“Don’t get off until you hit the ninth floor. No exceptions.”
“But my interview is on 5,” I replied.
“I’ll only say this only one more time. Don’t get off until you hit 9th. No other floor is safe.”
It’s crazy but something about the way he said it penetrated my skull. He was serious. And, he looked nervous, like he had to fight every instinct in his body to say that to me.
The doors closed, while I thought to myself - who the fuck says anything like that?
As I went to hit the button for the fifth floor, some anxiety came over me. I shook it off and pressed it. The guy was probably just off his rockers.
The elevator went up. I scanned my surroundings - a TV bolted to the top corner of the elevator (playing the weather channel), a mirror for the back-wall of the elevator, and some cozy lounge-style music playing. Pretty standard stuff.
“Now arriving at the 5th floor.”
Weird - not sure if I’d ever been in an elevator that announced each floor it was arriving at. I was sure that if I worked in this building, this would get pretty old quickly.
DING!
The doors opened on 5. In front of me was a reception area with a woman seated at the front desk. She stood up from her seat.
“Mr. Davis! You’re early!”
The gentleman’s warning from earlier played in my head.
“We’ll be ready for your interview in a few moments. In the meantime, please feel free to take a seat.”
“Uh, thank you,” I responded. “If I’m, uh, early, maybe I can come back in a few minutes?”
“Nonsense! We’ll see if we can speed things up. He’s been very excited to meet you.”
The elevator doors started closing. I held them open. I wasn’t sure what to do here, but everything seemed fine enough. Granted, the receptionist did seem a bit eager, but beyond that…
From my vantage point, I scanned the office space behind the front desk area. All looked normal - cubicles, folks clicking away at their computer, a kitchen area. Pretty unremarkable.
That is, except for the portrait off at the far end of the office floor. It was very large. I couldn’t tell what the picture was of, but I did see a group of employees staring at it… almost, admiring it?
“Your wife’s name is Meredith, right?”
I froze as the receptionist’s question shot a dart right through me. I didn’t remember the job application form ever asking for my wife’s name.
“You two are thinking of having children, right? If it’s a boy, you want to name him Sam?”
What. The. Fuck? Forget that she was right on the money, this was something I’d never spoken about before to anyone, including my wife.
Before I could answer, the office workers surrounding the large portrait started singing the Happy Birthday song loudly, in complete and perfect unison. Someone brought out a birthday cake and presented it to the portrait. A portrait that, after a bit of squinting, I realized was a very large version of my highschool yearbook photo.
I backed into the elevator, and pressed the “close door” button. I panicked as it took its sweet time to register.
Press. Press. Press. Come the fuck on.
After what felt like an eternity, the doors started closing. As they closed, I heard the receptionist -
“I’m so curious to know what your insides taste like, Michael.”
Fuck. Me.
Ninth floor. I needed to go to the ninth floor.
I found the 9th floor button and pressed it. It felt like it didn’t register my push, so I pressed the button again. And again. Come on, come on, come on, ninth fucking floor. I tried again and again, but nothing was happening.
Fuck it. I’ll go back to the ground floor, I thought to myself. Back to the start.
As I went to press the ‘G’ button, I realized it was missing. Just that one singular button gone. Fuck.
I was getting claustrophobic. I took in deep breaths to prevent myself from having a full blown episode.
The elevator started moving up again. A panel above the elevator doors lit up with the following number: 11.
Someone was calling the elevator?
I started talking to myself to self-soothe. “It’s okay, someone will call the 9th floor soon. That’s where I’ll get off.”
As the elevator approached its new destination, I noticed that the background lounge music in the elevator had changed. It was now an instrumental arrangement of “Happy Birthday”. Huh. Not sure why this thing thought it was my birthday.
I glanced at the weather report on the TV. At least it was going to be sunny all week! Silver linings.
“Now arriving at the 11th floor.” DING!
The doors opened, I hung around the inside corner of the elevator beside the buttons. No need to have another nightmare-ish experience, right?
An old woman stepped onto the elevator.
Great, I’m sure this will be easy to explain to her.
She smiled at me, as the doors closed.
With a lump in my throat, I asked – “What floor?”
“Ground floor please.”
“Uh, I’m sorry ma’am but that button is missing. Maybe we could wait until someone calls us to the 9th floor?”
“9th? No, I think I’ll just go to the 2nd floor instead, then.”
She went to press the button.
“Ma’am, I don’t think it’d be safe to–”
“I have plenty of friends on the 2nd floor. It’ll be okay.”
Aaaaaaand she pressed it. I didn’t feel comfortable cornering an elderly stranger in a seemingly haunted elevator. But I tried again to convince her –
“I know this sounds weird, but I have it under good authority that the 2nd floor probably isn’t safe. I’d strongly recommend not getting off until we reach 9.”
She smiled.
“Dear, it’ll be alright. You know, I like to take all opportunities that are given to me. It’s… a shame that you turned your opportunity down. I know the folks on 5 are very disappointed.”
I backed up into the corner of the elevator.
I saw the reflection of the old lady in the elevator’s back mirror. She looked ghastly. Otherworldly.
“Now arriving at the 2nd floor.”
The doors opened. She smiled at me again, and then exited.
I poked my head around the corner to look at the 2nd floor. It was damp. It looked old. More like a cave than an office. I heard a low rumble.
A man dressed in a fancy suit approached the elevator doors and held them open before they could close.
“You getting off here too, champ? I heard that 5 wanted you. I think we can give you a better offer.”
“I’m good.”
“You sure, bud? The salary is eight hundred thousand dollars every hour.”
“I’m good.”
“I’m kidding bud. The salary is we remove your eyes so you don’t have to see him.”
The floor went pitch black. The low rumble got much louder and started reverberating in my ears. Suddenly, the businessman grabbed me by the collar and tried to pull me out of the elevator.
I clung onto the ends of it. Fuck. Fuck!
I started kicking and headbutting him. I was able to make him let go of me momentarily, as I desperately pressed on the “close doors” button. Miraculously, the elevator responded much quicker this time and they closed immediately.
I tried the 9th floor button again. Didn’t work. I pressed 8 instead. Anything to get away from this hell-hole of a floor.
I heard a loud banging on the door as the elevator started taking off. Like an aggressive knock.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
As I saw the floor numbers rising -
3… 4… 5…
The banging continued. Just as loud. What the fuck?
6th floor… 7th floor…
The banging on the door didn’t subside.
“Now arriving at the 8th flo–”
I pressed the button for the 23rd floor. Just as we arrived on 8, I mashed the “close doors” button just as the elevator doors were about to open. The banging continued as the elevator doors started denting.
The elevator continued going up.
9…
10…
11…
The banging softened.
14…
15…
And softened.
19…
20…
21…
And disappeared.
“Now arriving at the 23rd floor.”
It was gone. Thank fucking god.
I exhaled. It felt like I’d narrowly avoided disaster.
The doors opened.
I scanned the new floor, and I realized… I was back on the ground floor. That’s what it looked like, anyways. Did I escape? Was I finally free?
A man stood not-too-far from the door. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t exactly place him.
“Hey man,” he spoke.
Was this the guy who got off the elevator just as I got on?
“...hey.”
“It’s over man. You got out,” he told me.
I felt a wave of relief wash over me… but I had to fight it.
“But you said the 9th floor was the only safe one, right?”
“That was a trick. You followed your gut and you were right. 23rd floor. The real safe floor. You can step out now, man.”
I didn’t leave.
“There’s someone here who really wants to see you.”
I couldn’t move.
“He wants to give you a job. He thinks you’re gonna be great.”
Why the fuck couldn’t I move?
“He’s in the other room. I’m gonna fetch him, okay? All you have to do is look at him. It’ll feel a bit weird at first, but then it’ll all be okay. It’s a permanent position. Great benefits. It is fully onsite, but, no better birthday present than a new job, right?”
I lowered my gaze to the floor. I forced myself to mutter the following words - “It’s not my fucking birthday.”
As he left to fetch… whoever he was meaning to fetch, he gave me the following response: “Relax, man. No cursing on the job. We’re a family here.”
It felt like I could only move a centimeter at a time. A true snail’s pace. I inched my finger closer and closer to the “close door” button.
I heard footsteps. He was coming back.
With every fiber of my being, I pushed through. I hit the button.
The doors closed, and I collapsed to the floor… free from whatever weird force was stopping me from moving.
“I’ll let you two talk more on the elevator,” I heard him say from outside the doors.
What?
Instinctively, I looked around.
To my surprise, there was nothing. The elevator was the same as it had always been.
A lengthy exhale. I was done with all of this. At this point, I would’ve taken death over continuing this bullshit any longer.
As I pondered my next move in this hopeless situation, I noticed something strange. The button to the 9th floor was lit up. An ominous, crimson-red color.
Before I could do anything else, my phone started ringing. I checked the call.
It was my wife.
I answered.
“Babe. Fuck, I don’t know why I didn’t even think to call you - I’m trapped in an elevator and fucked up shit is happening and maybe I should call the cops? Fuck I–”
“Hun. Don’t go to the ninth floor.”
“What? W-wait, how do you even–”
“It’s a trick, honey. You have to trust me. The man from before was lying to you. It’s not safe.”
“None of this has been safe! How do you even know everything that’s happening?!”
“You just need to trust me, hun.”
I paused.
“So what do you want me to do then?”
A demon on the other side of the phone answered this time.
“GO TO YOUR INTERVIEW.”
I hung up the call and in a panic, I mashed on the 9th floor button. The elevator started rising again.
Even with me hanging up the call, the muffled sound of the demonic voice coming from my phone continued.
“GO TO YOUR INTERVIEW.
GO TO YOUR INTERVIEW.
GO TO YOUR INTERVIEW.”
I pulled out my phone and flung it to the ground as hard as I could. I stomped on it angrily. The warped sound of “GO TO YOUR INTERVIEW” slowly started dying out.
But suddenly, the elevator started shaking. It was continuing to go up… but it was faster than usual. Really, really fucking fast all of a sudden. Almost like the 9th floor was now way below me.
It felt like an amusement park ride with no breaks on it. Loose. Dangerous. Flinging up at an insane speed, almost as if it was falling upwards.
“But I pressed nine?!” I screamed to myself, exasperated.
It didn’t matter.
“Now arriving at the 41st floor.”
God, what the fuck?
I was brought to my knees by the speed of the elevator traveling faster and faster.
“Now arriving at the 90th floor.”
The buttons didn’t even go past 52.
“Now arriving at the 141st floor.”
Fuck.
“Now arriving at the 230th floor.”
“Now arriving at the 401st floor.”
I felt like I was inside a bullet. The pleasant voice of the elevator lady was getting deeper and deeper as we rose.
“Now arriving at the 840th floor.”
The voice started croaking. A demonic sound this time –
“Now arriving at SOMEWHERE NICE.”
A sudden halt. The elevator stopped. The doors didn’t open though. The panel above the elevator doors had no indication on what floor we were on.
As I sat, I heard what could be best described as the sounds of hell coming from outside the elevator. Low grunts of pain. Crackling. A dark hymn.
Was this where I was supposed to get off?
Before I could ponder the question further, I heard a soft tapping on the elevator. A voice from outside –
“Do you want to trade?” said the voice.
I decided to bite, for reasons I still don’t fully understand.
“What do you mean?”
“What if you stay on this floor forever, and I get to go home?”
“Uhm. I, uh, think I’m good…”
“But I really want to go home.”
It almost sounded like the voice of a kid. Fucking hell.
“I-I’m sorry, kid,” I mustered back.
“It’s okay.”
An awkward silence between us.
“He told me that he wants to wish you a Happy Birthday,” said the kid.
“I, uh… think he’s got it wrong. Today isn’t my birthday.”
“It is,” he responded. “It’s the first day of your new life. Your birthday.”
…?
“He wants you to look at the TV.”
What?
I looked at the TV in the top corner of the elevator, hoping to see the one constant I’d had during this whole cursed trip - the weather.
Instead, the TV was now showcasing what looked to be CCTV footage. Grainy footage from a camera… of the exact elevator I was in. A live feed of this exact moment.
Except, the TV showed me lying down. Looking up with a wide smile on my face.
And something above me on the ceiling. Looking straight down at me.
Him.
The lights in the elevator went off. The elevator plummeted downwards, as I closed my eyes and screamed for dear fucking life.
I waited for the impact.
For what I knew was my demise.
Here it comes.
Here it fucking comes.
I’m not ready.
I’m not ready at all.
“Now arriving at the 9th floor.”
DING!
The doors opened.
Wait, what?
9th floor?
I peeked out from the elevator.
Another reception desk.
Wait, is this really the -
I was interrupted by a voice from the outside.
“You coming out or what you fucking moron?”
I got to my feet. The feeling of distrust… anxiety, whatever you’d call it. My fear intuition. It was gone.
I felt light.
Fuck it.
I stepped onto the floor and approached the counter.
The receptionist handed me what looked like a button for the elevator.
“For the ground floor,” she said. “Single use only.”
I took it and headed towards the elevator.
Then, I turned back to face her.
“Can I maybe take the stairs?”
She shook her head.
“If you didn’t like the elevator, then you’re really not gonna like the stairs.”
Fair enough.
I got into the elevator.
I said a silent prayer to myself as I put the button where it belonged.
It fit without any issue.
I pressed it, and the elevator went down. It was a smooth ride.
“Now arriving at the ground floor.”
DING!
As I got ready to exit, I realized that the ground floor button was missing once again. Strange. I didn’t linger on it.
I marched out, ready to get the fuck out of this building.
I noticed a woman running onto the elevator. I tried to stop her, but something in my body wouldn’t let me.
The most I could muster was putting my hand on the door to relay a message to her before the doors closed.
“Don’t get off until you reach the 9th floor. No matter what.”
The woman just smiled at me.
“Happy Birthday Michael.”

Once high and mighty and among the immortals now sent down to earth to be punished and live as a mortal. The Greek gods? They exist and when one of them angers zeus the king of the olympuans, they pay the price. This is what happened this time, Zeus had given his orders but upon them being ignored the one who had defied them paid the price and was sent to live down among the mortals. Not only that but it is now her job to overcome the consequences of her actions and fix what has gone wrong with the help of a hero. Who would this hero be?
Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed that little snippet, I was recently thinking of doing a roleplay between a disgraced olympian who has been banished to earth as punishment and a hero (demigod most likely) who will help her regain her place back on Mount olympus. Now this will be a slow burn roleplay and the goddess is not decided and it is up to my partner who they think would fit best. This is not related to the percy jackson fandom but instead is a completely different plot altogether in a completely different universe based on similar logic but minus camp half blood.
This will be a long term roleplay and will be a slow burn, how it progresses and how their dynamic changes and develops can be discussed and changed accordingly to what my partner prefers. As for my preferences I like to write in 3rd person, I would prefer my partner to be literate or semi literate, I usually prefer a couple replies a day and I am usually fairly active. Everything else is up for discussion. See you soon!

can be traced back where civilizations across the globe developed various forms of sweetened baked goods. Ancient Egyptians were known to create honey-based cakes, while the Greeks and Romans incorporated ingredients such as almonds, fruits, and spices into their confections. These early sweet cakes served as treats for special occasions, religious ceremonies, and even as offerings to the gods. During the Middle Ages, sweet cakes underwent a transformation in Europe. Bakers began experimenting with new ingredients and techniques, resulting in the emergence of intricately decorated cakes that were reserved for noble feasts and celebrations. Sugar, a luxury ingredient at the time, became increasingly available, leading to the development of more elaborate and indulgent cakes. The Renaissance period witnessed a surge in culinary creativity, leading to advancements in the art of pastry-making. Bakers in Italy and France refined the techniques of cake baking, introducing delicate layers, intricate designs, and new flavor combinations. The royal courts became centers of culinary excellence, where skilled pastry chefs crafted exquisite sweet cakes that were enjoyed by the elite.
As sweet cakes spread across the globe, different regions and cultures put their own spin on these delectable treats. From the fragrant spice-infused fruitcakes of England to the rich and creamy tortes of Austria, each culture developed its unique styles and flavors. Sweet cakes became a way to showcase local ingredients and culinary traditions, reflecting the diversity of global baking practices.
The Industrial Revolution in the 19th century revolutionized the production of sweet cakes. With the advent of mechanized baking equipment and the availability of affordable ingredients, cakes became more accessible to the general population. Bakers were able to produce cakes on a larger scale, catering to the growing demand for these delightful treats. In the modern era, sweet cakes have continued to evolve, with bakers pushing the boundaries of creativity and flavor. From intricately designed wedding cakes to whimsical themed cakes for special occasions, the artistry of cake decoration has reached new heights. Additionally, advancements in ingredients and techniques have led to the creation of vegan, gluten-free, and healthier alternatives, allowing a wider range of individuals to enjoy sweet cakes.

First of all, this is going to be a long post. apologies for any grammatical or spelling errors. It's very late at night and I just needed to get this off my chest. Also, I'm doing this on my phone, so...
My friend, whom I've been very close to for about a year and four months, has removed me from his life for the time being and claims I am a horrible person and a narcissist. This started during a small event about a year ago when we were playing Call of Duty with a particular friend. One of my other friends, whom they are not familiar with, started razzing on them, teasing, and making fun of them a little for not being very good at the game because they were brand new. (I know the fact that they didn't know each other had a lot to do with how he viewed this interaction.) I realized it affected him badly, and I apologized profusely.
I acknowledge that talking shit to your friends on Call of Duty is pretty par for the course for me, so I didn't recognize the problem immediately. Teasing and shit-talking your friends on Call of Duty is very normal for me, but for them, it really struck a chord. They thought they were being bullied and targeted directly for some reason, but they didn't exactly tell me why. At the time of the interaction, I didn't take it seriously because I knew the person and knew he wasn't doing it maliciously. He had also been drinking, which made him a bit more rowdy. Explaining that it wasn't malicious wasn't good enough during the confrontation later on. Apologies weren't good enough either. I didn't know what they wanted me to do other than go back in time and address it at that moment. I wish I could have.
The friend who did this was someone I usually only hung out with during Call of Duty. But afterward, I got closer to him over the months that followed. My friend who was hurt didn't tell me about his feelings until much later. I learned later that he was getting offended that I was getting closer to this person as well. When he eventually told me about it, I brushed it off, saying that that's how people act on Call of Duty. No, I'm not condoning the terrible things people say in Call of Duty, but my friend is not like that. I know some of you might be thinking about Call of Duty and the worst of the worst things said there, but it definitely wasn't that.
I didn't take it seriously at the time, and we got into an argument. He still never fully explained what exactly I did wrong, just that I didn't defend him or that I brushed off his feelings. He thinks my friend is a brash drunk person and basically just a bad person. He told me all of my Call of Duty friends are garbage. I admitted that my friend was struggling with alcoholism but has been taking huge steps to improve his life. He's still improving every day. But he still talks shit on Call of Duty, and I talk shit to him too. For us, talking shit to your friends is kind of how you express your friendship. It probably sounds crazy, but my hurt friend still felt extremely bad about it and threatened to cut off our friendship if I didn't apologize correctly or cut off my Call of Duty friend. We eventually worked through this argument.
This brings me to another argument we had later on. For the past few months, my friend has been extremely depressed. He's going to therapy again, but every time we talk, he talks about how depressed he is, how his dating life is terrible, how everyone in his past has treated him awfully, his dating prospects are horrible, and nobody likes him. He's depressed because he might have to move and he's currently out of a job. I feel for this man terribly. I love him and wish I could help him with everything he needs. But it's like he's flipped a switch in the last few months and suddenly hates me. He has called me a narcissist or said that I have narcissistic traits, or that I'm just terrible. He says I have some sort of mental disorder. He constantly tells people I need to work on myself and that if I can't acknowledge my problems, I must be damaged. To be fair, everyone has problems they need to work on.
He also told people that I trick people into liking me and told my boyfriend that I manipulated him into being with me. Every single conversation he's had with people about me has been either awfully negative or bizarrely positive about how I'm such a wonderful person. It's honestly starting to get god-awfully annoying.
I had stopped hanging out with him one-on-one because every time we talked, it was so depressing or overly positive about how happy he was about my relationship with his best friend growing. It was honestly very strange. I used to confide in him about my relationship with his best friend, but I do not do that anymore. It would always devolve into the depressing things I mentioned above and how everyone in his past has treated him terribly. So I would only hang out with him in social settings because he wouldn't share like that when there were other people around. That’s a stark contrast from the many hours we used to spend speaking one-on-one, playing games, and just chatting and watching videos for hours on end. We were very close.
I’m aware that only spending time with him in a group setting was a messed-up thing to do. I should have talked to him about my feelings, but I was honestly scared that he would get mad at me because of how he had reacted in the past and how reactive he had been to everything anyone had said to him recently. He has been overthinking every single thing that I say. He takes everything I say out of context and misunderstands every single thing I say to him.
One day, I burned my hand badly and couldn’t play anything, so I ended up just watching a show with my boyfriend. My friend messaged me and asked if I wanted to play games with him. I told him about my hand and that I wasn't going to be playing any games. I had made plans to play games later that night with another friend, but I told him those plans were canceled. He accused me of trying to ostracize him. I told him that if I felt up for it, I would invite him if my hand felt better and I could play games later that night. He lives on the East Coast, and I live on the West Coast, so if I play later at night, he might be sleeping, but I told him if he was awake, I would invite him. I ended up not being able to. My hand was very badly burnt, and I had an ice pack on it all night. And he never said it directly. But the way he was like, if you don't want me to hang out you can just tell me. Was very telling that he didn't believe me and he thought I was just excluding him. I ended up taking a picture of what I was doing and sent it to him, which he said was ridiculous and unnecessary of me to do, but it was the only thing I could do to make him stop. It’s like he’s looking for bad things to think and say about me.
He even snapped on a very long-term friend, calling him a terrible name. It was incredibly cruel and extremely out of character. I know he’s going through serious mental issues and depression, and he has recently started going to therapy again. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, but it’s just hard at this point. I have apologized dozens of times, but he constantly says that I don’t apologize correctly or that I’m not apologizing the right way. I don’t know what that means. I’m so apologetic, and I know I have a terrible way of expressing myself and saying the right words. He knows that. He deleted me on all platforms except for a couple. He said he left those avenues of contact open as a way for us to try and work through this. We called each other a few days ago and had a pretty good conversation. I think this is going to end positively. I think our relationship and friendship are going in a positive direction at this point. But I’m just feeling crazy about all of this and wondering if maybe I am crazy. I’m an overthinker and I overthink everything. And now that I can’t stop thinking about this, maybe I am a narcissist. Maybe I am a horrible person. I kind of just wanted some outside perspective on it. If you have any questions or need me to explain anything further, please ask. I’ll be more than happy to answer.
I know I should have defended him properly and I did not communicate well enough. I know I should have expressed my feelings to him and tried to work through them properly. I’m a very bad communicator and tend to over-explain because I hate being misunderstood. I know that can get on people’s nerves, and they can see me trying to explain my point as just making excuses or justifying my actions when I’m just trying to make sure I’m understood so they know exactly why I did something and understand my point of view. I do this even when I have acknowledged that I’m wrong. I just want to be understood. That is something I’m actively working on. It’s a terrible quality, I know. But if this doesn't get better, what should I do?

"Why Did Jesus Die on the Cross?"

The main reason Jesus died on the cross was to defeat Satan and set us free from his oppressive rule. Everything else that Jesus accomplished was to be understood as an aspect and consequence of this victory (e.g., Recapitulation, Moral Influence, etc.).
This understanding of why Jesus had to die is called the Christus Victor (Latin for “Christ is Victorious”) view of the atonement. But, what exactly was Christ victorious from, and why? To find out the answers to these questions, we have to turn to the Old Testament, as that's what the apostles would often allude to in order to properly teach their audience the message they were trying to convey (Rom. 15:4).
The OT is full of conflict between the Father (YHVH) and false gods, between YHVH and cosmic forces of chaos. The Psalms speak of this conflict between YHVH and water monsters of the deeps (an ancient image for chaos) (Psa. 29:3-4; 74:10-14; 77:16, 19; 89:9-10; 104:2-9, etc).
The liberation of Israel from Egypt wasn’t just a conflict between Pharaoh and Moses. It was really between YHVH and the false gods of Egypt.
Regardless of whether you think the aforementioned descriptions are literal or metaphorical, the reality that the Old Testament describes is that humanity lived in a “cosmic war zone.”
The Christus Victor motif is about Christ reigning victorious over wicked principalities and Satan's kingdom, and is strongly emphasized throughout the New Testament. Scripture declares that Jesus came to drive out "the prince of this world” (John 12:31), to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8), to “destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14) and to “put all enemies under his feet” (1 Cor 15:25). Jesus came to overpower the “strong man” (Satan) who held the world in bondage and worked with his Church to plunder his "palace" (Luke 11:21-22). He came to end the reign of the cosmic “thief” who seized the world to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy” the life YHVH intended for us (John 10:10). Jesus came and died on the cross to disarm “the principalities and powers” and make a “shew of them openly [i.e., public spectacle]” by “triumphing over them in [the cross]” (Col. 2:15).
Beyond these explicit statements, there are many other passages that express the Christus Victor motif as well. For example, the first prophecy in the Bible foretells that a descendent of Eve (Jesus) would crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). The first Christian sermon ever preached proclaimed that Jesus in principle conquered all YHVH's enemies (Acts 2:32-36). And the single most frequently quoted Old Testament passage by New Testament authors is Psalm 110:1 which predicts that Christ would conquer all YHVH’s opponents. (Psalm 110 is quoted or alluded to in Matthew 22:41-45; 26:64, Mark 12:35-37; 14:62, Luke 20:41-44; 22:69, Acts 5:31; 7:55-56, Romans 8:34, 1st Corinthians 15:22-25, Ephesians 1:20, Hebrews 1:3; 1:13; 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:11, 15, 17, 21; 8:1; 10:12-13, 1st Peter 3:22, and Revelation 3:21.) According to New Testament scholar Oscar Cullman, the frequency with which New Testament authors cite this Psalm is the greatest proof that Christ’s “victory over the angel powers stands at the very center of early Christian thought.”
Because of man's rebellion, the Messiah's coming involved a rescue mission that included a strategy for vanquishing the powers of darkness.
Since YHVH is a God of love who gives genuine “say-so” to both angels and humans, YHVH rarely accomplishes His providential plans through coercion. YHVH relies on His infinite wisdom to achieve His goals. Nowhere is YHVH's wisdom put more on display than in the manner in which He outsmarted Satan and the powers of evil, using their own evil to bring about their defeat.
Most readers probably know the famous story from ancient Greece about the Trojan Horse. To recap the story, Troy and Greece had been locked in a ten-year-long vicious war when, according to Homer and Virgil, the Greeks came up with a brilliant idea. They built an enormous wooden horse, hid soldiers inside and offered it to the Trojans as a gift, claiming they were conceding defeat and going home. The delighted Trojans accepted the gift and proceeded to celebrate by drinking themselves into a drunken stupor. When night came and the Trojan warriors were too wasted to fight, the Greeks exited the horse, unlocked the city gates to quietly let all their compatriots in, and easily conquered the city, thus winning the war.
Historians debate whether any of this actually happened. But either way, as military strategies go, it’s brilliant.
Now, there are five clues in the New Testament that suggest YHVH was using something like this Trojan Horse strategy against the powers when he sent Jesus into the world:
1) The Bible tells us that YHVH's victory over the powers of darkness was achieved by the employment of YHVH’s wisdom, and was centered on that wisdom having become reality in Jesus Christ (Rom. 16:25, 1 Cor. 2:7, Eph. 3:9-10, Col. 1:26). It also tells us that, for some reason, this Christ-centered wisdom was kept “secret and hidden” throughout the ages. It’s clear from this that YHVH's strategy was to outsmart and surprise the powers by sending Jesus.
2) While humans don’t generally know Jesus’ true identity during his ministry, demons do. They recognize Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, but, interestingly enough, they have no idea what he’s doing (Mark 1:24; 3:11; 5:7, Luke 8:21). Again, the wisdom of YHVH in sending Jesus was hidden from them.
3) We’re told that, while humans certainly share in the responsibility for the crucifixion, Satan and the powers were working behind the scenes to bring it about (John 13:27 cf. 1 Cor. 2:6-8). These forces of evil helped orchestrate the crucifixion.
4) We’re taught that if the “princes of this world [age]” had understood the secret wisdom of YHVH, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor 2:8 cf. vss 6-7). Apparently, Satan and the powers regretted orchestrating Christ’s crucifixion once they learned of the wisdom of YHVH that was behind it.
5) Finally, we can begin to understand why the powers came to regret crucifying “the Lord of glory” when we read that it was by means of the crucifixion that the “handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us [i.e., the charge of our legal indebtedness]” was “[taken] out of the way [i.e., canceled]” as the powers were disarmed. In this way Christ “triumph[ed] over” the powers by "his cross” and even “made a shew of them openly” (Col. 2:14-15). Through Christ’s death and resurrection YHVH's enemies were vanquished and placed under his Messiah's feet, and ultimately His own in the end (1 Cor. 15:23-28).
Putting these five clues together, we can discern YHVH's Trojan Horse strategy in sending Jesus.
The powers couldn’t discern why Jesus came because YHVH's wisdom was hidden from them. YHVH's wisdom was motivated by unfathomable love, and since Satan and the other powers were evil, they lacked the capacity to understand it. Their evil hearts prevented them from suspecting what YHVH was up to.
What the powers did understand was that Jesus was mortal. This meant he was killable. Lacking the capacity to understand that this was the means by which YHVH would ultimately bring about the defeat of death (and thus, pave the road for the resurrection itself), they never suspected that making Jesus vulnerable to their evil might actually be part of YHVH's infinitely wise plan.
And so they took the bait (or "ransom"; Matt. 20:28, Mark 10:45, 1 Tim. 2:5-6). Utilizing Judas and other willing human agents, the powers played right into YHVH’s secret plan and orchestrated the crucifixion of the Messiah (Acts 2:22-23; 4:28). YHVH thus brilliantly used the self-inflicted incapacity of evil to understand love against itself. And, like light dispelling darkness, the unfathomably beautiful act of YHVH's love in sending the willing Messiah as a "ransom" to these blood-thirsty powers defeated them. The whole creation was in principle freed and reconciled to YHVH, while everything written against us humans was nailed to the cross, thus robbing the powers of the only legal claim they had on us. They were “spoiled [i.e., disempowered]” (Col. 2:14-15).
As happened to the Trojans in accepting the gift from the Greeks, in seizing on Christ’s vulnerability and orchestrating his crucifixion, the powers unwittingly cooperated with YHVH to unleash the one power in the world that dispels all evil and sets captives free. It’s the power of self-sacrificial love.

Why Penal Substitution Is Unbiblical

For the sake of keeping this already lengthy post as short as possible I'm not going to spend too much time on why exactly PSA (Penal Substitutionary Atonement) is inconsistent with Scripture, but I'll go ahead and point out the main reasons why I believe this is so, and let the reader look further into this subject by themselves, being that there are many resources out there which have devoted much more time than I ever could here in supporting this premise.

"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:"-1 Corinthians 5:7

The Passover is one of the two most prominent images in the New Testament given as a comparison to Christ's atonement and what it accomplished, (the other most common image being the Day of Atonement sacrifice).
In the Passover, the blood of the lamb on the door posts of the Hebrews in the book of Exodus was meant to mark out those who were YHVH's, not be a symbol of PSA, as the lamb itself was not being punished by God in place of the Hebrews, but rather the kingdom of Egypt (and thus, allegorically speaking, the kingdom of darkness which opposed YHVH) was what was being judged and punished, because those who were not "covered" by the blood of the lamb could be easily identified as not part of God's kingdom/covenant and liberated people.
Looking at the Day of Atonement sacrifice (which, again, Christ's death is repeatedly compared to throughout the New Testament), this ritual required a ram, a bull, and two goats (Lev. 16:3-5). The ram was for a burnt offering intended to please God (Lev. 16:3-4). The bull served as a sin offering for Aaron, the high priest, and his family. In this case, the sin offering restored the priest to ritual purity, allowing him to occupy sacred space and be near YHVH’s presence. Two goats taken from "the congregation” were needed for the single sin offering for the people (Lev. 16:5). So why two goats?
The high priest would cast lots over the two goats, with one chosen as a sacrifice “for the Lord” (Lev. 16:8). The blood of that goat would purify the people. The second goat was not sacrificed or designated “for the Lord.” On the contrary, this goat—the one that symbolically carried the sins away from the camp of Israel into the wilderness—was “for Azazel” (Lev. 16:8-10).
What—or who—is Azazel?
The Hebrew term azazel (עזאזל) occurs four times in Leviticus 16 but nowhere else in most people's canon of the Bible, (and I say "most people's canon," because some people do include 1 Enoch in their canon of Scripture, which of course goes into great detail about this "Azazel" figure). Many translations prefer to translate the term as a phrase, “the goat that goes away,” which is the same idea conveyed in the King James Version’s “scapegoat.” Other translations treat the word as a name: Azazel. The “scapegoat” option is possible, but since the phrase “for Azazel” parallels the phrase “for YHVH” (“for the Lord”), the wording suggests that two divine figures are being contrasted by the two goats.
A strong case can be made for translating the term as the name Azazel. Ancient Jewish texts show that Azazel was understood as a demonic figure associated with the wilderness. The Mishnah (ca. AD 200; Yoma 6:6) records that the goat for Azazel was led to a cliff and pushed over, ensuring it would not return with its death. This association of the wilderness with evil is also evident in the New Testament, as this was where Jesus met the devil (Matt. 4:1). Also, in Leviticus 17:1-7 we learn that some Israelites had been accustomed to sacrificing offerings to "devils" (alternatively translated as “goat demons”). The Day of Atonement replaced this illegitimate practice.
The second goat was not sent into the wilderness as a sacrifice to a foreign god or demon. The act of sending the live goat out into the wilderness, which was unholy ground, was to send the sins of the people where they belonged—to the demonic domain. With one goat sacrificed to bring purification and access to YHVH and one goat sent to carry the people’s sins to the demonic domain, this annual ritual reinforced the identity of the true God and His mercy and holiness.
When Jesus died on the cross for all of humanity’s sins, he was crucified outside the city, paralleling the sins of the people being cast to the wilderness via the goat to Azazel. Jesus died once for all sinners, negating the need for this ritual.
As previously stated, the goat which had all the sin put on it was sent alive off to the wilderness, while the blood of the goat which was blameless was used to purify the temple and the people. Penal substitution would necessitate the killing of the goat which had the sin put on it.
Mind you, this is the only sacrificial ritual of any kind in the Torah in which sins are placed on an animal. The only time it happens is this, and that animal is not sacrificed. Most PSA proponents unwittingly point to this ritual as evidence of their view, despite it actually serving as evidence to the contrary, because most people don't read their Old Testament and don't familiarize themselves with the "boring parts" like Leviticus (when it's actually rather important to do so, since that book explains how exactly animal offerings were to be carried out and why they were done in the first place).
In the New Testament, Christ's blood was not only meant to mark out those who were his, but also expel the presence of sin and ritual uncleanness so as to make the presence of YHVH manifest in the believer's life. Notice how God's wrath isn't poured out on Christ in our stead on this view, but rather His wrath was poured out on those who weren't covered, and the presence of sin and evil were merely removed by that which is pure and blameless (Christ's blood) for the believer.
All this is the difference between expiation and propitiation.

The Content of Paul's Gospel Message

When the New Testament writers talked about “the gospel,” they referred not to the Protestant doctrine of justification sola fide–the proposition that if we will stop trying to win God’s favor and only just believe that God has exchanged our sin for Christ’s perfect righteousness, then in God’s eyes we will have the perfect righteousness required both for salvation and for assuaging our guilty consciences–but rather they referred to the simple but explosive proposition Kyrios Christos, “Christ is Lord.” That is to say, the gospel was, properly speaking, the royal announcement that Jesus of Nazareth was the God of Israel’s promised Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
The New Testament writers were not writing in a cultural or linguistic vacuum and their language of euangelion (good news) and euangelizomai would have been understood by their audience in fairly specific ways. Namely, in the Greco-Roman world for which the New Testament authors wrote, euangelion/euangelizomai language typically had to do with either A) the announcement of the accession of a ruler, or B) the announcement of a victory in battle, and would probably have been understood along those lines.
Let’s take the announcements of a new ruler first. The classic example of such a language is the Priene Calendar Inscription, dating to circa 9 BC, which celebrates the rule (and birthday) of Caesar Augustus as follows:
"It was seeming to the Greeks in Asia, in the opinion of the high priest Apollonius of Menophilus Azanitus: Since Providence, which has ordered all things of our life and is very much interested in our life, has ordered things in sending Augustus, whom she filled with virtue for the benefit of men, sending him as a savior [soter] both for us and for those after us, him who would end war and order all things, and since Caesar by his appearance [epiphanein] surpassed the hopes of all those who received the good tidings [euangelia], not only those who were benefactors before him, but even the hope among those who will be left afterward, and the birthday of the god [he genethlios tou theou] was for the world the beginning of the good tidings [euangelion] through him; and Asia resolved it in Smyrna."
The association of the term euangelion with the announcement of Augustus’ rule is clear enough and is typical of how this language is used elsewhere. To give another example, Josephus records that at the news of the accession of the new emperor Vespasian (69 AD) “every city kept festival for the good news (euangelia) and offered sacrifices on his behalf.” (The Jewish War, IV.618). Finally, a papyrus dating to ca. 498 AD begins:
"Since I have become aware of the good news (euangeliou) about the proclamation as Caesar (of Gaius Julius Verus Maximus Augustus)…"
This usage occurs also in the Septuagint, the Greek translations of the Jewish Scriptures. For instance LXX Isaiah 52:7 reads, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news (euangelizomenou), who publishes peace, who brings good news (euangelizomenos) of salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.'" Similarly, LXX Isaiah 40:9-10 reads:

"…Go up on a high mountain, you who bring good tidings (ho euangelizomenos) to Sion; lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good tidings (ho euangelizomenos); lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Ioudas, “See your God!” Behold, the Lord comes with strength, and his arm with authority (kyrieias)…."-NETS, Esaias 40:9-10

This consistent close connection between euangelion/euangelizomai language and announcements of rule strongly suggests that many of the initial hearers/readers of the early Christians’ evangelical language would likely have understood that language as the announcement of a new ruler (see, e.g., Acts 17:7), and, unless there is strong NT evidence to the contrary, we should presume that the NT writers probably intended their language to be so understood.
However, the other main way in which euangelion/euangelizomai language was used in the Greco-Roman world was with reference to battle reports, announcements of victory in war. A classic example of this sort of usage can be found in LXX 2 Samuel 18:19ff, where David receives word that his traitorous son, Absalom, has been defeated in battle. Euangelion/euangelizomai is used throughout the passage for the communications from the front.
As already shown throughout this post, the NT speaks of Jesus’s death and resurrection as a great victory over the powers that existed at that time and, most importantly, over death itself. Jesus’ conquest of the principalities and powers was the establishment of his rule and comprehensive authority over heaven and earth, that is, of his Lordship over all things (again, at that time).
This was the content of Paul's gospel message...

Justification, and the "New" Perspective on Paul

The following quotation is from The Gospel Coalition, and I believe it to be a decently accurate summary of the NPP (New Perspective on Paul), despite it being from a source which is in opposition to it:

The New Perspective on Paul, a major scholarly shift that began in the 1980s, argues that the Jewish context of the New Testament has been wrongly understood and that this misunderstand[ing] has led to errors in the traditional-Protestant understanding of justification. According to the New Perspective, the Jewish systems of salvation were not based on works-righteousness but rather on covenantal nomism, the belief that one enters the people of God by grace and stays in through obedience to the covenant. This means that Paul could not have been referring to works-righteousness by his phrase “works of the law”; instead, he was referring to Jewish boundary markers that made clear who was or was not within the people of God. For the New Perspective, this is the issue that Paul opposes in the NT. Thus, justification takes on two aspects for the New Perspective rather than one; initial justification is by faith (grace) and recognizes covenant status (ecclesiology), while final justification is partially by works, albeit works produced by the Spirit.

I believe what's called the "new perspective" is actually rather old, and that the Reformers' view of Paul is what is truly new, being that the Lutheran understanding of Paul is simply not Biblical.
The Reformation perspective understands Paul to be arguing against a legalistic Jewish culture that seeks to earn their salvation through works. However, supporters of the NPP argue that Paul has been misread. We contend he was actually combating Jews who were boasting because they were God's people, the "elect" or the "chosen ones." Their "works," so to speak, were done to show they were God's covenant people and not to earn their salvation.
The key questions involve Paul’s view(s) of the law and the meaning of the controversy in which Paul was engaged. Paul strongly argued that we are “justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law” (Gal. 2:16b). Since the time of Martin Luther, this has been understood as an indictment of legalistic efforts to merit favor before God. Judaism was cast in the role of the medieval "church," and so Paul’s protests became very Lutheran, with traditional-Protestant theology reinforced in all its particulars (along with its limitations) as a result. In hermeneutical terms, then, the historical context of Paul’s debate will answer the questions we have about what exactly the apostle meant by the phrase "works of the law," along with other phrases often used as support by the Reformers for their doctrine of Sola Fide (justification by faith alone), like when Paul mentions "the righteousness of God."
Obviously an in-depth analysis of the Pauline corpus and its place in the context of first-century Judaism would take us far beyond the scope of this brief post. We can, however, quickly survey the topography of Paul’s thought in context, particularly as it has emerged through the efforts of recent scholarship, and note some salient points which may be used as the basis of a refurbished soteriology.
[Note: The more popular scholars associated with the NPP are E.P. Sanders, James Dunn, and N.T. Wright. Dunn was the first to coin the term "The New Perspective" in a 1983 Manson Memorial Lecture, The New Perspective on Paul and the Law.]
Varying authors since the early 1900's have brought up the charge that Paul was misread by those in the tradition of Martin Luther and other Protestant Reformers. Yet, it wasn't until E.P. Sanders' 1977 book, Paul and Palestinian Judaism, that scholars began to pay much attention to the issue. In his book, Sanders argues that the Judaism of Paul's day has been wrongly criticized as a religion of "works-salvation" by those in the Protestant tradition.
A fundamental premise in the NPP is that Judaism was actually a religion of grace. Sander's puts it clearly:
"On the point at which many have found the decisive contrast between Paul and Judaism - grace and works - Paul is in agreement with Palestinian Judaism... Salvation is by grace but judgment is according to works'...God saves by grace, but... within the framework established by grace he rewards good deeds and punishes transgression." (Paul and Palestinian Judaism, p. 543)
N.T. Wright adds that, "we have misjudged early Judaism, especially Pharisaism, if we have thought of it as an early version of Pelagianism," (Wright, What Saint Paul Really Said, p. 32).
Sanders has coined a now well-known phrase to describe the character of first-century Palestinian Judaism: “covenantal nomism.” The meaning of “covenantal nomism” is that human obedience is not construed as the means of entering into God’s covenant. That cannot be earned; inclusion within the covenant body is by the grace of God. Rather, obedience is the means of maintaining one’s status within the covenant. And with its emphasis on divine grace and forgiveness, Judaism was never a religion of legalism.
If covenantal nomism was operating as the primary category under which Jews understood the Law, then when Jews spoke of obeying commandments, or when they required strict obedience of themselves and fellow Jews, it was because they were "keeping the covenant," rather than out of legalism.
More recently, N.T. Wright has made a significant contribution in his little book, What Saint Paul Really Said. Wright’s focus is the gospel and the doctrine of justification. With incisive clarity he demonstrates that the core of Paul’s gospel was not justification by faith, but the death and resurrection of Christ and his exaltation as Lord. The proclamation of the gospel was the proclamation of Jesus as Lord, the Messiah who fulfilled Israel’s expectations. Romans 1:3-4, not 1:16-17, is the gospel, contrary to traditional thinking. Justification is not the center of Paul’s thought, but an outworking of it:
"[T]he doctrine of justification by faith is not what Paul means by ‘the gospel’. It is implied by the gospel; when the gospel is proclaimed, people come to faith and so are regarded by God as members of his people. But ‘the gospel’ is not an account of how people get saved. It is, as we saw in an earlier chapter, the proclamation of the lordship of Jesus Christ….Let us be quite clear. ‘The gospel’ is the announcement of Jesus’ lordship, which works with power to bring people into the family of Abraham, now redefined around Jesus Christ and characterized solely by faith in him. ‘Justification’ is the doctrine which insists that all those who have this faith belong as full members of this family, on this basis and no other." (pp. 132, 133)
Wright brings us to this point by showing what “justification” would have meant in Paul’s Jewish context, bound up as it was in law-court terminology, eschatology, and God’s faithfulness to God’s covenant.
Specifically, Wright explodes the myth that the pre-Christian Saul was a pious, proto-Pelagian moralist seeking to earn his individual passage into heaven. Wright capitalizes on Paul’s autobiographical confessions to paint rather a picture of a zealous Jewish nationalist whose driving concern was to cleanse Israel of Gentiles as well as Jews who had lax attitudes toward the Torah. Running the risk of anachronism, Wright points to a contemporary version of the pre-Christian Saul: Yigal Amir, the zealous Torah-loyal Jew who assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin for exchanging Israel’s land for peace. Wright writes:
"Jews like Saul of Tarsus were not interested in an abstract, ahistorical system of salvation... They were interested in the salvation which, they believed, the one true God had promised to his people Israel." (pp. 32, 33)
Wright maintains that as a Christian, Paul continued to challenge paganism by taking the moral high ground of the creational monotheist. The doctrine of justification was not what Paul preached to the Gentiles as the main thrust of his gospel message; it was rather “the thing his converts most needed to know in order to be assured that they really were part of God’s people” after they had responded to the gospel message.
Even while taking the gospel to the Gentiles, however, Paul continued to criticize Judaism “from within” even as he had as a zealous Pharisee. But whereas his mission before was to root out those with lax attitudes toward the Torah, now his mission was to demonstrate that God’s covenant faithfulness (righteousness) has already been revealed in Jesus Christ.
At this point Wright carefully documents Paul’s use of the controversial phrase “God’s righteousness” and draws out the implications of his meaning against the background of a Jewish concept of justification. The righteousness of God and the righteousness of the party who is “justified” cannot be confused because the term bears different connotations for the judge than for the plaintiff or defendant. The judge is “righteous” if his or her judgment is fair and impartial; the plaintiff or defendant is “righteous” if the judge rules in his or her favor. Hence:
"If we use the language of the law court, it makes no sense whatsoever to say that the judge imputes, imparts, bequeaths, conveys or otherwise transfers his righteousness to either the plaintiff or the defendant. Righteousness is not an object, a substance or a gas which can be passed across the courtroom. For the judge to be righteous does not mean that the court has found in his favor. For the plaintiff or defendant to be righteous does not mean that he or she has tried the case properly or impartially. To imagine the defendant somehow receiving the judge’s righteousness is simply a category mistake. That is not how the language works." (p. 98)
However, Wright makes the important observation that even with the forensic metaphor, Paul’s theology is not so much about the courtroom as it is about God’s love.
Righteousness is not an impersonal, abstract standard, a measuring-stick or a balancing scale. That was, and still is, a Greek view. Righteousness, Biblically speaking, grows out of covenant relationship. We forgive because we have been forgiven (Matt. 18:21-35); “we love" because God “first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:8, 10, Gal 5:14, Jam. 2:8). Paul even looked forward to a day when “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10), and he acknowledged that his clear conscience did not necessarily ensure this verdict (1 Cor. 4:4), but he was confident nevertheless. Paul did in fact testify of his clear conscience: “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation [i.e., behavior] in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward” (2 Cor. 1:12). He was aware that he had not yet “attained” (Phil. 3:12-14), that he still struggled with the flesh, yet he was confident of the value of his performance (1 Cor. 9:27). These are hardly the convictions of someone who intends to rest entirely on the merits of an alien righteousness imputed to his or her account.
Wright went on to flesh out the doctrine of justification in Galatians, Philippians, and Romans. The “works of the law” are not proto-Pelagian efforts to earn salvation, but rather “sabbath [keeping], food-laws, circumcision” (p. 132). Considering the controversy in Galatia, Wright writes:
"Despite a long tradition to the contrary, the problem Paul addresses in Galatians is not the question of how precisely someone becomes a Christian, or attains to a relationship with God….The problem he addresses is: should his ex-pagan converts be circumcised or not? Now this question is by no means obviously to do with the questions faced by Augustine and Pelagius, or by Luther and Erasmus. On anyone’s reading, but especially within its first-century context, it has to do quite obviously with the question of how you define the people of God: are they to be defined by the badges of Jewish race, or in some other way? Circumcision is not a ‘moral’ issue; it does not have to do with moral effort, or earning salvation by good deeds. Nor can we simply treat it as a religious ritual, then designate all religious ritual as crypto-Pelagian good works, and so smuggle Pelagius into Galatia as the arch-opponent after all. First-century thought, both Jewish and Christian, simply doesn’t work like that…. [T]he polemic against the Torah in Galatians simply will not work if we ‘translate’ it into polemic either against straightforward self-help moralism or against the more subtle snare of ‘legalism’, as some have suggested. The passages about the law only work — and by ‘work’ I mean they will only make full sense in their contexts, which is what counts in the last analysis — when we take them as references to the Jewish law, the Torah, seen as the national charter of the Jewish race." (pp. 120-122)
The debate about justification, then, “wasn’t so much about soteriology as about ecclesiology; not so much about salvation as about the church.” (p. 119)
To summarize the theology of Paul in his epistles, the apostle mainly spent time arguing to those whom he were sending letters that salvation in Christ was available to all men without distinction. Jews and Gentiles alike may accept the free gift; it was not limited to any one group. Paul was vehement about this, especially in his letter to the Romans. As such, I will finish this post off by summarizing the letter itself, so as to provide Biblical support for the premises of the NPP and for what the scholars I referenced have thus far argued.
After his introduction in the epistle to an already believing and mostly Gentile audience (who would've already been familiar with the gospel proclaimed in verses 3-4), Paul makes a thematic statement in 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” This statement is just one of many key statements littered throughout the book of Romans that give us proper understanding of the point Paul wished to make to the interlocutors of his day, namely, salvation is available to all, whether Jew or Gentile.
In 1:16 Paul sets out a basic theme of his message in the letter to the Romans. All who believed, whether they be Jew or Gentile, were saved by the power of the gospel. The universal nature of salvation was explicitly stated. The gospel saved all without distinction, whether Jew or Greek; salvation was through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Immediately after this thematic declaration, Paul undertakes to show the universal nature of sin and guilt. In 1:18-32 Paul shows how the Gentile is guilty before God. Despite evidence of God and his attributes, which is readily available to all, they have failed to honor YHVH as God and have exchanged His glory for idolatrous worship and self-promotion. As a consequence, God handed them over in judgment (1:18-32). Paul moves to denunciation of those who would judge others while themselves being guilty of the very same offenses (2:1-5) and argues that all will be judged according to their deeds (2:6). This judgment applies to all, namely, Jew and Greek (2:9-10). This section serves as somewhat of a transition in Paul’s argument. He has highlighted the guilt of the Gentiles (1:18ff) and will shortly outline the guilt of the Jew (2:17-24). The universal statement of 2:1-11 sets the stage for Paul’s rebuke of Jewish presumption. It was not possession of the Law which delivered; it was faithful obedience. It is better to have no Law and yet to obey the essence of the Law (2:12-16) than to have the Law and not obey (2:17-3:4). Paul then defends the justice of God’s judgment (3:5-8), which leads to the conclusion that all (Jew and Gentile) are guilty before God (3:9).
Paul argues that it was a mistaken notion to think that salvation was the prerogative of the Jew only. This presumption is wrong for two reasons. First, it leads to the mistaken assumption that only Jews were eligible for this vindication (Paul deals with this misunderstanding in chapter 4 where he demonstrates that Abraham was justified by faith independently of the Law and is therefore the father of all who believe, Jew and Gentile alike). Second, it leads to the equally mistaken conclusion that all who were Jews are guaranteed of vindication. Paul demonstrates how this perspective, which would call God’s integrity into question since Paul was assuming many Jews would not experience this vindication, was misguided. He did this by demonstrating that it was never the case that all physical descendants of Israel (Jacob) were likewise recipients of the promise. In the past (9:6-33) as in the present (at that time; 11:1-10), only a remnant was preserved and only a remnant would experience vindication. Paul also argued that the unbelief of national Israel (the non-remnant) had the purpose of extending the compass of salvation. The unbelief of one group made the universal scope of the gospel possible. This universalism was itself intended to bring about the vindication of the unbelieving group (11:11-16). As a result of faith, all (Jew and Gentile) could be branches of the olive tree (11:17-24). Since faith in Christ was necessary to remain grafted into the tree, no one could boast of his position. All, Jew and Gentile alike, were dependent upon the mercy and grace of God. As a result of God’s mysterious plan, He would bring about the vindication of His people (11:25-27). [Note: It is this author's belief that this vindication occurred around 66-70 AD, with the Parousia of Christ's Church; this author is Full-Preterist in their Eschatology.]

Vashikaran comes from the Indian astrology and occult science that people have been fascinated about for hundreds of years. Vashikaran is the name of the art of hypnotizing a person and controlling the mind of the person. It is in fact a kind of hypnosis that allows the practitioner to rule the mind of another individual.
Jadu tona totka on the other hand refers to black magic spells and rituals that will help you have what you want in terms of love, money, success or revenge. It is mentioned that these spells and rituals are especially dangerous and even forbidden for summoning the darkness for their desires.
Combined vashikaran and jadu tona totka is one powerful magic that they believe in is strong enough to control the minds of people to get what you want. But these occult arts also have positive and negative effects to the user and the victim.
Vashikaran jadu tona totka is also utilized by desperate people who seek the perfect solution to their problems. It is a form of conjuring that deals with the solution of love issues, financial issues, career problems and family issues among others by manipulating the energies and vibrations that surround the person in question.
A person who will practice vashikaran jadu to na totka must have strong faith in occult science and its various spells and rituals. These practices are not for the weak because they require a lot of learning of how to work with people and circumstances at your command.
This is one of the most common vashikaran jadu tona totka method in which special chants and ceremonies are used to attract a particular person or make a person fall in love with you. This might involve the chanting of inspiring words, using perfumes and other offerings to the various gods and goddesses of love.
The most effective among vashikaran jadu tona totka is black magic to harm or even kill the opponent or competitor. It is widely acknowledged that these spells invoke demonic forces to inflict harm, disease or even death to the target. People are cautioned against wielding these powers since they are also harmful to the user.
vashikaran jadu tona totka does not have anything to do with the society or the religion as a whole. These are practices that are considered taboo and unethical since they involve manipulation of someone’s will. But for those who have faith in the occult and dare to take risks vashikaran jadu tona totka may be a source to full fill their dreams and wishes.
There is a multitude of personal reviews and experiences from people who claim to have tried this practice of vashikaran jadu tona totka and have seen positive results despite the general negativity about it. Some believe that the vashikaran jadu tona totka can be used for getting back a lost lover or attracting new ones, or even for wishing success and prosperity in some other aspect of life.
In a nutshell, vashikaran jadu tona totka is one of the most mystical and controversial practices there is out there. Many believe in it and many think that it is a myth but there is no arguing with the fact that people are intensely fascinated by its many uses that include vashikaran jadu tona totka. But such practices should be applied cautiously for they are harmful both to the practitioner and the target.
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I was in a tough spot a few years ago. Went searching for a family when I had good people around me all along. I was raised Christian but had so many unanswered questions like most of us. I joined a church but didn’t do my research (smfh) Long story short.. the head pastor has been in soooo many sex scandals. I didn’t find out till after I left. He sleeps with different women, cheating on his wife, and let me tell you.. he has a type. Theres a video of him sexting with S workers. TMI: his D has the thickest singular vein I’ve seen🤣🤣 the pictures and videos are all online Working with cult.. oops I mean church leaders🤣 I have seen upside down pineapples in their homes, lots of porn, bouncing toddlers who can’t speak yet on grown men’s laps during night vigils ( in front of the ditzy single mothers who are the number one financiers and supporters of the church) and their personal favorite.. You Guessed it! Homosexual relationships!… but they clean themselves off dry then jump on the pulpit to preach against all the ‘fun’ they just had. But of course they are special because God is still “working on them”🤣😂😂 The church was repeatedly told never to speak on the head pastors “alleged” infidelities. So I never researched what was going on. I thought I was a super Christian lol Sadly I was drinking the kool aid too. I was so into it, spending all my HARD earned money and spent almost 4 days a week there. Gotta love that good ol deprivation and manipulation. They even tried to rope me in a love triangle with some ‘leaders’ . I refused and when I called them out on it, the church tried to estrange me and tarnish my image. Claiming I’m on drugs and other lies. I don’t even drink smh but I know some of them who do This made me HATE the religion and immediately discredit it. There is so so much more but I’m just venting a little here. It’s sad because they have thousands of members worldwide. I guess they thought I would be mad but I’m happy and feel so FREE! Like I can literally listen to music and watch movies again. I can also go to more places than work church and home and occasionally the store. You would get reprimanded for going out or casually dating. I’m just happy I escaped a terrible place. Yes this sounds crazy but its true. If I saw that in such a short amount of time, just imagine what others who try to escape but are too scared of go through. Number one lesson I learned: Christian leaders LOVE SEX DRUGS AND most of all ….MONEY! True rockstars and hypocrites 🤘

Me F37 and my partner M36 have been together for 18 months. He is the sole caretaker for his daughter 13 and son 10. Bio moms out of the picture since stepdaughter was 5. She was an abusive alcoholic and doesn’t play any role in their lives other than the odd text. They moved in 6 months ago, it may have seemed soon to a lot of people but we all just didn’t like being apart. We had a few hiccups here and there but for the most part it’s been really good. Being a full time mom overnight hasn’t been easy but my partner is incredible and his kids are kind just like he is. Kind, attentive and caring. Step daughter for sure has her moments. She’s 13 and is going through all the typical teen stuff. I don’t have any kids but I grew up with all sisters and boy do I remember those years. She’s going through the lying phase and acting out phase, very “me centric.” Compounded by stuff she went through with her bio mom. I got her into therapy so she has an unbiased person to talk to about anything she doesn’t want to talk to us about.
One thing I just don’t know how to deal with. She gets these really weird phases where she doesn’t want me to do anything with her Dad. It’s what ended two of his last relationships, both only lasting a few months. She’s actually been really good with me compared to his past relationships. But she freaks out and has a meltdown when we plan anything together. He had never left the country so I surprised him with a Mexico trip last winter. She lost it. Demanded we take her. Hell, we had dinner out with friends one night and good god we came home to a meltdown that we abandoned her and her brother at home. We are planning a canoe trip for three days next month and we can’t bring it up around her cause she loses it. Then we mentioned we wanted to do something next winter out of the country and she stormed away and freaked out slamming doors cause we aren’t taking her. We’ve done family trips together already. Road trips, camping trips etc. I plan stuff with her. I’m taking her on a girls trip this fall and we’re flying somewhere. I’ve taken her on camping trips just her and I. We do plan on doing an overseas trip eventually but it’s just not going to happen anytime soon. We want to wait till her brother is older and we want to buy a house for all of us first. She will even freak out if I plan a trip alone. My step son for the most part doesn’t care too much but sometimes she will get him involved too.
I’m having a hard time having to tiptoe around this kid. I’ve travelled my whole life. Having a 13 year old try and dictate how I’m supposed to spend my time and money is hard. My partner has dedicated his whole life to his kids and I wanted to be able to take him somewhere once a year where he can just relax. I want him to have that. They’ve always done everything together (which I know is part of what’s causing this) but now that they are older they have their own lives too and go on trips with cadets or school. We want to do things together while they are gone but if they find out we have any kind of plan they will try and cancel and stay home to stop it from happening. She will often insist her Dad to cancel his plans with me to stay home with her. I understand why she’s doing this. She doesn’t want to share her Dad and she doesn’t want to be left out. She wants to know that her Dad loves her more than me. She wants her Dad to chose her over me. She has said these things in her own way. I understand it completely and I don’t take it personally. I think these are all normal feelings.
I know she loves me. I know she loves having us together. But I don’t know how to deal with these meltdowns. I’m tired of being secretive about it. I just want to tell her and explain it but it seems to give her time to try and sabotage it. I’ve adjusted my life completely for them and I’m glad I have. But it gets my back up when this kid tells us how we can and can’t spend our very rare private time.
My partner and I just don’t know how to get it through to her. Any advice is appreciated.

Hanuman is a Hindu God who is portrayed as a monkey and a devotee of Lord Rama who is believed to be the Lord Vishnu personified as a human. He is a muscular man, who represents physical strength devotion. Prayer to Hanuman is done by many for various reasons: to grow their power; to rise problems; for financial success and so ons.
But one special feature of Hanuman mantras and prayers for vashikaran is the purpose of winning other person or to attract them. Vashikaran is the technique which is used to manipulate or influence and even to control a person’s thoughts, mind and behavior. Using the Hanuman vashikaran formulas is applied to bring the person in question who is ardently desired or wanted. It may even be used to arrange for a girl who is missing or to look for a certain kind of a boy. The process of following the Hanuman vashikaran mantra assists you to establish connection with the desired person.
The Procedure for Hanuman Vashikaran Sadhana :How to Call Hanuman Vashikaran Sadhana:
Before starting the Hanuman vashikaran mantra it is important and necessary that a picture or statue of Lord Hanuman must be placed in front of the person. In the morning right before watching the said idol light a lamp or incense stick. Offer red any flower to the deity or one can apply sindoor on the deity. Chant this mantra 108 times on red string chanting beads and sit in front of Hanuman and ask him every day.
“Om Shree Hanumate Namah”
While chanting picture a handsomely attractive person you wanted to be. It is recommended you repeat the ritual for 41 days. The change of their behavior is possible within some days. She or he will begin to consider you as his or her sex partner and a strong sexual desire will develop when contacting each other sexually. It is possible that in a few weeks they would come to you in person or will appear in person among you once again.
What is Hanuman Vashikaran & How to do Vashikaran with Hanuman Mantra.
Vashikaran is just a method or a way of controlling the other person’s mind or having control on the thoughts of other. Hanuman vashikaran is such use of god Hanuman which affects the person for the individual. Hanuman is said to aid the devotee who possesses him with arousing spiritual energy whenever he or she faces any difficulties. His vashikaran sadhanas also operate like a kind of magnet to produce the desired attraction of a person or to make your lover to love in you in return.
Lovers of Hanuman too believe that if this God is worshipped with clean thoughts and whole hearted dedication then it leads to moksha and siddhi. The Hanuman vashikaran mantra will be effective only, if the person recites it without any evil intention and positive energy, then the energies of two souls would knit and this in turn invoke Hanuman to bless the couple.
Hanuman endorses your efforts of being so religious and thus fuses you with the loved one. Mantra chanting proves to be a good process that will attract your lover by sound waves that will lead to your lover’s coming to you on the subconscious level.
Why Hanuman is considered Worthy of Vashikaran?
Hanuman has been in many aspects viewed as the depiction of an ideal being whose actions are not self centered rather are directed towards God from the bottom of the heart because of his devotion. Rather than using these powers to enrich himself, he used them only to facilitate Lord Rama in settling difficulties in the people’s task.
Thus if you love Hanuman from the core of your heart and surrender to him and pray to him in this spirit he will be there to help you. Hanuman ji can detect what good intention you have to possess your desired spouse. So he invents this wonderful work through his magical powers in order to enable your lover to come into your life and deliver you to the best place in which you can have long term relationships.
Hanuman sadhanas has been attested in the testimonials of people who have benefited from them but only when they are pure in their intention. Regular repetition of words and phrases like this will create a positive association between your subconscious mind and you soul mate.
It send strong emotions which is able to calm even the maddest brain. : Thus it is thought that Hanuman vashikaran removes any blocks or boundaries between the couple. In that way, the client starts recognizing himself with you.
Thus it can be said that Hanuman vashikaran mantra can also prove to be highly advantageous while seeking such blessings for a relationship for ensuring pro-longing of the marriage if used in a positive manner.
However, it must be recalled that as highlighted earlier that the process of changing the mind set is a time-consuming one and this cannot be accomplished without putting your total faith and patience and persistence in the process.
Mantra for attracting a person of choice through spiritual means may be the Hanuman Vashikaran Sadhana if you are ready to invest your efforts and follow the right steps for making your wishes fulfilled.
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On December 30, 2023 I took my mom to the hospital because she kept falling and hit her head, after hours of waiting for results we found out she had a brain tumor. After many doctor appointments, my mom decided she didn’t want to do treatment because of where the tumor was and because her nephew passed years back from the same thing. She didn’t want to put us through that. On January 26, 2024 at 8:45a God called her home. I’ve never been so heartbroken in my life. I feel so lost without her. I’m trying to be strong for my daughter but it’s hard. I just want my mom. She’s already missed so much in such a short amount of time. My daughter’s 1st birthday, getting teeth, and her first steps. My heart breaks knowing my daughter won’t know her Gammie besides stories I tell her. She was an amazing mom, Gammie, and aunt. No one could ever compare. I start to call her and break down when I realize she’s not here to answer or I send her pictures/videos when my baby does something cute or silly. It’s just hard…💔

Hey everyone
I am just going to be honest. I have asked a similar question here before, so i kindly ask for some grace.
I've been praying for a wife and I truly believe that the opportunity is coming my way. I've noticed a pattern in the past where a guy I see around a girl I like ends up becoming a threat and trying to pursue her. It's happened before numerous times and now I find myself in a similar situation with a Christian girl I am getting to know. There's another guy in the picture who is currently dating someone else, but for some reason, I have a gut feeling that he may become a threat. It's happened to me before, where a guy was in a relationship, broke up, and then started dating the girl I was interested in a few months later .
Please pray that I get wisdom in this, do I need to fight in pray and not give up or accept its not her that I should pursue. Or maybe god is trying to teach me something and i just cant see it yet.

Just had kind of a breakdown I guess. In my garage by myself drinking whiskey as I usually do when I'm not working. My wife and 2 kids are inside drifting off to sleep for work and school tommorow. Was watching tik toks on my phone. Came across a video about Zach bryans new Song Eulogy. Went down the worm hole of videos featuring it.
My life has been shit for the past 10 years or so. Married for 8 to a woman that was the love of my life who after 6 months of marriage told me in the middle of a pointless fight that she only Married me so she wouldn't have to share custody of our kids and that this wasn't a real marriage. Then told me she was waiting until our youngest turned 18 to file for divorce. Everything past that point was pretty much a blur. Around 4 years after that I adopted a dog from a shelter with her knowledge but not permission.
After about 2 weeks after the dog came home it peed on the couch she was sitting on after she invited the dog up. She freaked out and in front of our young kids, demanded I take the dog back to the shelter or she would divorce me and take the kids. She stopmed upstairs while our children were crying and our young daughter came up to me with tears in her eyes asking if I was going to take the dog back to the shelter. Fighting back tears myself, I told her that yes I was and that I had to. Just then, my wife walked to the top of the stairs crying and said that if I took the dog back to the shelter she would leave me and take the kids away from me.
I didn't know what to do or say at that point. She told me if I did what she told me to do then we were done. I told her fine, we are done. She asked me what I meant by that. I told her I didn't care anymore and that I was going to file for divorce. Then she screamed at me for abandoning her.
A few days later we were back to normal. No affection, just being cordial to eachother. Maybe a year later we had another fight and I brought up that our marriage isn't real she asked me what the hell I was talking about. I reminded her about what she said 6 months after we got married and what I had been basing every decision financial or otherwise on since then and her response was something along the lines of "oh my God it was just a fight get over it".
That's been my life ever since. Zero love Zero affection. My kids are teenagers now and they basically want nothing to do with me. I almost hung myself when I was 13 in the midst of my parents divorce. My youngest brother caught me and asked what I was doing. I told him I was hanging a rope swing in a tree. He didn't know any better so that's what I did. Over 20 years later while visiting my mom and step dad, my kids swung and played on the rope that I was going to hang myself with. Nobody knows about that. I'm constantly laid off from work. Deeply in debt. Getting harder and harder to pay the bills. Only talk to 2 of my 4 brothers and even then it's just every so often. Not that I'd ever tell them about of this. My dad passed 3 years ago. Don't talk to my mom. Have 1 good freind that I can talk to about this but don't want to burden him with this.
I dont want to kill myself. I love my children and I don't want to put them through this. I would rather die 1000 times than put them through this. I'm just tired. I'm tired of everything. I'm tired of just barely getting by. I'm tired of not being loved or being worthy of love. Tired of being treated like nothing but a paycheck. I drink whiskey to escape and am afraid ill actually talk myself into suicide one of these weekends. My weekends and any time off are spent alone in my garage. I distill my own liquor. It's a nice escape. I only drink when I'm not working the next day. Being laid off after about a week I sink back into a deep depression of feeling worthless and not worthy. That's been happening more often than not lately.
I cant talk to anybody about these feelings. Once about 4 years ago my wife demanded that I talk to somebody anybody about my "trauma " I went through growing up. I talked to her about a fist fight i had with my older brother once and she told me I was not welcome in my own home until I saw a professional. I had opened up to her as she had always wanted and she immediately used it against me. That was the day I stopped telling her about any of my problems. She didn't seem to mind.
I hate how my life turned out. I always pictured myself happily married to the love of my life. Growing old together and facing whatever life threw at us together. I'm only 39. After looking at the online child support calculator for my state i learned I would be paying $1200 per month per child. As far as I can see their is just no escape for me. I can wait until our kids are 18 but then I'm stuck with alimony. The simplest outcome I can see is if I'm no longer here. I am scared that I will either talk myself into killing myself or at some point just stop caring about it and do it.

I, a single, twenty year old female gave birth to a baby girl about two months ago, and at the same time adopted a second baby girl who was born about three days before. The daughter that I had in my uterus, I will call Rose. The daughter that I didn't carry I will call lily.
I got pregnant with rose about the same time that my best friend who I'll call Anna got pregnant with Lily. While I was ecstatic about being pregnant, anna was not. Anna felt that she wasn't in a good place emotionally, financially, or any other way to have a child. She told me she was considering getting an abortion, but that she wished her child could have a good life somewhere else, instead of "just being thrown away" but anytime she pictured putting her child up for adoption she remembers all of the story's of abusive adoptive parents. She said that she felt helpless because there didn't seem to be any good answers, that's when we came up with a hesitant plan.
We decided that if after Lily's birth, anna still didn't feel like she could raise her i would adopt Lily and raise the girls as twins. Anna didn't want Lily to know she was adopted, but I hated the idea of lying to a daughter of mine. We decided that once lily was old enough to understand I would explain that she was adopted. if at that point anna felt ready we would tell Lily that Anna was her bio mom, and if not then we would say that her mother wasn't ready for her to know who she was. This way lily could live her life, Anna didn't need to be worried about Lily because she could check on her at any time, and Anna would be able to continue working on getting her life in order.
I chose not to have any of my family in the room during the birth because I wasn't comfortable with them seeing me like that, and Anna was fighting with her family at the time. So anna and i were the only ones in the room for each other during the births. After lily was born Anna still wanted me to adopt Lily, and also said that she did want to be in her life more than she originally thought. we decided that she would be the god mother of both girls and I would be their mother. when it was time for us to go home, I organized a get together for my family to meet both of my daughters and we went forward with the adoption.
As soon as my grandmother met my babies she asked me which one was my daughter, and I replied that they both were. She rolled her eyes and said that I knew what she meant, I told her that, no I dont because they are both my daughters. she got mad about that and asked me which one was "my real daughter" and my parents backed her up saying that I should tell them which daughter I had adopted. I got mad and asked them why it mattered, both babies are my children, I'm breast feeding both of them, I named both of them, and I was there through the entire pregnancy for both of them, even if I only carried one of them myself.
This lead to a fight with my family insisting that I tell them which daughter is which, and me insisting that my grandmother apologized for implying that one of them wasn't my real daughter. My parents told me that I am being dramatic, pointlessly stubborn, ridiculous, and that they just wanted to know when dealing with the girls which one was their granddaughter. I kicked all of them out and said that unless they apologize and stop asking which daughter is adopted, they would not get to see either of them.
After they left I sent out a text saying that I will tell them which one is adopted when I explain to her that she is adopted, but adopted or not they are both my children. I also reiterated that until I get an apology, and they agree to view my daughters equally they will not see the girls and I will not be talking to them. I received a massive amount of text ranging from them demanding that I let them see the kids and telling me how I was cruel and selfish to deprived my daughters of their love, to pleading with me to just tell them which girl is which and let them see my daughters.
After a few weeks of this i said enough. The stress of trying to take care of two babies, adopt Lily, and deal with my family was to much. So I sent out another text telling them that I was serious when I said I won't tell them which daughter is adopted. I then told them that I cant take their constant text anymore, and anyone that text me something that doesn't start with an apology is getting blocked.
Most of my family realized i wouldn't back down and stopped texting. I did have to block my brother, who sent me two paragraphs about why I should just give our parents and grandparents what they want, because it isn't worth the fight. I also had to block my mom, who texted my to tell me that no one was going to help me take care of the children until I told them them the truth about which is my real daughter. Anna agrees with me that they shouldn't care which one is adopt and says she wishes that my family didn't even know that one girl was adopted.
Well yesterday both babies were crying, lily needed a diaper change and rose was hungry and I realized that my mom was right. I can't be in both places at once and I can't take care of them by myself. Luckily Anna was there and she was able to take care of them both and get them settled, because I broke down sobbing and was completely useless. Now I'm starting to wonder if I am a bad mother for not leting my daughters see their family, and if I have chosen the wrong hill to die on.
P.s Anna was able to cheer me up, we cuddled together, and with the babies on the sofa, eating ice cream and chocolate most of the night. she is also the one who convinced me to write this post because she is obsessed with reddit.

I (F22) am aware of the fact that schizophrenia is not the only condition where one experiences hallucinations or delusions, and that one's like psychosis or bipolar types also get to a point of experiencing it. My mother has had agoraphobia for ages, had post-partum depression where she would hallucinate and hear voices whilist carrying my now schizophrenic brother, and did experience psychotic delusions two years ago due to taking the wrong thyroid medication which altered her system. As I said, my brother is a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, and well, overall my family has a history of undiagnosed conditions (aka my uncle later finding out he's got ADHD/Autism and is one of those avobe avarage people intelligence wise), my biological father has BPD... etc.
Now, I have always been a really internal person, and whichever delusion or hallucination I was having, unless I was having out of body experience terrors I wouldn't say. My delusions have always been very steong beliefs and convictions, but I've never imposed them out loud or spoke on them out loud. Only during the time where I was advocating for opening your third eye, and the time I thought becoming a muslim was going to save me from the warmth of God, I was loud about it. Religious terror has always been present though, very intensely. On the other side, complete apathy of the thing whenever my delusion would come crashing down in front of me. Like when a parent promises you something and they don't keep their words, you end up holding resentment towards them.
Anyway, since I was little I remember having these 'strange' convictions and/or hellucinations.
The first one I remember having was a delusion that angels woukld come get me. I was around 6/7 and (unfortunately) I was already on Facebook. I received one of those good luck e-mails, but it had something about angels, my mind saw hidden messages about how angels would come and get me to make all my dreams come true. But I didn't want to be taken away, so I ran towards my parents crying my heart out that I didn't want to be taken away and thag angels were after me. I was really terrified, when they read over it, nothing gave the illusion that someone could transcript the message into being kidnapped by angels. They tried to convince me that 'angels' referred to them giving me what I wanted. I was able to calm down somewhat.
We moved years later to another house, and I was convinced there were demons in it. They would throw rocks at me when I would sleep at my parent's bed or floor.
Then years later, related also to angels, I had an hallucination/delusion. I have danced since I was 5, and at 10/11 we built a studio in the garage of our new house. My mother and father happened to be out and were on their way one, people who came to do classes were leaving (it had finished), but I started to tremble terribly. I didn't want to go to my house (above) alone by myself because I didn't want 'them' to take me or hurt me and I hennuinely thought I would be in danger. Which from that point is normal, I was a kid. But at that age, I already was experiencing horrible delusions about the house being haunted by the owner (who wasn't dead yet at the time.) The hallucination happened when I was convinced to go up and just relax (I was having a full on panic attack.) I went home and when I was crossing the hallway I saw a tall angel with white small wings and curled golden hair go into the living room. I BOLTED out of the house. They had to stay until my parents arrived.
During the time we were living at that house I used to be under the illusion that no one was real. That they were reptiles using skins and I was the only one who was a human and couldn't let them find out. So I never said anything about it, in fear they'd kill me or send me away from earth. That did end up going away somewhat (lingering in the back of my mind from time to time.) Years later I started hurting myself because it would help me release the pent up anxieties, and would distract me from delusions and hallucinations. Then I got an ED, not eating and laxatives would make my beliefs that my house was haunted even worst.
The ghosts and demons delusions/hallucinations have always been persistent and is something that is present everyday of my life (I can't get rid of it.) So, you can imagine tha I have throught my life experienced my share of them and all nighters because I couldn't let them win and take me away.
I will not get like into ALL of them, because at one point it gets repetitive. But there's two that really marked a before and after. The first one was when before my brother got a diagnosis he thought he'd been cussed, so my mother, seeing the distressed state he was in, took him to a 'santanera'. She told him he had been cursed and had 15 demons trying to kill him blab blah. So he got an exorcism done to him, by my father, and I was the only other person in the house. I was in such distrease while it underwent, hearing my brother scream for help like he was being murdered that I got into this elusive state that the house was shaking. So, the house shook, I shook, the picture of my mothers grand parents avobe me shook, and I saw them protecting me. (they're both dead) but I knew they were protecting me. It was really crazy and it felt so real for me, and him.
And the other one was when I was working night shifts. Eight months into it I started having negative hallucinations and delusions. I was chased by the 'jello-man' (who not lives in my wall), he wasn't necessarily bad. Demons were threatening to cut me in half and put me in the freezer, but he seemed to just linger like a protector. It was a really creazy time. Having pánico attack after panic attack, talking to imaginary people at work, and hyperventilating while I tried to attend clients at the same time.
After I left work, I got better. And I tried to get healthy. I was able to recover from that terrifying state, I eveb left tarot and spirituality, terrified it would gill me (since I tried to commit for both the weight of my life/mental state and because if I did life for my family would get better through it.) And now, I am full deep on delusion. It was pressive, slowly. I am both aware that it sounds crazy but at the same time equally as convinced that it is real. The Jell-O man is back, now on my wall. But it started with one bad thing after another happening, and I believe thag someone has cursed me. I suspect from friends and even family members. I feel chased, by a famale entity. I moved again to a very big house and the second week in I saw my aunt walking towards were my room was but when I asked my mom she told me that my aunt hadn't moved from the kitchen. But I Heard the window, and I SAW her. And that must've been a demon or doppelganger, what would it be if not. And now I'm back at thag same job I had back then, only not at night, because I need money. And that place is extra cursed. And since I'm cursed it aggravates me seeing things. I keep seeing the same man I did when I worked there back in 2021, and I am terrified by it.
Another thing I should mention is I am hypochondriac, but it's really weird because I will full on believe I am dying. I have the belief that my body is deteriorating/rotting, and I live everyday with the fear that I am going to drop death every day. I have thought I was having a heart attack, thatg I had a heart condition, that I had breast cancer, that I had endometriosis, sclerosis,... Etc, I have overobssesed with it and convinced myself, saying my goodbyes and crying about me dying. But from those times only 2 of them J have gone to the doctors because I would actually have sensations that then for the doctors would not make sense of why I was having them because results were okay.
I am not sure if this could be schizophrenia, or if this could be any other condition that's similar. I don't know how to live any other way, so I don't know how it feels to not see things and believe crazy things. I struggle to communicate with people, so I don't know if it would even work to reach out professionally. It just exhausts me so much. I need the sounds to cease.
Should I reach out to someone, or could this be because of something I can repair myself without external need?
Thank u.

Is the Story of Adam and Eve literally true, parable, or pure myth?

According to The Book of Akash, the story of Adam and Eve is a Midrash (Jewish story for children meant to teach a moral lesson) based upon Pharaoh Ay (as Adam) and Queen Khiyah (as Eve), who lived in the walled Garden of Meru-Aten and were cast out of Meru-Aten by General Horemheb who wanted to become Pharaoh.The Book of Akash says:*Ay was a reincarnation of the the soul of the first Adam (Adapa of Eridu), who later reincarnated as Enoch, Adamu the second king of Assyria, Melchizedek king of Salem, and then as Ay son of Yuya.
*Ay was the father of Nefertiti who married Amenhotep IV who changed his name to Akhenaten. Nefertiti had six daughters and one son: Tutenkhamun (Tut). Akhenative closed down the temples to Amun, putting the priests out of business, and built the City of Aten (Atentaten), and also a royal residence called the walled Garden of Meru-Aten, in what is now Amarna, Egypt. Meru-Aten had fruit trees of all kinds, and a sacred fig tree dedicated to Hathor goddess of fertility. It also had a petting zoo and evaporation pond.
*After Tut died, Ay was made Pharaoh, at the age of 70, but his wife died years before. Soon after being made Pharaoh Ay's only son, Nakhtmin, died. This left Ay without an heir to the throne.
*Ay knew that if he begot another son, that son had to have the blood of Amenhotep III (father of Akhenaten) in order to have the divine right to the throne. So Ay marries Khiyah (Ankhesenpaaten) who was Queen as wife of her brother King Tut. Khiyah was the daughter of Akhenaten, the son of Amenhotep III. Amenhotep III was married to Ay's sister who was the mother of Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten). Akhenaten claimed to be Aten in the flesh and Ay was given the title "Father of the God".
*Horemheb, general of the army, desired to be Pharaoh. So he had Akhennaten poisoned, then Nefertiti, then Tut, and tried to marry Khiyah, but she rejected him and she tried to marry a Hittite prince but Horemheb had the HIttite prince assassinated as soon as he reached Canaan (then controlled by Egypt).
*Ay married Khiyah (Ankhesenpaaten later renamed Akhensenpaamun), so that his "claim" to the throne would be strengthened (her paternal grandfather was Amenhotep III and her maternal grandfather was Ay son of Yuya father of Nefertiti. Yes, Ay married his own granddaughter. Why? So that he could beget a son (Nakhtmin was dead) who had royal bloodline back to Amenhotep III, and thus had a "divine right" to the throne of Egypt.
*Akhensenpaaten/Akhensenpaamun (nicknamed "Khiyah") agreed to marry her grandfather because she was "tempted" by the Cobra Crown: symbolic of the Wisdom of the Gods. Only the King and Queen of Egypt wore the Cobra Crown. This is the meaning that Eve was "tempted" by the serpent. It was not real serpent, but a crown. It "tempted" Khiyah like diamond rings "tempt" women.
*Eve being made from the "rib" of Adam is a play on Hebrew words, since "penis" and "rib" is the same word in Hebrew: TSELA. Eve (Khiyah) was made from the TSELA (penis) of Adam (Ay): meaning she was made out of his seed (i.e. daughter or granddaughter).*The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil does not refer to a literal tree, but to "carnal knowledge" (sex) which can be both for good and for evil.
*The Tree of Life is not a literal tree, but a symbol of the placenta. Every placenta has large veins that resemble a "tree" on it. YWHW "took away the tree of life" and prevented Adam and Eve from partaking of it: the meaning is that YWHW prevented them from conceiving a son (because what they were doing was a sin unto death).
*Egyptians in that time ate figs and wore fig leaves when they wanted to conceive a firstborn son. The firstborn son was heir of the family and responsible for taking care of the parents when they became too old to work. The fig tree was sacred to Hathor, goddess of wisdom. The Garden of Meru-Aten had a sacred fig tree. Eating figs and wearing sewn-together fig leaves (sacred to Hathor) was thought necessary to ensure that a couple would conceive a healthy first-born son.*Via his spies at Meru-Aten, General Horemheb discovered that Ay and Khiyah were trying to conceive a son. Horemheb then took his generals and raided Meru-Aten at night. They tied their swords with rags and poured oil on them and let them in order to see (flaming sword). Egyptian generals wore armor of polished brass and thus were called "Shining Ones" (Hebrew: "Cherubim"). Horemheb cast them out of the Garden of Meru-Aten into the desert where they perished. Their servants found them and buried them in sheep skins.*Horemheb becomes Pharaoh, but has no heir (he was gay).
*Ay was the reincarnation of Enoch. Enoch was made the Angel Metatron and adopted by YWHW as a firstborn Son (Third Book of Enoch). As Metatron he was "Mediator" between YWHW and human kind. But with his major sin as Ay, the Soul of Enoch lost his "station" as Metatron. He lost his inheritance. He became the Prodigal Son.
*Ay and Khiyah had to reincarnate, be born of literal virgins (Mary and St. Ann), live sinless lives, celibate lives, and Ay, being Adam/Enoch reincarnated, had to die on a fig tree in order to atone for the "original sin" of the Soul of Adam in the Garden of Meru-Aten in 1320 B.C. in Amarna, Egypt.*Jesus knew who He was. He called himself "the Son of Man" (a term for Enoch). He knew that he would have to die on a fig tree in order to atone for committing the "original sin" with Khiyah in the Garden of Meru-Aten: where Ay and Khiyah ate figs, and wore fig leaves, and tried to beget a son and heir to the throne
.*The punishment of Khiyah (who became Mary) was to lead a celibate life, and to watch her beloved Son be tortured and die on a cross made from a fig tree. This is why Jesus cursed a fig tree on His way to Jerusalem: because it reminded Him of the Original Sin, and that He needed to die on such a tree. He was not looking forward to it, but knew He had to do it in order to regain His lofty station as the Angel Metatron.
*Atonement was made, and the Soul of Adam/Enoch regained the station of Metatron (Mediator) and First-Born. Ay was the Prodigal Son who lost his inheritance, and Jesus was the Prodigal Son who was welcomed back by the Father.*How do I know this? Guessing ? No. I was to the right of Jesus, on another cross, and said to Him : "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom" and Jesus replied: "Truly I say unto you, today you will be with me in Paradise." My name was Ebion. I was an Essene, and the Romans crucified me for "stealing from Rome" (i.e. not paying taxes and telling other Jews not to pay taxes to Rome either). In the eyes of Rome I was a "thief". But I was a celibate and spiritual man, an Essene. I knew Jesus was the Messiah, and he called me to follow Him, but I refused because I did not want to lose my position as Treasurer of the Essenes in Jerusalem. I knew Who He was, but I could not leave my high station and the admiration of the other Essenes. How do I know this? I was told that by a psychic woman, and also Jesus appeared to me, emerging from a wall in my room, when I was 18. He was porcelain white, and had a crown of thorns. He moaned, and I saw a large drop of white blood running from a large thorn in His temple running down the right side of His head. As God and Jesus are My Two Witnesses: that is what I saw and what I heard.
*Jesus never wrote a book during His life. But He wrote a book through my hand, called The Book of Akash. It contains the truth about God and the Cosmos: the only two things that exist. Answers to all the mysteries of the Cosmos can be found therein.*The following YouTube video explains somewhat about the history of Ay son of Yuya, Khiyah, Tut, and Horemheb (played by a black man in the video). The video suggests that Ay had Tut killed in order to become Pharaoh. Not true at all. Ay loved his grandson Tut. It was Horemheb who poisoned Akhenaten (because he closed down the Amun priesthood and temples), and Nefertiti, and Tut, and Nakhtmin. Horemheb was a very evil man, and did evil, and gained the throne for himself by murder and strategy.
*The story of Adam and Eve in Genesis is a Midrash (Jewish moral parable story for children). It was based upon the real story of Pharaoh Ay and Queen Khiyah. The "details" of the story were hidden in metaphors (talking snake, Eve being made from the "rib" (tsela) of Adam, Cherubim with flaming sword, etc.). The story is not "myth" but based upon real people and real events in ancient Egypt in 1324 to 1320 B.C.
*Jesus has reincarnated five times. I met His fourth reincarnation, who was a miracle worker from Lebanon who was born in Jerusalem in 1909 and died in New York City in 1984. I first saw His face in 1977 when I was 16 years old. He visited me with lightning with no thunder, to my home, in the year 2005. His fifth incarnation is alive on Earth today, incognito. No...not me (God forbid!) but a man who works miracles. Jesus will incarnate for the 7th time in the 24th century (2300s), and, after Armageddon, will establish His Kingdom, called the United Order, a political, judicial, economic, and religious Order, that will last a thousand years.*We all have up to 6,000 lifetimes in order to reach Nirvana, and if we do not reach Nirvana by that time we shall be thrown into the Lake of Fire (when the Giant Red Sun engulfs the Earth) and simply cease to exist.
*Our current life is our Day of Account for our deeds in our last life, and our next life will be our Day of Account for our actions, good and bad, in this life.
*We are all judged by the Universal Law of Karma, and we are all judged according to our works, good and evil, and receive an exactly just recompense for our actions: good and evil. Whatsoever we shall sow, that also shall we reap.
Watch the YouTube video. It is a good introduction to the true historical story of Ay and Khiyah. But, again, please note: Ay did not harm Tut, but loved him. Ay did not marry Khiyah for sex, but to beget a son and heir who had a divine right to the throne of Egypt. It was a sin unto death, and they died. And they came back and atoned. Jesus is the Prodigal Son. Watch the video. It is not long. Please share this post with others. Thank you.
https://youtu.be/J2dEV9MO8_U

I'm told women want a man who knows what he wants, so here's the whole nine yards. If there is anything here that you are not willing to accept, then don't. You will not change me now or years down the line. Obviously I intend to grow and mature (as one ought to), but I have decided who I am and what I want out of a relationship.
I am looking for a woman that I can make a permanent covenant bond with; I have no interest in flings or "long-term relationships."
I don't intend to come across as bitter or angry with any of this, just clear and up-front. It makes things easier for both of us.
A bit about me:
My faith in Christ is paramount in my life. I would not be where I am without him. In taking interests in various things, I've learned a lot about God's character and design. Each new thing I learn fills me with more worship of him and wonder at his works. It is very important to me that you share this admiration of God.
I have a full-time job that I am very satisfied with, but what I feel truly passionate about is art and storytelling. To be honest, I've hit a bit of a block lately as far as my output. But I've been trying to find my feet so I can make something valuable to share with the world. I think that art and stories are a fundamental part of being human, not just a luxury. So pretty much any kind of art will spark passion in me, be it music, cinema, video games, literature, video essay, sculpture, etc. I could go back and forth for hours on a lot of things. My hope is that you and I will be able to enjoy art together and create some of our own.
I frequently spend time with another gentleman from my Church and we enjoy conversations about personal projects and contemporary issues, along with walks along beaches and park trails. He is a very important friend in my life, and I am lucky to know such a kind soul. Things aren't well with my family, so I really need that kind of presence.
While I rely on my bicycle for transport (no car), it's not a problem for me. I've been riding bikes since I was in elementary school (maybe even before). It would be really nice to ride down some trails with you.
What I expect from you:
-You need to be a follower of Jesus Christ. God needs to be an active part of your life because I intend to raise our children under Biblical values.
-You need hobbies and interests apart from me. I'm fine with helping you find things you like.
-You need to have no mileage.
-You must be humble and respectful. "Boss babe" attitudes are not attractive to me.
-You cannot have any tattoos or piercings.
-No cosmetic products. It's not good for your body and I am attracted women, not makeup. This includes fake nails and fake eyelashes. I don't need you to look "pretty." You character is more important to me.
-Related to the previous, no use of image filters in photos. I do not like the type of people who are vain and vapid enough to feel the need to use filters on their photos.
-Again related to the previous, you need to have a limited social media presence. If you have a business or post something of value (like art, for example), then I have no problem. What I'm talking about is having an Instagram or Facebook account where you make random posts to nobody in particular to "update" the internet on your life or post tons of pictures of yourself online. Basing your self-worth on the comments and likes from strangers on the internet is unhealthy, and I find people's obsessive need to take pictures of themselves very unattractive and vain.
-If we marry, I expect you treat me as the head of the house. There can't be two leaders in a household because one will have to submit to the other.
-I expect you to view marriage as something that you put work into. Marriages are a team effort, so I expect you to be a help meet.
-You need to treat me like a partner, not an adversary. Getting into arguments and nagging me helps neither of us. You must have conflict-resolution skills and a solution mindset.
-You need excellent communication skills. This means understanding yourself, putting your thoughts into words other people can understand, and verbalizing things rather than expecting me to read your thoughts.
-You cannot play games with me. Telling me about other guys to make me jealous or planning dates for specific days to pressure me into committing to you are wicked and manipulative.
-While we are dating, you cannot have a "backup plan." I expect you to not be splitting your attention between me and other men. This includes spending time outside of work with other men (family excluded).
-You must be in shape. Don't be dishonest with yourself about your weight; check your BMI. This includes being underweight, anorexic, and bulimic.
-You cannot have taken any COVID-19 vaccinations from any provider.
-No smoking, drugs, or drunkenness.
-I expect you to completely renounce fast food if we date or marry. We will never feed our children McDonald's.
What you can expect from me:
-While we are dating, I will not be speaking to other women.
-I cannot meet your height, money, or attractiveness expectations. I am simply an average dude. I am critical, abstract, and imaginative in my thinking though.
-I will not ask you to do something that is unreasonable or demeaning. I will only ask of you what I expect from myself. No relationship is going to be 50/50 100% of the time, but I will put forth the effort I am able to. I expect the same out of you.
-I will not raise my hand against you. My hands will be a safe place for you.
-I will be available to listen to your troubles and help you bear through them.
-I will not demean you or humiliate you, whether or not you are in the room.
-I will show leadership in our house and exercise restraint with a mild temper.
-I will cherish you and treat you as my own body.
-I will devote myself to displaying my love for you in a language you understand, even if I am feeling distant from you because of troubles we face. I expect the same from you.
-I will not turn to another woman and betray you.
-I intend to keep every promise that I make with you.
-I will treat our children with patience and kindness, but diligently discipline them and instruct them appropriately.
Please tell me a bit about yourself and what you expect out of a relationship, but be practical and clear. A list of platitudes like "loyal, honest, etc" does not help me understand what you're looking for. Think about what your expectations look like in a tangible, everyday way.

Is the Story of Adam and Eve literally true, parable, or pure myth?

According to The Book of Akash, the story of Adam and Eve is a Midrash (Jewish story for children meant to teach a moral lesson) based upon Pharaoh Ay (as Adam) and Queen Khiyah (as Eve), who lived in the walled Garden of Meru-Aten and were cast out of Meru-Aten by General Horemheb who wanted to become Pharaoh.The Book of Akash says:*Ay was a reincarnation of the the soul of the first Adam (Adapa of Eridu), who later reincarnated as Enoch, Adamu the second king of Assyria, Melchizedek king of Salem, and then as Ay son of Yuya.
*Ay was the father of Nefertiti who married Amenhotep IV who changed his name to Akhenaten. Nefertiti had six daughters and one son: Tutenkhamun (Tut). Akhenative closed down the temples to Amun, putting the priests out of business, and built the City of Aten (Atentaten), and also a royal residence called the walled Garden of Meru-Aten, in what is now Amarna, Egypt. Meru-Aten had fruit trees of all kinds, and a sacred fig tree dedicated to Hathor goddess of fertility. It also had a petting zoo and evaporation pond.
*After Tut died, Ay was made Pharaoh, at the age of 70, but his wife died years before. Soon after being made Pharaoh Ay's only son, Nakhtmin, died. This left Ay without an heir to the throne.
*Ay knew that if he begot another son, that son had to have the blood of Amenhotep III (father of Akhenaten) in order to have the divine right to the throne. So Ay marries Khiyah (Ankhesenpaaten) who was Queen as wife of her brother King Tut. Khiyah was the daughter of Akhenaten, the son of Amenhotep III. Amenhotep III was married to Ay's sister who was the mother of Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten). Akhenaten claimed to be Aten in the flesh and Ay was given the title "Father of the God".
*Horemheb, general of the army, desired to be Pharaoh. So he had Akhennaten poisoned, then Nefertiti, then Tut, and tried to marry Khiyah, but she rejected him and she tried to marry a Hittite prince but Horemheb had the HIttite prince assassinated as soon as he reached Canaan (then controlled by Egypt).
*Ay married Khiyah (Ankhesenpaaten later renamed Akhensenpaamun), so that his "claim" to the throne would be strengthened (her paternal grandfather was Amenhotep III and her maternal grandfather was Ay son of Yuya father of Nefertiti. Yes, Ay married his own granddaughter. Why? So that he could beget a son (Nakhtmin was dead) who had royal bloodline back to Amenhotep III, and thus had a "divine right" to the throne of Egypt.
*Akhensenpaaten/Akhensenpaamun (nicknamed "Khiyah") agreed to marry her grandfather because she was "tempted" by the Cobra Crown: symbolic of the Wisdom of the Gods. Only the King and Queen of Egypt wore the Cobra Crown. This is the meaning that Eve was "tempted" by the serpent. It was not real serpent, but a crown. It "tempted" Khiyah like diamond rings "tempt" women.
*Eve being made from the "rib" of Adam is a play on Hebrew words, since "penis" and "rib" is the same word in Hebrew: TSELA. Eve (Khiyah) was made from the TSELA (penis) of Adam (Ay): meaning she was made out of his seed (i.e. daughter or granddaughter).*The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil does not refer to a literal tree, but to "carnal knowledge" (sex) which can be both for good and for evil.
*The Tree of Life is not a literal tree, but a symbol of the placenta. Every placenta has large veins that resemble a "tree" on it. YWHW "took away the tree of life" and prevented Adam and Eve from partaking of it: the meaning is that YWHW prevented them from conceiving a son (because what they were doing was a sin unto death).
*Egyptians in that time ate figs and wore fig leaves when they wanted to conceive a firstborn son. The firstborn son was heir of the family and responsible for taking care of the parents when they became too old to work. The fig tree was sacred to Hathor, goddess of wisdom. The Garden of Meru-Aten had a sacred fig tree. Eating figs and wearing sewn-together fig leaves (sacred to Hathor) was thought necessary to ensure that a couple would conceive a healthy first-born son.*Via his spies at Meru-Aten, General Horemheb discovered that Ay and Khiyah were trying to conceive a son. Horemheb then took his generals and raided Meru-Aten at night. They tied their swords with rags and poured oil on them and let them in order to see (flaming sword). Egyptian generals wore armor of polished brass and thus were called "Shining Ones" (Hebrew: "Cherubim"). Horemheb cast them out of the Garden of Meru-Aten into the desert where they perished. Their servants found them and buried them in sheep skins.*Horemheb becomes Pharaoh, but has no heir (he was gay).
*Ay was the reincarnation of Enoch. Enoch was made the Angel Metatron and adopted by YWHW as a firstborn Son (Third Book of Enoch). As Metatron he was "Mediator" between YWHW and human kind. But with his major sin as Ay, the Soul of Enoch lost his "station" as Metatron. He lost his inheritance. He became the Prodigal Son.
*Ay and Khiyah had to reincarnate, be born of literal virgins (Mary and St. Ann), live sinless lives, celibate lives, and Ay, being Adam/Enoch reincarnated, had to die on a fig tree in order to atone for the "original sin" of the Soul of Adam in the Garden of Meru-Aten in 1320 B.C. in Amarna, Egypt.*Jesus knew who He was. He called himself "the Son of Man" (a term for Enoch). He knew that he would have to die on a fig tree in order to atone for committing the "original sin" with Khiyah in the Garden of Meru-Aten: where Ay and Khiyah ate figs, and wore fig leaves, and tried to beget a son and heir to the throne
.*The punishment of Khiyah (who became Mary) was to lead a celibate life, and to watch her beloved Son be tortured and die on a cross made from a fig tree. This is why Jesus cursed a fig tree on His way to Jerusalem: because it reminded Him of the Original Sin, and that He needed to die on such a tree. He was not looking forward to it, but knew He had to do it in order to regain His lofty station as the Angel Metatron.
*Atonement was made, and the Soul of Adam/Enoch regained the station of Metatron (Mediator) and First-Born. Ay was the Prodigal Son who lost his inheritance, and Jesus was the Prodigal Son who was welcomed back by the Father.*How do I know this? Guessing ? No. I was to the right of Jesus, on another cross, and said to Him : "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom" and Jesus replied: "Truly I say unto you, today you will be with me in Paradise." My name was Ebion. I was an Essene, and the Romans crucified me for "stealing from Rome" (i.e. not paying taxes and telling other Jews not to pay taxes to Rome either). In the eyes of Rome I was a "thief". But I was a celibate and spiritual man, an Essene. I knew Jesus was the Messiah, and he called me to follow Him, but I refused because I did not want to lose my position as Treasurer of the Essenes in Jerusalem. I knew Who He was, but I could not leave my high station and the admiration of the other Essenes. How do I know this? I was told that by a psychic woman, and also Jesus appeared to me, emerging from a wall in my room, when I was 18. He was porcelain white, and had a crown of thorns. He moaned, and I saw a large drop of white blood running from a large thorn in His temple running down the right side of His head. As God and Jesus are My Two Witnesses: that is what I saw and what I heard.
*Jesus never wrote a book during His life. But He wrote a book through my hand, called The Book of Akash. It contains the truth about God and the Cosmos: the only two things that exist. Answers to all the mysteries of the Cosmos can be found therein.*The following YouTube video explains somewhat about the history of Ay son of Yuya, Khiyah, Tut, and Horemheb (played by a black man in the video). The video suggests that Ay had Tut killed in order to become Pharaoh. Not true at all. Ay loved his grandson Tut. It was Horemheb who poisoned Akhenaten (because he closed down the Amun priesthood and temples), and Nefertiti, and Tut, and Nakhtmin. Horemheb was a very evil man, and did evil, and gained the throne for himself by murder and strategy.
*The story of Adam and Eve in Genesis is a Midrash (Jewish moral parable story for children). It was based upon the real story of Pharaoh Ay and Queen Khiyah. The "details" of the story were hidden in metaphors (talking snake, Eve being made from the "rib" (tsela) of Adam, Cherubim with flaming sword, etc.). The story is not "myth" but based upon real people and real events in ancient Egypt in 1324 to 1320 B.C.
*Jesus has reincarnated five times. I met His fourth reincarnation, who was a miracle worker from Lebanon who was born in Jerusalem in 1909 and died in New York City in 1984. I first saw His face in 1977 when I was 16 years old. He visited me with lightning with no thunder, to my home, in the year 2005. His fifth incarnation is alive on Earth today, incognito. No...not me (God forbid!) but a man who works miracles. Jesus will incarnate for the 7th time in the 24th century (2300s), and, after Armageddon, will establish His Kingdom, called the United Order, a political, judicial, economic, and religious Order, that will last a thousand years.*We all have up to 6,000 lifetimes in order to reach Nirvana, and if we do not reach Nirvana by that time we shall be thrown into the Lake of Fire (when the Giant Red Sun engulfs the Earth) and simply cease to exist.
*Our current life is our Day of Account for our deeds in our last life, and our next life will be our Day of Account for our actions, good and bad, in this life.
*We are all judged by the Universal Law of Karma, and we are all judged according to our works, good and evil, and receive an exactly just recompense for our actions: good and evil. Whatsoever we shall sow, that also shall we reap.
Watch the YouTube video. It is a good introduction to the true historical story of Ay and Khiyah. But, again, please note: Ay did not harm Tut, but loved him. Ay did not marry Khiyah for sex, but to beget a son and heir who had a divine right to the throne of Egypt. It was a sin unto death, and they died. And they came back and atoned. Jesus is the Prodigal Son. Watch the video. It is not long. Please share this post with others. Thank you.
https://youtu.be/J2dEV9MO8_U

I saw some people on here recommending a Stephen King short story called "1408", calling it terrifying and claiming it kept people up at night.
I was in the mood for a scare and decided to read the thing before bed tonight and feel completely let down.
I mean, the writing was good, which is sort of a given for King, but there was really nothing particularly scary or even interesting about the story!
Unless I'm completely missing the point, it just feels like 30 pages of a guy being warned not to go into the scary hotel room because lots of people died there, and then 30 more pages of a bunch of vague hallucinations that feel like something out of scooby doo..
Like what's so scary about a door being crooked, but wait its not crooked, oh god now its crooked again. And the pictures are gross, but now they're grosser, and if you wait long enough they'll move woooOooOooh!
And then I guess he hallucinates a plum, but now the plum's a picture, and the room service menu.. it's in r.. r-r-r-russian! 😨
And now there's a voice on the phone... counting?
And then the guy sets himself on fire and finally something that might actually matter is happening, but that's immediately followed by him just leaving... but his voice was really loud, so I guess that's scary, and the guy that puts him out sells sewing machines.. just like the other guy!!! 🫣
Anyway thats it shows over exit on the right and make sure to grab a complimentary towel to clean up the piss that's definitely in your pants after that one.
I mean, is it really so bone chilling to have an experience that's more reminiscent of a gas leak than a haunting?
I think I probably wouldn't be so critical of the story if I could find a single person online who feels similarly, but all I can find about it is review after glowing review calling it a masterpiece and claiming it to be the scariest thing anyone's ever read and I just don't get it.
Again I'm completely open to the possibility that I'm just missing some key detail or something that makes it all click into place, but as it stands I just can't for a second understand why anyone would say this is something special, let alone worth reading.
Did anyone else read 1408 and think something similar? Or maybe if you read it and loved it could you explain what about it was so terrifying/interesting?