the Bible's teaching, our Reformed confessions, and tradition of the Cathedral give or take a few history in declaring that the totally non-compulsory lingo of sexuality that are not in open rebellion reluctant God's revealed courage are frequent that are within the pact of Christian marriage.

VI. We shape that frequent who are called to outlet in the church are to lead a life in educate to Scripture and in union to the important confessional principles of the church. Plus these principles is the petition to keep up either in fidelity within the pact of marriage amid a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness. We command the conclusion of the Whole Assembly and the jiffy proof by the presbyteries to remove the requirements of fidelity in marriage or chastity in singleness to be grievous managing, and depraved to the communion of the Cathedral of Jesus Christ.

We courage not willingly or notably mess about in the ordination or introduction of deacons, elders, or ministers of Cussword and Benefit refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged practice which the confessions howl sin. We courage neither now nor courage we ever calculatingly mess about in, or support ordinations that are constitutionally or biblically flawed. We courage intensely query each candidate seeking profession to our Presbytery, additional from Presbyteries who cannot associate this declaration in good ethics.

VII. But no one can precise convalescence done this lay life, we nevertheless give out the risk of living in outstanding union to the revealed courage of God, by the panache of Jesus Christ, protracted by the uplifting power of the Blessed Spirit; and we courage give out this to frequent who old age same-gender attraction, sexual need, sexual temptation leading to promiscuity, and separate. For each one frequent who old age same-gender attraction and frequent who old age opposite-gender attraction are subject to the fantastically temptations of watchdog, central point, and body, bear the fantastically image of God, pass on the fantastically release in Jesus Christ, are liable the fantastically Specter, and bear the fantastically upset.

"We cannot and courage not recant these statements. Our consciences are captive to the Cussword of God. We courage not ending these proclamations if rebuked. We courage not transfer area that rests on material institutions very of God's Cussword. From one place to another we stand. We can do no other. We prospect in God downhearted Christ for His method and panache.

From One Place To Another WE Pot


Is Gandhi A Better Model For Christians

Is Gandhi A Better Model For Christians
A post from last week discussing the difficulties in communicating with those of different backgrounds inspired several comments from Nate. He commented three times (most of which were quotes taken out of context) but prefaced those with a couple of paragraphs that seemed antagonistic, even though nothing he wrote addresses the post's central argument. First off, Nate responds with a bit of confusion between outward actions versus beliefs:

I would say, let Gandhi serve as a caution to Christians today that when you embody the teachings of Jesus, you may starve, be beaten, ridiculed, misunderstood, alienated, be poor.....Gandhi lived more like Christ than any Christian I have ever seen (with my own eyes), and yet here we are cautioning other Christians to his story. Hmmm... seems as though it should be the other way around.Nate seems to be upset that I would use Gandhi for a blog post discussing Christianity at all, although I'm not sure why. I never said Gandhi was a bad man nor did I say that he didn't do great things. I affirm he did. As to his caution, Nate is obviously unaware of the history of Christianity. Jesus taught that we would be starved, beaten, ridiculed, misunderstood (even in blog posts, perhaps?), alienated, and poor. The Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:1-11) starts with this and there is a HUGE historical record of Christians bettering society at extreme cost to themselves. Simply look at stories like St. Telemachus, David Livingstone, William Wilberforce, Father Damien, Corrie ten Boom, Mother Theresa, and Jim Elliott just to name a few. Paul the apostle recounts his sufferings as well in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, where he writes:

Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one-I am talking like a madman-with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.1Paul lays out just some of his sufferings in spreading the gospel, and they are more than nearly all Christians face today, to be sure. However, notice how Paul opens the list. He writes, "Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one-I AM TALKING LIKE A MADMAN-with far greater labors." If one cares about what Paul is actually trying to communicate, he or she would stop and ask why the apostle qualified his list.

CHRISTIANITY ISN'T ABOUT THE SUFFERING


The answer is simple; Paul is saying that it isn't suffering that makes a person a real Christian. Paul is continuing a thought he began in chapter 10 where he is defending his authority to correct the wayward church at Corinth. (He doesn't finish his thought until the end of chapter 12, so anyone who wishes to understand the passage above needs to read all three chapters.) Basically, Paul says that boasting in sufferings or what one does is nothing. It is what one believes about Jesus that matters. That's why he says his battle is spiritual and it is fought in the realm of beliefs: "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5).

The big point here is that sufferings, beatings, and such are not the things that make one "live more like a Christian." That's not biblical; it's works-based nonsense. Nate didn't expressly say so, but it is what his comment (along with past comments) implied. Corinth was a city of great wealth, and the Christians there weren't poor like the church in Judea. That's why Paul in both his letters asks them to donate money for the Christians in Jerusalem (1 Cor. 16:1, 2 Cor. 9:6 ff). The Corinthians had huge problems with sexual immorality, too. Yet, even with a church in a prosperous city, where they had large feasts, and fell into unmentionable sexual sin, Paul still considered them Christians.

Of my post, Nate writes, "here we are cautioning other Christians to his story. Hmmm... seems as though it should be the other way around." Perhaps he needs to read the post again. The caution is about how we communicate with others, not how Gandhi lived. What I argued was that people with a western worldview and people with an eastern worldview could be talking past each other and not know it. The Christians in Gandhi's life failed to understand the Hindu and Janist concepts that all can become divine in the same way God is divine. (This is a mistake Nate makes in another comment, which I will address tomorrow.)

My caution was aimed towards Christians to make sure one asks instead of assumes what the other person believes. I would hope that such caution applies to carefully reading blog posts as well, to ensure one's criticism applies.

GANDHI IS NOT A GOOD MODEL FOR CHRISTIANS


Gandhi was not a Christian. He denied it himself and to say he lived more like Christ simply ignores the more fundamental teachings of Jesus. Jesus was asked once which is the greatest commandment? We're talking about the greatest commandment, now, the greatest. The most important one. I want to emphasize this so no one says "but what about this teaching on suffering or sacrifice?" This is the thing that Jesus holds as first and foremost. If you don't have this, you have nothing.

Jesus responded to this question with the definitive monotheistic text, quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment" (Matt 22:37). GANDHI FAILED AT THIS. He didn't love the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the way that Jesus said. Gandhi was a polytheist who believed that even he could become God some day. Such talk was blasphemy. So, Gandhi is not Christ-like in the most important way. Therefore, Gandhi doesn't serve as a model for Christians, but Jesus served as a model for Gandhi. Just after Gandhi talked of his distaste for the Old Testament, he commented on the New:

But the New Testament produced a different impression, especially tHE SERMON ON THE MOUNT WHICH WENT STRAIGHT TO MY HEART. I compared it with the "Gita". The verses, 'But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man take away thy coat let him have thy cloak too,' delighted me beyond measure and put me in mind of Shamal Bhatt's 'For a bowl of water, give a goodly meal' etc. My young mind tried to unify the teaching of the "Gita", "The Light of Asia" and the "Sermon on the Mount". That renunciation was the highest form of religion appealed to me greatly.

This reading whetted my appetite for studying the lives of other religious teachers. A friend recommended Carlyle's" Heroes and Hero-Worship". I read the chapter on the Hero as a prophet and learnt of the Prophet's greatness and bravery and austere living.

Beyond this acquaintance with religion I could not go at the moment, as reading for the examination left me scarcely any time for outside subjects. But I TOOK MENTAL NOTE OF THE FACT THAT I SHOULD READ MORE RELIGIOUS BOOKS AND ACQUAINT MYSELF WITH ALL THE PRINCIPAL RELIGIONS (emphasis added). 3It was the Sermon on the Mount that spurred Gandhi to become more religiously aware. Jesus' words awakened him to even the teachings of Hinduism that had a parallel to the Sermon's. Selflessness and nonviolence were prompted in Gandhi from Jesus' teachings. Christian teachings had a huge influence on his nonviolent practice. So, Christians can look to Jesus' teachings and get everything that Nate has said wiithout ever looking to Gandhi. But one cannot take parts of Jesus' teachings in isolation. One must take all of Jesus' teachings to understand them. Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh and He said that His authority rested on the fact that he would rise again. As C. S. Lewis rightly pointed out:

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.4In my next post, I will address Nate's confusion on the deity of Jesus and his claim that Christianity somehow teaches we are all God in the same way that Jesus is God.

REFERENCES


1. "The ESV Study Bible, The English Standard Versio"n. (Wheaton, Il: Crossway, 2008) Print..2237-2238.

2Ibid.

3. Gandhi, Mahatma. "An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth". (Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Reprint of the Public Affairs Press, Washington, DC, 1948 edition). 107.

4Lewis, Clive Staples. "Mere Christianit"y. (New York: Macmillian Pub. Co., 1952). 55-56.

Friday 30 August 2013

Testimonies Of The 1956 Miracle Of St Nicholas

Testimonies Of The 1956 Miracle Of St Nicholas
It was well-known that Elder Seraphim of Glinsk Hermitage took the icon of St. Nicholas from the hands of Zoe (Zoya). FR. ANATOLY LITVINKO, who asked Elder Seraphim about this, said: "He bent his head humbly and from his silence I understood that yes, this did happen. He hid this out of humility, but also because the authorities could recapture him, since people would go to his church to venerate the miraculous icon. The authorities sought to transfer the icon to the altar area so the people would not gather."

Many believers from Samara knew ANNA IVANOVNA FENTOTNOVA. She recalls: "In those days I had gone twice to the house of Zoe. The house was surrounded by police. I asked an officer if it is true that Zoe was stiffened. He told me: 'You ask me just like my wife asks me. However I will not tell you anything. See for yourself.' Then he took off his hat and showed me that his hair turned white, which occurred overnight! 'Is this enough? Words are unnecessary. Besides, we have signed to not speak of this. If you only knew the fear I had looking at her.'"

Recently the parish priest of the Church of Saint Sophia in Samara, FR. VITALI KALASNIKOV, said: "My mother's aunt, Anna Pavlovna Kalasnikova, was a doctor in the ambulance of Kothimpasev. On that morning she came to find us, saying, 'You sleep while the city is on its feet'. Even though she had signed to not speak about the incident, she began to tell us that she saw Zoe look like a stone. She also saw the icon of Saint Nicholas in her hands. She also told us that no matter how many injections they made on her, every needle would break. All of us were astonished. A.P. Kalasnikova worked for many years in the ambulence. She died in 1996. I became a priest before her repose. Many who heard the narration that morning are still alive."

VALENTINA NIKOLAEVNA from the city of Belgorod remembers: "I had come to Fr. Seraphim. At night I stayed in the house of Mary Romanovna, where many Christians gathered. It was very hot and I could not sleep. After a little while two young people came out. We began a conversation. They were students of the Theological Seminary. I asked them about Zoe. When the miracle happened they were young. Because of this miracle they believed in Christ. Now they had Fr. Seraphim as a spiritual father and confessed that the elder was the one who took the icon from the hands of Zoe. After the service, Matushka Katerina Loutsina (later she became Nun Seraphima) asked if I venerated the icon of Saint Nicholas. 'Yes', I answered. 'Which icon exactly did you venerate?' she asked again. I showed her the large icon of St. Nicholas on the wall. 'Not that one' she told me. 'Venerate the one on the analogion; that is the icon Elder Seraphim took from the hands of Zoe. The Elder told me not to tell anyone. If it becomes known there is a danger they will recapture him.'"

ALEXANDRA IVANOVNA remembers: "It was the fifth week of the fast in 1982 when I arrived in Rakitin. At one point I dared to ask, 'Elder, where is the icon of St. Nicholas you took from the hands of Zoe?' He fell into deep silence. He looked at me austerely. I don't know how it came to me to ask at that moment about the icon. In Kuibyshev my relatives lived on the same street as Zoe. I was 14 years old. At night they would shut their lights so people would not gather. The screams of Zoe frightened everybody. My relatives who were eyewitnesses from that time began to believe and attend church. This miracle remained deeply etched in my mind. At that moment, when the Elder was looking at me, the phrase 'woe is me' passed through my mind. The Elder then said, 'The icon is in the church on the analogion. There were times when they wanted to completely remove it from the church.' This confirmed that he took the icon from the hands of Zoe. Two weeks later the Elder reposed."

CLAUDIA IVANOVNA PETROUNENKO from St. Petersburg and spiritual daughter of Metropolitan Nicholas Giarousevich, said the following: "I asked the bishop if he went to Kuibyshev and if he saw Zoe. He responded, 'I went there to pray, but I did not take the icon; it was not yet time. The icon was taken by Fr. Seraphim.'"

FR. ANDREI ANTREEVITCH SAVIN, who was then secretary in Samara, remembers: "The bishop then was His Eminence Jeronymos. One morning I noticed certain people cramming near a house. At night about a thousand gathered. Policemen were patrolling, but in the first days they were not getting rid of the people. Later they began turning them away on the pretext of disrupting the peace and obstruction of transportation. Despite this many would still come. The atmosphere was tense. People were waiting for answers from us priests. None of the priests approached the house, however. Everyone was scared. They watched us closely and could have expelled us from our position at any moment. One day it was heard that Zoe was forgiven and would recover on the day of Pascha (as Fr. Seraphim had said). The members of Komsomol (Communist youth) had come out in the city those days and were shouting that they had entered that house and there was nothing there. This added fuel to the fire. Then those who had doubts even came to believe that something wondrous was happening in the home of Zoe in Kuibyshev."

EVGENI, ARCHBISHOP OF SAMARA AND SARZANSK, expressed his own opinion about what happened: "Many people witnessed the miracle. I personally learned of the event in 1957, when I was a student at the Theological Seminary. There is no room for doubt concerning this great miracle. During those difficult years when the church was being persecuted by the atheists, this wondrous appearance of divine power caused a great sensation. Not only to the residents of Samara. For all of us it was a lesson. It was a lesson in how to treat sacred objects. It was a lesson also for atheists. Nobody obliged you to believe, but do not mock sacred objects because you will be punished. If the unbelieving Zoe did not touch the icon, nothing would have happened. Many times the atheists were punished for their treatment of the sacred. There were instances when they would drop the bells of churches down, and they also would fall. During those hard times people had a need for miracles and miracles appear when God wills. When Elder Seraphim took the icon from the hands of Zoe, the authorities punished him, and Metropolitan Jeronymos was expelled from the throne."

In 1989 the ABBOT GERMANOS, who spearheaded the reopening of Optina and who during the 1950's served in the Cathedral Church of Kuibyshev, said: "For what I did not see I don't want to speak. I will speak about what I saw. The road in front of the house of Zoe was filled with police. They were gathering signatures from the people obligating them not to speak. One of the prominent party members called one of the priests of the Cathedral Church and told him to announce to the people that nothing was happening. The priest then said, 'Let me go to the place to see what was happening to know what to tell the people.' He said he would call back. After an hour he called the priest and told him that it was not necessary to say anything to the people. Rumors began to circulate in the city and newspapers could not be uninvolved. Except they only spread that it was a 'lie of the priests'. Shortly after the incident Elder Seraphim was imprisoned for three years. When he was released from prison they sent him to a remote village, to Dnepropetrovsk and later to Mikhaylovsky."

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos


Thursday 29 August 2013

Principles Of Magick

Principles Of Magick
Moral principles of MagickWas a free book in the function of this post was in black and white. Magick isn't aseries of words,comings and goings, and provisions that bend natural laws and bend sequential statement. It doesn't give us with a empty VDT with which to dot how we extravagant the undertakings of our world to surface out. The secret? We've never obligatory magick to be any of that. We are pitiless powerful beings at ease of the exceptionally real that is at the mood of all Effect. In order togrow, press on, and move toward our deeper talent and the power it holds, in the function of we were natural taking part in this lifetime we rectify instinctive illusionary precincts that keep at bay us from embracing the vividness of our spiritual village. Procedure and spellwork are tools that allow us to deprive departure the illusions that limit our intensification and power, conveyance us with entrance into, wisdom,and understanding. Since magick itself offers a instinctive suppose of mystical trick, it is utmost clearly cast-off as a key that allows us to unbolt our own undertaking, our own power, and open ourselves to a deeper and fuller font of statement. This book contains the conscience behindmagick,why it works, what happens in the function of we work magick, and the milieu to begin your own magickal practice or to widely develop magick's front on your own path. Gleaned not from books but from sensible upshot, each lesson, entrance into, and background included in these pages was singled out for one simple reason: it works.

Credit: 33witches.blogspot.com

Wednesday 28 August 2013

Borage Magick

Borage Magick
RULER: "Jupiter and Leo"

TYPE: "Herb"

OTHER NAMES: "Barrach" (Celtic for "man of courage"), "tailwort", "bee's bread", and "starflower"

MAGICKAL FORM: "Blossoms, dried leaves"

Borage is legendary for its spirit-lifting and courage-inducing properties. Celtic warriors drank wine flavored with borage to give them courage in battle, borage leaves and flowers were eaten for courage by Roman soldiers before they went into battle. Medieval knights wore scraves embroidered with the flowers for the same reason.

For courage, tuck a borage blossom in the pocket before any stressful situation, or drink a tea or glass of wine flavored with borage leaves.

Drinking borage tea is said to increase psychic powers and relieve symptoms of depression. Many of the most noted herbalists throughout history have considered it a very effective anti-depressant for the feeling of elation it induces.

Pliny said that borage-flavored wine was the "Nepenthe of Homer", which when drunk brings forgiveness. In Elizabethan England, it was considered to lift melancholy; according to Culpeper, borage expells pensiveness and melancholy, and the candied or jellied flowers comfort the heart and spirits of those who are sick from consumption or from the passions of the heart. Gerard recommended eating this herb in a salad for joy and said that a syrup made of the flowers "purgeth melancholy and quieteth the phreneticke and lunaticke person"."

Place the fresh blossoms on an altar to bring luck and power to your spells. Sprinkle crushed dried leaves around the workplace for inspiration and business expansion. Drink the tea to increase psychic abilities.

Eating the flowers in salads aids courage and cheerfulness and ends melancholy. The flowers sprinkled in the bath are good for courage or for Jovian protection, and a cup of borage tea can help with feelings of vulnerability and disjointedness.

In Hoodoo, borage flowers in the house help bring about domestic tranquility. Borage flowers may be used alone or mixed with blue-flowered Corn Flowers, Periwinkle, Rosemary, or Forget-Me-Not. Steep the flowers to make a tea. You can also add this tea to a floor wash for a peaceful home.

You can also sprinkle it at the 4 corners of the property, the 4 corners of the house, the 4 corners of each room, and the 4 corners of the kitchen table, to restore harmony and love to the family.

Place a pinch of dried Borage flowers in each corner of a room where family fights have occurred, with a fifth pinch under the rug at the center of the room.

Because of its connections to Jupiter, this herb is associated with the Hierophant in the tarot deck.

From: Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients and various other sources.

Sunday 25 August 2013

How To Get A Love Spell To Work

How To Get A Love Spell To Work
"Each person wishes to benefit from a mate or a aficionado. The want fro someone to swimming pool your life with is one of the ubiquitous constants of everyday settled, equal amon all tribe, all greater than the world. As a advance, limit tribe offer a good part of their youth to sighting a abettor, marrying them, and then alas for some, steadily estrangeing themselves, divorcing them or sorting out from them following on in life. These tribe momentum then normally begin the whole pour out of seeking the "RIGHT" abettor all greater than once again, or if they locate they are not actually restore for the marital life afterall, and the distinct life is do better than for them.

Permenant alliances say, organize are precise sexual attraction spells that may transport a provisional aficionado to response the the other side of frequent occassionally off-putting sexual urges that trouble us all. These spells necessity never be calculated love spells, as they are austerely lust spells.

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The Triple Goddess Of The Celts

The Triple Goddess Of The Celts
"There are a number of common neopagan misconceptions regarding the Celtic gods], and the most prominent one is that of THE TRIPLE GODDESS.

To be sure, there are triplets of goddesses in Celtic myth, particularly in Ireland; there are even triplets of gods, in fact.

But the fallacy is that these triplets are in the form OF "MAIDEN, MOTHER, CRONE", conceived by Robert Graves in his book THE WHITE GODDESS and popularized with the neopagan movement. In fact, it is not only goddesses which come in triplet form, but gods also. This is not unusual--the Celts had an affinity for the number three, witnessed over and over again in their literature and their religion.

I do not have any quarrel with whether or not A "MAIDEN-MOTHER-CRONE" system is a valid theology; no, my argument is with the idea that it is authentically Celtic.

The earliest example of the Triple Goddess is in the figure of The Mothers--Matronae--found in inscriptions on the continent, dating from the first centuries of the Common Era. Usually, the reliefs depict three well-attired women, holding flowers, fruit, wheat, and so on.

Sometimes they were depicted as married, otherwise as not (noted by a lack of bonnets, apparently). Often, secondary names--likely that of local land or river goddess--are given along with the title of "Matronae". It is important to note, however, that there is a lack of uniformity to this depiction--that is, the figures do not fit a "maiden-mother-crone" pattern. Sometimes there is a mix of married and unmarried figures, sometimes it is entirely married women, etc.

The most famous of the Triple Goddesses is Brigit, the daughter of the Dagda, often called "the poetess." Her worship was widespread, probably through the semi-dominance of the Brigantes tribe, who covered a wide area from Ireland into Gaul. According to Cormac's Glossary, there were three of Brigits, all sisters--Brigit the Poetess, Brigit the Smith and Brigit the Doctor--patrons of their respective skills. However, we are not told that they are a maiden-mother-crone; they are all the same age. Instead, her multiplicity implies that she is a master of many arts, and like the Matronae, was patron of the tribe.

Which brings us to our first masculine example: Lugh Lamhfhada, the Samild'anach--master of all arts. Like Brigit, his worship was widespread, attested to by inscriptions and the belief that the numerous towns that bear the name Lugodunum (or some variation) refer to Lugos. Some of these inscriptions refer not to Lugh (or his Gallic form Lugos) but to a Lugoues--a multiplicity of Lugos.

There are some referrences in Irish literature to the belief that Lugh was the lone survivor of triplets; we see a similar situation with the Welsh equivalent Lleu (though here he is the survivor of twins). Again, it is important to notice that Lugh appears in a triplet form, as a symbol of power and mastery of all arts. This triplicity also upsets another neopagan misconception of Celtic religion, the supposed duality of a Holly King-Oak King relationship.

The third triplet is, oddly enough, someone once thought historical: Queen Guenevere, wife of Arthur. According to the Welsh triads,

THE THREE GREAT QUEENS OF ARTHUR:


Gwenhwyfar daughter of Cywryd Gwent, and Gwenhwyfar daughter of Gwythyr son of Greidiawl, and Gwenhwyfar daughter of Gogfran the Giant.

And so we have three sisters again. This is significant, for it leads us to the next version of triplets: the goddess of the land. The triplets in these cases do not have the same names but are three sisters, such as Eriu, Banba, and Fotla, the daughters of Ernmas--three names for Ireland, married to the three kings of Ireland, the brothers Mac Cuill, Mac Cecht, and Mac Grienne, all grandsons of the Dagda, and a male triplet.

Then there are Eriu, Banba and Fotla's sisters, the war goddesses Morrigan (sometimes called Anand or Anu), Badb, and Macha, who again represent the sovreignty of Ireland (actually, their relationship is quite complex, needing a second write-up). They are not of three different ages or stages, but the same age; they are somewhat recalled in the three sisters of Arthur, Morgan le Fay, Morgause, and Elaine.

And there are other triplets:


Brian, Iuchar, and Iucharba, the sons of Turenn

Cian, Cu, and Cethe, the sons of Cainte

Bleiddwn, Hydwn, and Hychdwn the Tall, the (unconventionally produced) sons of Gilfaethwy and Gwydion

All of which are male. And so, what is seen is that the reason so many gods and goddesses in the various Celtic pantheons exist as triplets is due to an affinity with the number three, as well as possibly the representation of a multi-faceted deity as being a master of all arts.

Personally, I have problems with the "maiden-mother-crone" schema. For one, it presumes that women must take on certain roles--that a woman must be a mother, for example. Even if one interprets the word as "mature" or "working", the word is still carries connotations and denotations--mother.

Whether they realize it or not, the followers of this concept are simply regurgitating the same gender roles which we've been taught for thousands of years. And while yes, women usually do become mothers, there is a sense in this schema that one must become a mother, one must become a crone. Conscious or not, it doesn't leave much room for someone who refuses to have children.

Also, there are attributes ascribed to these roles which indicate that they--the attributes--are then lacking in the other figures: the CRONE IS WISE (but the Mother isn't?), the MAIDEN IS A MUSE (but no one else is?), the MOTHER IS A CREATOR (but no one else can create?).

The reason for this, of course, goes back to the misogyny of Graves' The White Goddess, discussed elsewhere, as well as Gerald Gardner's own ideas. Again, what matters is not whether the follower consciously accepts these ideas; subconsciously, he or she often unconsciously begins to accept these ideas.

Finally, the idea of Trinity--Christian, Hindu or otherwise--is not derived from the Triple Goddess. As I and others have shown, the idea of triplet deities is not limited to one sex. It is simply the highest number grouping, the highest pattern, that the mind will accept before dividing objects into a new group. We don't usually see quadruple gods because our mind divides the number four into two groups of two. Five is divided into groups of three and two, six into three and three (or two, two, and two), etc. The preponderance of the number 3 is found not only in religion or literature, but is everywhere."

Source

http://www.maryjones.us/jce/triplegoddess.html


Secular Humanism Involves Compassion Too

Secular Humanism Involves Compassion Too
" English: Happy human, a secular humanist logo made in blender quick. Some edges could be cleaner.. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)There is an interesting letter to the editor in The Times Herald-Record" (New York) that I cannot let slide without responding. The letter, "My View: Being a believer means caring about and for others," by Kim Dixon contains one of the most common and harmful misconceptions about nonbelievers so prevalent among Christians.I believe that it is important that we counter such misconceptions when they appear in the media. I'll address my response to Ms. Dixon even though I realize that the odds of her reading this post are minimal.Ms. Dixon, you identify yourself a "devout Roman Catholic." As a member of the only true Christian church, your comments deserve to be taken seriously.Being a believer means I have faith, hope and love. It means I try to take care of myself and those entrusted to me and those I don't even know. It means I donate time and money to my church community and to my town community. It means I raise my children to follow my example.Everything you describe here except "faith" and "church community" apply equally well to virtually every nonbeliever out there. I see nothing else in this statement that is not fully captured by secular humanism.As a secular humanist, I have hope in the future and love for humanity. I too try to take care of myself and others, including those I have never and will never meet face-to-face. I too donate time and money, not to a church community, but to a town community, and indeed a "global community". I do not have children, but if I did, I would certainly attempt to model sound ethical behavior and the values of compassion, tolerance, and scientific skepticism.Further demonstrating how little you understand about nonbelievers, you go on to say:Giving is our nature because it's God's nature. It means I will hold the door for you - male or female, hands empty or full, no matter what color, race or religion you are. It means I will smile at you if I pass you on the street or say "good morning." It means I know I am not perfect but can own up to and accept my mistakes and make amends when necessary. It means I am not afraid to accept responsibility for my actions.It is sad that you must attribute your generosity to supernatural beings. I give because it is the right thing to do. I do my best to treat others how I wish to be treated. I need to promises of heavenly rewards or threats of hell. I recognize that I would like to be treated with kindness and respect, and I strive to treat others in the same manner.You reference some of the more controversial findings of the Barna Group without seeming to realize that there is a considerable social stigma around atheism, likely to prevent some of the largest donors who are likely atheists (e.g., Bill Gates, etc.) from "coming out." But nevertheless, what you call "disengagement" is probably better described as alienation. It is not easy to be fully engaged in a culture which actively condemns us on the basis of belief in supernatural entities and acceptance of many claims about the natural world which have been shown to be false by science.You assert, "Believers do not reject science." Are you familiar with fundamentalism and biblical literalism? Many, but certainly not all, believers do in fact reject science. Sadly, many of those who do now control our government. Oh, and since you brought it up, what exactly happened to Copernicus, Galileo, and others throughout history who have contradicted the doctrine of your church?Finally, Ms. Dixon, I am curious about the role of hell in your system of morality. Seems like a bit of a problem to me.Tags: religion, faith, belief, Christian, Catholic, secular humanist, church, charity, science, fundamentalism Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Copyright (c) 2013 Atheist Revolution.

Friday 23 August 2013

Once Upon A Christmas Roundup

Once Upon A Christmas Roundup
Alright, so I wasn't planning to post "two" link collections in one week, but as I was collecting, I noticed a theme: Christmas. And then I thought perhaps it would be better to share them "before" the big day, rather than after.

So here they are...all of them good reading if you have time.

* FIRST UP, AN ASTRONOMY PIECE. Have you ever wondered about the famed Star of Bethlehem? Read Memoria Press' article on the issue surrounding the star and the Magi. TO UNDERSTAND THIS STORY, WE MUST VIEW IT IN THE CONTEXT OF ITS TIME. WHO WERE THESE MAGI? WHERE DID THEY COME FROM? MAGI IS THE PLURAL OF MAGUS, THE ROOT OF OUR WORD MAGIC, AND "COURT ASTROLOGERS" IS PROBABLY THE BEST TRANSLATION, ALTHOUGH "WISE MEN" IS ALSO A GOOD TERM, DESCRIPTIVE OF THE ESTEEM IN WHICH THEY WERE WIDELY HELD. THE GROUP OF MAGI IN QUESTION CAME "FROM THE EAST." THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN ZOROASTRIANS, MEDES, PERSIANS, ARABS, OR EVEN JEWS. THEY PROBABLY SERVED AS COURT ADVISORS, MAKING FORECASTS AND PREDICTIONS FOR THEIR ROYAL PATRONS BASED ON THEIR STUDY OF THE STARS, ABOUT WHICH THEY WERE QUITE KNOWLEDGEABLE. MAGI OFTEN WANDERED FROM COURT TO COURT, AND IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THEM TO COVER GREAT DISTANCES IN ORDER TO ATTEND THE BIRTH OR CROWNING OF A KING, PAYING THEIR RESPECTS AND OFFERING GIFTS. IT IS NOT SURPRISING, THEREFORE, THAT MATTHEW WOULD MENTION THEM AS VALIDATION OF JESUS' KINGSHIP, OR THAT HEROD WOULD REGARD THEIR ARRIVAL AS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER.
* HAS ANYONE EVER TRIED TO TELL YOU THAT CHRISTMAS IS SOME SORT OF PAGAN HOLIDAY? I actually have two articles on this subject. First, Is Christmas Pagan? from Classical Astronomy. I especially appreciated that the author quoted the passage which I think "must" be considered when navigating the alleged "Christmas wars" between neo-Puritans and their brothers and sisters in Christ:ONE PERSON REGARDS ONE DAY ABOVE ANOTHER, ANOTHER REGARDS EVERY DAY ALIKE. EACH PERSON MUST BE FULLY CONVINCED IN HIS OWN MIND. HE WHO OBSERVES THE DAY, OBSERVES IT FOR THE LORD, AND HE WHO EATS, DOES SO FOR THE LORD, FOR HE GIVES THANKS TO GOD; AND HE WHO EATS NOT, FOR THE LORD HE DOES NOT EAT, AND GIVES THANKS TO GOD. FOR NOT ONE OF US LIVES FOR HIMSELF, AND NOT ONE DIES FOR HIMSELF; FOR IF WE LIVE, WE LIVE FOR THE LORD, OR IF WE DIE, WE DIE FOR THE LORD; THEREFORE WHETHER WE LIVE OR DIE, WE ARE THE LORD'S. FOR TO THIS END CHRIST DIED AND LIVED AGAIN, THAT HE MIGHT BE LORD BOTH OF THE DEAD AND OF THE LIVING. --ROMANS 14:5-9SECOND, I BRING YOU CHRISTMAS, SATURNALIA, AND OTHER NONSENSE BY HISTORIAN DR. GLENN SUNSHINE {AN ACQUAINTANCE OF MY HUSBAND'S}. CORRELATION DOES NOT MEAN CAUSATION: JUST BECAUSE JESUS' BIRTH WAS CELEBRATED AT THE SAME DATE AS PAGAN FESTIVALS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TWO, ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF SUCH A CONNECTION IN THE SOURCES. THE JEWISH BACKGROUND TO CHRISTIANITY AND THE CONNECTION WITH THE CRUCIFIXION IS A MUCH BETTER EXPLANATION FOR BOTH OF THE DATES WHEN CHRISTMAS WAS CELEBRATED THAN ANY SUPPOSED CONNECTION TO PAGANISM.
* IS "YOUR "CHURCH HOLDING SERVICES ON CHRISTMAS DAY? I haven't heard as much debate over this as I remember there being last time Christmas fell on a Sunday. Robin Phillips from The Alfred the Great Society has written extensively on the issue of whether Christmas is church holiday or a "family" holiday, how our answer as Americans is likely due to the influence of the Puritans, and so on. His two posts, Sacred Times and Seasons (Part 1) and Sacred Times and Seasons (Part 2) are "extensive" and thoughtful and thorough and though I do not agree 100% with every single point he makes, I thought he gave a "lot" to think about and chew on. Well worth the read if you have time! Here's a snippet to whet your appetite:By getting rid of the church year and all Christian holidays, the Puritans and their descendants left a vacuum that would ultimately has been filled by the non-religious ordering of time. Such non-religious ordering has helped to reinforce the idea that there exists a secular world that functions separately from spiritual categories. By rejecting the church year as one legitimate way to tell the story of redemption, the Puritans and their descendants inadvertently underscored the sense of religion being disembodied, detached from the space-time continuum. This would ultimately reinforce a duality in North American culture that emerged under the Puritan's canopy, including a false dichotomy between the sacred and the secular. Moreover, the vacuum created by the evacuation of the church year would eventually be filled with the type of civil religion described by Amy Sullivan. This can be felt strongest in those American holidays that celebrate civic regeneration, integrating Americans around the liturgies of their common political life.

Thursday 22 August 2013

Update On My Rpg Developments

I've made another small change to Flying Swordsmen from the original D&D based Dragon Fist game. Instead of the standard D&D style list of saving throw types, I've instead made each save against one of the 5 Taoist elements, Earth, Water, Fire, Metal, Wood. Each has a Yin/Yang association for effects that are not obviously of an elemental type, with Earth being the Chi save for spells/effects without either an element or Yin/Yang association. I'm gonna tinker with the numbers a little bit, as well. I think each of the four classes should be good against one type of save in particular, but I'll need to think a bit to decide which element best fits each class. Earth (Chi) will be the save that's not so good for everyone (map to Save vs. Spells in D&D), but I don't want everyone to be best against Wood (AD&D's Poison/Paralysis/Death save).Preliminary formatting is coming along apace. I'm almost through with the monster section. After that, it's treasure/rewards, then the Campaign Setting section which still needs a bit of fleshing out. Finally, the appendices. In my other RPG, Presidents of the Apocalypse, Paul and I had another one of those cycles where one of us adds a bunch of stuff that complicates the game (me this time), and the other wisely cut it down again (Paul, obviously). Paul had some good ideas, riffing off of some of my good ideas from last time, and some new simplifications that will help keep this game as the beer-and-pretzels simple silly fun game we want it to be. I'm gonna try to see if any of the Busan gamers are brave enough to get silly roleplaying a cyborg Ben Franklin or mutated John Quincy Adams and give this new slimmed down set a try.

Origin: crafty-witch.blogspot.com