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bad-bitch-beauchamp · 3 years

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Songs About Me: Theories & Scones (CH8)

Claire, Geillis, and Joe theorize Claire's relationship with Jamie, and what’s missing. Just a quick chapter today, but it’s leading up the biggest one yet!

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CHAPTER EIGHT

Claire’s bedroom, a cold morning in early December, Louisburg Square, Beacon Hill, Boston

Two months had passed since Claire and Jamie met at the 21st Amendment. In two months, their relationship went into hyperspeed. With every revelation of how they had just missed each other not just in Boston, but all over the world for decades now, they fell harder for each other. What started as one packed weekend with karaoke, a drunken dinner, a late night walk in the park, and visits to each other’s respective businesses, they found themselves starving for more connection. In the time they could get away from the demanding schedules of being small business owners, they were with each other. The pressure of dating someone new and needing to impress one another quickly gave way to the comfort of takeout meals, board games, and Jamie’s cooking at one of their townhouses. Jamie told her of his home in Scotland and his adventures bagging munros all through college, Claire recounted stories of traveling all over the world with her uncle, and they filled in the blanks of their lives together. Time together was easy, natural. The way a good relationship is supposed to feel. Every Saturday night since the one they’d met, they’d wander the few blocks over to the 21st Amendment to meet Geillis, Joe, Rupert, and Angus for karaoke. Only once did they miss their standing date, and only just: Claire was ready to open the door to the bar when Jamie pulled her back in a whirl and kissed her senseless for the next thirty minutes around the corner. There was only one thing missing from their relationship now…

On a rare morning she wasn’t at the shop or with Jamie, Claire was engaging in a time-honored tradition with her two best friends. Joe and Geillis were Claire’s go-to advisers on everything in her life. They were the only two people in the world to tell her she should leave Frank and move to Boston. They were the two people to tell her she should start her greenhouse and plant shop. They were the two people who convinced her to continue writing music. They were her everything this morning, they were trying their best to convince her of what everyone but her seemed to see in her budding relationship with one James Fraser. Joe had worked a long shift at the hospital and was calling into the girl’s discussion from his car. Claire had been tossing and turning on her bed while Geillis laid with her back on the floor and legs up against the bed, snacking on scones she brought from the bakery down the block. English breakfast and catching up had been the group’s little routine since they were all in school in Oxford. No matter what the week held, they’d set aside an hour (that inevitably morphed into all morning and most of the afternoon) to sit around, relax, and eat. When Claire and Geillis moved to the states, they continued the tradition. When Joe moved to Boston to work at the hospital, their group was reunited and English breakfast Sundays felt right again. Even when one of them couldn’t make the physical date, they always had at least a few minutes to shove down some kind of British snack and catch up. The conversations ranged from old classmates to how the Americans ruin tea (Joe objected to this, but always agreed in the end), and today’s topic landed squarely on Claire’s relationship with Jamie.

“So things really are going well then?” Joe asked from the phone screen in Claire’s hand.

“For as quickly as things started, yes. Things are going more than well, I think,” Claire responded.

“It’s obvious the lad is crazy about ye -- his eyeballs may as weel be superglued to ye every time we go out. It’d be disgusting if it weren’t sweet how he hangs on yer every word,” Geillis offered.

“I think you mean his eyes are glued to Claire’s ass , friend,” Joe cut in, making the girls giggle.

“I cannae imagine how good that man is in bed,” Geillis sighed. Claire shifted to her stomach, facing the end of the bed when Geillis sat and propper her elbows up to cradle her chin. “Speaking of, it’s been over two months since ye two got together, and we’ve still yet to hear the juicy details!”

The wheels in Claire’s head spun quickly to try to play off her increasing anxiety to answer. “Details about what?”

Geillis scoffed loudly and Joe laughed through the phone. “Oh come on, you know exactly what!” Joe teased.

“Ye cannae possibly tell me that a man like Jamie Fraser is not an absolute god. Jes’ look at him! And the way he looks at ye, like he wants to devour ye … after that night of dancing at the 21st a few weeks back, I can imagine what that big, strong body can do and I’m dying for the details!” Claire threw a pillow down at Geillis, laughing at her friend.

“Use your own imagination! I see you go home with Angus more nights than not!”

“And Angus is more than fine, but that’s no’ what we’re discussing here! Plus, Angus doesna have the same… everything Jamie has about him!”

“Come on Claire, spill! We’re dying over here and it’s been two whole months now!” Joe practically begged.

“Unless,” Geillis scooted up to Claire on the bed, sitting cross legged across from her and her garden green eyes boring into Claire, “they haven’t had sex yet. Mebbe there’s nothing to tell?” Geillis continued to search her friend’s reddening face.

“Alright, fine! Are you happy?” Claire threw her hands up in resignation. “It’s been weeks of dates and late nights and practically all our free time spent together, but still nothing!” It was no secret to her friends that Claire had enjoyed her fair share of men since they’d known her. Traveling the world with her uncle had provided her with a slew of fascinating new people: her first kiss was at age twelve in Cairo on an expeditionary dig, her first time having sex was in Thailand with a boy who’s father worked with her uncle, and the names of lovers and crushes littered her diaries in the years between. In college, the friends had embarked on a backpacking trip across Europe where all three had their share of fun, but none so much as Claire. For her, embracing her sexuality made her feel empowered, desirable, powerful. Once she met Frank, everything changed -- through constant beratement, displeasure at her body, and emotional abuse, she no longer felt that same sense of power she’d long found within herself. Geillis and Joe had tried to set her up again in Boston, but Claire resigned herself to her work. The hurt from Frank had made it too difficult to be in bed with anyone else. I’ll be ready again when the right person comes along, she’d told them.

“Ye mean to tell me ye haven’t shagged the brains out of that man?” Geillis asked, shocked. “If it were me, I would’ve had him under me ages ago!”

“It’s not that I haven’t tried,” Claire sighed. “Jamie’s the first person I’ve wanted to be with since Frank. I’ve tried to move things along when we’re together, but he always puts a stop to it and I honestly don’t know why.”

“Puts a stop to it, how?” Joe questioned. “Because god knows it isn’t that he doesn’t want you. Anyone with eyes can see how head over heels he is with you.”

“The only way I can describe it is that he almost… panics?” Claire shrugged. “I mean, I guess we haven’t had the “are we exclusive” conversation yet, and there’s this girl that always pops up on his phone.”

“Want me to beat her up for ye?” Geillis casually asked, stuffing her face with another scone.

“Christ, Geillis, I don’t even know that she’s a threat! It’s just a small thing I’ve noticed. It’s not like he’s hiding his phone or anything, so I’m sure it’s not a big deal, but…”

“But you are a little worried about it,” finished Joe.

“Fine. A little. Maybe that’s why he always shuts me down.”

“Here’s what ye do: ye just need to ask him about it. Point blank. There’s something he’s not telling ye, and it’s either that he’s got some girl on the hook, or he’s a virgin or something. There’s literally nae other reason to have ye by now,” Geillis offered.

“We’re supposed to meet up for dinner at his place tonight… I think you’re right. It’s time to figure out what’s going on.”

#in which tessaactually tries fan fic #songs about me fic #outlander fan fic #jamie x claire #jamie fraser #claire beauchamp

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bangtanscenariosblog · 5 years

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Masterlist (March 11th 2019)

Request me all the scenarios you want! :) ♥

Scenarios:

Fireworks - Rap Monster fluff.

I will color your sky - J-hope angst.

Let me love you - J-hope angst-fluffy-philosophical

Lose control - Jimin smut.

Love you to death - Jungkook fluff

Rewind - SUGA angst and philosophical.

Speak it up - Rap Monster angst and fluff

Stuck in his hurricane - Jimin hot and fluff.

This is what I wanted to tell you - V fluff.

You’re a work of art - Rap Monster angst and fluff.

You only love once - Jungkook fluff

Sequel scenarios:

Jin fluffy one: Follow me.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5

Jin historical-cultural-angst-fluff: Only one - Only one (sequel)

J-Hope and Jimin angst and fluff: Foolish Feelings. Part 1 - Part 2 coming soon

Requested scenarios:

A smile like his father’s - J-Hope angst- fluff

Braid your hair - V fluff

Can you smile - V angst and philosophical with Jimin as a second character.

Can you smile (alternative version) - V angst-philosophical-fluff (still with Jimin.)

Childish fights - Jungkook fluff

Did you know I meant it? - J-hope angt-fluff

Don’t change - Jimin angst-fluff-philosophical

Fake lies - Jin angst-super fluff-a bit philosophical

First - V fluffy smut

How much did you miss me? - SUGA fluff

I’ll be standing by your side - SUGA angst

I’ll protect you - Jimin angst

Imperfect life - Jin angst- super fluff

Insane driver - Jimin fluffi

Insecurities - SUGA angst- fluff

Jealousy consumes you - Jungkook angst-philosophical-fluff

Just once - SUGA fluff

Kid’s like love - V fluff

Light; take me away - V fluff- angst- philosophical

Morning kiss - V fluff

Mute - V smut

Not that lovable - SUGA angst - fluff - philosophical

Our passionate weakness - V fluff - angt -philosophical

Photographs - V angst-fluff

Rainy day - V fluff

Recall - Jin angst and fluffy in the end

Rude - Jimin angst- smut

Someday seems impossible - Jungkook fluff

Warm hugs - Jimin angst-fluff

Warm whispers - SUGA fluff-angst-philosophical-smut

You’re beautiful - V philosophical-angst-fluff

Song Requested scenarios:

How you got the girl - V angst (based on How you get the girl by Taylor Swift).

Slave to our hormones - V fluff (based on War Of Hormones by BTS).

So close yet so far - Jungkook angst- fluff (based on the For You mv by BTS).

Special scenarios:

I mean the opposite (Jimin’s 21st birthday)

Not ready yet (Jungkook’s 19th birthday)

New love (Rap Monster’s 22nd birthday)

Pray for humanity

Spiritualism (Halloween scenario)

Christmas Day (For Christmas)

Imatexts and quotes

Basically for the imatexts I have made, since they are pictures posts, you gotta “search on the blog”. Just search “imatexts” or “imatext” and if you scroll down, you’ll find all of them!

Their type of…

Kisses

Hugs

Reactions

Dating a gender fluid (without gifs)

Hurt during sex (NSFW)

You don’t want to marry them

You being feminine

You being ill

You’re a drummer and can do V’s voice

You’re more attractive than before

You’re drunk and cry at a party

Someone’s flirting with you

You being scared after seeing a scary movie

You don’t want him to meet your parents

You being dominant (NSFW)

Your hair being fluffy

Starting a dance battle between the members for you to judge

You sleeping with a plushie

You being embarrassed after two members had some skinship

You sneaking into their dorm

You both being horny (NSFW)

You being insecure about your weight

You doing too much sports

You cooking with their moms

A stranger kissing you

You accidentally facing their intimate part

You trying some clothes on in the fitting rooms

You singing for the first time

BTS asking you out to prom

Staying late at school (written)

You dodging their kisses

You having an origami collection

Other requests

Rap Monster’s type of girl

Which BTS member would date a black girl

Which BTS member would date a non-asian girl

Which BTS member would date a 00 or 01 liner

Which BTS member would date a 98 liner

Which BTS member would date a 97 liner

How would Jungkook date a short and loud girl

Here, you can find every single daily preference I have made from now on. I upload a preference everyday and I also take requests for them. If you wanna request me one, please tell me the member you’d like and the plot.

Here they are, enjoy reading!~♥

#1 Falling asleep in front of a movie

#2 Napping after work

#3 Playfully making your bed

#4 Ice cream date

#5 Woke up by a kiss

#6 Jealous Jin

#7 Babysitting help

#8 Midnight snacks

#9 Hot hugs

#10 Brain Dots

#11 After school surprise

# Cheering you up

#12 Periods cramps

#13 Stare game

#14 Hot chocolate kiss

#15 Jealous of your male best friend

#16 Scared of storms

#17 Scared of spiders

#18 Kiss cam

#19 Playing video games

#20 Horror movie

#21 Unexpected kiss

#22 Ordering pizze

#23 Study support

#24 Lunch date

#25 Introducing you to his friends

#26 Nail polish kisses

#27 Cinema date

#28 Chocolate bar

#29 Studying kisses

#30 Bowling date

#31 Vacation ride

#32 Cuddling day off

#33 Push ups

#34 Forbidden diet

#35 Changed homescreen

#36 Nap on his knees

#37 Waiting room

#38 Taking the underground

#39 Home after a tiring day

#40 Accidental skype confession

#41 Bless you

#42 After-shower routine

#43 Water bottle

#44 New hair cut

#45 Waking up on a Sunday morning

#46 Just dance

#47 Surprise visit after your shower

#48 Late night Skype

#49 Receiving your scholar books

#50 Changing contact name

#51 Going back home at night

#52 Music festival date

#53 Kisses; stress reliever

#54 Spending your birthday (and Jungkook’s birthday together) (Requested)

#55 Protecting you from the rain

#56 He randomly knows your name at school

#57 Exchanging glances in class

#58 Parrot

#59 Note into your locker

#60 No longer your seatmate

#61 Taking the bus after a long day

#62 Missing him to sleep

#63 Snapbacks

#64 Struggling to stay awake

#65 Basketball game with your boyfriend

#66 Falling asleep on a rainy night with your boyfriend

#67 Feeling low because of your look

#68 Staying up late to study

#69 Being cold so he warms you up

#70 Too lazy to get up to go to work so he gently wakes you up

#71 Missed the bus

#72 Having a good time with your boyfriend while watching a basketball match

#73 Shy bathing time

#74 Playfihting because of your wet hands

#75 Learning to us chopsticks

#76 Ill

#77 Restaurant date

#78 Running motivation

#79 Carry you to bed

#80 Finishing your homework earlier

#81 Can’t find your glasses

#82 Schoolmate staring at you

#83 Attempt to make you smile

#84 Sporty date

#85 “Perfect date”

#86 Studying pause

#87 Bike riding

#88 Legs tickling

#89 Airport meeting (Requested)

#90 “I don’t need make up” (Requested)

#91 Come over on a Saturday night (Requested)

#92 Bubble gums

#93 Lazy day in bed (Requested)

#94 Dancing with Namjoon

#95 Your best friend helping you to go through your heart break

#96 Surprise picking up (Requested)

#97 Late phone call and silly conversations

#98 Cheerful text

#99 Pregnant announce (Requested)

#100 Wedding propose (Requested)

#101 Cheating rumors (Requested)

#102 Taking a pic of you but you feel insecure

#103 Tying up his ties

#104 Jealous and protective when you leave the house

#105 Cold

#106 Mental breakdown

#107 Twisted ankle

#108 Cute when…

#109 Men in the street

#110 Drunk in love

#111 Jealous crush

#112 Emperor

#113 First date

#114 Craving for kisses

#115 Cheesy halloween

#116 Comforting boyfriend

#117 Drunk with stranger

#118 Break up

#119 We could (based on Do I wanna know by Arctic Monkeys).

#120 Master (NSFW).

#121 Shattered

#122 Just a lifetime

#123 Ditch class

#124 Confidence

#125 Meet again

#126 Pretty hot though

#127 Even more tomorrow

#128 What would you do?

#129 You like me, don’t you?

#130 Possessivity

#131 Your most prescious dream

#132 Be your last

#133 Not born to fight

#134 Feel the same

#135 Close enough

#136 Unexpected kiss

#137 Stress relieving session

#138 Run

#139 “You’re the one that’s annoying!”

#140 “I will think about it.”

#141 Cheater

#142 “I am not sick!”

#143 Uninspired

#144 Bakeries

#145 Christmas ice skating

#146 Sky is the limit

#147 Protective brother

#148 Torture

#149 Psychotic boyfriend

#150 Supportive father

#151 Routine

#152 Garlands

#153 Holidays

#154 Art teacher

#155 Revelation

#156 Awkward firt kiss

#157 Shamefuly attracted

#158 Hard to concentrate

#159 Serious when it comes to you

#160 Have a nice day

#161 Still can’t get enough

#162 Steamy atmosphere

#163 Plushie gift

#164 How much do you love me?

#165 Sexy teasing

#166 You so love hate him

#167 I don’t care what you think about your beauty

#168 Not as a friend anymore

#169 seems like I forgot this one, oops! Sorry x

#170 Couple silliness

#171 Surprise meeting

#172 Art project

#173 Play fighting

#174 Scared of love

#175 The little surprise

#176 Meeting family

#177 Love is a cycle…

#178 Garden of Eden

#179 Massage session

#180 Cart race

#181 Touch our dreams

#182 What’s your wish?

#bts #BTS request #bts scenarios #bts imagine #BTS drabbles #bts oneshot #bts fanfiction #bts reactions #bts preferences #bts master lists #bts masterpost #BTS Blog #bts writing

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ltworld · 4 years

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Revelation, Coronavirus, and the Mark of the Beast: How Should Christians Read the Bible’s Most Fascinating Book? Part 1

Kevin DeYoung

Whenever there is a cataclysmic global crisis—be it war, rumors of war, or a novel coronavirus—we see a sharp uptick of interest in the book of Revelation. While paying attention to the Bible is always a good thing, Revelation is too often used (by Christians and non-Christians) in a way that does less to edify the body of Christ and more to stoke the fires of wild speculation and unfounded conspiracy theories.

It may be helpful, then, to understand what kind of book Revelation is and how to make sense of imagery like the mark of the beast. We’ll get to the mark of the beast in the third and final installment of this short series. But before we get there I want to take a couple posts to look at what Revelation is all about and how we should interpret this not-as-strange-as-it-seems book.

Big Picture

Probably no book of the Bible has been harder for Christians to understand and, as a result, produced more bizarre theology than the book of Revelation. Although it is called “revelation,” it has been anything but a revelation for many Christians. It is a closed book for many of us, not correcting, not teaching, not rebuking, not training in righteousness like all Scripture should.

I remember teaching through part of Revelation for a Sunday school class several years ago and telling my mom about it over the phone. She said something like, “Kevin, you’re not going act like you have everything figured out are you? John Calvin didn’t even write a commentary on Revelation. You don’t know more than John Calvin, do you?” It is true that Calvin did not write a commentary on Revelation (one of the few books he didn’t write on), and it’s true that I don’t have everything figured out. But most of Revelation can be understood and applied if we will take the time to study it.

In fact, the entire book of Revelation can be summed up in one word: nike. Nike is the Greek word for victory. It occurs one time in the New Testament—1 John 5:4 states, “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” Another form of the word (nikos) appears four other times, three times in 1 Corinthians 15 (e.g., “Death has been swallowed up in victory;” “He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”). The verb form, nikao (meaning to conquer, to overcome, to triumph), occurs more frequently—28 times. Seventeen of those occurrences, more than in the rest of the New Testament combined, are in Revelation.

Revelation is the story of the Devil trying to conquer the church, but the church overcomes the Devil and the world because she belongs to the Lord who has won for us the victory (Rev. 5:5; 17:14). The book of Revelation gives instruction for the believer on how to conquer instead of being conquered, how to triumph instead of being trampled, and how to be an overcomer instead of a succumber. That’s why each of the seven letters to the seven churches concludes with “to the one who conquers . . .” If we cave and give in to persecution and give into worldliness and give into the Devil’s temptations, we will lose. But if we overcome through trial and suffering and seeming irrelevance, we will win (Rev. 21:6-7). That’s where history is heading, and that’s the big idea of Revelation.

(Possible) Map for the (Seeming) Madness

There is no one inspired way to understand the structure of Revelation. When studying this book in-depth several years ago, I found 11 different outlines, which suggests there probably isn’t one obvious structure we’re supposed to see.

One simple approach is to see Revelation as divided into two main sections. Chapters 1-11 introduce the story of God’s triumph, and chapters 12-22 explain the story in greater detail, this time unveiling in more depth the role of evil through the beast, the false prophet, and the whore of Babylon.

Another way of approaching the book is to divide it into four main sections, each marked off by the phrase “what must soon take place” or “what must take place after this.”

Rev. 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the things that must soon take place.

Rev. 1:19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.

Rev. 4:1 “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”

Rev. 22:6 “And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”

The language in these four passages comes from Daniel 2 and indicates that Old Testament prophecy is already and not yet completed in Revelation.

There’s another way to outline the book into four main sections. This approach marks out the times John says he was caught up in the Spirit.

Rev. 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.

Rev. 4:2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.

Rev. 17:3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness.

Rev. 21:10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.

By this reckoning, Revelation consists of four main visions that John saw while he was in the Spirit on four different occasions.

Yet one more way of approaching the book—and the approaches are not mutually exclusive—is to look for sets of sevens. Everyone recognizes that seven is a crucial number in Revelation, and that there are at least four sets of sevens: seven letters, seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls. This much everyone agrees on. But from here things get less clear. Since there are plainly at least four sets of sevens, many scholars have wondered if we are meant to see seven sets of sevens. I am convinced there are seven sets of sevens, but I certainly wouldn’t be dogmatic about it. My outline, which is similar to outlines I’ve seen from others, looks like this:

Prologue: 1:1-8 I. Seven letters: 1:9-3:22 II. Seven seals: 4:1-8:5 III. Seven trumpets: 8:6-11:19 IV. Seven visions: 12:1-15:4 V. Seven bowls: 15:5-16:21 VI. Seven judgments: 17:1-19:10 VII. Seven last things: 19:11-21:8 VIII. The beautiful bride: 21:9-22:21

You’ll notice there is an eighth section that is not a set of seven. An eighth section makes sense because eight is often the number of new creation in the Bible (Jesus rose on the eighth day/first day of a new week, eight people started the new humanity after the flood, sons were to be circumcised on the eighth day), and this eighth section is about the new heavens and new earth. But there is nothing inspired about the outline above. It’s just one way of making the book more manageable and putting together some possible patterns with some obvious ones.

Our Interpretive Lens

The last thing I want to do in this post is look at the various ways Christians have understood Revelation. There are four main schools of thought.

The first school of interpretation is called preterism. The preterist approach teaches that a large portion of the book of Revelation was fulfilled in the first century, specifically in the destruction of the temple in AD 70. Further, most of the prophecies in Revelation were fulfilled by the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century.

The strength of the preterist school is that it puts Revelation in its original context. Revelation was written to first-century Christians with first-century metaphors and imagery and referents. If we jump to the 21st century and ask, “What does this mean for me?,” we will almost surely get the wrong answer. We have to first ask, “What did this mean to them, to John’s original audience?”

Preterism is not without weaknesses. First, some preterists try to find a single, specific fulfillment to the prophecies of Revelation when it seems more likely that John’s visions often portray generalized spiritual battles and struggles that occur throughout the ages. Second, full-blown preterists argue that all of the end-time events, like the second coming and the last judgment, actually were fulfilled by AD 70. This does not seem in keeping with the cataclysmic language used at the end of each sequence.

The second school of interpretation is called historicism. The historicist reads Revelation as a straightforward, sequential roadmap of history. Revelation is seen as predicting any number of key historical figures and events from Napoleon to Hitler to the European Union to the United Nations.

The strength of historicism is that it makes Revelation relevant for all Christians. It focuses our attention not on the fall of the temple or on the Roman Empire but on the way of the church in the world.

But besides this strong point, historicism is the worst way to try to understand Revelation. It is full of weaknesses. Let me quickly mention just four.

First, historicism is often anachronistic and takes Revelation out of its original context. I am thinking of those who argued that the country out of the north (from Daniel, not Revelation) must be Russia, or that the locust swarm from Revelation 9 is foretelling a helicopter battalion. These sorts of interpretations completely ignore the imagery of ancient prophecy and the context of the first century.

Second, historicism, with its end-of-the-world predictions and identifications of the beast, has often been demonstrably wrong. During the cold war, people saw Russia in Revelation. A decade ago they saw Iraq. Now they see the coronavirus. In a few years, they will be on to something else. Historicists tend to see Revelation being fulfilled in whatever crisis is pertinent for the day. And then on another day, another group of historicists see that view was wrong and find something completely different.

Third, historicism limits the prophecies of Revelation to one exclusive location or personality instead of allowing that the imagery of Revelation may be well suited to an inclusive number of different figures and times. That is, I think historicists are right to see Revelation unfolding in history, but they are wrong to think that Revelation is uniquely unfolding in one historical moment.

Fourth, historicism is irreducibly subjective. There is simply no objective standard of interpretation. Who’s to say that Hitler was more the beast than Stalin? Or that 666 is a reference to Bill Clinton (as one website I found argues)? Or, as another article maintains, that Ronald Wilson Reagan (six letters in each of his names!) was the beast? It’s all hopelessly subjective. The text ends up saying anything we want it to.

The third school of interpretation is futurism. The futurist reads Revelation (chs. 4-22) as a prophecy solely concerned with the distant future. The events depicted refer to the time involving, or immediately preceding, the end of history. Dispensationalists are futurists (though not all futurists are dispensationalists).

The strength of futurism is that it emphasizes how Revelation speaks to the future, not just about the past. Futurism is right to see that some things in Revelation deal with the final consummation of human history. Futurists are also right to see that the future is moving somewhere, toward the triumph of the Lamb.

But futurism also has weaknesses.

First, if Revelation 4-22 is entirely and only about the distant future, then most of Revelation was barely relevant to its original readers. Sure, it would have helped them see the end of the world, but it really spoke little into their immediate context (when John says Revelation revealed “what must soon take place”).

Second, futurism often assumes a strict sequential chronology. And yet, we cannot assume that what is shown to us in chapter 12 comes in time after what we see in chapter 6. To the contrary, one of the keys to interpreting Revelation is to understand that its visions are recapitulated. So, Revelation gives us a sweep through history in the seven seals, and then does the sweep again in the seven bowls. Revelation comprises overlapping prophecies that go back and forth between the present and the future and are not strictly chronological.

Don’t think of the visions of Revelation as frames from a movie reel running through the light one after the other. Think of the visions as portraits in a gallery. You look at one portrait and get a glimpse of reality, and then you look at the next portrait, and then you walk over to the next room and look at the portraits over there. They are pictures telling the same story and pointing to the same reality, but they aren’t sequential clips from a movie.

The fourth school of interpretation is idealism. The idealist reads Revelation as a symbolic conflict between the forces of good and evil. Revelation, idealists argue, does not point to particular historical figures but depicts the timeless struggle between God and Satan. It interprets Revelation as a series of repeated symbolic pictures, focusing on the church’s triumphant struggle from the first century until the last judgment and the eternal state.

The strength of idealism is that is understands the symbolic nature of Revelation. It realizes that Revelation’s imagery is rooted first in Old Testament language and second in the known world of the first century. The other strength is that it sees behind the first-century context deeper spiritual realities that would outlive and transcend ancient Rome and remain relevant for believers throughout the ages.

The weakness of idealism is that it can at times under-emphasize the fact that all of history is moving somewhere. That is, idealism sometimes sounds vague, as if there were no end point in history as we know it, as if Revelation was just about the struggle between good and evil and not also about the ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ.

Interpret the Book

So what approach do I think helps us best understand Revelation? I think each approach offers something needed. This doesn’t mean that I think every approach is good or that one is not better than another (I’m basically an idealist with a partial preterist bent). But each school of interpretation does offer something important.

With the preterist, we must read Revelation in its immediate context.

With the idealist, we must look at Revelation as a symbolic portrayal of God’s work, most of which can be applied to any historical time.

With the futurist, we must read Revelation with end of history in mind, recognizing that the book depicts, in parts, the second coming, the final judgment, and the eternal state.

And with the historicist, we must understand that the prophecies of Revelation, though they are not limited to one particular occurrence, are fulfilled in time and space.

The best way to defend one’s interpretive grid is to actually interpret the book. But since this is a three-part blog series and not a 50-part sermon series, we will have to settle for just one more post on the subject. In the first three verses, John makes clear that this book is an apocalypse, a prophecy, and a letter. Once we know what each of the terms entail, we will be better equipped to understand the book as a whole and specific imagery like the mark of the beast.

Note: This post was first published through The Gospel Coalition website.

#deyoung #revelation

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hallsp · 5 years

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Ramadan Diary

Ramadan is a month of fasting, prayer, and self-reflection for the world’s two billion Muslims. The observance of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, a central tenet of the faith. The holy month itself commemorates the start of the recitation of the Qur’an to Mohammad, culminating in Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Destiny, which celebrates the very first revelation.

The date for Ramadan varies from year to year, as the Islamic calendar is based on the movements of the moon, not the sun. This year, it began on the night of Sunday, May 5th, when the religious authorities glimpsed the thin crescent of a new moon.

I decided, after some encouragement from my students, to fast for all of Ramadan as a kind of personal challenge. This is a diary of my progress.

Monday, 6th May

Today was long, and hungry. I didn’t eat a morsel, nor drink a drop, all the livelong day. It wasn’t easy. I thought about food quite a lot. Bron, my roommate, is also fasting so we can do iftar together. An app tells me that the evening call to prayer, called maghrib, is at 19.27, but it began a small bit later — an agonizing two minutes — at about 19.29. Maryam, my other roommate, and raised Muslim, told me we have to wait until the prayer is finished, bless the food bismillah, and then eat. I broke the fast with some water and some dates, as is the custom, then devoured a chicken curry.

Tuesday, 7th May

Small bit easier today. Didn’t think of food so often. I was noticeably more tired though. I slept for an hour when I came home. Some strange reactions from some of the teachers to my fasting, but a lot of encouragement from fellow-fasters. Advice from other fasters includes waking at 3 or 4 AM for suhur, the pre-dawn meal, and easing into the iftar in the evenings with soup and salad. I decided against suhur, for reasons of laziness, so my fast is actually more extreme, having one meal, as opposed to two meals, per day. Broke the fast with some dates, a lot more water, and the last part of my chicken curry.

Wednesday, 8th May

Getting into the swing of things now, the hunger isn’t so obvious throughout the day, but much less energy. I’m in a very good mood, though. I’ve decided to make a fattoush salad, with the help of my Syrian friend Majd, who’s Christian and thinks I’m crazy for fasting. He also helped make lentil soup, another staple dish, with Bron, my roommate. So, this was a proper iftar: dates, soup, salad, and bread.

Thursday, 9th

Talked with the Biology teacher, who’s also fasting. He tells me that people ought to re-orient their mind towards other people during Ramadan, and that it’s not about feasting once the sun goes down. Look out, not in, essentially. More advice received: do not eat an even number of dates. Mohammad used to eat three. Broke the fast with (three) dates, and water. I made my own fattoush, which worked out very well. We also had leftover soup from yesterday, and I bought chicken tawouq, which I ate with bread.

Friday, 10th May

Today is International Day at school. The worst event for people fasting. There was food from every country on the planet. I had to borrow a tupperware container to bring the food home. Worse, today is Friday. The weekend is here. I have to go on a trip to Batroun for a bachelorette party with my friends leaving Beirut at about 5pm. Drink will certainly be taken. I can’t avoid it. Anyway, I’m not doing the fast for religious reasons, so once the sun goes down, I can eat, drink, and be merry. The hangover will be tough without a lot of water to compensate, though. We arrived in Batroun at 19:30 so I hopped out of the van, chugged some water, had a few dates, then started into the champagne. I managed to squeeze in a chicken burger in between the drinks.

Saturday, 11th May

The hangover wasn’t so bad, actually. In spite of this, I broke the fast for the first time — to drink a small bottle of water. As sins go, not so heinous. I was just so thirsty day after the night before. Religiously, you can break the fast if you’re pregnant, or menstruating, or sick. Maybe a hangover is a type of sickness? Anyway, spent the day on the beach, mostly under cover, and rested. Broke the fast back in Beirut with dates, some tuna fish, and pasta.

Sunday, 12th May

Apparently there’s an exemption on fasting if you’re traveling. I could’ve done with this on the road to Batroun! It also excuses my breach the day of my return to Beirut, I reckon. Broke the fast with dates, water, tawouq, bread, and pasta.

Monday, 13th May

People are always giving you advice when they hear that you’re fasting. Some of it contradictory. Bron was told not to drink so much water before eating at iftar. We decided to try it. Broke the fast with dates, no water, and chicken curry. Then copious amounts of water after. No obvious difference.

Tuesday, 14th May

Bron makes a strong point. Those who alter their body clocks by sleeping during the day and eating all night are cheating in a way. They’re just moving their day around, and sleeping through the hunger. It’s not a proper fast if you can’t feel the hunger. Broke the fast with chicken curry, round two, and lots of water.

Wednesday, 15th May

I feel hungrier today, not sure why. More advice with recommendations for iftar. The mindfulness coach thinks I ought to break the fast with some warm water, not cold, perhaps herbal tea, as this prepares the stomach better for eating, to be followed by three dates. He’s also of the opinion that people should be humble during Ramadan, no talking about their fast, no feasts at iftar, certainly no Instagram pictures. Broke the fast with a chicken burger from Smoked Bun, post-dates. Ridiculously nice.

Thursday, 16th May

I have a day off school today, for the funeral of Patriarch Sfeir, a Lebanese Maronite Cardinal. It was more difficult being home, actually. At work, even though I’m much more active and using more energy, at least I’m kept busy. Today, I caught myself watching cooking videos on YouTube. Broke the fast with (three) dates, and beef fajitas, but made with Lebanese bread.

Friday, 17th May

Broke the fast with a gorgeous mujaddara, a spicy mix of lentils, rice, and onions, made by a chef friend of Bron’s. Eaten with some of his delicious homemade bread, and some 961 Red Ale. Today is my good friend Enzo’s last night in Lebanon so drink will have to be taken again. What choice do I have?

Saturday, 18th May

Asma, Maryam’s friend from the UK whose working with a medical NGO in the Beqaa Valley, came for iftar. She’s a practising Muslim, so we had to lend her a Qur’an and find the Qibla, the direction of prayer. It was nice to get some more insight into the traditions. Apparently we can eat as soon as the call to prayer begins. We ate three dates, some ripe peach, and drank water, followed by mint tea. Dinner included pasta, fattoush, and more mujaddara. We also had ayran, a traditional kind of sour yoghurt drink. After dinner, we drank some Turkish coffee, then some Indian desi chai, made with ginger and milk. Finally, we had some traditional sweets, heloweyat. A proper iftar!

Sunday, 19th May

No hunger pangs at all today. I think my body has fully acclimatised to fasting. A small group of us went to see some childrens’ theatre in Tripoli, directed by a friend of ours and starring some kids from a Syrian refugee camp. It was really entertaining. The boys put on a production about a couple of swindlers selling dodgy seeds. The girls had a modern take on Cinderella. I could understand most of it, so I’m happy. We rushed back to Beirut for iftar. I decided to order a Ramadan Combo from Malik al-Tawouq: lentil soup, salad, and chicken tawouq platter, and a date cookie called ma’moul. Plus, a Miranda tamarind soft drink. The guy who delivered it was fasting and so forgot to take any money! We also ate some traditional Ramadan cheese sweets, heloweyat al-jibn, made with clotted cream called ashta, which we bought in Tripoli. They were spectacular. There’s a beautiful full moon tonight, which means: we’re half way through Ramadan! Ramadan Kareem!

Monday, 20th May

I genuinely don’t feel hungry during the day any more. Intellectually, I know I need to eat, but there are no hunger pangs. It’s not an obvious hunger. My sense of smell is more active, that’s about it. I decided to make chicken biryani today, which worked out really well. No big communal iftar today, as the final episode of Game of Thrones is available. Some things are more important.

Tuesday, 21st May

Bron invited two work friends over, a Syrian Muslim and a Jordanian Christian, and we also invited Dennis from downstairs. Bron made another batch of lentil soup, which was nicer even than the last one. She made fattoush as well. I contributed the remaining biryani. We had a huge variety of ice-creams with cones for dessert.

Wednesday, 22nd May

I didn’t eat so much today. I think my stomach is getting smaller. Broke the fast with three dates, some of the leftover lentil soup, a Mexican bean and tuna fish mix, and some fried haloumi. Fried haloumi is my new favourite food. Also, had a little pot of yoghurt.

Thursday, 23rd May

The routine now is to break the fast with three dates, and follow this with warm tea, usually mint tea. This really helps the transition to eating. Today, I had a big plate of pasta, some fried haloumi, and a yoghurt.

Friday, 24th May

It’s 38° today. It’s so hot that the cold tap runs warm. It’s at times like these that you appreciate the true value of something as simple as a glass of water. Tonight we’re hosting iftar on our balcony. Maryam made a Palestinian vegetarian maqluba, meaning upside-down, which is made with layers of fried vegetables, potatoes, and rice, which is then flipped before serving, and topped with fried cashew nuts. It was delicious. I made fattoush for seven people, complete with fried pita bread, and it was my best one yet. I was relieved, as I was serving Arabic food to Arabs. My friend Shadi brought his fiancé all the way from Damascus. We eventually made our way to Mezyan in Hamra, where I was rewarded with a free drink for boldly asking for one. It’s Ramadan, after all, the season of good will.

Saturday, 25th May

Myself and my house mates, Maryam and Bron, went to the Beqaa Valley to meet with Asma, who had invited us to iftar with her boss, Doctor Fares, and his extended family. It was such an amazing evening. Typically Syrian. First, we sat around half-talking, half-watching Arab dramas, like Al-Hayba and Khamsa Wa Nos, while the family cooked. People were coming and going all the time. We then went for a short walk with the good doctor’s kids, who were adorable. His eldest daughter, Lamar, had very good English. Then we moved to the garden where we played cards, a version of Trumps. I managed to cheat a bit with help of the kids. Finally, as the sun went down, we ate in a big group in the garden, sitting on cushions around a selection of dishes. There was soup and salad, alongside three different meat dishes: chicken, lamb, and fish. The flavours were superb. The family were a lively bunch. At one point, Doctor Fares insisted on feeding us from his hand. I also discovered that they knew one of my colleagues in Eastwood. Lebanon is a very small place! We sang happy birthday to one his kids and topped it all off with cake. It was the best iftar experience so far.

Sunday, 26th May

Went to Souq al-Ahad, the Sunday market, with Bron. Such a crazy place. We bought some spices, some olives and maqdus (baby aubergine stuffed with chilies, and then pickled) from Aleppo, and salvaged an old backgammon board. It’s a great place to wander for a couple of hours. At one stage I was offered a taste of something, and when I said I was fasting he immediately said (in Arabic): “Me too, I’m Muslim. Are you Muslim? Are you Sunni or Shi’a?” I had to disappoint him by saying neither. It was at this point that he said, with utmost confidence: “It’s only a matter of time.” We broke the fast with a vegetable curry, alongside some maqdus and some Lebanese bread.

Monday, 27th May

I was a small bit busy with work tonight so I had three dates followed by a simple pasta with pesto rosso, onions, and tomato. Naturally, had some mint tea and gallons of water.

Tuesday, 28th May

Today, I had the least amount of food yet. I just had a simple pasta with spicy tomato sauce and cheddar cheese. I couldn’t even finish it. I think my stomach has shrunk over the course of Ramadan. I’m definitely losing weight.

Wednesday, 29th May

Today was a tough day. I was in a bad mood for some reason. I think it’s to do with not having enough energy. Usually, during the whole of Ramadan, my mood has been positive. I think I need to eat enough to maintain my energy levels. Tonight I made chicken vindaloo with egg noodles.

Thursday, 30th May

I had more energy today, back to my normal self. I broke the fast with the remainder of my chicken vindaloo. Also, the requisite number of dates and some mint tea.

Friday, 31st May

Another Friday is upon us. The last, in fact, of Ramadan. Tonight is a big night for Muslims around the world. No-one is quite sure exactly when Laylat al-Qadr is supposed to fall, but most believe it’s the 27th day of Ramadan, which is tonight. It’s also a Friday, so it’s a big deal. We had our last group iftar in the apartment. This time we had three Syrians with us, so we had plenty of help with the food. We had a rice and aubergine dish, a water melon and feta salad, a tabbouleh salad, and some fried haloumi. Later, I nipped downstairs to say goodbye to some friends, before moving to Strada 51, a local bar, and winding up in a swimming pool in a club at 4am. Your typical Laylat al-Qadr.

Saturday, 1st June

I had Arabic class with my friend Majd, from about 2pm. He spent half the day preparing a chicken and rice dish to break the fast with at 7.45. Bless him. I broke the fast with this and some delicious Ethiopian soup made by our friend Jodie, called shiro. It was spicy, and the perfect match for the chicken. I followed this with a few drinks with an Irish guy visiting Lebanon for a week.

Sunday, 2nd June

I broke the fast with three dates, some water, and pasta, alongside some fried haloumi. The end is nigh.

Monday, 3rd June

I had to work today, but I’ve been given the rest of the week off work to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the Festival of Fast Breaking. Today might well be the last night of Ramadan, but we’ll have to wait for the religious authorities to check on the phase of the moon. It will end either tonight or tomorrow.

If Eid begins tomorrow, Muslims will gather for special prayers called Salat al-Eid, which is usually followed by a small breakfast, the first daytime meal in a month. Eid is usually celebrated by visiting relatives, where gifts are exchanged, and zakat is given to the poor. The kids will get a tidy sum of money. Unsurprisingly, food is very important. After a whole month of fasting, all sorts of delicacies will be eaten.

It’s official. Eid begins tonight. The fast is over. I broke the fast by going to Tariq al-Jadida, a busy part of the southern suburbs, with Bron. We then went to Dahieh, where we had some saj with jibneh and zataar, before walking through the market in Sabra and Shatilla. We ended up back in Tariq al-Jadida looking for heloweyat. We weren’t very successful, but we were given free street food: foul with lemon, and seasoned corn. Tomorrow, I’ll go for breakfast in the morning, and then hit the beach.

Epilogue

This month has been really amazing. I’ve learned so much about the traditions of Islam, I’ve met so many different people, I’ve tasted lots of new foods, and I’ve had some great experiences.

It was trying at times, but the effort was definitely worth it. Ramadan really focuses the mind, and makes you very thankful for what you have. It’s also helped me to think more about portion size and also about my own health. Lastly, it’s helped me bond with others who are fasting, and brought me closer to my Muslim friends and students. I can now say with pride that I made it through the full month of Ramadan.

#ramadan #lebanon #diary #reporter

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threedaysdown-blog · 5 years

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NYC 2021

I have heard many different people talk about having dreams of NYC being bombed, or about having dreams of being at school when bombs have gone off. They have said that they believe these dreams relate to the rapture that is spoken about in the Book of Revelations because many of them have dreamt about being raptured as the bombs are going off. This would make sense since many have dreamt about schools and the rapture is sometimes called a “graduation”. There have been signs that point to this event taking place on the Super Wolf Blood Moon (or whatever else it is called) that is occurring on Sunday.

I have also had dreams about NYC blowing up, but I believe that the Moon on Sunday is simply foreshadowing the events that are to come. In my dream, I saw NYC explode and the year “2021″ written in the sky above it. The night the Moon is supposed to be a Super Wolf Blood Moon (or whatever) is the 20th and the next day is the 21st.

Since no man can predict the day or hour that the events of Revelation are going to take place (this particular one would be the fall of Babylon), then it would make sense of the Lord to at least give us the year that these horrible events will take place.

#God #godisgood #dream #possible prophecy #2021 #superwolfbloodmoon #superbloodmoon #supermoon #moon #nyc #destruction #message

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jamesginortonblog · 6 years

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The Mail on Sunday, December 24, 2017 TV’s hottest new drama is The Godfather for the cyber crime age

TV’s hottest new drama is The Godfather for the cyber crime age, so when McMafia’s very own Don Corleone (leading man of the moment James Norton) and his killer co-stars offered us a secret briefing, we simply couldn’t refuse!

By Jim White For The Mail On Sunday

There is a moment in an early episode of McMafia that chills the blood. A spine-tingling sequence, fraught with tension, pregnant with consequence, it happens when the central character first engages with serious misconduct. But Alex Godman, superbly played by James Norton, does not point a gun at anyone’s head, nor does he threaten, cajole or even make them an offer they cannot refuse. Instead he does something seemingly innocuous: he presses a key on his computer. And with that keystroke, as a sizeable payment is sent spinning off to a place it really should not be heading, we see Alex becoming a very modern type of criminal.

‘It’s a really dramatic thought: click a mouse and it can cause so much damage in another part of the world,’ says Norton, who, after magnificent turns in Happy Valley and Grantchester, is rapidly becoming television drama’s go-to leading man. Indeed, when we first we first see him in McMafia he’s wearing a tuxedo, which has led some to speculate about his ambitions to be the next 007. ‘I did warn the writers about that,’ Norton says of the scene, before attempting to quash the rumours. ‘Personally I am just grateful Daniel Craig has agreed to do the next one or two… or maybe even five.’

Across eight hour-long episodes, McMafia spins a multi-layered tale of corrupt politicians, money-laundering, counterfeiting and human trafficking, bringing us close to this new criminal order. In a giddying world tour, it takes in more locations than any BBC drama series has ever done before, visiting 12 different countries, filming in places as varied as the Egyptian desert, the Mumbai docks and Moscow’s Red Square.

This is the McDonald-isation of crime, the seemingly irresistible rise of the McMafia, in the phrase first coined by veteran BBC reporter Misha Glenny, whose 2007 book of the same name revealed the manner in which modern mobsters are spreading their tentacles across the globe. Glenny spent two years interviewing the world’s leading criminals. And what he found was that their way of doing things was subtly shifting before his eyes. ‘At the heart of traditional organised crime has long been the threat of violence,’ he says. ‘But that all changed with the internet and the ability to move money at the touch of a button. Cyber crime fundamentally altered the rules. The new criminals ruling the world are not traditional heavies. Because on the internet you don’t need to deploy the same level of violence. Instead you can do it from the safety of the boardroom.’

It was this sense of a criminal world in a state of modernising flux that so appealed to the director James Watkins. Together with his scriptwriting partner Hossein Amini, he reckoned Glenny’s book was ripe for translation to the screen. ‘Misha got in a room with these people. He put a face on the new criminal world order,’ says Watkins. There was just one problem: Glenny’s book was non-fiction. So the pair set to work fleshing out a plot and creating characters to inhabit the real world of crime he had uncovered.

The drama tells the story of Dimitri Godman, Alex’s father, and his mother Oksana (played by Aleksey Serebryakov and Maria Shukshina, the Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep of Russia, according to Watkins). Some years before we meet them, they had been driven by a rival Russian gang boss into exile in England. Living in morose, vodka-infused purposelessness, still under threat from their Moscow-based nemesis, the couple had done what Glenny observed was a characteristic of the modern successful gangster: they put their children through a classic English education.

‘It is reputation-laundering,’ Glenny says. ‘But on a generational scale. You get your kids out of the milieu you grew up in, use your dirty money to turn them into upstanding members of society, doing legitimate things.’

The Alex we meet at the start of the series appears poised, confident and exudes persuasive old-school charm, with an English rose of a girlfriend and running a hedge fund from a chic Mayfair office. His hands appear as clean as his recent shave, his transactions ethical, his purpose strictly above board. But all is not quite what he seems.

‘He is a man inhabiting the greyest of grey areas,’ says Norton. ‘And as the series progresses you will see how far he journeys into the dark side. For me, he is a metaphor for the City of London as a whole. We like to think we in this country are squeaky clean, incorruptible. But so much dealing goes through this city, money coming in from around the world from who knows what sources. And Alex finds himself on a precipice, faced with a terrible choice of which way to jump.’

Alex is confronted by a sudden, unexplained haemorrhage of investors’ capital. And as the plot unfolds it becomes apparent that he has been unwittingly embroiled in a struggle among the new international power brokers of money and crime. He is faced with a dilemma: either resist and face ruin or embrace his new circumstance and address the consequences.

It is in the decision to embark on a partnership with a billionaire Israeli politician named Semiyon Kleiman (David Strathairn) that Alex first demonstrates his new direction.

‘He’s one of those guys that you find a little slick of oil on your palm after you’ve shaken hands with him,’ says Strathairn. ‘The successful in this modern criminal world are the ones like him who stay behind the veils and work in a closeted way.’

‘There’s no doubt he begins to revel in the power, the money, the excitement that brings,’ Norton says of Alex. ‘It’s an immense seduction. He tries to persuade himself he is acting out of the best intentions, but the fact is he loves it. That is what has made him so enjoyable to play: this is as compromised a character as you will see on the screen.’

His father’s attempt to equip Alex for legitimacy has the unintended consequence of making Alex a formidable entrant into the new landscape of international crime. Inherited ruthlessness married to educated sophistication: what we are watching is the emergence of the 21st-century Godfather.

‘Unlike Michael Corleone there’s a softness and likeability about him,’ says Amini. ‘But however much the circumstances change, there’s nothing new in the exercise of power. Alex’s rise was all about people underestimating him.’

According to Glenny, this is what makes the new McMafia criminal so dangerous: the threat he poses is disguised by a veneer of legitimate success. ‘For all the yachts and jets and apartments there’s nothing glamorous about this,’ he says. ‘You have to remember, organised crime is parasitic. It doesn’t add anything to our lives, it just extracts. And invariably it corrupts the agents of state, the police, the customs, the politicians. Are we going to allow these criminals to become the defining element of our society? Or are we going to fight back? I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say we are embarked on a battle for our souls.’

And over the next eight weeks we will see who is winning

#James Norton #McMafia #article #Daily Mail #my scans

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sporthistory · 4 years

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Top Ten Charts 1968, The Ohio Express - Yummy Yummy Yummy (1968) Genre Vocal Pop/Rock Styles Torch Songs AM Pop Traditional Pop Vocal Pop AllMusic Review by Lindsay Planer Pop standards vocalist/actress Julie London was definitely at a transitional phase in her career when she cut Yummy, Yummy, Yummy (1969) -- the final entry in her decade-and-a-half long relationship with Liberty Records. Modern listeners will revel in the obvious kitsch factor of a middle-aged, old-school female who is crooning rock & roll. Rightly so, as the two musical universes rarely collided with a lucrative outcome. However, just below the genre-bending veneer lie interesting interpretations of concurrently well-known selections with the occasional sleeper gem thrown in. The lush and admittedly antiquated orchestration doesn't mask London's smoky and smouldering pipes, and some scores definitely work better than others. The opening cover of Laura Nyro's "Stoned Soul Picnic," the adaptation of the Beatles' "And I Love Her," and the remarkably evocative "Hushabye Mountain" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) are each superior matches of artist with repertoire. Less successful is Harry Nilsson's "Without Him" [aka "Without Her"] as it lacks the urgency of Blood, Sweat & Tears' rendering or the pithy of Nilsson's original. The remake of Spanky & Our Gang's "Like to Get to Know You" is similarly short on soul, although it lends itself to the middle-of-the-road (MOR) feel, as does "It's Nice to Be With You." That said, the latter is infinitely more tolerable in this context than it was on the Davy Jones' warbled Monkees' single. The seeming incongruity of London's take on the Doors' "Light My Fire" isn't all that odd until she lets her hair down (so to speak) and slips into something right out of The Graduate's Mrs. Robinson. There are several instances of 'What were they thinking?,' such as the practically surreal "Mighty Quinn (Quinn, The Eskimo)" which sounds like it was the result of a Quaalude-related encounter. By the time we roll around to the title track, one can't tell if London is trying to be sexy or is simply hung over. "Sunday Morning" -- the second nod to Spanky & Our Gang -- also makes London come off as either bored or sleepy, either of which will be the effect that a majority of the album will inevitably have on 21st century ears. https://www.allmusic.com/album/yummy-yummy-yummy-mw0000186351

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pastorralffriedrichs · 4 years

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10 Common Mistakes People Make When Reading Revelation

The book of Revelation is either the most exciting or the most frustrating book of the Bible to read. It can be exciting when you’re looking at prophecy fulfilled or frustrating when you’re confused about what is literal, what is symbolic, what is future and what is past. It can also be the most divisive book of the Bible because of differing views on interpretation.

Yet John, the writer of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, said “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3, ESV).

How can you be blessed or happy when reading Revelation? When you avoid the common mistakes most people make when reading it – mistakes that can lead to confusion, fear, inaccurate predictions, disillusionment, paranoia, or end-of-the-world hype. Here are 10 common mistakes people make when reading Revelation.

1. Failing to Start at the Beginning

When you read a story, would you start with the last chapter first? Yet this is what many people do when they read Revelation. They start at the back of the book, instead of starting at the beginning. The Bible is one book of 66 smaller books and the first part of the book (the Old Testament) sets the stage, introduces the characters, lays down the Law and provides the reasoning behind God’s judgment – and His deliverance – at the very end of the book. It’s common for readers of Revelation to ignore the cross references and not look at the context of the Old Testament passages that are quoted throughout Revelation. But there is a reason Revelation is filled with footnotes directing you to the beginning of the book – passages in Exodus, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, just to name a few.

As you read Revelation, ask yourself “Why is John quoting Deuteronomy 32:43 in Revelation 6:10 and 19:2 when he talks about avenging the blood of His servants? Why is Jeremiah 3:1 quoted when John talks of the Prostitute or Great Harlot of Revelation 17:5-6? By going back to the beginning of the book and looking up passages quoted from the Old Testament you can arrive at Scriptural answers, rather than conjecture, when it comes to questions like “Who is the Harlot?” and other hotly-debated points.

2. Forgetting the Original Audience

We tend to read the book of Revelation as if it’s written to Christians of 21st Century America so we can know what our future holds. Yet, the Revelation of Jesus Christ was a letter written “to the seven churches that are in Asia” (Revelation 1:4) to provide for them comfort in the midst of the persecution they were enduring and to strengthen them, as well as give them hope for what was soon to come.

So, every time you see the word “you” in a narrative, you must realize that “you” is not literally you. This letter written from prison to persecuted Christians in the First Century and delivered through the Roman Postal System used veiled language, at times (Revelation 13:18), that its direct recipients would fully understand. So, be a history buff. Brush up on what was happening in the First Century and why these words would be a comfort to them and why certain codes would be significant to them and quit trying to put yourself into the picture. There is room for application of God’s Word after you have first looked at what the text says by its original author to its original audience. The basic model of hermeneutics is to first ask What does the text say? Secondly, ask What does it mean, in light of who it was written to and the time at which it was written? The third and final question to ask is What does this mean to me and how I should live? Application is important, but keep first things first. Remember to whom it was written and read it through the eyes of a First Century persecuted Christian.

3. Misunderstanding the Term "Last Days"

Christians today read about the "last days" and they get excited. They think in terms of Jenkins/LaHaye novels and Hollywood movies and immediately think "last days of the earth." Again, if you start in the Old Testament, you will understand that most of the references to the “last days” – also referred to as “latter days” (KJV and NASB), and “days to come” (ESV, NIV and NASB) – are referring to the last days of the Old Covenant, not the last days of the world.

For example, in Acts 2:14-40, Peter starts his powerful sermon on the day the first Church was established by quoting Joel 2:28-32 in which he says “In the last days it shall be….” That wouldn’t exactly be a relevant sermon on Opening Day of the First Christian Church, if Peter was talking about the last days of the earth some 2,000 + years hence, would it? But when you realize that sermon is talking about the last days of the Old Covenant that God made with Israel, it suddenly makes sense that Peter would be letting the first Christians know that, indeed, the ending of the Old Covenant was finally upon them and the New Covenant was being ushered in. The New Covenant was with Jesus – the long-awaited Messiah – who had been killed and then raised from the dead and “God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you (remember the audience relevance?) crucified” (Acts 2:36). By the way, the term Old Testament and New Testament is another way of saying Old Covenant and New Covenant. Understand the meaning of the various uses of “last days” throughout the Bible and you’ll better understand Revelation.

4. Comparing Scripture with Headlines, Tweets, or Traditions

If you read Revelation and compare it with headlines on the evening news or in social media, you will have a completely skewed idea about what the book is about. Likewise, if you read it with the latest apocalyptic movie in mind, or the images in your head from the Left Behind series of novels, you will be reading into it what isn’t there.

Don’t compare Scripture with headlines or movies or even long-held beliefs going back to what you heard in Sunday School as a child. Compare Scripture with Scripture (both Old and New Testament Scriptures) and you will discover what is actually Scripture and what is merely conjecture, tradition, or hype from current events.

5. Taking the Symbolic as Literal

Yes, you believe the Bible is literal. So do I. But certain portions of Revelation (and the Bible, for that matter) are meant to be symbolic, not literal. When John says “I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit” (Revelation 9:1) he obviously is not talking about a literal star falling from heaven and being handed a set of keys. That is a symbolic reference to Satan from Ezekiel 28.

Likewise, when John says in Revelation 9:16-17 that 200 million horsemen with heads like lions and fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths will line up in the Valley of Megiddo to kill a third of mankind, this is also symbolic of a massive battle but most likely not a literal 200 million horse-mounted demon-like soldiers akin to the machines in Terminator or Transformers! Know the difference between narrative, which is to be read literally, and portions of prophesy and apocalyptic language, which is to be read symbolically.

6. Taking the Literal as Symbolic

You’re right, this process goes both ways. Some phrases are meant to be symbolic and not taken literally and some of the prophesy is meant to be read literally and not symbolically. For instance, the churches in Asia that John is writing to in Revelation 1:4 are seven real churches that existed at the time the letter was written. That doesn't mean it was written to the seven “ages” of the church through the past two thousand years. Nor does it mean it was written to and about the seven “types” of churches or the different conditions of the church that exist in America or around the world today. While practical application can be made from the condition of the seven churches (such as the lukewarm Laodiceans), don’t make the mistake of making something literal completely symbolic.

Another example of this is in terms of numbers. When Revelation refers to a “thousand-year reign” is that a literal 1,000 years or is it symbolic of a very long time? Likewise, when John says the time is near (Revelation 1:3), and the events he has described “must soon take place” (Revelation 22:6), is that literally near and soon or symbolic for a distant date in the future? Know the difference between literal and symbolic and simile and metaphor when you read Revelation.

7. Ignoring the Time References

This also becomes a literal vs. symbolic question. But it is significant that there are more than 100 time statements in the New Testament. Do you know the different Greek words/phrases used for “time” in each of these references? It takes research to demonstrate the differences and when you compare Scripture with Scripture, you will find that they progressively become more imminent the closer you get to the Book of Revelation. Since the letter was written to the First Century Church undergoing persecution, and they are being told the events are “near” and Jesus is quoted as saying “I am coming soon” (Revelation 20:20), there is an undeniable sense of imminence.

Again, in reading the time references, refer to the Old Testament cross references. For instance, in Daniel 8:26, the Prophet Daniel is told to “seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now” and in Daniel 12:4 he is again told “shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end.” Daniel was to seal his prophecy because it wouldn’t come about for another 400-600 years. Yet in Revelation 22:10, John is told “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.” Did God think 400-600 years for Daniel was further away than 2,000-plus years for John? Or does “near” actually mean “near” and “far” actually mean “far”? The Bible doesn’t contradict itself, so that problem can be solved through a proper understanding of time references.

8. Not Understanding "Apocalyptic Language"

Throughout the Bible “apocalyptic language” is used to describe the devastation of God’s wrath and judgment against his enemies. In Second Samuel 22, after God spared David’s life from the hand of King Saul, David penned a song about how “the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations of the heavens trembled and quaked, because (God) was angry. Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him” (verses 8-9). David is describing God as a fire-breathing dragon who “parted the heavens and came down” (verse 10) and laid bare the foundations of the world at the blast of breath from his nostrils (verse 16). But that is poetic imagery to describe God’s might and power, not a description of God as a literal dragon levelling the earth.

The same type of language is used by John, particularly in Revelation 6:12-14 when he says “The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.” John was using apocalyptic language similar to Jesus’ words in Matthew 24 when He was describing God’s judgment. This type of language is foreign to us, which can cause us to look at Revelation and expect literal events from the apocalyptic language. But the First Century Jews understood this language because they were familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures.

9. Trying to Put "America" into the Scriptures

If you’re like me, you might have grown up looking at the Bible egocentrically, believing we (and this country) are at the core of everything God is doing. That type of approach to Scripture causes us to scour Revelation to find out where America fits into all of it and that can cause people to inaccurately – and repeatedly -- predict the “next date” the rapture will happen, and attribute national storms and disasters to fulfilled apocalyptic prophecy. But the United States wasn’t around when John wrote this vision to the First Century churches. So, you’re not going to find your President, your political party, or your country in the Book of Revelation. Taking into account audience relevance, it would’ve been meaningless to the First Century church for John to tell them what would happen a couple thousand years hence to all of us here in the USA. So, don’t waste your time trying to find out which president or world leader is “the Anti-Christ”– a term not even used in Revelation, but according to 1 John 4:3 is a spirit of rejection of Christ and was “in the world already” at the time John wrote the Book of Revelation.

We so want to believe we are “in the mix” and we will see these events in our lifetime that we convince ourselves we’re in there somewhere. In doing so, we fail to see Christ in the book and the vision of His glory.

10. Forgetting it is a Vision of Christ, Not a 'Topic of Debate'

Imagine having a dream or vision so vivid, so inexplicably glorious that you have a difficult time describing it in detail to others. John’s vision of the Revelation of Jesus Christ was something unlike anything he’d ever seen or imagined. He was no doubt at a loss for words in how to describe the glorified Christ’s presence as evidenced in phrases like “His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters” (Revelation 1: 14-15, emphasis added). John was given a peek into the spiritual realm to see what no man has seen before. Thus, in his limited vocabulary and human existence, he did his best, with the inspiration of God, to give us a glimpse of heaven.

If you don’t fully understand the Book of Revelation, you’re certainly not alone. Its interpretation has been debated by Bible scholars for centuries. But rather than allow it to become a book of divisiveness, ask the Holy Spirit for His guidance as you look at Scripture and read the book for what it is – a book of worship and the Revelation of Jesus Christ – rather than a book of argument or debate. Whether you find yourself an amillenialist, premillennialist, or post-millenialist, and whether or not you subscribe to the pre-trib, mid-trib or post-trib view, make sure what you believe is grounded in what Scripture says, not what everyone else is saying or guessing.

#takeyourlifebacktodayshow

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lovehaswonangelnumbers · 4 years

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New Post has been published on https://lovehaswonangelnumbers.org/a-divine-appointment-with-grace/

A Divine Appointment with Grace

By Hare in the Moon Astrology

Sunday June 21 2020

“Astonishing things and revelations appear in our lives all the time. Let it be. Unto us, so much is given. We just have to be open for business.” Anne Lamott

A heads up for Transmitters, Transformers and Sacred Actioneers – now is the time for reflection, re-evaluation, re-prioritisation + re-orientation of your trajectory

• Today’s June 21st Solstice turning point is amplified by a Solar eclipse at 0 Cancer delivering not only a change in the season but a seismic shift. Every 19 years the eclipses fall on or very near the same degrees and sign placement and the last one at this exact degree was the eclipse that preceded 9/11.

• It’s one of those hinge points in history that in hindsight become Before and After markers in time and given that the US is now starting its first Pluto Return since the Founding Fathers, the next 6 months will witness a chain of karmic dismantling.

• The powerful geophysical shock window extends from the 14th – 28th June. The eclipse shadow moves across Africa, Asia and culminates in China. Those border conflicts between China and India and North and South Korea have the potential to escalate in the next 6 months.

• This is the 2nd in a series of 3 eclipses – a coronal Solar Eclipse at 0 degrees Cancer World Axis in a potent Grand Cardinal Cross of Light Bridges, activating any planets or points in your chart between 25 – 30 degrees Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces and 0 – 5 degrees Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn.

• The South Node of Fate – what you must leave behind so you can grow – is conjunct the karmic Galactic Centre – so, ready or not, the political becomes personal with changes arriving right at your front door.

• The collective energy field is turbulent with Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto all retrograde; Neptune turning backwards on June 23rd, Venus turning direct on June 25th before Mars enters his own sign of Aries on June 27th, activating the sensitive World Axis. The warrior planet normally spends 6 weeks in each sign but will cross backwards and forwards through Aries until January 7th 2021- 6 months instead of 6 weeks! Another reason to predict volatility on the world stage.

• Cancer symbolises your physical and emotional body, your home and homeland so the theme of belonging/not belonging is very strong.

• This 0 Cancer solar eclipse is an energy Influx on steroids, accelerating the process of changing consciousness and deleting the past in an instant. People leave, jobs end, passions fade, dreams disappear to make room for the new. If/when they do, let them go.

• This cosmic wild card is bringing forward events or decisions that you assumed were months or years away. Plans change in a blink of an eye. There is a feeling of life moving very rapidly – it’s life on fast-forward accelerating towards the future.

• As life re-arranges itself around you, don’t be too quick to label the eclipse good or bad. All eclipses have a second act and this one is followed by a lunar eclipse on July 5th.

Remember the sleight-of-hand occurring right now; things look like one thing, then the narrative flips. It is truly brilliant how this is unfolding for best-case-scenario

For your free June 21-28 2020 Week Ahead + Sign Forecasts, go to: www.hareinthemoonastrology.co.uk

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paulrennie · 5 years

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Unpacking my Library • Once Upon a Time in the West • Christopher Frayling • 2019

I can resist anything but temptation...especially in relation to interesting and beautifully designed books. Indeed, I’ve always judged a book by its cover, and I was very happy to buy a copy of Christopher Frayling’s new book about Once Upon a Time in the West.

We listened to Christopher, a brilliant performer, speak about the film at the NFT last week. Over the years, Christopher has interviewed almost everybody involved in the making of this film, and the new book collects all of this research, along with stories and pictures, into one place. The author is also an expert in the history of the cinema western genre, and in the Italian film industry too. So, the book has both a depth of detail about the film, and a breadth of context.

Actually, that’s just like the film itself.

The book reminded me that I have a big poster for the film.

I’ve posted before about the film, back in 2011...

There are lots of films about the history of the wild west and many of those films include railway trains. Usually, the train is high-jacked or robbed, or chased by Indians. It’s unusual for the railway system to be structurally embedded in the plot; so as to draw out issues of land-grab, profiteering and social progress. This is post about Once Upon a Time in the West (1968).

The western genre has been a staple of the film industry from the very beginning. Of course, it took a view from outside Hollywood to see what “the Western” could be…

The European Western

During the 1960s, the Italian film industry re-invented the American western film. The genre was attractive for a variety of reasons. The first was that, for many Europeans and because of familiarity, the western was widely acknowledged as a quintessentially American form of film storytelling. Secondly, the pared-down circumstances of the American west allowed for a heightened, or operatic, intensity of drama. Finally, the films were attractive to producers in terms of costs because of their relative economy. These films became identified, because of their Italian origins, as spaghetti westerns.

Italian film-makers drew on their familiarity with the western genre to re-cast the western in a more cynical light than their American contemporaries. Film-makers in America had generally mythologised the west in terms of the harsh, but fair, binary moral certainties of biblical teaching.

The ironic re-invention of the genre became a global phenomenon through the success of Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy. Clint Eastwood was cast as the man-with-no-name bounty hunter, Blondie, and was launched toward global superstardom.

The success of these films encouraged the producers to give the director, Sergio Leone, carte blanche for his next project. That project became Once Upon a Time in the West. In the beginning, the film was elaborated by Leone, Dario Argento and Bernardo Bertolucci. The collaboration between these three produced a story with a conceptual and philosophical sophistication that is unusual for cinema. Argento and Bertolucci both went on to have important careers as film directors.

Marx in the West

The story of Once Upon a Time is set against the land-grab associated with the building of the trans-continental railway. So the drama is played out, against the background of money (capital) and technology (the railway and guns) that provides the determining forces for their actions. The foregrounding of these powerful determinants informs the film with a historical, sociological and psychological realism.

In the 1960s, the critical understanding of human behaviour was advanced through the development of social-science methodologies. The revelation, in detail, of the complex workings of modern society was generally understood as informed by Marxist theory and the pop culture sensibility of the Frankfurt School intellectuals. So, the film provides a watershed by acknowledging and foregrounding, in part at least, the complexity of the systems that determine our behaviour.

Every child is familiar with the railway as a system of interconnected mechanical parts. The model railway layout provides for a perfect representation, in miniature and in simplified terms, of the complex original. It was entirely appropriate that the scriptwriters of Once Upon a Time in the West should focus on the railway as signifier of a specific form of social, political and economic organisation.

The Opening (The Train Arrives)

The title sequence of the film is almost half an hour long. Three men, wearing trademark dusters, await the train and form an intimidating welcoming committee. After a long wait, the train arrives. The men are surprised when no one appears. It is only as the train departs that they become aware of the visitor. After some discussion, a gunfight takes place and the newcomer rides away.

The duster coats are recognised as belonging to a local gang. In fact the agents of railway speculator, Morton, wear the coats as a form of disguise. The ruthlessness of Morton is based on a number of personalities associated with the American railway boom and its associated frauds, scandals and mayhem.

The underhand and double-dealing of the railway speculator provides the framework for a film about violence, duplicity, and revenge.

The duster is a long, loose work coat made of canvas or linen. It was designed to be worn by horsemen and to fit over their normal clothing and to protect it from trail dust. For practical purposes the coat had an exaggerated vent that allowed the coat to be worn comfortably whilst riding. On foot, the coats had a particular flapping gait. In addition the long, loose, coats allowed a variety of guns and weapons to be concealed. Just like the poncho, the coats allowed for the ready and speedy use of firearms. So the flapping duster was associated in the popular imagination, and from its very beginning, with violent and itinerant groups of horsemen.

These specific associations help explain why the duster was rarely seen in the traditional western. The hero, individually isolated, could ride long distances without requiring special clothing except in the most difficult circumstances. Furthermore, the moral integrity of the hero would be fatally compromised by the use of a coat to hide a gun. Lastly, the action of most westerns is played out against the civilised backdrop of town and community. Even the saloon bar setting of many westerns required the protagonists to fight it out in their Sunday best.

At the same time as the first train, and the visitor, is arriving a terrible massacre is occurring. Over at the Sweetwater Ranch, Morton’s gangsters have murdered an entire family, including the children; the McBains. They are gunned down as they prepare to welcome their new stepmother to the home. The arrival of this woman into the family is a sign of better things. After years of struggle and isolation, the railway is coming and the water, at the eponymous Sweetwater, will bring people, wealth and excitement. Sweetwater will become a whole town and community. McBain’s prescience will have been vindicated.

The Ending (The Railway Arrives)

At the end of the film, the railway is shown arriving at Sweetwater. The new Mrs McBain is shown welcoming workers to a feast and with great pitchers of refreshment. So, notwithstanding all the violence and mayhem, the railway is acknowledged to be an instrument of social progress…

The film starred Charles Bronson, Jason Robards and, cast against type, Henry Fonda. The female lead was Claudia Cardinale. The film has a remarkable musical score by Ennio Morricone.

This is my all time favourite film. I’ve watched it many times and I’m still amazed by it. It’s big, and clever, and beautiful. If you watch the film and like it, give Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate (1980) a go.

Supplemental Sunday 21st August 2011

The film is routinely described as “epic.” It’s certainly got big themes played out against the big spaces of the mid-west. Amongst the cruel brutality there are passages of amazing beauty. One of these, my favourite, is the scene when Mrs McBain (Claudia Cardinale) arrives at Flagstone Station. The train pulls up, she gets off, and is a bit surprised that there is no one to meet her (she doesn’t know that the entire McBain family have been murdered). She moves along the platform and arrives at the ticket office. The camera moves vertically over the building to reveal the town beyond.

The whole scene is touched by the terrible pathos of what we know to have happened. The amazing music by Ennio Morricone adds the finishing touch.

I’ve watched the film loads of times and have payed the opening sequence over and over. Even after all these years, and notwithstanding this familiarity, the sequence of Mrs McBain arriving still amazes me. The combination of pathos, sadness, and beauty; all combined in image, movement and music, is heartbreakingly moving.

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harvardsquarekiosk · 7 years

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Suggested Programming Opportunities for Harvard Square Kiosk

By the Harvard Square Business Association

The Kiosk should be staffed every day from early in the morning until and throughout the evening all year long.

These events should take place throughout the year, as appropriate.

Voter registration, Wayfinding, Maps, Public Toilet locations, Tours, Harvard Square business listings, City-wide festival and events listings, Historical information etc.

Community Partners:

Cambridge Arts Council curates art shows.

CCTV records BeLive from Harvard Square.

Alternating Museum Schedules…Harvard Art Museum, Peabody Museum, Museum of Natural History, Museum of Science, etc. (displays, information etc.)

Friday Forums – similar to TED talks….but done by Cambridge people.

Saturday night – Meet & Greets, sponsored by alternating restaurants (food sampling, mocktails, and live music).

Sunday evenings – Alternating concerts….Longy, New School of Music, Passim, Choir of St. Paul’s, Revels, Blue Heron, Cambridge Symphony, Folk New England and the CCAE.

Book readings sponsored by alternating Harvard Square book stores with book groups discussions and featured authors.

Seasonal Programmed Events at Harvard Square Kiosk

All events are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Winter Carnival

January

January 8 – Harvard Square’s 8th Annual month long Winter Carnival commencing with the Boston Celtic Music Festival & Club Passim – live in Harvard Square Station…..MLK’s I Have a Dream speech, recited by Cambridge public school children.

January 22-23 and 24th – Taste of Chocolate Festival in Harvard Square! Find a chocolate sponsor i.e. (Lindt) to sample at Harvard Square Station….(Lindt is a featured chocolatier at Cardullo’s and other shops in Harvard Square).

January 30th – Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year Parade! Parade at 3pm with a stop at Harvard Square Station ….followed by her award presentation and roast.

February

February 6 – Display the trophy and accept the ballots for the 8th Annual “Some Like it Hot Chili Cook-off” from 1pm – 2:30 pm (the day before the Super Bowl)….where the public can enjoy samples of chili from some of Harvard Square’s HOTTEST restaurants while enjoying musical entertainment! Cast your vote for the best “Some Like it Hot” Chili in Harvard Square in the Harvard Square Station.

February 7 – Super Bowl Sunday in Harvard Square! Invite folks to come to watch the Super Bowl in various Harvard Square establishments….however, invite them to stop by Harvard Square Station to drop off canned and boxed goods to replenish Cambridge food pantries…

February 14 – 15 – 16 – Lovin’ the Square. This year’s Valentine’s event will feature fabulous food and drinks from Harvard Square’s restaurants, romantic and fun deals from our retailers and a variety of interesting, cozy and entertaining things to do from all of our cultural icons. Meet at Harvard Square Station to create a special valentine. (Partner with an appropriate sponsor who will provide all the necessary arts supplies.)

February 23 - Chinese New Year. Come celebrate Chinese New Year in Harvard Square! 2014 is the year of the Horse and the 59th Anniversary of the Hong Kong in Harvard Square. As usual, Massachusetts Avenue from the Hong Kong to Harvard Square Station will be festooned with red and gold lanterns hanging from our wrought iron lampposts as we prepare for our grand Chinese New Year procession through Harvard Square and our cultural "Open House" at the Hong Kong! Lion Dancers will stop at Harvard Station for a special performance.

Early Spring

March

March 1st – Women History Month in Harvard Square. Breakfast meet and greet at Harvard Square Station with Harvard Square’s civic, business, academic and political leaders.

March 2nd – The 86th Annual Academy Awards Oscar Sunday – Harvard Square establishments will be hosting viewing parties. Prior to the party, please come by Harvard Square Station with your gently used gowns and evening wear…which will be donated to Belle of the Ball. Belle of the Ball/Anton’s Cleaners will clean your gowns and donate them students unable to afford Prom gowns.

March 16th – March 21st & March 23rd – March 28th – Winter Restaurant Week in Harvard Square! Come by Harvard Square Station to sample delicious restaurant offerings.

March 17th – Harvard-Go-Brach events! Join us in Harvard Square as we celebrate our Irish Cultural Heritage! Come by Harvard Square Station to take an Irish step-dancing class…dance the Irish jig…and listen to live Irish music and poetry!

Spring

April

April 18th – 27th – The 9th Annual Cambridge Science Festival. Harvard Square is full of scientific surprises! Come by Harvard Square Station where science projects created by Cambridge public school children will be on display.

April 26th – The 7th Annual Bookish Ball and Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebration! Partnering with the Cambridge Public Library, Actors’ Shakespeare Project and Harvard Square’s bookstores, please join us for bookstore strolls, music, dancing, performances, and birthday cake which will be served in Harvard Square Station from 2:00 until 3:30 p.m. along with a fun and surprising round of POP- UP SHAKESPEARE!

May

May 1st – May 4th – The 24th Annual Harvard Arts First Festival – Join hundreds of Harvard undergraduates, graduates and faculty in Harvard’s annual celebration of the arts! Join us at Harvard Square Station where art work created by Harvard students will be on display.

May 4th – The 33rd Annual Mayfair Featuring six stages of live entertainment, dozens of restaurant vendors, hundreds of street vendors selling artwork, jewelry, vintage clothing, neighborhood sidewalk sales, and the Rotary Club of Cambridge’s Annual Chalk on the Walk! From noon – 6pm. Harvard Square Station will be the information center of the festival. Lost and Found, Information, Command Central.

May 5th – Cinco de Mayo – Mexican heritage celebrated in the restaurants of Harvard Square. Join us at Harvard Square Station for a performance by Mariachi’s de Veritas….a fabulous Mariachi band made up entirely of Harvard Students.

May 11th – Mother’s Day! Stop by Harvard Station to leave a post-it note message for mom. Messages will be placed on the walls of the building. Post-it notes will be provided….

May 29th – 367th Harvard Commencement. Harvard Square Station will be the centerpiece of the activity….with plenty of outside seating, planters overflowing with flowers and street musicians playing to the crowds.

Patios in Bloom

June

June 2nd – Harvard Square’s Annual Patios in Bloom Festival. Come celebrate as we officially open patio season with the installation of our Victorian Flower Baskets both on the lampposts….and at Harvard Square Station.

June 6th – June 15th – Gay Pride in Harvard Square. Public discussion held in Harvard Station led by GBLT groups from the City of Cambridge.

June 15th – Father’s Day! A father and child(ren) walk around the Square will begin and end at Harvard Square Station. Followed by a light breakfast sponsored by the Harvard Square Business Association.

June 21st – 7th Annual Make Music Harvard Square, Fete de la Musique! A square wide musical celebration held in every nook and cranny, park and plaza and street and patio throughout the day and evening…with special musical performances at Harvard Square Station.

Summer

July

July 4th – Harvard Square Station, festooned with red, white and blue balloons…is a reception center for all the visitors coming in for the firework celebration on the Charles River.

July 13th – Bastille Day! Join us on Holyoke Street for a stormin’ French street festival featuring fabulous French food, music and dance! Harvard Square Station will feature French music and French coffee and mini croissants…(we will find a sponsor for this event.)

August

Summer Restaurant Week in Harvard Square. Samplings from some of Harvard Square’s finest restaurants will take place in Harvard Square Station.

September

September 1st – 30th – 6th Annual Revival Month in Harvard Square. Join us at Harvard Square Station for a 50’s style Hootenanny, and old-fashioned jam session….in partnership with Passim.

September 21 – 4th Annual Folk Music Festival in Harvard Square.

Some of today’s hottest up and coming folk artists will be playing our free festival on Palmer Street….and in Harvard Square Station.

September 21 – 13th Annual Riversing, presented by the Revels. Morris dancers will be on hand to give a performance at Harvard Square Station!

September 27 – The 6th Annual Americana Music Festival in Harvard Square. 3 days of music and activities…with special performances at Harvard Square Station.

Fall

October

October 9th – 38th Annual Oktoberfest and HONK Festival features six stages of 8live entertainment, dozens of international food vendors, hundreds of street vendors selling artwork, jewelry, and vintage clothing, neighborhood sidewalk sales and HONK! bands from around the country. Harvard Square Station will be the centerpiece of the event. (Information, Lost & Found, Command Central)

October 18th – 19th – The 52th Annual Head of the Charles Regatta, the world’s largest two-day rowing event, brings 7,500 athletes from around the world to compete in 55 different race events. Harvard Square Station will be the “Welcome Center”….to the thousands of visitors.

October 31st – November 2nd – Harvard Scare! Spooky and fun activities throughout the Square. Costumed children of all ages are invited to join us at Harvard Square Station where we will gather to parade around the Square….and join us as we trick-or-treat at numerous Harvard Square restaurants and shops where goodies await.

November

November 1st – 30th – 6th Annual Folk Music Month in Harvard Square. This month-long event will feature special displays of FOLK memorabilia (think Bob Dylan, Joan Baez) at Harvard Square Station…..culminating in a very special folk music performance at the end of the month….also in the Station.

November 22nd – 13rd Harvard/Yale Game at Harvard. Meet your friends at Harvard Square Station for complimentary hot chocolate or hot cider before the game!

November 27th – Thanksgiving! Starting November 12th and running through November 25th, the Harvard Square Station will be set up to receive your donations of frozen turkeys, fresh veggies and thanksgiving fixings….which will be distributed to various social service agencies and food pantries throughout the city.

Sparklesfest

November 28th – Kick-off the holiday shopping season with Plaid and Black Friday events. Get your Harvard Square recycled Holiday Shopping bag at Harvard Square Station.

November 29th – Join us at the Annual Tree Lighting at the Charles Hotel….and later on walk over to Harvard Square Station for a Victorian Caroler Sing-along!

December

December 1 – December 24th – We will hire (or get volunteers) to Christmas wrap presents in Harvard Square Station….All proceeds from the wrapping will go to Youth on Fire.

December 4th – Harvard Square Station will feature a giant community-wide “Make Our Own Cambridge Gingerbread House” which will be displayed until Christmas.

December 20th – The “Some Like it Hot” Everyone Loves Latkes Party! From 1pm – 2pm, the 8th annual Everyone Loves Latkes Party features the most delicious, most creative and best-looking latkes and condiments around! This free event features latke donations from the fabulous restaurants of Harvard Square. There will be a very special Klezmer music performance….and a reading of the Runaway Latkes, by Leslie Kimmelman, Paul Yalowitz (Illustrator) at Harvard Square Station.

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superjournalslibrary-blog · 5 years

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Practising Anagkazo

In the book of Luke chapter 14 we read a familiar story where Jesus told of an important person who held a party for his friends. I want you to read this whole portion of Scripture so that you will be familiar with the story.

Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel [anagkazo] them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

Luke 14:16-24

This man had the unfortunate experience of spending a lot of money on a big party, inviting important people, only to find out that most of them were uninterested. This man was very surprised about their rejection of his invitation. He became angry as he listened to the excuses of those he had invited. In his anger, he decided to invite anybody he found out on the street. Imagine having a party with people you don’t even know!

Unfortunately, at that time of the night, there were not so many people around. Even after inviting those on the street, his party was relatively unattended. He then decided to invite the sick, the blind and the handicapped. Imagine that! What an unusual selection of partygoers! His party was full of the non-entities of the community – the down-and-outs of society.

I believe this story is symbolic of the Lord Jesus sending us out to invite people to Him. It is also symbolic of pastors sending out their members to evangelize the world. I have discovered that every time I embark on evangelizing the world (inviting many people to a great supper), I encounter the same things that this man encountered. However, I believe this man was a success. In spite of everything, he had his party and his house was full of guests. It might not have turned out the way he initially wanted, but he had his party anyway.

You see, God is sending out evangelists to invite the whole world to know Christ. Unfortunately, many of those who are invited do not respond. The Jews were the first to be invited to know the Lord. But they rejected Christ in their hour of visitation. Therefore, the gospel was transmitted on to the Gentiles.

Many of the elite, who live in large urban centres, hear the gospel on television and in churches many times. However, they do not receive but rather criticize preachers. Again, the gospel is passed on to the poor and non-elite in villages. They willingly receive the Word because they have no other hope but God.

Is Anagkazo an Important Revelation?

1. Anagkazo is important because a certain type of evangelism is not going to work in this day and age.

People are not going to be convinced or compelled to know God through our little church games. Our “Mickey Mouse” church programmes and bazaars will not go very far in today’s world. We must go out there and drive them to God.

2. Anagkazo is important because many of the people that need the gospel are not in places where they can receive bourgeoisie invitation cards.

If people are going to be touched with the gospel, a new strategy of going to the gutters, highways and the bushes must be employed. Sitting in church and inviting people has long been an unworkable strategy for evangelism.

3. Dear pastor, without anagkazo, your church is going to be empty.

Please remember that if this man had not employed the strategy of anagkazo he would have had an empty house. Remember this, “A pastor without anagkazo will have an empty church.”

4. Without anagkazo, many churches are going to die a natural death.

What you must realize is that the membership of a church is very fluid. Many people come and many people leave. If you don’t have more people coming in than those you are losing, your church will begin to die. If you don’t want your church to close down, you must do what Jesus instructed – go out and practise anagkazo.

5. Life is becoming more hectic as we approach the 21st century.

Busy working people are going to have more and more excuses. The strategy of anagkazo will help you to overcome these excuses.

Let me now take you through what I call the practical steps of anagkazo. These steps are derived from the story we just read in Luke 14.

Step #1

An anagkazo man prepares a great supper.

Anyone who wants to be used by God must prepare himself for the ministry. Today, God is using me in the ministry. This has not happened without thousands of hours of preparation. I realize that the sermons I preached to ten people some years ago, are the same sermons I am preaching to thousands today. Preaching to a small group of ten people was part of God’s preparation for me. So if you want God to use you mightily, you must start preparing now! Take every opportunity you have to do something useful in the church.

I Played the Drums

Years ago, I remember playing the drums and the piano in my church. Though I didn’t know it at the time, that was part of my preparation for ministry. Today, I know a lot about music and musical equipment. I can discuss intelligently, all details that concern music, worship and expensive equipment. My experience with the music department has been a valuable asset to me.

Step #2

A person who practises anagkazo does not keep to himself but influences and affects many people.

You will notice that this man in Luke 14 held a great supper and invited many people. One of the primary reasons evangelism does not happen is because Christians keep to themselves. You cannot keep to yourself if you want to be an effective witness for the Lord Jesus Christ.

When you sit on a bus, you can decide to be friendly to those nearby. Begin talking to the people around you. I always try to share the gospel with people around me. I have always believed that I have some Good News about Jesus. He has saved me and set me free.

During my second year in medical school, we lived on the beautiful Legon campus. We were transported daily to the other side of town where a teaching hospital was located. This involved a one-hour bus drive from one end of town to the other.

They Made Balloons out of Condoms

I remember one day as I sat in the bus, I watched some senior colleagues take out condoms, blow them into balloons and fly them in the bus. As these students shouted and laughed over their lewd jokes, I realized how confident they were in what they were doing.

We the Christians sat timidly in the bus, looking lame, uninteresting and boring.

As I sat there, I decided not to keep to myself. I got the attention of everyone on the bus and began to preach. Although preaching on the bus later became quite common, at that time it was unusual. Some of the students were angry and others were bored. Some looked out of the window in disapproval but I preached on! I decided not to keep to myself anymore. I decided to be like the man in Luke 14.

I Clapped My Hands on the London Bus

An anagkazo person does not keep to himself or herself. I lived in London for a period in 1983. I felt stifled by the stiff atmosphere in England. I was used to preaching anywhere and everywhere. But in England I realized that one couldn’t easily relate to the people around. Everyone seemed so unfriendly and uninterested in their surroundings.

One day, while sitting on the top level of a double-decker bus, the spirit of anagkazo rose up in me and I said to myself, “I cannot keep to myself any longer.”

I stood to my feet and to the surprise of everyone on the bus, I began to clap my hands to get their attention. I tell you, I may have looked bold on the outside, but I was quite scared on the inside. There were all sorts of murderous looking characters in their seats. But I maintained my cool and delivered a complete full gospel sermon.

The bus was quiet for a few minutes as they listened to this young mad man preach. I took my seat after preaching and got off at the next stop. One gentleman, who got off the bus with me, said to me, “I admire your courage! But I don’t think you got very far.” Whether I got very far or not is not what matters. What is important is that I preached the Word. And the Word always accomplishes something when it is preached.

…my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth… it shall accomplish that which I please...

Isaiah 55:11

You see, any form of soul-winning in our modern day and age, is going to have to be of the anagkazo type. Gentleness and meekness will not take you very far.

Step #3

Anyone practising anagkazo is not prepared to cancel his service.

Every pastor, in going through the normal processes of church growth, will experience highs and lows. But a pastor with the spirit of anagkazo will never cancel his church service. He will decide to press on no matter how many people attend.

One of my pastors told me how only one person attended church on a particular Sunday. He said that he had never felt so low. However, he managed to preach to that one soul and do his best for the Lord.

Anagkazo from the Community

I remember there was a time we had a very low attendance for one of our services. The Lord told me to do what this man in Luke 14 did: “Go out there and invite the community to church.”

I said, “How can I do that on a Sunday?”

The Lord replied, “You do it, and you will be blessed.”

I continued arguing with the Lord, “What will our Sunday morning visitors think? We will drive away people from the church.”

However, the Lord insisted, “Go out and compel them to come in.”

I obeyed the Lord.

I announced to the church that we were going to stop the service, go out into the community and invite them.

I said, “We are going to go out to the community to bring them in.”

I announced, “This is not a gentle invitation. Every single one of you must hold the hand of someone you see out there. Physically bring them into the church building.”

Some were taken aback. But we did it! And we brought in hundreds of “un-churched” dwellers of the community. That day we had several people giving their lives to Christ. We did this on numerous occasions and over a period, that particular service increased in size dramatically. I was not prepared to close down my service because of a low attendance. That is what any pastor with the spirit of anagkazo is prepared to do.

Step #3

An anagkazo person is not prepared to have an empty meeting.

A pastor working with the spirit of anagkazo is not prepared to have any empty church service. Many years ago, as a medical student, the Lord asked me to start a church. I had no members in my church. Not even one soul to preach to! But I was not prepared to have an empty church.

We Woke up the Nurses

I was still a student when the Holy Spirit directed me to the nursing students’ hostel. I remember that very first day. It was around 5 a.m. and still dark. Standing outside the hostel, I clapped my hands and woke them up. They might have been surprised but that didn’t bother me. I preached to them about Jesus. After I had finished I did something very bold. I said to them, “If you want to give your lives to Christ, change out of your night clothes, wear something decent and come downstairs. We want to talk to you about Christ.”

That morning several young ladies gave their hearts to God. Up to this day, many of them are still members of my church.

I Love Dawn Broadcasts

Preaching at dawn to people in their beds has been one of my favourite methods of implementing this principle of anagkazo. One morning, I preached at the hostel of public health nurses. A lady threw down a note saying she was a backslider and needed help. She wanted us to speak with her. That morning we ministered to her and God delivered her. She has now been a faithful member of our church for the last ten years.

Although I started out with an empty classroom, it soon became filled with nurses who had given their lives to Christ at my anagkazo dawn broadcasts. Dear reader, I want you to understand something; I did not inherit a church from anyone. I have often gone to places where I knew no one, and no one knew me. I have had to go out and win souls, driving and persuading people about the Lord, until the room was full.

Step #4

He is not overcome by people’s excuses.

Many people are full of excuses. This anagkazo man in the Bible (Luke 14) listened to three amazing excuses for not attending his party. However, he was not impressed by any of them.

The first excuse was about testing oxen in the night. Everyone knows that no one tests oxen at that time of the night. The second excuse was about somebody who had just gotten married. But we all know that a dinner would have been a nice outing for a newly wedded couple. The third excuse was about going to see some land in the night. Let me ask you a question. Would you not assess a piece of land before you buy it? How could you inspect a piece of land in the night? Would you even see it clearly? Yet somebody was using this as an excuse for not attending the party.

Any good minister, who wants to reach people, must not be overwhelmed by people’s excuses. He must learn to overcome people’s excuses.

Even as you minister the Word of God, people form excuses in their minds. They develop reasons why they will not obey the Word. Every good preacher must learn to preach against people’s excuses and ideas. Jesus spoke directly against the people’s reasoning and excuses. And they knew it!

…for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.

Luke 20:19

Step #5

He knows that many excuses are empty.

As I said earlier, many excuses cannot be substantiated. A good minister must learn to see through the emptiness of excuses. I spoke to one friend, inviting him to church.

The Successful Businessman

He in turn spoke about how the time was not convenient and how he had quite a distance to travel.

I said to him, “You are a successful businessman. Everything you want to do, you do. You travel. You get up early on weekdays. You even have time to visit your girlfriend who lives a few hundred kilometres away. How come you have no time for God?”

I told him, “If you really want to do something you can do it.”

Some people do not pay their tithes because they claim they have no money. Watch how much money they spend on other things. You will realize that the problem is not a lack of money, but the spirit of greed.

Step #6

He knows that many excuses are lies.

There are many husbands who blame the inadequacies of their spiritual relationships on their wives and vice versa. I remember once, one of my pastors did fundraising in a branch church.

The Lying Wife

During the fundraising, the pastor asked for those who would like to give some money for the purchase of church instruments. A husband who happened to be a foreigner was prepared to give a donation. Just as his hand was going up, his wife pulled his hand down. She thought the pastor hadn’t noticed. After the service, the lady approached the pastor and said, “You know, the reason why we didn’t give any money is because my foreign husband is so stingy.”

She Prevented Her Husband from Giving

“I will see what we can do,” she added. But that was an outright lie. It was actually her husband who wanted to donate something. His wife prevented him.

Step #7

He makes a way and does not give an excuse.

Anyone operating with the spirit of anagkazo (the compelling drive) is able to achieve a lot for God.

One of the ways by which I assess leaders is to see how they handle the excuses of people. You see, I don’t even have to ask young pastors what problems they have. I know the problems they must be having: the problem of some people coming this week and not coming the next week, the problem of people coming late to church and the problem of backsliding Christians! They also have the problem of new converts not remaining in church, the problem of not having enough time to pray and the problem of not being able to do outreaches.

If you are a pastor, shepherd, or cell leader you will have experienced some of these problems. But, dear friend, the Bible teaches us that there is nothing new under the sun. The problem that you have, I have. What differentiates the successful from the unsuccessful is the ability to overcome excuses. Notice that the man in Luke 14 was not moved by any of the excuses and reasons given. He made a way out of every circumstance that was produced by the unwilling guests.

I believe in one thing: if you really want to do something you make a way, if you do not want to do something you make an excuse.

They Came to Party

I recall when many young people were unwilling to come to church. The young men especially, made all sorts of excuses. The spirit of anagkazo rose up in me and I said, “If they will not come to church, let us have parties for them.”

We organized a party for the young people in one area of the city. We made invitation cards and distributed them to the youth in the community. They were very happy and said to themselves, “This is another opportunity to jam.”

I remember that evening in particular, we played upbeat Christian music and danced with the unbelievers. One of them told me later that he wondered why they were not being served with beer. At a point in the party, we switched to slower music and we said we had an announcement to make.

By that time, many of the hardened unbelievers were sitting around. To their surprise, I got up and preached the gospel to them. They were surprised but they still gave their lives to Christ. Many were born again that night.

I have pastors in the church who were saved during some of these surprise evangelistic parties. You see, the Bible says by all means, “save some”.

Anagkazo means to compel and to drive people to God. An anagkazo person is not moved by unfavourable circumstances. We were not moved by the fact that these young men did not want to attend church. We made a way around that! Learn to make a way where there’s no way. Find a way to overcome every excuse that people place before you.

Step #8

He goes out of his normal circles of life.

Everyone has a circle of friends. The usual thing is to stay within your circle of friends and acquaintances. However, anyone who wants to be used by God must move out of his regular group. You will notice that the anagkazo man in this story was forced to move out of his normal circle of life. This is a reality that we must face if we want to please God!

I Had My Circle

When I was growing up in Accra, I had a group of friends. A sort of elitist company made up of children of foreigners and other bourgeoisie. As a child I travelled first class on intercontinental flights and interacted mainly with the so-called upper echelon of society. I stayed in international cities with my father. My hobbies were swimming and horse riding. You can imagine that in Ghana, where I come from, very few people have such pastimes.

However, there were hardly any Christians in these circles. When I got born again, I found myself moving out of this circle into a very different group. I moved out into better company, different from what I knew.

The fact is, in order to please God I could not spend a lot of time in those circles anymore. There were simply no believers in that group. If you want to please God you will have to move out of your circle and get to know other groups of people.

I know that the rich man in this story would not normally fellowship with people who live in hedges or who stand on highways. I know that the rich man in this story would not normally interact with cripples, the blind and the disabled. However, in order to achieve his goal, he had to interact with people of other social backgrounds.

I remember in 1984 when I was a leader of a nice fellowship at the university.

A Nice Little Fellowship

We loved each other dearly and were good company for one another (actually, I found my wife in that group). Many of the people that I knew in that little group are still my bosom friends up to this day. However, the Spirit of God impressed upon me to move out of our little group and to go to people we didn’t know.

I remember, some people were not in favour of expanding our nice little clique.

“If you bring in more people, we will lose something,” they said. “There’s something about a small fellowship. It’s nice to be petite. It’s a cute little family.”

But I led this group into one outreach after another, driving and necessitating people to come to the Lord. I was never tired of preaching. People are not tired of sinning, why should you be tired of spreading the gospel?

During the second year of the medical school (which by the way is the most difficult year), I led this group in dawn broadcasts every Saturday morning. Everyone knew about us. They were used to our voices which rang out loud and clear every Saturday morning.

“Thank God for our nice little fellowship,” I said. “But we have to go out there and win souls.” We must move out of our little circle.

People Are No Longer Impressed

There is a very important revelation I want you to catch – people become used to you after awhile. After awhile, unbelievers are no longer impressed with our sermons. If you do not rise up with a new approach, a new anagkazo method, your message will become blunt.

As we continued preaching at dawn, I realized that people just turned over in their beds and ignored us. I said to myself, “Our messages are no longer driving people to the Lord.”

But the Spirit of the Lord gave me a bright idea.

Knock on Their Doors!

Since the people were now so used to our voices, we needed to do something new. I decided to send out a group to stand outside the doors of their rooms.

I told the preacher for the morning, “When you get to the altar call, we will start knocking on their doors.”

I told him, “Tell the people who are listening to you they are going to hear a knock on their door. If they want to accept Christ they should open up and we will come in and lead them to the Lord.”

The preacher followed my instructions. Suddenly, those who were ignoring us had to pay attention. We were knocking on their doors at 5 a.m.! Believe me, many were gloriously born again during those morning broadcasts.

I vividly remember one brother in particular.

He Would Laugh at Us

He would laugh at Christians as they spoke in tongues. He made fun of the gift of speaking in tongues. This is someone who would get drunk and lie by one of the many ponds that litter the beautiful campus of the University of Ghana. That morning as my friend the evangelist preached and said, “Perhaps you are hearing a knock on your door. If you want to be born again open your door and someone will come in and lead you to the Lord”, I happened to knock on the door of this young man.

I was surprised when he opened the door and welcomed us in. He said, “I knew you would come here. Today is my day!” We prayed with him and he gave his heart to the Lord that very morning. To this day, this man is serving the Lord. I give glory to God for all the people that have been born again as we have forcefully moved out to speak the Word. Anagkazo works!

Step#9

The anagkazo man is not satisfied as long as there is still room.

A song that I love goes like this,

There’s room at the cross for you. There’s room at the cross for you. Though millions have come, There’s still room for one. There’s room at the cross for you.

A pastor must never be satisfied as long as there is room in the church. The man in this story sent out his servants simply because there was room.

…and yet there is room.

Luke 14:22

I believe that every church should arrange more chairs than people. The presence of empty pews should motivate the pastor to reach out until the house is full. The whole essence of evangelism is to have a full church.

…compel [anagkazo] them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Luke 14:23

Evangelism is not intended to be done in a vacuum. It should be related to church growth. All our efforts to lead people to the Lord should bear fruit. We must see our efforts filling church buildings.

Whatever the case, a minister must see that there is room at the cross for one more soul. I believe that if we have this mind, God will use us to fill the church.

I have never been satisfied with the size of my church. When we had ten people, I wanted twenty. When we had fifty, I dreamed of a hundred. When God gave me one hundred people, I thought to myself, “What would it be like if I had five hundred people?” When the church was numbered in the hundreds, I thought, “What would it be like if we had thousands?”

I think a pastor will get tired of preaching to the same few people after awhile. We must be motivated to have a fuller house. These words keep ringing in my soul, “That my house may be filled!” “That my house may be filled!” Dear Christian friend, never forget that there is still room at the cross.

by Dag Heward-Mills

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cynthiajayusa · 5 years

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Movie Schedule: The 2019 OUTshine Film Festival – Miami

Outshine Film Festival Miami Edition takes place from Thursday, April 18 through Sunday, April 28. During the first week (through Wednesday, April 24) the festival is showing 31 films plus 2 Men’s Shorts compilations. Here are some of the highlights, but to see a complete list of films and parties go to: OutshineFilm.com.

Thursday April 18th

Opening Night Film – Tell it to the Bees – 7pm

The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex

Gripped by a failing marriage and the responsibilities of having a young son, Lydia (Critic’s Choice Nominee Holliday Grainger) finds solace in her growing bond with the town’s recently returned female doctor Jean (Academy & Golden Globe Award Winner Anna Paquin). But this is the 1950s in post-WWII rural Scotland, and the women’s relationship prompts raised eyebrows in their provincial circles. Based on the novel by Fiona Shaw, Tell It To The Bees is a story of courage in the face of terrifying intolerance and a heart-wrenching portrait of a love against all odds.

From here down all films are at the Regal Cinemas South Beach.

Friday April 19th 2019

(Work-In-Progress) – Sell By – 6:45 pm

Does every relationship have an expiration date? Adam and Marklin are about to find out. Their 5-year relationship has gone from a passionate flame to a medium burn, forcing them to reconcile with each other’s shortcomings all while watching their support network crumble around them. But in this mess, hope springs eternal as they all muddle their way through to try and make life work. Featuring Scott Evans, Augustus Prew, Kate Walsh, and Academy Award Nominee Patricia Clarkson; Sell By asks the timeless questions…how do you know who’s right for you and how do you know when to let go? In attendance will be writer/director Mike Doyle.

José – 9pm

José lives with his single mom in cramped quarters in Guatemala, a tough life in one of the world’s most dangerous, religious, and impoverished countries. His mother sells sandwiches, and he delivers food at the drive-by diner. Resigned and aloof, the one bright spot in his life is the face of his mobile phone – it literally lights up his evenings and helps him find men to hook up with in pay-by-the-hour hotels. That is, until construction worker Luis enters his life and José is thrust into a dimension of passion, pain and self-reflection previously unimaginable.

Saturday April 20th

The Ice King – 2:30pm

John Curry transformed ice-skating from a dated sport into an exalted art form. Coming out on the night of his Olympic win in 1976, he became the first openly gay Olympian in a time when homosexuality was not even fully legal. Toxic yet charming; rebellious yet elitist; emotionally aloof yet spectacularly needy; ferociously ambitious yet bent on self-destruction, this is a man forever on the run from his father’s ghost, his country, and even his own self. John Curry was no activist, but an artist expressing his authentic self – yet in a world where his existence was taboo, his life was unavoidably political.

Rainbow’s Sunset – 4:45pm

Elderly Senator Ramon, the pride of his small, provincial hometown, moves in with his terminally-ill best friend Fredo in his final days. It turns out that their connection goes beyond mere friendship, and the revelation of their relationship brings scandal to the town and conflict among his three adult children. It’s up to his saintly wife to restore harmony. Like the most polished of family melodrama, Rainbow’s Sunset bursts with generosity and heart, and yet veteran hit-maker Joel Lamagan subverts the genre, touching on old age, a subject that LGBTQ cinema has yet to explore.) In attendance will be executive producer Harlene Bautista.

Erik & Erika – 5:15pm

The true story of Erik/Erika Schinegger – the ski sensation that became a media sensation. Declared female at birth, Erika is raised as a girl until a gene test proves that she is genetically male. Athletic success turns to heartbreak as he is disqualified and accused of fraud. The National Ski Federation insists that he undergo a medical procedure to make him fully female. Erik finds himself alone, facing the most important and agonizing decision of his life. Erik & Erika follows his life as a woman, his ultimate transition to manhood and his fight for recognition in 1970’s Austria where there was no place in the social dictionary for a word like transgender.

An Almost Ordinary Summer (Croce e Delizia) – 7pm

Two very different families spend their holidays in the same seaside house: the aristocratic Castelvecchio’s – open-minded, eccentric, but quite selfish – and the working-class Petagna’s – very tight-knit and united around solid conservative values. What brought such distant worlds together? Only Tony and Carlo, the two middle-aged heads of the families, know! The unexpected announcement of their engagement will disrupt an apparently ordinary summer and turn the lives of everyone around them upside down. With the wedding already set for three weeks, even more chaos will ensue.

Ppapi Chulo – 9:15pm

Cast adrift in Los Angeles, lonely TV weatherman Sean (Golden Globe Winner Matt Bomer) drives past a middle-aged Latino migrant worker standing outside a hardware store looking for work. He decides to hire this kind-looking man – to be his friend. Sean is young, gay and white; Ernesto is portly, straight and married. Despite the language barrier and having nothing in common, they build a sort of friendship – until Sean becomes consumed with a deeper obsessive need. Papi Chulo is a black comedy about loneliness and the desire to find connection across clear racial and socio-economic lines.

Euphoria (Euforia) – 9:45pm

Matteo is a young successful entrepreneur who is open-minded, charming and dynamic. His brother Ettore, who still lives in the small provincial town where they were born, is a cautious and honest man who has always stayed out of the spotlight out of fear of making mistakes. They are two apparently very distant people. However, a difficult situation results in the two brothers being given the opportunity to get to know each other, and they soon discover that they have a surprisingly close bond in a vortex of fragility and tenderness, fear and euphoria.

Sunday April 21st

Tackling Life – 12:15pm

Adam, Nico and Su are members of Germany’s first gay rugby team. Tackling Life portrays their everyday lives and follows them into the world of the sport, showing their struggle for recognition – in competition with the hetero regional league teams – as well as their community involvement: gathering money at colorful fundraisers and visiting schools to give anti-bullying workshops. Looking beyond the surface of self-presentation and cliché, we focus on how our trio copes with the challenges of everyday life and their search for belonging. Alternating aggressive, vibrant athletics with quiet observation, the film is fragile and profound, but also spectacular and loud.

Birds of the Borderlands – 4:45pm

Genderqueer Australian filmmaker Jordan Bryon’s intense and compelling piece of guerrilla filmmaking powerfully illuminates four queer Arab stories: Jordanian teenager Hiba is transitioning in secret, fearful of being killed by her Bedouin tribe; Gay Iraqi refugee Youssef fled Baghdad and is living in limbo in Bryon’s safe house in Amman; Lesbian feminist Rasha hides her sexuality and her relationship with Bryon from her family while striving for LGBTIQ visibility; and Khalaf, a gay Imam turned activist, lives a lonely life in Beirut. As Bryon becomes more entangled in their struggles blurring the lines between lover, friend, filmmaker, and activist, tensions explode and a dangerous crisis emerges.

The Man Who Surprised Everyone (Tchelovek Kotorij Udivil Vseh) – 5:15pm

Egor is a fearless state forest guard in the Siberian Taiga. He is a good family man, respected by his fellow villagers. He and his wife Natalia are expecting a second child. But one day Egor finds out that he has cancer and only two months left to live. No traditional medicine or shamanic magic can save him. As a last resort, he chooses to take the identity of a woman so death can’t find him. He finds that his new identity is his true self and his family and the local society now have to accept the new Egor.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – 7:30pm

Sixteen-year-old Jamie New lives on a council estate in Sheffield and doesn’t quite fit in. He is terrified about the future, but little does he know – he is going to be a sensation. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness into the drag queen spotlight. Filmed live from London’s West End, with songs that have the wow factor, this funny, fabulous, feel-good, musical sensation will sweep you away on a tide of mischief, warmth and exuberance.

Monday April 22nd

The Harvesters (Die Stropers) – 6:45pm

A raw, atmospheric drama about masculinity in South Africa’s “Bible Belt”. The central province of Free State is a stronghold of the white Afrikaner minority. In this conservative farming territory obsessed with strength and masculinity, Janno is different – a delicate and sensitive boy. When his religious mother takes in a Pieter – a hardened street orphan – to save, she asks Janno for help. Janno is supposed to accept Pieter as a brother, but the two boys struggle for power, tradition, and parental love.

Memories Of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku) – 9:15pm

Juno is just a child when his father abandons him in their village of Center Java. Alone now, he joins a Lengger dance center where men shape their feminine appearance and movement. But the sensuality and sexuality that come from dance and bodies, mixed with the violent social and political Indonesian environment, force Juno to move from village to village. If on his journey Juno gets attention and love from his dance teachers, his weird aunty, his old uncle, a handsome boxer, and a Warok, he still has to face by himself the battlefield that his body is becoming.

Tuesday April 23rd

Third Wedding (Troisièmes Noces) – 6:45pm

US PREMIERE – Recently widowed Martin is overcome with grief after his beloved husband dies in a car accident. When a friend asks him to marry Tamara, a 20-year-old young Congolese woman who doesn’t have any papers, the gay 50-year-old refuses at first, then agrees when he’s offered a sum of money that will allow him to keep the house he shared with his husband. Different on every level, they’ll need to make their love believable to the authorities – but if they pretend long enough, they might learn to love each other… in their own way!

Neverland (Nevrland) – 9:15pm

17-year-old Jakob wants nothing more than to feel alive, yet uncontrollable anxiety attacks force him to escape into fictional and virtual worlds. A chance encounter in a sex-cam-chat marks the beginning of an online relationship with the gorgeous and seemingly perfect 26-year-old Kristjan. It’s not until the death of Jakob’s only true emotional attachment, his grandfather, that he is willing to meet up with Kristjan in real life. Over the course of one night, they embark on a transpersonal journey to the wounds of their soul where Jakob must face his biggest fear.

Wednesday April 24th

Centerpiece Film – Retablo – 7:00 PM

14-year-old Segundo is following in his father’s footsteps in the traditional folk art of crafting intricate, artisan story-boxes. Segundo reveres his father, and when he stumbles across a heartbreaking secret his father is harboring, Segundo will come to face the raw reality of his deeply religious and conservative landscape, as well as a more profound connection with his father than he’d ever imagined. Retablo masterfully explores the weight of heritage, the boundaries of love, and the burdens of family expectations, as well as the complexity of accepting our parents for who they really are.

Mr. Leather – 9pm

In 2018, the second edition of the Mr. Leather Brazil competition was held. Five individuals vie to wear the sash, each with their own backstory. The winner will be crowned by Brazil’s first Mr. Leather, Dom Barbudo, the person most admired within the country’s leather community. Along with the title comes a year-long commitment to promote the culture of the leather community throughout the country. Whether part of the leather and/or fetish lifestyle or simply intrigued by it, Mr. Leather will raise the spirits and the understanding of an often-misunderstood community.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/04/18/movie-schedule-the-2019-outshine-film-festival-miami/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazin.blogspot.com/2019/04/movie-schedule-2019-outshine-film.html

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demitgibbs · 5 years

Text

Movie Schedule: The 2019 OUTshine Film Festival – Miami

Thursday April 18th

Opening Night Film – Tell it to the Bees – 7pm

The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex

From here down all films are at the Regal Cinemas South Beach.

Friday April 19th 2019

(Work-In-Progress) – Sell By – 6:45 pm

José – 9pm

Saturday April 20th

The Ice King – 2:30pm

Rainbow’s Sunset – 4:45pm

Erik & Erika – 5:15pm

An Almost Ordinary Summer (Croce e Delizia) – 7pm

Ppapi Chulo – 9:15pm

Euphoria (Euforia) – 9:45pm

Sunday April 21st

Tackling Life – 12:15pm

Birds of the Borderlands – 4:45pm

The Man Who Surprised Everyone (Tchelovek Kotorij Udivil Vseh) – 5:15pm

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – 7:30pm

Monday April 22nd

The Harvesters (Die Stropers) – 6:45pm

Memories Of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku) – 9:15pm

Tuesday April 23rd

Third Wedding (Troisièmes Noces) – 6:45pm

Neverland (Nevrland) – 9:15pm

Wednesday April 24th

Centerpiece Film – Retablo – 7:00 PM

Mr. Leather – 9pm

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/04/18/movie-schedule-the-2019-outshine-film-festival-miami/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.tumblr.com/post/184272242865

0 notes

hotspotsmagazine · 5 years

Text

Movie Schedule: The 2019 OUTshine Film Festival – Miami

Thursday April 18th

Opening Night Film – Tell it to the Bees – 7pm

The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex

From here down all films are at the Regal Cinemas South Beach.

Friday April 19th 2019

(Work-In-Progress) – Sell By – 6:45 pm

José – 9pm

Saturday April 20th

The Ice King – 2:30pm

Rainbow’s Sunset – 4:45pm

Erik & Erika – 5:15pm

An Almost Ordinary Summer (Croce e Delizia) – 7pm

Ppapi Chulo – 9:15pm

Euphoria (Euforia) – 9:45pm

Sunday April 21st

Tackling Life – 12:15pm

Birds of the Borderlands – 4:45pm

The Man Who Surprised Everyone (Tchelovek Kotorij Udivil Vseh) – 5:15pm

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – 7:30pm

Monday April 22nd

The Harvesters (Die Stropers) – 6:45pm

Memories Of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku) – 9:15pm

Tuesday April 23rd

Third Wedding (Troisièmes Noces) – 6:45pm

Neverland (Nevrland) – 9:15pm

Wednesday April 24th

Centerpiece Film – Retablo – 7:00 PM

Mr. Leather – 9pm

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/04/18/movie-schedule-the-2019-outshine-film-festival-miami/

0 notes