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Originally Posted by ChristHimself!

John 1: 1-3


In the beginning was the Word [Christ], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

Col 1:16


For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.

Gen 1:25-27


God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Narrative


Everything was good with man, and between man and God. God provided all their needs. Continual fellowship with God was their joy. God had given them everything they needed for complete fulfillment. He cared for them as a loving mother would her newborn baby:

Gen 1:28-31


God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so.

Gen 2:25


God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.




Man rebels against God’s authority

Narrative


Although Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, they were not God, so they were required to live in total dependence on God. Therefore Satan longed to see Adam and Eve rebel against God, seeking independence of Him, just as he had done, so that they would die spiritually. God had told Adam and Eve:

Gen 2:16,17


"From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."

Narrative


Satan lied to Eve about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and both she and Adam fell for it. They picked from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in an attempt to live independent of God--in control, on their own--and to seek fulfillment apart from Him:

Gen 3:1-6


Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"

The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'"

The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Narrative


God had warned, "in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." Adam and Eve did not die physically the same day that they ate of the tree—they died spiritually. Their spiritual death was immediately evident:

Gen 3:7-13


Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"

He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."

And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"

The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate."

Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"

And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Gen 3:23-24


Therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

Narrative


Adam’s and Eve’s spiritual death affected, not only themselves, but all people who have been born since then. All people have inherited spiritual death from Adam. We are all born spiritually dead:

Rom 5:12


Therefore, just as through one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.

Rom 6:23


For the wages of sin is death.

Narrative


Thus all human dysfunction can be traced back to the point at which Adam and Eve died spiritually and became separated from God. We were designed to be filled with the Spirit of God and to have continual fellowship with God, our Creator. God was supposed to be at the center of our work and relationships. We were designed to get our contentment and fulfillment from Him. Without the Spirit of God, we are dysfunctional, like a two-legged table. Sin separates us from God:

Isa 59:2


But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

Narrative


God wanted to reestablish fellowship with man, but it is impossible for God, who is perfectly holy, righteous, and just, to have fellowship with sinful humans. God cannot coexist with sin. God’s plan, therefore, was to provide a sacrifice as payment for man’s sin, which would not only bring forgiveness to man, but allow man to again be filled with the Spirit of God. God could then reestablish fellowship with man through the Holy Spirit.

Many years passed before the sacrifice was provided. The delay was necessary in order to bring events that would make people understood that we needed a Savior, and to know for sure who the Savior was.

God chose to carry out His plan primarily through the people of Israel. The Israelites were chosen to foretell the coming of the Messiah, to illustrate our need for a Savior through their wars and other circumstances, and ultimately to give birth to the Messiah Himself.

First, God gave laws to the Israelites so that all people would see that they could not live up to God’s perfect standards. God wanted all people to see that we need a Savior:

John 1:17,

Exo 20:1,3,4, 7,8,12-17


The Law was given through Moses. God spoke all these words, saying,…

"You shall have no other gods before Me.

"You shall not make for yourself an idol, …

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, …

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

"Honor your father and your mother, …

"You shall not murder.

"You shall not commit adultery.

"You shall not steal.

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

Gal 2:16


Nevertheless, … a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus,

Rom 3:20


because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight;

Rom 3:23


for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Eccl 7:20


Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.

Rom 3:10


"There is none righteous, not even one.

Gal 3:10 (NIV)


[Therefore], all who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."

Gal 3:19


Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions,

Rom 3:20


for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Gal 3:24


Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

Narrative


God had the people of Israel sacrifice animals to temporarily cleanse them from their sins. This illustrated that sin is cleansed only through the shedding of blood. Jesus is called the Lamb of God because He was the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin.

Heb 9:18-20


Even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, "THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU."

Heb 9:22


And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Heb 10:4


[However,] it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Rom 5:8


But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Heb 9:26


He [Christ] has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

Gal 1:4


[He] gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.

Rom 5:9


Having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

Gal 3:13


Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us.

Rom 6:23


For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Eph 2:8


For by grace you [are] saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

1 John 5:11,12


And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

Narrative


Hundreds of years before Christ came to earth, God announced to the people of Israel through prophets that He would send a Messiah--a Savior. God used several prophets, most of whom lived at different times and never knew one another. God described many details of Christ’s life so that the nation of Israel would not miss the Savior when He came. God did not want an imposter to be mistaken for the Messiah.

Micah 5:2


"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity."

Isa 7:14


"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

Isa 9:6


For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Zec 9:9


Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Isa 53:11


As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.




Christ comes to earth
Narrative

Out of love, God the Son was sent to earth by God the Father. Christ had to come to earth, because forgiveness and life could not be provided without payment for the sin of the human race:

1 John 4:9,10


By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

John 3:16


[Jesus Himself said,] "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

Heb 2:14,15


Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
1 John 3:8 The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
Heb 2:17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

John 1:14


And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

1 John 1:1-4


What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life--and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us--what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.
1 John 4:14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
Narrative

Jesus stated plainly why He came to earth-- to give forgiveness and life to those who place their trust in Him:
John 6:32-35

Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 "For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." 34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, always give us this bread." 35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.
John 6:38-40:

"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40 "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."
John 6:47-51 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48 "I am the bread of life. 49 "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 "This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever
John 3:17

"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
Mat 18:11 "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
Mat 5:17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
John 12:46 "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.
John 10:10 "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Overview of Jesus' life on earth
Narrative While Jesus was on earth, he lived as a man. Although He was still God, He lived in total dependence on the Father instead of exploiting His supernatural power. Jesus had perfect and constant fellowship with the Father.
Phil 2:6,7 Although He [Jesus] existed in the form of God, [He] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
John11:35

Jesus wept.
Matt 21:18

He became hungry.
Heb 5:7,8 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.
Phil 2:8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
[Jesus said,]
Isa 50:4-7

The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. 5 The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not disobedient Nor did I turn back. 6 I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. 7 For the Lord GOD helps Me, Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.
John 4:34

"My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.
John 5:19 "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
John 5:30 "I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
John 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
John14:10 "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.
John 17:4

"I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.
Narrative Jesus incurred much suffering for our sake:
Isa 53:2,3

He [had] no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
1 Pet 2:22,23

[He] committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.
Isa 53:7

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
1 Pet 2:24

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
Isa 53:4,5

Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed
Mark 10:45

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
Narrative Here's what Peter and Martha (Jesus’ friends) said about Him:
Mat 16:16,17 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
John 11:25-27 Jesus said to her [Martha], "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world."
Narrative

Here's what demons said about Jesus:
Mark 3:11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, "You are the Son of God!"
Luke 4:41 Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.
Narrative Jesus claimed to be the sole source of Life--of joy, contentment, inner peace, and fulfillment. He claimed to be the only way to everlasting life. Here's what Jesus said about Himself:
John 6:40 "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life"
John 6:47 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.
John 10:9

"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."
John 10:10

"I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
John 10:11

"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."
John 6:35

"I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.
John 7:37-38

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"
John 8:12

"I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."
John 11:25-26

"I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"
John 15:5

"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."
John 14:6

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."
Narrative Jesus even claimed to one and equal with God:
John 5:22,23

"For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him."
John 8:58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."
John 8:42

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me."
John 12:44,45

And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me."
John 10:30

"I and the Father are one."
John 14:9-11

" He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?" "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves."
Narrative The Jews realized that Jesus claimed to be equal with God
John 10:24-33 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."

Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me. But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?"

The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God."


Jesus' birth
Luke 2:8-16 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.
Luke 2:20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
Luke 2:21 And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
Luke 2:40 The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.


Jesus' ministry
Luke 8:1 He [Jesus] began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him.
Luke 4:15 And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.
Mark 1:22 They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Mark 6:56 Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.
Mark 1:39 And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons.
Mark 1:34 And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons.
Luke 4:41 Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.
John 2:23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing.
Luke 15:1,2 All the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
Luke 11:53 The scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Him closely on many subjects
Luke 13:17 All His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.
Narrative

Some people, including many rulers of the Jews, believed in Jesus, but would not confess their belief and follow Him because they were afraid that they would be persecuted by the Pharisees, who were the most religious Jews of that day. The Pharisees apparently were not interested in whether or not Jesus was who He claimed to be; they just wanted to protect their position and power. They were afraid that if multitudes of people followed Jesus, they would lose their power over the people.
John 11:45-48 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, "What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."
John 12:42,43 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

Jesus' arrest and crucifixion
Mark 14:1 Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him
John 5:18 The Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
Luke 22:2-6 The chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people. And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. They were glad and agreed to give him money. So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the crowd.
Luke 22:7,8 Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it."
Luke 22:14-16 When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."
Luke 22:39-46 [After the Passover dinner with the disciples,] He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. When He arrived at the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.

And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, and said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation."
Mark 14:43 Immediately while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, who were from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
Mark 14:46 They laid hands on Him and seized Him.
Mark 14:50 And they all [the disciples] left Him and fled.
Mark 14:53 They led Jesus away to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together.
Mark 14:55-64

Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, and they were not finding any. For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent. Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'" Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent.

The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, "Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?"

But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

And Jesus said, "I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN."

Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, "What further need do we have of witnesses? "You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.
Mark 15:1

Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate.
John 19:1-9

Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; and they began to come up to Him and say, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and to give Him slaps in the face.

Pilate came out again and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him."

Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold, the Man!"

So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, "Crucify, crucify!" Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him."

The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God."

Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer.
John 19:12-18 As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, "If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar."

Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold, your King!"

So they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar."

So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified. They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between.
Mark 15:33,34

When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" which is translated, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"
John 19:28-30 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, "I am thirsty."

A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
Mark 15:38,39

And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"
Luke 23:48

And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts.
John 19:31-34

Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
Mat 27:57-61

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave.


Jesus' resurrection
1 Cor 15:3,4 Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and...He was buried
Acts 2:24

But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.
Luke 24:1-12 On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they [Mary Magdalene and others] came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again."

And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.
Mark 16:12,13 After that, He [Jesus] appeared in a different form to two of them [disciples] while they were walking along on their way to the country. They went away and reported it to the others,
Luke 24:34 saying, "The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon." They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread--
Mark 16:13 but they did not believe them either.
Luke 24:36-49 While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst. But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."

And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; and He took it and ate it before them.

Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."
1 Cor 15:6,7 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
Luke 24:49 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.
Acts 1:7,8 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
Mark 16:15-18 "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
Acts 1:9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
Mark 16:19

He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
Acts 1:10,11 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."

The resurrected Christ
Narrative Christ conquered sin, death, and Satan. He is alive at this very moment.
Rom 6:9 Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.
Heb 10:12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God,
Eph 1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Heb 2:14,15 Through death He [rendered] powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and [freed] those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
Col 2:15 When He [God the Father] had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
Phil 2:9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name
Eph 1:22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church.
Col 2:10 He is the head over all rule and authority;
Col 1:17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Col 2:3 In [Him] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
John's vision of Christ in heaven
Rev 1:12-18 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
Rev 5:11-13 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."

Your invitation to trust Christ and receive Life
John 20:30,31 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.
1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
1 John 5:12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
John 6:47 [Jesus said,] "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.
Rev 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
Rom 10:9-11 If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed."

The blessings received by those who trust Christ
Narrative Christ has paid the death penalty for our past, present, and future sin. We are forgiven. We are free.
Eph 2:4-7 God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Eph 1:7,8 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished on us.
Col 1:13,14 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Col 2:13,14 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Narrative Christ rescued us from slavery to the Law. In Him we have freedom. Through Him we have received God’s Spirit. In Him we are children of God.
Gal 4:4-7 When the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
1 Cor 15:56,57 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Acts13:38,39 Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.
Rom 7:6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
Gal 3:13,14 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"--in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Rom 8:1,2 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
Gal 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
Gal 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
Eph 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will
Narrative

In Christ we can have joy, peace, contentment, and the security of God's love, no matter what our circumstances
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.
John 15:9-11

"Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
John 16:22 "...and no one will take your joy away from you.
John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."
John 14:27

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
Matt 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Rom 8:35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:37-39 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Heb 13:5 For He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU"
1 Pet 1:8 And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory
Rom 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Narrative In Christ we have victory over sinful behavior. Christ has given us His righteousness in exchange for our unrighteousness. His power can change our bad habits. We are no longer slaves to a destructive lifestyle. We are no longer slaves to dysfunction. We are no longer slaves to the sin patterns of our families. In Christ we have new life--His Life!
Gal 2:20 [Paul said,] "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me
2 Cor 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
Rom 6:1-14

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Gal 5:24

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Col 3:5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
Rom 13:14

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
2 Pet 1:3 His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness
Jude 1:24,25 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.



Christ will remove the devil and his agents from the earth, and lock them up forever
Rev 19:11-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
Rev 19:19-21 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
Rev 20:1-3 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
Rev 20:7-10 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The New Jerusalem
Rev 21:1-6 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.

Benediction
Rev 1:7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.
Phil 2:10,11 At the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Rev 1:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Rev 22:7 "And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book."
Rev 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly."

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

the machina mystery unraveled.

[avian chaos]

Happy 50,000th Birthday, Mike.

[jenniferkate]

The first time they have sex in the office, it's her idea.

It's long past quitting time, but David Wallace is on the West Coast for a shareholder's meeting and wants to conference call with the regional managers. Since Michael is constitutionally incapable of behaving himself on what he thinks is the equivalent of network television, Jim volunteers to sit in as Michael's number two. Which is fine, except that Michael has no earthly idea how to take a conference call and Jim can't remember the login password.

"Please?" he whispers urgently to Pam.

She's putting on her sweater and looking for her bag. It's been three weeks since they started dating, but no one officially knows about it yet. Jim took enough shit from his coworkers over Karen; he doesn't want Dwight giving him that look about Pam. So he can't actually come over and kiss her as a bribe, but she can tell from the look on his face that he wants to. He's sitting at her desk, phone to one ear, an anxious look on his face. The sunlight streaming through the conference room and Michael's office is almost horizontal; it's near sunset. Which means midafternoon in San Francisco, and the conference call started five minutes ago.

"Got it all hooked up out there, Jim?" Michael calls from his office.

Pam glances from Jim to Michael's door, frowning.

"Please?" Jim gives her the puppy dog eyes, and that does it for her. She's learned that he uses that look to get out of everything from doing the dishes to eating at a pizza joint instead of a fine restaurant. She turns around and takes off her coat.

Jim's look mingles smugness and relief as she turns back to the reception desk. Jim starts to get up to give her back her chair, but she puts a hand on his shoulder and pushes him back down.

"You have to stay on the line," she murmurs, deliberately placing her lips next to his ear. She notices the way his hair is starting to curl at his collar again, and smiles. He's letting The Haircut grow out, like she asked him.

"How do I do this?" he whispers, hand over the mouthpiece.

She puts her hand on top of his, guiding his fingers. "This is the Conference button. Now press number 1, that's Michael. Okay. Wait until you hear David Wallace."

Jim clears his throat, looks at Michael's office. "I hear Michael."

"Sure." She guides his fingers (so long, and she remembers how they made her come last night, between the front door and the couch) to the speaker button. Suddenly the sound of Michael's chatter fills the air.

"--said to Jan that we really shouldn't be competing with one another, that people who love each other shouldn't--"

"Michael, you're not on yet," Jim says suddenly.

"Oh." Pause. "Now?"

"Not yet," Jim says, giving Pam an "am I right?" look. He puts his hand over the mouthpiece again and mouths help me!

Pam sits on the counter, feet swinging, hands on either side of her hips, looking down at Jim. His tie is loose, his sleeves rolled up. She remembers being cradled in those arms last night, how strong they felt around her waist, how alive and speaking his hands on her body in the dark can be.

The speaker beeps and they hear: "--Coast online. Oh. Is someone on now?" David Wallace's voice comes from the speaker.

Jim leans forward and hangs up the handset; the speaker remains on. "Jim Halpert here, David."

"I'm here!" Michael chimes in. "Can you hear me?" There's a thunking sound and Jim winces. "Hey, is this thing on?" Michael laughs.

"Okay, I'll get off now," Jim says.

"No, no," Wallace says. "I need to talk to Michael's number two." Which everyone but Michael knows means I need you to rein in Michael.

"Right," Jim says. He looks up at Pam, shrugs helplessly, gives her the puppy dog look again. He's boyish and adorable and silly when he does that. She's amused by his manipulations, his using her attraction for him to get her to do what he wants, even though she doesn't think he's doing it deliberately. So she decides What the hell; two can play at that.

She glances over and sees that the blinds in Michael's office are closed. His door is open, but he can't see them. Catching Jim's eye, she licks her lips. Slowly.

His eyes widen.

"So, okay," Wallace is saying. The speakerphone makes his voice sound tinny and distorted. "I've been looking at the budgets for Q4 and really, guys, we need to tighten up these projected revenues. Sam, can you tell me about this new item for recycled memo pads?"

Another voice comes on, starts talking. Pam reaches up and unbuttons the highest button on her shirt. Jim looks alarmed. And excited. One hand, holding a pencil, starts tapping it against the desk. She leans forward, puts a hand on top of his to stop him. Gives him a good look. He knows what she looks like naked, this is not a tease. It's a reminder. His look tells her he remembers.

"Hey, that was totally my idea," Michael says. It's weird to hear him on the speakerphone and from his office. "Sam, I gave you that idea during the paper convention last fall. Remember when Josh and I were sitting around talking about it?"

"No, I remember that Josh mentioned it, not you," Sam replies. An argument ensues.

Pam shifts on the counter she's been leaning on. She leans forward, hooks a leg around the chair, draws him closer. He doesn't resist when she puts a leg on either side of him, trapping him in her chair, between her knees.

"I don't get this training budget," Wallace is saying. Static drowns his voice but he comes back. "...sustainable innovation in the face of so much technology driven change."

"Whaddida whadda?" Michael laughs. "David, can you say that again? It sounded like Klingon."

Jim's gaze locks with hers, hot with understanding, with passion. With yes. He puts his hands on her knees. Just resting them there, warm with promise. She leans forward, slowly, watching him watch her mouth come closer, closer, until it's on his. Lips a little chapped, but warm. Full. Smiling under hers. Then opening, and his tongue is hot and wet. He tastes of jellybeans, of course. She discovered that in the break room two hours ago, in a furtive kiss in front of the Coke machine. Now she twines her tongue with his, a luscious exploration of that laughing mouth.

She used to think Roy was a good kisser. Now she knows she was just inexperienced. Jim was a revelation from the first kiss to this--he could kiss her a million times and it would never be the same twice. But it would always leave her breathless and a little flushed. Maybe it's the way he gives it his whole attention, as though worlds could collide next to him and he'd never notice. Maybe it's the sheer sensuality of it, the way he seems to absolutely revel in her mouth, her lips. Maybe it's the sense of timelessness, the knowledge that he will take as long as he needs to taste her, tease her, arouse her, never hurried. Whatever. Right now he's sucking on her lower lip and she's feeling very hot, feeling her pulse pound in her neck, feeling the sweet heavy fullness in her lower belly and between her legs that tell her she's aroused.

"...I just don't know. Jim? What do you think?" Wallace is asking. "Do you think all that spending data is really going to make a difference in vendor negotiations?"

He breaks away from her to answer Wallace's question, looking flushed himself.

"Uh. I think Michael's idea is the right one," he says. He doesn't take his eyes off of her.

"Michael? What idea?" Wallace says. They can hear frustration in his voice.

"Oh. Uh. What was the question again?" Michael stutters.

Jim's hair has fallen over his forehead and his lips are wet from hers. She unbuttons another button and now his gaze drops to her cleavage and his mouth makes a tight line. She knows that tight mouth. It means he's trying really, really hard not to say something. Or to kiss her.

There's a new voice on the line, one they know well. "...takes forever with an ordinary spreadsheet," Ryan is saying. Pam thinks of him in his steel and glass office in New York, then forgets about him. Better things to think about here. "I think we need that new budgeting software, David."

"Wow, Temp, you really went whole hog for this technology thing," Michael says. Pam can hear the edge of satire in his voice; Michael has never really gotten over Ryan's "betrayal" when he took the job Michael had interviewed for. The fact that Michael had withdrawn his name didn't affect the fact that Michael viewed all departures from the Office nest as betrayals. "Sure you don't want to replace all of us with computers? I...am...Hal...Cannot...turn...me...off..."

Pam squeezes her knees together, compressing Jim's thighs, and he winces slightly. She looks down and sees the bulge in his crotch. She looks up and his eyes are laughing. They drop to her cleavage, and this time he licks his lips like she did. Slowly.

Oh, this will be fun. She leans forward and down, presses her hand to his crotch. He gasps, covers with a fake cough, and glares at her. But there's something else in the glare--respect? Lust? Challenge? She keeps her hand where it is, strokes him once or twice through the cloth.

"Jimbo, back me up here," Michael is saying. "We don't need no stinkin' programs, do we?"

"Ah, I don't know, Michael," he says. His voice is almost normal; only Pam can hear the note of strain in it. "Ryan makes a lot of sense."

"No, he doesn't! He's never even made a sale! How can he know anything about budgets and sales and--"

"I think we're getting off topic," Wallace cuts in. "Ryan, what's your projected return on the budgeting software?"

As Ryan drones on with facts and figures, Jim's hands slide up from Pam's knees to her thighs, higher, now sliding under the hem of her skirt. His eyes are locked on hers, daring her. He doesn't think she means this.

It's so on.

She strokes him, defining his erection under the cloth. He slides his hands higher, finds the edge of her panties. She finds his zipper and pulls it down--quietly, so that the open microphone won't pick up the sound. He closes his eyes, briefly. Opens them to meet hers, even as his fingers curl under the elastic and tug.

"So it will make the whole process more efficient," Ryan says. "Jim? You agree?"

"Absolutely," Jim replies shortly. Breathlessly.

"Well, I don't!" Michaels sounds petulant. "And I outvote Jim, he's only my number two!"

"It good to get everyone's voice on this," Wallace says patiently.

Pam puts her hands on either side of her hips, lifts herself. The counter creaks a little as her weight shifts. His hands pull the satin panties off her in one quick tug as she kicks off her flats. He doesn't even look at her when he drops the panties into the trash under the desk. She reaches into his open fly and finds him hard, and he makes a strangled sound which is fortunately drowned by Michael's outrage at something Ryan just said.

There is a sound from the Annex--is someone back there? Or is that another of Kelly's new desk toys falling off? His eyes dart to the kitchen, the conference room door, back to her. They may not be alone, they could be discovered at any moment.

She looks at him. Should they stop? His eyes say no just as his fingers reach her center and find her so wet, so soft, so ready.

"I don't care," Michael is saying. "Let the other branches switch over to it. I ... we just don't have the time. Busy pushing paper here, you know? No time for this whole training thing."

"But it will free you up to do more selling," Wallace is saying.

Jim strokes her once, twice, and she throws her head back and jams her fist into her mouth to keep from moaning because he figured out a long time ago (twenty minutes into their First Time) exactly and precisely where and how hard and how fast to stroke, and god she's close to coming. But sitting at the edge of the desk makes it hard for his fingers to do their best work, so he withdraws his hand. He grabs her hips and brings her forward, lifting her. Her knees are already on either side of his legs, so when he pulls her into his lap she's straddling him. There is an alarming metallic squeal from the overburdened chair; they ignore it. She feels his cock against her, feels him lifting her, reaches forward to balance herself with a hand on each of his shoulder. The chair squeaks and wobbles alarmingly as she impales herself in one sweet slide onto him. He buries his face in her shoulder to silence himself and her fist is in her mouth again as he fills her.

"Jim? Do you think you can handle the training? Maybe come to a one-day seminar in New York?" Ryan is asking.

"Yes!" he says forcefully.

"No need to yell," Michael says, irritated. "We can hear you just fine."

Pam rocks forward, but sitting on his lap like this lifts her too high off the floor; her feet cannot gain enough purchase. She wriggles, trying to find enough traction to really rock on him, but only succeeds in pushing the wheeled chair further away from the desk. Jim buries his face in her breasts and inhales deeply, his body trembling under hers. Her pulse is pounding in her ears but she can't come, can't help him. She's almost helpless, flushed and hot and thrumming with him inside her.

Dimly, she's aware of the conversation going on, the argument building as Wallace and Ryan work on the reluctant Michael. She tunes them out, focusing on the feel of him so hard inside her, insistent. Jim.

His hands settle on her hips, press her downward onto him, pull her up again. Deeper, rougher. Stroking against her, opening her. His hips rock upward under hers, his hands pull her downward onto him, she can feel the muscles of his shoulders and biceps working under her hands. He makes a small soft grunting sound, something between a growl and a sob. Pulls her downward again. Her heart is hammering against his face, he is panting into her cleavage, and the chair is tilting dangerously. He shifts their center of gravity to keep them from tipping over, and suddenly he hits the target dead center. At the last possible second she buries her face in his hair, wrapping her arms around his head and silently screaming her release. She trembles as the orgasm engulfs her, focusing everything on the place where they are joined. His face is trapped in her cleavage and he's panting, whether from the effort of holding her or from oxygen deprivation, but she hears no complaints. He heaves, thrusts, and then she feels him break, feels him shudder into her, knows he's coming hard, with everything he has, holding nothing back. Like always.

He's gasping into her breasts and she feels his chest heaving so she releases him, leans back a little, and he looks up at her with love and passion and pride in his eyes--and laughter.

"...tomorrow. And I'll fax you the details in about an hour," Wallace is saying. He's got that winding-up sound in his voice that says the call is ending. "Michael? Can I count on your cooperation? Michael?"

"Sure," Michael says shortly. "But I think I ought to talk it over with Jan."

"Michael, that is not appropriate," Wallace says testily. "Jan is no longer part of Dunder Mifflin."

"Well, she's part of me!" Michael says. "And I'm part of Dunder-Mifflin. So she's part of it too."

Jim rests his forehead against hers for a moment. "He's going to catch us?" he whispers.

Pam kisses him. He tastes like sweat. Like jellybeans. Like Jim. "Can't have that," she agrees. She wriggles, and he pushes her slightly, so her feet come down on the floor. She stands and her skirt falls around her thighs. He's got one hand in his lap, zipping up, as she struggles to put her hair back up.

"...goodbye!" Michael says. A click from the speakerphone tells them he's hung up.

In two steps she's at the file cabinet, pulling out the top drawer, pretending to search for something. Jim is still in her chair, punching buttons (static, dial tone, silence) when Michael emerges from his office. He doesn't seem surprised to see Pam still here; he doesn't seem aware of her at all.

"Pam? There's a fax coming through from David Wallace a little later. Do you mind staying until it comes in? Very important."

Jim stands. "Can't you stay?"

"No, no. Jan's expecting me. In fact--" he glances at his watch, and a look of panic crosses his face. "I'm late. Gotta go! Get that fax, Pam!" He rushes out the door.

Jim turns to face her. His gaze is hot, full of mischief. "Looks like we're working late," he says. Steps toward her.

The second time they have sex in the office, it's his idea.

You can’t really breathe as you step into the water because you feel exhilarated and completely terrified at the same time. Your feet hurt and your chest feels tight and it’s quite possible that you’ve never felt so alive.

The glow of the firelight disappears as you round the corner of the bank, and for the first time tonight you feel like you’re actually alone. You don’t have to take notes and you don’t have to watch everyone else having fun and you’re finally able to take a moment to just think. You can hear silence and crickets and wind in the grass along the shore.

You’re pulling off your hoodie and tank top and capris and you’re before you realize it, you’re suddenly under water. It’s cold and pressing and even quieter than before, and when you open your eyes, everything is dark. Soon your lungs are starting to ache, so you break the surface, and it takes a moment to notice that you’re laughing. Loudly and helplessly.

Because the man you love isn’t even your friend any longer. And your job is going nowhere. And you live alone and you feel alone and it seems like no one cares. And you’ve spilled it all to everyone you work with. And your feet are burnt. And suddenly, none of it matters, because now you finally feel free.

You gaze up at the sky and see the stars and the moon and your laughter dies slowly until all you can hear is quiet. You let the current pull at you, drifting against you and around you and you want to just stay like this forever.

By the time you make your way back to the beach, you’ve got goosebumps and your teeth are chattering and you wonder briefly if they’ve left without you. And when you look up to find your hoodie, you see him sitting next to your clothes, and his eyes flash in the darkness.

You wonder if you should still feel bold, after everything that’s happened. You decide that you do, and you sit down in the sand next to him, turning your head back towards the stars.

It’s silent for a bit too long, and you can feel him looking at you, but you’re still looking up at the sky, trying to find the Big Dipper, or Orion, and you can’t remember which one is visible this time of year or if they both are.

He’s untied the top of your swimsuit by the time you find the North Star, and his breath is hot against the back of your neck. His fingers are delicate as they push the halter straps forward and pull your wet hair away from your shoulders, passing so lightly over your collarbones that it’s almost like a breeze.

Your head falls forward as his hands slip down, following the path the ties of your swimsuit have taken until his palms are resting against your ribs. His lips press once and then again along your right shoulder and you shudder when he pulls your bikini top down, down.

Your hands are brazen and pull at his fingers, placing them on your chest and pressing, and you arch towards them sharply. He’s kneeling behind you and you can feel him leaning forward, his cheek against yours, and he’s whispering words you can’t quite hear; something about bravery and cowardice and need.

You groan in frustration when his hands move away, but it dissolves into a gasp when his thumbs start tracing your hipbones. You can feel him hard against your back and Jesus. His left index finger is slipping below your bikini bottoms and you push back against him, wanting to feel him even closer.

His hips move of their own accord and his breath is ragged against your neck. And his finger has dipped further beneath your suit until it’s there and you whimper helplessly.

“Please,” he whispers harshly. “I need …”

You’re nodding your head and grasping his forearm, holding him against you as your other hand reaches blindly behind you, your fingers threading through his hair, feeling softness and sweat and oh God. His lips are brushing your ear and his hand is moving against you and you’re already there.

He stops abruptly and you let out a strange, strangled sort of cry because you’re so close but you hear him fumbling behind you and the sound of his zipper is almost piercing in the darkness. Then he’s pulling you against his chest again and panting into your hair and asking you and begging you and all you can do is say “Yes, Jim-” because you can’t think any more. One arm is around your waist and the other is pulling at your swimsuit and then he’s pushing forward and deep and you call his name a little too loudly because fuck.

And you turn your head and he finally kisses you, hard, like it’s the only thing he’s ever wanted to do.

Then his hand dips and his middle finger presses against you through the fabric of your swimsuit and you breathe out “I’m gonna … oh God.” You close your eyes as you tense and open them when you finally shudder around him, whimpering his name over and over until you can’t say anything else.

And he’s grunting in your ear and gasping and rocking against you once and then again before he stills, a low moan that sounds like maybe your name reverberating through him and then you.

Once your breathing slows, you can hear the crickets again. He’s handing you your clothes and running a hand through his hair as he cranes his neck to stare up into the night. You stand near the water’s edge and feel him come to stand behind you, and your heart jumps when you hear the cracking of twigs behind you. The jostling of camera equipment is unmistakable, and you sigh quietly.

“How are your feet?” he asks.

“Medium rare. Thanks,” you quip, afraid to look up at him, because you know it’ll make it that much harder to pretend.

And when you get home, you finally let yourself cry.

She’s holding his hand as they walk and he sneaks his free hand around and swats her on the back just above her ass.

“Hey!” She laughs and spins to face him.

“I missed,” he shrugs.

“Can’t you wait till we get home, Halpert? Or at least until I don’t smell like your tennis shoes,” she sticks out her tongue at him.

“Maybe, but probably not.” He chuckles. “Just, hurry up at least, because,” he gestures discreetly at his crotch before pressing his hips against hers. She swallows audibly and her eyelids lower almost imperceptibly. “I’m already looking forward to it, a little.”

She raises an eyebrow at him and makes a show about looking down at his already visible erection. When she turns to face the locker room door, her hand brushes against him. “Don’t worry then, because I’ll just be a minute,” she winks and he moans.

Karen pushes open the door to the locker room, releasing a cloud of steam. Then she’s starting to pull off her shirt and sports bra before the door’s all the way shut and he catches just a flash of her breast and fuck, these mesh shorts don’t really hide anything.

He takes a seat on a bench outside the door and crosses and uncrosses his legs, thinks about Michael, thinks about basketball, thinks about roadkill and Dwight but there isn’t much to be done about his current situation.

It’s more than a minute, he tries to assure himself, before he decides to follow her. He’s not one of those guys that freaks out when his girlfriend is a few seconds late; but he is one of those guys that gets more than a little turned on when she runs next to him on the treadmill at the gym and her face gets pink and when he knows that the only thing between him and her, naked under the spray of the shower, is this fucking door that he’s currently walking through.

The steam is really overpowering and he hears her before he sees her, she’s laughing somewhere over there, and wow, this looks a lot like his high school locker room, but there’s no sweaty guys (thank god) and it’s a lot cleaner, and kind of reminds him of a movie he saw once on the Skinemax channel when his older brother convinced his parents that they were old enough for their own hotel room that vacation (they probably weren’t).

He thinks he hears someone else for a moment, but his hearing isn’t really working as strongly right now as other parts of him. And when he turns the corner to the showers, there…they are, standing under the spray and everything stops except that dark curl that rolls through his lower stomach and the groan that becomes caught in his throat.

Pam’s hands are pressed hard against Karen’s naked back, one of them dipping down over her smooth wet skin, cupping her ass and he hears Karen growl in that sexy way that she does when she really wants to be touched.

He’s kind of mad at her for a second, since she promised him a pretty fantastic time when they get home and if she’s going to go and wear herself out now then he’s just going to-- but then Pam moves one leg between Karen’s, sliding it back and forth against her and now he’s just wondering if he can actually come without being touched.

Pam’s laughing against Karen’s mouth when Karen runs her hands up Pam’s sides, over her breasts (oh god) and brushes her wet hair away from her face and to the side, and Pam tilts her head so Karen can reach her neck and she’s licking and biting until Pam whimpers something like the word please and Jim is so hard he can feel the pulsing and he can’t hardly stand to not touch himself.

“Please what, Pam? What do you want?” She’d asked him that last night, after an impromptu (and slightly vulgar) striptease following a game of Call of Duty and several beers, and he presses a palm hard against his cock at the memory and the sight before him.

“You’re not touching me,” Pam tries to pout but she looks more like she’s going to sneeze and they both dissolve into giggles before Karen’s hand is gone and Pam gasping and squeezing her shoulders, moving her hips in time with a rhythm he desperately tries to match with just his palm.

Karen’s tongue trails down over Pam’s collarbone and then she has one of her nipples in her mouth and Pam is arched towards her under the spray, whimpering.

Now he’s really hard as fuck when he finally gives in and reaches under the elastic on his basketball shorts, gripping tight enough to hurt if he weren’t so goddamned ready.

As if on cue: “Are you ready?” Karen looks over her shoulder. At him. Shit. The side of her face is pressed against Pam’s chest. Shit. His hand freezes, his eyes grow huge and all he can do is stare back at her.

Neither of them speaks. She doesn’t repeat her question and he doesn’t answer.

“Fuck, Jim, please,” Pam looks at him through heavy-lidded eyes, her fingers tangled in Karen’s hair, pulling her back to her breasts.

“You just gonna leave her like this?” Karen smirks at him, there’s a tiny dare in her smile, and her tongue snakes out and licks Pam’s nipple again.

His shirt is off and his shorts and boxers tossed any which way in a matter of moments.

He walks over under the water and reaches to touch but Karen shoots him a look and he knows better.

“Not yet. Sit,” she nods her head towards a bench just beyond the spray of the shower head and his dick throbs when he realizes why she can’t point with her hands. “Wait.”

“For?” He barely recognizes the growl of his voice. She gets that look again and turns back to Pam. He can see the muscles in her arm rippling and his hand finds his cock again, stroking himself with her movements.

Pam bites her lip so hard he wonders briefly if she’ll break the skin. She’s holding on to Karen for dear life, her hips moving blindly against her hand.

Karen is watching his reactions but he’s only seeing Pam, her hair falling with the stream down her back and she tilts her head backward, water running down her neck between her breasts and then she drops her head forward quickly, forehead against Karen’s shoulder and she’s shouting into Karen’s chest ‘stop please please stop I need I need’ and it’s barely words when Karen abruptly stops touching her and guides her over to Jim.

His hands are out at his sides, supporting himself when Karen leads Pam to straddle his lap. Karen’s hands are in his hair and then she’s kissing him, her tongue running over his lip before she slinks her hands down his chest, winding briefly in the hair there, and then she has him in her hands stroking him and just when he’s going to tell her to stop or it’ll all be over, she’s pressing his tip against Pam’s entrance and waiting for something while he’s making the most desperate sounds and wondering if now she’s going to make him beg.

Then Pam’s sinking down and he’s in her so deep before be can even speak and it’s so good and she’s so tight and wet that he wants to let go, but he moans instead, something like her name and fuck and Karen is standing there behind Pam, smiling at the both of them, with her hands on Pam’s breasts and a look on her face like the cat that killed the canary. But Pam starts moving over him and he’s not thinking anything but

“Fuck!” And it’s his turn to bite his lip when Karen’s licking at Pam’s shoulder and staring into his eyes like a challenge.

“She’s good, isn’t she?” Karen’s hands slip down Pam’s stomach and her fingers skip over where they meet, disrupting their rhythm in an amazing way and he bucks up to meet the feather-light touch, causing Pam to moan loudly and fall back against Karen. “You close, baby?” Her lips are against Pam’s ear and Pam’s nodding more than necessary.

Jim leans all of his and Pam’s weight on the one hand, and he swears the prospect of an orgasm must give you superman strength because he barely feels it. And his free thumb is rubbing circles over Pam’s clit and Karen bites her earlobe and then she’s cursing a blue streak and clenching around him hard. One of her hands is snaked around Karen’s head, gripping her hair and the other is digging deep into his shoulder and it bites in the best way, and he has to pray not to lose it just yet when he feels her insides contract around him again and again.

When he feels her muscles begin to relax, Pam’s eyes slip open and stare right at him, and out of the corner of his eye he can see Karen looking at him, too and she whispers something to Pam and they’re both grinning when he feels her squeeze herself around him over and over as Karen helps her move over him again and

“The fuck?” Is all he can get out because oh my god she feels so fucking good and did they plan this?

And then suddenly everything in him tenses, he swears he’s never come so hard in his life and who’s name should he yell? But it all just comes out as a loud grunt anyway.

He’s surprised that he’s still right-side in when his eyes finally open, but he starts to think that maybe the world isn’t so much because Karen’s got a hand between her legs and Pam is still hot and clenching herself around him and she’s leaning against Karen, looking up at her and whispering filthy things and Karen is nodding nodding nodding along, and he thinks they don’t even need him anymore.

“Help her,” Pam shoots him a stern look and they might be hanging out (platonically) too much because she’s picking up Karen’s no-nonsense tone and the mannerisms, but he wants to help her because, god she’s so pretty when she comes.

Pam lifts herself off of him and moves to stand next to Karen. She pushes her forward between his knees and Karen’s hand moves from between her legs to tangle in his hair and she’s pulling. Hard.

He looks up to see her kissing Pam, sucking on her bottom lip while Pam runs her hands up the flat skin between Karen’s breasts and Karen breaks the kiss to groan in frustration because both of them are not touching the right places.

His hands move up her thighs and spread her legs wider ‘till all of her is right there and she gasps when it’s his tongue on her, flat and hot and running along her opening.

“She likes it when,” Pam speaks softly, but her sentence ends there. She reaches for his right hand and shows him how those two fingers curled and stroking justrightthere inside her and his left hand on the small of her back pulling her forward and his mouth sucking on her clit make her scream, and how does she know this and not him?

It only takes a few moments before Karen’s fluttering around his fingers and then tightening wildly and she has that look like when she’s keeping stride next to him on the treadmill, all flushed and smiling and he sees Pam watching her, too and

“She’s beautiful,” Pam says to no one in particular. And he has to agree.

They separate slowly and he’s suddenly shy, wants to ask them how long? And when? And can they meet up in a few days (because he needs to recover a little)?

But they don’t act like anything completely mind-blowing has just happened and Pam smiles like how she does when she’s leaving the office on Friday and disappearing around the corner.

Then Karen grabs his hand and pulls him standing and shakes him

“Karen, what’s…?” Shakes him

Shakes him until he’s blinking against the light and looking around because where the fuck is he now that smells like sea salt and roses and peppermint tea? Karen laughs as her hand closes around him and he jerks up (how is he still hard?).

“Morning,” she grins impishly. “Wood.” And she winks at him as her fingers slide against his length and he moans and bucks up toward her hand. “You were making a lot of sex noises there, Halpert. Good dream?”

“Uhn, fuck. Yes.” He looks over at her, still naked from the previous night, sheets falling around her waist.

“Looks like it, too. Want to tell me about it?” He grins at her when she throws one leg over him until she’s straddling his hips. Her hands press into the mattress on either side of his head and she leans down until her nipples are against his chest.

He tells her about it, stopping briefly when she moves to lower herself onto him, and she doesn’t get mad or even frown when he tells about Pam, just grins wildly and stops him a few times to ask for more details (“Show me what I did to her.”).

Her hair is knotted from sleep and she’s looking to all the world like she’s just been fucked (is in the middle of being fucked) and she leans down and licks his ear and whispers

“She’s really hot, maybe we can ask her about it tomorrow.” And he comes.

[GlasgowKiss]

rison rape
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Prison rape commonly refers to the rape of inmates in prison by other inmates or prison staff. According to Human Rights Watch, there is a significant variation in the rates of prison rape by race. Stop Prisoner Rape, Inc. statistics indicate that there are more men raped in U.S. prisons than non-incarcerated women similarly assaulted. They estimate that 25,000 inmates are raped each year; that young men are five times more likely to be attacked; and that the prison rape victims are ten times more likely to contract a deadly disease.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Racial dimensions of prison rape
* 2 Prison rape and sexuality
* 3 U.S. cultural attitudes
* 4 U.S. law
* 5 Other countries
o 5.1 Russia
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 External links

[edit] Racial dimensions of prison rape

According to a detailed study of prison rape in US prisons by Human Rights Watch, white prisoners are disproportionately targeted in terms of victimization statistics. The report stated:

Past studies have documented the prevalence of black on white sexual aggression in prison.(213) These findings are further confirmed by Human Rights Watch's own research. Overall, our correspondence and interviews with white, black, and Hispanic inmates convince us that white inmates are disproportionately targeted for abuse. Although many whites reported being raped by white inmates, black on white abuse appears to be more common.[1]

[edit] Prison rape and sexuality

In prison rape, the perpetrator and victim are generally the same sex (due to the gender-segregated nature of prison confinement). As such, a host of issues regarding sexual orientation and gender roles are associated with the topic.

In U.S. male prisons, rapists generally identify as heterosexual and confine themselves to non-receptive sexual acts. Victims, commonly referred to as "punks" or "charlon" or "bitches," may or may not be seen as homosexual. Punks are generally confined to performing receptive sexual acts. Moreover, though "punks" sometimes agree to a sexual arrangement with an aggressor, these men generally consider themselves heterosexual.

Transgendered inmates face further difficulties, and Stop Prisoner Rape asserts that such inmates have an almost certain chance of being sexually assaulted in prison. Some prisons separate homosexuals, bisexuals, and transgenders from the general prison population to prevent rape and violence against them.[citation needed]

Shame regarding perceived homosexuality may contribute to the underreporting of prison rape by victims. Prison rape statistics are higher than reported, as many victims are afraid to report, being threatened with physical violence by rapists if reported.

[edit] U.S. cultural attitudes

Many human rights groups, such as the Human Rights Watch and Stop Prisoner Rape, claim that prison staff tolerate rape as a means of controlling the prison population in general.

Suicide among rape victims is a problem of unknown proportions.[citation needed]

The topic of prison rape is relatively common in American humor. Jokes such as "don't drop the soap" seem to suggest that prison rape is an acceptable consequence of being sent to prison. This phenomenon is exemplified by the 2006 U.S. feature film Let's Go to Prison.

Prison rape cases have drastically risen in recent years, mostly attributed to an increase in counseling and reporting. The threat of AIDS, which affects many of those raped in prison, has resulted in the increase of reported cases for the benefit of medical assistance.

[edit] U.S. law

U.S. Federal law, under the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, calls for the compilation of national prison rape statistics, annual hearings by a review panel, and the provision of grants to the states to address prison rape.

[edit] Other countries

[edit] Russia

In Russian male prisons, prison rape is quite common. There are many taboos in Russian prison culture associated with this topic. Victims of rape belong to the very bottom of prison hierarchy, to the layer called "opushchennye" (Russian: опущенные; literally, "those who were moved down", singular "opushchennyi") or "petookhi" (Russian: петухи; literally, "roosters", singular "petookh"). The circumstances of rape doesn't matter; the very fact of homosexual contact in passive mode makes prisoner a "petookh"; thus, if a prisoner had a homosexual contact before prison and this fact becomes known to other inmates, he is also moved to this group. "Petookhs" are untouchables: other prisoners may touch them only during the rape; they live in a separate corner of a prison cell, every object that is touched by a "petookh" is befouled: if another inmate touches it, he becomes a "petookh" too; it is even forbidden to beat "petookhs" with hands (only beating with legs is permitted). "Petookhs" are forced to do the most filthy job: to clean toilets, to empty trash cans, etc.
When another prisoner requests sex, a "petookh" must obey or he will be beaten. "Petookhs" are often given female names (Sveta, Masha, Tanya etc.) and must respond when they are called by these names. When a "petookh" is transferred to another prison where nobody knows him, he must immediately inform other inmates about his status. Failure to do this may lead to very severe consequences to the "petookh" including his murder when his status becomes known. According to "proper" traditions, there are very few reasons of raping a prisoners: lodging information against other inmates to authorities, theft of other prisoners' property, failure to pay debt in time. The status of "petookh" is life-long, there is no way to get out of this layer (At least untill the inmate is released or paroled; but if he will be jailed again, he will again be considered as a "petukh".) The very word "petookh" is a taboo: inmates tend to use it as little as possible. To call a "petookh" somebody who is not the one is a very hard insult that may lead to death.

See http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Опущенный

[jenniferkate]

"How are you, Jan?"

As a rule, her therapist, Carol, has to ask that question at the beginning of every session and every time Jan has this burning urge to tell her she's horribly depressed and throw herself at her feet. She never does.

"I'm good. You? How are the kids, Carol?"

It's a successful diversion and works eight out of ten times. She asks about the children, the husband, everything she has yet to acquire on a permanent basis, and they spend fifteen minutes out of the scheduled hour talking about someone other than herself.

She's nodding, beating out the rhythm of a Stevie Nicks song that was on the radio this morning with her heel, and realizes that Carol isn't speaking anymore and instead is staring intently at her. Her ten minutes are up.

"It's nice of you to ask, Jan, and I hold your concern in the highest regard, I do, but we're here to talk about you, not me."

It goes like this all the time. She remembers that they're on paid time, her paid time, and gives her a stern look above the Chanel horn-rimmed glasses. She bought them for her last Christmas, replacing the hideous, circa 1960, Coca Cola bottle ones she'd been wearing for the past five years. The way Jan sees it, if she has to spend a significant amount of time with this woman, she might as well be wearing fashionable eye wear during the visits.

Carol cups a hand under her chin, her psychoanalyst pose, and continues to stare her down.

"So what's new?"

I may have coerced my twenty-five year old assistant into sex last night runs through her mind, but she just gives her a tight smile and shrugs.

She's talking again about borders and self-control and apparently all the other ways Jan isolates herself from the outside world, and she happily tunes out her spiel, letting her eyes glaze over as she remembers the night before.

Hunter, despite his age or maybe because of it, had been surprisingly cooperative. She didn't have to coach him or tell him where to go, but it wasn't at all what she had expected.

-

"Oh, Ms. Levinson. I thought you left."

She had left. She drove an hour out of her way to reassure her boyfriend, Michael, and he was already breaking up with her.

She needed some Vidocin.

"I need Vidocin."

Hunter merely blinked and nodded, going behind her desk, and fetching a water bottle from the small fridge at the back.

The fact that she could very well be his mother, and that she actually met the woman when he began his internship two years back, didn't bother as much as it should have.

The pill slipped down her throat and her palms stopped sweating after a couple minutes.

She had a very large desk. She'd always hated it. It took up more space than she wanted, but for once, she grateful for it. It was easier with a large desk.

"Ms. Levinson?" He had brown eyes, guileless, cattle brown eyes. She didn't know why she was noticing this now, now when had him backed up against the edge of her desk, catching his lips between her teeth.

Michael always wanted to do things the regular way. Missionary and some action flick bought off her Pay-Per-View later and he was happy. The thing was that Jan never actually found herself satisfied after sex. Her first husband didn't know what to do with his hands, and for the most part, didn't really care if she came or not, and with Michael it was better, but she always felt lacking for some reason.

Carol said it was because she couldn't release the control she upheld in every other aspect of her life, but if she just laid back and didn't do anything, they would hardly know what to do.

His pants landed at her feet, tickling her toes, and she surprised herself when she came not once, but twice in the span of thirty minutes.

Toby's voice entered her head post-coital: That's cause for a sexual harassment case right there, Jan.

-

"We've made a lot of progress today."

She has the urge to snort, or something else unbecoming of her image, because she's just spent the last half hour fantasizing about Hunter going down on her at the office.

She needs serious help.

He's perfectly professional the next day, and when he comes to drop off some folders she needed without her asking, she thinks she might've found the perfect man.

Except he's a boy, and if he so as much says a word, she could fire him.

That night she has disturbing dreams revolving around Hunter's mother and several people dragging her to be burned at the stake.

She wakes up, swallows down a couple prescription drugs, she technically isn't supposed to be taking anymore, and goes back to sleep, plans to call in sick the next day.

Her hand is holding the phone and she almost has the words I'm sick at the tip of her tongue, but it's weakness and her mother, Mrs. Levinson, never took a sick day all her life.

Her mother was also a senior kindergarten teacher not that means anything one way or another. It's just that this is Corporate America, and women have finally started to have more influence and she wasn't going to let the next generation down by calling in sick.

Yeah…she was doing this for the future daughters of America.

-

She's not sure what the future daughters of America would think of her at the moment.

Hunter runs a hand back through his hair making it stick up in a way that's mildly comical and reminiscent of a cartoon she watched when she was a kid. He's been reduced to his boxers and his tie somehow is still looped around his neck.

Their building it happens has many rooms. Many rooms no one ever uses and their convenience is invaluable.

Every once and a while she'll be absently undoing the row of buttons on his shirt, well the times she goes slow, she usually just pulls and lets the glassy nubs scatter across the floor, but every now and then, she'll think of Michael and some ridiculous thing he said, and there's a pang somewhere deep in her gut for a minute.

She lets those moments pass and tries not to let the guilt itch at her skin.

-

"Michael!"

"Hi, Mr. Scott."

He's standing in the doorway wearing something akin to her uncle's Fourth of July apparel, and Hunter's standing behind her...oh crap.

She snaps on her bra, and rushes Hunter, half naked, out into the hall.

She knew she shouldn't have ever brought him home.

"Michael..."

He's rubbing at his temple, and she can see a vein throbbing underneath his hairline and sincerely hopes he doesn't have a stroke in her bedroom.

"You and Hunter? Jan!"

He looks at her in exasperation and she turns to pull her blouse over herself. He's hurt. This is good. He should be hurt.

"I know my breaking up with you broke your heart, but this-"

What on earth was he-

"Michael Scott, you did not break my heart."

"Oh Jan. I think you and I both know the truth."

He tilts his head, and watches her quickly reddening face in the opposite mirror.

"My ex-husband broke my heart. My first boyfriend, Jimmy Something..."

"Now that's just ridiculous. He couldn't have broken your heart if you can't remember his last name." Michael says matter-of-factly.

"Well, he did!" She's indignant and it's completely useless because he's seriously convinced himself that this is the case here.

If she was honest with herself, she might admit it was not entirely untruthful, but the denial stage is still pending.

He sits down on the edge of the mattress and engulfs her in a bear hug. He looks like he's laughing when she pushes him off a moment later.

"What?"

"You know what Toby would say if he was here?"

"Sexual harassment." They say it in unison and he shakes his head, sighing into her hair.

"God, I hate Toby." She smothers her laughter into his shoulder.

[jenniferkate]

“And I mean seriously, does she think that moving from a back up dancer to a musician that no one knows is going to help. She should try to get back with Justin, or oh oh she should totally steal John Mayer from Jessica Simpson. He is sooo cute.”

Ryan took another deep breath and tried to convince himself not to slam his head against his desk.

When he’d moved back here with Kelly it had taken less than a day for him to realize that something serious needed to be done if he was going to survive.

So, he had done the only thing that made Kelly shut up for any length of time—kissing. Other people in the office got a soda when they needed a break. In his case, he’d listen to Kelly for as long as he could, pray she got lots of sale calls, but usually by the afternoon he’d find himself backing her up against her desk, or he’d let her back him up against his.

Knowing that when he finally pulled away to get back to work her breath would be shallow and her eyes would be glazed over and he’d have at least twenty uninterrupted minutes to try to and sell paper.

Of course then those twenty minutes would end and she’d be telling him what model should leave and why Tyra wasn’t really a shrew.

And the process would start all over again.

But nothing was working today. He’d kissed her for a good fifteen minutes and she’d just gone straight back to talking. Plus she was now sitting on his desk, legs crossed and almost covering his keyboard so he couldn’t even type the report that desperately needed to be done by 5 pm. And it was 4:15 now and did he mention it was also a Friday. He was not leaving late. He was leaving at time, collapsing on his coach, playing his Xbox and putting this entire week behind him.

Something major needed to be done right now.

Leaning back he glanced around. Toby wasn’t at his desk. He’d been called into the conference room an hour ago to deal with something stupid Michael had done. Smiling to himself when he realized that no one was close enough to see or hear them he rested his hand on Kelly’s knee.

She was wearing a short loose skirt today and it was simple to push it up and glide his hand up her thigh.

“Ryan!” she squealed, and he stood and kissed her.

“Shhh,” he told her and smiled at her. She uncrossed her legs and spread them so he could stand between them. He kissed her again and his hand ran further up her leg, moving to the inside of her thigh until his fingers just brushed her panties, by the feel of them they were her lacy red ones. He had great affection for her underwear.

He drew one finger along her slit, feeling her panties grow wet, her hips lifting against his fingers. At the same time his other hand slipped under her peasant top, her clothes were perfect for desk almost-sex. He cupped one of her breasts in his hand, tugging the fabric down so he could finger her nipple, knowing how fast that got to her.

Sure enough she let him know she liked it, gasping out a breathy little, “R-yan.”

He covered her mouth with his again swallowing her cries as his fingers press into her through her thin panties. He can feel her heat around his fingers; feel himself go hard as her hips move, as her pants into his mouth. Finally she can not longer take it and her head falls back. He kissed her again, not wanting anyone to hear her as he slipped his fingers inside her. His thumb pressed hard against her clit and she came. Her whole body trembled as he swallowed her cry of pleasure.

As Kelly leaned back against the partition, eyes closed, he finished his work with a whole 15 minutes to spare.

Kelly congratulated him by crawling under his desk and giving him a blow job.

And at 5 o’clock he left the office, his work done, his mind and body relaxed, his arms around a gorgeous woman and his Xbox waiting for him at home.

As Kelly said, “Orgasm breaks are totally awesome.”