#Exodus Ministries

[religioused]

Sermon: Look what your kid did!

[musicmags]

[jclovely]

WHO IS THE MESSIAH WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF EXODUS????

NEXT MONTH IS PASSOVER, LET'S PREPARE OUR HEARTS TO CELEBRATE THE LAMB OF GOD THAT WAS SLAIN FOR OUR SINS.

ALLELUIAH TO THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TOOK AWAY ALL OUR SINS.

Amen.

📯👑📯

🇮🇱👑🙏

🙏💖🌺🦋🕎✝️👑🇮🇱🕊️📯🕯️🧡

1 John 2:2 NLT 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Jesus faces temptation alone in the desert

1-2 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit up into the desert, to be tempted by the devil. After a fast of forty days and nights he was very hungry.

3 “If you really are the Son of God,” said the tempter, coming to him, “tell these stones to turn into loaves.”

4 Jesus answered, “The scripture says ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’.”

5-6 Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the highest ledge of the Temple. “If you really are the Son of God,” he said, “Throw yourself down. For the scripture says—‘He shall give his angels charge concerning you,’ and ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone’.”

7 “Yes,” retorted Jesus, “and the scripture also says ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’.”

8-9 Once again the devil took him to a very high mountain, and from there showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their magnificence. “Everything there I will give you,” he said to him, “if you will fall down and worship me.”

10 “Away with you, Satan!” replied Jesus, “the scripture says, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only you shall serve’.”

11 Then the devil let him alone, and the angels came to him and took care of him.

Jesus begins his ministry, in Galilee, and calls his first disciples

12-16 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested he went back to Galilee. He left Nazareth and came to live in Capernaum, a lake-side town in the Zebulun-Naphtali territory. In this way Isaiah’s prophecy came true: ‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned’.

17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “You must change your hearts—for the kingdom of Heaven has arrived.”

18-19 While he was walking by the lake of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (Peter) and Andrew, casting their large net into the water. They were fishermen, so Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will teach you to catch men!”

20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

21-22 Then he went further on and saw two more men, also brothers, James and John. They were aboard the boat with their father Zebedee repairing their nets, and he called them. At once they left the boat, and their father, and followed him.

Jesus teaches, preaches and heals

23-25 Jesus now moved about through the whole of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news about the kingdom, and healing every disease and disability among the people. His reputation spread throughout Syria, and people brought to him all those who were ill, suffering from all kinds of diseases and pains—including the devil-possessed, the insane and the paralysed. He healed them, and was followed by enormous crowds from Galilee, The Ten Towns, Jerusalem, Judea and from beyond the river Jordan. — Matthew 4 | J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS) The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Cross References: Exodus 17:2; Exodus 23:25; Exodus 34:28; Numbers 23:3; Deuteronomy 8:3; 1 Chronicles 29:2; Nehemiah 11:1; Psalm 91:11-12; Isaiah 9:1-2; Ezekiel 47:10; Matthew 3:2; Matthew 9:1; Matthew 9:35; Matthew 10:2; Matthew 11:2; Matthew 14:33; Matthew 26:53; Mark 1:12-13; Mark 3:7-8; Mark 10:28; Luke 5:11; 1 Corinthians 10:20

Matthew 4 Bible Commentary - Matthew Henry (concise)

[walkswithmyfather]

1 Kings 18:19-22, 36-39 (NLT). [19] “Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who are supported by Jezebel.” [20] So Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel. [21] Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent. [22] Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets.

[36] At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. [37] O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” [38] Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! [39] And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

“Praying With Authority” By In Touch Ministries:

“God always listens to His children and responds—with power and wisdom.”

“God has given us the privilege of calling on Him for all we need— what’s more, He’s promised to respond. He also encourages us to petition Him on behalf of others. And Scripture tells us that the prayers of a righteous person can accomplish much (James 5:16).

To pray powerfully, we must first accept God’s offer of salvation. Before redemption, we were unrighteous people under His judgment. But through faith in Jesus, we are made new and declared holy. Second, we must align our prayers with His will.

Let’s look at Elijah. The Lord sent him to defeat and humiliate the evil king Ahab and the 450 prophets of Baal. This was a spiritual conflict to prove who was the real God—Baal or the Lord of Israel.

Elijah’s weapons were his knowledge of the Father’s plan and the authority he had in prayer as a prophet of God. His request that Jehovah would make Himself known—voiced publicly before his opponents—matched the Lord’s will (Exodus 7:5; 1 Kings 18:37). And when God responded to Elijah’s prayer, the people declared, “The Lord, He is God” (v. 39).

Are you a child of God? If so, you can pray with spiritual might by making sure your requests are in agreement with His will.”

(Photo thanks to Worshae at Unsplash)

[vague-humanoid]

[redbecomesher]

GRACE UPON GRACE E:16

The Power Of Fasting: What It Really Means

Hi y’all welcome to episode 16 of Grace Upon Grace! Today we are going to discuss the power of fasting:) Fasting is one of the most powerful spiritual disciplines in the Christian life. Throughout the Bible, we see men and women of faith turning to fasting as a way to draw closer to God, seek His will, and experience breakthroughs. But what does fasting really mean? Is it just about skipping meals, or is there something deeper behind it? We are going to talk 1. Fasting Is About Dependence On God 2. Fasting Is An Act Of Worship And Surrender 3. Fasting Brings Spiritual Breakthrough 4. Fasting Must Be Paired With Prayer 5. Different Types Of Fasting 6. The Right And Wrong Way To Fast <3

Fasting Is About Dependence On God:

At its core, fasting is not just about abstaining from food, it’s also replacing physical nourishment with spiritual dependence on God. When we fast, we acknowledge that we need God more than anything else in this world. Jesus Himself emphasised this when He said:

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” - MATTHEW 4:4

Trust fasting shifts our focus away from the things that sustain our bodies and towards the One who sustains our souls.

Fasting Is An Act Of Worship And Surrender:

Fasting is a way to humble ourselves before God. It’s a form of surrender where we set aside earthly desires and tell God, “I need You more than I need food, entertainment, and distractions.”

King David understood this when he said:

“I humbled myself with fasting.” - PSALM 35:13

Through fasting, we acknowledge our need for God’s presence, wisdom, and power. It’s an act of worship that deepens our intimacy with Him.

Fasting Brings Spiritual Breakthrough:

In the Bible, fasting often preceded great spiritual victories and divine intervention. Here are a few examples:

• Moses fasted: Before receiving the Ten Commandments (EXODUS 34:28).

• Daniel fasted: and received divine revelation (DANIEL 10:2-3,12).

• Esther fasted: before approaching the king, and God saved her people (ESTHER 4:16).

• Jesus fasted: for 40 days before beginning His ministry (MATTHEW 4:2).

When we fast with a sincere heart, we open the door for God to move in powerful ways. Whether we’re seeking guidance, deliverance, or revival, fasting positions us to receive from the Lord.

Fasting Must Be Paired With Prayer:

Biblical fasting is always connected to prayer. Simply skipping meals without praying is just dieting! Jesus taught that certain spiritual battles require both prayer and fasting:

“This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” - MATTHEW 17:21 (NKJV)

When we fast, we should dedicate time to reading scripture, worship, and prayer. It’s about replacing this time we normally spend eating with time spent in God’s presence.

Different Types Of Fasting:

Fasting is not a one-sized-fits all practice. There are different ways to fast, and The Holy Spirit can guide you in choosing the right one:

1. Full Fast - Abstaining from all food and only drinking water (or sometimes juice).

2. Partial Fast (Daniel Fast) - Avoiding certain food, such as meat, sweets, and processed foods, while eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (Daniel 10:3).

3. Intermittent Fasting -

Fasting for a set time each day (e.g., fasting from sunrise to sunset).

4. Media Or Social Media Fast -

Abstaining from distractions like Tv, social media, or entertainment to focus on God.

The Right And Wrong Way To Fast:

Jesus warned against fasting for the wrong reasons. In Matthew 6:16-18, He cautioned against fasting to impress others or appear more spiritual. Instead, He encouraged fasting in a way that is humble and between you and God.

Trust fasting is about seeking God, not seeking attention. It should be done with the right heart that’s out of love for Him, not legalism or self-righteousness.

I hope y’all enjoyed this subject and learnt a thing or two<3 read your bible, worship, and pray today to our one and only Jesus Christ. Remember God loves you and God bless, till next time!:))))

JOHN 6:35-

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

EZRA 8:21

“Ezra proclaimed a fast by the river of Ahava, so that they might humble themselves before God and seek a safe journey for themselves, their children, and their possessions.”

ESTHER 4:16 KJV

“Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”

ACTS 13:2-3

“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”

MATTHEW 6:16-18-

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

[da-rulah]

I saw an aesthetic picture about spreading Satan through the Internet recently and it got me thinking about being the IT support at the ministry, and which papas and ghouls would be best and worst at technology. So now I obviously want to hear your thoughts.

(I think Primo would surprise us by being surprisingly proficient, sort of like how my grandma mastered email and Facebook in her 80s.)

I have discussed this at great lengths with my best friend, @her-satanic-wiles, and these are the conclusions we have come to. These include all technology and use of the internet and social media habits.

Please enjoy as much as we did - it was too much fun. This is long, so i've put a page break in.

Some 18+ content here, MDNI!

Primo

As you said, surprisingly proficient.

He learns very fast, intently listening to you when you explain email, Microsoft Word & Excel, and Facebook.

He doesn't get Instagram but that's okay, that's not his target audience.

Doesn't understand how the internet works... "So, is it floating around in the air, or...?"

But he does know how to work it, and how to use it.

Secondo

No patience for technology at all.

If it doesn't work how it should, it is immediately referred to as broken.

"Mostrami solo le mie email, pezzo di merda!" you'll hear him scream from his office.

If it is not broken, it soon will be. His frustration makes him violent.

Got the iPhone 4 when it first came out but it perished in a mysterious fire. He doesn't know how it happened. Stop asking him.

Has been through four Ministry issued keyboards and one monitor that saw violent ends.

Terzo

Not bad at technology at all, in fact learns very quickly.

However, the discovery of Internet Pornography set him back in his paperwork by about a week.

He takes casual nudes and sends them to everyone, like him sat on the toilet or just having got out of the shower. Just because he can.

Your phone keeps saving them automatically and you have to do a mass exodus of Terzo nudes at least once a week to save your phone memory.

When you delete them he sends you more out of spite.

Ends up with Malware on his computer all the time from scam emails that promise him 'hot single babes in his area'.

The kind of guy to go on Omegle to flirt with random people, maybe find someone to jerk off with.

Copia

Boomer.

He's bloody useless, it always makes him feel like a silly old fool.

The only thing he can do by himself is search YouTube for rat videos, because you've shown him a million times.

Types with the screen close to his face and with one finger.

FaceTime angle of a typical dad.

"Look at this!" and proceeds to not flip the camera because he doesn't know how so you just end up staring at his face anyway.

SHOUTS when he's on the phone, no concept of noise at all.

Always forgetting his passwords - you get phone calls asking what his password for this and that is every. damn. day.

How many times do you have to remind him his phone unlocks with FaceID?!

Got scammed by a Facebook ad and had to change all his credit cards.

And now for the Ghouls...

Rain

He's VERY good with tech.

Quiet little genius, knows all the keyboard shortcuts and phone tips and tricks going.

Others ask him for help a lot, and he gets such a sense of pride when he can help them, swishing his tails and smiling to himself as he's helping.

Rain is also in charge of Copia's computer. He built it, fixed it, and cries every time Papa does something he shouldn’t to it.

Swiss

Technology conspiracy theorist.

He is terrified of tech, thinks it's listening to him all the time. Alexa is a demon he doesn't trust and his phone is an old Nokia he uses for emergencies ONLY.

That Nokia is also his weapon that he throws at people's heads when they piss him off. Which happens entirely too often and has caused some damage...

Mountain

Always up to date with the latest tech, never misses a launch.

He keeps leaving his second-hand phones in places Swiss will find them to trigger his technophobia and paranoia.

"DO THEY BREED, OR SOMETHING?!" Mountain is snickering outside his dorm listening to the chaos he's created.

Phantom

TROLL.

Chaos maker, through and through.

He is a serial redditer. The havoc he creates on there is diabolical, honestly.

Goes on Omegle to troll people.

He came across Papa Terzo one evening. They both agreed to never speak of what he saw ever again.

Plays on Swiss' technophobia along with Mountain.

He even created a cruel "conspiracy mode" on the Alexa that plays dramatic music, changes the lighting and shuts the window blinds in Swiss' room whilst Alexa tells him "I'm here, Swiss. I see everything."

Sodo

Has absolutely no interest in the internet or technology whatsoever.

Serial text forgetter. Sees you've text him, ignores it. Promises to get back to it. Never does.

When it comes to guitar tech though, he'll chew your ear off for hours. He knows EVERYTHING.

Ask him a question, but be prepared to be stuck there for approx. 45 minutes while he explains it in great detail with tangents you didn't ask for.

Aurora

Very good with tech, specifically social media.

Basically the social media manager of The Ghost Project.

She loves tiktok, makes them regularly. but it gives off 'Illegal Disney' vibes... Total crack.

Papa had to stop her making them and tell her to take them down.

Ask her about dance challenges - she knows them all.

Cumulus

CANNOT BE BOTHERED.

Why does everything take so long? Typing and everything... so much effort.

So she's a voice note kinda girl.

And they can be full blown podcasts, she talks and talks and talks....

Always takes Mountain's old phones after Swiss has been spooked by them. She hasn't bought a new phone in 6 years. Mountain is none the wiser.

Cirrus

Has a basic understanding, but feels guilty asking for help from IT support.

If an error message pops up, she'll panic and call Aurora.

"No but it says Error 404... WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!"

Queen of cat videos. Falls asleep to 10 hour loops of rain storms on YouTube.

[girlactionfigure]

🟪 MORE SPIES CAUGHT, HAMAS HUMAN SHIELD STRATEGY PROVEN - Real time from Israel  

ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

A Gut’a Chol HaMoed from Israel - happy Succot intermediate holy days.

( PHOTO - doing your best to make a Sukkah in Lebanon. )

🔅END OF DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME in Israel, this Saturday night 2:00 AM. Change clocks back 1 hour, computers and phones should auto-adjust.▪️

❗️MORE SPIES CAUGHT.. 7 residents of east Jerusalem were arrested on suspicion of planning to eliminate a nuclear scientist and a mayor - on behalf of Iran.

⭕LEBANON - ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE at IDF JETS from HEZBOLLAH per Al Jazeera with video (not shared here), 23 mm anti-aircraft fire.

⭕HEZBOLLAH FIRES LONG RANGE MISSILE(S) this morning, alerts from Zichron Yaakov through north Tel Aviv.

Hezbollah for long range launches 1-5 missiles (so far).  With the low number and longer flight time, interception has been 100%.  Because of high altitude and speed of the flight, the scatter pattern for the debris covers a huge area. That is why a small number of missiles results in a large alert area in central Israel.

The opposite is occurring in the north, where Hezbollah is firing 20-110 short range rockets in a barrage, therefore each alert area is 1 or multiple rockets inbound.

⭕HAIFA PORT WORKERS GET THREATENING SMS.. Haifa port workers received messages Monday which stated that the port's system had been hacked and that they should leave the place as it would be the target of a missile attack.

⭕HAIFA - KRAYOT.. strong explosion without warning as an incoming rocket hits a nearby open area.

♦️LEBANON - HEAVY OVERNIGHT AIRSTRIKES across parts of Beirut and other areas.

♦️LEBANON - news report: boy killed working his shop due to Israeli STRIKE ON THE ROCKET LAUNCHER IN THE BACK space being rented by Hezbollah - reported straight like that.

♦️LEBANON - MASS EXODUS from Beirut continues, both sides of the highway going OUT.

♦️LEBANON - BUNKER UNDER HOSPITAL CAUSES PANIC.. Following the IDF spokesman's announcement regarding the Hezbollah cash-vault bunker under the al-Sakhal hospital in Harat Kharik in Dahiya in Beirut, hysteria began in the area surrounding the hospital as people tried to flee assuming an incoming IDF attack.

🔹US VS HOUTHIS $$.. The cost of the damage suffered by the US military so far is $186 million just from the downing of the MQ-9 Reaper drones.

❗️HAMAS’s MANIPULATIONS & INTENTIONAL HUMAN SHIELDS.. (WSJ) “As Arab mediators tried to speed up cease-fire talks, (Hamas leader) Sinwar urged his comrades in Hamas’s political leadership based outside of Gaza to REFUSE concessions. High civilian casualties would create worldwide pressure on Israel, Sinwar said in a message.

Sinwar messaged Hamas officials, urging them to refuse a hostage deal. Hamas had the upper hand in negotiations, Sinwar said, citing internal political divisions within Israel, cracks in Netanyahu’s wartime coalition and mounting U.S. pressure to alleviate the suffering in Gaza.”

▪️SERIOUS CRIMINAL INCIDENT - KFAR QASIM.. (Israeli Arabi/Bedouin town near Rosh Ha’ayin) 3 young people, ages 17, 17, 20, stabbed, critical condition, CPR.

▪️TRUMP SAYS.. Trump on the talks for a ceasefire in Lebanon: I spoke with people from Lebanon and to my surprise they want it (the attacks on Hezbollah) to continue as long as possible.

▪️AID PROFIT..  IDF: Paul Landes, head of the economic warfare staff at the Ministry of Defense, refuses to answer the question of whether Hamas makes money from humanitarian aid.

[gatekeeper-watchman]

Daily Devotionals for August 16, 2024

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living

Devotional Scripture:

Proverbs 22:28 (KJV): 28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. Proverbs 22:28 (AMP): 28 Remove not the ancient landmark which your fathers have set.

Thought for the Day

This verse has both natural and spiritual implications. Landmarks in ancient Israel marked property boundaries. A stone, a stake, or other monument was used to establish and prevent infringement of property rights. A wicked person would remove a landmark, either out of coveting someone else's property or to mislead people in order to attack them. In Western cultures, a landmark has come to mean primarily some conspicuous object or building that serves as a guide to travelers. Therefore, this verse is telling us to respect the property rights of others, as well as the hereditary rights that our fathers have set up in the past. Neither should we tear down a marker that is used for guidance. This causes confusion and can cause people to lose their way. For instance, when I go back to my old home town, they have changed the streets and torn down old buildings. I cannot find my way around and must get a new map or ask a local person for directions. This does not mean we should not change things for the better - but with change we need to consider those who look for the old landmarks, and identify the old streets by leaving or referencing the old names.

Young Christians should respect their elders' boundaries. There are reasons for the boundaries, and the younger generation would be wise to honor them. This is actually part of obeying the commandment to honor our parents (Exodus 20:12). Young people, in their desire for independence, will often disregard their elders' advice, sometimes to their own detriment. Satan is trying to rid our nation of the ancient moral landmarks that our founding forefathers set in place, especially the Ten Commandments. He knows that without these standards in the earth, he will be able to destroy society. Without respect for authority, our world will be reduced to chaos.

The same can also apply to teachings. Some of the so-called "new" teachings in the Church are really not new at all, but old erroneous ones. They are "winds of doctrine" that toss people to and fro. The Lord gave the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to help us walk in the right way, that we may mature in Christ. It is wisdom to listen to our godly church elders. "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-14).

Prayer Devotional for the Day

Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for the elders in my family, and also the church elders before me, who have paved the way for my life to be blessed. Even though I qualify for this office myself, may I always be childlike and humble in realizing that without my elders, I would not be one today. May I always honor and appreciate them. Help me to respect the young people in my life and not discard their ideas, but be able to embrace those ideas that come from You, not allowing pride to prevent me from recognizing the things You are giving them. Lord, may You restore the hearts of the fathers to the children in our day. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen From: Steven P. Miller, @ParkermillerQ, gatekeeperwatchman.org Founder and Administrator of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Group Thursday, August 15, 2024, Jacksonville, Florida., Duval County, USA.  X … @ParkermillerQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Sparkermiller.JAX.FL.USA, Instagram: steven_parker_miller_1956 #GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO.

[birdofmay]

do have metal recommendations? I'm new to it. really completely new

*typing up a storm* You just activated the autism in me! 😄

Alright, here's a brief overview. Followers, feel free to recommend songs in the comments, if you listen to metal.

What bands you should know, at least their names:

Black Sabbath, Sepultura, Kiss, Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Pantera, Anthrax, Helloween.

No need to know and like their songs, just know that they exist. There are some more, but you'll encounter them eventually anyway, I'm sure. Note that certain old bands are controversial now, for example Pantera and Metallica.

Some recommendations:

Heavy Metal:

The "How it began" part. Just check out Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Black Sabbath. You should know

Thrash Metal:

The earlier albums of Metallica, Testament, Exodus, and of course Slayer. "Raining Blood"

is well known, and I connect "Bloodline"

with long road trips as a child.

Doom Metal:

Some Black Sabbath is also considered doom metal. Apart from that I recommend Pentagram and Witchfinder General.

Black Metal:

Not mine, personally, except for certain derivatives, but they'll come later. I like very few black metal songs. They are:

Death Metal:

Many subgenres, I personally prefer Melodic Death Metal. Cannibal Corpse is well-known and also Obituary. Check out Debauchery, some In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, and Arch Enemy too. Recommendation:

But to be honest, most Children of Bodom songs sound alike 😂

Dark Metal/Gothic Metal:

Hard to sort the whole discography of one band into this subgenre. Some Cradle of Filth, some Sirenia, some Samsas Traum, Type O Negative. I also like

Power Metal:

Sabaton, Powerwolf, Manowar (not everything), HammerFall, Grave Digger (not everything), Sonata Arctica, some Blind Guardian. Power Metal often has characteristics of Symphonic Metal in some songs, so it's hard to put one band in one strict category.

Symphonic Metal:

Nightwish, Xandria, Within Temptation, Epica. Too many favourites to recommend a specific song.

Progressive Metal:

Dream Theater, Opeth, Tool, Symphony X. Specific song:

Folk Metal:

Some Ensiferum, Eluveitie, Týr, Finntroll, Svartsot, Korpiklaani. Also The HU for Mongolian representation 😎 Folk Metal is huge, I just focus on "northern" stuff because I'm "northern" too. Song recommendation:

Viking Metal:

This is actually a "Whatever, as long as it's about Norse stuff and the Viking age" genre. This is why many death metal, folk metal, and power metal bands ALSO are considered viking metal.

Amon Amarth are very well-known, I'd recommend

Pagan Metal:

Also a "Whatever, as long" category. Most folk metal bands are simultaneously pagan metal. Moonsorrow are more black metal but also pagan metal, which is why I'll briefly mention them here.

There also are Varg, but if I'm not mistaken they had some right wing stuff going on, so be careful there. I'm not sure what happened, but I think some of the band members openly supported a neonazi group. Could be that the members were kicked out after that, but even if everything is alright now, they still have a negative connotation.

Somewhere in between all this, there's Alestorm. They're also considered pirate metal, btw. But I'm not actively into that, which is why I put them somewhere in-between.

Industrial Metal:

This is your outsider, and I think every band considered "Industrial Metal" is at the same time considered 5 genres more. Rammstein, Nine Inch Nails, Eisbrecher (some would say it's Gothic), Ministry.

Nu Metal:

Some people would say "Nu Metal isn't metal!!!", but I like it anyway. Check out Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, Korn, Disturbed. "Duality" by Slipknot is the song of a common meme ("I push my fingers into my eyes") 😄

Also Machine Head, but it's hard to categorise them. I just checked, Wikipedia says they're sometimes considered "neo-thrash". Well I guess they're a bit of everything, but their newer albums definitely have nu metal character.

Metalcore:

If you say you're a metalhead but only listen to metalcore, metalheads will hate you for this. Just so you know. ☝🏼 It's a valid genre, but you're on thin ice if you don't listen to other metal genres. There are many overlapping genres here, which is why, again, it's difficult to label bands.

Parkway Drive (some would scream that they're post hardcore), Silverstein (some would scream that they're hardcore punk, others that they're emo), As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage, Bullet For My Valentine (some would scream that they're emo, others would say they're heavy metal), Bring Me The Horizon depending on the song, August Burns Red.

Lamb of God are considered metalcore too, but in my opinion they're more metal than metalcore. Anyway I'll mention them here for the sake of classification.

Yeah, that's about it, I guess. This post is already very long, so I guess I better stop at this point. I hope from here on you'll manage to navigate through the big metal genre yourself 😄

P.S.: I forgot Trivium! "Feast Of Fire" is currently stuck in my head

[deeptrashwitch]

Exodus

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Mario entered the House of Lebanon with his daughter, trying to ignore the sounds of the dawning city. He left her inside the Mayor office next to the door, hidden under a table while he kneeled beside her for a second. Softly he asked her to stay hidden until he was back and not to come out no matter what she heard. And Juliana simply nodded a bit nervously.

After that he ran inside the House of Nariño for a last emergency reunion. Once inside, he found Camilo, who was uneasy watching everything and mostly how the congressman and the presidential cabinet fought while the President himself seemed surprisingly quiet while he looked to the void for a second. Meanwhile, Camilo asked Mario what would happen now.

“What else?” Mario whispered at him. “You and I know what those Feds will do as soon as they find us here.”

“So we’re condemned.”

“If we don’t go on the run, then that’s about right.”

The reunion lasted for a while longer, with Mario and Camilo going to speak with the other officers that were there. They planned what to do, trying to get a single hope while outside the sounds of the tanks and the infantry soldiers getting closer and closer by the minute. In the end, the Defense Minister sighed and did something that left everyone in silence.

He went to untie the flag with a pained look.

“This isn’t something we have much of a voice in.” He whispered while folding the flag, his voice echoing inside the room. “We hate it or not, Colombia will fall. We can only try and keep it alive in the shadows. Mr. President, even if we fight tonight, we’ll just get some hours.”

“Then what do you suggest?” The President asked, surprisingly calm.

“Keep safe our symbols, the flag, the sword of Bolivar and our constitution. If we ever let those get lost, we lose who we are. We stop being Colombian to be simple cowards.”

In silence, the President looked at the door and sighed before nodding with his eyes closed and his shoulders slumped. One of the guards nodded and went to another room to get the Sword of Bolivar, which the President took with a tired look, simply extending it to the Defense Ministry. Said Minister just went to get the constitution, and then he went to Mario, who was watching everything from a wall, to give it to him.

“Jiménez.” The MInister said, just looking at him.

Mario straightened up, surprised. “Sir?”

“I’m well aware of what you, Ortiz and many others intended to do. And I can’t say I blame you for that. The man said, giving Mario the objects. “I need you to swear that you will protect these with your life if that’s required.”

“I…”

“General Jiménez, will you protect what makes us a nation?”

Mario doubted for a moment, but ended up nodding and took the three things before putting them inside the bag he brought with him. The Minister just nodded at him and looked at the other Ministers, who seemed to want to start arguing about who should really take the symbols. But before that fight could even start, a rumble called their attention. It wasn’t there, it was in the House of Lebanon.

Mario’s blood froze in his veins. “Juliana….”

“Mario, wait-!” Camilo exclaimed, but Mario simply grabbed the bag and ran towards the door, pushing everyone in his way away while his heart crashed against his ribcage.

“MY DAUGHTER IS THERE!” He shouted terrified to Camilo, and at the same time, a second rumble alerted everyone that the Feds were taking control of the House of Nariño.

Mario ran without even taking care that he might get shot, he simply entered the House of Lebanon and ran to the place where he left Juliana, praying that she was okay. He found her under a table, covering her mouth with her hands while trembling and crying. In a second he kneeled next to her and pulled her to a hug.

“It’s okay, J.J, dad’s here.” He whispered softly.

Juliana just hiccuped and clung onto him. “Dad, I’m scared.”

“Everything will be alright, I promise. We’ll…we’ll be alright.”

After that, he carried her and ran downstairs to escape that place, just to see how the entrance was blocked by Feds. Mario took another route to find an exit while he cursed under his breath. Once he found an open window, he crossed Juliana first and then he crossed, and for a second he saw how the Ministers and the President were lined up in the middle of the Square.

He carried Juliana again, who hid her face against his chest, still crying.

“What’s happening?” She asked, trembling like a piece of paper, and trying to look up.

Mario put a hand over her head to stop her. “Close your eyes.”

“Dad-”

“Juliana, close your eyes!”

She did, and seconds later, the sound of shots echoed in the square, making Juliana scream and seek refuge against his father’s chest. Meanwhile Mario kept running, trying not to see how slowly the center of the capital got tainted in red. He ran for a while, until he felt his legs were about to give up, while he noticed how most of the city was doing the same.

Hundreds of people, no, thousands of people were running, grabbing whatever they could and fit in their hands before leaving everything behind. Some even gave their kids to some of the passing people, asking them a single thing. Keep them safe.

Even he saw how some of the officers with who he worked and trained were running as well, some carrying children or bags, even some with rifles. And not so soon after, he found Camilo against a wall with a devastated expression. He stopped beside him, worried.

“Ortiz, what is it?” He asked, noticing Camilo’s sadness.

“My wife, my kid…they’re still there.” He whispered, holding back his sobs.”They can’t escape, she’s pregnant and my son is too young to endure this.”

“Ay Camilo…”

Camilo slowly fell to the floor, passing a hand over his hair. “They’ll die, won’t they?”

“Don’t say that.”

“THEN WHAT, MARIO?! THEY’RE CONDEMNED THE SECOND THEY FIND THEY’RE MY FAMILY!”

Then J.J yelped and grabbed her dad’s shirt again, still terrified and crying. That surprised Camilo and even Mario looked down to look at her. She had been so quiet that he forgot she was crying for a second. Camilo looked at him and at Juliana for a second, then sighed and started to cry as well trying not to have a complete breakdown there and then.

“Goddamnit…” He whispered, desperate.

Maio sighed and moved J.J a bit so he could put a hand over Camilo’s shoulder, looking at him with sadness and sympathy. “Listen brother, I understand the pain you’re going through. But we need to go, I can assure you that we will come back one day. And you’ll see them again.”

“How are you so sure?” Camilo asked with a sigh.

“... We'll make it possible, sooner or later.”

It took a while, but Camilo ended up standing up and the three of them ran once again to go as far as possible from downtown. At some point, Camilo took the kid a woman asked him to take away to safety. So he carried the boy and promised the mother to keep him safe.

A shooting broke the silence.

“Damnit! Camilo, let's go!” Mario shouted while he covered J.J with his body.

Camilo nodded and hugged the kid. “It's okay, little one, you’ll be fine and so will your mom.”

The child just kept crying while they ran to somewhere safe. For what felt like hours, they kept running until they arrived to a building to hide. They stayed hidden for a couple of hours, until the night almost ended.

At some point they started to run again until they managed to steal a car to leave the city. Mario put an asleep J.J on the back seat, cleaning the trail of tears that she had in her face. She curled up in her sleep with a sigh and a frown.

Meanwhile, Camilo put the boy under his care beside her. They both looked at the kids before putting Camilo's bag in the trunk with the rifles. And soon they were on the road, taking alleyways to avoid the Feds around him.

“Where to now?” Camilo asked while driving.

Mario sighed and looked down at the bag with the symbols he was entrusted. “Far away, somewhere we can be safe for enough time to figure it all out.”

“Alright.” He murmured before looking at the people trying to escape from Bogotá. “Look at that, all of them escaped as well. This is a damn hell.”

“This is our life now.” Mario murmured exhausted while he looked at the people escaping. “Soon enough, we’ll have to walk again and we’ll need to gather the people before the Feds do.”

“I seriously wonder if we’ll ever see this place again, like you said. I kinda hope we do.”

Mario smiled falsely for a minute, then sighed and looked through the window with a devastated look filled with grief.

“I hope the same.” He whispered softly to himself trying not to cry.

[eesirachs]

You may have answered this before or written something on the subject, so pls forgive any overstepping! But I'm having a hard time reconciling the nature of God in the ot vs Him in the nt. Is it just because of like the times, in a sense, that He feels so different? In the ot He seems extremely wrathful - I'm reading through 2nd chronicles and just so many times the kings turn their backs and God brings down sickness and war and slavery upon them and so on until they (the king) finally repent. But in the nt, Jesus and his ministry is all about love and mercy, and God abides in it.

I know time changes a lot of things, and the inclusion of God's own son and his sacrifice makes this much more personal and close to him, but the change is almost too much for me to understand. Maybe I'm just misunderstanding it, maybe His love has always been the same and I'm just not understanding it in the ot ? I'm not sure.

Any thoughts or advice or..? Idk, this has been bothering me for weeks and I don't have ppl in my life who can answer this type of question. Thank you for your time T–T

difference as a rubric needs to be kept warm. the god of the bible (who is hashem, who is jesus) is not monolithic, and neither are his texts. so many hands touch each corpus. some of those hands held the tent of exodus but most did not; some hands held jesus’ own but most, again, did not. i am trying to tell you that you can’t hold the hebrew bible as one thing with one kind of god and the second testament as another thing with another kind of god. each book has its own figure of him, or, figures plural. hashem cries, jesus flips tables. hashem burns, jesus has a meal. un-attach from any vagueness or rigidity that foreclose real meaning, re-turn to these texts with a posture that is both critical and generous, and let the hands of and within and across the bible hold you before those of marcion of sinope get to you

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

So many Christian leaders today are impacted by the world’s teaching on evolution, millions of years, etc., (that are based on naturalism—atheism) and treat the Word of God as a fallible document that should be interpreted to fit with the world’s teaching. That’s a major problem in the church.

Over the years, I’ve seen the church try to respond to the increasing exodus of people from the church and the growing secularization of the culture. We’ve seen the “seeker-sensitive” approach, the growth of the “emergent church,” the emphasis on entertainment, and making music the dominant feature of church services as they become more performance based. At the same time, the teaching of God’s Word often has become very shallow. And none of that has worked. The generational loss from the church continues.

I contend that the church needs to raise up generations who know what they believe, know why they believe it, are equipped with answers to defend the Christian faith against secular attacks (like evolution/millions of years), and know they can trust God’s Word from the very first verse.

I believe we need reformation, transformation, and revival in our churches so they will once again impact the culture and raise generations of godly people.

Our ministry continues to move ahead to reach millions of souls each year (and, prayerfully, billions) with the gospel. That’s what the creation apologetics ministry is all about.

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). ~ Ken Ham

[walkswithmyfather]

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT). [5] “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. [6] Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Exodus 2:11-15, 23-25 (NLT). [11] “Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews. [12] After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand. [13] The next day, when Moses went out to visit his people again, he saw two Hebrew men fighting. “Why are you beating up your friend?” Moses said to the one who had started the fight. [14] The man replied, “Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?” Then Moses was afraid, thinking, “Everyone knows what I did.” [15] And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened, and he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian...[23] Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. [24] God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. [25] He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.”

“Our Way or God’s Way” by In Touch Ministries:

“Relying on our own knowledge and strength robs us of the blessings that come from following God.”

“Whenever challenges come into our life, there are two ways we can respond to them: God’s way or ours. Moses is an example of a man who tried out both options. In today’s passage, we see him taking matters into his own hands. Although his motives were pure, his method was wrong. Moses made three mistakes.

1. He focused on the difficulty. How often have we done the same thing? The unfairness or pain of a situation grabs our attention, and in our desire for a solution, we act without first seeking the Lord.

2. He relied on his own strength and understanding. When a problem arises, the most natural response is to do what we can to fix it. However, God wants us to rely on Him, not on ourselves (Proverbs 3:5-6).

3. He acted impulsively. If a situation seems urgent, fixing the problem as fast as possible becomes our top priority. In our haste, we’re likely to forgo waiting on the Lord.

We’ve all followed Moses’ example at some point and suffered the consequences of self-reliance. But notice that God didn’t reject Moses or cancel the divine plan for his life. Instead, He refined the future leader’s character through trials and gave him another chance—and He’ll do the same for us.”

[Photo thanks to Maksym Kaharlytskyi on Unsplash]