Experimental Salvation

by Arthur Pink

SALVATION may be viewed from many angles—and contemplated under various aspects. But from whatever side we look at it we must ever remember that "Salvation is of the Lord!" Salvation was planned by the Father for His elect before the foundation of the world. It was purchased for them by the holy life and vicarious death of His incarnate Son. It is applied to and wrought in them by His Holy Spirit. It is known and enjoyed through the study of the Scriptures, through the exercise of faith, and through communion with the triune Jehovah.

Now it is greatly to be feared that there are multitudes in Christendom who truly imagine and sincerely believe, that they are among the saved—yet who are total strangers to a work of divine grace in their hearts. It is one thing to have clear intellectual conceptions of God's truth—but it is quite another matter to have a personal, real heart acquaintance with it. It is one thing to believe that sin is the dreadful thing that the Bible says it is—but it is quite another matter to have a holy horror and hatred of it, in the soul. It is one thing to know that God requires repentance—but it is quite another matter to experimentally mourn and groan over our vileness. It is one thing to believe that Christ is the only Savior for sinners—but it is quite another matter to really trust Him from the heart. It is one thing to believe that Christ is the Sum of all excellency—but it is quite another matter to LOVE Him above all others. It is one thing to believe that God is the great and holy One—but it is quite another matter to truly reverence and fear Him. It is one thing to believe that salvation is of the Lord—but it is quite another matter to become an actual partaker of it through His gracious workings.

While it is true that Holy Scripture insists on man's responsibility—and that all through Scripture, God deals with the sinner as an accountable being; yet it is also true that the Bible plainly and constantly shows that no son of Adam has ever measured up to his responsibility, that every person has miserably failed to discharge his accountability. It is this which constitutes the deep need for GOD to work in the sinner—and to do for him what he is unable to do for himself. "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom 8:8). The sinner is "without strength" (Rom 5:6). Apart from the Lord, we "can do nothing" (John 15:5).

While it is true that the Gospel issues a call and a command to all who hear it—it is also true that ALL disregard that call and disobey that command, "They all with one consent began to make excuse!" (Luke 14:18). This is where the sinner commits his greatest sin and most manifests his awful enmity against God and His Christ: that when a Savior, suited to his needs, is presented to him, he "despises and rejects" Him! (Isa 53:3).

This is where the sinner shows what an incorrigible rebel he is, and demonstrates that he is deserving only of eternal torments. But it is just at this point that God manifests His sovereign and wondrous GRACE. He not only planned and provided salvation, but he actually bestows it upon those whom He has chosen!

Now this bestowal of salvation is far more than a mere proclamation that salvation is to be found in the Lord Jesus: it is very much more than an invitation for sinners to receive Christ as their Savior. It is God actually saving His people! It is His own sovereign and all-powerful work of grace toward and in those who are entirely destitute of merit, and who are so depraved in themselves that they will not and cannot take one step to the obtaining of salvation! Those who have been actually saved, owe far more to divine grace, than most of them realize! It is not only that Christ died to put away their sins—but also the Holy Spirit has wrought a work in them—a work which applies to them, the virtues of Christ's atoning death!

It is just at this point that so many preachers fail in their exposition of the Truth. While many of them affirm that Christ is the only Savior for sinners, they also teach that He actually became ours only by our consent. While they allow that conviction of sin is the Holy Spirit's work and that He alone shows us our lost condition and need of Christ—yet they also insist that the decisive factor in salvation is man's own will. But the Holy Scriptures teach that "salvation is of the Lord!" (Jonah 2:9), and that nothing of the creature enters into it at any point. Only that can satisfy God—which has been produced by God Himself! Though it is true that salvation does not become the personal portion of the sinner until he has, from the heart, believed in the Lord Jesus Christ—yet that very BELIEVING is wrought in him by the Holy Spirit: "By grace are you saved through faith, and that NOT OF YOURSELVES; it is the gift of God" (Eph 2:8).

It is exceedingly solemn to discover that there is a "believing" in Christ by the natural man, which is NOT a believing unto salvation. Just as the Buddists believe in Budda—so in Christendom there are multitudes who believe in Christ. And this "believing" is something more than an intellectual one. Often there is much feeling connected with it—the emotions may be deeply stirred. Christ taught in the Parable of the Sower that there is a class of people who hear the Word and with joy receive it—yet have they no root in themselves (Matt 13:20, 21). This is fearfully solemn, for it is still occurring daily!

Scriptures also tell us that Herod heard John "gladly." Thus, the mere fact that the reader of these pages enjoys listening to some sound gospel preacher is no proof at all that he is a regenerated soul. The Lord Jesus said to the Pharisees concerning John the Baptist, "You were willing for a season to rejoice in his light," yet the sequel shows clearly that no real work of grace had been wrought in them. And these things are recorded in Scripture as solemn warnings!

It is striking and solemn to mark the exact wording in the last two Scriptures referred to. Note the repeated personal pronoun in Mark 6:20: "For Herod feared 'John' [not 'God'!], knowing that he as a just man and a holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly." It was the personality of John which attracted Herod. How often is this the case today! People are charmed by the personality of the preacher: they are carried away by his style and won by his earnestness for souls. But if there is nothing more than this—there will one day be a crude awakening for them! That which is vital, is a "love for the truth," not for the one who presents it. It is this which distinguishes the true people of God from the "mixed multitude" who ever associate with them.

So in John 5:35 Christ said to the Pharisees concerning His forerunner: "You were willing for a season to rejoice in his light," not "in the light"! In like manner, there are many today who listen to one whom God enables to open up some of the mysteries and wonders of His Word—and they rejoice "in his light" while in the dark themselves, never having personally received "an anointing from the Holy One." Those who do "love the truth" (2 Thess 2:10) are they in whom a divine work of grace has been wrought. They have something more than a clear, intellectual understanding of the Scripture. The Bible becomes the food of their souls, the joy of their hearts (Jer 15:16). They love the truth, and because they do so, they hate error and shun it as deadly poison. They are jealous for the glory of the Author of the Word, and will not sit under a minister whose teaching dishonors Him; they will not listen to preaching which exalts man into the place of supremacy, so that he is the decider of his own destiny.

"Lord, You will ordain peace for us: for You also have wrought all our works in us" (Isa 26:12). Here is the heart and unqualified confession of the true people of God. Note the preposition: "You also have wrought all our works in us." This speaks of a divine work of grace wrought in the heart of the saint. Nor is this text alone. Weigh carefully the following: "It pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me" (Gal 1:15, 16).

"Unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us" (Eph 3:20). "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it" (Phil 1:6). "It is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Phil 2:13). "I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them" (Heb 10: 16). "Now the God of peace...make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight" (Heb 13:20). Here are seven passages which speak of the inward workings of God's grace; or in other words of experimental salvation.

"Lord, You will ordain peace for us: for You also have wrought all our works in us" (Isa 26:12). Is there an echoing response in our heart to this, my reader? Is your repentance something deeper than the remorse and tears of the natural man? Does it have its root in a divine work of grace which the Holy Spirit has wrought in your soul? Is your believing in Christ something more than an intellectual one? Is your relation to Him something more vital than what some act of yours has brought about, having been made one with Him by the power and operation of the Holy Spirit? Is your love for Christ something more than a pious sentiment, like that of the Romanist who sings of the "gentle" and "sweet" Jesus? Does your love for Him proceed from an altogether new nature, that God has created within you? Can you really say with the Psalmist: "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside You."

Is your profession accompanied by true meekness and lowliness of heart? It is easy to say, "I am an unworthy and unprofitable creature." But do you realize yourself to be such? Do you feel yourself to be "less than the least of all saints?" Paul did! If you do not; if instead, you deem yourself superior to the rank and file of Christians, who bemoan their failures, confess their weakness, and cry, "O wretched man that I am!"—there is grave reason to conclude you are a stranger to God!

That which distinguishes genuine godliness from human religiousness is this: the one is internal, the other external. Christ complained of the Pharisees, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence!" (Matt 23:25). A carnal religion is all on the surface. It is at the heart God looks—and with the heart God deals. Concerning His people He says: "I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them" (Heb 10:16).

"Lord, You will ordain peace for us: for You also have wrought all our works in us." How humbling is this to the pride of man! It makes everything of God—and nothing of the creature!

The tendency of human nature the world over, is to be self-sufficient and self-satisfied; to say with the Laodiceans, "I am rich, and increased with goods—and have need of nothing" (Rev 3:17). But here is something to humble us—and empty us of pride. Since God has wrought all our works in us, then we have no ground for boasting. "For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" (1 Cor 4:7).

And who are the ones in whom God thus works? From the divine side—His favored, chosen, redeemed people. From the human side—those who, in themselves have no claim whatever on His notice; who are destitute of any merit; who have everything in them to provoke His holy wrath; those who are miserable failures in their lives, and utterly depraved and corrupt in their persons. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound—and did for them and in them what they would not and could not do for themselves!

And what is it which God "works" in His people? All their works!

First, He quickens them: "It is the Spirit who quickens; the flesh profits nothing" (John 6:63). "He gave us a new birth by the message of truth" (James 1:18).

Second, He bestows repentance: "Him has God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel" (Acts 5:31). "God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life" (Acts 11:18; 2 Tim 2:25).

Third, He gives faith: "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Eph 2:8).

Fourth, He grants a spiritual understanding: "And we know the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true" (I John 5:20).

Fifth, He effectuates our service: "I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (I Cor 15:10).

Sixth, He secures our perseverance: "who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation" (I Pet 1:5).

Seventh, He produces our fruit: "From Me is your fruit found" (Hosea 14:8). "The fruit of the Spirit" (Gal 5:22). Yes, He has wrought all our works in us!

Why has God thus "wrought all our works in us?"

First, because unless He had done so—all would have eternally perished! (Rom 9:29). We were "without strength," unable to meet God's righteous demands. Therefore, in sovereign grace, He did for us—what we ought but could not do for ourselves.

Second, that all the glory might be His. God is a jealous God. He says so. His honor He will not share with another. By this means He secures all the praise, and we have no ground for boasting.

Third, that our salvation might be effectually and securely accomplished. Were any part of our salvation left to us—it would be neither effectual nor secure. Whatever man touches he spoils: failure is written across everything he attempts. But what God does is perfect and lasts forever: "I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him" (Eccl 3:14).

But how may I be sure that my works have been "wrought in me" by God? Mainly by their effects. If you have been born again, you have a new nature within. This new nature is spiritual and contrary to the flesh—contrary in its desires and aspirations. Because the old and new natures are contrary to each other, there is a continual war between them. Are you conscious of this inward conflict?

If your repentance is a God-wrought one, then you abhor yourself. If your repentance is a genuine and spiritual one, then you marvel that God did not cast you into hell long ago. If your repentance is the gift of Christ, then you daily mourn the wretched returns which you make to God's wondrous grace; you hate sin, you sorrow in secret before God for your manifold transgressions. Not simply do you do so at conversion, but daily do so now.

If your faith is a God-communicated one, it is evidenced by your turning away from all creature confidences, by a renunciation of your own self-righteousness, by a repudiation of all your own works. If your faith is "the faith of God's elect" (Titus 1:1), then you are resting alone on Christ as the ground of your acceptance before God. If your faith is the result of "the operation of God," then you implicitly believe His Word, you receive it with meekness, you crucify reason, and accept all He has said with childlike simplicity.

If your love for Christ is the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:25), then it evidences itself by constantly seeking to please Him, and by abstaining from what you know is displeasing to Him: in a word, by an obedient walk. If your love for Christ is the love of "the new man," then you pant after Him, you yearn for communion with Him above everything else. If your love for Christ is the same in kind (though not in degree) as His love for you, then you are eagerly looking forward to His glorious appearing, when He shall come again to receive His people unto Himself, that they may be forever with the Lord.

May the grace of spiritual discernment be given the reader to see whether his Christian profession is real or a sham; whether his hope is built upon the Rock of Ages or the quicksands of human resolutions, efforts, decisions, or feelings; whether, in short, his salvation is "Of the Lord"—or the vain imagination of his own deceitful heart!

The gift of discernment had provided Abba Ammonas with a new vision “to discern the difference between the good and bad in all things” and so to identify and address this state of monastic practice. Ammonas believed that, when cultivated, this gift fostered a particular way of perceiving the true purpose and function of human beings. When we examine those occasions in which Abba Ammonas cultivated discernment, like the audiences that received the words that open this chapter, we will see that it afforded him a means of instructing the members of his monastic community about the limits of human understanding and the nature of divine judgment.

Discernment was a means of establishing a living body, of ordering right relations, and of dwelling with others in accordance with the divine will. Through prayer, the products of discernment might sustain relationships of solidarity and Christian community before the divine.

-Useful Servanthood: A Study of Spiritual Formation in the Writings of Abba Ammonas (Cistercian Studies Book 224)

God's supply of our needs is in contrast to our wants. Often our wants are disguised as needs under the guise of human wisdom. ...and without spiritual discernment, we fall easily into the snare of the enemy.

Losing A Feel For Persons

“This demon changes the minister into an executive director of pastoral work.

“Some positions and jobs lend themselves to this more than others. In every case, the gradual and sometimes imperceptible result happens in the same way. Ministers become so absorbed in administration, supervision, planning, and organization that they no longer have adequate time to dedicate themselves to the people for who they are working. Above all, their limited psychological space impedes being close to the ones they are serving.

“The demon of apostolic depersonalization makes pastoral agents so dedicated to the means of action and service that they forget the people whom they serve. Organization and program proposals absorb them.

“This temptation can take other forms. In effect, ministers who become ‘pastoral executives’ will tend to place excessive importance on programs and courses of action. They impose plans on the people instead of adapting programs to their reality—the reality from which the ministerial ‘executives’ have progressively distanced themselves. People, with their possibilities and their limitations, are the point of departure for every ministry, no matter how excellent and ideal the plans might be. These ministers forget that the people should be the ones to carry this work to completion.” Segundo Galilea in Temptation & Discernment (1996 ICS Publications, Institute of Carmelite Studies, Washington, D.C.) translated by Stephen-Joseph Ross, O.C.D.

_________________

David Sedaris' narrator in Firestone a short story in "Barrel Fever" (1984 Little Brown) says:

“What can I do to help?” I asked myself. “I have no tailoring skills with which to repair a torn motorcycle seat. What can I do?”

“What can you do? Give her your shoes,” came the reply from somewhere deep inside my heart.

So I did. I gave her my shoes.

“What do I want with these?” the woman asked.

“That will be revealed in time,” I responded.

Now every time I see this woman I ask, “Has it been revealed yet?” She tells me it hasn’t but when it is I will be the first to know.

EXPLORE # 71 on Sunday, March 9, 2008, # 117 on 03-07-2008; # 146 on 03-08-2008

Picture taken on : Cassarah.

___

Title borrowed from:

~ ♪♫ ~

___

These virtual ruins & the music reminded me of one of the largest Romanian amphitheatre that I had the opportunity to visit a few years ago. It was built in the 3rd century in the city of Thysdrus, today called El Jem, in Tunisia. It’s the 3rd largest one in the world after the amphitheatres of Rome & Capua both located in Italy. (See pictures of their ruins in comments.)

Italy & Tunisia were once part of the same Empire.

Understanding our History helps us understand our present & it helps us anticipate our future with more discernment. And all of that is meant to help us avoid repeating the past mistakes.

___

Thanks for your visit & thanks for reading. ☺

showing or requiring great precision or sensitive discernment; subtle, lovely

a perfect fit

Music: Right Click and select "Open link in new tab"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VNjNXsOfMs

So Nice · Tomasz Stanko Quintet

____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

[BlackPixel + WhitePixel] = [RedPixel = Tat Twam Asi] or BlueLight or

"BlueWay" or "The stupidity of the Intelligence" or "The Master Game"

___________________________________________________________________________

If you can not give love unconditionally and take, it is not love, but a trade. Emma Goldmann

___________________________________________________________________________

[...] The brotherly there is the experience of union with all men of human solidarity, of human at-onement. Brotherly love is based on the experience that we are all one. The differences of talent, intelligence and knowledge are negligible in compared with the identity of the human core common to all men.

Brotherly love is love between equals … [...]

Source: Erich Fromm "The Art of loving" (English Version)

Die Nächstenliebe enthält die Erfahrung der Einheit mit allen Menschen, der menschlichen Solidarität, des menschlichen Einswerdens. Die Nächstenliebe gründet sich auf die Erfahrung, daß wir alle eins sind. Die Unterschiede von Begabung, Intelligenz und Wissen sind nebensächlich im Vergleich zur Identität des menschlichen Kerns, der uns allen gemeinsam ist.

Um diese Identität zu erleben, muß man von der Oberfläche zum Kern vordringen. Wenn ich bei einem anderen Menschen hauptsächlich das Äußere sehe, dann nehme ich nur die Unterschiede wahr, das, was uns trennt; dringe ich aber bis zum Kern vor, so nehme ich unsere Identität wahr, ich merke dann, daß wir Brüder sind.

Diese Bezogenheit von einem Kern zum anderen, anstatt von Oberfläche zu Oberfläche, ist eine Bezogenheit aus der Mitte (CENTRAL RELATEDNESS). Simone Weil drückt dies besonders schön aus, wenn sie bezüglich des Bekenntnisses »Ich liebe dich«, das ein Mann zu seiner Frau spricht, bemerkt: »Die gleichen Worte können je nach der Art, wie sie gesprochen werden, nichtssagend sein oder etwas ganz Außergewöhnliches bedeuten. Die Art, wie sie gesagt werden, hängt von der Tiefenschicht ab, aus der sie beim Betreffenden stammen und auf die der Wille keinen Einfluß hat.

Durch eine ans Wunderbare grenzende Übereinstimmung erreichen sie in dem, der sie hört, genau die gleiche Tiefenschicht. So kann der Hörer erkennen, was die Worte wert sind, sofern er hierfür überhaupt ein Unterscheidungsvermögen besitzt.« (S. Weil, 1952, S. 117)

Nächstenliebe ist Liebe zwischen Gleichen ...

Source: Erich Fromm "Die Kunst des Liebens" (German Version)

___________________________________________________________________________

Wikipedia: ||The Art of Loving || Erich Fromm || Upanishad || Αα || Αα - Ωω ||

Somatic states

Response option

Covertly operate

In 1849, the Tallahassee population had grown to almost 1,800 men, women, and children. From this diverse population, four men and five women organized the Baptist Church of Tallahassee. Of these nine original members, one was to become governor and another state comptroller.

Throughout our 172 year history, many members have occupied positions of leadership in private business and industry as well as in the public sector, including governors, university presidents, college deans, professors, coaches, judges, legislators, commissioners, and mayors. The first church building was situated on the south side of College Avenue on a lot purchased for $500. With missionary pastors sent from the Home Mission Board, the membership grew until the Civil War began. There was no post-war record of ministry until 1880 when Rev. A.C. McCants was sent to lead the church.

In September 1894 the name of the church was changed to The First Baptist Church of Tallahassee, and from meager purses, the building was remodeled, refinished, and reoccupied on January 21, 1900. With a membership of 407, a new church structure was dedicated in November 1915 with the coming of Pastor-builder J. Dean Adcock. First Baptist Church continued to serve the needs of the Tallahassee community in the 1920s and 1930s. But the 1940s brought an influx of World War II personnel. When the Florida State College for Women became the co-educational Florida State University, students were filling every service and it was time to build again. Dr. Harold G. Sanders led us through an eight-year building program that ended with the completion of our second-century church in 1957.

In the subsequent years, First Baptist Church recognized the need for additional churches in Tallahassee and responded by establishing six mission churches. Additional structures were also added to our existing location under the guidance of Dr. Robert W. McMillian, including construction of a multi-purpose Christian Life Center in 1974 and administrative offices in 1987. Additional buildings were also purchased in 1998 for future expansion.

During the end of the twentieth century, we gave prayerful consideration to relocating our church. During that time of discernment, we waited on God for direction regarding our place of future ministry. We concluded a study in 2009 and came to the decision that our present location is where God wants us to be for as long as Jesus tarries. Today, we proudly state that we are here…for life, and we embrace that calling joyfully and hopefully.

No other community organization can substitute for us in testifying to the abundant life Jesus gives. We believe that God called us to pursue a phased renovation of our entire campus so that we might be able to offer first-century ministry in a twenty-first-century context that meets the spiritual needs of every generation and life stage. In August 2009, we adopted a set of recommendations for Phase I of our plan, to include roof repairs, renovations to the Fellowship Hall and Christian Life Center as well as the Children’s and Youth Ministry areas. In addition, our plan included a brand-new Welcome Center and Atrium that serve as a connecting point for all of our buildings. In August 2011, we completed all of the Phase I plans, and we began utilizing all of our new and renovated facilities.

As we look toward the future, we are excited about what God is doing in and through First Baptist. Jesus has promised to “build his church,” and as we continue to follow him, we look with anticipation toward his continued blessing upon us.

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

search.leonpa.gov/Property/Details/2136251831705

fbctlh.org/about/history/

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Matthew 6:30 "If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God admires life of simplicity and trusting Him only. Architectures and great buildings built and erected through time and thousands of years come and go, but that's through the concept of the big society, in fact fallen angel doctrine derivatives who wanted to be worshiped are gods packaged in many shapes and sizes.

Let me jump on my thoughts of churches that focus more on the aesthetics of buildings, and making it a community creche club accepting all and everyone without the transformation through grace of the cross are apostate churches multiplying these days.

Myself don't identify with any of those. As those type of churches are not ordained by Yahuah God himself. Apart from it's being lead by ministers chosen from the criteria in this world ministry, graduates from seminaries, colleges etc. D'you think these graduates are God chosen and have truly the anointing from Yahuah God to be preaching on the pulpits?

It's not the great number of people attending that make a church a great church. In fact the more it becomes a mega church, the more apostate it is. Run-away as much you can from it if anyone has the discernment.

You know an apostate church because it doesn't condemn any sin, it goes a blind eye to sin. It speaks always about love, love,love of God, yet omitting any mention that God Himself is also a judge. This type of churches are afraid to mention types of sin and avoid pointing sin as it's likely to trigger people leaving the church.

This type of churches wanted great attendance and membership for the MONEY. You'll know them by their fruits.

__________________________________________

Outlining a Theory of General Creativity . .

. . on a 'Pataphysical projectory

Entropy ≥ Memory ● Creativity ²

__________________________________________

Etude du jour:

L'allégorie de Camera & Obscura

(ou comment il n'y a de discernement qu'en renonçant conjointement, dialogiquement, à la quête d'une Absolue perception et d'une Universel connaissance.)

Il était une fois deux petites boîtes sombres, illuminées de certitudes ; deux petites têtes vides, pleines d'espoir ; dont l'âme sensible attendait impatiente que la lumière extérieure les pénétrât et fît naître en elles une image vraie de la Réalité Vraie.

Quand le moment fut venu, elles s'ouvrirent.

Camera, en quête d'Absolu voulait tout ressentir sans chercher à comprendre. Tout percevoir, absolument Tout ! Le moment venu, elle décida de se laisser submerger par la plus violente énergie possible, toute sa sensibilité offerte à la jouissance de tout engloutir intensément, sans aucun jugement, sans penser une seconde avec ces mots qui obscurcissent l'esprit plus qu'ils ne l'éclairent. Elle installa un film hypersensible qu'elle pousserait au développement malgré son gros grain. Elle ouvrit son diaphragme au maximum, longtemps, et s'abandonna à l'ivresse extatique d'absorber sans retenue tout le flot entropique de la Réalité Vraie qui s'engouffrait en elle.

Obscura, en quête d'Universel voulait tout comprendre sans se laisser émouvoir. Tout concevoir ! Absolument tout ! Le moment venu, elle décida de tout distinguer avec la plus grande profondeur de champ possible, toute son intelligence concentrée à tout discerner avec finesse, sans la moindre distorsion, sans céder à la tentation de croire à ces apparences qui éblouissent plus qu'elles n'éclairent. Elle installa un film à grain hyperfin qu'elle développerait rudement pour compenser sa faible sensibilité. Elle ouvrit dans son diaphragme un interstice minuscule, un infime instant, et concentra toute sa minutieuse lucidité à détecter le sens de la moindre particule de Réalité Vraie qui parviendrait à s'infiltrer en elle.

La morale de cette histoire ? Tous les photographes vous la dirons !

Camera obtint l'image la plus lumineuse qui soit, c'est à dire l'image la plus floue à la fois, d'un blanc aussi immaculé qu'uniforme.

Obscura obtint l'image la plus nette qui soit, c'est à dire l'image la plus sombre à la fois, d'un noir aussi immaculé qu'uniforme.

Laquelle eut tort ou raison ? Laissons cette dichotomie manichéenne à tous les donneurs de leçons stupides, à tous les castrateurs en théologie du mal et du bien, à tous les marchands de bonnets d'âne du saint marché des bons-points, à tous les coureurs de records à podiums collectionneurs d'échecs à médailles.

Observons plutôt comment la diajonction de leurs expériences respectives leur apporta finalement la réponse ultime à la question initiale : Quelle image peut-on discerner de la Réalité Vraie ? Ou autrement dit, avec la joie de pictosopher : Quelle est l'épaisseur des apparences ?

Désormais, lorsqu'elles choisissent une ouverture et un temps de pause susceptibles de former des images moins aveuglées, Camera et Obscura sentent se former en elles quelques soupçons de Réalité Vraie, des images aussi pauvres de Sensibilité Absolue que démunies de Connaisssance Universelle, mais des images merveilleuses et magiques, aussi riches de signes ambivalents que de sèmes ambigus, illuminées de formes et de couleurs inattendues, toutes d'innonbrables demiVérités.

Elles sont devenues sages, parce qu'elles savent que tout en prenant des milliards d'autres images, la Réalité Vraie leur restera à jamais inconnaissable. Elles sont devenues sages lorsqu'elles cherchent ce qu'il y a hors champ, lorsqu'elles cherchent ce qui se passait avant et ce qui arrivera après, lorsqu'elles cherchent l'invisible sous l'infra-rouge et au-delà de l'ultra-violet, lorsqu'elles cherchent ce qu'il y a à voir ailleurs quand elles sont là, et là quand elles sont ailleurs, en somme lorsqu'elles cherchent, . . simplement parce qu'elles cherchent.

Elles sont devenues sages lorsqu'elles s'interrogent sur ce que pensent et ressentent profondément, les autres petites chambres obscures d'à coté. Lorsque de temps en temps, interconnectées sur le réseau des réseaux des camera-obscura, elles se racontent leurs éblouissements respectifs et partagent leurs aveuglements réciproques.

Elles sont devenues sages, émerveillées d'être des mémoires qui résistent à l'Entropie, émerveillées d'être sensibles à l'infime surface visible de l'inconnaissable, émerveillées d'être à la fois transcendantes et illusoires, là, sur le pli du Vide Médian.

__________________________________________

Study of the day (debating the Plato's allegory of the cavern)

"THE ALLEGORY OF CAMERA & OBSCURA".

Once upon a time there was two small dark boxes, illuminated with certainties, two small empty heads, full of hope, and whose sensitive soul was waiting until the external light penetrates them to dazzle them with an image of the "True Reality”. At the proper time, they finally opened.

Camera in pursuit of the Absolute, wanted all to see without any reflection. All, absolutely All ! Then, at the proper time, it decided to be totally overcome by the "True Entropic Reality", all its sensitivity offered to intensely feel everything, without any prejudice, without thinking one second with all these words which darkens the mind more than they enlighten it. It installed a hypersensitive film which it will push in spite of its coarse grain. It tuned her diaphragm to the maximum aperture, a long time, and gave up itself to ecstatically feel the whole true light of the whole True Entropic Reality.

Obscura in quest of the Universal Knowledge, wanted all to know precisely, it wanted all to understand and memorize with a maximum of details and discernment. Then at the proper time, it decided to focuse a depth of field as deep as possible, to choose a pause time as short as possible, to be sure to get the highest neatness of the True Real Universal Memory. It installed a hyperfine grain film which it will develop energetically to compensate its low sensitivity. It tuned the aperture at less than anything, and adjusted the pause time at an infinitesimal fraction of nothing.

The moral of the story ? All the photographers will say it to you !

Camera obtained the most luminous image which is at ounce the fuzziest one, an immaculate uniform Absolute Entropic white 100%blank.

Obscura obtained the finest image which is at ounce the darkest one, an immaculate uniform Universal black 100%blank.

From now on, when it chooses an aperture and a time of pause suitable to create less blind images, Camera finally formed in itself several suspicions of True Reality. They are images as poor of Absolute Sensitivity as weak of Universal Knowledge, but they are marvellous and magic images, illuminated by unexpected shapes and colors.

In the neighbourhood of the Absolute Entropy, each cell of Camera opens like a white sapphire prism dispersing and breaking up the Entropic light in colored iridescences. From her cells juxtaposition are emerging lines and shapes, metamorphosing the dazzling Entropic light in simple but unknowable .. shapes, only lacking some .. words to name them.

From now on, when it chooses an aperture and a time of pause suitable to create less blind images, Obscura finally formed in itself several suspicions of True Reality. They are images as poor of Universal Knowledge as weak of Absolute Sensitivity, but they are marvellous and magic images, rich of ambiguous signs and senses.

__________________________________________

| . rectO-persO . | . E ≥ m.C² . | . co~errAnce . | . TiLt . |

Not, always...I pray for more discernment...especially with fellow humans...

ꒌ ﹏﹏ ГЕНЕРАЦИЈА, танкер за течна горива (ближе) мимоилази се са незнатно већим холандским теретњаком ПАНДОРОМ (удаљенији, види се само задњи део, надградња и крма).

Ово је прва серија слика коју сам поставио овог новог, тек начетог априла 2026. Свима који ово читају и гледају желим благополучан, миран и добрим чињењем плодан април. Посебно вам желим здраво расуђивање у смутним временима која би се могла назвати и Година Пандорине кутије. Јер тешко да ће се до маја па чак и до лета нешто разрешити. Злочинитељи су упорни у свом злочињењу. Иза њих је милијарда равнодушних или крвожедних.

Ми пак имамо слободу да чувамо свој поглед на свет око нас и не учествујемо у злу већ у добру; макар и само мислено. Желим вам много ’погођених’ снимака у првом месецу који у целини лежи у пролећу – за неке најлепшем годишњем добу. У овом месецу нас чека експлозија светлости, а онда у мају — експлозија живота! Што су и два најважнија предуслова и компоненте сваке фотографије :)

► █░▓ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ GENERATION and PANDORA cross path.

GENERATION (closer, the bow) is an inland, liquid cargo tanker, sailing under the flag of Germany. She is 109 meters long and 11 meters wide with a draught of 2,3 meters. Here seen downstream. At the moment of uploading this she is stopped at the town of Niederkassel (near Cologne in Germany) on the river Rhine.

PANDORA (further, just the superstructure and the stern), is an inland motor freighter, sails under the flag of Netherlands. She is 110 meters long and 11,5 meters wide with a draught of 2,5 meters. Here seen just passing by the beacon at Buurtje in North Brabant. At the moment of uploading this she is underway on the river Scheldt at the Dutch/Belgian border.

Captured two minutes after the astronomical sunset. With the sun at the surface of the Earth gone, all the light on the water is reflected from the sky. Being already subdued, the scenery was dark and murky. So I lifted the brightness of the scenery a bit.

This is the first series of images I am uploading in April of 2026. I want each and everyone of you who made it so far, reading this caption and enjoying the scene, a happy, peaceful and sunny April this year. Lots of necessary wisdom. Undisturbed reflexion. Creative approach and clear insightful outlook on the world around us. Lots of worthy clicks and timeless captures as well as sound discernment in the first month that lies fully in the spring. It has just commenced. April is the Light Bringer, and May is the Life Bearer. Both being those very essentials we need so much for our photography!

Panasonic G90 / Lumix G Vario 12-35mm/f2.8 zoomed in to 30 mm (60 mm in full-frame terms, my favourite focal length). Overexposed ⅔ of a stop. Handheld with support. Shutter speed priority 1/400 of a sec resulting in f/2.8 at ISO 800 – WB manual (shade). Sooc jpeg edited in Photos 10.0. Uncompressed, cropped to 16×10 format.

~SHORTCUTS~ ...→Press [F11] and [L] key to engage Full Screen (Light box) mode with black background ↔ Press the same key or [Esc] to return... →Press [F] to "Like" (Fave)... →Press [C] to comment.

To start the slideshow: go to my ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏsᴛʀᴇᴀᴍ. At the upper right of the screen – right next to the 'search' magnifying glass🔍 – click the small ‚play‘▶️ ᴀʀʀᴏᴡ inside the symbol of a ᴍᴏɴɪᴛᴏʀ️ rectangle.

File name: P1064546

#11 Al-Khaliq

The Creator

The sun came out today so I retook the fluorite with much better light. Here the crystals are back-lit by the low sun.

Fluorite is a halide mineral composed of calcium fluoride, CaF2.

Fluorite is "The Stone of Discernment"

www.flickr.com/photos/lynnette_henderson/4101589376/in/se...

The process of seeing is accomplished through the discernment of differences or contrast and this principle of seeing operates on all levels -- JJ Dewey

... maybe too philosophical (did i spell that right?)...

Surprising joyed but very impressed I am on returning from my contact libela's gallery of FINE ART at www.libela.ca/index_html.html

Please journey to her other far away kingdom yourself and open your eyes discerning

www.flickr.com/photos/libela/2371912594/

___________________________

below from www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/soren_kierkegaard.html

are a few quotes from Soren Kierkegaard, Danish Philosopher

Date of Birth: May 5, 1813

Date of Death: November 11, 1855

I begin with the principle that all men are bores. Surely no one will prove himself so great a bore as to contradict me in this.

I feel as if I were a piece in a game of chess, when my opponent says of it: That piece cannot be moved.

I see it all perfectly; there are two possible situations - one can either do this or that. My honest opinion and my friendly advice is this: do it or do not do it - you will regret both.

If I am capable of grasping God objectively, I do not believe, but precisely because I cannot do this I must believe.

It belongs to the imperfection of everything human that man can only attain his desire by passing through its opposite.

It is so hard to believe because it is so hard to obey.

It seems essential, in relationships and all tasks, that we concentrate only on what is most significant and important.

It was completely fruitless to quarrel with the world, whereas the quarrel with oneself was occasionally fruitful and always, she had to admit, interesting.

Just as in earthly life lovers long for the moment when they are able to breathe forth their love for each other, to let their souls blend in a soft whisper, so the mystic longs for the moment when in prayer he can, as it were, creep into God.

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.

Life has its own hidden forces which you can only discover by living.

Life must be understood backwards; but... it must be lived forward.

Listen to the cry of a woman in labor at the hour of giving birth - look at the dying man's struggle at his last extremity, and then tell me whether something that begins and ends thus could be intended for enjoyment.

EXPLORE # 293 on Wednesday, April 9, 2008; & # 406 on Thursday, April 10, 2008

Second Coming of Christ Movie | "Knocking at the Door" | How to Be Raptured to the Kingdom of Heaven by Lord Jesus

www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/knocking-at-the-door-movie/

Second Coming of Christ Movie | "Knocking at the Door" | How to Be Raptured to the Kingdom of Heaven by Lord Jesus

Two thousand years ago, the Lord Jesusprophesied, "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!

Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.

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

in the evening light

at the coast of baltic sea

*

When I Am Among the Trees

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

Wonder Woman: -the harsh conditions of war, perfectly understood, but surely the killing should be cut back.

Shiroko Bokushi: Princess, we are not murderers. It seems unreasonable for you to apply the terms you've just used to the incidents of battlefield executions. Those were not beings capable of moral discernment. They were automatons of evil. Creatures with minds only for destruction. To what purpose would one spare them? They cannot be changed from their nature, so you can't let them free, and it seems a greater injustice to cage them.

Wonder Woman: I know the monstrosities you're speaking of. I fought them personally. But there were others.

Shiroko Bokushi: There were a handful of incidents where-

Wonder Woman: Sabre.

Shiroko Bokushi: -combatants... yes, Sabre, and she does seem to raise the ire of the Justice League. Princess, from what I know about your home, there is much of war, no? And you yourself are a warrior?

Wonder Woman: Priestess, the reason I, and not Superman or Batman, am discussing this with you is because I am sympathetic to your position. I have killed in battle and under different circumstances would do so again. I believe that's the point you were approaching. But I am a member of the Justice League and I would be a poor member if I did not bow to the authority of the organization over my personal whims.

Shiroko Bokushi: Of course, Princess, and I agree with your sentiment. We are to subject ourselves to all authorities of mankind as they are God-given, but this is hardly a "whim". Then it would be no better than murder. But are you not instead carried by a deep conviction for justice?

(File: DMC0584)

Visit www.lenticularis.name for more of my photography.

Brussels

Om Malik carries with him the quiet gravity of someone who has seen the world change and helped shape its direction. He is one of my oldest friends, someone I’ve known for more than twenty years. We have stood together on icy runways in Svalbard and watched the blue light stretch endlessly across Greenland. In those places, conversation slows and the essential rises to the surface. With Om, the essential is never far away.

He grew up in India, in a world rich with contrast and complexity. The streets were full of movement, full of the textures and sounds that would later find their way into his voice as a writer. He arrived in the United States with curiosity and drive, and he never stopped paying attention. That gift for attention became his craft.

Om became one of the most influential technology journalists of our time. He worked with major publications, wrote with clarity and insight, and often knew where the story was going before it arrived. He did not chase trends. He understood patterns. When he founded GigaOm, he built a platform that reflected his belief in deep, thoughtful reporting. It was never about clicks. It was about signal over noise.

Later, as a partner at True Ventures, he turned that same discernment toward people. Founders sought him out not only for his experience but for his honesty. He listened more than he spoke. When he gave advice, it came from a place of hard-won wisdom.

There is a softness in Om’s eyes, and also something unyielding. He is kind, but not naïve. He dresses like he writes…elegantly, precisely, with deep attention to detail. His handmade shoes, the rich navy tones of his jackets and shirts, the sharp frames of his glasses. None of it is loud, but all of it speaks. There is joy in his choices. He understands that what we surround ourselves with can be an extension of how we move through the world.

He is also a photographer of rare subtlety. His images often feature landscapes pared down to their bones. A single horizon. A lone figure. A curve of light across snow. You feel the stillness in them, the invitation to breathe. His work reflects his own sensibility - quiet, thoughtful, poetic. There is always more going on than you first see.

In person, Om brings that same energy. He is deeply present. You feel seen when you are with him. You feel the care in his questions. And you notice his half-smile, that look of amused recognition, as though he is reading both the moment and the unwritten caption beneath it.

What makes Om remarkable is not just his resume, though that alone would be enough. It is the way he has chosen to be in the world. He holds space for others. He mentors, advises, encourages. He is still shaping the future, not from the front page, but from the quieter rooms where real conversations happen.

This portrait of Om was taken in a moment of stillness. He stood in soft light, one hand raised to his face, the other crossed over his chest. The frame is black and white, but his presence comes through in full color. Thoughtful, grounded, unmistakably himself.

To me, he is more than a friend. He is a guide. A mirror. A constant. One of the rare people whose way of being makes everyone around him want to be better.

Walking through an old semi-abandoned National Heritage site in Cape Town we came accross a van with bottles filled with water and different colour dye. There was no-one around to explain why these bottles where here or their purpose. So it got me thinking about colour theraphy, Heres what I found. . .

Red

Red is a powerful colour that has always been associated with vitality and ambition. It can help overcome negative thoughts. However, it is also associated with anger; if we have too much red in our system, or around us, we may feel irritable, impatient, and uncomfortable.

Blue

Blue is a cool, calming colour and is associated with a higher part of the mind than yellow. It represents the night, so it makes us feel calm and relaxed as if we are being soothed by the deep blue of the night sky. Light and soft blue, make us feel quiet and protected from all the bustle and activity of the day, and alleviates insomnia. Blue inspires mental control, clarity, and creativity. Midnight blue has a strong sedative effect on the mind, allowing us to connect to our intuitive and feminine side. Too much dark blue can be depressing however.

Orange

Orange is a joyous colour. It frees and releases emotions and alleviates feelings of self-pity, lack of self worth, and unwillingness to forgive. It stimulates the mind, renewing interest in life; it is a wonderful anti-depressant and lifts the spirits.

Yellow

Yellow is also a happy, bright, and uplifting colour, a celebration of sunny days. It is associated with the intellectual side of the mind, and the expression of thoughts. It aids the powers of discernment and discrimination, memory and clear thinking, decision-making and good judgment. It helps good organization, assimilation of new ideas, and the ability to see different points of view. It builds self-confidence and encourages an optimistic attitude. Conversely, dull yellow can be the colour of fear

Green

Green has a strong affinity with nature, helping us connect with empathy to others and the natural world. We instinctively seek it out when under stress or experiencing emotional trauma. It creates a feeling of comfort, laziness and relaxation, calmness, and space, lessening stress, balancing and soothing the emotions. Lime green and olive green can have a detrimental effect on both physical and emotional health since sickly yellow and green are associated with the emotions of envy, resentment, and possessiveness.

View On Black

Testimony of a Christian: How She Overcame the Temptation to Have an Affair (Audio Essay, Part 1)

This question made Jingru’s heart surge again, and she didn’t know what to say. She just silently prayed to God in her heart: “O God! Please protect my heart and keep me from doing anything that would offend Your disposition.” After she’d prayed, she thought of these words of God which say: “Their words nourish your heart and captivate you so that you become disoriented and without realizing it, you are sucked in and willing to be of service to them, be their outlet as well as their servant. You have no complaints at all but are willing to be at their disposal—you are deceived by them” (“Your Character Is So Lowly!”). God’s words once again awakened Jingru, and she knew that the surging in her heart was because she was falling under the control of evil lusts; this was Satan putting its cunning scheme into action to seduce her, to make her live in sin and lose the testimony of a Christian, and to make her sink into physical lust and become more and more degenerate and corrupt. Therefore, she knew that she must have discernment, and must see through Satan’s cunning scheme. Wang Wei was already married—that was a fact—and Jingru knew that she could not be deceived into losing her reason because of some passing sweet words. If she really did take a wrong step and say some wrong things, then she would become Satan’s fool, she would be serving as Satan’s outlet and she would become the disgraceful other woman; the outcome would be a broken family, endless pain for Wang Wei’s wife and children, and she herself would be irreparably stained before God—the consequences were unthinkable.

Recommended for You: What is salvation

2019 Gospel Movie | "faith in God 2 – After the Church Falls" | The True Story of Chinese Christians

www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/faith-in-God-2-movie/

Introduction

Since the Chinese Communist Party came to power, it has continuously suppressed and persecuted Christianity and Catholicism in order to fully eradicate all religious beliefs and establish China as a zone of atheism. Particularly since Xi Jinping became President the CCP's attacks on faith have reached a peak, and even the officially sanctioned Three-Self Church is being eradicated and crosses are being torn down.

Yu Congguang is an evangelist who makes a dangerous escape from a CCP mass arrest. Afterward, he makes his way to the home of Three-Self Patriotic Movement Christian Chen Song'en. Chen Song'en's Three-Self Patriotic Movement church is demolished by the CCP, and some in the church, after listening to the teachings of their pastors and elders, pray for the CCP regime, believing that by doing so, they are keeping the words of the Lord Jesus, ""Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you"" (Matthew 5:44). However, many believers are confused, because despite the fact that they have prayed for blessings for the CCP for so many years, the CCP has not only failed to repent, but has even demolished their church. They wonder: Does praying for the CCP actually accord with God's will? The congregation argues about the question but can't reach a conclusion. Later, through reading God's words and the fellowship of Yu Congguang and his associate, Chen Song'en and the others learn the true meaning of the Lord Jesus' teaching to ""love your enemies."" They also gain discernment of the CCP's satanic essence, which is to resist God and loathe the truth, and clearly see the dangerous consequences of following the pastors and elders down the Three-Self path and relying on the protection of a satanic ruling power …

Recommended for You ：Christian Inspirational Movie

Image Source: The Church of Almighty God

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

In 1849, the Tallahassee population had grown to almost 1,800 men, women, and children. From this diverse population, four men and five women organized the Baptist Church of Tallahassee. Of these nine original members, one was to become governor and another state comptroller.

Throughout our 172 year history, many members have occupied positions of leadership in private business and industry as well as in the public sector, including governors, university presidents, college deans, professors, coaches, judges, legislators, commissioners, and mayors. The first church building was situated on the south side of College Avenue on a lot purchased for $500. With missionary pastors sent from the Home Mission Board, the membership grew until the Civil War began. There was no post-war record of ministry until 1880 when Rev. A.C. McCants was sent to lead the church.

In September 1894 the name of the church was changed to The First Baptist Church of Tallahassee, and from meager purses, the building was remodeled, refinished, and reoccupied on January 21, 1900. With a membership of 407, a new church structure was dedicated in November 1915 with the coming of Pastor-builder J. Dean Adcock. First Baptist Church continued to serve the needs of the Tallahassee community in the 1920s and 1930s. But the 1940s brought an influx of World War II personnel. When the Florida State College for Women became the co-educational Florida State University, students were filling every service and it was time to build again. Dr. Harold G. Sanders led us through an eight-year building program that ended with the completion of our second-century church in 1957.

In the subsequent years, First Baptist Church recognized the need for additional churches in Tallahassee and responded by establishing six mission churches. Additional structures were also added to our existing location under the guidance of Dr. Robert W. McMillian, including construction of a multi-purpose Christian Life Center in 1974 and administrative offices in 1987. Additional buildings were also purchased in 1998 for future expansion.

During the end of the twentieth century, we gave prayerful consideration to relocating our church. During that time of discernment, we waited on God for direction regarding our place of future ministry. We concluded a study in 2009 and came to the decision that our present location is where God wants us to be for as long as Jesus tarries. Today, we proudly state that we are here…for life, and we embrace that calling joyfully and hopefully.

No other community organization can substitute for us in testifying to the abundant life Jesus gives. We believe that God called us to pursue a phased renovation of our entire campus so that we might be able to offer first-century ministry in a twenty-first-century context that meets the spiritual needs of every generation and life stage. In August 2009, we adopted a set of recommendations for Phase I of our plan, to include roof repairs, renovations to the Fellowship Hall and Christian Life Center as well as the Children’s and Youth Ministry areas. In addition, our plan included a brand-new Welcome Center and Atrium that serve as a connecting point for all of our buildings. In August 2011, we completed all of the Phase I plans, and we began utilizing all of our new and renovated facilities.

As we look toward the future, we are excited about what God is doing in and through First Baptist. Jesus has promised to “build his church,” and as we continue to follow him, we look with anticipation toward his continued blessing upon us.

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

search.leonpa.gov/Property/Details/2136251831705

fbctlh.org/about/history/

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Not a happy Happy ScATsURDAY! for me. Blondie is fading away, and I can't find the strength to take her to be put down. Phew!

Praying for wisdom and discernment, Father God Who art in heaven hallowed be Thy name, in the name of Jesus, Amen. Help me, help me, help me. Thank You, thank You, thank You.

Since the fall, not merely of the hierarchic nature of society, but of almost all traditional forms, the consciously conservative man stands as it were in a vacuum. He stands alone in a world which, in its all opaque enslavement, boasts of being free, and, in all its crushing uniformity, boasts of being rich.

It is screamed in his ears that humanity is continually developing upwards, that human nature, after developing for so and so many millions of years, has now undergone a decisive mutation, which will lead to its final victory over matter.

The consciously conservative man stands alone amongst manifest drunks, is alone awake amongst sleep-walkers

who take their dreams for reality.

From understanding and experience he knows that man, with all his passion for novelty, has remained fundamentally the same, for good or ill; the fundamental questions in human life have always remained the same; the answers to them have always been known, and, to the extent that they can be expressed in words, have been handed down from one generation to the next. The consciously conservative man is concerned with this inheritance.

Since nearly all traditional forms in life are now destroyed, it is seldom vouchsafed to him to engage in a wholly useful and meaningful activity. But every loss spells gain: the disappearance of forms calls for a trial and a discernment; and the confusion in the surrounding world is a summons to turn, by-passing all accidents, to the essential.

----

Titus Burckhardt

Second Coming of Christ Movie | "Knocking at the Door" | How to Be Raptured to the Kingdom of Heaven by Lord Jesus

www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/knocking-at-the-door-movie/

Second Coming of Christ Movie | "Knocking at the Door" | How to Be Raptured to the Kingdom of Heaven by Lord Jesus

Two thousand years ago, the Lord Jesusprophesied, "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!

Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.

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

Maybe, no not maybe rather too much of everything found in silence and in sound altogether not different rather in allied divisions of the infinite each one a part of THE ONE, every fulfilling all and so generating THE ALL.

At the entrance to Brochs there are small corbelled dens that some see as dog houses with them positioned so that the pack is poised ready to either blockade with their furious sea of swirling strength, or to welcome you through with their frantic show of faith. Dogs are marvellous. We are not always good enough for them.

On Orkney there are places that have been found with animal signatures. Presumed as totem items to bring an identify to the people in kit, kith and clan. There is famously The Tomb of the Eagles and then there is The Tomb of the Hounds, or as many say The Tomb of the Dogs which is neither as find rich nor as recent so less detailed than The Tomb of the Eagles. Then there is your individual discernment, even discrimination. The Hound faithful and helpful is often not seen as high on the animal scale of some perceived divine dignitary of animals where almost in a scoring game people hone their perceptions on the height, length and purpose in flight, upon the ground and within waters. Shamanistic ideals of purpose and best use might be wrapped tighter in smaller, shorter and more acclimatised and best designed ideals. For me The Tomb of the Dogs has always held me in very fond canine fascination.

“The skulls of 24 dogs on the chamber floor.”

Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn - History

www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/cuween-...

I find revelation and regeneration in historic places. They are a fight for me to reach and an utter tremendous moment to be in washed with history, robed in mystery and released from the painful pressing concerns. The journeys, the quests and the healing pathways never end in the ancient places. The people that sited the ancient places had open space to fit their framework into place. The memories of such places are to me fantastic visions. As I type the Moon shines in Cuween and I am howling...

I have been to Cuween before and it has had me in awe since I heard about The Tomb of the Dogs, visited the chambered cairn and revisited The Tomb of the Hounds. I was happy sat in the burial area thinking and not thinking, in and out of the moment with nothing and everything all together with each other and at once, at one and at none. I had been so ill and now the world could stop and carry on and every part was sung in a song of fantastic fates and wondrous wyrd, of cunning craft and of great working, of time given, enjoyed and never forgotten, all of everything spoken held in human token of a pattern of life left open...

© PHH Sykes 2024

phhsykes@gmail.com

Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn

www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/cuween-...

Cuween Hill

canmore.org.uk/site/2059/cuween-hill

“...one of 24 dog skulls found in a Neolithic passage tomb – the so-called 'tomb of the dogs' – at Cuween Hill in Orkney.”

“This is the only dog skull to have made it into a museum; the others are believed to be lost.”

www.nms.ac.uk/explore-our-collections/stories/scottish-hi...

4K YouTube version

youtu.be/v_aEwny3100?si=YbncywNF_XXzC4Vw

The Young Hugger Mugger

Chapter 1

The Meaning of a Phrase

Apologies in advance to anyone who peruses this and comes away with thinking that it reads like the plot of yet another badly directed flick. Real-life can appear to be played out that way in the sometimes!

That bit being said...

Unescapable Boredom has always been a trigger for some of my most peevish muses, and sometimes that has landed me in quite hot water!

And whilst dwelling in my Unescapable boredom on this particular evening….

I had noticed the youth, a typical 13-year-old male, with typical, shall we say yearnings, scampering happily about at the reception hall which was our lot to be in on that late night.

And this particular lad’s activities were quite interesting from my admittedly cynical standing point of observation...

But first, please allow me to explain one’s self and reason for being in that quite overly posh venue.

I was one of several fellow professors at the university who had been invited to the son of a female colleague’s nuptials ( in other words, no close relationship to the groom, whom I only had bloody met, once... can anyone say a free gift for the gits?!).

He was marrying a rather affluent young Lass he had hitched up with from Wrexham way, and it was in that city, several hours away, that the couple decided to tie the knot, dragging his family, and us I might add, all along with him to travel there.

Now Wrexham is a nice enough place to visit, but preferring not to waste the whole weekend away from my invitingly stoic stone cottage, its quiet gardens, me pipe, and a snifter of fine old brandy… I had only booked in for an overnighter...

So it twas, that on an early, misting Saturday Morn, our entourage left for the long trog to make it in time for the noon wedding.

We arrived in the city of Wrexham with twenty minutes to spare and began our pleasant wind along with the old Girl’s nostalgic neighborhoods.

There are quite a few fine old churches in Wrexham, and the one where the nuptial ceremonies were to be held was, in my personal opinion, the finest.

The wedding was upscale smashing, starting with the rather gothic Blackstone church decorated like it was a set up for some fancy magazine photoshoot for an even more posh magazine.

The bride, once she made her appearance, continued on with the opulence, wearing high priced designers, sunglass wincing rhinestone decked, white satin number! While her girls in the bridal wore matching, equally rhinestoned inlaid gowns by the same designer! All were expensively form fitted in flowy bloody-red satin, ‘cept the maid of honour, a stunning redhead whose matching gown was of a bewitching midnight black! The groomsmen wore jet black tuxes, the groom wore a white tux and tails, looking like Fred Astaire complete with top hat and cane( but sans rhinestones ) … and indeed there was a bit of a movie like an ambiance hanging over the whole affair!

The reception venue was held at a fancy hall that had been repurposed from an old eel tinning factory. A most interesting venue, with no taint of its former occupant. And with all its most opulent trappings, looked like a stark continuation of the posh photoshoot like the atmosphere of the church, but in this case, set up in an alleyway like ambiance!

So I guess the affair overall was a nice enough bit of eye candy for those of us “privileged” enough to be invited.

I must add, I personally did not feel privileged, but judging by the openly blurted remarks of a gaggling trio of someone’s elderly maiden aunties( not mine thank Lord) we all were supposed to feel that way for being there!

Privileged was certainly not a verb I was going to choose!

Especially seeing that only 4 of us from the group invited from the university made the trip ( the others successfully coming up with valid excuses, the lucky prigs!)

In my tweeds and tie, I was feeling more of being on an isolated island in the stream of gaily dressed guests!

Chapter 2

The Sheer Humanity of it all!

So outside us four, and the bride’s parents, we were complete strangers to everyone else. Including the son of my colleague, the groom, whom I had only met once on a golf outing a few years back.

And pretty much the four of us found ourselves alone and ignored… !!

Then as the evening wore on, there was no pretty much about it, being stranded alone I dare say!

For I found myself completely alone!

Due to two of our group taking early leave ( The devils decided not to spend the night) and the fourth had taken up with a young man she had met ( I would say cougar if I was not a proper gentleman and actually rather fond of the lass meself!) ….

So I was sitting there, at an empty table, and soon the boredom began its subtle creeping in ...

I had not been guiling enough to plan a quick excuse to exit, nor so lucky to find someone dance with, so I made my way off the island and waded over to the bar and took up a solitary vigil on a padded stool. The watered-down drinks were free, so after about 5 old fashions along with two shots of a surprisingly decent scotch, I was feeling pretty good actually!

But even though I was enjoying meself in that aspect, I was still a wee bit bored, and therefore started peevishly musing about, you know, things…

Fancy Gowns shimmering jewels, sweaty dancers, weaselly eyed gits, and fox’s amongst the hens….Were all the wild diverse avenues my mind travelled along at that time and junction…

And it was during my boredom tinged thoughts when I again caught sight of the lad…

I, of course, had seen him earlier when we first arrived and was busy getting drinks for my group from the bar.

His mother was the satin gowned maid of honour to her bride sister, and he had been latched onto her at the waist of her midnight black bridesmaid’s attire, hanging on joyfully as she was in conversation with the best man.

I soon found out that the lad’s Maid of Honour mother was single. But though very pretty, she was no older than some of my students!

But at that time my attention was pulled away anyways’ by a plate of Hors d'oeuvres being passed around and as I ate and mingled with my colleagues, I continued to watch the lad and his antics from the corner of my eye.

Then dinner was announced, and as We made way to our seating, the lad totally escaped my mind… till now...

And now, here I was, observing the lad’s promiscuous antics again

Taking sips of my current old fashion, I had been watching with mesmerized interest, the Bride’s Mother.

She was a rather attractive lady, young for her age, who was wearing a rather fetching gown of sleek blue ruffling satin that flowed jauntily along with her fine fully feminine figure, swishing and swaying most delightfully.

She was wearing a rather pricey ensemble of fine jewellery, including a short gold herringbone necklace set with a large fiery diamond at its’ centre, flanked by four glittery smaller stones. I found the whole package enticing enough that I was pondering over the dos or don’ts of asking for a dance...for she appeared not to be attached to any male courtesan.

It was as I was watching that I again saw the thirteen-year-old lad, sneaking up from behind a table and hug his grandmother, who leaned down to reciprocate...( the lady was petitely short, so she didn’t have far to bend) the diamonds in her swaying necklace rippling with pinpricks of expensive fire as the brushed the top of the lad’s tousled haired head!

So, he was still at it I thought…

Now, when I had seen him darting about earlier, while Hors d'oeuvres were being served. after finally being shaken loose by his mother, he had performed this hugging antic on his grandmother several times, and once each on his Bride Aunt and Maid of Honour Mother!

Now, this lad was also obviously across the threshold of young puberty: as was witnessed by his actions, in the way he was sneaking up and giving those graspy hugs of his, the fingers digging into the shiny satiny, tightly fitted, gowns of his targeted females.

They all thought it cute enough, especially the gullible Grandmother, who thought it was “precious” and just laughed, and squealed happily, “look another drive-by hugging”, or “thanks for the hug honey, it was needed”, encouraging to no end the youth to keep his voyeuristic advances up, for he attempted this several more times as I stood watching from the side-lines … Though his Grandmother was the only female not to fend off repeated attempts!

But, and damn me own eyes, I had noticed that far more was going on than just a bit of runaway hugging !!

The little miscreant was also Copping a bloody feel from his distracted victims!!

The Lads arms, as he hugged his grandmother’s warm figure before running off, were noticeably brushing just under her perk breasts, moulded nicely by the tight fitted ‘mother of the bride” gown she was attired in.

I also knew that, along with copping a feel, he was had also enjoying the tingling sensation from the slick satin material of the long, swishing gown the rather youngish, stylish wealthy grandmother was wearing…

Perhaps I was jealous?

It was as I watched him repeat this performance again and again, that my mind was taken off asking anyone to dance, and my attention started to follow this lad to see what he was all on about, to confirm my hypothesis if you will.

I soon saw that he was now turning his touchy attention upon a different source for his promiscuous behaviour!

Chapter 3

Huggery Muggery

The youngest of the bridesmaids by far was the 15-year-old sister of the Groom.

A rather immature teenager at that. Looking like some Disney princess! Quite resplendent in her fitted red satin gown and wearing rhinestone ensemble that matched that of the rest of her fellow, though much older, lady bridesmaids!

But she certainly was not acting like a proper princess as she now whisked about playing at cops and robbers with my 13-year-old mischievous lad.

Said Lad, whose fingers were doing more touching than just tagging the fancy dress of his fetchingly attired playmate.

So, ordering yet another old fashion(my seventh for those keeping tabs), I watched the pair…

Not really being a voyeur in my defence, for my professional interest does lay in the realm of the study of human nature, though as a criminologist this was a thin argument at best for applying it to the situation today...

Soon the girl was pulled away to join the bridal party who had started swishing about on the dance floor, and the lad, looking glumly on, and with all his “victims” out of reach on said dance floor, eventually headed off, and the direction he took was going led him straight past me!

I perkily noticed this fact, and my thoughts began to take on a new form!

I looked up over the top of his head to the dance floor, rather envious that I was not able to participate with a fluttery satin gown, jewel laden lady of my own!!

I spied the young 15-year-old bridesmaid dancing, she seemed to be enjoying herself as she slow danced with her 17-year-old partner, who otherwise had been basically ignoring the fetching attired lass!.

I also caught sight of her necklace as it was caught up in the lights.

It was glittering u a storm, sparkling madly in the dim lights, as were the rhinestones on her dress!

I looked around; all the bridesmaid’s opulent rhinestones were sparkling. The Grandmother was also sparkling about on the floor, dancing with some spiff in a tailored suit!

Despite my misery at being there, I felt something stirring up inside of me.

Not surprisingly (to me) a rather mischievous thought came into my head propelled by a combination of the resplendent bridesmaids dancing on the floor, the attractive glittering of rhinestones, the approaching lad, and the fact that I was really quite blasé about the whole affair, being stuck there and all!

Of course, I was also probably a wee bit more drunk than sober by that period in time, causing me to follow my whimsey without much sagacity or discernment...

My thought was in the direction of doing a quick, possibly amusing study, on channeling this approaching Lads spirited passions by broadening his horizons!

In simple terms, Tune the lad in on expanding his conquests through an adult’s apparent permission, then turn him loose to give “drive-by hugging’s” amongst the flock of dressed up bridesmaids may be most amusing... Like an amorous puppy scurrying in amongst a group of shiny feathered clucking chickens!

So, while I eyed the approaching lad, I nonchalantly put my hand into a jacket pocket fumbling for a selection of ever-present coins.

Now my Grandfather had been a magician of sorts, and I had been weaned on watching his sleight of hand tricks with coins. As a young man I had learned a few of them myself, ( as a way to meet the fairer sex of course) as well as a slew of card tricks, and always had a few props with me.

Pentax Espio 928 TriX 400 DDX 1+4 12/04/2025

Do you ever have the feeling that you are just not here on this planet?

That everything is so beautiful, balanced and peaceful you can hear yourself breathe?

This was one of those moments for me, and why I love photography . . .

for capturing that instant and then having the memory for reflection, over and over again.

Would love to have you all join me today for some silent conversation.

“Wisdom is your perspective on life,

your sense of balance,

your understanding of how the various parts and principles apply and relate to each other.

It embraces judgment, discernment, comprehension.

It is a gestalt or oneness, and integrated wholeness.”

~ Stephen R. Covey ~

"The temptation of mediocrity, though seldom part of our awareness due to its complexity and subtlety, needs to be exposed, illuminated, and identified in order to be overcome. In short, it requires discernment. The salve that God offers in the scripture passage--'to smear on your eyes so that you may see'--corresponds to this act of discernment." by Segundo Galilea in Temptation & Discernment (1996 ICS Publications, Institute of Carmelite Studies, Washington, D.C.) translated by Stephen-Joseph Ross, O.C.D. See www.icspublications.org/

EXPLORE # 192 on Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Part of my ‘About discernment and transparency’ series

"Go without,

'Til the need seeps in

You low animal,

Collect your novel petals for the stem,

And glow,

Glow,

Melt and flow,

Eviscerate your fragile frame,

And spill it out in the ragged floor,

A thousand different versions of yourself,

And if the old guard still offend,

They got nothing left on which you depend,

So enlist every ounce

Of your bright blood,

And off with their heads,

Jump from the hook

You're not obliged to swallow anything you despise

See, those unrepenting buzzards want your life,

And they got no right--

As sure as you have eyes,

They got no right,

Just put yourself in my new shoes,

And see that I do what I do,

Because the old guard still offend,

(Their pudgy hearts and slimy hands)

They got nothing left on which we depend.

So enlist every ounce

Of your bright blood,

And off with their heads.

Jump from the hook,

You're not obliged to swallow anything you despise

That you despise."

- "Sleeping Lessons" by The Shins

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

This is such an amazing song, and its meaning is so powerful. Over the last year I've been going through a lot of transformations, notably in relation to the world around me. It has made me realize how so many of the constructs that we live with everyday seem utterly absurd and antiquated to me. Religion, corporate greed, police states, tyranny, privatized health care, the list goes on. Just because something has been around for a long time doesn't mean its right. It just means its old. We need to pose more questions and demand more answers.

I came across this interpretation of the lyrics which sums up how I feel about this song very eloquently:

Source

[ This is a song about a member of the new generation rejecting the ways and beliefs of the previous generation. The speaker advocates non-conformity, and questions the motives and values of his social predecessors. He maintains that they are unnecessary baggage for the newer generation, that they have no right to oppress the new generation's ideas, and that, should they try, rebellion is the right recourse. ]

That you despise.

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

"So off with their heads"....

Enron. The Bush Administration. Exxon. BP. Phillip-Morris. Kaiser-Permanente....

"Jump from the hook" and remember that "You're not obliged to swallow anything you despise"

K-3 + HD PENTAX-D FA★70-200mmF2.8ED DC AW

If the gods of time are multiple like Aïon (that of eternity), or Chronos (the god of time, the son of Ouranos), to differentiate from his homophone Cronos (the equivalent of Saturn, who devoured his children), there is one that invites us to seize the moment, opportune, ephemeral...": Kaïros. A mythological figure close to Hermes and Eros, he is a true gift for feeling "the right moment". Unlike that of the Devil ("dividing one"), the function of Kaïros comes under the symbol ("putting together"), allowing to evaluate very quickly what presents itself and what should be done. Because it provides a disposition to discernment, to work in multiple fields (medicine, navigation, rhetoric, etc.), it allows to make a decision, quickly and well, among multiple possible ones. Few iconographic representations have illustrated him: he was a young man whose only tuft of hair on his head had to be grasped when he passed by... in order to seize the opportunity! Without seeing it or doing nothing, we passed by... Relevant to both secular decisive time and sacred time, it has the particularity of being in relation to synchronicity, synchronizing two events without causal link between them where time and action combine. The difficulty is to seize this time in a timely fashion, this time just right. Symbolic tools can help us, such as images, dreams, archetypal representations or other media, such as astrology or tarots. Kaïros is no stranger to astrology, an area that Jung also looked into at the beginning of his research. Thus in Paracelsica, or The Roots of Consciousness, Jung evokes the possibility of raising the patient's theme during his cure. The celestial symbolism of the birth theme can prove to be a formidable road map of the psyche's time. But Kaïros, god of the "right moment", can also be compared to the Tarots de Marseille, whose cards - in a particular draw - present the constellation of the "moment" for whoever consults them: is it time to seize or not what is presented? Far from the predictable linear physical time (Chronos), Kaïros acts on temporality, it mobilizes our ability to evaluate the circumstances in order to act neither too early nor too late. Kairos (καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment (the supreme moment). The ancient Greeks had two words for time, chronos referring to sequential time, and kairos, a moment of indeterminate time in which events happen: mood of universal destruction and renewal...has set its mark on our age. This mood

makes itself felt everywhere, politically, socially, and philosophically. We are living in what the Greeks called the kairos- the right moment- for a "metamorphosis of the gods,"

of the fundamental principles and symbols. We are living in what the Greeks called the kairos- the right moment- for a 'metamorphosis of the gods', of the fundamental principles and symbols. This peculiarity of our time, which is certainly not of our conscious choosing, is the expression of the unconscious man within us who is changing. This peculiarity of our time, which is certainly not of our conscious choosing, is the expression of the unconscious human within us who is changing. Coming generations will have to take account of this momentous transformation if humanity is not to destroy itself through the might of its own technology and science....So much is at stake and so much depends on the psychological constitution of the modern human.

C. G. Jung

“…what is time? Who can give that a brief or easy answer? Who can even form a conception of it to be put into words? Yet what do we mention more often or familiarly in our conversation than time? We must therefore know what we are talking about when we refer to it, or when we hear someone else doing so. But what, exactly, is that? I know what it is if no one asks; but if anyone does, then I cannot explain it.”

-Saint Augustine, Confessions (book 11, chapter 3) (~400CE)

One thing is for sure, whatever the ego thinks time is—whatever spell it tries to cast with its alphabetic magic to capture it—it will almost certainly miss the mark. Whatever time is, we should admit we are mostly unconscious of it. In fact, it seems to me that there is an intimate connection, perhaps even an identity, between time and the Jungian notion of the unconscious, a connection that archetypal cosmology obviously substantiates. Despite time’s unconscious depths and ineffability, I am after all a philosopher, and we love nothing more than to try to “eff” the ineffable.

In the 15 brief minutes I have with you, I want to introduce, with help from the Ancient Greek language, 3 different modalities of temporality, or rather, I want to introduce you to 3 Gods, each with a powerful hand in shaping our experience of time: Chronos, Kairos, and Aion. In concrete experience, each mode appears to me at least to be co-present and interwoven; I only separate them abstractly to help us get a better sense for the anatomy of time. Of course, we should remember all the while that “we murder to dissect” (Wordsworth).

I therefore humbly ask for the blessing of the Gods of time as I embark on this short journey into their meanings. May you grant us entry into your mysteries.

A Brief History of (the Idea of) Time:

1. Plato suggests in the Timaeus that time is brought forth by the rhythmic dancing of the Sun, Moon, and five other planets then known upon the stage of 12 constellations. Through the cooperative and friendly circling of these archetypal beings, eternity is permitted entry into time. Time, in other words, is said to emerge from the harmonious or regular motion of the heavens—motion regulated by mathematical harmonies. Plato’s ancient vision of a perfect cosmic order had it that the motion of the 7 known planetary spheres was in mathematical harmony with the 8th supraplanetary sphere of fixed constellations, that the ratios of their orbits added up to one complete whole, finding their unity in what has been called the Platonic or Great Year (known to us today as the 26,000 year precession of the equinoxes). This highest of the heavenly spheres was the God known to the ancients as Aion.

2. Aristotle critiqued Plato’s idea of time as produced by motion. Aristotle argued that time couldn’t possibly be produced by motion, because motion itself is something we measure using time. Motion can be fast or slow, he argued, but time always flows at the same rate. Time is simply a way of measuring change. Aristotle’s conception of time, then, is chronic, rather than aionic. His was the beginning of the scientific view of time as a merely conventional measurement, rather than a cosmic motion, as with Plato.

3. Galileo’s view of the universe was, on the face of it, a complete rejection of Aristotle’s physics. Remember that Aristotle still held a teleological view of chronological time: an apple falls to the ground, for Aristotle, because it desires to do so, because earth is its natural home; for Galileo, nothing in the apple compels it to fall, it is simply a blind happening working according to mechanical laws. Galileo, like Newton and Descartes, rejected the idea of purposeful, meaningful time. Time became for them merely a function in a differential equation. In a sense, then, though the early scientists rejected Aristotle’s view of teleological time, they only further formalized Aristotle’s view of time as a measure of motion. Time became t, a variable quantity used to calculate the precise velocity of material bodies through space. 4. Einstein’s theory of relativity revealed how time and space are intimately related, since, strange as it may seem, as speed increases, time slows. But still, time is understood not on its own terms, but is reduced to a linear, easily measurable and quantifiable function. The reduction of time to Chronos may have begun with Aristotle, but was carried to new extremes by modern materialistic science. 5. Today we know things are quite a bit more chaotic than earlier thinkers, including Plato, let on: we live in a chaosmos, not a perfect cosmos; an open spiral not a closed circle. The orbital periods of the planets shift ever so slightly as the years pass, and the “fixed” stars are actually not fixed at all. Our universe is very strange, and measuring time is no easy matter. Even merely chronological time is extremely counter-intuitive: A day on Venus, for instance, is longer than a Venusian year. Everything is spinning around everything else. Time is then not a moving image of eternal perfection; rather, time is what happens when divinity loses its balance and gets dizzy. But don’t worry, there is nowhere to fall over in the infinite expanses of space. What is happening when referring to kairos depends on who is using the word. While chronos is quantitative, kairos has a qualitative, permanent nature. The union of kairos and logos is the philosophical task set for us in philosophy and in all fields that are accessible to the philosophical attitude. The logos is to be taken up into the kairos, universal values into the fullness of time, truth into the fate of existence. The separation of idea and existence has to be brought to an end. It is the very nature of essence to come into existence, to enter into time and fate. This happens to essence not because of something extraneous to it; it is rather the expression of its own intrinsic character, of its freedom. And it is essential to philosophy to stand in existence, to create out of time and fate. It would be wrong if one were to characterize this as a knowledge bound to necessity. Since existence itself stands in fate, it is proper that philosophy should also stand in fate. Existence and knowledge both are subject to fate. The immutable and eternal heaven of truth of which Plato speaks is accessible only to a knowledge that is free from fate—to divine knowledge. The truth that stands in fate is accessible to him who stands within fate, who is himself an element of fate, for thought is a part of existence. And not only is existence fate to thought, but so also is thought fate to existence, just as everything is fate to everything else. Thought is one of the powers of being, it is a power within existence. And it proves its power by being able to spring out of any given existential situation and create something new! It can leap over existence just as existence can leap over it. Because of this characteristic of thought, the view perhaps quite naturally arose that thought may be detached from existence and may therefore liberate man from his hateful bondage to it. But the history of philosophy itself has shown that this opinion is a mistaken one. The leap of thought does not involve a breaking of the ties with existence; even in the act of its greatest freedom, thought remains bound to fate. Thus the history of philosophy shows that all existence stands in fate. Every finite thing possesses a certain power of being of its own and thus possesses a capacity for fate. The greater a finite thing’s autonomous power of being is, the higher is its capacity for fate and the more deeply is the knowledge of it involved in fats. From physics on up to the normative cultural sciences there is a gradation, the logos standing at the one end and the kairos at the other. But there is no point at which either logos or kairos alone is to be found. Hence even our knowledge of the fateful character of philosophy must at the same time stand in logos and in kairos. If it stood only in the kairos, it would be without validity and the assertion would be valid only for the one making it; if it stood only in the logos, it would be without fate and would therefore have no part in existence, for existence is involved in fate.What are the deep stirrings in the collective psyche of the West? Can we discern any larger patterns in the immensely complex and seemingly chaotic flux and flow of our age? Influenced by the depth psychology tradition founded a century ago by Freud and Jung,and especially since the 1960s and the radical increase in psychological self-consciousness that era helped mediate, the cultural ethos of recent decades has made us well aware how important is the psychological task of understanding our personal histories. We have sought ever deeper insight into our individual biographies, seeking to recover the often hidden sources of our present condition, to render conscious those unconscious forces and complexes that shape our lives. Many now recognize that same task as critical for our entire civilization. What individuals and psychologists have long been doing has now become the collective responsibility of our culture: to make the unconscious conscious. And for a civilization, to a crucial extent, history is the great unconscious- history not so much as the external

chronology of political and military milestones, but as the interior history of a civilization: that unfolding drama evidenced in a culture's evolving cosmology, its philosophy and science, its religious consciousness, its art, its myths. For us to participate fully and creatively in shaping our future, we need to better understand the underlying patterns and

influences of our collective past. Only then can we begin to grasp what forces move within us today, and perhaps glimpse what may be emerging on the new millennial

horizon. I focus my discussion here on the West, but not out of any triumphalist presumption that the West is somehow intrinsically superior to other civilizations and thus most worthy of our attention. I do so rather because it is the West that has brought forth the political,technological, intellectual, and spiritual currents that have been most decisive in

constellating the contemporary world situation in all its problematic complexity. For better or worse, the character of the West has had a global impact, and will continue to do

so for the foreseeable future. Yet I also address the historical evolution of Western consciousness because, for most of us reading these words, this development represents

our own tradition, our legacy, our ancestral cultural matrix. Attending carefully and critically to this tradition fulfills a certain responsibility to the past, to our ancestors, just as

attempting to understand its deeper implications fulfills a responsibility to the future, to our children. A paradox confronts every sensitive observer about the West: On the one hand, we cannot fail to recognize a certain dynamism, a brilliant, heroic impulse, even a nobility, at work in Western civilization and in Western thought. We see this in the great

achievements of Greek philosophy and art, for example, or in the Sistine Chapel and other Renaissance masterpieces, in the plays of Shakespeare, in the music of Bach or Beethoven. We see it in the brilliance of the Copernican revolution, with the tremendous cosmological and even metaphysical transformation it has wrought in our civilization's

world view. We see it in the unprecedented space flights of a generation ago, landing men on the moon, or, more recently, in the spectacular images of the vast cosmos coming

from the Hubbell telescope and the new data and new perspectives these images have brought forth. And of course the great democratic revolutions of modernity, and the

powerful emancipatory movements of our own era, vividly reflect this extraordinary dynamism and even nobility of the West. Yet at the same time we are forced to admit that this very same historical tradition has caused immense suffering and loss, for many other cultures and peoples, for many people within Western culture itself, and for many other forms of life on the planet. Moreover, the West has played the central role in bringing about a subtly growing and seemingly

inexorable crisis on our planet, a crisis of multidimensional complexity: ecological, political, social, economic, intellectual, psychological, spiritual. To say our global civilization is becoming dysfunctional scarcely conveys the gravity of the situation. For humankind and the planet, we face the possibility of great catastrophe. For many forms of life on the Earth, that catastrophe has already taken place. How can we make sense of this tremendous paradox in the character and meaning of the West? If we examine many of the intellectual and cultural debates of our time, particularly near the epicenter of the major paradigm battles today, it is possible to see looming behind them two fundamental interpretations, two archetypal stories or metanarratives, concerning the evolution of human consciousness and the history of the Western mind. In essence these two metanarratives reflect two deep myths in the collective psyche- and let us define myths here not as mere falsehoods, nor as collective fantasies of an arbitrary sort, but rather as profound and enduring patterns of meaning that inform the human psyche and constellate its diverse realities. These two great myths in the collective psyche structure our historical self-understanding in very different ways. One could be called the myth of progress, the other the myth of the fall. The first, familiar to all of us from our education, describes the evolution of human consciousness, and particularly the history of the Western mind, as an extraordinary progressive development, a long heroic journey from a primitive world of dark ignorance,

suffering, and limitation to a brighter modern world of ever increasing knowledge, freedom, and well-being. This great trajectory of progress is seen as having been made possible by the sustained development of human reason, and above all by the emergence of the modern mind. We recognize this view whenever we encounter a book or program whose title is something like "The Ascent of Man" or "The Discoverers" or "Man's Conquest of Space," and so forth. The direction of history is seen as onward and upward. Humanity is here often personified as "man," and imaged, at least implicitly, as

a solar masculine hero of Promethean character: bold, restless, brilliantly innovative, ceaselessly pressing forward with his intelligence and will, breaking out of the structures

and limitations of the past, forever seeking greater freedom and new horizons, ascending to ever higher levels of development. The apex of human achievement in this vision

begins with the ascendance of modern science and individualistic democracy. The view of history is one of progressive emancipation and empowerment. It is a vision that emerged fully in the course of the European Enlightenment, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, though its roots are as old as Western civilization itself. In many respects our modern consciousness is so fully identified with this myth that it has become our common sense, the lineaments of our self-image as modern humans.The first, familiar to all of us from our education, describes the evolution of human consciousness, and particularly the history of the Western mind, as an extraordinary progressive development, a long heroic journey from a primitive world of dark ignorance,suffering, and limitation to a brighter modern world of ever increasing knowledge, freedom, and well-being. This great trajectory of progress is seen as having been made

possible by the sustained development of human reason, and above all by the emergence of the modern mind. We recognize this view whenever we encounter a book or program whose title is something like "The Ascent of Man" or "The Discoverers" or "Man's Conquest of Space," and so forth. The direction of history is seen as onward and upward. Humanity is here often personified as "man," and imaged, at least implicitly, as a solar masculine hero of Promethean character: bold, restless, brilliantly innovative, ceaselessly pressing forward with his intelligence and will, breaking out of the structures and limitations of the past, forever seeking greater freedom and new horizons, ascending

to ever higher levels of development. The apex of human achievement in this vision begins with the ascendance of modern science and individualistic democracy. The view

of history is one of progressive emancipation and empowerment. It is a vision that emerged fully in the course of the European Enlightenment, in the seventeenth and

eighteenth centuries, though its roots are as old as Western civilization itself. In many respects our modern consciousness is so fully identified with this myth that it has become

our common sense, the lineaments of our self-image as modern humans. The other view, whose presence has become much stronger in our cultural discussion in

recent years, though it was always present to one extent or another as a compensatory countercurrent to the progressive view, describes this story in quite opposite terms. In the

form this myth has taken in our era, the evolution of human consciousness and the history of the Western mind are seen as a tragic story of humanity's radical fall and separation

from an original state of oneness with nature and with being. In its primordial condition, humankind had possessed an instinctive knowledge of the profound sacred unity and

interconnectedness of the world; but under the influence of the Western mind, and especially intensifying with the ascendance of the modern mind, the course of history has

brought about a deep schism between humankind and nature, and a desacralization of the world. This development has coincided with an increasingly destructive human

exploitation of nature, the devastation of traditional indigenous cultures, and an increasingly unhappy state of the human soul, which experiences itself as ever more

isolated, shallow, and unfulfilled. In this perspective, both humanity and nature are seen as having suffered grievously under a long domination of thought and society associated

with both patriarchy and modernity, with the worst consequences being produced by the oppressive hegemony of Western industrial societies empowered by modern science and technology. The nadir of this fall is seen as the present time of planetary ecological disaster, moral disorientation, and spiritual emptiness, which is the direct consequence of human hubris as embodied above all in the structure and spirit of the modern Western mind and ego. Here the historical perspective is one which reveals a progressive impoverishment of human life and the human spirit, a fragmentation of original unities, a ruinous destruction of the sacred community of being.

cosmosandpsyche.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/revision-rite...

it's way beyond what our eyes lead us to see.

May our sight be clear, directed and able to go beyond how we saw in 2018

In The Spirit Of Screwtape--20 Ways To Poison The Little Monsters

By Jared Moore on Apr 22, 2014

Sacred Cows ebook

Scripture: Genesis 45:14-21

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12 ESV).

(This is an excerpt from Monstra by Chemosh. This book is used to train mid-ranked demons in the Prince’s army.)

In order to poison the monsters He loves, the ones He calls men and even “children,” here are 20 things you must lead our slaves—and His—to do ...

1. Christianize popular ideas. In the United States, for example, tolerance equals love. Train them to quote 1 Corinthians 13 while ignoring other verses that are intolerant. Leaders must tell their hearers that love equals tolerance and equality, so that in the name of love leaders may encourage their hearers to love them by tolerating their heresy. No one wants to be labeled “intolerant” today because if one is labeled “intolerant” it’s the same as being labeled “unloving.” Use this reality to our advantage. Have the monsters care more about what other monsters think than what He thinks.

2. Put heresy in a Christian song with Christian lingo and a good beat. It will be sung in churches all over the world. Turn the music ministers to our side and rule the church. They are the new priests and popes in Evangelicalism.

3. Appeal to adolescence. Due to our influence and their depraved little hearts, every teenager and adult wants to break away from the ideas of their parents and grandparents. Train our slaves to cater to this adolescent mentality. Tell them to suggest that they’re teaching something relevant (new), as opposed to what their parents and grandparents previously taught. In other words, have them appeal to the pride of their hearers. Get them to train their hearers to believe that their spirituality is greater than the spirituality of those who came before.

4. Put heresy in a song with some sentimentality. Monsters easily forget who gave them their families and friends—Him. Many monsters like to sing about how mommies, babies, daddies, etc. are the glory of Heaven. We don’t care who they think the glory of Heaven is, so long as it’s not Him. Train our servants to capitalize on this weakness.

5. Create an atmosphere that makes people feel good. Heresy should anger His children, but if you make them feel good with the music, singing, prayers, videos, entertainment and sermons, then our servants can sneak heresy in. Monsters find it hard to recognize heresy when all of their senses are piqued. When the bottom-feeder likes what he sees, hears, feels, etc., thinking and discernment are cast aside. Train our monsters to lull their hearers into a euphoric sleep, so they then can deliver their poison.

6. Appeal to the sinful nature. Monsters love to hear how good they are, for their hearts hate their guilty consciences. Hide the light with darkness by appealing to the darkness that is already within them. In other words, do not expose their evil deeds as defined by Him; rather redefine “evil.” Remember, you cannot call light darkness. They will rebel against you if you do. But you can call darkness light when speaking of their hearts. They want to believe us because their hearts are like ours. Give them what they want.

7. Tell amazing stories. His monsters and ours alike love to hear amazing stories where He recently moved in a “mighty” way. They’re constantly looking for a new sign that He is not dead. They’ve heard the stories in the Bible enough. They long for something fresh and new. Give it to them. But use some Scripture to hide the heresy, so that your stories are treated as authoritative. Remember, there is no need to prove their authority; one only needs to preach them as authoritative.

8. Appeal to the idolatry of your hearers. We do not care whom they worship, so long as they do not worship Him. If your monsters live in an entertainment-centered society, make sure you train them to entertain while presenting their heresy. If they live in a postmodern society, make sure they say nothing absolute while appealing to the only truth they know: “I’m not sure.” Monsters love false-humility.

9. Speak in non-absolutes. Train our slaves to preface every sermon and lesson with “I think, I believe,” while never saying,“I know.” Eventually their hearers will see their beliefs as their beliefs, and not necessarily the beliefs of the prophets, apostles or Christ. The underlying assumption for such language is that there is no absolute truth. If there’s no absolute truth, then there’s no such thing as heresy. Their hearers will eventually redefine “orthodoxy” as “heterodoxy” while believing that neither exist. We’ve got them!

10. Dress it up in new clothes. Do not train our monsters to present heresy as previous heretics presented it. Instead, train them to dress up in new clothes. They must present the heresy like a scheming politician does. They should use catch-phrases that sound biblical. Most people will walk away thinking, saying, and believing their catch-phrases.

11. Major on specific Bible verses while intentionally ignoring those that contradict your interpretation. Biblical ignorance is our ally. Train our bottom-feeders to connect verses with other verses. Even if these verses have no contextual connection, if they use Scripture arbitrarily, they can teach heresyfrom the Bible. The goal is to give their hearers half-truths, but not the complete truth. Half-truths are the makeup of heresy, and some Scripture is your ally in this endeavor.

12. Change definitions. If you train our slaves to change the definitions of words, they can sign any confession or document, or agree with any orthodox doctrine. They know what they mean; just make sure no one else does. Have them please everyone a little bit. After all, when it comes to doctrine in evangelicalism, monsters don’t have tobe orthodox, they just need to sound orthodox. Even our Prince sounds orthodox.

13. Accustom your hearers to statements you tout as facts that cannot be proven. Train our slaves to make vague statements that hang in midair, such as “God is going to do something amazing,” “I feel like revival is coming,” “God told me someone is going to give a large sum of money,” etc. These statements all lack sufficient proof. There’s no timetable for validation. As their hearers grow more accustomed to unfounded, indemonstrable prophecies, they’ll seek no validation from their prophets for unfounded, indemonstrable heretical statements either.

14. Appear cool, sweet, hip or simply different from other pastors. Train our monsters to look like celebrities. They should say curse words from the pulpit occasionally. They should be “edgy,” a type of “shock-jock.” Train each generation to rebel against or redefine the light of the previous generation.

15. Pray like you’re a priest in the pulpit. Train our monsters to act like they’re receiving some special anointing that exalts them above their hearers as they preach. They should make statements like “God gave me a word for you today,” or “God told me that you needed to hear this sermon today.” This way, their hearers will come expecting to hear from Him through them, thinking that they have a word from Him, instead of believing that the Scriptures have a word from Him. See, our monsters can become His mouthpiece. Heresy is easy to indoctrinate when bottom-feeders think you speak for Him. The goal is for our hearers to view our monsters as types of priests, prophets, apostles, etc. who have divine authority. They must attack the priesthood of His children by exalting themselves in the pulpit, if their heresy is to be accepted by Bible-readers.

16. Get everyone to like your personality. If everyone likes our slaves, then they can say almost anything. Train them to always be positive and encouraging. Monsters need to feel secure, regardless of reality. If our slaves can make them feel secure, they will be ours forever.

17. Create a CANON within the Canon. Train our slaves to exalt the words of His Son above the words of the apostles. Act as if Christ’s words are greater than the words of the Holy Spirit spoken through the Scripture writers. Then they may reject the progressive revelation that further clarifies the words of Christ in the rest of the New Testament and replace it with their own heretical interpretations. Train them to teach their hearers that they know Christ better than the eyewitnesses who walked and talked with Him and recorded His works. Teach them that their interpretation of Christ’s words in the Gospels is better than the interpretation of Christ’s words by Luke, Peter, Paul, John, Jude and James in the rest of the New Testament. If you can encourage monsters to trust themselves more than they trust those who wrote Scripture, heresy will be the natural outcome.

18. Grow the crowd numerically. If our slaves’ methods produce visible numbers, then they can say almost anything. Monsters love numbers, for numbers—not biblical obedience—equal success. We do not care what they trade their souls for, so long as they trade.

19. Speak of previous heretics as martyrs. Train our monsters to act like previous heretics were sweet little lambs who fell victim to evil oppressive idolaters. Their hearers probably won’t check the history of His monsters, but if they do, it’s necessary for our slaves to reinterpret church history prior to their research. You must give them an interpretive grid that helps them view church history through our eyes. If they view heresy in church history through the lens of tolerance, they’ll tolerate the heresy of our slaves as well. After all, all His children have a right to believe whatever they want, even if it goes against Scripture.

20. Increase giving and baptisms. If our slaves are bringing in money and numbers, they can do or say almost anything. Make sure the world thinks they’re a big deal. If the world likes them, His monsters will like them as well.

What are your thoughts about these 20 ways to poison the monsters?

Jared Moore (website: Sacred Cows ebook)