Christian Devotional Song With Lyrics | Gospel hymn | "Quieting Myself Before God"

www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/quieting-myself-before-Go...

Introduction

Verse 1

I quiet myself before God,

pray and bare my heart to Him.

I simply and honestly open up,

speak from the heart.

I hand my difficulties and shortcomings over to God

and look to Him.

May God enlighten and illuminate me

to understand His will.

Through sincere seeking,

I gain the Holy Spirit’s light in me.

Understanding the truth,

I gain discernment and have a path of practice.

With God’s guidance I live in the light,

my heart is full of joy and sweetness.

I quiet myself before God.

Verse 2

Quiet before God, I ponder His words.

I see humanity’s corruption,

how we’ve lost all human likeness.

With the revelations and judgment of God's words

I reflect on myself:

Motives lurk behind my words, I lie too much.

In my duty, I’m without principles of the truth,

I adhere to rules in my actions.

I lack love for brothers and sisters,

I’m both arrogant and selfish.

I still need to accept more

of God's judgment , trials and cleansing.

I quiet myself before God.

Verse 3

Quieting myself before God

and seeking the truth,

I gradually grow in my life.

Quieting myself before God

and reflecting on myself,

I gain true repentance.

I often quiet myself before God

and truly commune with Him.

It allows me to fear God and shun evil,

and live before Him.

In all things I accept God’s inspection;

I live in the light.

Cleansing occurs in me,

and I live out a true, true life.

I quiet myself before God.

Verse 4

Often thinking on God’s words,

I’ve reaped a great harvest.

The Holy Spirit has enlightened me

to understand even more truths.

Fulfilling my duty,

I’m at ease and find enjoyment.

Putting God’s words into practice,

I receive His blessings and love.

Through sincere seeking

I gain the Holy Spirit’s light in me.

Understanding the truth,

I gain discernment

and have a path of practice.

With God’s guidance I live in the light,

my heart is full of joy and sweetness.

I quiet myself before God.

My heart is full of joy and sweetness.

I quiet myself before God, before God.

I quiet myself before God.

I quiet myself before God.

from Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs

Image Source: The Church of Almighty God

Terms of Use: en.godfootsteps.org/disclaimer.html

This is the end, my only friend, the end

Of our elaborate plans, the end

Of everything that stands, the end

No safety or surprise, the end

I'll never look into your eyes, again

the Doors

Here's the meaning of miscellaneous (which is how the first page of this stream is now looking): divers, varied, heterogeneous, diversified, indiscriminate, promiscuous, referring to mixture and lack of order, and implying lack of discernment or taste. Right, lack of discernment and taste.

By the way, having trouble with your dog wash? Try this help. :-)

This is for my "Dark art" album.... the original idea for this photo was me jumping from a cliff, but I didn't like how the photo looked, so I re-edited the photo and this was the result.

And ignore the date that it says when the photo was shot, its beause of the stock image I used! for the smoke:)

Also going to the Teleidoscope theme of this week: Hold my hand

Hope you like it!

Follow me | Formpring

2023 was the year I finally faced that my eyesight is deteriorating, and had my eyes tested. Nothing dramatic was found; just the standard stiffening of the equipment that comes with the aging process. But it did make me think more about discernment, the importance of looking as opposed to shooting for the sake of it, and of facing up to the things I might be in denial about. So here’s to a more clear-sighted 2024

SICUN

Intelletto

Discernimento

"Sono il dono del Creatore all'umanità.

Separo il sentiero dell'Uomo da tutti gli altri sentieri presenti nella creazione.

Come tutti i regali, devo essere ricevuto con gratitudine e utilizzato con saggezza.

Grazie al mio operato, un essere umano si trasforma da cieco seguace di leggi ignote a persona in grado di prendere decisioni.

Ciò richiede il riconoscimento di un'ampia gamma di stimoli a livello sia conscio che inconscio.

Ciò richiede responsabilità delle proprie azioni.

Io sono colui che permette questo processo, che facilita l'integrazione di mente e Spirito.

Sono io che ti rendo capace di valutare e scegliere.

utilizzami come è stato previsto - con compassione."

SICUN

Intellect

Discernment

"I am the Creator's gift to humanity.

I separate the path of Man from all other paths present in creation.

Like all gifts, they must be received with gratitude and used wisely.

Thanks to my work, a human being is transformed from a blind follower of unknown laws to a person capable of making decisions.

This requires recognition of a wide range of stimuli at both a conscious and unconscious level.

This requires accountability for one's actions.

I am the one who enables this process, who facilitates the integration of mind and Spirit.

I am the one who makes you capable of evaluating and choosing.

use me as it was intended - with compassion."

www.edizionilpuntodincontro.it/libri/le-carte-lakota-dell...

Bing Image Creator

Brussels

The night now, it's as dark as the crows / That call me in the discernment above … / Still they won’t let me be / Two hearts gone black and blue / Oh they wont let me be … closer to you (Gregory Alan Isakov)

see the original photograph on www.hobokollektiv.net

© Turiner Str., Berlin, 2016, Florian Fritsch

C'est un trou de verdure où chante une rivière,

Accrochant follement aux herbes des haillons

D'argent ; où le soleil, de la montagne fière,

Luit : c'est un petit val qui mousse de rayons.

Arthur Rimbaud

Yasaka-jinja (jinja means shrine) respects Susanoo-no-mikoto, Kushiinadahime-no-mikoto, and Yahashira-no-mikogami.

Susanoo-no-mikoto is a great god in Japanese mythology, known for his defeat of Yamata-no-orochi (a large serpent with eight heads: a symbol of many disasters), redemption of Kushiinadahime-no-mikoto, and produced the ground great-discernment on the earth.

According to the legend of the shrine, its history may go back as far as 150 years before the Heian era, AC656 (the second year of the reign of Emperor Seimei). Along with the development of the capital, adoration to the shrine spread widely all over Japan. Today, approximately 3,000 satellite shrines exist in various parts of Japan.

The name of the shrine was changed to Yasaka-jinja when shrines and Buddhist temples were separated at the time of the Meiji Restoration. The shrine was originally called the "Gion-sha" or "Kansin-in" for a long time.

zoo de Maubeuge

Bruxelles

Knokke, Belgium

Ezekiel 31:15 “This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘On the day that it descended into Sheol, I shut down its water supplies, covered over its deep water, and shut down its rivers. As a result its abundant water sources dried up, and I caused Lebanon to mourn for it. All the trees of the field wilted because of it.’”

“The United States Military just entered the Great State of California and, under Emergency Powers, TURNED ON THE WATER flowing abundantly from the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. The days of putting a Fake Environmental argument, over the PEOPLE, are OVER. Enjoy the water, California!!!” –

Donald J. Trump

Shutting off the water: this is the United Nations’ Agenda 21—sustainable development—in action in California. You know their dialectic: problem, reaction, solution. Their manufactured problem (PSYOP)—the boogeyman in the closet—is climate change. Their solution: net-zero. They will cut off fossil fuels and lock me away in my 15-munite city neighbourhood (gulag archipelago): good-bye freedom of movement. They will silence my pro-fossil fuel speech, labeling it as mal-dis-mis information: good-bye free speech. Then comes the climate lockdowns: good-bye freedom of assembly. The end result: I will own nothing and be happy. All of us will be equally poor. Equality for all! Anti-civilization…anti-human…woohoo!

In this post-Christian era, the rise of nihilism will lead to an authoritarian system that revolves around surveillance and data: digital IDs, biometrics, digital currencies, and social credit scores. Nihilistic Darwinism will ensue, resulting in genocide: “Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.” People already accept social Darwinism: euthanasia and abortion. What about covid? Oh, I guess you are too dumb to understand that one! What happened during covid was an eye-opener. Nowadays people lack moral fortitude. They are fearful and cowardly. They can be easily whipped up into an authoritarian mode. They have lost all commonsense and discernment. Their consciences have been seared.

Deconstructing the moral foundations of the West will only destroy it. When this happens, you can kiss democracy and free market capitalism good-bye! At the moment, we only have a resemblance—a counterfeit—of the two. We, however, will soon lose both. Once gone, they will be lost forever—the boot on the face of humanity. As for me: my hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ! God’s moral laws are perfect! If you disagree, you are a sinner…buahahaha!

Brussels

I didn’t become who I am alone.

The people I’ve let close - the rare few - have shaped my architecture. Some challenged me and forced me to grow sharper; some offered quiet stability and taught me how to rest without vanishing; some widened the inner horizon I didn’t know could hold so much light.

And others, in their own ways, taught me refinement through fracture; not because they intended harm - though sometimes they did - but because not everyone is capable of seeing someone clearly, even when standing right in front of them. Every bond - tender, volatile, brief, or breathtaking - has become part of my design.

I still believe in beauty, not as decoration, but as something constructed with intention, protected with discernment, and chosen again and again in spite of everything that may try to dismantle it.

This is an archive photo, and I made it a bit darker than usual. This morning's cease fire broke down a few hours after it started, and the news was not good at all. Our soldiers are in our prayers.

Further, our friends and contacts know that I do not utilize Flickr as a platform for political discussion. Let me say this: Breaking news, reporting and news features must be received and digested with discernment. You can't believe everything they feed you.

The pedestrian walkway area of Jerusalem's Calatrava Bridge was in low color, and converted to b/w. Mild texture applied. Happy Fence Friday!

"When I am among the trees,

especially the willows and the honey locust,

equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,

they give off such hints of gladness.

I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,

in which I have goodness, and discernment,

and never hurry through the world

but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves

and call out, "Stay awhile."

The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,

"and you too have come

into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled

with light, and to shine."

Mary Oliver

Sunbursts, golden light hour. (-25°C, January 14, 2018)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Un autre intéressant belvédère du Mont-Royal de Montréal.

Visit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kondiaronk

Info from Wikipedia:

Kondiaronk (c. 1649–1701) (Gaspar Soiaga, Souojas, Sastaretsi), known as Le Rat (The Muskrat) was Chief of the Hurons at Michilimackinac. As a result of an Iroquois attack and dispersal of the Hurons in 1649 the Hurons settled in Michilimackinac. The Michilimackinac area is near Lake Huron and Lake Michigan (area between Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas). Noted as a brilliant orator and a formidable strategist, he led the pro-French Petun and Huron refugees of Michilimackinac against their traditional Iroquois enemies. Kondiaronk realized the only way to establish security was to maintain a war between their enemies, the Iroquois, and the French in an attempt to keep the Iroquois occupied and the Hurons safe from annihilation. The Rat succeeded in killing the peace however, once he had secured the preservation of his people he favored a vast peace settlement. This effort concluded in what is known as The Great Peace of Montreal (1701) between France, the Iroquois, and the other Indian tribes of the Upper Great Lakes. This ended the Beaver Wars and helped open up the interior of North America to deeper French exploration and commerce. Kondiaronk made them see the advantages such a peace would bring them. The Jesuit historian, Father Pierre-Francois de Charlevoix wrote that "it was the general opinion that no Indian had ever possessed greater merit, a finer mind, more valor, prudence or discernment in understanding those with whom he had to deal". Louis-Hector de Callier, the Onontio (governor) that replaced Frontenac, was "exclusively indebted to him for...this assemblage, till then unexampled of so many nations for a general peace". Kondiaronk contracted a fever and died in Montreal during the negotiations for the Great Peace on August 2, 1701. A Christian convert, his body was buried at Montreal's Notre Dame Church after a majestic funeral. No trace of the grave remains. The Kondiaronk Belvedere in Montreal's Mount Royal Park is named in his honor. In 2001 he was named a Person of National Historic Significance by the Canadian government.

© Copyright

This photo and all those in my Photostream are protected by copyright. No one may reproduce, copy, transmit or manipulate them without my written permission.

An Artistic Motif

"Consider a humble artist assuredly creating great masterpieces. Thinking them mere happenstance when, in actuality such a supple intelligence portrays an artful sensitivity skilfully executed to spark a moment of discernment.

Her nature, being modesty, wanting nothing but to share her passion for the wondrous, yet often hidden and unsung treasures.

Permitting only humilities garments to frame her magnanimity, she is content with somewhat anonymity.

Silently tearful eyes trench a happy sadness beguiles to us marvels deeply considered, seemingly unnoticed beauty, things often overlooked or taken for granted.

Henceforth such wonders are born to us in magnificent grandeur, thusly we are enriched by intended circumstance.

Artistic virtuosity humbly rendered to awaken from seemingly perpetual slumber the wretched of the Earth.

Such depth of spirit duly submerged in the love of humanity, the universe and life's mysteriousness.

Knows not be bound".

B.O.K

Québec

Skate Board Punk.

Store emblemer begått handlinger trivielle lover slående høyder geni sensasjoner urtevåkning drømmende vind påvirker søker discernment krefter,

suggestions de lumières éblouissantes vitesse immortalité esprit contrôlant la nature dangers ultimes luttements physiques luttant pour diriger des cours,

сверкающие глаза отчаянные ямы агонизированные аспекты плачущие стены светящиеся пятна демоны образуют окружающее пламя, выражающее впечатления,

zegevierende creaties muzikale vervoering ongebruikelijke wendingen experimentator visioenen barsten vlees hallucinaties nachten proeverij arts extatische dagen,

cuore risplendente in ascese esperienze ore meravigliose immense percezioni pavimentazione dorata colorazione onde coscienza inesplicabile,

射撃ターンミストリーのスリリングな痙攣衝撃的な驚異的なプレイ猛烈なルールアペックス反逆者強力なスリルを破る結果を集中.

Steve.D.Hammond.

i started a tradition three years ago taking pictures on her birthday against all my favorite downtown walls. the gods were smiling down on us this year with temps in the upper 40s so we could shed her coat. i'll be posting the keepers sporadically this month.

our tradition was inspired by this amazing set and portrait photographer.

six and five

Enhancement by Hayden, photo by Brett

"Dear Lord Jesus,

We come before You with humble hearts, seeking Your guidance and strength. As we navigate the virtual world of Second Life, we recognize the immense impact it has on people’s lives.

Lord, we ask that You use us as vessels of Your love, grace, and truth. Help us to speak words of encouragement, hope, and healing to those we encounter online. May our interactions reflect Your character and draw others closer to You.

Grant us discernment, Lord. In a world filled with noise and distractions, help us discern what truly matters. May we be sensitive to the needs of those around us, offering a listening ear and a compassionate heart.

Equip us with wisdom, Lord. As we engage in conversations, debates, and discussions, may Your wisdom guide our words. Let us speak truth boldly but with love, always pointing people toward You.

Lord, we pray for divine appointments. Open doors for us to share Your Gospel, to offer comfort to the hurting, and to be a light in the darkness. Use our virtual presence to impact lives for Your glory.

Finally, Lord, protect our hearts and minds. Shield us from negativity, hatred, and harmful influences. Fill us with Your peace and joy, so that we can overflow with Your love to others.

In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen."

Hosea 4:14 “I will not punish your daughters when they act promiscuously or your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, for the men themselves go off with prostitutes and make sacrifices with cult prostitutes. People without discernment are doomed.”

Lewis Carroll

Psalm 113:3

"From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised."

It's not being ultra religious. I'm not religious, and I don't have a religion either as religion is man-made and full of doctrines of man. I rarely go to church, as there's no church nearby where I'm glad to attend and fellowship. In principle we are the church , our bodies as the temple. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy ghost not a building.

The idea of a church is always misconstrued as being a building. The reason why many are wrongly redirecting their focus, even money is poured out to improve the Churches buildings, whilst people in the churches are not feed and are spiritually dying or long been dead. They pretend to attend church regularly but without connection to the Lord, not even spiritually restored. I see these churches existing today so apostate, making God like mythical intellectual concept. There's no power of God in those churches. Leave the church If you heard the calling of the Lord, have the discernment , don't partake of its judgments coming . Fallen churches is basically very prophetic fulfillment of the end of days condition .

Matthew 18:20

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the middle of them."

Two or three people can comprise a church fellowship, basically this is what it implies. This will be the condition of the coming times, when Biblical Christians will be badly persecuted and hunted down, even killed / murdered. It will be like the INQUISITION , this will be total annihilation of Biblical Christians. Getting rid of Christians who are intolerant to new age twisted doctrines will be the highlight of the time, as you are seen as resisters and rebels against the new system. Tolerance to evil practices and perversions is like partaking with the cup of the devil. Tolerance for peace by accepting perversions? This is a joke and surely many will fall into the trap of the false concept of peace. If you're not reading he word of God while there is yet time now to do so , you'll easily fall into the trap. God said be separate ....

Acababa de llegar a casa tras trabajar de noche y me disponía a darme una ducha antes de acostarme cuando leí un mensaje que situaba a estas bellezas en Briones camino de Bilbao. No me lo pensé ni un instante y rápidamente salí de casa tomando rumbo a Delika, Se ve que el turno de trece horas había hecho mella en mi discernimiento porque me salté la salida de Llodio y tuve que seguir por la autopista hasta Altube. Abandoné la vía rápida en Izarra y bajé el tortuoso puerto de La Barrerilla pensando que por un estúpido despiste me iba a perder el tren y también varias horas de sueño. Pero tenía varios ases en la manga porque contaba con que bajaban hacia Bilbao otros dos mercantes y subían el puerto de Orduña un Alvia, un bobinero de Renfe y el Tramesa. La vía única en el tramo que enlaza Orduña con Miranda jugó finalmente a mi favor porque todo este tráfico retrasó la llegada del tren de Medway, permitiéndome incluso cambiar de punto para eludir los grafitis que la tándem lleva en el otro lateral y para que la composición estuviera bien iluminada por un sol que tuvo a bien hacer su aparición, por primera vez en toda la mañana, coincidiendo con la llegada de este tren.

I had just gotten home after working at night and was about to take a shower before going to bed when I read a message that placed these beauties in Briones on the way to Bilbao. I didn't think about it for a moment and quickly left the house heading to Delika. It is clear that the thirteen-hour shift had taken a toll on my discernment because I skipped the Llodio exit and had to continue on the highway to Altube. I left the expressway in Izarra and had to go down the winding port of La Barrerilla thinking that due to a stupid mistake I was going to miss the train and also several hours of sleep. But I had several aces up my sleeve because I was counting on two more freights going down to Bilbao and an Alvia, a Renfe steel freight and the Tramesa going up Orduña Pass. The single track in the section that connects Orduña with Miranda finally worked in my favor because all this traffic delayed the arrival of the Medway train, allowing me to even change point to avoid the graffiti that the tandem carries on the other side and so that the composition was well lit by a sun that saw fit to make its appearance, for the first time all morning, coinciding with the arrival of this train.

I ask You neither for health nor for sickness, for life nor for death; but that You may dispose of my health and my sickness, my life and my death, for Your glory… You alone know what is expedient for me; You are the sovereign master, do with me according to Your will. Give to me, or take away from me, only conform my will to Yours. I know but one thing, Lord, that it is good to follow You, and bad to offend You. Apart from that, I know not what is good or bad in anything. I know not which is most profitable to me, health or sickness, wealth or poverty, nor anything else in the world. That discernment is beyond the power of men or angels, and is hidden among the secrets of Your providence, which I adore, but so not seek to fathom. - Blaise Pascal

Bruxelles

I need miracle ...

Heavenly Father, in Jesus' name, I come before You asking for Your wisdom, You said in Your Word that if anyone lacks wisdom, he could ask of You and You would give to him liberally.

Lord, give me wisdom concerning guidance and direction to manage my responsibilities properly in my new projects and teach me how to manage properly and communicate with troublesome client.

Help me to take time to seek Your counsel and instruction before working with them.

I thank You, Lord, that as I operate and function in wisdom my steps are ordered and directed of You. I am not easily swayed or convinced by emotionalism or by pressure from others; instead, I thank You for common sense, guidance, discernment, and truth functioning and flowing in my life. I thank You that by wisdom my house is established and that I have discretion in all my activities, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Today is really a BLUE monday. T_T

031322Homily2ndLent

This is the 2nd Sunday of Lent. In today’s gospel, we read about how Peter, James and John, went from being sleepy… deeply fatigued…to being “fully awake.” These companions of Jesus, were witnessing something startling…the transfiguration. To see what these Apostles saw, how could they not be awakened and transformed.

What I want to focus on is becoming “fully awake.” When we step into this state of being “fully awake” in our relationship with God; we may not be transfigured, but we are transformed. Synonyms of this word include words such as metamorphosis, conversion, transformation and makeover.

The “sad beauty” of Lent, is that we are provided with an opportunity to reflect on our lives…how far we are from missing the mark. This self inventory is necessary for each of us go through, but we do not do it alone! We are given this season each year, to become “fully awake.” When we are going through this period of discernment, what are we gauging our progress against?

We have the Light that shines in the darkness…the literal light of Jesus Christ… his life, his words; we call this walking in “the way.” We see HIM walking through his passion. In the Stations of the Cross…we get to meditate on the suffering we see in HIS face…the dragging of HIS cross up the hill where HE will be crushed and crucified for each of us.

This is not a time to inflate our own guilt!

In this period of our formation, it is important to let go of the past…especially if we have gone through processes of repentance. This unnecessary luggage we carry from our past distorts the way we see ourselves and we may become fixed on ourselves in an unhealthy way. It certainly prevents us from being “fully awake” to the forgiving God who journeys with us through the ups and downs in our life.

Our tradition of receiving the sacrament of reconciliation is the most visible way we can know that grace is given to us; to let go of those things that weigh heavy on out heart.

In the 1986, a movie was released called “The Mission.” Robert De Niro, plays a mercenary-Rodrigo Mendoza, a slave trader in the 1750’s. It takes place in Argentina, amongst the Guarani, a tribe inhabiting the Paraguayan jungle. The movie is about how the Jesuits come to convert these people to Christianity. In the movie, Rodrigo kidnaps these indigenous people and sells them into slavery. He makes a good living. He seems to have no conscience, until he kills his brother in a duel whom he caught having an affair with his fiancé. Rodrigo becomes a very broken man. Fr. Gabriel, invites Rodrigo, to journey with him and other Jesuits, up the great falls and into the Jungle to meet and convert the Guarani.

In this journey, Rodrigo begins his penance…he gathers all his weapons and armor and ties them together into a large ball. He drags the ball, rope in hand, all the way up the falls. In one scene, a Jesuit cuts the rope, because he cannot bear to watch Rodrigo slipping and falling in the rain and mud. Fr. Gabriel mention to the Jesuit, that no one can take this burden from him until he is ready to let go. Rodrigo, eventually let’s go of this ball…when a tribe member, with a knife approaches him as though he is going to kill him…but instead cuts the rope…sending the ball of weapons and armor into the river.

This is a extreme example of how we let our past actions haunt us. We must quit grasping this luggage from our past so that we can see clearly in the present and be hopeful for the future. We may find that others remind us of our past. Our Lord calls on us to forgive others as HE has forgiven us.

How many people do we know in our circle of influence that have turned from Christ because they feel unworthy? God has not turned from them, but they have turned from God. They are not experiencing what our Psalm reading said: “The Lord is my light and Salvation; whom should I Fear? The Lord is my Life’s refuge; of whom should I be Afraid?”

Our second reading from Philippians, Paul challenges each one of us to be models of the Christian life for others. This is our challenge! I know that some carry something that clouds us from a deeper relationship with Christ. Let us cast off that which enslaves us…

We will then be “Fully Awake.” We will experience God more intensely which is what Lent is all about.

we're all just walking each other Home  

ram dass

ღ

when I am among the trees,

especially the willows and the honey locust,

equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,

they give off such hints of gladness.

i would almost say that they save me, and daily.

i am so distant from the hope of myself,

in which I have goodness, and discernment,

and never hurry through the world

but walk slowly, and bow often.

around me the trees stir in their leaves

and call out, "stay awhile."

the light flows from their branches.

and they call again, "it's simple," they say,

"and you too have come

into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled

with light, and to shine."

mary oliver

ღ

"dear old world" she murmured, "you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you"

anne of green gables

ღ

Traditional art derives from a creativity which combines heavenly inspiration with ethnic genius, and which does so in the manner of a science endowed with rules and not by way of individual improvisation; ars sine scientia nihil.

Within the framework of a traditional civilization, there is as already mentioned a distinction to be made between sacred art and profane art. The purpose of the first is to communicate, on the one hand, spiritual truths and, on the other hand, a celestial presence; sacerdotal art has in principle a truly sacramental function. The function of profane art is obviously more modest: it consists in providing what theologians call “sensible consolations,” with a view to an equilibrium conducive to the spiritual life, rather in the manner of the flowers and birds in a garden. The purpose of art of every kind—and this includes craftsmanship—is to create a climate and forge a mentality; it thus rejoins, directly or indirectly, the function of interiorizing contemplation, the Hindu darshan: contemplation of a holy man, of a sacred place, of a venerable object, of a Divine image.

Sacred art is vertical and ascending, whereas profane art is horizontal and equilibrating.

In the beginning, nothing was profane; each tool was a symbol, and even decoration was symbolistic and sacral.

With the passage of time, however, the imagination increasingly spread itself on the earthly plane, and man felt the need for an art that was for him and not for Heaven alone; the earth too, which in the beginning was experienced as a prolongation or an image of Heaven, progressively became earth pure and simple, that is to say that the human being increasingly felt himself to possess the right to be merely human.

If religion tolerates this art, it is because it nevertheless has its legitimate function in the economy of spiritual means, within the horizontal or earthly dimension, and with the vertical or heavenly dimension in view.

However, it must be reiterated here that the distinction between a sacred and a profane art is inadequate and too precipitate when one wishes to take account of all artistic possibilities; and it is therefore necessary to have recourse to a supplementary distinction, namely that between a liturgical and an extra-liturgical art: in the first, although in principle it coincides with sacred art, there may be modalities that are more or less profane, just as inversely, extra-liturgical art may comprise some sacred manifestations.

Sacred art is far from always being perfect, although it is necessarily so in its principles and in the best of its productions; nevertheless in the great majority of imperfect works, the principles compensate for the accidental weaknesses, rather as gold, from a certain point of view, can compensate for the but slight artistic value of a given object.

Two pitfalls lie in wait for sacred art and for traditional art in general: a virtuosity tending towards the outward and the superficial, and a conventionalism without intelligence and without soul; but this, it must be stressed, rarely deprives sacred art of its overall efficacy, and in particular of its capacity to create a stabilizing and interiorizing atmosphere.

As for imperfection, one of its causes can be the inexperience, if not the incompetence of the artist; the most primitive works are rarely the most perfect, for in the history of art there are periods of apprenticeship just as later there are periods of decadence, the latter often being due to virtuosity.

Another cause of imperfection is unintelligence, either individual or collective: the image may be lacking in quality because the artist (the word here having an approximate meaning) is lacking in intelligence or spirituality, but it may likewise bear the imprint of a certain collective unintelligence that comes from the sentimental conventionalization of the common religion; in

this case, the collective psychism clothes the spiritual element with a kind of “pious stupidity”, for if there is a naiveté that is charming, there is also a naiveté that is moralistic and irritating.

This must be said lest anyone should think that artistic expressions of the sacred dispense us from discernment and oblige us to be prejudiced, and so that no one should forget that in the traditional domain in general, there is on all planes a constant struggle between a solidifying tendency and a tendency towards transparency which draws the psychic back to the spiritual. All of this may be summed up by saying that sacred art is sacred in itself, but that it is not necessarily so in all its expressions.

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Frithjof Schuon

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Quoted in: Art from the Sacred to the Profane, East and West

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Image: Sculpture in Prambanan temple complex

How Will Lord Jesus Knock on the Door When He Returns? | Christian Movie "Knocking at the Door"

www.holyspiritspeaks.org/special-topic/knocking-at-the-do...

Synopsis:

Two thousand years ago, the Lord Jesus prophesied, "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him" (Matthew 25:6). "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20). For the last two thousand years, believers in the Lord have been watchful and awaiting the Lord's knock on the door, so how will He knock on mankind's door when He returns? In the last days, some people have testified that the Lord Jesus has returned—Almighty God incarnate—and that He is doing the work of judgment in the last days. This news has rocked the entire religious world.

Yang Aiguang, the protagonist of the film, has believed in the Lord for decades and has always been enthusiastically engaged in work and preaching, waiting to welcome the Lord's return. One day, two people come and knock on the door, tell Yang Aiguang and her husband that the Lord Jesus has returned, and share the words of Almighty God with them. They are deeply moved by Almighty God's words, but because Yang Aiguang has been subjected to the fallacies, deception, and strictures of the pastors and elders, she throws the witnesses of The Church of Almighty God out of the house. After that, the witnesses knock on their door on many occasions and read the words of Almighty God to Yang Aiguang, bearing witness to God's Work in the last days. During this time, the pastor disrupts and hinders Yang Aiguang time after time, and she continues to waver. However, through hearing the words of Almighty God, Yang Aiguang comes to understand the truth and gains discernment regarding the rumors and fallacies propagated by the pastors and elders. She finally understands how the Lord knocks on people's doors during His return in the last days, and how we should welcome Him. When the fog clears, Yang Aiguang finally hears the voice of God and acknowledges that Almighty God really is the return of the Lord Jesus!

Image Source: The Church of Almighty God

Terms of Use: en.godfootsteps.org/disclaimer.html

I was a little taken aback when I walked over the chalk marks on this bridge, since they appeared to read "666". Most Christians attribute the number to what the bible calls the Antichrist, and I wondered if some child had just made the shapes, or if someone who was into satanism had done it. Either way, for me it was a reminder that the world we know will one day end, and there will be some pretty insidious, and defining things that will happen before it does. One of those things will be the emergence of the "Antichrist", whether it is an actual man, or a system of government.

The bible speaks of the Antichrist as if he will be a man. It is hard to imagine the entire world agreeing to follow the rule of one person, but when you look back at history, and see people like Hitler, who was most assuredly an Antichrist of his time, though not THE Antichrist, it is not completely unfathomable. People do tend to follow more than they do lead, and someone like that can rally millions of people to their cause. The cause is usually self-glorification, but it takes a long time before many people can see that. People WANT to believe someone who promises them what they would like to have. I would rather have discernment and stand for what is right, even if things will not go well for me when I do! After all, to side with God is the ONLY safe place on earth, or anywhere in the universe! No one can oppose the Lord and succeed. Why anyone would want to beats me! Takes all kinds, like the one who drew this mark in a pretty, local park....

How many layers, how many depths? Originally I encountered the 1981 miniseries based on this book. I was probably in sixth or seventh grade. In my college years I probably read through this two or three times and since I was confirmed I probably read it another three or four times. Obviously I don't mind revisiting Brideshead.

"When I am among the trees,

especially the willows and the honey locust,

equally the beech, the oaks, and the pines,

they give off such hints of gladness.

I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,

in which I have goodness, and discernment,

and never hurry through the world

but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves

and call out, “Stay awhile.”

The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, “It’s simple,”

they say, “and you, too, have come

into the world to do this, to go easy,

to be filled with light, and to shine.”

Mary Oliver

That's my youngest on the Zipline.

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Ephesians 5:20

"always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

In everything we do we have to acknowledge God.

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Random thoughts *

I used to be a very legalistic in my christian views before, that at times I realized I loose it into something useless , fruitless, getting misdirected. In fact, it leads into bitter misunderstandings with another. Only God do judge , although we are to judge righteously too, but as often the case , it slips off and done without love and patience to another. Which ends up in contentions. Some use often this word " God spoke to them", yet when you listen to their speech, they seem full of condemnation in their tongues , putting division in the church by operating in their own fleshy wisdom. Sometimes self righteousness rush in and closely followed by pride, where the devil is given a door to come in and operate in that realm .

I have seen this kind of divisions the virtual Christian YT community , even in FB too. I've seen this also in real life , much of it.

Self righteousness can be truly blinding and the devil gets better used of it if we are not careful to discernment. Only Jesus is the righteous Holy one, while us are just redeemed filthy rags, nothing to boast neither our good works to prove we are right.

1 Peter 5:8

"always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Job 1:7

"The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it."

As you strive closer to walk with God, the devil will try it's best to get you out off path from the Lord. You will not see the devil with it's ugly face. It comes sneaky and crafty at its best less undetected, it attacks believers at their weakest points.

So be vigilant as we are commanded to, and take the full armor of faith.

Beauty is never as simple as we think.

The wood anemone, that delicate little flower that dots the undergrowth with its white brilliance, hides a surprising story. Once prized for its medicinal virtues, it was recklessly used by those who believed they could master nature. Today, this practice mostly reminds us of our tendency to exploit natural resources without discernment. By spreading like a living tapestry across the forests, the anemone teaches us that it doesn’t need us to thrive. The next time you come across one, think about what it truly means to inhabit this world.

What if nature actually does just fine without us? 🌿 What do you think?

La beauté n'est jamais aussi simple qu'on le pense.

L'anémone des bois, cette petite fleur délicate qui parsème les sous-bois de son éclat blanc, cache une histoire surprenante. Autrefois appréciée pour ses vertus médicinales, elle a été utilisée imprudemment par ceux qui pensaient maîtriser la nature. Aujourd'hui, cette pratique nous rappelle surtout notre tendance à exploiter les richesses naturelles sans discernement. En s'imposant comme une tapisserie vivante dans les forêts, l'anémone nous enseigne qu'elle n'a pas besoin de nous pour s'épanouir pleinement. La prochaine fois que vous la croisez, réfléchissez à ce que cela signifie vraiment d'habiter ce monde.

Et si la nature se passait finalement très bien de nous ? 🌿 Qu’en pensez-vous ?

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I spent most of my life thinking about what is right and what is wrong due to my upbringing. At 21, I learnt that while discernment is important, it is not what life is essentially about. In the past 10 years I have been struggling to transfer the knowledge to my heart, to the root of my life. Occasionally I am still struck and overwhelmed by the sense of shame and guilt. I rely on my calmness and eloquence to get over things but deep down I know that would not work.

No it would not.

the night now, it's as dark as the crows,

that call me in the discernment above-

still they won’t let me be,

two hearts gone black and blue

oh they won't let me be

closer to you.

i miss the taste of you,

red hearts

and the dust of june.

-black & blue by gregory alan isakov. check him out, great stuff.

the woods around here look rather uninviting this time of year, on dark days. those are the days i don't let myself wander too far into them. you can call it being paranoid...i call it having a healthy respect for the woods and trees, letting them have their moody, edgier, darker days in peace. we all have secrets to keep...maybe the woods should be allowed to keep theirs.